Citizen of a Different Kingdom

On Wednesday morning we will start the day with a new President elect.  Some will be elated, others will be discouraged; some will jump for joy, others will want to jump off roofs.  The issues of the campaign are volatile and have a great range of impact on the nation and the world… but you knew that.

My thoughts -

On the one hand I find myself wanting to be informed so I can make a responsible decision that is godly and in line with what I believe to be best for the nation.  On the other hand I am so annoyed with the process and muck that I am forced to wade through to find what is the closest to a replica of the truth that my vote is more coated in frustration than responsibility.

Don't misunderstand me.  I am an American citizen and I will cast my vote.  The issues of the day are important for now and for the world my great-grandchildren will live in. 

But, this morning as I watched the news, I was glad I'm primarily a citizen of a different Kingdom. 

I will live life in a way that demonstrates the life and call of One who doesn't need approval ratings.  I will cast a vote for a human, but I will only bend my knee to One who doesn't need any votes.  I will give someone the title of President, but will unconditionally honor the One whose title is eternal.  I will clap for a person, but will only worship the One to whom that person will never have more power than.  I will pray for the leader of this nation, but I am praying to the Leader of all nations.

Acts 1:6 has an interesting question.  The resurrected Jesus who is about to ascend into heaven, had spent 40 days with the disciples teaching them about what really mattered – the Kingdom of God. 

The disciple's final question for Jesus was recorded as being, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"  Whatever the main point of Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom was it wasn't about property or politics, rebellion or Romans.  They missed the eternal point (again) because they wanted an answer to the temporal one.

I live in a democracy (people rule), but I am a member of a theocracy (God rule) in which there is no panic, no fear, no lies, no broken promises, no effective coup attempts, and no laws that are unenforced.  I live in a Kingdom that can't be messed up by policy or power struggles.

In a very real way what you and I do as a result of the Word and call of God on a daily basis, how you and I live the truth of the good news, the lifestyle we commit to and act out regardless of the cost or popularity of such a lifestyle, and the simple events of obedience to our God, is of more significance than what Politian's do to manipulate the world economy and GDP. 

The questions we ask and answers we seek have eternal ramifications for us and those we come in contact with.  Sunday a few hundred people will hear the Word in our church, but that truth is more important to us than a speech millions will hear about the next four years.

I guess this Friday, I don't want to minimize the importance of the election, I want to elevate the importance of the eternal Word of God.   

Cast a vote for someone to sit in a chair, live a life for Someone who sits on a Throne!  By the way, the latter will determine the action of the former.

Voting on Tuesday, Serving Every day,

Pastor Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be Ready...

I heard more bad news on the economy today… like that's news. May I remind you that Christ promised to return?

Thank-you.

I would remind you that Christ will return.

The signs of the times are given to us as warnings to always be ready. Over the next few months as we close in on and go through 2009 I humbly predict there will be a lot of talk about the "end-times." There will be a lot of interpretation of the signs and events around us. We will be tempted to watch everything so closely that panic is a step away and anger at the culture won't be far behind. Pulling our hair out (or someone else's) is not the intended result of Christ coming back for the church.

There will be quotes from the Bible that predict all the bad things that are happening and some that may be around the corner. The call will attempt to wake up the church and cause people to get right with God before it's too late.

But is that the intended mood of the church when Christ returns? Is that an attitude of glorious expectation?

I'd like to give a couple other scriptures that have caught my eye this morning.

Acts 2:16-21
⁽¹⁶⁾ No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
⁽¹⁷⁾ "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ⁽¹⁹⁾ I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
⁽²⁰⁾ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ⁽²¹⁾ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

1 Corinthians 1:7-9
⁽⁷⁾ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁽⁸⁾ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁽⁹⁾ God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Rather than being worried about what is happening in the world around me, I have to be honest, I'm getting excited about what is happening (and will happen) to me. Don't worry about counting hurricanes or looking for the anti-Christ. Look to the church and watch God get her ready for the return of Christ. Even more fun than that – be one of the people who God is getting ready for the return of Christ.

So, this Sunday is not about people going to church to look nice or be nice. This Sunday is not about liking songs or finding something we wish we did different. This Sunday is not about if the sermon spoke to you or if it bored you.

This Sunday is about people getting ready to meet Jesus! This Sunday is about all ages taking part in being the Church! This Sunday is about the Spirit of God dusting you off! This Sunday is about being strong and blameless! This Sunday is about being ready!

So is the next one. And the one after that. And the one after that.

Looking forward to the day, Pastor Dave

101 things I like

I wondered if I could do this at a time when pessimism is common and grumpiness is in style.  It was kinda fun.

101 things I like (don't try to evaluate the order)

1. Seeing something new in the Bible.

2. Watching God do something new in someone

3. My Wife

4. Blackberry Pie

5. Convertible Corvettes

6. Traverse City

7. A fire in the fireplace on a snowy day

8. When I know that what I just said was Spirit given

9. My daughter's giggle

10. My Christian heritage

11. When my car is clean

12. Surprising my wife

13. Remembering family game nights

14. Laughing until I cry

15. A movie with both romance and action

16. When I put on a pair of pants and find a twenty dollar bill in the pocket

17. Kogel Vienna Hotdogs

18. Walking

19. Going somewhere new

20. When it's really quiet at home

21. Listening to talk radio

22. Listening to someone tell a God story

23. Doing Weddings

24. Hearing a word from God

25. Hillsongs worship CDs

26. Jazz

27. Eating leftover Chinese food

28. Listening to my wife sing

29. The taste of bacon

30. The smell of bacon

31. Our dog Zoe

32. Looking at the mountains (think Colorado Springs)

33. Teaching about church history

34. Meeting a new friend

35. Playing Wii

36. Watching my mother-in-law play Wii

37. My Grandkids

38. The smell of cut grass

39. Bugs Bunny Cartoons

40. Par 3 golf

41. Ted Dekker books

42. Washing Dishes (sometimes)

43. French cuff shirts

44. Getting snowed in

45.  Joking with my son

46. When someone tells me about their faith journey

47. Worshipping with a group of people

48. When commercials are funnier than the program I'm watching

49. Playing euchre with my family

50. Reading a William Law book

51. Taking a nap on Sunday

52. Remembering when I didn't have Vista on my computer

53. Having dinner with my parents

54. Being grateful my sister didn't kill me when I was in grade school

55. Black decaf coffee

56. Having fun with the body of Christ

57. The smell of a clean baby

58. Exaggerating

59. Harley Davidson Fat Boys

60. When I fix something… and it works

61. My wife's soup

62. Thinking of a different way to say something by writing it

63. Writing something in a different way than I would say it

64. Hot tubs

65. Famous Dave's

66. Hearing from an old friend

67. My favorite picture of my daughter as a baby

68. Learning a new song

69. The thought of Politician's being held liable for lies

70. When a Dr. says, "I can't believe this, but I don't see what we saw…"

71. Imagining I'm not a church person and putting a message on the sign that I would think about

72. Talking with Leah about our favorite memories

73. Faith

74. Being able to admit I don't have all the answers

75. Remembering when my kids thought I did have all the answers

76. Hawks

77. Eating a good steak medium rare

78. Imagining what revival would be like

79. Looking back and seeing how I've grown

80. Our staff

81. When I meet someone that knows someone I know

82. Good news

83. The feeling of unity

84. Knowing what matters and what doesn't

85. When my boss tells me I'm doing a good job

86. Talking with a neighbor

87. Spiritual Freedom

88. When the underdog team wins

89. Camping on a verse until God sends me to a different one

90. Eating dinner at an expensive restaurant

91. The words "infralapsarianism, supralapsarianism and sublapsarianism"

92. Praying with someone

93. Waking up feeling refreshed

94. When it's really not my fault

95. When someone tells me I'm like my dad

96. Being able to visit with cousins or extended family I haven't seen in a long time

97. Going to sleep when I'm really, really tired.

98. Messing with the stereotypes of a non-church person

99. That feeling of expectation when I go to church

100. BLT Pizza

101. Kissing my wife

So, have you ever made a list of 101 things you like?  I wonder how being aware of some of those things could impact our life and the lives of those around us.  Anyone could make a list a mile long (I like to exaggerate #58) of things that bug us.  Live grateful.

I think I'm going to go to church this Sunday, I'd love to see you there!

Pastor Dave  

 

Friday Thoughts

From what they tell us, this could be "Black Friday." Many who have their finger on the pulse of the stock market (not a safe place to have your finger, like sticking your hand by the mouth of a rattle snake) have gloomy forecasts for the world. The numbers are causing widespread panic. The idol of money is made of clay – it's raining.

I heard a story on the news this morning about the new "ghost towns." People who are losing their homes are packing their car and leaving. Complete sub-divisions are being left vacant. They don't have the money for a moving truck to keep all their "valuables -" so they leave... they leave all the stuff. The idol of possessions is made of clay – it's raining.

I watched a debate where two people promised to end "pork barrel" spending in government and then take time off from promise making to go to Washington to vote for a bailout plan that was filled with "pork". Then they went right back to make promises to not do what they just did. The idol of political ideology is made of clay – it's raining.

I had lunch with a group of pastors yesterday. One of them confessed they were disillusioned with what pastor's have been taught to work for, organize for, and go to conferences to be trained for. What he said was missing in our pulpits and pews is a filling of our spirits with the Spirit of God. The idol of mans effort is made of clay – it's raining.

I've talked with a hand full of people who are facing major upheaval in their relationships and priorities. They have been tasting from the buffet of desires that they have paid a high price to be able to feast from. They have lifted their face from the plate long enough to see that it is not satisfying and its promises are little more than empty claims. The idol of selfishness is made of clay – it's raining.

I got an email about one of the candidates for President being the anti-Christ. This is confusing to me because I got one earlier about one of the other candidates who was the anti-Christ. I'm glad we have such discerning minds interpreting the signs of the times for us (ok, that wasn't nice – if they keep saying that, one of these times they're bound to be right). Many place their feet in the starting blocks to proclaim the end of the world and the return of Christ while refusing to live like the Christ they are attempting to proclaim. The idol of religious pride is made of clay – it's raining.

"Lord, may the rain of Your Spirit reveal what is made of clay. May my life be built on the solid rock of Your truth. May the people I worship with be blessed with a spirit of generosity during crisis and a spirit of confidence during panic. May our hero's be seen as frauds and our pat answers be put to the test. Lord, may You cause the church to wake up and fight the real fight of faith not wasting our time on battles of pride and self promotion."

Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

2 Peter 3:10-11
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

Today is a great day to live the hope you have in Christ not money, possessions, political ideology, mans effort, selfishness, or religious pride. Someone you know needs to see what that looks like.

Sunday is about hope! Bring a friend and hang on!

Loving this day,

Pastor Dave

The Report

Report Submitted for Your Information About the Current Condition:

They smiled and polished themselves up as best they could. This is all about perception. They rehearsed the right answers and gave the pet phrases as quotes that flowed easier than hot butter. What they thought of each other in private was to be put aside in public. The other person’s opinions were their main target – even if they really didn’t know the motive behind those opinions. Somehow they had to able to present themselves as good and the other person as… not as good.

People rallied behind them and took sides because the actors parroted what they like to hear parroted. They picked sides based on what they saw and how they connected personally. They tried to get as close as they could to the one they liked and distance themselves as much as possible from the one they don’t.

It was amazing to watch the people let words fall from between their lips while they hide the exact opposite within their hearts. They appear to think it’s not a lie if it’s said with a smile.

They pretended to respect each other in public, but harbored ill will for them in private. They claimed to be big enough to let the other person disagree, but they resented it when they did.

They claimed to have the good of the masses in their words and actions, but really were more concerned about themselves then the unnamed souls they will never meet. They said they had the other’s best interest in mind. But they got mad when they didn’t get their own way.

When they go to this much trouble to wear a mask the greatest fear is being found out. Truth becomes secondary and presentation is primary.

The most astounding thing to observe was the tenacious belief in what they really knew was not real, and the causal lip service that was given to what is.

It happens all the time. There is hope for change. There is hope that one day it will be different. There is hope… but no one will take the responsibility of being sure the change is right and not just change. Few learn from history. Instead they demand the right to make their own mistakes and claim they aren’t mistakes.

My summary is – it’s a mess. The whole process is far from what was intended. It seems to be a repeating cycle of aimless action. Doing the same thing and hoping for different results. This is my first report but I’m told it has been like this for decades.

Respectfully Submitted…

[the above report was submitted to God by an angel that was asked to report on the condition of the church… what did you think it was about? Go ahead - read it again.]

Concerned more about the Kingdom,

Pastor Dave