Transformation

I don't cry. This last Sunday I was a wreck, a crying fool. I have been attempting to figure out why I was brought to tears. What was so profound? What made this harden heart well up with emotional? It was transformation. I use to be this way, and then I encountered a righteous God and was changed. I love this because i struggle with it. Maybe my heart is reacting with the reality that I desire this in my own life. Maybe it's because I have gotten stuck in my walk with the Lord and it's a reminder that His Holy Spirit is restless in His pursuit of mankind.

As a Pastor I get to interact with people on a weekly basis that have been transformed by the grace and love God has extended to us. I love hearing their stories, but apart of me is jealous. They possess such a zeal, everything is new truth for them, which causes an obvious reaction in the way they respond to things. Every sermon they hear is convicting, every passage they read reveals some type of life changing truth. And here I sit, 25 years deep in my walk with the Lord wondering, "shouldn't I be the one all wound up, shouldn't I be the one that is captivated by the Word of God?" I have seen God work for years, He continues to reveal His glory to me, and yet....Do you relate?

What is it that pushes a believer with years of relationship to continue to be excited about who God is, and what he is doing? How do you break out of the routine? If God Word is "living and active," how do i reconnect with it?

Let me know what you think, let process through this.

Be Proactive

I was talking with some guys while playing golf yesterday and this reality struck me: When we want God to answer prayer for us we want it now, but when it comes to us living in obedience we ask God to be patient. Now I realize that we serve a very patient God, but this seems hypocritical.
We all reside in a market that is hurting, people are losing their jobs and their security. We humans are asking God to save us...to help us, and yet we are not being proactive. Here's an example: many of us are asking God to help us with our financial situation and we bought a house we couldn't afford, drive around a car that we can't afford, and are swiping our credit cards on anything that moves. We then look to heaven and ask God for a bail out plan, oh God......and I need it now. This is beyond me, "God I'm going to do what i want to do and disobey you, but God when I'm hurting as a result of these decisions I need you to work your magic fast."
Romans 6:1 drops the bomb when Paul say "should we sin more since grace abounds....may it never be!" So lets all make the change, lets begin to stop insulting the God of the universe with our petty talk, and fall on the throne of his mercy. Lets be proactive when we pray, "God I know I have sinned, but I want to follow you, and be obedient to what you have called me to do. Lord I need help here, but I am going to work my butt off, and would you answer my pray as a result of me submitting to your will and not my own. Oh... and God I know I got myself here, so if you don't bail me out, I get it, and am so grateful for your mercy and patience with me."

It's all for YOU

I’ve spent a good part of my life trying to prove to God how awesome I was….sounds like a good plan, right?  I would walk around and proclaim to God to bless my life as a result of all the “good” I was doing.  This is how the conversation would go:  “God, I am a youth pastor, I have dedicated my life to serving your kingdom, as a result of that would you take care of me…would you bless me.”  It looked really good on paper, I do something for God therefore he should do something for me.  I recently got a theological smack upside the head from Ephesians 2:8-10.  We deserve death, Romans 6:23, and yet God in all His mercy allows us to live another day, but we try to barter with Him to make it better or more comfortable.  I believe what the right response should be is “God, as a result of all you have given to me and how you continue to bless my life…..how can I serve you?”  So, in this season of business know that God has given you so much, every day you exist is as a result of His grace, mercy, and love.  Therefore we should live our lives not looking for what we can get from God but what we can give.

Oprah?

I have recently been faced with this reality...Oprah is the most influential person in the world!  I mean, it angers me to the point of wanting to throw my laptop off a roof top.  There is this other part of me that is deeply saddened because of this reality;  The reason why she's so effective is as a result of her leveraging her influence, but we as the church, we as the home of the very presence of the living God have not leveraged our influence....Why?  And what would happen if we had Oprah like influence in the name of Christ.  I believe without a shadow of a doubt that Oprah is more salt in light in this world than we are.  

My wife has terrible allergies. One day while watching  Oprah has a doc on to tell the world how to remediate the problem of stuffy noses and sneezing with something called the neti pot.  This is a ceramic pot that looks like something you would rub for a wish, but instead it relieves  of your allergies.  I decided, being the amazing husband I am, to order my wife this amazing remedy.  As a side note...yes I was watching Oprah...and yes she influenced me to buy the neti pot.  Within 24 hours of her show being broadcast every single neti pot had been purchased, I know because I called a thousand different stores.  Their response, "we don't know what's happening, all we know is that the phone is ringing off the hook and were completely sold out, but we can back order it for you sir, " Yeah go ahead and do that." 

I would love for the Church of Jesus Christ to be so influential that people would be standing around going " I don't know what's going on." In Acts 2 we see this happen with the arrival of he Holy Spirit.  Believers are quick to point out how amazing this is, and how they desire it for our world, and then continue living as normal.  What gets me is the Holy Spirit dwells inside each and every follower of Christ and yet we looks to Acts 2 and go "man that would be awesome." 

John 14:12 tells us that we will have the ability to do even greater things here on earth than Jesus did....that's insane!  Jesus knew if we tapped into the power and influence of the Holy Spirit,  Oprah would look at us and be influenced.

Relentless Obedience

Before I start these thoughts let me first say that I am very reckless with obedience and have been since the day I was born.  There is this inner struggle that attempts to push me away from everything obedient.  This is a daily struggle, but what I can say is that I'm a fighter, and I choose to keep fighting.  So the thoughts I am about to express come from a person who is attempting to peruse obedience.

Believers spend a lifetime trying to read their Bible, pray and do good things for that gold star status, but rarely out of obedience.  We set moral standards not on the basis of Biblical obedience but rather on society norms.  For instant we would all say that walking into a store and stealing a cd is wrong, but we change the rule when it comes off of our friends itunes, which i have done plenty, guilty as charged.  The lines of obedience have been blurred.  Have we stepped on the toes of Romans 6:1, are we abusing grace?

I've been reading through the Old Testament  and discovering that obedience is God's love language.  He rewards those who follow his instruction.  Couples come to me and try to figure out why they are having such a hard time in their relationship, my question is usually "Are u having sex?"  See, couples want God to bless their relationship, but they don't want to obey the rules.  As far as it applies to the rest of life, we ask God to help us find peace and satisfaction and turn our backs on our holy calling to be like Him.  

I would be an absolute hypocrite if I said I was obey God in all areas of my life, in-fact no matter how hard I will still fall short of this glorious standard.  Does that mean I give up?  May it never be, may I continue to fall on the throne of grace when I fall down and peruse and follow the instruction given to us.  

From one fallen human to the next,

jeff

A thought I have had since the passing of one of my best friends father this week is:  All the pain we experience here on earth is a constant reminder of our separation from the "realities of heaven." How gracious is God to remind us that this is not our home, and these are not our bodies,  they are just shells of what will be.  May we use these shells to the glory of God until we get to experience all heaven has to offer.

love you all,

jeff

What is God up to?

Heather like many believers want desperately to do the will of God, but often we are torn with where God would want us to go.  There are a few things about the character of God that I believe come into play when we are trying to "be all we can be" for Christ. 

         1.  My mom once told me that the ways of God are logical.  I completely disagree with that notion, and respectfully disagreed with my Mother.  For instance when he tells us to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48.  That is not logical in our context and for most of us is a very difficult process.  GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF FORMING HIMSELF IN US, a very painful process at times.  If we will allow ourselves to submit to His plan for our lives it is often going to cost us something.

       2.  The vein to finding what God wants us to do always involves faith.  Faith is where the rubber meets the road.  My buddy Jay called me a month ago and told me that his father is dying of progressive cancer, I hurt for him.  The one thing I could say to him is "it's easy to live for God when all is well, but the true test of what we believe and who we believe in, is when things everything is falling apart. "  I continued " today is the day that you put into action all that you've believed, all these years."  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Psalms 23:4a  Here we see the true test of faith; God I trust in the good, and I trust you in the bad.  

3.  I believe the last thing is that God works on a totally different time frame than we do.  Two days ago I got hungry, I'm mean really hungry!  So I pulled off an exit to a fast food joint and filled my belly, instant gratification.  Somewhere in our humanness we believe that God works on the same time frame, and he doesn't.  Growth takes time.  I was driving through Payson Arizona and saw they were re-planting thousands of trees that had burnt down in a forest fire a few years back.  The landscape is horrific, but in 20 years it will be a beautiful forest again.  God often allows us to remain patient to show us who is really in control, and then reminds us of passages like Matthew 6:25-34.  

I have had numerous friends that tried to have kids and were unable, truly sad.  They would pray, we would pray on their behalf.  They would explore all the medical options that are available to a couple looking to conceive, nothing.  So, they give up trying and began the process of adoption, a wonderful thing, and then they get pregnant.  The first time this happened, my thought was how cool that it all worked out.  The second time it happened I started to wonder what was going on.  The third time, I saw something I hadn't seen about the character of God; we are always in the process of telling God what we want and never asking what He wants for us.  Now, I am not saying that every couple that wants a baby needs to go through this process and then they will get pregnant.  I believe there is truth in the giving up and having patience in the process of God forming himself in us.

I hope this is helpful, interact with this post and let's ask the questions that have been on your mind.

love you all,

jeff 

Walking in the Will of God

Morning all,

I loved talking with you all.  I hope what scripture had to teach yesterday revealed something to you.  I know that every time I teach I learn so much, scripture convicts my heart and pushes me to change.  

I was sorting through some old books I've had for years looking for some resources and I stumbled on this little poem.  Before I type it's contents let me explain why this poem was so meaningful to me.  When Patti, my wife, and I first started dating my parents objected saying she wasn't for me.  They come from the school that says God only chooses one person for you, and that God had told them that Patti was not the one for me.  Well, I was in love, madly in love with her and I felt in my soul that she was the one for me.  This was my freshman year of college and my parents wanted me to come home for the summer, they were in Ohio and I was in Chicago.  Of course I wanted to stay in Chicago, the coolest city in the world, but submitted to their request of coming home.  This meant I was heading right into the lions den and worst of all I was separated from Patti.

That summer was the worst summer of my life, I cannot find the words or the punctuation to communicate this to you.  I spent hours in a room with my parents while they would grill me.  The conversations usually dealt with me not submitting to them in the area of my relationship with Patti, and being a prodigal.  In the midst of this intense persecution, even though I knew they loved me and wanted to best for me, Patti sent me this poem.  

The reason for giving you this poem is that some of you might be in this phase of life where you feel "under it all" and want to give up.  Some of you have been perusing things you believe God wants you to do, and yet it's not working out the way you expected.  The conversations you have with God are frustrating and confusing.  Be confident of this, God is there and listening.  Be patient and continue to fall back on God as you risk and move.  Remember that it's through Christ that we become who we need to be, not by our own doing.  So, I hope this encourages you heart.

Walking in the Will of God

Though storms may rage and winds may blow,

I need not be cast down or awed;

Because it calms my soul to know

I'm walking in the will of God.

Although my path be dark as night,

And often fails the chastening rod;

I'm glad I walk by faith, not sight,

When walking in the will of God.

I know, whene'er I backward gaze

Upon the road that I have trod,

The sweetest way to spend one's days

Is walking in the will of God.

So, though the way be hard and long,

O'er mountain steep and vally broad,

I'll face the future with a song,

When walking in the will of God.

-Margaret K. Frazer-

 My wife, then my girlfriend, writes on the back:

When you get discouraged, keep looking at this poem.  It's a great reminder of the importance of our need to be walking in the will of God.

Hang in there Jeffy, His will, will bring strength when you obey.  Keep trusting and putting him first and he will bless you,  just has he has blessed our relationship over and over again.

I love you- P.L.

Sometimes the simplest of poems and the simplest of notes can bring to our attention some of the most profound truths.  

love you all,

jeff

A Hopeful Answer for Bob

Hey Bob,
I think you make a very good point. satisfaction is such a superficial ideal, it means a tons of different things to a lot of different people. The Bible has a tendency to say things we don't expect because often it speaks in the supernatural and we reside in the superficial. 
For instance, James 1:2-4 talks about the idea that how we deal with pain, and struggle will show the kind of joy we will have as a result of faith and endurance. Well, that is different then what our world describes as joy. If you have all the money, fame, and glory we will be happy and SATISFIED.....wrong. It's only through the struggle of working out, training, dieting, and endurance through the race that a runner gets to experience the joy and satisfaction of the finish line. It is not because he got a new pair of shoes, a cool outfit, and lot of gator aid. The race meant something to him or her because of the sacrifice. 
Complacency will never equal the supernatural joy that Christ gives. I'm a "stuff" kinda guy. I like getting anything in the mail, it makes me have a glimpse of earthly joy, but in the end I still end up wanting more. The joy and satisfaction that Christ give through the Holy Spirit is like the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-15. You feel full, you may not have a lot of what our world says you need, and yet your full. As a result of feeling full, you have joy. As a result of having a fulfilling joy, you are truly satisfied. 
In Acts 5:41 we see something else very puzzling. We see these believers in Christ getting beat because they are proclaiming the message of Jesus, and they rejoice in it. What....? That doesn't fit into our context today and I believe it's because we have believers that think that when things are going good that means God is happy with them. When they are successful, and stress free then God is pleased with them. Then something tragic happens and their faith falls apart. What does that say about the Faith we have in our God?
I believe the only way to survive in this world as it relates to joy and being satisfied, is to see a Biblical view of what these two things are. When we look at Biblical examples of men and women stepping out in faith, we see joy, and fulfillment. Because at the end of the day they can say it was Christ in me, and Christ for me. 
I have rambled of for paragraphs and i could do hours more of writing on this subject, but i hope that i answered your questions, if not hit me back and tell me. 

Thanks for the question,
Jeff

Well, here we are

I started this blog to give you an opportunity to interact with myself and some of the other staff members.  

Joy is a byproduct of being satisfied.  My desire is that our church family would tap into their God given abilities and resources and do something that brings them real joy.  As a result of that I believe you will feel satisfied and full of purpose.  I promise it will change the way you work, the way you parent, the way you love, and the way you live.  

Take a journey with me and our staff in discovering what it means in Matthew 5:14-15 to be the light of the world.  To make an influence in this world as a result of being who God created you to be.   Ask questions, interact, let's learn together. 

love you all

Jeff