29th July, 2008
Caring For The Hurting
For several years my heart has been focused on the care for the outcasts of society. I asked my self why I do this and come to the same conclusion each time: This is where Jesus found me, as an outcast. The Church never found me nor did it care too but He did. Today as I serve poor, intolerable people in the streets of Santa Cruz, CA I see myself before Christ and I also see them after Christ. It really is not an easy ministry when you get cussed out and threatened, but the ministry Jesus had was not easy either!
I was cleaning out the “new” church that I am “fixing” from years of church abuse and I saw a book about to be thrown away. The name of the book is: The Caring Church by Dr. Oliver McMahan. I stopped the person from throwing it into the trash and suggested that they read the book! What I really believe everyone reading this blog should realize that it was almost prophetic what happened. (I know, how can something be almost prophetic?) Here is a book written by a a man who has detailed the position the Church should be in on the subject of “Care” yet it was being thrown away in the trash. It seems to me that the Church has often thrown away what really needs to be attended to.
As I was gardening today I realized just how important the matter of caring is. There are so many hurting people in church today!
I look at churches that are really alive in worship and active in the Word and I see a caring church. When I see churches with people who refuse to worship and pray I see a church that is uncared for and not really caring for the hurting. They are inward, confused, and very dysfunctional.
Kathy and I have come to some really important decisions in our ministry: One of those is we do not want to tolerate dead churches anymore. We want to be around life and worship. We are headed into that with the new church we are serving right now. The church we have in Santa Cruz is already there and it continues to be a rockin’ ministry for Jesus. Everyone that visits and sees what God is doing in Santa Cruz, states this: “AWESOME!”
I really believe that God is AWESOME and He is really COOL in everything that He does! Try caring for the hurting and see just how COOL God can be!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 1:58 pm | Comment (0)
9th June, 2008
Committed To His Example
The cause of Christ was to save this world from her sin. In John 3:16-17 we read “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
Having knowledge of this ‘love’ that Christ has shown us through His suffering proclaims to us the immense concern that God has for our character. In the serving the Lord we must also proclaim our concern for this world be living an exemplary life before all men. Jesus died and suffered many things when He did not deserve to suffer at all! He showed patience, meekness, calmness and confidence in what God had planned for the future. This was loyalty and perseverance in its truest sense. Christ took our place at Calvary and He died for our sins. This is called a substitutionary atonement. Those that follow Jesus must be prepared to suffer in this life. We realize Moses made that choice when we read Hebrews 11:25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. The suffering that we Christians partake in is a result of our doing well not a result of doing bad. If we suffer because we do bad and not say anything how will that glorify God? If we bear up under suffering for the sake of conscience toward God because we have done well we find favor with God. Jesus took all our sins and placed them on Himself so we could be called the sons and daughters of God. His wounds have healed us and we have been able to return to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls. The importance in this life is that we live it as unto the Lord and having that knowledge in our hearts we should be able to bear up under circumstances that cause stress in our lives. Live a life that exemplifies Christ before all men and have confidence. God is in control of the future.
Best
Dennis
Scriptures used in this blog post are from The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thoma Nelson.
Posted at 9:20 pm | Comment (0)
6th June, 2008
Living On The Perimeter
Where do you stand with the Lord this day? The Word speaks to us plainly about were we stand in Him. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being…[KJV] The Word also declares that He abides in us if we abide in Him. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [KJV] The Word speaks to the issue of drawing close to the Lord. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…[KJV] What every Christian should understand and apply to their lives is that we need to go outside to come back inside. Let’s look at a scripture together: Exodus 33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. [KJV] The Lord wanted His people to come outside so that they could go inside. Praise God! It is still the same. We must come to Him and be in the center of His Will not on the perimeter looking at a distance! Come on don’t you know who you are? You are the children of God — the royalty of the Lamb. Praise Him for He is calling you to come outside that you may enter into the inside. We enter into the Holiest of all through steps that cannot be skipped or over looked:
(1) Seek Matt. 7:7;
(2) Salvation Eph. 2:8;
(3) Sanctification Eph. 5:26;
(4) Service Heb. 9:6;
(5) Satisfaction Heb. 10:19.
The reason, I believe, that so many are not satisfied is that they are on the outside looking in! The invitation is come on inside and be satisfied.
Song 2:9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. [KJV]
Best
Dennis
All scripture used in this blog post is by public domain: King James Version
Posted at 10:21 pm | Comment (0)
3rd June, 2008
Hope That Lasts
Each day people bustle around looking for something or someone to share their life with. Often in the midst of their busy agenda they sense a lack of hope! Hope has a real uniqueness about its terminology and its results.
Hope is defined as:
(1) Desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment
(2) Someone or something on which hopes are centered.
Hope, in the Bible is the anticipation of a favorable future under God’s direction. It should never seem that hope does not exist or is intangible to a Christian. Faith, Hope, and Love are the three basic characteristics of a Christian. “And now abide faith, hope, love,…” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV). When difficulties come and it seems that there is not answer, hope is the answer. Hope is the anchor of the believer’s soul. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,” (Hebrews 6:19, NKJV).
Hope brings us into the presence of the Almighty God. The testimony of hope needs to be shared with all. Again and again this hope, which belongs to the family of God, should be exemplified and magnified through the believer’s life. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV) The Lord will never let you down! He will always deliver and save His children. God is faithful toward all that call unto Him. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, NKJV) The hope a Christian has is unique and one that draws the soul to an ultimate trust in the Lord. Those that do not know the Lord do not have the same hope. “that at that time you were without Christ,…having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12, NKJV) Your hope is an everlasting hope, one that is good and prepares your steps each day. Walk in faith and hope, loving the life God has purposed for you to live. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV) Share this hope and joy of knowing Him who has promised you eternal life. Look around throughout each day and find someone to share your hope with. In you is the hope that others, who do not know Jesus, need. Jesus is in you and so is that hope which shouts “Glory”! “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27, NKJV)
Think of it this way hope is the glue, nails, and screws for the bridge of faith you are upon. This bridge of faith held together by hope leads to a timeless relationship with God. “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13, NKJV)
Best
Dennis
Scriptures used in this blog post are from The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Posted at 9:58 pm | Comment (1)
2nd June, 2008
Being A Caring Person
Caring is a very difficult word to define in a world where being self-centered is in vogue. When one stops and ponders on the events of the time it is not to long before it is noticed that people need to be cared for. When the Lord, our God, looked across the heavens and saw us in the future He knew we needed to be gently delivered from our worries and fears. God knew and He cared! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, NKJV) He took a step into time in the form a man who was took on our infirmities. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7, NKJV) He took on our infirmities…”that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”” (Matthew 8:17, NKJV) As He became our likeness we became His when we received Him in our hearts. That same character or attitude for caring now resides in a believer’s heart. In one sense it is as though once we did not care but now we do! We care for the hurting, sick, the lost and one another. Being a Christian is not just a title but an honor that bears responsibility. In another sense we are to bear one another’s burdens as Christ bore ours. He was nailed to a cross…”who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, NKJV) When He appears we are to be like Him…”Beloved, now…we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2, NKJV) This matter of caring begins with relationships being built. The relationship with the Lord has been solidified through belief, repentance and confession. He listens to the Christian as supplication our made. He listens because He cares. The Christian prays knowing that God will listen. As you enter into each day have a listening ear. People have burdens to share and their heart is burdened with pain and troubles. Just by stopping and listening you could make a difference in the life of another person. You could build a friendship that would bring someone into the moment of repentance. By caring and bearing someone’s heart-felt pain you would show Jesus’ love and compassion. Just ponder for a moment on what He saw from the cross! He was in His own anguish yet He saw you and the world in pain. He looked past His own pain to the joy of care.
Best
Dennis
Scriptures used in this blog post are from The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Posted at 10:21 pm | Comment (0)
1st June, 2008
Compassion Of The Heart
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Compassion is defined as a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.
When Jesus spoke of the heart in the Gospel of Mark, He mentions the evilness of it. (Mark 7:21) The heart is an evil thing and out of it comes the deepest and richest of sins and deceptions. Human nature is not very compassionate, especially in the day we live in. (Matthew 24:12). When Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and noticed the people and how they acted and He was moved with compassion. (Mathew 9:36)
The heart of man holds in it the emotions and responses that can change a world. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 All mankind must have a heart transplant, spiritually speaking of course. As one matures in faith there is a “life” change that takes place in the heart. In other words take out the heart of stone (Job 41:24) and replace it with a heart of compassion! (Ezekiel 36:26) The heart of man can plan and most likely he will follow the plans, but the counsel of the Lord is what really matters (Proverbs 19:21.) The shed blood of Jesus can make the heart clean and restore it to its actual creative design. Not one person can make the heart clean, only the Lord can! (Proverbs 20:9) Thanks be to God, who was moved by the cries of this world, to send His Son to restore, once again, the compassion needed to show love one to another. A man’s heart will always reveal his real character (Proverbs 27:19) and that character will express the compassion toward evil or toward good. (Matthew 12:35).
Doing well to others and helping those carry their burden are “marks” of a pure heart that is compassionate and full of the mercies of God. Open your heart to the Lord and He will fill it with compassion and the desire to help those in need!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 12:09 am | Comment (0)
25th May, 2008
Here I Am Again
This time I want to stay on some really important subjects! One of them is when we try to change something we often do not consider the root or roots that feed what needs to be changed. When you are expecting to influence people in your church with a new and innovative idea you come against odds that don’t make any sense! These odds are being fed by the root. To bring change to the landscape of your church you need to explore how to dig up the roots without destroying the good that has been planted. One other factor or option to consider is what is feeding the root. Where is it getting it’s nourishment from? This is the way that is best in de-rooting because if you cut off the nourishment the root will die and so will the sphere of negative influence.
In the Church there are many roots that have entangled themselves around great people who wish to do good but have been literally strangled by the negative root or influence around them. Lately with all the discussion of “change” needed for the Church there has been mention only of surface change. We need to get to the root and see if it can be nourished to become a catalyst for change. If not, then it needs to be de-rooted by lack of nourishment. So change can come about and have a lasting influence in your church
Best
Dennis
Posted at 9:50 pm | Comment (0)