God's Goals or Safe Goals?

I recently stumbled upon a missions project to raise some funds for a special item. The item had no specific price tag, but would fund various ministries. The goal was x-amount of dollars. I thought, well that shouldn't be too hard. When my wife and I looked at it together, we both thought something new-- this was a typo. They had left off a zero.
They hadn't. They had a nice little safe goal. I'm not saying that it wasn't bathed in prayer, but it was certainly obtainable. God didn't even need to roll up a sleeve, or break a sweat, to accomplish this one.
We're in the process of converting our office to a nursery, out with the office, and in with the pink baby stuff. I stumbled on a treasure cache of stuff, lot's of trash, lot's of recycling and dust behind the bookcases (who would think you have to remove books and dust behind them). I came across a missions magazine which had an article from a pastor. Small church, average attendance 200, missions-hearted. They heard of a need for a Missionary hospital in Africa. They began to raise money and within a year, they had $50,000. They didn't want to hold on to the money, but get it there for the missions work, so they sent it and during the process found out the total cost was $100,000. They decided they would raise the rest. Within the next year, they did it -- God did it. God flexed His muscle and through His people He gets the glory.
God raised the $100,000 through His people, for His work. The church's regular giving and tithing never dropped off, they paid all their bills all the way through.

Do we pick safe goals, that we can obtain, God doesn't need to be bothered with this? Or do we let God direct what the goal should be, so that He can roll up His sleeves and flex His might, so that He gets all the glory for what was accomplished.

I get goosebumps when God starts flexing His muscles.

The Power of a Name

I was reading in Mark 1 about Jesus casting out a demon.

21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

25"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." 28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

What's in the power of a Name? Jesus knew this demon, because He had created it as an angelic being. They knew each other intimately from before Satan's rebellion, and casting out of heaven. The lines are blurred from the natural to the supernatural: Jesus sees the man, controlled by the demon, and he sees the demon, a rebellious angel. He speaks to the demon, and they converse briefly. Redemption for angels was not in the plan.

In today's world, this conversation between Jesus and the demon may have been like this:
"Jesus, what do you want from us? Please don't send us into eternal condemnation yet. We know who you are, even in the human form."
"I wanted to esteem you, but you rebelled. For you there is no hope. Do not speak my name. Leave that man, for him there is hope, there is salvation through me. Your time has not yet ended. My Spirit is over this man, now."
Upset, but grateful the demon still had it's life intact, it shrieked and came out of the man in search of another host.

God is intimately knowledgeable of His creation, for though He spoke it into existence, each creature is uniquely made by Him. Each creature is designed and brought to life to worship God. Sadly, not all have wanted to return His love.

Whose name do we whisper? Whose name do we draw power from? Whose name do we obey? Who do we listen and heed when He calls? Do we obey because of love, or because we are compelled by His power?

Wherefore art thou on the arts, Romeo?

We went to see "Daniel & The Lion's Den" at the Sights & Sounds Theater. It was spectacular! They have a fantastic theater unlike any other I've seen. Sights & Sounds Theater

World class theater with the gospel message at the end of every production.

We can't compete with the budget and talent of Sights & Sounds, but that doesn't leave us out of the arts. I was driving through an urban neighborhood a few weeks ago and to my surprise, the old movie theater was still there and hanging on! It gave me a thought, wouldn't it be cool if a local church or a group of churches could take an old theater, and use it for a artsy coffee shop, small stage for theater that honors God, and the movie screen for movies that can reach into our culture today?

What would it take? A small run down theater, a modest start up budget, some dedicated passionate individuals and God flexing His muscles (click here for more about God flexing His muscles). There is a way to show God's love and mercy through the arts, there is a way to show His compassion and sacrifice through the arts, there is a way to reach many for the kingdom through the arts.

Christians often complain about the arts, and about movie and theater and television. Yet they have no alternative. We need to be involved in the arts, to change the current direction, to redeem the arts for God's purposes.

"Let them have cake and eat it too." I say let us have arts and evangelize too.
Wherefore art thou on the arts, Romeo?

Valentine's Day Reflections

I spent a lot of time on the road on Thursday, Valentine's Day. Listened to the radio and even called my wife a few times. I had left her a surprise card (HTML on the home page of the computer). A number of people called into the radio stations about Valentine's Day.

There were the cheap last minute gift ideas, the romantic stories, prayer requests for loved ones away in the military. One struck me more than the rest: one lady called in to tell of a friend who was spending the day visiting the nursing home and the hospital, because those people on average never have visitors and maybe their spouse is gone, it's lonely.

We get caught up in the love and romance of the day, but our broken world has left a lot of broken lonely people, in nursing homes or on your block.

Depression is rampant in February: lack of sunlight (Season Affect Disorder) and our commercial pursuit of love. We've traded in love for a flash in the pan feeling that all covered in chocolate and wrapped in red, with a rose tied on for extra brownie points.

Family Life Network's morning show had some funny stuff all week. They had their accountant Dave, giving out tips on love and romance, if you look in the mirror and see some long term depreciation of your portfolio, then it's time to get to the gym and burn off the excess cash reserves. He sings, "Let's get fiscal" to "Let's get physical" tune.

It brings up a good point about romancing your spouse. Focus on the Family had a special on marriage, and on the program, they had one of the couples who wrote, "The Most Important Year in a Man's Life, The Most Imporatnt Year in a Woman's Life"
He explained, when the wedding occurs, the man checks it off his list of things to do, and the woman is beginning something new.

The man needs to keep on romancing even though he's won the girl. She's his through and through, but when he keeps pursuing, they both win.

Take a minute this weekend to reflect on Valentine's Day. Are you coasting in the slow lane, or it is petal to metal in pursuit?

Which school are you?

There's a lot of talk about the "old school". It's full of nostalgia, happy memories, it's what we had and what we think we want for our children.

Then there is the "new school". It's full of progressive ideas, change, and often scary ideas.

The church is only one generation from dying out. Our "old school" generation is supposed to teach the "new school" the doctrine, and let the new school figure out the effective method for reaching the unschooled.

Who are the unschooled? That is the world we live in. There are people in America who only know Jesus as a swear word. They may have heard of a Bible, some old book grandma has on the shelf, covered in dust and not very useful. They may be the college professor who finds religion as quaint and a crutch for weak people. It could be the drug addict who has forgotten the lessons learned at Vacation Bible School as a child. It's the single mom, afraid, hungry, has to move out of the apartment and has no place to live.
It could be the surgical doctor who has watched so many die, he himself is jaded about life. It could be the family down the street, with all the toys and picture perfect life, who is happily going along through life without a thought to what may come after.
Maybe its us, those who grew up second generation in the church and we live on the faith of our parents, never coming to our own faith. We just do church, know all the right answers and look good in the pew.

All of us fit into one of these categories, we're ready to teach, ready to learn, or ready to learn. Before we go further, we need to evaluate one thing: new does not equate better. The new school needs the old school, and the old school can't reach the unschooled without the new school.

As we come into a new era of church, an era without church choirs, less hymns, multi-media worship, 20 minute sermons, mega-churches and multimedia illustrations; let's remember it's not the stuff of church that's important.

The most important thing is the message.

The message does not change, the Bible does not change, God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. When the old school focuses on the message, and allows the new school to change the method, the unschooled is brought into the kingdom.

Which school are you in?
What I am supposed to be doing?

Listening or Speaking?

Get all the advice and instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life.
--Proverbs 19:20, NLT

Do we spend more time talking, sticking the word in edgewise, fighting to get a word in, so that we can be heard? Elaine has really enjoyed being pregnant through the first two trimesters, enjoyed it, because she is looking to what is coming, not the uncomforts of now. She has been getting weekly emails about pregnancy. One of the hot topics in pregnancy is naming the baby. There are megabytes consumed on the spelling, and people arguing in the blog on how to spell a name.

I just picked up a book from the library, "The Cult of the Amateur" which is about the internet: blogging, video posts and such. Everybody has a voice, but nobody is listening. The internet is the new interactive TV!

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven...
A time to be silent and a time to speak

Now that I have spoken what's on my mind, it is time for silence, that I can learn and be wise.

Are you too busy speaking to listen?