I read a blog yesterday from someone who used to attend our fellowship. The blog made me sad. It saddens me too because I have heard and read many conversations which were eerily similar to what this man blogged. The blog I read was all about how someone had wronged this person several years ago and the person who wrote the blog still refuses to forgive. They are stuck in the past (2 years or more in the past) because they (not the person whom they think wronged them) refuse to move on from that position and simply forgive and get on with life. In fact, the reason they left our fellowship was that I tried to get him to forgive his brother in the Lord when the incident occurred.
When we focus so much attention on things which have hurt us in the past, we show two things. One, we show that we have not forgiven the wrongs done to us. This is a problem for any believer on a couple of levels. One, God requires us to forgive, if we are to receive forgiveness ourselves. I know this doesn’t fit nice and neatly into our little theological boxes but it IS what Jesus said never the less.
Matthew 6:15
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
NIV
This is a hard statement by Jesus, but He means what He said. If I am to receive forgiveness from God, I must forgive. When I constantly (and I used to do this) bring up hurts from my past and react to them as if they are alive today, I tell on myself that I have not forgiven. This was, unhappily at the time, brought to my attention by my mother in the early 90s. She noticed that I was still talking about the things someone had done to me years earlier and she said, “I believe you have and unforgiveness issue here”. Of course, I blew it off and said, “no I don’t.” However, the fact of the matter was that I did have an unforgiveness issue and I was not going to have peace in this matter, until I let the offender off the hook and realized that they owed me nothing. You see, the only thing that hanging on to bitterness over a past offense does is destroy our ability to find peace in this life. Jesus came to bring us peace. He has freely forgiven us, so why would I hold any offense against my brother?
This brings me to the second problem for a believer holding on to unforgiveness. That problem is that we have been forgiven freely and we should freely forgive. Why? Because a person was not designed by God to hold on to unforgiveness. Holding on to hurts and resentments from the past only serve to allow that person to hurt us on a daily basis. If I am unforgiving, the only person hurting over that is me. I’m not hurting the one I’m not forgiving. They are likely, completely unaware that I’m even still angry. I truly believe that much of the emotional turmoil I see in America everyday is caused by an epidemic of unforgiveness. People are taught that they have a right to be angry and have to express that anger. People who believe that are doomed to very sad unpeaceful lives for the rest of their lives. Jesus came to take the sin of the world, including the sins of the one who wronged us. God forgave me of all sorts of wrongs in my life by His grace. He required nothing of me but to receive His grace and mercy, so why should I require anything of those who wrong me?
Now I started this out by saying that, when we focus on hurts from the past, we show two things. One was our unforgiveness. The second is our unwillingness to move forward in life. We doom ourselves to be stuck every single day in the past. I don’t know about you, but I truly believe that God made each and every one of us to make a mark on this world for His Kingdom. How in the world am I going to do that if I live my life dredging up horrible things from my past all the time? Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are times when it is useful to share things, even bad things, from our past with a concerned friend. I’ve been catching up with many of my old friends on Facebook and Twitter and when someone asks about what the years have brought me through I share the good and the bad and they do too. It’s good to know some of the things we have walked through in life because truly those things have made us who we are today and God’s hand has brought us through all of it. But, what I’m talking about is that person who continually focuses on what has been evil in their lives. I’ve got too much to do to get caught up in that. I want to learn the lessons from mine and other’s past mistakes and move on by forgiving them and then looking for what God has for me today. Paul says it this way:
Philippians 3:13-14
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. NIV
Forgetting what is behind!!! Yes, I can’t get in the race with all that baggage. I need to forget what is behind. It’s in the past. There is nothing I can do about it now with the exception of learning from past mistakes not to do it again. But I need to be pressing on. I need to focus my life on what God has for me today and tomorrow and every tomorrow after that until I win the prize. Focusing on all the wrongs done to us not only hurts us and blocks our own forgiveness, it sits me in the bleachers of life instead of out running the race where I belong. Listen, I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I’ve been paralyzed by bitterness and there is absolutely no peace in it. That’s not where God wants us to be. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to bring us peace. When we choose not to forgive, we refuse God’s peace. I, for one, choose to move on. I want to let go of the past and press on for what God has for me today. Someone said to me a couple of days ago, “I don’t think Don Carr is finished yet”. And to that, I say a whole hearted Amen!!! I will not be finished until I see Him face to face and hear those words, “well done good and faithful servant” and until that time I intend to run the race to win.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. NIV
Let’s throw off everything that hinders. Let’s forgive. Let’s forget what is behind and look for all of the wonderful things God, in His mercy and love, has for us today. That’s what I’m going to do.
Until later,
Don
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Using new toys
I have been ill this week and spent a lot of time in bed. Now, I am not one who can stay in bed without going stir crazy a bit, but evey time I tried to get up and do stuff, I got worse and back to bed I went. So...
The next best thing I suppose to being up and around was to get around on the computer. I think I bugged a lot of people simply because they were online on Facebook or Twitter. Sorry if you were one that I bugged. ;-)
So, instead of bugging people I started checking out new things online. I found two really useful tools although one is a bit overwhelming.
The first was recommended by my friend Beth Dorn. She uses an online tool called Digsby. Digsby is useful in that you can monitor all of your networking activity (ie myspace, facebook, twitter, AIM, etc) from one site and even chat with folks on all the different online networking sites all at once. Pretty cool huh? It is. But as I said, it can be a bit overwhelming as I have a lot of friends so stuff was jut popping up right and left. Useful tool however. You may want to check it out.
I also had a tool recommended to me by my friend Kurt. It's called ping.fm. What it does is pretty cool as well and I find it quite useful too. It allows you to use one site to update posts to all of your networking sites at one time. I'm actually using it right now and it is updating my blog at blogger, yahoo 360 and my notes on Facebook all at the same time, that is, if it works. I'm blogging and checking it out at the same time. The other thing very useful about it is that I have several different pages on Facebook and so forth and you can set up groups in ping.fm, so you can update some things without necessarily updating everything. It took me a while to figure out how that worked. :-) The other very cool thing about it is you can post anything to any of your sites using your text messages from your phone or your email. It's really simple once you learn a couple of codes.
Well I'm still learning a lot about both of these networking tools, but thought I would pass it along to you. Thanks for your time. God bless you and I hope I see you in church.
Until later,
Don
The next best thing I suppose to being up and around was to get around on the computer. I think I bugged a lot of people simply because they were online on Facebook or Twitter. Sorry if you were one that I bugged. ;-)
So, instead of bugging people I started checking out new things online. I found two really useful tools although one is a bit overwhelming.
The first was recommended by my friend Beth Dorn. She uses an online tool called Digsby. Digsby is useful in that you can monitor all of your networking activity (ie myspace, facebook, twitter, AIM, etc) from one site and even chat with folks on all the different online networking sites all at once. Pretty cool huh? It is. But as I said, it can be a bit overwhelming as I have a lot of friends so stuff was jut popping up right and left. Useful tool however. You may want to check it out.
I also had a tool recommended to me by my friend Kurt. It's called ping.fm. What it does is pretty cool as well and I find it quite useful too. It allows you to use one site to update posts to all of your networking sites at one time. I'm actually using it right now and it is updating my blog at blogger, yahoo 360 and my notes on Facebook all at the same time, that is, if it works. I'm blogging and checking it out at the same time. The other thing very useful about it is that I have several different pages on Facebook and so forth and you can set up groups in ping.fm, so you can update some things without necessarily updating everything. It took me a while to figure out how that worked. :-) The other very cool thing about it is you can post anything to any of your sites using your text messages from your phone or your email. It's really simple once you learn a couple of codes.
Well I'm still learning a lot about both of these networking tools, but thought I would pass it along to you. Thanks for your time. God bless you and I hope I see you in church.
Until later,
Don
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
All The Fuss About Michael
Today the world watched as Michael Jackson was laid to rest. I'm a musician and a pastor and have had occasion to preside over many such events (obviously not a production like that, but a funeral just the same). I’m not in the least surprised at the enormity of the event nor at the world-wide pouring out of affection that has been seen. As a pastor, presiding over many funerals, I watch as many, who while the deceased was alive may have shown little affection, pour out great love and great agony as they lay to rest a friend or loved one. On days like today, we remember the good that a person has done. We put our differences aside and say good-bye. These days, there is almost moment by moment contact with those whom we admire in the entertainment industry and people feel as if they are part of their family or friends.
I know that some whom I admire will not like some of what I’m about to say, but that’s OK. I’ll say it anyway… I have been a fan of Michael Jackson since I was 10 years old. Michael Jackson is only a couple of months older than me. I’m a musician and a performer and admired his talent greatly. I’m sad that Michael has moved on into eternity and it broke my heart as his family, especially his 11 year old daughter, Paris, cried for her “daddy”. I’m not, as I’ve read some put it today, a worshipper of Michael Jackson, but I am proud to be a fan of his for almost 40 years and I watched most of the funeral as did many of you.
In saying that, it does not mean that I necessarily understood everything Michael Jackson did. But, you see, I don’t have to. I enjoyed his talent and I appreciated the way he would go out of his way to help the less fortunate. Some, even on the day of his funeral, are calling him names and making fun of him. We live in a country where our laws presume that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Michael Jackson, as far as I am concerned and as far as the law of this land is concerned is innocent of all charges brought against him. I am not willing to participate in turning this country into a land where a man is guilty simply because he has been accused. Neither am I willing to be part of a church who thinks it’s their job to point out the faults of everyone but themselves.
Michael Jackson made choices in his personal life which I would never make in a million years, but you know what? I maybe have made choices in my life that others would not have made in a million years. As a musician, I know what it’s like to have long hair, a beard and earrings and walk into a church and have people judge me for what I look like. I’ve had many a pastor preach to me, looking straight at me throughout the entire service and altar call just “singing that chorus one more time” waiting for me to come up and get saved, only to have me walk up after the service and introduce myself as the evangelist and singer that his youth pastor had brought in for the evening service. I know what it’s like to be pulled over by the highway patrol in east Texas and have my vehicle searched for drugs because of what I looked like when I was on my way to a pastor’s conference in Florida. (they didn’t find any by the way) I know what things can look like to someone looking for faults.
I’ve been sending a lot of scripture over Twitter and Facebook today. I’d like to share some of them with you and leave the commentary to you:
Matthew 7:1-4
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? NIV
Romans 14:13
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. NIV
1 Corinthians 11:31
31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. NIV
Here is one I didn’t send out today on Twitter or Facebook and I will comment on this one…
John 8:3-11
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." NIV
Jesus had every right to condemn this woman. She was caught in her sin. The criteria He gave was, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…” and it was a criteria that He and He alone met. At the end, He said, “neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin”. He didn’t say that what she had done was OK, but He said he was not going to condemn her. He forgave her just like He has forgiven me and just like he has forgiven you. So often Christians wrongly believe that to not be condemning is somehow condoning sin. It’s not!!! Jesus did not condone this woman’s lifestyle and His kindness, as Paul tells us in the book of Romans, led her to repentance. Has anyone out there actually repented because some judgmental, mean “Chistian” (I put it in quotations on purpose, you do the math) has berated them into the Kingdom? No. Of course not. Neither will anyone else and that’s why it’s not my job to be the Holy Spirit. To those who call themselves believers out there today, but are behaving like Pharisees, haters, (as my friend Dan says they’ve had a glass of Hateraide) I say, let the one who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.
My understanding is that Michael Jackson may have surrendered to Jesus Christ before dying. If that is true then he has heard those words we all long to hear, “well done good and faithful servant…” If that makes you mad, then go join all the other “elder brothers” in this world looking down on their prodigal brothers. As for me, I choose to rejoice that another son has come home. Andrae’ and Sandra Crouch were not ashamed to call Michael Jackson their friend and to appear on stage at his funeral. I’ll not be ashamed to stand with them on this. You see people find fault with “Christians” and rightfully so when we constantly forget that the only reason we are saved is that we are forgiven by His grace and it is NOT our job to judge another man’s servant. Even when we get the log out of our own eye, we aren’t to judge. We are to love. We are to help. The only reason I stand forgiven is that I surrendered to Jesus Christ. Let’s be like Jesus was to the woman caught in adultery. He did not condemn her. All have sinned… Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. I wonder what the world sees today in so many of us?
I’m not going to come to any judgment on Michael Jackson today or any other day because the only judgment that matters is God’s judgment. He knows all and sees all and I don’t. Today is a day to remember the good things that Michael did in life. He inspired people, myself included when I was young. He helped the less fortunate. By all accounts, he was a very caring person and as testified to by his 11 year old daughter Paris, much to the disdain of many, “A GOOD FATHER”. So, Michael, on this day, not that you need one more, I salute you for all the joy you brought to so many; for the legacy you leave in your musical profession; for all the many less fortunate than you that you helped; for the son, brother, father and friend that you were to so many. May you rest in peace and as your brother so rightfully said today, “may they finally leave you alone”.
Until later,
Don
I know that some whom I admire will not like some of what I’m about to say, but that’s OK. I’ll say it anyway… I have been a fan of Michael Jackson since I was 10 years old. Michael Jackson is only a couple of months older than me. I’m a musician and a performer and admired his talent greatly. I’m sad that Michael has moved on into eternity and it broke my heart as his family, especially his 11 year old daughter, Paris, cried for her “daddy”. I’m not, as I’ve read some put it today, a worshipper of Michael Jackson, but I am proud to be a fan of his for almost 40 years and I watched most of the funeral as did many of you.
In saying that, it does not mean that I necessarily understood everything Michael Jackson did. But, you see, I don’t have to. I enjoyed his talent and I appreciated the way he would go out of his way to help the less fortunate. Some, even on the day of his funeral, are calling him names and making fun of him. We live in a country where our laws presume that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Michael Jackson, as far as I am concerned and as far as the law of this land is concerned is innocent of all charges brought against him. I am not willing to participate in turning this country into a land where a man is guilty simply because he has been accused. Neither am I willing to be part of a church who thinks it’s their job to point out the faults of everyone but themselves.
Michael Jackson made choices in his personal life which I would never make in a million years, but you know what? I maybe have made choices in my life that others would not have made in a million years. As a musician, I know what it’s like to have long hair, a beard and earrings and walk into a church and have people judge me for what I look like. I’ve had many a pastor preach to me, looking straight at me throughout the entire service and altar call just “singing that chorus one more time” waiting for me to come up and get saved, only to have me walk up after the service and introduce myself as the evangelist and singer that his youth pastor had brought in for the evening service. I know what it’s like to be pulled over by the highway patrol in east Texas and have my vehicle searched for drugs because of what I looked like when I was on my way to a pastor’s conference in Florida. (they didn’t find any by the way) I know what things can look like to someone looking for faults.
I’ve been sending a lot of scripture over Twitter and Facebook today. I’d like to share some of them with you and leave the commentary to you:
Matthew 7:1-4
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? NIV
Romans 14:13
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. NIV
1 Corinthians 11:31
31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. NIV
Here is one I didn’t send out today on Twitter or Facebook and I will comment on this one…
John 8:3-11
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." NIV
Jesus had every right to condemn this woman. She was caught in her sin. The criteria He gave was, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…” and it was a criteria that He and He alone met. At the end, He said, “neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin”. He didn’t say that what she had done was OK, but He said he was not going to condemn her. He forgave her just like He has forgiven me and just like he has forgiven you. So often Christians wrongly believe that to not be condemning is somehow condoning sin. It’s not!!! Jesus did not condone this woman’s lifestyle and His kindness, as Paul tells us in the book of Romans, led her to repentance. Has anyone out there actually repented because some judgmental, mean “Chistian” (I put it in quotations on purpose, you do the math) has berated them into the Kingdom? No. Of course not. Neither will anyone else and that’s why it’s not my job to be the Holy Spirit. To those who call themselves believers out there today, but are behaving like Pharisees, haters, (as my friend Dan says they’ve had a glass of Hateraide) I say, let the one who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.
My understanding is that Michael Jackson may have surrendered to Jesus Christ before dying. If that is true then he has heard those words we all long to hear, “well done good and faithful servant…” If that makes you mad, then go join all the other “elder brothers” in this world looking down on their prodigal brothers. As for me, I choose to rejoice that another son has come home. Andrae’ and Sandra Crouch were not ashamed to call Michael Jackson their friend and to appear on stage at his funeral. I’ll not be ashamed to stand with them on this. You see people find fault with “Christians” and rightfully so when we constantly forget that the only reason we are saved is that we are forgiven by His grace and it is NOT our job to judge another man’s servant. Even when we get the log out of our own eye, we aren’t to judge. We are to love. We are to help. The only reason I stand forgiven is that I surrendered to Jesus Christ. Let’s be like Jesus was to the woman caught in adultery. He did not condemn her. All have sinned… Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. I wonder what the world sees today in so many of us?
I’m not going to come to any judgment on Michael Jackson today or any other day because the only judgment that matters is God’s judgment. He knows all and sees all and I don’t. Today is a day to remember the good things that Michael did in life. He inspired people, myself included when I was young. He helped the less fortunate. By all accounts, he was a very caring person and as testified to by his 11 year old daughter Paris, much to the disdain of many, “A GOOD FATHER”. So, Michael, on this day, not that you need one more, I salute you for all the joy you brought to so many; for the legacy you leave in your musical profession; for all the many less fortunate than you that you helped; for the son, brother, father and friend that you were to so many. May you rest in peace and as your brother so rightfully said today, “may they finally leave you alone”.
Until later,
Don
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day 2009
Today, July 4, 2009, we celebrate US independence and the birth of our nation. I say, "God bless America". Our independence was won against those who would tax us without our consent and impose great burdens upon the citizens without regard for the welfare of the people. The declaration says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
We are independent and free from the rule of Great Britain, but have new tyrants raised their ugly heads along with new tyrannies? Do we have government leaders who ignore the will of the people and impose financial burdens upon the people of the US without the consent of the people? Has anyone, even the House members who voted for it, read the cap and trade bill? Did anyone actually read everything in the "stimulus bills" and bail out "government take-over" legislation? These bills alone will make it impossible for most individuals to do simple things like heat or cool their homes or to heat their water or drive their automobiles. These bills alone will cause most small businesses to go out of business because of new taxes. Wasn't our declaration of independence from government tyranny a declaration that government should stay out of the people's business unless absolutely necessary? What in the world is the federal government doing taking over US banks and corporations? Wasn't that type of government behavior exactly what caused our founding fathers to write our declaration of independence? We declared ourselves free from totalitarianism and declared that government derives all powers from the consent of the governed.
Are there truly new tyrants on the horizon that we will need to stand against as our founding fathers stood against King George? There may well be. This Independence day, let's let our voices be heard. Don't let the greatest nation on earth fall to power hungry tyrants who do not have the best interest of the governed in mind. Let your voice be heard before you no longer have the right to speak.
Let's say with President Abraham Lincoln, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
God bless America again,
Don
We are independent and free from the rule of Great Britain, but have new tyrants raised their ugly heads along with new tyrannies? Do we have government leaders who ignore the will of the people and impose financial burdens upon the people of the US without the consent of the people? Has anyone, even the House members who voted for it, read the cap and trade bill? Did anyone actually read everything in the "stimulus bills" and bail out "government take-over" legislation? These bills alone will make it impossible for most individuals to do simple things like heat or cool their homes or to heat their water or drive their automobiles. These bills alone will cause most small businesses to go out of business because of new taxes. Wasn't our declaration of independence from government tyranny a declaration that government should stay out of the people's business unless absolutely necessary? What in the world is the federal government doing taking over US banks and corporations? Wasn't that type of government behavior exactly what caused our founding fathers to write our declaration of independence? We declared ourselves free from totalitarianism and declared that government derives all powers from the consent of the governed.
Are there truly new tyrants on the horizon that we will need to stand against as our founding fathers stood against King George? There may well be. This Independence day, let's let our voices be heard. Don't let the greatest nation on earth fall to power hungry tyrants who do not have the best interest of the governed in mind. Let your voice be heard before you no longer have the right to speak.
Let's say with President Abraham Lincoln, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
God bless America again,
Don
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