Proclaiming The Goodness Of God

I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest nights

You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father

I’ve known You as a friend

I have lived in the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

With my life laid down,
I’m surrendered now, I give You everything

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

Copyright © 2020 Bethel Music-All Rights Reserved 

"What This Church Needs is a Good 5-cent Cigar."

community  

^{[ kuh-myoo-ni-tee ]}: 

a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists

The plan was pretty simple: Sell a successful restaurant (and the adjacent property that housed twenty tenants of a variety of businesses) to an investor who would tear down the properties and build a senior high rise that would overlook the Mississippi River.

In an effort to accommodate the sale, the twenty businesses that occupied the site were given notice that they would need to vacate and relocate elsewhere.

The tenants responded by securing new locations, packing up, and re-establishing their businesses in new locations with the hopes that their loyal patrons would follow them.

Within a few months all of the businesses found new locations and started once again to establish roots. Notices were sent out and patrons such as Cathy and I continued to support their favorite business by following them over to their new locations.

Or I should say most clients followed the businesses to their new location.

One of the businesses that needed to relocate was a cigar and pipe tobacconist store. Over the past forty years it has been recognized as one of the premier spots for aficionados and provided its patrons with a space both indoors and outside to satisfy their passion for enjoying cigars and pipe tobacco.

 

In the past, I have stopped in the shop to look through their ever-growing pile of cigar boxes to see if any of them would meet my need for manufacturing my next cigar box guitar.

I should note that although I tend to prefer to use antiques cigar boxes to build my cigar box guitars, the shop was a great place to search for a box that would inspire me. I also liked the sense of community that I observed and the hospitality shown to me, even though I was only (occasionally) purchasing a used cigar box.

In time, the shop relocated to another city, but they left behind a bunch of displaced patrons who continued to gather in the evenings to sit outside of the (closed) shop to smoke their cigars and pipes like they had for many years. Almost every week for the past eighteen months I would see this group of patrons sitting outside in the evenings no matter what month of the year it was.

Just this week, while driving past the site in the evening, I saw a group of them gathered as though the shop had never moved.

Now, I'm relatively certain that these patrons still purchase their tobacco from the shop in the new location which is only ten minutes away. But their need to gather seems to far outweigh the fact that the temperatures are dropping as the season is transitioning into winter (as they did last winter when these people sat outside).

My observation is that the need for community is stronger than we may realize and in many respects is part of the answer to what ails us.

For many years, some pastors and churches have thought that the reason that people didn't attend was due to a lack of interest. I disagree and submit that perhaps the visitors didn't return because they didn't find what they were really looking for; community.

In fact, when the church was established, the members gathered “daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart…” (Acts 2:46)

The problem is, the church doesn’t have a corner on the market for community.

Community is found in many other venues besides the church such as bars, beer leagues (bowling, softball, hockey, etc.), hunting clubs, coffee shops, support groups, barn raising, sewing bees, potluck dinners, sporting events, and many other venues. It can even be found in dark places such as sharing a needle for drugs or sultry affections under a bridge. 

These patrons of the (former) cigar shop found each other and a place to gather and they appear to have no plans on leaving until the bulldozers raze the buildings and they are forced to find a new place to gather.

If the church would capitalize on this, I know of at least ten people who would relocate on their property.

No, I'm not suggesting that churches build a smoking lounge.

I'm merely suggesting that if community is what attracts people to gather, then that might be part of the formula to keep them in church.

Then, and only then will the main message (the Gospel) be heard by individuals in which relational equity has been established through meeting their need for community.

Perhaps it is time to get back to our roots and once again be the church in which others can find gladness and simplicity of heart through community.

Tommy O's Guitars can be found on Facebook

You Don't Scare Me

Do you like things that bring fear? Are you easily frightened? Does the thought of things that go bump in the night cause you to hide under your covers? Are you scared by the unknown?

Are you afraid of being afraid?

Isn’t this what Halloween is all about; doing things that elevate our fears?

Simply put, I don’t like to put myself into situations that produce fear and that includes fear-filled movies, roller coasters or barrel rolls in airplanes.

And, as a dad, I made it a point to not intentionally put fear in my children. I wanted them to not be afraid of what may or may not be ‘out there’.

It’s probably why I don’t celebrate Halloween. For me, there is enough ‘horror’ in this life that I don’t need or want to celebrate it.

Just watching the average newscast, you will find way too much that is overwhelming and painful or frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting and full of fear.

No thanks, I’ve had enough and I don’t want to celebrate being afraid.

As a Christian, I’ve come to trust that either the Lord is in control or else He is not; period.

So, I don’t allow fear to fill me with what might happen; especially for things that I can’t control like falling down or that an airplane could crash or that I might eat meat that is too rare or having a lightning bolt give me a lethal shock or dying…they don’t scare me!

I also would say that I don’t tend to back down from things that go bump in the night.

Yes, I have a ‘healthy fear’ that prevents me from doing stupid things; but I don’t run away.

This goes back to the days of my youth when I was told by an older neighbor kid to ‘hit the biggest kid on the other side and take his legs out’.

The bigger they were the more I pressed in to taking them out! This was true for football as well as hockey.

My friends, we don’t need to be scared!

We can believe the Word of God which tells us over and over again; “Don’t be afraid” and “Do not be terrified or dismayed”. 

Why? Because “the Lord your God is with you…”

The Apostle John wrote it in the Bible;

 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

I love how the Apostle Paul wrote it in the Bible;

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians15:54-58 NKJV)

Today, this day, step out of the dredges of fear and what may happen.

Celebrate life, not death.

Stop letting things scare you and start enjoying what IS.

Learn to trust in the Lord who is able to keep you from falling and deliver you from death.

 “For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God In the light of the living? (Psalm 56:13 NKJV)

The Seventy Sevens - You Don't Scare Me - 9 - All Fall Down (1984)

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

What Are You Afraid Of?

I was asked a question in a men’s group: “What do I fear?”

My Answer: I have a fear that the Lord could take His Holy Spirit from me.

I’m not afraid like I would be if a lion came upon me. My fear is out of reverence and awe for who the Lord is. King David said in Psalm 51:11 “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

In Exodus 33:15 Moses said to God; “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”

The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” He wouldn’t have said ‘don’t grieve’ unless it were possible to grieve the Spirit. Paul also said on numerous times: “Do not be deceived”. He wouldn’t have said ‘don’t be deceived’ unless it were possible to be deceived

My fear is that He could take His Spirit from me and I wouldn’t even know it.

(1 Samuel 16:14) “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from (king) Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.”

(Judges 16:20) “And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

No matter what God has called you to do, it is still going to be done ONLY through His power. He is the source of ALL of our power so we must be connected to Him as the source of our anointing.

Jesus said; “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

God wants to give us His power, His anointing. But we need to be good stewards of the anointing because it is borrowed power. It’s God’s power and anointing.

But too often people are busy for God, and not necessarily effective for God.

When we find ourselves in this position, we need TO RESPOND TO THE Grace and admit that something is missing in our ministry, admit that we are NOT as effective as we used to be, admit we don’t have His power working in and through us.

1 Peter 5:5 says that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

We need to HUMBLE OURSELVES- “I have no confidence in my flesh or in my ability! BUT I do have: Confidence in Jesus, and in His Blood, and in His Word, and in the Name of Jesus!”

Each of us will give an account for what we did with what we were given.

I Thank God for the Body of Christ - Thank God for the five-fold gifts: People who are willing to help us get the power and anointing back.

Where was the last place that you were effective?

Where was the last place that you were strong?

Remember your first love

Go back to the first time you heard the Name of Jesus and it thrilled you!

Go back to when you couldn’t get enough of the Bible.

Go back to where you read the Bible and consumed it.

Go back to that place of prayer;

“I need you….I want you….I thirst for you!”

You’ll never grow beyond your last act of disobedience. You need to GO BACK and admit where you blew it. It’s God’s power entrusted to us and He can bring it once again!

Even though you may not feel like you can be used again, God is able to help you recover it. Remember, it is borrowed power, NOT YOUR POWER!

God is NOT done with you! The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). We are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10)

God entrusts us with His power to do His works: To heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons… (Matthew 10:8)

 

To preach the gospel to the poor; … to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18)

But we need to commit to take better care of the gifts He has given to us BEFORE we are used by Him. We do this by spending time with God in: Bible study, fasting, praying in the Spirit.

Hebrews 2:1 tells us: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”

We don’t lose the anointing overnight. Each of us have times when we have felt it slipping and we responded by saying; “I’ll get by; it’s OK, I’ll get through this!”

Men and women of old were more consecrated than we are. They understood holiness. They had the power and anointing because they had been good stewards.

We need to be more consecrated –more reverent to God, to give ourselves to God in EVERYTHING, which includes in the little things: the leaven, little foxes, little compromises things that cause us to waver in our consecration.

And suddenly you find yourself wondering why you are not seeing any power behind what you are doing. Wondering why people are not getting saved. Wondering why people are not being healed…

You can try to try to “fake it until you make it”; but I don’t advise it! You will be: worn out, burned out, used up – As some of you are today- trying on your own with no effective results and no longer wanting to dream dreams for your life.

WE CANNOT HAVE GOD’S POWER APART FROM HIS Presence

We MUST reverence His presence

We must be surrendered to Him!

We must be yielded to Him

I want to get my power from God! I want to be trust worthy! I want to be a good steward of the power and anointing!

How do you get the power? When the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8).

God WILL bring the power back to you- but you still have a part to play

We have to take hold of what God brings back to us.

We have to take and use the gifts and anointing that God brings to us.

We have to let God work through us.

And then the consecration really begins to inspect us every day.

To not assume that we are connected to the vine (John 15:5)

Not: manufacture power or make power!

We receive power - It is a gift from God-But we also need to check our motives.

Why do you want the power and anointing from God? Are you sure that your motives are right?

 

(Acts 8:18-19) “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

The more God releases His power to us, the more that we must change to become like Jesus. If you really want the power gifts, you will want to become more like Jesus.

Let’s pray:

Father, if you’ll give me the anointing, and give me the power I promise I’ll do a better job of being a good steward of the power you give.

Father I want to do the work you’ve called me to do.

Father, I want to see Jesus lifted up in my life and honored and glorified

I want to see lives changed for Your glory!

Can you say; “amen”?

The Problem With Wearing Two Pairs of Shorts

I was at a wedding where I was the pastor who was officiating. While adjusting my clothing just before the before the ceremony, I had noticed that the dress pants that I was wearing were getting tighter; which was strange because they had fit fine the week before.

Rationalizing to myself that I must had put on some extra weight during the past week, I sucked in my belly, cinched up my belt, and continued with my preparations.

About ten minutes later, I decided to use the bathroom one more time before I made my way up to the front for the ceremony.

While unzipping my pants, I noticed that I had on (what appeared to be) an extra pair of shorts. I quickly made my way into one of the stalls and removed my dress pants and confirmed my suspicions. I had on a pair of gym shorts!

I removed them, put on the pair of dress pants, and zipped them up. I noticed that the belt was actually one notch smaller.

I made my way to Cathy and handed her the gym shorts and asked her if she could put them in her purse because I needed to start the ceremony.

But, because her puzzled look demanded an explanation, I took the time to explain. 

You see, whenever I get dressed for an event such as wedding, funeral, or some other situation at which I will be wearing dress pants, suit, shirt, and a tie, I tend to get hot because of all of the running around. Don't ask me why or else I will go a bunny trail.

My solution has been to wear a pair of gym shorts so that my core temperature stays a bit cooler as I prepare. Then, just before leaving the house, I (usually) take off the gym shorts BEFORE I put on a pair of dress pants. When I arrive at my destination, then I put on the suit coat.

I say "usually" because on this particular day (obviously) I didn't. I had actually forgotten to take off the gym shorts before putting on the dress pants.

 

Cathy laughed until tears came out her eyes and I made my way to the awaiting wedding party to start processional.

To be fully honest and forthright, it is bad enough that I did this once; but I did this twice...at two different weddings!!!

The second time made Cathy laugh even more.

The Apostle Paul was addressing this same situation several times in his writings to the young Christian churches. Paul actually had to tell his congregants that they needed to "put OFF" before they "put ON"

One section of scripture where Paul address putting off and putting on is  Ephesians 4:20-24

One wouldn't think that you would need to explain this, but for some reason people (particularly guys) seem to have a hard time letting go of the old and taking the new.

Men, although they like getting new things, tend to keep clothing WAY PAST the expiration date. Be honest with me guys; when you received a new shirt this past Christmas or Father's Day, did you throw out the old stuff?

We wear clothing WAY past its expiration date! Clothing that is stained, stretched, torn, faded, and no matter how many times it is washed, it still smell like an old piece of clothing.

A simple explanation for why we don't remove the old first is because the old fits us and we feel comfortable in it.

Another reason is that we don't want to be in the place of old and new because we are naked and vulnerable.

But Paul is telling us that we need to remove the old in order that the new fits better and is closer to the heart. We MUST remove and put away the old in order to be adorned in what the Lord wants us to wear.

“TAKE THEM OFF!” Paul is saying; “YOU CAN’T WEAR TWO PAIRS OR PANTS AT THE SAME TIME!”

“But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24)

Paul is appealing to the church in Ephesus to leave their old way of life and come to Jesus and make Him the Lord of their lives.

Paul is talking about conduct, attitudes, lusts, behaviors, addictions, etc.

Paul is urging them to be done with their former life as he says; “Put off your old life like you would put off an old pair of pants. And then, clothe yourself in a new way to conduct yourself”.

In other words, put off your old sinful life and put on the righteousness and holiness that comes from a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.

As I said earlier, this transition is harder that we first think. It involves being naked and transparent and vulnerable.

But the good news is that there is someone who wants to assist us with the process; in fact He literally paid a price to help you transition from the old to the new. His name is Jesus.

All He is asking is for you to acknowledge that the old stuff is wrong and it needs to go (confession: which means to agree with what God calls sin)

And ask Him to help you to remove the old (invite Him into your life to be your Lord and Savior)

And allow Him to do the work; with you cooperating with the process. 

Tired of the old clothing that doesn’t quite fit? Call out to the Father through Jesus Christ and let Him make great changes to your life.

Paul wrote to another church:

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Go With The Flow

For the past fifteen years or so I have worn my hair cut short. In fact, I usually scheduled a haircut every month 'whether I needed it or not' because my hair grows very quickly and is thick and part of the haircut is to thin it out.

When I conversed with my stylist about wanting my hair a bit longer, she said that it was pretty simple; all that I would have to do is stop scheduling appointments with her.

I say all that to state that I grew out my flow this past winter for hockey season. Not a big deal and yet the response (myopically speaking) was 'bigger' than I had expected. What I lacked in skills that are diminishing, I made up in my flow.

Flow is the slang word for the hair of hockey players. Typically it is long and flows easily out of hockey helmets. Usually, it is un-kept and greasy...or at least heavily gelled. 

Although my hair curls when it is long, in years past, I have permed the back in true mullet fashion to get the party in the back; all the while keeping the business on top.

I scheduled my haircuts for every six weeks because I had to at least keep it groomed since I still met with people in ministry....and oftentimes wore a hat. 

Generally, I received loving compliments from a variety of people who had never seen me when (in the past) I had longer hair, and they encouraged me to keep it long.

Several of my teammates encouraged me to keep it long as they lived vicariously through me; since most of them had installed a marble top on their heads a very long time ago. 

I would occasionally be stopped by complete strangers who told me that they liked my hair longer. Several neighbors called me over and expressed their love of my longer hair. Even as I write this at a coffee shop, a friend who is a pastor said that he wishes he had my hair. I told him that when I get it cut I will drop it off at his house.

I was really shocked when the elderly women at church would tell me to keep it long. 

I say "generally" I received compliments because I did get some razzing; including being called affectionate names such as hippie. I was asked what year it was because someone thought that it was the seventies. One person, when he saw my flow, asked if I road my motorcycle; offering to give me a bowl-cut.

A friend who played his career in the NHL asked me if I was going through a mid-life-crisis. I responded "I hope not, or else that means that I would live to at least one hundred and twenty years old!"

Little did I know that by not cutting my hair would I generate such opinions. I was simply going with the flow.

It reminded me of when I came to the Lord and I received some comments about what I wore as well as the length of my hair. After I cut my hair, a leader at church thought he was giving me a "compliment" when he said to me; "Now you look like a real Christian..." as he quoted 1Corinthians 11:14 where Paul tells us "Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?"

This scripture 'messed' me up a bit for a few years as I swallowed the Kool-Aid and believed the lie (although it wasn't intentionally said) that having long hair on a man was shameful. 

This affected my need for performance in how I dressed and kept myself, believing (subconsciously) that somehow my grooming was connected with my holiness.

Even this past year I was so aware of my hair being out of place when the wind would blow and mess it up; rendering me unpresentable.

Little did I know (at the time) that it was simply this leader's opinion. He, in no way, was trying to lead me astray. He was simply trying express his opinion in an attempt to disciple me.

And he had omitted to read the whole scripture in which Paul adds;

"If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God." (1 Corinthians 11:16)

Paul is the same one who said a couple of chapters earlier in the same letter to the Corinthians that he "become all things to all men that I might by all means save some." (See Corinthians 9:19-23)

What am I saying? Whether or not you like hair that is long or short, keep your opinions to yourself. This includes trends in society for men or women to shave or not shave their faces, armpits, or other areas of their bodies. It's simply your opinion.

Your words may be heaping shame on men or women who choose to grow or not grow hair; to shave it or not shave it. None of this means that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. It is (and always has been and always will be) grace and grace alone.

Your words may have more of an influence than you might think. Your words may come alongside someone's performance mentality and lead them away from the grace of God Who wishes that none should perish, but all would have eternal life.

After all; "He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16 AND 17)

As for me, as my hockey season comes to an end, I will contemplate when or if I get it cut. For now, I will simply go with the flow.