i'm that guy

as i was scrolling through my facebook news feed...because you know, thats where you find real news...

...i came across a post by Eric Mason in which he shared an article about the state of pastors in our country. eric shared it and then said, 'pastors, don't be a statistic' or something like that. the statistics were staggering. statistics that included pastors who engaged in extra-marital activity, pastors who didnt pray, pastors who only read scripture when they are prepping for sermons/lessons. as the percentages went up and up, i found myself shaking my head at how our pastors end up in this mess...

...and then i shook my head at my own conviction. a song that has consistently challenged me speaks directly to a tendency of mine to spend more time serving God than knowing God (shane and shane - received). it hurts to know that those statistics hit so close to home and burned deep into my heart. for four years, especially for the last one, i've been seeking to know exactly what and how God would have me serve him, what and how God would have me proclaim his name; and now any attempt to pray, to pray in such a way that i just draw near to God, for no other reason than to be near my Creator...results in my asking for the what and the how. (not those are bad prayers). but if you take away those things, if i was stripped of them today, i would definitely be at a loss because my identity has become so wrapped up in them, and not in my creator.

so, here is where i seek a bit of accountability...yeah, i know, internet accountability pleas are dis-ingenuous at best because of the lack of skin on factor...but still, most of you who read this have my phone number. so, here is what i'm asking; call me, text me something to remind me to put my pursuit of Jesus and His kingdom ahead of my being used for Jesus and His kingdom. and not just today, do it for a while, do it forever...be that part of the church that encourages this pastor to pursue Jesus, and nothing more.

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just some ramblings

so i'm still in Galatians...there is something truly powerful about this book.  wanted to reflect a bit more on this freedom that comes with Christ.  today we are looking at 3.17-29 and I can't help but sit on the back end of this...

' There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.'

most of you who know me probably aren't to surprised that this is where I hung out for a while.  I believe whole-heartedly that anything that divides us from another, be it culture, gender, economics, political affiliation, or denomination are obliterated when we are found in Christ.  If we are found in Christ, are there things that divide us one from another?  since this was found in a discourse on the law, it hit me about how the law has a tendency to divide...we measure our ability to follow the law against others and create this false sense of superiority based on what we do or don't do.  then we begin to hold our false sense of superiority over others who never asked to be compared to us...

i wonder...in what ways do we create our own 'law' that separates us from other disciples of Christ...what kind of laws do we create that only shows others and ourselves our inability to 'measure up'.  Holiness preachers, holiness teachers, how do we illustrate the difference between what it means to be made Holy unto the Lord and what it means to try and make ourselves holy unto the Lord?

if we create 'laws' or 'suggestions' that does more to separate us from other disciples that unify us with them, do we lose the power of the Gospel?  does this 'law' cause others to believe the Gospel is actually based on merit and not on the greatness of Christ?

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