Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Eph 5:14-17)

That is what has happened to me this summer, and I want to record this journey to some extent. Maybe someone else will stumble across it and find direction and hope.

I have been a pastor for the last 16 years now. During that time, I have served both in a full time and bi-vocational capacity. When I began this journey, I felt I had a good grasp on things and had great confidence in my abilities as a person, parent, and preacher. As the years progressed, I would learn more and have less confidence that I knew anything at all. I know this is a common experience for many, so I am okay with it.

The last 3 years, I have been pastoring in a far different capacity than ever before. We left institutional church processes in January of 2007, and licked our wounds for a while. I got a job to support us, and after about 6 months we became convinced that a church should function rooted in families and growing out of families rather than as a ministry to families. So we began Ordinary Faith and started working with some truly great people. This has been my saving grace. The way we are involved with Christ’s church now is the most wonderful thing I have ever known.

The trouble however began for us when we moved to Rock Springs. We had lived in very small towns for almost 20 years. And even though, Rock Springs is a small town in comparison to many cities, there were many things available to us that we had never before had access. A movie theatre, a Wal-mart, and lot’s of stores that had always required a considerable amount of effort to visit when we lived in other places. So over the last seven years, we become more concerned with material things. We became more concerned with fleshly entertainments and more concerned with ourselves in general.

Things came to a crisis for us in May of this year. It was a very difficult first five months of the year in my work that came to a head with my failing an operations review. While this was all going on, we also were having a tremendous about of conflict with our sons. It seemed their only concern was escapism and entertainment through video games, TV, and movies. We had purchased a new 46 inch TV in November and had gotten cable for the first time in many years, it was a terrible mistake. In June, our new TV blew up and it was not covered by warranty. Good times.

I have learned over the last several months that stress in my life is evidence that God is at work. Conflict, stress, and many of the difficulties in life are really God’s grace coming toward us. That is the critical importance of Hebrews 12:15. When these things come, we must receive them. So God in His mercy kept us from replacing our TV and rather guided us into His Word and a serious evaluation of our family.

More to come…

When we know Jesus is around we are happy regardless of circumstances. This is a joy that overtakes every situation.

Often we refer to the trials of Paul as an argument for the difficulty and suffering that are common to life. However we fail to note that even though Paul is describing very difficult circumstances he ended all such descriptions with a statement like, “nevertheless, I have joy in the Lord.” Paul had learned that joy is constant and circumstances are fleeting. How did he do it?

One case is the situation in Philippi where he was beaten and imprisoned and is found singing to the Lord. How is that possible? Really it is not difficult. Paul merely chose to realize the truth of Christ rather than succumb to the illusion of circumstance. Present circumstances were bad. He was suffering, he was uncomfortable, and he was in a great deal of pain, but… Jesus was with Him. In His presence is fullness of Joy. While, I for example, would have intensified my misery by falling into the circumstances, I would have spent the entire night in that jail. I would have focused on the disgusting mold covered wall. The rats crawling around me and scurrying about would have driven me crazy. I would have moaned and cried at the injustice of the beating and I would have despaired that no one cared about my plight. Paul made another choice.

Paul spent the night in the presence of Christ! While I would have been in jail, he spent the night in heaven. And that is all the difference. So now I must ask myself, where will I spend today? Here on earth, or in the fullness of deeply abiding joy.

AWAKE!! Micheal

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; Psalms 37:7

I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. Psalms 62:1

We are most often under the impression that being a Christian requires our best effort at working for God. We believe that although our contributions may be small compared to His, and certainly corrupted because of our sinfulness, that the harder we work, the more likely our success and therefore his blessing.

Discipleship most certainly requires our best sacrifice but not of effort, rather of repentance, rest, quietness, stillness, and trust also known as faith. There is no way to escape the stillness of discipleship. I can no longer justify the business of life or the distraction of so many various escapes provided by entertainments. Discipleship, effective discipleship begins in stillness.

Daily stillness is required for joy, peace, and maturity. Take time for stillness today.

Hope!! Micheal

So If you believe in the Lord Jesus and have received His salvation allow me to make all of those people who are trying to control your life with guilt (for not “working” hard enough) angry.

#1 Your heart is not “desperately wicked”. This is a reference based upon Jeremiah 17:9. It is a true when defining unredeemed, unregenerate men and women. However in the context of those who have been saved by God’s grace, it is no longer true.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So there it is, this is God’s Word on the subject, deal with it man. You have changed, you are not the same. So stop making excuses for the unrighteousness in your life and find out what God has done about it. Which leads us to..

#2 God has not only dealt with your sins, (cool huh?) He has also dealt with your very nature to sin.

Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

Dude, your sin nature, my sin nature HAS BEEN crucified with Christ. Just as it is a historical fact that Jesus Christ was historically crucified upon a cross for the sins of man. It is also a historical fact that I have been crucified with Him for the destruction of the sin nature.

Let me guess your first thought, “But dude, I am having a lot of problems doing the right thing. How can this be true since I still do stupid stuff (aka – sin)?” Good question. The fact is many remain unforgiven because they do not, cannot, will not, “whatever” not believe that Christ’s death on the cross was for them or their sins. It is also true that many believers remain unholy, unrighteous because they do not, cannot believe that God promised righteousness and holiness have also been secured by God. We believe in salvation by grace and faith, but sanctification by works.

So bro (or sis) get over your own self. And believe this, “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

Here are a few more you may have missed.

Colossians 1:22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

If you are tired of the “pat” answers like I am. (You know, “go to church”, “read your bible”, “talk to the Pastor”, “pray”, “read this book”) And feel you are ready for God to open your eyes to His answer, then I challenge you to take journey with Jesus and ask Him to teach you His answer for our sinful condition and our sinful nature.

I dare you to experience the Jesus promised “abundant life”.

It seems Paul had a special place in his heart for the people in Thessalonica. When he left Philippi he left with his reputation very much abused. His feeling upon arriving in Thessalonica was apparently one of discouragement but God gave him courage to share with the people there and what a glorious thing that became because the people in Thessalonica received that good word.

Paul appeals to the integrity of that event in chapter 2. He admits that his motives were pure, that he sought only to please God. He confesses the earnestness of that initial ministry. “We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For He called you to share in His Kingdom and glory.” This pleading came in the face of, or rather as an introduction to, persecution that he warned them would come.

Why the persecution? Why the suffering? Does true faith always couple with suffering and persecution? The persecution in Thessalonica came from the religious more than the political. Is that always the case?

“…live in a way that pleases God.” This is Paul’s plea beginning chapter 4. Live in a way that pleases God. He lists avoiding sexual sin as opposing Holiness. He lists our goal … “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” This kind of life earns respect and secures successful business and life.

A quiet life. There is so little to commend a quiet life today. Isn’t the world in a state of disquiet? Isn’t chaos the air we breathe? Quietness is a holy pursuit and a pleasing pursuit. Sexual purity is also a holy and pleasing pursuit. Loving others is a holy and pleasing pursuit.

This gives me more of a context for an ordinary faith. A life more ordinary is a life of faith lived out in the context of our day to day existence. Ordinary faith is a life that embraces each ordinary, mundane moment as a divine miracle, and an operation of God.

Our culture is entirely built upon the sex drive. Everything is about sex. Movies, advertising, even causal greetings are seen as mere preludes to some sexual meaning. An ordinary faith embraces the intimacy of life yet maintains sexual purity in thought and deed. Ordinary faith loves others purely without the corruption of impure sexual flirtation. An ordinary faith is quiet, at peace, shameless, and free. This is one way to take Paul’s instruction to heart and to life.

Every moment is divine. Ordinary is only the divine that we routinely experience.

Kristi was up early writing a 2 page speech for the dedication. She says it won’t take long! J Kristi is going to share the initial shock at the announcement of his birth, then the shock of finding out he had down’s syndrome. But the grace with which these announcements came is proof that God is always loving us unconditionally. (She’s amazing.)

I have decided to give him three gifts. A flower, because he came to my life seemingly out of season, yet contains such beauty and hope for our lives. Salt because every life know bitterness, pain, grief, and injury. But the salt is a gift, and should be received as a blessing. The last gift is wine ( I will use sparkling grape juice for you that are afraid). Wine symbolizes so many things in Scripture. Blood, death, life, love, joy, and especially hope are all symbolized in the wine. Wine teaches us to embrace each moment, to enjoy God’s precious gift of life. That life though painful should be embraced loved and lived! Grief in life must be endured but life is to be enjoyed.

I pray my son lives. I believe he will teach me how to live.

How much of today will I miss in my hurry to get to tomorrow?

James 4:14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like a morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone… 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined.

 

How easy it must be to stray from the right path, how quickly our thoughts are misdirected and precious opportunities are lost on worthless things. How terrifying to look back and see that you have strayed into a land you never even knew existed.

How do we stay on the path? Maybe a better question is, “What is the path?” I believe the path is Jesus Christ. He is the reason that Paul’s plan was to forget all that was behind and pursue Christ. The problem for us is… that is not the kind of answer we are seeking. We want a nice black and white answer that spells out our daily activities and that plainly explains our next activity. What I don’t understand is why such an answer is even desired. We all know that as soon as some kind of rule is established for us, our main purpose then becomes to break or at least stretch that rule.

The Answer of Jesus is freedom from that base desire to sin. It is so much more than, “What would Jesus do?” It is more an active/passivity that invites the initiation of Christ into the moments of our lives? It is the awareness that Christ is in us ready to do more than we would ever dare ask or think. It is also a dependence that Christ is at work in our every thought, word, and deed.

How does one stay on the path? One remains aware of and gives attention to the path. The only way to stray is distraction.

So here I am in Jackson, Wy on a getaway with a couple of my sons. Cass and Cavin get very little Dad time compared to the older and younger children so with Kristi gone home to Kentucky for a Wedding and me with four days off, the guys and I are out to have a good time.

 While on this trip my hope is to get glued back together. To remember who I am and why I am here. Also to refocus my heart which has been so wrapped up in work lately that I can’t seem to get my attention anywhere else.

 

Why is it so easy to lose sight of the holy, of the beautiful, of God? Why is it so easy to become blind to everything that matters? Why do I so quickly become soiled with guilt, sin?

 

What would I like to accomplish this weekend?

• I would like to get my heart right with God
  
• I would like to get my health back on track
• I would like to really enjoy my sons
• I would like to rest and refresh

So today we will go snow tubing. Maybe we will go to the Elk Refuge and maybe we will play some games.