The more you are in front of people, the more criticism you get. It comes with the territory. If you can’t deal with it properly, it can eat you alive. Criticism will come. Count on it.

When asked what it was like to be famous, Chris Tomlin said that it used to be nobody offered him any advice or criticism. The more that he becomes known, the more people criticize him. Criticism has happened to you as well. You may not know it, but they talk about you when you are not listening. Everyone is a critic. Paranoid yet? Relax, it’s all part of the job. So, how do you deal with criticism?

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The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered. - Matthew 26:62-65

Jesus here seems to seal his fate. He knew that the moment he admits he is the Son of God, he is a dead man. He goes a step beyond the “yes” answer and tells them they will see him at the right hand of God. Done deal.

So what was it that made Jesus decide in that moment to seal his future? He knew that once the words had been spoken, his future was determined. What made him decide in that moment?

Nothing. He had already decided it.

Just prior to this Jesus was in the garden and had wrestled with God. It was there that the decision had been made.

2 things I see here:

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Just a quick note to say that we are excited to have a short article posted on Problogger.

Problogger is based in Australia and authored by Darren Rowse. Darren is in the business of helping bloggers reach a wider audience and build a solid social network. When Shawn Wallace and I began Blogsplus Network, we looked to Darren for some solid advice on startup. Now that we are off and running we continue to find Problogger a constant source of information and support. Not only is Darren helping people reach a wider audience through blogging, but he is church planter in the emerging scene down under.

Technorati Tags: problogger, Darren Rowse, social networking, Australia, blogsplus, blogging

Just a quick note to say that we are excited to have a short article posted on Problogger.

Problogger is based in Australia and authored by Darren Rowse.  Darren is in the business of helping bloggers reach a wider audience and build a solid social network.  When Shawn Wallace and I began Blogsplus Network, we looked to Darren for some solid advice on startup.  Now that we are off and running we continue to find Problogger a constant source of information and support.  Not only is Darren helping people reach a wider audience through blogging, but he is church planter in the emerging scene down under. 

Technorati Tags: problogger, Darren Rowse, social networking, Australia, blogsplus, blogging

Like it or not, winter is here. Cold weather means snowmen, scraping the car windows, snow ball fights, and making sure the guitar is humidified. Cold weather means dry conditions which translates to the possibility of drying the wood of your guitar, and getting it out of whack.

Every fall, and winter I use my guitar humidifier. A new one each year is wise. My choice is a dampit. Every Sunday I remove the humidifier from my guitar, dip it into a 16-oz water bottle filled with distilled water. I squeeze the excess water, wipe it dry, and let it set until the end of our gathering. When we are tearing down the gear, I slip the dampit in the sound hole and pack the guitar back in the case. I have owned high-end guitars for several years (from Martin to Taylor) and have never had an issue. You paid some serious coin for your axe and it is one of your most important tools, take care of it!

For in-depth information on protecting your guitar from the changes in weather, check out what the folks at Taylor Guitars have to say here.

Technorati Tags: guitar care, acoustic guitar, dampit, guitar humidifier, Taylor Guitars, Martin Guitars

“But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” - Matthew 17:27

Some leaders had just asked Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax. Peter replied that he did. Not long after Jesus told Peter that it seemed odd the the Son of God would need to pay the temple tax. Jesus however, not wanting to offend, says that they will pay the tax and sends Peter on a little fishing expedition. Catch a fish and take the coin from the mouth of the fish and pay the tax.

Peter had to have been thinking, “Umm. OK.”

So Peter goes, by himself, and goes fishing. For one fish. Weird. Why didn’t Jesus just get the coin some other way? Why not just reach down and “find” one in the dirt? Why send Peter on this chase?

Maybe because it gave Peter time to think. Fishing is a game of patience and solitude. Peter had time. He was trusting that God would come through. Why would he not come through? Peter was doing exactly what God asked. I don’t think Peter was thinking “I really wonder if there is going to be a coin the mouth of the fish.” I bet he was thinking “I wonder if this fish (the one that will have the coin in it’s mouth) is going to be big or small.” Peter was simply doing what Jesus has said. The results were guaranteed. The journey, an adventure.

That is where I want to live. Not guessing or hoping that God will move, but knowing that he will. As long as I do what he is instructing, the results are guaranteed. I should not be surprised at the results. I should instead find surprise and adventure in the journey.

God, I fully trust you to do what you say. Thanks for letting me be part of the journey and seeing you along the way.

Technorati Tags: trust, worry, God, devotions, Matthew, fishing, miracle

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. - Matthew 12:35

Jesus is on an extended time of teaching where he is laying out one truth after another. I can see the people listening intently, trying to capture everything he was saying. It must have been like trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant. In the middle of the teaching, Jesus throws in the the above statement. Had I been listening, I may have had to hang on this and forget everything else he was saying.

Good is not manufactured on the spot. In the middle of a situation, I can’t just say to myself “Do something good here. Make something up.” Good flows from storage. My life has to have good things stored up. Otherwise I am drawing from an empty warehouse.

I imagine my life is a warehouse full of stuff. Some good, some bad. The way I live life causes me to stock good or evil in the warehouse. The things I read, they way I think, my prayers, the situations I allow myself to be influenced by, they all play in to stocking the warehouse. When situations come, my natural reaction will be to draw from the shelves of the warehouse. What I have stocked there will come flying off the shelves and become reality. I may fool people for a bit, but the quality of my product will soon be found out.

God, allow me to store good. Allow me the courage to turn from things which store evil in me. As it comes out, may it be good. May it be so good that your name is made famous. May the good stored up in me benefit you.

Technorati Tags: devotions, good, evil, behavior, Jesus, kingdom

“Worship Wars.” Most of the time worship wars are discussed, they are in the context of traditional music people warring against a the peeps who prefer a more culturally relevant form of music. They lob grenades back and forth until one finally gives up.

Like it or not, conflict also makes it’s way into the worship team. It crops up announced and can take us by surprise. So, how do we deal with band conflict?

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And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they [Magi]returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:12

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16

So these Magi work for Herod. He is the boss. Beyond that, he is the King. You don’t cross your employer and you certainly don’t cross the King. But there was a dream. I wonder what the post-dream conversation between the wise men was like?

Magi 1: “Hey, you guys have a dream last night?”

Magi 2 and 3: Startled. “Um, yea. What was yours?”

They begin to share the dreams and realize they are the same. It is then decision time. Return to Herod or obey a dream they thought was from God? God always trumps Kings. Always.

Here are some thoughts in my life.

1. My decisions for God and the Kingdom may disappoint bosses, Kings, and friends. I have ached when I have left a church to move to another ministry. I have ached when others have moved away. I have been sad to see other people leave and move out of my life. They were being obedient to God and disappointing friends and family and bosses. God always trumps friends and family and bosses. Always.
2. Sometimes God hides from us the whole picture so that we will obey the immediate command. The Magi made a decision to go based on the dream from God. What if God had shown them what their actions caused: Herod killing all boys 2-year old and under? What would the decision have been. Obeying the call of God trumps the actions of other. Always.

God, help me listen close to your leading. When you ask me to do things, help me base my following not on the reaction of others, but on you. May I listen well to your whisper and move accordingly.

Technorati Tags: God’s will, devotions, Journaling, Magi, Wise Men, Jesus, Matthew