2007 was a great year! Now, great doesn't mean life without challenges, failures, disappointments or sadness. No, greatness means that in all things I saw God working for good (Romans 8:28), that I experienced spiritual growth in life while growing closer to Christ in reality. Life in The Kingdom of God means constant rethinking, believing, receiving, and practicing an exciting, God directed life.

  2007 was a busy year, as was 2006. Last year, God helped me focus on what he wanted me to do here at AIM, to hone my skills at teaching (training) and leadership, specifically in leading projects and establishing, maintaining and encouraging partner relationships, specifically here in New Orleans. I was able to shed a number of responsibilities to focus on these three things. In addition, He helped me grow closer to him which is primary as all task comes from a close relationship to God and 2006 prepared me for 2007    where God has challenged me in many instances to step aside and watch him work. Now, for those who know me, you know that I am very "hands on" when on projects but there were several times this year where I knew God was challenging me to trust Him while I observed Him orchestrate ministry opportunities that both challenged the participants and blessed them (and me). Over and over again I was reminded of a prophetic message given to me a couple of years ago which said, "Don't take upon yourself that which can and will come to pass only by my hand." Now, often when God wants to work in my life, he creates situations where I don't know what to do or it's out of my control. I was humbled yet strengthened all year (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10).

  Lately, God has been making me aware (sometimes painfully) of some personal issues in my life that I need to let go of, or perhaps it's better said, get a handle on (surrender is a big one. See below). These things are not life threatening or anything, but growing in Christ means both leaving behind any and all things that come between Christ and myself, and conforming all life skills to Christ. This is when The Lord really gets close to home, but always with gentleness and grace (Thank you God). This I think will be the focus of 2008.

This excerpt from Brennan Manning's book,"The Importance of Being Foolish" spoke to me powerfully. Though I often strive to surrender, God is constantly reminding me that striving is vanity.

 "The ability to surrender is a gift of God. However eagerly we may desire it, however diligently we may strive to acquire it, surrender cannot be attained by personal endeavor. With respect to the act of surrender, let me emphasize this point. It is an unconscious event, not willed by the [disciple] even if he desired to do so."

 "And yet the intensity of our desire does matter. Our dedication to growth is the single most important determinant of our spiritual development. Without an intense inner commitment, we are little more than dilettantes playing spiritual games. The pearl of great price-the mind of Christ-must be the most treasured value in our lives, and we must seek it in persevering prayer, in sacramental healing, and in the strength of the Christian community. Only then will the miracle of transparency, love and oneness unfold in our lives."

 "To think like Jesus is to experience being loved so completely by God that we are existentially incapable of being other than the children of The Father of Jesus Christ."

 "We are driven by the Spirit to proclaim by word and example the peace, justice, and forgiving love of God. Perhaps by nothing more (or Less) than our friendship extended to another, a friendship that is real, unselfish, nonproselytizing, without condescension, and full of profound respect, we can lead another to discover , ‘I too am loved by my Father in the Lord Jesus'.  It is the loving awareness of God's holiness revealed in Jesus Christ coupled with a deep compassion for redeemed humanity that creates the imperative of Christian mission."

Last week I was asked to bring the message at Ray Ave. Baptist Church, one of our good partners here in New Orleans (Spirit Filled Southern Baptists. Do you believe it?). For those who know me, I'm about missions and ministry, radical action, mobilizing, finding out God's plan for your life and acting on it. But Sunday, during my early morning devotion time, I was listening to Christmas music, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing a piece called "Love Came Down From Heaven" and as I contemplated the message The Lord spoke to my heart. God doesn't call us to missions or ministry, He calls us to himself and as His love, personified in Jesus, penetrates our hearts and consumes our lives and as we appropriate that love in our hearts and souls surrendering to it, then will come all the missions and ministry we will ever want. Brennan Manning in is book, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus says this:

    "Before I am asked to show compassion toward my brothers and sisters in their suffering, He asks me to accept His compassion in my own life, to be transformed by it, to become caring and compassionate toward myself in my own suffering and sinfulness, in my own hurt, failure and need. The degree of our compassion for others depends upon our capacity for self acceptance."

    "When the compassion of Christ is interiorized, made personal and appropriated to ourselves, the breakthrough into caring for others occurs. In the mystery of divine wholeness, the way of compassionate caring for others brings healing to ourselves and compassionate caring for ourselves brings healing to others."

Once healed, then we can surrender to our sovereign God and perhaps abandon our plans in favor of His. Again from Manning:

   "..abandonment consists of seeing the will of God in all the people, events and circumstances present to you. If God tears up your beautiful game plan and leads you into a valley instead of onto a mountaintop, it is because He wants you to discover His plan, which is more beautiful than anything you or I could have dreamed up. The response of trust is 'Thank You, Jesus,' even if it is said through clenched teeth."

God loves us and calls us to Himself and that love is unconditional no matter who we are, what we've done or where we've come from. The scripture tells us, "We love because He first loved us."  (1st John 4:19). Allow God's love to overwhelm you so that you can overwhelm others with His love.

Here’s an interesting linguistic revelation (as profound as it is trivial): In English there is one synonym for baptize which doesn’t exist in any other language. It is the verb christen. It’s made up of the noun Christ and the Greek suffix en, meaning “to make”. For example, when you whiten your teeth, you make them white. When you brighten a room, you make it bright. When God christens a person, God makes that person Christ.

Paul said in Philippians. 2:2 regarding Christ, "...being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose".

In Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

In Colossians 1:27, "God has chosen to make known...the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory.

Here's 4 questions to ponder:

1. Are you Christ yet?
2. Have you ever been Christ?
3. Can you be Christ?
4. Will you be Christ?

The world doesn't need another religion, it needs to see Christ. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ but I don't like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." Pity, isn't it.

Let's make 2007 the year we become Christ to the World. Continuing with the quote from Philippians:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.."

Blessings for a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year!!

   If you’ll allow me a bit of slang, “ain’t God Great!!”   To say that the Christian life is an adventure would be an understatement. Every year God does different things in and with my life: some scary, some surprising, some unexpected, even miraculous, but always a blessing.   I don’t always see things as a blessing at the time but if I step back and reflect, I see it. There are things about God I know without doubt, that He loves me and though He may try me, challenge me, even rebuke me, His purpose is always to build me up. He will never tear me down. Hallelujah!! This past year is no exception. Here’s a bit of a recap: