riding a scooter

"Great power leads to an even greater responsibility."

Unfortunately for Scooter Libby this holds very true. Being the right hand man to the VP of the U.S. is indeed a great power and an even greater responsibility. While in the U.S. we are innocent until proven guilty I am predicting a conviction. Special prosecutor Fitzgerald obviously did his homework, and was right on when he said that no one is above the law. While purposely or inadvertently Scooter was in the wrong, there is a responsibility for his actions.

I am getting down off the scooter now. What I really want to discuss is the idea of leadership. Leaders are held to a higher level. Whether you are leader of the free world or a pastor of a Free Methodist church there is a responsibility that comes with the position. And you will have to eventually be held accountable for what you do with that power. Since you are in “X” position you will speak, teach and lead those in your work place or congregation. These people will listen, learn and follow you because you are in this position. It is very possible that you could lead astray if you are not careful with your words, or turn someone away because of your actions.

James 3:1 says “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”

Now obviously we are not perfect. We will mess up. We will say the wrong thing. But with a great power we do have a great responsibility to make things right. We are human but we are also in a position of leadership. And because of this we will be held accountable with what we teach. We do not have to be Scooter Libby but I am sure at times in our lives we all have been. We are just not in the position where it would be a federal case. But we will affect the lives around us.

So what do we do now?
Do we review our lives and see where we are at fault?
Do we act on our responsibility and apologize?
Do we ignore the responsibility?
Will we become accountable now so we are not judged later?
So what do we do now?

a letter to a friend

to the readers. this letter is for a specific friend. i am sure we all have some just like it.

gabe,
it seems so long ago that we were in high school. a lot of things have happened since this time to change us and mold us into who we are now. i am a youth pastor and you are pursuing music.

i always looked up to you back then, becuase you were so talented musically. i remember hanging out and listening to you play your guitar. it has been a couple of years since we last talked and my last memory of you is playing your guitar in church. the song was nothing but the blood of Jesus. i remember your testimony and how you said you were struggling but you were holding your faith together by the blood of Jesus.

i have still followed your music and every now and then listen to stuff on your website. i am saddened though to see where your relationship with Christ has gone. you claim God is distant in your life and doesnt really care. i am sorry you feel this way. i pray that God will draw near to you to make his presence known. but i know in order for that to happen you have to choose to draw near to him. start listening to his voice and to obey him.

i will always look up to you and will always try to follow your music. but my prayer is that you will find faith again and hold onto it. i miss you man.

hope all is well

built a house

Jesus took a while pouring His life into the lives of the disciples so they in turn would have a ministry that would build the church. now two thousand years later i am seeing people wanting to tear it down, to start a reformation, or just to seperate themselves from it. the church has been important for generations and has been used to be a hosptial for sinners and a haven for the saints.

Jesus approached peter after the resurrection and asked him "do you love me?" well of course peter says yes. Jesus asked him the second time, "do you love me?" and again peter says yes. Jesus asks again for an unprecedented third time, "do you love me?" this time peter is a little hurt replies again "of course Jesus you know everything you know i love you."

Jesus replies each time to feed His sheep. but the last time Jesus adds this "others will take you where you do not want to go." peters life was eventually taken as a martyr. he lived a life that was worthy even though at one time he denied the Christ.

where would the church be today if peter was never reinstated by Christ. would he have continued fishing? rather than building the church and feeding the sheep he could have spent the rest of his life catching salmon.

because of this Jesus built a house. a house now that is big, strong and there to protect his sheep. under the care of a shepherd they meet to protect them from the wolves and lions. so many people today are leaving the church. they feel they are better off. they feel that it is easier to be a christian away from the church.

and maybe they can but i know when a sheep stay with the flock and a wolf comes around the other sheep make noise as a warning to protect the other sheep. the sheperd will know whats going on and can do his best to help protect the sheep from the predator. i also know that sheep on there own dont stand a good chance on their own. sure they can find food on their own. the scriptures are just as easy to read as it is for the sheep to eat the grass in front of them but who will protect that lone sheep when they are off on their own trying to live like a sheep without the flock?

i think i am becoming legalistic

i am not sure why this is but i think i am becoming legalistic. in a way i think all of us are becoming legalistic. we are right... you are wrong. you need to believe this in order to have salvation. i have grown up a christian. i have always gone to church. i am striving to become Christ like. i have been in a constant pursuit of being a deeply devoted follower. and then i realized i have been legalistic.

usually the title legalistic condones we are the one and only way. well i have thought about it and i think i want to be more legalist. except i do not want to be a wesleyan legalist. i want to be a christian legalist. i am tired of being accused by the outside world as illtolerant of others beliefs. i think we as christians are very tolerant and loving. sure there might be some who are not but the majority of christians are. but i have decided for myself that i am done being tolerant of other beliefs. i will still be tolerant of the people. but to tell you the truth on the issue of christianity... i am going to be legalistic.

buddha didnt say i am the way the truth and the life, neither did muhammed, or jon smith. Jesus Christ did and i am going to stick to that idea. as for those people that once accused me of being illtollerant or a legalist, they are not jus accusing me anymore. i am a legalist

situation response 1b

i think one has to be careful in how he views any of these.

"why does the screen have to cover the cross?"

• well uh... sir, it doesn't. however we decided to leave the cross in the middle and the best place to put a screen for the projector is in that same place. (this answer might not necessarily be the best. or maybe it is.
• oh i never noticed that it did

"why do we need the screen in the first place?"

• i feel so inhibited when i worship with a hymnal in my hand. this free's up my hands to worship as i feel led
• everybody is doing it (peer pressure)
• you can use it for so much more then power point

"the cross is only a symbol of what we believe, do we need it there anyways."

• i prefer it to be there but a choice between the cross and the screen i would have to go with the... (either answer here could come back to haunt you, so be careful.)
• the cross only stands for death, why isnt the tomb stone Chrsitianities symbol?

stand by tomorrow to the conclusion of what actually happened

situation response 1

"why does the screen have to cover the cross?"

"why do we need the screen in the first place?"

"the cross is only a symbol of what we believe, do we need it there anyways."

these are three responses to situation 1. all of them different. why is it that we can have so many responses to one situation. are any of them the right way to think? does it even matter? thoughts... anyone?

situation 1: cross being covered

i am going to be starting a new series having to do with situations within the local church. some of these have happened in churches that i have attended, pastored, or other people i know have happened to. with each of these situation there are different responses that happen by individuals within the church. now i will make up some of the resonses and some will be real. but on your part i am wondering how you would respond in each of these situations.

situation 1 begins with a sanctuary being remodeled. (we know there will be issues with every remodel.) with the remodel happening everyone agreed that the cross would stay on the front wall of the sanctuary. now the problem with this is that during the remodel a screen was put in for the new projector. this screen would now cover up the majority of the cross. how did people react to this? how would you respond to this?