"Express Cook"

I work with an amazing staff at Fellowship, and one of those amazing peeps is Jeff Ream, Worship Pastor. Now, I know that the title might fool some of you, but this guy is more than just a pretty voice. I asked him if I could republish what he put on his blog last week, and he graciously said yes. I know you'll love it as much as I did. And, by the way, if you want to check out his blog, it's linked here.

Hostage Thoughts

This morning has been a good start to the week. Monday is my day off so I have the boys home with me today. I started the day off by putting a k-cup in my coffee machine, 20 seconds later a perfect cup of coffee. Then I cracked a few eggs, beat them, tossed in cheese and bacon bits, and poured it into our GT - Express (As seen on TV - it was a gift) cooker and 4 minutes later…beautiful yummy omelets.

Isn’t technology incredible these days. Technology has made our lives easier in so many ways. We throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit a button…4 minutes later we have perfect movie theater popcorn without the lines and a $9 movie ticket. We live in an express world.
As I reflect on the past several weeks of our series entitled “Hostage” I wish somehow that the problems in my life, mind, and heart could be fixed as easily as I fixed breakfast this morning. I wish my fears could instantly vanish, I wish my anxious heart would just one day wake up and be calmed. I wish I could hit the “express cook” on my spiritual journey and immediately find myself having arrived.
But that’s not how it is.

Philippians 2:12 puts it this way.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

Wow, that’s not so encouraging. One chapter later in Philippians 3:12 it says

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Here we find Paul, the guy who wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else giving insight to his own struggles, admitting that he doesn’t have it all together either.

Why in the Christian realm of society do we think that we have to be perfect? Why are we afraid to admit like Paul that we don’t have it all together? How can we be real with others if we never take our masks of perfection off?

This brings me back to our HOSTAGE series. Let me take my mask off and let you know that this series has totally rocked me to my core. I have had to admit who I really am. I have had to admit my struggles. I have come to the place where I have to admit that I cannot fix them myself. I do not hold the keys to the chains that weigh me down. Jesus Christ does. He wants to free me from my struggles. We wants me to not hold on to the things that I do. God wants to free me just as He wants to free you.
This series has once again helped me look into the mirror of my soul and my heart.
I am so glad that God put this series on John’s heart. God knew the incredible work that needed to take place in so many lives.

So God, continue to work as we continue to be real!