Your Kingdom...

I have been reading a book titled "Living the Lord's prayer" by David Timms. What a great book on a powerful and timely prayer that I think we need to recite everyday. But in reciting it the meaning of each phrase begins to come to life with its own deep and rich meaning. I have always been struck by the phrase in the prayer" Your kingdom come, your will be done..."

Lately that has meant a lot of different things to me...the kingdom has not been the church (even tho that can be seen in the prayer but I think it is deeper than that) God's kingdom...that means He is in control. He is the one who decides. He is the one that approves or disapproves. He is the one to judge. He is the one to forgive. He is the one that blesses. His kingdom means that I don't get to make those decisions anymore he does and I am to follow what he has already planned for me to do.

What he has planned for me to do...not worry about what He has planned for others to do..I am not the keeper of the score card to see if everyone is doing their job right or if they are even doing it the way I think they should.

There was one phrase in the book that I just can't shake. The idea that most people worship God or do ministry for God to seek security in Him. The author suggest that we should worship and do ministry out of our security in God. I like that.

2009, that's my plan. I am not going to do what I do and hope that I find security in it. I am going to have security in God and just do what I do for Him...His kingdom. So now I don't have to worry anymore about other people not liking something about worship, or judging the intentions of my heart...because I am worshiping and serving out of my security in Him...and His kingdom

Peace.

Freedom

Have you ever looked at someone and thought.."I don't believe that they are being real...look at them they are so fake.." I am sure that we have all done this at some point in time with regards to someone.
I don't know the situation or the circumstance ...but let me ask you have you ever done it at church or a Worship gathering of any kind? I have.

I remember a time when I was exposed to a very excited and free worship environment for the first time and saw people worshiping in ways that I had never worshiped before...hands raised..shouts of joy..clapping and applauding..tears and silent reverence..and I thought to myself is that real. Then I realized who am I to judge another persons heart or motives? Can I know the heart of another person?

God says that we look at the outside of a person but only God looks at the heart..then why do we judge another persons motives or another persons response to God in worship? What a dangerous thing.

Perhaps we are unsure of something that we ourselves are uncomfortable with..perhaps we are not mature enough to enjoy the freedom of worship that others feel and experience..but who are we to judge?

Father forgive us when we judge others based on our insecurity. Forgive us as we have forgiven others. And may we always worship you out of our security in you and not for security in you.

Peace.

A powerful prayer.

The most powerful prayer that I have ever read is the one that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. In my religious heritage we have all but discarded this prayer and I don't know why. Oh I know the reasons people say it but that makes no sense to me at all. Listen to the words of Jesus:



Our Father who lives in the Heavens hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in the heavens.

Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever and ever.

It starts Our Father...that would be all of us..no some or a little ALL of us. And he is called Father, not Master, King, Ruler...but Our Father. Just stopping here makes me think why in the world to we get angry at each other about silly things.

I know of an incident that happened at a church where several people got all tore up about some music that was sang during a gathering....How can you sit in a gathering to worship Jesus and get mad??? who are you to get mad..and what in the world is going on in your heart if you can get mad during worship. Who are these people that are keeping the spiritual score cards and who gave them that job...I don't' think it was "OUR FATHER..."

I am sad and getting a bit tired of people thinking that church is all about them, that they should be able to complain about any thing they don't like...The prayer ask for Our Fathers Kingdom...not our kingdom...His will not our will...

So please if you feel like you are not getting your way and need to complain about it...take it to Our Father not to me or your other Brothers and Sisters..this Brother is getting sick of hearing your little I don't like this or that complaints.

Peace.

Jesus is better than Santa

Thanks so much to a friend of mine that sent me this I hope you enjoy it..

Santa lives at the North Pole. JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh, JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year, JESUS is an ever- present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies,JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited, JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa, JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap, JESUS lets you rest in His arms. Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?" JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too . He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
JESUS has a heart full of love.
JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry" JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys, JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree, JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas

Peace.

WOW!

I have posted this before but it is so good I had to post it one more time, I hope this brings you as much joy as it has me. Merry Christmas.

I think the Skyline praise team is working on this arragement..

Peace.

Reaping what you sow.!?.

Have you ever thought about planting a church? Ever wonder about the excitement and the feeling of faith and hopefulness that would be in that adventure? I often think about what it would be like to experience planting a church...

I often think about what it would look like and how it would function, how worship would be and how it would all fit together. How does this sound. What if when you first come in you are greeted by people who act like they really don't even care if you are there or not..then the service will start and someone gets up and talks about a lot of sick people that you don't even know..then the music begins and they are singing songs that you have never heard unless you were born in say 1635..so far so good?? Then the majority of the time is spent with someone lecturing and using words that you can't spell or understand. You almost can't wait to come back right??

WRONG!

I have always loved the definition of insanity. Doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. But that is the way we do church at times right? We think that if we take our old worn out 1940's system of church and recreated it somewhere else that people will flock to the place....I don't believe that. I think we need a fresh and exciting way to share the story of Jesus with people in a culture that they can actually relate to. But to many times we face the opposition with their battle cry of we need to be sensitive to the older(and I don't' always use this term referring to age) congregants. We need to be sensitive to their needs...WHAT??

It seems we spend most of our energy and time worrying about what the people in the pew think more than we do reaching out in new ways to the people who are not even in the pew. We need to wake up and realize that there is a world of people out there that need and what to hear the story of Jesus, but we are to often worried about what someone might think or that they will get there feelings hurt.

May God forgive us when we are more interested in our own well being than that of the world. May He forgive us when we are more concerned with what we like that reaching others for Jesus...

Peace.

Can you cheer for God?

Oh the excitement of a Church gathering....let me start by saying that the church that I attend now is really learning to experience worship in a joyful and meaningful way. It has taken a long time but we are truly worshiping in the Joy of the Lord. I am amazed that the Bible speaks of worship gatherings with words like...SHOUT to the LORD, come let us sing for JOY to the LORD, PROCLAIM the word of the LORD among the people, CLAP your hands ALL the nations, and yet most of my heritage fail to see that worshiping the God of heaven and earth is to be a time of joy and excitement and wonder.

I know of places that if you clapped during the gathering the worship police would have a long conversation with you and tell you why that is not appropriate. Or better yet if they were in one of your gatherings and joy and celebration for Jesus actually broke out they would just get up and leave the gathering...that's nice. Here's my rant..there is a Church in a town near me that is known for not allowing the clapping excited worship environment (thinking that it is wrong to do such things)


But the funny thing is that they just had a big pep rally for their local football team at the church, (of course I am sure it was not in the 'official' place of worship) does that seem a little odd, or backwards? I am not against local fans or support for our kids...But we will stand up cheer and go crazy over 15 to 18 year olds playing a game and we will not even show any signs of life before the God of heaven and earth...I'm puzzled.

Could this be part of the draw to Jesus in our society and yet such a pushing away of the church?? people are looking for Jesus, but they are not looking in the churches...I wonder why?

Father, forgive us when we worship the creation more than the Creator, forgive us when our Joy for other things leaves us with little or no Joy for you. May our worship gatherings truly be full of Joy. Jesus you said that you wanted our Joy to be complete and may it be complete in you and in our worship to you.

Are you going to show God some Joy Sunday??

Peace.