Well, I had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve, a delightful young couple from church got engaged during a romantic rendezvous in New York City. My dad and my little brother (who I haven't seen in over a year) were able at the last minute to fly out for Christmas. And today one of my cousins is getting married. This is all very refreshing compared to the experiences of previous holidays.
The holiday season can actually feel very lonely even for people who aren't alone. Some people feel alone because they are physically alone. But others feel that they are standing alone against the memories of bad experiences from their past that either occurred during the holidays or are coming to mind as a result of holiday reflections.
Romantic engagements, unexpected visits from loved ones, and even a winter wedding can all help to soothe the emotional tension of the holidays. But the most powerful thing that can jar us out of the "holiday blues" is the revelation that we are not alone. While they are all wonderful, neither romance, family, or big accomplishments should define our ultimate sense of self worth. God is with us. And the reason that God is with us is because He values us (He believes that we're worth a lot).
Reflecting on all of this, I wrote a poem which I thought I would share this week instead of writing a standard blog...
~
“Black,” says my soul, “the celestial lights have failed!
Their lights have forever dimmed like ages passing away.
Like the winter snow they have melted down and ailed!
What hope is there with shadows falling darkly?
Will night not drink and jeer and revel in their end?
If their rays have failed will they ever light my eyes again?"
“Courage,” answers my heart, “their ship is yet to sail.
Dusk cloaks the earth and sky in gloomy shades of gray.
But at the break of Day their radiant beams we’ll hail.
Shadows prove their Maker is the Sun!
How night will quickly turn and flight and flee
When Sovereign Light again reflects His glory on the sea!
Two heavenly lamps reflect the glory of the One!
Now rise and wait and watch horizon ‘s peak!
For in eastern heights comes the Savior that you seek!"
~Jeremiyah Mullins
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Greatest Gift Isn't Under Your Tree
Well, I went to a Christmas party last night instead of writing my blog (I know where’s my commitment). But I had a good time and was inspired as to this morning’s subject. I watched a movie at the party and the theme was to “keep an open mind when looking at the world.” By an open mind the filmmakers meant to encourage the viewers to use their imagination.
It’s very subtle but the “open mind” philosophy about imagination is actually very dangerous for two fundamental reasons. First, this philosophy suggests that everything that requires the use of your imagination is imaginary. But this is not true and is very far from the way God created us. There are lots of very real things in life that require the use of your imagination.
For example, love requires imagination. To believe that you can trust someone and that they care for you as much as you do for them requires imagination. But love is real; it’s not imaginary. In fact, love can be more real than some of the tangible things of life.
Faith, while very real, requires imagination. And you can place your faith in things that aren’t imaginary. Everything that requires the use of imagination is not imaginary. Our imagination is a gift that God has given us to deal with the very real (and often not so whimsical) issues of life. If you believe that anything that requires the use of imagination is imaginary than faith, hope, and love would all be imaginary (a sad way to look at life). There are things that are very real but require the use of your imagination.
The second error with the “open mind” philosophy is that there are some things that we don’t want to open our minds to. With an open mind, our imagination can be used to create terrible things. Murder and violent crime are both the product of imaginations that were open to the wrong things. There are things in our world that we don’t want to let into our minds.
But the solution is not to become close-minded either. If you can only accept the things that you see or the things that you can logically understand than you’ll doom yourself to a very small life. God gave us our imaginations because He wants us to use them. So a closed mind isn’t any better than an open one.
The solution is not to be open or closed but rather to be singular. A singular vision, one that is focused on Christ, will open your life to an amazing world unlike anything that you have ever experienced. The great thing about a singular vision is that it does have boundaries and constraints. A person of singular vision has things that they will not do and things that they are driven to do all because of what they are looking at.
Singular vision is maintained by principles. We have to make sure that the principles by which we maintain vision line up with God’s Word. But a healthy singular vision is a platform for greatness. There is no limit to the things you can achieve if you are able to focus your life singularly on Christ.
Christmas isn’t about becoming open-minded. It’s also not about close-minded “Scrooges.” Christmas, rightly understood, is about refocusing your vision. With Christ on your side and in your sight, your hopes and dreams can become a reality.
I can imagine that there was at least one close-minded shepherd at the first Christmas. He probably stayed behind with the sheep trying to figure out what he ate that caused him to hallucinate and see the angels. Because his mind was closed he missed out on the amazing experience that his fellow shepherds would enjoy (seeing Christ).
There were probably some open-minded shepherds there too. But God had done the ‘unimaginable’ (something very real that requires the use of imagination): a child born by Divine providence to a virgin in a barn. The wonder of the manger wasn’t the location! The brightest light wasn’t the unusual star in the sky, but the baby born inside. And that baby would inspire the faith and the imagination of millions of people.
So sketches of angels are fine. Studies of the astronomical events that could have caused the appearance of what seemed to be an extra star on the first Christmas are fine. Presents and Christmas trees are all fine. But what is really important this Christmas is for you and I to get our eyes fixed singularly on Jesus. After all the greatest imagination in the universe is not in the mind of any man but in the limitless mind of God.
Merry Christmas,
Jeremiyah
It’s very subtle but the “open mind” philosophy about imagination is actually very dangerous for two fundamental reasons. First, this philosophy suggests that everything that requires the use of your imagination is imaginary. But this is not true and is very far from the way God created us. There are lots of very real things in life that require the use of your imagination.
For example, love requires imagination. To believe that you can trust someone and that they care for you as much as you do for them requires imagination. But love is real; it’s not imaginary. In fact, love can be more real than some of the tangible things of life.
Faith, while very real, requires imagination. And you can place your faith in things that aren’t imaginary. Everything that requires the use of imagination is not imaginary. Our imagination is a gift that God has given us to deal with the very real (and often not so whimsical) issues of life. If you believe that anything that requires the use of imagination is imaginary than faith, hope, and love would all be imaginary (a sad way to look at life). There are things that are very real but require the use of your imagination.
The second error with the “open mind” philosophy is that there are some things that we don’t want to open our minds to. With an open mind, our imagination can be used to create terrible things. Murder and violent crime are both the product of imaginations that were open to the wrong things. There are things in our world that we don’t want to let into our minds.
But the solution is not to become close-minded either. If you can only accept the things that you see or the things that you can logically understand than you’ll doom yourself to a very small life. God gave us our imaginations because He wants us to use them. So a closed mind isn’t any better than an open one.
The solution is not to be open or closed but rather to be singular. A singular vision, one that is focused on Christ, will open your life to an amazing world unlike anything that you have ever experienced. The great thing about a singular vision is that it does have boundaries and constraints. A person of singular vision has things that they will not do and things that they are driven to do all because of what they are looking at.
Singular vision is maintained by principles. We have to make sure that the principles by which we maintain vision line up with God’s Word. But a healthy singular vision is a platform for greatness. There is no limit to the things you can achieve if you are able to focus your life singularly on Christ.
Christmas isn’t about becoming open-minded. It’s also not about close-minded “Scrooges.” Christmas, rightly understood, is about refocusing your vision. With Christ on your side and in your sight, your hopes and dreams can become a reality.
I can imagine that there was at least one close-minded shepherd at the first Christmas. He probably stayed behind with the sheep trying to figure out what he ate that caused him to hallucinate and see the angels. Because his mind was closed he missed out on the amazing experience that his fellow shepherds would enjoy (seeing Christ).
There were probably some open-minded shepherds there too. But God had done the ‘unimaginable’ (something very real that requires the use of imagination): a child born by Divine providence to a virgin in a barn. The wonder of the manger wasn’t the location! The brightest light wasn’t the unusual star in the sky, but the baby born inside. And that baby would inspire the faith and the imagination of millions of people.
So sketches of angels are fine. Studies of the astronomical events that could have caused the appearance of what seemed to be an extra star on the first Christmas are fine. Presents and Christmas trees are all fine. But what is really important this Christmas is for you and I to get our eyes fixed singularly on Jesus. After all the greatest imagination in the universe is not in the mind of any man but in the limitless mind of God.
Merry Christmas,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, December 13, 2008
KEEP IT TOGETHER
Well, it was a long week. I actually fell asleep around 8 PM before getting a chance to write my blog. But not to be remise, I still wanted to leave you with an inspirational thought. I believe it was Henry Ford who said that, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." Interesting that "keeping it together" is in the middle. I would say that the key to keeping it together is to do the things on either side of it. Don't forget to come together with the friends and family that God has put in your life. And when you come together, work together. Its amazing how feeling that you are not alone in the things that you are working for will help you 'keep it together' even when times get rough.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Cast Away
One of my favorite movies is Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Tom Hank’s character ends up stranded on a tropical island. The only friend he has is a volleyball name ‘Wilson.’ I still cry every time Wilson floats away from the raft.
But what about guys like that? What about the person who lives on an island or a place that is secluded by him or herself? If no one ever reaches those people to tell them about Jesus, does God still hold them responsible for knowing Him? How can God judge someone if they lived their life in a place where they never heard about Him?
I want to say that these are great questions to ask. I actually get concerned about Christians who never ask this. The Bible does have an answer. In order to talk about the Bible’s answer, I’ll need you to think: who, what, when, where, why, and how. We’ll start by talking about the big one, the ‘who.’
First and foremost, I believe that we are designed with an inward longing to know God. Ecclesiastes 3:10 says that God "has also set eternity in the hearts of men." There is a part of us deep inside that doesn't belong to this world. Deposited in our hearts is a piece of heaven. And that longing produces a desire to find out where we belong.
It’s like having a puzzle piece and wanting to find out where that piece fits and what the puzzle looks like when it’s complete. I believe that by design each and every one of us asks in some way, "Is God out there?" We are made in His image, we reflect His existence. Now not everyone knows about Jesus or all the details of the Gospel, but I believe that every man, woman, and child on this planet is created with eternity inside of them.
This is what I call the Genesis 4:26 principle, "then men began to call on the name of the Lord (Yahweh)." Even with murder and violence being introduced in to the world by Cain and his descendants in the first part of Genesis 4, people still ended up calling on God. That inward longing drove them to call on God and God answered. And as you read the stories of the patriarchs in the Torah, you will even find a number of "pagan" people who knew exactly who God was.
Psalm 145:18 says "the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." I believe that if anyone calls to God, truly wanting to know whether or not He exists that God answers. God’s name is on the tip of our tongues. But we have to choose to respond to that imbedded inner longing. We have to choose to call to Him.
But God didn’t stop there. God actually designed the world and even the universe around us to re-enforce our inner longing for eternity with Him. Psalm 19:1-6 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”
The heavens (skies) actually declare God’s existence. There isn’t a place in this world where the voice of the skies isn’t heard. And their witness translates into every language. Every day when you get up and see the sunrise, see the clouds moving overhead, watch it lightning during a storm, view the moon and the stars beaming in the night sky, or watch the horizon at sunset; the heavens are declaring God’s existence. The skies are re-enforcing that inward longing for God.
So God’s existence is something that is imbedded into us by creative design. And it's also imbedded in the world around us. Psalm 33:5 describes how our world reflects a creative design by simply stating, “the earth is full of the goodness of God.” Every plant or tree that grows, the mountains reaching up into the sky, all of the many types of animals, the depths of the oceans, every child taking his or her first steps; all reflecting the goodness and the greatness of God.
So each and every one of us is responsible for the ‘who.’ No one passing from this earth and entering heaven has the right to say, “God? Who?” God’s simple answer will be, “I put a little piece of me inside you and I gave you the universe to remind you that I was there!”
But there are also a number of other questions in addition to the ‘who.’ If God exists, what do I need to do about it? When do I need to respond to God? Where do I go to get in touch with God? Why did God create me? How do I get to know God? Just like the earth and the skies, as Christians we are responsible for re-enforcing the ‘who.’ But perhaps our greater responsibility is to answer what, when, where, why, and how.
Reading through the New Testament, the Apostles didn’t get into a whole lot of trouble talking about ‘who.’ Most people already recognized their inner longing for God and could see God’s glory reflected in the universe around them. Where the Apostles ran into opposition is when they started talking about what, when, where, why, and how.
This is still true for us as Christians today. There are a lot of false voices in our world looking to pervert people’s inner longing for God. And behind all of these false voices is some type of sinful motive. And their method of choice for ensnaring people is to provide false answers about what, when, where, why, and how. Whether they ensnare people or repulse their desire to pursue God at all; those false voices have done their job.
God can take care of the cast away on a desert island. He isn’t so limited or unconcerned about us that He can’t reach the people we can’t. And God has already imbedded a longing for Him inside of us. He has put a reflection of His glory in the universe around us. But it’s our responsibility to ensure that when people desire to call on God that they know how to “call upon Him in truth.”
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
But what about guys like that? What about the person who lives on an island or a place that is secluded by him or herself? If no one ever reaches those people to tell them about Jesus, does God still hold them responsible for knowing Him? How can God judge someone if they lived their life in a place where they never heard about Him?
I want to say that these are great questions to ask. I actually get concerned about Christians who never ask this. The Bible does have an answer. In order to talk about the Bible’s answer, I’ll need you to think: who, what, when, where, why, and how. We’ll start by talking about the big one, the ‘who.’
First and foremost, I believe that we are designed with an inward longing to know God. Ecclesiastes 3:10 says that God "has also set eternity in the hearts of men." There is a part of us deep inside that doesn't belong to this world. Deposited in our hearts is a piece of heaven. And that longing produces a desire to find out where we belong.
It’s like having a puzzle piece and wanting to find out where that piece fits and what the puzzle looks like when it’s complete. I believe that by design each and every one of us asks in some way, "Is God out there?" We are made in His image, we reflect His existence. Now not everyone knows about Jesus or all the details of the Gospel, but I believe that every man, woman, and child on this planet is created with eternity inside of them.
This is what I call the Genesis 4:26 principle, "then men began to call on the name of the Lord (Yahweh)." Even with murder and violence being introduced in to the world by Cain and his descendants in the first part of Genesis 4, people still ended up calling on God. That inward longing drove them to call on God and God answered. And as you read the stories of the patriarchs in the Torah, you will even find a number of "pagan" people who knew exactly who God was.
Psalm 145:18 says "the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." I believe that if anyone calls to God, truly wanting to know whether or not He exists that God answers. God’s name is on the tip of our tongues. But we have to choose to respond to that imbedded inner longing. We have to choose to call to Him.
But God didn’t stop there. God actually designed the world and even the universe around us to re-enforce our inner longing for eternity with Him. Psalm 19:1-6 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”
The heavens (skies) actually declare God’s existence. There isn’t a place in this world where the voice of the skies isn’t heard. And their witness translates into every language. Every day when you get up and see the sunrise, see the clouds moving overhead, watch it lightning during a storm, view the moon and the stars beaming in the night sky, or watch the horizon at sunset; the heavens are declaring God’s existence. The skies are re-enforcing that inward longing for God.
So God’s existence is something that is imbedded into us by creative design. And it's also imbedded in the world around us. Psalm 33:5 describes how our world reflects a creative design by simply stating, “the earth is full of the goodness of God.” Every plant or tree that grows, the mountains reaching up into the sky, all of the many types of animals, the depths of the oceans, every child taking his or her first steps; all reflecting the goodness and the greatness of God.
So each and every one of us is responsible for the ‘who.’ No one passing from this earth and entering heaven has the right to say, “God? Who?” God’s simple answer will be, “I put a little piece of me inside you and I gave you the universe to remind you that I was there!”
But there are also a number of other questions in addition to the ‘who.’ If God exists, what do I need to do about it? When do I need to respond to God? Where do I go to get in touch with God? Why did God create me? How do I get to know God? Just like the earth and the skies, as Christians we are responsible for re-enforcing the ‘who.’ But perhaps our greater responsibility is to answer what, when, where, why, and how.
Reading through the New Testament, the Apostles didn’t get into a whole lot of trouble talking about ‘who.’ Most people already recognized their inner longing for God and could see God’s glory reflected in the universe around them. Where the Apostles ran into opposition is when they started talking about what, when, where, why, and how.
This is still true for us as Christians today. There are a lot of false voices in our world looking to pervert people’s inner longing for God. And behind all of these false voices is some type of sinful motive. And their method of choice for ensnaring people is to provide false answers about what, when, where, why, and how. Whether they ensnare people or repulse their desire to pursue God at all; those false voices have done their job.
God can take care of the cast away on a desert island. He isn’t so limited or unconcerned about us that He can’t reach the people we can’t. And God has already imbedded a longing for Him inside of us. He has put a reflection of His glory in the universe around us. But it’s our responsibility to ensure that when people desire to call on God that they know how to “call upon Him in truth.”
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The God of Time
My grandma has a number of antique clocks in her house that actually “tick” as time passes. I had dinner with her recently and found the ‘sound of time’ strangely pleasant to listen to as I sat in her home. All the clocks in my own home are electronic and don’t make a sound. Time just quietly passes without any warning at all.
In a way, the electronic clock is really reflective of the modern world. We’ve done everything that we can to mute the sound of time passing. Everyone wants to look younger, to feel younger, to be younger. But in spite of all our best efforts, time keeps marching on and we keep getting older.
It’s easy to feel like you’re the monkey in the middle. Behind you are your past memories and experiences. In front of you are the unknown and the hope of one day realizing all of your dreams and ambitions for the future. And you’re the monkey stuck in the middle, trying to build on the experiences of the past (maybe escape a few). All the while, you’re working to reach forward in an attempt to attain some tangible piece of those elusive future dreams.
Time is one of the areas where we desperately need Gods help. We need His help managing time. But we also need God’s help in order to deal with the impact of time passing (physically, emotionally, & even spiritually). The good news is that God has got us covered.
One of the ways that God is referred to in the Old Testament is by taking the Hebrew word El (God) and combining it with some type of order. For example, in Genesis 14:18 God is referred to as El Elyon or God of the High (high referring to those in an exalted position above everyone else or the ‘highest’ position). He is the Head of the Order of the Exalted (nice to remember in an American election year), the “Most High God.” In Genesis 17:1, God is referred to as El Shaddai or God of the Mighty. God is the Head of the Order of the Mighty, the “Almighty God.”
But one of my favorites first appears in Genesis 21:33 where God is referred to as El Olam or God of Time. God is the Head of the order of Time, the “Everlasting God.” This is an amazing thought. God is the God of time.
One of the Old Testament words translated “time” is olam. It can be used to refer to ancient times, to the future, or even to the continuous passing of time. Olam is eternal time and therefore can be used to refer to any place in time (yesterday, today, or forever). This is why the phrase El Olam is translated “Everlasting God” or “Eternal God.”
Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says “I have seen the burden that God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done.” God has actually placed olam (eternity) in the hearts of men. We are built with an intricate awareness of time that makes us unique. And as we work to manage time, time should be a reminder of how great God is.
Time reaches back before our past and extends beyond our future. Time is so big that we can’t fathom it. And God is the God of Time. God controls and is in charge of the unfathomable.
This is an encouraging thought. It’s nice to remember that God is already ahead of you working to bring about your future. And when you pass from this life, God will be waiting for you in eternity. Time is designed to remind us of God’s greatness. And we were made for something greater than just what is here in this life. We were made with eternity inside of us.
I’m getting ready to turn thirty in a few days. And it’s encouraging to think that getting older is actually a good thing. The passing of time reminds me of how great God is. God is in the passing of my time working to make my life everything that it can be. And beyond that I am destined for eternity with Him.
So this week, when everything gets hectic and you feel like the ‘monkey in the middle,’ remember that God is the God of time. He sees your beginning and your end. God has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you in the future. And if you listen close enough you’ll here the tick of eternity inside of you, drawing you along a path that leads you straight into His arms.
You can trust God with your time.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
In a way, the electronic clock is really reflective of the modern world. We’ve done everything that we can to mute the sound of time passing. Everyone wants to look younger, to feel younger, to be younger. But in spite of all our best efforts, time keeps marching on and we keep getting older.
It’s easy to feel like you’re the monkey in the middle. Behind you are your past memories and experiences. In front of you are the unknown and the hope of one day realizing all of your dreams and ambitions for the future. And you’re the monkey stuck in the middle, trying to build on the experiences of the past (maybe escape a few). All the while, you’re working to reach forward in an attempt to attain some tangible piece of those elusive future dreams.
Time is one of the areas where we desperately need Gods help. We need His help managing time. But we also need God’s help in order to deal with the impact of time passing (physically, emotionally, & even spiritually). The good news is that God has got us covered.
One of the ways that God is referred to in the Old Testament is by taking the Hebrew word El (God) and combining it with some type of order. For example, in Genesis 14:18 God is referred to as El Elyon or God of the High (high referring to those in an exalted position above everyone else or the ‘highest’ position). He is the Head of the Order of the Exalted (nice to remember in an American election year), the “Most High God.” In Genesis 17:1, God is referred to as El Shaddai or God of the Mighty. God is the Head of the Order of the Mighty, the “Almighty God.”
But one of my favorites first appears in Genesis 21:33 where God is referred to as El Olam or God of Time. God is the Head of the order of Time, the “Everlasting God.” This is an amazing thought. God is the God of time.
One of the Old Testament words translated “time” is olam. It can be used to refer to ancient times, to the future, or even to the continuous passing of time. Olam is eternal time and therefore can be used to refer to any place in time (yesterday, today, or forever). This is why the phrase El Olam is translated “Everlasting God” or “Eternal God.”
Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says “I have seen the burden that God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done.” God has actually placed olam (eternity) in the hearts of men. We are built with an intricate awareness of time that makes us unique. And as we work to manage time, time should be a reminder of how great God is.
Time reaches back before our past and extends beyond our future. Time is so big that we can’t fathom it. And God is the God of Time. God controls and is in charge of the unfathomable.
This is an encouraging thought. It’s nice to remember that God is already ahead of you working to bring about your future. And when you pass from this life, God will be waiting for you in eternity. Time is designed to remind us of God’s greatness. And we were made for something greater than just what is here in this life. We were made with eternity inside of us.
I’m getting ready to turn thirty in a few days. And it’s encouraging to think that getting older is actually a good thing. The passing of time reminds me of how great God is. God is in the passing of my time working to make my life everything that it can be. And beyond that I am destined for eternity with Him.
So this week, when everything gets hectic and you feel like the ‘monkey in the middle,’ remember that God is the God of time. He sees your beginning and your end. God has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you in the future. And if you listen close enough you’ll here the tick of eternity inside of you, drawing you along a path that leads you straight into His arms.
You can trust God with your time.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, November 22, 2008
God Of This City
At my Church we sing a song called God Of This City by Andrew McCann, Boyd Aaron, Ian Jordan, Peter Comfort, Peter Kernaghan & Richard Bleakley. This song has a very moving chorus, “For greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this City. ” We’ve played this song a number of times but recently I began to think differently about the words. Do I really care about my City? Do I really care about what happens here? Am I really believing God for this City to see greater things?
I live in Manassas, Virginia. During the American Civil War, the fate of the United States was literally decided in two different battles that occurred here in Manassas. Take in to consideration the influence that the US wields around the world, and it is fair to say that the state of our world was in some way decided right here in my City. So there was a time when my City was very important to the people who lived here. And my City has some historical significance.
But the small Civil War town of Manassas has long since been replaced by a growing City of commuters. A feeling of community has been replaced with a sense of restlessness as people scurry to get to work or complete errands. And I wonder how many people really care about our City at all.
I think there are two major reasons why people stop caring. The first is that a place means too much to them and the second is that a place means too little (getting deep, I know). I grew up here in my City and so I can identify with both sentiments.
Some people have too many memories, too many experiences, or simply too much time in the place where they live. They feel trapped by their memories, by their experiences, or even by the sense that their City is all they know. Some people have a family reputation and feel that they have too much to live up too or too much to escape. In either case, they stop caring because their City means too much to them.
I have many memories and experiences associated with the place where I live. Everywhere I go there is some type of memory. And for many years these memories were not very pleasant. I remember driving a different way home hoping to avoid thinking about something unpleasant only to find that there was nowhere I could go to escape my memories. By the grace of God I have built up a healthy store of good memories and have learned to let go of my past. But I can still identify with the people who feel that their City means too much.
I can also identify with the people who feel that their City means too little. My City is a melting pot of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Many people commute out of the City for work. And economic pressures have many people spending more time on the go trying scratch out a living than at home with their families. We clock into the City and clock out without any regard for the City itself. The City is not a place but a resource. And we give little regard to anything outside our own world.
I’m guilty of this myself. I get up at 4 A.M. to go to work. I get home at 5 P.M. I file in to my apartment and only leave if I have an errand that can’t wait until the weekend. I have Saturday to complete chores and errands. I spend Sunday at Church. And then Monday starts my routine all over again. I have little time or energy to think about my City or to give any regard to what is happening outside of my own comings and goings.
Then I remember that Jesus had a City. His City was Jerusalem. While it is not the place where He grew up, Jerusalem still occupies a major place in Jesus’ teachings. Jesus also expressed a deep emotional sentiment for this place. Jesus literally lived and died in Jerusalem. And in His own life, Jesus had to confront Jerusalem meaning too much and Jerusalem meaning too little.
Jerusalem was a melting pot of cultures and for its time a busy ‘commuter’ City. And for a season Jesus’ ministry was actually enhanced by the large crowds He encountered there. Jesus was not opposed to the idea of a big community.
But Jesus was opposed to the ‘commuter spirit’ entering the Church. The Jewish Temple (think Church) there had begun to treat the City like a resource. They had stopped caring about the needs of the City. And eventually all they saw was the dollar value of the people passing through their doors.
Jesus was so angry with the state of the Temple at Jerusalem that He violently drove out the moneychangers who were trying to cash in on the crowds coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (Matt. 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22). In his account, John actually says that Jesus “made a whip of cords” to drive out the moneychangers. Mark says that Jesus stood there (whip in hand) and “would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.” Jesus stood there and refused to let anyone who was selling even walk through the temple.
If we refused to let anyone ‘carrying wares’ into the Church today than most of the Churches in America would have to close down. Jesus’ point was very simple. The Church should never treat its City like a resource. As believers we don’t have the right to simply clock in and clock out. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can find refuge from the demands that the world has put on them. The Church is meant to be a resource for the City not the other way around.
And once Jesus had driven that ‘commuter spirit’ out of the temple, something wonderful happened. Matthew says that “then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.” Jesus made Himself available as a resource in the Church. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can come to find healing. But this will only happen if we step out of ourselves and make ourselves available.
Don’t make Jesus chase you with a whip. You’re not here simply to consume. You’re here to be a light in your City. Drive out the notion that the City is here to provide for you. You are here to provide for your City.
But this doesn’t stop on Sunday. Make yourself available at work, while you’re doing errands, ect. It’s amazing how many needy people you’ll find in your day to day routines. As soon as you let go of a self-centered mentality, you’ll find people flocking to you who need healing.
But what about the people who’s City means too much? Does Jesus have anything to say to them? Absolutely. Jesus had the worst experiences imaginable in Jerusalem. He was literally tortured to death and eventually crucified at Jerusalem.
I don’t know about you, but if there were one place I would never want to go back to, it would be the place where I was tortured to death and murdered. But after His resurrection Jesus went right back to Jerusalem and His disciples. Now this isn’t scriptural, but I like to picture Jesus walking around a bit before He “appeared” to His disciples. And I imagine that there was no place He could go in that City where He didn’t have some type of painful memory. But He went back anyways.
Jesus’ instruction to His disciples gives us a glimpse into how He felt. He told them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49).
Jesus was able to put His experiences into the perspective of God’s ultimate purpose for His life. He understood that by submitting His experiences to that purpose, He was able to expand His influence. And so “beginning at Jerusalem,” the place of Jesus’ pain, Christianity would spread through out the world.
God didn’t author your pain. He didn’t want you to hurt. The start of your story may be full of bad memories, but God has some new chapters that He wants to write. And He has a wonderful ending that He wants to add to your story. By submitting your experiences to God, you too can wield a greater influence. Every test becomes a testimony and every mess a message (as my Pastor always says).
But beyond this, God wants to meet you in the place of your pain. It’s not an accident that you are where you are. In your City, in the place that means too much, God wants to ‘endue you with power from on High.’ God wants to use you. And if you’re willing, God will fill your life with new and wonderful experiences. So perhaps instead of running, you need to “tarry” (stay) right where you are.
Whether you’re the person who feels that their City means too little or the person that feels their City means too much, God does not have you here by accident. God didn’t take a day off and lose track of you. God has a purpose for you. And God has a purpose for your City. Those two purposes are interconnected. Your purpose starts right where God has you, in your City. We need to get passionate about seeing our Cities won for God. “God Of This City” needs to become both a battle cry and a lifestyle. Before your City can belong to God, your City needs to belong to you.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins
I live in Manassas, Virginia. During the American Civil War, the fate of the United States was literally decided in two different battles that occurred here in Manassas. Take in to consideration the influence that the US wields around the world, and it is fair to say that the state of our world was in some way decided right here in my City. So there was a time when my City was very important to the people who lived here. And my City has some historical significance.
But the small Civil War town of Manassas has long since been replaced by a growing City of commuters. A feeling of community has been replaced with a sense of restlessness as people scurry to get to work or complete errands. And I wonder how many people really care about our City at all.
I think there are two major reasons why people stop caring. The first is that a place means too much to them and the second is that a place means too little (getting deep, I know). I grew up here in my City and so I can identify with both sentiments.
Some people have too many memories, too many experiences, or simply too much time in the place where they live. They feel trapped by their memories, by their experiences, or even by the sense that their City is all they know. Some people have a family reputation and feel that they have too much to live up too or too much to escape. In either case, they stop caring because their City means too much to them.
I have many memories and experiences associated with the place where I live. Everywhere I go there is some type of memory. And for many years these memories were not very pleasant. I remember driving a different way home hoping to avoid thinking about something unpleasant only to find that there was nowhere I could go to escape my memories. By the grace of God I have built up a healthy store of good memories and have learned to let go of my past. But I can still identify with the people who feel that their City means too much.
I can also identify with the people who feel that their City means too little. My City is a melting pot of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Many people commute out of the City for work. And economic pressures have many people spending more time on the go trying scratch out a living than at home with their families. We clock into the City and clock out without any regard for the City itself. The City is not a place but a resource. And we give little regard to anything outside our own world.
I’m guilty of this myself. I get up at 4 A.M. to go to work. I get home at 5 P.M. I file in to my apartment and only leave if I have an errand that can’t wait until the weekend. I have Saturday to complete chores and errands. I spend Sunday at Church. And then Monday starts my routine all over again. I have little time or energy to think about my City or to give any regard to what is happening outside of my own comings and goings.
Then I remember that Jesus had a City. His City was Jerusalem. While it is not the place where He grew up, Jerusalem still occupies a major place in Jesus’ teachings. Jesus also expressed a deep emotional sentiment for this place. Jesus literally lived and died in Jerusalem. And in His own life, Jesus had to confront Jerusalem meaning too much and Jerusalem meaning too little.
Jerusalem was a melting pot of cultures and for its time a busy ‘commuter’ City. And for a season Jesus’ ministry was actually enhanced by the large crowds He encountered there. Jesus was not opposed to the idea of a big community.
But Jesus was opposed to the ‘commuter spirit’ entering the Church. The Jewish Temple (think Church) there had begun to treat the City like a resource. They had stopped caring about the needs of the City. And eventually all they saw was the dollar value of the people passing through their doors.
Jesus was so angry with the state of the Temple at Jerusalem that He violently drove out the moneychangers who were trying to cash in on the crowds coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (Matt. 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22). In his account, John actually says that Jesus “made a whip of cords” to drive out the moneychangers. Mark says that Jesus stood there (whip in hand) and “would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.” Jesus stood there and refused to let anyone who was selling even walk through the temple.
If we refused to let anyone ‘carrying wares’ into the Church today than most of the Churches in America would have to close down. Jesus’ point was very simple. The Church should never treat its City like a resource. As believers we don’t have the right to simply clock in and clock out. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can find refuge from the demands that the world has put on them. The Church is meant to be a resource for the City not the other way around.
And once Jesus had driven that ‘commuter spirit’ out of the temple, something wonderful happened. Matthew says that “then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.” Jesus made Himself available as a resource in the Church. The Church is supposed to be a place where people can come to find healing. But this will only happen if we step out of ourselves and make ourselves available.
Don’t make Jesus chase you with a whip. You’re not here simply to consume. You’re here to be a light in your City. Drive out the notion that the City is here to provide for you. You are here to provide for your City.
But this doesn’t stop on Sunday. Make yourself available at work, while you’re doing errands, ect. It’s amazing how many needy people you’ll find in your day to day routines. As soon as you let go of a self-centered mentality, you’ll find people flocking to you who need healing.
But what about the people who’s City means too much? Does Jesus have anything to say to them? Absolutely. Jesus had the worst experiences imaginable in Jerusalem. He was literally tortured to death and eventually crucified at Jerusalem.
I don’t know about you, but if there were one place I would never want to go back to, it would be the place where I was tortured to death and murdered. But after His resurrection Jesus went right back to Jerusalem and His disciples. Now this isn’t scriptural, but I like to picture Jesus walking around a bit before He “appeared” to His disciples. And I imagine that there was no place He could go in that City where He didn’t have some type of painful memory. But He went back anyways.
Jesus’ instruction to His disciples gives us a glimpse into how He felt. He told them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49).
Jesus was able to put His experiences into the perspective of God’s ultimate purpose for His life. He understood that by submitting His experiences to that purpose, He was able to expand His influence. And so “beginning at Jerusalem,” the place of Jesus’ pain, Christianity would spread through out the world.
God didn’t author your pain. He didn’t want you to hurt. The start of your story may be full of bad memories, but God has some new chapters that He wants to write. And He has a wonderful ending that He wants to add to your story. By submitting your experiences to God, you too can wield a greater influence. Every test becomes a testimony and every mess a message (as my Pastor always says).
But beyond this, God wants to meet you in the place of your pain. It’s not an accident that you are where you are. In your City, in the place that means too much, God wants to ‘endue you with power from on High.’ God wants to use you. And if you’re willing, God will fill your life with new and wonderful experiences. So perhaps instead of running, you need to “tarry” (stay) right where you are.
Whether you’re the person who feels that their City means too little or the person that feels their City means too much, God does not have you here by accident. God didn’t take a day off and lose track of you. God has a purpose for you. And God has a purpose for your City. Those two purposes are interconnected. Your purpose starts right where God has you, in your City. We need to get passionate about seeing our Cities won for God. “God Of This City” needs to become both a battle cry and a lifestyle. Before your City can belong to God, your City needs to belong to you.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Finish What You Start
A few years ago I was working with a friend on a project for our church’s youth ministry. She had her two-year-old son with her and we were making posters. To keep him distracted, she set out some cookies and juice on the table where we were working. The little boy looked up from his toys and saw the cookies and juice. He ran over, took one bite of cookie and a sip of juice, and then went back to his toys. I heard my friend murmur under her breath at her two-year-old son, “Stereo typical man, he never finishes what he starts.”
Now my friend was joking and the poor kid was only two years old. But the thought hit me like lightning on a lightning rod. Do I finish what I start? I was so moved by the thought that I went home and fasted and prayed for the next three days. “God make me a man that finishes what I start.” I believe that this is what Jesus meant when, in Matthew 5:37, He said, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Jesus was not only instructing us to refrain from rash oaths but he was also saying ‘don’t start something you can’t or don’t intend to finish’ (my paraphrase).
It is true that we are especially guilty as men of starting projects and never finishing them. But time and a little experience have taught me that women also struggle with the same issue. The difference is that women generally don’t let their unfinished tasks accrue as much age as the unfinished tasks of men. If you are a woman who doesn’t struggle with this issue than don’t fear. One day you will likely marry a man who has plenty of unfinished tasks that you can help him with!
So why do we struggle to finish what we start and how do we change? Some of the answers to ‘why’ are easy but some could take a lifetime to figure out. The important thing is that Jesus has put them in their place, “whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Whatever the issues are that cause us not to finish what we start, they are not from God. And this isn’t one of those issues where you want to wait to figure out the ‘why’ before you start working on the ‘how.’ There are ways that we can better manage our responsibilities.
Here are some solid principles that can help us become ‘finishers’ of the things we start:
1) Don’t miss the moment-
There some things that you simply must do when you have the first opportunity to do them or are first asked to do them. In some cases you may never get another chance. The impact of not responding immediately to some situations can be severe and unforgiving. Fail to respond to certain requests and you may never be able to heal the breach that is caused in a relationship as a result of an unfinished task. There are times when you’ve got to ‘just do it.’
I believe that our ‘gut’ tells us when we’re in one of these moments. But there are two things that can cheat us out of the moment. The first is a lack of sensitivity. Those ‘gut’ feelings can be a combination of our own good instincts and God speaking to us. In both cases, we become more sensitive the more we listen to and follow our ‘gut.’ The reverse is also true. The more we ignore the promptings of God and/or our own good instincts, the less sensitive we become to them in the future. Ignoring a ‘moment’ results in the volume level of our instincts being turned down (not good).
You have to be careful with your ‘gut.’ What you feed your life will determine whether or not your ‘gut’ is working properly. Our lives should be guided by good relationships and good principles (by good principles I mean the B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me). But in the context of good relationships and good principles, you’ve got to be sensitive to those ‘gut’ instincts. Don’t breed a lack of sensitivity in your life by repeatedly ignoring the moments where you know that you need to respond immediately. You don’t want to wake up one day and discover that the voice of God and/or your own good instincts have been totally muted because you repeatedly failed to listen. Be sensitive to your ‘gut’ instincts.
The second thing that can rob us of the moment is fear. What if I make a mistake? What if I fail? What if I don’t respond the right way? Timeout. God honors your motivation (check out Proverbs 10:24). Do your best and trust God with the rest. If you respond to a ‘moment’ out of a motivation to honor God than God will honor you. God is not small. He is not powerless to intervene in your situation or help you out if you make a mistake.
Now if you’ve got a bad motive (generally revealed by a bad attitude) than ask somebody you trust how he or she thinks you should respond. That’s what speed dials and instant messenger are for. Don’t let fear cause you to miss the moment. God is the God of your moments. And God wants you to succeed. So don’t let those ‘just do it’ moments pass you by.
2) Hit the big things first-
Sometimes we don’t finish what we start because there are so many things that must be done. What do you do when you have a ton of things to do and they are all critical? Easy. Hit the big things first.
Now I am not condoning violence here. But if you get in a fistfight where the other side out numbers your side than hit the biggest guy first. Take out the biggest guy and you’ve got a good chance that the smaller guys might tuck tale and run. If not at least you’ve got the big guy out of the equation. Run with the principle and ignore the bit about fistfights.
If you find yourself faced with a number of critical tasks that all share the same priority level than hit the biggest one first. What task has the biggest dollar value associated with it? What task will have the most impact on my grade or other people’s evaluation of my performance? What task will have the biggest effect on my relationships? Try to narrow your list down to one or two ‘biggest things’ and take care of them first.
Sometimes you will discover that in the process of tackling the biggest tasks you either solve some of the smaller issues or they solve themselves. Hitting the big things first makes the total value of your action items go down. And if someone questions you about not completing some of the smaller things than you have a valid reason why you worked on the big things first. So hit the big things first.
3) Somebody’s got to bleed-
Some times when people and relationships are intricately connected to the tasks that you are working on, you can’t use the ‘hit the big things first’ principle (unless you want to get in a real fistfight). And sometimes the value of all of the things you are working on is so high or so critical that the ‘hit the big things first’ principle can’t be used. That’s when you’ve got to learn to do something I call “bleeding tasks.”
Bleeding tasks is a methodology that allows you to create your own pecking order for tasks that all have a high value and a high priority level. Everybody wants everything now. But you don’t have the ability to do everything for everyone right now. So someone is not going to get what he or she wants right now. Someone is going to have to “bleed” (experience an undesired delay).
The pecking order you have to create when “bleeding tasks” is somewhat random but there are several principles that you must adhere to in order to be successful:
a) Know who’s anemic.
Some people are emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and/or logistically anemic. This may be due to a personal situation, to stress at work, or due to the stage of your relationship with them. The same way that a blood bank won’t take blood from someone who is anemic, you’ve got to be careful not to bleed a task involving someone who is emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or logistically anemic. Someone who is going through a personal crisis at home may not be able to handle not getting what he or she wants right now. If you are just starting to build a relationship with someone or are rehabilitating a relationship than that relationship may be too anemic for you to ask to draw anything out of it. Any tasks associated with anemic people have to be high on the pecking order because anemic people aren’t in any condition to “bleed.”
b) Keep track of when people give blood-
Don’t repeatedly delay tasks associated with the same person or group of people. You have to let people take turns ‘giving blood.’ If you had to ask a specific person to wait yesterday than ask someone different today. If you struggle remembering things than keep a log of the people and tasks that you had to “bleed.” You don’t want to keep drawing blood from the same person. By keeping track and rotating ‘donors,’ you can minimize the impact people feel when you ask to delay a task they’ve given you.
c) Don’t be afraid of a little crying-
There is a big difference between someone who is anemic and someone who is just immature. There are some people who are perfectly healthy and who haven’t ‘given blood’ before who are still going to cry and whine when you pull out that needle. Some people are not used to not getting what they want right now. But under the right conditions and with a good attitude you have to be the one to give them a reality check. Console them and assure them that they can trust you. But don’t be afraid of a little crying.
d) Make it worth their while-
The point of “bleeding tasks” is to create a pecking order that allows you to get to work and eventually finish all of the tasks that have been assigned to you. This is not to be confused with being lazy or insensitive. When you’ve asked someone to wait, you better make sure that you deliver a good product in the end. If someone has given blood than they are going to expect a good quality of work from you. Make it worth their while. Otherwise you are going to have a bunch of angry people wearing Band-Aids chasing after you looking for retribution.
e) Be willing to bleed-
You can’t ask other people to bleed if you aren’t willing to do the same. In order to be able to ask others to wait, you have to be willing to oblige them when they ask you to wait. Bleeding tasks is a mutual relationship. You have to understand that there are times when other people will be over-tasked and will need for you to ‘donate blood.’ So when they come to you and say, “I’m really swamped today. Can I complete the task you gave me tomorrow morning instead of today?” be ready and willing to bleed.
Successful people are good at bleeding tasks and aren’t afraid to handle the moments when someone has to bleed. As always, good communication with your donors is key.
4) Don’t get under something that weighs more than you do.
As a general rule, a healthy or athletic person can lift his or her own body weight directly overhead. This is an important principle to remember when taking on new projects. One of the reasons we don’t finish what we start is because we take on too much. You have to know how strong your life is and what you can handle.
When you are taking on something new, remember to add the total ‘weight’ of all of the things you have to do. Sometimes we look at a project and say, “Hey, I can lift that.” But we forget that we already have a lot of other heavy tasks hanging over us. It’s not just the weight of the new task that’s important but the total weight of all of the tasks you’re working on that is key.
Don’t lift more than what you can handle. Once you start exceeding your own ‘body weight,’ you can get in serious trouble. You don’t want to ‘pull a muscle’ and fatigue yourself to the point that you burn out. You do need to exercise and grow. But don’t take on more than you can handle.
All four of these things are critical if we want to be people who finish what we start. As Christians, we have signed up to imitate Christ. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith.” Jesus always finishes what He starts. We need to learn to be “finishers.”
Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins
Mark 10:27
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Welcome!
Sign up for my blog so that you can read my first post this Saturday. Take a minute Saturday morning to have virtual coffee (or tea) with me by reading my blog and sharing an inspirational thought for the week.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah Mullins
Mark 10:27
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