Bumps

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone"

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Luke 20:17-19

Sometimes I wonder why this life is so hard. Why is the path so bumpy? Why do good intentions equal controversy and trouble? The path is never as sooth as you wish it to be. The road is narrow, the road is steep. It’s very bumpy... very, very bumpy. I get discouraged in my walk. I see the road of conformity running so smoothly and I contemplate just giving in.

But then I think of Jesus and the path he walked. How steep was that street in Jerusalem to Golgotha? How hard were the streets where he fell under the burden of the cross? How heavy was the burden of my sins? How fierce was the pain of the whips that lashed his back? How hard the walk to my salvation?

Jesus walked the steep path. As a Christ-follower I must also face times when my way is difficult, in fact sometimes I may be lead down the way of shadows. But Jesus is my King. He walks with me. There is nothing that I can face that he hasn't faced. There is nothing I can fight that he hasn't defeated. I love him. This walk may break me. But it will never destroy me.

Let it All Out
Relient K

and you said I know that this will hurt

but if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse

If the burden seems too much to bear

Remember the end will justify the pain it took to get us there

I was down the other day. A student gave me these lyrics. The trials of this life may hurt... they may drag us down. But in the Kingdom to Come I will be rewarded for this walk. So I walk on. I walk on with Jesus! AND YES, I LOVE HIM SO!!!

Who is going to heaven?

Two Sundays ago I heard an awesome sermon. Download the podcast now at the following address.



http://sermons.hopewdm.org/?

The sermon is from August 20th and is called Who's Going to Heaven?

Grace and pace,

Digger

It takes a village to raise a bollman

Suffering is a place where clichés don't work and words often fail... It isn't very pretty and it isn't very fun, but when we join each other in the pain and confusion, God is there. Sometimes it means we sit in silence for a while, not knowing what to say. And it is in our suffering together that we find out we are not alone. We find out who really loves us. We find out that with these people around us, we can make it through anything. And that gives us something to celebrate.

Rob Bell
Velvet Elvis
p 170

Hard times suck! If we had a choice we would all choose an easy road to a long, hard, up-hill climb. But God often sends us down the difficult path. In fact, Jesus says that the road to heaven is narrow; it’s the steep one, not the interstate. It’s difficult. It’s challenging and its countercultural. It requires you to fight the flow. So as you go up this path, with everyone fighting against you, it would be easy to give up, to turn back and take that wide way, to follow the crowd, to conform.
But thank the Lord that we are not alone. Jesus promised to send a comforter, a companion, an advocate that will step in and nurse our wounds, to stop the bleeding, to give us a much-needed hug. Jesus gave us a priceless gift, The Holy Spirit.

My spiritual mentor is Mike Williams. I think of him as a Mr. Miyagi-type. He showed me that I could be a leader in the church. I thought church leaders couldn't be goofy and weren't allowed to have an out-of-tilt sense of humor. But when you in counter a Monty Python quoting head pastor who is also filled with Christ's love and preaching a Gospel of compassion and kindness, a new world of possibilities open up to you.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18

Mike teaches an amazing idea. The Holy Spirit sometimes reaches down to us when we are lost and all alone. His warming touch can fill us with hope and we can know that we are not alone, that God is on our side. When stranded in the desert place, the Spirit can be our water. When trapped in prison, the Spirit can be our ray of light at the coming of the dawn. But the Spirit, as Mike once pointed out to me, can also work in a much more wonderful way. The Spirit can lead people to you. The Spirit can guide a loved one to your side. A whisper, a nudge, a boost, and the person you need most in the world is there, out of the blue, saying, "hey, friend. I just had a funny feeling that you needed a hug!"

God doesn't let us go it alone. As we face trials we are given champions in the faith that can prop us up. God sent Mike to me when I needed to be yanked out of the wilderness. God has surrounded me with great friends that have become my family during these times of trials and God will continue to bring good friends to my side.

It is said that it takes a village, and I don't know if that is true. But my Lutheran family has surrounded me with love. Chris, Cody, Joel, Amanda, Toodles, Lori, Travis, Calla, Brett, Todd, Sue, Megan, Mike, Amy and the many youth that have shown their support for me are my village and I praise God and the Spirit for bringing them to me every single day.

Thank you Lord for GOOD FRIENDS!

Call me a fool!

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.
I Corinthians 3:18

Geoff Moore And The Distance Lyrics

Only A Fool

Charlie Was A FoolDid You Hear What He Went And Did?
He Quit His Job, Threw It Away
Gave His Life To A Bunch Of Kids
He Said He Was In Love With Jesus
But His Friends Didn't Understand
He Could've Had It All
But He Just Smiled And Said
That He Already Did.

He Saw The Big In The Small
He Saw The Beauty In The Call
Even When No One Else
Took The Job Only A Fool Would Do.

Sarah Was A Beauty Queen
Miss Something Or Another
She Took Off Her Crown
Rolled Up Her Sleeves
Gave Her Life In A Mission To Others
She Said She Was In Love With Jesus
But Her Friends Called Her A Fool
They Said She'd Never Find Happiness
She Just Looked At Them And
Said She Already Did.

She Saw The Big In The Small
She Saw The Beauty In The Call
Even When No One Else Approved
She Took The Job Only A Fool Would Do

The Way Of The World, It May Look Wise
The Way Of The Truth Is To Realize
Wisdom Will Only Come Through
To Those Who Are Only The Fool.

Show Me The Big In The Small
Show Me The Beauty In The Call
Show Me The Road That I Should Chose
I'll Take The Job Only A Fool Could Do.

On A Mission From God

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 cor 15:10

I just got done watching the Blues Brothers. What a film. It’s one of the few movies that I have watched over and over and over again. If it weren't for Princess Bride I would say it was my favorite movie.

This time through I was struck with the Gospel message that runs through it. There it is, hidden between booze swilling and car crashes and some of the best music of all times, Jesus working His magic through these two guys in cheap black suits and two-dollar sun glasses.

Jesus came to save the world... but he chose people to help him, people that one day would take over and spread his message to the entire world when he was gone. Where did he go to select such important people? Did he go to the universities? Did he go to the temple? To the courthouse to select lawyers? No! He went to the seaside and called on ordinary fishermen, men with no training, men who weren't very literate. In fact most fishermen in those days were dropouts from elementary school. This is where Jesus started the process of calling his followers. He saw the potential in the ordinary and they did extraordinary things.

Jesus does the same thing with us. We aren't perfect. We are flawed. But Jesus calls us the same. He calls us to do amazing things for his purpose.

In the Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood are divinely ordained to save an orphanage from the auction block. Jake is just out of Joliet Prison. Elwood lives in a cheap hotel. He has a dead-end job and they both seem to have a drinking habit. They are washed up musicians that have little prospects. Most people wouldn’t see much potential in them… But not God. He chooses them, knowing their strengths and many weaknesses. They employ their musical gifts to save the orphanage and manage to play some awesome tunes in the interim. What an amazing story. Aren’t we all a little like the Blues Brothers? Aren’t we all called to do things for the Master? We just need to listen and go to work on our personal mission from God.

It doesn't matter if we are good enough to do the job. We don't have to be expert speakers or learned scholars. Jesus chose the fishermen! Jesus chose the Blues Brothers! Jesus is calling us now. It is important to believe in Him but we shouldn't forget that He first believed in us. We must have faith in God but also never loose sight of the fact that He has unwavering faith in us.

God, I have seen the light!

Rescue is Coming

Rescue is Coming

David Crowder* Band

v2-

And there’s nothing wrong with you

And nothing left to do

But believe something bigger

And there’s nothing wrong with love

I know it’s just enough to believe

Don’t give up now

A break in the clouds

We will be found

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming now

Behind the Song:

'And while we yet were sinners, Christ died for us. He did not leave us alone. He stepped into our condition to bring us back to God. To bring us back to what was intended. The divine, bearing all of depravity. The most horrific of collisions. The most tragic and beautiful. The breaking is glorious and loud. We have won. It might not feel like it. You might not see it just yet. But the reality of our situation is that rescue is present. Every second of life is spent in the very presence of God. There is not a second of human history that he has not been present. Majesty is here. And it is coming. Finally. Just be quiet. And wait.'

- David Crowder

Lifeguard Jesus

We have seen through the past two days what the book of Romans says about heaven, hell and sinning. Not only do non-believers go to hell as presented in Romans Chapter 1, but we Christians must also dig deeper than just resting on our church membership. Self-righteousness is a dangerous trap used to turn the focus off our own sins to mock others. God isn't interested in these games. He won't be fooled. Judgment is His.

So what then is the answer? If we all are sinners are we all doomed to damnation? Are we all going to hell? Let's look one more chapter into Romans and see what Paul says.

But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

Roman3:21-24

We are all sorry sinners. Everyone. Wether you think you are important or a good person or high class or whatever... we are all sinners. We all walk away from God's plan for us. Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we think we would make a better god than God Himself, so we walk away to take over the decision making in our lives. Sin.

But to fix things, in order to make things right, God created a cure. He has become Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has become the answer for all of us. He just isn't here for a few. He didn't come to save the rich. He didn't come to save royalty. He came down to earth and was born to a poor family in unusual circumstances and his birth was so humble he was born in a barn with horses and cows around. He was greeted into this world first not by kinds or scholars but by shepherds... dirty, smelly shepherds who had been out lounging around with their sheep. Yes Jesus came to save us all. He came for the poor and the down-trodden and the sick and the lost. He came for anyone who would come, anyone who would let go of the reigns and put trust in him. Jesus is the antidote, the perfect fix, the almighty answer. Jesus is the eraser, the stain remover, the only key to fix what is broken inside.

God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

Roman3:25-26

Faith sets us free of the death sentence. It liberates us. Jesus did the work. He climbed the tree and died. He lived righteously and died righteously. We can live in him and wash those sins away.

So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counter-claims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.

Roman3:27-28

WOW! GRACE! The amazing. God gives us this wonderful gift of forgiveness. He offers grace to everyone. Its right there. He offers the precious gift of eternal happiness to all by way of the cross. He offers a way to heaven that has obsolutley nothing to do with what we do, nothing to do with our status or our good deeds. It is just contingent on one thing, our willingness to lay our ego aside and follow him faithfully. Grace by faith. We take the reigns and hand them back to him and he takes care of the rest.

And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.

Roman3:29-30

I am all together tired of arguing over dogma. I am totally lost my appetite when it comes to bickering over who has their theology right and who isn't really a Christian because they don't do this or they don't do that. It is silly to argue about getting wet early or later. Its ridiculous to fight about how wet you get. Do you think God is as legalistic as you? Do you think He will really judge based on adherence to rules made up by man? No. All claims that this group or that group has the ritual figured out is just a way to keep old, gray-haired men in comfortable jobs behind large wooden desks. God's work is far grander than that. God through Christ Jesus is busy changing hearts. He is busy being the ONE GOD. He is busy calling out to the lost and pouring out grace. So give up the thought that your theology is so sound that you are immune from judgment. For only the state of your heart matters on that day.

But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.
Roman3:31


It has nothing to do with what you do but everything to do with who you know. That is how you are saved. No longer are you a swimmer struggling to keep your head above water while at the same time trying desperately to swim all the way to shore. No longer do you fight a current of rules that you could never live up to. No longer are you out there swimming alone. Now you have a rescuer.

Jesus Christ is the life guard that was sent down from heaven. He is extending a hand to you while you struggle. He says, "Stop trying to make it to shore on your own power. Let me do the work for you. All you have to do is stop trying to do it yourself and trust in me. Here is my hand. I am offering you rescue. Take it!"


But he won't force you. He has given us free will. And sadly many choose to stay out in the water and trash away at the waves, preferring to be stubborn and in control over being rescued and submitting to the will of God.

The irony is that the freedom of going it alone isn't really freedom at all. Its an illusion. For on our own we are slaves to the very sin that we cling to. For we hold on so tight to sin that its weight pulls us under. It pulls us below the water and is our ultimate ruin.

Let go of the sin. Let it go and take his hand. The rescuer is coming and he's calling out your name... and his services are totally free.

Rescue Is Coming
David Crowder* Band

There’s a darkness in my skin

My cover’s wearing thin,

I believe I’d love to start again,

go back to innocent

And never leave

Don’t give up now

A break in the clouds

We could be found

There’s nothing wrong with me

It’s just that I believe things could get better

And there’s nothing wrong with love

I think it’s just enough to believe

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

Rescue is coming

You aren't off the hook!

Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done.

Romans 2:1-2 MSG

Judgment! We all know people that think that as good Christians they have a right to point fingers and condemn others. They are snooty and they run their churches like country clubs. They don't really want to reach out to the poor and the needy because then those undesirables might end up attending their church. Then their select group of high society elect would be invaded by imperfect people. Heaven forbid.

But Paul says in his letter to the Romans that every time we criticize others for their failures we condemn ourselves. People criticize others to take the spotlight off of them selves. If you are gossiping about these less desirables its easy to ignore the blemish on your own heart. But God sees through this trick. He isn't suckered into the country club tricks. He will judge you on your heart, not your pedigree.



You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

Romans 2:3-4 MSG

God is kind... but God isn't soft. He isn't weak. He is just. In His loving and caring He wants us to be transformed. He wants us to have RADICAL LIFE CHANGE! He wants people that don't point to others to cover up their own sins.

You're not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God's side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire!

Romans 2:5-8 MSG

Two paths. They don't all lead to heaven. There is an easy path to destruction, of denial and avoidance of God and His ways. The other road is for those who chose to take up the cross of Jesus and work for Him. They get life, real life. But the alternative to real life is sobering. Hell! Hot and blazing Hell!

If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you're from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. Being a Jew won't give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind.

Romans 2:9-11 MSG

It doesn't matter your station or your status. It doesn't matter if you are in the club. You aren't in because you have membership in the big brick church in town. It doesn't matter if you got all the instruction in the Word and then walked away. It doesn't matter the rituals you do or the amount of money you donate. That is not what God looks at. He wants another type of devotion.
God wants you to embrace His ways. He doesn't listen to the reputation of man. He judges by His own standards. He doesn't look at the outside. He looks at the inside, He searches your heart.


If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.

Romans 2:12-13 MSG

Knowing the story isn't enough. Going to church isn't enough. Devotion to the building isn't enough. Serving on committees isn't enough. Raising funds for a new roof isn't enough. God isn't impressed with Churchianity. He is longing for something else. He's looking for real Christ-followers. People who have stepped outside the little box built to make man comfortable and truly experienced the Living Lord.

More on that tomorrow!

Sinners go to HELL!

Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it's not as if they don't know better. They know perfectly well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!

Romans 1:28-32

Let’s talk about the law and sin and Hell, shall we? It’s not a popular subject these days. Popular culture thinks Hell is far too mean. They aren’t keen on anything like punishment. So they invent a laissez-fair theology. Do whatever and as long as you mean well you get to heaven in the end.

Think about that for a while. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all went to heaven? Wouldn’t that be grand? Wouldn’t it be great if we got an A for effort? But that's not the way it works.

It is said that all roads lead to heaven. But isn’t that the most absurd statement you have ever heard! Do all roads lead to Omaha? Of course not! If not we’d never be able to get to Des Moines. This is just wishful thinking by a mainstream world that isn’t patient enough to read about the truth and isn’t disciplined enough to follow the way. But it might not be the way you think.

What is the law? What do we rebel against? Why? There are a set of rules that God gave us to live by. But we are a selfish group, us people. And we invariably attempt to make it on our own. We reject His perfect awesome plan and place ourselves at the center of the universe. That is when things usually go terribly, terribly wrong.

We are all guilty. At time we all have venomous tongues, we hurt those we love and we look out only for our own interests. We get rebellious and we challenge the barriers and we all disobey authority and we disrespect our parents. There comes a time when we all get up and walk away. It’s the one guarantee in this life... that we will decide that we know better then God… that we should be in control of things... that we won't submit to His will. And the wages for this spitting in the face of God is death.

Some people wish that God was uncaring. They wish that we can do whatever we want and that God will still let us into the Promise of everlasting life at the end because of blind benevolence. But is that REALLY what we want? Is that REALLY the kind of god we are looking for? One that doesn't keep His word? One that acts like the lax teacher that we all have had that lets us do anything, lets us goof off all day and never makes us learn? Not I! I want the God that sticks to the plan, which makes promises and keeps them.

But by this way of thinking I am doomed to death. I have sinned. I have taken the reigns. I have decided that I was boss and spit in the face of God.

Thankfully, our God is a loving and caring god. His love for us never ceases. He came up with a way... a wonderful marvelous way for us to overcome this sin nature. He came up with an antidote for our brokenness, a remedy for our sin. He didn't event a path to heaven. He didn't lower a ladder for us to climb to safety... He jumped down to our rescue.

More on that tomorrow!

Words to live by

The true work of the church, the way God intended, is not to promote judgement but to promote love. Love is our job one. We are to love our neighbor, give him the shirt off our back, turn the other cheek and share with him the teachings of Jesus. Judgement is meant for the Lord. We are not fit to judge. We all have fallen short of the Glory of God. If you think you haven't then your mirror has fogged over and you need to whipe away the steam.... reality check time.

Over the next few days I am going to hit the 1-2-3's of grace, forgiveness and salvation. Check back soon for details.

Your Love Is Deep

I have a new favorite worship song. What else need I say. Just read and reflect. When you sing it its sublime.

Your Love Is Deep

Jami Smith

Your love is deep
Your love is high
Your love is long
Your love is wide

Deeper than my view of grace
Higher than this worldly place
Longer than this road I travel
Wider than the gap You filled

Who shall separate us
Who shall separate us from Your love
Nothing can separate us
Nothing can separate us from Your love

Move Along

They say church would be a great place if not for all the people. And sadly right now that seems true. In the past few weeks I have seen so much of what we have worked to build fall apart. We have taught these kids a lot through the years about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and living a Christ-centered life. This summer they have learned about the nasty nature of church politics. This breaks my heart.

The saddest part of my split with my church is what I have seen these past few days. Students come into my room with this absolute look of defeat. You can see it in their eyes. Their way of worshipping is gone. The way that they feel connected is robbed from them. They came and tried to save it but to no avail. They witnessed what was said. They were there. They tried to speak up. But it was shut down.

It would be very easy to just throw my hands in the air and move to another church and start a new youth group in a new town. There is an appeal to this. It would be nice to not have to deal with the same faces and their tactics. But then I come in and see the look on the faces of these kids and I am reminded of the vision we started out with three years ago. I just can't abandon that mission. Megan Mardesen and I talked about a youth service for us by us. Ashley Danner and Dan and Drew Christensen were there too. We talked it out. We worked it up and we started Generation Genesis. It was a service for them with their kind of music and their kind of worship. It is sad to think of it uprooted from EHLC, the place where it started. But when I see the look in their eyes I realize that it can't end. This is only a beginning.

I don't know what the ministry of my band will look like over the next nine months. But I have decided not to abandon these kids. They have stuck by me. They have supported me. They came to my defense. They have followed Thrown through thick and thin. I will continue to serve them however they want me.

I have gotten some anonymous criticism lately. These brave souls who hide behind unsigned threatening letters seem to think I am a disgrace. This puzzles me. When a sixteen year old testifies that because of my guidance for the first time in their life they felt connected to Jesus is that a disgrace? When an eighteen year old boy says that they will seek out the same worship environment as G2 because there they feel alive is that an embarrassment to my church? When students turn to me with serious life problems and we work it out using the bible and Christian music is that acting like a teenager?

I must throw off these invisible jeers from the dark. I know in my heart what is right. I know in my heart what I am called to do. I will move along fighting the good fight. Just as I worked hard for the Lord when times were good I must also keep on plugging away now that times are bad. These are just the trials of this world.

Move Along
The All-American Rejects

Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking
When you fall everyone stands
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking
With the life held in your
Hands are shaking cold
These hands are meant to hold

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along


Lord, give me strength to serve them.

MIKE!!!!!

Everything was created through him;

nothing—not one thing!—

came into being without him.

What came into existence was Life,

and the Life was Light to live by.

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;

the darkness couldn't put it out.

John 1:3-5 MSG

Mike Williams is my hero. Mike is my mentor. He taught me how to be a Christ-follower. He didn't have a magic answer. He didn't have the prefect set of rituals. He didn't administer the sacraments in the precise way. It wasn't for his excellent exegeses of the scriptures, the beauty of his liturgy or the quality of his sermons even though he was expert at all of these. It was something far far more profound. Mike taught me about the essence of Jesus. Mike taught me to love others selflessly.

So many people miss the point. They look at it backwards. They focus on the problem and not the solution. Jesus came into this world, in fact he was shot down from heaven to lighten the darkened world in order to warm the frozen, fix the broken and love the loveless. Jesus is the giant love pill that saves the world. No other love will do. No other answer fits. Nothing else works. Nothing but Jesus and his love. Mike taught me about the love of Jesus.

Mike is moving on to greater challenges. I wish him luck and pray that he touches hearts as deeply at his new mission as he did here in Elk Horn. I love him with every fiber of my being. I want to be like Mike!

The Invisible Foe

I am back into the routine of waking up and going to school and working. There is a part of me that is sad and a part of me that yearns for the structure of the routine, something to focus on. It’s comforting to have tasks in front of you that you can address, achieve or fail at. There is nothing worse than an invisible foe.

This summer I have battled an invisible foe. But I don't believe it is what most folks tell me it is. So many people tell me, "The devil is behind gossip. This is the devil's work." While I believe that this behavior, the destructive work of lies, innuendo and rumor have made the devil very happy, it’s REAL people that start these things. It’s real flesh and blood people who spread things. Think about that. When we excuse the behavior as just the evil one and that we should just endure we ignore the fact that people are at the root of these stories. It’s a cop out to push the blame onto a supernatural force that, all though he may reap benefit from them, didn't start the rumors in the first place. Real people say these things. Real people.

So who or what is the invisible enemy that I feel I have battled all summer? This invisible foe is self-righteousness... the belief that churchgoers must be perfect, must be without blemish, must be white cloaked and right. This is a lovely idea. But it spawns a drive for judgment over justice. Church becomes a place of moral traffic police punishing its members.

This isn't just here in my town. We have seen it through the years in Salem during the witch trials, in the Spanish Inquisition, in the Deep South during the high days of the KKK and countless other places where man under the banner of God and Jesus become the moral authority that seek vengeance on sinners and outcasts.

Let us remember the important fact that we all fall short of the glory of God. To poorly paraphrase Rob Bell, the most important part of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is not that it HAPPENED but that it HAPPENS. It happens to us all. We all fight God’s plan for us. We all are broken by sin. On our own we are all damaged and in need of saving. This is why it happened. This is why Jesus Came. This is the awesome answer. We are broken and we need Jesus. We all do. If you act perfect, you are denying the fact that you aren’t God. You are human and you are flawed and you have bitten the apple and need Jesus to fix you and bring you back. And boy do we ever need Jesus every day to work in us and restore us and work his healing magic to create that new man in his image.

It is time to leave the tickets behind and return my focus on becoming that image. It is time to return to the Lord’s work, wherever that may lead me. It is time to get back to work.

So back to the routine. Back to waking up and rolling into the school and working with the kids. I will throw myself into my work for a while. I know I can minister the Gospel just as much here in the halls of school as I ever did in a church. I will lead by example and with Christ's heart. And we will give judgment of the invisible foe over to a much better judge, the Father God Almighty.

Denver Trip Group Shot

Mission Trip 2

I was sitting on a counter playing my guitar. This was not that shocking of an activity. I play guitar all the time. It is what I do. But this was different. This was monumental. This was defining. Everything that had happened in my life all lead me to this exact spot at this exact time. It was a perfect moment of God's will, His questionless plan in action. And I was at the center of it. Me and my guitar. On a counter. In the Jesus to the World Soup Kitchen. I played my guitar for homeless people as they ate their soup.

What's the big deal you ask? What could be bigger. I wasn't just playing. I was serviving. I was playing my heart out. I sang my songs with every ounce of feeling I could manage. I played on and on. No breaks. I played till my fingers bleed. I sang till my voice cracked. I played on. I served. I served with everything I had.

I am reminded of the Christmas song, the Little Drummer Boy.

Little Drummer Boy

Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum? Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.


I was that boy. I was playing my heart out... not just to homeless people, people of the streets, the lost and forgotten of Denver, but I played also for Jesus. I played as if He was there at the stable. I played as if he were there thirsting in desert. I played as if He were there dying on the cross. And I played my best for him.

I looked into their eyes. Some where repelled by my words of Jesus and forgiveness and unconditional love. Others were indifferent, just wanting to eat their soup and listen to the sound of guitar. But in a few, in a very select few, I saw the fire of the Spirit burning in their eyes. It was amazing. There is a girl that I know that when she worships the light of the Living Lord blazes in her eyes. She worships with a hand held high and her held tilted to the side. I saw that same fire in the eyes of a man with a Desert Storm hat. I heard it in the words of encouragement from the men and women as they left, and one very special man thanked me in a way I'll never forget.

It was the end of my last day at Jesus to the World. I was finishing up a four hour session of playing. A homeless man, an ageless man of the streets, came to me and said, "Thank you brother for blessing us with your gift of music."

I thanked him. As he approached me he held out his hand and I shook it only to find a crumpled dollar hidden in his palm. He said, "That is just my small way of saying thanks for blessing us with your gifts."

I tried to argue. I wasn't going to take money from a homeless man! I was there to serve not to get rewards. But then he said that he had been a musician and he knew what a sacrifice it is to give your creativity to others and how blessed he felt to have eaten there that day.

I thanked him for the dollar and patted him on the back as he turned to leave. As he left he turned and said, "That was my last dollar." and he slipped out through the door.

I wept. I played my best for him. I played my best for Jesus. I was used by the Lord that day. I touched a heart. Thank you, Jesus.

I felt at home with these people. No longer were they scary. No longer were they poor, homeless, dirty, dangerous. They were my audience. Children of God. And I served them. I want to be the vessel again.

Denver Mission Trip part one

Every year on our summer mission trip I have worked with kids club. It’s easy for me. I'm good at it. I play the guitar, dance like a fool and chase kids. I am a teacher and worked at a Before and After School Program in college. This year I wanted to be pushed outside my comfort zone. So I said, "NO KIDS!" I wanted a challenge. I was excited to finally get a change to do some manual labor for the Lord.

When I heard I was going to paint I was pumped. I wanted to sweat. I wanted a sunburn. But as we prepared to head for our first of two days of work at this location I was really disappointed. I learned that we wouldn't be painting houses. We would be painting murals for a vacation bible school at an inner-city church. I was really disappointed. This was not what I had envisioned in my mind's eye. The work wasn't hard enough. The task was too much fun. It was too in my comfort zone. I really wanted to sweat. I really wanted a sunburn.

We showed up at the large Latino church and found a the supplies ready for us, a massive amount of tempera paint, six huge canvases and instructions to paint a variety of scenes for a pirates and treasure theme. We went to work. I had a long face.

At the end of the first day as we prepared to leave the gymnasium where we were painting, I looked back at the large unstretched canvases. Mostly just underpainting was completed and they looked a long ways from finished. My spirits were low. No sweat. No sunburn.


Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 1esus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

John 6:8-13

That night I read about the boy at the seashore. I wanted to be the boy. I wanted to make twelve baskets more. But how? I had to trust that God knows more than we do. I had to trust His will over that vision in my mind's eye.

The next day we arrived with a new passion for our work. We vowed to get as much done as we could in that last day at this site. We dove into the work and really became a team. As the paintings came together there was something really magical about them. They were made with such bright colors and the images popped right out. They were wonderful. It became clear to me at the end of the second day, as we rounded up our materials and prepared to leave that God had placed me there for a real reason. He had equipped me with some great art students and some hard workers so that we could use our skills to make this vacation bible school amazing. And the murals were amazing.

God plants little gifts inside of us. I have an artistic talent that is a gift from the creator. On its own its only enough to help me at work and on my creative endeavors. But when I become that boy at the seashore, when I take what little I have and offer it to the Master, He can take it and multiply it feed thousands. Hundreds of inner-city Latino kids came to that vacation bible school. During that next week they enjoyed the beautiful art that my team made for them a servant’s heart like Jesus showed us. We didn't sweat. We didn't get a sunburn. But we gave a wonderful piece of ourselves to the children of Denver.

God's plan is awesome. Its perfect and its amazing. We should trust Him more to place us where we need to be to make miracles happen.

Savior, guide us to the seashore so that we may give. AMEN!

Touch

I remember watching People in the News on CNN once. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were traveling around parts of West Africa enduring a famine. Pitt was filmed visiting an orphanage where undersized babies lie in their cribs abandoned for most of the day. The babies craved touch. When Brad spoke they would turn their little heads towards the sound of a human voice. I remember him holding a little boy’s head and a faint smile cross the orphan's face. Pitt choked back tears as he spoke of the innate desire for human contact, the need deep in our bones to be held, to be loved, to be touched.

Babies will literally wither and die without touch. A therapist friend of mine stated to me recently that the majority of her cases involve lonely people. They are isolated. They are frightened and they are alone. They just want someone to come and hug them, to wrap their arms around them and say, "I love you. You are special to me. You matter." Oh the power of a hug.

I have witnessed this myself many times on my own, during service work and on mission trips. One location jumps right to mind. I was working at a kids club, like a summer long vacation bible school for disadvantaged kids in West Virginia. These kids there were so needy for attention. They were sponges for our touch. They would soak up the love we gave them. They would hang from your neck and cling to your legs and no amount of attention could quench the thirst in their souls for possitive human contact. The kids were just hungry for touch.


What about Jesus? What was the Living Lord's policy on touch? I'll just toss out a few stories right off the top of my head.

Jesus heals the blind man at Bethsaida. Lets look at how Jesus chooses to heal this man. He could have gone about it many ways. But very purposely Jesus chooses to reach out and touch the broken, the needy, the crippled and the blind and restore them. This touch makes whole.

22They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
24He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
25Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8:22-25

Jesus encounters a man with leprosy. Now remember in this day, lepers were social outcasts. They lived outside of town, called out when they approached and often lived off trash and scavenging to survive. It was against the code of the day to touch or even talk to a leper. What does Jesus do? Does He follow societal mores? Or does He go against the grain and give the man what he desperately needs?

1When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

Matthew 8:1-4

Finally let's look at the woman with gynecological problems. She had been sick for so long and she had followed all the normal ways to get well. Nothing worked. Finally, in desperation she reached out for Jesus! She knew she needed only to touch but the edge of his cloak and it would be enough to set her free. How does Jesus respond to this touch? Does He rebuke her? Does He send her away for violating the rules about women touching men they aren’t' married to?

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
47Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Luke 8:42b-48

Jesus wasn't afraid of touch. It was the essence of what He did on earth. He reached out and touched people. He wasn't afraid of tradition or laws or policies. He saw that innate human need to be touched, and He reached out and restored them in a very intimate, very personal way. A person touch from a personal Savior.

Today, many people have become terrified of touch. They have replaced brotherly hugs with firm handshakes, tearful embraces for A-hugs and a pat on the back. Imagine Jesus entering today's church. Image His expression when He'd hear the rules about touch. He'd shake His head and walk out and hug someone.

Churchianity

Matthew 23

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2"The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. 3So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. 4They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden.

5"Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear extra long tassels on their robes. 6And how they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue! 7They enjoy the attention they get on the streets, and they enjoy being called Teacher.' 8Don't ever let anyone call you `Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are on the same level as brothers and sisters. 9And don't address anyone here on earth as `Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10And don't let anyone call you `Master,' for there is only one master, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you must be a servant. 12But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won't let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and you won't go in yourselves. 15Yes, how terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are.

Membership in a church does not equal being a Christian. Leadership on a committee or a council does not constitute piety. Love for your church does not equal a relationship with Jesus Christ. Adherence to ritual doesn't equal devotion to Christ. Dedication to the building is just a way to dodge opening yourself up to Christ. So many people run from life change by hiding behind a brick wall of laws. They throw away what Jesus told us to do in exchange for what the Old Testament tells us not to do. They worship the law in their form of legalism and leave grace outside their shiny temple, their well-groomed country club that they call a church.

Jesus spent a great deal of his ministry fighting the status quo in the Jewish religious body of the day. In the above reading we find Jesus fed up with legalistic church leaders, those worshipping the rules more than the Almighty Living Lord.

Who does the modern church look like? Are they following the model of Jesus, spreading the Word and love and healing through the streets to the common man, the lost and the needy? Or are they locked in their temples, conducting meetings about maintaining the facilities, raising money for a new roof and such instead of reaching out to the less fortunate? When they preach do they preach grace and forgiveness or are they bundling up laws like the Pharisees?

Jesus looks at these religious traffic cops with utter distaste, calling them "the sons of hell".

I continually think about my recent experiences with the organized church and it makes me wonder, if Jesus were to walk into today's church, how would he be received? Would he we received as a Savior or shunned for not following the right rituals?

If you are a member of leadership in a church pause for a moment and ask yourself this important question, "Does my work reflect the efforts of Christ, or the hypocrisy of the Pharisees?"

Generation Genesis Lives On

Who owns an awaking? Who owns a movement? Who can contain a revival. When cold hearts are called into thaw by the Holy Spirit, who can resist this draw? Who can reign in the inevitable dawning of spring, when the cold grip of winter is erased by the relentless tug of the warming rays of the sun.

Spring comes. Winter ends. We wake up. Our eyes open. Our mouths spill forth the song of rejoicing. His mercy and glory is accessible to all generations. God is good and God is real.

I have seen this awaking. It doesn't belong to a church or a philosophy or a label or a person. It belongs to these youths. Generation Genesis lives on. I will serve through this ministry until the kids no longer call. May the good Lord find us shelter and bless our quest to move ever closer to His awesomeness.

Shield

Firm Foundation

Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I know I can stand secure.
Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I put my hope in Your holy Word.

I have a living hope, I have a future, God has a plan for me, of this I'm sure.
Of this I'm sure.

Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I know I can stand secure.
Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I put my hope in Your holy Word.

Your Word is faithful, mighty in power.
God will deliver me, of this I'm sure.

Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I know I can stand secure.
Jesus, You're my firm foundation; I put my hope in Your holy Word.
I put my hope in Your holy Word.


I don't know the melody. I don't know the chord progression. These words were emailed to me my a dear, dear friend. I have been reading them over and over now. They are like a mantra. They are powerful. They are restorative, like an elixer. They are so powerful. I want to put these words on like armor. I want them to be like a shield. As the fiery arrows rain down, I want these words to protect me from their licking flames. I want to be enveloped by the Spirit and for Him to be come cacoon-like and for this storm to pass.

In all things, Lord Jesus, I put my hope in Your holy Word! I put my trust in You!

Tattoo Ideas

I watched my homeboy Travis get some ink done today at Lil Bros in CB. He got an awesome tribute to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a cross made out nails with the great storm behind it. It is one of the coolest tatts I have ever seen.

I found myself taking a nap in the tattoo parlour on an overstuffed black leather couch and my mind turned again to my tattoo. I had romantic notions in May about getting some ink done. But life happens and I used my summer tattoo fund on rent for my little apartment. So now I return to my dream of getting a tatt. I want a catholic looking Jesus like those below.



I will keep you posted.

Grace and Peace,

Digger

Appreciate the Mystery of Life

Life isn't about finding all the right ansers; it's about asking the right questions. We simply don't have all the answers, but we worship a God who does. The key is tusting God. Have you really put your complete trust in the God of the universe? Or are you still second- guessing Him- worrying about your family, your job, or your future? Learn to trust, and then relax in the arms of our Savior.

It's Time to Change Your Life by Phil Cooke

Oh to just relax! It has been a very stressful summer. I have been challenged and pushed to the brink. I have thrown my arms up and said, "What else can go wrong, God!?!" and every time something worse has been just around the corner. But I am still a Christ-follower. I still prayerfully face all challenges in my path. Jesus is my shepherd and I will not fear as I face these trials. I will place my trust in Him and move on forward. My goal is to leave my worries and my fear on the shelf like a garment and head boldly forward with God at my back.

Lord have my back, AMEN!

Over Come Fear and Insecurity

What are you afraid of? Insecurity and fear keep more people from acheiving greatness than anything else, and in most cases, it has very little basis in fact. You are a child of God, created in His image. What could possibly keep you from reaching your potential? Every day, take a first step into an area that you've been afraid of; and every day, you'll be placing a new brick in the foundation of a better life. The old southern preacher was right: "God didn't make no junk!" You are special, you are chosen by God, and there's nothing that you and God can't accomplish together.

It's Time to Change Your Life by Phil Cooke

God didn't make no junk! Now there is a rallying cry. Often times I get so low and so down on myself and I wonder how God could have ever chosen to work through me. But now, after reading the above thought given to me by a good friend, it dawns on me that I am questioning God's perfectness when I doubt my place in His Kingdom. My God is awesome and right! My God has the answers to all the questions, even the ones to big to consider. So why question Him when it comes to my worth?

I am a chosen child of God. I have Christ in my heart and He's got my back. He walks with me. I will not fear the shadow of evil as I walk this dark valley. I will not fear thirst or broken bones as I traverse this desert. I will walk with my head held high and my Lord and Savior at my side. Everyone can do as they wish. I will chose the Lord.

Don't you underestimate my Jesus!

-Relient K

Generaton Genesis: August Bond Fire Worship

Friends,

Its been a strange yet beautiful week of post-mission trip reflection and prayer. Many of you know the struggles in my way. My mission is bigger than these obsticles. G-squared belongs to you, the youth of this area. Come to Generation Genesis this Sunday night and share the Gospel, worship your Living Lord and dance to the sounds of drums and guitars under the stars.

Generation Genesis
7:00-til late
Lori Robertson's Place
just east of Elk Horn