Monday, August 28, 2017

What Rules Have You Broken

Last night we talked at FIRE & WATER about the rules to follow Jesus, the Pharisees (they loved rules) and what true worship really is. Here's the one thing I found out that I really didn't like:

They still get in trouble for breaking "rules".

I get it, no one is perfect and there are things we should and should not be doing that will help us know God better. But when and where you wear a hat probably isn't one of them.

If you are a part of a church or some group that worship, please, don't put your made up rules on visitors. If you are more worried about what a person wears to church then the fact they took the risk to visit for the first time you're missing the mark.

To those that aren't a part of a church, don't let one church's "rules" or even what you've heard about the "rules" stop you from coming. There are a ton of people that love Jesus and just want to get to know you. Try to find them, please.

As someone who has broken the rules many times and still occasionally gets in trouble for it, let's make it less about us and more about Jesus. Please.

T

Monday, August 21, 2017

Today the Moon Blocks the Sun

Have you ever thought about how crazy that is? The moon can block the sun and make the sky dark. The moon can make the sun so dark that you can stare directly at the sun and burn your retinas. I'm already gearing up to hide our daughter in the basement so I don't have to explain why it's already night time.

But how can this be since the moon is so much smaller than the sun? If the sun were hollow about 64.3 million moons can fit in the sun, that's how tiny the moon is compared to the sun. So how come the moon can completely block out something so much larger than it?

Proximity.

Because the moon is almost 400 times closer to us than the sun it can block it out. Because it is so much closer something incredibly bigger disappears.

I wonder how often this is true of Jesus in our lives. He is infinitely bigger than any problem we could have, but if we hold on to those problems closer and push Jesus further away doesn't it seem like that problem is bigger than Jesus?

Don't let the little things block you from seeing Jesus. The closer you hold them the less Light that gets through...

T


Monday, August 07, 2017

Listening to the Lawnmower

I have an old lawnmower. I don't know how old, we bought it second hand. I've had to do a few Macgyver-ish repairs to it over the years. The push assist doesn't work anymore. It's covered in duct tape and zip ties. But it mows the lawn.

One interesting thing about it is the sound it makes when the grass bag is full. There's a window in the bag so I should be able to see the grass clippings, but it is so old and dirty I have tried to clean it and it lasts about four minutes. So I have another way to tell when the bag is full: the sound. When grass starts feeding back into the mower there is a distinct clunking sound, different from the other clunking sounds of being an old mower. I know when I hear that sound it's time to stop and empty the grass clippings.

As I was mowing the other day I started to think how this in many ways is like hearing God. If I could choose some other way to tell when the bag was full, I'd do it. In a heartbeat. But I can't. I had to learn to let go of how I wanted things to work and learn to listen to the actual signs in the midst of all the other noise.

Sound like God a little?

Too often we have ideas of how we want God to speak or communicate to us. The problem is, it's not up to us. He does it His way. And until we recognize that we will never hear Him. We will miss His voice in the midst of all the other noise.

So what does God sound like? And will you start listening for Him?

My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ~ John 10:27 (TLB)

T