Sunday, October 31, 2010

no darkness

1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

7 But if we are living in the light,

as God is in the light,

then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.


Vs 9 is one of the foundational verses of those who follow Jesus.

Key words of the verse? Confess, faithful, just, forgive, cleanse.

We see our part in the equation: we gotta own up to who we are & what we've done

His part?

Because He is Who He is (faithful & just), He forgives.

Anybody got a lot in their lives that needs forgiving, besides me?

And not only does He forgive, He cleans out all that rot gut that comes as a living, breathing infection in our lives, as a result of sinning.

Anybody need a cleaning out besides me?

These are just a few short verses, but they contain a pillar of truth for those of us who claim to be Christ followers - if we own up, ask for forgiveness, He WILL forgive us & clean us out.

wow...

Saturday, October 30, 2010

holy living

2 Peter 3:11 Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, spotless lives you should be living.

Here's what dictionary.com says about the adjective, "holy"...

1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground.
2. dedicated or devoted to the service of god, the church, or religion: a holy man.
3. saintly; godly; pious; devout: a holy life.
4. having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.

We hear a lot about grace, our kind loving Abba Father, & intimacy with Him. We seldom hear about holy living.

We seldom hear about how life as a Christ follower is means living a life that is far different from the world, & her people, that exist all around us.

I guess it's because we may have lost the concept that after a grace-soaked encounter with God, a great deal of the things in our lives will simply have to be gotten rid of.

It's like we want God in our lives, but we're not so sure He's supposed to invade our lives, & change them radically.

Does any of this make sense?

I seem to have so many Christ followers around me who's lives aren't that different from the non-Christ followers I know. They don't feel a need to let God refine out the sinful parts of them, & thus make them more & more like Jesus, & less & less like the sinful people around them.

Is it because we want to blend in & not stick out, because sticking out causes us to have to explain who we are, & we're just not really willing to stick our necks out & say we follow Jesus rather than the things that lead most people around by the nose?

Think about it, & let me know what you think, will ya?

Friday, October 29, 2010

keeping on

Psalm 73:24 You will keep on guiding me w/ Your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail, & my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart,

He is mine forever.


28 but as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,

& I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.


2 Peter 2:9a So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials...


Verse 24 of Psalm 73 is good to know in the ups & downs of life. God just keeps on keeping on. His faithfulness is amazing, especially in view of our faithlessness.


Sidebar...


The last 2 night Lynn & I have gotten to bed late. 2 night ago, we were coming back to Blairsville from Macon thru those bad storms. Last night, we got sucked into the 2nd game of the World Series. (Felt so sorry for those 2 Rangers pitchers who walked so many runs in in the last 2 innings. They must have been SO embarrassed!)


Anyway, we got in bed after midnight both nights. As many of you know, God's been waking me up early to read & listen since January, 2003. Well, at 8 minutes to 4am, both mornings, I wake up - bam!


Yeah, God is faithful. ;-)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

one thing leads to another

2 Peter 1:3 By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

4 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.

Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence.

A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.

6 Knowing God leads to self-control.

Self-control leads to patient endurance,

and patient endurance leads to godliness.

7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians,

and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.


8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

our rock

Psalm 71:1 O LORD, I have come to you for protection;

don't let me be disgraced.

2 Save me and rescue me,

for you do what is right.

Turn your ear to listen to me,

and set me free.

3 Be my rock of safety

where I can always hide.

Give the order to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,

from the clutches of cruel oppressors.

5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.

I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.

6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;

from my mother's womb you have cared for me.

No wonder I am always praising you!

7 My life is an example to many,

because you have been my strength and protection.

8 That is why I can never stop praising you;

I declare your glory all day long.


9 And now, in my old age, don't set me aside.

Don't abandon me when my strength is failing.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

never fail

1 Peter 4:19 If you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right & trust yourself to God who made you, for He will never fail you.


...for He will NEVER fail you

...for He will never fail YOU

...for HE will never fail you

...for He will never FAIL you

...for He WILL never fail you


JUST a thought...

just A thought...

just a THOUGHT...

;-)

Monday, October 25, 2010

holding on

1 Thess 5:18 No matter what happens, always be thankful; for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (Got this Wed., Dec 23, 2009)


Pro 3:5 (The Message)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He's the One Who will keep you on track. (Got this Mon., Jan. 18)


Pro 4:25 Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;

stay on the safe path.

27 Don’t get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil. (Got this Tues., Jan. 19)

Heb 10: 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. (Got this Tues., Jan. 19) 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

where ya looking?

Psalm 68:19 Praise the Lord, praise God our Savior!

For each day He carries us in His arms.

20a Our God is a God who saves.


"He carries us in His arms."

What an intimate image - a Father carrying His child in His arms.

If I'm being carried like that by someone, who am I gonna naturally be lookin' at?

Yeah, the person carrying me.


My son, Kevin, said something pretty brilliant the other day. (this is not unusual for him to say some pretty deep stuff)

He said he's looked at all the pics of in which he & his youngest son, Trey, are together in the picture. (Trey may be 3, tops?) In every one of them, Trey is looking at his daddy. He doesn't care where he's going, how long it's gonna take to get there, or what they're gonna do when they get there. He just knows he's with his daddy. That's all that matters.

Then Kevin said something that just stopped me in my tracks...

He said that he used to be like that with God. He didn't care where God was taking him, how long the journey is gonna take, nor what they were gonna do when they got there. All he cared about was being with God.

Kevin then said he wasn't like that now. He had to have all the answers - where, how long, & what - throw in who & how, too.

He said he wanted to get back to being more like Trey.

Maybe I should, too.

Recently, I've been really impatient in this process of moving to Blairsville. I've been pretty demanding to know the 'ever's of the situation - whoever, whatever, wherever, whenever, & however.

I need to be more like Trey, looking at my Abba Father, holding on to His hand, & walking with Him. He'll handle the 'ever's just fine. I don't have to worry. I walking with the God of the universes. He can handle the prissy little 'ever's of my life.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

ahead

1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

Friday, October 22, 2010

being kept

Psalm 66:9 Our lives are in His hands,

& He keeps our feet from stumbling.

How many of us REALLY believe this?

Or how many of us live like the saying many of us assume is in the Bible but actually isn't?

What's that saying, you ask? "God helps those who help themselves."

Thursday, October 21, 2010

quick note - there' sbears in the backyard

James 4:7 Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. 8 Draw close you God & He will draw close to you.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

some verses from this morning

Psalm 64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord & find shelter in Him. And those who do what is right will praise Him.


James 3:13 If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

I cling to You

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God;
I earnestly search for You.
My soul thirsts for You;
my whole body longs for You
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise You!
4 I will praise You as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to You in prayer.
5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise You with songs of joy.

6 I lie awake thinking of You,
meditating on You through the night.
7 Because You are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.
8 I cling to You;
Your strong right hand holds me securely.


Monday, October 18, 2010

just some verses from where I was reading this morning

Haggai 2:23b I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the LORD, for I have specially chosen you. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!


Psalm 62:5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.


James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

21b ...humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

look around

Colossians 4:17 Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you.

Here's what my Life Application Bible says about this verse...

"Paul encouraged Archippus (dan note: that's the guy to which Paul addressed this comment) to make sure that he carried out the work he had received in the Lord.

"There are many ways for us to leave our work unfinished.

"We can easily get sidetracked morally, we can quit, we can become exhausted & stop,we can get mad & quit, or we can let it slide & leave it up to others.

"We should see to it that we finish God's assignment s, completing the work we have received."

This came as a gentle poke this morning. I've mentioned in these blogs lately that I'm ready to get a job, get into the community here, build relationships, etc. Of late, I'm becoming more impatient to get going. We're still back & forth to Macon, what with Lynn still teaching 2 days a week @ MSC. It's easy to get discouraged.

And then, this morning, it seems God just kinda indicated to keep moving in the direction I'm going.

I've thought a lot in the last few weeks about how difficult it must be to just move to a place on your own, not knowing anyone, with no direction but to get a job & live. Lynn & I at least have what we believe is direction from God. But the isolation must be pretty bad for people who don't have that. They have no relationships, no one glad to see them, or no one to just have a simple conversation with - nuthin'.

I wonder how many people around us right now are like that - people at our workplace, our church, our gym, at WalMart, at anyplace - people who are lonely, out of the loop, & don't know quite how to get into the loop.

Just a thought...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

who are we playing to?

Psalm 60:12 With God's help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.

Whenever we read this, & certainly the 1st time I absorbed this verse, we think "mighty things" means big, flashy things that fulfill the success orientation in which we live here in America, or the western world, for that matter.

Each quarter, I get a publication from my alma mater, Asbury College. In it there always seems to be glittering stories of the success & successes of various alumni. I used to always feel kinda insignificant compared to them.

Somewhere along the way over the last 10 years at Christ Chapel, I've begun to see my life from a different perspective.

I see so many people who have found the strength & courage to break the generational curses in their lives, & I know that it was God's love coming through me that contributed to that curse breaking.

I realize that now quite a few people, especially from House of Grace Macon, have been, are, or are preparing to go off on mission for God because God poked me to tell them over & over again that God had dreamed up a BIG life for each of us when He thought each of us up a gajillion years ago.

And I know that many people have found new life, freedom, fulfillment, belonging, & peace with our Abba Father because God led me to love them, probe into their lives, speak into their hearts, & ask the tough questions about the direction of their lives.

Would I trade all that for a more glittering success like that of many of my college friends?

Nope.

How long did it take me to get to that place?

Decades.

Don't take that long. Realize now that God has a BIG life dreamed up for you. It may be glittering & staggeringly successful in the world's eyes. Or it may not. The important thing is to be & do what He wants you to be & do, because in the final analysis, He's the One we have to answer to, He's the One who's approval we should seek, & He's the One who will reward us for our faithfulness.

Just a thought...

Friday, October 15, 2010

who are we following?

Colossians 2:8 Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy & high sounding nonsense from human thinking & from evil powers of this world, & not from Christ.

We can listen to the advice of everyone around us, but in the final analysis, the One we take our cues from is Jesus. Iow, people can tell us what they think, but we follow the lead of Jesus, no matter what people think.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

how He sees us

This still blows me away...

Colossians1:15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can't see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

The future is unknowable - commit anyway

My friend, Seth Barnes, director of Adventures in Mission, posted today this on his blog, Radical Living in a Comfortable World


It's entitled "The future is unknowable - commit anyway"


"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Too many people want to keep their options open and miss the opportunity that commitment affords. If I could give my children's generation a gift, I'd get them out of their coffee shops and parents' basements and I'd give them the gift of commitment. You'll never find your future until you launch - you find it as you commit.

Paul set out for Asia and wound up in Europe. While planting churches in this new land he was shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, and almost died multiple times. He was at the center of God's will.

Edison set out to invent the light bulb and failed so many times that he declared, "We now know a thousand ways not to build a light bulb"

Columbus set out to find a passage to the Indies and discovered America. He embarked with none of the usual tools to guide him, saying, "For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps."

Discovery rarely happens by going in a straight line or hedging your bets. Usually it requires full-fledged commitment. And that's especially true for those trying to figure out their call or purpose in life.

UVA Business School Dean, Robert Bruner, wrote the following about the process:

"I want the freedom to choose; I want to maximize my options," a student once said to me, in anguishing over his job search and explaining his career strategy. I averred that maximizing options is a risk management device, not a career strategy and that his approach would yield little freedom and a great deal of chaos. Instead of freedom, he would become a slave to opportunism. I said that one will have to choose eventually; and the sooner he did it, the sooner he would gain the sense of release that comes from commitment. But the reply fell on deaf ears. Some talented people can get lost in the stream of opportunities that float nearby. Instead, getting found inevitably entails making a commitment, getting rooted in something such as a direction, some values, a vision, a partner, or a place. As you head into this recruiting season, will you be lost? Or will you be found?

It is said that Columbus discovered the Americas. But that implies a purposeful aim of finding the Americas. Instead, he wanted to find India. Columbus was lost. He significantly mis-estimated the circumference of the Earth and ran aground on the major westward barrier between Spain and India. Lucky for him. We should celebrate his courage and leadership skills. But to say that he really knew where he was going may be saying too much. Arguably, the Americas found him.

Columbus sailed without the benefit of intelligence, mathematics, or maps. He journeyed on instinct and courage, qualities that certainly can help the business leader and the job seeker. He also had the theory that the world is round and believed that by sailing west, he would reach the Indies. He was a man with conviction and direction. Given how little Europeans knew about the world in 1492, Columbus was bound to find something new.

If you're trying to find yourself, it won't happen by hedging your bets. You need to do whatever prayer and research is reasonable and then commit. As you journey out from your safe harbor, inevitably you'll feel disoriented and uncomfortable. But it's the only way you'll find yourself.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

never give up

Psalm 57:1b I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings
until this violent storm is past.


I always smile whenever I read this verse in Psalm 57.

It's because I dated it April 12, 2007.

You see, when I dated that verse, I had just stepped down from leading HOG.

I'd been leading House of Grace since February, 2005. The 1st year went fairly fine. The second didn't. Our numbers dwindled more & more. I spent the fall of 2006 & the winter of 2007 hoping I wouldn't have to step down, but knowing at the same time we needed a change in leadership if HOG was gonna survive.

So,in March, 2007, I talked to John, & I stepped down. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I felt like SUCH a failure. I was embarrassed. I felt like I'd let down the people I loved in a ministry I believed in. And I figured my staff friends that I was a fool.

There were MANY days that followed during that spring & summer of 2007 that I wanted to just come to work, box up my things, & disappear. I actually came to work several times with boxes in the truck of my car with the full intention of doing just that.

But I knew I didn't have the luxury of running away. I knew I had to walk it out, no matter how humiliating or humiliated I was. There were too many people watching me - my peeps in HOG, my fellow staffers at Christ Chapel, & lots of people in the church & in my life.

Sometimes living a transparent life has it drawbacks! ;-) I simply didn't have the option of slinking off in defeat & hiding.

That was the state I was in on the inside of me in April, 2007. I carried on as best I could, but it wasn't easy, at all.

And then...

In August, 2007, I met Tucker Ellis, who became the worship leader of HOG, & still is, as well as Christ Chapel Downtown. And Tucker also was given to me as one of my sons. As a result of Tucker's coming, I started playing keys in the HOG band - I NEVER thought I get to play in public again.

In the late fall of 2007, I started going to Cochran to help that church begin. Little did I know I would be given 3 more sons through that experience, Scott, Jimmy, & Ken. Jimmy Farrell asked me to play in the worship team there, too. And we started HOG at Middle Georgia College - a tremendous ministry to those college students.

I had a year with CCCochran. I will always remember that experience & that time together with them with GREAT fondness & thankfulness.

In late 2007 & early 2008, God gave me 4 verses for 2008. I knew 2008 was gonna be a dozie! Little did I know...

God started talking to me about moving to a warehouse in downtown Macon, taking HOG there, & starting a downtown church, and who knows what else. I didn't think John & Beth would be crazy enough to let me do that! If I'd have been in charge, I wouldn't let me do that!

Well, they did, & we did.

HOG spiked 50% in attendance for 6 months - something no other ministry has ever done. It wasn't me who did that. I remember the night we spiked standing in the back of the warehouse & asking God what was up. He said (I quote), "This isn't you. This is Me."

Since then, we had more people in HOG than ever go out locally, nationally, & internationally in mission. And many of them are still out there, while others are in process to go. Those 20 months with HOG at the warehouse were unbelievable. When I'm old & gray, feeble & walking with a cane, I'll remember the people from those days, & the miracles God did among us.

And we started a satellite gathering on Sunday mornings. We started reaching out to the downtown community. Little did I know what that experience would prepare me for.

Btw, in the 3 years since April, 2007, God gave me 4 more daughters & 30+ more sons.

And at the beginning of this year, God started the restlessness again inside of me. He gave me 4 passages (4 verses wasn't enough this time ;-) for 2010.

He led me to step away from HOG & CCDowntown & turn it over to my son, Dave White.

He's led Lynn & I to do the unheard of at our ages - pack it up, move somewhere where no one knows us (Blairsville), & start all over. I don't know what's ahead - another HOG, another satellite gathering? I don't know how this next season is gonna flesh out, but we're continuing to put 1 foot in front of another. We'll see how it all comes out. ;-)

So?

I smile when I read that verse because at the time I thought my life was over. Little did I know...

You may be in the middle of such a season & such a feeling of defeat. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Just keep walking with Him. Ya just never know what God may have up His sleeve for you up ahead.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

trust

Psalm 56:3 when I am afraid I put my trust in You. 4 O God, I praise Your word. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

Trust (according to Merriam-Webster online dictionary) - assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.

Philippians 3:1 Whatever happens, dear brothers & sisters, may the Lord give you joy.

In 2 of the verses God gave me for 2010, the words, "no matter what happens," appear - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 & Hebrews 10:35 (NLT 1st ed.)

This morning, I get it again, in a briefer form - "whatever happens."

So, on I go, wondering how this is all gonna come out, trusting in Him. When I comes down to it, do I have any other choice?

Monday, October 11, 2010

word

Recently, I've been anxious about the fact that I don't have a job yet up here in Blairsville. (Neither does Lynn, but she's finishing out the semester of part time teaching at Macon State.)


Needless to say, the devil is using this anxiety for a field day of button pushing with me.


When I got up this morning, I said to our Abba Father that I just really needed Him to say something to me in regards to all this stuff that's rolling around in my head.


I'm sequentially reading in Habakkuk (these minors prophets all sound the same! ugh!), Psalms (me & Billy Graham), & Philippians.


Of all the stuff I read in these three places, here's what came up off the page...


Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord,

and He will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to slip & fall.


ok, ok...

Sunday, October 10, 2010

finally

Philippians 1:6 I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes again.


Not only does this mean the life changing action on God's part to bring us back to the person He dreamed & created us to be will continue until it's finished, but what He has determined us to do will also be brought to full fruit.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

work integrity

Ephesians 6: 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do...

A little over a year ago, I had a very interesting chat with the office manager of a downtown Macon business.

I was talking with her about the various job openings they had. I try to keep my ear to the ground about available jobs. Many of the 20somethings around me are looking for work, or better work opportunities.

I asked what the qualifications for these jobs were. The office manager reeled off the qualifications rather quickly, & then added something else.

She said, "ya know, Dan, if people will just show up, be on time, &/or let us know when they're not coming in, they've got a job here."

I asked her if she was kidding.

She told me she wasn't. She went on to tell me that may of the people who had come through their business were either chronically late - like, the majority of the time - or just didn't show up & didn't call to let them know.

She wasn't telling me something I didn't already know.

I realize that many in my generation (Baby Boomers) live to work. There is a somewhat better prevailing attitude these days that we work to live. Iow, we're not nearly as obsessed with working.

At the same time, I find it troubling that many people I know today just simply waltz into their jobs each day - or meetings, gatherings, or the like - anywhere from a few minutes late to a couple of hours late. And when someone asks them about it, or confronts them, they seem a bit offended by the question. I'm not sure what the baseline attitude is, but the one that is communicated is "chill - I'm here, I made it."

The one that I know drives employers crazy (and me in a ministry leadership position) are people who just don't show up & don't let anyone know 1) they're not coming, or 2) why they're not coming.

I see so many people who either lose their jobs, or are not given raises as quickly as other, or who simply don't advance beyond basic level because they just do not exercise the common courtesy of showing up on time, or calling in when they can't come in.

I said all that to say this - in whatever we do, whether is just life in general, or in our employment, we need to play to an audience of One. Iow, we should do what we do not to please others, but to bring pleasure to our Abba Father.

So, how does that play out?

Be at work, ready to go, at the appointed time. We don't have to be overly early, but be there when we're supposed to be, so no one else has to pick up our slack, or wonder where we are & if we're going to be taking care of our responsibilities.

If we're not coming in, call whoever needs to be called & let them know.

Think about it...

Friday, October 8, 2010

shut up & wait

Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of the Lord, & wait patiently for Him to act.

Good for me to remember while I wait not so patiently for the pieces of the puzzle in Blairsville to all fit together - especially a job.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

living

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

2
Always be humble and gentle.

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.

3
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit,
binding yourselves together with peace.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

what He wants & what we get

Psalm 50:7 "O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.

9
But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.

11
I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.

12
If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.

13
Do I eat the meat of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats?

14
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."


Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

18
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

19
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

who we are

Ephesians 2:10 We are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

How many of us feel like a masterpiece? Yeah...

But that's the way God looks at us. He sees the masterpiece He made.

And He dreamed a BIG dream for our lives a gajillion years ago.

That all still blows my mind.

Monday, October 4, 2010

guidance

Psalm 48:14b He is our God forever & ever, & He will be our Guide until we die.

Here's what my Life Application Bible says about this verse. It's pretty interesting...

"We often pray for God's guidance as we struggle with decisions.

"What we need is both a map that gives us directions & a constant companion who has an intimate knowledge of the way & will make sure we interpret the map correctly.

"The Bible is such a map, & the Holy Spirit is our constant companion & guide.
"

Hmmmmmm....

So, read the Bible every day & listen out for what the Holy Spirit says?

Works for me.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

word

When I got up this morning, I finally had that feeling that this whole Blairsville thing is a mistake.

We have no jobs. (Lynn's still teaching at Macon State on Mondays & Wednesdays - but that ends in December)

We have no relationships.

We don't REALLY know what we're supposed to be & do here.
We think we're supposed to reach out to the 20somethings here.
And we think we're supposed to have people gather for a live streamed service from SportsTowne.
But how do you do that with no jobs to give you contact with people?

We can't last forever without jobs.

Yeah, I'm having a moment this morning.

I need God to say something specific to me this morning.

I'm slated to read Micah 3, Psalm 47, & Galatians 6 this morning in the sequential reading I do each day.

As I was writing down those places in my journal, God just kinda nudged me about verse 9 in Galatians 6.

Galatians 6:9
So don't get tired of doing what is good.
Don't get discouraged & give up,
for we will reap a harvest of blessing
at the appropriate time.


Yeah...

Ok, God... I hitch up my britches & keep walking in the direction I'm going.

Thanks for the word.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Who empowers

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge & strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear,
even if earthquakes come
& the mountains crumble into the sea.

Friday, October 1, 2010

heirs

Galatians 4:1 If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.


2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.


3 And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.



4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.


5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.


6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." (dan note: this is a intimate term of familiarity, something along the line of calling your father "papa" )


7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child.


And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.