"Organized" Religion

As of late, I've been reading A.W. Tozer. There are several short sermon/chapters - so poignant and relative. The one I read today was about organized religion.

One of my biggest peeves in the world is the "I don't believe in organized religion" statement. Don't get me wrong ... I understand where it comes from. Much horror has been committed in the name of religion. In fact, the ones in my life who have caused me the most harm and had the worst intentions for me were very "religious" people. But shunning all organized religion in response to crimes against humanity performed under the flag of religion is a dangerous overreaction.

Nevermind Red Cross and over 95% of all worldwide poverty relief. Forget the clear historical roots of women's liberation and the anti-slavery movement. Forget the very foundation of the United States of America. Let's just blame all our ailments on "organized" religion. Murder, war, discrimination ... what do they all have in common? Religion of course! NO!!! What do they truly have in common? HUMANS!

People will use whatever excuse they can find and will fly whatever banner they need to in order to steal, kill, claim, and destroy. Doing away with organized religion will NEVER do away with our global, national, and community ailments (* please see history: Soviet Union, China, and every other state that banned organized religions). You think the U.S. is bad? Please note the violence, rape, murder, degrading women and children, sex trafficking, and government corruption of atheist countries. Removing organized religion only removes a key adversary of ORGANIZED human corruption.

Anyways (post rant), Tozer has a way of dissecting issues and bringing them in plain sight:

"A certain amount of organization is necessary everywhere throughout the created universe and in all human society. Life requires organization. Life ... cannot exist as a thing in itself independent of any organized body. Where there is body and form there is organization. When, for any cause, the parts become disorganized life departs and the man dies.

"The man who would oppose all organization in the church must be ignorant of the facts of life. Art is organized beauty; music is organized sound; philosophy is organized thought; science is organized knowledge; government is merely society organized. And what is the true church of Christ but organized mystery?

"Without substance, form and order this divine life would have no dwelling place, and no way to express itself to the community."

God's Work Begins Where Our Ability Ends

God created each and every one of us for a distinct purpose. Many of us have several purposes. He plants these in our souls and lives, but it seems that few people find their true, specific purpose. Why? Distractions. The 'volume' of the world around them. Fear. Cynicism. The "I'm a realist" viewpoint. Pride. Over confidence in their own abilities.

How sad. Our creator infused us with specific passion, launches us with a distinct purpose, and opened the possibility of communicating with Him through His own personal sacrifice ... AND WE MISS IT!

So how do you find it? It's not as hard as you think to find it, but it takes faith, guts, and relentless persistence to follow through. You have to fight back naysayers, the cultural norm, pressure from family and friends, and sometimes what seem like impossible circumstances. But here's a dose of reality. God's work begins where our ability ends.

I'll say it again: GOD'S WORK BEGINS WHERE OUR ABILITY ENDS.

So if you are not willing to believe enough to have the faith to step past your barriers of logic ... if your faith isn't strong enough to take a risk and to step out where God has called you ... then you will never see an ounce of your purpose. If you don't truly believe in the power of the Creator of the universe, then you will complain, moan, grow bitter, fall into depression, get hooked on meds or drugs ... but you will not live a fulfilling life. You will wallow in your mediocre existence ... accomplishing next to nothing for the Kingdom of God. And you call yourself a Christian?

So where do we begin? Self Dissection. What makes you tick? You've probably heard people say that your area of genius in life is something that you would be willing to do for free. God has planted passion in you. Seek it out.

Here's the deal: Take a notebook and write on it "Study of Andy Shivers" (of course use your own name). Start with areas of life and then fill in the blanks. What subjects are you passionate about? What things on earth would you change if you could? What do you love to teach or share with others? What motivates you? I could list these forever, so I'm just going to open up my life and show you mine:

Spiritual
Daily Time with God
Spiritual Authority - The True Church
Grace (Power)
Worship and Praise
Serving
Health and Wellness Ministry
Ichthys
The Science of Creation
FAMILY
Role of the Husband-Father
Solutions for the Homeless
Racial & Cultural Reconciliation

The Science & Benefits of:
Hiking
Martial Arts
Nutrition
Exercise
Genetic Testing
Specific Diet
Fasting

Finance & Business
FairTax
Financial Responsibility
"Buzzworthy" Business
Networking w/ Give First approach
Pleasantly Persistent Sales


The list grows. This was step #1. Next? PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. SET GOALS. WRITE THEM DOWN. GET TO WORK.
In other words, what you do DAILY is who you are. Once you have dedicated daily/weekly/monthly time to your specific goals ... LET NOTHING STOP YOU!

WARNING: Once you step out on faith, spend daily power time with God and begin actively pursuing His purpose in your life, the enemy will attack ... full force. It's what Satan is scared of the most.

NOW DO IT!

God is good

God is so good!
Praise Him!
Sing!
Dance!
Worship!

Be Strong & Courageous

Moses the servant of the Lord had died. God wasted no time and commissioned Joshua to fill some huge shoes. Not only that, God told Joshua to cross the Jordan (the people of Canaan had counted on the Jordan to act as a barrier against Israeli invasion).
Then God tells Joshua what he will do (or better what he had already done) - "Every place on which the soul of your foot treads, I have given it to you."
"No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life ... I will not fail you or forsake you. (vs 6) Be strong and courageous. (vs 7) Only be strong and very courageous. (vs 9) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!"

God gave his promise. He made it clear. He told Joshua what he had to do:
#1 be strong and courageous
#2 walk the narrow Way – keep the law
#3 meditate on God's word day and night

In order to receive God's promises, Joshua had to stand up and take it. No doubt. No hesitation. No turning from it right or left. He was to armor himself with God's word and go and take what God had given His people. He was limited only by the places he didn't place his foot upon.

How much our Father wants to give us – how much he's already given us and we don't receive. Doubt, feelings of unworthiness, worldly distractions, fear, hesitation, Sin ... We allow them to rob us of our promises. Why?

Brothers and Sisters, be strong and courageous! For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go.

"My Word. My Life. My Purpose"

I've done a poor job lately of going to God. My goal is to spend power time in God's Word, in prayer, and in praise every single day. I haven't been doing it and I can feel my spirit weakening. I can feel my flesh and lusts growing.

Today I came to God in prayer. I started slow and scattered. In frustration and angst I cried out and asked God what to do. Without a moment of hesitation I heard His response: "Read My Word."

I opened my Bible to where it was ribbon-marked: Proverbs 18. Then I went to read where I had left off in the New Testament: John 5.

After reading I started praying and asking God to renew my mind and spirit. As I was praying I felt Him say, "Shut up and listen!" I did.

The first thing He spoke to me was "My Word." That's it. My mind started wandering and chasing. Again He said, "Shut up!" Then He finished:

"My Word. My Life. My Purpose."

I've had so many plans lately and a few failures. I've prayed fervently over some of them and they failed anyways. I've begun lately to question God and lose an amount of faith because He told me to speak to the mountain and I did ... but it didn't move. Today He stopped me in my tracks:


"My Word"
It begins here: God's Word. Power, knowledge, truth, conviction, comfort, wisdom.


"My Life"
I'm on borrowed time. I died to myself and now it is not my life but His. I am not my own.


"My Purpose"
I can have all the plans I want but it is the purpose of God that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). The plans I have that are outside His will ... thank God He makes them fail. Otherwise, I'd waste my life chasing rabbits.

The Meek Man

"The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day."

~ A.W. Tozer

Time for Dr. Pepper!

Sweet Tea is awesome! I love it! But if I have a desire to drink Dr. Pepper, I don't keep the sweet tea in my cup. I dump it out and start fresh. Right?

God is the ultimate provider. His timing is perfect. Often He brings great things into our lives ... things we love and appreciate. Problem: When God moves to replace those things with better things, we often fight against Him because it hurts to lose things we love.

Sometimes He's telling us to dump out our sweet tea so that He can give us some Dr. Pepper.

Grow Confidence At Home!

In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published Cradles of Eminence: a study of 413 "famous and exceptionally gifted people." They spent years attempting to understand what produced such greatness. What common thread, if any, might run through the lives of people like Einstein, Gandhi, Roosevelt, Edison, etc?

The most outstanding fact was that 392 had to overcome tremendous obstacles in order to become who they were. What helped them compensate for their handicaps? From an early age, each one had someone in their life of significance who helped them recognize hidden strengths and talents and encouraged their development.

A timeless tragedy is that so many children never have the chance to reach their full potential because their innate strengths are never nurtured. Their potential remains buried.

Our job as parents is to enrich our children's lives by helping them recognize and develop what makes them unique. Instead, many parents spend more time focusing on shortcomings. We need to nurture our children's strengths to increase their self-esteem, limit their stress, cushion their tough times, and to help them overcome their limitations.

There are 3 basic steps to follow:

1. Identify their unique strengths
2. Point out these strengths so your child can see them
3. Provide opportunities to develop strengths

It sounds simple, but it demands that you spend some serious time studying your child. Some of you may say here, "I know my child!" Yes, I'm sure you do. But is your child worth taking a deeper look and possibly uncovering something that could enrich the rest of their life? Of course!

This is one of the most important topics parents can dive into when it comes to their children. In a cynical world that is often more critical than supportive, they desperately need you to step up and actively build their confidence and cultivate their strengths.

More to follow ....

Impossible Circumstances and Unlikely Heros

"... that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
"God is glorified that we bear much fruit and so prove to be disciples of Christ."
"... to the glory of God the Father."

Thant's the point. It's the point Jesus made time & time again no matter what He was talking about: suffering, asking anything of Him, bearing fruit, worship, adoption ...

That's why God uses impossible circumstances and unlikely heroes. No one else can take credit. Without Him it would never have happened - not possible by the power, skill, or ability of people.

BUT ... this is the stumbling block. It's also these 'impossible' circumstance God brings our way to reveal the condition of our hearts - what do we truly rely on? On what do we base our actions? How is this any different than the world around us?

We're always trying to 'figure it out'. We discourage others because their aspirations appear unrealistic. We plan and create processes. We cause-and-effect everything. BUT GOD IS GREATER THAN ALL THESE THINGS!

Wake up Christians! Until we are "all in" ... until we as God's people TRUST Him by FAITH in the midst of impossible circumstances ... we will change NOTHING! God will not move. God will not work wonders in our lives that causes the world around us to take note and seek to answer the question, "How are these people different?"

1 Peter 2:9
"But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"

Positive, Positive, Positive

I know we’ve heard a whole lot about ‘positive thinking’ … so much that we may grow tired of hearing it. But gang, it’s at least close to #1 on many scales: Success, Mental Health, Contentment, Marriage, Relationships, Family, School, Wellness … the list goes on. That’s the point! That’s why we hear about it so much. Think there might be something to this positive stuff?

How positive are you … really? What are your first thoughts in the morning? What mood are you in when you get to work/school? What mood are you in when you speak to your wife/family?

Attitude is your choice, not your circumstance. Attitude is the way you respond to the situation, not the situation itself. You have control.

How much are you missing because of your negativity? It is proven that when you concentrate on what you want, when you self-talk that you will achieve it, when you stay positive, you will succeed! It’s also proven that negative talk, negative thought, and negative attitude accomplish nothing but destruction and stress for you and everyone around you. Have you ever said, “I’m a realist!”? That’s a not-so-clever disguise for Mr/Mrs Negative. How many people have you discouraged? How many gave up because of you? And from it you gained what?

“It ain’t the rain, the snow, the boss, the competition, the spouse, the money, the car, the job, or the kids – it’s you! And it always has been.” ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

Let’s say you take a step out on faith to charge at something you’ve always wanted to do … and what do you hear from everyone? “You’re crazy!” People who tell you you’re crazy are known as “pukers.” They feel it’s their job to make you feel stupid, inadequate, or incapable of making good judgments. Pukers are people to avoid at all costs.

REALITY: Their attitude sucks and they’re basically cynical. They are incapable of encouragement because they would rather see you as a failure … just like they are.

WARNING: Don’t puke back! Be cool and lead by example.

Concentrate on positive. Try me! Make intentional efforts to praise and encourage others. Find something good/great in their personality to compliment. Shake off the negative thoughts before speaking. Control your freaking tongue. Stay humorous but never make fun of. Quit Whining! Think about and speak what you CAN do, not what you CAN’T. Tell me the solution, don’t puke on me.

If you just can’t muster the positive within … SHUT UP!

God Can Be Trusted

He is faithful to keep His word.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man. he doesn't deal with weakness like lying. There is nothing He says that He doesn't make good on.

Psalms 18:30
The Word of God is tried and proven. His way is blameless. He is my shield and I can take refuge in Him.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth could pass away, but God's words never will.


Friends, family, parents, spouses ... they are not perfect. They WILL fail. They WILL disappoint. They WILL mess up. They WILL hurt you. We will be abandoned by people we care about. Some of us will endure unspeakable pain because of people close to us. This creates distrust in our hearts ... but God can be trusted. He can heal those wounds.

The reason some people have such a hard time trusting God is because people close to them have failed them countless times. They have no good example to go by. By taking refuge in God we can guard our hearts from being jaded. We can put our trust in Him and not in people. He gives us the character and strength to forgive and to remain truly secure in Him.

Everyone may fail you.

God will not fail you.

Dog Poo Patty - HAPPY FRIDAY!

Not much is worse than waking up Friday morning, throwing on the ole jeans, walking out the door for the last workday of the week ... and BAM your dog has left you a nice, warm, oozing patty of poo. Nasty.

That's life isn't it? When you least expect it ... poo. How we react says a lot about us because we can't prepare for it. You have no idea it's going to happen. Obviously you could pick a better way to start your day. Then wammo. Your reaction is immediate and very natural.

Me? I would like to say that I handled it in style, kept my cool, 'no-big-dealed' it, and remained thankful it was at least Friday. No. I exploded in frustration and anger ... throwing a conniption fit like an angry teenager. Hmmm ... unresolved issues?

Focus Grasshopper

So much going on, so many moving pieces, so many important details ... it's hard to prioritize. What's most important? What comes first? What's the best order of things? And we haven't even gotten to delegating. I've got to get my head wrapped around the game plan. I have to break it all up into pieces, delegate some responsibility, and take action. Action, Action, Action! 1 action is worth 1,000 plans.

So off we go!

Morning Workout

Made it 3 out of 4 days to the gym by 6am. It's not a 'kill-death-die' workout, but it's a start. I've been on my butt in an office job for nearly 3 years now ... and my butt-n-gut show it. We are launching a karate school and I'm 30 lbs overweight. Crunch Time!

The Game Plan
1400 Calories per day
Protein load - 6 meals a day
100+ oz of water per day
Burn 500+ calories/day workout
At least 30 minutes cardio

I've got to get more and more creative with meals and workouts. Total body, big muscle, calorie burning exercises - that's where it's at. Meals: lean meats, yogurt, veggies, low sodium and sat fat, and whole grain.

So far, 6 lbs lost. The next 10 shouldn't be so hard. Then it's man-up time!

God's Children in Chains

My morning study of John Bevere's Extraordinary series lead me to a side section in the workbook called BREAK FREE FROM HABITUAL SIN!. It spoke to me. Here's what he had to say about breaking the pattern of sin and its dominion in our lives.

ADMIT you have a problem. Call sin, sin; agree with God that it's wrong, and repent.

SUBMIT yourself to God. Humble yourself and receive His inexhaustible grace continually.

COMMIT yourself to the Word. Saturate yourself in specific scriptures that counter the conduct you want to be free from.

PRAY & SAY the Word over your life and against the enemy as needed throughout the day.

ANSWER to someone trustworthy. Be accountable to someone who loves you enough not to condone your sin or condemn you when you fall, someone who will confront you in love.