C.R. Mooney

I say I believe in God, that I believe in Jesus His son. I say that I believe so much that I would give my life for what I believe in, but do I really?

I ran across this video by Francis Chan and it made me really think. Do I truly believe, or are the words, “I believe” the answer I give myself so I don’t have to ask myself the hard questions? And if I do believe, what evidence is there in my life? If I took my “belief” out of my life, would there be a difference? Would anyone be able to tell?

If the answer is no, then I have some decisions to make.

So I have recently taken over managing the gumball machines and kiddy rides at our local mall and today I received my first check.  I pulled it out of the envelope and smiled and then thought about how I’m making 10% of the machine’s take, and how little that is compared to the 90% CTM makes. Imagine what I could do if I made the 90%!

Then God whispered to me, “That’s what I thought too.” Ow, that hurts so good.

I was watching some show with my family and the preview came on for The Lion King 3D, and I immediately tuned out.  I’ve seen the commercial a few times and the kids all start begging, “Dad, can we go see it?”

This time, as I checked my cell phone for anything remotely interesting, I heard something that I can’t let go of.

The scene is Mufasa sitting with Simba overlooking the plains, and Mufasa (Simba’s dad and leader of the pride) says to his boy, “Look Simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom.”

Immediately I felt the Holy Spirit  say, “Hey mooney,  you are to be God’s light to the world, and EVERYTHING the Light touches belongs to my kingdom.”

So go! Let God’s love shine through you today so His kingdom will expand!

“What I’m seeing is that the problem isn’t just what’s happening in the church, the problem is what isn’t happening in Christian homes.” ~ “Divided the Movie”

I heard this a week ago, and it really hit me that I need to change the way some things are done at home.  This quote is pretty much the only thing I gleaned from “Divided the Movie,” an exposé on how the modern youth group is not biblical. I agree with the quote I posted, not with the thesis of this film.

A few weeks ago, Tom Allen was ordained as our assistant pastor, and something that was said has challenged me.  Pastor Kirk briefly mentioned that the church does not promote someone, or nominate them for a position so that they can do a “work.”  They promote or nominate people who are already doing the “work” into the appropriate position.

Basically, they do not ask someone to be a deacon simply because he desires to be one, but because his is already doing the work of a deacon, and so the position is appropriate for him.

Sounds logical enough, right?

So I had to ask myself, “Self, if you were to be nominated for a position in our church (real or not), which would it be?”

Well the cards are in, and it’s a mixed bag.

-    I could teach a parenting class as I have five children who I think are turning out well
-    I could help with kids ministry for the same reason
-    I have some experience with youth ministry, so I could help there
-    I could be the church book reviewer, as I love to read and I write reviews for Thomas Nelson, Bethany House, and Tyndale Publishers

Here’s where it gets dicey:

-    I could be asked to be the church critic.  I have a lot of opinions about what is being done right, and what I think is being done incorrect or needs improvement
-    I could be the church mooch as I am quick to take advantage of the various ministries in the church, but rarely give money to the church or volunteer
-    I could be the church gossip, as I sometimes share my opinions of others with friends instead of keeping them to myself

We’ve all heard “There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect church,’” often in reference to someone or something we don’t like, but it’s time to see that we’re the reason it’s not.  The change has to start with me.  Revival starts with me.  Raising Godly children is my responsibility, not the churches.

So I encourage you to ask the question as well, “If you were to be nominated for a position in your church (real or not), which would it be?” Then ask God to help make the necessary changes in your own life.

You have probably noticed there are some advertisements on my blog, and they are there for good reason: to give.  Originally, I opened an Amazon Associate account to help pay for my hosting and domains, but I don’t want to profit from what I write here.

So I am giving it away.  So, if you like to buy from Amazon, please stop here first and click through one of my book links, then search for what you want at Amazon and 4%-6% of you purchase will go toward the charity listed for that month!

Starting March 2011, all proceeds from my blogs (www.CRMooney.com and www.christianwriterscorner.wordpress.com) will be given to a different ministry or cause.  I will be posting a capture of my earnings and receipt of the giving for accountability.  There is a two month pay cycle, so the receipt won’t show until I have been paid, and the money given.

Also, please feel free to click through to the different organizations and see if you would like to donate on your own!

To see what’s been given so far, click the “giving” tab at the upper right of the blog, or click here to go to the Giving page.

I ran into this quote today from Dallas Willard:

“We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it.  We believe something when we act as if it were true.”

That hurts.  I find myself reading, saying, and writing a lot, but what am I doing?  All of my activity should result in action.  So in the words of Toby Keith I need, “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action!”

For my 30th birthday, my awesome wife Beth got us tickets to see the Yankees play their next to last game in the old Yankee Stadium.  It was an epic pitching duel which the Yanks lost to the Blue Jays in fourteen innings.  It wasn’t my first time to the Big Apple, but is was Beth’s.  We stayed at the Hyatt next to Grand Central Station.  I won’t soon forget the site as we pulled on to 42nd Street, and not because of the towering buildings and gaudy lighting on every store front.

Before we made our right turn, there was a Rolls Royce in front of us, and a homeless man sleeping on the curb, only a few feet away.  Two lives on opposite ends of the spectrum of life  There was a brief moment, where my heart broke from him, but then I had Beth take a picture of the Rolls in front of us, and we were on our way.  He was “just” another homeless man in New York.

It was easy to dismiss him, because all I saw was a man sleeping next to the road.  We took a picture of him too.

This Sunday, we attended my father in law’s church, Grace Community in Theresa, and he said something that reminded me of this man.  He talked about how sometimes we see only a snapshot of a person’s life, where they are now,  and we judge or condemn them.  You know, the types, the drunks, the addicts, the gossips, those angry at life and others, the bullies (yes adults can bully too), we classify them, then dismiss them.

Then he spoke of God, who is not bound by time, and has known them from the womb.  He knows why they are addicts, drunks, etc.  He saw the beatings they received as children, the rejection through their youth, and the release from life that came, even if for a moment when they chose their type of escape: drugs, sex, or otherwise.

Then I heard God asking me, “Chris, when you look at the world around you, do you see what I see?  Do you see the pain, the hurt, the agony that shaped their lives to this point?   Do you see why I had to send my Son, so that they could be free?”

Then he asked, “So why don’t you tell them?  Why don’t you love on them?”

And I didn’t have an answer, and that sucks.

I heard this this quote today:

“Seven days without prayer makes one weak.”  ~Allen E Vartlett

Wow.  I needed that punch in the gut today.  ‘Casue sometimes, it hurts so good.

Jesus isn’t an accessory added to your “better life”, He replaces your life with His.