I Wonder.....

A thought or two from the weekend celebrations at Emmanuel (10/29) and Philippians 4.8-9.

I wonder if people see a pretty dim image of Christ because I reflect a pretty dim image? I wonder if it is a struggle to release ultimate passion in worship toward Christ because I fail to release ultimate passion in worship toward Him as well? I wonder if people might stumble over me on their path to find Christ?

I think it's pretty worthwhile for me...maybe for all of us to wonder about these things. Paul invites us, via Philippians 4.8, to expend our lives for what is best... all that is beautiful... and consumed in worship (praise!). I want to cut straight the path to our God. I want people to see my life... to see the life of Emmanuel... to see the life of Christ so infused in the life of this fellowship that they live in awe of Him. I long for God to bless us and for His favor and His hand and His passion to flow through us and spill throughout this earth. I am asking God to allow me... us.... this movement called Emmanuel to leave a huge dent for His glory in this earth.

Because of that passion, I think it's critical that we think about what we are thinking. I think, therefore I am...... it's actually true! My thinking will determine how I live..... how I live will shape who I am becoming... and who I am becoming is shaped by how I think. I want to think much of God. I want to think much about God. I want God to become this magnificent obsession... this radical ambition... this overwhelming passion of my life. I want to be in constant thought about Him. I want His life to shape my life... my thoughts... how I invest my time, energy, resources. I want to think well.

What do I think about? What do we think about? Perhaps this movement called the church is predicated upon our thinking. Maybe God is poised to unveil His glory, majesty, wonder, and awesome nature to those who actually think about Him.... think upon Him... think of Him... and allow thoughts of Him to shape us. Maybe it's as we consider Him that we gain a taste of Him. Maybe, as we think more of Christ, we recognize the fullness of life that He affords! Maybe, it is only in thinking about Christ often... being absorbed in His Word... fileting our hearts for His glory.... maybe that is the place that we discover wonder.

I wonder what might happen if we, Christ followers, live in wonder of Him? I wonder, when we think well, what we might reveal about Him? I wonder what could happen if we think about best, beautiful, and things that evoke worship. Is it possible that we could unleash a taste of heaven on earth? I wonder......

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking comments below.

For the Glory,
Mark

Intimacy.....

A few reflections from weekend encounters at Emmanuel. It was a sweet weekend as we attempted to understand that the God of the universe... the Infinite God of Beginning and End (is there such thing as beginning and end in the economy of God?)..... actually wants to share relationship with us. Can you imagine what a cataclysmic event it must be when we open our mouths... open our hearts... open our passions and actually begin to converse with our God? God will actually give birth to the ridiculous.

Maybe my favorite moment this weekend was considering Moses and Joshua (Exodus 17.8-13ish). Moses, Israel's famous leader, is faced with a crisis. An enemy army has just arrived near Israel's camp intent on wiping out Israel.

Moses calls in his most capable leader for a discussion and strategy planning session. After a thorough planning session, Moses determined a plan of action. He tells Joshua to take the best fighting men we have, lead them out on the plains to meet the enemy and fight with courage. Meanwhile, I am going to take two men, climb the hill that overlooks the plains and raise my hands toward heaven. I'm going to pray that God will pour out courage, valor, coordination, and supernatural protection. Then, I'm going to watch and see what God does.

Moses discovered that God's power is released through prayer. There are two parts of this story that are challenging... first, I love the planning and preparation Moses and Joshua gave to battle strategy. They were intentional about plans... advance. Second, I love that they knew that their best plans were nothing without the abounding power of God. So, Moses ventures up to a hill with two friends and they cry out to God for His presence and power..... and it works!

When we are willing to invite God into our daily challenges.... our home... our relationships..... our marketplace... our schools... our church.... There is radical power and shocking potential! It may be as simple as an idea.... courage.... confidence.... perseverance.... attitude change.... circumstance change.... or an outright miracle. God's power is released in the lives of those who pray.

I love to dream and plan.... I love the idea that God has said that this thing called the church is the hope of the world. I love that the church is us... Christ followers together. I love that God invites us to make plans, dream dreams, enjoy expectations, and posture ourselves for huge stuff. I love that we can actually dream up great stuff! What I really love is that we can walk up to the top of a hill and raise our hands to the living God and call His name... His renown... His power... His glory.... and the best plans that we can deliver are minute compared to His power.

Prayer is relationship...... Prayer gives birth to the ridiculous... Prayer merges the finite (small me.. small you) with the infinite (BIG GOD!).

Enjoy sweet conversation with your maker this week. Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comment below.

Mark

A View!

There was a very sweet moment during the 10:30 encounter this weekend. Our "M" friend and partner in Central Asia shared the coolest thing. During one of our gatherings (a glorified EBC party!), we gathered a few thousand dollars during the party. Those dollars were to supply some basics around our friends apartment (potholes, doorways, etc, AND a playground for kids). Our "M" (missionary) friend told us that we actually gave more than enough... so, she provided running water for a neighbor (yeah, you read that right - running water for the first time!) AND she was able to pay off a debt for a church who had stepped out in faith and implemented a ministry that was not resourced. You and I were an answer to a faith step on the other side of the world! I had a serious Moses 'moment' at the front. Moses actually looked at his group and said, you guys keep giving more than enough and you are blowing my mind. It was like our "M" shared that we were just giving more than enough and it was a huge moment. It's hard to grab the significance of this moment in writing, but it was a massive moment for our body.

Our "M" friend outlined a few critical prayer needs:
-- perseverance for believers in her country
-- not overwhelmed by circumstances (political upheaval, removal from country for "M"'s}...... instead, to be overwhelmed by our God
-- to carry the person of Christ to unreached people groups in their nations.
-- in the midst of persecution (fines, imprisonment, familial rejection), pray for the believers/ church to stand firm
-- pray for VIBRANT churches, not a fearful gathering, but bold believers
-- our partnership to be stronger than ever. Short term teams to go and prayer to heighten
-- for those who are sensing God lead them to 'go' long term. How beautiful to leverage your life in a 10/40 window country!

It was a great day. It was a great day to actually believe that the God of the universe wants to be in relationship with you..... even further, to believe that prayer unleashes the ridiculous. What an amazing prospect to consider that we (the finite) can merge our lives with He (the infinite) and watch as our relationship brings into fruition the ridiculous! I want to learn to trust Him…. I want to wake up and know He is with me…. And I want to enter into conversation with Him…. I want to be in relationship with a God who moves stones…. Who releases the dead…. Who allows blind to see and who lends the deaf, ears to hear! I want to know and be in relationship with a God like that! Prayer is not my magical shopping list, it is my opportunity to actually be in conversation with the God of the universe. I think he wants to converse with us about what we love and what we hate. I think he wants us to thank him for things. I think, when what we want doesn’t happen, he wants to hear about it. He wants us to experience His love and His joy.

God wants to reach into our cell structure and impulses that He put into our mind and he wants us to walk away at times knowing exactly what it is He said and at other times not having a clue…. But, we will then be tapping into this infinite resource.

So, enjoy the day. Enjoy the collision of the finite and infinite. Expect the ridiculous!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments.

For the Glory,
Mark

Depth...... Joy....... Satisfaction

A thought from worship encounters at Emmanuel.

Celebrate God all day every day. I mean revel in Him. Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up at any minute. -- Phil 4.4 (MSG)

Joy is much less about circumstance and much more about a person. There is a far deeper faith than mere circumstance! As long as you and I live by circumstance, then our joy and our faith are absolutely contingent upon how we interpret events and circumstances around us. I am not sure that God ever intended for us to experience joy based upon a circumstance. An incredibly provocative thought from this weekend was that Jesus sent out a dozen men into the earth to give their lives for the advance of the Kingdom of God. He did not guarantee them safety.... He did not promise them 'good' lives. In fact, He promised that they would be scorned, beaten, and perhaps even give their lives for the Kingdom. GO ANYWAY! 11 of 12 were martyred for the faith! Jesus said, if there is any mystery at all about the trouble you will face, let me make it clear. You will find trouble in this earth! But, take heart, I have overcome this whole deal. Fix your eyes on Jesus and set your hearts on eternity.

The foundation of joy. The foundation of who we are in Christ. The foundation of this journey called the church and the capacity to stand firm is based upon a person and not a circumstance. At the center of everything someone died and someone was raised from the dead! We have to direct our lives away from a current situation and fasten our lives, focus, and passion upon Jesus Christ.

The idea that we want a formula.... a simple little seven step program to our best life today...… Give me 4 steps to faith. The problem with formula is that it never satisfies. I am always let down when the formula just doesn't work. But, answer this… how do I fall in love? Far more ethereal.. far more impassioned… far more stable……far more crazy.... far more founded…. Paul is not inviting you into joy based upon a few principles… I am inviting you to know a person… to fall in love with a person! Paul is asking us to rejoice in the Lord! He is telling us that our ability to live with joy is in Christ alone. He invites us to a person and not a circumstance.

The book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christ followers who were being pressured by their community and difficult circumstances to abandon their faith…. For the first three chapters, the writer challenged them to believe on the basis of their identity in Christ. He presents a mountain of evidence pointing toward the conclusion that Christ is God….. We can have joy… we can stand firm because Jesus walked this earth…. Claimed to be God…. Gave evidence supporting His claim…. Died for our sin… rose from the dead…. And went back to heaven in clear view of hundreds of witnesses….. He concluded that thought by writing. Therefore, since we have a high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jeuss the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess!

Our joy… our foundation rests upon Christ. Hebrews says, Faith is being assured of this identity in Christ… and being convinced of what we can’t see at times… In Hebrews 11, he gives dozens of illustrations of people who showed joy…. Radical faith… Their lives were grounded in their identity in Christ! Noah spent 140 years building an ark… it hadn’t ever rained…. Abe left His home and ventured to destination unknown…. Gideon charged an enemy camp with a few hundred guys because God…. Moses went back to Egypt and stuttered His way through… Joshua walked around walls seven times…. Crazy strategy but God!

There was this confidence that Jesus is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. Paul invites us to determine our lives and our joy based upon the character and person of Jesus Christ living in us. Can you imagine the trajectory of our lives if we woke up every day and believed that God is with us? That He longs to live through us? We could be a bunch of Used to be’s who are turned on to radical things in Christ…. Who are turned on to a radical person named Christ…… That’s how Paul writes something crazy like this! Rejoice in the Lord always... Yeah, let me say it again... REJOICE!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments Enjoy today, for the Lord God is with you!

Mark

We.... Us.... Church

The pic from Tiananmen square is profound! One man, standing in front of a tank and risking everything for the sake of a cause... something He deeply believed in... to the point of death. What the picture does not tell is the 'plural imperative' of this moment. To his left and right are thousands of students, intellectuals, those who were partnered with this unknown rebel. This image is not about a man standing alone in his principles. This image is about a man exemplifying the plural imperative. The image below displays the streets of Tiananmen Sq. filled with revolutionaries. To be an uknown rebel - yeah, that's provocative. To be partnered with unknown rebels is world changing!

Honestly, most of us in the faith get the 'vertical imperative'. We grasp inviting Christ to be our life. He comes into your heart... He changes your life... You spend time with Him. Your passion for 'knowing God' is there and its compelling (or at least your want it to be). I know we know about this vertical passion - to personally know God. I am not sure, however, that we truly grasp God's intense passion for the 'plural imperative'. This movement of Christ followers is a 'we or us'. Our western notions of rugged individualism really don't jibe very well with the plural imperative of this movement called the church.

I was reading some thoughts about the church of late, and I like what the guy was saying. The church has never been a building. Church is Kingdom dwellers put together. The plural of Jesus follower is 'church'. It's a simple way to say 'we' or 'us' - church. Jesus insisted that there is a plural imperative: Church is disciples following together.

After Jesus had sent His Spirit to His followers, they spoke about the good news and three thousand people believed, crossed the border into the Kingdom of God, and became Jesus Followers. When they joined in the band, the "US" was amazing. Someone actually wrote down all the plural things that were happening. They devoted themselves to one another... to prayer.... to eating bread together.... an awe comes upon everyone because of the power the Jesus followers have.

They are all together.... all things in common... they actually sell what they own and give money to everyone who needs it. They meet together in the Jewish temple.... house to house... and when they eat, they are glad and very sincere about it. They cannot help but talk about how great their God is! And everyone can't help but notice and be attracted to them.

This beautiful thing called us... the church is so creative, imaginative, beautiful, united and impassioned that it stirred and fulfilled the deepest passions and longings of people... the desire to belong.. the desire to belong to something far bigger than themselves... the ultimate desire to belong to Someone - the living God!

Let's live the Plural Imperative. We belong to Him. We belong to one another. Feel free to click on comments below and add to the commentary.

Mark

The Unknown Rebel....

Ponderings from a worship encounter this past weekend. (Philippians 4.1 = launching pad)

So a few thoughts about being an 'unknown rebel' actually served to accomplish more than I could have imagined. I was pretty confident that God was inviting us into a deeply impassioned lifestyle of standing firm.... I was pretty confident that all of us have this heart longing to stand firm..... I was pretty confident that every person in the room this weekend would identify with the picture on the screen and agree that we genuinely want to risk everything in order to be a difference maker...... I mean, eternity rests in our hearts (Eccl 3.11), and because eternity rests in our hearts, we all are pretty bent toward vesting our lives in something that lasts far beyond ourselves. I really do think every person wants to stand firm and be a difference maker. Christ follower or not, we all want to leave some sort of mark. So, I really expected that the whole 'unknown rebel' image and challenge would leave us with some pretty provocative thoughts. But, leave it to our biker (CMA) gang to step way outside anything I expected. Our CMA gang grabbed the title 'unknown' rebels and they are running with it as a theme name. We'll see where that leads.....

You know, I have really thought about the man in this image (see pic above). We have no idea his name.... what he is about.... what happened after this moment.... We just know that he believed in something so deeply that his belief sparked a revolution in the hearts of many. I really want my life to be marked by that level of passion. I could care less if anyone knows who I am.... if anyone remembers my name... or if any accomplishment leads to my own accolade. If I can be marked by one thing, it would be that this unknown guy left such an intense impression of passion for Jesus Christ that we really don't remember Him, but we are crystal in Who he believed in. Mark my life with that level of passion!

The closing thought this weekend really left me with much to ponder. My capacity to live that sort of life... to stand firm... to live a relentless life for the glory of God alone.... is directly related to a discipline of my heart and life. All of us long to play the song in our souls, and more of us would do so if it didn't require endless hours of discipline. I want to give my life for the glory of God.... thus, I must invest my life in discovering who He is and who I am in light of Him. I want to play the song... to hear the song... to live the song. The question remains, will I spend my life attuning to His song?

The capacity to stand firm hangs in the balance of my answer to that question.

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking comments below.

Mark... the one longing to be an unknown rebel!

A Passion to Illuminate....

There is far more to life for us -- Philippians 3.20 (msg)


It's a pretty amazing feeling to close out a series of thoughts about who we illuminate! This weekend was sweet... the songs... the passion... the release of our joy in God. Yeah, it was good. It's also profound when we share life together with the emmanuel family. There is hurt (a loss of a dad in the past few weeks).... gain (family members embracing the truth of Christ)... there is challenge ('this series of thoughts have really compelled toward Christ').... status quo (some of us will remain as we are.... ).... and there is this longing to be consumed for that which is ultimate (many will never be the same!)

I think the most challenging part of this weekend was watching the cross and the towers video. You know, Paul really wanted Timothy to be 'spot on' at all times. Paul said to Timothy, be very clear about your hope and your passion because you will not know when season hits and God gives you an opportunity to shed light upon His majesty. Watching the 'cross and towers' video, it really struck me that it matters who I illuminate. It really is a joy to guide others toward the cross and it leaves me under compulsion to fall in love with God and to be prepped to share of that deeply impassioned love relationship. I don't think I was prepared for 9/11 five years ago. I am not sure any of us were. What I do want to be prepared for and to be crystal clear in my life about is who I illuminate. Then, I am stepping into a moment of highest high or lowest low with the path of my life leading directly toward Christ!

Maybe that's it.....I want to make clear the path of my life. When you follow me, you will find Christ. A sentence I spoke at the last two services this weekend really struck me. I don't want anyone to be searching for Christ and to stumble over me trying to find Him. What a horrifying thought! God, let my life cut a straight trail toward You!

So, we are about something radical... illuminating someone because at the center of everything we have talked about SOMEBODY DIED AND SOMEBODY WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. It is not a cakewalk what we are about… not a nice moral addition to life… not a few principles on the table and we will be okay…. We are in a movement that was started when someone died and someone was raised from the dead… We are a generation who live our lives in around or about that very reality…. What will that look like… Will we be a radical people of hope? Will we will illuminate someone who died and someone who was raised from the dead? This world is desperate for us to cast great light on Jesus Christ!

Illuminate.... add to the commentary by clicking on comments below. Enjoy an amazing week.

For the Glory,
Mark

Heart
Guard your heart. It's the wellspring of life. -- ancient proverb

Most people assume the cross is the total work of Christ. The two go hand in hand – Jesus Christ and the cross; the cross and Christ. The resurrection is impressive, but an afterthought for many Christ-followers. I mean, we really do like the resurrection. After all, we get a new outfit AND we score in the candy department. We might even hunt an easter egg and shout he’s alive. The resurrection is important to us... maybe like an extra point after a touchdown or the medal ceremony after the Olympic event… not the big kahuna.

This thought might cause a bit of introspection. The cross was never meant to be the sole central symbol of the faith. I mean, art historians say that early art was focused on miracles, healings, life transformation and the resurrection. Give or take a few years, it was not until around 430 that the first artistic focus on the cross occurs….400 years…. are you kidding me!? This is challenging to us…. Not that we diminish the cross… it is just that there is more….

Paul says, If Christ is not raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…..

Listen to multiple accounts of the early church chronicled in the book of Acts…. Peter stood and said, we are witnesses of the resurrection…. Peter and John were speaking to people and making proclamation of the resurrection… With great power the followers of Christ continued to testify to the resurrection of Jesus Christ…. Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection….

A dead person is not a lot of help to us. A dead God is even worse! But life, real life, the power of God to restore life.. the power of God to resurrect from the dead. The power of God to restore you… to bring our dead heart fully alive, now that’s a whole new matter. Christ died for you – right on… Christ was raised for us! Whoo hooo!

I came that you might have life.. have a new heart.. live with passion… We are saved by His death and we are saved unto His life…. I am a citizen of heaven! We are free to be what he meant for us to become. You have a new life – that life of Christ.. You have a new heart. Do you know what this means. Your heart is good. You are transformed. That’s what Paul means when He says, live to the level you have attained… Live to a person who is forgiven, freed, and filled with the very resurrected life of Christ… Live with a person who has been given life… Live with heart!

You are a citizen of heaven…Your heart is circumcised toward God…. I was in a conversation awhile back… wrestling with this and a friend said, If I believed that, I could do anything! We would follow Him anywhere! Exactly – it would change our lives…. It would change the trajectory of our lives… It would change priorites… our passion would be released…. We would be resurrected to new life…. It would change the face of Christianity – We would be fully alive! It would make for a proclamation of freedom…. It would mean LIFE!

Yes, we boast gladly and loudly in the cross of Christ for in the cross is the remission of sin… but, we also hold boldly to the resurrection of Christ for in that explosion of life is the light to all men… it is the stamp of authenticity….. it is the hope of glory… it is the explosion of life into our hearts…. It is the catalytic force that will compel us anywhere, anytime, in all ways for His glory… It is actually the good news that will allow us to be a room full of 17’s…. It is actually the good news for this world…… It is the news of freedom…

So, I am percolating this week on a bit of art history. Could it be that God wants the Emmanuel family to be a canvas through which He will render one of the most amazing, God glorifying pieces of art ever recorded? Could it be?! Could it be that God is searching for a group of people who are radically, passionately devoted to Him and He will live and 'image' a masterpiece through us. I think that He longs to bring LIFE through our lives and that He will demonstrate this remarkable resurrection power through the canvas of a people who are turned on to Him. May the artwork of our lives - - together -- be an amazing tapestry of God's goodness, grace, and life.

Enjoy this week. We are forgiven, freed, and made alive. Live!

Feel free to add to the commentary by hitting 'comments' below.

Mark

Obsessed......

Give me one magnificent obsession. To be obsessed is to share a ruling passion... an irresistible impulse.... spirit control.... Obsessed with the desire to know Christ and to release a bit of Christ on this earth. Yeah, that seems like a worthy obsession.

This weekend, there was an image that was seared into my consciousness. I am quite confident that I will not soon forget this 'worship' moment. I had just talked about living with passion for the name and character of Christ. We made this emboldened proclamation that we are citizens of the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord. We actually 'reside' in that confession. He is magnanimous. He is amazing. He is our pure and holy passion. So, we sing 'worship you, my Lord, until the very end.' The song is resonating...it's eerily beautiful... and as we are singing a man with a 'lot of years' under his belt walks toward the cross. White t-shirt.. dock shoes... simple.... He's walked with God a long time. His hearts cry is very simple.."I just want Jesus!" The song echoes, the moment is ripe, and he falls to His knees right in front of the cross. Tears streak his face. Not everything is clear in his mind..... but, he is very aware that God is central in his life and he longs to live and die with purpose. As clarity of thought fades, depth of heart prevails. "Just give me Jesus!"

Everything that we have talked about in "illuminate" was captured in that moment. One throne.. one passion... one obsession... simplicity of life... days numbered... needs simple... purpose clear....longing... desperate.... It was rich to watch varying people become the hands of Christ as they prayed with him. It was sweet to watch a new friend of mine.. a new guy on this journey of the faith... sit with him after the worship encounter and share life.

You know, I experienced a plethora of emotions in that moment. Worship... Clarity... Simplicity... I also had this very practical thought. I wish I had a camera! I wish that I could have snapped a picture of an old man dreaming dreams with a full band playing in the background and a body of Christ behind him singing with abandon and the cross immediately before him. Wow! Beautiful!!

You know, there are some things you just can't orchestrate. I think that moment was alot like God. Yeah, the song was amazing... the message clear... the passion abounding, but God loves to step into moments and shout "surprise!", it's even more beautiful. He loves to take moments and magnify them for His glory and His renown. He loves it when we cry out like a whole bunch of '17's'. He loves it when we are obsessed with knowing Him.

It was a glorious weekend. God felt free to unveil Himself. Wow, did we ever 'go off' during 'Did you Feel'! During all three encounters this weekend, it was sweet as we threw down during the last song. Hey, I want to be a 17. I want to know God. I want people to know me for knowing Him. I think that will make for a very clear path toward Him. I love 17 yes I do; I love 17 how about you!?!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on 'comments' below.

Enjoy Life!
Mark

Conflicted... Compelled

I am pretty confident that this path of being a Christ-follower is not intended to be conflicting. I am relatively confident that I am not intended to be in conflict. However, I venture through Paul's thoughts in Philippians 3.17... There is a path of my life that leads directly to the throne of my life and I deeply long for the path of my life to lead others to only one Person at the end of the path -- Christ. I genuinely long for people to find a pattern/path through me that points only toward Him. I genuinely want Christ to be found at the end of the trail of my time, possessions, passions, resources, energy.... at the end of that trail is Christ alone. Then, Paul writes in 18-19 that there are a group of people in the heart of the church at Philippi who are about themselves... their purposes... their ways.... They are 'enemies of the cross." Through their legalism and/or their filling of their own desires for their own glory, they hang around the periphery of worship and miss the point. Not only are they distracted... they are a massive distraction from this incredible grace message of Christ.

Instead of celebrating the fleeting glory of my own life... Instead of inviting people to follow me to the throne of my distractions... Instead of settling for something small, temporary, and lacking in worth, I long to say, I have been rescued. I am in Christ. He is in me. No rival throne survives. I have been rescued to be a rescuer. Maybe the conflict of my life is to maintain a level of vigilance concerning rival thrones. I will, at times, attempt to build this small throne...... I will, at times, deviate off the path of consummate passion..... I will be distracted..... and I don't want to be or do any of those things. Rival thrones - the place of conflict. I don't want to be conflicted!

I want to live with laser-like focus on One King, one hope, one passion for one glory. I want to live with that level of focus because satifaction is found there. I want to live with that level of focus because peace is found there. I want to live at that level of focus because purpose is found there. I want to live at that level of focus because this abounding life that Christ describes is found there. I want to live at that level of focus because it matters.... because life counts and Life is Christ.

So, I'm asking God to elevate my vigilance. I am asking Him to walk to all thrones in my life.... is He alone elevated? If not, I really want Him to partner with me and tear down all thrones that point toward me OR distract me from Him. I want Christ. Really! I want Christ. I think the secret of one pure and holy passion is saying, "Christ, you are more than enough and I want more than enough of You!" Susan was reading a quote from Andrew Murray. He wrote, "the great lack of our Christianity today is..... (I'm expecting the incredibly profound leap from the pages of the book she was reading!!), 'we do not know God!' " I want to know God. I want us, together at EBC, to know God... to share intimacy with Him. Could it really be that simple?

I'm thinking that its pretty intense to be a Christ follower. I am thinking its incredibly freeing to be a Christ follower. I really think God is inviting us to determine that we will follow.... that we will remove distractions.... that we will be a group of people who really do exist to ignite and inspire passion for Jesus Christ. That will happen because our passion is crystal clear... no rival thrones.... the King of all Glory sits on the throne of our lives. It matters.

Add to the commentary by clicking on comments below. I love pursuing God together! Enjoy Life.

Mark

Follow Me.....

Thoughts from Philippians 3.17 and an incredible weekend at Emmanuel.

I am not sure if its legal to suggest that Paul was crazy when he wrote Philippians 3.17. Maybe he wasn't crazy, just incredibly bold and intensely passionate. He actually thinks that we will fall madly in love with Christ... Crack open our chest and allows others to watch as the deepest parts of who we are resonate with His glory, His name and His renown.... that we will run after God, removing all obstacles to the knowledge of Him..... and when we discover truths about God, we actually acclimate those truths to our lives. Okay, here's the crazy part. Then, we might have such clarity of focus and passion that we look at others and humbly... oh so humbly say, I think my life and what I am about is a pattern to be about the things of God. I think that my life pattern will actually guide you to Christ. Follow me.... Follow me in my passion... Follow me as I seek to understand and wrestle with His truth... Follow me as I am so stinkin honest.. I don't have it all nailed... I don't know it all, yet.... But, I know that I have found this amazing relationship... Follow me and I think the trail of my life, time, treasure, commitments, resources, energy... that trail will lead you to someone HUGE! I am small... I don't want to be the next big thing.... I am NOT the next big thing. But, I know Him... He is THE BIG THING!

I had no idea how to wrap my mind around Paul's challenge in Philippians 3.17. Follow other's patterns as they follow Christ. Then, I shared with you guys about this little woman, who traveled nowhere, and in the eyes of this world was a nobody... no big job... no power... no stature....no big plaudits.... no visible accomplishments. She kept a garden, loved God, loved her church, loved her family. She thought that when people were hungry, you fed them. She thought it was important to share this passion and love of Christ with her family. She watched her son lead churches for over 60 years now. She led her son-in-law into a relationship with Christ and then watched him impact the world. She left an indelible imprint on this earth for the glory. This quiet, loving, woman, My gran is amazing. She patterned the Christ-life, then, like Paul, she left me with the same challenge.... to pattern my life so that people really are not sure who I am, but they are crystal clear who God is. I am small, God is huge! So, grannie joined the 'cloud of people who are cheering us on' a year or so ago. She is well... doing well.... glorified.... standing immersed in the light of Christ.... and longing for me - for us - to run this race well. Life counts! Live well!! Know Christ.... Follow Him... The Kingdom of God is near.

Who has left a pattern for you? Who has lived out the Christ-life in such a beautiful way that you are following their pattern. Click on comments below and add to the commentary.

There is far more to life for us --Phil 3.20 Live well..... Live with Passion... Live for the glory.

Mark

Turn Around....

thoughts from Philippians 3.17 and a weekend of an outpouring of passion at ebc.

Jesus walked up to people and asked them to turn around and follow Him. What is profound is that many people actually did turn around and follow Him. Lives shifted and perspective, passion, and focus changed for many as they turned around and followed Christ --- making them Christ-followers. I think that same invitation is extended to each of us on this journey called life. He makes His way into our lives and says to us, turn around, follow me and I will lead you into life unimaginable. Repent was our word of the day..... repent being the action word for application of truth. When we encounter truth, we are faced with this internal disonance... what do I do with this truth? In my life, turning around/ repenting, and making application of truth is both difficult and breathtaking.

Jesus stepped into this earth with an alarming proclamation..... The Kingdom of God is near! Turn around and walk into the kingdom. Honestly, I am so deadened to the word 'repent'... I am so skewed in my perspective of that word that I really felt Jesus hitting me with a 2x4 as He said REPENT and DO SOMETHING BIG FOR THE KINGDOM. After letting go of the guilt complex (I have a BIG one), the heavy shoulders, the shame... after letting that go, I realized that Jesus message was not to have regret, to embrace remorse, or to feel bad!

Jesus was saying turn around and walk into the outrageous kingdom of God. Some of His first recorded words are "turn around, the kingdom of God is near". Turn around and look, walk straight into passion, forgiveness, freedom, hope, redemption, justification, purpose, healing..... turn around, giving up only those things that are 'killing' you, and walk into the fullness of your purpose. The kingdom of God is here... Turn around! That's beautiful....It's beautiful. The kingdom of God is change and beauty has arrived! (I'm having an 80's Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse of the Heart moment... "turn around, bright eyes").

To repent... to turn around is the only alternative to pretending. Wow, do I ever grow weary as I attempt to 'fake' my way through this thing called Christianity. I want to settle for nothing less than turning to Christ.... experiencing His life.... living in the radical, revolutionary lifestyle that He has for me.... living with, for, through, and to the Kingdom of God..... knowing, at the depths of my heart, that Christ is the giver of every good thing. I long, daily... moment by moment, to turn into His kingdom, His ways, His purposes, His passion and to come alive.

To turn around is to grow. To turn around is the motto of the Kingdom of God. It is running into the arms of an incredible, loving Father. It's freedom!

Hey, Turn Around..... the Kingdom of God is near. When you are about you.... your deal... your ways, it's killing you. Christ says, I am here. Turn to me. I am life! Walk deeply into the Kingdom of God. It's what you were created to do, be, and live. Come on in!

Sweet! Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments. Enjoy today.

Mark

Apply.....

I love James.... He writes in a letter found in the Bible that truly contented people are those who carefully study God's Word and that Word makes people free. They don't forget what they have heard, but they apply what they hear to their lives. Those who do this will be free!

I love freedom. I think God loves freedom. God has, at the very depths of His core, a passion to free each of us to become..... to become a people who are actually growing and morphing into the character and likeness of Himself. It is His goal that we are free to worship... to live for truth.... to grow in compassion.... to see and respond to the needs of others - hungry fed, homeless given a roof, widow nurtured, imprisoned loved..... a plethora of things that are beautiful, wonderful, and amazing about our God actually become in us. We kicked the idea around that change does not happen because a group of us sit around and have wonderful intellectual debates about truth...its veracity.... and develop a few thoughts about truth. Instead, God is inviting us, not merely to truth.. but to truth applied. James says, (James seems to be a pretty smart cookie) that we are not just to hear about God and His Word. We are actually to DO something with it! When we do something with truth, it changes us from the inside out.

I shared with you guys that there have been manifold moments when God has used His truth to change the trajectory of my life. A massive part of my personal spiritual growth has been the process of replacing lies with truth.... of allowing the truth of who I am in Christ to define me..... of finding that I had some pretty nasty definitions of who I am and God has some pretty amazing things to say about me. Because I (we) are totally committed to change (change = being transformed into the character and likeness of Christ), then we must be committed to a deep level of passion for God and His Word. So, as we read His Word we are expecting, and in fact looking for application. It's critical that we write an action step.... an application. That action step could be personal - involving you..... practical - something you can do..... passionate - something new about God. Every application will involve either a relationship to God... to others... or to your character. Honestly, it could become quite amazing, exciting, and world changing (I do not type those words lightly!) when a group of followers of Jesus Christ share deep passion for applying truth..... living in truth.... and allowing truth (the person of Jesus Christ and His character) to shape their impact in this earth. You want to talk about releasing on earth what is happening in heaven...... that happens when we are about change and change is about truth applied!!

Maybe, just maybe Hebrews 11.5 could become a reality. Is it possible that you and I could actually be like Enoch? Enoch walked so passionately with God and the character of God became so one with Enoch's character that the two were indistinguishable. Enoch simply faded into God (or did God pour into Him?) and he just walked off this earth. As we study Paul in Philippians 3.15 and Paul lays this massive gauntlet... "Live to what you currently know.... Live to who you are in Christ!".... He is challenging us to make application of what we currently know about Christ... about you.... and about how to two might mesh. He is also writing this out of his depths of passion to know Christ (v.11) at the deepest levels of intimacy. Like Paul, I want to know Christ... to be so stinkin' inseparable from Christ that you can't distinguish us. I actually want to believe that I could be like Enoch. I want to believe that...... I want to know God... and then apply what I know. Knowledge + Application could be radically "Enochlike". Yeah!

Add to the commentary by clicking on comments below. Enjoy a great week.

Mark (the Enoch wannabe)

Rhythm

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. -- Jesus (Matt 11.28 MSG)

What does it look like to be tuned to the rhythm of God's grace? Jesus asks if I am tired or burned out on religion? He then says, "Come to me." I can embrace an invitation like that because I am tired... at times I am exhausted. I know... I mean I really know that I cannot live out this whole thing called the faith without Him. It really exhausts me to try. I loved it yesterday as we watched the "Rhythm" video and heard Rob Bell share a few thoughts about being in rhythm with God. It's such a beautiful image to consider myself joining with and even playing my own unique rift in this amazing song of heaven. This song that God has been playing for a long time.... it seems that the song has and will play forever.

You know, I was thinking about the song... about the intrumentalists.... about the skill level... about the nuance of the song.... about what it might look like to be an 'instrument of grace' in the hand of God. Having dabbled with playing the guitar and having played the sax for quite a few years, I recognize that I don't just pick up my guitar and immediately begin strumming with a level of excellence. It seems to me that being attuned to the song of God, there is the divine reality and the human responsibility. There is a process in my becoming a part of the song... of becoming all that God created me to be.

This thought is the human side of divine change. Transformation is both the miracle of God and the stewardship of man. Becoming like Christ... His character... His passion... His truth.... His compassion... it's the result of divine activity and human action. There is miracle... Wow, is there ever miracle and there is also responsibility. I really have to ask if I expect to change. Do I expect to watch as the character of Christ explodes into my life. In fact, I have to take that a step further and live totally committed to change. (Phil 3.15 MSG). It is my responsibility to posture my life in that manner. It is our responsibility to leave God all the margins He needs to teach us about Himself, His purposes, and His ways.... to teach us His song.

You know, If I don't achieve my God-given potential, it's not just a bad thing... not just a bit of a letdown. Jesus tells this challenging story in Matt 25. He says to each of us, I have given you gifts. Now, what will you do with them? If I don't tap into and live abandoned to my divine potential, Jesus has pretty strong feelings about that reality. He calls that action 'wicked'... an abomination. He thinks that is a pretty serious deal. The servant in this story was declared wicked when what he could have done was measured against what he did. When we neglect our God-given capacity and refuse to maximize our potential, it is detestable in the sight of God.

Yikes! So, I think I have to ask if I expect to change.... maybe even deeper than that, am I totally committed to allowing the character, person, and passion of Christ to become my life... my essence. I want to become like Christ. I want to love... to live with compassion.... generosity.... truth..... I want to move in the rhythm of His grace. I want to know Him! That will involve my daily decisions and choices and how I posture my life.

In a nutshell, it seems that God thinks that my life... our lives... they are instruments of grace. He actually thinks that our lives are intended to be lived in rhythm with His grace. He even thinks that the rhythm is unforced and learned from Him. Hmmmmm...... perhaps the choice that I make in this process of change is the choice to know Him. .... not about Him... not another story.... but Him. Jesus says, 'walk with me and work with me -- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.' I want to..... I think I will. I want to change. I want to be totally committed to change.

Add to the commentary by clicking on comments below. Let's 'change' together.... the song sounds amazing!

Mark

Illumination

Amblings, Ramblings, and thoughts from the weekend of July 16,2006

Who or what do I illuminate with my life? Illuminate defined - to brighten with light; to make lucid; clarify; to make resplendent. Before we can move into a life that is far outside the norm.... a life that is radically impacted by the presence, person, and passion for Christ, we must determine who or what our life illuminates. What do we brighten or make clear or, even better, make resplendent? I love the Message translation of the Bible and Jesus says "You and I are here to be light. We are here to bring out the God colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept." (Matt 5.16) I am really asking myself, who or what do I illuminate? Do I bring out the God colors in this earth? Over the next seven weeks, we will dive deeply into the practical outworkings of a life impassioned for the kingdom of God. We will evaluate our lives via the plumbline of Philippians 3.15-21. Yet, we will be remiss to assess our lives before we wrestle with what or who our lives illuminate.

The visual for the next seven weeks is beautiful. At the front and center of our worship room is a simple candle and the bread of life beneath it. It will be compelling to view our lives through the lens of God's Word as we look at an physical representation of a huge spiritual reality simultaneously. As the 'church'... the ekklesia... the 'called out' who long to ignite and inspire passion for Jesus Christ, our role is intensely simple. We are to illuminate the bread of life. We are God's lampstand and at the base of the lamp must be one thing... the person, the glory, the reality of the presence of God that brings intentionality and intensity to everything that we are about in life. It's weighty.... It's incredible.... It's exciting..... It's the glory of God that is at stake. So, I.. we have to wrestle with who or what we illuminate in life. I love the way Lucado writes that God's to do list consists of one item - Reveal my glory.... Heavens framed mission statement of life's purpose and focus is Declare God's glory.

So, I am following the trail of my time, possessions, passions, life choices, energy and evaluating what I find at the end of that trail. I am finding that some of what I illuminate is not really that pretty...... some things I want to discard.... and with the deepest part of my heart, I want my life to be very simple. As God reveals His glory to me, I want to make loud declaration of His glory, His character, His fame in every arena. I am quite primed about the next seven weeks. I am primed about the idea of a 'breakaway' life and the desire to live, move, and have my being outside the norm. It is my passion and prayer that I... and that all of us at EBC are 'breakaway' and believe at our deepest core that there is 'far more to this life for us.' I want to walk down the trail of my life and find at the end one throne..... one thing at the base of my lamp... Christ. He's more than enough!

We should have a fun seven week journey through Breakaway. We will settle into this thought... There is far more to life for us! --- 3.20 Hey, wasn't it sweet to celebrate 300 kids in the Arctic Edge, 30+ of whom embraced the story of God; a team returning from Brazil; 2 teams heading to Pine Island and Central Asia; our Daytona partnership pastor in the house.... and incredible worship at EBC?!? What a day yesterday. If you haven't checked out our Brazil team, try on www.ebcbrazil.blogspot.com - Good reading!

God is amazing. Illuminate Him!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments below. Enjoy today.

Mark

Away.....

Two weeks of no stress..... good life.... playing..... enjoying my folks.... enjoying life..... 3 days and 2 night of just Susan and me celebrating 15 years of marital bliss (hubba hubba!!!)... It's been a great time to download life and play with kids and enjoy God. I had this rule of thumb - no 'heavy' books.... no work thoughts... no planning. Yeah, it was good. About 11 days into the journey, Susan and I were sitting on the beach at sunset and watching our kids build sandcastles and I (we) were just blown away by our God. He is good.... truly good. I just sensed His presence, goodness, passion. I just heard Him whisper of His love and of His joy for life.... for my life.

I think I had a few thoughts at that moment. I rarely find time to 'sabbath' on a regular basis. I believe that God is inviting me to find a day to unplug, turn off my cell, turn off the TV, forget e mail and to really just be His on a weekly basis. As I look at the life of Christ, I see a man who made pretty radical impact (might that be the understatement of the year?!) I also see a man who spent much time 'away' and attuned to the voice of His Father. I want to hear His voice... to sense His touch.... to trust His move.... to experience that 'right' feeling when I know I am in the middle of God. Yes, that can happen on an extended vacation. But, I think God really wants me to make a bit more space for Him. I think I have found a day that will be sabbath for me. A day where I am God's.... I am with my family.... and I unplug from all else. I think that is a biblical mandate and even more profoundly, a spiritual necessity. My heart beats with an even deeper longing to know Him.

Returning to the joy of Emmanuel was even greater. The Brazil team has returned with manifold stories of God's grace and goodness. The Arctic Edge was in full swing upon return and we hit the ground running. 30+ kids moving their lives into the epic story of God is pretty sweet! The Pine Island team left this morning to venture to the Islands and to watch as they rejoice through the Arctic Edge. The Central Asian team will fly out Monday and prayer walk with much anticipation for God to plant a home church in every county in that nation (a nation that professes to be 100% muslim!). Adding team members to our staff..... seeking a person to work with our kids..... amping up to rejuvenate in Philippians.... it's a great return!

So, here we go. The thrill of asking God to leave deep imprint for His glory and His fame. Here we go, recognizing that it is Christ in me.... Christ in you that is our only hope of living for the glory. Let's live, move, and have our being for His fame alone. That will be sweet, eternal, and worthwhile! It's good to be back.

Mark

Revolution

Thoughts from an intense, incredible weekend at Emmanuel (June 24-25)

10... many things come to mind when you type the word 10... Bo Derek? Beautiful? Top Ten? Big Ten (Good Football)? Challenge? 10, after this weekend, is an intense passion to see 10 of 10 kids watch our lives... see a Christ revolution... and actually follow us as we follow Christ. Research suggests that 8 of 10 kids who are a part of the church have no intention of continuing in the fellowship after graduating HS. I heard that a few weeks ago and EVERYTHING inside me rebelled against that thought. NO! NO WAY! Heavens NO! In front of the gates of hell, screaming NO! I had a pretty significant reaction.

Then it struck me.... we truly can see 10 of 10 link their lives to an increasing passion for Christ WHEN they see a whole group of us who are crystal clear about our passion. Kids, at 18, actually believe that God will use them to feed poor, house homeless, provide water for those who don't have clean drinking water.... 18 year olds actually believe that they can change the world. They actually believe that they can change the WHOLE world! Would it not be sweet for them to swivel their heads and see a whole bunch of OLD people (like me), who STILL believe that we can change the world.

We really do exist to ignite and inspire passion for Jesus Christ. This requires each of us to live revolutionary! Revolution is not necessarily the "big stuff"... it's found in the every day decisions of life. This whole deal of Christianity is the "good news!!" Just imagine this… Person X in Crestview comes to know Christ…. She became a follower…. Her life is shifted…. She lives it out. She is becoming more generous…. More compassionate….. more loving…. She is becoming a far better neightbor. If you are her neighbor, you are thrilled about her faith….. This is good news… good news for people who know her…. Revolutionary news for the whole street….
We are revolutionary when we are impassioned – day to day….. underground, subversive…. It is the quiet, humble, stealth acts that change things.

Bring on the good news. Enjoy life. Live out the Augustine confession... Love the right things in the right way to the right degree with the right kind of love. Then, watch as our kids follow us into this revolution called the faith.

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking 'comments' below.

I am venturing away for a couple of weeks.... Away with family... Away from work... Away with kids.... Away! I cannot wait to see the EBC family when we return from vacation - rested, ready, and plunging in with hundreds of kids at VBS! Live on the Arctic Edge! I love you guys.

Mark

2 Suitcases and Christ.....

Meditations from the weekend of June 17-18 in the life of Emmanuel

So, I am sitting across from Bonnie. Bonnie is around sixtyish (give or take 20 years : ) She is heading for the next three years to Niger, W. Africa. She's a nurse.... The people in Niger have medical needs. She's going. Here I am at the "BonnieFest" eating, laughing, and enjoying life and I experienced a moment that placed me at a crossroads. Bonnie said, 'my life has boiled down to 2 Suitcases... 50lb's each and that's all I can take with me." I responded, 'wow, all of life boils down to 2 suitcases and Christ." Bonnie's reply has left me bereft.... pondering.... challenged.... longing to live for the upward call of God. She said, ' and that's more than enough!!!" Are you kidding? 2 suitcases and Christ is more than enough. Honestly, I don't know how that will pan out in my life, but I want to get there. I want to genuinely say to God, You, O God, are more than enough. I am not even sure if I need the 2 suitcases. A party... a meal... and my eternity gets rocked. I will wrestle with God alot.... hopefully as long as I live.... with living holding loosely to this earth and holding fast to Him.... His values.... His passions..... HIs move. I have no idea what the 2 suitcases and Christ will look like for me. But, I really, desperately want to find out.

We closed out echo (with a sweet Rocky I bonus video shot just for dads... Happy Father's Day! Rocky is always a good daddy's day gift to receive in church). What we do on earth really will echo throughout eternity. We arrived at a few conclusive thoughts. Paul had this whole 'upward call of God' as a deep, piercing passion. In Philippians 3.12-14, he is not writing of an insignificant pursuit. He is writing from the deepests point of his soul. He is really letting us see what makes his heart beat. I think it goes a bit deeper.... he's asking us to evaluate what makes our heart beat. He truly felt that the pursuit of this Christian life is a quest. I don't think he would have worded life just as Bonnie did, but he would say something like"life boils down to 2 suitcases and Christ and He is more than enough"... or I am a man about one thing and I strain with all my passion, affections, and heart to be about this upward life in Christ.

What do I do with this kind of passion? How do we actually make application to our lives? We asked a few questions.... questions like, do I really see this upward call as a quest? If I do, what do I do with my affections? My heart? Do I love the right things.... in the right way.... to the right degree... with the right kind of love. I am SO stinking good at taking something beautiful from our God and abusing it. I can take a hobby (the right thing) and allow it to dominate my life (the wrong way to the wrong degree with the wrong kind of love). I tend to veer with so many things... like money, relationships, etc, etc. So, I have to ask if I love the right thing in the right way to the right degree with the right kind of love and I have to ask that often.

Our closing challenge was about a rule of life.... what is your rule of life. What do I do regularly that really postures me to grow in Christ. That would be my rule of life. For instance, when do I pray? study? how do I handle money in a way that draws me closer to God? How can I fill my life with the sense of His presence?

What is your rule of life? What do you do regularly? My friend Joe said he plants corn, works on deer stand, spends countless hours preparing for one thing --- to harvest deer. Likewise, how are you posturing your life to harvest the character of Christ.

Bottom line... life is an echo. Life is a sound heard near its source again and again. What (or who) is your source? Real bottom line.... if we don't have a rule of life - things we do regularly to posture our lives to harvest Christ character, we will not be able to say "2 suitcases and Christ is more than enough". Train for life!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments below.

Mark

Breathe..... thoughts from Philippians 3.13 through the lens of Emmanuel

If the Word is God-breathed, then I want to inhale life, freshness... Him! My life is often smog filled and I long for the purity of God.... of His life.... of His direction... of His character becoming my very own.

This past few weeks have been amazing. Watching students go off before God and lead each other in an ever deepening passion for Christ was sweet. BigStuf Camp was just that... Big stuff. Then, to venture to Mega Sports Camp with our kids and hang out with them for 4 days was too sweet for words. I sweated through three shirts a day.... pulled muscles..... burned fuel...... talked with kids..... and watched as 10 kids moved their lives into the story of God and dozens went wild in their joy for Him. Kid-like worship is awesome. Okay, there was a moment that just doesn't happen with anyone but kids. I was talking about God giving us endurance even when times are hard. The story from the Word was Paul and Silas enduring in jail. I told the kids, they were doing insane things like quoting AWANA verses to encourage each other, and singing songs. Then, I begin to sing Here I am to Worship...... the kids starting singing with me. We sang that chorus quite a few times and it became louder and louder. I was thinking to myself, "self" what happens when we live loudly for the kingdom... what happens when old people (me) really have this 'kid' passion for God. Uninhibited... unencumbered.... undignified..... just singing until the prison doors open. Needless to type, it was a sweet moment! Even more, it's always amazing to me when eternity shifts.... especially when a kid says "yes" to God and charts an amazing, unimaginable journey in Him. It's been a good week or two.

Watching people flow through the baptismal waters was wet... good.... and always a party at EBC. Over the next couple of months, we are expecting a few dozen to baptize in the faith. Yeah! And that is only on this continent. What about Brazil? Central Asia? Pine Isle? I asked our body to move into a Tuesday "fast".... for the next four Tuesdays, join together in a corporate fast in pursuit of our God. We are rocking heaven as we ask God to open the trails in Brazil, provide visa's for Central Asia, and send a team to Pine Isle! We think it's a good idea to plant churches on river heads.... in every county in a nation in Central Asia.... and to let the islands rejoice! We see some serious issues and spiritual confrontations! We are going to fast, pray, and expect!

Tons of feedback from yesterday...... As we train for life, it's our desire to allow the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly. It was fun, practical, and incredibly intentional to discuss the finer points of a road trip in Christ. Enjoying some thoughts from Buddy Owens (a supreme PK speaker), we talked about breathing deeply in the word of God. After all, if we are to echo our God, then the target of our lives is to allow His character to permeate our lives. When we discover who He is, we must ask "who am I"? Taking this road trip on a daily basis will grow us in the depth and knowledge of Jesus Christ and how our lives align with His. We talked about...

Filling our tank - verbalizing to God our openness to change....

Choosing the road - where will I begin this journey? John? Philippians? Romans? Ephesians? Find a road and begin. An even more practical suggestions is to find a version that you enjoy. Buy a coffee..... find a bookstore.... and peruse versions until you find one that really clicks.

Slow Down - this is not a speed reading challenge. Read until God speaks... then stop

Pull off at the brown sign (beautiful markers of significant moments) - This is not merely slowing down. This is stopping and enjoying a God view in a passage. What is God saying? How does it affect you?

Create a memory moment - How does your life match God's picture.... James says, God's word is a mirror. What do you look like in this environment?

Talk About the trip - this is an amazing conversation with God. The conversation is not launched out of the blue... instead, you are talking with God about His Word. You are struggling with His truth.... You are honest with Him.... You are honest with you.... You are being transformed by truth.

Repack - what adjustments is God asking from you? Think about this throughout the day. Be a 'one thing' person... one thing you do to pursue Him throughout the day. You may need to celebrate God's work in you... you may need to get rid of some baggage.... you may need to simply listen to God..... to worship.....

God did not give us His word to increase knowledge, He gave us His word... His life to change lives!

Vision, without the ability to execute is merely hallucination. We have this vision... we want the character of Christ. Let's 'train for life'! Let our lives echo of the great goodness, glory, and wonder of our God.

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking 'comment' below. Happy week!


Mark

Hello, my name is I am NOT!

Ponderings from Philippians 3.12 Weekend of June 3 - 4, 2K6

When I wake up tomorrow, will I release a bit of heaven on earth?

Yes, it's pretty critical to be able to answer the question, if I die tonight, where will I spend eternity?

However, it seems that question lends itself to followers of Christ embracing, by grace, this message of salvation in Christ. Then, we park and wait for quite awhile until we get to "go to heaven." Maybe Jesus was onto something when He modeled a prayer for us. He taught, "Our Father, who is in heaven. Your name is magnificent. Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" I don't think Jesus was diminishing our passion or hope for heaven. However, I think He was saying, Christ lives in you and your role is to release a bit of heaven on earth daily. We are ambassadors of Christ. Representatives. To be honest, I am not sure what it will look like for followers of Christ to unleash heaven on earth. However, I can think of a few things... like...

hungry people being fed

widows being cared for

the imprisoned loved

people with needs having needs no more

the abused helped

an ever deepening passion for truth

nations who are thirsty being provided water..... shelter...... hope

love abounding..... grace extending..... passion for His name and His people exemplified. That is a taste of heaven being released on earth.

As we talked about this weekend, we share the same venture as Moses. God said to Moses, I have this redemptive strategy..... this plan to release millions. I hear their cry. I see their need. I am compelled to reach out to them. Now, Moses, YOU GO! God has a redemptive strategy today (it involves a cross and a great, good news message of freedom)... His strategy involves millions being free.... and He has already said, "now, YOU GO!"

The question.... The passion on the table is how we will respond. Moses responded with all of his excuses..... old, stuttering, shepherd, murderer...... I think we can come up with some pretty profound excuses as well. When God said, "you go", He was saying I am going to do this with or without you. I have been searching for just the right partner... a regular person who will believe that I am able to do exactly what I said I would do. You just need to merge onto the highway of my agenda... my promised before, already in motion agenda.... and watch me go. Trust me. Follow me. Do not fear. This is going to be amazing.

Like Moses, we have to wrestle with our frailties and then recognize God loves to work with people who have to utterly rely upon Him. God loves for us to park our lives directly in front of Christ. He loves for us to long to conform into the character and representation of Christ. He loves to define us as Christ defines us. Then, He loves to watch us Go and He goes with us! He is an amazing God. He loves for us to define ourselves as His. After all, God plus anyone makes for a pretty stout tandem!

He is the I AM. Our name is I AM NOT! He is the center. He is in control. He is God. He is the owner of everything. He is the redeemer. He will feed the hungry. He will meet needs. He is just looking for a group of followers who will believe HUGE things about Him..... Who will be His skin on earth.

So, when you wake up tomorrow, will you release a bit of heaven on earth? When you wake up tomorrow will you live for truth, justice and, ultimately, a desire to ignite and inspire passion for Jesus Christ?

I love this place. I love our God. I love that He asks us to do some HUGE things we can never pull of ourselves. I love that we will never be able to pull big, God-sized things without parking right beside Him..... an echo - because what we do on earth WILL echo throughout eternity.

Do you have a thought? A comment? Click on 'comments' below and add to the discussion.

Mark