Cracked Pot How Do You Smell?

Cracked Pot How Do You Smell?

Clay pots are fragile, easily broken.  Yet there is a treasure in them, not an earthly treasure but a heavenly treasure.  Did you know that you’re a treasure and that you can have a power flowing within you?  If you don’t already have it.  Not a power of your own, but the overwhelming power of God.  His power is overwhelming, overflowing, bursting out, busting out, spilling over, leaking out and shining through the cracks.  Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us.

These clay jars I am talking about are you and me and everyone.  These clay jars are cracked pots.  Did you know that everyone’s a cracked pot?  And that in each Cracked Pot is a treasure.  A precious gift of God!  It’s you.  We as cracked pots are letting God’s light, power, blessings, pour out, shower over, leak, and shine through all the cracks in you to all those around you.  You know it’s actually a blessing to be called a cracked pot.  We are all cracked pots.  None of us is perfect or completely whole.  But it’s in those cracks that we shine like stars.  It’s a blessing to be one that is used by God.  Because then God uses the cracks to bless others and to show others the Way to Him.

Now don’t get me wrong, being used by God doesn’t mean life is easy.  On the contrary it can be just as difficult as being without God.  Let me read 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 - We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair;  persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed.  We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too.

So as you can see we are persecuted, troubled, perplexed and knocked down.  The Bible tells us about the situation we will be facing.  It is what we have in life and we will continue to have it as long as we live here.  But it’s in those moments that we need to hit our knees in prayer and then we can stand strong.  When we take the time to go to God in prayer then we are not alone in the situation.  We like to say that God will not give us more than we can handle.  And reading from 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says  No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.   So you and God make a majority.  So standing strong in prayer means we are supported by Jesus.

            We carry Jesus death and His resurrection within us.  In 2 Corinthians 4:11-12 - For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua's sake, so that Yeshua's life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. Thus death is at work in us but life in you.  So without the one we can’t have the other.  You can’t have the death and forget the life.  Or have the life and forget the death.  It’s together that they work.  It’s a matched set.  Did you know that each day we are dying for Jesus sake in everything we do?  In that we are being a servant for Jesus, a servant to Jesus.  While we are doing that we are being alive in Jesus.  We’re dying for Jesus to live for Jesus.  We’re dying to live more!  I like the role of a servant.  A servant is defined as a person who performs duties for others.  Jesus was a servant and yet He was also a leader.  I try to serve others and we should all try to serve others.  If we all tried to serve others than no one would be sitting around, we would all be moving around trying to help others.  Being a servant for Jesus is dying for Jesus daily that we can live in Jesus more.  That means we smell like Jesus.

            Let me reiterate that.  We smell like Jesus because we are dying in Him daily and in that we are living in Him more.  Let me read this to you for your thoughts, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 - But thanks be to God, who in the Messiah constantly leads us in a triumphal procession and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of what it means to know him!  For to God we are the aroma of the Messiah, both among those being saved and among those being lost; to the latter, we are the smell of death leading only to more death; but to the former, we are the sweet smell of life leading to more life. Who is equal to such a task?  For we are not like a lot of folks who go about huckstering God's message for a fee; on the contrary, we speak out of a sincere heart, as people sent by God, standing in God's presence, living in union with the Messiah.  Not only do we smell like Jesus to God, but we are being led like in a parade, a processional of triumph, like returning victors.  Our fragrance is of knowing Jesus.  Think about when someone with perfume on hugs you, the fragrance lingers and sometimes spreads around you.  So it is with us.  We’re the fragrance of Jesus to God and we spread that wherever we go.  If your fragrance is strong enough the world smells it too.  If you’re servant attitude is shining like the Son then they too can smell it.  To others like us we smell good.  To those who are the least be receptive we smell at the least curious, similar to “Oh that smells good, where did you get it?”  And then to others that are blind and not as receptive we smell like death.  It’s because we remind them of what their future is like and what they don’t have.

            This leaves us with a difficult task, but not one that we can’t handle.  Why not? You may ask, because God is our supporter and out backer.  Jesus is right there with us and we can do it.  We are, everyday a witness to the world and we show life to some and death to others.  But we’re up to it, because we are “Cracked Pots” that smell like Jesus.  Giving the Good News, but not selling it.  2 Corinthians 2:17 - For we are not like a lot of folks who go about huckstering God's message for a fee; on the contrary, we speak out of a sincere heart, as people sent by God, standing in God's presence, living in union with the Messiah. We are speaking with sincerity out of the heart, not trying to make a profit.  We are a people of God, called out by God for God.  We’re standing with Jesus and letting God’s love flow into us and letting that leak out through the cracks to all around us.  Take your cracked pot and be a blessing as you’re being blessed.

Pastoral Candidacy

I have applied to become a Pastor.  So I am in the process of Candidacy for becoming a Pastor.  It is a long process and it takes filling out a lot of forms and writing up a lot of information.  I hope that my family can survive and that I have the patience needed.

We will see. . .

Here is where I am in the process so far.  I have declared my intent and asked to be admitted to the Candidacy program.  Now I just have to write up my Call and my official request for admission to the Candidacy program.  In the mean time I am filling in a lot of forms online, with more to to and assistance needed from my wife.

This is going to be interesting.

God's Call

God has sent out a Broadcast to the world.  He is calling out to everyone.  Rich or Poor, Young or Old, Big or Small, Short or Tall, Good or Bad, Every Race, Creed, Color or Gender.  

Will you Answer the Call?

Two days after Christmas 2012...snow storm!

Well Hello There,

It's the post-Christmas snow storm. It started last night and continued into this morning and a bit sporadically through out the day. I shoveled about 10 inches this morning to just leave my front door of my apartment. It was beautiful and I just really enjoyed the beauty of it all. As I was shoveling out my car also, that was an adventure in it's own right, I noticed someone who was shoveling out their car from a side road at my complex. I wasn't sure if they needed help, so I kept at my clearing out of my car. When I was done, they were still trying to get their car unstuck, so I went over and lent a hand. It was the least I could do. After several minutes we finally got a chunk of wood under the one tire that was spinning and got the car unstuck. That was an adventure also.

Driving to work was slow and steady at about 50-55 miles an hour. I was apparently braver, or crazier, than others, because I kept passing people. I just kept driving straight and just kept passing everyone. It was a safe drive the whole way. Now I'm just looking forward to getting done with work so I can go home and spend time with my family.

Christmas was wonderful as we got to spend time with my Grandma and a friend of the family.

Church vs. State

Just before I left High School I found a need for a Bible Study.  But since you can't cross Church and State, I had to find a legal way to have one.  I enlisted the help of the Bill Graham Society and there views on the matter and after reading over some legal papers on what was allowed and what wasn't allowed I approached a Teacher with the proposition. He suggested I have a talk with the principal and I did.  After some discussion in which I agreed that I would be the one holding the meeting and not a teacher, it was agreed that as long as it was not run by a teacher it was okay.

I had to jump through hoops to make a Bible Study during lunch hour a reality.  Just because Church and State regulations.  I didn't see the reason behind it then and I still don't see the reason behind it now.  I am a professing Christian, a Follower of Jesus, a Disciple, and an Apostle.  I am currently being mentored to be a Pastor.  I don't see why there needs to be such a divide between what can and can not be done in Schools when it comes to religious freedom.  Nowadays it is only right and acceptable for teachers to discuss all different forms of religion in public schools when those topics arise.  If the teacher is even allowed to discuss the topic of religion.

It isn't that we have taken God out of the Schools or that we have prevented Him from being involved in the Public school system, it's that we mentally block all that God is from being present.  God is not someone you can keep out of a location.  You can ignore God, but He is still there.  God was there in China and in Connecticut and He felt the pain, He felt the agony of what the victims and the attackers.  He witnessed it and was hurt by the outcome.  Someone may ask, "Why didn't God stop it?"  I would ask "Do you stop everything little thing from happening to your child each and every day?"  No of course not.

God has given us free will.  We make choices each and every day.  Some of them bad and some of them good.  I don't claim to know the mind of God, but as a parent I know what I can and can't do for my child.  I can't shield him from everything.  I can't stop him from being hurt or from hurting others.  It happens and I can't protect him from every little thing.  What I can do it try to train him for what is right and wrong and direct his way so that when he grows up it he will continue to do what is right.

I believe God has given us that same option and responsibility.  We are allowed to make mistakes and we for the most part know what is right and wrong.  We also know what is the way to live that is right and we know where to find the instruction manual, (The Bible).  God is right there beside us each and every day, whether we like it or not and whether we believe in Him or not.  You can refuse to believe in God and you can believe in something like evolution, which takes more faith than believing in a God who created everything and loves us and wants the best for us.

We never kicked God out of schools, we just started ignoring Him.

Meteor Shower, God is Awesome!

Last night my family went outside around 8 pm to see the Geminid or Piscid Meteor Shower.  Since they're both happening at the same time frame, not sure which or of it was both that we saw.

Take a look here for more information about the meteor showers.

Anyways, my son saw his first Meteors that night.  He is 11 and it was so special to have him see something that God planned.  God set in motion such wonderful and amazing things to see that I can't believe some people don't believe in divine creation.

We saw about a dozen and are planning on going out again tonight after we see the Hobbit.  I think it will be awesome and I just can't wait for both the Hobbit and so see more Meteors.

What was even better was that this morning I went for my 2 + mile jog and when I stepped of the front stoop and looked up I saw another streak over head.  During my jog, I checked the sky every so often, but nothing that I could catch.  After my jog I turned around just in time to see the biggest Meteor go streaking over our Apartment complex and break up.  It was a slow one, large and bright and it broke up at the end just before it went out.  So I saw two other chunks light up and then go out.

God is so Totally Awesome!

Stumbling in the Dark 09-16-2012

Stumbling in the Dark

          What do you think about when you hear the words “Stumbling in the Dark”?  Is it something about being up in the middle of the night and trying to find your way around?  Walking into furniture, stepping on toys, or trying not to step on your pet?  Or have you ever considered the possibility of stumbling in the dark in broad daylight?  Think about that for a minute.  We all do it each and every day.  Whether it's day or night we all stumble around.  Not knowing what's around the next corner, what's right or wrong, or what will happen the next day, week, month, year.  What I want to talk about is even more frightening, because it has eternal ramifications.  It's Spiritual Darkness.

          Jesus made Spiritual Darkness a reality.  To show this we are going to John Chapter 3 verses 1 through 21 and we're going to look at this in sections.  So from the New Living Translation we read: 

1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.  2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 

I want to stop right there to point out two very important facts.  First, it was after dark that Nicodemus came to see Jesus.  He arrived under the cover of darkness.  Secondly, Nicodemus didn't even start with a question. 

          Okay so, Nicodemus has come under the cover of night, to talk with Jesus, whom he believes is sent from God.  He's trying to find out more about Jesus, but doesn't want too many people knowing this.  Many of us like to hide what we do in the dark.  It's convenient and comfortable.  In the dark: No one can see what we look like, No one can see who we are talking to, No one can see what we do,  No one can see who we hurt, No one can see the scars, No one can see that we are hurting, No one can see the tears.   There is another type of darkness that we can hide in, it's called Spiritual Darkness or Ignorance.  Are you in spiritual darkness? 

          Nicodemus didn't know he was living in spiritual darkness, at least not yet.  Lets continue on with the reading for a moment: 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”  5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.   7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’  8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

          He's living in spiritual darkness and ignorance.  Now he's opening the door to a change.  He's no longer content to live in darkness and he's trying to see what's out there.  What he's missing.  Jesus is guiding Nicodemus towards the truth.  Now remember, Nicodemus didn't even ask a question to begin with.  He just said we know you are sent from God.  Nicodemus is asking Jesus a question without actually asking, What am I missing?  What am I lacking?  What do you have to offer besides these miraculous signs?  Nicodemus, being a sage man of the ruling council, thought discretion to be the right way to go about this.  Jesus didn't think so.  He cut right to the chase and side stepped all the pleasantries.  When truth is on the line Jesus doesn't mince words.  He comes right out and shines a light on the situation.

          Jesus is telling him right here, what's the secret to eternal life.  What everyone in the whole wide world needs to know.  He says be born again.  Born of the Spirit.  Have your eyes opened to the light so that you aren't stumbling around in the dark any more.  You want to know the truth?  Well you can handle the truth.  It's just not what you are expecting.  You're probably expecting something, like clean you feet first and your head last, that will make you acceptable to God.  Or how about this one, take your shoes off because everywhere you step is Holy Ground, God made it.  It's the truth.  Or, Kiss every child you come upon and make sure that all of them are being taken care of, for they inherit the Kingdom of God.  Instead it's the simplest thing in the world, Be Born of the Spirit.  But Nicodemus doesn't get it.  His response is along the lines of “What?!”, “That's not possible!”, “This is crazy talk!”  He was in a word, incredulous.  So Jesus' reply is one of the most famous passages of scripture John 3:16 -21: 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.  18 There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.  19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.  21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

          So, 2000 years later and none of it's changed.  We stumble around in the dark.  To some of us it can be like a warm blanket.  It can be frightening to others.  None of us want our sins to be cleansed, because it might hurt, or because it's embarrassing.  We don't know, or sometimes don't care, that only Jesus can fill us up inside.  That He is what we ache for.  Not the next person, not the next new car, next new job, or World Series, or Super Bowl or Olympics.  It's all fleeting and useless.  It's temporal and meaningless.  Do you know what's permanent and what's meaningful?  Life in Christ!  Nicodemus found that out.  He came to Jesus at night, with a veiled question, hiding behind truth and fact.  He left a believer.

          We need to shine the Light of Truth in the darkness and find the strength to walk through dark places, so we can help shine the light of Jesus.  Why?  Because there's only one way to heaven and Jesus is it.  What more do you need?  The alternatives are Sin and Hell.  In John 8:12 (NLT)   12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”   We need to stop stumbling around in the dark.  It's not healthy.

          Here's four things to help you not Stumble in the Dark: 1.  Spend time in the Word of God.  2.  Read your Bible daily.  And don't just read it.  Anybody can do that.  What you need to do is really read it and listen to what it's saying to you.  I mean, it's God talking to You.  3.  Pray about what you read.  Think about what you read.  Absorb what you read.  If you take the time to do that you'll get more out of it.  It'll lead you down the path you need to go in life.  4.  Talk with other Christians about what you read and what it means to you and listen to what they have to say.  It'll help you grow, not only mentally, but also spiritually.  You'll see life in a whole new way.  Not that life won't have its own ups and downs.  It's just that you will have an assurance about your life that no one can take away.  Let me leave you with this verse from John 12:35-36 (NLT)   35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.

36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”