Jesus is Hispanic

I had a really neat experience this morning.  I have preached in many different places and to many different kind of people.  But, I had my first experience preaching to our Hispanic congregation this morning.  I have done this while in Nicaragua on mission trips, but this was different.  It was on my turf....at my church....in our youth worship area.  As I stood in the back of the room while worshiping something began to occur to me.  Jesus is Hispanic!  I'm serious.  I didn't understand the words to the songs, but the Holy Spirit was definitely present in what they were singing.  With arms stretched out, somehow I could understand what they were saying!  I Love You Lord!  I mean in that moment I understood how multicultural Jesus is.  He is Hispanic, Chinese, South African and believe it or not American!  His language transcends any language or cultural barrier that man could ever build.  As I was driving from my goodie run to Wal-Mart after church the thought hit me that we are more the same than we could ever think.  We are brothers and sisters in the same kingdom, serving the same King. We are fighting side-by-side in the trenches for the same purpose.  To see a generation of people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.  I know this isn't mind-blowing in any shape or form, but for me today was a fresh revelation of God's Kingdom.

great quote

"Once in seven years I burn all my sermons;  for it is a shame if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago."  -John Wesley

Your spiritual formation process

This is like the easiest blog post of my life.  I simply want you to answer the following for me.  This is something I really need you to do as I am writing an article and need your feedback.

What does your spiritual formation process look like?  What are the key strategic things in your process that keep you focused on God?  Also, what are the roadblocks that sometimes get in the way of that process?  Told you it was an easy question, but is it an easy answer?

Defining moments

Isn't it funny what you tend to remember?  I have some pretty cool memories that are serious and heart-felt that I will never forget, but...most of my favorite memories are off the charts unexpected.  For instance....Behind my house as a child was a bridge that crossed over a small creek.  I was so little I don't even remember when this happened, but I remember the event.  I was on the bridge swinging on the railing when my feet slipped and I was holding onto the railing screaming for dear life.  My mom heard me and bolted to my rescue.  I remember playing in a championship game when there was 3 seconds on the clock and we were down by 2.  My teammate tossed the ball in bounds to me at half court and I slung the ball only to hear the net swoosh.  As my teammates were piling on top of me I looked across the court to see my dads huge work boots running across the court to congratulate me.  A more recent memory took place only two years ago as I took a small group of students camping in North Georgia.  We hiked to the highest point in GA and by the time we walked back down our bus was snowed in.  We couldn't get down the mountain and had to be rescued by the local EMS.

These are only a few of the memories I have that were unexpected and yet define some of the best times of my life.  These are the things we remember because they are exciting, unscripted and life defining at times.  However, these are not the moments that developed me into the man I am today.  I am who I am today because of the scripted moments of my life.  You know....those things that I do day in and day out.  These are the moments we tend to forget bc they are so normal and well, forgettable!  Even thought that is the case, those moments are the ones that are most important.

As I think about the processes of life it is in the forgettable moments that we are defined.  The day in and day out mundane acts that lull us to sleep actually are the real defining moments of our life.  It is the tenacity of the man of God that pours over the word and passionately searches for the heart of God day in and day out that defines what that man will become.  Yes, these moments are often mundane and even, dare I say, boring at times.  I mean we don't see the waters parted or chariots from heaven every time we pray, but we pray so that our Father knows our voice.  So that when we need the waters parted as life is caving in we are known by the Father.  So, as your day comes and goes day after day and in retrospect your spiritual man is being neglected remember it is the day to day and makes the greatest difference.

Luke 9:23 tell us that if we are to be God followers we will deny ourselves and take up our crosses to follow him.  Are you living out this truth in your daily life?

THABIT......

THE PROCESS

You know, everything about life narrows down to a process!  Think about it.  What about these things:

• The changing of the seasons
• How a tree comes from an acorn
• The food chain
• A child learning how to walk
• A baby forming in its mothers womb
• Teaching a child to read
• The life cycle
• etc, etc, etc,
  

Everything in life comes down to a process.  None of these are less miraculous than the other.  Nonetheless....they are all subscribing to some type of process.  Some have been around since the beginning of time and some are more modern.  I mean whoever decided to dry a bean, roast it, grind it and pour hot water through it to create coffee is my best friend!  There is a process that we often overlook.  The process of a regenerated heart to a life of a mature believer.  I believe most believers want to live a Godly and holy life, but its as if we know where we want to go, but aren't going to take the steps necessary to get there.  So, it seems as if the most miraculous process is the one very few are willing to subscribe to......  I will be preaching this message in the morning at our traditional service and will be developing my thoughts on this over the next week.  So, come in the morning and check back here in a few days as we develop this thought....

PG

Journal 11.11.08

This is what I read this morning-

    Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!  It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.  Watch our for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.  For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh-though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
    If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews;  in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
    But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all thins.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God ans is by faith.  I want to know Christ and teh power of his resurrection and the fellowship of shariing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, an so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
     Not that i have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take holdof that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I don ot consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the proze for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

                                                        -Philippians 3:1-14



Over the past several days I have been working my way through Galatians and the prison epistles.  The heart of Paul is so clear especially as he speaks from his jail cell in Rome.  Even in his condition we see him write in Philippians 1:14, "Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."  It was because of Paul's imprisonment that the believers were being encouraged.  Later in chapter 2 he declares to us that, "it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him."(2.29)  So, i guess as i read these words I am wondering where the suffering part comes in for me.  I am aware of the fact that man Christians around the world today are suffering and dying for their faith and nothing in my life compares to that.  I am pondering the thought that maybe we aren't putting ourselves in the position to suffer.  I mean, honestly, how many American Christians really suffer for their faith.  I don't even think this is an issue of living in a country where we have religious freedoms at all.  I think it has more to do with where we position ourselves.  If we aren't suffering for our faith then maybe we aren't being active enough in what Paul calls the "forceful gospel" (Matthew 11:12).  Maybe I will develop this more and maybe I wont, but wanted to share this with you this morning.

What do you think about this?  How much does freedom of religion play into the whole idea of suffering?....or should it?  And if it shouldn't what's the deal in your opinion....

Journal 10.23

I feel so overwhelmed today and not in the way you might think.  I feel overwhelmed with the presence of God.  Almost like I am in a haze or something.  As per the urging of the Lord earlier in the week, I have probably prayed more and read more from the Word this week than I have in a long while.  So, maybe its just a realization of well, reality.  That God is not only the mastermind and creator of the universe, but he walks among us every day as well.  I have asked Him for so much this week, so maybe its the Lord just giving me his calm assurance.  Who knows, but what I do know is that the passion I have been praying for, the "IT", I have been missing has come back with force.

I love that word....force.  It reminds me of one of my favorite passages.

Matthew 11:12
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."

This verse brings up the kind of emotion I feel when Mel Gibson yells out "freedom" at the end of Braveheart.  A sort of barbaric spirit that should arise out of the soul of every believer.  That we are most definately not on the defensive end of God's strategy.  In fact he has placed us right in harms way.  yea, that's right....on the front lines.  Not because he wants us to fail, but bc he put the ability in us all to be warriors and victors.  Could you imagine what could happen if all believers began to carry the cross like William Wallace carried his slain wife's hankerchief?  He held it close to his heart and would die to protect it.  Heck yea, I just blew that off the top of my head.  But, how about it?  Would we, could we live with such reckless abandon?  I believe the first century Christians can answer that one for us.  As they were crucified, murdered and fed to lions instead of turning their backs on the one who gave them ultimate "Freedom."

So, as I just sit in this overwhelming presence of God I ask that He cloth me with such passion.  That if needs be I would lead the charge.

PG