Where O Where Has My Spirit Gone?

I often hear people speak of the Holy Spirits presence. They talk about inviting him, or feeling his presence and sometimes talk about the Spirits presence or absence during a worship service. I have even heard some speakers say that they do not create notes or slides for the audience because they want to be open to the moving of the Spirit.
I have to say that my nose wrinkles at these statements. It is not necessarily what is being said. It is what is not being said that is important. When people say these things it implies that the Holy Spirit is not present and it depends on what we do to help usher the Holy Spirit into our presence. I have always operated under the assumption that God's Holy Spirit was always present and that I need to open my heart and mind to what He is already doing, in the worship service and my life.
The statement about not having notes and slides implies that the Holy Spirit is not able to work with notes and slides. It further implies that the holy Spirit is obviously not present during the preparation of the slides and notes. Why would i wait until the moment of the presentation of the message to see if the Holy Spirit is going to move? i know for a fact that when I prepare a message the Holy Spirit is present and guiding me the entire way...even in the slides and notes I prepare for people.

Wait for it.............................................................................

I hear this phrase a lot; "God is getting ready to do a new thing".......This statement is usually made after a person has been in "fervent" or "travailing" prayer about some such matter that is of utmost importance and must be given (whether you want it or not) to the church, post haste. I usually have no idea what the person is talking about because he/she never finishes the statement. One would think that after much prayer and crying out to the Lord a person would know what this new thing is. What is the new thing? Why can't you tell me? How long should I wait for this new thing? Should I go back to the person and ask them and risk looking spiritually retarded? Should I ask God to help that person complete the sentence? Or may be just tell me what this new thing is?

Wait a minute...breaking news folks. God does a new thing every single day!!!! God shows me some new way to see his creation, a new way to show someone love, a new way to repent and grow closer to Him. God is not getting ready to do a new thing in some feel good general way. God does specific new things in our lives everyday! We just need to look for it.

Little Shepherd Boy

This announcement;
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”

This greatest, life changing announcement ever made, this announcement that would affect every living soul, this announcement that was whispered into an angel’s ear and then loudly proclaimed on that famed night, is the gospel message in its purest form. It is the message of SALVATION for ALL.

This wonderful message of good news and great joy has affected the entire world. We base our calendars on this announcement; we have built hospitals and schools like Harvard and Yale because of this event. Christians around the world have gladly died attempting to deliver this message.

The greatest message of all time, the message that would change time for all eternity was delivered not to kings and queens or high priests, no, not even delivered to the Sadducee's or Pharisees. This message was not delivered to the person in charge, the people who makes decisions and make things happen. This awesome announcement was made to, of all people, SHEPHERDS. Stinking SHEPHERDS.

You see, shepherds are the low of the low. They are considered untrustworthy; they are unclean and can’t even go into the sanctuary to worship. They are social outcasts on the bottom rung of the ladder. C’mon they spend weeks in the field and they smell like animal dung.

I see people like this almost everyday. They come onto Fort Carson at dawn and leave at dusk. They work hard labor jobs all day. They dig holes, empty trash, refuel construction equipment, hold signs and move traffic barriers all day long. Some even live in their vehicles. No one asks their opinion or seeks their guidance. They are pretty much ignored all day long. Some look like they shower once a week and they all look tired and in need of a hopeful message.
This was the shepherd; near the fringes of society and barely hanging on. These shepherds are so insignificant and so ignored that we many times in our Christian traditions don’t even include them in our Nativity scenes. We would prefer to have the smart and wonderful wise men that have wealth and resources.
We have songs about merry gentlemen, angels on high, Mary, all the faithful, holy and silent nights, town of Bethlehem and the first noel. So forgotten are these shepherds that I can only think of 2 lines in 2 different songs that mention them. These shepherds were ignored by their society and they are still ignored by history. And yet God chose to make His announcement to the Shepherds.

I do believe that we need to re-look those shepherds. God is saying something to us. He is saying that His news of great joy is for all people! And God chose to tell the weakest least influential people of all, simple shepherds.

What if God had decided to announce to kings and queens? Herod was scared and intimidated and tried to kill Jesus.
How about the scribes and scholars? Well He put it in the sacred scrolls for them and they were so apathetic that they ignored it
The Pharisees and Sadducee's would have tried to exploit Jesus for their own greed and power.

The Shepherds were the recipients of this great news because their hearts were in the right place….and they knew they witnessed something amazing. The shepherds were in a place of willingness to hear and they were spiritually ready to accept the message of Great Joy. That’s why God chose to tell them first! ARE YOU willing and ready?

Even more than just accepting, the bible says this---- When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
The shepherds didn’t sit down and do strategic planning based on the population and geosociopolitoeconomico situation of the times, they didn’t sit around and wait for some super apostle like Paul to show up, they didn’t worry about what people would say, they didn’t write books on how to tell people, they simply went, in obedience, and told people the good news of Jesus.

You know what? I need my heart to be in the right place? I need to be more willing to hear God’s message of Great Joy. I need to respond to His message and “spread the word” about what I have experienced and what I have seen.
I need to be like the shepherds and do more than just enjoy Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas day.

I need to obey God and do as the shepherds did, accept, rejoice and spread the word.
What about you? Where do you fit in tonight? You have been hearing the good news of Salvation all night. Some of you here tonight may not have experienced this good news and great joy. Some of you may be hearing it for the first time. I ask you, could you find it in your heart to accept Jesus as your savior and Lord? Some of you here tonight have received the good news of salvation; What are you doing with it? Are you responding to it?

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”

New Cupboards

I have finally finished installing the last doors on our cupboards. Why is this important? Because it took me 5 years to do it! And yes, they are crooked.

Recent Travels

I have done some traveling these last two weeks. I hit San Diego for three days then flew to Sierra Vista, AZ. Quite the difference in flora, fauna and humidity. Quite the difference in what I was doing also.

I was in San Diego attending a church conference. We leaned some great new concepts about how to keep people in the church and how to help them mature in their walk with Christ. I went to AZ for some security job training and we learned how to better defend ourselves and better kill people that were trying to hurt us.

Yeah, I know.

New book by Mark Driscol

More Confessions

I got some interesting comments on my last blog about confession. For the most part, every one feels uncomfortable confessing in a public setting, myself included. Some can be honest in a family setting, some alone, some not at all. Here is the rub...The Bible... (I know that not all readers consider the Bible an authority, but I am writing from that premise, so please bear with me)... still says to "confess our sins one to another."

This implies a few things.

First, it is assumed that we are part of a trusting community. Second, it is assumed that we are aware of our sins and are in need of confessing them.

My question is why? Why do I need to verbalize my sins to my church community?

I have a few ideas. I think that a sin that is kept secret or one that you may struggle with on your own or one that might be between you and God holds no accountability with your community. The first assumption is being a part of a community. The community is full of people who have experienced a vast number of sins and forgiveness from them. Some one in that community can help.

Sins, kept in the dark secret places of the soul, will destroy you. I remember the story of King David committing adultery and then murder to cover it up. David later wrote that hiding his sins was grinding his bones.

Sin, exposed to the light, no longer has any power over you.

Sin, confessed and dealt with, no longer has any power over you.

My own sins, when confessed, have always been forgiven with much love and grace.