Bountiful Mutiny
I received a package in the mail today! For me that is something very exciting. Any package for me is exciting , but today its an extra special package. Its Greg Stier’s new book “Ministry Mutiny”. He even has given a place to blog it. I have been waiting for a while for this(the first printing had some delays). This is the octane booster I need right now. I need to let you know that the shorter this blog is, the sooner I can start reading. So you don’t think I am selfish or anything, I will write just a little more.
I sprained both my ankles yesterday! Yeah I know…weird! so I have been hobbling around work today trying to find reasons not to get up from my desk. The right one is the worst. It is pretty swollen. The left one isn’t as big but it sure is painful. Ok so now that the small talk is over….I am off to read! And if its as good as I hope, it will be a Bountiful Mutiny!
Blog Revisited
In a world where things are black and white: Every war has good verses evil. Every war has a victor. When that victor is the “good”, a hero is created. The hero ensures freedom. The freedom gained promotes safety, and from safety, peace. That peace allows remembrance and courage. Courage spawns action of the warrior. That champion’s actions encourage and motivate the spectators. Spectator’s join the warriors. Soon the disputant is out numbered, beaten and resigned. Make no mistake about it, God’s battle is not without loss, but it is by no means a Pyrrhic victory. War, what it it good for? Every war must have a victor. My victory is in God, my hero is Jesus Christ. I am no longer a spectator. And as far as a Pyrrhic victory……well if Christ was willing to die, then there is no cost too great!
“…and none were so beautiful”
As I have shared with some of you, my middle daughter placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ a few weeks ago. Nothing takes away more stress from a father than to know that his children will enter safely into the gates of Heaven. Two very interesting aspects to both my oldest and middle daughter coming to Christ. One is that they both accepted Him within 6 months of their 5th birthday, and both of them were lead to Christ at the same Vacation Bible School. It will be wonderful to see the path God chooses with my youngest (1 year) daughter to reveal His Son and love to her. This is a very exciting time to be in our world, and I am overjoyed that they will be sharing that joy and the joy of our eternal Father with their mother and I. God has blessed me greatly with a wonderful family, and in thanks I commit them to his care. May God touch your life in a very real way as he has done with mine. Remember God loves you, and even when I am cranky…I love you too! Hint…Job 42:15
Sorry
It appears that I am a little behind on my blogging. I apologize. I seemed to let a little of life keep me very busy the last couple weeks. Accept my apology and come back soon for some more interesting mind blunders. Or don’t forgive me and come back anyway.
Whats in your file?
I was so excited a few weeks ago to get delivery of my new filing cabinet. Maybe some of you older folks already have offices and filing cabinets, and for those of you students you are lucky to have a desk in your room. For me it was the next phase of becoming a professional. My own filing cabinet! I can file things, all kinds of things. Articles I have read and kept, fliers from past events, volunteer packets, and any thing else I feel the necessity to keep. Basically I can file any thing that is important either from the past or for the future of this ministry. I even have a file for my best friends stuff, its labeled “Things Kevin will lose”. I know some folks that have three or four cabinets that contain their whole life. Records and receipts, hopes and dreams. Sometimes we even have files of some of the mistakes from our life. Bad tax years, termination letters, files for all the left-handed-smoke shifters and bacon stretchers we invested in.
As I sat staring at my empty cabinet, I was reminded of a movie I saw. “Bruce Almighty”, and the drawer of Bruce’s life. I wondered if God actually used filing cabinets, what mine would look like and how big the room would be for all our cabinets. I wondered if, without Jesus, how big my “bad things I have done” and “bad things I have said” folders might be. Then in the blink of an eye, I remember what Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” So that at least lets me know Jesus calls for those of us with full folders. I also am reminded that Jesus will clean out those folders when I choose to follow Him, and place my faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior. It tells me these “folders” will be empty in Psalms 103:8-12 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Then I thought about folders I have for the bad things that others have done to me, like letters from disgruntled former leaders, and even the not so bad folders for others like the one for my best friend. I know I have to clean those out of my “God cabinet” too. It says in Matthew 6 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. “
Well then, there I sat with my empty cabinet. Both in my office and in God’s. It seems like I need to get to work filling both. What are the things I would like to have filling my folders when I am before the throne of God? Here are just a few versus that might shed light on what might be in our folders and how we fill them: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. “Ephesians 2:10. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24.
So the question that begs an answer is, “Whats in your file”?
Name that angel
This blog is in response to the a2j forum quiz on angels. I am glad to see some thought here, lest we be too quick to judge. In my best estimate there are 3 to possibly 4 specifically named angels in the Holy Bible. Yes, Micheal (the archangel) and Gabriel (“hero of God” mostly charged with bringing messages from God to humans) are the two most commonly mentioned. However, we must not forget Lucifer, who in order to be a fallen angel, at some point must have been an angel, right? There is also another, while not given a name as we know names , (Gabriel technically is simply a title “hero of God”) which is given the title of “Angel of Yahweh”. The Angel of Yahweh is a Christophany, a preincarnate appearance of Christ. The Angel spoke as God, identified Himself with God, and exercised the prerogatives of God. Appearance of the Angel ceased after the incarnation of Christ, which supports conclusions that He was the preincarnate Christ (Gen. 16:7-12; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; Exod. 3:2; Judg. 2:1-4: 5:23; 6:11-24; 13:3-22; 2Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12; 3:1; 12:8). We must also semanticise the word “angel”. The word angel clearly means messenger, but can also refer to a superhuman being. It may refer to a human messenger. If one reads Mark 1:2; Luke 9:52 and James 2:25, one will see the use of angel as designated human beings. This point being said because there is reference to 7 other angels in Revelation. The angels of the 7 churches. It is unknown if these are superhuman beings or simply the messengers of those churches. In the apocryphal book of Enoch, three other angels named who had the privilege to stand around the throne of God. These were Raphael, Jermial and Uriel. (talk to me later about apocryphal books) I know, way more info than we wanted right? While these are fun trivia to ponder and debate, we must always look to the one Holy Bible and understand more of the missions of the likes of Micheal and Gabriel rather than simply listing them. So here is the challenge: Who was Micheal, why does he appear and what function does he perform in God’s kingdom? Same set of questions for Gabriel, Lucifer and the Angel of Yahweh. Looking forward to your comments (and corrections).
