GR8 Thoughts and Musings

8500 miles, Across 1 BIG state, 1/2 a country & the largest ocean in the world, we made it safely to Brisbane!

Then a short Hop to Sydney

Cloud Rivers on the way…

Delegates outside Sydney Airport

It must be 100 & of course HUMID as I take my bags to the Quantas terminal…Whew!
Ready to take off for Australia

Looks like it works
Just talked to one of my Teacher Leaders who arrived safely in Dallas…Yea!
Calling for boarding, so it’s off to Dallas!

I’m sitting in the Denver Airport with 2 of 31 hours of flying Down Under under my belt
The first thing I pass is The Rocky Mountains

Still Smiling

Then I need to get some of that Ausie Money

Yes, you can see through it

On my way to meet my delegation in Dallas for our overnight…and the next day flight to Sydney Australia…Hope the plane has Internet!

Pictures are in our Family Gallery

I watched this movie, out yesterday. I was especially interested as I have done some research into South Africa and Nelson Mandela in the course of my job for www.peopletopeople.com. We travel delegations regularly to South Africa (and around the world) promoting peace and fulfilling the dreams and life’s work of such great men as Dwight Eisenhower and Nelson Mandela.

While watching this movie, I was amazed again by the power of words, ideas and persuasion in changing the human heart & thus our world. I understand once again why one of the descriptions of God the Son is “The Word”. (As in, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and was God…All things came into being through Him.” John chapter 1)

I also happen to be reading the book “The Shack”, by William P. Young, in which his depiction of God the Holy Spirit explains emotions by stating that “Paradigm changes Perspective” and emotions are based on our perspective. If the paradigm (The context or truths by which one views the world) is true, the perspective is true and the emotions created are right. Emotions are like gasoline, neither right nor wrong. They are energy for good or evil. The emotions created by Mandela’s perspective in this movie created unity and changed the perspective of a nation.

Following is the poem, Invictus, that sustained & inspired Mandela and the South African rugby captain to greatness.

Out of the night that covers me, black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

Mr. Mandela was an amazing man who amazed and inspired a nation, and the world, by forgiving those who kept him imprisoned for almost three decades. Vengeance is common and expected. Forgiveness and grace are extraordinary and capture the hearts of men.

That is because they are attributes of God. He sets the world in its true paradigm. God is truth and love and light. He is. He loves and shines and enlightens every man. Only those who bow their heads to Him will find a paradigm that makes sense of the bludgeoning and the menace of the years. He is the captain of my soul.

Having made some progress in learning to be content in Christ, God is teaching me to Lead like Christ. I’ll share some of what He shows me here. Feel free to add your insight

The first thing I clearly realize is that my leadership starts at home. My first, and possibly only, call to leadership is to love my wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her and to be a leader at home and shepherd my girls.

As I didn’t share my struggle to be content in Christ here, I’ll let you know that the one thing I learned, that I can put my finger on, as God changed my heart, is that I have so much more then I deserve. I saw a true picture of where I’d be without Him and am forever grateful and content in the grace He has given given me to be alive! I am headed to heaven and not burning in hell where I deserve to be

Jesus had to overcome sin (The possibility of, not the reality of, for Him) in His own life before He was ready to lead. Unlike the ‘fake it ‘till you make it’ mentality of positive thinking, Jesus’ leadership is real. It is what the Post Modern world craves. He leads where He’s been. He leads because He’s done it. He has the answers.
To be a true leader like Jesus I must come victoriously through the trial of suffering and temptation. Jesus is a true high priest/leader/mediator like no other because He’s been there (Hebrews 4:14-16). That’s how He understands what we’re going through. His blood and His victory paved the way for our bold access to the throne of power.
There is something to be said for knowing the truth and applying it to situations you haven’t experienced, but a leader like Jesus has the scars of battle on his body and the ribbon of victory on his chest. He knows where to turn for the power and has defeated the evil one. He has been sobered to the deception of this world (I John 2:15-17) by the battlefield. The feel of the Armor of God is familiar to his shoulders and he has notches in his sword of the Spirit. It’s been bloodied through use, not just sharpened by study. Jesus prepared for leadership by facing the enemy and winning. As I do this, I am preparing to lead like Jesus. The sword of the Lord and of (Insert your name here…) Gregory!

Psalm 16

Amen! “I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good besides You!’ “

This is true as You created me…I do wonder how much of my good is personality (Hardwired), how much is to get people to like me, or something else I want (Selfish) and how much is due to the work of the Spirit.

“The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied”

Other ‘gods’ require bartering… i.e. You give something & they promise to give something… The problems with that are that there is only one God who has anything real to give and He gives to us freely out of grace because He knows we have nothing to trade…
And all the other ‘gods’ (All the prince of this world) give are empty promises, shadows and imitations that do not satisfy. He offers salt water to quench our thirst. It increases our desire, but does nothing to satisfy. He does a good job of painting a picture of the way things could be, but only deals in fantasy and dreams. He does not help with or give solutions to reality. This is especially powerful and hard to resist when the dreams are ‘good’ and the tastes he gives are potent and seem fulfilling…but they do nothing to satisfy our deepest needs. The deceiver is very good at showing us what we lack and what should be, but has nothing to make it so. This is what he did with Eve…‘God is holding out on you, things should be this way & they’re not’. Wow, it is especially tough when what he points out has a strong element of truth to it, as he did when he tempted Jesus. This is the way your family should be, this is the way true love is, this is the way good people act, this is what a good job is like, this is the American way… The only way to know truth is through His revealed word.
The truth is there is no good besides God and I need to know Him better to know truth and reality and satisfaction…it sure doesn’t make sense though. But then what did Jesus promise? He said, ‘He who wishes to find his life must lose it’ I have to lose everything and expect satisfaction from nothing else but Him…by faith, because of His amazing, compelling, unrelenting love and grace. He is the ultimate initiator and the consummate giver. Thank you God and help me to give up all for You.

I have been listening to a number of Mark Driscoll’s sermons over the last year or so and have grown to respect him as a Bible teacher and a Christian husband and father. I have connected with a number of active members of the Mars Hills church via Twitter and am glad to know these Christian brothers.
The Peasant Princess is Driscoll’s current series on the Song of Solomon. I am also impressed with his wife’s candid responses to questions from many of the women in the congregation. I see real Christianity that works in their lives. That is what the world needs and what God does in hearts fully committed to Him.

Below is his answer to one of the questions sent in and my response:

Question #4: How far can unmarried people go sexually?

This set of posts comes from Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace. The sermon series The Peasant Princess brought up dozens of questions that they felt they should respond to. The result is this blog series: Christian Sex: Frank Answers to Honest Questions.

Answer: The repeated refrain of the Song of Songs is to not awaken love before its time. Therefore, the issue is not where is the line, but when is the time. The Bible knows nothing of sexual contact of any sort or kind before marriage, as sexual pleasure is reserved for the right person, at the right time, in the right way-which is all in the context of heterosexual covenantal marriage. The NIV translation of Ephesians 5:3 says, But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

In 1 Corinthians 7:1 Paul tells single men that they should not touch any woman in any sexual manner. Also, in 1 Timothy 5:1-2, men are encouraged to treat young women as sisters. Thus, since brothers and sisters can and do talk, serve together, enjoy one another’s company, etc., there are acceptable non-sexual ways for single Christians to build their relationship in pursuit of marriage. Lastly, in asking how far one can go, there is sin in the heart because the motive is to get as close to sin as possible rather than getting as close to Jesus as possible. The issue is not where is the line, but rather where is your heart and when is the time. That time is marriage.

My Response:
(3 November 2008) You have submitted this response, thanks:

I understand and agree with this answer. As the father of four daughters, I subscribe to the:
Head first (Think about and study what you are looking for in a Christian husband or wife and which guys/girls exhibit those qualities. Get to know the Lord and lots of different people so you can discern these qualities).
Heart next (When you find someone who seems to have those qualities, let your family help you explore a relationship that helps you get to know that person better (when you’re 25 of course
save the Hands for marriage.

The world at it’s best teaches heart, hands then maybe head, or if you’re in college: hands and maybe heart & head later.

I would love to hear you and Grace give a more complete answer about the effects of the physical relationship and the heart. Including specifics about being alone together, holding hands and kissing. I think some single young people will be left wondering…”OK, so what should we do physically…” Is anything that I wouldn’t do with my sister wrong? That isn’t, the point, as you said: Where is your heart?