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The time is here. I have decided I need to take some time away and focus solely on God. The question is when and where? That is in the hands of Him and I will know it is time when He decides. What I am talking about it praying and fasting. There is a desire deep within me to do this. I feel the ever-present tug to committ solely to praying and thinking about God and being still in His presence so I can hear what He wants me to do. Our lives are so full of stuff that I think we tend to forget in the busyness about God and our function and purpose here.
This last week I heard J.P. Moreland speak on the college campus where I work about the spiritual warfare going on inside of us and around us. It is so obvious to me that our existence here is plagued by an evil presence. I have heard and seen situations with numerous people just this summer about this evil and how they have relized its presence and dealt with it on a spiritual level. This sort of stuff gets really deep for the average Christian and most don't even realize it is happening until it is too late.
My church is one of these places. We have gone through a split in the last 2 years and have since hired a new pastor and have lost 5 pastors. It may seem this would be bad for the church but it has only been the opposite. As my mentor Mike Barrett put it, our roots are growing deep and winter is here. It is only a matter of time that spring will be here and the buds will begin to blossom and grow. Like the parable of the fig tree being pruned to produce more fruit, we are being pruned to be more fruitful. Our congregation of 2500 had been split down the middle and has since turned over almost completely save a few hundred dedicated servants. I believe that these servants are the core of the church and have been called to serve in a much, MUCH bigger way. Something incredible is happening here within our Christian community, from the church to the streets. Ministry will take on a new meaning and will no longer be associated with the stuffy church setting that kills us.
About a month ago, our Executive Pastor and Administrator, and his wife (who was also the women's ministry pastor) left the church. It was a shock to the congregation but a needed one. I believe the direction that he and his wife wanted to move was not within the will of God for our church. The reason I believe this is that a day later our lead pastor called one of our interim pastors that spoke several times over the past year to fill in before our lead pastor was hired. But a day before he was called he had typed an email ready to send asking if there were any positions available that he may be able to serve. He deleted the email as he didn't want to come across as being pushy or "haughty" about his Godly insight. He had also turned down a great pastoring position knowing there wasn't any current openings at our church, but that God moved him to do this and to take that faithful step.
The Spirit is moving. The Holy Spirit will pour out onto the Earth in the final days...
Committment
Lately I have been thinking about what it means to be fully committed to something that means a lot to me. There are several things in my life right now that fit into this category.
The first would easily be to my wife and my family. I am committed as a husband and father and intend to do all that it takes to be all I can be to them. My son is now over 3 years old and my new son is coming in October. How awesome having boys and a supporting wife is!
The second would probably be surfing. I am committed to going regularly with friends to surf. Just last night I took off from work right at 5 and went to the coast with 2 friends. We surfed from about 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm. It was incredible. The conditions were about 4 ft. swells, an incoming tide and very little wind. We surfed into the sunset and into the dark and were the only people out there! Fun little "bowly" waves that were challenging but worth the trip.
The third (ties into the second) would be ministry. I am not saying that surfing comes before ministry, but that surfing IS my ministry, so the reason it is listed second. Christian Surfers of Oregon has fueled my passion for reaching out to lost, wandering surfers of my hometown surf spots. Being a part of CSO is what God has called me to and I feel blessed and priviledged to be a part of it.
Over all of these committments is my committment to God. He has made all of this possible and I am totally committed to serving Him in any manner possible, whether it be with my family, surfing, or leading bible studies...
Which brings me to the point of this post. My first post on this blog was one of disappointment in myself. I felt as though I had let God down and was not serving how I should be. This time away from the bible studies I led with CSO has made me realize many things. God has shown me that it isn't about bible studies or even CSO, it is about Him. He does care for the ministry and has blessed it because of this and because of the loyal servants serving within it. But ministry is not about any one organization or any one group of people. Ultimately it is about reaching out to the lost, connecting with them through relationships and growing together in faith and life to be tools to reach even more.
There are several people in my life who have helped me realize this through God's leading. I look forward to learning more through them and the knowledge they have in God and Christ.
Commit yourself to something worth your precious time here on Earth. It is a short life that needs substance and not worldly things that will rot and rust away. The spiritual fullness that you can receive by committing your life to God and to Jesus is more than any high in life that you can receive.
Committed to God.
The first would easily be to my wife and my family. I am committed as a husband and father and intend to do all that it takes to be all I can be to them. My son is now over 3 years old and my new son is coming in October. How awesome having boys and a supporting wife is!
The second would probably be surfing. I am committed to going regularly with friends to surf. Just last night I took off from work right at 5 and went to the coast with 2 friends. We surfed from about 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm. It was incredible. The conditions were about 4 ft. swells, an incoming tide and very little wind. We surfed into the sunset and into the dark and were the only people out there! Fun little "bowly" waves that were challenging but worth the trip.
The third (ties into the second) would be ministry. I am not saying that surfing comes before ministry, but that surfing IS my ministry, so the reason it is listed second. Christian Surfers of Oregon has fueled my passion for reaching out to lost, wandering surfers of my hometown surf spots. Being a part of CSO is what God has called me to and I feel blessed and priviledged to be a part of it.
Over all of these committments is my committment to God. He has made all of this possible and I am totally committed to serving Him in any manner possible, whether it be with my family, surfing, or leading bible studies...
Which brings me to the point of this post. My first post on this blog was one of disappointment in myself. I felt as though I had let God down and was not serving how I should be. This time away from the bible studies I led with CSO has made me realize many things. God has shown me that it isn't about bible studies or even CSO, it is about Him. He does care for the ministry and has blessed it because of this and because of the loyal servants serving within it. But ministry is not about any one organization or any one group of people. Ultimately it is about reaching out to the lost, connecting with them through relationships and growing together in faith and life to be tools to reach even more.
There are several people in my life who have helped me realize this through God's leading. I look forward to learning more through them and the knowledge they have in God and Christ.
Commit yourself to something worth your precious time here on Earth. It is a short life that needs substance and not worldly things that will rot and rust away. The spiritual fullness that you can receive by committing your life to God and to Jesus is more than any high in life that you can receive.
Committed to God.
ME ME ME ME ME
ME. What a word. Overused yes. Guilty of using it WAY too often yes. Just something to ponder. Are you really going to complain about THAT today?! Think about it. We as Americans are SOOOO spoiled with what we have. Even the homeless, some by choice of circumstance, are much better off than the best of some other countries in our dark world. ME. Let's start thinking about YOU and THEM and HE and SHE. And then let's start doing something about it. Listen. Act. Learn. And Live it.
The wrapping on the box
It came to me today. Sitting with my boss having lunch. Are we really doing all we can? I realized I have been in a state of limbo lately, not sure why, but knowingly I had been in a stand still or a form of stagnation. I have been in a holding pattern.
It is not what I had expected after returning home from a week in Hawaii for the National Christian Surfers Leadership Conference. I was pumped! But something was wrong. Mentally I was ready to go, but spiritually there was healing that needed to be done. You see, Hawaii made me realize that I wasn't ready. Not ready for the position I thought I was ready for. It was made clear that if I am not knowing God myself and am not completely surrendering myself to His will, then I wasn't ready to be a leader for Him. I am a follower and a servant, yes. But a leader, no. In due time.
This last week I decided to stop leading bible studies in Salem for Christian Surfers. I need to devote time to God in prayer. I need to seek Him and make it a priority.
The death of a close co-worker has also opened my eyes to this. He was a prayer warrior and died praying on a mission trip in London. He was a model person, not only to the typical person, but he was beyond. He had an insight like no other. In a way, I believe he was given a higher discernment to know God's will and what he should say or do.
God has put situations in my path in these last few months that has shown me that I need to seek and follow and not lead, at least not for right now and possibly after I fast and pray about this. To lead others astray is death. And I feel that is what I was capable of doing. I feel as though I was the wrapping paper on the box or the present and it was all surface. It was all pretty and perfect on the outside, but a brown, plain, corregated, recycled paper box on the inside. That was empty.
Books, conversations, circumstances, surroundings... they were all pointing to this... and even writing this blog I am realizing how true this is.
Devote time to prayer... lots of time... I mean a lot. "Pray without ceasing." That means ALL the time. God will listen if you speak and ask Him to. And He will answer. In ways that would never be expected...
It is not what I had expected after returning home from a week in Hawaii for the National Christian Surfers Leadership Conference. I was pumped! But something was wrong. Mentally I was ready to go, but spiritually there was healing that needed to be done. You see, Hawaii made me realize that I wasn't ready. Not ready for the position I thought I was ready for. It was made clear that if I am not knowing God myself and am not completely surrendering myself to His will, then I wasn't ready to be a leader for Him. I am a follower and a servant, yes. But a leader, no. In due time.
This last week I decided to stop leading bible studies in Salem for Christian Surfers. I need to devote time to God in prayer. I need to seek Him and make it a priority.
The death of a close co-worker has also opened my eyes to this. He was a prayer warrior and died praying on a mission trip in London. He was a model person, not only to the typical person, but he was beyond. He had an insight like no other. In a way, I believe he was given a higher discernment to know God's will and what he should say or do.
God has put situations in my path in these last few months that has shown me that I need to seek and follow and not lead, at least not for right now and possibly after I fast and pray about this. To lead others astray is death. And I feel that is what I was capable of doing. I feel as though I was the wrapping paper on the box or the present and it was all surface. It was all pretty and perfect on the outside, but a brown, plain, corregated, recycled paper box on the inside. That was empty.
Books, conversations, circumstances, surroundings... they were all pointing to this... and even writing this blog I am realizing how true this is.
Devote time to prayer... lots of time... I mean a lot. "Pray without ceasing." That means ALL the time. God will listen if you speak and ask Him to. And He will answer. In ways that would never be expected...
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