The Power Of Story.

Every Christmas we tell the story of Jesus and how God incarnated himself in humankind's story. I have always wondered why the genealogy in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 were so important in telling the story. Most of us just skip over the so and so begat so and so but for me not any more.  The interesting aspect that now appeals to me about these listings is how there are more people in that list who's background is a little shady and not exactly who you would want to claim in your family line - just like most of us. We are not responsible for those in our families who generations ago made bad choices and hurt the family history.  Neither was Jesus. However, that's not the point.  The family story of the bible is one of redemption.  Jesus came to redeem our family history.

Ezek. 37:1-14 asks can these dead bones live.  Israel had a long history of people who obeyed or disobeyed... people long forgotten, dead, and their bones laid waste in a valley...  People who once thought their lives as important as our ancestors who've passed on from this life.  The prophet asks the question "can these dead bones live"?  The answer is yes. Their stories can come alive.  Through Christ family story and purpose can be redeemed and give us focus in directing our own lives.  When we pull the bones together (the story of our family) and give our family history flesh that provides meaning and hope - dead bones can live.  That's why I believe the story of Jesus' birth is so important because it puts flesh and bones on a story of God investing himself in our human stories.

As The Church Is So Goes The Nation...

A little over 18 months ago I was approached by some dear friends of mine to begin exploring the issue of "Division." Prov. 6:19 states that God hates... a person who stirs up dissension among brothers. If we know this is true then why do so many "Religious, supposed god-fearing people" engage this practice? James 3:16 tells us, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." Here's a great verse that explains it all James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren't they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you?" I don't know about you but the political squabbling in the house and senate, in the media, education, business field, and especially in the church world is unnerving. I think in the Western hemisphere one of the major reasons we have so much strife and turmoil has a lot to do with the shift from modernism to post-modernism. It also has to do with moving from relativism to Sophism. Let me explain.

According to Wikipedia "Conceptually, modernity relates to the modern era and to modernism, but forms a distinct concept. Whereas the Enlightenment invokes a specific movement in Western philosophy, modernity tends to refer only to the social relations associated with the rise of capitalism. Modernity aimed towards "a progressive force promising to liberate humankind from ignorance and irrationality" (Rosenau 1992, 5). with new social and philosophical conditions. The era of modernity is characterised socially by industrialisation and the division of labour, and philosophically by "the loss of certainty, and the realization that certainty can never be established, once and for all. It's 20th Century thinking was all about massification, centralization, standardization, and classification. Central to this loss of certainty is the loss of religion. C.S. Lewis expressed concern about how the modern state could undermine human freedom and dignity if policymakers adopted the approach of modern social science. At the same time, he also doubted the ability of any government to permanently reshape and subordinate a nation’s citizenry. CS Lewis saw "modernism" as the greatest threat in the 20th century to the church. Why?

I think Dr. Leonard Sweet in his highly acclaimed book, "So Beautiful" says it best. The Church has become "colonial in nature" meaning it demands standardization, conformity, and sees success through massification. The bigger the crowd is, the buildings, cash, and assets are defines success and anointing. The sad point however is many "modernist" Christians think that their world-view which was shaped in "modernism" is a christian worldview. CS Lewis fought with all his might to stop this from happening. Now as post-modernism has taken root in American culture, "modernist" Christians fight it's influence in favor of modernism as though it's the gospel. This is one major cause of division in the Body of Christ today.

Post-modernism begins with deconstructionism. GenX is a deconstructionist generation. They are remaking the culture. They are a part of a generation that where decentralization, demassification, standardization and conformity are out. Relational needs are forging celebrating diversification, collaboration, individualism. My concern has become that because of the blow back resulting from deconstructionism that many who are holding the views that "My truth is my truth and your truth is your truth and as long as we can agree to disagree we can be friends has now moved the culture further to a different position called,Sophism. This means "My feeling's about my truth should be regarded by you and if you don't regard my personal feelings, or hurt them by not accepting my view then we can't be friends. "The best we can hope to do is convert someone from their set of beliefs to ours. This is persuasion. It has nothing to do with transcendent truth or knowledge. It is an art, as the old rhetoricians knew. Fortunately, our belief structures contain within themselves the possibility of alteration, of adopting a new opinion." -- (Stanley Fish, Atlantic Monthly, March 1991) Wow. Now that is division and the church is full of this thinking. The fruit of deconstructionism has now moved us from fragmentation to postmodernism. Propositional truth is out. Words do not convey meaning. It is interesting to note that Dr. Francis Schaeffer may have been the first to write in-depth about post-Christian culture. It is important to understand Schaeffer’s view on culture in order to understand his position on the church in these perilous times.

Postmodernism essentially posits the view that there is nobody in the universe. There is “nobody to love man, nobody to comfort him, even while he seeks desperately to find comfort in the limited, finite, horizontal relationships to life (Death In The City, 215). The result is that “God has turned away in judgment as our generation turned away from Him, and He is allowing cause and effect to take its course in history” (Death In The City, 216).

The postmodern generation is inherently humanistic. Schaeffer mentions six key planks of the humanistic world-view including:

A rejection of the doctrine of creation.
A rejection of total depravity.
Sees human nature as part of a long, unfolding process of development in which everything is changing.
Casts around for some solution to the problem of despair that this determinist-evolutionist vision induces.
Can only find a solution in the activity of the human will.
Therefore, encourages manipulation of nature and tinkering with people (Whatever Happened To The Human Race, 288).

This is why I believe what Dr. Leonard Sweet said in to my co-hort one day during Dmin program. George Fox and Quakerism will be rediscovered in the 21st Century and may be the best answer to the post-modern mind. I now agree. That's why I am working to bring attention to Quakerism, George Fox, and even William Penn. It gives Americans a hope. It represents the Christian faith in a way that can be embraced by the post-modern mind. It ends all this fighting in the church world... and gives us the opportunity to become missional, relational, and incarnationational in our thinking. Ghee, is it possible that we could exemplify Psalm 133:1 to the nation and stop throwing rocks at each other?

To all those friends of mine who are looking at William Penn and his relationship to the Leni-lenopi's as an example provided us on how to behave with each other- may I reintroduce you to I Cor. 13 which defines love? Love is PATIENT. Love is KIND. It doesn't SING ITS OWN PRAISES! It doesn't THINK ABOUT ITSELF. Love isn't RUDE! IT doesn't KEEP TRACK OF WRONGS. It especially never gives up on people....... I am no longer interested in hearing "What love can do." Or talking about "coming with hands free of weapons" when I Cor. 13 is ignored. I'm tired of all the shouting, accusations, and ungodly behavior - that the church tries to justify. The Church has nothing to say to Washington DC or this nation until it comes to grips with II Chron 7:14.
On an individual level I don't need to be worrying about everyone else's sin... I need only look inside myself and ask "How can I get get rid of the dissonance between what I claim and how I act."

Penn treated the native Americans ("Indians") with respect. He came among them without guards or weapons. He learned their dialects so he could negotiate with them without interpreters. His peaceful policies prevailed for several decades, after which those who opposed these policies came into control of the Pennsylvania legislature. Maybe Penn could provide us a political framework to return to our real American foundation... However, until the church learns how to be who God called her to be that nation has no chance of being influenced by her.

I come to you with hands free of weapons!

This morning I am sitting in a Starbucks that was the pub where the "Treaty Of Paris was signed" and the constitution was written. I've just spent two days in a wonderful meeting that enlightened me that "God is Bigger" than my little imagination can get around. The scripture is still true "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways." Over the last few months I have been busting out of my comfort zone and connecting with church leaders across the nation. What a mess the church is in. I have concluded that "AS THE CHURCH IS so goes the nation." II Chron 7:14 is still very needed... however, Isaiah 58:12 is the task. Re paring the breach, raising up age old foundations, restoring paths to dwell in for future generations. The church is divided this way... God has told me thus and so. Another party will say God has led me this particular way. The first party responds and say well that's okay however, if you don't make my thus and so more important and central to your life.... you're not hearing God, you're not of God and I can't be in relationship with you. Sounds like the republicans and democrats in DC. It sounds like our work places and board rooms. Everyone has their own agenda and use the "God told me" to solidify and codify their positions. They have subterranean language and treat everyone as "Frienimies."
Recently, I received a letter venting their hurts and offenses on me. In other words, they had issues with me. I've done the same thing in the past and probably reaping what I've sown in others. Let me explain. I once wrote my Dad a letter I regretted sending to him later. The letter vented all my unforgiveness, offenses, and disappointments I had about my relationship with him... and of course it was all his fault. Certainly, I did nothing to contribute to the breakdown of our relationship with each other. After receiving the letter, he called me and said, "Mike, I got your letter." I responded, "Dad, I should have never sent that letter." It was one of those letters that needed to be written to get it out of my system but should have never been sent. He said, "Mike, I understand let's just forget it, put this behind us and I'll Throw it away. Okay? " "Yes, Dad I'm sorry." Nine months later, after months of trying to get him on the phone, he finally picked up. "Dad, Where have you been?" "I didn't throw that letter away!" He nursed his hurt for nine months. "Love is patient, Love doesn't keep track of wrongs!" I caused him hurt... and lost nine months of time I wish I could have had. I should have never sent that letter but I failed to learn my lesson.
I recently wrote a friend I was have difficulty with. I vented all my frustrations out on him. He got offended. He sent my letter via e-mail to many people around the country. I pleaded with him to forgive me for sending that "Vent filled letter." Like the letter that offended my dad that should never have been sent... I did it again but now to a dear friend. Proverbs 18:19 says "An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel." When will I learn? Our own Petty nature with a bit of temptation to reach into our arsenal of weapons to strike out at those who offend us is habitual and second nature to us. Offenses are the bait. We're filled with self-importance aren't we? "Don't take the Bait!" "The farmer sows the "SEED." Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, SATAN COMES AT ONCE and takes away the word that was planted in them. Mark 4:14-15 How does SATAN come???? a more opportune time! God quietly speaks to us to deal with our old nature and not strike out at others. It takes discipline. It takes love. It takes courage to rise above our fray and build healthy relationship with the need to vent our selfishness - "You hurt me" attitudes. Michael Youseff recently wrote in his journal:

When we are serving and sharing Christ, the Enemy will be carefully planning his next and most effective attack on our lives. He does not sit idly, hoping that we will fall into temptation by chance. He calculates the conditions of the battle. He carefully works out the timing of his ambush. To help us prepare our hearts, the Bible outlines for us five of Satan's opportune times for attack.
Opportune Time #1 - Immediately after a great victory.
This is a time we feel least dependent on God. When we feel least in need of Him, we risk losing sight of how His blessing gave us the victory.
Opportune Time #2 - Immediately before a great victory.
Right before we experience some of the greatest blessings of our lives, Satan works overtime to derail our trains of blessing immediately before they get to the station.
Opportune Time #3 - When we are emotionally, mentally, and physically drained.
Lack of sleep, long hours at work, and mental stress can make us too tired to stand against temptation.
Opportune Time #4 - When we are waiting for the Lord.
Waiting is hard for everyone. Waiting on the Lord's mysterious but perfect timing can be the hardest, since His ways are higher than ours. Satan knows this and will tempt us to take the shortcut, causing us to lose out on God's answers to our prayers.
Opportune Time #5 - When we are in the house of God.
When we are in the house of God, our hearts are open to the Word of God and to His teaching. But when our hearts are open to God, they are also vulnerable to other influences, even attack.
We must guard our hearts, with vigilance, against temptation during Satan's opportune times. Satan's strategy is not new - from the beginning of time until now, he has tempted man at the same times, in the same ways. However, God has promised that He will provide a way out so we can stand up to temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Be aware of Satan's opportune times and look for the way out.
God help me to learn how to "come to others with hands free with weapons" - especially when they think I hurt them or offended them in some way! My dear old friend John Sandford said, "Where there is fruit, there is a root." Holding onto Offenses, hurts, and unforgiveness doesn't do a thing but cripple us. I Corinthians 13 says "Love doesn't keep track of wrongs."
I'm learning and practicing, when offenses do come, to "not reach in my arsenal of weapons, come back lines, defenses, and fire my guns." Instead, "Trying what Love will do" Be patient, kind, tender hearted, not being irritable, etc..." So, is it possible after reading my discourse on my venting letter with my father and my friend that I had an obvious root in my life that needed some repentance. I think God is calling my to repent and no longer practice venting through letter writing and then sending it.
Dad is in heaven, my friend is in the mid-west, and today I have reaped a letter in kind. Hmmm... Heb 13:15

Faith and Patience

Life can really get complicated, and we do not have the all the answers or skills to navigate ourselves through its complexities. Rather than relying on ourselves we need a God to guide us when we are not sure which path to choose. (my concern is when we are presented with a thought that “God is a not reliable to answer us when we have exercised our faith in his promises or trust us to guide us through complex times and helping us make the right decisions.) So just like choosing a wife – I have made a list in what kind of God I need.  What Kind of God Do You and I Need?  I’ve come with a list of qualifications I need for my own sustainable faith-life:

1. He must be a kind, merciful, and loving God that forgives me for my

Mistakes, disobedience, and bad decisions in life.

2. He must be an honable and trustworthy God who provides me with

Counsel, correction, and wants to be in a close relationship with me.

3. He must be a God I can trust who keeps believing in my dreams

Through any and all hurts, interruptions, disastrous, setbacks, grief or guilt, failure or defeat, to renew me and help me keep on keeping on.

4. I need a mighty God to supply me the resources that will see through

to success.

5. I need a God who will not fail me as my leader, guide, and hero. (one

Who fights for me) - movie: Real Steel - "All I ever really wanted was for you fight for me"

6. I need a God who is the captain of my soul. He must inspire, shape,

and support my life’s dream to serve him and humanity.

7. I need a God who believes in Me!

8. I need a God who talks with me.

Where can I find such a God? I found that Kind of God through Jesus and His promises outlined in the scriptures toward me. Eph. 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”

Key Thought:

“Nothing ever happens in the world that does not happen first inside human hearts.” 
― Fulton J. Sheen, Life Is Worth Living “By exercising patient endurance we will finally develop into the whole, healed, completed, and perfected works of grace God intended for us to become.”Traditionally, we think of patience as just “knuckling under” and being satisfied with whatever comes our way. That’s not at all what patience is. It is a real force that has to be developed. Titus 2:2 says that we are to be sound or developed in patience.Patience is not just the ability to overcome the urge for instant gratification. Patience is the intuition that inspires you to just be and wait for the will of God to unfold and work itself out. Patience helps you to live uncomplainingly.

Key scriptures

Luke 21:19 in your patience possess ye your souls. 


Rom 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 


Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.


Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his (Jesus') glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 


1 Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus


2 Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 


Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.


Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

James 1:4: "But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed (with no defects), lacking in nothing" (Amplified).

Luke 8:15. There He tells us that we are to "hold fast (the Word) in a just -- noble and virtuous -- and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with hupomoné -- patient endurance."

Some important ways to develop "patience" in our lives include:

1. Reduce the noise in your life

2. Unhurry yourself

3. Look Inside - the kingdom of God is within you.

4. Keep an untroubled spirit

5. Cultivating calmness

Missing Important Moments...

Yesterday, I held my very first anniversary celebration for serving 35 years in ministry. I will hold only one more in 15 years... my 50th. I am not one for doing these kind of things because I am very private, shy about calling attention to anything I do and I do not ask or look for people to honor me whether it be a birthday, an anniversary, or life accomplishment. In fact, I try to avoid such events as much as possible. So if I host such an event its a deeply personal and an important moment for me. That's why if people blow off my invitation or do not respond to my invitation it's hard not to take it personal. There are times and moments in each of lives to tell people that they are important - not through facebook, an e-mail, or text mesage. Face to face or knowing how to communicate in a person's love language is an important way to let them know you care. Showing up at their funeral only communicates to the family you thought about them. The person is gone. How many times do we miss important moment in people's lives. if you miss the moment you can't go back and fix it by cheap excuses like "OH, I had to work." "Oh, I have another family obligation," "I'm sorry but my boss is having an appreciation day for me (at the last minute), and "Oh, I forgot." When you don't come, you make excuses, and blame other circumstances for not coming to an important moment in a person's life especially when you were given advanced notice - you tell them how much you valued them. Thank you for all those who were there for me last night. Thank you for all those who let me know you valued me. Thank you for letting me know that I am your friend. Thank you for letting know how much you care about me and not missing this important moment in my life. See you on my 50th.

The importance of Friends

Many years ago I lost a good friend. We had many good moments together. Times of laughter, times of sharing, times of working together, times of playing, times of deep meaningful conversation - all were good keys of friendship. Connections are everywhere: cell phones, the internet, Twitter, Facebook and texting to name but a few. You name it and we are connected to it. But what about more than a cyber-connection or a cold, faceless hyperlink on the internet? Friendships are hard to come by these days in a multi-tasking, fast paced world. So, how should you find friendship and, more importantly, how do you sustain a friendship once it starts?One of the key points to remember when making real friends is being real. An authentic person can sustain a relationship whether it is a friendly, work or romantic relationship. People that pretend to be someone they are not will eventually turn into their real selves and you will probably lose interest. You have to be able to recognize authenticity in others, as well. Some important values I have in keeping friendships are:

1. Loyality - staying with people through all their seasons and stuff in life

2. Honesty - don't lie. Be transparent

3. Define the rules of relationship. Don't assume or bring expectations.

4. Mutuality - everyone is equal. everyone is respected. everyone has a voice.

5. shut up and listen. Their words are more important than yours.

6. Its about them not you.

7. Love at all times.

8. fight about the subject. never fight about the fight.

9. accept disagreement

10. accept diversity.

11. Be real. Be yourself. Be authentic.

12. Go where you're celebrated... not where your tolerated.

13. Make privacy a component of self-sharing.

14. Don't talk about your friend behind their back.

15. Don't dig for dirt - except in yourself.

16. Don't be a member of the temple police force. Pay attention to your own sin.

17. Forgive. reconcile.

Relationship takes time, it takes self sharing, it is covenantal, and life giving.

OCCUPY TILL HE COMES!

Occupy Wall Street is a broad expression of frustration and even anger about big corporate profits, tax breaks for the rich, corporate lobbying in Congress, and bank bailouts at a time when the poor and middle class are losing ground in a generally sour economy. “It really speaks to everyone getting fed up and tired of these corporations taking every bit of money we’ve worked so hard for,” says Brandon German, a protest organizer with Right to the City, an alliance of community groups that helped organize an Occupy Wall Street rally in Boston on Friday. “People are fed up and mobilizing.”People are tired of business as usual. The Occupy movement is a deconstructionist expression that is anti-institutional whether it is expressed against corporations, government, church, educational systems. At heart is "Modernism" and all of its systemization and standardization devalues people. It is based in hierarchy. Modernity is based on societal standardization. uniformity vs. diversity. It's all about corporate ladders and based on the idea of servant/leader models. It kills the Christ within me - tempting me to climb and ascend to exalt myself rather than humbling and killing the self-life. It calls us to become God rather than letting Christ rule in our hearts. II Thessalonians 2:2-4 says "... Do not allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or some word or by letter [alledged to be] from us, to the effect that the Day Of Lord has [already] arrived and is here. Le no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes (unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come), and the man of sin be revealed, who is doomed (of perdition), who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolent against and over all that is worshiped., [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God."The "man of sin" is revealed in the temple (our body) through inter-actions of relationship in business, church-life, both corporate and institution life. It tempts us with position, power, greed, ambition, divisiveness, lusts, manipulation and the need to control people and situations around us. It causes us to become unsettled, disturbed, ambition, adrenaline rushes, escapism, and a need to become Lord, not only of our own lives but the lives of others. It works to tear down, the temple of God, that Jesus said he could rebuild through the work of the cross. This anti-Christ spirit has a need to be recognized, affirmed, and "worshipped" by others. It has a need to be seen as the "Great White Hope" which slaughtered the native populations from the day "the cross of Cape Henry was planted till the killing fields of cambodia." It's not alright when Americans are killed domestically or on foreign soil by weapons of mass destruction. It is, however, okay to use excessive force and demand in on those "weaker" than us in the name of democracy. Proverbs 24 says a "harlot" (those who sell themselves out for position, authority and wealth) is a deep pit, she is a robber who gathers faithless men." Question is "what are we willing to exchange for our lives?" Christ or position in the temple of our own minds.I have come to believe that Phil. 2:5-11 is still the way to go "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." he humbled himself (not exalted himself), made no reputation for himself (wouldn't be wonderful to be free of what other people think of you), became fully human (not spiritual, holy or pontificators of truth) who the hell know the truth. We batter around as though we have some great revelation. II Thess. 2:2 exhorts us not to become "Excited, or alarmed" by some (pretended) revelations, words, or the use of letters from the apostles that leads us to the belief that we are somehow going to miss the Lord. God is god and we are not! The only responsibility I have in life is to exhibit the fruits of solitude in Gal. 5:23 which includes "self control." vs. 26 exhorts us "Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive, challenging, provoking and irritating one another, envying and being jealous of one another. Ghee, that's a word for the American Church Leadership (65 years of age and older) who try to keep modernism as the center piece of the Gospel. The only thing I am responsible for is to "Occupy till he comes" - hold onto my faith, my convictions, and values. I am not called to climb the corporate ladder, and be successful in the eyes of the temple police and anti-christ heirarchies that are entrenched in the institutional church world. I stand for liberty of conscience (post-modernism) and the right of free speech (not political correctness whether left or right). Just as the early Quakers valued being thrown in jail - you have every right to exclude me from your high satanic positions, and wickedness in high places... but I also have the right for political and religious dissent. I will occupy till Christ comes.He will end all injustice, deal with the wicked, and bring in everlasting righteousness - not manufactored "kingdoms of self, anti-christ spirits (Bishopricks), uniform dogmas, and demands for my allegiance to "an anti-Christ spirit" that seeks to kill Christ in the sanctuary of my heart! God kill the Queen! The King and tear down the castles of my heart. Let nothing but Christ Occupy The Street of my heart and life.