Pray Much?

How many words do you use daily? Have you ever considered this? So, what do you think? Statistics state that on average, men use around 6,000 words a day, and women 9,000. Before any of us men try to jump on the “women-talk-too-much” bandwagon, consider these two things: first, it just might be because they have to repeat everything so much to men, or second, because grunting and odd noises do not constitute as words. Either way, men and women both use a lot of words every day. So, what I really want to discuss is how many of these words are directed towards conversations with God?

Most of us have some sort of daily struggle or problem that needs to be dealt with; mostly they are just part of the daily grind of life. Wouldn’t it be better if we felt that God was with us all day long? But yet, we all too often find ourselves alone, confused, scared, lost, and troubled…and maybe even wondering where God went.

Jesus told us what to do:

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Mark 14:38 (NIV)

Weak body? I can relate to that. Maybe it’s not that God has gone anywhere, but that He is right where I left Him? If you are like me ,you want to do so much, but we just seem to run out of time or energy…or both. I don’t think we need more time or more energy, I think we need to talk to God more.

Maybe if we talked to God more, we would just hear Him more. That just sounds too simple….could it be?

…just prayin’

In His Grip,
Pastor Pat

Let Me In!

Have you ever been locked out of some place? Did you have to continue banging or knocking to have someone let you in (if you got in at all)? This is not a good feeling. Somewhere along the line, I think this has been painted as the picture of heaven, and we have to do something to "get in". If you don't believe me, start asking people what they think about heaven, and how one "gets in". I believe you will be surprised at the different answers you will get.

So what does it mean to be saved? This term conjures up so many images in our heads, some more horrific than others, but whatever comes to mind; I think most of us feel it connotes the process of us being saved from some "thing". I believe we are saved from something, don't get me wrong, but I think it is so much more. Salvation is from God, through the gift and sacrifice of Jesus, as God took human form and came to earth, lived sinlessly, suffered, died, and rose from the tomb. It is God's gracious gift in Jesus.

Jesus, then, should be so much more than a ticket to a place we want to get into someday. Jesus saves us from eternal damnation in Hell, and this is really from ourselves. Think about it: we (I know I am) are our own worst enemies, and left to our own, are capable of pretty terrible things. My point is this: salvation is not a thing; it is a process. Jesus is not some golden ticket or secret password we mutter at the pearly gates to "get in". We can't live "good" lives and just think that someday we will just get "there".

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12:

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"

Salvation is being saved from our sinful selves. Paul tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, and Isaiah tells us that no one is righteous, not one. So salvation is not earned, it is God's amazing grace that does it, period. But we have a part. We must choose Jesus. Not by demanding, not as one who is buying a ticket for something, but by going to God, and we must approach God in humility if we want to receive His forgiveness. We can’t strut into His presence bragging about how nice we are, or explaining how much we have done for Him.

In Bethlehem, The Church of the Holy Nativity is built over the place believed to be Jesus’ birthplace. It is a huge stone complex, but it only has one tiny door through which people can enter. It’s called the door of humility and it is less than 48" high. Originally, there was a larger door, but when the Muslims first conquered Bethlehem, the soldiers rode their horses into the church to defile it. So the monks reduced the size of the door so only a person can enter. And every person must stoop and bow and enter alone. What a lesson and picture of salvation!

The doorway of salvation is open to you today, but it is a door of humility as well. You can’t approach God on the basis of what you think you have done, or what you think you have with you–you must do it alone. You can't come to the door with a ticket, password, or knock so much you can get in. You receive His mercy and forgiveness when you humble yourself and bow down before Him. And that position is a process, not a moment in time.

...just sayin'

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat

"In The Name of God"

In the 70's there was a comedian who excused any wrong behavior or words by saying: "The devil made me do it." I was a little young, but the saying is still used to this day, albeit the knowledge of who said it first, is fading away. There seems to be a whole new phrase, particularly in Christian circles, that sounds something like this: "God moved me to...".

I am often times confused when I hear this, and even more so, when the statement that follows is confusing, ambiguous, or creates hurt to others. As Mr. Wilson was excusing behavior comedically by blaming the devil so as not to have to take the blame, I think we now are in church circles, blaming God in the same vein. Like somehow, if God puts us up to it, then it is no longer our responsibility.

When we see a so-called church, picketing a funeral of a fallen soldier, and claim it to be in the name of God, we see this hypocrisy first hand. But those extreme examples are not alone, and I dare say, probably not the worst of it. God is a God of love, community, order, and peace. God does not move people to hurt other people. God moves people to other places, but never to hurt others.

We need to stop taking the Lord's name in vain this way. First, it paints a bad picture of who God is to those who don't know Him yet. And second, there will be consequences.

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Exodus 20:7.

Something to think about. ...just sayin'

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat

Who's Leading Whom?

Regardless of who you are, where you are, what you do, or what you can or can’t do – you lead something. You may lead a team at work, your family, your kid(s), or something else. Please know this: choosing not to lead is a leadership decision. The reason there are so many books on the subject is because we are all leading.  When you lead, there are moments when you realize you are alone, and alone stinks. Funny thing is, with all of these leaders, lonely would seem unlikely. Lonely and leader go hand-in-hand, and being lonely is not only unlikely, it is unavoidable.

So I am basically saying that is: you lead, and you will experience times of lonely. What I am not saying is that we are then simply relegated to just “deal with it”. There is a way to ensure that lonely does not overtake your leadership or desire to do so.

The only way to overcome leadership lonely is to figure out whom you are following: you or someone else. In every leadership opportunity, whether it be for a single situation for yourself, or one regarding others, you have a choice. Identify yourself as the leader and take the glory (or the arrows if you make a mistake), or identify your leader (tell everyone who you are following). If you answer “you”, and we must all admit this is our default answer, then we can move on. More often, the only time we really admit or point out that someone else is leading is when we want to shift blame, right?

Following is a choice, leadership is a responsibility. We must all chose whom we will follow.

Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

A life following Jesus is not one of slavery but freedom. We are free from our selfish desires and agendas, free to live as God designed us to live. And Jesus never gets us lost (that we do all on our own). That is why, if we as individuals, choose to follow Jesus, and let Jesus lead, we are never alone again.

…just sayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat