forsaken

Did you know that you can feel lonely in the midst of a crowd?

 

Mother Teresa once wrote:  "We have drugs for people with diseases like leprosy.  But these drug do not treat the main problem, the disease of being unwanted.  that's what my sisters hope to provide.  The sick and poor suffer even more from rejection than material want.  Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."

 

And when do we find loneliness the most difficult to handle?

 

What time of day? 

 

At night.

 

Nobody wants to go to bed alone.

 

That's why they leave the radio or T.V. on - that's why many get into bed with someone they don't even know.

 

That's why sexually transmitted diseases are soaring, people don't want to go to bed alone.

 

When you are alone at night, your fears tend to exaggerate.  Creaks in the house sound worse when you are all along.

 

You start imagining the shower scene from the movie Psycho.

 

Your mind goes into overdrive when you are alone.

 

People will admit to a lot of problems in today's world - but for some reason hesitate to mention that they are lonely.

 

Forsaken.

 

Feeling like no one cares.

 

Even or especially Jesus on the cross cried out (actually roared), "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

 

If the cry of a heart of someone who feel abandoned.  As an orphaned child.  A single parent struggling to make ends meet.

 

The mother standing over the bed of a sick child.

 

The father out of work.

 

The prisoner in his cell.

 

A wife abandoned by her husband.

 

Singles who celebrate their birthday alone.

 

The person at rock bottom who has no where else to go.

 

What can I offer you today?  The very same Jesus who died on the cross that day.

 

He is with you, always with you wherever you go - and in whatever circumstance you are going through - and He understands your feelings of abandonment and loneliness.

 

Why not pray something like this?

 

"I would ask you to fill this ache, this void, this loneliness in my life.  I am trusting you to do it.  There is nobody else to whom I can turn.  I turn completely and totally to you."

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

 

A blessing in disguise

One of my heroes is Winston Churchill.

 

The "man of the hour" in World War II.

 

A leader who rose to the occasion.

 

Extremely flawed, but extremely gifted at the same time.

 

Winston Churchill lead England through the war, inspiring and encouraging the British to overcome the dreaded Nazi's.

 

And how did England reward him?  By promptly voting him out of office after the war ended.

 

The story goes that Churchill wasn't feeling too great about this and his ever patient wife shared with him that it might be a "blessing in disguise."

 

Winston Churchill responded as only he could by saying, "at the moment it is certainly very well disguised."

 

But a few months later he saw it differently.  He said, "I felt a great sense of relief - others having to face the hideous problems of the aftermath - it may all indeed be a "blessing in disguise."

 

I would suggest that you and I all face problems and adversity - that in the mid-term to long-term - end up being blessings in disguise.

 

Last year I hurt my back (moving furniture in the foyer).

 

I couldn't even stand up straight (some of you might remember that).  I ended up going to the chiropractor, who sent me to my doctor for some steroids - to ease the inflammation in my lower back.

 

The steroids irritated an my stomach - I ended up at Silver Cross hospital where I lost half my blood and had two blood transfusions.

 

While there, in the midst of all of the testing, the doctors found a G.I.S.T tumor in my stomach - and the size of a small lemon.

 

Another doctor ended up taking it out - and today all is well.

 

Do you see how "me hurting my back" was a "blessing in disguise?"

 

While none of us are calling for problems or like to be in the midst of trials, many times God allows adversity to come our way to protect us - to keep us from something far more dangerous or something that could be worse in our lives.

 

Just a thought for a Monday.

Matching up the visible you with the real you

The reality of it is this:  There is the visible you and the real you.

 

The visible you is the you that everybody sees and interacts with.

 

In a certain sense, we allow people to see the "visible you" by learning how to act and speak in order to fit in with people, in both small and large group settings.

 

While some people have the ability to "fit in" to any kind of group, most people only stay in groups that they are comfortable, in part because it takes a lot of energy to relate to different types of people.

 

The visible you is the known you. 

 

But the visible you is different from the real you.

 

The real you is the you that is known by God.

 

We are who we are in our minds first, before we speak or act.

 

Our speech and our actions are the result of our thinking.

 

Here's what I know:  You and I are only as spiritual (real) as our thought life.

 

Pointed question:  What if you and I were to put all of our thoughts from this week on the screens in the chapel?  The answer is:  we wouldn't.  It would be embarrassing, disconcerting and too vulnerable for any of us to handle.

 

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?"

 

That is an insightful verse.

 

What is implies is this:  To protect our self-image we kind, trick and fool ourselves into believing that the visible you is the real you.

 

But to see ourselves as we really are, we must acknowledge that we need God's help to do so.

 

The mind is where the battle takes place.  It's a battle between the flesh and the spirit.

 

Ephesians 6:12 describes the battle for the mind:  "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." 

 

So my thought today is this:  Spend some time examining your life.  Is the "real you" matching up with the "visible you"? 

 

Let the Holy Spirit help you with this today.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.

The stronghold of unforgiveness

Jesus says it plainly:  If we want forgiveness from God - we must forgive.

 

Easy to say, hard to do.

 

Grudges die hard.

 

Time does not heal all wounds.

 

Time can only make the wounds more ingrained in our spirit.

 

Here's what I know:  Even if I have suffered a horrible, terrible injustice, I am still responsible for my response to that cruelty in my life.

 

Why?  Because unforgiveness keeps me bound.  It is the strongest of strongholds in the life of a Christian.

 

And, to be candid with you, it is at the core of most of the issues that Christians are struggling with - or minimally, at the core of their "dry season" or stagnation in their walk with God.

 

During the Nazi occupation of Holland, Corrie Ten Boom and her family were sent to a concentration camp for hiding Jews in their home.  (She was Dutch).

 

She soon came to hate the guard who mocked and sneered at their naked bodies as they were taken to the showers.  His leering face seemed forever seared into her memory.

 

Her sister died in the camp, but Corrie survived and vowed never to return to Germany.

 

However, years later, she returned for a speaking engagement, and gave a talk on what?  You guessed it - forgiveness.

 

To her dismay and horror, there was the same guard sitting in the audience. 

 

He could have never recognized Corrie as one of his emaciated, sick and shorn prisoners.  His radiant expression even suggested that he had since been converted.

 

After the talk, the smiling man extended his hand and said, "Ah, dear sister Corrie, isn't it wonderful how God forgives?"

 

Corrie only felt hated and anger toward this man who had wronged her family - and her.

 

Yet, at the same time, the Holy Spirit spoke to her and told her to stick out her hand.

 

She said, "It took all of the years that I had quietly obeyed God in obscurity to do the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

 

I put out my hand. 

 

It was only after my simple act of obedience that I felt something almost like warm oil being poured over me.  And with it came the unmistakable message:  "Well done, Corrie, that's how my children behave - and the hate and bitterness in my heart was absorbed and gone."

 

Two lessons:

 

If bitterness lingers in your heart, continue to repent of it daily and release to God's justice anyone who has offended you.

 

Forgiveness doesn't make the other person right - forgiveness sets you free.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

 

Simple obedience

Here's what I know:  Never underestimate the far-reaching ramifications of simple obedience.

 

A powerful example of this is found in the life of Esther (in the Old Testament).

 

Esther remained faithful to God - and obedient to Him.

 

In the face of tremendous negative circumstances - her simple obedience saved a nation.

 

(I encourage you to read the book of Esther this week).

 

Esther "seized the moment" that God gave her.

 

Ask yourself this question:  What if this timid Jewish girl had been afraid to speak or too shy to say anything to the King?  The results would have been devastating.

 

If Esther had not been "simply obedient" there would be no Jewish people, there would be no birth of Jesus Christ, there would be no church, no apostles, no kingdom of God on earth - and you and I would not be connected to Christ. 

 

Wow.

 

Do you see how important it is for you and I to remain obedient to God?

 

I encourage you today to never, ever resist the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit - to trust and to act.

 

Don't sell yourself short!  You can have an impact that will last throughout eternity by simply being obedient today!  You can make a difference!

 

Because of your obedience today:

 

Somebody may be in heaven.

 

Somebody may keep going when they are tempted to give up.

 

Somebody may be in church because of your life.

 

Somebody may be in ministry because you lived and prayed in a godly way.

 

I want to be like Dr. John Geddie, a Presbyterian missionary, who went to Aneityum, an island in the South Pacific in 1848 and worked there for God for 24 years.

 

On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed:  When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians.  When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen."

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

 

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

 

After attending our leadership summit this past weekend - I am excited about the present and future of our church!

 

(I think it is a wonderful thing when the lead pastor gets excited about the church!) :) :)

 

Friday evening, close to 50 volunteers and leaders gathered together to discuss momentum in the church - and truly we have momentum!

 

It was wonderful to sense the energy in the room and the passion and vision of our volunteers!

 

(Lots of exclamation points today)!

 

And then - on Saturday, we as deacons, elders and staff gathered together.  Dick Hardy (our church consultant) had us do an exercise where we all went around the room and "said something nice" about each leader.

 

A lot of tears were shed as we all realize - "hey, we are a good group of guys"!

 

It is a privilege to serve with our leadership team.

 

It is a privilege to serve with our ministry leaders.

 

It is a privilege to serve with our volunteers.

 

Everyone's faithfulness, commitment and work is a continual source of encouragement to me!

 

Friends, know this:  It is right, proper and healthy - to stand back everyone once in a while and say to ourselves, "we have a good thing going on here"!

 

If we were all together, I would, at this point, encourage all of us to turn to the person next to us and say, "We have a good church."

 

We have a good church filled with good people.

 

Easter is coming soon.  I encourage you to brainstorm with the Holy Spirit on who you can invite to our Easter Sunday services, April 5th.  Everyone is welcome!

 

Many, many thanks to Dick Hardy (our guest speaker/consultation) this past weekend. 

 

I believe that "inspirational" is the word that comes to mind.

 

Why not contact Pastor Brian about attending a life group?  You won't regret it.  Connecting with others will enrich your life - and theirs.

 

Membership "Saturday" is this coming Saturday, March 21, 2015.  Child Care provided.  8:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.  If you haven't signed up yet - no worries - we encourage you to come!

 

I want you to know that our entire church pastoral staff (and spouses) love, appreciate and pray for you on a continual basis.

 

Love you all........

 

 

 

The power of song (to our children)

The Bible continually teaches us about the power of song.

Music can move even the hardest heart to both tears of joy and sorrow.

 

But here's what I also know:  Music learned as a young child never ultimately leaves us.

Last Sunday, I busted out in the song, "Sweep over my soul," a song that I learned when I was a little boy.  Not many knew the song, but it just came to me as God was moving - and came from the smallest part of my memory - one of the songs that I learned as a boy growing up in church.

Here's what I offer you today - especially parents of small children:

Sing to your child (children).

There is power in song. 

 

Evelyn Knowles writes about this.  She writes that the very first time she held each of her newborn grandchildren check to cheek and heart to heart, they heard their grandmother softly sing - "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Why?

Because she wanted to be certain that they would never remember a time when they hadn't known Jesus.

 

Listen to this story form the book "Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Women.":

 

"Soon Ok Lee grew up in North Korea and devoted herself to its communist party, only to be “rewarded” with 6 years of brutal, inhumane prison life. When she was released and escaped to South Korea, she was aided by a kind, Christian gentleman.

 

She heard him sing songs that were somehow familiar to her, and was puzzled that she knew these songs well enough to sing along. One of those songs was “Amazing Grace.” These hymns were certainly not sung in godless North Korea!

Ah, but a faint and long forgotten memory was triggered—a memory of her own mother singing these very songs when she was a tiny child.

 

So tiny, in fact, that she hadn’t realized they were hymns. But gospel seed had been planted in her wee heart—her mother’s secret way of teaching little Soon Ok Lee of God’s love.

 

Secret, because under their North Korean government, children were taken away from parents who taught them the Bible. Yet after years of trying to live up to Communist ideology, the message of her mother’s songs comforted her and brought her to Christ."

 

Good stuff....I would add, moms and dads, sing to your children!  Even or especially as they are babies.  I firmly believe that God's Word (as the Bible tells us) will never return void - but neither will the tunes of the Spirit that are ingrained in our children's hearts.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.

 

Sharpening our blades

Before I share with you a quote that illustrates what I want to offer you today - this coming Friday evening, we will be having our "once a year" Friday evening training seminar for all the volunteers, ministry leaders and leaders in the church (everyone is welcome to come BTW).

 

Rather than just "one more thing" on our schedules - let me tell you why I believe it is important that you come - we all need time to slow down and sharpen our "axes" so to speak - so that we are even more effective in ministry than we already are.

 

I encourage you to take the time to read Gordon McDonald's thoughts below - he probably says it better than I can - and plan on coming this coming Friday evening, March 13, 2015, from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.  Child Care provided.

 

Gordon McDonald once wrote:

 

"Once, when my wife, Gail, and I were hiking the high meadows of the Swiss Alps, we saw two farmers cutting the high-standing mountain grasses with scythes, a hand-mowing tool that has been around since ancient times.

 

Drawing closer, we noticed that both paused periodically and produced from their pockets something resembling a flat stone. Then in the same graceful manner, they drew the stones back and forth across the scythes' blades. The purpose? To restore sharpness.

 

The sharpening done, each returned to the cutting.

 

We observed them repeat this process—cut and sharpen, cut and sharpen—several times: ten minutes (give or take) of cutting followed by five minutes of sharpening.

 

[But] why waste five minutes sharpening the blades? We're talking here about 20 minutes of unproductive time each hour. Why not keep cutting, get the job finished, and head home at an earlier hour? Because with every swing of the scythe, the blade becomes duller.

 

And with the increasing dullness, the work becomes harder and less productive. Result: you actually head home much later. Cutting and sharpening are both part of a farmer's work.

 

In my [younger] years, I didn't appreciate this cutting/sharpening principle. I'm embarrassed to admit that I usually gave attention to the sharpening (or the spiritual) dimension of my life only when I needed something beyond my natural reach or when I found myself knee-deep in trouble.

 

The cumulative results of a life lived like this became alarming. It led to dullness of the soul.

 

While talking a lot about God, I had very little practice in listening to him …. I tended to become bogged down in matters of secondary importance, neglecting truly important things.

 

I often complained of fatigue: not only physical fatigue, but spiritual and emotional emptiness.

 

Sometimes I became flooded with temptations to envy, impatience, ambition, discontent, wandering thoughts."

 

We all need time to sharpen our blades.......

 

Good stuff....Hope to see you Friday!

Listening to the right person

When Debbie and I go to see a movie, I generally look at the critic's reviews to see as to "whether or not a movie is good or whether it is bad."

 

A lot of times they are right - a movie can be good, or a movie can be really crummy.

 

After all, they are the professional critics.

 

At the same time, however, what might seem to be a bad movie to them - could be something that Debbie and I really like.

 

And what might seem like a good movie to them - could be something that Debbie and I do not like.

 

Even all of the professional critics do not agree with one another. 

 

So, the thought of the day is this:  be careful who you listen to.

 

There's the story of how one day a farmer grabbed his shot gun to shoot at a flock of pesky crows.  Unfortunately, he didn't see his sociable parrot that had joined the crows.  After firing a few shots, he walked over the fallen birds and was surprised to find his parrot badly ruffled with a broken wing.

 

When the farmer's children saw the injured bird, they asked, "Dad, what happened?"  The farmer simply replied, "Bad company."

 

The Bible encourages to avoid harmful influences. 

 

Regardless of our age or spiritual strength, over time, unwise influences will negatively affect our walk with the Lord - and our opinion of anything in life - especially our local church.

 

Satan is determined to pull us into sin and wreck our lives, and he often uses wrong influences to accomplish his goal.

 

Here's what I know:  Whatever I talk about - I become.

 

If all I talk about is sports - I become a sports person.

 

If all I talk about is politics - I become a politician.

 

If all I talk about is Jesus - I grow in Christ.

 

Here's my encouragement to you today:  Be willing to form your own opinions. 

 

The Bible does say that there is wisdom in a "multitude of counselors," but be careful who you listen to.

 

One negative, critical word can persuade you to miss the will and calling of God for your life.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

 

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

Debbie and I had a great time with Becky (our daughter) this last Friday evening and Saturday!

We are thankful for three wonderful children!

I really like Francesca's pizza - reminds me of the pizza in France.  (Quattro Staginoni).

I don't know how many attended the Upward Celebration last Saturday - but I do know that many raised their hands - signifying that they accepted Christ as their personal savior!

As our guest speaker stated, leading people to Christ is the "end game" (my words) of why we have Upward Basketball!

Again, huge thanks to those who participated and served the past few months - your time and help is much appreciated!

Looking forward:  Upward Soccer begins in August!

I was thinking today about how time "slips by" - Easter is coming soon.  Spring is coming!

Every so often, we need an "infusion of the Holy Spirit" into our lives, corporately, at Stone Church.  Yesterday was just such a Sunday!

The Holy Spirit is like a wind (that's a metaphor the Bible uses), and the wind blows "where it will".  Our responsibility is to pray and seek more of God's ministering presence in our lives.

Not every Sunday can be a "home run" - concerning the moving of God - but we do desire many more "home runs" of God touching our hearts and lives with his power and presence!

Two people shared of how they felt a "wind" blowing through the altar area during our time of prayer.  Could that be the wind of the Holy Spirit that we read about in Acts 2?

 

This coming Friday evening, March 13th, we are thrilled to have Dick Hardy with us - a nationally known speaker on the subject of ministry, leadership and ministry effectiveness in the local church. We encourage everyone to attend - especially all volunteers, and ministry and church leaders! 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Child Care provided.

 

I am looking out the window of my office as I write this:  Sunshine!  Warm weather is coming!

 

I would encourage you to begin to think about inviting someone to come with you to our Sunday morning Easter services on Sunday, April 4, 2015! 

 

We are anticipating many come to Christ!

 

Can I leave you with this?  I love our church - and I know you do too!

 

With much love.......

Just a reminder

Disclaimer:  This blog is not written in response to anyone or any situation in our church.  Just a reminder for all of us for the future.

 

You know what can hinder the effectiveness of any organization (especially the church)?

 

Pettiness.

Michael Yaconelli has written, "The problem with the church today is not corruption. It is not institutionalism. No, the problem is far more serious than something like the minister running away with the organist. The problem is pettiness. Blatant pettiness."

I just looked up the word "petty" in the dictionary and it means, "trivial, trifling, narrow-minded, mean."
Kind of sounds like some Christians that I know.

He goes on to say:

"Petty people are ugly people. They are people who have lost their vision. They are people who have turned their eyes away from what matters and focused, instead, on what doesn't matter. The result is that the rest of us are immobilized by their obsession with the insignificant.

It is time to rid the church of pettiness. It is time the church refused to be victimized by petty people. It is time the church stopped ignoring pettiness. It is time the church quit pretending that pettiness doesn't matter."

"Pettiness has become a serious disease in the Church of Jesus Christ--a disease which continues to result in terminal cases of discord, disruption, and destruction. Petty people are dangerous people because they appear to be only a nuisance instead of what they really are--a health hazard."

His words have caused me to pause and look in my heart and ask the question, "am I petty?" Do things have to always go "my way"?

I especially want to avoid (as I grow older) the trap I see so many fall into. Becoming sour. Critical. Mean. Petty.

May God help us all to remain flexible, pure, walking in the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.

 

Outer and Inner man

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16, "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

 

I would suggest that as you get older, that verse, that word from Paul gets more and more meaningful.

 

For instance, did you know that if you are over 30 years of age, you are losing about 3,000,000 brain cells every day - and if you are very quiet as you read this - you probably can hear some of them dying right now.

 

Have you ever felt like you only had two brain cells left and one of them wasn't working?

 

I have.

 

I'm around people every day (6 days a week) (at the fitness club) who work on their "outer man", their physically bodies - and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

Some will spend, literally hours, in making sure that there bodies are fit.

 

However, Paul is saying that ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things, what really counts is building up the "inner you" the spiritual, emotional and mental part of you that will dwell for eternity.

 

Here's is what I offer you today - and word of challenge:  Spend at least as much time and effort and intention of your inner being as you do on your outer being.

 

Give at least as much focus, at least as much attention to that part of you that will live for eternity as you give to that part of you that is going to wear out one of these days. 

 

You can say, "I am wasting away on the outside, but on the inside, I am truly coming to life."

 

Let me leave you with one way to do that.  Trainers at the fitness club talk quite a bit about diet, watching what you eat.  A healthy body can normally lead you to a healthy life.

 

It is the same way in the spiritual realm. 

 

I encourage you to be intentional about what you eat - what you feed the real, inner you.

 

Fill you the "inner you" with spiritual things, godly things, holy things. 

 

And God will bless you for it - for eternity.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

The obvious - prayer

First of all, let me state the obvious:  God calls us to pray.

 

Which means, simply, that God calls us to have conversations with Him.

 

Prayer is not one-sided; it is a two-way event.  I speak.  God listens and answers me.  God speaks, I listen, and answer him.

 

And here is what I know:  conversation is good for the soul.  For the emotions.  For our mental health. 

 

Prayer is more than "just" a conversation to "get something from God," but it is a time when I build my relationship with Him. 

 

Spending time with God will not build my relationship with Him, but I can't build my relationship with God the Father, the Holy Spirit and with Jesus, unless I spend time with Him.

 

Pastor Cho (of the mega-church in South Korea) once wrote, "Americans will give their money, sing songs, build building and preach, but they will not pray."

 

While that can be true, my prayer is that - that change. 

 

Our Tuesday evening prayer meetings are going well - numerically, it is going down slower than any other prayer meeting that I have attended.  :) :)

 

Jesus said to ask, seek and knock. 

 

To ask, I must window out a time to converse with God.

 

To knock means to strike the obstacle, like a friend knocking at the door of your home. 

 

To seek means to keep on having conversations with God.  Don't stop.  Keep on asking, keep on knocking, keep on seeking.

 

If I come to your house, and knock on the door, I don't just knock once and expect you to hear the knock and come to the door.  I knock several times.

 

Sometimes the answers do seem long in coming.  And when that happens, please know that God cares - and is still listening.

 

Sometimes a "long labor" - a period of travail - is required before we see the "birth" of what we have been anticipating.  But be certain:  the promise will be born.  What may seem long on the earth side of things is often but a moment in glory.  Persistence is needed - mainly because God is preparing you for the answer. 

 

As with the birthing process, so prayer's travail often involves a time of contractions.  During that season - don't give up.  come to God boldly.  Keep on praying. 

 

Keep on looking to God and not your mountain.

 

John Wesley said, "God will do nothing on earth except in answer to believing prayer."

 

I guess I need to say this negatively - and with affection - if we truly believed that, Tuesday evenings would be packed with people seeking after God.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday (Prayer this evening at 6:30 P.M.)........

 

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

There was a great spirit of relationship and family yesterday morning during our services!

Isn't it great to be a part of the body of Christ at Stone Church - where you are loved and accepted!

More and more, we are observing people from our surrounding neighborhoods "check us out."

I love it!

Applause to our Teen Bible Quiz team for sharing the book of James yesterday morning (from memory) - there is nothing like implanting the word of God into our spirits.

Pastor Charlie did a wonderful job of "bringing the Word". 

We love you Charlie and Heather!

Reminder:  If you would like to join our church family in membership - there will be two times in the coming two months to do so.  Saturday, March 21st and Saturday, April 18th.

Reminder:  Volunteer ministry training.  Friday, March 13th.  7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.  Child Care provided.

It was a true treat having our oldest daughter, Christie, with us over the weekend.  She is a wonderful wife, mother - and daughter to Debbie and I! 

I can't tell you how thrilled I have been to walk into our church gym every Saturday morning and sense all of the energy of kids, parents and family watching and participating in our Upward Basketball games! 

Many parents have commented as to how well the ministry program was run - and I would like to thank Mike Muchowicz and his staff of volunteers!  Well done!

Children remain a priority at Stone Church!

I really liked the way Pastor Charlie incorporated the book of James and our church vision in his sermon yesterday.

Derek Rose hurt.  Patrick Kane hurt.  Chris Sale hurt.  Three superstars.  Okay, "injury bug" go away.

I believe that I am in the majority in that I am really, really ready for Spring.  For those of you who continue to pray for snow and more cold weather - please stop.  :)  :)

Early reminder:  We go to Daylight Savings Time this coming Sunday morning, March 8th.  What you lose in an hour's sleep - you will gain by being in the presence of the Lord!

Wasn't worship meaningful yesterday?  Many thanks to Pastor Brian and our worship team.

You are loved - you are needed - you have purpose - walk this week in the knowledge that you are a child of God.

With much love........

Warning signs

Signs along the road are not there to prohibit us but to protect us.

 

When you see a stop sign - that is there so you aren't injured or killed or so that you won't injure or kill others.

 

When you and I see speed limits on the highway, those are there to protect us - not to prohibit us.

 

We need warning signs as we drive - and we need warning signs in our Christian life.

 

All of us want to be real and authentic - none of us wants to be "fake."

 

We all long to be transparent, and hang around people are "real" as well.

 

Let me give you some questions that you can ask yourself - to see if you are living the "real thing" in  your walk with God.  These questions are five "warning signs" in your relationship with Christ.

 

Question number one:  "Am I being spiritually authentic?"  Or am I caught up in what I "should" say as a Christian - or what I am supposed to say?  Do you have a hart time talking about God without trying to convince people that you are spiritual?  Do you work hard at hiding your sins? 

 

Question number two:  "Am I becoming judgmental and exclusive and proud?" Some people think they are so spiritual - they are looking for a spot in the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Here's how human nature is:  As soon as we achieve some kind of holiness, we begin to wonder why others aren't as holy as we are!

 

Question number three:  "Am I becoming more approachable or less?"  Jesus drew people (especially the disadvantaged) to himself.  The Pharisees and Scribes pushed people away.

 

Question number four:  "Am I growing weary of pursuing spiritual growth?"  If you are like me, sometimes the "weight of perfection" (that is self-imposed or imposed by others), can become so heavy you almost can't bear it. 

 

Question number five:  "Am I measuring my spiritual life in superficial ways?"  Dallas Willard writes, "Spirituality, wrongly understood or pursued, is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God."  All the self-effort in the world will not draw you closer to God.  The way to spirituality is not to try to be like Jesus, but to train to be like Jesus (Ortberg).  We don't change from the outside in but from the inside out.  Holiness is an "inside job".

 

I encourage you to take some time this weekend (in your prayer time with God) and ask yourself these five questions - and then ask the Holy Spirit to nudge you in the right direction - the direction of growing in Christ and being authentic.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.

 

 

Being put on hold

Nothing can drive you and I "nuts" quicker than being "put on hold" by someone (i.e. Comcast, or any organization, group or person).

 

Am I right about that?

 

None of us likes to wait with a phone next to our ear - I mean we all have better things to do with our time.

 

But what if we are waiting on God to answer our prayer?

 

The cartoon character Ziggy is standing, looking up on a mountain.  The sky is dark and there is one cloud up there.  Ziggy says, "Have I been put on hold for the rest of my life?"

 

We pray.  We ask God for something.  And then we wait.

 

And we metaphorically shake our hands to the heavens and cry out, "Have I been put on hold for the rest of my life?"

 

You've been praying for your spouse - and there is seemingly no change.

 

You've been praying for a job, but no one wants to hire you.

 

You've been praying for a friend to come to Christ, but they remain separated from God.

 

You've been praying for a healing from a disease or sickness - and are still struggling physically.

 

"Have I been put on hold for the rest of my life?"

 

We don't wait well.  We are into microwaving, God, on the other hand, is usually into marinating.

 

I can't possibly (in one blog) give all of my thoughts about this - but here is what I know:

 

Sometimes God waits because we are thinking too small.  He wants us to ask for something bigger and He wants to give us something better.

 

Recently, Debbie and I were praying with our son, George about an unpaid internship that he was offered (for four months).

 

None of us felt good about it.  He said "no" to the company - and it wasn't long before God gave him a full time job with benefits.  If he had immediately taken the "first thing to come along," he would have missed the full time opportunity. 

 

Sometimes God waits because he wants us to be prepared for a bigger and better answer - and we are not yet ready.  God desires that we grow into our "big boy pants" so that we can use what he has given us.  Before God changes our situation, he wants to change us.

 

Sometimes God waits because our timing is off.  His timing is always perfect.  His ways are not our ways.  We think we have to "have it now," when we don't.  When the timing is right, God will say, "Let's go!"

 

My encouragement to you today is to take a step back, take a deep breath, and let God "do His thing" - all the while knowing that God will answer - and the answer will ultimately be what is best for you and for me.

 

Just some thoughts for a Wednesday.

 

How to criticize well

Come on now, you have to agree with me, right?

Everyone criticizes at some point or another.

 

And - everyone will be criticized.  Jesus, the sinless son of God was constantly on the receiving end of criticism.  Amazing.

 

What brings on a desire to criticized?

 

You are troubled by a problem, deeply troubled. 

Your boss at work isn't listening.  Your spouse is doing something that just irritates the socks off of you.  You don't agree with the way a brother or sister in Christ are ministering - their methods, style and attitude.  Your preferences are not being attended to at the church.

What do you do?

The obvious answer is that your criticize, which is natural.  However, today, I would like to teach you some ways that you can criticize in a constructive manner.

I call this:  Rules for giving criticism.

1.  Pray.

We go to the obvious one first.  Spend time with God. 

Pray something like this:  "Lord, please control and direct my expression of negative criticism.  Restrain me from overcorrecting and resorting to handing out false platitudes.  Restrain me from clamming up and remaining silent when I should speak (why is it - in church life - that the "good people" remain silent - as people are walking in the flesh and causing division?).  Guide the way I speak so that critical communication will be constructive; and please, Lord, don't let my words sow discord in the church."

2.  Go directly.

This is huge.

Go directly to the person that you wish to criticize.  Gaining support and building coalitions with others in the church (or at your work) is not only unChristlike, but sin.

Jesus said, "If your brother sins against  you, go and tell him (her) his fault, between you and him alone."  Matthew 18:15.

3.  Go privately.

The criticism is to be delivered between you and them alone.

When you (or I) criticize someone in the presence of others, it is not only rude but a violation of 1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient and kind."

And then - if that person fails to respond to your thoughts, inform them that the criticism will be shared with a third person who, with you, will attempt to help them understand.

Jesus also said, "But if does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses."  Matthew 18:6.

One caveat here:  that takes courage.  It takes courage to criticize someone directly and privately.

The easy way is to criticize behind his or her back. 

And BTW, understand this:  God calls us not only to speak creatively about one another (in a positive manner) but to listen creatively (in a godly way).

If someone comes to you whose "nose is bent out of joint" for a "won't you join my cause" conversation, you have a biblical responsibility to interrupt mid-sentence and say, "I think you are talking to the wrong person.  Please go to the individual with whom you are having this conflict and seek to resolve it in a God-glorifying way." 

4.  Lead with positive questions (seek first to understand and then to be understood).

Ask positive questions so that:

You can obtain additional information to make sure you have sufficient evidence on which to base your criticism.

The person you are criticizing can explain their position.

You can ask the person being criticized if they have considered the alternatives.

In other words, get the facts before you share your concerns.  Try to understand where the other person is coming from.

Perhaps they know something you don't know.

Perhaps you know something they don't know.

5.  Double check your motives for giving criticism.

Ask yourself:  Why do I feel the way I do?  Why am I expressing negative criticism?  Has my ego been hurt and do I want to embarrass somebody?  Is there a desire for retaliation or to advance my own status and control?  Or is my concern truly to help the person and strengthen our church family?  (or your work, or whatever?)

Some people criticize out of a need to make themselves look better - or feel better.  One rule of thumb is this:  If it is really painful for you to criticize someone, you are safe in doing it.  But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that is the time to hold your tongue.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Rebuke with all long-suffering and doctrine."

6.  Be honest.

Be honest with your true feelings.

Many times, I am encouraged to seek someone out who has left our church - but when I do - to be candid with you - they are seldom honest with their true reasons for leaving. 

When you deliver criticism, ask the Lord to give you courage to be honest. 

Now then - a huge disclaimer:  There are times when it is not wise to express all that you think or feel.  It is never wise to napalm someone with your words.  Timing is important.  "Bringing the whole load," can be really, really destructive.

But what you say must be honest and real.  How dishonest it is to say one thing to a person directly and other things (about him or her) to other people.  (Read Ephesians 4:25).

7.  Speak the truth in love.

Handing off criticism is not a game or a competition.  There are no losers or winners in such a setting - only growers.  We must not hesitate to speak the truth, but it must always be in a spirit of love.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Ask yourself:  How much of the criticism which I give to others is actually rooted in my own impatience, lack of kindness, jealousy, conceit, and underlying joy in pointing out someone else's mistakes? 

8.  Be objective and specific.

Support your criticism with objective evidence rather than your own subjective opinions.

Do your homework.  Know what you are talking about.  Don't speak in generalities.  "A lot of people are saying."  "Someone told me this."  "Everyone is saying."  That is not only - not true - but casts intimidation and fear in the heart and mind of the person you are criticizing.  Use names.

Stay with the issue - and don't let it disintegrate into character assassination.  We all need to be held accountable as to our performance - but we must never allow ourselves to tear another person down.

 

9.  Earn the right to be heard.

 

There is only way one to "earn the right to be heard."  By being faithful and performing well.  And this takes time.  Trust is not only earned - but so is earning the right to give criticism.  In our "world" that would be someone who is new to a church family, new to a ministry situation or new to a church board.

 

10.  Suggest alternatives.

 

Come with solutions and not just the criticisms.  Anybody can point out a weakness, not everyone can propose answers. 

 

"Here is what I see is a challenge, and here is what I believe would be a better way," is a good approach.

 

And then - volunteer to help with the solution. 

 

Just some thoughts for a Tuesday.

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

I, like you, am grateful for the way the Lord moved yesterday. 

At the end of the first service, we kept worshipping and didn't want to leave!

 

Second service was more of the same sense of God's glory.

Isn't God's presence wonderful!

If you received a healing yesterday in your body, your soul or your spirit - could you contact the church office (708)385-2770 with your story?   We would love to hear of what God has done or is doing in your life.

I spontaneously asked our youth group to come forward and pray for people as the leadership of the church were praying for people.  They immediately responded.  It was great to see teenagers engaged in prayer for people - Pastor Charlie:  You are teaching them well!

Congrats to Pastor Charlie and Heather - it was my privilege to dedicated Cohen Charles as "unto the Lord" yesterday.  They, as you know, are a wonderful family with three handsome boys.

Remember:  Life is difficult, and when  you embrace that, you are at the beginning point of finding happiness in your life.

Peace doesn't come from an absence of trials in our lives but the presence of the Lord with us during those times.

I write that - but to live it is the challenge.  We all have our ups and downs with this.

Is it only me - that wrestles with trusting in God - even after serving Him for most of my life?  I don't think so.

Even great men and women of faith have times of doubt.

But know this:  It is what we do with our doubts that matters.

Doubt is one thing:  resting in those doubts is another. 

At the end of the day, I always come back to my heavenly Father.

Elie Wiesel (the Auschwitz camp survivor) writes of the time that the inmates put God on trial for the suffering they were going through.  They found God guilty - and then someone promptly said, "Good, now let us pray."

 

Like the disciples of Jesus, we express our doubts and then we say, "Okay, Lord, we have no where else to go but to you."  (John 6:68).

 

For all volunteers, ministry leaders, life group leaders, deacons, elders, pastors - and spouses:  Ministry (leadership) meeting on Friday, March 13, 2015.  7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.  Speaker:  Church consultant Dick Hardy.  You won't want to miss this important time of training and teaching us to become more effective in ministry.

 

Why not today, in the midst of your day, pause and have a conversation with God?

 

Are you giving up something during this season that leads up to Good Friday and Easter?  I don't ask you that to perpetuate some form of legalism, but to stir you to "give up something" so that you can "spend more time with God."

 

It is not even the "giving up of something" that is ultimately important, but the "turning to God" that is life building.

 

But how can I fill myself up with God, when my life is full of so many other things.

 

Sometimes the ultimate answer to why God does or does not heal comes in the form of a mystery, and embracing the fact that it is a mystery - left in the hands of God.

 

In theology, going to an extreme on any subject can be intellectual laziness.

 

May God's presence be with you this entire week!

 

Love you all.......

Your suffering

This coming Sunday morning, I am speaking on the fact that God can and does heal and that God can and does raise the dead.

 

Powerful stuff.

 

We will be praying for the sick and the end of each teaching session (I would encourage you to invite someone to come).

 

However, at the same time, we are going to wrestle with the fact that not all people are healed and that we can't force God to heal us.

 

In other words, sometimes God has a purpose for our suffering.

 

Mike Huckabee writes:

"When [our son] John Mark was 4 years old, he was out playing in the back yard and got a splinter in his foot. He came in and held up his foot. He was crying, and he said, "I got a splinter in my foot!" I said "Sit on the couch. Let's look at it." So I looked at it.

Then, as he held up his foot and I reached over to pull the splinter out (because I knew it would feel better), he said what every kid says (which I still, to this day, don't understand): "Don't touch it!" I said, "What do you want me to do? Take a picture of it and mount it on the wall? I've got to touch it, Son. I don't levitate splinters out of your foot. There is no choice." "It will hurt," he moaned. I said, "It might, but it won't hurt as long. It will sure feel a lot better when I get the splinter out."

But somehow that wasn't adequate. So Janet held down the top of him while I tried to hold down the bottom of him and pull that splinter out. He was kicking and screaming and jerking in all different directions, and here I was with the tweezers, trying to pull out the splinter. I was afraid that I would jab those tweezers way up into his foot.

I wanted to say to him, "Son, don't you trust me? What do you think I'm going to do, cut your foot off? I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you, and if you don't let me help you, it's going to get worse not better. Trust me; I'm your father. I love you. I care about you. I do this only to help you. Be still. Relax."

Huckabee further writes:

"I think sometimes God in heaven must look down upon us, and we must be like a little child who says, "God, I'm hurt. God help me." God reaches in to help us, and the first thing we do is say, "God, don't touch me! Don't do that God!" God is saying, "But I've got to reach in there and deal with the hurt. It may hurt a little, but I've got to do it." We say, "No, God. Please, nothing like that!"

So here we are fighting with God. It is the equivalent of being in surgery when the surgeon has both of his arms up to his elbows in your abdomen, and suddenly you decide that you don't want to be operated on and try to get off the table. How many times in our lives do we find ourselves on the surgery table of the Almighty, where God is trying to work in our lives that miracle of making us like Christ, and when we realize what God's doing, we wake up and say, "God, I don't want you to do this. Let me out of here!"?

While all of us would prefer to receive a miracle or a healing from God - please know that there are benefits to your time of suffering (From Tony Snow):

 

You gain perspective on your mortality.

 

It focuses your perspective on what is important.

 

You appreciate little things more ferociously.

 

You grasp the mystical power of love.

 

You feel the gravitational pull of faith.

 

You understand (in ways that others don't or can't) the power of hope and the limits of fear.

 

You understand what really matters and what doesn't.

 

And, perhaps, most importantly, you realize that there are far worse things than illness - and that is living a life without God.

 

Just some thoughts for a Thursday.

 

Facing your fears

As you know, fear is False Evidence Appearing Real.

As Christians, we don't like to admit that we deal with fear, even walk in fear, but many times we do.

Everyone knows what it is like to be afraid.

When God asked Adam (Genesis 3:18) where he was, Adam answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

And ever since, people have dealt with fear.

Here's what I know about fear:

Some fears are healthy.

Some fears are not necessary.

Uncontrolled fear is tormenting (1 John 4:18).

Uncontrolled fear is tormenting because it tends to paralyze and blind.  It can cause a person to not think clearly or action rationally.  It can blind us to alternatives in problem solving and options for decision making which otherwise would be obvious to us.

Are you waiting for some tests results to come back?

Are you faced with an impossible situation?

Are you dealing with a situation that just won't go away?

Let me give you some practical suggestions:

Share you fears with God and others.  You are not alone.  God is with you at all times - especially in the midst of your fears.  And - there are others around  you who care about you and love you - reach out to them for support.

Apply rational controls.  Ask  yourself, "What are the changes that what I fear will actually happen?  What are the statistical odds I am up against?"  Keep it in perspective.

However, even with that - some people will continue to worry.  That is why we must keep the "odds" in perspective.  Many will have more faith in their "odds" than in God.  Whose report are you going to ultimately believe?  The report of the tests results or God?  (With God - all things are possible).

Mediate on encouraging Bible verses.  John 14:27.  Isaiah 41:10.  1 John 4:4.  Romans 8:28.  Romans 8:31.

Give you panic to God.  Spend time in His presence.  Overcoming fear is more than saying, "I will not be afraid," it is filling up that void (of a lack of panic) with God's peace and God's presence.

Just a thought for a Wednesday.