Friday, September 26, 2008

Dropping Nets and Throwing Mountains

I was back at the same coffee shop I was in for last week's Friday Thoughts. I sat there with you waiting for our salami scones coated with Tabasco sauce and our extra-large caramel fudge iced mochas with peanut butter, brownie chunks, and low fat whipped crème.

Over my left shoulder is the wall that has the "100 Tips on Being a Christ-Follower" on it. We've had a good conversation but it has consistently been on a downhill direction. Between gas prices, sickness, politics, church finances, and winter coming, we have found ourselves in the conversational equivalent of a Michigan cellar after three weeks of rain.

I just told you the story about the family I know that just lost their son to leukemia (If you think of it pray for Bishop Thomas and his family. He is the Free Methodist Bishop of the West Coast and after a long battle their young 27 year old son has been graduated from this part of eternal life to the next.)

We wondered about prayer and healing and believing. You asked me why some people get healed and some don't. I shrugged my shoulders in a pastoral way, and mumbled something about God's sovereignty that I learned in some theology class.

Our salami scones and health drinks were brought to us on a tray. The kid that brought them said, "Throw the dart dude." and walked away. I picked up the dart from the tray and threw over my shoulder without even looking. The "thud" sound let me know that I hit the wall and not somebody walking by. You stood up and looked at where the dart landed.

"Throw a Mountain!?" you called back to me at the table. Last week we "dropped a net" and this week we're supposed to "Throw a Mountain."

"I told you we should have gone to Starbucks," I replied.

You hurried back to the table and grabbed my Bible. "There's a

Bible reference written under it." You found Mark 11:22-24.

Mark 11:22-24
'"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."'

We talked about how many people (including us) have had faith but still get sick, have accidents, or lose loved ones.

The kid who brought us our breakfast came back and said, "You miss the point. The point isn't the mountain or the faith. The point is the direction of the faith when the mountain is in the way."

Blank stares were the best we had to offer.

"The issue is to have faith in God. In the context of the story the disciples were shocked that something Jesus had said before actually happened. He explained to them that there is no limit to what God can do through the person who believes. Anything that is in the way of the follower and God can be moved. The mountain might remain a mountain, but the point is – it won't be in the way."

We still had nothing to say yet.

"Look, we all have things we don't understand. We all have had times we wanted God to do something specific and it didn't happen, but we were event focused not God focused. We let mountains get in-between God and us. We let things stand tall enough to cloud our vision. Jesus said that there is nothing that is big enough to get in the way of a faith filled person and the Object of his faith. Have faith in God when gas prices make it hard to afford what you don't need. Have faith in God when all the news is bad. Have faith in God when you can't find the hope you're looking for. Have faith in God when something happens that you didn't want to happen. Because if you have faith, God's will is done and there is nothing that can get in the way. Have faith in God's power, not the size of the mountain."

We smiled as the fog in our souls started to clear.

You looked at me and said, "I could do that. I could throw a mountain."

I smiled, enjoying a clear view of God again and said, "I just did."

Tip #17 "Throw a Mountain."

Imagine if we all did that together. Identify what's in the way and then let God get rid of it.

Dropping Nets and Throwing Mountains,

Pastor Dave

Friday, September 19, 2008

Net Droppers

Let's assume that at our favorite coffee shop there was a list on the wall with 100 tips on how to be a Christ-follower.  We stood back from the wall and scanned the list in awe of how big it was.  Then a bluebird came in with a pool cue and a dart and said, "Throw the dart and do the tip."  Then he walked out (he couldn't fly he was carrying the pool cue of course).

So you and I stood back and I watched as you threw the dart to the wall of guidance.  I walked forward and read where your dart landed. 

Tip #63.

"Drop the nets."

We talked about if that meant to get rid of Vince Carter from your fantasy Basketball team (because he plays for the Nets).  But, that didn't make sense because you don't have a fantasy Basketball team.

We sat down at a table where the Bible was open to Mark 1:18.  Jesus walked by the fisherman and asked them to leave what they knew and follow what they didn't.  He asked them to let go of what was secure and embrace what was unexplainable.

We reached for an application.  "I need to quit my job and live in a hut in some village I can't pronounce."  We shake our heads together.

"I need to physically tie people up and drag them to church!  I won't untie them until they place faith in Christ.  When they do - I let them go and go get another one!"  

The people at the table next to us left and we decided that wasn't it either.

In a moment of inspiration you said, "What if it's really about leaving behind old priorities and embracing new ones?  What if the tip is really about the Christ more than the nets?  What if it's really impossible to be what you were and be made into what Christ has in mind for you?  Maybe I've held on to what I think I need all the while Christ is calling me to what He knows I need.  Maybe old attitudes and actions don't fit with a new life.  Maybe I need to drop yesterday so I can follow Christ today."

You and I sat in silence thinking about the dropping of nets as individuals and as a church.  We wondered about why we try and drag nets with us when they aren't needed.  We thought about having the stuff we're comfortable with be more important than the call of Christ.  We talked a little about full obedience to the voice of Christ.  Obedience that was immediate and unreserved.  We talked about how different we would be if we stopped insisting on traveling inland with our nets, and how the church would be more effective if they didn't have yesterday's nets.

It was a good conversation. 

We finished our coffee and left.  The guy at the coffee shop was kind of angry about all the nets we left on the table, but we didn't need them anymore.

"That was a good tip. See ya next week."

 Mark 1:17-18
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

At once they left their nets and followed him.

                                                        Tip #63

Drop the nets

Fellow Net Dropper-

Pastor Dave

 

 



Friday, September 12, 2008

Thinking...

I've been watching the radar images online of Ike as he heads to Texas. This is a huge storm that covers most of the Gulf of Mexico.

I had a nice breakfast this morning with someone from our Denominational Headquarters.

It's going to be a nice day. I love the 70's. Might rain.

I need to get the pressure checked on my tires. I think the last time I had an oil change they overfilled them.

It seems everyone has an opinion about Sarah Palin.

I hope I can fertilize our lawn tomorrow - the last time for this season.

Random thoughts from a distracted citizen.


The people of Galveston Texas don't have a lot of random thoughts right now. They are most likely quite focused on survival, evacuation, 20 foot surges, 100 mile an hour winds, and shelter.

It's amazing how distant reality can be from us if we're not in the path of destruction. I wonder what's for dinner in Michigan, while a pastor with no food sits in jail in China for teaching about Jesus, while a family in Haiti hopes tomorrow they can have some food, while a family in Texas leaves their food behind.

I think about rain messing up my plans for yard work while others think about how they don't have a yard or home anymore because of the rain.

The people in the path of the storms have something many of us don't. They can appreciate the next breath. You find out how fragile life is. You find out how quickly everything of "value" can become worthless. You find out what sustains life can't be bought on E-bay.

I'm thinking of two prayers today.

1. "Lord, through this turmoil in the Gulf empower Your people and Your churches to be an example of "living water." When hopelessness has swamped an area may believers somehow have countless opportunities to be the light of Christ. Let destruction be the seed bed of true revival."


2. "Lord, may that happen in my town without the destruction. May I be a person who isn't distracted from You by the mundane. May our church be passionate about accomplishing the mission of being Your people. Let my comfort be swallowed up with true revival."


Hope to see you Sunday.

Giving God Glory,
Pastor Dave

Friday, September 5, 2008

May His Peace Invade Your Life Game

So, let me paint the picture for you.

It's later than I am normally at the church.  It's getting dark outside.  The light in my office is off.  A lamp on my desk is trying to provide enough light for me to see the keys, but its 40 watt contribution is doing little more than making a difference in its own corner.  I have the music on again - louder than what I would usually let it play (I like doing that when no one else is here).  I have to stop occasionally to listen to the words and let them spend a moment in my soul before I move on.

I'm working on Lee and Jessica's wedding.  The devotional is going to be from Colossians 3:12-15.  Great words – look them up.

But my mind and eyes have gone down a couple of verses.

3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…"  

 
Ya…

Sounds good.  This is a peaceful room and calm setting, but I've got a list of peace suckers longer than Barbra Streisand's nose.  You know those things that make peace seem like a lost memory or forgotten joy.  Peace is often so fragile that it evaporates with a thought.

A good comedy on TV (becoming very rare) can cause me to forget all about what destroys peace.  But they last a half hour and have 37 bazillion commercials, most of which somehow remind me of what I was trying to forget.  Peace?

FYI - The word for "rule" in the original language means "to umpire or decide."
 
Try this out in your imagination – 

Jesus stands behind me as I step to the plate of life.  Satan has thrown a curve that I try to deal with but it gets the best of me.  Jesus stands and screams, "BALL – DOESN'T COUNT!"  I look to him and he whispers a word of peace into my life, "You don't need that one.  Let it go."

I smile at the encouragement and get ready for the next one. "BALL – DOESN'T COUNT!  NOT TRUE!"

The next one, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!  THAT WAS SUCH A BALL!  

The enemy wants to argue.  He says they should count.  They should be recorded in my soul and I should have to carry the weight of them.  He comes toward the plate and Jesus meets him half way there.  

No matter how big he is satan is always seven inches shorter than Jesus.  He looks up and tries to make his argument, spit flying out of his month and landing on Jesus' chest.

 Jesus is not intimidated, "YOU DON'T MAKE THE RULES - I DO.  MY PEACE RULES IN THIS LIFE.  KEEP THROWING IF YOU WANT, BUT I MAKE THE CALLS… I SAID 'IT DOESN'T COUNT.'" 

Satan tucks his tail between his legs and pouts his way back to the mound to keep wasting his time attempting to send me to the bench.

Jesus takes his place saying, "Don't worry I'm in charge of what counts, not him, and not you.  I reign, rule, umpire, decide.  Come on, you're still up."

 

The music keeps playing.  It's darker outside (dark churches give me the creeps).  I have just given Christ a number of things that tried to claim a position of authority in my life.  They are still there.  The situation still stinks.  There is still stuff that doesn't make sense.  

They still don't rule. 

May His Peace Invade Your Life Game.

There's a spot for you Sunday,
Pastor Dave