website

I found this tonight on Facebook.

If you're a guy, go there.

If you're not, go anyway.

http://iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Nate_Larkin/

Then go to the home page: http://iamsecond.com

twitter

I joined Twitter last October, but didn't add it to my phone messaging b/c it was just starting out & I didn't know how it was gonna be received.

Well, I added it to my phone messaging, so I guess I'll be getting all the "tweets" from the "twits" I'm following - & I guess anyone who follows me will be getting my "tweets" too. (btw, I've always thought I was a bit of a "twit" - I guess it's official now! LOL)

Whenever I join another social networking group, I kinda feel like I'm jumping off a precicpice into another abyss. Hope some of you will join me.

The name I use on Twitter is: danwaits

Here I go...

shielding

Psalm 18: 1 I love you, LORD;
you are my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
3 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

19 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.

27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
28 You light a lamp for me.
The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.

30 God's way is perfect.
All the LORD's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32 God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way safe.

48b ...You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies...

In the last couple or 3 weeks, I've been getting a lot of the concept that God is my shield. The word "shield" has been specifically used.

I just wonder what that means for me? I know He's shielding me, but there must be something specific He's either shielding me from right now, or is gonna be shielding me from, protecting me.

If I ever find out what, I'll let y'all know.

Jesus prayed for us

We only think of Jesus praying in the garden before his death as an agonizing time. Here's what John recorded that He prayed...

John 17: 1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
6 "I have revealed you* to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you,8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
9 "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory.11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name;* now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me.* I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
13 "Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22 "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
25 "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."

access

John 16: 23 At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.24 You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

This doesn't mean we have a "vending machine" God, where we put in the name of Jesus & out pops whatever we ask for.

What it does mean is that we have unlimited access to the God of the universes.

That's pretty mind-blowing, if you ask me.

just read it

John 15:1 "I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.
5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.17 This is my command: Love each other."

I've jumped into the River of God's Will for Humankind. I feel the current is gently changing, moving me to another part of the river, a part of the river I never thought I be in. I'm gonna have to "abide in Him" if I'm gonna be who He wants me to be. I can't be/do it without a significant hookup w/ Him. I didn't choose this; He chose it for me; & has chosen the lasting fruit that will come of it.

I just hope I can stay out of the way & let Him do His thing around & thru me.

just read it

John 14:1 "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.2 There is more than enough room in my Father's home.* If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?*3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.4 And you know the way to where I am going."
5 "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.* From now on, you do know him and have seen him!"
8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."
9 Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

retirement

(I wrote this note to someone this morning. I didn't intend to get on a soapbox. I was just wanting to strongly encourage her to move into a "second career" - she's my age. I hope she moves into a new purpose - she's very smart, great with people, & has a heart for Jesus & ministry.)

Last summer was my 35th Asbury graduation anniversary & my 40th high school graduation anniversary.

Although I didn't "reunion" with either, I did noticed something with people I checked on...

They've all gotten old.

I'm not talking about aging - I'm talking about checking out of life.

You've seen it as much as I have - people get to our age, prepare to retire, buy a condo by a lake, beach, or mountain that's "close to the grandkids" & shut down. They haven't had an original thought in years (decades?). They're gonna coast until they die.

I don't see the word "retire" anywhere in the Bible.

My wife & I (Lynn in the college setting, me at church) are surrounded by people half our age, who need people our age desperately. They have parents who have divorced, remarried, divorced, remarried, lived together, blended, unblended, abandoned, abused, neglected, not supported, not parented, not cared - in short, their lives are pretty messed up. Most of them have NEVER felt unconditionally loved.

We spend most of our time teaching life skills - decision-making, integrity, ethics, healthy relationships, to name a VERY few.

All we offer them is the love of Jesus & the wisdom that comes from learning about life the hard way - by doing PLENTY of stupid things & making stupid mistakes.

You & I are in our most impactful years. We still have our health, we still have our minds, & we've got the time.

You're surrounded by 20 & 30 somethings that just need someone in their lives who'll care about them. There's nothing magical or difficult with connecting with them. Most of them are starving to death for attention.

You & I probably have 20 more years, give or take. My grandmother, who lived to be 108, once told me to live till I die. She did, even though she spent the last 15 yrs of her life in a nursing home. We offer to young adults the thing they've never had - older adults who care about them & can guide them thru life.

You don't have to join a ministry at some church. Just start talking to them, asking them questions, & connecting with them. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll be surrounded with plenty to do.

Sorry for the soapbox. I just hate the thought of leaving these needy people to someone else just so I can "slow down, rest, & play with the grandkids"

what's really going on

Sometimes, what we think we're doing isn't what we're really doing.

Last night, we had a HOG game night at SportsTowne. I thought last night's game night was about getting any who wanted to, to get together, play game, have fun, be together, & get to know each other better.

And maybe that's what it was all about for everyone else. For me, last night was about learning something important about someone & making stronger connection.

I thought my purpose was to facilitate the event. Nope, it was to learn something crucial about someone.

I always find it interesting when I find out that what I thought was supposed to be going on, wasn't - & what's really supposed to go on, does.

It pays to stay alert to life, & watch for what's really going on...

believe

In John 11 Mary & Martha told Jesus to not roll the stone away from Lazarus' tomb b/c Lazarus had been dead for 4 days & would stink.

Then, in verse 40, Jesus said, Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?

And then He raised Lararus from the dead.

And Jesus promises us the same thing, that if we believe, we'll see God's glory, that He'll raise that thing(s) in our life that we think is so dead that it stinks.

choose

Jesus is the one talking here...

John 10:10 The thief's (Jesus is talking about the devil here) purpose is to steal & kill & destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

So, there you have it, plan as the nose on your face.

The devil is out to do this: steal everything good in your life, kill your connection with God, & destroy your life.

Yet we listen to him all the time, rather than God.

Jesus says that His bottom line is that He's all about making it possible for us to connect with God & have the life He dreamed for us a gajillion years ago.

Of course, we follow the devil's leading b/c we're basically sinful - we're self-centered to the level of an art form, we are the center of our own universe, we think we know better than God when it comes to our live, & we don't think that the life He dreamed up for us is gonna be enough.

We basically want what we want when we want it, & we want it now.

So, what are we gonna do? Choose what the devil tells us to do, or what the God of the universes tells us to do?

assignments

(This is Jesus talking here in chapter 9)

John 9: 4 All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent me.

So, we can figure out some things here...

God has some things He wants us to do.

That would mean He has a plan for us & our lives.

We don't need to dilly-dally along the way. We need to be aware that we need to do, in a timely manner, whatever it is that God wants us to do.

It would follow that if we don't need to drag our feet with whatever it is God has for us to be & do, then it must be working in conjuction with other tasks other people are doing.

We can also figure out that our lives have meaning if the God of the universes has something planned out for us to do in the grand scheme of things.

And God must really love & trust sinful people like us if He put us in as an integral part of His overarching plan for humankind.

If God has a plan for us, then it stands to reason that He will provide the means for us to do it.

If He's gonna provide the means for it, then there must be other people who are being & doing stuff for Him that make it possible for us to do what we need to do.

And if He's got people making possible for us to do what we need to do, then what we do should surely do the same thing for other people - God is efficient, as well as creative.

We must be important to God.

This is just somethin' to think about...

hmmmmm

I read Exodus 5 this a.m. - when God told Moses to go back to talk to Pharaoh again, Moses said the same things to God that I've said to Him in the last year. That's very interesting...

John 8
vs 12 I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, b/c you will have the light that leads to life.
vs 32 You will know the truth & the truth will set you free.
vs 36 If the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.

Who's the verses in John for today?

I wonder...

Psalm 7:10 God is my shield, saving hose whose hearts are true & right.

In the past few days, verses about God's protection & shielding have come up off the page. I wonder what's ahead that I need to be reminded of this?

who's seeking who?

John 6:44a ...people can't come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me...

iow, any God thought we have is evidence that God is reaching out to us, not us reaching out to Him, because we're incapable of generating that kind of thinking.

now, don't get paranoid that you don't think God thoughts. Just thinking that indicates that you do, & indicates that God is reaching out to you.

God's love, care, & grace reaches out for us all the time. Hard to beieve, but it's true.

enough

^{Exodus 3: 1} One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. ³ “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

⁴ When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. ⁶ I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. ⁹ Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. ¹⁰ Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

¹² God answered, “I will be with you.


That was it - Moses, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament, was reluctant to do what God has asked him to do - that was to lead the Jews out of bondage & out of Egypt & into the Promised Land of Canaan.

Moses just didn't see how he could do this.

And all God said was, "I will be with you."

And Moses went on to do just what God has told him to do.

God says the same thing to us. If He tells us to do something, He will be with us, "preceding & following" us (Psalm 139:5) - preparing the way & mopping up behind us.

Moses' task was no walk in the park. There were millions of Jews in Egypt. They were traveling across a huge desert to get to Canaan, before jet planes & Holiday Inn Express. And they wandered in the wilderness of the Sinai for 40 years.

And all God offered in the face of all that was "I will be with you."

And that was enough for Moses.

And that is enough for you & me.

Now matter what it is God tells us to do, it's a given that as we do it, He will be with us.

Our job is to obey, not to be successful.

The rest is His job.

"I will be with you."

That's enough.

harvesters

John 4:35b Vast fields are ripening all around us & are ready now for harvest.

We don't have to become missionaries to "deepest, darkest Africa" to encounter "fields ripe for harvest." There's plenty of people all around us right now in the places we live in, work in, & frequent who are ripe & ready for any of us to talk to about Jesus & the incredible life He can bring them.

My wife, Lynn, has told me about people she knew on the mission field (she was a Baptist missionary in western Kenya during the '70's) who were only missionaries on the field, not back at home in the states. That is to say, they were only interested in talking to people about Jesus when they were out of the country.

She has said numerous times that the mark of someone with a true missionary spirit & calling was that they were always telling people about Jesus - whether they were in Africa, or New Jersey, or downtown Macon.

Speaking of downtown Macon (nice segue, huh?), I feel like this scripture is a prompting for me & all of us connected with The Warehouse. We're locating smack dab in the middle of a place that's ripe & ready for people to share with the people who work, live, &/or play in downtown Macon the wonderfully stupendous news about the Jesus, the Savior, & the life He can bring to us.

I don't see us forming teams for street witnessing. I see us using The Warehouse building as a launching pad for lifestyle evangelism. I doubt that "townies" would be receptive to "bible bangers" - people who walk around w/ big Bibles, quoting scriptures, like something out of a B movie from the '50's. What they will receive are people who demonstrate they love for these people as individuals, not "trophies" in a soul-winning contest.

I doubt if any of us reading this were captured for Jesus by such evangelism tactics. We were captured by lifestyle evangelism - through the friends we knew who lived the life of freedom & joy that comes from knowing Jesus & trusting in Him as our connection to the Father.

Anyone interested in being a part of this harvesting?

stuff

Psalm 3: 3 You, O Lord, are a shield around me...

He's shielding me - I forget this a lot of the time.

John 3:23 At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. 24 (This was before John was thrown into prison.) 25 A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

Hard to read in a culture & a world that says that we each are the center of our own universes.

my job

For a long time now, I feel like I've jumped into this BIG river called "God's Overarching Will for Humankind."

My job is to keep my feet off the bottom of the river, so as to not slow my progress, & then not fight the current as it carries me to different parts of the river as well as progresses me down the river.

a promise?

Psalm 1: 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

people

I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life right now. One of the things I'm most thankful for right now is that the season I'm in, & the stuff I'm both being & doing, wasn't my idea. I didn't wake up one morning & think, "It would be cool to be a catalyst for a presence of God's love in downtown Macon, & I'll take over the care & feeding of House of Grace Macon, too."

There's no one who wonders more as to why God would want me to be & do those things right now than me. It certainly wasn't on my short list of being & doing. About a year ago He started talking to me about downtown, & He hasn't shut up yet. For the first few months, I didn't talk to anyone about it, b/c I figured I was not hearing Him right. Then we I faced that fact that I was hearing something, I figured no one in their right mind would support it. Well, here we are, setting out on the very adventure God has been talking to me about for at least a year. I still haven't figured out "why me" but I don't think about it or strive about anymore, & haven't for quite a few months now.

The reason I'm glad I'm not the One who thought this up & made the choices is there's plenty of people (some of them very important to me) who find it at least as hard to believe as I do that God seems to be using me in this way. A year ago, it would have eaten me up to realize that. But as I've said more than once - this isn't my gig. I didn't come up with this idea. My responsibility is to be obedient, not to explain the mind of God & why He'd want me to be the point person for it. I quit trying to explain it or my life about a year ago. I'm not going back to explaining it, or trying to justify it. It takes all my energy just to live it at the level God wants me to!

I lean on the scripture, "God both precedes & follows me" (Psalm 139:6) a lot these days. I'm watching Him prepare the way, as well as mop up behind me. My job is to just keep walking in the direction He's told me to go.

I've wondered this last year if just maybe God's using me as an example of His power. If God can use a donkey to speak to Balaam, & guess He can use a donkey like me to be & do the things He's been showing me the last year. (Balaam & his donkey is in the Old Testament book of Numbers, the 22nd chapter)

I don't know. I can't worry about the thinking or opinions of some. I've got too much to think about these days to worry too much about what some people think. I do wish some times that some of the people in my life could look beyond the preconceived ideas they have about me & my skill level & just look at the miracles God has to pull off on a regular basis to make it all happen in my life.

Here's the deal for me - it's like I've jumped into this great big river call, "His Overarching Will for Humankind." My job is two-fold: 1) to keep my feet from dragging the bottom, so as to not hinder my progress; 2) don't fight the current, keeping me from going in that place in that river that He's decided for me.

And I know one day the current will change again for me. Maybe the place He drifts me to will be more in the areas that are consistent with people's concept of me - maybe not. I'm not responsible for that. I'm only responsible for being & doing what I believe God's leading me to be & do. People's reaction to it is not.

People thought Christopher Columbus was crazy. And although he mistakenly thought he would run into China by sailing west, look at what he found - a whole new undiscovered world.

Just a thought...
I love you.

walking w/ Him

God has been whispering to me in the last few days, "don't cling to your life," from Matthew 10. (it's the only way I can have the life He dreamed for me before time began) I guess it's all about letting go.

He's also been whispering, "don't worry about your life," from Matthew 6. (It keeps me from doing the "what if's" & the "yes, but's") I guess it's all about trusting.

And I continue to rest in the promise that "God both precedes & follows me," from Psalm 139:6. (I saw yesterday in a truly amazing & unexpected way how He's doing that.) I have to believe that He's preparing the way for me & His will in my life, while at the same time taking care of the consequences of my obedience.

God both precedes & follows me (Psalm 139:6)

I learned this in a new way this morning.

Thanks, Abba

we're off

At the end of the 10th chapter of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples something that I've been trying to particularly put into practice as I've followed His leading about downtown Macon. Here's what he said...

"If you cling to your life, you'll lose it. If you give up your life for Me, you will find it."

Over the past year, dozens & dozens of times, maybe hundreds of times, God has whispered these words to me - "don't cling to your life"

I realize more & more that the life I've had up to this point - a comfortable, servant's life at Christ Chapel SportsTowne - is something I'm clinging to. It's safe, comfortable, familiar, & secure (did I mention safe?). Now it seems He's calling me to be a catalyst for a presence of His people in downtown Macon. I don't know how it's all gonna shape up, or in what order it will shape up. I just know that's the direction I'm supposed to go.

I cling to what I've known, what I've had, what I'm familiar & comfortable with. But He's calling me to something risky, exciting, curious, & very different - like so much of Christ Chapel, there are no models for what I'm seeing & hearing He wants downtown. I really do feel like what I imagine the guys felt like on the Nina, Pinta, & the Santa Maria as they set out for China, sailing west - stark anticipation mixed with some fear of the unknown.

When I told the staff that "don't cling to your life" was gonna be one of the defining scriptures for me for a while, Pastor John said something I've held on to. He said, "I didn't hear the 'don't cling to your life" part. I heard the 'if you give up your life for Me, you'll find it.' "

And I've thought about his statement more than Pastor John probably realizes. For the truth of the matter is that he's right - if I let go of my life - if I don't cling to what I know & am familiar with - that will give God the freedom to produce in me, unencumbered, the life He dreamed for me before the foundation of the universes.

And, what's more, I know that this gig is up to Him. I didn't wake up one morning & decide it would be cool to start something in downtown Macon. God's been gently pulling me in that direction for over a year. And if this is His idea, then I guess He's responsible for the outcome, not me. All I gotta do is be obedient.

I don't know what my life will look like in the future. I know what it looks like now. Even though it seems I'm having to "uncling" from lots of things these days, I realize I'm still in an adventure with the God of the universes. How many people get ot say that?! Strangely enough, though, I'm finding that a quiet contentment is settling over me, even in the face of the tedious, mundane steps I'm taking toward whatever it is He has for me.

Most of the people I went to high school or college with are winding down their lives. They're fixing to retire, buy condos near their children, & play with their grandchildren for the rest of their lives. They think I'm crazy for what I'm moving toward. (I thought the fact I'm crazy had been established years ago!)

But the bottom line is this - there's lots & lots of people God wants impacted for Him in downtown Macon. For some reason, I'm supposed to be a part of that, in some way or fashion. I quit trying to figure out back in the late spring why God seemed to be guiding a guy like me in this direction. God's very creative. So, I've tried to just stop trying to explain my life.

I also serve at a church & with a Senior Pastor & Associate Pastor who are willing to take an enormous chance on a guy like me. Can any of you imagine what an infinite blessing that is, particularly for a guy at this juncture in life?!

So, I say to any of you - "don't cling to your life." The life God will give us is so much more than you can ever imagine.

I don't know what's ahead, but I'm headin' out. I know "God both precedes me & follows me." (Psalm 139:6)

Who wants to go with me?

less self

Matthew 23: 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

It's all about serving. (Anyone who says, "All I want to be is a servant of the Lord." has never been one.)

It's all about others.

It's all about being others-oriented.

It's all about realizing we're not the center of our own universes.

But everything in our world & culture says the direct opposite. Everything is geared for looking-out-for-me.

Why don't we follow this simple teaching of Jesus?

Is it trust?

Is it self-centeredness?

Is it stubbornness?

Is it I-want-what-I-want-&-I-want-it-now kind of attitude?

Or is it all of it?

I remember soending decades trying to get people to love me like I've always wanted to be loved. Needless to say, I was crashingly unsuccessful.

I did encounter the reality of God's love for me. I began to absorb how truly loved I was by Him.

So, I knew I wasn't going to be loved like I wanted to be by people, so I gave it up. And then I started noticing that most of the people around me were dying to be loved like I wanted to be.

So, I started caring about them, checking on them, remembering what was going on in their lives - in short, loving them right where they were, but caring enough to want to take them to what they could be.

(Don't think for a minute that this was me doing this - it was od doing it through me.)

Guess what? People started loving me back.

And now, I'm the richest man I know in relatonships.

Funny how that all worked out, didn't it?

(If it happened to me, I bet it would happen to you.)

Just a thought...

I love you

LGLP

Matthew 22: 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"
37 Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'*38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'*40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

Love God, love people.

That's what Jesus is saying here.

The most important (greatest) commandment…

What it’s all about…

The thing that everything pivots on…

Love God, love people

How many of us do that?

How many of us let that be the basis of our lives, the wellspring from which everything else flows?

Love God, love people

Many of us are getting tattoos these days. Let me say right up front, I don’t have any problem with people getting tattoos. I wish I had one or two. I’ve seen all kinds of cool stuff permanently put on people’s bodies.

May I make a suggestion?

If Jesus thought this was the most important commandment, the wellspring from which everything flows, maybe if any one of us is trying to think about what to have tattooed (next) on our bodies, might it not be a plausible thing to have tattooed on us somewhere…

Love God, love people

Just a thought…

I love you

believing

Matthew 21: 18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, ..“May you never bear fruit again!”.. And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21 Then Jesus told them, ..“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen... 22 ..You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

I seriously doubt that Jesus was talking about making God a vending machine of magic tricks.

What I do believe He was talking about was that if we believe that we have working through us the Power which is God, the impossible becomes possible.

The question for all of us is this - do we really believe this?

first & last

Matthew 20:16

So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last. NLT

Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first. The Message

So, there you have it. Some people who are famous, influencial, rich, popular, outstanding in their field (I'm thinking of all those Super Bowl player from last night), or star-studded - anyone who is held up of an example - is not assured a place in God's eyes as stupendous.

God looks at the heart - where a person's heart is is what's important to Him.

It does make life easier - playing to just one Person.

And since He's the One in charge, I would guess that makes it a sure thing.

Whenever someone famous dies, I often wonder - "I wonder what they're doing right now?" It kinda puts their lives in perspective, as well as lends emphasis to what's really important to God, in the end.

Just a thought...

I love you

possibilities

Matthew 19: 16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

...with God everything is possible...

...with GOD everything is possible...

...with God EVERYTHING is possible...

...with God everything is POSSIBLE...

I wonder how many of us REALLY believe this?

As I start this adventure called "downtown" I remember certain things...
Don't cling to your life (b/c clinging will keep me from having the life God dreamed for me)
Don't worry about your life
God both precedes & follows you (He's preparing the way & mopping up behind you.)

Maybe I should add "with God everything is possible"?

Whatcha think?