Department Store Parenting

PS3, Xbox, iPod, iPad, Hollister, American Eagle, and Aeropostle are all names associated with status and in many cases teen style, fashion, and entertainment, but recently something else has been taking my attention. The parents of todays youth are becoming more and more disconnected. The standard of parenting and promotion of values through the filter of the family is being replaced with meeting wants of our children rather than what is needed or in many cases desired.

In a recent conversation with a retired law enforcement individual, He shared the story of a young many who was arrested. As he sat in the holding room, his parents began the onslaught of insults and expressions of shame. The law enforcement gentleman stopped the onslaught and asked a very simple question. When was the las time you told your son that he mattered to you? When was the last time you embraced your son and told him that you loved him without having anything else attached to your conversation? This sparked a fire in the young man who immediately began to scream at his parents and say "tell them. tell them how long?"

I am not giving an excuse for bad behavior, but this is becoming the norm far to often. We have become so concerned with status and materialism that we have muted the actual influence that we have as parents. The Xbox will develop red ring. PS3 will get yellow light, and in the end the wears of the world will eat away at the designer clothes. What we need to realize is that the souls of our sons and daughters are eternal.

We must break the habit of running to the department store in order to satisfy our kids desire for stuff. Or to silence the requests for stuff. We must teach them what is truly important.... They are important. Their souls are more important than an ipod. Their daughters are more important than the latest fashions. In order for our kids to be bigger than our imaginations we must teach them that God is the one and his standards are the ones that lead to something truly bigger than our imagination.

He didn't know him

This morning as I was reading in the book of 1st Samuel, I came across an interesting passage that seemed to captivate my mind throughout the rest of the chapter. It was 1st Samuel 3:7 Now samuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. This passage struck several different notes with me.

Some of you who know me, know my background. My mother and father had me in church within days after I was born. I cut my teeth on the pews of the church on Highway 78 in Dyersburg. I took my first steps in a fellowship hall of church. My mom and dad were affluent members of the church. Dad was a deacon. Mom was a choir member and a kids church teacher as well. I think that over the past 35 years I may have missed 3 or 4 Sunday's. Many of you who are reading this can relate to that.

Here is what struck me so much about this scripture. Samuel was given back to Eli after he was weaned and he spent his time then being a servant to the "church" of that day. No doubt Eli had shared with him the workings of being a servant in the house of God. He gave him the rules to follow so others sacrifices would be accepted by God. This is where I want to belabor a point for a minute.

Samuel did not know the voice of the Lord. Therefore he did not know the Lord. He simply knew of the Lord. A danger that is facing the church today is people who have been in church a long time simply because it is the thing to do, but the do not know the Lord. The thought of my own children not knowing how truly great God is because they may somehow be riding on the fact that Dad is a pastor or youth pastor or deacon or whatever is a frightening one. That thought drives me to teach my sons and daughter about God and to show them his love every chance I can get. My oldest has accepted Jesus Christ in his life and so has my daughter. As for my youngest, he is still too young, but I look forward to the day I can pray with him as well to not simply hear about the Lord but to personally introduce him to a loving savior.

Being a Christian is not about simply showing up to a place where good things are going on. It isn't about how much you have done that helps other people. In the end, you must know the Lord. He is calling you. Place your name in the quotes from verse 6 "again the Lord called (your name here)" will you answer him and say "here am I Lord your servant is listening"? Once we get past the superficial, we begin to see the true greatness of almighty God. He is bigger than your imagination.

Obscure Objectives

Over the past several weeks, I have found myself concentrating on clear objective rather than vague ideas and premises. It is so easy for us as Christian men and women to take an idea and try to accomplish something without taking the extra time to break it down into objectives that are clear. This rings true in church many times. We want to meet the needs of people and take the shotgun approach to meeting needs. Many times the shotgun approach yields to bandaid programs for surgical wound needs.

I agree with the ready fire aim mentality, however God has called us to use the sense that he gives each one of us. We should be constantly doing for others and in turn fulfilling the great commission, but without a balance in our prayer life and spiritual life we are for all intents and purposes trying to earn something we cannot buy. The product is God's favor and acceptance.

We cannot buy salvation and acceptance from God. Simon the Sorcerer tried and was rebuked. He wanted the power that comes from the Holy Spirit in each believer. He recognized it as true greater power, but did not attain it due to the heart. Isn't it interesting that everything that we do for God is measured not by the accomplishments we achieve but rather the intent of our heart.

To truly experience God bigger than you could ever imagine, check your heart, go to God in prayer, and give him a whole effort. You will be surprised at the outcome.

Unrest

I have been watching the happenings in the middle east over the past month, and today one of the Fox News journalist made a remark that stuck in my head. They were talking about the political unrest in Libya and how this was going to effect the price of oil. Then, one of the US analysts said the situation in Libya is different than Egypt because there is no strong military in Libya and there is no one waiting in the wings to take the reigns of power for the country. There will be civil unrest unless someone takes control and provides stability.

This statement brought me back to a Sunday School class I taught about a month and a half ago. We talked about the stage setting for the antichrist to rise to power. There will be political unrest and violence happening, earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, and the like. Can anyone see a parallel here? I am not saying the antichrist is about to arise but I am saying however that the stage is shaping up for him to make an entrance.

Should this freak you out as a believer? Absolutely not! It should motivate you to action. Jesus Christ's return is closer now than it has ever been. People are seeking a power that is bigger than themselves. They don't know what to call it. They are hungry for truth and the taste for the lies of the world is not satisfying them any longer. It is time for us as a church to wake up and understand that the divine power in each of us given by God to fulfill his purposes is screaming at us to wake up, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and get busy. This is the last push.

A revival bigger than we could ever imagine is coming. Are you ready to stand up and move and use what God has given you?

God's Timing

What do these things have in common? A man losing his job, a sick child, another man's dream of a place to help people, a college degree that doesn't seem to make sense, and a desire to serve God no matter what. The answer is quite simple. It is God's timing that brings it all together and works it for the good.

If you consider these instances individually then you cannot see the common thread. Please understand my point here. I am not saying God plans for a child to be sick or plans for a person to lose their job, what I am saying is that scripture is right when it says "and we know in all things God works for the good of those who diligently seek him." We are not promised roses and chocolates all the time in our Christian lives. We are promised in fact the opposite. Trials, tribulation and persecution are the items listed for the believer. So it is with that premise that I write this.

Last night, I watched as community members, local church youth groups, and skeptics piled into The Underground. The Underground is a youth center located in Spencer Iowa at the Spencer Dream Center. It was opening night. There were over 120 individuals who signed the check-in book. There were lots of laughs and games played. More importantly there were lives that were forever changed. Of the 121 individuals who signed in 98 of them made some commitment for Christ. Twenty four of the students accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of their lives. The other seventy four students proclaimed that want to allow God to use them for His purpose in their lives.

So what do the items listed earlier have in common? That man is me. In January of 2009 my son Joel was born at 28 weeks and 2 days. You can read my blog about that. At that time I had to fulfill my obligations as a youth pastor as well as still be a father to my two older children, as well as, be a husband to my wife who was with our newborn 2 and 1/2 hours away, and take care of the house work and meals. I would like to take this time to thank the Kraft company for you never fail child favorite. I had gotten my teaching degree in music and education, but was not even coming close to using what i had learned.

The other man was from the west coast and a successful pastor. Answering the leading of God, he began to look for a position at another church. He interviewed in the middle of the mid-west. As he drove by the old hotel he had a God idea. The kicker here is that through a short intricate series of events things suddenly snapped into place. It lead me to interview a unity of vision. Last night that vision came to pass and the results earlier mentioned were the result.

God is truly bigger than we can imagine

The Full Gospel Life

"Are we living the full gospel life or not" I wish I could take credit for this question, but I cannot. My wife spouted out this little nugget while we were talking about church culture and Christian culture. She said I could use it so I am going to . This question really made me think. When we read in the Bible we see healing and miracles taking place. We don't see a preacher really preaching a sermon and a worship team laying down some sweet lyrics before these happen either. The miracles and healing happened as a response to something much greater than a sermon or a song. The power of the full gospel was experienced when faith met with action and created a response.

The response of sickness in the response to faith and action was that sickness could not continue on and gave way to the power of the creator restoring creation. The response to depression and demonic possession was that demons could not stay where true faith and power were under operation. Depression gave way to joy and hope and a desire to help others rather than concentrate on oneself.

Many people have been under the impression that the full gospel life is just about freedom in worship or the freedom to speak in a prayer language that only God can understand, but that impression leaves the full gospel life extremely one dimensional. Yes we have the freedom to worship. Yes we have the communication with God, but what are we doing with it? Do we have faith in action or just actions spurred by our own ability to get ourselves hyped up?

Unless we actually live the full gospel life and incorporate all the different areas and benefits into one living breathing practicing faith that leads us to the realization that the world is on a path to destruction and it is up to us to do something about it, then we are just exploiting the full gospel life for the areas we think are important enough to use. What is the full gospel life? Find out and apply the scriptures to your life. Let your prayers be seasoned with power that comes from believing that when we pray we are actually praying on earth as it is in heaven. When we talk to people, allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you with passion and zeal. When we walk in the world, let the world see transformed individuals empowered by God Almighty.

Sadly, many choose not to live the full gospel life, not because of doctrine or theologies but a much more intimate thing conviction. If a person truly gives over to the full gospel life, the sin of flesh will sting like a wasp. Disobedience will cut like a knife to the soul. The spiritual senses of a person who is trying to live the full gospel life are heightened to recognize the attacks that come against them. The full gospel live will drive you to your knees, however on your knees you find freedom, love, grace and mercy, and most of all hope.

God wants to be bigger than your imagination. He desires for us to know him fully and live the full gospel life. Will you do it? It is totally worth it.

A measure

This morning as I was jogging, I heard something that almost stopped me in my tracks. I was sort of happy about it because I was out of breath, but I cannot stop thinking about it. "If you are still measuring your offerings then you have yet to understand His true worth.) Think about that for just a minute or two. How often do we measure our offering. We can become so concerned with the 10% that we begin to place that value on God. Isn't God worth more than 10%? I know what some of you are thinking. The Bible only says give a tenth to the storehouse. You are right, but that is what is required. In Psalms we read that, a sacrifice that costs us nothing is not really a sacrifice at all. Enough said about the money thing. Here is where my mind really started to ponder this statement. What about the other things of God?

In worship, do we measure what we give? Many of us allow our body and physical state to dictate what we will give without even pressing ourselves for just a little more. We keep our hands at the same level as other people so we do not appear to be to fanatical. We pray privately at our seat when we feel compelled to come forward and pray openly. We glue ourself to the seat when our spirit wants to stand. We get in our mind that if the worship team sings one more fast song then we will clap and enter in. We can get so caught up in measuring that we forget we serve a God who is without measure.

When we comprehend His true worth in our life, we loose the restraints of the world and we want to give. The chorus that says Lord I give you my heart, I give you my soul comes to mind. The writers of the worship songs we sing in our churches today are trying to invoke that sense of awesomeness and greatness. No matter how prolific the pen connected to the thoughts might be, the realization of God's awesomeness and majesty is still up to us. Are you ready for something more than what you have already? If so, God is ready to make is presence in your life bigger than you can imagine.