EVERYTHING IS URGENT!!!

There are moments when I feel so close to God I'm certain I can feel His breath on me, and there are other moments when I am so wrapped up in myself I feel like God is far away from me. There is an ongoing joke between one of my girlfriends and myself, "EVERYTHING IS URGENT!!!!!" That's it. That's the joke. You see, I spent years and still get caught up in panic mode, and suddenly everything is urgent. I am rushing from one thing to the next, making my self anxious over things I cannot control and things that realistically I have no business stressing myself out over. Can  you understand that? I'm sure some of you can. I have learned that 5 minutes with God can make the difference between a peaceful day and a day in which I feel so much anxiety I cannot complete the simplest tasks without having a nervous breakdown.

The one thing that makes a difference is remembering God doesn't move, we do.

GOD DOESN'T MOVE FROM US. WE MOVE FROM HIM.

GOD DOESN'T MOVE FROM US. WE MOVE FROM HIM.

GOD DOESN'T MOVE FROM US. WE MOVE FROM HIM.

Yes, the above was intentionally stated 3 times. When you feel like God is far away, just remember, He's there. He hasn't moved away from you. All you need to do is take a step back, BE STILL and know that He is God. He will meet you where you are and He will love you out of your panic, anxiety, whatever the emotion or state you are in, He will love you back into His peace.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
– Ephesians 2:13 (NIV)

Today’s commentary by Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org
According to the Bible, those who have faith in Jesus Christ are as close to God as they will ever get. Closeness to the Father is not based upon a feeling, but upon the finished work of the cross. Do you feel far away from God today? If you profess trust in the power of Jesus resurrection, God has given you everything you need. So receive God’s provision in Christ, move past your feelings, and walk near to God today.

Book Review: Dinner With A Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

I just finished reading Dinner With A Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect but when the book summary begins by inviting you to have dinner with Jesus of Nazareth my curiosity was peaked.

"You’re bored, Nick. You were made for more than this. You’re worried about God stealing your fun, but you’ve got it backwards.… There’s no adventure like being joined to the Creator of the universe.” He leaned back off the table. “And your first mission would be to let him guide you out of the mess you’re in at work.”

This book is Christian fiction and at only 100 pages, I wasn't entirely prepared for the adventure I was pulled into. A simple concept that has stimulated the imagination of Christians and Non-Christians alike for generations: If you were at the dinner table with Jesus Christ, how would the conversation go?

The maître d’ led me over to him. Rising from his chair, he stuck out his hand and firmly grasped mine.

“Nick Cominsky,” he said. “Hi. Jesus.”

In retrospect, a thousand comebacks were possible—“Jesus H. Christ! So good to finally meet you!”…“Are twelve of our party missing?”…“I didn’ t know they buried you in a suit.”

The absurdity of the scene, though, stunned me into silence. What do you say to that? The man and I continued shaking hands a little too long, until I issued a weak “Uhhuh.” He released my hand and sat back down.

David Gregory does not disappoint, the conversation in this simple book is intriguing and relevant to questions many Christians ranging from new believers to those that are seasoned in their faith have asked. I really couldn't put the book down, and after finishing it in one day, I re-read it the next. The imagery and the simple beauty in the book are easy to follow and allow the reader to feel like they are seated in the restaurant with Jesus.

“Come at me again. You are…”

“Jesus. My family called me Yeshua.”
...
“So your family called you Yeshua?”

“Most of them. James called me a few other things.”

“Well, Yesh— Do you mind if I call you Yesh?”

“Whatever suits you.”

“Yesh it is, then. Tell me,”—I held up my wineglass—“can you turn this wine back into water?”

"No problem," He replied. He turned and signaled for the waiter... "My friend would like a second glass of water instead of this wine."

I have always believed Jesus had a divine sense of humor (no, the pun hasn't escaped me) and the human character of Jesus is brought to life by Gregory with such care and attention the reader cannot help but fall comfortably into the conversation as Jesus and Nick enjoy their meal as old friends would. This is the manner of relationship with Christ the Bible says he craves with us all and in this book the friendship with Jesus brought to life in a unique and comfortable scenario.

Read an excerpt from Dinner With A Perfect Stranger by clicking this link:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730091&view=excerpt


 I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. This book can be purchased from: http://www.alibris.com/,  amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com, borders.com

A Prayer for When You Just Don't Care

By working on a university campus, I come across many types of people throughout my week. One common attribute to younger people now a days is the apathy that has engulfed people. It especially breaks my heart when I come across someone who professes to be a Christian and to have faith, but do not care about things that do not directly affect them.

Guess what people, if you're a Christians, than the things that break God's heart ought to break yours as well. It is not possible to love God with all your being if you cannot love His children. Do not see someone hurting and ignore it, do not turn away when you see an injustice done to God's children, you cannot fix everything, you alone cannot put an end to the starvation, mistreatment of women and children, you alone cannot end homelessness or feed everyone who goes hungry, but when you open your heart and allow God to completely fill you, you alone can answer His calling for you. You can be the vessel for change and a catalyst for something heavenly.

A Prayer for When You Just Don't Care

Once again, Lord Jesus Christ, I face the power of acedia [sloth].

Against the torrent of oblivion, I plead the blood of Jesus.

When the day stretches out before me and I am tempted todespair, encourage my soul through rhythms of prayer and work.

When I imagine my life would be easier if only I were somewhere else, help me not to flee but to trust your grace in this place.

When I lack attentive care for my neighbor, remind me how you laid down your life for me when I was still an enemy.

Deliver me from acedia, that I might greet that of you in every person and know the place where I am standing to be holy ground.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

-Common Prayer Pocket Edition: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, by Shane Claiborne & Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

Lazarus Awakening Book Reveiw

Lazarus Awakening is an interesting and refreshing take on Lazurus and the relationship with Christ that so many Christians are hungry for. This book takes the form of a practical and easy to follow Bible study providing many opportunities to really evaluate the relationship building process with God. I reccomend this as a supliment for Bible study group leaders as well as individuals. This book is easy enough to understand on your own, but it is very helpful to go through some of the moments you will experience with a friend!

A sample chapter of Lazarus Awakening can be viewed at: http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeek_LazarusAwakeningBonusChapter.pdf


I was provided with a copy of this book for free by the publisher for an honest review.

Hide Me

Has any one ever felt like they have successfully disappeared from the world? If you have, please let me know how you managed it. I do not have the ninja skills required to perform the perfect vanishing act. I have however, experienced and fine tuned my hiding skills. Recently, different hurts and personal feelings of loss and that overbearing feeling of defeat have interfered with my ministry focus. I ultimately fell into the age old trap of allowing personal hurt to defeat my spirit to serve. Ministry is a fragile thing, and there are times, when we are so misguided as to think it is better to pull away from respective areas of service, rather to work past personal issues and make room for healing. I also felt that the lack of communication from fellow leaders meant that they truly didn't care about me in any capacity other than what I contributed one night of the week. I have realized that just cause people don't say anything, this doesn't mean the absence of a leader isn't noticed. I made the mistake of withdrawing even further, rather than putting my pride away and telling someone I was hurting. This often has the same effect on you as bottling away your emotions until everything inside you explodes and all your hurt, anger, disappointment and pain have exploded all over the people that love you the most.

So, whats the lesson to be learned here?

Deal with the hurt. Do not let pain consume you and definitely DO NOT allow the enemy to control your success in ministry because you are too afraid to face your pain. Pain is part of ministry. People will hurt you, and you will hurt people, the most important thing to remember is you are not alone, and if you feel like you are, then you have already let your emotions take control. Take comfort in the Lord, and put your pride aside. Reach out to someone and be honest about your emotions.