Where... Has.....

   I am currently working through a book based on the movie Courageous entitled, 'The Resolution for Men' and as I do so, I may share more of my thoughts on this part of my journey here in this blog, but for today, I want to focus on a particular passage from the book that I read yesterday that stood out to me.

Where sin has crept into your life - repent
Where bitterness has taken root - forgive
Where lies have been woven into the script - seek truth
Where traditions have taken precedence - start fresh
Where problems have tried to steal and malign - pray
Where hindrances are piling up - consecrate and dedicate your family to God.

   I haven't gotten too far along in the book as of yet, but this particular portion from chapter 3 jumped out at me, and I strongly felt that it deserved a much closer look, especially considering the fact that we, as humans, can get so caught up in all that is going on around us, that we forget to 'examine our ways' (Lamentations 3:39-40).
   This is something that I feel we all struggle with, and I myself have been guilty of failing to take a daily, spiritual, inventory of myself, and I can tell you that I am paying for it right now, because there are so many areas of my life where I feel like a windsock in a hurricane, flapping, and being stretched to my limits.
   So then, I start by taking a look at the sins that I have allowed to creep into my life, and although I realize that I am human, I also know that if I accept that thought without doing anything about the sin in my life, I am accepting the lies of the enemy, and I DO NOT want to do that!
   For me, the first 2 of these things on the list are at the top of my list, for I can allow myself to get angry about hings, and at times I have been known to blow up, but I know that there is hope, and that hope can be found in Jesus, however, the only way that I can tap into that hope, is for me, personally, to repent of my sins, and my mind goes immediately to the 'sin that so easily entangles' (Hebrews 12).
   What I find there as I read that passage, is that it is vitally important that we have others around us that will hold us accountable for our actions, (12:1) and that we allow them to hold us accountable without pushing back so hard that they stop trying. I am guilty of this in my own life.
   The second thing that God has illuminated for me in this passage is that when we fail to do this, we make ourselves available to be 'tripped up' by the sin that we constantly return to, and we greatly diminish our ability to run the race that God has set before us. But there is hope. Jesus.
   It says in verse 2 that we can accomplish this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. So then, what excuse do I have for allowing the enemy to trip me up? I can make up plenty, but there is not one that can be found valid. I must keep my eyes on Him if I ever hope to move away from anger and other sins.
    So if I hope to do this, I must first determine in my heart to repent from my sins, no matter what they are, or how I might try to justify them, and move toward that which is pleasing to God, and I know that my anger is not pleasing to Him.
   The very next thing on the list addresses bitterness, and I have begun to genuinely realize that I have been, can be, and I still am bitter in so many ways, and directed at so many people that it all runs together at this point.
   This is something that I deeply want to change, and in our new men's accountability gathering, I hope to find others who God will raise up to help me through speaking directly to the tough areas of my life such as this one.
  

As Iron Sharpens Iron

 

   Several years ago, my wife and I were heavily involved with a recovery ministry at our church, and it had a life changing effect on each of us as individuals, as a couple, and as followers of Jesus Christ.
   Unfortunately, over time the program met a decline, and due to varying factors, it eventually began to unravel, until it dwindled away to nothing. Literally. It doesn't exist in our community anymore, and I must admit that I miss many of the relationships that were formed during that time.
   There is no doubt that Proverbs is a book full of wisdom, and as I read the familiar passage in Proverbs 27:17 that I get the title of this post from, I am reminded that I need to work my way toward building relationships with other men who follow Jesus, I mean REALLY follow Him, and to be sharpened by our times together.
   For many years I struggled with addictions to drugs and alcohol, but as I have worked through those issues, I have had to face the reality that anger has been at the top of my list for many, if not all of my years, and I need help to stay afloat.
   Stronger than any chemical addiction that I have ever known, anger has wreaked havoc in my life on so many levels that I can't even begin to document the ways. Let me just say that it has affected me deeply, and in recent times as it has begun to rear it's ugly head, there is an urgency in my desire to be a part of a strong accountability group.
   This is one of the things that I miss the most about those old days, and I am unsure of exactly why these groups ever disbanded, but I am fully aware that the time is long overdue to get plugged into something similar.
   I realize the selfishness of asking God to recreate something that He has already done, so I am asking, by His Holy Spirit, that He do something new in our midst, and that we can find strength in Him through the sharpening of one another in our personal relationships with Him, and one another.
   I will not drag this entry out, as I have said what I intended to, at least I think I have done so in a general way. I don't know the details, because this is a prayer that I am offering up to God, praying that He might hear me, and send people to come alongside of me, and to help me become more like Him.
   Let me close by saying this. Even though I have fought for so long to establish my place in this community as a leader. I have realized that I never established myself, He did, and if I ever hope to become what He desires for me to be, then I must seek His will first, and then answer His call to action.
   Father God. May You be glorified through this. Hear my plea to You Father, and send men to come beside me, and to hold me up when I am weak. Help me to do the same for them. And in all that we do, may You receive the glory, the honor, and the praise which is due You.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

No Loitering

   One of the first things that you'll notice about this picture, is the fat guy (that's me) sitting on thin air, but fear not, that is just an illusion. The thin air part, I do need to lose a few pounds.
   However, if you do not live in these parts, then that's all you might see, and you'll not recognize that, or those, which are missing from this picture, which would be some of my homeless friends, or 'homies' as they are lovingly known.
   Some of you may remember the very first post in this blog, (not that it's hard to find) which told the story of a bench that our guys have been using for several years, which was thrown in the dumpster in an effort to get rid of them, and to keep them from coming back.
   We went diving and rescued the bench, and it now lives at our home where our friends are welcome, and where we are learning to live, to love, and to follow Jesus together as a community built on love and not status.
   It would be too easy to just boycott the establishment that had this done, but I must not forget that they answer to someone in a higher position, so I can not personally hold against them the decision to have the bench removed, although I find it a bit silly, and unjust to say the least.
   There are so many things that are allowed to go by in today's society, that you would think folks would pay special attention to. Like drug deals made openly in the streets, parents yelling and screaming at each other in front of their children publicly (not that privately makes a difference) and I struggle with knowing that the mere sight of someone can cause such an uproar that we begin to toss perfectly good benches and such in the dumpster instead of giving them to someone to be used for good, and that signs are commissioned to be used to replace people.
   In an age where there are so many 'apps' for this and that, I'm really surprised that anyone ever talks anymore, at least face to face, and this troubles me deeply as it is a very impersonal way to live, especially considering that Jesus calls us to live in personal relationships with one another.
   So. With that being said, why have we worked so hard to arrive at this point in time, just to shut one another out? We live in fenced in properties, gated communities, bars on our windows, we walk around with our faces buried in our phones, yet we somehow maintain enough awareness of what is around us to keep from walking into one another, and to keep building walls that are destroying us as a people, and I want to know how to continue to do my part to resist this. If Jesus were here in the physical today, I wonder how many places He would be asked to leave due to 'loitering'?
   I am learning that when you feel strongly about something, even if it's the Gospel truth, others will find a way to avoid you if it makes them uncomfortable, and we have seen a great decline in the face to face relationships that we are created for, all due to the simple fact that we have the option to 'block' that person if we do not agree with them.
   It is my earnest prayer that we will look more closely at who we have become, and turn back to our first love, Jesus.
   If we say that we follow Him, but we refuse to do the tough things that taking up our cross might entail, then we should ask ourselves if we really believe. I know that sounds strong, and maybe it is, but I feel that it needed to be said, even if I am just talking to myself.

The Eyes of A Stranger

   As I sit here to write this morning, I am listening to an old tune by Led Zeppelin called 'No Quarter' and I thought that would be an appropriate title for this entry, as I will be talking about the role of homelessness in my life, and in community. Especially the one that I live in.
   During a time of prayer and worship early one morning a few years ago, God spoke to my heart about being a good steward of what He has given me, and making myself available to Him to minister to others that have shared a similar path in life than my own.
   It was during those wee hours just before dawn on November 25, 2008 that 'God's Garage' took up its name in our hearts, our home, and as we have watched God do so much through such a small group of people, I am reminded of what Jesus was able to do with just a handful of misfit fisherman, and I gain a renewed hope.
   Unsure of what to really do at the time, and without much idea of what was to come, I was reminded of the times in my life when I was homeless, and the grief that I carried around on me like concrete baggage, and I felt that would be a great place to start, especially considering it was a subject that I was all too familiar with, and an ongoing facet of our society.
   Not all of those who are homeless are there because of drugs, although drugs do often play a hand in situations, they did in mine, but one cannot judge the homeless population based on speculation. It's going to take people rediscovering other people in a more personal way than just a text message once in a while, or a status update on any of the social websites that people use, and seeing one another for the unique creatures that God has designed us to be. This will require that we begin to see each other with the eyes of Jesus. Especially if we ever hope to be His hands and feet.
   So, with that being said, let me return to the story that plays out in our streets here in this small beach community where we live, and begin to assess what is needed to get some of our guys off of the streets who choose to come off.
   One thing that we never do is  to assume that our homeless friends are not happy or content with their situation, and we certainly do not want anyone to feel that they are looked down upon, for as I said before, I have spent a portion of my own life in the streets, in fact, a greater portion than I have spent otherwise, and the last thing I want to do is prevent someone else from experiencing the creation that God made for us.
   I came to this area almost 10 years ago now. Homeless. Addicted. Angry. Volatile at best, and the last thing that I had on my mind was getting my life together, never guessing that God had drawn me here to get my attention, to bless me, and to teach me to give back.
   I wish that I could say that I knew our entire homeless population here, but I don't. And part of that being because they remain so well hidden, and some of them battle guilt or shame, and then there are those, like I was, that choose to remain unsociable, on the fringes of the world, in a world of their own, safe in their pain. I was, or so I thought.
   We have had the joy of getting to know a couple of our nomadic friends over the last 3 years, and even though there are more, we have chosen to look full into the reason that God has given us the opportunity to show these 2 love. To investigate the ways that God uses our relationships to teach us love, unity, and justice, in such a way that draws us closer together, and teaches us how to live a life fully experiencing the joys of God.
   For the last several years we have held small group Bible studies and discussions in our home, 'God's Garage', and it is just in recent times that we have seen God move in such a HUGE way in the heart of one of our friends. He has asked Jesus to walk with him, and to deliver him from the temptations that a life of alcohol addiction can throw at you, and to be the LORD of his life. And I am happy to say that we are now celebrating 30+ days of sobriety for our friend, and it is in these small ways that we see God do His biggest work.
   The church has got to be organic. It has to be alive, and functioning as the Body, and the time is far overdue that Christians take a hard look at themselves, and ask God to do the same, revealing character defects in us that stand in the way of our becoming more like Jesus. This will take some hard work by all who hope to see a change, and it will take some painful endurance as we assess ourselves, and ask God to help us get to the root of those weeds growing in our hearts, and to make room for the new growth that He has for us.
   Jesus summed it up for us in Matthew 22:37-40 when He told us that the most important thing we could do is love. What does this look like in your life today? Who will you share it with, and who will you keep it from?
   Until we have a change of heart, and begin to realize that we are really so small in the scheme of God's overall picture. And we have become too big for our breeches, and it's time for a change. To be the change.
   If you think that one life can't make a difference, then just remember what God has already done in you, and ask Him to show you how to live for Him. But then, be willing to live for Him even when it gets hard, or unpopular. Love people when it's no fun. Laugh with them when they laugh, and cry with them when they cry. Take a moment today in your travels, and look into the eyes of a stranger, and see what you may find.

The Beginning of Wisdom

   I had in mind to write a story about loitering, which I will still do at some point, but for now, I have decided to record my responses to a preliminary study of BASIC - Fear God, which is the first installment of many in a video driven small group experience by Francis Chan that we will be starting here at God's Garage on February 3, 2012.
   The first portion of this material will take us through 3 areas of study and discussion, and is arranged in the following order:

Session 1 & 2 - Fear God
Session 3 & 4 - Follow Jesus
Session 5 & 6 - Holy Spirit

and an additional Session will also be included in the last week of this curriculum, which is projected to be week 7. So, now that you know the outline of what this study will look like, let's turn our attention back to the first week of material from the 'Follower's Guide' which will guide each group member from day to day between large group meetings.

PSALM 111:10 - NLT
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of *true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

*khokmah-(Hebrew) - Wisdom. This noun means the capacity to understand information and situations, and thus have skill in applied living. It is similar to discernment and perception. Another meaning is the ability to construct and craft items, a kind of skillful understanding.

   As I read this passage, and really try to wrap my mind around what David might have meant by this, I turn to the Hebrew word 'kokhmah' for a better understanding of what is being asked, and I am reminded of how often I fuss about not understanding why so many 'Christians' act so unwisely, and refuse to accept the Bible for what it says, and to live accordingly.
   If 'fear is the foundation of true wisdom', then I must realize first and foremost, that I am building on something, or Some One rather, and so I would have to say that I feel as if man has developed his own description of God, and has long since grown distant from what the Bible says, even when God describes Himself for us over and again in Scripture.
   So, with that being said, I feel that David calls the fear of the LORD the beginning of wisdom because if we had a natural, healthy, fear of the awesome power of God, we would most likely not be inclined to form God in our image, or into the person that we want Him to be, and by having a healthy view of God, we would allow God to reveal Himself to us, and we would not need to form an opinion of who we think He is, and therefore forsake our own human wisdom.
   For so long man has done this, and I think it is one of the leading reasons why we see so much drama and division in churches today, especially when the leaders are serving a God that they have manipulated into a more manageable God.
   If I am to ever gain wisdom, then I need to pay special attention to those in the Bible with great wisdom, and learn from them, which leads me to point out what Solomon had to say in Proverbs 3:5-6 in the NLT.


5: Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 
6: Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Now this is some solid food to chew on! Just as David instructed us to obey God's commandments, we see Solomon tell us much the same thing here in this Proverb, in that he says; 'Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.'

   It makes me sad to know that we try so hard to do what we think is wise, and many times we never even ask God for wisdom, even though we know that James in James 1:5 told us that God will not withhold wisdom from us if we ask for it. Instead, we choose to flounder around on our own, and then we blame God for our failures. Go figure.
  I'll close this entry for now, but I will re-open it to finish this post, and to reflect on question 2.