Are you busy or are you productive?

If you haven't noticed - I start a lot of my blogs with questions. Questions invoke thought. Questions help us to ask, "Why." That's why I am asking you to examine yourself with the title of this writing. Our lives are busy but I dare say that many of us are not productive. We run from here to there and back to here. We make for good taxis for our kids - off to church and back home. Hurry and get changed - we going to the cheerleading competition. (I know this one personally) Intramural sports have kept more families out of church then any other one thing in modern times. Everybody works hard and harder because gas for that SUV is 100.00 a pop. Where will this end up? Is life better now? Are families closer than 5 decades ago? Or, are we just busier? Church is no different. Unlike Noah who knew when it was time to let go of a ministry, the church will hang on until death-do-us-part. I wrote a blog on Noah that asked the question, "Why did the ark float?" It's purpose was for you to consider all that you are doing and line...the rest of the story

Are we getting too good at ministry?

Here's an excerpt:

The whole concept of excellence is limiting. The rule of excellence states that we should do nothing until all the research is complete, the money is available, the people are in place, and we have a head for it. Until we can operate that program in excellence (in other words look good doing it), we must table it. In golf we have a saying, "its not how but how many." We feel as if we can't just run with it and figure the rest out as we go. BUT WHAT OF OUR IMAGE? The hungry and needy do not care. They want dinner and they will take it anyway they can get it. I say bake some chicken and serve it. If you make a mistake learn form it. Face it - you will never be perfect anyway so let it go. more

Do you see what I see?

This line is best known from the Christmas carol, "Do you hear what I hear?" The idea behind the hymn was to look, listen and know that more was happening that night then could be processed through our human senses. It was something that had to be understood in the Heavenly. this is one that you need to read...

Do you want to be made well - What kind of a question is that? (John 5)

That is what I often think about when I am reading an encounter that Jesus had as recorded in John 5. There we have a man that had lame for 38 years. 38 years! What does Jesus asking him? "Do you want to be made well?" According to the Amplified Bible Jesus was asking him, "Are you really in EARNEST about getting well?" What kind of question is that? Who wants to be sick or handicapped? What would provoke such a question? more...

Loosing our religion? Maybe a good idea!

Here we are in our 40's...secure in our jobs, our careers, family and frankly our theology. Some of us have married children and others can claim the right of grand parenting and the joys thereof. We are the THEE generation of church! AMEN! No bondage in us-no sir. We are free! Less is more! We are not bound up like those silly old people who need hymns and suits. The 40 something's understand the concepts of faith, excellence in ministry, prosperity and more. Yet I have found that this generation is so stuck in the teachings of the 80's that we are not open to the revelation coming through the 18-35 demographics.
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Why did the ark float?

The Lord told Noah exactly how He wanted that boat to be built. He told Noah, "and this is the way you are to make it." God took into consideration how long this enormous project would take, how much it would cost, and what purpose it would serve in the future. 
Imagine if Noah seasoned the ship with a few of his own ideas. When Noah was told to "pitch" (or seal) the great ship - what if he took a couple of short cuts? Did Noah really need to water seal all the seams on all decks? What if we save a little lumber and reduce the number of compartments to save The Lord a few dollars? And, if it was going to rain, why in the world would we build a window? I bet once those animals got in there they were happy that the window was nearby. By the way, did you know that the word translated pitch or covering comes from the Hebrew word most often used in the bible to describe the atoning act of the sacrifice? That was a free-be.
You see, Noah's ark did not float because he was a master shipbuilder. Noah did not have a naval career or a degree from M.I.T. to fall back on. Noah had something better - a blueprint from God! Noah built his ministry by "divine design"
Let me ask, "Do you want you're life to float in the worst of storms?" If your answer is yes, then your ministry and your family in addition to anything else that you may have under construction must be built by God's standards. I have never seen a family sink when storms came IF the leaders in that family turned to the scriptures to find their answers to their questions. Never in my ministry have I seen a divorce where the husband was truly, "loving the wife as Christ loved the church and giving himself for her," and that the wife was honoring the husband in his role as the head of the relationship. I have seen churches split NOT over the color of carpet or weather or not the church should permit tongues or not. The reason churches split is because its people do not "consider others above themselves." 
Can you imagine a car salesman that sold in with the same dignity as Daniel? What did Daniel say in the first chapter of the booked named for him? In essence he said, ‘look, if you will let us eat and do what is in accordance with the divine design of God, we will be healthy and wise.' My friend that is exactly what happened. Those who followed the dietary plan of God grew to be noticeably healthier and wiser. Imagine your sales at an all time high! How will you respond at the meetings when you are asked, "how are you out performing everyone in you area?" Will you answer be that you are running your business by divine design? I was selling cars during the 911 attacks. Although business was notably slower for a season, my family never lacked. We never stopped believing that God had thing under control. We continued our giving. Why? Giving is the "divine design" method of receiving. 
I submit that we can advance the Kingdom of God in any career we are working at, whether we are the worker on the floor of the processing plant or the leader of the free world, we can shine with enthusiasm knowing that the Lord God is directing our steps. Wouldn't all of our sociological questions be answered if we allowed the Lord to establish the definition of family and of life? How well we could learn if we, as fathers, didn't "provoke our children to become angry people"? 
Jesus said that a wise man builds his house upon a rock. What is a rock (as He contrasted) to a foundation of sand? Well, we know it wasn't the storm. The storms and floods were the constant factors for both builders, the difference lays at the foundation. The rock is Jesus himself. Listen friends, as a pastor I have many opportunities to speak into the lives of those who are facing financial, emotional and physical floods. My counsel is sometimes as simple as quoting David by saying "trust in the Lord and do good," ...and build your life by divine design. 

Doug

God can still afford to but fuel

I remember, when I was 12, taking a family trip to Miami Fl. Why did we go to Florida. Because that's what northern people do! Besides, Grandpa and Nanny moved to Coral Gables after retirement. On the way down we stopped at a Texaco gas station on Interstate 95. I recall my father saying, "fill it up with whatever you got" The attendant stretched the hose to the center pump as far as he could. Fortunately for him the premium reached the family station wagon.
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What the world needs now is love sweet love...not another church

Thanks to Burt Bacharach - I truly loved this song growing up. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it recorded by Dionne Warwick? This, of course was long before her days as host of the now infamous friends psychic network. In the song she prays, "Lord we don't need another mountain." I would also add, "Lord we don't need another church."
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WWJD

For years we have all seen the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper stickers, bracelets, necklaces and such. I am sure that the intentions are good. Jesus always did the right things. He was a perfect role model of the faith. But why did Jesus do the right things? How did he define right from wrong? read the entire post