Snapshots and Synapses

Advent: from the Latin, meaning "to come"; generally refers to the first coming of Jesus (God brought peace to man); a season preceding the Christmas celebration. Advent should also be a reminder of His second coming, which is a declaration of war. We are at war for the King, Who is returning. "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself." (Revelation 19:11-12) Consider this is a proclamation of war in which you are already involved. You ARE in a war zone. The time to pray is now. The time to act is now! Indiana's capital was established in deception and blood. The masonic temple downtown was once the "finest of it's kind" in the world. Pray the blood of Jesus over this land for the curses that have been laid on it....

"Peace on earth and good will to men!" Joy and Peace to all men this Christmas! It truly is a time of Joy; however, for some people, it can be reminder of a loss... a failed expectation. How do we manage through that pain (or come alongside others who feel it)? First, we need to acknowledge the pain. Pain is a gift from God. It is like the indicator light on a dashboard saying: "Some thing's wrong!" Pain is a gift from God that says: "Take action!" The analogy is clearly understood with physical pain. For example: "Remove you hand from the fire." or "Go easy on the sprained ankle." But what about emotional pain? The Enemy always tries to distort God's gifts. The distorted message comes through in the lies we start accepting: "It's too painful to endure.", "It's never going to get better.", etc. But the truth is that all pain is temporary, even though the Enemy uses it to discourage us... to diss...

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." Jude 3-4 "'Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matt 7:15-20 "The ax is already at...

Is the Good News that "Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sins"? That's certainly a part of it, but ultimately, what does that mean? Take a look... and pass on the Good News of reconciliation: All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV God's way never changes, and unfortunately, neither does the self-righteous way of man. Take a look at what He said to the prophet Ezekiel: Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Ezekiel 33:17-19 NIV Jesus came to ...

I believe the Lord is calling many of us to fast. If He has placed that desire in your heart, then we should seek His will for what that looks like. It may be that He is calling you to do a complete fast (no food or water), or He may just be calling you to give up one choice food (e.g. - a cup of coffee, sweets, etc.). It could be for 1 day or 40 days. All we have to offer Him is not enough, yet He honors even the smallest step we take towards Him! But whatever a "fast" may look like for you, this much I know from my own failures at fasting: I've done it to "lose weight" (doesn't work!) or to edify myself ("look how 'strong' I am!"). Fasting for the wrong reasons is a waste of time. However, it is very powerful and FREEING to fast when done in the right way: every time you have the desire for that thing from which you are abstaining, it is a reminder to pray. I say: "Lord, you are more important to me than _____" or "Lord...

Just an encouragement to all those who have labored in prayer for unbelieving family members: It all starts with prayer... especially for our own motivation. If we come with an agenda, they can smell our religious pride a mile away. Who wants to be hit over the head with a Bible? (I write this as someone with a good swingin' arm!) Religion would have us use love as an evangelization tool. But showing God's love is a naturally supernatural witness. (1 John 4:19) Just love on others and enjoy the holidays! In the words of Francis of Assisi: "At all times preach the Gospel. If necessary, speak!" May the God of all creation grant you favor in the eyes of men, to whom you are ambassadors of His grace! Peace and Thanksgiving!

As to the subject line... no, I'm not looking for a family to spend Thanksgiving with, but someone is. He or she may be rich materially but poor in real wealth. The "cool" thing to do for us "Christians", is to help the poor once or twice a year so we can "introduce someone to Christ", and then go about our merry way. "Yes, Lord! Bless that person!", but let someone else love on them for the remaining days of the year. "Convict that person who has so much wealth, Lord!", but don't have me show them Agape love! But... The poor will always be with you. Love on them without agenda! Our affluent society is starving for real food. Feed Christ's sheep! Can we sow seeds of Eros and expect trees of Agape to grow? Be encouraged: 2005 was a year of plenty, when seeds of faith were sown. 2006 has been a year of suffering, where as Scripture says, our hope grown. 2007 is a year of decision, where perfect love is bestowed! I...

There was a man who lived in a garden, perfect in every way. And he could eat of all the fruit, except for one from which God said to refrain. "For the day you eat that fruit," the Lord said, "you will surely die." Yet still he took a bite, and I'll tell you why: He said: "This fruit that's in my hands will help me understand how to live life as my own god." So sin entered the world that day, staining it in every way ruining the fabric of all life. Yet Yahweh said: "I'll make a way! "I'll plant a vine and graft on branches, the branches will grow green with leaves. And they will bear much fruit. And renew the face of the earth." So came a Man into this desert, perfect in every way. The prophets say He is the Shepherd of the people that Yahweh chose to save. Still many who hear His Voice still go their separate ways. They say: "God's given me a choice and this is what I say: `There's strength t...

I had an interesting thought the other day... It came from a meeting at work... a one-on-one meeting where I was encouraged to think along the lines of "What's in it for me?", especially in my interactions with others. After all, that's how we "hook them" onto our agenda. It's all too easy to think along those lines, but if we stop and consider the implications, where does that lead us? If I interact with my co-workers, my kids, my spouse, my church, my community like that, all I'm doing is spreading seeds of "eros". However, we're called to live out a different kind of love: agape. Why do we expect to see trees of AGAPE grow when we sow seeds of eros? What if ALL our interactions were based on our best (albeit imperfect) understanding of the RIGHT THING? Well, that implies a sacrifice. It means doing what is in the best interest of others without regard to what they want, how they'll react, or whether I even WANT to do it...

"Thou hast preserved me from the dangers of the night past, and brought me to the light of this day, and the comfort thereof, a day which is consecrated to Thine own service and for Thine own honor. Let my heart therefore, gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works, but wait on Thee, and discharge those weighty duties Thou required of me.... Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God and guide this day and forever for His sake." -General George Washington

Summary The nation of Israel is being grafted back on to Jesus, the Vine If God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. In the very same way, these dreamers po...

I've had many well-intentioned people tell me (directly or indirectly) that once you become a Christian, your life becomes wonderful. All the old problems go away as we come into the Kingdom, right? We no longer live under the spiritual and material poverty of the past, because God comes in and fixes all that. Well, it's true that God's principals lead to blessings in this world as well as the next, but it's not without struggles. Sometimes the Father takes us from our life of destitution and lifts us into a position that we couldn't have attained. Other times, He lets us struggle with the opposition. For example, one person may come to know the Lord and immediately be cured of their alcohol addiction. Another comes to know the Lord, yet struggles with alcohol for life. Does God love one more than the other? Or does He allow us to struggle? This I know: God will not give us more than we can handle Every time I expect that life is somehow supposed to be easy, I...

There's a disease that has been eating away at the Body of Christ like an aggressive cancer. It's subtle and seems to spring up from out of nowhere. Any part of the Body is susceptible to this disease, and although it's relatively easy to notice it in other parts of the Body, it's really hard to diagnose when you're close to it. It's called "RELIGION". It doesn't matter what Christian tradition you come from... it's always there. Sure, we can point the finger at others and say: "Those poor ______ believers are so caught up in _______ that they're missing out on God's fullness for them." But the reality is that we're all missing out. Even non-traditional denominations can catch the disease. No one is immune. Fortunately, there are some symptoms that can help you diagnose yourself: Control . Do you find yourself trying to control others? Conformity . Do you find youself trying to get others to conform to your way, styl...

Are you striving for something beyond what God has said to do? Jesus told us to "abide in Him" as He abides in the Father. Paul wrote that we are changed from "glory to glory". The early Christians were first known as followers of the Way, implying a process rather than a destination. Jesus also told us to come to Him like the children. Maybe all Our Father wants is for us to be like a child in His Presence (like Mary)... no need to strive or "do" anything (like Martha) except as He directs (Luke 17:10). Meanwhile, the original sin, committed also by Lucifer, was to become like God. I'm learning to become satisfied with the fact that God is God and I'm not... and that's a real good thing. I strive to do what's right in order to please the Father, knowing that I'm always in the process of "becoming" rather than reaching a "completion" point. If I know that I'm in a long distance race, I can set a pace and keep...

The Lord reminds me often (mostly because I need it). Here's a few simple rules to live by: Love one another Obey what God tells you to do Remain in His Presence Bear witness to all that He does  Or in His words:   "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you... I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.... A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another... You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.   "If you love me, you will obey what I command... I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful... Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in th...

I ran into a friend yesterday. He asked me how things were going, so I gave him an honest answer. He knew that I had been struggling with vocational issues and that I had been pretty frustrated. Alot of times people don't think enough about where someone else may be... they're too wrapped up in their own frustrations. But not my friend. I confess that I can often fall into the "out of sight / out of mind" trap. I don't know if my friend is more dedicated in his consideration of others than I can often be, but yesterday he thought enough to ask... so I gave him an honest answer: "Pretty good!" I said, "Although nothing much has changed... just my attitude." Prayer changes things. Especially me. The fundamental, most exciting thing about prayer SHOULD be the privilege we have to come into the Presence of God. The second is how it changes us. We can "serve" God in action. We can study Scripture intellectually. We can "minister...

Wake Up Prayer Warriors! The battle for the heart of Indiana continues! Faith, Hope and Love has started again, beginning with the prayer walk yesterday at the Circle. Who will stand in the gap? Who will pray for renewed Hope in this area? Who will choose to Hope ? J.R.R. Tolkien had an interesting perspective on Hope ... as a young boy he lost both his parents. Later, as a young Oxford graduate, he saw the awful destruction of World War I, watching many of his friends and colleagues perish in the "war to end all wars". And even after that horror, he lived through the Second World War... and a cold war... so much death, destruction and despair. However, Tolkien saw Hope as refusing to despair. I admit to moments of despair since last summer. This world, this culture, revolves around Eros and not Agape. The first question many of us ask when challenged to serve is: "What's in it for me?" (Or "How does my church benefit?") We live more in Eros (a d...