But, I don't want to...

I'm preparing a message on the church, and in the midst of it, realize something. The easiest answer.

But I don't want to.

It is the answer to the question "Why not?" 

Typically the answer is cloaked in good intention, justified excuse, or veiled response.  But the answer is...I do not WANT to.

This can be asked for many things.

1. Dad, why didn't you come to my ball game
2. Mom, why don't you kiss daddy anymore
3. Son, why don't you come visit me
4. Friend, why don't we hang out sometime
5. Why haven't we seen you at church lately
6. Why didn't you pray this morning
7. Why haven't you shared the love of Jesus today
8. Why aren't you giving tithes/offerings
9. Why haven't you invested in a young person's future
10. Why haven't you gathered wisdom from an older person's life

Simply, (sadly) - I Do Not Want To

We like to say we try, or put some weak attempt at it.  But our inner selfishness outweighs our compassion/desire/struggle to actually DO something! and we don't necessarily suffer the consequences. But your parents/children/friends/church do

And sometimes we do. If I don't pray, and dig into the Bible, then I suffer. and the danger in these all are the callouses that build.

Sons resent their fathers, mothers find passion in other things, dads feel neglected, friends dissolve, churches fail, the elderly are forgotten, and children become invisible.  

You can change, I can change.  But...we have to WANT to.
We have to consciously decide that I want to.

Quit making excuses, and quit finding reasons not to, and realize the only thing keeping you from 99% of the things you say you can't do, is YOU.

We recently began a campaign at Lighthouse Church, "You Matter," and you do!  Do NOT believe the lie that you will not be missed if you fail to attend, or that your amount is so small that is doesn't matter, or that you impact is so tiny that there are no waves.

Actually think about it next time you say no, is there any way you can make it happen, or simply are you telling someone that might desperately need you...

"I DON'T WANT TO!"

Warm Embrace of Cold

Ok, so a few thoughts as we head into 2014.

I look outside, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Sun shining, trees swaying in a light breeze, and the sky is an amazing shade of blue.

But here's the thing.

It. Is. Freezing. No literally. The temperature outside would freeze water. It is freezing, but you would never know just by looking at it.

But go out into it, and it will win. It will beat you. maybe not at first, you can withstand it. But eventually, you will succumb to it, and it will defeat you. And, if you stayed way too long.... it would actually kill you.

Made me think about Sin.

Sin oftentimes LOOKS beautiful, fun, enjoyable.  And, like this weather, may even BE enjoyable for a time. (Heb 11:25) However, eventually, it WILL kill you.

The thing about weather is that with enough protection, you can stay out in it. Throw on some blankets, maybe a hand warmer, and a couple layers of clothes, and you can stay in it indefinitely.  But Sin, on the other hand...

Sure you can stay in Sin, keep praying that it will go away, but unless YOU leave it, it will win. (Eze. 18:30)

We have to leave sin, there isn't enough we can do to stay in without consequence. We need a warm cabin with a fire.  That cabin is Jesus.

He is separate from Sin, and when we seek Him, leave the Sin. WE win.

SIN IS DEATH! (Rom 6:23)

You can't beat death, but i do know a guy.

Jesus beat death, and he can beat your death, too. (1 Cor. 15:57)

So don't be fooled by the beauty of sin, it will beat you, you will surrender, and it will kill you.
Get in the warmth and love of Jesus, and instead of dying, you can LIVE.

Staying in the Sin you are in is as wise as staying outside with no clothes for a week...

Old School

Classic style! Let's discuss.  I have been listening to old songs from Geoff Moore. (if you don't know who he is, stop reading, go listen to his Live album.. right now. go ahead, I'll wait.) There was something special about that era of Christian Music.  With Audio Adrenaline returning soon, I was left wondering.  Why do we glamorize the old days.

Old days were, at one time, a today.  In those todays, we thought fondly of the old days.  And wished that those todays were as good as those old days.  We always glorify yesterday, as if it were magically perfect an unique?

True, some things will never be the same as it used to be.  My unborn son will NEVER visit the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Nor will he ever fully grasp the weight of their absence.  My deceased Brother-In-Law, Barry, will never give me his special fist-bump again.  Some things will never be like they were.  Good/bad

But for the most part, what we have heightened to "Good 'Ole Days," were at one time a boring, unsatisfying today.  The issue doesn't lie in the quality of today, and No, today's today are not worse than yesterday's today.

The issue is the moment.

It has been said that memories are just snapshots of moments.  Good, bad, happy, sad, indifferent, pain, rejoice, loss.  All these memories are of the moment.  Some moments are longer than others.  I still remember most of the night we lost Barry.  But what I remember most is the moments.  The moments piece together to make the memories.  9/11 is a day of moments.

Today has the potential to be a moment.  Parents strive to make childhood moments.  Children are enjoying and wasting moments.  The elderly are grasping for new ones, all while reminiscing about a life full of moments.  But, the interesting thing is we tend to hold on to the good moments, and release bad ones.  Sure, some bad ones are so strong we can't let go. But the idolizing of Old Days comes from moments.  And for the most part, these moments are good.

We filter old times through this rose colored glass.  This is why we remember ex-girlfriends in greater light than they deserve.  This is why old TV shows seemed better than they were.  And childhood movies haven't aged as well as we had hoped.  Which is fine.  Yesterday was full of great moments.

But SO IS TODAY!

This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it! While there is nothing wrong with recalling moments, we cannot live there.  We must live in today, old days are written, forgive those who need it, ask for forgiveness from those you hurt.

Yesterday had it's own troubles, like today. But we choose to remember how good those were.  So choose to make today as good as you remember yesterday.

Today will eventually be a "Good Ole Day" so make it full of good moments!

Wait...WHAT?

Isn't that what we should be saying?

Proverbs 19:20 says Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.

Our snap decision usually doesn't better us.  Usually doesn't change us.  That's why it is quick.  It is usually what we already believe.  We already have a basic decision made before we ask the question. We work things out in our mind, and to us, we have examined it from every angle. 

But if it holds up to that  scrutiny, why don't we test it? Why don't we ask about it? Why don't we bring it to a respected friend, so that we can ensure we have it right? Especially when it says in Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

I don't want to be foolish. I want to be wise.  Wisdom, apparently, comes from listening to people. Here we have 2 (and those aren't the only ones) scriptures that say we should listen to people, and you will be wise. BUT...There are a LOT of voices out there.  I can find one to justify ANYTHING.  So how do we make sense of the scriptures that say listen to people?

In 1 John 4:1 we find Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

God will speak to us in a few ways:
1. He will Speak so clearly and loudly to us, that we have no question it is from Him. 

     Maybe at a conference/altar experience and it is so strong NOTHING can shake you from it...

2. Others will speak into your life
     God will impress a thing in others that you might not be listening for, and He will send them to you
3. God will impress in your heart, and someone/something will confirm it. 
     You kinda think maybe something, and a song/preacher/friend speaks and you KNOW it is God

In all of these, we are told to test them, and make sure they are from God. (yes, even the epiphany moment)  If so it will line up with His Word.  

So how does wisdom from listening fit here?  Nowhere does it say take every piece of advice you hear, and follow it, so you can prosper.  It does say listen to advice, and be wise. 

If we listen to people (prov 19:20) and the test it (1 john 4:1), we can act accordingly, and avoid being foolish (prov 12:15)

With everything we should be saying "Wait...WHAT?

...but I'm just not as close to God...

...as I used to be.  I've heard that quite a few times in my years as a minister, and as a follower of Christ.  And, to be honest, I've SAID it a number of times.  Usually for a number of reasons, but always the wrong ones.

---God let me down, how could He, If he was a loving God, If only...

---I've slipped away lately, and feel I'm too far away, how could He love me

---I've blown it, no way I could go back until ____ gets fixed first

---It's just not the same, it's not like it was, I've changed, church changed, that group changed

---Life is different now, I don't know how to get back

---I just can't capture that feeling like it was at _____

The problem is how we view God's love, and His separation from us.
     At salvation, He destroyed any gap between us and Him. Rom 10:9-13  Before then, there was no way to reach Him, not through our money, good deeds, kind words, nothing.  The gap was impassable.  Insurmountable.  Impossible.  But Christ reached across, and brought us into salvation.  Our accepting, surrendering, and following Him enabled us to be with Him.

He brought us to a point where we were close to Him.  We enjoyed it, we wanted it.  We lived in it.  then...

"something" happened.  laziness, boredom, curiosity, whatever.  "it" happened.  Whatever excuse we use to say God isn't close to us.  But here's the thing.

There's an old Petra song, "Just Reach Out", that says even though "you say you've walked a thousand steps away, don't you know it's only one step back!"

That's the thing.  We are never far away.  When we accepted Christ, He walks with us.  So when we walk 1,000 steps away, he is walking with us, 1,000 steps.  That's Great News.  Jesus is still right there with us, no matter what.

Not to say we are free to live however, just because he is that close. Galatians 5:13 tells us not to abuse that, because living like that can destroy us.  But it is great news, especially to those who have said I'm not close to God anymore, because - That's a lie.

You might not be in the same place you once were.  But, it's only one step back.  1 step.  Be encouraged! No matter what junk you have put yourself through, it's only 1 step back.

Don't believe the lies, you are never that far away.  You are just looking in the wrong direction. Turn around!

Ramblings of a mad man

What is it that makes one "mad"? Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Magellan, Da Vinci were all cited as being "mad", or "crazy".  Perhaps it was their ideas that bent the popular mainstream culture.  Or maybe it was the way they interacted with "lesser" minds... Or, in Einstein's case, maybe it was the hair.

Either way, Mad men shaped the world, for better or worse.  We never hear of Christopher Blakely, the man who scored in the 50th percentile on standardized tests, who made a modest living, and then quietly slipped into retirement.  Nope, average doesn't cut it.

It's the "crazies" who make headlines, shape futures, and eventually mold History.

I recently heard a message from an evangelist about being Crazy for God.  At the core we need to be Crazy About Him, before we can be Crazy For Him.  It's the crazies that leave legacies like that.

Isn't that what Crazies are doing? Leaving legacies that stand for generations.  Not necessarily to be remembered, or honored, but to leave this world better for having you in it?

What is your vision for your legacy 150 years from now? Not so much what do you think the world will be, or even what will people say about you 150 yrs from now.  But, what will make this world better for having you in it, 150 yrs from now.  Sure we don't talk about Chris Blakely specifically, but if he imparted wisdom, dreamt bigger, and made his family better, then his legacy will be in tact later.  Even if his family of the future have no idea where the tradition started.

There is talk of a High Speed Rail system to be built in the US by 2050.  That's vision beyond life-span.  There are plenty of 50-70 year olds on that committee that likely will never see it fully built, but doesn't stop them from seeing it.  Moses envisioned owning the promised land and didn't get to step foot in it until hundreds of years later.

Jesus Christ was seen as crazy, but that didn't stop Him from making this world better.  Don't be afraid to dream, or step out, or build, or see, or cast vision, or invent, or live, or restart, or start, or impart, or impact, or invest, or stop---- & share a moment with you family.

Don't be afraid to be a "Ben Franklin", or a "Chris Blakely"

Stuff

I haven't posted in a while, so i thought would get on here, catch up on a few things, and try to get rolling again...

1st off, LCY has a new group page, https://plus.google.com/communities/108579342873582626370

This is where news, pics, and info will happen.  

Also we are rolling out our own LCY app.  Go to http://lighthousecbc.net/lcyapp from your mobile device.  This is the main hub for us.  Up to date events, changes, info.  Be sure to check it out. Android, Ipod, Ipad, Iphone versions available.

Lots of stuff going on in the Youth group, as always.  So be sure to check those out and stay up to date.

Also, we have started text updates for the group, I have a lot of you, but if you want to make sure, just send me a text that you want LCY INFO at 4047890360. Parents and students.

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Our theme for LCY this year is Freedom!  Freedom in Christ, through serving Him, and being released from the things that bind.

Sin is captivating.  We are tempted by it.  Which can lead to falling into it.  Then, like a trap, we can't get out.  Sin is captivating.  We think we have it under control, but we are slaves to it.

Everything we do this year will be centered around the Freedom that Christ provides from sin, ourselves, and death. 

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I'm very excited about this year with Lighthouse Church Youth. I hope you are, too!