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“We are not saved to be “channels only,” but to be sons and daughters of God. We are not turned into spiritual mediums, but into spiritual messengers; the message must be part of ourselves.” When I observe Christians, in church, on television or in the mirror, I am often confused by the inconsistency between what I hear and what I see. Sadly I have not often had the experience of someone moved closer to God after observing my life. In fact, I have heard expressions of surprise when folks have learned I’m a Christian. “The Son of God was His own message, His words were spirit and life; and as His disciples our lives must be the sacrament of our message. The natural heart will do any amount of serving, but it takes the heart broken by conviction of sin, and baptized by the Holy Ghost, and crumpled into the purpose of God before the life becomes the sacrament of its message.”  My favorite preacher is not always a great speaker. Sometimes his messages are magical. Sometimes not so much. He often skips and drifts. He tells me what he’s going to tell me and then tells me what […]

In the sixth Chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus feeds five thousand and walks on water. But even then, the crowds were not ready to accept a life of complete dependence on Jesus.  26Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”  28Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”  29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  We can’t seem to accept that’s all there is to it: believe in Him. Not an intellectual belief, but a complete trust putting belief. He has it all.  35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that […]

A young man ran up to Jesus, threw himself at Jesus’ feet and asked “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man replied, “Been there done that.” Jesus then suggested he give all he had to the poor and the man walked away sad because he had much. We want a cafeteria style Chrisianity. We seek a deal with God in which we take what we need from Him; but keep doing much of what we do as we always have. We believe we have certain aspects of life under control. We can handle them. We just want God to take up the slack. That was the young man’s problem. For eternal life, He need God; but for the here and now, he felt he had that under control. With God, it’s all or nothing. We need to grab hold of Jesus with both hands and that means letting go of what we’re holding onto now. For most of us that’s alot. Principally, it’s our pride. It must be relinquished. We must lead a Relinquished Life. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us By Daniel H. Pink  reveals […]

I am a child of the 60s; I guess. But I wasn’t a hippie,  a flower child or a surfer. But OC caught my imagination with this; “The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super-joy of going clean through it.”  That which strikes terror in the hearts of the masses is a joy ride for others. I spent the early morning hours preparing for the “Fearless” Sunday night series which will begin on Sunday, April 18, after Extraordinary is completed.  The same concept rolls through the writings of both OC and Max Lucado, who authored “Fearless.” The situations which confound and terrorize the unbeliever are just new places to meet with Jesus for the Christian. “Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”Romans 8:37 “Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things – tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super-joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.” […]

This painting is called “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things” by Mark Lawrence. Mark’s obviously an artist. He has done a series of paintings inspired by OC and his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. It’s great to do creative things which inspire. I, on the other hand have spent the last three hours making fine adjustments to the Amana Christian Fellowship home page and a couple of more hours are needed. I do this in the hours of early morning with only the glow of the laptop screen lighting the room. Not very glamorous…it’s drudgery.  That places me squarely “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things.”   “It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator – the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading, in your kitchen; the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel.”  I have had the privilege of preaching the gospel on occasion and OC is […]

Rose and I are not going to Guetemala. When we heard Mike Clark’s presentation at church a couple of weeks ago we put together our passport applications and almost started packing. A little thought and prayer thereafter revealed ours was an emotional response. It’s not our calling. But it may well be yours. The chance for a trip to the mountains at the end of June and the beginning of July when it will be a 100 degrees here and perfect weather there, sounds tempting. A week with 19 other folks from Amana will be a great bonding experience. Seeing how God is changing young lives (the young ones already there and the ones who will  go on the trip from Amana) will be awesome. But more than all that, if it’s what God is calling you to, you can expect unspeakable joy.. The joy I get from my called-to mission, I wouldn’t give up for anything. If you haven’t found your mission… your joy, maybe it’s at Casa on the Rock. It’s time to pray and decide because passports are needed and time is a wastin’, A word of warning. If God is calling you to this or […]

Don’t mistake these two words so nearly alike. Vocation is the employment, business or profession one follows for a living; avocation is some pursuit or occupation which diverts the person from such employment, business or profession. Thus an avocation is essentially a hobby. Is the Kingdom of God our vocation or our hobby? If I am honest I must admit that it is more an avocation.  I know the word says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:13 and a few verses later “”Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26 “It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of […]

During last year’s Christmas program, our kids sang about smelly, dirty sheep. That’s what they are smelly and dirty. Idealized pictures of sheep with snow white wool are works of fiction. Sheep are dirty and smelly. My grand kids sang that and so it must be true.  So when Jesus tells Peter to “Feed My Sheep” He is asking alot. Shepherds were on the lowest rung of society at the time and place those words were spoken. Shepherding was a dirty, smelly thankless job.  But Jesus loves His Sheep in that dirty, smelly condition. His arrival was first proclaimed to shepherds alone at night with their dirty, smelly charges. He  surrounded himself with dirty, smelly human sheep. OC describes them as “extraordinarily funny sheep, some bedraggled, dirty sheep, some awkward, butting sheep, some sheep that have gone astray!” The kids were right; dirty, smelly sheep.  But when the Holy Spirit comes He unites us with a God who loves those dirty, smelly sheep enough to die for them. He loves them with a love that is “impossible to weary.” And that love is inherited by us, when we become His.  Do you feel that “impossible to weary” love for […]