The River

I was thinking. And listening.

And this thought came: Life with God is like a River. The River is everything that's included in doing life with God. It's God's Will, His Agenda in the Earth, His Ways (aka principle's), how He does stuff, His Values, the way He grows His disciples, what He thinks about sin and rebellion, how this thing is going to end up...you get the idea.

It's Where God is Going, What He is Doing, and How He Does it.

The River.

The picture above is a beautiful scene; a river gently flowing through a forest in Springtime. Wow!

My concern is that we can, way too often, include only this kind of smooth water in our map of the River of God. Stuff that's fairly easy. Calm. Safe. Controlled.

But as I read the Bible, it seems that is not an accurate River map. So with the wrong map in hand, we pack for calm. Nice wide canoe. Sun hat. Fried chicken in the picnic basket. No life jacket. Large telephoto lens to capture the moment as we gently roll along.

But around some of the the corners are fast waters, rapids, large boulders in our path. (Think "foxes have holes...but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head, come and follow me. Matt 8:20. Or, John 12:27-28, where Jesus said He came for the Hour where He would lay down His life.) We turn the corner, unprepared, and the results are not pleasant! Canoe overturns, our stuff is gone, and we gag in the water without helmet or lifejacket...and we blame God for messing it up, not keeping up His end of the deal. And we turn away from Him.

Is your River map accurate? Moreover, is it complete? Are the rapids included (stuff like...John 16:33, In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.)

I want Jesus-Followers to finish well. To make it to the end of the River on Earth and make God look sooooo good in the process.

Make sure your River Map is good - get to know this God, dive into His Words, develop your relationship with Him, go on the Adventures He provides, put your self in places where you HAVE TO depend on Him.

Life with God is an adventure!

The Grave Couldn't Hold Him

I love the message by Rev SM Lockridge, That's My King. Rev. Lockridge tries in marvelous eloquence to put to words the majesty and love of Jesus, His King.

At the apex, he bellows out the truth, "And the grave couldn't hold Him!"

Death could not contain Jesus!

He told us it would be this way.

He taught His disciples ahead of time, ^"31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." Mark 8:31

The shock of Jesus' death rocked the disciples, and they seemed to be able to see nothing other than the horror. The authorities brutally murdered their Lord. It seemed to out of God's will.

But it wasn't. Here is what Jesus said, "No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again." John 10:16-17

Death has been overcome. The grave overwhelmed! Jesus' love, His determination to give though it cost Him dearly, and the Father's will to plan a rescue that no one expected...I'm so glad the Grave Couldn't Hold Jesus.

Connected?

How does a person grow closer to God?

Isn't that an important question?

We read and study the Bible, go to church, serve there, and do it again every week. Oh yeah, and you have to believe the right stuff. And tell others about Jesus. All True. And our hearts need to be devoted to God, completely...a love without rival.

Those ingredients listed above are in the recipe for growing in our relationship with God.

What else is in the mix?

How about a vital Connection with each other. Paul called the Church the Body of Christ, saying that each part was connected to and belonged to all the others. True.

God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are so Connected. They are in each other and are One. Jesus prayed in John 17, wanting all the Christians on Earth to be connected, be One, like He and the Father are One.

I'm thinking God and Jesus were tight?

Are you tight with the Body of Christ where you are? Do you have an environment where you give other Jesus Followers access to the real you (over some time, in appropriate steps)?

Do the new people showing up at your Church have a real, strong opportunity to get Connected right off the bat? Have you created and supported environments that go the direction of Creating Community? (Connection is a step toward real Community, which is a God-Given desire of man.)

He wants you and me to be Connected in Relationship with some other Followers around us. Then, He wants the groups of followers (churches) all over the globe to be Connected as well.

Are you Connected? What's your strategy for getting yourself and the Church Connected?

My heart beats fast for Building Community in the Church. It helps us accurately re-present Jesus.

And, Jesus said, when we are One, like Jesus prayed, the People we tell His story to will believe that God sent Jesus!

UNFAIR...Celebrate Unfairness

UNFAIR

That's a loaded word. Loaded with pain and anger, outcry and discouragement, loss and frustration.

It was the title of my talk just four short days ago. Do we really want everything to be fair? That's a fair question, don't you think?

What was the greatest unfairness ever? I say it was Jesus choosing the Cross, where the perfect, sinless Son of God would take on the sin, shame, failure, humiliation, punishment and death due to me, you and everyone else who would ever live. He took it and paid our debt in full.

UNFAIR!

So, in response, we, who have trusted Jesus and had Him pay for our unpayable debt, might live in light of this unbelievable Grace that God does for us in Jesus. We might be able to celebrate life in Jesus, even when life was unfair.

What I didn't figure is I would have to practice this in such a big way so soon...

Today I got some really bad news about a business thing. I was treated Unfairly in a big way. It's going to cost me. A lot.

So, will I celebrate Unfairness, having been the beneficiary of it in the most remarkable way through the Cross of Jesus?

Will you?

All for His Fame! paul

p.s. So I'm clear, God is into Justice and making things right, more than anyone! So I'm NOT saying it's no big deal for people to be mistreated. God said, " I'm in charge of vengeance and payback" in Deuteronomy 32:35. I have no doubt God will set all things straight. What I am saying is that our world is corrupted by sin, and we should not be surprised when unfairness crosses our path. I am encouraging us to respond in light of the Grace that God grants to those who are alive in Jesus.

One

Jesus prayed for us (John 17:20-23), everyone who has believed in Him because of the message of Jesus' disciples.

He prayed that we would be One, like He and the Father are One.

Really?

I'm thinking that Jesus and God the Father are tight.

Yet Jesus prayed that we, the Church, Jesus' body left here on earth, would be One.

I like that!

But it gets even better. Jesus said in His prayer that if we, the believers in Jesus, acted out our Oneness, then people would believe that God sent Jesus.

I really like that!

Us, the Church that belongs to Jesus, looking and being One, in the way Jesus and the Father (and the Spirit) are One, will empower people to believe that God sent Jesus, and that God loves them as He loves Jesus.

Wow!

So, here's my question to you: What would it look like for us to be One?

One in your Community Group. One at TBC College Group. One at TBC. One in our City. One in the US. One on the Globe?

I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

All for His Fame! paul

Dream BIG. Work Hard. Trust.

I went to a really cool conference a couple of weeks ago, the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. I usually have high expectations for such things, and sometimes it's... Well, you fill in the blank. Not this time, it was outstanding!

Then, when I arrived at home, I got to see my awesome family, which was way cool. After a while, my bride handed me an envelope, with a note from someone really special to me. Personalized encouragement, sent from God. That's how I received it. And that was super way cool!!!

I had told my friend about our new kingdom opportunity in working with the College-Age group at our Church and me now being on the ministry staff there.

He was really encouraging and ended the note with this admonition: Dream BIG. Work Hard. Trust.

Yes and Amen to that!

Can you feel it? It's the Kingdom, the one with THE KING. It's growing. It's going. It's wild. It's free. It's setting loose the captives, and breaking through into the darkness, and tearing loose the strongholds, and proclaiming the Good News to the brokenhearted...

Jesus. That's the only name that is worthy of such a cool admonition.

Dream BIG. Work Hard. Trust.

At the Start...He was there

I like adventure.

But not tooooo much adventure, right? That might be too risky, or too much work.

The coolest adventure I can think of was done by God. He created the universe. He made us and put us on this blue ball of dirt, with His own breath in our lungs.

That was cool!

Then, after we went subversive on God, choosing rebellion over intimacy, He embarked on Mission Impossible. God sent His own Son to pay for our rebellion, and rescue us from certain death and destruction.

That was really cool!

Our little adventure with God continues. A couple weeks ago, I started as the Minister to College-Age-Stage people at my church, Trinity. I love that stage of life. It is where Jesus intersected my life and performed that ultimate rescue operation! It was then that the value of Community in God's Family was demonstrated in my life, and I will never be the same. It was then I saw that Truth is a Person, Jesus, and my life will work as intended, wild and free, as I submit to His leadership and Word.

I will admit, I'm a bit scared. God will have to show up and display His power, or this Movement will flop. I have more than plenty to do already, yet I know that where my Heavenly Father is moving and leading, The Adventure is wild and wonderful. He is leading us here. He is moving in every life on Planet Earth. And that includes in the College-Age-Stage men and women in our corner of the world.

Do you feel like an adventure?

If so, let us join together in THE Great Adventure: God followers, running after Jesus!

All for His Fame! paul

1,215 brave reenlist...in Bagdad, on July 4, 2008

Well, if you know me very well, you know I love Jesus, and I belong to Him!

You probably also know that I love America, the Greatest Nation on Earth! (Just for perspective, all the nations, indeed all creation in the whole Universe and beyond, all were made by Jesus and for Him...and He made me to live in America, and live here I will!)

Today, I saw a clip of the largest reenlistment ceremony yet in the 232 year history of our nation. 1,215 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines reenlisted on July 4, 2008 inside the former Al Faw Palace palace of Saddam Hussein, in Iraq.

There are members of all services, representing all 50 states. These Patriots took the oath administered by Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of Multi-National Forces Iraq.

These are the brave and the strong, willing to live and to die to defend the freedoms we enjoy in America. Willing to live and die for their brothers in arms by their sides...

I am humbled, and grateful. (And choking up...every time I watch it.)

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to live in America.

Thank you, 1,215, and the 1.45 million or so Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who allow me to live free in our land.

All for His Fame! paul

p.s. here are the three videos I found that have the entire ceremony, posted by MilBlogs on YouTube...

Baghdad, July 4th 2008 - largest re-up ceremony in history


Baghdad, 4 July '08 - largest re-up ceremony in history pt 2


Baghdad, July 4 '08 - largest reup ceremony in history pt 3

All Gave Some....Some Gave All (2nd Anniversary)

Today is Memorial Day, where we honor the fallen Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines who died fighting for the United States of America, the Greatest Country on Earth!

Last year, I was introducted to the Avenue of Flags in my hometown. It was started 25 years ago by the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

In an old cemetery here we have the largest display in the country of casket flags of deceased veterans. Over 800 flags! The inner circle contains about a dozen flags from the AMERICAN REVOLUTION! There are a number of flags from the 1800's as well. We are getting new ones each year. Volunteers, including a bunch of Boy Scouts, hang these 800 flags (each is 6 foot by 9 foot!) throughout this beautiful old cemetery. In the morning there is a Memorial Day event. People drive and walk through the display all day. Then the volunteers retire the flags in the late afternoon. We do this each Memorial and Veterans day.

If I haven't mentioned it yet, I Love America!

Here we have this cool experiment in Freedom. But, as you know, Freedom is not free. It costs blood and treasure. Freedom in America is a gift from God, and the sacrifices of the courageous before us. Men like George Washington, Patrick Henry, William Marion, Ronald Reagan.

Here is a the display of flags from the American Revolution!

Men like my brother-in-law who is flying helicopters for the Marine Corps in Irag today.

There was a beautiful ceremony honoring a WWII vet who died recently. This gentelman survived the Battan Death March. He, and those who served with him, is a Hero. Following the proceedings, the soldiers present performed a 21 gun salute. I cried.

I'm tired from putting up and taking down those flags. I'm happy that I'm tired. I am so grateful to live in the United States of America.

Though my citizenship is in Heaven, the Bible says, I love the country God has allowed me to live in. Thank you, Veterans.

All for His Fame, paul

Remembering Maria Sue Chapman

Yesterday, 5 year old Maria Sue Chapman left this Earth to be with the Lord Jesus. Her body was killed in a terrible accident in her front yard. Her older brother was driving and accidentally ran over her.

Steven Curtis Chapman is my wife's favorite singer. She has seen him perform, like, 16 times. Thanks to SCC, we're talking about maybe adopting, like the Chapman's did.

We were on vacation and just finished watching David Cook win American Idol when we heard the sad news. My tears started, and we gathered our daughters together and prayed for the Chapmans. Steven's (and Mary Beth's) ministry has been so huge to us and to the watching world. His song's reflect the greatness of our God, and His overwhelming love and care for us who belong to Him.

I have 4 girls. I cannot fathom the Chapman's pain at this moment.

But God can. He is grieving with the Chapman's. But His grief is for them, not for Maria, who is with Him right now.

"Heavenly Father, shower the Chapman's with your overwhelming love. Let no lie of the enemy stand. Show your supernatural grace to be sufficient in even this time of unbearable pain.
Only You can turn tragedy into victory. 'Death has been swallowed up in Victory.' 1 Cor 15: 54
We need You, Lord. Today and always."

All for His Fame (even when it hurts), paul