MIRACLES VI: The Blind See

For six weeks we've been looking at the Miracles of Jesus from the book of John. And we've saved the best for last... The Blind See. The miracles that we've looked at to date have all been physical but in this miracle the miracle isn't the healing of a man's sight - but the giving of spiritual sight; the ability to "see" Jesus as Lord and Savior, God's Son. It is the miracle of faith that is extended to all who believe. Perhaps God has been working in your life but you haven't recognized it, or given credit to Him for what He's done. Today, let your spiritual eyes be opened and your spirit find rest in the risen Savior.

Collosians 3,4 - November 21 - A social experiement, not for the faint of faith.

Peace. Loaded word. There are some who say there is no peace without war. There are others who would say that without war, there is peace. I suppose the people in California would like some peace right now. Fires. That's what they've got. And lots of them. Fires in the mountains and fires in the streets - can you say anything about proposition 8 without get stones thrown from one side or the other? Peace would be nice.
There are those who struggle to find a little peace. It's hard when you're in the middle of a foreclosure. When you're not sure if Big Brother is going to bail out your employer - so you still have a job. Christmas is right around the corner... good thing Wal-Mart has a whole aisle of toys in the $.95 range. It would be nice to have some financial peace right about now.

I noticed several statements, I suppose we could call them commands in three short verses; 15,16,17, here they are for your consideration.

Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts.
Be THANKFUL.
Let the WORD of Christ dwell in you RICHLY.
and, WHATEVER you do, whether in word or deed do it all in the name of JESUS.

Peace, it seems to me, is unattainable in this life. Whether by force or by kindness - peace will never be seen. There is an evil in this world that prevents, even hates, peace. That's probably why Paul said we need to let the PEACE OF CHRIST, rule in our hearts. That's completely different from the worlds peace. The peace of Christ happens no matter the situation. It is not situational...it is constant. No matter the situation there is always peace in Christ. Yeah, I don't get it either, though I've felt it. It's why we call it the "peace that passes all understanding." You can't understand it, but it's there. In the dark. In the midst of your own personal, financial, social, spousal, family war... His peace is there.

And since it's thanksgiving next week there's a command to be THANKFUL. It's not a wishy-washy idea. Be THANKFUL. It's a choice. It's an act of will. I can be thankful even when nothing is going my way (though it's hard for me too!). Thankfulness. It has to do with what I choose to look at, or rather focus on. Thankfulness is a "the glass is half-full" attitude. (It's also half empty, either one explains the reality of the situation but only one makes you feel good that you've got a half a glass of water!)

None of this that has come before, or the statement after can be done if the WORD of Christ does not dwell in you. Pack it up. Head out the door. If there is no Word there is no peace. If there is no Word there is no thankfulness. If there is no Word then how would I know what would bring glory to God? You see the WORD is life and light. I am blessed to be a messenger of that Word. But that's it. It didn't start with me and it won't end with me. The WORD never fails. Never falls. Never waivers. Never "misses" the mark. The WORD is the mark. The WORD became flesh and made His dwelling among us...I am thankful.

Oh and by the way, in case you "Christians" missed it... the last one is a good remind to those of us who all too often forget, when were out in traffic or in the work place or clamoring for the last...whatever is going to be the hot gift this year... that everything we do should be done with the express purpose of bringing glory to God. Which just means that we should be able to put a JESUS stamp on it. You know, like the sticker you got in the last pair of underwear that you bought - but didn't catch until you were taking them off at the end of the day... the one that has a number on it. That pair of BVD's was inspected by the person who stuck that number on there - "18." It was their seal of approval. These briefs passed the inspection. They passed the test. (what kind of tests do they put underwear through anyway?) There should be a sticker on everything you and I as Christians (not for those who are not) do and say that just says "JC." Whatever you do means... are you ready? Whatever, you do.

How about today, just today, we try to live by these four commands. What do you think would happen? Let me know how our little social, "fight the hypocrisy" experiment goes!

MIRACLES 6: The Blind See - coming this sunday!

Join us as we wrap up the MIRACLES series with The Blind See. We'll walk with Jesus and the disciples as they meet a man born blind and in the end he not only sees things he has never seen - he sees Jesus as his Savior. Are there blind spots in your life? Are you ready to see?

MIRACLES V: Water to Wine

It's the first miracle but that isn't the best part of this story... Join us as we look inside a first-century wedding and discover how and why Jesus performed this first miracle. And what the response was to this first miracle.

Galatians 6 / Nov 14 - contradiction? I don't think so.

Well, you might not believe I'm saying this... but I'm going to say it anyway. It's not what you do that is important. There, I said it. Throw the book at me! Tell me what a jerk I am for telling you for the last year "it's what you do that matters." Tell me how nonspiritual I am and what a low class preacher I am since I don't even have a basic grasp of the Bible. Are you feeling better? Are you glad to get that out of your system? Good. Now quite gloating and listen up.

I hope you have realized that I am not as concerned with making a good impression as some probably wish I was (maybe my wife for instance) because I'm not interested in trying to make Christianity "look" good as though it needed my "show" to be attractive to others. So, I try and keep it real (pun intended). You see what you do outwardly to prove you belong in church or to a church or are a good christian doesn't mean anything. What you and I do on Sunday may impress those sitting around us but it doesn't impress God and probably doesn't impress those outside the church looking for something more. Something real. Something beyond just some thing that you do (that was a lot of somethings).

Verse 15 of chapter 6 tells us that circumcision/uncircumcision (acts done to prove something) don't mean anything. That's right, they don't mean anything. What we do, doesn't mean anything. What matters Paul says is "a new creation." Remember that "I (Jesus) have come that you might have life, real life, more and better than you ever dreamed?" It comes from relationship, from the new creation that happens when we give our lives, completely, over to Christ. Romans 6 is the key text here saying that the "old has gone the new has come" when we are "baptized into Christ Jesus."

So the RULE, (don't cuss, don't commit sexual immorality or get drunk or lie, cheat or steal, etc.) doesn't mean anything if there is no new creation, they're just things you do or don't do. So what you do doesn't mean anything. It's the relationship you have (or don't) that matters.

Before you get too excited, what you do comes in to play after the new creation is, well created. Now you "do" not because it helps you or puts you in some special place with God but because you love Him and want to. And that's a lot better way to do things anyway.

How about a dose of Real Life.

2 Corinthians 13 / Nov 11 - What's your grade?

Okay, cut me some slack... after reading yesterday's text I was kicking myself for not posting, some good things there. Did you notice that Paul said he "knows a man who was caught up" and he would boast about that guy but not himself? Did you see then that in the next paragraph he said, "to keep me from being conceited because of these 'surpassingly great revelations...'" See it? He just admits that he was the one "caught up!" Interesting.

But this morning I think that it may be good to take a test. In my classes the students know that they will be quizzed every week and that there will be a final exam. If they fail the tests there is a good chance they will fail the final. A test is a measurement tool to see if you are on task. It is a good thing! If there are no tests how will you know if you are getting the right info? Focusing on the right parts of the lecture? Getting the correct information out of the text? So test actually help us so that we are not caught off guard.

Paul suggests that we test ourselves, or examine our lives to see if we are "in the faith." Is your life reflecting the principles and characteristics of Christ? Are you on the right path? (narrow or wide?) Does your faith sound good but lack something in the delivery every day?

Paul asserts that those who are in the faith have within themselves "Christ Jesus." The inference is that you will be able to determine, after examining, that you have Christ, unless of course you fail the test!

My prayer today is that you not only pass the test but you ACE it as you consider how well you let Christ shine through your life every day.

Have a great Tuesday!

MIRACLES IV: Raising the Dead

Jesus not only had power over the physical to heal and restore but even death is no match for the power of Christ. In this message we'll discover that the miracle power of Christ to bring back the physical body from death is also available to what is dead or dying our lives. Dead faith? Dead relationships? Dead Marriage? Dead hope? Jesus is ready to speak into the darkness of your life and call back to life, what is dead. Are you ready to "Come Out?" Your new life and new clothes await...

2 Corinthians 8 / Nov 7 - religious socialism?

Since President Elect Obama was accused of wanting to bring socialism to America perhaps this is not a good time for this post...but since I'm not any good at being "PC" I'm gonna press on!

But before you lock up your wallet and pad-lock your purse there is something you need to know about what Paul is getting to.

First. He reminds us that Christ, as the Son of God, was in heaven prior to coming to the earth and being born a helpless little baby. In heaven He was the creator and sustainer of all things on earth he was poor. Hated. Dismissed as a crazy. Beat. Tried and convicted. Killed because of a loophole in the law (they didn't account for someone being the actual Son of God). To truly understand this point you must get that Jesus had it all and gave it all up for you.

Second. This was not a Robin Hood idea (rob from the rich and give to the poor). It sounds a little socialist, the idea of everyone being equal but the context is not that of taking from what someone worked hard to attain and just giving it to someone who didn't want to work. No, what was happening here was a great famine in Jerusalem (and surrounding area) so that the Church in that part of the world was suffering greatly. Paul was encouraging the Church in Corinth to follow through with what they had promised, to send financial gifts to their brothers to help them in their time of need. The plan then was that if needed, the Church in Jerusalem - after the famine had passed, would be able and obligated to help the Church in Corinth should they ever need it.

Notice though that this was not forced (through taxes, etc.) but they "gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own..." From the other day Paul said that they ought to "lay aside a sum of money, in keeping with their income." So, it was not just about taking away but those in Christ willingly giving what they could.

So, I'll give what I can and you give what you can and it may not be equal gifts, but it should be an equal sacrifice. Have a good Friday!

THIS SUNDAY! MIRACLES IV: Raising the Dead

Is there something in your life that has died or is dying? A relationship? Emotional death? You may have even suffered Spiritual death, or you may be heading that way. This week we'll see Jesus raise both the physically dead and bring what is dead in you and me back to life.

2 Corinthians 4 / Nov 6 - Good to remember

So this chapter couldn't have come at a better time for me. There is a delicate balance that we try to maintain in the faith. How do we deal with the truth of God's incredible power at work within us through His Spirit, when we ourselves as so fragile. Jesus said, if you faith you can say to this mountain "go throw yourself into the sea" and it will obey... fine. I believe that. There is incredible and infinite power available to us through the Spirit of God. And not only to us, but in us! Yet this incredible power must move through the bottleneck of our faith!

Paul says we have this treasure (this power, this light, this Spirit) in jars of clay; fragile, unable to hold an infinate amount of power, prone to cracks and leaks. Think of pouring a gallon of milk into a small glass, once the glass if filled the milk just runs out. As a jar of clay my ability to hold all that God has to offer is limited.

I continue to wonder, "God, how come this isn't happening or you're not doing that?" It isnt that God can't - perhaps the problem is that my jar has a leak of faith... or a crack of trust and all that God is pouring into me is running out. My prayer today is that God restores the broken vessels of our faith. Fill the cracks. Plug the leaks. And continue pouring into us your grace and power to meet our needs out of your abundance in Christ Jesus. Finally God, increase the size of my jar so that I can hold more and more of You.

2 Cor 3 / Nov 5 - It's not the end...

Okay, it is difficult night for me. If you didn't know I am a Republican. I had hoped that McCain would pull out an upset, but it seems now that it is highly unlikely that will happen. What does that mean?

For the next four years will will have not only a Democrat in the White House but the first African American President in our Nation's history, which, by-the-way is really cool. I would have desired the first black president to be a republican but, that is the way it goes. Can you believe that we have come so far (as Carl Rove said) "in such a short period of time" from the slavery issue to our First African American Family.

While I am worried about the next few years and all the changes that will most certainly come (my opinion) I am reminded of a few things tonight.

1. The whole idea of our election process is that there is balance. That is why we have senatorial elections ever 2 years and presidential elections every 4 years. It is also why the balance of power from Pennsylvania Avenue and in the senate/congress constantly shift. Four years of democrat rule, eight years of republican rule and back to democrat rule. That is the plan. If you don't know (from whatever side your on) how good you have it, it often takes a change to realize it.

2. The democrats have had to live through eight years of Bush and probably thought they would die at some point or that the end of the world was coming any day. It did not. The same is probably true (all though no one knows the day!) for this time. We will not die (I hope) and the end of the world will probably not happen (see note above). This too shall pass.

3. From chapter 3: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
-In Christ there is FREEDOM. Regardless of who is in power, in Christ we are free. In chains we are free. Talk to a christian from a communist country- they are free. And you and I are to be a reflection of the Lord's glory and are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. No matter what the future brings, we are Christians first. Followers of Christ regardless of the politics or position of our elected officials.

So today I wake up as a citizen of the greatest country in the world. A country that has been blessed by God at a level greater than any other since the Israelites themselves. I will work. I will do what I believe to be right. I will learn and grow in my faith. I will pray that God gives our president and leaders wisdom to keep this country in the grace of God.

I am not afraid. I am not ashamed. I am a Christian, a follower of Christ. I am today and I will be tomorrow by the grace of God.

2 Cor 2 / Nov 4 - The paths of our lives for a purpose

Think of all the places you've been, all the jobs, all the relationships. Where have you lived? How many times have you moved? How many friendships have been created?

Did you ever consider that the webs of our lives, the interconnected relationships, jobs, homes travels, could actually be used by God to increase the knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ?

This is what Paul is expressing in verse 14. God opened a door for him but he could not put his spirit to rest because he wanted so desperately to find Titus. So, his desire to find his friend compelled him to leave Troas. But his path both to Troas and then to Macedonia, meant that He was able to spread the message of Jesus Christ to more people in more places! Here's how he says it, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."

So Paul sees these trips he makes and the places he stays and the relationships he builds, even the problems that cause him to leave on place and go to another as a means to spread the message of hope in Christ.

Makes me reconsider the moves I've made and the relationships and the trips and the "mistakes" and see them in a different light. How about you?

2 Cor 1 / Nov 3 - we stand by faith

Well, today my oldest son told me about some conversations that he overheard about God and religion. One person said there were two options, "Either God exists and He hates us or there is just a higher being that is uninterested."
Frankly, I refuse to believe that. Do bad things happen? yes. Is it God's desire to just punish? One excuse was "people who are out drinking, having sex and doing everything 'wrong' are living high on the hog." So what is there for those of us who believe?

It is a hard lesson. But those who stand firm do so by faith. I do not believe because God provides for every wish and desire. I do not believe because everything in my life is always just the way I want it. I do not believe because I never worry, never fear, never want for anything. I believe because there is no other explanation for my presence here on this planet. That my children all had congenital heart disease...though it has NEVER affected them or kept them from doing what they wanted. In fact, as they grow it becomes so slight they don't have to worry about it! That doesn't happen often.
I believe because the Bible has been proven true and accurate over and over and over again. i believe because the FACTS of Jesus and His continued work in my life are visible every day.

I don't stand because of what I have, or what I have been given. I stand by faith.

how about you?

MIRACLES III: Poolside Miracle

What's your spiritual handicap? What is it that is keeping you from experiencing all that God has for you, what we call Real Life? Answer the three questions in this message to be that much closer to a miracle.

coming this Sunday!

1 Corinthians 14 / Oct 31 - Words mean something

Well, I'm back...and what a day I picked! Of all the issues that the church struggles with this is one that causes an incredible amount of ire and at the same time makes only a tiny bit of difference.

Speaking in other languages (tongues) seems to be a personal issue unless it is done in the church but should ONLY be done if there is an interpreter. And is used as a tool for the unbeliever. I suppose it goes without saying that if there is no one in church that does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ then there would be no need or call for speaking in another language.

I use the term language because that is how most Bibles interpret this word and Paul makes it clear that there are "all sorts of languages in the world yet none of them is without meaning." Clearly Paul intended that his hearers would understand that this "tongue" was a language, had a meaning and could be interpreted by someone who was gifted to "interpret" or could speak the language already.

I have heard stories of ministers in other countries who "spoke in tongues" only to have someone come to them and say that they spoke perfect (fill in the blank) language and wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

I do not say that "tongues" doesn't exist or that it is nothing. However, it is clear to me that the idea that a person "has to" speak in tongues to prove the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is completely unBiblical. Paul clearly indicates in his writings that all different people have all different gifts. There is no gift that everybody has unless the ability to believe to in Jesus - faith - could be considered a gift.

So, in words that can be understood, be strengthened in your faith as you continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And I'll see you Sunday!

MIRACLES: Casting out the Evil Spirit - 10/26/08

On a scale of 1-10 where is your faith? Do you sometimes find yourself believeing that God Can do what you've asked, but you're not really sure that He will? In this message Corey discusses how to develop real faith. And it's real easy!

1 Corinthians 3 / Oct 23 - solid foundation

This chapter really speaks to me as I think about the future of Real Life. Just so you know and there is no question... neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
I've said this before but it bears repeating over and over. I am no one special, just a guy who God is using to connect people to a place to connect to His Son Jesus Christ. You all however, are God building - which is way cool!
I am doing my best to lay ONLY the foundation of Jesus Christ in a way that connects people do not currently know him.

I think that the gold, silver, costly materials, wood, hay and straw all will burn in the fire the only thing that will last is Jesus. So, should we sit on the ground with no projector, instruments, etc.? I don't believe so. If we did we would not have a very big crowd. Without a crowd there is no one to connect to and no lives for Jesus to change. So we will continue to try and update and find new and innovative ways to attract the un-churched and under-churched to Real Life so they can experience Eternal life.

But please know... Real Life is about Jesus, connecting with others to connect others to Him. That's the foundation and we will build no other foundation than that.

thanks for allowing me to do what God has called me to do and thanks for being a great "building" for God!

1 Corinthians 1 - October 22 / foolishness

Do you remember being a kid and coming home thinking that there was something incredibly important but no one else in the family did? TJ is always coming in with some incredible story about dirt or some toy...or his favorite thing is to talk about some scene from a silly Disney channel show. It seems that we are constantly telling him "if this is about a Disney show we don't want to hear it!"

From our perspective TJ's story is unimportant. But from his perspective, so close to the floor, it is very important! So important that he wants to share it with us!

The same thing happens in spiritual matters...what is important to me as a believer, what I want to share from what I've heard or seen doesn't seem very important to someone who doesn't share my perspective of Jesus Christ.

What I say "seems" like foolishness to them, but to me - and perhaps you to - it is the power of God for the salvation of our souls and even for those who think it is "foolishness."

So, here's to being foolish! and enjoying Real Life!

MIRACLES: Calming the Storm 10-19-08

Are there any storms in your life? Are you drowning in the midst of bills? Pain? Fear? Health issues? Have you cried out ot God to calm the storms in your life? Find out some reasons why we go through the storms in life and what the outcome can be. Are you ready for a Miracle?