Mind My Business

I may not be a Calvinist... But I gotta hand it to Mark... This guy doesn't mess around. You either love him or hate him...

I was talking with someone this week.... They told me they see me as someone who has a ton of favor in the Lord. But I don't have much or really any with men.

I've thought long and hard about this. And at this point I can only come up with one thought...

It really revealed to me who really has control, especially in the church... You can have all the favor that God can give you, but what really matters in this world is what man thinks of you... Man is in control or rather wants to decide who is in and who is out, not God. God is an awesome God, but favor in men seems to outweigh favor in God I guess..Who cares what God thinks about you, right? If I have all the favor in God but none in man I've lost... But if I have none or very little in God and a ton in man, I've won. Or so it seems...

Maybe I should start a rock band.. Tour the globe... Speak against social injustices... Sleep around with groupies, experiment with drugs...Rock stars don't have to worry about character or integrity, loyalty or humility... They have tons of favor...everybody wants to kiss their ass... I am definitely doing something wrong.

Being in tune with men is really the key, being in tune with God is really secondary when it comes to living as a successful Christian in this world. Nobody reads their scripture anymore anyways... and praying.. that's for dinner time and counseling sessions.


I'm still processing this... But as for now...

In the end... I'll take favor in God, because that's who I have to face when I die...

I'm in a great time in my life. Like a time once with David, I'm in a cave. But I come into town every so often.. God is good. I've been spending a lot of time in scripture. More than ever before. And even more in prayer. I'm wrestling more with God these days. I'm not trying to constitute how I can be a nicer person. I think so often I look upon scripture like a closet full of clothes. And I concern myself with putting on a fashion show for the world to see. I go to the closet and look to add the much needed attributes in my life, to give the appearance of a "Christian" for those around me.. I'm tired of trying to find the right t-shirt that will make everyone happy. God is deep and I'm diving in head first.... and let me tell you, it's like a pool with no water.. IT HURTS! God is exposing me, waking me up early, keeping me up all night. He is speaking to me in profound areas where I need more of Him. I started this blog because it helps me see my own thoughts. I have the benefit of getting critiqued every single day. And although some come from behind my back, I'm still moving forward. God will let me swim in His pool, but only when I learn how and promise not to pee in it.

God is deep and I'm diving in head first.... and let me tell you, it's like a pool with no water.. IT HURTS!

I know a lot of people stop by to see what "Angry Juan" has to say. And it seems this is the only avenue I have right now to share my heart... Let me say in all seriousness, I'm not angry in the way you might think. God is calling me to challenge myself. He is calling me out to say the things that are being forgotten. Not just around me, but even the truths I have abandoned. He is calling me out, towards change and through repentance. He's challenging me to take thoughts to scripture and not consume them as absolute truths until I've lined them with His word. If they fail to parallel, or go beyond His margins, He has told me to cast them aside and not skew His word for my justification. God is reminding me of His design. Through repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ, we are able to obtain the promise He has for us. Through the Cross it has been demonstrated. He is reminding me that scripture is God breathed and it all came from His hand alone. Starting from Prophets to Kings to even the least and the simple words of John the baptist, being cleansed of our sins, to the profound example of Jesus himself. And furthermore the encouragement from men of God like Paul, I AM CALLED! I'm not perfect and this blog is not the avenue to find my true character and most importantly to know me like your friend.

God is reminding me of His design.

I want to be a man whose evil past is forgotten. I want to be a man of humility and strength. A man of boldness. I want to be a man that is full of life and defends it as well. I want to be a trusted man, I want to be a man of compassion and justice. I want to be a biblical man, a Godly man, a man of love and character... A disciplined man that is not easily swayed by the craftiness of the enemy. I want to be a man that is called upon by others. I want to be a man of discernment and a man that can stand in full view that he may be wrong when others are clearly right. A man that can be rebuked. I want to be told "well done, good and faithful servant". I want to make sure I lead a life that places Christ on display, that people may see Him instead of me. I want to be known as a man after God's own heart. I want people to forget my name but know the good things I've done for the kingdom. I don't want to be told by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that He never knew me! I desire to appease no man but only Jesus. I want to love like He loved. But I want to hate the things He hates and confidently stand against them protecting those around me. I don't want to be in a place where I have to question God and try to redefine His truths to correlate with the world I live in. I want to present Jesus in the way that is unaltered, remains the same as it has always been, but communicates to my generation and calls us to change. I really feel like I'm in the lions den and danger is all around. But I'm so not afraid, God is with me and I'm not trembling in any man made fear but only in the righteousness of God's presence..... and I just want to make sure that I remain with Him. This is the direction I am heading, this is where I am.... I can still look back and see where it started and although many of you are further ahead.. I ask for your patience and even more, your prayer.

This year I'm getting married (June 6th).. which is the most exciting thing in my life.

But I also have some goals that I want to meet..

here they are... in no particular order.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope to work further into the Orange Floor vision and get into a building.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I want to expand my design set-up with a Wacom Cintiq 21UX (cost $2000)
Also I'm taking on another design program.. After Effects. Should be fun!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope to further my passion for Worship and start leading again, write some songs and seek God more. There's a possibility I might attend the Bethel School of Worship.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also hope to excel further musically. Vocals, Guitar, Drums and Piano.

I'm well rounded vocally and my guitar skills do justice (about 11 years). But I would like to get better.
This last year I picked up drums and piano. So far I'm self taught on the drums and I've taken a semester of piano.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also want to get back down to 175lbs. I weigh 205...

we shall see how I treat 2009.

I've been thinking a lot about a video that was shared Sunday night at the Stirring. Advent Conspiracy made a video that presented it's opinion with a very creative message telling us we are spending gluttons and we should be ashamed., But of course masked in a very gleeful manner for the sake of the Christmas spirit. These kinds of things bug me. I'll be honest, and I'll probably get the stink eye, even though I'm not making any personal attack towards anyone. In the video they go two directions.. one about giving presence and the other involving giving towards a clean water fund.. My problem is with the clean water fund..

I think to often the Church and/or Christian organizations spend too much time brainstorming for the next big thing and not enough time praying and listening to God. They prance around like a mad scientist overly excited and consumed by their poorly created frankenstein. They enjoy flexing their religious muscles with creative and innovative ways for us to board their bandwagons. And who is the pawn to prove their points... no, it's not the Christians... never us.. It is however the "world" AKA unbelievers, non-saved, heathens even... Why do we do this? Why do we put the follies of the worlds unrepentant acts on full blast to motivate us? Shouldn't we be motivated by Jesus? Who cares if the world spends 450 billion dollars on Christmas? Do Christians alone spend 450 billion on Christmas? No... So why should we concern ourselves with how the world wastes money. I know Christians waste money... but lets be fair and use our own wasteful spending habits. Rather than use the unprovable tallying of a worldly statistic created for a good guilt trip and a quick passport aboard another bandwagon. Even Shane Claiborne misses it and uses the example of the world to motivate belivers. I'm not sure that's what Jesus has in mind. Why don't we observe what we as Christians spend on Apple products or our sickly addiction with the coffee bean? And of course it isn't called the Santa Conspiracy, it's called the Advent Conspiracy. I doubt most could tell you what Advent means, but they can easily tell you who Santa is... So, by the example of the world but titled for and spoken to the Christian? huh? Why don't we try to first take Christmas back? Why don't we posture ourselves and give Jesus His birthday back. The world will know us by our faith, not because we use them for a reminder on what not to be. We should be looking to Jesus on how to be. Something is wrong and in this case I wont be pointing at what obviously always looks wrong. I think it's time to pull the plank out of our own eyes...

These video attractions do have a purpose, in the name of Jesus of course.... Once their done making you feel like a piece of trash, they pitch you with their outstanding discovery. Almost like they're Columbus. And like Columbus, they want you to ignore what has already been a discovered and just go with it. So what is this troubling effort? Well, although their are many ugly strategies out there this one particularly deals with unclean water. It involves helping provide clean water to those the same naive Christian would mistake for chocolate milk. However, some either not knowing at all, or quickly forget there is a reason why some don't have clean water buy into these masked wasteful spending machines. Obviously, It isn't because of American spending addictions that there isn't clean water abroad. But thankfully someone finally found a reason to use their algebra skills to mathematically prove the cost it would take to provide clean water to those that don't have it. But strangely and conveniently it's brought to our attention around one of the busy spending times of the year. It's either genius or selfish. And I'm gonna go with selfish... and here's why. It's because in most 3rd world countries people are being dictated by gun happy, child trafficking, drug addicted gangs. These gangs oppress their own people. And at every effort of those oversea, whether it be full of gleeful giving, these gangs find a way to trample and strip these efforts away from those in need. They fill wells with dirt or concrete. They threaten the lives of those who receive the aid. And sometimes even capture those that have come to help and kill them too. People die in the name of clean water? There is something wrong with that picture... I understand that God created water.... so God can provide clean water... why don't we pray and fast for those in need of clean water... God set forth a flood, God healed the sick, God says we can move mountains, Jesus says we will do even greater things then He did... But of course by His power. So why don't we stop with the foolish strategies and start praying and fasting that God would move in, destroy the enemies plot and redeem those that are shackled and oppressed.. The only other way is giving the materials to Rambo so he can go in and build the wells... But nobody wants to fight nowadays... Except for Jesus, and I'll gladly board that bandwagon.

This election season which has dominated the cultural conversation for many months has been particularly insightful regarding the incessant gospel thirst that abides deep in the heart of the men and women who bear God’s image. Without endorsing or maligning either political party or their respective presidential candidates, I am hopeful that a few insights from the recent election season are of help, particularly to younger evangelicals.

First, people are longing for a savior who will atone for their sins. In this election, people thirst for a savior who will atone for their economic sins of buying things they did not need with money they did not have. The result is a mountain of credit debt they cannot pay and a desperate yearning that somehow a new president will save them from economic hell.

Second, people are longing for a king who will keep them safe from terror in his kingdom. In the Old Testament the concept of a peaceable kingdom is marked by the word shalom. In shalom there is not only the absence of sin, war, strife, and suffering but also the presence of love, peace, harmony, and health. And, this thirst for shalom is so parched that every election people cannot help but naively believe that if their candidate simply wins shalom is sure to come despite sin and the curse.

The bottom line is obvious to those with gospel eyes. People are longing for Jesus, and tragically left voting for mere presidential candidates. For those whose candidate wins today there will be some months of groundless euphoric faith in that candidate and the atoning salvation that their kingdom will bring. But, in time, their supporters will see that no matter who wins the presidency, they are mere mortals prone to sin, folly, and self-interest just like all the other sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. To help extend naïve false hope as long as possible, a great enemy will be named and demonized as the one who is hindering all of the progress to atone for our sins and usher in our kingdom. If the Democrats win it will be the rich, and if the Republicans win it will be the terrorists. This diversionary trick is as old as Eve who blamed her sin on Satan rather than repenting. The lie is that it’s always someone else’s fault and we’re always the victim of sinners and never the sinner.

Speaking of repentance, sadly, no matter who wins there will be no call to personal repentance of our own personal sins which contributes to cultural suffering and decline such as our pride, gluttony, covetousness, greed, indebtedness, self-righteousness, perversion, and laziness. And, in four years we’ll do it all again and pretend that this time things will be different. Four years after that, we’ll do it yet again. And, we’ll continue driving around this cul de sac until Jesus returns, sets up his throne, and puts an end to folly once and for all.

In the meantime, I would encourage all preachers to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and repentance of personal sin. He alone can truly atone for our sins. He alone can deliver us from a real hell. He alone is our sinless and great King. And, he alone has a Shalom kingdom to offer.

Lastly, for those preachers who have gotten sidetracked for the cause of a false king and a false kingdom by making too much of the election and too little of Jesus, today is a good day to practice repentance in preparation to preach it on Sunday. Just give it some time. The thirst will remain that only Jesus can quench. So, we’ve still got work to do….until we see King Jesus and voting is done once and for all.

-Mark Driscoll

With all the political fanfare being orchestrated for us, I thought I would ask this question pertaining us, the Church.

If a Church is made up of a congregation that is 3/4 homeless and extremely poor and the other 1/4 is lower to middle class with one family being upper class, what do you think the words would be coming from the pulpit?

I'm in a great time in my life. Like a time once with David, I'm in a cave. But I come into town every so often.. God is good. I've been spending a lot of time in scripture. More than ever before. And even more in prayer. I'm wrestling more with God these days. I'm not trying to constitute how I can be a nicer person. I think so often I look upon scripture like a closet full of clothes. And I concern myself with putting on a fashion show for the world to see. I go to the closet and look to add the much needed attributes in my life, to give the appearance of a "Christian" for those around me.. I'm tired of trying to find the right t-shirt that will make everyone happy. God is deep and I'm diving in head first.... and let me tell you, it's like a pool with no water.. IT HURTS! God is exposing me, waking me up early, keeping me up all night. He is speaking to me in profound areas where I need more of Him. I started this blog because it helps me see my own thoughts. I have the benefit of getting critiqued every single day. And although some come from behind my back, I'm still moving forward. God will let me swim in His pool, but only when I learn how and promise not to pee in it.

God is deep and I'm diving in head first.... and let me tell you, it's like a pool with no water.. IT HURTS!

I know a lot of people stop by to see what "Angry Juan" has to say. And it seems this is the only avenue I have right now to share my heart... Let me say in all seriousness, I'm not angry in the way you might think. God is calling me to challenge myself. He is calling me out to say the things that are being forgotten. Not just around me, but even the truths I have abandoned. He is calling me out, towards change and through repentance. He's challenging me to take thoughts to scripture and not consume them as absolute truths until I've lined them with His word. If they fail to parallel, or go beyond His margins, He has told me to cast them aside and not skew His word for my justification. God is reminding me of His design. Through repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ, we are able to obtain the promise He has for us. Through the Cross it has been demonstrated. He is reminding me that scripture is God breathed and it all came from His hand alone. Starting from Prophets to Kings to even the least and the simple words of John the baptist, being cleansed of our sins, to the profound example of Jesus himself. And furthermore the encouragement from men of God like Paul, I AM CALLED! I'm not perfect and this blog is not the avenue to find my true character and most importantly to know me like your friend.

God is reminding me of His design.

I want to be a man whose evil past is forgotten. I want to be a man of humility and strength. A man of boldness. I want to be a man that is full of life and defends it as well. I want to be a trusted man, I want to be a man of compassion and justice. I want to be a biblical man, a Godly man, a man of love and character... A disciplined man that is not easily swayed by the craftiness of the enemy. I want to be a man that is called upon by others. I want to be a man of discernment and a man that can stand in full view that he may be wrong when others are clearly right. A man that can be rebuked. I want to be told "well done, good and faithful servant". I want to make sure I lead a life that places Christ on display, that people may see Him instead of me. I want to be known as a man after God's own heart. I want people to forget my name but know the good things I've done for the kingdom. I don't want to be told by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that He never knew me! I desire to appease no man but only Jesus. I want to love like He loved. But I want to hate the things He hates and confidently stand against them protecting those around me. I don't want to be in a place where I have to question God and try to redefine His truths to correlate with the world I live in. I want to present Jesus in the way that is unaltered, remains the same as it has always been, but communicates to my generation and calls us to change. I really feel like I'm in the lions den and danger is all around. But I'm so not afraid, God is with me and I'm not trembling in any man made fear but only in the righteousness of God's presence..... and I just want to make sure that I remain with Him. This is the direction I am heading, this is where I am.... I can still look back and see where it started and although many of you are further ahead.. I ask for your patience and even more, your prayer.

I was talking with Julie today... We got on the topic of discipleship.... I pictured a cross with two people working together to hold it up.. what was interesting about this was, I never thought of discipleship this way....

I envisioned a cross with two people standing on each side. One is the disciple the other is the teacher... both are holding it up, sustaining it firm and fully erected... If one of the two isn't there the cross is weakened.... Either the disciple isn't being disciplined in biblical teachings and is doing his or her own thing or the teacher isn't walking in obedience with the command Jesus gave regarding baptizing and making disciples in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.....(keep in mind this is your cross representing that of which Jesus speaks of in Matthew 10) The weakness comes from the absence of the other... Again, because there is only one person holding the cross it's weakened, it leans, it can easily lose it's balance inevitably falling and skew the true meaning of who we are called to be in Christ...

The weakness comes from the absence of the other...

The picture I got from this is; If there is one of the two absent, the cross essentially sways back and forth, one direction and then another, faltering and presenting a distorted depiction of the full purpose of becoming part the kingdom of God . Even if the person has good in their heart, they are still damaging the full presentation of what Christ established... There is only one cross that stands alone in full perfectness and we are called to imitate it.

An example is given in Ephesians 4:14, "Then they will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

There is only one cross that stands alone in full perfectness and we are called to imitate it.

Some of the common things we can do to create a skewed depiction of Christ is what we read as Christians. If we are not getting to know our bible and rely more on earthy books we can easily find ourselves drifting away from the power of God, lacking in spiritual discernment. We replace the spirit with hot air that eventually deflates away. There are a lot of writers writing books... Some of these books are written with the intent to compliment scripture, and some of them do. But there are others that don't. In fact, there are a lot of books out there that fail completely and are simply junk.. If a young (not in age) follower of Christ gets an early start, consuming literature that fails to be biblically sound, they won't notice they are hearing the words of a very crafty enemy and will devolve off coarse presenting a false Jesus and a false doctrine. The biblically uneducated, undisciplined Christian will not discern the difference.

Today the perfect example of this is the Emerging Church. It is full of young people, just like myself, in all sincerity fired up about Jesus but strongly lacking in both biblical and Godly character. Too many sheep trying to be shepherds. They are like a bunch of untamed stallions. Beautiful and strong in every sense but have no value to a rider and will actually kill them, robbing them of their purpose. They create their own paths, walk in their own authority and when challenged they form a stampede and radically trample any opposition. They look upon older horses with respect but treat them as inferiors and see no added value to their herd. They want to lead, but consistently abandon tradition and the trails created before them. But in every way young riders don't heed the warnings and flock to the appealing appearance of the black stallion, revering it's trends. A stallion horse rejects it's purpose to be ridden until it is tamed and disciplined.

They create their own paths, walk in their own authority...

Without discipleship we damage the meaning of the cross, the blood of the lamb, and ultimately quench the Holy Spirit. An undisciplined follower of Christ might mean well, but without the guidance of a mature teacher who is biblically sound and bares fruits of Godly character, they will without a doubt misrepresent what Jesus established the day he rose from the dead.

So with that, If the young (not in age) follower has someone to help hold their cross and teach them the ways towards Godly character which bears the full and pure presentation of a fully stable balanced cross. They will be walking in the design Christ established....

Now, you can go even further. We all have a cross to carry... And when we have arrived to a place where we are able to stand firm, we can then also enter into a locality of Godly community. We do this by coming along side brothers and sisters that are like-minded in the spirit and produce Godly fruits. We are all capable of helping hold each-others cross. As a community putting God on display to the multitudes. Picture a cross between the hands of the people, creating a never ending line side by side, going both directions... Community strengthens one another and if one falls, we are all exposed to the hardship. But through discipline, accountability and grace we bring our brother or sister in Christ Jesus back to their purpose and plan, through the simple but always challenging edicts of God's great word.

It's exciting to know that we at the Stirring have exceeded the maximum capacity for what God has placed in the hearts of leadership... Thus meaning, some are migrating to another blessed sanctuary to continue out what God is calling and proclaiming for the Stirring community...

-Creating avenues for the lost to be saved.

-Living out discipleship through leaders of biblical and Christ-like character.

-Walking with wisdom, through the strength of Jesus Christ, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the power of God the father.

-Keeping our doctrine close and always discerning when the enemy might plot against God's vision for the Redding area or among our own camp..

These are all evident in the Stirring and in scripture..
and with new horizons coming, we need to call out those that need to be called out.

I had the privilege of sitting in on a Stirring staff meeting last week... Sean brought some questions to the table and I felt compelled to share what I have been observing during my short time back at the Stirring... He shared with us some of the loose ends of connecting with people.. and in this case was a little overwhelmed and felt things seemed out of place.. I encouraged him to look at the glass half full and know that what is happening is making a tremendous difference.. and although there are some critiques needed, it really just needs to be consistent...

Within this conversation he also said that he needed people... and he needed to know who those people should be. To me, that was an easy fix. On any given Sunday I can look around and see the same people talking amongst themselves. These people are not new whatsoever. In fact, I shared that they are Stirring Veterans per-say and he should grab them and call them out.. As well as the worship team. With the worship team, and I say this from experience... it is easy for those that play every Sunday to mingle with one another, sit in the back and wait for their que. (sound team as well) and never interact with anyone else.... I highly doubt there is a just reasoning for why that would be ok.. For me, it convicts my heart and I have vowed if I ever step into I time of leadership with worship I will overwhelm the time I'm not on stage to interact with people I don't know or rather people I need to build relationship with... It's very simple..

So, as I was sharing some of these insights with Sean, I also shared with him a basic concept that I believe we can all place in our arsenal for sunday night fellowship.. I spoke this with Nate first but decided it was good for Sean to hear... I explained that if I disciplined myself to meet a few people every Sunday and even just shooting the breeze with those I met before, in a few months time or maybe even sooner I would be the most popular person at the Stirring besides Nate or whomever else graces a mic..

Not that being popular is the goal but rather knowing people...I think thats the whole point of community right?


Here's a great video from the archives that Mark and the guys from Mars Hill created for church planters (a little controversial) which doesn't bother me none, I believe in times like these we sometimes need to hear things in this format.. especially with all those indie-emo-seenster kids running around competing with one another to who has the worst life..... For some reason they flock to me.. in which I don't mind.. maybe it's the tattoos. And I understand how to interact with this group of cry babies.. calling them out to the promise of life... but that's another blog...



I hope this video brings or rather supports the ideas that have been drawn up for the Stirring church plant..

enjoy :)