Spiritual Warfare, Brokeness, Fasting......

Lately I have been thinking alot about these issues. I've been reminded of good books I've read and ones that I have yet to read. I have heard sermons on these issues and taht impact them. And well I've seen the need in and around me...

Spiritual warfare is something that the churches that I was raised in ran from and really did not talk about. So for my adult life I have been made more aware of the reality of it and the role that it plays in our lives and spiritual development. Much of the sins and struggles that we face are linked to where we are at spiritually and also the spiritual war around us. Many people in the church struggle with additctions, bad habits, attitudes, and other issues which are honestly affected by the battle around us. As the church we need to be aware and learn how to fit these strongholds and bondages that people face. We need to be willing to fight the fight in God's power and seek victory.

One key area that I believe the devil works in the lives of Christians is in the area of secrecy. Be it about an addiction, alcoholism, or what not, the devil wants us to believe that we are the only ones that struggle and that no one will understand. That is not true! I was reminded about this secrecy in a sermon from LifeChurch.tv on Accountability. They talked about how most Christians hold back that last 10% of themselves from truthful honesty in accountability. This is that secrecy that needs to be broken so that we can allow God and others to work in our lives and help us to live our lives to the full potential and calling of God!

This ties into brokeness and realizing that we are not perfect and are always in need of God's love, help and grace. Those around us can also minister to us. We need to get out of the idea that we have to put on this perfect appearance to everyone. We need to learn how to be broken before God and how to allow him and others to see us as we are and work in God's grace and mercy.

Finally fasting is an issue that since last fall I've been more and more aware of. It is not necessarily something that I regularly practice, but is something that I hope to be able to incorporate more into my live. Fasting can help us to focus on who were are in Christ, our struggles, pray for others, deal with and battle spiritual warfare. Fasting is not about what others think or see, it is about our relationship with God and seeking his face in our hunger.

We need to hunger for God and God alone!!!!!

Be challenged, more to come and hopefully on a more regular basis.

~tfkr

HOW THE CHURCH SHOULD BE!

I have been blessed to be able to find and explore these awesome ministries above. Being a seminary student and having an education in psychology helps me see the need for these minstries. I at one point in college started a ministry sorta like xxxchurch, but nothing near to what they are today!

I believe that the church often fails in being real about the "trash" that is in the church. As xxxchurch will often say, we avoid the elephant in the room and talk about anything but it.

It is absurd that we the body of Christ is so unwilling to talk about the real facts of life. The struggles that affect us all, and most importantly affect our realtionship with God.

It is important that we as the body are willing to be honest, and in the end are people that others can talk to about who they truly are.

Here are some important things that we as followers of Christ need to remeber about ourselves and others.

1. We are God's creation.

2. We are all affected by the sin in the world, some of us will struggle with different things than others, but ultimately sin is sin.

3. We are called by God to love each other. Loving someone does not mean that we "approve" of their behavior or actions. But that we ultimately show them God's love!

4. We all have a God shaped hole in us. Some of us are seeking God to fill that hole, others are struggling to an in turn are filling it with addictions, bad relationships, or other forms of sin.

5. Us being open about who we are is painful, humbling, and hard. Ultimately we will grow from it and will become better people. (*** disclaimer *** it is important to be wife in who you reveal things of a sensitive nature, make sure that the person is someone trustworthy and able to handle what you reveal, if you need please find a counselor to talk to!).

So what am I advocating? I'm first of all advocating the Body of Christ learning to truly help and heal the broken. We often forget how much our words of encouragement and hope can be healing. We need to listen and to help those in need around us.

I'm advocating for the church to be real. Stop hiding things in the closet and be honest. Don't live behind the shadow of "I'm perfect and have no problems". GET REAL! I know that each of us has problems, they may not be the "same level" on our human scale of badness, but sin is sin, vice is vice. Lets work on ourselves and help each other to be the people God has called us to be.

I'm excited for the Ministry of Heart Support, XXX Church, and for the tool that X3 Watch is! May God continue to bless their minitriest.

I some day hope to find time or a way to get involved in on of these ministries on a regular basis. I ask that God might use me to make a difference!

God open the doors for us and show us YOUR will, YOUR way, and YOUR timing.

~tfkr

What we need, What I need

"What a man needs is a brother to draw close, minister to him, and help him mature. He needs somebody to demonstrate to him another way to live, modeling a godly marriage, biblical parenthood, and the love of Christ."

-Steve Sonderman, Effective Men's Ministry-

We all have things in our lives that aren't perfect. We are all impacted by the things in our past. These things are the things that make us who we are. Though at times they may be shameful or things that we don't want everyone else to know. We need that one person in our life who knows us and can speak truth into our lives. Who can ask us the hard questions, Who can encourage us, and build us up to be the Men that God created us to be.

Its hard to find quality people who we can trust to speak into our lives and accept our brokeness. Some people have more brokeness than others, but most importantly we are all children of God. If you have people around you that you know need to have truth spoken to them in love, please step up to the plate. If you need someone to speak truth to you Pray, and seek out a Godly person near you.

It is important that we seek to grow as the men God has called us to be. We need to understand the love of Christ in our lives and through our friendship. God does speak to us through those around us and for people who have self esteem issues or struggles that seem hopeless it is important that they experience Christ through those around them.

~tfkr

Community

Community
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Community (disambiguation).
A community is a social group of organisms sharing an environment, normally with shared interests. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.
The word community is derived from the Latin communitas (meaning the same), which is in turn derived from communis, which means "common, public, shared by all or many"[1]. Communis comes from a combination of the Latin prefix con- (which means "together") and the word munis (which has to do with performing services).

For Those of you who know me personally you know that community is a term and idea that makes me light up. Gets me excited and is at the heart of who I am.

I have been blessed amazing with a group of guys to journey with. Guys who seem/appear to be wanting to care for each other. Its awesome. I'm excited to be part of their journey and to have them be part of mine.

With my seminary classes I have had it reinforced (not that I didn't already know it) that community and relationship is important. Even thought my current evangelism class is pushing us to share our faith with people we encounter, I am reminded of the important of a relationship and getting new believers connected to the body.

It is important that as the body of Christ we welcome people into our lives. We accept them as they are, sinners loved by the Savior. In community we need to remeber that our past mistakes and bad choices make us who we are. We need to be accepting, loving, and willing to challenge each other to grow.

I seek to walk the walk, and live the life in community.

~tfkr

What is my name? Who has god called me to be?

This might be an odd question on the surface, but it is a deep question that is hitting me right now. My small group is reading and discussing John Eldredge's Wild at Heart. And tonight I spent time sitting down and talking with one of my close friends the issue after watching Rob Bell's Nooma "Name".

I think it is so often hard for us today to know who were are. We often try to find our meaning in the things we buy, the house we have, the car we drive, or the job and title we hold. In pursuing our meaning in this way we are seeking fulfillment in a way that we will never find complete fulfillment. Basically we are hiding behind a mask or what we think we are, when in all actuality God has created each one of us to be something special. He has called us and given us our name. First and foremost we are a child of God, a sinner redeemed from our sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Secondly and only secondly are we a sinner who has a past that impacts who we are, how we see things, and the way we work through our Christian journey.

We need to make the decision to find our identity in Christ and seek to live out the calling He has placed on our lives.

It is not easy, nor is it something that I claim to have mastered in anyway. But it is something I seek to live out daily in my life from here forward.

~tfkr

Prayer and Fasting

Ok, call me a nerd, geek or what have you. I finished my last class a week early so that I could be ready for the baby to arrive. And in the two weeks before my next class starts I decided to start reading the texts for the class so I would be a bit ahead come the start of class.

I finished one of the books which is by Elmer Towns, its a book on praying the Lord's Prayer. It was a good wake up call and reminder. I pray but not as regularly as I should. the book caused me to really think about how I pray and in what way I pray. It helped me to see that I need to see prayer as a worship service and opportunity to grow closer to God. I need to stop seeing it as a time to just ask for things but to express my thankfulness.

I also today just started the other book which is on fasting, again it is by Elmer Towns. I'm excited to read more on fasting as it is not something that I was ever really raised around. I look forward to learning more and hopefully applying it to my life.

Oh well, back to reading, relaxation......

~tfkr

New Small Group

Well, times change. My old small group that I was part of ended last month. It was sad to part with these guys from our regular meeting as we had been meeting for about 2 years. I wasn't sure where my next group or connection would come from. But I sought out a new men's small group. The first meeting was last week (Meeting bi-weekly). I entered the group a bit apprehensive as I didn't know anyone in the small group. So it was sorta of awkward. However after meeting I felt re-energized. I felt that I found a place where I could be challenged, grow, and have fellowship and accountability.

I'm excited to see what God will do in this new group. God always puts us where we need to be and around people who can both encourage us and challenge us.

~tfkr

Tension

(Sorry there isn't a pic I may find one later)

Heard an awesome sermon on Sunday.  Brady Neemers who is our church's youth pastor started up a 3 week series called Shine.  This last Sunday he spoke on the story of Moses.  He brought up the issue that things seemed to be just going along for Moses but his life was not in tension.  During the times of laying low it did not appear that his passions were being stirred or that he was moving for God. However things were different when he was called into tension and the middle of things.  Moses tried to find excuses as to why he could not do what God was calling him to, but in the end Moses moved into the tension. 

I'm at a point right now where I am between passions, in a job that is ok for now but not what I want to do, and well finishing up a degree that I'm not sure I'm called to use in full time ministry.  I'm at a spot where I am not sure what passions God is calling me to puruse or what ways He wants to use me to minster.  So I'm at a point where I am frustrated and stalled.  I'm not living in the tension.  I have for the time being put my big passion to be in full time ministry on hold, but have not yet found what the passion for the coming days/years is to be.  I'm waiting to know what God wants me to do and what doors will open.  I have ideas from non-profits to business startups.  But in the end I'm not sure yet where God is calling me.  I want to move into the tension, but Guess I must be patient.

Questions:

-How can God use me where I am at now, and How is He using me?

-What does God want to be marks of my life?  

-How can I find and move into that "tension"?

Pondering and wondering anew.....

~tfkr

Behind the doors the same as in front......

Well, Yes the title is confusing or perplexing but well I think it should be. I have had thoughts for a while based on my struggles that well have been enlightened in someways by my Introduction to the New Testament course I'm in.

Christian have always battled with being in the world but not of it. God gave the Israelites the law as a direction and guidance for them on how to live so that they would be set apart for Him and not be part of the world. However the Israelites continually failed in following the laws and commands that God had set forth.

The church today I believe is in the same boat. Some people are living the lives that God has called them to, and there are others who aren't. There also are those in between that aren't living the way God wants us to but is living behind a mask. Having lived this way myself I wonder how we can address the sins in the church and help people to change, to grow, to be made new in Christ? How do we help the church realize that the same sins that are out in the "world" are in the pews next to them? How do we help the church to be more compasionate in their handlings of people who are battling sin? What do we do? How does God want us to do this?

Its a hard topic to address, and a hard one to live out.

The church is the same behind its closed doors as those who live outside of the church doors. there is sin and filth all the same. We need to make a difference. Where do we start? How do we start?

-Lord make me an instrument of your peace........

~tfkr

Question Mark? Where am I going?

Well My big question these days is where is God leading me......
What is my purpose here on Earth? What type of ministry, career, calling does He have for me....?
Questions, questions, questions.......

Where are the answers? Where is the bright light illuminating my path? Where is that telegram from God?

I know that I am not going to just have things drop into my lap. I know that I need to pray. Have others pray, and well trust God to lead me....

I have one more year of Seminary and then I don't know whats next. I have a job that pays but not sure it is where I am meant to spend the rest of my life.

I'm not sure if I'm called right now to full time ministry, part time, volunteer, or what. With a child on the way its scary to look and all. I just pray that God will lead me to the right place and that the opportunity He wants me to puruse that He will show it to me.

Here I am load, your clay, mold me, form me, lead me and guide me in your way!

~tfkr

Stuck?

Yet another blog inspired by a sermon. Pastor Jeff is preaching a series entitlted Spring Training and last Sunday's sermon was entitled stuck. One of the key things that struck me, is that often when we feel stuck or frustrated with where we are at the last thing we consider is that maybe this is the place "God has us stationed at". Jeff focused on Phillippians 1:12-26. This passage was written to the church in Phillipi while Paul was under house arrest. Paul may have seemed to be stuck but he recognized that the place he was in was the place God wanted him at. He was there to make a difference.

I know that my present job and place in life is not where I really want to be and I feel stuck sometimes and am not sure how to get out. I know that I personally need to stop thinking and focusing on how to get out, instead I need to focus on how to be who God mas made me to be, and do it where I am at. I need to make the most of the situation I am in and do God's work where I am at.

I know that there are plenty of people all around me that can understand the concept of being stuck. My words to you and myself. Be patient, Seek to do God's work and listen to Him. There is a reason we are where we are at even though we may not understand. Just be patient. We are in a period of training for something that lies ahead. We may not know what it is, but God is preparing us for it so that we can be used!

Be patient and moldable.

~tfkr

Lumber....... A spiritually significant item.....

Last Sunday Pastor Jeff Manion reminded me greatly about the importance and theological significan of lumber........ Well he may not have necessarily talked in depth on it, but well it struck me especially as I sat down to write this....

Jeff has been preaching on the Sermon on the Mount in a series entitled "Basic Jesus". This weeks sermon was called "Self Examination". The key part of this sermon was based on Matthew 7:1-5. Christ is talking about not judging others and to first of all look at the plank in our own eye before trying to help a brother with the speck of sawdust in their eye. I have been struck by this alot with the situations that are around me in the lives of family and friends. The photo in this posting is from Shiloh Ministries (at a church I went to in Detroit, MI). I believe its from one of their retreats, its something I have had a similar idea of doing when I'm in ministry, but moving back to the subject. We so often are quick to judge others when there are sins in our life. Often we are willing to judge someone who has a sin that is one that is something we consider unthinkable, yet if we examine ourselves we have a similar sin, though not the same, but in the same category of sins. We forget that we are alll flawed and messed up, no one's perfect, but when someone elses sin is blatantly in our face we forget ours. Jeff said something along the lines of "we are often blinded to our sin, but if others do that sin to us we see it immediately". We are desensitized to our own sins! We are blind, just like the man in Matthew 7:3-5 (NASB) which states:

3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

The church is often so unloving and uncaring. I know of a situation where a man in the church is causing pain and life changing pain to another Christian because of a sin that they committed. The non-Christians in this person's life are more loving, understanding, and caring than a fellow brother in Christ. We need to take the piece of timber out of eyes before we point the finger at others.

This passage uses references to lumber as what causes the block to our vision, in other terms, the sin in lives. But God has also used the greatest piece of lumber to save us. The Cross. The cross is the place where all of us can come and lay down our saw dust, our own planks. No matter how big or small, how ugly and shameful. It is a place of accetance, love, forgiveness, and the starting point for all true change!

Jeff ended his sermon with the comment that "The Biggest Blessing is exposure to our own sin!"

Its a starting point, a place where we can repent, recognize our brokeness, our need for the saviour, that we are just like everyone else, a sinner, a sinner loved by God. Take the time to look at yourself before pointing the finger, and when you have removed your own plank or saw dust, care for your brother and sister in Christ with love and care, don't hate them and destroy them for their past sins and wrong doings. Love them and accept them as Christ would.

We are the hands and feet of Christ........ He bore our sins on the Cross, the holy lumber!

~tfkr

The Expected Arrival

Yes, as Lacey noted, we are expecting. We started sharing this happy news with family last week and this week with friends. We are do in the end of September around the 24th. We can't wait to have our first bundle of Joy!!!!!

~tfkr

Secrets in Community

I have been thinking back to Christmas and other times in my life where you have to keep a good secret from someone you love or even a ton of people. Be it the present you bought them, an anouncement of a new job, a move, an engagement or whatever.

I have found myself in this positions numerous times. From when I asked my Wife to marry me (Kept the ring a secret for like a month), to a Christmas present that I had to keep secret for 2 months, to just those things that you are so excited to tell others but can't until the time is just right.

Why is it so hard for us to keep secrets?

Well my thoughts aren't too profund I think so reasons come back to the fact that we are living in community with others and they are so involved in our lives that we can't keep things from them. Other times its hard becuase it such exciting news like an impending new job, a move, a house purchase. Other times its hard to keep a secret as we don't know the full extent of the situation and can't divulge any of the information.

There are other secrets that we hold, those of our sins, activities we are ashamed of. Those it is quite obvious why we try to keep it a secret. We don't want to admit failure. We are afraid of the possible outcomes and often don't have faith in those around us.

Its hard to keep a secret no matter what type it is. There are some that I believe are honestly no harm at all. but those of the dark side are ones that need to be released in order for any good to result.

To sum it up: Keep the exciting and pure secrets till they must errupt at their due time in history and make sure to rid yourself of any dark secrets!

~tfkr

Hello?? Are you listening?

Listening.......

The TV commecial for Verizon Wireless just jumped into my head. "Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?"...... My men's small group that meets bright and early on Thursdays (6:30am), right when our local Panera opens, was talking today about hearing God's voice.

Sometimes I don't take the time to listen to others, I mean truly listen to them. I may hear what they say, but I don't hear their heart. I know that I'm not only missing what those around me are saying, but also what God is saying.

Ok what do I mean? Well i know that I'm not spending time in solitude, in reading His Word, I'm not quieting my heart to hear His Heart........ I've let myself get so busy with my Job, my education, my family, my pursuit of my career (Yes to me right now my job and career are two different things), and TV. I have let these things become a distraction. I have not give God who gave me life, the attention and respsect that He deserves.

Psalm 46:10-11 reads: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah" (NIV)

I haven't been taken the time to be still, to listen, to quite my heart. I have forgetten to lay all my problems and worries down at God's feet. I haven't rest in God's arms.

So what am I to do?

-Ask friends for accountability in "being still".

-Make time, plan time into my schedule to be still.

-Make my schedule more firm so that I don't feel pressured by the things in my life.

-Trust God to hold me, and to speak to me in the silence.

So friends, I challenge you to look at your time, are you making time for the Creator of the universe? Are you able to challenge me? Can I challenge you? Don't put off doing it today, as you never know what tommorrow may bring.......

in HIS hands,

~tfkr

New Year New Challenge. Todays Topic: Suffering

Well I have a challenge with my friend Remy to be more focused and consistent with my writings, and him with his. So today is the start. He challenged me to make a post within 3 days, so well I am posting today, now, before he has a chance to post his! Oh well I'm sometimes competitive.

So now for the post:

Suffering:
In the past months I have heard about, seen, experienced and walked with friends, family, and others through different periods of suffering. It is hard to see friends and families suffer. Its hard to not just try to jump into a situation and try to fix it. My wife was reading to me a question she had to respond to last night for her graduate program. The question was whether a counselor should try to remove the patients suffering.

To me this question is ridiculous. We as humans can't remove suffering, only God can. I have found and am still learning that we as followers of the Rabbi are called to support others, comfort them, help guide them if needed, and just plan share God's love.

I will never be able to provide medical answers or medical healing, I'm not a doctor or God, but I can be there in prayer, physically by one's side, and I can walk with them. With those who have struggles and addictions, I can encourage them, give them advice, walk with them and love them, BUT I CAN'T HEAL THEM.

So often we want to heal those who are suffering or remove their pain. But I think we forget that in our trials and suffering we often grow the most, and are able to be molded more and more into the man or woman God has made us to be.

Lets not try to be God, but instead be His Hands, Feet, and Arms. Let us love others, comfort them, and be with them. Let us be present in the pain and suffering. I know it won't be comfortable, it won't be easy, but God smiles when are his instruments of love and comfort, even though true healing may not occur.

I think of my family right now who is dealing with my sister-in-laws surprise visit to the hospital. I can't be with them 24/7, I can't watch my nephew all day and night, and I am not a medical professional who can heal her, but I can be there to help support them, love them, and just be with them. I can be God's hands, feet, arms, and mouth.

The Bottom Line: Don't try to remove the suffering of others, be present, be there, be the arms, hands, feet, and words of God to those who are in pain around you.

His servant, His Son......
~tfkr

Attitude and Words

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And ever tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Recently I have noticed issues with attitudes and how people are being treated. A lot of this is in my own attitude towards others, work, ect. But I have also seen it in those around me and the way that others are treated and the way they react in situations. It is so hard to sit by and watch as someone you care about it belittled or hurt by another persons words. It’s not just the words that hurt but it is the attitude behind those words that make such an impact. I have had to withdraw myself from people and situations when I knew that my attitude was not right and that I could not stand to be near the attitudes of others. I know that this may not be the most appropriate thing in some peoples eyes, but I know that in these situations if I do not withdraw that I will lash out and in turn my attitude will not be one that is pleasing to God.
Tied into this is the issue of the tongue obviously. James 1:26 (NIV) states, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” I think that so often people do not realize how much the words they say hurt. They may not think that they are hurtful and instead think that they are helping the person with the project or task they are working on, but instead the way that words are said stab the person deeply.

I think that we all need to review our attitude and the way that we use our words. I think that we often say way more than is necessary and in turn deeply wound and injure those around us. As Christian’s we are meant to be God’s agents of healing, speaking the truth in love, and building the community. By using words that injure we are not healing nor building the community. Truth in love is not something that happens everyday but when we are dealing with a fellow believer who is struggling with sin or areas in their life which need to be corrected or dealt with as they are not pleasing to God.

So final thought: When dealing with anyone, check the attitude you have and are using in your conversation, and also check, your words. The psychological injury from words is a painful one, one that takes along time to heal from. Be Christ with flesh on.

~tfkr

Restoring Brokeness and Community

As many people know I am very passionate about community,
and well again as I write I know that in advance that I’m going to hit on the
issue of community and its role in our walk as Christians. Right now I’m reading a book entitled Restoring
Broken Things by Chapman and
Smith. It talks about God’s desire
and intention to restore that which is broken, primarily us, sinful
humans. In the early part of their
book they make a statement that I’ve found elsewhere and heard a couple of
times recently, they state ”The Bible tells a story of personal,
not privatized blessing.” In writing this they are basically
reminding the reader that their interaction and role in the greater story of
God’s working and in the individual stories of others is important. We aren’t isolated individuals but
instead are called to make an impact and difference on those around us. So I guess now the passion
for community that God has given me makes more sense.

God wants us to interact, to care for each other, to love
each other. In many ways God is
calling us to be Jesus with skin on to those we encounter. We can’t make this walk of life
alone. We need the support, the
love, the correction and guidance of those around us. I know that I often feel inadequate to help those around me
who are in the middle of struggles, battles and devastating life issues. But God and the Holy Spirit will guide
our words and will translate them to the person who is need.

I know that often its hard to develop community and
relationship with others because of our own fears and desires to remain
isolated and not put on a front.
But I believe that it is important to jump into community. To open our doors, our lives and our
pain to others. As I sit here in a
Panera Bread in Columbus I think of the importance of Family. It’s a time of pain and unknown futures
as my wife’s grandfather goes into surgery this evening. But one thing I know is that to me
family is important, maybe a bit more than friends and those in my community
around me. But I know that we have
people praying for us who are parts of different communities around the
country. I know that I
need to start to see my Christian community as family. As people who I will give up things
for, who I will give my time to, and who I will care for, even if there aren’t
necessarily common interests. As
we love family because they are family so we need to love those around us just
because they are there!

I enter today not knowing what the next 24 hours will
bring. I want to be the strong one
for my wife and her family. I
don’t claim to have the answers or knowledge of what to say. But I will be here with my presence, I
will allow my self to be a vessel of God’s love, His power, and just be.

To be part of community means to sacrifice, to love the
unlovable, and to just be! I know
that I need to learn this lesson more and more as there are people who I have
been hurt by and have refused to talk to them, have turned my back on any
chance of God redeeming the relationship, and even to the point of being hurt
each and every time that I see them.
I want to step more and more into God’s story of restoring that which is
broken. I want Him to restore me
more and more so that He can use me to make an impact where I am.

Off I go into the unknown. May God bless
all those who I encounter today.
May he restore that which is broken. And may I be sensitive and open to His movement an
prodding.

-tfkr (6/14/06 9:53 AM)

Churches as Community

Most any person who knows me to any degree will tell you that community is a buzz word for me. I believe churches are meant to be communities of faith, communities of shared experiences, communities of love and sacrifice.

Modern society is looking for a place to belong. What I like to call at times the Cheers of now. I think everyone remebers the TV Show Cheers. Everyone who walked into Cheers was greated by name. Thats what kept people coming back, oh well at least the characters in the show. So often this is the same thing that many people around us yearn for. People yearn to be known by name, to be cared for, loved regardless of their beliefs, hair-do, political stance. People desire to be loved the way that Christ loved Sinners.

Yes Jesus Christ loved the sinner where they were at. He did not ask them to move from where they are at. He ate with sinners. He did not accept 100% what they did, but he accepted them as what they are, a creation of our almight, all powerful savior, His Father, God.

Churches should be places where people feel accepted, loved and cared for. So often the modern church has created walls of division that make people fell unwanted and unaccepted. This is not what God would want. He wants people to be welcomed, for the love that they experience to cause them to draw closer to Him, to experience a life change that is so radical that those around them are astonished and amazed and drawn in to the wonder and awe. To experience a journey into the Love, Grace, and beauty of Christ.

The Church is supposed to create this amazing community that draws people in. I have seen at different times of my life communities that have missed the mark. Communities where people have been involved for years and leave away for school or other things and when they come back they are not even acknowledged by name, but instead feel like an outcast. Communities where people are pushed away becasue of their sin, lifestyle, or even worse yet, something that does not even matter, their clothing or hair-do.

So, what does this mean for us. We are the body of Christ and should be His Hands, Feet, and love to those around us. We are called to be the living expression of who the most high God is. We are to be community to those around us. With acceptance, love and a willingness to be there for those around us.

This might be repetative of my previous writings, but each day is a new day, and so the thoughts must be expressed.

~tfkr

Spring: Time for New Creations?

Spring time is a time for changes, new growth, freshness after a long winter.

My mind has been racked and twisted with ideas. Things that strike deep with my passion for community and relationship within the body of Christ. Doesn't help when I read books that push me to desire it more and more like "Preaching Re-imagined" by Doug Pagitt. He talks about the preisthood of ALL believers. Not just those who are ordained and educated.

So ok, what does this have to do with Spring and new growth and stuff. Well for some time i have been kicking around the idea of (with my wife's permission) opening our house up once a month or so to have friends over for a time of fellowship, breaking of bread, games, fun, conversation and whatever else it may turn into. I don't want it to be a group of just select friends who all know each other but a chance for us to open the doors to our friends who are single, married, young, old, families with kids to a time of Christian fellowship. Maybe there will be times where some of us get into discussions related to our faith and our walk with Christ and each other. A no pressure time of just relaxing and being ourselves with each other. Opening ourselves up to what God has to say through each other.

Since college its been hard to interact with others in such a communal way. I see it as something beyond a small group, but a living, breathing organism. A time where people can bring friends with them. A place where we can have fun and laughs, but also when hurt and pain occur in our lives where we can share those feelings, those tears.

I desire for my life to be a living expression of the song We are the body which states that we are the hands and feet of God and we are the ones that should be reaching out to each other...... Oh well thats my musing......

I pray for God's direction and wisdom into this....

--tfkr