Tag Archives: God

Talking’s Easy…Being Understood Is Hard

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_2961

The Compassion Team at our church is working its way through The Relationship Principles Of Jesus, by Tom Holladay. This month we studied chapter 15 which is “Communication Isn’t Easy.”

If communicating were only about speaking words it would be easy. Unfortunately, communication is not just about speaking; it’s about hearing, and not just hearing, but hearing rightly.

I cannot tell you how many times I step into the pulpit with a carefully crafted sermon, absolutely sure of what I desire to communicate, only to have my parishioners hear something I never intended, and in my eyes I never said.

Over the years I have become keenly aware that whenever I speak, what I say is perceived through a set of filters that are built into my listeners. If I am speaking to one person then I am dealing with one set of filters. If I am speaking to ten people then I am dealing with ten sets of filters. If I am speaking to three-hundred people then….Well you get the picture.

We all have filters that we use to interpret the world around us. We understand things through: the lenses of our upbringings, the lenses of our childhood and adult experiences and the lenses of language proficiency. Even our physical condition can affect how we hear and perceive words being spoken to us.

If what I say is constantly being reinterpreted by the people around me how can I ever expect to be understood by anybody? Well, this is where  God has to come into the center of our communication and help us. There are some basic principles He offers, to give us a hand in the art of communication.

The list below is not exhaustive but it’s a start.

  1. Be slow to speak and quick to listen Jas. 1:19: Before we try to speak into a person’s life, we ought to first listen to their heart to see if we can understand how they perceive the world around them. Then we stand a better chance of communicating in a way they will understand. The better we know a person the better we understand their filters.
  2. Be intentional and concise in speaking Ma. 12:36,37: We need to check our hearts and think about what we would say in any given situation. If our motives or thoughts are not pure we need to set those things to rights before we open our yaps. Usually the less we say the better off everyone is.
  3. Finally, commit your words into the Holy Spirit’s hands and let Him control how they are perceived Psalm 19:14: Before I preach I always pray that the Holy Spirit would take my words and apply them where He sees fit. I may not be able to rightly communicate through all the filters people present, but the Holy Spirit can. Ultimately it is His job (according to John 16) to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment, not mine.
What are some tips you have learned about effective communication?

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:6

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

Today we finish up verse 1 of chapter 1 in the Book of Romans. We are taking our time. I hope that doesn’t wrinkle your socks. I’m in a slow down frame of mind right now and the devotional I am reading is encouraging me to “take it slow and notice things.”

If you have missed any of the things I’ve noticed or if you notice anything I have missed you can catch up and comment by going to

“THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS” PAGE

Today we are talking about the “Gospel”.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—

Yesterday we mentioned that Paul was set apart. He was different from other people. Today we learn what He was set apart for. Paul was set apart for the gospel of God. Paul’s purpose for living, the thing that dictated all his behavior and every boundary he lived by was the gospel of God…the good news from God.

We asserted two days ago that Paul was called (invited) and set apart to be a messenger. “The gospel of God” was his message.

What is this good news? Well let’s use some references from other places in the letter to the Romans to explain what that good news is…

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.21But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Mosesi and the prophets long ago. 22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood Romans 3:21-23

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:6-11

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”o) 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,p neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

Now that is good news worth being set apart for!

Pastor Wrinkles Sunday Quips and Quotes 11-8-15

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

Hey there folks! Here is a new challenge for all my Sunday readers. Every Sunday I will post one quip or quote that struck me during the week. You can join along in the quipping and quoting. Here is what to do.

Publish a post of your own using one quip or quote that grabbed you during the week. You can add a picture to it if you like or even photograph the quote from it’s source.

Link back to my post

You can include the Pastor Wrinkle’s Q& Q photo in your post if you think my mug worthy of your blog.

Q&Q

This week’s quote was actually part of my devotional reading from Agnus Dei

“We do battle against angels and we win.” Rev. Tim Conway

Sunset Prayer

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:5

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

Here we are five days into our Romans study and still on verse 1. I think we will be to verse 2 on Sunday; So just hang on.

If you have missed our previous conversations on Romans please find them on the

“Road Through Romans Page”

Today we are beginning to speak about one of the major themes in Romans. It is the idea of being “set apart”.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

Right from the get-go Paul tells us he is two things. He is called, which we already said meant he was “invited”; And he is “set apart”. The Greek word Paul uses here is “aphorizo”. It means Paul is-marked off from others by boundaries, he was limited, or separated from others.

Paul starts his letter by saying, “I am different from other people. I am limited in ways other people are not limited. I have boundaries within which I live that other people don’t have.”

Once again it is important to note that these limits were not imposed by God. Paul was invited into them by God. They were necessary but they were not forced. Paul needed the boundaries because they were good for him. In fact we will learn later in this letter that those boundaries are actually part and parcel of the salvation that comes from God. Paul needed the boundaries, the limits because only inside of them could he walk in the fullness of power.

Paul helps us to understand the idea of being “set apart” or limited in his first letter to the Corinthians when he writes,

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23

Paul was set apart not just as an apostle but as a Christian. What that means is that those of us in the rank and file are really no different from the apostle in respect to being set apart. If Paul was different from others, we should be different from others. If Paul had boundaries he had to live within, we should have the same boundaries. If Paul was limited in his choice of behaviors, we should have limits. If Paul had to separate himself from the world, we have to separate ourselves from the world.

Now what in the world do you think that means?

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:4

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

This is installment four of our verse by verse study through the book of Romans. At this rate I calculate we will finish the study sometime in the course of eternity. If you have missed the previous portions of our study on verse 1, they can be found on the “Road Through Romans Page”

Today we are talking about the word “apostle”

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— Romans 1:1

We have learned quite a bit about this man named Paul in only seven words!

Today we learn that Paul is an apostle. The Greek word means Paul considers himself-a delegate, a messenger, one sent forth with orders.

The classical Christian definition of an apostle refers to the twelve apostles of Christ but in a broader sense it applied to other eminent Christian teachers such as Barnabas, Timothy or Silvanus.

There were four biblical qualifications for apostleship: (From WebBible Encyclopedia)

  1. that they should have seen the Lord, and been able to testify of him and of his resurrection from personal knowledge (John 15:27; Acts 1:21-22; 1 Cor. 9:1; Acts 22:14-15)
  2. They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ (Luke 6:13; Gal. 1:1).
  3. It was essential that they should be infallibly inspired, and thus protected against error and mistake in their public teaching, whether by word or by writing (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Thess. 2:13).
  4. Another qualification was the power of working miracles (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:43; 1 Cor. 12:8-11). The apostles therefore could have had no successors. They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders.
Some would argue the last point made in item number four by turning to Ephesians Chapter 4 and noting that “apostle” is listed as one of the enduring offices of the church. They would say that the office of apostle today is different from the office of the Biblical apostles. To me the point isn’t really worth arguing. The answer isn’t going to directly effect 99.999% of the church, because even if the office still exists most of us will never ever be called to it.
That said there is a part of apostleship every Christian does bear in their spiritual DNA. We might not bear the authority of the office but we do bear the authority of the message. All Christians are delegates of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth and we have a message to bring to the nations. Further we have been given orders that whoever we are and wherever we go we are to share the message. We are called to remember, the order to share the message is not a suggestion but a commission!

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:3

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

We have begun our verse by verse study through the book of Romans. Today we mark our third installment of our time together. If you have missed any of our previous discussions they can be found on the Road Through Romans Page.

Now on to today’s thought

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ” Romans 1:1

Today I simply want to focus on the word “called”. Paul declared himself to be a servant, a slave of God, and the scope of that was explained in yesterday’s post, but this word “called” defines the boundaries of that slavery.

The word “called” which Paul uses here in Romans 1:1 is the word kletos. It means to be invited.

You see Paul was a slave of Christ but he was not forced into slavery. He was invited into it. God’s servants are not servants by force. They are servants by free will. I do not serve God because he has made me serve Him. I serve Him because I have chosen to do so.

Slavery to God comes with its consequences. It has its price to pay. But I don’t serve God in spite of the price. The price is not my focus. The blessings are what I set my eyes on. I serve God because of the love that serving Him releases into my life and because of the incredible blessing walking in that love creates in the present and will create in eternity.

We are invited into this slavery not forced to it. Answering the invitation may remove certain “rights” from my life but I have to say you cannot beat the benefit package. I may endure a cross now and even more so in the future but there is a joy that is set before me that makes any cross worth it all.

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:2

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

Today we continue our study, verse by verse, through the Book of Romans. If you missed yesterday’s edition you can find it on

THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE

Today we are working through the second phrase of Romans 1:1

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus.”

The first bit of identification Paul gives his readers among the Romans is that he is a “servant”. The Greek word is Dulos and its connotation is a little different from the modern definition of “servant”.

 Here is what Paul really means when he says he is a servant-

” I Paul am …a slave, a bondman, a man of servile condition.

 I Paul am…one who gives himself up to Christ… whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men.

I Paul am…devoted to Christ to the disregard of my own interests.

You see, Christianity is not an episode of Downton Abbey. Paul’s not talking about polishing Jesus’ silver or shining Jesus’ sandals.

Christianity is about falling so desperately in love with the Lover of our souls that we will do anything to live for Him even if that means dying.

Jim Elliot a Christian missionary and martyr wrote these fateful words shortly before his death at the hands of the very people he was ministering to. “He is no fool who gives up those things which he cannot keep to gain those things which he cannot lose.”

That in a nutshell is being a servant of Christ.

Sure it’s a lot scarier.This is the Christianity which has drawn billions to the throne of God. Come and join Paul. Be a servant of Christ. The cost is never higher than the return.

“I assure you that when the world is made newi and the Son of Manj sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. “

Matthew 19:28-30

Pastor Wrinkles: A Road Through Romans 1:1:1

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

100_5431

I have been toying with the idea of a verse by verse study for the last several weeks. My only hesitation has been that my schedule for the last several months has left me little time for blogging. I sense that is all changing now. I feel like I will have more time to give to the writing (which is a good thing because this art has been too long neglected to the detriment of my heart).

So today we begin a verse by verse devotional study through the Book of Romans. We are going to go slow and I am going to set up a page under the Pastor Wrinkles Heading so people can catch up if they fall behind.

So Here we go:

“Paul…” Romans 1:1:1

I told you we were going to go slow. Before we go any further we have to look at the first word of this letter. It is a name. It is the author’s name. We know a lot about this man. His name alone has the power to draw us closer to God.

We know he was a servant of Christ (more on that tomorrow).

We know he was an apostle (more on that on Thursday).

We know he was a Jew.

We know he was a Pharisee (one of the bad guys sort of).

We know by his own admission he started out as a persecutor of the church.

We know he considered himself one of the worst sinners in history because of that.

We know his name really wasn’t Paul. You see God changed his name from Saul to Paul. When this man met God his whole identity was changed. He went from persecutor to pastor. He went from enemy of the faith to apostle of the faith. He went from sinner to saint.

THAT’S HOW IT SHOULD BE FOR US!

In another letter Paul wrote, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17

This is what it means to be born again. Maybe we won’t get a new name like Paul did but we will get a new identity in Christ. Anything less is less than Christianity.

Have you met the new you? If not ask Jesus to introduce you. He knows the new you very well.

Don’t Be Mr. In Between Pt. 4

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

Today we will conclude our discussion on “friendship with the world.”

If you have missed any of our previous discussion segments you can find them….

HERE

HERE

OR HERE

100_1740

Yesterday we defined the terms “friendship with the world from James 4 and 1 John 2

Here’s the problem. Most of us mess with Mr. In Between. We do the absolute opposite of what we should do. We make friends with the world by accentuating the negative in our lives and by eliminating the positive.

We build up pride in our achievements and call it self-improvement or positive affirmation. I have no problem with saying someone did a good job or even “I did a good job”; But if I fail to recognize the role God plays in my success, if I take His credit then it is pride!

We encourage ourselves to hunger and thirst after lifestyles God never meant us to have by buying into the thought that Jesus intends everyone to have the best and newest of everything and so we begin to spend our resources for our own wants and needs rather than investing our resources with the Kingdom in mind. Folks when you get to Heaven God is not going to ask you what cable package you had or what television you watched it on. He is going to ask what you did with the resources HE gave you. He is going to ask you how what you did pointed other people towards Him.

Finally, we accentuate a life focused around forward advancement creature comforts and worldly success and pleasure and we eliminate the place of prayer.

God is challenging us in these days. God is challenging us towards relationship because He loves us. God has great things in store for you. God has amazing miracles in store for you. Some of you God would use to bring restoration to your family. Some of you are about to learn what it means to walk in a healing anointing. Some of you are about to be used as prophets. I believe there are people reading who are about to go on incredible God adventures . Some of you may have the opportunity to lay your hands on cancer patients and watch them recover. Some may even be given the opportunity to see the dead raised and lepers cleansed as you pray. But before He can do any of that you need to let go of your friendship with the world because it is holding you back.Mr. In Between is holding you back. Perhaps you have sold out for a paycheck. Maybe you have given up on God’s plan because you know it will displease someone important to you. You are holding back because you know the anointing means getting rid of your pet sin or that impure relationship.

Can I encourage you with these words of Jesus from  the Gospel of Mark?
Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

There is a price to pay for the life God wants you to have. But the price is never higher than the reward, even when the price is everything you have. So I dare to call you today. Will you leave behind your friendship with the world today and give everything to Jesus? He will give everything He has to you.

Don’t Be Mr. In Between Pt. 3

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

Over the last few days we have been having a discussion on what it means to be a “friend of the world and an enemy of God.”

If you have missed the first two segments of our discussion you can pick them up

HERE

AND HERE

100_1740

Today we will begin to discuss the nature of friendship with the world…

The problem is  most of us can’t get out of our own way when it comes to having a relationship with God all because we won’t take Johnny Mercer’s advice. When it comes right down to it, many of us struggle in our relationship with God because we keep messin’ around with Mr. In Between or as James would put it we have a friendship with the world that makes us an enemy of God.

Folks, if this is going to change we must begin to accentuate the positive and eliminate the Negative, and I am not just talking about “thinking happy thoughts.”

John the apostle helps us to understand what we have to accentuate and eliminate when he gives us a definition of what being a friend of the world really entails.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. I John 2:15-17

So let’s put this to a list:

James says“Come close to God” (James 4:8)– Which means to accentuate a life in God that is a life rich in: prayer, church and study of the Bible.

John says- Eliminate a life focused on physical pleasure and comfort. (I John 2:16)

James says- Wash your hands you sinners and purify your hearts (James 4:8)–  which means to accentuate a life based on Kingdom principles. Accentuate a heart that desires the things of the Kingdom of Heaven before everything else. This was the last point of last week’s sermon.

John says- Eliminate the tendency to crave and want everything we see. Stop wanting what everyone else has. Stop wanting all the creature comforts. (I John 2:16)

James says- Accentuate humility (James 4:7). This is a whole sermon series itself. I encourage you to do a study through the Bible on the subject of pride versus humility because humility is one of the most misunderstood virtues in the Bible. Suffice it to say we should accentuate the truth, which is that we are just empty vessels. Our created purpose is to be filled up and poured out, nothing more

John  says- We need to eliminate the tendency we have to take credit for God’s work by thinking our achievements are all about us and our talent, when they are really only gifts from God. (I John 2:16)

Tell me which of these forms of “worldly friendship” stands out to you as the hardest to avoid?