The Remnant

The Bible consistently talks about a group known as a remnant. A remnant is usually a small group that has withstood through incredible hardship. The Bible is full of remnants.
Noah and his family were a remnant after the earth was destroyed by a flood.
Lot and his daughters were a remnant after Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed.
A remnant is left over after the Assyrian army conquers the Northern Kingdom.
A remnant is left over after the Babylonian army conquers the Southern Kingdom.
Paul mentions a remnant of Jews who will accept Christ as their personal savior.

On an even smaller scale, I think many churches have remnants of believers that have completely sold out to the message of the Gospel. These people can be identified through their faithfulness to attend functions/activities, lending a hand regularly to others in the church community, and an eagerness to gain more insight into Jesus Christ. In other words, these people get what the Kingdom of God is really all about. Sadly, and I am speaking as a realist and not a pessimist, most people fail to strive for complete surrender to the will of God. Those who are seeking surrender of their will, I believe, is truly the remnant. Only a small group of people really get why we are here and how we are to be active.
Let us not be sad, but rather work diligently to increase the remnant of those dedicated to Kingdom work. My question to you today is: Are you considered part of the remnant? In all sincerity, I consider the majority of "Christian" Americans to flat out not really get what its all about. I think the culture has produced a people who identify with the goodness of God without understanding the sacrifice involved. Cheap grace has replaced a willingness to die to self and pursue God in a lovely and purified way. So again, I ask, are you part of the remnant?

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Return from Junior Camp

Every June a large number of children (ages 8-12) gather at a youth camp in Southern Indiana. I have personally been apart of this camp for 19 years. Many a fond memory took place at the camp ground. It is always exciting to see what God does in the lives of His children.
The theme of the camp was "Gone Fishing". Lessons on the need to get caught by God, avoid the bait of the world, and the need to go out and catch others was all part of the curriculum components. The kids had a great time and hopefully this is a lasting memory in their spiritual journey.
While the children received spiritual training during this time, I couldn't help but play with the theme in my own mind, so here is my thoughts on fishing...
I'm really not a big fan of fishing. I enjoy the water, the boat, and a nice day (but not when it is scorching hot outside). My fishing career involves approximately 7 trips and only two fish caught out of the 7 trips. Once the fish was caught it was a major let down because it was only a little blue gill. To be honest, I went fishing to enjoy nature with no real focus on actually catching fish. I have found that I am not alone in this process.
I said all that to say this... Sometimes we get so caught up in doing our job or our calling that we forget about the beauty in the journey. For some people, fishing is their livelihood, thus they are single-minded. Dare I say that the whole reason God gives us a task like fishing is simply to spend some time with us in the boat. There is nothing more irritating then going out fishing and getting stuck with someone that is so focused on getting fish that they suck the joy out of everything else. My suggestion to you today is pick up your pole and go fishing, but understand that the real treasure maybe the time spent with the people in your boat. If you catch a fish great, if not, there is always another day.

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Contentment

Contentment is one of the more difficult things to bring into balance. Ultimately, contentment comes when we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. However, because we are called to "go", we have a responsibility to be content without becoming complacent. We shall talk about different kinds of people.
There are those who have lots of ambition and dream of doing great things. This works out OK as long as the individual is not selfish in that ambition. So many people disregard where God has them because they are chasing the next thing. Watch yourself! Don't take for granted where God has you now because you have your head in the clouds.
There are those who have no ambition and are simply content to relax. They like routine and are content as they can live a bit luxurious. They see the benefits of living a quiet life with little pressure to do more. Watch yourself! Don't think you can hide if God has asked you to do more than what is currently being done.
Regardless of whether a person is ambitious, contentment comes from have a Kingdom perspective and moving with the Spirit. The Kingdom of God is within in us and all around us. It is our opportunity to show the love and power of God to all those around us. Whether you are at home, at the job, on some great adventure, or stuck in an irritating place, we can reveal the Kingdom to others and see its revelation around us.
Are you missing what's really important because you are stuck on yourself?

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Theology of the Miserables

Many people will agree that doing the right thing is best, for the most part. Doing the right thing is what we should ultimately strive for, however there does come a point where many people are willing to just give up or give in. This point is what I would like to call the point of misery. Basically, it is when enough miserable things have happened, where the basic need to be happy kicks in and so we make a decision we maybe would never normally make. I'm not talking about giving into ridiculous temptations. I'm talking about giving in, when the pain of maintaining what's right becomes so unbearable. It is at this point, where many if they are honest are sympathetic to the person's choice to do something that makes them happy.
How many times have we heard someone discuss all that they have gone through and how they just want to be happy. This can lead to hurting others, giving up on a situation, running away, or doing something that makes the flesh feel good. It is as if we say that a pass has been given to this person for going as far as they can before giving up.
Unfortunately, if we say that we believe the truth of the Bible, then we know that God will never give us anything we cannot handle. Thus, we should very much have the opportunity to handle it in a correct fashion rather than making a foolish mistake. I am writing this blog because I so very much want to give up on pastoring. I have been told by many that this is a normal feeling to have. I very much feel that I would be a quitter to give it up. And truthfully I wouldn't really give it up, I would just find a way to pastor that is less painful. It's pretty hard to wrestle with quitting when you know that it really isn't an option, but at the same time the misery of all that goes with it becomes a bit unbearable at times.

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The Golden Rule

I was told when I was young the simple golden rule. Essentially, the rule was do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Who knew that Jesus had said the exact same thing? In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentions this phrase. It is one of the most important sayings and has transcended the religious establishment to be a phrase used in pop culture.
Having said all this, do we actually do unto others as we would have them do unto us? Or, are we so focused on ourselves that we refuse to put forth extra effort for others perferring to just do what we want to do. Sometimes we pretend that our actions don't effect others but they do. We must move outside of the prison known as selfishness and move to a place where we help others out regardless of whether we were ever helped out in the first place.
We cannot truly appreciate Christ until we become givers who give because we know its right. Enough with emotions, enough with the relativity of truth, do what you know to do because you know it is the right thing to do.

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The Joy of a Baby

As my wife and I prepare for the arrival of our first child, there are great expectations in the air. We are trying to anticipate things while also not getting locked into a box on the way things should be. We are working to prepare the baby's room and have begun contemplating parenting strategies. Our thoughts consistently go towards the baby and we have several dates on our planners that are signficant milestones. There is a joy at the journey in front of us. Yes, lots of responsiblities loom, but responsiblities that bring much joy. The funny thing is that I don't even know my son/daughter yet. I've seen a fuzzy, alien-like picture. I haven't even heard a heartbeat yet. My wife is barely even showing that something is living in her. Yet, the joy, excitement, and anticipation is still ever present.
Oh how I wish we were this way with the Lord. People often look at the responsbilities accompanied with faith as a burden, when in fact there is immense joy in the responbility of it all. There should be an excitement at the memories we share with God and the excitement on what could happen today. How many young parents get so very excited when the baby takes the first steps, says the first word, says the first sentence, sleeps through the night, gets potty-trained, says something fantastic, etc. Don't we know that God desires to share at least one moment with us each and every day. Don't miss it. Instead of dreading things, like all the diapers that will be changed, all the sleepless nights, all the headaches of a crying baby, and the such, why don't we embrace it? Same goes for the things of God. Embrace your moments each day and keep building that relationship with the Lord.

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