Some things I didn’t get to share last night

As I mentioned in my sermon last night there are a few things that I struggle with in my life. I wanted to share with you some things that God showed me but i didn’t have time to share on Sunday night. I hope you enjoy…

Jesus loves His church more than I do. So there is no reason for me to freak out, though I do constantly.
The same God who allowed the storm I am going through will also see me through it.
The results in ministry are NOT up to me! (I need this reminder daily)
Success in ministry will not be measured by how big my ministry is, but rather by whether or not my wife and little children really love Jesus and there daddy my journey is finished. I can always find another ministry position, but I can NEVER replace my wife and kids.
Someone recently to me that “Clear communication prevents unnecessary frustration.” I can’t assume people know what I know, so it is necessary to take the 2-3 extra minutes and fully explain what I am trying to say.
Eternity IS reality. if this is true then every single person I see is someone who will spend eternity somewhere and I need to embrace that fact with urgency.
Being busy doesn’t equal being godly!
Sometimes fighting the good fight means walking away from certain fights or to say it another way, not every hill is worth dying on.
The same power that brought Jesus back from the dead is living is in Him and now resides in me. I can do ANYTHING that He commands me to do!

Preach the Gospel to yourself!

A few weeks ago I once again received a call to join the staff at Concord Baptist Church. Soon after moving to Jefferson City and beginning my tenure here I was asked to preach on a Sunday night service. Given the nature of this pastorate I jumped at this opportunity. Much like last time I preached found myself not feeling comfortable with any of the subjects that came to mind for to preach. You see, for me, if I am going into an environment where I do not necessarily know/ understand the culture I try to prayerfully seek a subject that the Spirit leads me to say, and this time it interesting. As I was walking through the halls of the church hearing, shaking babies and kissing hands I began to hear some Christianeese (or the language that is spoken in churches that isn’t always translatable anywhere else). The phrase that I heard was the famous “Preach the Gospel and if you have to use words”, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi which I blogged about here. At that moment the Father spoke to my heart and I had to change my subject. In order to finish this message I found a new haunt (Coffeezone) in downtown and plodded away until I was finished. This sermon was for not only for me but as I soon found out for many people in the attending audience. I pray that it is half of the blessing it was to me in preparing it.

an open letter to NTR

** Now that we getting settled here in Jefferson City and I have some thoughts I wanted to get down on paper. I apologize that it has taken me so long but here they are.**

Dear NTR family,

I wanted to take the chance, through this letter, to bid goodbye to each one of you. I want you to know how much you have meant to me and my family over the last few years. Through you I have learned much about my weaknesses and strengths. I have had my faith challenged, my pride exposed, my eyes opened, my heart pricked. I have shed many tears for you, and prayed for you each by name. When I left I said that I would never forget a single one of you and I was completely serious. NTR is one of the most unique places I have ever worked, in so many ways. Like every other restaurant I have ever worked in we are a dysfunctional family, but a family at that. The stories, the fights, the celebrations, the achievements, and the [vivid] memories will not leave my mind and for that I wanted to take this time to thank you. I wish all of you a very bright future and know that I love you each much more than any of you will ever know.

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone),

Jon C. Nelson

Even nature sings

This world is messed up in magnitude, but there is a more amazing God who has invited us to know him, linking arms with us that we might be amplifiers for the beauty of Jesus to all peoples.

He is not only a global God — he’s a galatic God. He is bigger than anything we can imagine. We don’t have a clue, really, about who we are dealing with. The universe was one of God’s thoughts.

These are some of the thoughts that Pastor Louie Giglio shared at the Desiring God 2011 National Conference. His text was from Psalm 148: 1 – 5

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!
Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.

In the message he helps up to remember that God tends to direct our attention to things greater than us to lead us to worship. We don’t understand the expanse of the worship that constantly surrounds the throne of God. I hope that is short clip from his message will help you to realize the heavens are already doing what God is calling us to do everyday. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB835wkz1Tc&feature=related]

(View the complete message here)

So you want to live together before marriage?

Over the last few years I have had the distinct privilege of performing multiple weddings, but before that process begins I ask the each couple does some “pre-marital” sessions with me to prepare them for what lies ahead. Between my pre-marital sessions and working in a “secular” workplace (though I do not believe there is a divide between sacred and secular, but I digress) I find that both “Christians” and non- Christians are moving in for a myriad of reasons.

Financial/ our current economy
Sexual (though unstated if you are “Christian”)
Simple try out (i.e. test drive marriage before purchase) and many more.

In these sessions we talk about the Biblical perspective of cohabitation, and (not surprisingly) I see and hear that sliding into cohabitation is more normal than not. Whatever the reasons there has been a substantial increase on cohabitation according to a recent New York Times article,

Cohabitation in the United States has increased by more than 1,500 percent in the past half century. In 1960, about 450,000 unmarried couples lived together. Now the number is more than 7.5 million. The majority of young adults in their 20s will live with a romantic partner at least once, and more than half of all marriages will be preceded by cohabitation. (emphasis added)

The article goes on to state that,

…nearly half of 20-somethings agreed with the statement, “You would only marry someone if he or she agreed to live together with you first, so that you could find out whether you really get along.” About two-thirds said they believed that moving in together before marriage was a good way to avoid divorce.

But that belief is contradicted by experience. Couples who cohabit before marriage tend to be less satisfied with their marriages — and more likely to divorce — than couples who do not. These negative outcomes are called the cohabitation effect.

I have to admit, it is a little frustrating that we as pastors are constantly derided for giving people “antiquated” information about sex, relationships, and life in general all because our source of truth happens to be the Bible. Yet, once again God turns out to be smarter than all of us, imagine that. As a society our thoughts on certain subjects, especially revolving around sex, are “evolving” but Biblical truth does not. Continually, as research and science are compiled the findings come back around to agreeing with those time honored truths.

I do not exactly know where you stand on this subject, obviously I have my opinions tempered by the truth of the Bible. I will admit that amongst the pressures of todays society it is not easy adhere to Biblical truth but an infinite God instructed us for His glory and our joy versus finite man coming up with our “truth” and eventually coming to His conclusions.

I would love to know your thoughts below.

Read the complete NY Times article here.

The stare down

I took little man to his crib the other night and but before I put him down I decided to spend a few minutes with him just rocking him and praying over him. I honestly could not repeat the prayer but I soon found myself staring into a pair of big brown eyes.

To be honest I was lost in that moment. He didn’t look away, he didn’t even blink, he just stared right at me and I my heart melted right there. There is NOTHING that pleases a father more than when he has the undivided attention of his child. In those few moments I felt SO connected with him.

Walking out of his room up the steps I felt the Lord whisper to me, “Hey, that is what I want with you! Not some ritual, but an intimate connection.”

From time to time I get caught up in “having a quiet time” just to say I had one? Sure, a verse or two will stand out to me but if I am not careful I will forget that my time with God is not about a spiritual to do list, it is about a connection a connection that I need and God wants.

God doesn’t want our lip service He wants our undivided attention. Let’s be honest this is SO hard in today’s society. Everything competes with our time with Him, especially technology. I just know that what I experienced with my son was real, and it is being used in my life to show me that I need to take my walk with Him to the next level!

In Luke 5:16 the Bible says that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed, [rough] translation, He got alone and locked eyes with the Father! We see this again in Mark 1:35 and the direct result was direction and power. Even in His darkest hour (cf. Matthew 26:36-45) we see Him praying one of the most unselfish ever recorded in history. Translation, when we lock eyes with the Father there is nothing that we are not willing to do for Him!

My prayer lately has been that I will have my eyes locked, focused on Him! It blows my mind that He wants that and I know I need it! I never want to merely offer God lip service, He knows my heart. My desire is to lock eyes with Him and then to do whatever He asks.

How about you?