Need Some of this.

Wow,
What great two weeks I had at camp. 3 Kids had their sins washed away as they were baptized into Christ Jesus, and about 5 others are talking with their families, and pastors about giving their life Christ.

As I sit here today, I am tired and worn out. I have two weeks of office stuff to catch up on, and the heat is draining the life out of me. I did not move to the great NW to be in 100+ degree weather.

I also feel a lot like Elijah. I need some inspiration. I have visited blogs I enjoy, and even listened to a sermon. Still I am wanting more. I feel lonely, and a little depressed. Yesterdays; sermon was about Abiding in Christ, and that Jesus set us free from sin. It seemed to hit people in the heart.I think thatI am just in funk like Elijah was after Mt. Carmel. I know God loves me, that My church loves me, and that I was used for the last two weeks to share the Good news of Jesus Christ with a bunch of kids ranging from 4-9Th grade. Shouldn't that be enough?

I mean I've been used by God to touch his people, and yet today I am looking to be touched myself. I want to be inspired, I want to uplifted, and challenged. I want to feel Jesus in new ways. I want to be used for the kingdom, and yet I feel that I am alone out here in God's country.

One warrior, fighting the battle against Satan and his dark forces. One Warrior looking around to see who will join him, and then being reminded that God is in the gentle whisper. That HE has called others to stand and fight beside me, behind me, and in front me.

I am not alone.

I am a warrior, who is fighting a battle to show the love of Jesus into the darkness of this world.

I am a warrior commissioned by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to battle against the lies of the Evil one.

I am a warrior whose outpost is in the wilderness, and yet has support of other warriors around this world.

I am a warrior, an imperfect Warrior, who is trying to please his King.

I am an imperfect Warrior of the Cross of Christ Jesus. I stumble, I fall and I get on my knees and pray, and the Lord sends me out once again to do battle, because He has designed me, to be a Warrior.

-M

This will make you laugh

The Problem with the Church

Before we begin I want to let you know that I will be gone for the next 2 weeks. The Joys of summer camp. While I might be able to post, please do not count on anything from for the next two weeks.


I think I have figured out atleaset the heart of the issue, of why there are some many problems with our churches. People have stopped wanting to be like Jesus. We look and act more the world than we do the man who died on the Cross for our sins.

This needs to stop. Where there is gossip,lies and slander- we need to praise, where there is hatred, anger, we need to love and where thier is sexually impurites- we need to become pure. The world looks at the church and says "HYPOCRITS!". They are right, they see the exact same thigns from Christ' followers that themselves are doing. "Why would I worship Jesus, if you are no better than I am? If you behave the way that I do?"

That is not what we are suppossed to be doing, we are suppossed to be like Jesus, not the town drunk, wifebeater, gossip, theif, liar etc.

Todd Agnew wrote the song "My Jesus".



My Question for you this week is "Do I look more like Jesus or do like the world?"

You have to listen to this!

I was forwarded this by a good friend of mine. I hope that you it brightens your day.

http://denimandlace.50megs.com/1bigone.html

Time for a change

I have been thinking that I need to change something to this blog, in my life. As many know that I am a pastor. One thing that many of us forget is Holy Living. Are we practicing it? are we challenging and encouraging our flocks to be Holy? Do Christ-followers even want to be Holy?

I believe that we have settled to be "good enough". To be more somewhere in the middle between the world and Christ. "If I look too much like Christ, then people will find me weird" and the idea of "I became all things to all people, so that I might save a few" becomes our mantra.

While we need to share the love of Jesus with everyone, we do not need to become everyone or walk like everyone. I do not need to sell my body on the streets on to share Jesus love with a street walker. I do not need to get high on crack, to show a crack addict, that he is destroying his life. What I need to do is to learn to see people as God sees them.

Are they His child? Do they want to be His Child? Have they ever been his child, and now are out walking in the wilderness?Does God want me to share His love to them or has God decided to give them over to their own desires (Romans 1). How can I show them Christ' love? Getting high won't help out, sleeping with them won't help out, condemning them won't help out.

What will? Getting them to know them, hearing their story, and sharing with them our story, our faith walk with the Holy One of God, the One who releases us from our bondage and our sins.

The challenge is doing this, while staying pure, set apart, while being an alien, a stranger in this land, to make sure that I do not become corrupted my self.

As we share the Love of Jesus with others, let us remember that the same love that saved me, is the same love that wants me to be Holy.