A Broken Promise...

It has been nearly a month since I updated my blog.  I am a bit disappointed in myself.  I set out to regularly update my blog.  It was a goal I set for myself earlier this year.  I was pretty gung ho about it and was commenting fairly regularly on the book of Acts, but then something happened.

BUSYNESS!  Busyness can distract us from goals.  It can distract us from those things that are important!  It can distract us from being a God follower.  The cost of busyness is life changing in the wrong way!  It can be destructive to your health and it can be destructive in your spiritual walk with Jesus.  Jesus said to the rich man:  "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  His possession, his wealth, his money is what kept him away from Jesus.  He even knew the commands, but he would not live by the commands of grace, love, forgivenss and a pursuit for Jesus.

What is keeping you busy from attending church?  from praying?  from reading the Bible?  from making some significant lifestyle changes?  from following Christ?  You know what they are.  God knows what they are.  All you need to do as I have done...confess...give it to God.  He has made a difference in the world and he can make a difference in YOU!

The Hardest Job...

I don't know about you, but I do like the show on the Discovery Channel called Dirty Jobs.  Mike Rowe is the host and he searches for some of the dirtiest and sometimes hardest jobs in the world.

Some jobs are just disgusting.  Others are unimaginable.  Still others come as a surprise to us, because we didn't even know such a job existed.  But Mike, reluctantly, takes on the job and gets dirty.

In Exodus, God had told Moses, "You 'da man!"  Okay, maybe not quite like that, but God revealed Himself to Moses through the burning bush and said, "I am going to get you guys out of Egypt.  I have seen it and now I am going to take you out of the bad company.   I am going to give you a land flowing with milk and honey!"  "That sounds good, God but..." Moses might have thought.  "What if they won't believe me and will not obey me..." Exodus 4:1 (HCSB)

Moses answered God, but if you read the last verse of Chapter 3, God did not ask him a question.  Moses was fearful of the job.  He knew it was going to be the hardest job and he didn't believe in himself.  Later on in Chapter 4 after God provides more details,  Moses says, "Please, Lord, send someone else." Exodus 4:13.  The job is just too hard.  I am not qualified, I don't speak well and people are not going to believe it is you.

I would agree Moses had the hardest job in the Old Testament.  Moses had the hardest job being the spiritual leader that God wanted him to be.

What do you believe is the hardest job?  Perhaps, a police officer or firefighter.  Perhaps, people who serve in our military.  Perhaps, being a single mom, school teacher, or counselor.  I believe all those are some of the toughest job.  But I believe, like Moses, that the spiritual leader that God has called in the local church is the Senior Pastor is the hardest job.

I know because I have felt like I wanted to give up!  I have felt like saying, "Why me, God?"  I struggle with being on fire every single Sunday.  There have been times where I have felt like leaving it.  Where I have felt like enough is enough.  Sometimes I feel as though I am a firefighter, putting out one fire after another.  Sometimes I am surprised, like Moses was when he came down with the tablets, about how people are.  Sometimes I am surprised by people's actions.  I put alot of effort in trying to organize our leaders, shepherd our church, and outreach to our community.  God I feel like leavingYour church and let someone else do the job!

The Senior Pastor is one of the hardest jobs on the planet.  There is alot of work that goes on "behind the scenes".  There is preparation on Sunday Mornings, there are visits to be made, there are problems, crisis and surprises that come around.  Maybe.  But if you are a Christ follower and you go to a local church, you need to get behind your Senior Pastor.  I am not a big name Senior Pastor like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Perry Noble and whole host of others.  But these guys have shared their ups and downs of being a Senior Pastor. 

Back to Moses, alot of the Hebrews didn't want to get behind Moses.  They started going their own way.  They didn't even begin to understand what Moses was doing.  As I have read his story, Moses put up with alot of complainers and whiners.  The job didn't pay well, but the rewards were great.  And even though Moses did not make it the promised land, he still remained faithful to the hardest job.

What about your Senior Pastor?  Are you make it hard or are you getting on board with what God wants to do?  Are you going back to Egypt or are you going to the promised land?  Make your choice, because I have.

Acts 7 - Speak Out

"You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are alway resisting the Holy Spirit; as your forefathers did so do you." Acts 7:51 (HCSB)

Those are some harsh words. Those are confrontational words. Or in the south "Them is figthin words!"

This where we find a man named Stephen. A man who was selected with six other men to serve the neglected widows. He had something to say. He had something that the people needed to hear. He wasn't afraid to speak out. We know nothing other than Stephen's characterisitics (Acts 6:3). He obviously knew his history, he knew what the prophets said, he knew his Old Testament. But the one thing I admire about him is that he was not ashamed to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. He was not ashamed where they had fallen short. He was not ashamed to point out their history. He was not ashamed to stand and speak out his faith. Because he did, he was stoned to death.

In your faith, do you speak out? Do you speak out in your actions? Do you speak words of encouragement or love? Do you speak out when you worship God? Because Stephen spoke out, an important man was somehow impacted by this event. Will you be impacted by your faith? Will you be impacted by the faith of other Christ followers. Make a decision to not be ashamed.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, and then for the Gentile."-Romans 1:16 (NIV)