Unveiled faces

I am going to try something new...I want to try to write for successive posts on a scripture that seems to be stirring in me quite strongly. I would like to take a couple, or a few,(or how ever many it takes) to write and discuss aloud my study of and thoughts about a section of scripture in John.

John 10:10 (New American Standard Bible)

10"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

The text above follows an action packed section of scripture in the gospel of John. Beginning in John 8:12(which is titled "The Validity of Jesus' Testimony,") we see a section akin to a running gun battle in a movie. Jesus is being questioned by the Jewish leaders of the day and is responding to them by pointing out their lack of knowledge and understanding about the spiritual ramifications of earthly actions. He is also giving them a history lesson to correct some of their revisionist historical beliefs; but anyway...

In Joh…

...so it has been one week since we returned home from Boulder. I really ran a whole gamit of emotions during that time. Saturday I was just glad to be home, to see my pups, and get some rest. Sunday was one of the most difficult times of being in church that I have had in many years. As I sat through the worship, and communion and the lesson; I was battling the thought that what we do on Sunday mornings in sanctuaries around the world have to be about more than just a "pep rally" for Christians. Larry preached about being the church with the "OPEN DOOR," a church that sees beyond what songs we like to sing, getting done by 11:20, and being more equipped to notice more than ourselves. This message fit hand-in-hand with our trip to work with SEVENS...but I had trouble. I had trouble buying in, that the folks who sat around me were really all that concerned. I mean after all, I had just spent Spring Break week with homeless people and with their problems, what had th…

we stood along the stairs leading from the highway down to the riverwalk. Just beyond where we stood was the Pepsi Center where the Denver Nuggets play basketball. Further along the riverwalk was a huge REI store. All around us was life, and it was wizzing along blurringly fast. But my new friend Benny searched under a pine tree, looking at some tarp, and cardboard and a wet blanket. Benny spoke of a friend who lived in this "squat" frequently; Trent. Benny spoke of the hard life that Trent had lived. He said Trent grew up in the church, the son of a minister...yet, his path had placed him under this tree among the tanbark, under the highway just a few hundred feet from the home of the Denver Nuggets, and he was dying!

As Benny told us this story, sorrow began to wash over me. Uncontrollable, overwhelming emotion from deep in my past. I had to walk away from the group; this was about Trent,about the work Benny did, and about preparing our group of students for the mission we…

There is a world out there that most of us never even imagine exists. Never take a minutes notice of except to lock our doors, or remove some "smudge" from our gear shift handle to avoid eye contact with the man on the corner with the sign. I took a tiny step into that world yesterday.

The Mustangs 4 CHRIST are working this week with Bennie Nowell and his family Nikki, Max, Zoe, Pete. The Nowells are missionaries in Boulder, Co and their mission organization is called SEVENS. Monday was our first full day with Bennie and he first took us from the low altitude of Boulder (5430 ft above sea level) to Nederland (8228 ft) which Bennie reminded us is a foothill (no rock above the trees). We spent time overlooking Barker Meadow Reservoir, which was frozen and snow covered, and spending time with God in prayer and alone time. Bennie said that it was vital for us to slow down and unplug before trying to get a grasp of the world in which he works. It was awesome! Sitting on a rock by…

From time to time, I just want to post some other thimgs I have read.

here are some from this week...


http://wittingshire.blogspot.com/2005/06/raising-men.html

http://francischansblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/prayer-americans-refuse-to-pray.html

http://www.treymorgan.net/2010/02/we-dont-need-church-referees.html

These are just three that provoked me this week. Enjoy

simply His,
jb