Fish Gut Grace!

Jesus was never known to be a fisherman, but rather a carpenter. Not much is known about those pre-ministry years, but we know he was raised in Nazareth and not along the seashore of Galilee. However, after Jesus publically launched his ministry he called a few disciples to follow him who were fisherman. So I presume he got familiar pretty fast with the cleaning process of fish in preparation for the fish market.

Well I am not a fisherman either, but I’ve fished over the years since I was a boy and have cleaned a few fish myself. When you get them home and clean them you got to do something with the guts right? To be honest, I can’t remember much about what I used to do with fish guts but I know I must have done something with them.

Over a year ago after we moved into our present home my wife observed a neighbor throwing a half filled 5 gallon pail of fish guts, heads and tails under a tree close to our home. The tree was not directly in the front yard, but not far away either. The conversation between us went something like this. She said, “That is really gross, you need to go clean those guts up before the kids get sick from them over something”. I said “I don’t want to clean up someone else’s fish guts. I’ll just go tell him to clean up their own fish guts.” She said, “You can’t do that, they are our neighbors and what will they think if you say that?” I said, “I don’t know, but they should have thought of that before they dumped them next to our tree”. Back and forth we went over what was the right way to handle the unexpected fish guts and what should be done  and what would Jesus do?

So it finally boiled down to me actually walking over to the fish guts and just starring at fish tails, heads and guts. It was starting to smell as well, since we live in the hot FL sun. My youngest two kids were looking at them as well saying how gross and stinky they were and wondering what dad was going to do. So I went and got my own five gallon pail and shoveled them into my bucket. Then I thought, I know what I will do, I will just dump them right on their front steps and show them. Since nobody was home the temptation grew. After another debate back and forth this time with the Lord, I finally did the right thing with the pail of fish guts. I ended up dumping them in my own garbage can and we smelled them all week long until the dump truck came.

Since then we have gotten to know those neighbors and have come to love the entire family in a Jesus kind of way. Had it not been for Jesus in our lives, fish guts might have truly divided us in the neighborhood over those stinky fish remains and how they should have been handled. If it were not for Jesus I think I would have likely dumped those heads, tails and guts in the wrong place instead of my own dumpster.

I am not perfect by any means and I know I have pulled my share of gut dumping onto someone else’s turf along the way. But I am reminded today that I can thank my God for the grace of Christ who took upon himself my stinky sinful fish guts and paid the price for me over 2000 years ago. Before I even knew how much my ‘fish guts’ would smell and would offend God  he placed them positionally Under the blood of Jesus. Once I disovered Jesus and put them in His pail they never were to again smell.

Today I have a different type of ‘fish guts’ that recently got dumped into my life’s front yard by different folks. These folks are actually my brothers and sisters in Christ. As I pray and seek His grace I hope I can discover again the wonder of His Grace to know how to handle another completely different round of fish guts. I find myself again looking for more ‘Fish Gut Grace’. If he did once he can do it again.  I live longing for more ‘Fish Gut Grace’.

Are you Sinner or Saint?

      Many years ago when I was a youth pastor in Lakeland, FL I remember a local church having a special day called "Bring a Sinner Day". Someone I knew told me about it and how they were supposed to invite people who agreed they were a sinner. As it turned out they had a great response and many people came who admitted they were indeed active sinners. People agreed to attend that day out of curiosity or honesty to be a sinner that day.  I later heard that many who attended that day as sinners left as saints.

             The other day I got into a conversation while out in public with a gentleman. At some point in the conversation he said "we are all sinners anyway, right?" I guess my answer shocked him because I said." No". You should have seen the look on his face! Had he meet me in 1980 I would have agreed with him. Since becoming a disciple of Jesus I do not confess I am an active sinner, because I am not. When God gets a hold of a person's heart and repentance occurs there is a spiritual transformation called being Born-Again. It is at that moment of true heart expressed repentance that sins are forgiven and sinner becomes saint. Throughout the New Testament we read how each of the epistles was addressed to the saints in certain cities.    

        Somehow humanity has exalted the term "saint' far beyond the reach of what the bible intended to convey.

         I don't know about you, but I thank God that Jesus transformed this former active sinner into a present day active saint. My sinning days are over!  To walk daily in the light as He is in the light is a joy and honor as a child of God. Once someone comes to know Jesus Christ as Savior there should not be a desire to continue in sin. Being a Saint is not about works of righteousness or how many good deeds one can do, but about a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ while living in the here and now.  

So if you are tired of being a sinner then we welcome you any Sunday to come as sinner and leave as Saint.  He still has the power to transform, forgive and set the prisoners of sin free and turn Sinner into Saint!

 

The kingdom of the rejected and a cookout with a Cause

 Be Careful what you name your Sermon!

This morning I mentioned that folks should come back for "The Cookout". I went on to note than the Cookout was going to be a message, but I was not real clear as I wanted to stir interest. Needless to say I created interest alright. One women and several teens who are new to our church took me literally. The teens took it to heart and actually showed up late with 10 people expecting a cookout. More on that later in this blog.

    My message title was actually "The kingdom of the rejected and a cookout with a cause". The main text was Luke 7: 36-50

   The point of the message was even Jesus attended many dinners with many sinners and outcast in order to reach lost people. I noted that we have such wonderful homes, yet we often only invite those who could invite us back and that we should consider inviting the poor, the distressed and the many who have far less than we do.
      I mentioned how people respond to food and fellowship and often enjoy cookouts and we should use cookouts to reach folks this summer.

    When the message was over there was still 4 teens left who waited until I was done to tell me what happened. Yes I was a bit embarrassed to say the least and my teenager daughter thought it was funny. The boys who stuck around let me take them out to McDonald's and then we planned a real cookout for a few weekends from now with a pool party as well.

   The lesson learned is I guess mentioning a cookout really does work, but you should be prepared to cook up what you advertise literally or it might backfire. After our time together after church I sensed God working through all my blunders in spite of me.


   I am amazing at how God can work through a Cookout with a Cause message as well as a messed up understanding of a sermon title.

A Frustrated Thirst for Knowledge

Today I saw my family off to Atlanta as I stayed back for ministry, sunshine and reading. I will admit right now sunshine sounds the funniest of all three. I've been in the office and working most of the morning and now it is 2:10 and as I reflect on my desire to learn, read and discover I find myself a bit overwhelmed. Maybe I am not alone, but I love to read ,but I am just not a fast reader. I get easily distracted and unless I am super energized, books often lull me to sleep.

I’ve tried listening to books, but that takes a different format to listen than reading and sometimes its great (like driving in the car for hours) for passing the time. I love a new book, but rarely do I finish them because I get bored with them unless they are exceptional all the way through. That might be the attitudes of many who listen to preachers preach sermons too. I’ve seen many sleep over the years from my sermons and many outstanding preachers as well.I even dose off in church unless my wife is next to me.

Anyway, today I did a roll call on my current books in motion and I am so overwhelmed on how many are started that I do not know where to begin to finish. I want to finish each, but….

So for the love of books here is my roll call on books at least one chapter started. How many do you have on the burner?

Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey

The Orgins of Species 150^th anniversary by Charles Darwin and forward by Ray Comfort.

Fearless- Maz Lucado

The 5000 Year Leap

Preaching the story that shapes us- by Dan Boone

Why We’re Not Emergent by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck

Simple Church by Thom Rainer ( almost Done)

How Jesus treated Others by Morris Venden

Going Rogue By Sarah Palin

Raising a Modern Knight by Robert Lewis

It Takes a Family by Rick Santorum

A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren

The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley

Person Faith and Public policy by Tony Perkins & Harry Jackson

And of course I am always reading the Bible and I got about 4 more books on hold waiting on me at the Library.

A thirst for knowledge and a lack of time! Am I the only one out there who can’t read fast enough?