The Woman at the ...

A powerful bit of poetry to start your day.

jb

How "church of Christ" are you?

http://bobbyrossjr.com/2009/05/12/tamie-tuesday-facebook-quiz-wants-to-know-how-church-of-christ-are-you/

The link will take you to a blog written by Tammie Ross, guest blogger and wife of Bobby ross from the Christian Chronicle.

The blog speaks of the Fasebook quiz that asks the question that I have used to title the blog.

I just wanted you to read the blog and then think about the ways in which we divide ourselves. I am convicted by the blog, and by the fact that sometimes I view others as less spiritual than myself because they hold to a different idea. I speak often about Romans 14, and the principle applied there, yet I seldom put it into practice.

I would like to ask us to all pray like Daniel prayed in chapter 9; that w would all admit to our wriongdoing in this labeling of others in our fellowships, and then put away our label makers and practice loving one another (John 13:34-35).

Let us all join together, tear down the fences, walls and opinions that divide us. Reach out and take the hand of our brethren to the left and right of us, and shout a new hallelujah.

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Col 1:13

simply His,
jb

An unpopular answer = courage!

Taking the Witness Stand

I found myself wondering today if I were in the running for a job or award, even if it were the top two, would I compromise what I believe to win?
This is the exact circumstance that Ms. Carrie Prejean found herself in at the Miss USA pageant. Asked a politically charged hot button question by “celebrity blogger” and judge Perez Hilton, Miss Prejean said what she believed…and it may have cost her the title of Miss USA.

The question posed by Mr. Hilton was, ““Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?”

The answer from the contestant was unpopular and seen as divisive; “…I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be — between a man and a woman.”

The judge was upset by the contestants answer, saying she should have kept her politics out of it (even though he asked the question) and been more “politically savvy.”

Ms. Prejean had no regrets though…,“I was true to myself, and I know now I can go out and speak to young people about standing up for what you believe in and never compromising anything, for anyone or anything, even if it is the crown of Miss USA.”

Here is my question to us…

What would we say with the bright lights, the opportunity, and the question about something that we feel is truth? What would we do if we were called on the witness stand? Would we stand and state what we know to be right, or would we follow the advice of Mr. Hilton and divorce ourselves from our true selves?
Today as you read this, ask yourself, do I have the courage to live and state what I believe?

Simply His,
jb

Feels like the first time.

The first time we probably did not even realize what it was, actually the first hundred times we more than likely miss diagnosed it. Perhaps it was excitement, or adrenaline, or fear, or hunger, or…a hundred or a thousand other things. It is even difficult to describe in words what the physical sensation was like. It feels almost feverishly prickly, sweaty palms, rapid breathing, followed by a rush of goose bumps and maybe even chills up your back. The hairs on your arm and the back of your neck stand at attention, your cheeks alternate between flush and pale, flush and pale, flush and pale like the blinking of an old fashioned neon sign. Do you remember what it was like for you the first time your heart lept in your chest, and you did not think that you would ever be able to swallow it again, that forever after that time you would have this lump there as you tried to live your life…

What was it for you? What was it that first shocked your system into life, into a love so intense that it seemed to shake your world? What was it that spoke to something so deep inside of you that you were so panicked, so confused, so overwhelmed that you KNEW you would never be the same again? What was it that stole your breath, but gave you meaning? Do you remember?
In the book Sacred Romance, the author writes;

...we have many expressions to help us express the flame of the human soul. We describe a person without compassion as “heartless,” and we urge him to “have a heart.” Our deepest hurts we call “heartaches.” Jilted lovers are “brokenhearted.” Courageous soldiers are “bravehearted.” The truly evil are “black-hearted” and saints have a “hearts of gold.” If we need to speak at the most intimate level, we ask for a “heart-to-heart” talk. “Lighthearted” is how we feel on vacation. And when we love someone as truly as we may, we love “with all our heart.”

Something that I see that is concerning me in the world today as well as within the church , is the loss of communication with our hearts. At times our practical application of faith is prudent and necessary; however, for that to be the end and the means of trying to understand God and the Bible is incomplete and dangerous.

You see, it is in our heart that we first come to meet Jesus and to hear His call, His knocking on the door of our hearts. I think of James, John, Andrew and Peter as Jesus walked up to them on the shores of the Galilean sea and said “follow me.” The call was so simple yet reached so deep…I can only imagine the looks on their faces and the discussion that must have been going on internally, perhaps they had some of the feelings I attempted to describe in the first paragraph. What it must have been like for Matthew as he sat at the table doing his job for the government and Jesus calling him to “follow me.” I think of Paul, Timothy, Luke, John Mark, and of Old Testament men and women and wonder, what was that like? What were they feeling?

I know for me, when I sat at lunch with the preacher and the involvement minister at the congregation I grew up in. As we sat and had lunch and began to speak about my future, about the possibility of going to Sunset and about preaching school, and about ministry…I remember my heart just going crazy. It seemed like it had jumped out of my body and was dancing on the table. Was that what those who Jesus had called, who God had sent forth felt?
I cannot answer that. I can only imagine the situations and the feelings that the men and women of the scriptures had when their moment came for them to step up and serve.
I wonder this morning when was the last time you felt like God was calling you, not because you were messing up, pr weren’t at church…but instead calling out to you like a lover, longing to be with you, and intertwine His heart with yours, do you remember when?

If church has become a drudgery to you, if telling others about Jesus is just another thing on your to-do-list, if your heart is tired, or dry, or empty or spent, then just stop, listen and pray. Cry out to the God who made you, and longs to hold you near. Cry out to the Christ who gave up so much just to walk along with you. Cry out to the Holy Spirit who is a deposit, marking you as the bride of Christ.
Write a poem, or a letter, or a song, or a psalm, or something…just write about the times that God has touched your heart and made you feel more than alive.

Today I stand, hand in hand

with the hand of God who made me.

Today I rise, to walk again,

to the Word of the one who called me.

Today I fight, for those who can't

with the Spirit of the one who heals me.

Today I win, the souls of men,

for the one who has Claimed me.

Simply His,
jb

Catching up a little

It has been a while since I have been on here to write, and I apologize to both of my loyal readers.

I just wanted to let you know, that we are in a time of transition and I will probably be more irregular than normal over the next few months. My family and I will be moving back to Wichita Falls in June of this year. We have accepted the Campus Minister position at the campus of Midwestern State University. My home congregation (Tenth and Broad) is the employing congregation, and I will be working with a great bunch of people.

Also in June, Dalton is graduating from high school here in San Jose. Wow! Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday he was riding around with me in my pickup singing "Pick-up Man" by Joe Diffie.

Dawn is also in the process of finishing up her semester of college. She was recently inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa organization. This is the 2 year college equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. I am so proud of Dawn. She is able to keep us all squared away at home, and work her after-school care job (writing curriculum, creating activities for kids, helping them with homework, etc.), and make straight A's in her classes.

My dear Bekah is amazing too. She is an honor roll student, has been student of the week multiple times in different classes, sings in the choir, and is a wonderful representative of our Lord Jesus wherever she goes. Bekah is beautiful, conscientios and intelligent (she gets it from her Momma).

As for me, I am so blessed! To have such a wonderful family to work with makes my job a lot easier, and makes me look good. I have recieved word from SIBI that my Bachelor's degree for my time there will be presented at the Graduation ceremony in Lubbock in May. I will have to wait until they mail it to me to recieve it however as we will be in the middle of our most hectic time of our transition.

I would covet all of your prayers as we go forward with the next few months. Pleas keep my Dad in your prayers as well as he is experiencing some health issues.

Also please pray for my Great-aunt Thelma, my mom's cousin Billy Blakeney, my brother Kenny, and the church here at Central in San Jose.

Simply His,
jb

wish to be

Have you ever been frustrated that someone would just not take your advice? I mean no matter how you approached them, they just would not react as you wished they would. What was your reaction to that? Thomas A Kempis has an interesting thought on this idea...


"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."


What do you think?
Reactions?

Simply His,
jb

A Living House

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.

You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity

Last week I spent four days in Lubbock, Tx at Sunset International Bible Institute with some of my classmates. As you can imagine, when preachers get together there is a lot of talking. And then we talk some more.

One of the things that happens is we share our pains and our frustrations, but inevitably, it all turns around and someone makes a statement that is followed first by silence; and then by introspection.

There was a comment made this week about the boxes that we place ourselves in. That we live inside of these boxes and become quite comfortable. In fact, even the people we associate with have corresponding boxes that look very similar. At the very least, our boxes are close enough that we don’t mind inviting them in because they will “respect” our parameters that we have set up.

The conversation kept going until someone said that in trying to really follow God you run into the side of your own box. Please go back and re-read the C.S. Lewis quote at the top of this article…

Spiritual growth is uncomfortable because we live so much in the physical world. I wish that I could have Elisha pray for me as he did for his servant, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” (2 Kings 6:17)

I miss so much of the spiritual depth and the character and nature of God in my own life, because I am simply unfamiliar with His ways. At times I even grow frustrated with God and simply bellow, “Would you just tell me…” Oh how I long for a laundry list of things to do so that I might become holy. I grow tired of the natural process of growth, and the supernatural ways of God that I do not understand.

I would like to challenge you to join me in praying this week: “O LORD, open our eyes that we may see, open our eyes that we may hear, and build in me what you will so that I may be your dwelling place.”

Amen?

Simply His,

jb