Do I care what people think anymore ??

Often times I just scratch my head, and wonder what ever happened to the little world I live in .

Now my little world for those wondering what I am talking about, is what happens around my life... my livelihood... my church, my family, my age and circumstances of life itself, my health.. and my friends and colleagues.

Actually I care greatly about the people around me, my family the most. 

But do I care what people think about me and my opinions and thoughts.  ?  I used to care too much about that, if I was honest, but as I get older and realize how short life truly is, I care less about what others think and more about what God thinks.

The truth is for me, I don’t really like what is going on around me in my little world, decisions that are made that I don't agree with. Choices made by some that affect us all so greatly and with an assumption that it will all be ok, and I guess in the long run it might be, but in the interim, folks like me just have to suck it up and grin.  

Truth Is I cant really do that anymore. 

Now let me very clear....I serve Jesus... He called me, and that is ever so clear, I will never forget those days at Perth Fortress where God called my name, to get out of my comfort zone and put my hand up to lead in ministry.  I have never regretted my calling ever. 

However I have had to reevaluate my calling and refocus it and re define it in my own heart.  Thats all good.  I still serve Jesus.  I still desire to serve Jesus.  I still intend on serving Jesus, for as long as He gives me life on this earth.  And even then after I die I intend on living with Jesus and serving Him.

For me thats what gives me clarity, and causes me to stand up and stand out and at times stand alone, it feels. 

That bits very sad for me. 

For my little world doesn’t seem to make these same kinds of stands anymore. 

You know its the loudest voice that is heard right ? I wonder what you are hearing around you ?

 I guess for me these days the loudest voice isn't yelling all about Jesus.  

That crushes my spirit. I never signed up for that.  I signed up as a Christian leader for Jesus and to shout His name from the rooftops that He is Lord and that He is the way.  

For me...everything, and I mean everything ..... everything else is second to that..

I look around me and see the world change so radically, in so many ways.... what we used to see as offensive, we would not dare even say it out aloud these days.  

What we thought would never happen has actually happened and we are now living in a world that is pretty messed up, and it feels to me that the church is bending to the ways of the world rather than influencing the world with Gods ways.

Not sure I signed up for that either.

So what is this blog entry about ?  I have 6 years to go before I retire, intend to stand out in that time and speak my mind about what God has laid on my heart.  For those who know me I have pretty much always tried to be that person anyway, but as I think about the end... I want my life to be loud and proud... and let me clarify that...

LOUD AND PROUD FOR JESUS.

To crank up the praying

To crank up the making of disciples for Jesus

To encourage it....

To challenge it.

And to try and be a loud voice when other voices seem to be screaming other things .

For me one of the things I see around me in my little world, is a whole pile of “language” that assumes that everybody knows what to do.  We speak cryptically.....  we speak cautiously,  we use words like we must be about the mission, but we don’t really define what the mission is.  We speak freely about injustice and strategy and compliance....and we should,   but we don’t seem to speak as freely about Jesus.  

Mission = Jesus.  Pure and simple.

We must spell it out, for if we don't...who will ?

The churches that will make it through this crazy messed up world and era we find ourselves living in, will be the churches and Christians who rediscover what it means to be a people of prayer and a people of living out discipleship for Jesus Christ.  

A people who know that when its all over, when its all said and done... eternity awaits and Jesus is there ready to welcome us home.

For me, I want to be seen as a Jesus man.

Back in the day when I was young and aspiring for “something” who knows what...there was this group of people in Perth where I grew up, called the Jesus People.  They had a big band which I played in for a while... called the Jesus People Big Band... it was radical in its day, and it was viewed with fear and suspicion....  but maybe they had it right all along.

We need to be a Jesus People, 

Sharing His love and ways with the world..first and foremost before any other voice is heard from us.

Do I care that you might think I am a weirdo ? Nah not really.... for one day this Jesus man will live with Jesus forever...

I hope you will be there too.