I was studying the other day, when I reflected on the word apostle, its origins and how it was that Jesus called some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and some as teachers. The word apostle actually means "General." I have been blessed for years to be under a general, who not only operates out of a single gift, rather a multitude.
In life there are few people who truly impact us. I mean truly directly impact us, leaving us changed forever. I have the rich blessing of a pastor who is not only my pastor, but is a friend, a boss, a father figure, father-in-law, and a five fold minister. So you see, my perspective is quite unique. Though I have all of these other perspectives in which to view my pastor, I find it still amazing how one man really can and does operate out of the each of the five fold ministries. I find myself in deep gratitude of the experience I gain through the exposure to this marvelous gifting. When I watch the heart of a father to his sons and daughters I see the government of love that comes from an apostle. When I hear encouragement call out mine and others greatness, I see the perspective of a prophet. When I serve next to a man where church walls don't exist I see the passionate evangelist. Compassion that is given for each and every person, no matter their offense shows me the tender love of a pastor. The willingness show me how do love, pray, laugh, and love comes through the ability of my pastor the 5 fold minister.
I am writing this not to brag on the exploits of a man, but to encourage you to see that greatness can be achieved in mere mortals. When we live our lives simply, honestly, humbly, and intentionally we truly do approach the ministry of Jesus. A perfect theology that is the 5 fold ministry. I challenge you to approach this as a life long challenge that beckons you to grow.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Power of Youth
Their is a great explosive potential in young people. Like dynamite this potential can do great good when it is used productively. It can build whole empires where founded by people under the age of 18. Youth by its very nature has the power to pave the way for new inventions, ideas, and resources that will benefit mankind. In the wrong hands, the power of youth has the capability to take life, or even thousands of lives.
Adolph Hitler new the very real power of youth to transform a culture. In 1932 when he came into power, one of the very first things he did was to ban all youth organizations, especially religious ones. In the place of these he formed what was known as the "Hitler Youth" and "German League of Young Girls." These organizations trained young people to honor and revere Hitler and to serve him without question. Young people, some of which were younger than many of you reading this, made a decision that it would be an honor to lay their lives down for their country, and their Fuhrer. How did one man convince so many young people to do such horrific things?
The reason is because in every young person there are worlds to conquer, battles to win, deeds to be done. Young people haven't become as jaded as many of us adults to the disappointments of life. Because the youth haven't yet accepted what cannot be done. Young people, It is my heart that you learn not what cannot be done, but what can be done. When you live a life unrestricted by an inability to do something, you acquire the ability to achieve great things.
The boundless energy of youth, which literally means vigor, allows you the ability to work tirelessly at that which you are passionate about. Follow you passions, make this a life work. Many of us who are older than you often feel that we need to rest. Not all of us, but some. I will promise to make you chase me! But if and when you finally catch me, I will cheer you as you blaze like a lit fuze nearing detonation.
I have been a minister to youth now for approximately 14 years, and one of the things I love the most about you, is how you approach a great deal of things with a clean slate. You don't harbor prejudices of past generations, and this gives you the ability to see life through an clear lens. Racist bigotry, is something that fades in your wonderful generation. I revel in to potential of your lives.
With all of these things, I want to encourage you. Young people, listen to an older man who wants to see you racing past. The one thing missing from your greatness is experience. For this you will need to look to us, the older generation. Though I know it may be difficult to trust that we will not try to control you, I vow to empower you! I vow to impart any and all wisdom to you so that you can resist the call of temptation that I have faced. May you walk on my road free of burden.
Encouragement to older Christians: We need the zeal and dynamism of youth in the body of Christ. We need their energy. Try to refrain from telling this generation, "We've tried it before, and well it didn't work!" "Let no one despise your youth..." (1 Tim. 4:12) We cannot be afraid of the mistakes. We need to help them up if and when they make mistakes, earnestly seeking to find their hidden greatness!
Encouragement to young Christians: (1 Peter 5: 1-2) Remember those who are older, and perhaps a bit wiser. These powerful people have been through life, and a bit of hell so that you would walk freely. Those who are older than you really do love you. It is O.K. if they know more than you. A pattern of my life, until the day I die will be to always have someone older, wiser, more experienced looking into my life to steer me from pitfalls, and steer me toward my destiny. Seek wisdom, weigh the warnings. "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness" (Prov. 16: 31)
The world watches the movement of the youth. What examples will you set? Will you love? Will you lead in faith? Will you lead in purity? Will you live a life of honor? Will the world be led into a life of miracles because of you? (1 Tim 4: 12) Nothing will cause a world to lose respect for you faster than living you life as less than a child of God.
Adolph Hitler new the very real power of youth to transform a culture. In 1932 when he came into power, one of the very first things he did was to ban all youth organizations, especially religious ones. In the place of these he formed what was known as the "Hitler Youth" and "German League of Young Girls." These organizations trained young people to honor and revere Hitler and to serve him without question. Young people, some of which were younger than many of you reading this, made a decision that it would be an honor to lay their lives down for their country, and their Fuhrer. How did one man convince so many young people to do such horrific things?
The reason is because in every young person there are worlds to conquer, battles to win, deeds to be done. Young people haven't become as jaded as many of us adults to the disappointments of life. Because the youth haven't yet accepted what cannot be done. Young people, It is my heart that you learn not what cannot be done, but what can be done. When you live a life unrestricted by an inability to do something, you acquire the ability to achieve great things.
The boundless energy of youth, which literally means vigor, allows you the ability to work tirelessly at that which you are passionate about. Follow you passions, make this a life work. Many of us who are older than you often feel that we need to rest. Not all of us, but some. I will promise to make you chase me! But if and when you finally catch me, I will cheer you as you blaze like a lit fuze nearing detonation.
I have been a minister to youth now for approximately 14 years, and one of the things I love the most about you, is how you approach a great deal of things with a clean slate. You don't harbor prejudices of past generations, and this gives you the ability to see life through an clear lens. Racist bigotry, is something that fades in your wonderful generation. I revel in to potential of your lives.
With all of these things, I want to encourage you. Young people, listen to an older man who wants to see you racing past. The one thing missing from your greatness is experience. For this you will need to look to us, the older generation. Though I know it may be difficult to trust that we will not try to control you, I vow to empower you! I vow to impart any and all wisdom to you so that you can resist the call of temptation that I have faced. May you walk on my road free of burden.
Encouragement to older Christians: We need the zeal and dynamism of youth in the body of Christ. We need their energy. Try to refrain from telling this generation, "We've tried it before, and well it didn't work!" "Let no one despise your youth..." (1 Tim. 4:12) We cannot be afraid of the mistakes. We need to help them up if and when they make mistakes, earnestly seeking to find their hidden greatness!
Encouragement to young Christians: (1 Peter 5: 1-2) Remember those who are older, and perhaps a bit wiser. These powerful people have been through life, and a bit of hell so that you would walk freely. Those who are older than you really do love you. It is O.K. if they know more than you. A pattern of my life, until the day I die will be to always have someone older, wiser, more experienced looking into my life to steer me from pitfalls, and steer me toward my destiny. Seek wisdom, weigh the warnings. "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness" (Prov. 16: 31)
The world watches the movement of the youth. What examples will you set? Will you love? Will you lead in faith? Will you lead in purity? Will you live a life of honor? Will the world be led into a life of miracles because of you? (1 Tim 4: 12) Nothing will cause a world to lose respect for you faster than living you life as less than a child of God.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Respond? or React? That is the question!
Lately I've been thinking about what moves God, and what removes evil. Important to note, that I have been under the teaching influence of some truly extraordinary men of God, My senior pastor Randy E. Dean, Bill Johnson, Kris Volloton, and Rob Bell to name a few. It is really hard to avoid a truth when it is put so clearly through genuine men of faith such as these.
So on the the subject at hand. What moves God? and what removes evil? You see this question isn't exactly a new one in the landscape of our human history, it is just one that has become of heightened awareness to me. You see, it all began again for me when my sweet little daughter Eden had a cold and was fighting a nasty cough, and fever. I as any good father would do began to pray as often my wife and myself do for sickness to leave and for healing to enter. Here's the thing, the catch, the real motivator for me. It was to be her very first night of gymnastics and she was totally excited! I mean absolutely amped about being able to be part of a real gymnastics class. My wife and I were really struggling about having to tell her that she would not be able to attend this very important event (important especially to our 2 year old daughter). We truly were lamenting the notion of having to tell her no, that we are sorry, and this wouldn't be a good idea. And it was then that I prayed again and again, expecting that I would see a remarkable change, you know the miraculous. You need to understand that I have truly experience the miraculous so I didn't feel like this was such a huge request. Isn't this so typical to how we think God should work? We pray he responds. Anyway when I didn't see any visible change, my prayer shifted gears, and I got more and more angry at the works of the evil one, so I thought that it might work to cast him out! You know the very christian, spiritual thing to do. When that didn't work, I turned to my wife and said "What is it going to take?", implying that there was something more that I could do, that I must do, so as not to break my daughters heart. I regret to inform you that she wasn't radically healed, at least that night, however my thoughts and focus on how to pray was.
The very next morning I received the realization, the "What it would take" that I needed via a pod-cast that I was listening to. It became so painfully clear that I had been praying at God not with God. You see I had not been focusing all of my attention on God, I was focusing on the sickness, on my daughters first gymnastics class, on my role as her father, and when I got really frustrated on the devil. My focus was what may have been keeping true healing away from my little girl. Now I know that God is not so stingy as to withhold healing for a formula, or a set system of prayer. But I do think we do give more attention to problem than we do the solution. It is as though popular christian cultural has become great at pointing at the fire rather than extinguishing it. We are really good at identifying the problem, but are not all that good at getting to the source of a solution.
You see, we are born to be responders to God, not reactors to life's pain and disappointments. We are at all times to love God, to let God love us. To let God love others through us. I know nearly everyone of you reading this has this topic totally nailed, but for the very few of you who still struggle, let me encourage you. Our focus should not and really cannot be on our enemy, it must be on the goal. It must be on God! We really don't get the fact, that when God is present, nothing else can exist, it is impossible. God will consume whatever He comes in contact with. Incidentally I think this is why some of us keep our distance. He might require everything. The point is this, our problem isn't really with the devil, it is more that our focus is messed up. Were like a really expensive camera with a disposable lens!
Yesterday, I was really tested on this realization, when I went to a nearby hospital to visit and pray over a former student. She was in the hospital literally awaiting a miracle. The doctors and nurses had given her a 50/50 chance to live, she had been on a respirator for a week and had experienced a heart attack, was stitched all over her abdomen, had 8 different monitors, and 2 tubes running in and out of her body, and as of yesterday was not able to fight off a severe interal infection, to which the doctors could not find an explanation. I stood alone with her for a while, as there was no family, no friends there except one very exceptional and faithful friend who ironically I met out in the hall at the very moment I was about to leave.
She and I proceeded back to the room where we both knew that God would need to bring the miraculous influence of his kingdom. As we walked together back to the clutter room, there was this overwhelming sense of calling and responsibility that I felt for this young lady. How I wanted just to wrap her up and let her know that it was all going to be O.K.. That God was going to heal her! Then there by her bed we prayed and again I asked for nothing more than for God simply to be in that room with us. Inside, I was incredibly angry with the spirit of death an sickness that had come to destroy, but I determined myself not to give any credit where it so clearly was not due, and continued to give God all of the attention, being sure to give Him glory!
As we stood there, I couldn't help but reflect back on how desperately I wanted my own little girl healed just a week or so before, and how now at this moment too, I felt the same feeling of responsibility for this daughter of God that lay there awaiting her miraculous encounter. I am so very grateful to the Lord for teaching me how critical it is to respond to Him, and how it is possible to move Him. If we move the heart of God we remove the effect of evil in our environment, in our culture, in our generation. I don't know about you, but for me and my house, we will server the Lord. What else would I do? I have seen what is possible!
I have not yet heard of the change in Jamie's (my former student) condition, however I do know that where two or more are gathered as representatives who take responsibility for ushering the kingdoms influence; that great restorative power is available. I am eager to report on the miraculous love of God!
Pastor Darren M. Hosé
Posted by Pastor Darren M. Hosé at 11:32 AM 0 comments
So on the the subject at hand. What moves God? and what removes evil? You see this question isn't exactly a new one in the landscape of our human history, it is just one that has become of heightened awareness to me. You see, it all began again for me when my sweet little daughter Eden had a cold and was fighting a nasty cough, and fever. I as any good father would do began to pray as often my wife and myself do for sickness to leave and for healing to enter. Here's the thing, the catch, the real motivator for me. It was to be her very first night of gymnastics and she was totally excited! I mean absolutely amped about being able to be part of a real gymnastics class. My wife and I were really struggling about having to tell her that she would not be able to attend this very important event (important especially to our 2 year old daughter). We truly were lamenting the notion of having to tell her no, that we are sorry, and this wouldn't be a good idea. And it was then that I prayed again and again, expecting that I would see a remarkable change, you know the miraculous. You need to understand that I have truly experience the miraculous so I didn't feel like this was such a huge request. Isn't this so typical to how we think God should work? We pray he responds. Anyway when I didn't see any visible change, my prayer shifted gears, and I got more and more angry at the works of the evil one, so I thought that it might work to cast him out! You know the very christian, spiritual thing to do. When that didn't work, I turned to my wife and said "What is it going to take?", implying that there was something more that I could do, that I must do, so as not to break my daughters heart. I regret to inform you that she wasn't radically healed, at least that night, however my thoughts and focus on how to pray was.
The very next morning I received the realization, the "What it would take" that I needed via a pod-cast that I was listening to. It became so painfully clear that I had been praying at God not with God. You see I had not been focusing all of my attention on God, I was focusing on the sickness, on my daughters first gymnastics class, on my role as her father, and when I got really frustrated on the devil. My focus was what may have been keeping true healing away from my little girl. Now I know that God is not so stingy as to withhold healing for a formula, or a set system of prayer. But I do think we do give more attention to problem than we do the solution. It is as though popular christian cultural has become great at pointing at the fire rather than extinguishing it. We are really good at identifying the problem, but are not all that good at getting to the source of a solution.
You see, we are born to be responders to God, not reactors to life's pain and disappointments. We are at all times to love God, to let God love us. To let God love others through us. I know nearly everyone of you reading this has this topic totally nailed, but for the very few of you who still struggle, let me encourage you. Our focus should not and really cannot be on our enemy, it must be on the goal. It must be on God! We really don't get the fact, that when God is present, nothing else can exist, it is impossible. God will consume whatever He comes in contact with. Incidentally I think this is why some of us keep our distance. He might require everything. The point is this, our problem isn't really with the devil, it is more that our focus is messed up. Were like a really expensive camera with a disposable lens!
Yesterday, I was really tested on this realization, when I went to a nearby hospital to visit and pray over a former student. She was in the hospital literally awaiting a miracle. The doctors and nurses had given her a 50/50 chance to live, she had been on a respirator for a week and had experienced a heart attack, was stitched all over her abdomen, had 8 different monitors, and 2 tubes running in and out of her body, and as of yesterday was not able to fight off a severe interal infection, to which the doctors could not find an explanation. I stood alone with her for a while, as there was no family, no friends there except one very exceptional and faithful friend who ironically I met out in the hall at the very moment I was about to leave.
She and I proceeded back to the room where we both knew that God would need to bring the miraculous influence of his kingdom. As we walked together back to the clutter room, there was this overwhelming sense of calling and responsibility that I felt for this young lady. How I wanted just to wrap her up and let her know that it was all going to be O.K.. That God was going to heal her! Then there by her bed we prayed and again I asked for nothing more than for God simply to be in that room with us. Inside, I was incredibly angry with the spirit of death an sickness that had come to destroy, but I determined myself not to give any credit where it so clearly was not due, and continued to give God all of the attention, being sure to give Him glory!
As we stood there, I couldn't help but reflect back on how desperately I wanted my own little girl healed just a week or so before, and how now at this moment too, I felt the same feeling of responsibility for this daughter of God that lay there awaiting her miraculous encounter. I am so very grateful to the Lord for teaching me how critical it is to respond to Him, and how it is possible to move Him. If we move the heart of God we remove the effect of evil in our environment, in our culture, in our generation. I don't know about you, but for me and my house, we will server the Lord. What else would I do? I have seen what is possible!
I have not yet heard of the change in Jamie's (my former student) condition, however I do know that where two or more are gathered as representatives who take responsibility for ushering the kingdoms influence; that great restorative power is available. I am eager to report on the miraculous love of God!
Pastor Darren M. Hosé
Posted by Pastor Darren M. Hosé at 11:32 AM 0 comments
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