So You Wanna Be A Rock Star?

The following is an article I came across that was written by Keith Green.  Keith was a man that some said was ahead of his time.   Regardless, his message still rings true today.  I encourage you to take a few minutes and read the article and then ask yourself, "Why do I do what I do?"  

So You Wanna Be A Rock Star
by Keith Green

For as long as be could remember, Keith Green's greatest dream was to be a musical success.  After be gave his life to Jesus, however, he felt the need to surrender those dreams and aspirations by laying down his music...perhaps never to perform publicly again.
Ironically, when sometime later he felt God release him to pick up his music again, he soon had a recording contract and his first album soared straight to the top of the Contemporary Christian Music charts.

The  following message was birthed out of Keith's  encounters with those who approached him, usually after a concert, to ask how they too could "make it big" in Christian music.  

Today, so many people ask me if I can tell them how they can start or enter into a music ministry. At concerts I get countless questions about this, and I also get lots of letters and even some long-distance phone calls from many people who feel they are only "called" into the music "ministry." One day I began to ask myself why so few have ever asked me how to become a missionary, or even a local street preacher, or how to disciple a new believer. It seems everyone would prefer the "bright lights" of what they think a music ministry would be, rather than the mud and obscurity of the mission field, or the streets of the ghetto, or even the true spiritual sweetness of just being a nobody whom the Lord uses mightily in small           "everyday" ways.

Are You Willing?
My answer to their question is almost always the same. "Are           you willing to never play music again? Are you willing to be a           nothing? Are you willing to go anywhere and do anything for           Christ? Are you willing to stay right where you are and let the Lord do great things through you, though no one may seem to notice at all?" They all seem to answer each of these questions with a quick "yes!" But I really doubt if they know what their           answer entails.

Star Struck
My dearest family in Jesus...why are we so star struck? Why do we idolize Christian singers and speakers? We go from glorifying musicians in the world, to glorifying Christian musicians. It's all idolatry! Can't you see that? It's true that there are many men and women of God who are greatly anointed to call down the Spirit of God on His people and the unsaved. But Satan is getting a great victory as we seem to worship these ministers on tapes and records, and clamor to           get their autographs in churches and concert halls from coast to coast.

Can't you see that you are hurting these ministers? They try           desperately to tell you that they don't deserve to be praised, and because of this you squeal with delight and praise them all the more.  You're smothering them, making it almost impossible for them to see that it's really Jesus. They keep telling themselves that, but you keep telling them it's really them, crushing their humility and grieving the Spirit that is trying to keep their eyes on Jesus.

Ultimately, what we idolize we ourselves desire to become,           sometimes with our whole heart. So a lot of people who want to become just like their favorite Gospel singer or minister, seek after it with the same fervor that the Lord demands we seek after Him! And again, we insult the Spirit of Grace and try to make a place for ourselves, rather than a place for Jesus.

A Thankless Job
How come no one idolizes or praises the missionaries who give up everything and live in poverty, endangering their lives and families with every danger that the "American dream" has almost completely eliminated? How come no one lifts up and exalts the ghetto and prison ministers who can never take up an offering, because if they did they would either laugh or cry at what they'd receive?

How come?  Because (1) we're taught from very early on that comfort is our goal and security… and (2) that we should always seek for a lot of people to like us. Who lives less comfortably and has had less friends and supporters than the selfless missionaries who have suffered untimely, premature deaths trying to conquer souls and nations for the whole glory of God? Do you really believe we're living in the very last times? Then why do you spend more money on Gospel records and           concerts than you give to organizations that feed the poor, or to missionaries out in the field?

There are ministries all over the world where "penniless"           people are being saved and transformed. They are broken people who have promise and qualities, but just need someone to bring them God's light during the times when their lives seem so completely hopeless.

I repent of ever having recorded one single song, and ever having performed one concert, if my music, and more importantly, my life has not provoked you into Godly jealousy (Romans 11:11) or to sell out more completely to Jesus!
Quit trying to make "gods" out of music ministers, and           quit desiring to become like them. The Lord commands you, "Deny yourself take up your cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). My piano is not my cross, it is my tool. I'd never play it again if God would show me a more effective tool in my life for proclaiming His Gospel.[God gives us each our own unique tools. But we may never use them if we become more interested in someone else's. Seek God, ask Him for His plan for ministry (true, God glorifying ministry) in your life.]

Conclusion
To finish, let me say that the only music minister to whom the Lord will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant," is           the one whose life proves what their lyrics are saying, and to whom music is the least important part of their life. Glorifying the only worthy One has to be a minister's most important goal!
Let's all repent of the idolatry in our hearts and our desires for           a comfortable, rewarding life when, really, the Bible tells us we are just passing through as strangers and pilgrims in this world (Hebrews 11:13), for our reward is in heaven. Let's not forget that our due service to the Lord is "... not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake"(Phil. 1:29).

Amen. Let us die graciously together and endure to the end like           brave soldiers who give their lives, without hesitation, for our noble and glorious King of Light.

Just Don't Wear It..

It’s easy to wear the bracelet; t-shirt even put the letters up to make a very corny church sign but living it out well that’s a totally different matter indeed. Last year I heard a pastor telling a story about how his friend was going on and on how "we" (referring to his favorite football team) won the game. And he asked his friend what position does he play? And he went to say much of us have a fan mentality in our lifestyle. And this is true in that if we wear a "Christian item", listens to the "right" music and even attends church and/or do the tithing and this supposedly puts us on The Team. It’s our Jersey. We wear it and that’s more than enough for most of we don’t have to even play a position (live it out) or even sit on the bench for that matter we can cheerlead and "wear the jersey". God knows there’s plenty to cheerlead in the likes of the Grahams, Francis Chan, Compassion International, World Vision, Greg Laurie,James Robison,Charles Swindoll, Mission work, and the list goes on and on. But nowhere does God call us to be a cheerleader or even for that matter to stay on the bench. He says Go ...and in Greek and Hebrew that word still means GO. Get involve and be a team player. Missions start in your home but it must carry on to next door, your neighborhood, From Keyser to Kenya. So many of us wrapped ourselves in being a fan of teams, which it carries out in the way we live. I find myself being a fan more than a follower much of the time in many areas of my life.  Picture Jesus and His disciples wearing it well. Jesus with His "WWID" bracelet on and there’s Matthew with His "Hooked on Jesus"(fish hook shaped into a cross to make it official) shirt and John with his "Jesus went into Sky and all I got was this Shirt" Shirt. Obviously You don’t have to wear a jersey or a bracelet even a cross necklace to be on the team. But you do have to be a follower and Not a fan to actually be a Believer (team). In 2009 over 75% of Americans claim they were Christians. Ah I believe the majority of that makes us the fan base. Fans from wearing the “right stuff” to still getting cold chills when Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless The USA” (Not slamming Mr. Greenwood just his music :)). We need to stop living as if our life’s goal is to be a paratrooper but being completely satisfy in walking around forever with a mint condition parachute. Or course it’s much easier to be a fan (and at times perhaps more fun) but the cost in being a follower is worth it, worth it all simply because Jesus said Follow Me.

PS For those wondering no I haven’t read “Not a Fan”, Yet.

You Have Just WON One Million Dollars!!

At least thats what Publishing Clearing House is telling me. And all I need to do is find 10-100 specific stickers and place them accordingly and then answer three emails a week. And of course it doesnt hurt my chances if I buy the backscratcher for my dog. And hey if that doesnt work out I can always reply to my emails from Sydney in Australia or Toby in Kenya. It seems those two chaps have come upon Millions but of course they need my help in securing this money and randomly they have chosen me to be, well the chosen one. ALL I need to do is send them my bank account number and my social security number and perhaps a credit card account or two and they will make me their joint partner in millions of dollars. Sign me up. PCH may be a bit more realistic than the spam emails but for years I always imagine PCH's Ed McMahon knocking on my door and then realizing he has the wrong address its my neighbors he wanted to inform that they just won One Millon dollars, yea thats right Toby & Sydney, congratulations.

In A Hurry?

When did our lives become so busy?  With all of our technology, our lives are suppose to become easier.  What it's done is make us spoiled. 
How long is too long to wait at a red light?  When did 3 minutes become a lifetime?  I'm guilty of getting anxious when I have to wait for more than 30 seconds for a light to turn green.
Remember dial-up on your computer?  I remember waiting minutes to download a picture years ago and I didn't mind because before that, someone had to mail it to me.  Now, if it takes more than a few seconds, we think something is wrong with our computer or we call our internet provider to complain of the slow service. 
We have become a nation of instant gratification.  We want everything as soon as we demand it.  Coffee in an instant, microwaveable meals, news as it happens, cell phone coverage at all times.  We are spoiled. 
Take a few minutes...because that is probably all the time we can devote to one thing....ask yourself when was the last time you spent some prolonged quality time with a friend, your spouse, God.  Many people think Facebook time is quality time.   Uh...no!   Do these four steps  1.  Turn off Facebook, your laptop or iPad, your cell phone.   2.  Meet someone face to face.  3.  Spend more than five minutes together.  4.  Repeat as often as possible.   
Oh, and while your at it, Super Bowl Sunday is coming up.  Quit staying at home and join the folks from Fire Escape at Believer's Fellowship and be a part of something great than just a championship football game.  Contact us for more info or look up the Fire Escape on Facebook.  Lol.

Gold Seal T P the Only way to "go"..

A few months ago I kept seeing this commercial for toilet paper. Trying to sell us the idea that if you didn’t have a special casing for your toilet paper then you were not in style. After being thankful that I was not in style I thought who are these people that sit around and say lets sell the idea "respect the toilet paper." I mean they do realize the function of this item, right? It will be used once as in one time and one time only. And while thankful we have indoor plumbing and toilet paper at hand (literally and figuratively) Im not sure if this is respect and Im quite sure having a cover for my "butt wipe paper" is the least of my concern and hopefully any other human being. I thought the animated bears walking around with "paper berries" were bad enough but now I’m told to respect the toilet paper. Perhaps we have so much technology as it continues expand the market agencies are getting low on ideas (maybe the pet rock will lead to pet dirt, or pet rock kids also known as gravel). So anyway while this "bugged" me I had no thought blogging about this until our last stay in a hotel and I found that our toilet paper had a gold seal. Now I’m not sure this is just for looks or somewhere this paper was honored with a gold seal approval. This once was just tissue paper but now surely there is a higher meaning either way I finally realize that this toilet paper is getting some respect but I also found out more importantly (?) its all the same. So in closing I’m asking PETA to protest and ban the abused of those animated bears with all those paper berries because it’s JUST Toilet Tissue and unless you are out in the middle of nowhere with no paper (which is another story that we don’t want to talk about) it just doesn’t matter and if does matter to you then go to your local dollar store buy some golden seals. Tag your toilet paper, if it doesn’t impress your neighbors maybe it will improve your experience

Jan 11 the NEW New Years Day

Happy New Years, Yes just a mere 11 days off. I guess 2012 technically hasnt started foe me since I havent made a resolution yet? Im still waiting (on what Im not sure?) So what are your resolutions or better yet what were they since for most of us they have already been swept away into the wind or postpone to a magical monday ("tomorrow") or even 2013? Again I tend to be king of the small things like straightening part of a house which leads to finding a lost item which turns a successful day into a journal entry. Resolutions are made to be broken i believe that is the make up of all humans. We eat all the food we can the day before the great diet starts. We promise to read the Bible through in a year and after two weeks we find that we are about 2 weeks behind in the reading. Before tv and computers (esp the compters) im sure hardwork and reading took up most of peoples time but I wonder when times were harder (less technology) were resolutions any easier. Im not sure about that but I bet many of them were more meaningful. I doubt if scrapbooking was involve, cleaning your computer desktop,organizing your music on the ipod,etc..For a believer the only thing worst in not carrying out a new year resolution is "attempting" to make one to the Lord as if you are going to be a "new you" and yea how long did that last? Chambers says all our vows and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to carry them out. Never the less theres absolutely no reason to stay the same and be satisfied in a "as is" condition. So make a resolution and no matter what day it is, January or June begin a new day, a new year just dont solely rely on yourself. Because as the song says we are not as strong as we think we are..which is easy to forget and even easier to find out. Happy New Years


PS By the way a good resolution would be to read these blogs and reply to let me know you are reading them...

You are so rich, Merry Christmas....

Recently I came across a article about a local homeless shelter in the Tri State in need. They are in need of food supplies, money towards a new grill. That of course was bad enough but it was also stated that 12 kids live at the shelter and in the midst of all those needs I wonder about those kids and how they are spending their holidays? What are they waking up to Christmas morning? Obviously I know this goes on by the thousands in bigger cities. But to me in a small community it just seems like this should be "taken care of" from a few dollars from individuals to the churches throughout the area this Rescue Mission should never be in need. I know of 4 churches in the area that have built "gyms" for outreach opportunities. If loans and checks can be written out for such surely this Need can be taken care of as well. This also goes on a personal level in how I spend my money and many times think nothing of it. Although I have read the stats, figures several times its still hard for me to realize I am a rich, very rich according to the majority of the world. According to the World Bank low income people in the world, percentage of people in the world that make $825.00 or less, 37 percent, a year. $825.00 a year or less, 37 percent. Next, lower middle income, up to $3,000.00 plus, 38 percent. So that’s about 5 billion people right there living on less than $3,000.00 a year. Now, you’re in the upper middle class of the world, up to about $10,000.00, that’s 9 percent, and then the highest incomes in the world, $10,000.00 or more, 16 percent. It’s interesting, if you just kind of get in your mind maybe your salary. If you keep taking the salary higher, you make $25,000.00 a year, you’re in the top 10 percent of the world’s wealthiest people. You make $50,000.00 a year, you’re in the top 1 percent of the world’s wealthiest people, $50,000.00 a year. Average annual American Christian household income, $42,409.00, $42,409.00. That is in the top 2 and a half percent of the richest people in the world.
Today, over a billion people live and die in desperate poverty and live on less than a dollar a day. Just to give you a little glimpse, that’s 700 million in slums, 500 million on the verge of starvation, 93 million beggars, 200 million children exploited for labor. We say poverty, desperate poverty, what is poverty? What does that represent? Lack of food and water. Over a billion people on the planet today who do not have access to safe drinking water. Illiteracy, huge illiteracy rates in places like India and Africa. Inadequate medical care, disease. You’ve got a disease like AIDS, there are 6,000 people who die every day in Africa of AIDS alone. And then you’ve got easily curable disease and sickness. There are millions of people this year who will die of diarrhea. They will die from it. Brain damage. It’s one of the most devastating pictures of poverty in the world, permanent brain damage. Most of your brain development, 80 percent of it happens in the first two years of your life, and if that is not provided for, enough protein and nutrients, then your brain is deformed for the rest of your life.
Over a billion people in desperate poverty, close to two billion others living on less than $2.00 a day. That’s close to half the world living on what you and I would pay for French fries for lunch. It gets worse. According to UNICEF, 26,000 children will die today due to either starvation or preventable disease, a disease like diarrhea or pneumonia or malaria, 26,000…And those numbers unfortunately just stay numbers for most of us. If you are reading this do indeed enjoy the holiday season and if you love to buy gifts for others, then by all means go for it but may season by season our excessiveness lead to blessing others and even or should I say especially those who have little or nothing and simply could not give back in return. And may your joy be found that its truly better to give then to receive, Merry Christmas.