Listening
“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to his word, so the beginning of love for our brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2 ears. 1 mouth.  We should do twice as much listening as talking.  But also remember that our body language does most of the talking.  I’ve really been challenged lately thinking about what crazy stuff I must communicate to others, because my inner dialogue is not always what my outer nodding head might say.

And do I really love people?  Do I really care what others have to say?  Sometimes I can get so wrapped up in the “big” purposes of life – that I feel like I don’t have time to hear about someone’s normal work day or what they had for dinner.  Love for each other blossoms in the soil of everyday life.

For example, we became close with our friends Chris and Ruth because when we lived in Toledo we would spend most Sunday nights or other weeknights at their house.  We would just chill together, eat food, watch TV, talk late into the night, and be there when the other needed to talk.  This is where friendship happened.

We love by listening.  Bonhoeffer was so right!  I want to begin loving more people.

I’ve been really learning lately how much we need each other.  It’s not just an “I need you to say hi to me at church” – but a REAL vibrant relationship where we see each other’s lives for all their faults and accomplishments, good times and bad times.  Life should be lived up close – with trustworthy people who love you and want God’s best for you.

Here are the lyrics to a song by Sanctus Real called, “We Need Each Other” – see you tomorrow for some more thoughts on this…

I think I caught a glimpse of
Life without friends
Bitter, empty, hollow, dark and lonely
We never meant to hurt each other
So Can’t we trust again
And take it as a chance
To keep on growing

I don’t know why it doesn’t come easy
But I know that we could be happy
If we’d only learn to love

Oh oh we need each other
So what’s the fighting for
Oh oh we need each other
Please don’t close the door
Oh oh we need each other
Through all the highs and lows
Oh oh we need each other
Cuz no one’s meant to live alone

Life revolves around the need
Of having someone
Causing every complicated feeling
Oh and I don’t want to loose you
And there is nothing wrong with
Telling me what you need
To keep our love strong

It’s just a part of being a family
Taking the good with the bad and the ugly
If we could only learn to love

Oh oh we need each other
So what’s the fighting for
Oh oh we need each other
Please don’t close the door
Oh oh we need each other
Through all the highs and lows
Oh oh we need each other
Cuz I don’t want to be alone

Oh Oh we need each other
Fathers and Mothers
Oh oh we need each other
All your sisters and brothers
Oh oh we need each other
We need friends and lovers
Oh Oh we need each other

Well I need you
You need me
Cuz that’s the way
It’s meant to be
I need you
We need each other
(I don’t want to be alone)

Here’s what’s rattling through my head this morning…

• We’re visiting Jess’ sister in Virginia for a couple of days.  Looking forward to refreshing times, getting vision from God, relaxing on the beach, and long car rides with my wife.
• Someone got me a shirt that says, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.”  I like it, but I know that many of my friends and pastor wouldn’t like it.  Should I wear it or not?
• REPO was great – 4 students chose to follow Jesus last night.  But I’m just really challenged lately to make sure we’re discipling.  And to know where people are at.
• I like Taco Bell’s 89 cent Chicken Burrito.  Pretty much I like anything that is on the cheap menu there.  That place is my favorite fast food place – because we can get full for a small amount of money.
• I need a new pair of Crocs.  I really like them, and there are two big holes in the bottom of both of mine.  Any ideas where I could find them?
• I’m honored to be a part of REAL Church – the greatest church I’ve ever been a part of.  Check us out online and maybe you should donate to us:  www.1realchurch.com

Unfortunately that is the cry of so many people in Hell tonight.  And they don’t have to be celebrities.  They may be people that you and I have known before – but the fact is that everyone who has died a physical death is still alive.  They are still alive in one of two place – Heaven or Hell.

As I think of the celebrities we lost this week, I can’t help but think that some of them may be in Hell if they didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Then the loneliness, isolation, and frustraton that they felt here on Earth has become even more magnified in their lives.  What was it worth?

God says in Ezekiel 18:23 – “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord . Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”  And He says in 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God isn’t looking for people to send to Hell.  He died for every single person who is dead or alive.  We only have the chance to tell people who are breathing about Jesus.  So, TAG – you’re it!  Lead someone to Jesus – because He’s the only one who can get them outta their sin!

This post is from January 2008.  Little did I know God was preparing me for the next step.  Maybe He wants to prepare you for a next step from guarantees to possibilities?!

Guarantees to Possibilities

Right now, we are going through a squeezing time in our church. We are in the middle of a time of prayer and fasting to see God’s hand move. God is causing us to rely only on Him. Throughout this time, God has been speaking to me through the story of the Exodus and God’s people.

I felt like He was saying this, “I am moving you from the guaranteed” (Oh great, real encouraging, God. I thought you were a guarantee no matter what). “I am guaranteed, but comfort is not guaranteed” (Ok…?!) “I am moving you and the church into a time of possibilities” (Hmm…possibilities). You see, the children of Israel were guaranteed a place to stay, food to eat, and a job. But the downside is that they were slaves to the people of Egypt.

On the other hand, when God called the people to leave Egypt, he was calling them into possibility. What could freedom look like? What does it look like for God to bring me to Himself completely? What would it be like to be in a Promised Land that God had made for us, where we would be the owners and stewards of it?

We are moving forward and living by faith when God calls us through the guarantees and into possibilities with Him! Yes, it will be trying and yes, we will need to rely on manna for today! But, the possibilities are endless for the freedom God will bring to our lives.

IT’S ALL HOW WE RESPOND TO THE POSSIBILITIES! WE CAN EITHER GO INTO PROMISED PLACES, OR WANDER IN DESERTS OF DESPAIR.

Responding with faith to possibility,
TJ

This is a quote from Bonhoeffer I read during our transition to Hamtramck – I need to keep learning this again…

“Peter must burn his boats and plunge into absolute insecurity in order to learn the demand and the gift of Christ.”

This is a post that I wrote 2 weeks after moving to Hamtramck.  God lately has really been challenging me by bringing a certain homeless man into my life that I see almost every place I go to buy food.  I’ve been really learning this lesson again.

Equality in Generosity

I’ve been challenged lately by my pastor as he talks about renewing our commitment to the poor of our city. Today in my time with God, I read 2 Corinthians 8 and found some imperatives that the Word of God gives to us.

• We must follow Jesus’ example – “though he was rich, for my sake He became poor” (v.9)

• We must finish what we feel - Paul talks about matching our eagerness with willingness to actually give to those in need. It’s not enough to just feel compassion, we must become Jesus to those in need (v.11)

• We must give what we have – “if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what you HAVE, not by what you don’t have” (v.12) We’re not talking about racking up credit card debt to give to a lot of needy people, but rather sacrificial budget crunching giving. All Peter could give that day (Acts 3) was what was in him, not on him. Give what you have.

• We must work towards equality – “The goal is equality” (v.14) Even if I feel like I’m poor, I’ve got a long way to go until there is equality with me and the homeless person of the city. If I can eat a meal tonight, so should they. If I’d just eat a half portion, I could share God’s blessing with them.

• We may provide someone’s manna for the day – Paul quotes Exodus 16.18 with the gathering of the manna in this passage which says, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (v.15) Some of my manna, may be someone else’s ONLY manna for the day. God’s provision to me, may be partly someone else’s provision thru me.

I don’t have any answers right now. But the Word of God does! And all I know is that I’m being challenged very much lately to be more like Jesus, who remember,

“Though he was rich, for my sake He became poor.” (2 Cor. 8:9)
- May we once again follow Jesus’ example.

In case you missed it yesterday, I’ve been looking through old blogs (Blogspot and Xanga) and picking some posts God is using to talk to me…

Joseph’s Coats (Authority)

Tonight, I feel like God has spoken a message really profound to me about the life of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-50. I encourage you to read it and leave comments you might have about your own life or the story of Joseph.

BACKGROUND: The coat or robe that someone wore in that time represented the favor and the authority that they had in a certain context.

COAT #1 – Joseph’s authority begins in his house where his dad gives him a coat that shows his favor for his son. Unfortunately, his brothers don’t agree with that and they decide to rip that coat off of him. Joseph is unfairly sold as a slave, but in the loss of that authority from his father he learns the authority of perseverance. He keeps going, and the Bible says that God is with him and gives him favor.

COAT #2 – Next, Potiphar gives Joseph a coat of trust in his house and business. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife decides that she wants to rip off his coat because she felt rejected. Potiphar gets angry, but Joseph in this time knows the authority that comes from innocence. He was pure and there is an assurance inside of ourselves when we know we are innocent.

COAT #3 – Finally, after interpreting a dream for Pharaoh, God gives him wisdom to help store up for a famine coming to the land. I think the final thing that may have tried to rip this coat away from Joseph was HIMSELF. He could have said that he deserved to finally live rich off of the land, because of all the crap he went through. People could have died, and Joseph could have lived. But in this time, Joseph learns the authority of prudence. He is content in all circumstances as Paul would say in Philippians.

Though Joseph grew from family authority, to high level ranking assistant, to finally second in command in Egypt, I think the greater thing is the authority that Joseph gained in God’s Kingdom. Joseph gained the authority of perseverance, innocence and prudence which are character traits that WAY outlast the official rankings he had in Egypt and his father’s home.

How about you or me? Are we learning the authority that comes from living like Jesus? I want to live with more authority like this, because the end result will be the same as it was for Joseph there in Egypt: many lives will be saved. And it will be because we let God make us into something, rather than letting our circumstances make us into something.

Letting him put His coat on me,
TJ

I’ve been looking through my old blogs on BlogSpot and Xanga.  I decided that this week I wanted to post some old posts that God is still speaking to me through…

Don’t Get Ability Before Avail.

AVAILABILITY. We say that we should all be available to God. However, today I was thinking that too often we get dyslexic Christianity and try to give God OUR ability before we AVAIL ourselves to Him and what His purpose might be.

AVAIL means to be useful to someone. God wants to use us (2 Timothy 2:21) for His purposes in this world. But too often we tell God, “I have this ability, so I can do this for you”. But, if we instantly think that because we have a certain ability, God is going to use us in that ability, we could be missing a bigger picture that He might have.

God wants people who give themselves to Him, no strings attached. Those are the people who He will use, and yes, He’ll use their abilities. But even abilities will be magnified by His strength in and through them.

This is just a random thought from my head. To end with a quote that Pastor Chilly always says, “My availability is God’s opportunity to do something great”.

Let’s keep the ability after the availing ourselves to Him.