Joe the fish (You + God = Change the World)

Today I met a dead fish. His name was Joe.

Context: Camp.
Further Context: Middle School Boy.

Do you really want to know more?

Long story short..... the kids buried the fish in the pond where he belongs.

But this fish, as many things do at FLYING DOVE RANCH, reminds me of the Bible. It reminds me of the account in John's Gospel of Jesus feeding 5,000 men and their families with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

Have you heard this story?

Long from town. Late in the day. Everyone was hungry. Everyone was cranky.

Yet one boy was prepared. Yet some doubted, "But what good is that with this huge crowd?"

Many times we look at our lives and we see "Not enough." We think "Why bother?" My actions and my prayers will surely not make an impact in this world....


Ye of little faith.

If God is in you when you speak the world is changed.

In fact, the world is different because of you. Each moment you are shaping it for better or for worst. Jesus took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and feed 5000 (plus).

Did he literally feed 5000 people.... I think we miss the point if we get so concerned with the details of the story. I've heard one person claim the "miracle" is the fact that once the young boy shared his food it inspired thousands to do the same... whatever. I don't know? I wasnt there!

The point is God wants to use you to make a positive impact on this world. You have everything you need if you have God in you.

May you know you are enough. May you know you are loved and treasured by God. And may you know that as you demonstrate God's love in this world it DOES make a difference.

Peace out, fam.

A Son or a Slave?

I want to start blogging about music. I cant sing (unless you count the shower). I cant play any instruments (unless you count the air guitar) but I love to worship. There is something about music that connects us with God. So for the next few days? weeks? IDK? However long this lasts, I will be looking at different lyrics from inspired song writers. 

Today. 

"No longer slaves" by Bethel Music. 

I am not going to write down the entire song.... you can look it up on Google or Youtube.

I am going to share what I believe God is saying to me through the song. 

The part of the song I want to look at is 

1) "I am no longer a slave to fear... I am a child of God."

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2) "My fears were drowned in perfect love."

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3) "There's no shadow you won't light up; coming after me" (okay this is from another song but I felt it fit well here!!!!!!)

3 Main Points

1) I cannot be both a son and a slave.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane. Imagine you are a young African-American boy. Your dad is a slave. Your mom is slave. Your brother.... is a slave. And you.... are a slave. 

You were born into it. 

You work hours in the field... meanwhile.... there is another boy. 

This boy is white. He is your age. But he is sitting at the dinner table. He is eating. He is resting. He is a son. 

You see the son of the property and the slave are different. 

Slavery can bind us. We can become a slave to anything. Where do you run when you are hurt? Maybe you run to drugs? Beer? FaceBook? Snapchat? Other people?

If we knew we are Son (or a daughter!!!!!) we will not run to other things. We will not be afraid. Because our Dad owns the property. 

What would the Father of the property think if his son put on slave clothing and started working in the field? He would assume his son was mad. He would run into the field and plead with his boy to come inside. Yet many of us choose being a slave to fear over sonship. 

2) Don't give CPR to your fears. 

In the OT (Old Testament) God split the Red Sea so his chosen nation could escape slavery in Egypt. After they crossed the Red Sea, the Egyptians who were chasing them down were drowned. 

Our fear chase us down but God in his perfect love can drowned our fear in perfect love. 

How silly would it be for you to jump into the water to give CPR to your fears! But we do. After they are almost dead.... we go all baywatch on them and try to give them new birth! How silly! How stupid. LET THEM DIE. 

FLEE from Fear and let God destroy them in perfect love. 

3) Light causes shadows. 

I stole this last one from "Reckless Love" 

David said it this way, "Even though I walk through the valley of death I shall fear no evil.... 

Why? 

....For you are with me!"

You see when we go through tough times God is with us. 

I believe the light of God shines brightest in the darkness. You can't have a true shadow without light. God is light. And His love will always shine in the darkness. 

Conclusion

This blog post feels very scattered tonight. It was probably that Mexican food I had for dinner. But I know that FEAR IS BAD. And if you are afraid I don't want you to be ashamed. 

I want you to admit it so can can equip you to overcome it. 

You cant be fearless without God but with God you can! When you know God is your Daddy and you are his son/daughter you can walk in true freedom. 

 

Are you David or Goliath?

Happy Sunday Friends! I want to use this morning to challenge and encourage you with a few verses from the Holy Bible. I pray that God will speak to you to love Him and love others more through this blog.

It is easy to preach "Be like David." Be an underdog champion. When challenges come your way, you just need to dig deep and overcome! You are the HERO! And I love to be the hero. And you probably do too! Have you ever noticed when we tell stories we do so in a manner that always makes us look better than we actually are..... Just saying.

Back to David.....We often forget that he was imperfect. After defeating Goliath and becoming King his motives went south. He allowed his arrogance/pride/power to lead him to adultery and murder.

It is difficult to get American Christians to want to be like Goliath.

After all he is the "villain" in the story. He is....wait for it....an uncircumcised Philistine!!!!!

He was not part of God's chosen people. But not only that he mocked the God of Israel.

But.... Spoiler alert!!!!!!

David overcomes the odds and slays the Giant.

So Who are you in the story? Are you the hero? Or.... perhaps we are meant to identify with the Goliath.

In fact, most days I feel more like Goliath. I feel 10 (or was it 9) feet tall. I feel like I can do anything until I cant. I feel like everything is awesome, until it isn't. You know. When my pride gets in the way.

We like to quote verses like Philippians 4:13, saying "I CAN DO ALL THINGS!" but we forget that "Apart of me (Jesus) we can do nothing" (John 15).

Maybe we do not have to choice one or the other, but I do know life is a series of choices. I can make a plan for my life and then get upset when things don't go according to my plan or I can lay myself down (Surrender) and allow God to direct my steps. I can allow the detour to upset me or I can see it as an opportunity to learn and grow and be used by God.

Are you a slave?

July fourth!

Independence Day!

Freedom!

We shoot works of fire into the air to remember our independence from England. We were second class. We had taxes but no representation. We still pay taxes but we have at least the right to vote for those that make decisions in DC, in our state govt, and local.

We feel like we are free. Many men and women have fought for us to be free. But I want to make an argument that if we are not careful we can find ourselves slaves.


There is a story in Luke's Gospel entitled, "The rich young ruler" (See Luke 18 for the full story). In the story a rich man approaches Jesusk with a question.

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

That's a great question! If you believe in "god" or sometime of afterlife you better make sure you are going to the good place and not the bad place..... right?

So Jesus is straight up with him...... follow the commandments.

I often wonder how sarcastic Jesus says these things. This man led an upright life and in a way he was building him for his fall in a few mins.

Yes. Check. I've done it.

No. Never murdered.
Never coveted my neighbor's donkey.
etc etc etc


This man replies with "Ive done all these since I was a young boy"

As Jesus prepares to walk away he says one more thing.....“You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

That's the only requirement to follow me. Leave it all behind.


This is a sad story. Luke wrote these words next, "When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy." 


What a tragic story. He couldn't/wouldn't give up his money to follow Jesus. 

The point

So what's the point. Sell everything you have. Be poor. Don't work hard. Give it all away.... right?

Kinda.


You see the irony of this story is that man who held the title of "Ruler" was a "slave"

He was a slave to his material possessions. That is why Jesus said, "Sell it all"

We can worship God or we can worship money but not both.
We can love God or we can love things but not both.
We can praise God or praise nationalism.


Each moment of our lives are filled with choices. We can chose to make wise or unwise decisions with those choices.

We can own our things or we can let our things own us....

Once again its a choice.


Conclusion

So....what?

I want to pose a question to see if you are slave to your things.... where do you run when you are sad? When you are disappointed? When you are upset?

Do you run to God or do you run to something else that promises to met your need but never will. Do you run to Facebook for love? Sorry honey that wont work. Do you run to another person? They will let you down....

We have become a nation addicted to instant gratification, addicted to our smart phones, addicted to oneself.

But there is hope.... lay it down. That thing that we are a enslave to.... dont wait for lent to give it up. Give it up now... for good.

And I pray by the power of the Holy Spirit you will learn you cannot be both a slave and free.