April 30, 2011

Break Free and Worship Him!

Slow down! Break free from Satan’s yoke. Praise the Lord Jesus. Bow before him. Declare his majesty. Cry out to him. Give thanks for his faithfulness. Rejoice in his salvation.

He is the faithful martyr, the firstborn from the dead, the triumphant one, holy and true. He is the ruler of all earthly kings, the “A” and the “Z.” He is the captain of heaven’s armies, prophet, priest and king. He holds the key of David, Death, and Hades. He walks among his churches, he knows their works, he comes in judgment and he rewards the conqueror. He is the substance of prophecy – the Messiah. He stands at the door and knocks. Are you awake? Are you listening? Wake up! Answer the door. Listen to the words of the Spirit. Let him in. Break free and worship him!

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April 27, 2011

New Beginnings at Jordan Willows

Back in February, I resigned as minister of the Mid Valley Church of Christ. My resignation, however, led to a new beginning. As Seneca said, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” This new beginning is Jordan Willows Fellowship.

In March, we started with twelve people. Last Sunday, we had about thirty. But what’s going on at Jordan Willows goes beyond numbers. We are finding Christ in community.

This week, as a community, we were happy to share a new experience: we prepared Seder plates and learned the symbolism of each item. This was followed by a tribute to Jesus for his sacrifice in eating the Lord’s Supper. Our purpose in sharing this new experience was to gain a better understanding of the Passover feast, and ultimately, a deeper appreciation for Christ, our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). It was an awesome experience, an unforgettable Resurrection Day.

I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we are excited to see what God is doing at Jordan Willows. Admittedly, we don’t know what the future holds for our fellowship, but truthfully, no one even knows about tomorrow. So instead of worrying about tomorrow, we fix our attention on today. Today is good and we rejoice as God’s family on mission together.

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March 21, 2011

Mormonism’s Sabbath Police

I was introduced to this video by Mormon Coffee. The video is described as a humorous clip showing what activities are NOT suitable for Sunday by four LDS Young Women Leaders and a husband. Made for a Youth Standards Night Program.

Admittedly, it is humerous, but seriously, I’m still left wondering how Sunday became the Sabbath and troubled by how such rules contradict Colossians 2:16-17 … “Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days – these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!”

Grace and Peace,

Daniel Haynes

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March 10, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Today is Jim’s birthday. In the short time I have known Jim, he has taught me a lot about life. I thank God for sending him into my life. I marvel at how the Lord works. I mean it’s crazy how he knows exactly what I need. You see when I first heard about Jim there was a void in my spirit. I desperately wanted to help someone and God gave me Jim.

The first time I connected with Jim he was struggling with homelessness. Since that time, I have been blessed with taking a special interest in his life. To say that he’s an inspiration to me is an understatement.

A few lessons I have learned from Jim…

God takes people who have no hope and gives them eternal life. While Jim was in prison, he contemplated committing suicide, but a special woman sent by God changed his life forever. He became a believer and on the day he was released from prison – he was baptized. His story is inspiring and encourages us to never give up on people, to love people, and to share Jesus with people because we never know the impact we can have on another person – an eternal impact.

God’s family is all the family we need. Jim struggles with the estranged relationship he has with his family. I know this hurts him deeply, but God in his graciousness has given him a new family – the church.

God comes first. Jim gives me a hard time because I’m a late sleeper. I have slowly, but surely developed the habit of sleeping-in. Well, enough about me. Jim, on the other hand, gets up very early in the morning before work and takes time to read his Bible and pray. This is no small task. It takes self-control, dedication, and a heart to put first things first.

Contentment is an infectious spirit that affects the lives of others. Jim doesn’t have much. And because of this, most people wouldn’t envy him. But what he lacks in material things, he makes up in other areas – areas that really matter. He has a big heart, a loving spirit, and more importantly, a desire to follow Jesus. He lives a simple life. This life influences others as a living example of contentment … “But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that” (1 Timothy 6:8). It’s infectious and desirable.

Happy Birthday, Jim! May the Lord continue to bless you. Thank you for being a part of my life.

Grace and Peace,

Daniel Haynes

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March 9, 2011

Simplicity & Complexity

I’ve been thinking about simplicity and complexity. More specifically, I’ve been asking, “Does God sometimes bless with simplicity and at other times with complexity?”

Yesterday, a close friend shared the possibility of God blessing him with a new ministry, but it would require moving into a smaller house. I chose to look at his circumstances as a gift. I told my friend that perhaps God was blessing him with a path that leads to simplicity. It’s easy for our lives to become cluttered and this could be a chance for him to declutter his life.

My life over the last couple of months has been a roller coaster of emotions. I’ve went from seeing no opportunities to some opportunities to many opportunities. In many ways, I desire a simple life – simple relationships, simple choices, simple finances, simple church, simple service. Now, God seems to be offering complexity – complex relationships, complex choices, complex finances, complex church, complex service. However, through this difficulty of complexity, he has taken my anxiety and replaced it with hope.

God is amazing! He knows exactly what we need. He knows that we need mountaintop moments. He knows that we need valley moments. He knows that we need simplicity. He knows that we need complexity. I’m grateful for his wisdom in knowing at the right moment what to give me because I rarely know exactly what I need. For this reason, I choose to accept what God supplies, be content with my circumstances, and trust in Christ who strengthens me.

“I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:10-13).

Grace and Peace,

Daniel Haynes

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March 6, 2011

Goals of American Christianity

The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don’t swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That’s for the “radicals” who are “unbalanced” and who go “overboard.” Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering.

Francis Chan, Crazy Love, p. 68

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February 26, 2011

Knowing that we will die

Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever.

Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark, p. 72

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