Staying Thankful… Staying Sensitive…

As I am traveling on a missions trip right now, in Asia, I am being pressed upon by the crush of humanity, and the enormous human need around me. In one particular country, the needs are all around me… I can’t escape the images in my mind of those begging, those selling and pressing me to buy their wares, not to mention the overwhelming sense that God loves each one and knows each one, whether they even acknowledge Him. It is indeed overwhelming!

One of the things that I have been recognizing that God is speaking to my heart, in this experience is, that while I am keenly aware of the needs in these places, and notice that many of the people who live here seem to be oblivious or numb to those needs, I wonder how much I miss the obvious needs where I live? Seriously… I know that where I live in Wyoming is pretty blessed! But let’s face it, there are problems there too. The question is, am I being sensitive to the needs around me, or have I also grown numb to those needs, just because I live among those needs everyday?

I know I cant take care of every need, and I know there are needs here in Asia that I cant really understand how to really solve, but I sure dont like the feeling that I may be getting calloused to the suffering not only here, but especially at home. What about you? Do you see the needs wher you are? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to challenge your thoughts and attitudes about the needs around you, in your neighborhood, and the place you work?

I am praying that the Lord not only open my eyes to the needs here, but in doing so, that I might be better aware of the needs where I live, and how to help. I may not be able to fix it all… But I believe I may be able to help.

Staying thankful, and staying sensitive, is a key part in allowing God to direct our hearts and cause us to be part of the solution, instead of a part of the problem.

Sometimes…

Sometimes things just don’t go the way we plan. Today, on my way to Thailand, I got stuck in Seattle. Weather related delays caused me to miss a connecting flight. Well… Such is life, sometimes. I’m thankful that God is not surprised and has everything working out for good. I’ll try again tomorrow… Knowing He is faithful to lead me and get me where He wants me to be… In spite of my best planning.

On My Way

After several months of waiting, I’m on my way to Thailand and Myanmar. My blog for this missions trip can be found at www.pkennymissionsupdate.wordpress.com

Prayer updates, pictures, and reports will be posted there.

I’ll post here too as I journal along the way.

Clean House and Seek God

Scripture – Genesis 35

Observation -  After Jacob’s sons had retaliated on the people of Shechem, and Jacob felt vulnerable due to his son’s actions, Jacob told his family and all who were with him, to put away the foreign gods (idols) that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel. Jacob knew to call on God and he related calling on God with a place and specific actions. I like this, because I see a thoughtful and purposeful preparation by all, as they accompany their leader to go and seek the Lord. Jacob seeks the Lord and is found by the Lord. He experiences the presence of, the promises of, and the identifying change of God’s presence.

Application - I can see how I oftentimes relate with seeking God in a particular place; we call it church; but it’s really just a building in which the church gathers. The truth is, that I do not gather to a place to seek God, as much as I come to Him through the person of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. It’s no longer a “place” as much as it is a “person”.

However, I think the place is important in that it gives the “together” aspect of seeking God. We are not alone; we have been joined together in a household of sorts – the household we call The Living Fortress. Those reading this, may have been called to another expression of the Body of Christ; wherever that may be, I believe the gathering of the saints together is essential.

I love the sense that there is a “together” aspect of cleaning house, preparing to go to the “place” with a sense of reverence, of thoughtful and purposeful preparation. I love the example of going to call on God – to meet with Him and seek His will in the midst of living in the vulnerability of the world in which we live and work.

To some in this world, I too am considered as “obnoxious”, just as Jacob felt he was; just because I am a follower of Jesus Christ; a faith that is seen as foolishness and potentially dangerous. It is good when I get to seek God with those of my household, because there is safety in numbers; but more importantly an anointing and power released when we gather in unity (Psalm 133) and in one accord (Acts 2).

Some may think, “Yeah, people think I’m obnoxious, too!” The question is, for what reason do they think you’re obnoxious? So many times as Christians we can be considered obnoxious because we talk very big but deliver very little. We claim to be followers of Jesus, but our words and actions show that there is something drastically missing; a true disconnect from His Lordship in every area. Maybe that’s a modern day idol we need to put away, as we clean house and seek the Lord; the idol of professing Christ as Savior, but our actions not bearing witness that He is also our Lord?

Prayer -  Father, I love the example of Jacob (Israel) as he encounters a situation in which it would have been tempting to run in fear. I love how his problem drove him to seek You, instead of running away from his enemies in fear and shame. My problems can sometimes cause me to attempt to find my own solutions, when instead I need to seize the opportunity to prepare myself to seek You. May I seek You and lead those with whom I have relationship, to do the same.

Losing The Excess Baggage

I’ve been on a quest to lose weight for quite some time. A few years back I lost well over 70 lbs. through mostly exercising at least 1 ½ hours everyday. I was more careful with portion control with what I ate, but didn’t really change what I ate. The workout time seemed to be key in helping me lose so much weight.

Then I took another job in addition to pastoring, and steadily, over time, began to gain it back. I kept telling myself that I would start exercising again, but there was always something that got in the way – always a crisis that demanded my time. In truth, it was just poor priorities linked with bad habits. So I gained back most of what I had lost.

A few weeks ago, when I received an iPad as a Christmas present/bonus from my work, I looked for an app that would help me with losing weight. I found one that had good reviews and seemed to be the “best app” for what I was looking for. I downloaded the app and started my quest to lose weight; this time by tracking what I ate and also tracking my exercise.

While I haven’t lost as much weight as I hope to, I have found out some significant information; tracking what I eat and tracking my exercise is essential not only for weight loss, but also for changing my bad habits. Tracking the calories I take in also helps me to track the weight I lose; and tracking weight loss motivates me even more to do the right thing in what I eat.

I hate to admit it, but my wife has always told me that tracking what I eat and my exercise is essential, but I haven’t been able to get myself to do it… I thought I was smarter than that. So when I found an app to help me, I started to track what I ate and how much exercise I was doing. I started to lose weight and managed to not gain during Christmas and New Years; even with going out to eat a few times. I’ve had some minimal weight gain some days, but nothing like going back up to where I started.

This experience is also teaching me something about losing more than just weight…

Just as I have to track what I am taking in, so that I lose weight I have gained over the years, I see the parallel that we also need to track what God says and desires to invest in our lives, so that we lose the excess weight of this world, gained over the years.

As I have been Life Journaling for over seven years, I realize that His word is making a difference and causing me, as I journal and keep track of what I am receiving, to also see what I am losing. His word helps me be a better steward of what I receive and what I get rid of.

I’m thankful to be losing weight, but even more thankful to be losing those things that are contrary to God purpose and plan for my life. I think tracking what I am taking in and how I exercise, has benefits both physically and spiritually. I believe I will keep tracking for losing excess baggage in both areas of my life.

The Seed of God’s Word

Scripture -  Luke 8:15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Observation - The seed, as Jesus explains in this parable, is the word of God. His word is being sown into four soil (heart) types. The soil type, or the quality of heart that receives the word of God and actually bears fruit, is the one I want to be. This soil (heart) type has some specific qualities: It’s good soil in that it is receptive to the seed of God’s word; it’s good in that it actually does what it was designed to do – it holds onto the seed so that it can interact with the seed to produce growth; it takes possession of the seed and holds it as it’s own; and it perseveres as one with the plant, to bring forth fruit – one hundred fold.

The soil types are all in the same vicinity and can represent different individuals as well as representing the different soil types in one person. While some things sown are received and produce fruit, there are other areas that may be hard and unreceptive.

Application - As noted above, I believe the best way to apply this word, is not to assume that I have the best soil type throughout my heart, but to continually be asking the Lord to help my whole heart be receptive and actively responsive to the word that is planted in me. I want to be the good soil that always receives and responds to His word; but the problem is that whole concept of perseverance; patience to wait for the seed to produce it’s purpose in me.

These are the things I want to contend for and be available to, in response to this word today:

1. I want to be in a place where the word can be sown into my life.
2. I want to be receptive to the word when it falls on my heart.
3. I want to hold onto the seed (the word) and interact with it, so it grows in my life.
4. I want to possess it and own it, so that I can persevere with it and see the fruit that comes.

The really cool thing I see from this is, the Lord isn’t sowing pointlessness and hopelessness into my life. It’s not the seed that fails, but the heart that is unreceptive. How’s the fruit from His word producing in my life? That’s a good question to ask as I read and respond to His word being spoken as well. Am I listening or just hearing words pass by my ears? I need to focus!

The seed of God’s word is being sown into areas that have different levels of responsiveness and fruitfulness. What is troubling to me is that I find that there are those different levels of responsiveness in my own heart. But there is hope, as God works and continues to sow His word into my heart, in spite of the lack of responsiveness. Thankfully God is liberal with His word, and it is making a difference in me.

Prayer -  Father, I pray that You would help me to have a willing and receptive heart, that makes room for Your word and willingly embraces it as my own. Help me to persevere with it, so that I see the good purposes from Your word, sown into my life.

Got Love?

Scripture -  Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.

Observation -  The church in Ephesus had a lot of positives; they were doing some really good stuff; but they had lost sight of what it’s all about; loving God and loving people. Their failure to love God and others as the foundation for all their works was potentially their downfall, here, unless they repent.

Application - In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says something similar: “If I don’t have love, I am nothing!” In fact, what he says in those first three verses, shows three specific results of not having love as the core motivation:

1. My life work just doesn’t sound right
2. My life identity amounts to nothing
3. My life work doesn’t produce lasting results

Being task oriented like I am, I can easily forget to be loving and forget the motivation necessary (love), in order to have works that matter in God’s value-system. It’s one of the things that I can lose sight of, but still be doing all sorts of stuff and accomplishing what appears to be very loving and meaningful things. It’s one of the areas in which I see the Holy Spirit making progress in my life, but in which I also still see a great deal of need.

Bottom line… people may be fooled by a great deal of actions, but God sees what’s at the heart; He’s not fooled.

This is a great reminder to me, today. Love for God and love for His people must be at the core of who I am, and the reason for all I do. If that is not the case, the “lamp being removed” becomes not just a metaphor; it’s a reality that causes life to get very dark and very depressed.

Prayer -  Father, in all my doing, in all my attempting to get much accomplished, help me to remain grounded in Your love for me, my love for You, and mindful and motivated by Your love for others. Help me to both love and do; not just do. I need Your Spirit to continue this work in me.

Peaceful Living – peace on earth… one life at a time

Scripture -  Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Observation -  Those who love God’s word – His law – how He conducts Himself and how His kingdom functions, will align with His values and conduct themselves in a way that is transformed into living by His values; and not the values of this world. In doing that, they will have great peace and they will not be made to stumble; not that they can’t experience difficulty; but even in the difficulty they won’t sin and they will have peace because they know that God is with them and values their commitment to Him and His ways.

Application - I love Psalm 119. The psalmist spent so much time just meditating and expressing his heart and how to plug into God’s will and how he should relate with God.

Because today is the day after Christmas, I’m thinking of a common theme and lyrics found in Scripture and in Christmas focused materials: “peace on earth and goodwill towards men”. That proclamation goes together quite nicely with what the psalmist is saying in that, Jesus is the embodiment of God’s word, He is the manifestation of God’s peace and the ability I can have to not stumble, when I live in submission to His life in me.

Being in God’s word and learning His ways – what He values and how He operates, is how I plug into the peace that God gives; even when everything around me is not peaceful. In other words, I need to prioritize properly; placing and emphasis on my time spent in God’s word and applying it to my life if I am going to live in peace, in spite of my circumstances; and not be caused to be tripped up in living with no integrity – the type of living that comes across as being hypocritical.

When I stumble in my words and actions, when my words and actions don’t align with God’s values, that’s a good indicator that I am not plugging into His word and applying it to my life. That’s not something I can get by with doing just once in awhile; for me, I need it daily and I need to meditate on it more, so that it really gets into who I am – becoming a regular expression of my words and actions. The peace that comes is from not living in contradiction to what I profess and how I act. The lack of stumbling comes from the same emphasis, so the peace and not stumbling go hand in hand.

In an environment where many others don’t share the same emphasis, I can identify with how the Psalmist just keeps going over and over His need and love for God’s word. I too, need to remember and plug into God’s word. I can’t change what others do… I can’t make all the earth peaceful… but I can choose to align my life to more and more be the embodiment of His peace manifest on earth and encourage others to do the same… one life at a time.

Prayer -  Father, I do love being in Your word, but there are days when reading is either hard to make time to do, or is something my flesh fights against. I pray that You would help me to prioritize in a way that first honors Your word, and then makes time for everything else afterwards. I see that when I live with that priority in my daily life, that I will experience Your peace in all my circumstances and will not live in a hypocritical way; I will be true to Your values in all I do.

Soapy Pete’s Box: Yes, I Celebrate Christmas

Soapy Pete’s Box: Yes, I Celebrate Christmas.

Attending The Gathering Of The Local Church Is The Expression Of Abiding In Christ

Preface – I likely caught your attention with saying “Attending The Gathering Of The Local Church Is The Expression Of Abiding In Christ”. Obviously, there is more to abiding in Christ than just attending church, but the attendance makes way for much more to take place and I believe is the point in which Jesus uses our relationships to mature us and grow us. So read on with knowing that abiding in Jesus isn’t just something we do by going to church; but it certainly is an essential part of being connected to and abiding in Jesus.

Scripture -  John 15:1-5 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Observation - Jesus identifies Himself as the true connection to life lived in relationship with God and lived within God’s purpose. If one is not connected to Jesus, there is no relationship or purposeful living, because Jesus is the connecting point for those things. Furthermore, He says that those who have been connected at one time with Him, and yet who do not produce results (fruit) from that connection, are disconnected and ultimately destroyed (verse 6). The way fruitfulness occurs is by being connected to Jesus. As fruit comes forth from one’s life, there is also the process of pruning and cleaning, so that more fruit can come. That cleaning is His word, both received and acted upon.

The question occurs to me, “How do we abide in Him and bear fruit in Him?” and “Where does that process take place?”

Ephesians 1:20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (The Message)

Simply put, if one puts what Jesus says in John 15 together with what Paul writes the church in Ephesus, then abiding in Jesus takes place in the context of a committed relationship and fellowship with the Body of Christ – His Church. Results (fruits) are realized within the vine (the Body) as an ongoing and growing extension of the Body, and also recognized without the gathering as the individual expressions move out into the communities in which they live.

There are many who have grown frustrated with the church (the Body of Christ) today and are attempting to live and produce fruit at a distance from or with little if any commitment to the gathering of the Body of Christ. The reasons are numerous: everything from “I don’t feel comfortable at church”; to “the church is filled with hypocrites”; and also just plain frustration with how slow some people develop and/or stay stuck.

It’s interesting to me that there is no alternate plan that Jesus expresses for how His vine will operate; and while Paul doesn’t use the same metaphor in what he writes in Ephesians, there is no doubt that he is also making the point that the church (including the gathering of the church) is the expression of that vine and the point where the fruit interacts with the world around it.

Application - To be sure, I have never put these two references together, but that sure is what happened this morning.

I see that the reason so many become unfruitful; the reason so many become disillusioned with the church, is that they have lost their goal to remain connected to Jesus and thereby connected and submitted to how He has ordained the “horticulture” of His kingdom to be expressed.

I understand that and see the “why” of it all… why people become distanced; why they attempt to walk in relationship with God, but not in fellowship or connected regularly with His people; why they get frustrated with the silliness of immaturity; I understand those things because I have felt and thought many of those same things. But the simple truth is, is that I am personally responsible to remain connected to Jesus and thereby be fruitful as a result of that connection. In fact I would go so far as to say that the very presence of those who are stuck, those who are “immature” are part of what God uses to stimulate me on to further fruitfulness. Not to look and judge; no fruit comes from that; but to look and personally press into that connection with even more desire for more of Him.

The gathering of Jesus’ Body (the church) is how I abide in the Vine and remain connected to Him. I cannot produce any fruit apart from Him or His Body. I can argue all I want about this point, but the bottom line is, I am not the Vinedresser, and I am not the one who established the science of how His Vineyard works. I can reason all I want, but if my reasoning does not match up with His word, then my conclusions may be leading me to unfruitfulness and to being cut off.

As a pastor within a community to which I am called to minister, I cannot see myself as just living and expressing ministry within just the congregation I minister; but I must see that I am connected to the other pastors and other congregations, even when I may not “agree” with all their points of doctrine. To be sure, their viewpoints and the expression of their faith will spur me on to either develop and strengthen my doctrine and/or make adjustments to how I believe and express my faith. In other words, the Vine is much bigger than my small expression of that connection I have with Jesus.

Prayer -  Father, I pray that I would be connected in a deeper and stronger way with Your Church and thereby abide in You and produce more and more fruit that would glorify You and honor Your purpose and plan over my preferences and opinions. May I also be a part of passing on Your life to others and helping to facilitate Your life in others. And may Your Church be a better expression of Your purpose and plan in this community and in the world today.