Recovered from Windows Live Spaces: Get Rid of the Corpse!

Get Rid of the Corpse!

9/20/2009 8:49:47 PM

It seems every Sunday sermon the last four weeks has been directed at me. Today the message was on "Why Baptism?" in our series called Christian Mysteries. The long and short of it was that we get Baptized because of three main reasons: 1. Jesus was Baptized and wants us to follow His example, 2. He commands us to be Baptized, and 3. He commands us to go out into the world and Baptize.

Now for the get-to-me part... and I am quite sure there are more than just me that this applies to which is the main reason I am writing this tonight. Baptism represents death, burial, and resurrection. The message I received today is I must daily die to self...MY self... and ensure that it is God on the throne and not me..next, I need to bury the corpse- all the stuff that brings me down or tempts me to dwell in my sin. I need to get rid of those things in my life, whether they are material things, thoughts, texts, photos... they need to be buried so not to distract my walk with Christ. Next will come the resurrection, which will only happen if we die daily and bury the corpse...

This was a strong message to me as I tend to hang on to things of my past that have nothing to do with my now nor my future. It is like I want to keep some things around to continue to bring me pain, or pour salt on almost healed wounds. That is so not healthy for me or for anyone else.

I am going to bury some of my corpses I have hanging around, and I hope you will look around you, and into your heart, and see that being Baptized means being immersed not just in water, but in Living Water- the Holy Spirit. We cannot immerse ourselves in the Spirit if we keep holding on to our Corpse!

Father God, help me to remember that You are on the Throne, and that my ways have not and will not work, but You have a plan and a path for me. Give me the strength to get rid of my Corpse so that I may be resurrected and immersed in Your Spirit. I thank You for the message You gave me today and pray that ones that may read this will be blessed because of it.

Amen.

The "Real" Social Network-Group and Living Social, the Power of Learning other languages

Sunday, August 21st, Pastor Shaunte' delivered the message of the last of the "Real" Social Network Series at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. These are the notes I took from her incredible sermon at the Crosswalk service.

Pastor Shante' began by saying that we were created to be "in community". As much as we want all people to be in church worshipping as we are on Sundays, people don't have to "walk" in those doors to receive a message of hope. The question arose: Are we using the social network to our advantage?

Matthew 9:9 says "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow Me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him." The word "follow" is in the Bible 86 times. A Disciple is defined as a follower, a learner, or a pupil. When you become a Disciple of Christ you begin to know who you are and what you are to do with your life.

Pastor Shante' gave a couple of points on this:

1. You will find a need and meet it. Luke 10:33-37 is the story of the good Samaritan. If you have never read it, you should. It is a story Jesus tells to His disciples to let them know they should be as the Samaritan by saying "Go and do likewise" (verse 37). The Pastor mentioned that we are not really "bad" people, but that we tend to be "too busy" hence the priest and the Levi in this story.

2. You will find a hurt and heal it. Matthew 9:35 says "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness."

3. You will do a bunch of things Christ calls you to do that won't fit neatly in these points. John 10:27 says "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

What are you doing as a Christ follower?

Pastor Shante' said this at the end of her message: Before you tweet, Facebook, or post anything in your social media again, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is what I am about to share promoting God and His love?
2. Will it promote love to other people?

Father, thank you for this modern day series that was given to us through your messengers. May what is read here be carved on our hearts to serve you better and make us more aware of how to love others. Continue growing in our hearts and minds and help us to be mindful as the Samaritan. We need your grace and loving kindness daily in our lives. In your Son's precious name.

Amen

The "Real" Social Network- The Power of the Crowd

The Real Social Network series started the previous Sunday which I missed, but part two of three was on August 14th. "The Power of the Crowd" message was given by Kay DeBlance who is the Pastor of Discipleship at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. Below is her message from the notes I took that Sunday. Kay was definitely tuned in to what modern day Christians need to hear about modern day social networking.

As I began to take notes on this sermon that Sunday morning, I noticed that my pen was almost out of ink. It almost became a distraction to me as I was listening to Kay and then trying to concentrate on writing words. I bore down so at least an imprint was made for me to see it. I chuckled at the thought of Satan's poor attempt to have me give up and not take notes so I could not post this blog. He KNOWS the terrible memory that I have.

Kay started out her message with talking about the Power of Crowds in our history. The Nazi's, the Mob, and gangs just to name a few of those. The main "Crowd" she spoke about was the Israelites that were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years: 40,000 people waiting to go into the land God had promised them. God had called upon Joshua and gave him His plan on how to defeat Jericho and that if he would do exactly as God said, the "power of the crowd" would reign supreme! The crowd's power enabled them to succeed at what God wanted them to accomplish, and the walls of Jericho came down because the Israelites were in one accord with what God had asked them to do.

Kay brought up some great thoughts on how alot of us tend to not "engage" ourselves in person to person social contact on a regualr basis. Could it be because modern technology has made it easier to hide behind a so-called "screen"? Many of us spend so much time texting, tweeting, Facebooking, emailing, etc., that we forget about the real live person that sits next to us on the public transit, at a seminar, or even at church before and/or after service. She said that we sometimes can be present with people without being "present". We get so preoccupied with our "online" friends and networks that we tune out the people that are in our "presence".

Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them." Jesus knew that there is power in crowds. Many times He stayed among the crowds because He wanted to "engage" with as many people as He could. Jesus was put to death by a crowd. And then after His resurrection, He told His disciples to "get out of this little room" and go and preach the gospel to all nations, and make disciples. That there would be "power" where two or three were gathered together!

I'm not sure what your "social media" and personal social skills are, so maybe ask yourself these questions:

Do I tend to spend more time "hiding behind a screen" than being "present" with people face to face?

Am I aware that God needs me to be "present" with people because someone may need me?

Isolating ourselves from the "real" social network is not what God had in mind for us. Reach out in person and feel God's power and love in the midst.....

Lord God, thank you for this message from Kay, and teach us to be "present" with others in a way that will give glory to You. Help us to understand the power that You have given us as believers and as the body of Christ to help, serve, and love others that need more of You. 

Amen

Recovered from Windows Live Spaces: Rocketown- the meaning

9/20/2009 1:44:05 AM

I want to welcome all to my first blog. I have anticipated this moment for the last couple of weeks, and now it's here. This website is very special to me, because honestly, it is not intended to point the spotlight in my direction, or make me feel as though I am anyone of real importance...

I am merely a messenger... and I live in Rocketown.

Rocketown is a song by Michael W. Smith, a Christian singer songwriter that I saw in concert in 1984 in Oklahoma City. It was his solo debut the night I saw him, and he was the opening act for Amy Grant. He was her keyboard player, but that night I knew he was much more than that. He was an anointed musician of God that would eventually touch thousands upon thousands of lives with his music...including mine.

The song Rocketown is on his album titled "The Big Picture" released in 1986. One of the best Contemporary Christian Albums ever recorded. Track # 5 was Rocketown... First of all the music of the song is incredible, and the story is no less than intriguing... I asked God weeks ago when I first thought of writing a blog and having a website, what would I name it? What would catch my friends and others on the technology highway's attention to check out what I might have to share with them? I kept coming back to this song from 23 years ago...

Why?

Earlier this year, I began to experience a series of traumatic events. Throughout this time, God brought someone back into my life that I had not seen or spoken to in over 25 years. I know now that God timed that reunion perfectly to set me on a path that I now see, I was destined to take. This friend of my past walked close to the Lord, and reminded me of how close I once was to Him and how they remember specific things of my walk with Him. Through each traumatic problem that then came throughout this year, I found myself seeking God again and finding peace only through Him in the midst of my turmoil...

It has felt like I have walked through fire in the last 3 months. But just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when King Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace, Jesus came down and walked with me through my fires, and I was not consumed by the burning flames, but left unharmed, safe with His arms wrapped around me as if to never let me go...

So many of my friends have told me in the last several weeks that God has a plan for me... and little by little, I feel He is revealing it to me... there are so many that I know, and don't know for that matter, that walk through fires daily that don't know of the loving arms that long to reach out and shelter them from their fires and from their storms... He has given us free will to choose... I choose Him that shed His blood that I might have life and love overflowing...

I encourage you, if you do not know the song "Rocketown" by Michael W. Smith, go- listen and hear the message...

God has told me to start in my own backyard... and to me that is Rocketown.