What is the Church?

In the midst of a struggling time, I have been led to the question of what is the Church? Or, more specifically, "What is the Church called to be?"...   And of course, just like most of the questions I have been asking lately, the answer is no less attainable than smelling the color 9, o really.   Is the church to be collection of people with a similar goal? a similar story? .... Maybe, as the church we are meant to be disciples...: those who will strive with all that they are, regardless where they have come from, to be just like the Rabbi who walked on the streets of Jerusalem a couple thousand years ago....the same One who gave up His life as a ransom for many... the same One who rose again three days later after reminding the accuser who gave him his place... This Jesus, fought off the effects of our sin (that is he died in our place) and who calls us, 2000 some  years later.  To be one just as He is one with the Father.  

Maybe rather than studying the latest trends in church achitecture and worship styles, we should be studying what Their relationship is like...

Early Mornings and Alone time

As a young adult, I have experience yet another change in sleep pattern/schedule. I now am getting up at 4 40 am in order to get to work by 530. And at work I have two hours where I am by myself, doing what I do, cleaning up after everyone the night before. During this time is when I need to be gleaning the most I can about myself and my Daddy in heaven.

So far he has shown me that I am at a place in my walk that needs a lot of cleaning, but only He can clean the residue from the "stuff" on my feet.

Torn....

Man is it a faith step to move into full time ministry, not that I have yet, but that I am building the faith and the friends to do so. God has awesome plans for the city of Sheboygan if we will only repent of what has screened us away from seeing His plan... Parents are gone for the weekend... time for some time with Abba...

Long time No BLog

So I haven't written something here in a while. Is it because I don't have anything to say? No. Too busy to say anything? No, not that either. Well then what? How's about forgetfulness and lack of discipline. Sorry.

On with this post....
I am feeling pulled in many different directions right now. I know that someday I will be involved full time in a house of prayer in Sheboygan, but I am not sure where the training will be or the timing.

Trusting God's timing is the hardest best thing to ever be done.

Conveying the flame of God

“Oh how He loves you and me! He gave His life, how much more could He give? Oh, how He loves you and me!”
It is quite possible that you have sung these words… Oh… about a thousand times now, depending on your age and the types of songs used in your church. Have you actually thought about those words that you are singing? These days, it seems like churches all too willingly forget about the passion that God has over each and every member of their congregations. It’s more like we get together to say have ourselves one hour to try to “figure out” what God is saying to us. Don’t get me wrong here, it is good to know what more the passage has to offer to our life as a Christian, but please, please, don’t boil it down to maxims and dogmatically loaded phrases. It is much better that the Bible passages say what they say than to intellectualize them to a pulp. This is the same problem that the prophets had getting the people to listen to them. Here they are, extreme examples of what God wanted from His people, in plain black and white, yet the people of Israel, would ignore the words of the prophet until the time that the prophets words were fulfilled. Then the Israelites would think back and remember the words that God had said through the prophets.
My prayer is that we would consistently remember to thank God, first simply for Who He is, secondly for what He does, and thirdly, for what He allows us to do with our lives: IN THAT ORDER, not the other way around. God simply wants us to partner with Him as he enacts His will in the world. His primary aim is not for us to tell Him how great the things He does are, but that we would love him for who He is.

March Weather

Ever think about the way that we in the US talk about the weather in the month of March?
What are the words,

"In like a lion, out like a lamb?"

(or vice versa)

What animals are used in this description?

It's interesting to note that these two particular animals are also used in the Bible to refer to Christ, (Lion of Judah, Lamb of God.) Isn't it funny how the God who loves us uses our own weather referencing systems to point us to Him. Even in the times of our life when the days are storming, the days like a lion, we must still remember the fact that Christ is there for us in that very moment. Likewise when things are calm and peaceful in our lives, it is the Lamb of God who paid the price so we can experience that peace in our lives.

Praise the Lord!!!!!!

I still have my old license plate from my old car. As I was looking at it I was prompted by the Spirit to look at Psalm 112, for those were the numbers on my license plate. Here is Psalm 112:

Psalm 112 (New King James Version)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Psalm 112

The Blessed State of the Righteous

1 Praise the LORD!

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.

2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

9 He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.

(passage from www.biblegateway.com )

I am taking this passage for myself and my family. This means that I will be prosperous and blessed. For God is gracious and full of compassion. He is worthy to be praised!!!!!!!!!

Song of the Day--Tuesday

Today I would like to look at one songs by Christian recording artist:
Barlow Girl -- Million Voices....

Verse 1:

Tell me who'd have thought that we would be so controversial
And stand against the normal
Are we too outspoken, loud, and messing up the comfortable?
Well we've been messed up also
But how can we be silent
When a fire burns inside us

In this first verse, the girls are touching on the fact that
when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He changes everything about
the way we live. The world will indeed see us as controversial when we
begin to speak out as the Holy Spirit will enable us. The Holy Spirit is
the fire they mention burning within.

'Cause we're a million strong and getting stronger still
They'll remember we were here
With a million voices breaking silence till
They'll remember we were here

We are not alone in the Spirit, for God is raising up a generation that will
no longer be complacent in their search for God. They will cry out to Him,
sing to Him, in the spirit of David

1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and
beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you. (NIV) Psalm 63:1-3

We were made to start the riot, take on the impossible
And we will slay the
giants
We are done with fake religion fighting now to find the movement
Won't stop till we find it

But how can we be silent
When a fire
burns inside us

Today

Today is a good day, for I am allowed to participate in a chapel at my high school alma mater. May it be that God reveals himself to the teens at that school, in a way that they have not known, but they will soon grow to experience the love and the heart of Him who sits on the throne and allows himself to take us with him into the Holy Place. Praise HIM!

Another Month, Another Blog

What, really, is a 'blog'? The name suggests that it is a combination of b and log. ( actually the b is the end of web, making it a weblog) Well what ever it is, it is driving me crazy! It is a free service for anyone to post what ever they want (as long as it is legal) to the internet for others to see. So that means that I could have someone in the United Kingdom reading my blog and leaving me a comment on said blog, right? Possibly. But anyway, the reality of it is I have been terrible at updating this blog with anything real useful to anyone else but me for the moment. Once in a while I suppose I might hit on something profound, but otherwise this seems to be a place for me to just ramble my thoughts out loud?, without driving my mother insane.

If you are reading this blog, God has led you here for some reason, and for that may He bless you,

Kev

God's on the move

If you've read the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, you might well remember the way in which the beavers were talking about Aslan. They were saying, "Aslan's on the move!" Was the way they referred to Aslan one of joking? One of complete and total fear? Or was it one of exuberant excitement? I would hazard a guess that the reference of Mr. Beaver was as Adam Admunson directed it to be portrayed. He was terribly excited, it was as if he could not control himself, for the coming of Aslan was such an exciting activity for the inhabitants of Narnia that the were ready to throw a party, and all that was left was the guest of honor.

That is how it is right now, we are in the time before when Christ is going to come back, and just like the beavers we need to make ready the bride of Christ. He is coming back, and the time is soon. You may say, "Yeah, but He never says how soon He is coming!" There, I must agree with you that the Bible does not give specific time of His return, but there are prophecies as to events that will be happening when he comes.

The Beaver family took the prophecies concerning the arrival of the Pevensie children with great concern and seriousness. That is why Mr. Beaver was concerned when Edmund turned up missing. The corallary there would be those not yet following after Christ's will. That is when the yearning for the lost comes to call.

Shall we ignore the prophecies given to us, or explain them away with the academic acknowledgement saying they cannot possibly apply to us today? Or shall we say "God is on the move!" with the same expectations as the Beaver's.

I say God is on the move, are you going to be there with him?