Ministry defined.

Last night I had one of those moments you hear people talk about when they say that God has given them some kind of revelation or perhaps God has let them in on something wise and Godly. I was thinking the other night what ministry means, what it really means and this phrase popped in my head and I think it really was a revelation from God.

Ministry is when we leverage our obedience to God for the benefit of others.

I've been thinking about that all day because when It came into my mind right before I fell asleep I kept repeating it over and over again because I knew it was important but I wasn't sure what it meant and I thought it would be better to ponder it further after I was fully awake. It's sort of strange thought to think that we can use our obedience, or rather God can use our obedience for His purpose and to help others know Him but it's true. When we remain faithful in the good or bad God will bless us but we have to trust Him.

So there is a possibility that I will be back in full time ministry, please pray for me and my family.

science and religion

I just read an article the other day about a new theory of our universe that states it our universe my be resting inside a wormhole between two other universes. Now I am no where near smart enough or qualified enough to make judgments based on equations and physics that only a hand full of people in the world understand. If you ask the typical American that believes the Earth revolves around the Sun, to prove it, what can they tell you? In fact many things that have been discovered by science, the general population takes them for face value, and we should. Most scientists don't have an ulterior motive and aren't looking to sort out data to provide evidence for only their theory. A true scientist proposes a theory, gathers data, tests the theory and will change the theory if it's proven wrong.

The great thing about science is that it can always change, and can change rapidly. Religion is a different story. Religion is slow to change, and based in tradition is sometimes incapable of change. For example, if it was proven with concrete evidence that the Bible had not only been tampered with but was a hoax altogether, how many Christians would just decide that they had been wrong all this time? Probably not very many. Why? Because faith is not based on data, or theories or things that we can measure with science. I believe that it is important to accept science to further our understanding of the Universe God has made. I think that it's possible for science to tell us the how given enough time and research. It may take eon's to discover just one percent of all the knowledge in the universe but I think it's a worthy task.

Lets also remember that the bible is not a scientific book, It's not based in anything that can be proven. There is no way to prove anything that happened in the Bible, just as there is no way to prove anything that has occurred in the past. I think Christians need to stop being afraid of science, and accept that there are things that we do not know, things that the Bible admits to leaving out. It's OK to no know everything. Discovery is part of the journey.

Turning it around

So excited about what God is doing in my life. I'm in school now at Warner University and feel alive. Thank you Jesus!

In limbo

A Lot has occurred since my last post.

I became a father.
I lost my job.
I began questioning the direction of my life.

I suppose that it's normal to question what God wants you to do when your world is turned upside down and then inside out.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Value of a Relationship with Jesus

The Truth

"But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody."

-Bob Dylan

I think religious people get upset when you suggest that all they really care about is money. I know I care about money. In fact all of us care about money. Our whole lives revolve around getting more of it so we can exchange it for other stuff. I hear a lot of talk about our capitalist society and how that is the American way. I don't know if that's a good thing. The pursuit of wealth is obviously a flawed one, like chasing the wind you can never get enough or ever be satisfied if money is your desire.

Sadly it is the desire of many Church's who have bought into the lie that they need more of it. I hear preachers on TV asking for money and leveraging the Gospel to get more money. They say things like "If you give you will be blessed with 10 times the amount you gave" If they really believed that they would give away all their money to the people watching.

Don't get me wrong, I think you need to be wise with your money. In the Bible what you do with your money is a reflection of your heart. What we invest in, reflects what we really care about. God doesn't want your money, he wants you. Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." The model of the Church should follow this. Don't worry about money, you can't take it with you anyway.

What my wife and I learned when we turned off the TV

Rachel and I have been cableless since late July. We decided to give up our cable so we could afford to sponsor a child through Compassion International. Here are Five things not having cable taught us.

1. We communicate more.
Rachel and I noticed that we have been praying together more, sharing about our day more and growing more in our relationship. It's amazing how much television can steal from your relationships.

2. We get more done.
I can't even tell you how many hours I must have wasted watching things that I wasn't really interested in watching. I think all of us have been 15 minutes into an infomercial thinking to ourselves "I have better things to do, but I can't help but learn about this new food processor". We noticed that when the TV is off more chores get done and we aren't pressed for time like we used to be.

3. Real giving should cost something
Sure we miss it, and that's the point. Every time I want to turn on the TV to watch the Cubs lose I remember that I can't because a little boy is getting the food and education he needs to have a better start in life. This is a small price to pay for the betterment of our fellow man. It's really the least we can do.

4. We read more and listen to more music
I have read so much more since we got rid of cable. Also Rachel and I have started going back to the Library (remember that place?) Yeah, you can get books FOR FREE! Also I have more time to pull up some music and just listen. It's also great to dance with your very pregnant wife!


5. We are more connected
And not just with each other. We are more connected with our friends and relatives. It's so easy to lose track of relationships when we let the TV suck our life away. Also I don't fret about all the negative stuff in the news and with the internet I'm still connected to the news without all the fluff. Plus I don't watch commercials...

That's it folks. God has given us relationships, and intimacy can only be built when we invest in those relationships. Unplug from the world and plug into the heart of God.