John 17:1-5 (MSG)

Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son so the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. You put him in charge of everything human so he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, the very splendor I had in your presence before there was a world.

God Loves Himself

I've been thinking a lot about how much God loves Himself. Think about it...if God loved someone more than Himself...then He wouldn't be God...because there would be something/someone greater than Him worth loving.

And then I think of the relationship God shares with Himself...Father, Son & Spirit. The Son and the Father share intimate relationship with each other...and Jesus constantly talked about how He came to show us the Father...and that They are one.

I really believe we present an incomplete gospel at times. We leave the thought at, 'Jesus saved us so we wouldn't go to hell.' True...but we need to follow that thought further...doing that will lead us to the very heart and nature of God.

Since God loves Himself...He loves to behold Himself. Man is made in God's image. We chose something other than God to give ourselves to. God desires the relationship with us to be reconciled. He sends Himself to do what only He could do, and in doing so, makes a way once more for us to be together...sharing in the same intimacy He shares with Himself.

I absolutely love this thought.

More Than Meets The Eye

Something I am reminded of...probably not enough...is that people are not their issues. I have the blessing to do what I do and I get to deal with a lot of people. My first instinct ion is to write folks off who get aggressive with me...or frankly...don't like me. You ever notice that our circle of friends really consist of people who like us? Which can seem rather self serving.

My point is more for myself than anyone. There is always more going on with a person and in a person than meets the eye. There is a legitimate battle going on for peoples hearts...and for those who know of the healing ministry of Jesus...we need to look beyond what it appears to be...and look into what is the real issue...and what is really going on.

Comments From Our Communication Cards pt. 2

NAME: Unknown
COMMENT: Concern on the music - the guitars are so loud that they drown out all else. Can't hear the worship team at all. The only voice I hear is the leader. Can the volume come down a little.
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The thing that is frustrating is that people don't leave their names...I've got no reference for where they were sitting, which service or their age. Just makes it difficult when I don't have the information I need.

It also slightly disheartens me that one would reference only the singers as 'the worship team'...but...it's all good. We really want to be in this thing together...the band and the congregation. We are His bride and all we want to do is respond to and worship Him together.

Volume wise...we are looking at measuring how many decibels we're pushing out. This will give us needed information to go on...instead of mere opinion. This will happen Thursday night and then again on Sunday morning.

Do You Want To Get Well?

Heather and I were talking again last night about some of our experiences 'in the church' together. We've had really good ones...and down right hideous ones. We've seen the good and the bad...all while still in our 20's. It's interesting...to say the least.

One thing I love about Jesus is how He heals our wounds and shows us who we truly are. I think people can either desire to be healed of their hurt, anger & pain...or not desire it. I think of the guy who sat by the pool called Bethesda in John 5. It's incredible that Jesus asks the guy if he wants to be healed. If the guy said 'no'...I wonder what Jesus would have done. The man did make an excuse of sorts...which sounds familiar...I think we all have our excuses for not desiring to be healed.

The thing I've found about following Jesus is the He desires to heal us...all of us. But we've got to be real with Him. We can't hide anymore...He's calling us out...

"Do you want to get well?"
- Jesus

Good Friday, Pt. 3 (The Long Post)

This week I've been a bit sad. I don't remember the last time I spent so much time studying and preparing for Good Friday...and it's getting to me. I was at Lowes yesterday...and we were buying nails/spikes for our Afternoon Gathering...and as I was holding the nails...it started sinking in...deep. I mean, it's not like I have a deep spiritual experience at the hardware store everyday. But I was.

On Monday, the staff was praying together and I asked the Lord to give us a fresh glimpse of Jesus this week...of Him and His cross.

It's happening.

It's pretty overwhelming...honestly. A lot to take in...I mean...church makes it all so pretty. But the reality that Someone died on 'Friday'...Someone was brutally killed...murdered. And He died to put things back into order. What we could never do...He did...and He made a way for us to come to Him.

I sneaked into the office early this morning...and I'm glad I did.

Be overwhelmed by the horror and beauty of the cross.

Salvation is here.

The Ministry of Jesus

"That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word." -Mark 1:32-34 (MSG)

I was reading about Jesus this morning...how He was baptised, how the Spirit descended like a dove...how that same Spirit led him into the wilderness...and how Jesus started healing and delivering people.

We were singing a song last night at practice called, "I Love Your Presence." Super simple, but really powerful. "I love, I love, I love Your presence...I love, I love, I love You, Jesus."

Jesus' ministry continues today. He hasn't stopped healing and delivering the sick, oppressed and possessed. It's what He does...and when we celebrate His presence...we invite His ministry to continue in our lives.

Looking forward to worship this week. Let's celebrate His presence and welcome His ministry!

Intimacy With The Father

One of the values that I've always held close to in worship is intimacy. As worship leaders...or people in a worship band...we do more than lead songs. Raffi does that. I think the best thing that we can do is follow the Spirit into the throne room, call and encourage as many to enter in with us, and then disappear. It's the Spirit that draws us and people to the Father...we're just the folks upfront who have been 'there' and have been called and want to tell others about it. It's more than singing songs.

If it's God that draws us to Himself, then we simply follow.

This week may we experience life-changing intimacy with the Father. Jesus died and came back to life so we could be close with Him.

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

-Matthew 11:27

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread & Communion

Last night at worship team practice we shared communion. It was pretty cool if you ask me. Came home and told Heather all about it. It's pretty simple, really. Jesus told us to 'do this and remember Me.' I always thought it was cool how Jesus took something that we all do, eating, and told us to think of Him when we do it. I don't think Jesus instituted a ritual that night at the table with the disciples. He had his closest friends with Him, and shared a meal. I've always thought that His intention was to take something like eating at Chipotle...something we all do...and say, "Hey, when you eat, think of My body that was given for you. When you drink your diet coke, think of My blood that washed your sin away." It's always a good thing to share the way we do on Sunday mornings...and I don't think there's a thing wrong with it. But next time you sit down to annihilate your double quarter pounder with cheese, remember that Jesus made a way for us.

Blessings.

Neon Green Post-Its...

The chicken scratch of a man who forgets things. As I've covered in past postings...I tend to forget stuff...so I make short To-Do lists on neon colored post-its. It works most the time, unless the post-it fails, falls off my monitor and is lost in the abyss located under my desk. You ever see that move? The Abyss? I thought it was pretty cool...

This morning I spent some time in the auditorium playing my guitar and spending time with Jesus. I've always gone back and forth about, "Since God is in everything and all around and in me, then I am spending time with Him when I'm typing a blog, or making the bed...so I don't need to have a 'quiet time' today." I find that often, that is just a response I give to myself...trying to excuse my laziness. Which brings up another interesting thought...time alone with the Father should be desperately sought after. I find for myself, the more I do it, the more I desire it, so the more I do it. Jesus always MADE time to go be alone with the Father...it came out of the intimate relationship He had with Him. Relationship just doesn't happen...it needs cultivating. When Heather and I started dating, we couldn't be around each other enough. We wanted to know more and more and more about the other person. Proud to say, it's still like that. Frankly, the girl fascinates me and holds my fancy. Saturday mornings are prized and coveted at the Olds' house. I think something would have to be on fire for us to open the front door...and that is because we love spending time together.

It should be the same way with the Father. And it is...I think we all just get a little sidetracked a little too often.

I hope you're planning on coming to one of the meetings this week. Check out Transitions if you haven't for a while. Good stuff is happening. Blessings.

Father And Son Intimacies

I was reading my bible this morning...Matthew 011:27.
"The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

There are a couple things that I really love here. One is the intimacy part of it. Every time I read about intimacy with God, it connects with me. That the Father doesn't only forgive our sins, or even just desire a relationship with us...the Father desires intimacy. And it's so drastically beautiful. I mean, we ain't talking we can know God. We can know Him intimately. And the second part of this that I love is that He is "ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen." Man...I want to be a good listener. In school I wasn't. I forget things very very quickly...not sure why. But THIS...THIS I want to listen to. I NEED to listen.

That the Father would not only make a way for us to come to Him, but also make a way to have intimacy with Him leaves my jaw wide open. What could be more beautiful? What could be more lovely?

This week as we come together for worship...may we experience intimacy with the Father. And if you've never felt that closeness with Him before...there is much hope...because He's "ready to go over it line by line."

Let's listen in together...