Being unemployed stinks, I don't like sitting around and doing nothing. Its hard to keep myself occupied. I have lost count on the resumes and the apps that I sent out to both companies and churches. Since I'm not doing full time ministry (hence finding a secular job to afford dating and find a wife to work for a church...I'm I bitter? Just a little) I might as well be useful and write a tribune for my service to the Kingdom. To have a heart of a servant doesn't mean one has to be preaching behind a pulpit 247 to serve Jesus. One doesn't have to be a deacon (though the Greek means “servant or “minister”) or an elder to serve Jesus. I mean do titles make us super-Christians? Or make us better than other Christians? One doesn't have to be a lawyer from Harvard to serve Jesus ( no offense to lawyers and Harvard). Jesus picked ordinary dudes to be his disciples. One was a tax collector, one was a zealot who despised tax collectors. Others were fishermen.
“For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”-Luke 5:9-11
Jesus chose men who weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, but He taught them. We don’t need them fancy degrees and education to serve Jesus but we have to immerse ourselves in the Word. Women can also serve Jesus.
“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”- Luke 8:1-3
Why does Luke mention women who followed and served Jesus? Because in that day, Rabbis refused to teach women and sometimes treated them like second class, but not Jesus. Isn’t it interesting that all of Jesus’ enemies were men? Women are mentioned a lot in the gospels as being active in ministry as Jesus traveled everywhere. They were the first ones to the tomb...It was a woman who anointed the feet of Jesus. During times of transition when everything seems like chaos instead of walking around like chickens with our heads cut off we need to put some elbow grease to maintain the spirit of unity in the bond of peace. We have to serve one another in love to be more efficient to serve Jesus. He is the one who is running the Church.
"not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, )serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality”- Romans 12:11-13
Christians have a responsibility to all people but especially to other Christians (Gal 6:10). We serve God by rejoicing in Him, not rejoicing in results. Hard times do not give us an excuse to lack in love for the body of Christ or a lack of determination to do God's work. The Greek word for hospitality means glove for strangersh. Make every effort to maintain the spirit.
Hutch
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What Is Time?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Austin Chase
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We humans are all under the Makers hands. We are subject to times and change over which we have little or no control. God easily predetermines all of life's activities.
I'm a month away from graduation, when I started Sunset I had “no job” and I was broke, now I'm graduating and I “still have no Job” ...or do I? Who says I need to lead a congregation in order to be called a minister. Or that I need to be called to a certain location to show Jesus to the lost and edify the Saints. Most of my classmates already landed jobs in congregations or going off into missions into foreign lands. And these past couple of months I have been forcing time to work in my favor. So far it hasn't worked. I might have a job for an intern in Portland but that doesn't start tell next year. I look at Timothy and Titus and every time I do, I'm uplifted. Because these guys were young and single. And Paul was there spiritual father to these guys. Paul relied on these guys a lot in his ministry. Paul tells Timothy to remain in Ephesus because Paul doesn't know if he is coming back. Paul tells Timothy to look over the affairs of the church, to fight off false doctrine, and to appoint qualified leaders. Paul tells Timothy
“Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”- 1 Timothy 4:11-13
Because Timothy was young, he was a target of criticism's because how the youth are portrayed. So Paul calls him to live a life so that was so pure that no one could bring him down. This principle goes for all of us be an example by what you say, what you do, in love, in attitude, in faith and purity.
So when I walk out of the halls of Sunset with my degree (God willing) I will walk with my head high, and keep looking for opportunities to help my brothers and sisters to do their best, and look for the lost and rejected and tell them about God's love. If I have to stick around here and be a tent maker like Paul to support my local ministry then God wills it.
“In the presence of God, Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”- 2 Timothy 4:1-5
So I charge you to suffer for the faith, fulfill your ministry, love the Saints, and glorify our King.
Austin Chase
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We humans are all under the Makers hands. We are subject to times and change over which we have little or no control. God easily predetermines all of life's activities.
I'm a month away from graduation, when I started Sunset I had “no job” and I was broke, now I'm graduating and I “still have no Job” ...or do I? Who says I need to lead a congregation in order to be called a minister. Or that I need to be called to a certain location to show Jesus to the lost and edify the Saints. Most of my classmates already landed jobs in congregations or going off into missions into foreign lands. And these past couple of months I have been forcing time to work in my favor. So far it hasn't worked. I might have a job for an intern in Portland but that doesn't start tell next year. I look at Timothy and Titus and every time I do, I'm uplifted. Because these guys were young and single. And Paul was there spiritual father to these guys. Paul relied on these guys a lot in his ministry. Paul tells Timothy to remain in Ephesus because Paul doesn't know if he is coming back. Paul tells Timothy to look over the affairs of the church, to fight off false doctrine, and to appoint qualified leaders. Paul tells Timothy
“Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”- 1 Timothy 4:11-13
Because Timothy was young, he was a target of criticism's because how the youth are portrayed. So Paul calls him to live a life so that was so pure that no one could bring him down. This principle goes for all of us be an example by what you say, what you do, in love, in attitude, in faith and purity.
So when I walk out of the halls of Sunset with my degree (God willing) I will walk with my head high, and keep looking for opportunities to help my brothers and sisters to do their best, and look for the lost and rejected and tell them about God's love. If I have to stick around here and be a tent maker like Paul to support my local ministry then God wills it.
“In the presence of God, Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”- 2 Timothy 4:1-5
So I charge you to suffer for the faith, fulfill your ministry, love the Saints, and glorify our King.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Content and humble
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
3:20 pm @ Austin Chase
“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”- Philippians 4:11-12
So I”m at Austin Chase because my new coffee shop that I go to (Cafe Noir) is closed due to plumbing issues so I'm here chilling. The thing that is cool is that I'm spending no money on coffee because I have a gift that the St. Martin's gave me. So I'm sipping on my Chai-Tea, Joanne has me hooked on this. So I'm chilling on my computer looking for a preaching job and Shar walks in with the kids and say's hi. She gives me a card for Cold Stone!! So again I don't have to spend money on ice-cream. In fact I hardly spent any money on my 3 weeks off. I have gift cards for Applebee's and Subway. I crashed The Ormerod's New Years party and Dan gave me a ton of left overs! I have 2 movie tickets also from the St. Martin's. They even bought me a shirt and tie!
I'm not trying to rub this in and gloat. My point is that God is taking care of me through the body of Christ. I'm living on humble means. And I return the favor, tonight I'm bringing dinner to Ben and Becky's place. I try to return favors as best I can, like putting in a water pump with St. Martin that takes 3 days and Marie shows up and just rips it out :) How do we learn to be content? Contentment as used in this passage is an attitude of the heart that comes from another spiritual practice called simplicity. Simplicity is an inward reality that comes from the security of our relationship with Jesus. We sometimes seem to have the desire of more. More possessions, more money. Odd that it seems the more we have, the more we want, and the less satisfied we are with what we have. Christians have the best thing going for them because Jesus meets the desire of our hearts. God wants us to be content with Him, and not to set our hearts on material objects that vanish in a blink of an eye. There are going to be times of pain and disappointment, but that should not be our focus on life. Instead of looking at a rosebush and wondering why it must have thorns, we should see a thornbush and be thankful that it has roses. Instead of going to bed at night and complaining about the next morning, we should get up and thank God for another day of life and service for the Kingdom of God.
Shalom
Hutch
3:20 pm @ Austin Chase
“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”- Philippians 4:11-12
So I”m at Austin Chase because my new coffee shop that I go to (Cafe Noir) is closed due to plumbing issues so I'm here chilling. The thing that is cool is that I'm spending no money on coffee because I have a gift that the St. Martin's gave me. So I'm sipping on my Chai-Tea, Joanne has me hooked on this. So I'm chilling on my computer looking for a preaching job and Shar walks in with the kids and say's hi. She gives me a card for Cold Stone!! So again I don't have to spend money on ice-cream. In fact I hardly spent any money on my 3 weeks off. I have gift cards for Applebee's and Subway. I crashed The Ormerod's New Years party and Dan gave me a ton of left overs! I have 2 movie tickets also from the St. Martin's. They even bought me a shirt and tie!
I'm not trying to rub this in and gloat. My point is that God is taking care of me through the body of Christ. I'm living on humble means. And I return the favor, tonight I'm bringing dinner to Ben and Becky's place. I try to return favors as best I can, like putting in a water pump with St. Martin that takes 3 days and Marie shows up and just rips it out :) How do we learn to be content? Contentment as used in this passage is an attitude of the heart that comes from another spiritual practice called simplicity. Simplicity is an inward reality that comes from the security of our relationship with Jesus. We sometimes seem to have the desire of more. More possessions, more money. Odd that it seems the more we have, the more we want, and the less satisfied we are with what we have. Christians have the best thing going for them because Jesus meets the desire of our hearts. God wants us to be content with Him, and not to set our hearts on material objects that vanish in a blink of an eye. There are going to be times of pain and disappointment, but that should not be our focus on life. Instead of looking at a rosebush and wondering why it must have thorns, we should see a thornbush and be thankful that it has roses. Instead of going to bed at night and complaining about the next morning, we should get up and thank God for another day of life and service for the Kingdom of God.
Shalom
Hutch
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Focus
Saturday, January 2, 2010
8:10 pm @ The Hutch Hotel
It is a start of a new year. And every year 1000s of Americans pack the gyms to get in shape, then 2 weeks later they quit going. A ton of people decide to quit smoking or make decisions to better their life-style. I looked up the word New Years resolution to make this tribune sound professional. “A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. ...”. Then I had to look up advantageous because I had no clue what that meant. Advantageous means favorable or for the best. So basically for redneck talk, New Year's Resolution is setting goals. 2 years ago in the beginning of January I decided to quit drinking. I had a few beers since then. But in 08 I was going strong. But now it has been a month since I touched a beer and smokes. And awhile back I decided to join a gym in Puyallup so I workout during lunch break. But there is one goal I haven't completed yet and that is to become a more stronger mature Christian...Which will take a life-time to reach.
“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
See if we reflect on our past mistakes, our sins then we will never move forward with success, we just stay back for the fear of falling again. Paul saw that he wasn't perfect, but he was not satisfied to cause him to sit and have a pity party. Too many people will get discouraged with the lives they are living and will just quit on God. Don't let your failures cause you to drop out of the race for Jesus! If you stumble, pick yourself up, clean up your wounds and run to the finish line. For most Christians our walk is a hit or miss proposition. Let me explain, we just kind of take it as it comes. If we succeed for Jesus, then praise His name! If we happen to stumble, we often say "Oh well, I'll try and do better tomorrow!" Not Paul! He wasn't content to sit around and wait for life to happen. He was busy making things happen. He was out there doing the best he could to be more like Jesus. He was trying to reach his fullest potential for the glory of God. Paul knew that God called him for a reason. He called him to carry out his duty before God. He also knew that successful completion of this goal would allow him to enjoy the rewards of God. By the way, things are still the same. Jesus saved us to do a job for Him and for the Kingdom When we do what God wants and we live our lives in the chase of the prize, then we too will receive the prize which is eternal paradise.
Shalom
8:10 pm @ The Hutch Hotel
It is a start of a new year. And every year 1000s of Americans pack the gyms to get in shape, then 2 weeks later they quit going. A ton of people decide to quit smoking or make decisions to better their life-style. I looked up the word New Years resolution to make this tribune sound professional. “A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. ...”. Then I had to look up advantageous because I had no clue what that meant. Advantageous means favorable or for the best. So basically for redneck talk, New Year's Resolution is setting goals. 2 years ago in the beginning of January I decided to quit drinking. I had a few beers since then. But in 08 I was going strong. But now it has been a month since I touched a beer and smokes. And awhile back I decided to join a gym in Puyallup so I workout during lunch break. But there is one goal I haven't completed yet and that is to become a more stronger mature Christian...Which will take a life-time to reach.
“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
See if we reflect on our past mistakes, our sins then we will never move forward with success, we just stay back for the fear of falling again. Paul saw that he wasn't perfect, but he was not satisfied to cause him to sit and have a pity party. Too many people will get discouraged with the lives they are living and will just quit on God. Don't let your failures cause you to drop out of the race for Jesus! If you stumble, pick yourself up, clean up your wounds and run to the finish line. For most Christians our walk is a hit or miss proposition. Let me explain, we just kind of take it as it comes. If we succeed for Jesus, then praise His name! If we happen to stumble, we often say "Oh well, I'll try and do better tomorrow!" Not Paul! He wasn't content to sit around and wait for life to happen. He was busy making things happen. He was out there doing the best he could to be more like Jesus. He was trying to reach his fullest potential for the glory of God. Paul knew that God called him for a reason. He called him to carry out his duty before God. He also knew that successful completion of this goal would allow him to enjoy the rewards of God. By the way, things are still the same. Jesus saved us to do a job for Him and for the Kingdom When we do what God wants and we live our lives in the chase of the prize, then we too will receive the prize which is eternal paradise.
Shalom
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