Apostle David Johndrow - Fire And Grace

-10 Lack of Deep Relationship - I think of all the stupid things Christians commonly do, the fact that so many do not understand what it means to be a church family, a brother or sister in the Lord, or a godly friend tops the list. John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Somehow this scripture from John (above) has been Americanized to mean "be nice to each other." Sure, some will take it deeper and pray for others, and some will even serve each other by bringing a meal or visiting someone in the hospital. The deeper the better - but I don't go to church to be "niced" to death! I think the basic problem is that we love as we have been loved , not as Jesus has loved us. The true test of a loving and deep relationship, however; is not good feelings, personal satisfaction and a plaque for expressing love using one of the 5 Love Languages . A deep relationship creates an atmosphere of trust, accountability and camaraderie. It i...

As you already know from my two anemic posts last week, I spent just about all of it in the hospital. Later this week I will post a more formal account now that I have had a little rest, and a chance to think. While I was laying there with IVs and monitors, I received a few visitors, had a few phone calls, and received lots of Facebook posts and a few emails. It is certainly at times like these were you need to count on a few friends, and your church family. Here are 5 1/2 reasons that you need friends! -1 Facebook: If you don't have friends, you can't have any pudding. (Obscure Pink Floyd ref) Without friends,  even cyber-friends, you can't tell anyone that things aren't going too good. Sometimes life is a little scary, and it helps to have some support and encouragement. If you are as lucky as I am to know Dave T. and Tony C , online relationships are more amazing than I would have thought. Tony is a listener and an encourager. And that ...

For those of you who have been long time readers, you know the things that matter to me. One of them is people with cancer . I belong to a "mailing list" entitled Apostles Toda y . It is a group of folks that God has given as a gift to the church. One of them become a close friend through the miracle of the Internet and cellphone technology. His name: Curtis Forbes. He was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago. I had seen posts by him on the list, and one day I read that he was in the hospital. I emailed and asked for his cell so I could text him during his recovery. That was back in June. I started to check in with him, and not long after he was released, I called him to say hello; it was a bit awkward at first. We didn't have any history - just Jesus. Contact with cancer patients is tough, and I am not too good with people in general. Because both my parents died of cancer, I just have heart for folks who suffer from cancer. My strategy is this: it...

I love James' description of church. James 3:4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are  steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. I am all for church, and I always hope to be an agent of change for the better - one that brings us closer to Jesus, and in line with His will for individuals (destiny), local church bodies and the entire Kingdon of God. On the decks of the ship called the church, we're should be taking take part in body life. Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread  and to prayer. I would say, for the most part, what I see is a lot of teaching, a fair amount of communion, various types of so-called fellowship and some prayer. In many ways I think the church experience almost has it backwards. We talk too much, pray too little, seem to have communion in balance (literally meals together), and we are delusional...

In listening to Christians around the world, I have discovered a few things. One, the church has caused a bit of damage. I find that sad. Two, church goers are looking for something that is life giving. And three, the patented formulas for church growth are leaving a lot of folks feeling lonely. Online there is a lot of noise about how hypocritical the church is, the scandals and abuses - and the naysayers are still talking about the crusades! Bill Marr, and Elton John can't seem to spew enough hate to go around. And then you have the Larry King preachers like Joel Osteen and Rick Warren who can't even spit out a simple gospel when they have an audience. It's a good thing Jesus doesn't need a PR agent. I actually don't think it is possible to change the image of the church enough so that people notice. It's seems like it is always going to be about money and bad character. I have a lot Christian friends through blogging, Facebook, and some other social media. M...

Who's your BFF? (Best Friend Forever - not Big Friggin' Fool) Most of us have one. In fact most folks have too many friends as evidenced with the astronomical growth of "contact memory space" on mobile phones and devices. My first phone had room to store 20 numbers - err slots with only two favorites allowed on two-touch dialing. The last few devices I owned had 200+ slots! That's a lot of contacts, and lot of FFs! My Blackberry Curve has unlimited room for contacts plus all the social networking apps you can fit on the memory card! Today I have decided to take a look at 10 worst types of friends in your friendscape , and ways to cull your list - after all you're too busy for all this social-ism. 1 Promissory Friends - These are the folks that owe you a dinner, a time for coffee, or an obligatory let's get together. Apparently they have never learned that "getting together" requires a time, a date and a location - even one that is most convenient...

This morning I received a text-message from my best friend, Antonio (2nd from left); better known as Carlos. To make a long story short, he and I have known each other since the Spring of 1999 and our history of ministering together is as long. We traveled to Brazil on my first International mission trip , he was the best man at my wedding and there is no one friend that I have shared more of my life with. We have often said that we are like David and Jonathan. As you may have read a few months ago HERE , he was picked up by INS for an immigration violation. His friends and I prayed and collected money for his bail. For the time being, he is legal, but that could end fairly easily and he would be deported. His text message was simple, are you available to get together today? Are you kidding me, I pretty much would have dropped everything to see him. The good news is that I didn't haven't any plans for the day. He arrived with a friend, and my wife made us coffee. As much as I ...

-10 Lack of Deep Relationship - I think of all the stupid things Christians commonly do, the fact that so many do not understand what it means to be a church family, a brother or sister in the Lord, or a godly friend tops the list. John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Somehow this scripture from John (above) has been Americanized to mean "be nice to each other." Sure, some will take it deeper and pray for others, and some will even serve each other by bringing a meal or visiting someone in the hospital. The deeper the better - but I don't go to church to be "niced" to death! I think the basic problem is that we love as we have been loved , not as Jesus has loved us. The true test of a loving and deep relationship, however; is not good feelings, personal satisfaction and a plaque for expressing love using one of the 5 Love Languages . A deep relationship creates an atmosphere of trust, accountability and camaraderie. It i...

As my friendship with Tony C grows, I am jealous-- he just reached his 100th blog, and I am few behind for '09 anyway. Secretly, the more I write, the more I want to be like him. He's funny, relevant, and has the nerve to take his wife to Hooters. Well, he posted 10 issues that were important to him, and I thought I would do the same for my un-birthday celebration. But I needed to out do him, so I have 11. :) 1) Family - I think the greatest life one can have is to be part of a family with a mother and father, children and extended family. It is the model of the church in its fullness. It is great place to learn to love one another as He has loved us. 2) Parenting - I think kids need to be parented until they get married. They need to be taught how to dress, save, tithe, make friends, say no, have fun, work, serve God and be a friend. That's our job if we have kids. Even the kids of divorce need parents that teach. 3) Faith - It is essential that we see our faith in the li...

This weekend I was in CT visiting some long-time friends with my 18-year-old who came along for the ride. We stayed with a family that I met 10 years ago at a conference. We've kept in touch by phone, taken mission trips together, and gotten together whenever our schedules permit. I took a ride back to my old neighborhood, where I noticed that the street sign is probably the same one that was there so many years ago. And that it apparently hasn't been stolen I moved out. Saturday afternoon I enjoyed a cool drink with the daughter of a another long-time friend; the miracle of Facebook Mobile. Her dad and I bought guitars the same day back in August of 1978 in downtown New Haven. I also had lunch-- sushi-- with another friend. She and I have known each other since kindergarten (1964), went to same schools, were in an occasional class, and finally went our separate ways in 1976-- she 11th in the class and me 222. Wow! I am having trouble wrapping my little mind around 30, 40 , no ...

I live near the "T," Boston's subway and commuter rail. At some point in my day, I cross the tracks two or more times. Today, I started to think about my train rides -- the rhythmic clickty-clack of steel wheels, the gentle side-to-side sway going around corners and the flash of lights along the tunnel walls -- people with headphones and newspapers -- spinning red marquees with destinations and advertising -- it's all part of getting to the station. Life seems a little bit like a railroad track. It has two parallel paths, one positive, and the other negative. One rail shapes us, and the other rail blesses us, but both are leading in the same direction. There is something unique about the "T," it has a "third rail" electrified with thousands of volts. It's the one with the power. Without out, millions of commuters would be at a stand still. Like the experiences that shape us, and the ones that bless us, it too is going in the same direction prov...

This morning I awoke to more snow. It is the sequel to "Winter I" that was all about subzero temperatures just yesterday. I used my very cool Snow-Joe to clear the walk and the driveway and brushed off the cars for the three drivers at my home. I got in the shower and in the midst, I lost all motivation to drive 30 or 40 minutes in the snow to church. I asked God, what should I do? I decided that the answer to my prayer was that it wasn't important to be there today. And no one was upset! Wow, what is going on? A few minutes ago, I decided put on some worship and look at one of the blogs that I follow "Cruciformity"-- and there it was. "Sometimes taking a day off for a real Sabbath is healthy for the soul. And it's productive." Excellent blog mate! I also had a brief discussion with my wife about our nearly eight years of church history together. We have survived the "sin police," we have been "niced to death," we have been ...

My family and I have been in a bit of a transition lately-- well the last two years. In the process of moving to a new town, starting a new job, attending a new church, trying to meet new neighbors, sitting in stop-and-go traffic, avoiding bigger malls, missing the ocean and hoping to hear His voice, I have noticed something important about life-- my life anyway-- and possibly yours. The word that best describes the missing puzzle piece is significance, and what that means in daily life. In the search for significance and meaning in this world, I have been taught that it comes from Jesus. God loves ME, and therefore; I am significant. That is good news. But just as one contemplates their eternal home, there is a bit of a disconnect because we are not there yet. As precious as the thought of Heaven is, we still have to live out our days on earth; amidst evil, all while our earthly body deteriorates. What is it that makes life worth life living anyway? The well trained Christian says, ...

My folks used to say, you can never have too many friends. They were wrong. The Bible says Psalms 18:24 "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." I wonder how many friends is good? And, who is the friend that sticks closer than a brother? If it is Jesus, do we need other friends? I often ponder the things that I see go on in church. I am not looking for the negative, but I am looking for teaching that helps us put on the "mind of Christ" and find a deeper more meaningful relationship with Jesus and His people. There are lots of teachings out there. From the the debates ranging from the origin of the earth to the end of the age. I guess that it is awesome that someone really cares about stuff like cherubim and seraphim . I am not even saying that I don't care about those things. It is just not at the top of my list. What is important is that we engage both God, and a relationship with His people, while attr...

A few weeks ago the pastor at the church urged us to write a letter to the person that helped us in our journey to find Christ. The one is to the man that most influenced my complete abandon to Jesus. David Johndrow Cape Cod, MA June 2006 Dear JD, I hope this letter finds you well. The reason that I am writing, is this. Today our pastor was talking about evangelism and he asked us to think about how we got saved. During his talk he reminded us how God had first pursued us; most likely using someone else, as opposed to a divine encounter such as the one which Paul had on the road to Damascus. I began think about how the road to my salvation unfolded, and continues to do so. As the pastor spoke, he gave us an assignment, which was to write a letter to the one that made that most impact in our decision for Christ—in my life that was you. There were others involved in the process from Cursillo. But it was you who said the words that made m...