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    • Going Extreme

    2010 - 07.02

    Tags: , , , , , Category Real Thoughts | 2 comments

    Last week in our studying of the book of Acts at Valley Christian Center, something hit me like a ton of bricks (and it was more then just the amazing power of the Holy Spirit). As we began our study, we ran right into Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost. It is an amazing account of the first Holy Spirit Baptism. Those that were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost experienced something EXTREME and it forever changed them. This was not the first time we have studied this text, but what was new for me was the extent to which the release of the Holy Spirit set the foundation of the church for the future. This was an extreme transition time, that we as Christians get to look back on with the vividly descriptive words of Luke and see what God was doing. Because of the extreme transformation of these men, there were several qualities of the early Church that spread beyond just those in the upper room.

    When we look at Acts 4:31-37, we see qualities of the early Church that were the result of the people being filled with the Holy Spirit. First and foremost, there were those that were NOT in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost that were filled with the Holy Spirit. This gives us such great hope! You see, the power from the Holy Spirit, that they received after the day of Pentecost, we too can receive. This power of the Holy Spirit is the force and ability that will help us overcome the enemy in this earthly life. Other qualities that were possessed by the early church include the following: they were bold in their witness, they were in perfect unity, they were selfless in their attitude toward others, and great grace was upon them.

    However, the one quality that struck me the most was the Early Church was EXTREMELY generous with those in need. Now, I understand generosity and I think I am a generous person, but what does it mean to be EXTREMELY generous? Is it giving away our unwanted items to Goodwill so that they can sell them at a discount to someone less fortunate then us? (We all know that we really give to Goodwill for the tax write-off or so we don’t feel bad because there are kids in Africa going to bed naked if we don’t take care of our clothes.) Is it seeing a homeless man on the corner of the road and rummaging through our ash tray for loose change to give to him? Is it giving our left over McDonald’s to the beggar standing just outside the comfort of the air conditioning? While all of these might be good, they don’t seem very extreme to me. We have all done them. In fact we have done them so often, now there are people standing outside most MickyD’s and on almost every major street corner. What was once meant to be a gesture of generosity has now turned into a scam by the guy on the street corner (Note for all those still naive: not all street corner guys are truly “Hungry” or “willing to work for food”. Discernment can help you to know when and how to give to these people).

    So again I am forced to ask myself, “What does it mean to be EXTREMELY Generous?” Based on Acts 4:34-35, it involves effort and sacrifice along with knowing where the generosity should be directed. If I had to put it in a mathematical equation it would be, (e+s)G=X or Effort+Sacrifice(Guidance from the Holy Spirit)=eXtreme Generosity. It takes effort on our part to be willing to give up what is our excess, when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. I am not saying we should all run right out and sell our houses and give the money to the poor, especially right now in this economy where most homes are under water. Nonetheless, to be extremely generous we must be open to however God directs our generosity. It is part of willful submission. One thing about this equation that the early church had figured out: You can’t have EXTREME generosity without the Holy Spirit. It is His generosity that is the source of our generosity. He is the connector between the giver and the receiver. Without the direction of the Holy Spirit you have charity not generosity. The Holy Spirit’s prompting usually involves a recipient for our generosity. It is not haphazard charity or unbridled giving, although charity and giving are good. Extreme generosity is instead focused through our relationship with the Creator of the universe. It is hearing His prompting that will get us to pay for the multiple people in line behind us at Starbucks. It is His prompting that will get us to buy a new computer for a student who can’t afford one, when we have been saving for months to get one ourself. It is His prompting that will have you recover a friends broken pool table when you have no pool table of your own. It is His prompting that will have you looking for the next opportunity to give something you value away. Without fail if you are in unity with the Holy Spirit and looking for an opportunity to be EXTREMELY generous, He will lead you to someone who is in need of your EXTREME generosity. If we can understand and build our lives with this principle, we will be like the early church that saw their possessions as tools for kingdom expansion and therefore they were bold and powerful in their witness to the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. It is not about us gaining more things to keep. It is about us being the conduit for the supply train of Christ. Let’s develop a truly EXTREMELY GENEROUS state of mind.

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    Destined for Failure

    2010 - 04.20

    Tags: , , , Category Real Thoughts | 12 comments

    “Everything I touch breaks.” “Nothing I do succeeds.” “Nothing ever works out right.” “I am a colossal failure.” Have you ever said or felt like one of these? I sure have and many times in my life I have said or felt like all of them. I remember one of the first times I felt like this, I was probably in jr. high. My father had just purchased a brand new VHS camcorder. That’s right, VHS! Back then they were so big you needed a weight lifting belt to carry the camcorder on your shoulder and it probably had a battery pack that was the size of a VW Bug. It was awesome! Everyone in the family was so excited to be able to record parties and events on such a high tech piece of equipment. As my father pulled the camcorder out of the box, I can still remember seeing the heavens part and the Spirit of God descending like a dove with a loud voice from God saying, “This is my VHS Camcorder, whom I love; with it I am well pleased”. Needless to saw it was a big moment. My father set the camcorder aside to read the instructions. With the camcorder alone on the couch I ran over to look at it. I guess I must have been over-eager, because as I excitedly plopped myself down on the couch, next to the camcorder, I launched it up into the air. Time stood still as it flew effortlessly across the room and broke into pieces on the floor. It was the first of many times in my life that I felt like a failure and a disappointment to those around me.

    As I look at my life, there are so many failures and short-comings it makes me think I am destined for failure. It is almost as if on my tombstone it will read, “John – lived life of a failure”. But just as depression begins to set in and I call around for a good psychiatrist, I start to read stories of others around me who have failed miserably only to use the failure to achieve greatness. Robert F. Kennedy once said:

    Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

    You see, as I look at all of my failures, all of my short-comings, and all the things I have broken in life, I don’t look at them with disdain. Instead I look at all the lessons I have learned from each of those circumstances. Each of the hard, hurtful and painful times were paired by an opportunity to learn something. If I learned it, then I had new growth in an area of my life. I had a bit of pain that was tempored with a new joy that came from the new freedom of learning a greater truth. I would love to say, I always learned and enjoyed the pain I just went through, but that is just not true. The pain has been great, but in hindsight, so have the principles learned. I didn’t always learn the principle that I should have and, therefore, had to, again, go through another tough time to learn, fully, what I should have the first time.

    At times, I learned a great principle or truth but the amount of felt or perceived pain caused me to have a fear that this circumstace will happen again and it will cause pain again. That fear in turn caused a new desire to avoid the pain, not necessarily to practice the truth. In a lot of those instances, even though I was armed with a new truth, I was handcuffed with the new fear. An example of this happened just after I learned to ride a bike. I was confortable and confident, however I hadn’t had a lot of experience riding in a variety of environments. It was a nice warm Las Vegas day and I was riding around the block with my family. As I rounded the corner I had failed to notice the small amount of water in the gutter, but I soon would have pain because of that error. I turned the corner and my wheels hit the water and immediately slid out from under me. I landed hard on the pavement, knocking the wind out of me and scraping my legs and arms. Trust me, there was tons of pain, but I learned a very valuable truth (watch for water as you go around a corner). I still remember that day because of the pain. Now I had a decision: do I retire the bike forever so there is no future chance of falling or enjoy the truth and understand I could fall if I don’t apply the truth. The good news is I kept riding, even though I fell a couple more times, and was able to go on longer trips and learn more by applying the truth then I could have from retiring the bike out of fear.

    Fear is powerful! Fear can be a helpful thing. Fear keeps me from doing dumb things like walking into traffic or jumping off a cliff. Satan knows it is powerful too and he loves to use failure to keep us handcuffed in fear and remove the motivation to accomplish what God has put you on Earth to do. So how do we overcome the fear of failure and gain motivation? Craig Groeschel writes in his book It: How churches and leaders can get it and keep it,

    “‘The antidote for the fear of failure is not success but small doses of failure.’ Think about it. To keep you from getting the flu, what kind of shot does the doctor give you? He gives you a small dose of the flu. You get just enough to train you body to reject it. The same is true for failure.”

    If this is true, and I believe it is, then all of the failure and pain we have been through, will pail in comparision to the massive success we will experience as we walk with Christ. The failure and brokeness no longer becomes our handcuffs. Instead, failure and pain becomes our training ground for what God is trying to teach us. If this is hard to believe, you are not alone, but look at the apostle Peter. His constant, colossal failures helped form him into the most radical and successful apostle that the whole church was built upon. I mean come on, he is the only other person other then Jesus to walk on water! If Peter could be a success, so can you and me. We are all broken, fearful people, but we must count the cost and keep moving forward to the success we will have in Christ. Failure is not an option it is a neccesity. Everyone will dream and fail, but who will fail often enough to see those dreams become a reality? WILL YOU?

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    People are so Weird

    2010 - 03.03

    Tags: , , , , Category Real Thoughts | 3 comments

    I am sure you have noticed that this world is filled with weird people. They are everywhere. When I drive to work, I see them. When I go to restaurants, I see them. When I watch TV, they are there making the news. They all want to be my friend on Facebook and some of them are even related to me. Every time I think I have seen the weirdest person ever, there is always someone else to come along and blow the first person’s weirdness out of the water. The scary thing is, as I sit here in my green skinny jeans and ever changing hair style (currently a edgy mohawk), I see them in the mirror.

    I am weird! Those close to me know how weird I can be (No laughing, Robin R). I am so weird, instead of marrying a nice quiet woman that helps me be normal, I married a bold woman that encourages me to embrace my weirdness. The difference between me and most people is that I have accepted my weirdness and I strive to express the uniqueness of my weirdosity (made-up word meaning the physical state of weirdness). Most people can’t accept that they are weird and that denial leads to increased levels of weirdness. They think their behavior and lifestyle is normal, when in actuality it is quite weird. I have learned the more you accept you’re weird the more palatable you are to those around you.

    In my ConnectGroup for church we are currently watching The Truth Project video series by Focus on the Family, and last week’s lesson was on Sociology (the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society). Sitting and watching how our amazing God has built into the creation of man a structure and framework of society, I was struck by a very weird thought; “With so many weird people in our lives, is there something that we can learn about the nature of God through our differences?”

    In an effort to understand this new thought on weirdness, I looked up “weird” in the dictionary. Here is what is said, “involving or suggesting something supernatural; unearthly or uncanny.” Oh Wow! You mean my weirdness is directly related to God? That only makes sense because God made us in His image. Now let me put this in here before I say any more; there are obviously two types of weird, Bizarre Weird (the weird that isolates you or others and makes the individual the object of the attention) and there is Awesome Weird (the weird that attracts many types of people and directs them to God). I desire to be the Awesome Weird not Bizarre Weird. By being Awesome Weird I may do bizarre things, but the underlying focus is on Jesus Christ.

    Without going into a deep theological conversation, Genesis 1:26-28 says,

    Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”… So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them…

    Amazing, God gave us our weirdness. All of us! After He created male and female He then told them what He made them to accomplish. This brings two thoughts to mind. First, we, in ourselves, do not contain all the parts of our supernatural God and therefore need to be with other people’s weirdness to understand more fully the character and nature of God. In another verse in Genesis it says, “it is not good for man to be alone.” For that reason God created a helper that was suitable for him. How awesome is that? God knew that we needed others and to further reveal His nature, He created other people for us to have relationships with. But, we get so caught up in how Bizarre Weird others are that we forget they are made by a creator that infused them with His image and character, also. Instead of fighting through the Bizarre so that we can look for the Awesomeness of God, we focus on their weirdness and stay guarded. Every person has a piece of God’s awesomeness in them and the closer you get to God the less Bizarre you appear and the more Awesome you become. It is our differences that collectively point to God.

    Secondly, we should be passionately Awesome Weird. Our mission, as Christians, is to go into all the world and make everyone Awesome. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which is Awesome. If we shrink back from our mission and fail to preach Christ and His Awesomeness, then others around us will be stuck in the Bizarre all the while Awesomeness awaits them. We can’t be bashful or awkward. That is Bizarre. Instead, when God brings family, friends and strangers across our path who are shackled by the Bizarre Weird let’s become bold, passionate and infused with Holy Spirit Awesomeness. Once emboldened and infused with the Holy Spirit Awesomeness, we can lovingly proclaim the Good News that they no longer need to be Bizarre, but instead can be free to be Awesome. It is only by His power that we and others turn from the Bizarre to the Awesome. He is Awesome, so we should strive to be Awesome, too!

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    A Post From My Pastor

    2010 - 02.17

    Tags: , , , , , , Category Guest Authors | No Comments »

    From time to time, I will post blog entries from guest authors. They will range from inspirational to informative. But they will always be helpful and thought provoking. Here is the first of those guests. This is a post from my pastor, Pastor Dave Walker. He is the Lead Pastor at our church, Valley Christian Center…

    Last August, as I was preparing for 2010, God began to stir up in me a passion to see unbelievers place their trust in Christ.  God began to show me His heart for the people in the Las Vegas Valley–people who are driven by financial pressures, family problems, the stresses of every day life…and all that without the blessing and strength that comes from knowing Christ!

    As my heart was stirred with compassion for them, I began to think, “What if…” kinds of thoughts:

    • What if ALL of Valley Christian Center was stirred with Holy Spirit compassion for Las Vegas?
    • Since the task of reaching all of Las Vegas is so enormous, what if each of us just reached out to at least one person in 2010?
    • What if it became a habit? 50 the first year; 200 the next, 400 and so on?
    • What if we prayed, believed God, and invited people to come to church with us?

    Out of that was born “Each 1, Reach 1”: Our goal for 2010 is for everyone who calls Valley Christian Center their home church to lead one person to Christ before the end of the year.

    Here’s how we can turn “what if” questions into “We did it!” statements:

    • Ask God to give you real compassion for people:  not the kind that makes you shed a few tears, but the kind that makes you go out of your way to help someone.
    • Ask God to show you the one person in your world who is ready to jump at a chance to follow Christ.
    • Pray for that person every day; ask God to give you words and opportunity to speak to them.
    • Pray the discipling process all the way through:  accepting Christ, water baptized, attending church, Holy Spirit baptized, serving, and helping others

    Here’s what the Bible says:

    Salvation that comes from trusting in Christ–which is the message we preach–is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scripture says,

    “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

    “For ‘Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

    “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:8, 13, 14 NLT)

    There is someone, in your world, who is right now on the verge of choosing to follow Christ!  You have been uniquely positioned, by God, to help them. Your part is “praying and saying”:  pray for them, and then tell them about Jesus.

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    How to be a Good Husband

    2010 - 02.04

    Tags: , , , , Category Real Thoughts | 9 comments

    This week is my wife’s birthday week. That’s right she gets a whole week! Why not? She is the mother of my son and a fantastic woman. Besides, our birthdays are so close and we share parties she loses some of the excitement of having her own day. So for this week’s post, I figured I would honor her by writing about her. (As my wife she should expect me to write about her, especially if it’s good).

    We have been married for three and a half years. This week I was lying in bed after she had gone to sleep and I began to think of all of the amazing ways my life has changed since I met her. As I was thinking about all of that, I started to think about what lessons I have learned about being a Godly husband and that I have learned them because she exemplifies a godly wife. So here is what my wife has helped me to learn about being a godly husband.

    1) The Husband is the Leader of the House.

    Now before you jump all over me about how I hate women, and I want to keep them suppressed or barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, let me remind you, I learned this FROM MY WIFE. This was probably the first thing I learned from her. I am a lover not a fighter and my baseline reaction is I want everyone to be happy. (In fact I truly believe life is one big party). At first glance, this thought is really nice, however, if trying to make everyone happy prevents me from making a quality decision for fear of making someone unhappy, then I have failed at my job as Leader. God has created and positioned me to be the head of the house and to do this requires several things of me.

    First, I must constantly seek God and His will for my family and my life. If I think I can lead perfectly all the time, then I am living a constant lie. God has ALL the answers and knowing Him and His character helps me to be able to caringly lead. Not through blind faith or reckless assuming His will, but through a close relationship with my Creator I become a man worth following.

    Second, I must love and respect my wife. She is the key to my success as a good leader. I heard a quote one time that said, “Every good leader must be supported by good followers.” My relationship with my wife is not a “husband ruling over his wife” relationship. Instead it is a “husband lovingly and respectfully leading his wife as his wife lovingly and respectfully supports her husband” relationship. It is about positional authority. I don’t make my wife submit to my authority. She lovingly submits out of respect. If you know my wife, you know that statement is 100% accurate. She is a strong woman and often I think she is a better leader than I am and therefore, I have to work hard to be a leader worth following. If I get out of the way and surrender my God-given position as Leader to her, I know she could assume the lead easily. She knows it too, but her understanding of God and her love for me positions her under me rather than in competition with me.

    2) Any Husband can be Romantic

    Look up romance in the dictionary and you will find a definition almost as confusing as life itself. I am a romantic guy in nature, but my wife has helped me to be able to understand romance tangibly. Husbands get ready, here it comes. Romance is being creatively surprising with thoughtful words, gifts, and settings. That is a big definition with big implications. Romance requires purposeful thought and constant listening to your wife’s needs and desires. Some men think they aren’t romantic and their wife never tells them what she likes and enjoys. I have to respectfully disagree with them. More then likely the husband is not paying attention. Let me give you an example. My wife will tell you the most romantic present I have ever given her is not the roses (though I give them) or the Tiffany bracelet held by the custom-made Build-A-Bear she received on our wedding day. No, those pale in comparison to the level of romance I achieved with the most romantic gift. SHE will tell you the most romantic gift I have given was a deluxe, over-sized, quiet paper shredder. That’s right, a paper shredder. Why was it romantic? Because I listened to her when she complained that the paper shredder she was using was too small and too loud. Is that amazing or what? But, now, every time she uses it she remembers how thoughtful I am. Let me tell you, husbands, do this once and she will be amazed. Do it often and she will live her life of exuberant happiness and will be seen as a lucky woman.

    3) Cheer Your Wife on to Success

    My wife, like everyone, was created with passions and abilities that are unique to her and meant to accomplish God’s plan in her life. As a woman and a wife some of those passions and abilities are in direct competition with each other. As an example, passions for being a mother and being a working woman war inside her constantly. For her to have any relief from this war, requires that I help provide avenues for her to be successful at both. This is something I am still learning. I have an intelligently bright son. I know it is because of my wife’s hard work to nurture those things in him and without her, he would struggle to stay ahead in his development. So I encourage and cheer on her success as a mom. But if I don’t encourage her to keep enlarging her knowledge in other areas of life, her other passions will die off and go to waste. For her to have a full and prosperous life, it is a necessity for me to cheer on all the good things that God has put into her until she is successful. This will be a lifelong pursuit for me. One that I look forward to accomplishing.

    This is not all I have learned from my wife and it’s not all that I could say about each of these things, but it is just a glimpse into how I live my life everyday. It is a blessing straight from God and the blessing is maintained through hard work and prayer from both my wife and me. I look forward to all the years we will have together and the lessons that each of us will learn through revelation from God and our relationship with each other. She is the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 virtuous wife. Proverbs 12:4 says, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown…” She is my perfect crown.

    Happy Birthday to my beautiful bride, AnnaMarie!

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