Disclaimer *This blog rags on the church. Lots of people rag on the church. And like everyone else, I don't really know how to solve this...so please help*
One of the few things that the church of Acts and the church today had in common were a plethora of problems. However, back then they solved them differently. Today, if someone has a problem with the church, they leave. Not even for a good reason (the music is too loud, the sermon is boring, the food's not good). In Acts 15, the church faces a huge issue (circumcision)and resolves it...
and nobody leaves.
Why?
Why do churches split over petty arguments?
Why do churches compete against each other?
What if the church is in worse shape than we thought....What if the church is missing the point....what if the Holy Spirit has left the church?
Seriously....what if the problem with the church is that in addition to driving away people, we have driven away the Spirit? What if God is so disgusted with the church that He has left it?
Isaiah 29:13 says; "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."
What if all of our rules and regulations have pushed the Spirit out? What if other idols (the music, form of worship, the people) in the church don't leave room for God to be praised? Perhaps the church has become too focused on community and doctrines to be focused on God....
The church of Acts is the finest example of a church that we have, and it seems that we've ignored that example. Sure they fought and argued, but they ultimately stayed together ("and the LORD added to their number daily those who were being saved"-Acts 2:47). This church was focused on spreading the glory of God and worshiping Him. Our church is focused on church.
Why is it so difficult to get back to the only example of church we have?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
When you grow up....
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Most of us had an answer to this question as children, but for some reason we had no clue during high school, even college. Why is that?
As children, we weren't afraid to dream. We didn't recognize the hardships of our dreams. We didn't let anything hinder our imaginations. Then we grew up, realized that we didn't have enough money, or weren't talented enough. Sometimes we even blame God and claim that He didn't want us to follow those dreams.
Whatever the excuse, we are now afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of others, afraid of even trying.
So what do we do? We take safe jobs, make safe plans, and dream within our safe little boxes. We have allowed the world to constrict our vision. Seriously, who grew up saying, "I want to file papers, clean toilets, go to business meetings" when I get older.
When we were younger, we had no shame in asking questions, always wondering why. More importantly, we didn't even know what normal was, so we didn't care. How many of you thought about your image as a child?
My point here is that as children, we weren't afraid to do anything, to dream anything, to try anything. I honestly believe that if many of us met our childhood selves, those little dudes would kick our butts for becoming a bunch of cowards.
God has an awesome plan for each of our lives, but we're too scared to even ask about it, let alone act upon it. So dream big, don't be afraid to questions, and relive the glory days when "normal" didn't exist. God calls us to be radicals, so stop playing it safe.
Most of us had an answer to this question as children, but for some reason we had no clue during high school, even college. Why is that?
As children, we weren't afraid to dream. We didn't recognize the hardships of our dreams. We didn't let anything hinder our imaginations. Then we grew up, realized that we didn't have enough money, or weren't talented enough. Sometimes we even blame God and claim that He didn't want us to follow those dreams.
Whatever the excuse, we are now afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of others, afraid of even trying.
So what do we do? We take safe jobs, make safe plans, and dream within our safe little boxes. We have allowed the world to constrict our vision. Seriously, who grew up saying, "I want to file papers, clean toilets, go to business meetings" when I get older.
When we were younger, we had no shame in asking questions, always wondering why. More importantly, we didn't even know what normal was, so we didn't care. How many of you thought about your image as a child?
My point here is that as children, we weren't afraid to do anything, to dream anything, to try anything. I honestly believe that if many of us met our childhood selves, those little dudes would kick our butts for becoming a bunch of cowards.
God has an awesome plan for each of our lives, but we're too scared to even ask about it, let alone act upon it. So dream big, don't be afraid to questions, and relive the glory days when "normal" didn't exist. God calls us to be radicals, so stop playing it safe.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Quest for Love: Part II
How do we love God?
Go to church? Pray? Spend time in devotions? Tithe? Help others? Spread the Gospel?
These are all things that make us love God, right?
Wrong.
After my shocking revelations concerning my lack of love for the Father, I have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to love God more. Like the main character of Ecclesiastes, I tried out a bunch of methods. Here's some of my ideas...
Force myself to forget about my idols and focus on Him...
Find some inspiring verses and quotes....
Spend loads of time in Bible study....
These are all great things, but not one of them caused me to love God more. The fact of the matter is that no matter how hard I try, I can't just love God more. There is no equation for easy fix for God's love.
We need God to help us love God. In other words, the only plausible way for me to truly love the Father is for Him to inspire that love in me. God promises that all we
have to do is ask, and He will answer.
Put in another way, my sinful nature prevents me from loving God in the way He intended. My sinful nature encourages my love for my idols. I can't fight that nature, but God can help me with it.
By laying my burden at His feet, and asking Him to help me love Him, I'll get there.
The process won't be easy. God will bend and break me to get me to where He needs me. He'll take away that which I value most. He'll force me to trust Him. But He'll love me. God has shown me what I need to do. He's shown me that I can't really do anything but ask for His help. He's shown me the process.
Thankfully, God hasn't given up on me. He loves me enough to let me take this journey instead of just giving me the solution. He's answered my prayer by showing me the way.
The quest continues...
Go to church? Pray? Spend time in devotions? Tithe? Help others? Spread the Gospel?
These are all things that make us love God, right?
Wrong.
After my shocking revelations concerning my lack of love for the Father, I have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to love God more. Like the main character of Ecclesiastes, I tried out a bunch of methods. Here's some of my ideas...
Force myself to forget about my idols and focus on Him...
Find some inspiring verses and quotes....
Spend loads of time in Bible study....
These are all great things, but not one of them caused me to love God more. The fact of the matter is that no matter how hard I try, I can't just love God more. There is no equation for easy fix for God's love.
We need God to help us love God. In other words, the only plausible way for me to truly love the Father is for Him to inspire that love in me. God promises that all we
have to do is ask, and He will answer.
Put in another way, my sinful nature prevents me from loving God in the way He intended. My sinful nature encourages my love for my idols. I can't fight that nature, but God can help me with it.
By laying my burden at His feet, and asking Him to help me love Him, I'll get there.
The process won't be easy. God will bend and break me to get me to where He needs me. He'll take away that which I value most. He'll force me to trust Him. But He'll love me. God has shown me what I need to do. He's shown me that I can't really do anything but ask for His help. He's shown me the process.
Thankfully, God hasn't given up on me. He loves me enough to let me take this journey instead of just giving me the solution. He's answered my prayer by showing me the way.
The quest continues...
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Quest for Love: Part I
Why are you a Christian?
Seriously, many of us have been asked this question before, but take a minute to seriously examine your faith, more importantly the reasoning behind your faith. Why do you believe in God? Why do you serve God? Why do you love God?
Do you love Him? Seriously love Him?
Stop reading and answer this question for yourself.
Recent events in my life have forced me to stop and take a gander at myself. A long gander (not a goose). Not only myself, but my relationship with the Father.
I realized that I don't have an answer to this question. I believe in God because I grew up "Christian." I was afraid to leave the faith because of what my family might say. I "believed" in God because I was afraid of the alternative of eternal damnation. I followed Him because I was afraid of what He would do to me if I didn't. I don't even know if I actually loved God.
Things haven't changed.
This is a seriously disturbing truth. I don't know if I love God.
For 22 years, I have investigated this being known as YAWEH
For 7 years, I have worked as a camp counselor supposedly leading kids to Christ.
For 8 years, I have been involved with leading worship
For 6 of those years, I have lead other people on a worship team.
For 4 years, I have devoted my life to becoming a youth pastor.
Yet after all that, I still don't know that I love the Father. Sure I'd like to tell myself I do and that my struggle with this fact points to some sort of love for Him, but my life says differently. During the average day, I think about God perhaps 2-3 times per hour. Unless that hour is filled with climbing, going out with friends, or a movie. Compare that to a crush on a girl....I focus way more on pleasing her than God, and that's not even love.
So what am I doing then?
Francis Chan says; "God doesn't just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love Him." I have the theology and I know all the "Christian" answers....but that's missing the point.
The point is love...and I don't have it.
Thus begins my quest for love.
Seriously, many of us have been asked this question before, but take a minute to seriously examine your faith, more importantly the reasoning behind your faith. Why do you believe in God? Why do you serve God? Why do you love God?
Do you love Him? Seriously love Him?
Stop reading and answer this question for yourself.
Recent events in my life have forced me to stop and take a gander at myself. A long gander (not a goose). Not only myself, but my relationship with the Father.
I realized that I don't have an answer to this question. I believe in God because I grew up "Christian." I was afraid to leave the faith because of what my family might say. I "believed" in God because I was afraid of the alternative of eternal damnation. I followed Him because I was afraid of what He would do to me if I didn't. I don't even know if I actually loved God.
Things haven't changed.
This is a seriously disturbing truth. I don't know if I love God.
For 22 years, I have investigated this being known as YAWEH
For 7 years, I have worked as a camp counselor supposedly leading kids to Christ.
For 8 years, I have been involved with leading worship
For 6 of those years, I have lead other people on a worship team.
For 4 years, I have devoted my life to becoming a youth pastor.
Yet after all that, I still don't know that I love the Father. Sure I'd like to tell myself I do and that my struggle with this fact points to some sort of love for Him, but my life says differently. During the average day, I think about God perhaps 2-3 times per hour. Unless that hour is filled with climbing, going out with friends, or a movie. Compare that to a crush on a girl....I focus way more on pleasing her than God, and that's not even love.
So what am I doing then?
Francis Chan says; "God doesn't just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love Him." I have the theology and I know all the "Christian" answers....but that's missing the point.
The point is love...and I don't have it.
Thus begins my quest for love.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Fake....
I came to a realization tonight....One that's always been there, I've just never admitted it...
I'm a fake.
Tonight, God asked me to give everything over to Him. And instantly, I thought of what was most important to me. Surprisingly, God was not on that list. (Perhaps because I was thinking of what God might take from me, and obviously God can't take God. Maybe this touches on a deeper issue of taking God for granted because He is always there.)
Anyhow, after going over this list of important things, I decided, for whatever reason, that I didn't want to surrender certain things to God. God called me out on it and said, "Hey, what happens if I want this from you?"
I said "No, I just don't think I can do that"
I spent the rest of an awesome worship set pouting and arguing with God about my level of commitment. I questioned my faith...a lot.
What if God isn't really enough for me?
What if I don't want to live a life of sacrifice?
What if I'm not content in surrendering everything to God?
So here's the really big issue. I preach and teach everyone that God is sufficient. That we should abandon all for God's work. That God isn't at the top of our priority list, but that He is the list.
But I can't do it....I'm a fake....
I'm a fake.
Tonight, God asked me to give everything over to Him. And instantly, I thought of what was most important to me. Surprisingly, God was not on that list. (Perhaps because I was thinking of what God might take from me, and obviously God can't take God. Maybe this touches on a deeper issue of taking God for granted because He is always there.)
Anyhow, after going over this list of important things, I decided, for whatever reason, that I didn't want to surrender certain things to God. God called me out on it and said, "Hey, what happens if I want this from you?"
I said "No, I just don't think I can do that"
I spent the rest of an awesome worship set pouting and arguing with God about my level of commitment. I questioned my faith...a lot.
What if God isn't really enough for me?
What if I don't want to live a life of sacrifice?
What if I'm not content in surrendering everything to God?
So here's the really big issue. I preach and teach everyone that God is sufficient. That we should abandon all for God's work. That God isn't at the top of our priority list, but that He is the list.
But I can't do it....I'm a fake....
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Best Thirty Minutes
After a rather tiring but wonderful morning, I decided to take an equally wonderful nap. Nothing new or exciting for me. But I had a glorious glimpse of inexpressible joy. The sort of joy that can only be felt in the presence of the Father.
After ignoring my alarm clock (by ignore I mean strike multiple times) I fell back asleep for like 30 extra minutes...what a great half hour though.
Now, I recognize that none of this is Biblical, but it did get me thinking and has lit me on fire with this awesome joy that I can't contain. I would give anything to feel the joy that I had felt during this half hour.
So here's what I experienced in a dream...
After going through some crazy struggles and misadventures (at one point I remember telling my two comrades to just hold on and have faith that we'll get there) we finally got there. The funny part is that we didn't even know where or what "there" was...we just felt like we needed to get there.
So after some sort of odd transformation process that resembles a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, we're hanging out in a lounge/kitchen with a bunch of people that I don't know, (I think one was the violinist from Dave Matthews Band...haha) and eating brownies. Everyone is super excited to see me and each recalls points of my journey which they watched me very closely. We share laughs over the times I took the hard way or thought I had a short cut, but turned out wrong.
Then it dawned on me.
I was in heaven.
Right about that moment I saw Him.
Christ.
He was just cooking something in the back, quietly chatting with someone when I saw Him. Initially I froze...then realized that I should worship Him. After falling on my face, instead of worshiping Him because I felt like I should, I worshipped Him because I was compelled to.
I wailed and screamed, begging for forgiveness and completely awestruck by His presence. I truly worshipped Him with everything, unashamed. My joy was unlike anything I had ever felt in my entire life. I can honestly say that I've never felt this much joy before, and just writing this is bringing a smile to my face.
I received a glimpse of what I believe to be heaven. Everyone loving on each other. Christ is just shooting the breeze with whoever. Joy. In it's purist form, Joy. This is what God intended for His creation, and this is our end.
I can't wait.
After ignoring my alarm clock (by ignore I mean strike multiple times) I fell back asleep for like 30 extra minutes...what a great half hour though.
Now, I recognize that none of this is Biblical, but it did get me thinking and has lit me on fire with this awesome joy that I can't contain. I would give anything to feel the joy that I had felt during this half hour.
So here's what I experienced in a dream...
After going through some crazy struggles and misadventures (at one point I remember telling my two comrades to just hold on and have faith that we'll get there) we finally got there. The funny part is that we didn't even know where or what "there" was...we just felt like we needed to get there.
So after some sort of odd transformation process that resembles a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, we're hanging out in a lounge/kitchen with a bunch of people that I don't know, (I think one was the violinist from Dave Matthews Band...haha) and eating brownies. Everyone is super excited to see me and each recalls points of my journey which they watched me very closely. We share laughs over the times I took the hard way or thought I had a short cut, but turned out wrong.
Then it dawned on me.
I was in heaven.
Right about that moment I saw Him.
Christ.
He was just cooking something in the back, quietly chatting with someone when I saw Him. Initially I froze...then realized that I should worship Him. After falling on my face, instead of worshiping Him because I felt like I should, I worshipped Him because I was compelled to.
I wailed and screamed, begging for forgiveness and completely awestruck by His presence. I truly worshipped Him with everything, unashamed. My joy was unlike anything I had ever felt in my entire life. I can honestly say that I've never felt this much joy before, and just writing this is bringing a smile to my face.
I received a glimpse of what I believe to be heaven. Everyone loving on each other. Christ is just shooting the breeze with whoever. Joy. In it's purist form, Joy. This is what God intended for His creation, and this is our end.
I can't wait.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Reasonable Obedience
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you obey (or at least try to) God?...Here's a list of the correct answers:
1) Because I love God.
2) Because I serve God.
3) Because I am pursuing God with all my heart.
Those are all awesome reasons, and I hope/pray that you all can honestly say that. Here's a list of my honest answers.
1) I don't want to get in trouble, or punished.
2) If I do obey God, maybe He'll make things go my way.
Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason you try to do what God wants is just to get on His "good side?" Perhaps the only reason you are a Christian is because you don't want to end up burning for the rest of eternity.
Either way, I feel like I'm not a Christian for the right reason. I was raised in this belief system, and it makes the most sense to me, but is that enough? Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning the existence of my faith, but rather the authenticity and reasoning behind it.
Sorry about a blog entry all about me. Hopefully someone out there (if anyone reads this...haha) will be able to relate. If so, my only advice is to keep searching. Keep asking. Keep the faith...but check your reasons.
1) Because I love God.
2) Because I serve God.
3) Because I am pursuing God with all my heart.
Those are all awesome reasons, and I hope/pray that you all can honestly say that. Here's a list of my honest answers.
1) I don't want to get in trouble, or punished.
2) If I do obey God, maybe He'll make things go my way.
Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason you try to do what God wants is just to get on His "good side?" Perhaps the only reason you are a Christian is because you don't want to end up burning for the rest of eternity.
Either way, I feel like I'm not a Christian for the right reason. I was raised in this belief system, and it makes the most sense to me, but is that enough? Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning the existence of my faith, but rather the authenticity and reasoning behind it.
Sorry about a blog entry all about me. Hopefully someone out there (if anyone reads this...haha) will be able to relate. If so, my only advice is to keep searching. Keep asking. Keep the faith...but check your reasons.
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