My Grahammer Jammer just celebrated his 6th birthday on Sunday and I am just amazed. He is growing rapidly and when I look at who he is as a young boy, I pray that he will grow to be the arrow that scripture calls us to be. Impacting the world with the gospel. His name is Graham for Billy Graham and Edward for Jonathan Edwards.
So what does all that have to do with a deep theological, church planting strategy blog like the Taco Assassin? Permeate. The Good News of Jesus Christ must PERMEATE everything that I say and do. It is not enough to do my Christian duty and then hang up my hat when I grow weary. When I go for walks with my kids on the mornings when time permits, I need to be talking to them about the faith. I need to share something with them that will bring them closer to my Savior. We have always been pretty "religious" when it comes to family devotion and reading the kids Bible, but the world that we live in necessitates more. We cannot trust that $2 worth of God is going to be enough to sustain our kids through their teenage years. It takes seeing a Mom and Dad who love God, love others, and live the mission. (our Church napkin, strategy)
I read this morning in Acts 17:16 where Paul looked at Athens and was physically distraught by the idolatry. I want to know that kind of distress. Eric, my pastor, preached on Sunday about the dangers of comfort in the Church and I believe that is at the core of the spiritual atrophy that has invaded our Churches. Atrophy carries with it the idea that unused muscles lose their strength, muscle mass, etc. when unused. That is my non-medical, ER watching, definition. The concept is very applicable. We have to use our missionary follower of Christ muscles constantly so that we will be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.
I had lunch with a friend whom I have known for only a few months. I met him in the hall at Church, saw him come to Christ, and have walked with him in discipleship over the past few weeks. He is preparing to return to NY soon and what he wanted to talk about was simple. How can he make decisions that honor God and how can he share his new faith with others. My mind is boggled by the concept of making disciples in that he is now going as a missionary to his family and friends because of the limited time that we spent walking together in discipleship. I am confident that he will face difficulty, but I also feel sure that God has a purpose and plan for him that is exceeding, abundant beyond all that I can think or imagine.
It's late and I am rambling a bit. The picture of Graham is a Chuck E. Cheese disguise that he insisted on wearing in the van. It did not last long as it made it home to be trampled under foot and chewed by Chewy the dog (named for Chewbacca and not his ability to Chew nor the nickname in Mexico for people named Jesus. . .Chuey).
We must cling to a faith that permeates our being. Not something that we wear for a while and allow to be trampled under foot by the traffic of idolatry or spiritual atrophy.
Have a good night. Don't stay up too late watching Olympics. Pick up some dance moves from the Jamaican runners. Buy more than one newspaper so that your wife can save $400 on groceries. Tell your family that you love them and cease each day for all that it is worth because one day a Church will have an event called the Big Serve and a Bible study class will come to visit you because you can't come to Church.
