Pew

So I am sitting in our coffee house this morning, contemplating the meaning of life and I start to admire a pew that we use for one of our seats at a table. A solid piece of furniture with a ox blood color cushioned seat. Built to be sturdy and to last, with a cross engraged on the edge of the seat. Behind the pew there is a compartment that is meant to hold bibles or hymnals for those who would no doubt be sitting behind in another pew.

I started to wonder where it came from. What church was it in? Does it have a story? The most you can pick out from it is that at one time it was a pew in a church and now it is not. Sounds so simple doesn't. If it could talk, what does it like better, do you think?

Before it was used once a week. The people that sat in it, didn't say a word. There were sometimes where those who sat in it were lulled to sleep from the cushion. Been there, done that. Only for a couple of ours and then empty. Maybe it might get some attention during the week for cleaning.

Now it is used every day. Kids climbing all over it and instead of a bible or a hymnal, there is a torah and cribbage board (don't ask). Crumbs are constantly all over the cushion and the people that are sitting in it are in a deep conversation, or not.

Of course, we all know that a pew can't talk, doesn't have any emotions and absulately no brain power. A cute little allegory. Allegory of what you might say? An allegory of our Christian life. Think about it!

the old and the new

I have been proactive in my scripture reading lately. Thinking of the old while I read the new. It has been quit rewarding. It says in the scripture that the old testament and those that belonged to it were seeing in a dim light. Kind of like they perceived half of what was to come. That which was in the old, such as the temple or the laws, were reflections of the new. Imperfect copies of that which was perfect. The temple that God layed out for Moses was a reflection of the perfect temple in heaven. The law of the sabbath, which was to rest from your works, was a reflection of the the Lord of the Sabbath, our Sabbath, Jesus Christ, who allows us to rest from our works. Thus the scripture that says " we are saved by grace and not by works, lest anyone should boast.

Was reading Romans Chapter 4 today and everything started to come ALIVE! it says in the last verse of chapter 3, which I refered to in my previous blog "in fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law" Chapter 4 goes on to explain how Abraham was justified by his faith hundereds of years before the law came. Faith came first. In the old testament we have and image of that which is perfect. through Abraham, Faith came first, then came the law. In our relationship with God, Faith comes first, so that we then can fulfill the law. What makes us children of Abraham is not that we were born as a Jew but that we have faith in God. When we have faith in God we are then children of promise and not children of bondage. Which brings me to another point. Maybe the story of Isaac and Ishmael, is not the story of Jews and Muslims but is a story of those who are children of God and those who are children of the world, no matter what nationality they are! After all, if we are friends with God, we are then enemies of the world. mmmmmmm......something to think about.

refill my cup

So I have been out at the coffee house all day today and it has been pretty slow. Eve and I both were going crazy! We had some friends and family stop by for nice conversation but other then that, the day has been pretty uneventful. Eve had to leave, she was so crazy.



I titled today's blog 'refill my cup' because that is exactly what I needed. I need to have God fill my cup day in and day out. I need to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit over and over again. In the book of Acts there was multiple times where they were filled, and I am sure there were many more times. It's quit odd how I started to think about this. I have constantly nursed the same coffee mug all day. Casually going to the same airpot and topping off what I have left, if there is any left. The last time I went to the airpot, I started to think about how I would like to get refilled like the coffee cup I was drinking. The Holy Spirit is awesome, isn't He. To think that He can take the simple fact of me filling my coffee mug and remind me that I need more of him is far from what I can understand but close enough that I can partake.

Holy Spirit, please fill me anew. Fill me with your love and kindness, patience and gentleness, faithfulness and peace, joy and goodness. Fill me to overflowing, so that I can effect others. My wife and my friends, my family and those that I serve from a day to day basis. Help me to be humble and thankful. Bring your words to my mind, so that I can be renewed. Let the son rise on my day, to wisk away any darkness. Let your river flow over my rough edges to smooth my soul. Let your fire burn within my innermost being so that I may pure. Let your rain bring refreshing to my mind, will and emotions.

I leave whoever may read this with this scripture:
Romans 3:31
"...In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law"

Toothless Tiger Chai

Today I am out at the coffee house with my wife! I am loving this. Have you ever had a dream of owning your own coffee house with your spouse and both of you wanting to work together? Sounds crazy doesn't it. However, that is our dream, and on that one special day a week which I hope to become more days of the week, I get to live that dream. I get to get up in the morning with my wife and go to our own coffee house. No corporate, no district supervisor and no rules (except the ones we set for our own business). If a light bulb is out, I can take my time replacing it!!!!

It is funny how the Lord works. We were just talking to one of our customers today about that. The Lord really is unpredictable. I hope to never put Him in a box again. There are some things that I do know about Him though and I wanted to take some time today to list them
1. He is Loving
2. He is faithful
3. He is patient
4. He is all powerful
5. He is unpredictable
6. He is caring
7. He is all knowing
8. He is always listening
9. He is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father
10. He will never leave us nor forsake us!

Enjoy your day and my the God of the universe bless you richly with His grace!

THROW THE NET ON THE OTHER SIDE

There is a story in the scripture where Jesus is on the shore teaching the crowd. They continue to press in on Him until He has nowhere to go but onto a boat of one of the local fisherman and have him put out from the shore. I am sure that Jesus was quit aware of the man's name and how influential he would become in the near future. The story goes that the men had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. They were tired and were calling it a day, when Jesus tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. That doesn't make sense! Peter replies that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. What would one more cast make? Same boat, same net and same lake.

The approach that we take, so many times to ministry, is to start asking ourselves what is wrong with the boat? What is wrong with our net? What is wrong with our lake? We will become discouraged and try to find a different boat or net or lake when there might have been nothing wrong with it in the first place. It could be quit possible that lack of fish is the will of God. How unimportant this story would have been if they were actually catching fish. What glory would God get out of that?

So here we are. Fishing for men in a boat, net and lake that are not producing. At least in my eyes. I am sure there is much more going on that I am not aware of. I found myself sitting there thinking about my tactics/goals/purpose and this story came to mind. In fact it almost was like Jesus said right to me "throw your net on the other side". Not anything different from what I tried in the past but to just do it again.

I am not claiming to have any key to ministry here, just a wondering thought that made me think about the word 'Persistence'.