Vision for 2012...

Christmas has come and we have celebrated the wonderful birth of Jesus who came to this earth to save the lost and to heal the sick and brokenhearted.  I am thankful that he has chosen to love and die for me and that his death and resurrection is what I need to believe to be saved.  As we approach this New Year I was hoping that we could all look back over these past twelve months and reflect and what we have done, what God has done and where we are going in 2012. 

My father came up for Christmas this year and we took him to one of our 6 Christmas Eve Services at our church and he was just telling us how much he missed my mom and how tough it really was on him.  Friday Night (12/23) at the service, our Senior Pastor informed the congregation that this message was really tough on him because that morning his administrative assistant had died. 

I texted him later that night and shared with him how I think he used the day’s event to share the “severity” and “sincerity” of his message.  That is, it is all about Jesus.  No other name, no other religion – without him there is no hope!  This is what brought me to this post.  I could choose to talk about the New Year and resolutions:  Spiritual Growth, Physical health and mental well being, but I want to talk about the “severity and sincerity” of the Message – it’s all about Jesus.

I think in our every day worlds we can sometimes lose focus on that.  I think with the technology and the demands of our daily jobs we get lost in the shuffle, we lose focus on what should really matter.  I think if I could fast forward all of our lives to the Judgement Seat of Christ, most Christians would be left wanting (thinking they should have done things differently or done more or loved more or given more).  I do not know about you, but for me and my family, I realize just how selfish I can be with my time.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to take away from steps that you, have taken and degrees of change in your lives that have brought you and your family closer to God.  I want to sharpen us further – I want to end this post with a challenge – go further – go deeper – grow deeper!  Psalms 37:3-4.

Happy New Year,

Dante

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Stronger then....

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If for nothing else through the course of the week, I look forward to my Saturday Mornings.  Albeit, today was a tad hard waking up to a cold room (snow outside) and and comfy bed, however, I managed to remember that a "brother" of mine said that he may go to men's group this morning so I got myself up and to men's group.

I am so thankful that I came today.  Every third Saturday we have two facilitators that have been doing this for the past two and a half years and going on three.  They continued their theme on Anger and we split the group (as it was too big for all to share).  We read Scripture from Genesis to Colossians and touched on some key things relating to anger and to ways around and through anger.

I have the privilege and honor to be the men's ministry leader (co-leader) of this flourishing ministry in our church.  As one elder recently told me it is a "hotspot" for spiritual growth in our church - To God be the Glory forever and ever, amen!  Our formula is simple on Saturday Mornings:  Open with worship, read scripture, discuss relevant and real-life experience and see what wisdom and scripture has to say on this.  The Holy Spirit does the rest.  (that is our success to our men's ministry).

The two discussions on anger have really energized me in my walk and our walk with like-minded brothers.  The coolest thing is seeing some of the "younger spiritual" brothers (not necessarily in age) growing and sharing and really putting their ideas and scripture that means much to them.  They think that more mature Christians gain more by talking more - I don't agree with that because when we see brother's and/or sister's turning away from the world and growing spiritually - that is awesome.

I love it when I see spiritual growth in people - it energizes me - it excites me. I want to thank any of you legacy dads out there that have changed course and submitted to God's will in your life - you are already winning the battle through obedience.

This morning brought me to a really healthy place in realizing that we don't have to react to the world in a worldly way.  Instead if we choose to Set our hearts and minds on things above (Where Jesus Christ is).  Put away the earthly things that turn us away from Him.  Clothe ourselves in love and kindness and putting on the love that binds us.  Giving thanks to God our father.

When we do this and we humble ourselves before a Holy God and realize that in Him we can have the abundant life that he has planned for us then we realize that all things are possible with God.

Saturday Mornings are a beautiful thing!

 

Dante

 

 

This is discipling...

Matthew 28:18-20

New International Version (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Do you know the reason for the season?

This week I have read through the entire Gospel of Luke and have be recharged with the miracle of Christmas and the teachings of Jesus.  I have to confess that sometimes I feel distant with my prayer life and with my walk only to realize that there is more at play than meets the eye.Luke Chapter 1 & 2 gives us the setting and story of the Birth of Jesus and John the Baptist, along with Jesus as a boy in his Father's house.  Luke 3 & 4 tells about John the Baptist in the Wilderness and the lineage of Jesus along with the devil tempting our Lord Jesus (yeah, good luck with that one :)). Luke 5 through 22 tells us about his teachings and fulfilling of prophecies along with life lessons for you and I.

I cannot even begin to tell you how I am really looking forward to Christmas Day with my family.  I will admit that this year has been a very bittersweet year for me.  My mother died in March and my wife's 100+ grandmother just died as well.  On the very night that we were at the wake, our friend called me to tell us that she found our dog dead on the kitchen floor.  We left the wake early to tell our kids about our dog Sammy dying and to allow them to say their goodbyes to him.  Needless to say, my heart aches.

The good news here is Jesus - he makes things new everyday.  I am amazed that a God would love us this much to send His only son for us to die on a cross and to take our sin away.  The beautiful thing for me this week was reading through the entire Gospel of Luke.  I am renewed and refreshed with some more things to share along the way.

Are you willing to be a true disciple of Christ - no matter the cost?  In Luke 14:26 Jesus gives us clear understanding that when we choose to follow Him we may have to decide to choose Him over family members and even more so over our self. That is, are we willing to die to us and live for Him no matter the cost.  One thing that struck me as profound is when Jesus was watching the rich give tithes of their abundance but watched the widow give all that she had (two copper coins).  She gave out of her comfort zone while others only give what they are willing to lose.  How much more should we, as disciples be willing to give up? I read a "tweet" this week that made me laugh hard.  It said, "I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible more as they get older, then I realized:  They are cramming for finals!"

What makes me wonder the most these days is when we get to Heaven (and the Judgement Seat of Christ), how many Christians will realize that they got this life wrong.  They could have done more?  They should have gave more!  They should have thought of self less and others more.  Pure religion in the eyes of the Father is that which takes care of widows and orphans and avoids the ways of this world (paraphrasing James 1:27).

This Christmas, I want to wrap my arms around Luke Chapter 2 and spread the gospel to my family, friends and community more.  I want my life to be that light that says Jesus is the only way.

Blessings,

Dante

Good bye old friend...

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

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Samson Alexander Girolimon the First

5/26/2001 - 12/2/2011

Grow into a faithful man (by Unknown)

When I began this Christian walk in Christ I was a child.  My faith was easily tested, for my life had been quite wild.But I had faithful men to pray with me and help me find the way.  They gently nudged and shared the Word and knew just what to say.

I marveled at their wisdom, envied it in fact, As they carried me along and helped me spiritually stay intact.

It was the Holy Spirit in them which gave them love and joy and peace.  And as they loved me because they were loved, my spiritual life increased.

As I read the Word and understood it, (Holy Spirit there again), I came to know and understand that these were faithful Godly men.

Not just because of what they did for me, but for the Spirit in their hearts.  With that help they were faithful and loving, their wisdom to impart.

I wasn't always faithful, I faltered now and then, But I have been lifted up repeatedly by faithful Godly men.

I now strive to be like them, for they strived to follow God's plan.  They loved (and still love) and nurtured to help me grow into a man.

Am I a faithful man?  I hope so, but I'm still climbing towards the throne, Led by faithful Godly men because the way there they've freely shown.

We must no longer be a child but grow into faithful men.  And reach back to help those who are children, when they falter in sin.

Someone did the same for you, a preacher, a father, a friend.  It was a child we were in the beginning; it is a faithful man we must be in the end.

By an anonymous Deacon.

 

Thanksgiving, a Few Days Late.

Thanksgiving, a Few Days Late.My wife and I were discussing being blessed and cursed, this morning.  Wait, it's not a strange as it sounds.  The conversation started as we were sitting in a small cafe' on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, celebrating our 18th anniversary.  Celebrating a family that is a huge blessing to us and one we were having fun being grateful for.

However , we are both divorced, with kids.  And while our blended family (kids all grown now) is a magnificent blessing, it can be really hard.  Especially now during the holidays; its not necessarily a blessing for us or for the kids.  The blend is something we all live with, always there but never more tangible than in this season.  Blessed and cursed, in tension.

And we are not alone.  You aren't either.

Maybe this tension is a microcosm of  what it means to be Christian.  Broken flesh and reborn spirit, old man and new man, cursed and blessed, living together for a while.

Still, we are not alone.

I think about our Lord Jesus Christ and wonder if he didn't walk the same way, blessed as the Son of God, cursed living in this broken world and ultimately carrying our curse of sin completely.

Into hell.  Out again.  Cursed and blessed.

Jesus, thank you.  No really, from the bottom of everything we are, thank you.

You get us,

Kurt

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(NOTE:  Kurt is a great friend of mine who is an elder and facilitator in our chruch/men's group, respectively) - thanks Kurt for your insight! -Dante)

 

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