Apostle David Johndrow - Fire And Grace

Welcome to Center Church! Meet Pastor Control Freak, Elder Guilt Trip and Deacon Without Grace. It may sound cynical (and it is), but lots of people have been to that church. It makes we want to sing these lyrics to the tune of Home on the Range: Oh, give me a home where the sinners all roam; where the queer and the religious nuts play; where seldom is heard an encouraging word; and the guys are proud-y all day. Thinking about it kind of turns you off, doesn't it? I find is amazing that folks that are desperate for answers in life go to the one place that should have them, and get some nutty version of the Gospel. I don't know how it happens... actually I think I do, but I am not entirely sure. I feel horrible when I think of the clergy sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Boston Catholic church, the fall of a real leader like Ted Haggerty, who can't seem to tell anyone that he is in trouble until it blows up. Wow! There are folks going to church looking for something to...

Today has been hectic for me... Wow, the finish to an endless week of quotidian events. I had breakfast with a friend of mine, someone that I am getting to know. Relationship is an interesting thing... it just takes time. Well maybe not in the movies, but in real life it does. I am learning that it just takes a long time to build something of value. I am looking forward to more of it. As I approach 50 (I still have a few years left.), I am actually starting to think about growing old. I think the song lyrics that say something about "growing old together." I prefer the songs about romantic relationships... I am hoping to grow old with my wife... as long as I stay here on earth. I was also thinking about what I have not accomplished... hoping for a fresh start again... but I have had a number of those. You feel better for a little while. Tomorrow I am planning on playing a little guitar, writing my Portuguese dialog paper, spending some time with my little one, getting togethe...

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but I caught a few blogs about Jesus... negative ones. I know that as we head towards the end of the age, however many years away that is, there will be more haters of God and lovers of self. But, I often think if these clods (the enemies I am supposed to love) had the same experiences with Jesus that I have had, they would just be in love with the Master. As time goes on it seems like there is another group that is offended by Christianity... or at least their perception of it. These groups and individuals have decided that Jesus wouldn't want this one way, and that another way. Jesus wouldn't want war, Jesus would never want us to pay taxes, Jesus this and Jesus that! There are a lot of folks that would be happy to never see or hear His name again; except as a "mild" curse compared to the "f" word. At one time I believed all the real haters of God lived in non-Christian countries. I grew up with Communism and the...

The longer I am in the church, the more it seems like relationships can end up being about our "stuff". It seems that when we try to focus on others, something goes awry and we end up looking at us. I have heard sermons on "living stones with rough edges," word of faith stuff about miraculously "walking away from addictions, but not yourself" and we all sin, so just admit it preaching, chicken-walking; finger pointing fire and brimstone, "it' not about you" teachings; as well as loads of various and sundry plastic Christian tirades. I have even said, "the Bible says that the sick need a doctor and the church is full of sick people." I still think a lot of it's true... My wake up call was a few weeks ago when someone said, "you talk to much about your past." My wife had planted the seeds of this idea on a number of occasions and I had been thinking about it for some time. Honestly, I was hoping to someday jettison the s...

I often find that people are surprised by relationships and their inner workings. Yet, they think, we get along or we don't. It's all about chemistry and soul-mates. Truthfully, there are so many facets, both emotional and spiritual, to good relationships, that I wouldn't depend on luck. In the Road Less Traveled, Scott Peck talked about ego boundaries, right after he said, "life is difficult." Yes Virginia, relationships are very complex. However; I believe that most of the more complex problems can often be broken down into simple elements. Relationships are work even under the best of circumstances. But isn't there and easier way? Yes and no... none is without effort. Here are, what I think, are some common sense actions we can take in any relationship. It has a bit to do with being proactive. INITIATE - Be a friend first. Reaching out isn't easy, but it can be worth it. It doesn't matter what the relationship is; spouse, neighbor or church buddy, ...

On the news this morning I heard that past president, Jimmy Carter will be speaking at a local college here in Massachusetts. He is promoting his new book about the Middle East. I haven't read it and I don't even know that title. I, like lots of Christians, am curious about Middle East policy because it appears to play a big part in the End Times. I am not a Dooms-Dayer, but I keep a spiritual eye open. What I find more interesting then the Middle East topic, is that Mr. Carter is not taking certain questions during the discussion about his new book. Wow, you write a book, come 1,500 miles for a discussion about it, then you won't take certain questions. Wow times two. I would think if you were passionate enough to write a book, you would be passionate enough to defend it! Often on college campuses you'll find more liberal mindsets; even in the Bible belt they are there. Here in MA, we have a very liberal state government, the most liberal in the country. Oh, there are ...

Last time I was talking about some basic principals and elements of relationships . I have decided that our relationships grow deeper because of the effort that we put into them. There is a physical element with a married relationship and an authority issue with parent child relationships. However; we can be close or distant in any relationship. Here are some thoughts on moving closer. I guess the inverse, growing apart, would be not to do them. If the goal of relationship is to be close and feel it, then we need to work towards the goal. The goal of a Christian relationship is to serve one another. But let's start with closeness. I heard Jimmy Evans say that the commodity of a relationship is time. For many that is true, but for some that is only a small element of feeling loved. I think for most people love and closeness are synonymous . The ultimate target in a relationship is 100% transparency and emotional intimacy. If you have read the 5 Love Languages, then you know that ...

Relationship is important to me, and as I talk to long-time church goers and non-church folks alike, I find that most of us are, or have suffered in this area. Each one of us has different types; actually depths to our relationships. The world seems to have a box for each type of relationship with their different elements. However; I am looking at the core of interacting with someone else. When we look at that core dynamics of a relationship (Biblically), the only things that make a significant difference are the authority of a parent over a child, the authority of a superior and the physical part of the relationship between a husband and wife. Everything else requires similar attitudes and actions for the relationship to progress. IE: Being kind is being kind. It doesn't matter if someone is a stranger or a relative; husband or child.. kind is kind. Normally our relationships should progress towards complete transparency and trust. It is a lofty goal; well worth trying, but still ...

Today I went to church. Yes I go regularly, and to what extent they will allow me, I am involved. Something that has been gnawing at me for some time is this matter of purpose. I know there is the age old debate, Armenianism vs. Calvanism. Is it decided for us by God (predestine), or do we make a choice? I think it's both. I think we have to choose God and I also think that God chooses us and initiates the relationship. When Jesus said that He wanted all men to be saved, I believe it. When they don't all get saved, I can't possibly believe that God would just make it so a select few would get the brass ring. How many chances do we need to get our hearts right? What happens when we run out of chances? I feel exactly the same way when it comes to purpose. Now, back to purpose. Rick Warren wrote a few books about it, but I honestly think it is much deeper then what he covered. I am not saying that he is shallow, but I think deep down, really deep down, we need to touch the ess...

The local news has run a few segments recently on heroes... real life life-savers. One story was about a man in NY City. He threw himself into the path of an oncoming subway train to save the life of another man, who; fell onto the tracks while having a seizure. The other story involved a state highway worker that pulled his "crash pad" truck into the path of an oncoming semi on the interstate. His vehicle absorbed enough of the impact, before it was pushed over an embankment, to save the life of a state trooper, who was also rear-ended in collision. Both of these heroes said they simply were responding to human need. I find it astounding as I just can't think that fast. I know, you're probably thinking he is going to give me a metaphor for Christ giving His life for our sin. No, if you're reading this blog, then you probably know all about that. If you have ever been in a Christian church, then you have most likely heard that Christ died for our sins. My point to...

This past week my work computer caught a virus that was spreading over our network. It is amazing that a good company, with 2,000 employees; a software manufacturer to boot, was not well protected against such a threat. Now I certainly understand why they chose a product that, in this instance, was second best. It was a financial decision. For the five or so months that I have been an employee, there have been no problems with viruses. But, the problem is deeper then choosing second best for anti-virus protection. It began with choosing the more popular route... using Microsoft operating systems. Microsoft Windows is not the best operating system, it is simply the most popular. Think of it like this. The Ford Escort is the most popular car in the world, but do you ever hear anyone saying, "I can't wait to buy a Ford Escort." No, never! They choose them because they are cheap and for the most part do the job... for the most part. For sure there are better cars out there. (...

We have heard about Mary and Martha so many times I can't remember which one was too busy to enjoy the presence of the Lord. It still seems that it is basically an ignored teaching. We're still too busy as a people. I think it would be safe to say that we are often at church too much, or not enough. Maybe we just don't know how to stop the wheel of busy-ness. As humans we have a need for something that fills a void within our soul. Without fixing this malady, we begin to medicate our loneliness with a host of other things. Maybe we're not addicts, but the record shows that we as a culture, indulge in entertainment, the pursuit of money, work-o-holism, overeating, the Internet, pornography, booze, sex, collectables, shopping... the list goes on and on. But what I find interesting when I talk to people; when I stop to say hello, ask how someone is, or invite someone out for coffee, I often hear the same response. They will tell how much they would like to get together, fo...

In one of those seasons of life, the kind where you have pressed in, stayed faithful and expected a lot from God; where you have not seen things change in the natural, that's where I found a series of miracles. I don't simply mean the coincidental kind of miracles, but the kind that you are totally awed by God. This is the kind of stuff that you tell a stranger on the street because you can't contain it. Let me explain. I was told by a pastor to stop reading books by Kenneth Hagin Sr ; I didn't. Those books, bad theology or good, really built my faith. I was later told by another pastor and friend, to read books about revival. He lent them to me and as I returned them, he gave me more. In between books, I was on my own. One day I went to the mailbox. I honestly don't remember now if it was something that I did everyday or just from time-to-time. Because the mailbox wasn't right in front of the house, we often stopped at it when we were returning from work or som...

T. Austin Sparks said, "We just don't know the opposition to a man's soul." What he meant was this, there are legions of demons and other demonic forces that keep us from salvation. And that's not including the influences of this world! On my third trip to Brazil I was part of a movement to transform cities and countries by the power of public prayer and fasting. I was traveling with a ministry named: The Call. The event in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, was named "The Call Brazil." There were churches from all over Brazil that came to pray at their nation's capital. The informal national day of fasting and prayer took place from 6AM until 6PM on the "mall" surrounded by federal buildings. We had arrived a few days before the event to pray and get to know the Brazilians that we would be serving. On a few of the days before the event, we prayer-walked the perimeter of the mall area. At one end there was bricked plaza near a museum and othe...

Writing this blog is a lot fun because I get to brag about Jesus. I really enjoy looking at times in my life where the work of God is undeniable. Sure I have my doubts at times. I am like Thomas; I want to see it now. Even Thomas was there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. You would think that he didn't need too much else in terms of evidence. I think he and I are alike in this way; we want to see the Lord all the time, not just once in a while. I don't think that Thomas doubted the existence of the Lord. I think He was concerned that Jesus would be there for him right now, next week and the week after working miracles. It is a sign of immaturity, the need to have a parent close at all times. I can be like this with God. I am sure that it was especially hard after the crucifixion, which was a horrendous ordeal for all that were close to Lord. After years of being a Christian I had allowed a great distance to come between me and the Lord. I was just busy with life, kids a...

The number of the beast (Rev. 13:18) seemed to be a popular fad in 70's and early 80's rock-n-roll. Idealized by bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, we got used to Satan Rock and backwards masking. Possibly the adolescent passion of a misguided rockstar or a grand marketing ploy by corporate America, it was successful in bringing the number 666 into the minds of the masses. The church railed against it from the pulpit and in books. Entire ministries were formed to combat the frenzied flow of evil. Groupies of the bands wore it proudly on t-shirts and tattoos. You can easily find reproductions of those album covers from that era on the 'Net today. I didn't really want to ascribe much credence to the whole thing. I honestly expected that the number of the beast was something that we would hear about in the end times; if we lived until that time. I read the books that said it was the three empty bar-code separators on everything we purchased. But that was about all t...

Wow! Today it was 72 (22c) when it should have been close to 32 (0c). Some of the experts are blaming this unseasonable weather on global warming; others claim that it is just a fluke of nature. Well all I have to say is the ICE AGE ended! How do you think that happened? Global warming! The same experts insisting that global warming is the culprit also say that glaciers extended half way to Omaha during the Ice Age. Today, some of those regions once covered by ice might get snow a few times a decade. This was caused by, you guessed it; global warming. I find it amazing that we can ignore the fact that this happened long before man made hydrocarbons and greenhouse gasses. Now I am not against cutting pollutants in our environment. I think that we need lots more hybrid cars and wind farms. I would like to see us use very little coal and other fossil fuels. What amazes me about these intellects and so called experts is that they are from the same group that teaches that the Big Bang Theor...

As many of us press on in our faith, we come to points in life that we seem to have no choice in how things go. That seems to be when God shows himself to be the most faithful. I also find that when we are at our weakest, God seems to pour forth while I am in my most pitiful state. Here is what I am talking about. I was divorced about 6 years ago and left with very little in terms of worldly things. I had a car (for a few weeks) and a job (for a month or so) and my clothes, a bunch of CDs, a stereo and some personal artifacts that were worth something to me. Now not having things is not a bad thing, it was just a fact. For this American it was rather difficult leaving so much behind. Well, until I couldn't afford a car and I was laid-off from work it then seemed unbearable. And yes, it got worse. These difficult times certainly kept me close to God. I didn't have a TV or a computer. I listened to worship music literally day and night. I looked for work and worked part-time duri...

Today in Massachusetts our new governor, Deval Patrick is sworn in and Whitehouse hopeful, Mit Romney leaves. For me it is a sad day. Why? Because, for me, Mit Romney represented my Christian principals better then anyone that has governed over me. Oh sure, he has issues, but on all the big debates, ones where a Christian must choose a side, he worked hard to implement many things that I believe in. After 21 years living in a very liberal state where all the important Christian values from pro-life to embryonic stem-cell research have been trampled by landslide votes, it appears that things are about to get worse. I believe that we reap what we sow. And I believe that there is grace for repentant people. The purpose of a savior is so that we don't get what we deserve... in the end anyway. Some call me a right-wing conservative. Others think that principled Christians like me are bigots. They use the word when their lifestyle doesn't line up with the Biblical "do's and ...

One of my favorite books is "Like a Mighty Wind" which takes place during the Indonesian Revival of the 60's. I found it exciting as I read about the miracles that took place during that time. Those testimonies really increased my faith. When I looked closer at the actual events I saw that God was not just doing magic tricks via the Holy Spirit; no, He was meeting the needs of His creation through the church. When the believers had a need they prayed and God met that need. For a long time I wanted to see Jesus work in my life... not just in coincidental ways, but in true power that was undeniable. Here is what happened to me one day. Around the time of the 9/11 attacks, my mother was dying of cancer 900 miles away. Towards the end I drove there 3 times in 2 weeks. The cost of fuel and food on the road was a real hardship for me. On my second trip I stopped for fuel in PA on Saturday afternoon. My debit card was declined; I hadn't been really keeping track as my mind...

I think one of the greatest benefits of being used by God is that sometimes only you and He know. On my trip to Norway I was on the ministry team for a conference the Americans presented there. I had a chance to minister to many people over the few days that conference ran. But my favorite experience was with a man I met in the hallway just off the lobby. I don't remember his name; actually I may not have asked him. I do remember asking him if I could share a few impressions with him. I don't know that he really knew what I was talking about. I began sharing with him that I felt he had a huge change of course in his life. I saw that he was a computer programmer and that he and I had that in common. Actually I was able to tell him what language he programmed in. I think that got his attention. I never met him before, so it didn't mean a whole lot to me. I was just going on faith and the flow of the Holy Spirit. I spoke of the teaching gift that he had and some other details ...

I was in Norway a few years ago and I found the country in general was not really open to hearing about Jesus. It appeared that years of Socialism had taken it's toll. Our team of about 30 Americans and 20 Norwegians was to be on the street inviting people to the conference that was to take place starting that evening. I am not personally very good at approaching people on the street to talk about Jesus, but I was there and I assumed that I had a purpose for being there. I remember simply praying in my room that I would be able to be effective during the 3 or 4 hour outreach in Oslo. It was just way out of my comfort zone. I actually considered telling that team that I would stay at the hotel and pray for them. During my prayer time, I decided to simply ask the Lord for a number; the number of people that I would actually talk to on the street. At first it was the number 3. I was so relieved and then there was a 1... 13, well I could do that. At the beginning of the outreach we wer...