the Low Down

Joy in 5 Minutes

How would you pass the time on a Four day road trip if you had to make the 80 mile trip on foot?  With no electronics?  Up mountains, down river beds across rocky terrain?  Well its very likely that the teenage Jesus and his family had to make this journey regularly from Nazareth to Jerusalem.  I learned this week that it would be normal for them to sign songs, recite their scriptures, and bless God along the way.  Bless God?  I learned a new way at looking at what blessing God is. 

For Jesus and His family and the common first century Jew blessing God was to thank God for everything they saw along their route.  “Bless you God for making trees that give us shade, bless you God for causing water to come from wells drilled into the ground”  These would be easy enough because of their immediate value.  How about these?  “Bless you God for the ability to sweat in the heat of the desert to cool us down, bless you God for the muscles of our legs that allow us to climb these jagged mountain paths.”  Blessing God was to observe the beauty of God’s creation in the obvious, the obscure, the hardship, the struggle and that which brought joy.

So I gave it a shot in my own day.  “Bless you God for the detail in this rose bush, bless you God for the intelligence to operate this car, bless you God for muscles that are sore from getting stronger, bless you God for eyes to read and a mind to understand,  bless you God for knitting together my child inside my wife, bless you God for a wife that brings me joy.”  I spent 5 minutes blessing God and afterward I could not hide the grin on my face.

Take some time to bless God.  Turn off the tv, the radio, and walk away from your computer.  Find a place in your home or walk outside.  Look around or look inside of yourself and take some time to bless God.  He is worthy!

You Are What You Eat

A few years back a documentary was made by Morgan Spurlock.  He dined at the same fast food restaurant three times per day for 30 straight days, eating every item on the chain’s menu. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24½ lbs., a 13% body mass increase, a cholesterol level of 230, and experienced mood swings, and fat accumulation in his liver. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight gained from his experiment using a supervised diet.

While the specific stats are shocking I am confident that most of us would naturally expect that eating that much junk food would negatively affect someone’s health.  The old saying is “you are what you eat”.  Food isn’t the only thing that can adversely affect our health.  The air we breathe, the water we drink the drugs we ingest.  It even applies to the thoughts we think.

In Philippians 4:8 Paul writes “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Last week I was watching a story about Josiah Viera that I would like to share with you.  http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5788144  

Matthew 5:8 says  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” 

Each time I hear Josiah’s story I cry just as I am right now.  I cry because I am inspired and moved.  I realize that I am spiritually malnourished.  I fill my mind with the fast food thoughts of this world that are leaving me mentally unhealthy.  Josiah’s story is noble, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy.  It is a story of courage, passion, life, love and persistence.  The subtle beauty of Josiah’s story is found in his answer to the question “what does heaven look like?”  Josiah’s answer was quick and absolute….”Jesus!” Josiah understands that Heaven isn’t where Jesus is, Heaven is Jesus! 

“We are what we think” and the more we think about things of God, things of beauty then the more we will see God.  Thank You Josiah for sharing your story with us.  You are an inspiration and Jesus is using you to bless countless people!

There is no such thing as a dumb question?

It happened again this week.  I was at my life group on Wednesday night and one of the men in the group told me afterward that he never feels comfortable joining the discussion because he feels that he doesn’t know enough yet.  He also said that he has so many questions but doesn’t want to slow down the group.

                I feel the same way when I’m in our monthly Pastors meeting.  “They will laugh at me for not knowing the answer.”  “I’m a pastor I should know this answer.”  “Wow they know so much more than me, I’ll just nod in agreement so I fit in.”  Man this mindset takes me way back to middle school “There is no such thing as a dumb question?”  Really?  Do people mean that? 

We better mean that as followers of Jesus.  Jesus spent hours in the synagogue discussing topics about God.  He spent hours teaching, sharing stories and helping the people around Him understand basic concepts relating to truth.  The Apostle Paul carried on this effort and brought Christianity to people who had zero awareness of anything related to Judaism and Christianity.

Here is what troubles me.  The more we understand God and the more we understand the life of Jesus then the closer our relationship with Jesus is and subsequently the more freedom we have from this world we live in.  People around us are being tormented by abandonment, guilt, shame, regret, bitterness, resentment, loneliness, confusion and God knows what else.  Where can they go for relief?  Where can they ask the questions that keep them up at night? 

I know the only hope for all of us is found in Christ and His word is there to guide us.  We should have questions, and wrestle with concepts we don’t understand.  The result is freedom.  For those of us who love the Lord and feed of His written word we need to be a safe place for people to ask questions.  God is pursuing people all around us calling out to them to come home.  We are here to be part of their homecoming.  Let us strive to be safe places for people to ask difficult questions so they too can come home. 

 

Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals

For the past 6 months I have been coaching the Freshmen Baseball team at HB High.  I hope this doesn’t offend anyEagles, Barons, Vikings, Chargers, or Seahawks.  Anyway we started the season off horribly and frustration set in.  Practices became longer and harder and still no positive results.  We finally got so discouraged that we told the guys all we were going to do was fielding, throwing and catching drills.  We were going to go back to hitting off a tee like we did when we were 6 years old.

The result was immediate.  We got back to basics and they relaxed and started playing the game the way it was supposed to be played.  The learning for us all was that whether you are 6 or 36, little leaguer or professional, fundamentals are critical.  When we learn and practice the basics over and over again we build healthy habits and they become second nature.  The same is true of our businesses, families, education and even our relationship with Jesus and His people.

Some fundamentals that are critical in our relationship with God are taking time to learn and apply truths:  about him, our identity, our prayer life, our challenges, our gifts, our story and our purpose.  Whether you have known Jesus for all your life or you are just getting to know about him, these basics help us all develop into the men and women God has designed us to be.  So grab your gear and get out there.

Lessons from a Two Year Old

This past weekend Kristine and I had the honor of taking care of a 2 year old little boy.  It was an exciting week to say the least.  This little guy was full of energy and over 4 days he became very trusting and playful with us.  As I look back on those 4 days there is one thing that has stayed embedded in my mind.  There were several times when this little boy would run across the room to where I was standing.  He would look up at me and raise his hands up to me.  I am not sure what he wanted or what he was asking me to do for him other than to simply pick him up and hold him.  Each time I picked him up I genuinely felt that he was filled with Joy to be in my arms.  Was he tired and relieved that I could carry him from place to place?  Was it a sense of feeling close to someone who loved and cared for him?  Was it the security of being in a safe place?  Or was it simply the excitement of seeing the world from a higher level?  I may never know but I believe I was given some insight just the other day.

I was at church this past Tuesday and during worship I sang the words, “I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the one who gave it all. I’ll stand my soul Lord to you surrendered all I have is yours.”  In that moment I was standing with my arms raised up and my head tilted back and it hit me.  This 36 year old man was in the same place as that 2 year old boy. I was standing helpless at the feet of someone who I needed.  I was standing in front of God telling him I wanted him to pick me up cause I was tired of working so hard, so I could feel his closeness, so I could let go of all my cares, so I could start to see things from His perspective.  It was a moment of surrender that doesn’t happen nearly enough.  It was a moment when I lift my hands and say Daddy pick me up and carry me.

I know that all of us need that far more often than we lead on.  Don’t be afraid to let down your guard and reach out to the one who can take care of all your needs.  After all He is our Father and we will always be His kids.

The Love of A Parent: Part One

Over the past few days I have spoke to quite a few parents and I asked them a few questions.

Do your Kids disobey?

To this question I received many animated faces that all seemed to convey a similar response. “You’re kidding right”?  Of course they disobey.  “They push their limits. They question authority, stay out late, play with their food, leave their toys out, hit their siblings, talk back, smuggle toys into bed, don’t share and on and on.”

Then I asked what happens when you respond to their disobedience?

This question took a little longer to bring responses but then they flowed.  “Well they get mad and argue with the consequences and complain about the correction.  “It isn’t Fair! Denise’s parents let her stay out till midnight”.  The kids throw tantrums and cry when it’s time to go to bed or pick up their toys.  Kids seem to all get mad at their parents and demand an explanation.

Lastly I wanted to get to motivation so I asked why is it important that they obey you?

“I’m trying to protect them, to help them grow into healthy young men and women.”  Many of them said that they have been around the block a few times and they know what’s best for their child.  What seemed to motivate parents was love and concern for their kids.  Despite these perfect loving intentions, children often storm off and complain about their punishment and they certainly do not think their parents are acting out of love or care for them.

It seems to me that if all kids disobey and we have all been kids at some point then we are all still capable of and probably are disobedient even as adults.  Or is there some golden moment where we stop being rebellious?

Pastor Low

“In”dependence Day

 

Independence Day marks the day we declared our nations liberty from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  After years and years of being under the rule of Great Britain we were now free.  Free from restrictions, free from taxation, free from the rule of Law that would hold us back. 

Now that didn’t mean that we were free to do whatever we want whenever we want to.  We still had a government structure and laws that we had to abide by.  However it was reason to celebrate because we now lived under a system that was better for us as a country.

What a great reminder for us as Christians.  Our nation’s story is our story. Before we knew Jesus we lived controlled by sin and subjected to its power in our life but that all changed.  Romans 6:6-14 speaks of how Jesus destroyed the power of sin.  Verse 10-11 read ¹⁰He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

We are now free from the oppressive control that ruled over us.  With a little bit of effort all of us can think back to a time where we felt hardship and pain as a result of our bad decision making.  The guilt, the shame, the pursuit for personal gain and the disregard for the wellbeing of others.  But the beauty of the story is that we are not imprisoned to stay in that place.  We are free from guilt, shame is removed, we can afford to be unselfish and we can bless others because we are blessed.

That doesn’t mean that we can just live anyway we want to and treat others any way we feel like it.  We too must live with a new set of guidelines and govering priciples. Verse 18 gives a new and better way to live¹⁸Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.

But there is reason to celebrate because God’s system of us being slaves to righteousness is a perfect plan for us to experience all the beauty, joy, love and excitement that this life has to offer.  The more we embrace the lifestyle of righteousness the more we will experience the quality of Life God has wanted for us all along. 

Our country celebrates our Independence as one of the greatest gifts we have ever been given as a nation.  We as Christians should celebrate our “In” dependence with Jesus Christ.  We are truly dependent on His word, His guidance, His Protection, His forgiveness, His power and His love.  Without Him we would have no life at all

This was poignantly captured in 1775 by Patrick Henry when he made a decisive speech that inspired Key leaders regarding our efforts to gain our independence.  In his speech he declared “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” The same rings true of us who call Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Without Christ we have no life! 

Thank you Lord for how you have liberated us. Help us use that freedom to bless others and bring Glory to our Father in Heaven. Amen!!

 

I Walked My Block

I just got back from my Walk The Block prayer time.  I took 15 minutes and just …well, walked my block.  I started off asking God to give me a heart to care more and be more active in the lives of all these people around me.  House after house after house, I felt forced and kinda like it was an assignment until it clicked.  It wasn’t about doing more it was about Him giving me a clearer view of why it was so important and making me into the type of man that would just do it naturally.  So then house after house I wondered who lived there and what were their lives like. 

It started to get overwhelming because my life is already pretty packed and I neglect more people than I care to admit.  Sorry Family.  So I just started to ask questions. 

Me:  As a pastor and a member of Your Church God, what am I supposed to do? Here is what immediately came to mind:

God: intertwine your life with others.  Not just church folk but people living near by.  Become friends and take a genuine interest in their companionship and how I (God) has created them.  Get to know them well enough to know their story.  Their highs in life their lows.  Their likes and their dislikes. 

Me:  OK OK but there are like 500 people on my block alone, how can I possibly make a difference? 

God: be steady and take your time.  Its an investment.  These people will bring quality to your life.  Just see what I can do over time if you make this part of your lifestyle.  Oh and Low…  Train my people to do the same.  Pastor them to care about others and teach them how to do it naturally.  YOU MODEL IT!

Me: Ok but you have to help me figure out what that looks like.

The rest of my walk became a brainstorm session as I started to see a glimpse of what could be.  The truth is that we Christians posses the most incredible gift that we could ever recieve.  Forgiveness, salvation, relationship with an almighty God and companionship and all the power we could ever need in His spirit.  But other people dont seem to want it!  Why?  Well thats the question of the millenium and if I figure it out I’ll write a book and make more than you do! 

People dont want it because we dont have permission to tell them and most of us dont know how to explain Jesus in a way that is actually attractive to the average peson. 

People dont want to hear about sin and their failures.  People dont want to be told what they should do.  People dont even want to hear about heaven.  But I’ll tell you what people do want to hear.  People want to hear that they matter. That there is an answer to their lonliness. That they do not have to be ashamed of past decissions.  People want to hear that they are not failures.  That they are worthy of being loved.  That they are important not becuase of what they have but because of who they are.  People want to be showed that they are loved. 

As I write that I’m having an aha moment that maybe we need to show our neighbors that we love them before they will hear that God loves them. 

I want my neighbors to know they matter, dont you?  So here are some ideas of how to get started.  Bake cookies and knock on their door.  Plan an open house and invite people on your street.  Invite specific peopel to have a meal with you.  By the way I plan on doing all these things as well.  Find out what their favorite movie is and invite em over to watch it. 

Now here is something I cant believe I’m writing.  Dont go telling them all about Jesus.  Pace yourself.  Let it come up in conversation but you are not having a movie and popcorn so you can convert them by the end of the credits.  Enjoy their company and make new friends.  They will know soon enough that not only do you follow Christ but that you are a safe place to share their lives with including questions about your faith.  Start simply and plan for a long friendship where lives are shared.

Pastor Low

Tags: Add new tag

My Wife the Lock Picker

We were having such a good Monday.  It was our day off and we were able to run errands, be outside on an amazing SoCal day and we got plenty of R&R.  So I figured we would cap it off with dinner down at the beach.  So I asked my wife if she wanted to walk downtown and grab some El Ranchito. 

What a great idea.  Lets leave the cars here and take an evening stroll.  In my mind I figured since we wont be driving we wont need the cars keys.  So I closed the door and off to dinner we went. 

My stomach dropped as I realized that just because we wont need the car keys doesn’t mean we wont need the house keys.  My relaxing perfect day off immediately turns to “What an IDIOT”  for the next 30 minutes I just beat myself up mentally. 

Thanks to God I have a wife who is an all star.  She talked me back up and we went to dinner.  I sent facebook posts and texts to all my budds.  I found out some were very familiar with how to break into houses.  Scarry the skilled ones all seemed to be guys from church.  Great picture of life change in hindsight.

Everyone seemed to have a little advice on “Hide a Keys” but that just became annoying real fast!  I know I know “I’m an IDIOT”.  We finally got a wall post from a friend who is a locksmith and he gave us some direction.  My wife was so excited to try to pick the lock based on the tutorial.  She plucked a bobby pin from her hair and was cat burglaring in no time.  Unfortunately the only progress we had on our own skills were calloused finger tips.

The real advice we got from our locksmith buddy was not to pay more than $95 to have it professionally oppened.  So I eventually called Templar Lock and Safe and we were inside after 2 minutes of expert door picking.

Today I paid 8 bucks for a bunch of spare Keys we will be hiding all over HB so this doesn’t happen again.  It was not a waste of $85.  I learned that my wife is very supportive and calm even when stranded on a chilly night.  I was reminded that my money is not my own it can come and go without warning.  I was forced to give myself some slack because the alternative is just dishonoring to God who did not create “An IDIOT”.  He orchestrated a very spontaneous adventure that allowed me and my wife to be reminded of just how much we love each other!  What a great Monday!

Street Evangelism

This week our church staff had an assignment to go share our story of faith and tell people about Jesus.  Below is a raw account of my thoughts and recap of that experience.

 

MY INNER DIALOG JOURNALED

Lord my mind is all tangled.  I am flooded with excuses! Remove my barriers Holy Spirit, and help this be a natural connection.  Help me open my mouth.  Help me see the opportunity, help me start a new passion for those longing for you! 

Im disqualifying everyone:

·        They aren’t the one

·        Too White… too different

·        Too Young ….too old

·        Too weird… too cool

·        Too busy!

 

What should I do? 

Make a friend, say hello and learn their name, get some back-story on their life.

This might be a future friend, or part of our small group

They could be a possible volunteer, they could be a future leader.

What do we think is cool about church that non church people think is lame?

          Would they like the music?  The worship?  The persistent greeters?

Or would they like honest questions?  A genuine explanation?  Normal hospitality?  Natural conversations

What should I ask?

          What was Jesus’ purpose?….no

          Who was Jesus?…. nah

          What do you know about Jesus?…..lets try

 

 

 

As I muster up the courage and try to find someone to approach I find myself being so much more friendly as I see each person as a possible conversation.  I’m nicer, I make more eye contact, I say hello, I’m outwardly focused and alert to those around me.

 

I’m worried that they will think I am gay.  Honestly why else would a guy approach another guy?  Quickly that lie is dismissed I’m ready.

MY CONVERSATION WITH “BRETT”

“Excuse me…are you waiting for someone?  While you wait could I ask you a question?  What do you know about Jesus?”  One hour later this is what I learned.

 

His name is Brett and he grew up in a semi conservative family with a Dad who is a career Navy Officer.  He is 19 and now living local and fascinated with Music.  He is lonely and an intellectual.  He is well read and likes to share opinions and ponder deep topics.  He has a medical marijuana card but is getting tired with the Pot culture.  He has parents at home who are aware of his struggles.  I imagine they are worried about him.  He appreciates compliments and would love to have friends he can relate to.  He is learning from mistakes as fast as he becomes aware of his missteps.  We spoke for about an hour and as I got up he told me he really was glad that I took the time to come over and talk.  He then asked me where the church was and if he could have my business card.

 

MY THOUGHTS AFTER

Each person we shy away from could be a Brett.  Someone who wants to make a difference, who wants more out of life and doesn’t know where that will come from.  Someone who is a daughter, son, brother, sister, husband or wife who has a family that is worried, concerned and praying that God would take care of them.  We have the opportunity to be an answer to their prayers.  I went out worried how am I going to possibly lead a stranger to Christ, I ended up making a friend who is really interesting and I enjoyed spending time with. 

 

How Many Brett’s do we cross paths with each day?  How Many Brett’s is God hoping we take the time and muster the courage to start a conversation with? Keep your eyes open they are all around us.

Pastor LOW