Go Jonah!

This past Saturday in our Men's Bible Study, Jim, who was also the worship leader that morning shared insight to the book of Jonah, that is, we read the whole book of Jonah and opened up the rest of the morning for people's insights and what scripture spoke to them.Jonah, one of the minor prophets, I found to be a very interesting book.  I mean, we all know the story from children's stories, but this time the book spoke differently to us (to me).  Some themes that came out of the men's group were:  Obedience, running from God, Faithfulness, heart of God (His compassion and mercy), evidence of what happens when we repent and much more.

Jonah ran from God because he feared going to Nineveh. He was a Jew and they lived in Assyria.  There were cultural divides.  He didn't want be be rejected.  So he disobeyed God.  His actions almost cost the lives (the souls) of sailors on the ship that he was running from God.  He repented through the belly of a fish (3 days/3 nights - and he rose again - sound familiar).  He was thrown up on shore and then he was restored in his ministry to do God's will.  He preached the truth - Repent - people humbled themselves before God and repented wearing sack cloth.  The king even repented and changed the ways of his people.  They were saved and God had mercy on them.  Jonah got mad (they weren't destroyed and all of his fears went away) God provided for Jonah (shade) and then took it away (and Jonah got angry again).  Jonah was questioned by God, Jonah heard God cares for even the lost and sinful.  God's mercy is beyond any of understanding.  God is love.

The end of Jonah (Jonah 5:¹⁰ But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ¹¹ And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

When we find ourselves in God's will and seek His kingdom (and not ours), then great and wonderful things happen - People find God's mercy and salvation.  Cities, Nations and even animals are saved.  When we listen...

Thoughts?  Comments?

Dante

Biblical Hockey

This past Saturday we had our Annual Men's Breakfast at our church and had around two hundred guys that came to hear the Word of the Lord.  The theme was, "It is not about the perfection of your life, but the the direction of your life."  Our Pastor called out to us, "O Man of God." (1 Timothy 6:6-12).Some points that were made for our direction are that a man of God flees from greed and the love money (biblical stewardship tells us that it all belongs to God).  The man of God flees from evil, that is, from worldliness.   We should do this because if we do this, then we will develop godliness and find contentment in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Why should we avoid and flee worldliness?  Because it simply will ruin and destroy us.  Evil takes us away from the faith and it will ruin us and bring much pain to our lives.

Pastor Mike asked us if we are fleeing worldliness and evil.  He said that this is what the man of God does.  Is this the direction of our life?  A real man of God is know by what he pursues.  Are we pursuing a relationship with God?  A man of God pursues righteousness (living by God's right standards), he pursues godliness (living a God-centered life) and the man of God pursues the faith (living on the teachings and promises of God).  The man of God pursues love (love our our neighbors) and steadfastness (through tough times) and he pursues gentleness (an even tempered life).  To put it simply, a man of God pursues a Christ-centered life.  Again, is this the direction of your life?

SUMMARY:  Once you place your faith in Christ, you are a man of God. The direction of your life is now to flee sin and pursue Christ.  You are called by God to "flee" and to "pursue" for the rest of your life.  Make sure you trust God's enablement.  You can only do this in His strength (John 15:5 & Philippians 4:13).  

So how do you learn to play biblical H O C K E Y ? ? ? ? ? ?

H = HUMBLE yourself before God (2 Chronicles 10-13)

O = you need OTHER men in your life (Moses in Exodus 17:12)

You need 3 buddy relationships (1. Someone who is pouring their life into you (Mentor); 2. Some who is your peer (equal) and 3. Some you are pouring your life into (mentee - a "Timothy").

C = CONFESSION in our lives (David in Psalm 51:4)

K = KICK IT INTO GEAR (Timothy 1:8 & 2:1)

E = EAT Scripture (EZEKIEL 3:1-3 and Revelation 10:8-10)

Y = Say YES to God (Isaiah 6:8).

A man of God is pure and confesses when he is not.  A man of God is a faithful steward of God's resources (giving God 10% of everything and being responsible with the rest of what he has given each of us - to some 5 talents to others 2 and to others 1).  Will God tell us at our judgement - well done thou good and faithful servant?

Where you are in your life, whether young, middle aged or old, it is never to late to finish well.  O Man of God, are you ready for the first day of the rest of your life to be given to God?  Will you allow the Lord to be the Lord over your entire life?  In the last minute of your life - can you look back for a moment and say that today (October 15, 2011) was the day that I made the right choice?

Dante

The Hole in our (my) Gospel

James 1:27

The Message (MSG)

^26-27Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

Job 29

When God Was Still by My Side

^1-6 Job now resumed his response: "Oh, how I long for the good old days,when God took such very good care of me. He always held a lamp before meand I walked through the dark by its light. Oh, how I miss those golden yearswhen God's friendship graced my home, When the Mighty One was still by my side and my children were all around me, When everything was going my way, and nothing seemed too difficult.  ^7-20 "When I walked downtownand sat with my friends in the public square, Young and old greeted me with respect;  I was honored by everyone in town. When I spoke, everyone listened; they hung on my every word.  People who knew me spoke well of me; my reputation went ahead of me.  I was known for helping people in trouble and standing up for those who were down on their luck.  The dying blessed me, and the bereaved were cheered by my visits.  All my dealings with people were good. I was known for being fair to everyone I met.  I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, Father to the needy, and champion of abused aliens. I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck and made them give back what they'd stolen.  I thought, 'I'll die peacefully in my own bed, grateful for a long and full life, A life deep-rooted and well-watered,a life limber and dew-fresh, My soul suffused with glory and my body robust until the day I die.'  ^21-25 "Men and women listened when I spoke,hung expectantly on my every word. After I spoke, they'd be quiet,taking it all in. They welcomed my counsel like spring rain, drinking it all in.When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wing! I was their leader, establishing the mood and setting the pace by which they lived.  Where I led, they followed."

Can good things come from bad?

The other night I was home working on the computer, as I often do, sending some work emails to clients.  I also take time out during this process to talk with and play with my kids before dinner.  This past Thursday, it was time for dinner and my two girls washed up and were sitting at the table, while my son and I were slightly behind (me sending the last work email) and my son playing with his Legos.  I walked by his room to tell him, not once, not twice, but three times to wash up and come to dinner.  After the third strike, I told him that he just lost dinner for not obeying and listening.  Obviously his world was rocked and he lost his composure.  I joined the rest of my family and we prayed for our meal and began to eat when I told my son that I wanted him to get ready for bed and to come say goodnight to the rest of the family before bed.  This may sound mean and heartless, but I wanted to drive a point home to him and to my family (my wife was aware by me that some mercy would take place, but she wasn't sure where I was going yet).  Well, my son come down to say goodnight and kiss his sisters and mommy good night.  He was both physically and emotionally shaken with concern of no dinner and bedtime story.

I went to his room, while the rest of the family just started eating and sat down to tell him why I was disappointed and then we prayed together.  Afterwards I told him, because he listened intently and obeyed to my words to get ready for bed, brush his teeth, go to the bathroom and say goodnight, that he could now join us for dinner on the condition that he would not only listen the rest of the night, but he would do the words that both his mother and I asked him to do.

I also want to say that the girls were emotionally upset that I wasn't giving their brother mercy and another chance before I went to his room to talk, but they understood the consequence of his actions.  When Trey and I rejoined the table for dinner, the whole family had a great time followed by clean up and some wrestling on the family room floor followed by daddy flips where I grab them by their waists and flip them over to land on my legs or stomach depending on their standing position behind my head.

I wasn't feeling really good about my actions and the turn of events that caused my son this pain and discomfort thinking that he lost a meal and more importantly to him - story time.  As a matter of fact, my wife had thought I was overreacting because I may have had a stressful time at work.  I was wondering if I was really being the dad that God calls me to be - the Spiritual Leader of my family and my wife.

And then it happened out of nowhere.  As my kids and I were playing a game, my son said this to me, "Daddy, you are my role model."  I asked him why he would say that, and he said, "because I want to be like you."  My wife and I shared that instant look that parents do when positive things happen in our lives.  I told him and the girls how proud that their mother and I are to be their parents.

This is exactly what God requires of us, His children:  To submit, obey and follow his words.  He wants a personal relationship with us and to be the Lord of our entire lives.  He cares for us so much, that is why He gave his only Son to die for us in order to save us.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Children need boundaries (lines that don't move day to day) and they need us to make our faith real to them.  This world is never easy, but when we teach them to trust, obey and submit (having complete faith in God) then they have a foundation that they can trust.

The more real we are with our family, friends and co-workers (letting our life bear witness and occasionally lettings words affirm the Way) then the more real our faith becomes to them.

Trust and Obey for there is no other way!

Dante

I saw what I saw and now...

This past weekend our church started the Hole in OUR gospel series that will go for the next five weeks.  The pastor was quick to say that their is no hole in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but there are holes in us, that we need to address and to change in order to grow in our Redeemer's love.This world is broken.  All we have to do is look around to notice people hurting and suffering.  The main scripture that we read this week was in Luke 4 and talked about when Jesus read from the old testament and upon reading it stated that the prophecy was fulfilled that day.  Jesus puts it all out there saying three important things that He was sent to do:  1) Proclaim the good news to the poor (both in flesh and in spirit) 2) Freedom to the prisoners (both physical and spirit - those who are captive to sin) and sight to the blind (I was blind but now I see - thank you Jesus) and to set the oppressed free 3) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

James, the brother of Jesus, tells us in the book of James that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27).  Jesus also told us that which we do to the least of these - we do to him.  Our marching orders are clear - Go and make disciples...

I am not sure about you, but what I am sure about is that when I am to be judged by Jesus and I bow my knees and lay at Jesus's feet that I don't ever want to look back at this short life of mine and have regrets for things that I could and should have done and didn't.  I do not want to have the look of disappointment in his eyes for the good works that he calls me to do and I didn't.

I make mistakes all the time (just ask my family and friends) and I continually have to ask for God's grace and forgiveness in this process of sanctification that only the Holy Spirit can take me through.  What I need to do is wrap myself around songs like this and people who understand what our marching orders are.

Do you want to help make a difference?  The great thing about this website is that there are tremendous amounts of charities that reach out to the poor in spirit and blind and oppressed - all we have to do is change our sights and say this phrase for the rest of our short remaining lives that are but a vapor:  Less of me and more of You (God).

Dante

Legacy dads have been a real busy

Good Morning to all of you out there in the blog-o-sphere.  It has been a while since any of us (Lance, Gary or myself) has posted, and we apologize for that.  It's not that we don't have anything to say, but in each of our crafts (Cowboy, Warrior and Merchant) we have been busy.Too busy for our readers?  Too busy for our families?  Too busy just to share our hearts with you?  My answer would hopefully be no to all of the above raised questions, and with that, I have no excuse except to say that I am sorry.  I will attempt to post more regularly and to share a part of my heart.

Yesterday morning was our weekly Saturday morning men's group (called Men of Faith).  We meet from 6:30 to 7:30am in large group and then break out from 7:30 to 8am to pray and share with brothers in a smaller group.  I had the pleasure to lead the group, and we discussed my first pillar (step) in discipleship - Purity.  We spent time in Galatians 5 (our fruit), Colossians 3 (rules for holy living) and Romans 12 (living sacrifices).  I asked the men a key question - How serious and honest do we want to be with our lives?  Do we really want the Lord to be the Lord of our entire lives?

When it is all said and done, what mark will our lives leave?  When our knees are bowed and our tongues confess, what will the fruit of our lives show?  If you have been watching and reading the news then we know that we cannot put our confidence in men, in governments and of things of this world.  We can put our trust in faith in the One who is worthy of all of our praise and glory and honor - Jesus Christ the one and only Messiah!

Whether we like it or not, we are called to be disciples and to go and make more disciples.  Are we using the gifts that we have been given (to some are given mercy, compassion, evangelism, and gifts of giving...)  to better serve the Kingdom of God?  If  not, how do we get to that point?  Biblical purity is something that is extremely important for us in order for the Holy Spirit to work in us and move us into a deeper and fuller life with our Lord.  This will require discipline, obedience and submission.

I asked this past Saturday if there was anyone in the military in our group (that required vigorous training) and quite a few hands went up and one hand, in particular, was a trained pilot who flew Cobra attack helicopters in the Marines.  I said to him, as an example, that because I play video games and have pretty good hand-eye coordination, that I should be able to step into this attack helicopter and fly right away - his reply was simply - no!  It would take a lot more than that.  As a matter of fact, he trained vigorously for two and half years in order to fly this fine piece of machinery.  He trained hard for two and a half years of studying, reading and practicing (does this sound familiar?  If not, read Romans 12 and Colossians 3 again).

Biblical Purity, Biblical Stewardship and Discipleship are 3 key elements that I will be writing on these next few months!  I hope you will read along with me, share some insights and experiences with us and move ourselves into a deeper relationship with our Lord.

Dante

The 5G Disciple by Pastor James MacDonald

PASTOR JAMES MCDONALD

September 11, 2011

The 5G Disciple

Based upon Colossians 1 – 3

The 5G Disciple:

Glorifies God in all he/she does

Growing – The Disciple is growing (there is fruit)

Gratitude – is thankful for all that he/she is given

Gracious – is kind to others in words and deeds.  This disciple will urge, comfort and encourage

Generous – has Stewardship down

PASTOR JAMES MCDONALD (click here)

http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/teaching/video/

God Bless the USA

Psalm 25:2-3 In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. (NIV)