Party

"You've got to fight, for your right, to parrrrrrrty." Beastie Boys one hit wonder.

Think of the most fun party you have ever been to or been a part of.......OK that's enough time. Pretty fun right?  We are told that heaven is going to be like that; times infinity! A never ending party; the best food and wine, friends, family, and famous folks you only read or heard about.  As James Grogan says "Baptists will be at there own table with juice boxes and mac-n-cheese." wearing there big boy pants no doubt. An eternity to party on dude.  Jesus the host, throwing it for us, because we fought for the right to party!  Everyone is invited, several RSVP, even then, some who accepted the invite ultimately allow excuses to get in the way and don't show. Most, however, decline the invite altogether.


Our fight is not of flesh and blood but spiritual.  Working at Trader Joe's, I constantly have eye candy dangling before eyes.   It's a fight to put on the blinders, nine out of ten times I ....fail.  Thank God it's by grace through faith, not of doing good deeds or keeping a clean slate, or one would be able to boast and think they made it to the party of their own doing. Nope, it's all about accepting the invite, and fighting to follow through and showing up at the party.

All Things to All Men

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Four Gospels, four completely different takes and perspectives on the life Jesus led over 2000 years ago.  The gospel called for multiple approaches by multiple writers, each presenting the message of Christ to a different audience. Not to be overly simplistic, but Matthew was written for the Jews, Mark for CNN Headline news folk.  Luke was the careful historian writing for the non-Jewish skeptics; John wrote for the aesthetic and philosophical. The point is simple, but profound.  The message is unchanging, but the method of communicating that gospel must change according to the language, culture, and background of the audience.

There are four in our family; well, seven if you count Rocky, Mittens, and Coba. But here's the thing, each of us have a different take on the same event.  If we all went to the same party, I would be hanging with the wine and foodies, the kids with their peers at the pool and Playstation. Janet would be making a mental note of everything and everyone.

With Jesus as our example how did he meet and greet?

When he encountered the woman at the well, he began his conversation with the topic of water. When he encountered the fisherman Peter, his starting point was fishing. When the tax collector invited Jesus to his house, the issue of money opened the dialogue. Jesus clearly developed his presentation of God’s saving message in light of the context and background of his listeners. The apostle Paul shared Christ’s commitment to this approach, writing that he became “all things to all men so that by all possible means some may be saved” (1 Cor. 9:22) Coincidence?  I think not.  I think God wants us to contextualize our message for the sake of spiritual impact.

Andy Stanley once said that when we talk to people eventually the Holy Spirit working on the outside with them and the inside with us, that the path and topic may eventually cross to talk about the spiritual stuff.

Missing Person

So this morning, I got up made coffee, went outside to watch the sun rise, pray for the family, and set my day's rudder.  It's going to be a warm humid one so I set out to mow the lawn early while the dew was still on each blade. I put on Pandora and was mowing to the music when some lyrics by Micheal W Smith hit me.

...Guarded and cynical now, can't help but wondering how, my heart evolved into the rock beating inside of me?  So I reel such a stoic ordeal; where's that feeling that I don't feel? There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain, and like a child he would believe without a reason...Without a trace he disappeared into the void and, I've been searching for that missing person.

Who dimmed that glowing light that once burned so bright in me?  Is this a radical stage, a problematical age that keeps me running from all that I used to be?  Is there a way to return, is there a way to unlearn that carnal knowledge that's chipping away at my soul? Have I been gone too long, will I ever find my way home?

He used to want to walk the straight and narrow, he had a fire and he could feel it in his marrow.  It's been a long time and I haven't seen him lately though I've been searching for that missing person...

James 1:19-27

  DLP-Dave's Loose Paraphrase

James 1:19-27  Dudes and dudettes; you have two ears and one mouth so listen well before you open your pie hole.  Chill, before you open your mouth or act on impulse.  Like toothpaste, you can't put back in the tube things said or done in anger.  Put aside the things that trip you up and give you a bad name which reflects poorly on your Savior.  Yeah, you're going to stumble and fall, but don't stay there; get back up and follow the Master.

John 1:1 says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God...and was God.  So yes, by all means be a listener of the word, but also, WWJD-What Would Jesus Do? Be a doer as well.  If all you do is listen and never put into practice what you learn, is like having a car without any gas in the tank, or having a business action plan but no plan of action.

So, break the chains of legalistic law and learn to live in the perfect law of love in both word and deed.  You may think your religious cause you go to church or try to live a good life. Just cause you go to McDonald's doesn't make you a hamburger! True religion is doing things for people who could never repay you or doing things that you never expect repayment in this life. Continue to shower in Gods perfect water supply, washing the world's dirt off the moment you get dirty. And really, do I need to get the soap for your mouth?

Success

 Success milestones at ages...

2-not peeing your pants
12-having friends
16-drivers license
18-going "all the way"
35-having $
50-having $
60-going "all the way"
70-drivers license
75-having friends
80-not peeing your pants

Four stages of life...

You believe in Santa
You don't believe in Santa
You are Santa
You look like Santa

Anyway; it's never too late to be what you might have been. I mention this because I recently interviewed for a management position, and one of the questions was to define my idea of success.  I got brownie points for my answers above! Kidding.
I told them that the first half of our lives we strive to get ahead; doing what we can to move up the corporate ladder, sometimes at the expense of our family and coworkers. Now that I'm in my second half, I try to share my experiences in helping others and to leave a legacy.

Some cause happiness wherever they go; some whenever they go.  I strive to be the former!

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Matthew 5:13-16

New International Version (NIV)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Mermaids and Zombies

Wow!  The NOAA officially announced that Mermaids do not exist; Really? Tax dollars at work. I thought I'd heard  enough silliness after the CDC gave recommendations on how to survive a Zombie attack just last month.  You watch, the next thing will be that they discovered the God particle, or that the theory of evolution is fact.

Lines of fact and fiction are becoming more blurred as each day passes.  When millions of people disappear in the blink of an eye, the public can be rest assured that it was due to alien abduction.  Mulder are you out there.

Craziness I tell you.

Seek God Early and Often

In repentence and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength-Isaiah 30:15

I've always liked that verse!  How many times do we get up in the morning, stumble into the kitchen to get coffee, turn on Crissy Russo at Fox 5 News, oops, I mean turn on the news or check Yahoo lead page to see what we might have missed while we slept.  For instance, today, I awakened to news that Andy Griffith passed away.

First thing in the morning we get bombarded with negative news, and overwhelmed with the emails accumulating all night ready to be read.  In reality, the rudder for the day should be set; spending time quietly with the one who already knows our day. He knows how and when we are going to blow it.  So let's give Him praise, be thankful for all He's done and going to do today. Don't stress about our salvation while learning to trust and rest in the fact that the joy of the Lord is indeed our strength!

Yeah, today is going to have it's share of negative news, so plug into the Power of God, set sail, rest in Him, so the rest of your day can be the best of your day.

25 Year Anniversary

We just spent time in Hawaii celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Some of the meds I'm on has caused my fingers to swell, so I've been unable wear my wedding ring.  Since we were celebrating 25 years together, we splurged and visitied a jeweler while on the Island.

The replacement ring I got is pretty cool; it has a two part center that spins, and has waves on it. The significance is also pretty cool.   The last few years have brought some rough seas, yet the two part ring is still intact and the two distinctly different parts make one ring.

Feed me or Feed Others

Local San Diegian Peter Drucker has always touted in his public speaking and books that you have to know what your mission is and who your customer is.  Two vitally important things that need utmost attention.


In his book "Crazy Love"  Francis Chan says "Christians are like manure; spread it out and it causes growth all around, keep it in a pile and it stinks."  It's killing the church, blinding our vision, and paralyzing the mission. "I didn't get anything out of it." I want to go where I'm fed." I need to be ministered to." I always thought that "worship" was about what we can give, not what we can get?

So what's the mission? Is it to seek and to save the lost (how could we have a mission other than the one Christ had and then entrusted to us). Yes, the Great Commission involves discipleship via evangelism  as if doing one prevents concentrating on the other. It’s a both/and, not an either/or.  Evangelism must be priority.

Who, then, is our primary customer? It is inescapable - if our mission is to evangelize then disciple, then our “customer” is the one who is lost...not the piled up group. Here is the breakdown - most churches have, as their primary focus, reaching and then serving the already convinced. So the mission isn’t making disciples, but caring for them. From this, services rendered to the believer become paramount. They become the customer in a consumer-driven mission.

Then it’s not about whether you are fed, but whether or not you have learned to feed yourself and, best of all, feed others.

Then it’s not about whether you are ministered to, but whether you are, yourself, a minister to others.

Then it’s not about whether you got anything out of the service, but whether you gave God anything of service.

Now remind me again why do we have the Holy Spirit?