Apostle David Johndrow - Fire And Grace

I was conversing with a greeter at my church one day. A young man entered, carrying a small girl. She appeared to be about five years old. He was with a woman, and they both smelled of cigarettes. It was not a judgement, but rather an observation. The greeter said hi and cordially welcomed them. In most churches, this is rather normal. I wrote about greeters years ago. You can find them by following the labels. I met a greeter at a church I'd never gone to before yesterday, and it reminded me of this story. The Holy Spirit spoke to me about the young couple. Their daughter suffered from an atrial septal defect. God revealed to me that it was a hole between the chambers of the heart. My daughter had it, too. I engaged the couple. "What is the name of your little girl?" I inquired. It's been a long time, and all I remember is the father's name. He informed me their names, as well as the name of his girlfriend. "Is everything all right with her heart?" I in...

I have finally distilled what it means to be a true Christian. I have read blogs on being spiritual and not religious , on the reasons why the Book isn't really the "book" , on being followers of Jesus , about the doctrine of universalism and been slammed in the comments over the years for being to narrow-minded about the path to salvation. Please allow me a short paragraph to sum up where I have been over the years. I mean there are nearly 600 posts on this blog and even I haven't read them all! We have discussed denominations , who gets to go Heaven , is there one true God , dead religion and host of other churcified topics. I have also challenged belief and faith . And today, I am going to tell you why I know what makes a true Christian! POWER! There are a million debates we could have. This whole mess started about a bajillion years ago when the earth was without form and void. There we see the adolescent God of the universe messing with the chemistr...

God's will, what is it for you? For the church? For the world? The basic plan for the Kingdom is to bring salvation to all mankind so that they can share in God's love for Jesus. We were created to be a witness to, and participate in this amazing love. The church has been chosen for this task. (Ephesians 4) But what about you and me, the individuals? How do we fit in the church in such a way that we fall into God's will and bear fruit? How is it that we do the work of God, be led by the Holy Spirit, and stay humble at the same time? God's will isn't all that simple some days, yet there is only one will for you, and one will for me. A few years ago I received and email linking to a pastoral sermon about what we could do for the pastor; how we could pray to make him a better servant of Christ. Now don't get me wrong, I want every pastor to be awesome, but I was bothered by the tone of how we could serve him. Certainly I do think we need to pray for our pastors...

I have resurrected a book that I started writing a couple of years ago. It is sort f a spiritual autobiography. It's no A Million Little Pieces , and it won't get me on Oprah, but it is all true. Two things happened that made me stop writing the book. The first was that it didn't have an ending. in fact it didn't even have a climax. The second thing - well third was that it didn't flow. It was a choppy bunch of stories that, except for their chronological order, did not work together. Those are good reasons to stop writing - well that, and I don't know what the heck I am doing. The good news is that God knows what He is doing. It doesn't matter if I finish it, or if it even sells. What matters is that he is in control of the process. Next week I am putting together a pre-publish copy for some friends. Some are Christians, and some are not (I am so sneaky). What I know is this, it is collection of testimonies; a bunch of vignettes from my life in Christ, ...

Well, it is Friday, and because of the the weather I decided to take the day off from commuting. I am teaching my class tonight - I think it will be live on the web if your not busy at 6:30 EST.  Video Feed Page I was pondering a few things this morning - and I was thinking about how the church always says that we need to love. Then they proceed to define love by actions that make others feel loved - or so they think. I have written about love a lot of time, HERE is my take on the 1 Corinthians 13 "the love passage." What I am thinking about this morning - and winging it here - is how we love others; what is the method of love? I read a lot about how we can love the poor by feeding them, by drilling wells in Africa where there is no water, buying goats for farmers, and stopping human trafficking, all of which are noble, important and valuable ministries. We can love others by serving them. I am always stunned when churches don't k...

I have been thinking about what's important in church. I read the preface to a book where the writer gave a warning about his seemingly unorthodox approach to church ministry. I am a sort of unortohdox guy, so I kept reading. There are things that seem to upset religious church folks, and the following is a list that could easily cause an uproar in the average congregation. -1 Bring a tattoed and pierced teenager to the service.  Church folks can get pretty confortable with the status quo. I used to bother me when a drunk alcholic would come to an AA meeting and disrupt it -n like they shouldn't be there for some reason?!. I guess some times it's easy to forget that we are there for every human that is seeking God. He loves them in the package they come in. Maybe we would grow more if more folks that were not like us showed up every Sunday? -2 Start giving a tongue, or a prophesy, or offer a word that is on your heart at the service. It's so easy to be a ...

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...

What made you believe (or what would make you believe) in God? Faith in God, or belief in the Bible don't come easy in a scientific world; one filled with new discoveries and plausible theories. Christians often site proof texts and archeological finds, but the truth is that all of these discoveries have been refuted - with or without science. For many, the biblical fact that God says He is, is enough proof. Well, it wasn't enough for me! The Bible, a seemingly rambling collection for random writers and styles was no match for my intellect, reason and personal logic. For this Christian, there are only three things that make me certain of God's existence, and the validity of Christianity as described in the Bible. 1 Peace -  Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.  Unless you have experienced it, th...

Healing is one of those supernatural happenings, that for those that are without faith, it is hard to grasp. And I hate to say it, is hard to grasp for believers sometimes too. I once went to an Anglican healing service in the early 80’s. There was a woman there that wore hearing aids. She went to the altar for prayer. Her hearing was restored and she no longer needed the hearing aids. Her priest and I were talking about it – me, I thought it was amazing, wonderful and exciting! He said this, “well, if she thinks that she is healed, than that is all that matters.” If doubt is where we start, then we need to look at the word of God. How is it that we can go out into all the world with the Gospel, and God will do nothing? Is Christianity only about getting folks past the sinner’s prayer, or become members at a social club of like minded folks? I think not! Salvation by faith is the doorway to the Kingdom. The purpose of Christianity is to advance the Kingdom, not just add new convert...

This is the last blog in my little series about the church. If we are going to solve problems, then some folks need to get motivated to do something different. Maybe that's you! The first "something" we need to do is get some vision from the Lord about how to go deeper and become more effective. But before we get all spiritual about this, don't you think there are some verses that we could make our own; mediating on them, and then putting them into action? Here are two that are paramount in turning around the "mother ship" we call church. Matthew 5:42-44 (NIV)  42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Do I really need to list the enemies of God and the church which includes you? Take a ride through Galatians Chapter 5 . And church, ...

No, I am not talking about the White House. Easter is here when people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, not just from the dead, but to His long awaited place in Heaven and in hope of his return. Who cares really? For many years I have heard the joke, C & E Christians (Christmas & Easter). I wonder why that is funny and true? I don't believe that it is a special sin not to attend on these two holidays. Although I believe that Christians should be better taught about what they believe, I would much rather see them doing 1/10th of what they already know! Topics such as "what goes on in Heaven?", the "End Times" and the biblical meaning of Easter aren't as relevant to the troops on the ground. Once we understand the hope of Heaven , can't we move on to walking in our destiny until the end of our days? The Easter message is central to the Christian faith. If Jesus was not resurrected after being crucified, then there is no Christianity - next top...

I am on my new blog schedule. I get to sit here in the atrium with plastic flowers and cheesy elevator music - well if the cell phone screamers are not around -I can hear the music of someones life, not mine. Do you think Crazy Train would sound good on classical guitar and flute? I was thinking about things that people get passionate about. Have you wondered why some subjects like killing babies or "a woman's right to choose" get people wound up and other topics like ping-pong balls and lint don't? Here is a burning burning question I see in various forms out there in the blog-o-sphere. I am going to do a "Burning Questions" series - so be sure to suggest some if you like. Why is it some folks think love is letting someone do whatever they want? Isn't freedom of choice just that, the choice to do as we will? (Don't you hate folks that answer questions with questions?) There are lots of ways to look at love - but today I want to focus on love in ...

Maybe you've watched ABC's Wide World of Sports a few years - sheesh - decades back like I did. I remember seeing that ski jumper take a spill at 60+ miles per hour just before hitting the end of the jump, taking out some sort of pole and clobbering a few spectators - the agony of defeat! If you have worked with, been around, watched them on TV, are related to, or own your own teenager, then the phrase, "the agony of defeat" takes on a whole new meaning. I am sure that you are able conjure up your own thoughts of teenagers - even your own teen-aged experiences - both the ones labeled victory and defeat. 19 years ago I was at Cape Cod Hospital , and I was enjoying the "thrill of victory," as my middle daughter was born. I was working alone at a Camera store in the Falmouth Mall - a Tuesday in the late afternoon. I was scheduled to close at 9. The phone rang about 6 o'clock and it was the hospital saying that my wife had been admitted and they were go...

Bob stood behind the counter smoking an unfiltered Camel, adding up a small grocery purchase on the back of a paper sack using a blue ball point pen, and talking a customer about his favorite fishing spot along the St. Lawrence River in Northern New York. Bob, passed away February 13th, 1998 at the age of 72 from brain cancer. HERE is that story. For many reasons, my dad seemed to be happiest shootin' the breeze about fishing, hunting, football and his kids if they weren't in earshot. Always more talkative after a "couple of cold ones" he was a fascinating storyteller, always exaggerating - and could have easily given Garrison Keiler a run for his money. An Army vet with two purple hearts and tours of duty in the South Pacific, Normandy and Korea, he was a bit tough, a bit shy, but well liked by just about everyone he worked with. He wasn't always easy to live with, but he loved his family to the best of his ability. He was fiercely proud of every goal scored, e...

If we look over church history, we see lots of heroes of the faith. Some are called saints because of their work, their influence on society, and the fact that they have preformed a couple of certified miracles. In the world there are billions that are/claim to be Christians - I know I was surprised when I looked HERE . How many are in what denominations? HERE is that info. 2.1 Billion Christian worldwide with 84% of the US claiming to be Christian - that's a lot of bread and wine every month! I find it interesting that only 1% define themselves as non-denominational or "other." That leaves a lot of folks that tow the party-line of their denomination. I am a little jaded living in New England, where we are predominately Roman Catholic; about 72%, where as the national average is only 22%. Oh yeah, and one more tidbit: only about a third of so-called Christians attend a church service every week. This blog is not about denominations, it is about Christians. Regardless of...

This morning I received a prayer request for a young man that is out partying it up, working part time, and in trouble financially. He is the son of a Christian couple that are church goers, happily married and decent folks. I spent a day last week with another young guy in the same predicament. You can't look at one of of these teenagers/young adults without asking yourself, how does the child of a solid Christian couple become more interested in the ways of the world, than Jesus himself? It is easier to see it, if a kid is the child of divorce where one parent is off in the weeds, while one has a working faith. Kids from single parent families are even more at risk. So why do kids make bad decisions? I have a few ideas. First of all, we are created for real relationship. The lack of healthy relationships is part of the problem for our kids. Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Even after Noah survi...

The sweet summer air drifted by like a butterfly on swaying milkweeds. By night the lakeside; gentle waves lapping the sandy beach, glistening ripples transforming the stillness - as a stray headlight lit her hair and gentle smile. We sat like royalty overlooking our future - She laughed when I poked her in the side. The warm cascade of endorphins swirled about the cogs of logic - from surreal to real and back again, the hours passed. There we were atop the lifeguard chair, holding hands, talking, and gazing at heavens. Mary Anne is the best thing that ever happened to me. Sure, meeting Jesus and all that religious stuff is eternal. Me, I still have to live here on earth, amuse my 6-year-old, manage teenagers, commute to work, pay bills, go to the dentist and grow old. I don't know about you, but that is a lot of work. And if you have to work that hard at life, it's nice to spend it with someone that recharges your batteries! Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car, i...

Have you noticed? It seems like our freedom of speech and freedom of religion is in bondage to idiots. In America you can say anything you want as long as it's politically correct. Me, I am thinking of running for governor of MA, so I want to make sure everyone knows where I stand. The PC Police (Tolerance Police in some asylums) have got us believing that offending someone is a bad thing. Love maybe kind, but it doesn't mean we have to cut anyone any slack. It should not be our goal to offend others, but sometimes the truth is offensive. For some reason the insanity of not being able to state facts has become common place. We've been trying to be politically correct for so long that we can't call a spade a spade. The fact that the very term uses the word "political" should be a clue. When I was a kid, the garbageman came to to pick up the garbage. A classmate's father was the garbageman in my town, and he was a hardworking guy. Now they are called sanitat...

I loved Jerry Sienfeld's response to the persistent telemarketer. I took the last month to do another survey on the behavior of church people and here are the results. But first a little bit of Jerry to set the tone. How many folks from church call you? 42% said 0 38% said 3 4% said 4-6 14% said 7-10 Nearly half of the respondents, OK, let's not exaggerate 42% - that's 42 in a congregation of 100 or 84 in a congregation of 200, or 420 in a congregation of 1000 -- and for those of you at a mega-church, that's 2,100 out of 5,000 who said zero! Zero people call them. Think about it?!? Maybe I should say think about it hard. If we are going to be known by our love, and we can't even pick up the phone - well, I report you decide. Did you know that the Vineyard Christian Fellowship did a study about 10 years ago? They found that a newcomer - Christian or otherwise -- needs to make six to seven meaningful friendships in order for them to stay at a church and become a produ...