Learning To Apologetic

Can you spell apologetics?  Christian apologetics is a lost art.  But not lost to the theologians.

Working in the field of clinical science, this industry is always looking at data and rational analysis thought in order to explain why something works on this person or that person (or animal too).  You could call it medicine apologetics.   The question is, should any Christian, theologian or NOT be able to explain the issues of faith?  Or do we leave that to the “professionals”.  Could I make the point that apologetics is for every Christian – the mark of a disciple is being able to give a reason for the hope that is in them according to 1 Peter 3:15.

I admit it isn’t easy to learn how to explain the hope that is in me.  And do it from a rational basis when it is a spiritual world that requires some explaining.  But I suggest we all should take the hard road and “learn up”.  It doesn’t mean commit to taking time to learn how to share faith so we can become prideful about us.  But we do so for the sake of someone else – so they can hear and believe about the hope that is in you.

Learning how to share the hope in you takes time and energy.  But as a servant – it is about service to someone else.

I Am Restless

Today I recognize I am in the state of restlessness.  The dictionary states restlessness means “characterized by or showing inability to remain at rest”.  Does this mean that I can’t sit still?  No, not really.  Am I not “being still and knowing that He is God?”  Maybe some – maybe.  But the restlessness for me is that I am desiring something else.  It means that I am struggling to wait.  It is like preparing for a game…or a bike ride…and there is anticipation of “getting started” or just “being in it” what that “it” is.  God has designed me to get things started – and He desires me to walk in that giftedness for His glory and for His will.  I am here – ready….restless….wanting to live in giftedness of starting.  Here I am…send me.

The Issue of Pleasure

I was listening to Ravi Zacharias this passed week on the issue of pleasure.  What is it in my life that I seek more for the pure pleasure of it than for a pure devotion to God?  Is this desire for a pleasure more important to me than pursuing my purpose – that which I was designed for to do?  Honestly, I would say that what I have found is there is an area of my life that needs to be surrendered – needs to be healed and put at the foot of the cross.  This pleasure point I call it takes up to much of my thought life!  Space in my thoughts and life that need to be filled with serving the purpose I have been designed for.  This space hog in my life…we can call it sin really, is taking away from my relationship with God.  Today I blog this as a confession and recognize it requires more from me than just this blog.

Don’t Go Public

In Matthew 6 I read about not making your good deeds a public matter.  Why would Jesus tell us this?  Because God looks at the heart – and He sees what my true reason is for “boasting” to others or for why I am doing a good deed.  I say to the church -  we have no need to boost of our good deeds – let us do good for the individual and not for the masses to see us.  Sorry…I believe this to be true.

I ask God, even as I post this to keep my heart humble but be honest.  And I need to remember this for myself as well.

How Does God Measure?

How does God measure success?  In my “reading” library for those quiet moments in the porcelain room, there is a magazine with a focus on the “Fastest Growing and Largest Churches” in America.  What can we learn from these churches so our own church can become “big”?  The magazine writes the articles so we can find, in my own words, that magic formula for church growth.

But I find myself asking the question “God, how do you measure church growth?”  Is it by numbers like we read in the book of Acts where the early church was growing quickly and adding to its numbers daily?  I have read many blog writings about how God measures success by our obedience…or by our faithfulness….or the signs and wonders that are shown….or, like this article in the porcelain room magazine, how fast you are growing and how big.  Somehow, I just don’t think God measures success by “how big”.   Jesus said in Luke 4  “for he who is least among you – he is the greatest”.  What did Jesus mean by this?

I believe the church in America today has focused too much attention on planting churches where you get the most for your efforts.  Now is that necessarily “wrong”?  No…not really.  But how about we give a voice to the least of the churches who are doing great things for their community.  They are out there, faithfully being Jesus’ ambassadors with often times, very little “visual” measurement of success.  I for one, would like to hear about the movement of God in the midst of the small churches.  And what about the rural communities in the United States?  Not an “easy” place to plant a church because….????  You would have a difficult time trying to build a mega church by taking your ministry to a community of 1,000 people.  There is not much money in the small rural communities to support a pastoral staff.  Maybe the mega churches need to be that financial support for the “least of these”.

How does God measure success?  I suspect He goes much deeper than we do – because humans struggle to quantify the intense love and devotion of a human’s soul and heart for God.   Maybe there is not one answer to my question.  Certainly, God is too multifaceted for my single faceted mind.

Becoming Older

A pastor told me recently about a conversation with a young person who associated himself and his belief with the Emerging church movement.  The young person said to this pastor he, the pastor, needs to step aside because he was no longer relevant (because of his age.)  This pastor is in his 50′s.  As someone no longer “youthful”, I find this person’s view of the body of Christ to be very narrow.  I am hoping the emerging church movement as a whole does not believe that the older in faith have somehow lost their wisdom or can no longer be relevant to the church.

Some of my employees are from India.  And from the stories they tell me about their culture, they have a respect for their parents and for people who have “been around awhile.”  I watch even how they are respectful to me which I find to be refreshing.  After all, most of the time, with age and experience comes wisdom.  And for people my age, our struggle is to continue to remain teachable to what God is doing, maintain walking by faith and yet reach into our wisdom from experiences in order to mentor and encourage the generations behind us.

I love the generations behind me and the young leaders I see coming up to lead and some who are already leading the body of Christ.  And like most people my age, we are more than willing to allow them to lead us.  But my question to the young leaders, will you hear those of us older than you?  Or will you only listen to those who are “well known” or have “written a book?”

I had to check my heart before writing this blog – and I have asked God to show me if this is all my stuff.  I continue that prayer.

Primary Place

Our and my community of faith should be like a family to me – to us. And yet, in my life, and in those around me, there are so many other voices and areas of faith wanting my and our time, attention, and support. How do I balance all of these voices in my and our life so I and we are not neglecting the place and people who I/we call community of faith? Especially when I/we want so much for communities of faith to be unified? 

Who or what gets most of my or your attention? Where do I and we focus our time and energy?

The Old Testament had tribes who did a lot together…we still have tribes today.  These tribes each have a mission.  Let’s not neglect the tribe that is our community.  The tribes together, make up the body of Christ. 

I say we do not neglect the community of faith (our tribe) where God has planted us to grow. God, give us and me wisdom to know when I/we are neglecting our family, our tribe of faith.  Not just neglecting the family, but not allowing the family to be family to us.

The Differences

I have been searching the web for various Christian themes and noticed how there are so many differing views on the same subject.  And most everyone utilizes the scriptures to support there views.  Christians cannot agree on many things.  And yet, we can all agree that Jesus Christ came to this earth as God in human flesh to seek and save people from the guilt of sin.

How do we know the “absolute” truth of scripture when so many theologians disagree on not just the meaning of certain verses in scripture but also on “how to” interpret scripture?  There are so many voices attempting to interpret the meaning of our differences.  I will not go through these in this post.  And yet, we have one God, one Savior and one Holy Spirit.  But many leaders, teachers, internet writers, bloggers, movements, etc. who we read or listen too.

Let us be diligent and be like the Bereans from the book of Acts Chapter 17: 11 – Study the scriptures so you know what is truth!

Hi, I’m Kristine

Hi, I’m Kristine and I am a glutton.  Yes this is my label and it is also my sin.  I wear the sign, the label of the big “G”.

Gluttony is “the act or practice of eating to excess.”  And that is what I have done, and still do, for so many years.  It is time to bring this issue out in the open.  Because it is what I need to be healed from…gluttony.  I don’t even like the sounds of that word.  But then again, my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t like the sounds of that word either.  I am to take care of this temple – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

I know a few people would like me to find out “why I eat more than I should.”  There has to be some event, some lack of love or something in my life that has caused this wound in me.  But seriously, so far, I haven’t “found it.”  Maybe there isn’t an event or something that has caused it.   Maybe…it is just my own rebellion.  Maybe I just enjoy eating?  Maybe I am a sinner!

Do you think I will find the root of this behavior in me?  For now, I call it my sin…and it is a race I currently am running to be released from the tyranny of gluttony.  I look forward to winning this race by staying in it.

Wonder What He Is Up Too

I am very restless with my life right now.  Recently, I was provided a serious of tests to determine giftedness in church planting.  The results show me to be a starter person, prophetic as primary and secondary apostolic and teaching.  But I am not sure what to do with this information – and I have learned if I do not know, then pray.  My belief is God does not want me to stay as I am.  My gifts are to be used and they already have been active at my church.

But is there something beyond my church?  I have been leading Adult Ministries for a number of years.  I think it is time for me to pass this responsibility on to someone else.  At least, these are my thoughts.  But is that because I sense I have nothing more to offer or is this a reaction to a belief that I am not longer an effective (or is it affective) so I want to run?  Either way, God is up too (or is it to) something.  And it is time to be talking to my community and opening this up to them for input and guidance.

After all, I have always said “life is not a game of solitare.”

If anyone reads this, would you please pray for me?