Do you really mean everything?

1 Corinthians 14:16:

"Do everything in love"

It's a short verse. In fact, all Paul is really done is passing out his closing remarks and greetings to the Corinthian Church. Yet, this verse hits means. Why? Because when you really think about it. It changes everything. These four words affect everything we do, everything we say, how we spend our money, how we spend our time, every choice we make....the list goes on. It changes everything.

This means I watch what I say. I always prefer others. I never try to put people in their place. I don't ever want people to be given the impression that I think I'm better than them. I even watch how things can be perceived. I look at the room and I'm careful to consider other people' s feelings in terms of where they are in their life journey and also in relation to their experiences.

This means I watch my attitude. I am careful to not be negative but to always see the positive spin of things. I always build up and encourage rather than tear down. I am aware that people are attracted or repelled by my attitude.

I don't do things just because I can do things. I don't try to offend people but I believe and think that the apostle Paul was right when he said not to cause your brother to stumble. So I avoid some indulgences simple and silly as they may be, because I care more about people than doing my thing.

I've heard that compromise is a great quality of relationships, but I think a more suiting one would be sacrifice. Love means sacrifice. Love means giving up. Isn't this what Jesus thought it was?

Twitter-It could build the church!!!

With some many different forms of connection it can sometimes seem overwhelming or downright pointless to add another program or application to everyday needs. So why use twitter? I've compiled a list of reasons that hopefully will when you over to using this valuable tool.

1. Twitter make connection faster

There is some communication that requires a timely streamline information. Things happen last-minute. Emergencies happen fast that require a lot of people to know and to know quickly. The amount of time required to track people down and even phone them pales in comparison to the amount of time to send a "tweet". There are plenty of times that we look at a situation after the fact and we think if only we could've been better organized and let more people know. Twitter enables us to do that.

2. Allows us to carry on multiple conversations

There are plenty of times that I'm leaving church and I'm trying to connect with as many people as possible, and it become difficult to connect with everyone and to have a very meaningful conversation. Twitter enables me to connect with as many people as possible and carry on constant conversation with them in a way that is convenient for them.

3. Last-Minute Advertising

Alot of times after an event people remark that if they just forgot and that's why they didn't attend. It seems no matter how many cards and video announcements we have people still forget at the last minute. By sending a quick "Tweet" I can remind those less than organized people about an event right before it happens.

4. Quicker and more efficient way of sharing resources

Ever found a blog or a video that you wanted everyone to read or see. Twitter makes it easy to re-tweet those to people in the church very quickly.

5. Allows Inspired

People are always in different places in what they're doing, but I find that when I follow people there is always someone who seems to be fighting the same things you are and needless to say it keeps me encouraged to keep going.

6. Keeps you aware of where you need to be praying

With twitter you can identify immediate things to pray for. It's easy to go through your twits and pray through all the things going on in every body's world.

7. Allows people to communicate in non-threatening environment

People often find it easier to communicate in an environment that is not face-face, and because of this they are more open about what they really think and feel and it gives us a better picture it to how better to help them.

8. Easier way to advertise to friends

When something is going on its easy to retweet the details on the event to friends that you want to invite. If nothing else it will spark their curiosity about God.

9. Always easy and quicker encouragement and cheering on

With twitter it is easy to see what's going and a little five word tweet of encouragement can go a long way to helping someone in their day.

Well, that's something it get you started. The apostle Paul perhaps has the best point when he said that he tries to reach people by whatever means possible. Twitter is just another means possible to reach people. Tweet-On!

The Funeral Psalm

Psalm 23:

The Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me besides still waters,

he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his names' sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff;

they comfort me

You prepare a table for me

in the presence of my enemies

You anoint my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Most people know this psalm. It's the one you hear at funeral. In fact, it doesn't matter whether you know God or not, you've heard this psalm. Oddly enough this psalm has more to do with empowerment and a stand on your chair and shout it feeling than it is with a somber funeral.

Let's take a look:

The lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want

The first thing to note here is the obvious "the lord is my". We can only function in the kingdom of God when we have chosen to become a part of it. The Shephard indicates that we have chosen to be under the lordship of Jesus Christ and we have chosen to be under his authority and positioning. Some people get everything else right, but they move somewhere or go somewhere that outside of the will of God for their life and they become ineffective, and they wonder what happened. They walked out of the care of the Shepherd. When we become a follower of Christ, our empty soul becomes full, and because our soul is full that would be enough. So everything else in addition to knowing Christ is a bonus! When we live our life with this mentality we will find its much easy to give and much easier for God to bless us, because we won't hold on too things tightly when we realize that everything in our life is just the icing on top of an already prosperous soul.

he makes me lie down in green pastures

he leads me besides still water

he restores my soul.

God is capable of fixing any situation. He takes us from the most tumultuous times and calms everything. Your whole life can change in one moment. Your life could be hell on earth, but one conversation, opportunity, or a  check in the mail can change everything.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his names sake

Christians sometimes have this wacky mentality that God is only with you when we're always doing good. God is with us all the time once we become a follower of Christ. It's never God that chooses to walk away from us rather us that chooses to walk away from God. Ironically enough God is so on your side that sometimes he gives "freebies".  God sometimes keeps us away from situations that we could mess up on for the sake of his name becoming famous. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me

There will be dark times in life, but God promises to be with us and to be the shining light. God leads us with the rod and staff and when we learn to follow him and allow him to lead we will discover a supernatural peace.

You Prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies

God gives us favor when we are with people that have chosen to oppose us. This psalm says that God will put us eye to eye with our enemies and we will not be shamed but be able to find common ground with them.

You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows

God has given us more than we even need to accomplish his will for us. We may not always see his provision, but he's given us an overflowing cup that gives us more than enough to accomplish any task.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life

There will be times of trials and tribulation but the promise of God is that they are followed by good things and the love of God. God may allow us to be tested but he loves to pour out his goodness and love on us, because that is the nature of a father.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

And the punchline it comes back to where we are planted and that is the house of God. God lives in his house and to be able to relate to him on a regular basis we need to be where he is. The blessing of God is available when we are planted in a place to be in line with the will of God.

Good times. Bad Times. God remains the same. His promises remain constant and true. So whether we are walking through dark days or having the time of our lives, remember God is with us caring and tending us. Just like a Shepherd does.

Do christians really have to believe the same thing?

This week as I was leading a meeting I overheard some dialogue that has started to become very common when I'm talking to people who are just beginning their spiritual journey. They were talking about what is was exactly that they had to believe to be a christian. Do they really need to believe in something as horrific and nasty as hell? Surely the fact that people that don't accept Christ can be damned there seems very inconsistent with this loving gentle God that is so common in the sunday school classes where most kids have their first encounter of the idea that there might be a God that exists that created the whole universe. While we're on the subject of creation actually do we really need to believe in this whole creation thing? Could God have created evolution? The bible does talk about God's timeline being very different from ours. One thousand years being like a day. Is it possible that maybe it wasn't really seven days that the earth was created? Maybe it was seven thousand years or seven million years. I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on the boat that says that maybe both creation and evolution are both right and both happened, but I can't help to wonder is this something that really matters? When we get to heaven and we're judged for how we spent our time on earth is this something that God is really going to care about? What about all these sins we talk about? Which ones really matter? Its easy to get the murder and adultery type ones, but what abut all those people in church that complain or gossip? Are those sins that don't apply?  Also on this subject why is it that some sins seem to be way worse than others?  There sure seems to be a lot of hoopla over stuff like homosexuality and abortion. You definitely can't be unsure of whether you think that stuff is wrong or not? Or can you? There are plenty of good arguments that talk about if you really interpret the scriptures to do with homosexuality that you find they were talking about only promiscuous adulterous one-night stands and the scriptures aren't really talking about homosexuality in a committed relationship? Again, not really something that I'm set to accept, and I can easily say that I'm still prone to believe that simple body functions led us to believe that God may have pretty much intended for us to just have the man and women thing, but does homosexuals getting married really change the definition of marriage? My marriage sure doesn't mean anything different? And couldn't the church except people with these struggles and vices and not really agree with them, but realize that eventually when we truly follow Christ, read his word, pray and figure out what it means to be a follower of Christ that we tend to naturally figure out the things that are wrong or right?  It goes back to that whole flesh vs. spirit and you increase and I decrease thing. You know the more I get of the spirit of God the more I tend to think like him, act like him, and respond like him. In fact, I think that's the best way to get rid of sin. Just get more into the things of God then sin will have no room to dwell in our life. Anyway, back to the question what do Christians have to believe to be a christian? Well, its no secret that churches have there differences. They differ on everything from theology to dress code. Who's right? Who's wrong? Will getting these things right be things that matter to God?  The answer is simple I think. It can't be about believing in God. The bible says even the demons got that one down. In fact, maybe its not about what we believe that matters, but what we do. No matter what we believe it will be the things the actually do that will be remembered that will count for eternity. Then, what is it that we do the all Christians must do to be called a follower of Christ?  Let's add another element, we have become pretty accosted to saying that we as Christians are not into religion we're into relationships, so being a Christian is about having a relationship with God. So, what's a relationship? It's about talking, dialogue, relating, growing, and that's just the start. Therefore, it is pretty reasonable to assume that to be a follower of Christ we have a relationship with him by talking to him (sounds like prayer), getting to know him (again prayer, but the word of God might help to), and doing things with him (you'll probably find this in the bible as well what this might include). Sounds pretty simple. It is actually, because once we do these things pray, get into the word of God, get into the house of God, get around other followers, we'll start to realize that the question of what do we need to believe becomes irrelevant, because we won't just compare notes from church to church, denomination to denomination, or even follower to follower. We'll live our life with Revelation that comes from truly knowing the character of God and that in itself will give us the answers and what really matters? Will everyone come to same conclusions? No, that's impossible God is that big and we're too small. That really doesn't matter though, because I don't need someone elses revelation of God. I need my own. Does God give different revelations of who he is to people? Absolutely! Why? Because we're different and we have different life missions to reach different people. Perhaps, its all best summed up by something that Rob Bell says:  "God has spoken, everything else is commentary".