Shake it up baby

With our recent move from New Mexico to Pennsylvania, a lot of routines got turned upside down. My new job has totally different patterns from my old position. We are still trying to find the right church for our family and no matter which one it ends up being, it will be different from our old church. Together time with the family is different now. I used to exercise by playing basketball a few times each week. Now my exercise is cutting and splitting wood. As I write this, it's hard to think of anything that is exactly the same. Even the pastors I listen to on my way to and from work are different. I have to say I didn't like that at first. I was so used to the 4 or 5 regular guys I heard on my New Mexico station. These guys seemed to pale in comparison. But after awhile, I noticed that I was getting a lot more out of listening to these new pastors. They were speaking about familiar topics but presenting in ways that were different from what I was used to. Ultimately, it was a good shake up for me. I was too comfortable and didn't even know it. There is a fine line between routine and rut. And the most dangerous ruts are those we don't even know we're in. The shake up has been hard but it has been good. I would highly recommend occasionally shaking up your own routines. Maybe you always seem to read the new testament. Crack open the beginning of the bible for a change. Take a small break from your small group and visit a different one. Pick a Sunday and visit a different church. Maybe do something as simple as sitting some place different on Sunday. Whatever it is, just shake up your routine every now and then. It might reveal some ruts you didn't know about.

Have a great week.
Your brother,
Bob

In order

Where have I been? What have I been doing? I guess the short answer is "getting my house in order". In the most literal sense, we've been settling into the new house, schools, job, and routine. But in a less literal way, there are aspects of my spiritual house that I've been getting in order as well. Let me explain.

Initially, I intended to continue writing these messages during the move. But then the transition activities overwhelmed me and it just wasn't possible. I have to say, it felt good... Like some weight had been lifted... And the fact that it felt good really bugged me. I thought and reflected on it a lot. Every time someone asked me when I was going to start back up again it made me reflect even more. After all, I love to write. I love to study God's word. I love to share the things God is teaching me. So why was I enjoying, and prolonging the hiatus? Was it just a phase I would work through? Was it a spiritual attack? Slowly the answer began to dawn on me. And I think what was affecting me affects many Christians. In a nut shell, I was coming to God as an employee instead of as His child. I spent more time asking for guidance on the next message and less time enjoying Him as my heavenly father. In the process of asking for more and more to share, I was growing less. I had to re-learn what came so natural when I was a new believer. I had to re-learn the joy of just hanging out with Him.

In retrospect, I think about it in terms of my own children. I give them chores on occasion but that is only one small sliver of our relationship. If they only ever came to me as the one who hands out tasks, I would be offended. I would miss all the other aspects of our relationship. So this week let's pray about this. The question to ask is - am I acting like an employee? Are deadlines and expectations causing me to cheapen my relationship? And if you aren't falling into this trap, perhaps you know a friend or family member who is. Additionally, pray for the leaders in your church. I'm guessing they are no strangers to this struggle.

Going forward, I plan to frequently check myself to make sure I'm remembering my sonship. That means I'm going to write when I have something to share - not just because another week has gone by. I may write more frequently... I may write less. I'll leave that up to my father. I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have.

Have a great week,
Your brother,
Bob

Friends

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

As some of you know, I have been interviewing for a new position with Merck back in Pennsylvania. I just officially found out today that I got the job. The prospect of starting a new position and moving back close to family and old friends is very exciting. Yet at the same time, we are already dreading the thought of being so far from the great friends we have made in New Mexico. I will miss New Mexico for a variety of reasons but the main reason by far is the friends we have made.

This week pray about your friends. Take some time to cherish the gifts they are.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Count 'em up

At the bottom of this blog there is a little gizmo that counts page views. Every time this page or any page from the blog's archive or comments is viewed, the little counter increases by 1. I check it out every now and then to see how much traffic is coming through the site. Imagine my surprise about 10 days ago when the number shot up by 10,000 in one day. I've worked in internet metrics in the past so I was pretty sure it was artificially boosted. There are little computer programs called spiders that get sent out be search engines to categorize websites. Still, in the back of my mind, I had the thought that maybe it was real traffic through some new source. There was this mixed excitement and fear that the number of readers had just increased exponentially. Alas, when I checked the little counter on the following day, it was only up a little bit. I was then sure that the initial boost was from a spider.

Ever since then, I've found myself periodically thinking about how and why we measure things. Look around and you'll see we measure lots of stuff. We measure how fast and how far we drive. We measure our weight and height. We measure our cholesterol, our heart rate, and in some cases, our portion sizes. We measure how well we do on tests and we measure how long it takes to do certain tasks. And in the case of most businesses, we try to measure things that indicate success. Things like gross sales, profit margins, research spending, return on marketing expenditures, and a multitude of others. The problem is, often times the things that really indicate success can't be measured. The little counter at the bottom of this blog is a neat little gizmo but it doesn't mean success. Growth and changed lives mean success. I like it when my kids do well on their school tests. However, ultimately as parents we want to grow kind, well rounded, well adjusted kids and the school tests don't really measure this. I like it when my bank account gets bigger. And I've often looked at this financial measure as an indicator of success. I suppose as a measure it will point out success or failure with sticking to a budget but we too often get net worth and self worth intertwined in ways they shouldn't be. Money in my bank account doesn't mean that I am becoming more loving and kind to my neighbors.

This week, when you get a chance, give some thought to the things you measure. Are you putting too much value in some measurements that really don't matter in the long run?

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

it's mine it's mine it's all mine...

My wife recently turned me on to a blog that is written by an author who is originally from India. In one of her recent posts, she wrote about an ancient king of India named Bharat. Bharat had 8 sons and as a king, he had to determine who would be his heir. But contrary to tradition, Bharat chose a man who was not one of his sons. Understandably, his family and sons were not happy with this decision because it deprived them of their perceived birthright. Bharat's explanation was that ability and competence trumped birthright. He loved his country too much to leave it in the hands of people he knew to be incompetent (even if they were his own people).

The story fascinated me because it instantly reminded me of Jonathan and David from the old testament. As you probably remember, Jonathan was the son of King Saul. He was also best friends with David. After David's success with Goliath and as a military commander, Saul felt threatened and tried to kill David on numerous occasions. However, Jonathan worked behind the scenes to thwart his fathers murderous attempts and he goes out of his way to encourage his friend David. 1 Samuel 23:15-18 documents one of these accounts - While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

It's amazing what all is packed in these couple verses. Remember, Jonathan is Saul's son. That means he is in line for the throne. Yet he is saying David will be king and he will be second to David. He is willfully giving up his birthright. It's hard to wrap my brain around that. From what the bible records about Jonathan, I would assume he would have been a good king. Yet he seems to recognize the greater potential of his friend. Talk about selflessness. I think about this account with respect to my own life. Am I selfless enough to step aside when one more gifted by God comes along? Would I give up a ministry… a job… etc.? Or would I cling to it because it's mine… Would my pride get in the way of what God has planned? Any thoughts? Sometimes the enemy of 'greatness' is 'good enough'.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Ghosts

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:17

When I was a kid, I occasionally went to church. Most of the time it was with my grandma and grandpa. I remember we used to say the Lord's prayer at every one of those services in my grandparent's church. That's where I first heard about that mysterious character called the Holy Spirit. Back then, in my grandparent's church, it was referred to as the Holy Ghost. The term 'Ghost' made it even more mysterious. I wish I could say the mystery was all cleared up as soon as I was saved but the reality is, that 'Holy Spirit' part of the trinity continued to be kind of spooky to me. It took a couple years and the counsel of good friends to de-mystify the whole thing. But in the end, it opened me up to accepting the help and guidance that comes from that still small voice.

I think the Holy Spirit is mysterious for many believers. This week, pray for your own understanding and the understanding of your fellow believers. Pray for the filling of the spirit. Pray that we all learn to listen to the guidance that comes from the spirit.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Temptation

There is an older man I know who acted as a mentor to me when I first got saved. He was a married man with 4 children and he had a personal rule that he wouldn't allow himself to be alone in a car with a female. He shared with me that he set up this boundary to simply protect himself from himself. But he also shared that more importantly, this was his own personal rule. He was always careful to not impose this rule on others. He said you always need to err on the side of grace and not presume that all others struggle with the same temptations that you struggle with. Since then, I've met Christian men who will not go to the beach because they know the limitations of their own thought life. Yet they recognize this restriction doesn't apply to all. I've met married women who will not engage in a friendship with a man. Yet they recognize this restriction doesn't apply to all. Overall, the message here is that we need to understand our own temptations and yet, at the same time, not presume all others struggle with the same temptations. As a Christian brother or sister, it's OK and loving to warn others of potential temptations. But at the same time, don't presume all others will fall into sin. We need to recognize that some others can ride in a car with someone from the opposite sex… others can go to the beach… others can be friends with the opposite sex… If we presume that everyone will fall to the same temptations we struggle with, we pass too quickly from a loving warning to presumptive judgement.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

forests and trees

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:15-17

I have read the Genesis creation account many times. Recently, this forbidden fruit has been giving me fits. It's such a strange name for a tree… 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil'… I kept having this nagging thought - 'what's so bad about having knowledge of good and evil?' After all, isn't it good to know what you should stay away from? So why is the knowledge of good and evil a bad thing? Furthermore, why have I never stopped to think about the name of this tree in the past? Scripture can be such a strange and wonderful thing when you dig into it.

I started thinking about this tree from the perspective that we all have the capacity to engage in great evil. Yet we also have a sense of how good we could be. And perhaps the answer to the mystery of this forbidden fruit lies in that gap between the "good" we want to be and the reality of who we are. I would say this gap is the source of guilt, frustration, discontentment, yearning, etc. Who we are is not who we think we should be. Said another way, real is not ideal. Yet this comparison and frustration could not exist without the knowledge of good and evil. Prior to eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were free. They were more free than we have ever been. The introduction of the knowledge of good and evil was the death of this freedom. Look at the shame and guilt that immediately followed. Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness. They made clothes and hid from God. Maybe there is a lot of truth to the old saying "ignorance is bliss". It seems there are certain things God never intended us to know.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Patience

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3

When you read the scriptures above, you hear the promises God made to Abraham (he was still 'Abram' at the time). Essentially the promises are that he will father a great nation, his name will be famous, this nation will be blessed, and the whole world will be blessed through him. As far as I can tell, none of these promises had come to pass by the time Abraham died. Think about that for a minute. We get impatient when God doesn't answer right away. Fast-forward a few hundred years from Abraham's death and you find his offspring to be quite numerous. Even so, they are a slave people in Egypt. Can you imagine being a young Hebrew slave in Egypt hearing the stories about the promises God made to Abraham. As that young Hebrew slave, your dad, your grandpa, and your grandpa's grandpa all lived their lives as slaves. It must have been hard to have faith in these promises of being a great blessed nation through which the world would be blessed. Today, we can see how all God's promises to Abraham have been kept. To have an eternal perspective takes a great deal of patience. It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that some of the seeds I plant right now may not bear fruit for years… perhaps even 400 years. But just thinking about that fact helps me persevere even when I start to think my efforts are all for nothing.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Lifeboats

Acts 27 and 28 document Paul's journey to Rome as a prisoner. It's an interesting journey to say the least. Among other things, there is a hurricane, a shipwreck, a snake bite with no ill effects, and a host of healings. Read it this week if you get a chance. The part of the story we are focusing on is when they are in the midst of being tossed about by the storm. It's shortly before they run aground just off the shore of Malta.

But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

Do you see how the sailors don't have the same faith as Paul? Sometimes experience can lead to self-reliance instead of God-reliance.

Do you see how the lifeboat needs to be cut loose in order for the voyage to remain on the path God revealed to Paul? Sometimes our "lifeboats" are our biggest liabilities. You may call it a lifeboat or a safety net or an escape hatch. They are the back-up plans we have in case God's path takes us too far out of our comfort zone. "I trust you God but not enough to abandon my avenue of retreat"…

A couple examples may help illustrate:
- Marital storms are inevitable. God can use these storms to help spouses grow closer together... Unless one of them is hauling around the divorce "lifeboat".
- You may be tempted to jump into the questionable ethics "lifeboat" because of pressure to perform at your work place.
- How often do we rely on the not gonna tithe "lifeboat" because money is tight right now?

Think this week about your own "lifeboats". Is there some safe ground you run to every time God's plan gets uncomfortable? Or are you learning to trust him completely?

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Journal

Since using the blog for the first time last week, I've spent some time trying to post past topics on the site. If you look in the left hand column of this website, you'll see that I started from the oldest posts and I'm working my way forward. I'm about halfway through 2006 as I write this. It's interesting to go back through these old posts. Walking back through these topics has been a lot like walking back through a journal. I come across topics related to areas in which I'm certain I've grown quite a bit since writing the original topic. But I also come across topics related to areas where I've had little or no growth. Even some areas where I think I may have been more mature back when I wrote the original message. Some topics remind me of periods when my prayer life was very active and others bring back memories of when it was weak to say the least. It's all very humbling and it's given me a new sense of brokenness. If you don't currently keep your own journal, let me highly recommend it. It will help you see growth that's so slow, you wouldn't see it otherwise. It will help you see stagnation that otherwise may have gone undetected. It will help you recognize answered prayer and it will make you thankful that some prayers are answered with a "no". Most of all, it will help you to see Him in more and more areas of your life.

On a side note, If you have something to add to one of the topics, simply click the "comment" tab at the bottom of the post on which you wish to comment. You will have the option of posting with your name or anonymously.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Pessimism

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow. Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

You often hear people pessimistic about the times in which we live. "this economy is killing me…", "kids just don't respect authority…", "the moral fabric of this country is decaying…", "No one knows how to put in a hard day's work anymore…", "it's so much harder for kids growing up these days…", "I don’t know how my parents could manage to live on just 1 salary". Admittedly, I can find myself thinking this way sometimes. And I wonder, are times really worse or do I somehow recall the past with rose colored sunglasses. Perhaps things weren't really all that different when I was a kid. Maybe I just remember it as more wholesome than it really was. After all, no matter when you grew up, the same sins still existed. Since the garden, there's been pride, greed, lust, envy, etc. Perhaps what changes is the degree to which society calls evil good and vise versa. The mistake is to somehow think the rules have all changed and the world is totally different. . I love the following quote:

"In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." ~ Paul Harvey

To think things are so much worse today is to presume you know what it was like to have lived in some of the really bad times in the past. But ultimately, that kind of thinking is what can paralyze your effectiveness here and now. You are uniquely gifted and purposed by God. Don't let pessimism hinder your zeal for that purpose. Think about this during your prayer times this week.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

How it Began

Back in 2003, I was involved in the men's ministry at the church I attended. This weekly fasting and prayer topic developed out of that ministry. Long story short, it started when I volunteered to support and organize a few men who had decided to fast and pray for a selected topic every Wednesday. My role was writing the weekly topic and distributing it to all the participants via e-mail. Over the years, the number of participants has grown. Likewise, it has evolved. It is no longer a men's ministry. The number of women who now receive the weekly topic rivals the number of men. Additionally, not all who receive the topic choose to fast on Wednesday. They simply use the weekly topic as a tool to learn and grow.

There are several reasons why I am now moving this topic from e-mail to blog format. First, in the past I've spent quite a bit of time managing the e-mail distribution list. I no longer need to do that. Second, I think the web format allows more people to access the topic. Third and most important, the blog format allows participants to weigh in with their thoughts on the topic. I think it allows God to speak to us by speaking through any and all of us. In the coming weeks and months I hope to post all of the historical topics all the way back through 2003. It's my prayer that these topics bless you, and in some small way, help you grow in your relationship with Christ.

Your brother,
Bob

Hospitality

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35,36

I recently read something on the topic of hospitality. The statement that stood out to me was "The essence of hospitality: welcoming people, not entertaining or impressing them." I think we easily get hung up in the 'entertaining or impressing' mode. We even call it 'entertaining' when we have guests over to our house. Entertaining or impressing is just another way of putting on the false face. Real hospitality is just that… real.

This week let's pray about hospitality - both when we are having guests and when we are the guests. It's a key component of doing life together and therefore it's a key component of our witness and our refinement. I'll close with a quote from the book I was reading:

"Someone knocks at my door. If I am anxious or resentful, I may put on a good face, offer a cup of tea, but offer no real hospitality. The person I really am at the center of my being is unavailable… blocked by worry or the wish to control. My business, whether as host or guest, is to be as open and real as possible in any situation." Susan Mangam

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Listen

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry James 1:19

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

"Christians (especially ministers) so often think they must contribute something when they are in the company of others… that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"We pay attention only long enough to develop a counter-argument; we listen with an agenda, to sell or petition or seduce. Seldom is there a deep, open-hearted, unjudging reception of the other. By contrast, if someone truly listens to me, my spirit begins to expand." Mary Rose O'Reilley

This Wednesday as we fast we are praying about listening. I don't think I can really add much to what's been said above.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Oh Rats!

I recently heard about a study that was done with Norwegian Rats. The researchers used a large vat of water and a spray system to simulate rain falling on the water. The control group rats were simply placed in the vat. What the researchers found was that it took an average of 17 minutes for these control group rats to drown. The test group rats were put in the same vat of water with the same rain falling on them. The difference was that these test rats were rescued from the vat just before drowning. Then they were put back in their cages and nurtured for the next few days. After a few days, these test group rats were placed back in the vat to see how long they would survive after having been rescued once. Amazingly, the average test group rat lasted 37 hours on this second trip to the vat before drowning. That's more than 130 times as long as the control group. By the way, the purpose of this study was to see if 'hope' had an impact on 'ability to survive'.

"… but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3-5

The word 'hope' to the secular world has quite a different meaning from how we use it as believers. Just think about the difference between "I hope I win the lottery…" and "My hope is in the Lord…" One is based on something that you don't think will happen but you think you'll be very happy if it does and the other is based on certainty. The biblical 'hope' is a 'for sure'… it's that which keeps you going. So this Wednesday let's pray about our hope and get in touch with our hope. Our hope makes all things possible… all things bearable…

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

The now

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

I think I spend a lot of time in the past. And I think I do this in one of two ways that handicap my present kingdom work. The first way is regret. I can so easily live in the many failures of past decisions and actions. It's these things that keep me in neutral when God's will is urging me forward. The second way is pride. I can look back and see periods when God has done amazing things for others through me. And rather than let this spur me on to greater things in His service, I can once again shift into neutral and bask in the past glow (so to speak). But look at Paul - He is forgetting what is behind (good and bad) and being obedient now. The now is where we grow. It's what takes us out of neutral and moves us forward.

I'm not a big fan of wrote prayers but I recently heard something that Mother Theresa prayed every day - "May I truly obey You today… For up until now, I've done nothing."

So this week we are praying that we focus on now. That we free ourselves up to be slaves to His will. Like Paul, I want to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

One last quote - "Don't let yesterday consume too much of today."

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Know

Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." John 8:19

"I am the Good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me" John 10:14

All of us know about Jesus. Even many unbelievers know something about Jesus. But Jesus says we must know Him. Not just know about Him. I suspect there are many people at my church and perhaps many at your church too who only know about Jesus. So how do we get to know Him? How did you get to know your spouse… your children… your close friends? Spend time with Him. Pray. Read the bible. He is the friend that is always there.

This week let's pray that our life is about knowing Him.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Small groups

Last week I was blessed with another week of vacation. We spent it in New York state in the Adirondacks at the place we fondly call Woodchuck. This is the 5th year in a row our group has gone but it was my first time back in the last 3 years. Although I've thought quite a bit about why Woodchuck is such an awesome vacation, I'm still not sure I know why. It's some bizarre magic with the combination of the people and the place. I think maybe the group of adults that go come together with all the attributes you want in a good small group. This week we are going to pray about small groups. First and foremost, if you are not in a small group, you really need to be. I've never met a person who tried small groups only to find they were a waste of time. They can really be a life changing experience. I joined my first small group before I was saved and I have to say that the influences in that group were a key part of my re-birth.

A good small group makes an effort to know each other on a deep and personal level. This is essential to honest sharing and honest confrontation if needed. A good small group has deep conversation. Surface talk is quickly brushed aside to get to the stuff everyone really wants to talk about. People share what's going good in their lives and they share what's going bad. As they do so, their small group members love them without judging them. The side effect is that everyone really has a lot of fun and everyone grows extremely fond of each other. It's that coveted synergistic environment in which all boats rise. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts and all members come away thinking "these people really make me a better person". It's a place where the presence of Christ is felt in a very real way and the work of the holy spirit is done.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

Safe

When Jesus walked the earth in human form, he was a dangerous man. In fact, he was so dangerous to the 'religious' way of life, they plotted to kill him. In the spirit of following our Lord, the question we are asking this week is - "Am I a dangerous Christian?" For that matter, what does a dangerous Christian look like?

First, their walk matches their talk. What they believe is consistent with what they do - no matter how much grief that may bring them from the world. They don't compromise in order to be cool or accepted. The truth runs their lives - not the consensus.

Second, they share their faith. I recently heard the statistic that 90% of Christians have never witnessed to another person. Is it fear that keeps us from sharing? Are we afraid of looking foolish, losing a friend, being thought hypocritical, being asked a question we don't know the answer to, being viewed through the lens of the worldly stereotype of Christians? Or is it a lack of love that keeps us from sharing? After all, we're already saved… why bother. Whatever it is, let's pray about it this week. We have never met a person who doesn't matter to God. And God loves everyone of those people as much as he loves us.

Third, they give all. Christ is the center of their life and it reflects in the way they use their time and resources. They don't just merely give out of their abundance. Said another way, they live in the dangerous ground of trusting the Lord in all things.

So this week let's pray about being a dangerous Christian. The kind of Christian that brings grief to Satan.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob