sTaY CoNNeCteD

Connection.

According to the dictionary, the word "connect" means "to bring together or into contact so that a real link is established; to provide a link or relationship with someone or something; form a relationship or affinity with another; to associate with and relate."

In today's world, it appears to mean having access to our social media accounts in our vehicles, at our fingertips with a mobile device, and through our laptops and desktop computers. It means having access to all the latest news from politics to the stock market to entertainment to our favorite sports teams. As long as we have internet connection or wi-fi, we are connected in the way that matters most to many. We know what our family is doing. We know what our friends are doing. We know what is happening with our investments. We know practically everything but what do we really know? 

Are we really connected? Today was a great example of what connection can be. We didn't have wi-fi coverage for a few days and we didn't even notice until Sunday morning in preparation for Worship Service. It was problematic to say the least when you have come to rely on this access for communication, technology, and other assorted things. For us, it was just an annoyance but for many, it ruins their lives and causes them to not be able to complete work related tasks and school assignments. For some, it completes hinder some from functioning. I personally think we're seeing the idea of connection all wrong. I love my smartphone and my laptop and my innovative big screen TV that I rarely get to watch but I was reminded today of something I should have already known. These things shouldn't have the capacity to ruin our day and make us forget how grateful we should be. Today, instead of giving in to our frustration and letting our emotions take control of everything, we adapted and did what so many before us did without access to the internet and wi-fi and other technological perks: We used our hands and lips and praised the Lord through it all. We were thankful, grateful, and communicative! The atmosphere was incredible and we didn't any other mode of connection except the only one that truly matters: Our connection with our Source for Life. Relationship.

How easily we forget, huh? Before we had USB cables and 120 volt outlets, we had Him. Before we had Droids, I-phones, and cordless microphones, we had Him. He was always there. It was and still is our responsibility to connect. See, I know how easy it is to start the morning checking our mentions on Twitter, our posts and comments on Facebook, emails, text, etc. I have to guard against this on a daily basis because I recognize the lure and the attraction to stay locked in to these "sources". We might be up to speed on what is happening in the world around us but we are totally disconnected where it matters most. 

Romans 12:2 NLT reminds us "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

When we prioritize these kinds of connections in our lives and make them matter more than they should, we place ourselves at a disadvantage morally and spiritually. We began to hear so much of the world's ideas that we began to resemble what we hear. We are, in effect, conforming, which means basically "going against form". We're doing things using the world's blueprint and this is dangerous especially when this is the primary outlet that we plug our spirits into. 

Anyone of us can be susceptible to these distractions if we're honest. The world around us will major in these minors more often than not. Walking/driving while texting is more prevalent than ever. If we took a poll, we might have 100% of these offenders that would admit that nothing they post, read, or games played on their phones is worth losing their lives. They know this but still continue to exhibit these behaviors. Sadly, the "religious" persons among us trust these things more than they trust God too. Their worship teams can't sing their sets because the lyrics to the songs are not on the projector screens and the teams are negligent in learning the songs during the week. The churchgoer has a hard time following the service because they don't bring Bibles to church and the projector screen is their sole way of knowing what the main scripture is for that message. 

Now, either folks have divided loyalties to local ministry or they don't see it as a priority especially during the warmer months of the year. The outcome gained from these responses is a lukewarm approach to ministry and serving God. A passive and often reactive approach to ministry that keeps us on the outskirts of what God purposes for our lives. You may not believe this but some people believe they have as much right to God's promises as you do even though they refuse relationship with Him daily. Coming to church for Easter or once every month or so doesn't entitle us to any special blessing. God wants our hearts and He wants fellowship with us on a daily basis. He wants to shine through our lives so that those that are in our sphere of influence that are in spiritual trouble can be helped. What help are we if we are in the exact same predicament and even worse, we know where the answer is and won't tell those that need it? 

The first part of the passage in Romans from earlier says a mouthful on this topic. Paul said in Romans 12:1 HCSB "I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual worship."

I'll end with this. I believe that everyone wants the same things such as peace, miracles, happiness, relationship, a touch from God, access, etc. The problem is that there is an argument about where to find these. Expecting a prophetic word, a miracle, or a "touch from God" but purposely showing a disregard for God's community and the gathering of His people will meet with failure. Some of these even feel that "worshipping God from home" is just fine with the Lord and he doesn't require any additional obedience or commitment. I call that a "minimalist religious theology". The bare minimum is just fine because God knows their heart. That's sad and inaccurate. God doesn't give prophetic words to people He doesn't want to change. Nowadays, all you have to do is talk the talk and dress the part and people will believe you're "connected" to the same Source we preach and sing and teach about. Presenting ourselves means picking up these bodies and the mess that comes with them and setting them in the midst of a Holy God that knows about our struggles and our thoughts and knows what we need. Even the thought of being disconnected from the Source of my life is too much to bear. Without consistent and genuine relationship, that is our eventual fate. I don't know what calls you away or what hurt you harbor in your hearts but if you see value in anything you have read, most importantly the Word of God, please get re-connected to a local ministry that teaches the Word of God and respects corporate worship. Get connected with people who believe these are important and exhibit a lifestyle that is faithful to this. And most of all, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. There is no authentic connection without that.

"Not forsaking the assembling ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25 KJV)

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth such fruit: for without me, you can do nothing. " (John 15:4-5)

At ThE eND oF THe DaY

If you could look through my entire social media timeline for the past 11 years, you will see social media posts on relationship. It was and is to some degree one of my biggest struggles. I am positive that I'm not the only one. As big as this world is, it can often be small and cramped and we have to deal with uncomfortable things regarding our fellow human beings. We are exposed to things we don't want to know and we have to experience things that forever change us. On the flip side, we get to be a witness to some of the greatest highs and miraculous events of our lifetime. All this through the lens of relationships.

I have a beautiful wife of 21 years who is my best friend, three beautiful daughters and six incredible grandchildren who carry a world of potential. I have a mother who has literally been a life saver and is an undying support in the best and worst of times. She sacrificed much for me to have the ability to say what I'm saying freely and to be the man that I have become. That's a debt I cannot repay. All important relationships that have shaped my life and helped me grow significantly.  But placing any of these persons before God instantly puts them into an increasingly uncomfortable position: At odds with the Father for your affection.

"I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images." (Isaiah 42:8 ASV)

I simply decided to use an example that is very familiar to me. Insert your own here. Either way, we have to ask what place "it" has in our hearts and in our lives. At the end of the day, is God the Father a fallback option or the object of our affections? Are we single focused on him daily or do we visit him one day a week like we do a distant aunt or uncle?

To many people that we know and love, there is nothing more important than their children and their husbands or wives, their household, their personal comfort, and their money! It seems a tad insane to come home every day and use electricity to charge our I-Phones, keep our alarm clocks at the right time, heat our meals, and allow us to enjoy the pleasure of each others' company watching our favorite TV or a nice movie on the weekend and, with the same breath, curse the electric company for providing us with these advantages. Who would do that, right? Perhaps we do that just with some differences. I would go one step further and say that we are living in rampant modern day idolatry. We just don't use wooden idols anymore now they are living, breathing, fallible idols that we worship and place on a pedestal in our hearts that exceeds even God Himself.

Well, this could be the point where people are picking up their stones, or going back to their Facebook profiles where it is safe, comfortable, and there is no accountability. This is where people shut off their laptops. But a fact remains on the other side of our resistance. We have taken the breath and life that we were graced with and use that same breath to spat on the Giver of the Gift. I am not saying what you hold dear is not important but I question if it's deserving of the #1 spot above all else. I would retort that the #1 spot is reserved. We have taken places that are designated as temporary and taken up permanent residency in them. Did you find it strange that Jesus Christ as a child so readily left his family to go and preach in the temple to a people who would probably not hear him anyway? They marveled at him for being a child and holding such wisdom but was this just a special circumstance or a teaching for us all? When his parents finally located him after frantically searching for him, what was his response?

And he said to them, "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49 NKJV)

Ahh, children! Aren't they precious? This is a child we needed to take seriously. Purpose drove his response to his parents. He, to be fair, knew something that many of us do not. He understood three vital things: One - He knew where He came from. People ridiculed Him and cursed Him and made commentary on his hometown and his family and his knowledge base but He knew His value and His worth and He was undeterred. Two - He knew His purpose for being here. If He had not, He would have been confused by the spiritual struggle and given in to temptation and lashed out and perhaps even called a legion of holy angels to remove Him from Calvary's death sentence scenario. He would have forgotten the importance of why He had to stay there and carry our sins. Three - He knew where home was. He spoke of it often and reminded the disciples and those that would listen that a place was being prepared and this is not our destination but only a momentary location.

We have as people become so disconnected that we think this temporary situation is the perfect place for a permanent home.

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

Our priorities are in the wrong place and it cost us greatly when we are out of position spiritually.
Paul made a strong point on this in the book of Colossians.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

What's wrong with the things on Earth? Why can't we focus on them?

At the end of the day, the things that we hold tightly to don't amount to what matters most.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36 KJV)

I can't think of anything. Can you?

I hope this was a blessing to you. That was my intention. 

Do yOU KnoW wHo YoU aRE?

You have to verify it when you step into foreign territory.

You need it to obtain a heritage rightfully yours.

You must wield it when your whole life comes crumbling around you and you question everything you know. 

It is essential to avoid eventual abuse of self, and mind, and spirit. 

IDENTITY. "The sameness that constitutes the objective reality of a thing; the distinguishing character or personality of an individual" (Merriam Webster dictionary)

If you would research this word in the Greek language, you would find that it is closely linked to the words, "breath", "personality" and "essence". It boils down to your D.N.A. Everything that is essential about you is wrapped up in your identity. We've been so misinformed that many of us could read this and might immediately start thinking our names when we hear identity.

Does anyone remember the name of the woman with the issue of blood spoken of in Matthew 9:20?

How about the widow woman who was deep in debt in 2 Kings 4:1-7?

What about the demon-possessed man in Matthew 8:28 or the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19?

I won't presume to speculate on why these and so many other hundreds of persons have gone without names. A basic assumption would be that these persons were not important somehow or insignificant to the account being told but that's basic and untrue. They were critical to the point in nearly every single case. I believe that these persons, the woman with the issue of blood, the widow on her last meal, and others were identified more by their situation rather than who they actually were. It had little to do with their name and more about the essence of who they are where it really matters. Sermons have been preached that have been life changing for millions of people and they usually consist of a subject with no name. The only thing we know about many of them is their country where they lived and their affliction. I doubt that's a coincidence. Where you are from and what you are dealing with. Isn't that what people from your past or that casually remember about you anyway? They remember where we come from and what our lives were like. Remember this?

"When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did his man get all these things? And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home."

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (Matthew 13:53-58)

That's a pattern that we still find today. Isn't that Irene from 39th St? That's that Reilly boy from Westport! I know her mother. His father is that same guy that can't hold down a decent job. Everybody has a story. But it doesn't have to be the whole story. It is only a moment and a season. 

Do your neighbors really know your identity or do they know you by your situation and your affliction? 

It's really not hard to find someone who will poke their chest out and tell you they know who they are but their frequent speech, their body language, their thoughts, and even their subsequent actions tell a different story. They are consumed by their circumstances and in that seemingly all consuming sphere, they lose sight of themselves. They forget who they are. Have you forgotten who you are? Is your situation so consuming that you have gotten away from your faith? Peter did the impossible and the unthinkable, and yet, when he faced strong winds and heavy waves, and was unable to see his hand in front of his face, surrounded by uncertainty and trouble, he forgot what he was supposed to be concentrating on. He took his eyes off of what mattered and like most of us regularly deal with, Peter began to sink.

I know what it is like to be a witness to a divine miracle and the next moment, I am failing and falling. I forgot who I was. I forgot my heritage. I forgot the promise. 

Once we lose our identity and consciousness of who were are at our very core, we lose something we cannot readily replace. Knowing your identity affords you a prime opportunity to avoid making permanent homes in temporary places.

HoW DoeS YouR GarDEn GroW?

Listen to the so-called gardening experts and you will see everything from some kind of super organic seed to high powered dirt with steroids in it to fresh dung. I won't say these things are not successful but I have a small garden that has yielded incredible results. I tried some of the off the wall ideas such as putting old bread, cutting off the roots of vegetables and planting them and some other "new age" ideas. What my wife and I have discovered is that some good old fashioned soil, sunlight, and a lot of water has yielded amazing results as shown in the picture below. 

I am not saying that these results could not have been better and brighter but I can say that my family is very satisfied with the taste of our salads and we are highly satisfied with our grocery bill.

If you thought this blog was going to be about lettuce and Cherry tomatoes, then you clearly don't know me well enough to know better. 

I believe that it is not accidental and by specific design and detail that many passages in your Bible speak to agriculture. As a matter of fact, it is literally one of the scripture's strongest and most recurring themes. Why do you think that is?

Do you think it's because the Author wants to emphasize the idea that everything begins as a seed and it, if not properly treated, will not grow to its fullest capacity? Is it perhaps that everything in this life follows the same process and requires a healthy dose of sunlight, soil, and water to produce fruits? Is it indicative of a formula for God's view of a successful life? It could be any of the above or perhaps none. But what I do know is that the abundant (that picture above was merely an eight of what comes out of our garden on a weekly basis) crop of vegetables that we yielded was possible because of consistency, a persistent effort, loving care, and learning from our early mistakes. 

The garden of our lives can often resemble the examples from the Parable of the Sower in Matthew chapter 13. Some seeds are eaten by birds because they were scattered in unfruitful places. Some seeds are burnt by the sun because they were not planted deep enough. Some seeds are choked out by thorns. Some seeds will produce a hundredfold return. Those "seeds" would never be ignored by the "farmer" who understands that his livelihood relies on how and where his seeds are planted. That "farmer" potentially cannot feed his family if careless mistakes are made. The fool will say "Well, I'm not a farmer so this doesn't apply to me." But this does apply to you because you plant seed and you water seed and what grows is a direct result of what you put effort into. I think those agricultural examples in the Word are more appropriate and life-changing than we first thought. 

What seeds are you planting in your local ministry? What seeds are you watering in your household and community? Have you taken consideration to where they are being planted? Is the ground fallow or fervent? Are you giving your seeds enough SON-light to survive? Does your attitude reflect a FAITH-full seed or is there weeds at the core of our behavior? 

How does your garden grow? Might be time to start inspecting what we have planted with a genuine evaluation of our life up to now. It's certainly possible that we have not tended to the garden God has blessed us with as well as we could have.