There is no such thing as a distraction — it is us who get distracted by giving things our blind attention.
~ Mooji, Vaster Than Sky, Greater Than Space
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All posts by James Jones
“Even in holy places, there are people working to make noise and to help you celebrate your own noisiness.”
Mooji, Vaster Than Sky, Greater Than Space
“Religion hates difference, it feels threatened by a questioning heart
and quickly attempts to suffocate freedom to think outside the box!”
Tales from the Couch is Dave Vaughan’s interpretation of his journey with God. Dave is honest. If you are open to questions, exploring life with God and open to the now, then you will love Dave’s stories. If your identity is wrapped up in having everything figured out, the tales may be frustrating. However, you may just get whacked by the Spirit and enjoy it anyway. Give it a read. It is a roller coaster ride that Dave has traveled so far. He shares his earliest memories of encounter, revelry, religious bondage, and the sweet life of encounter the new wine has to offer. It was a fun read that offered several nuggets of wisdom to ponder along the way. Dave does not get preachy. He just keeps it real. I like it!
Cheers!
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Quit the blame game and let the Lord lead the way
Does this ever happen: a player does not show up for all of the practices, doesn’t give his best effort, doesn’t learn the plays and blames the team and coaches for poor performance? Do people ever waste time at work, gossip, give less than their best, then get irate with their boss when penalized and/or corrected for their performance? How often do we want to enjoy the blessings of God without learning and trusting His ways, yet get annoyed, frustrated with and/or blame Him when we experience the consequences of ignoring what is best? Does this describe others that you know? Does this describe you?
There was a king of Israel that was guilty of this. He brought misery and hardship on himself and the nation of Israel because of it. Ahab and his wife Jezebel rejected God’s commands for Israel and incurred a 3 year famine (1 Kings 16:29-17:1). The famine was so severe that the king was faced with killing his own animals because there was not enough food and water to care for them. King Ahab knew he rejected God’s ways and was aware of his sin, but he never accepted responsibility for his actions or changed.
After 3 years of famine, God told his prophet Elijah to visit King Ahab and rain would return to the land of Israel. When Ahab finally saw the man of God, do you know what he did? Ahab did not repent, apologize or ask how he could change. Instead, he blamed Elijah for the famine (18:17)! Thankfully, God restored rain to the land, but Ahab still did not accept responsibility for his sin at that time. As you read about Ahab’s life, you will observe that he was hard to please, whined a lot and brought sorrow and pain to a lot of people.
It is always in our, and others’, best interest to trust God. Pride, our ego, wants us to believe we can reject wisdom, ignore the source of life, and make our own way. Sadly, this will come at the expense of others and our own well-being. We may not always see that immediately, or how it always happens, but it does. We bless ourselves and other when we learn from our mistakes, take responsibility for our actions and change. Don’t be the person that never learns and always blames others. God is willing to reveal where you have trusted the blame game more than Him. Ask God to show you the areas of your life where you resist His instruction. Praise God, He will lift you up from the valley of blindness and show you the way (James 4:10).
#1 hands down. Cannot say enough about this book. Big Big Big
I love Silva’s handling of Romans 6-7. It is either/or folks.
Silva is straight forward in this book, too. Why on Earth would we ever, ever refer to hyper-grace as bad? Love this little volume!
Blaise is the real deal. Know him. Love him. His heart jumps from every page. I am biased about this book.
I hated this book at first. It annoyed me. It was formatted like Rob Bell’s old books, and it reminded me of a blog. I know, I know, that is nit picky. But, when I pay $8 or so for a book, I want more words to fill the page, or at least cool pictures. Love Tony, though, so I stuck with it. I am glad I did. The joy manifesting from each page finally grabbed my heart, and I go back to it for joy injections. Such a nice little gem.
Read this book! Here is a link to what I wrote about it. http://smile.amazon.com/review/R202BI7CCCYLWH/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0615897681
Honest, and a punch to the gut if you’ve been practicing Christianity with your head in the sand.
Jon Gordon…I love all of his books. He helps me recenter.
Want to know about inclusion? What took place on the cross? Read this!
Great addition to Codependent No More. It is a different book, and worth your time.
Phenomenal book. Right up there with A New Earth. Reading it through right now, and gaining so much more from it. Who knows, it may be in my 2015 list, too.
Kickman, Epting and the revival of Bucky Barnes. Fantastic trade.
Upcoming reads for 2015
Yes, again.
Still reading…into 2015 🙂
You don’t have to make every one else happy. You don’t have to follow others’ bad choices. You can do the right thing. It is not wrong to do the best thing. Ultimately, loving our family and friends may require breaking the cycle and walking down a different path. Have courage, lean on God, and allow Him to light your way.
How many children and grandchildren continue negative legacies? Whether it is character traits, behaviors, or line of work, it is not uncommon for children to follow in their parents’, or people they respect, footsteps. Children may not follow their dreams and make something more of their life because of what their parents and family demand. I’ve known of kids that did not go to college because their family discouraged it. The children gave up what was best because they believed they had no choice.
Breaking tradition and not going along with others’ expectations is not always easy, especially if it affects people we know, love and respect. It is difficult to stay motivated to change when everyone else has given up, never tried, and are content to go with the flow. This is not uncommon. However, the blessings of breaking the cycle are far superior to maintaining a life that hinders, hurts and holds us back.
Asa reigned in Judah for 41 years. He inherited a deplorable legacy. His parents and grandparents were idolaters. For years Asa’s family led the people of Judah away from the Lord to worship other gods (1 Kgs 14:21-24; 15:1-3). This angered God, and Asa’s family and the nation of Judah reaped the consequences (14:25-28; 15:6-7). When Asa became king he had a choice to make: follow his family or break the cycle. Thankfully, Asa broke the cycle (1 Kings 15:9-15). In order to bring the change God wanted, he had to remove his grandmother from her position of authority and destroy what his family built honoring other gods.
Yes, Asa rebelled against his family’s wishes. According to the world, you could say Asa dishonored his family. Sometimes, on the surface, honoring God may look like you are dishonoring your family and peers. Realistically, doing the right thing is the greatest honor one can bestow. People will not always like or understand the choices you make. You may even be resented because of your decision to break the cycle. Remember this: God is never against you breaking the cycle if it honors and respects Him.
Honoring God is the greatest blessing you can give your family and friends. Any cycle is worth breaking in order to bring that to fruition. It can be scary, and it may require a lot of change and sacrifice. Breaking the cycle may even lead to hurt feelings, anger and division. Be clear about why you are making the change, and lean on God every step of the way. When you second guess yourself, remind yourself that it is never wrong to do the right thing. Break the cycle!
The greatest gift ever given is Jesus. I don’t know if it is possible to adequately express His enormous impact. Instead of using my words to try, I thought I would share others’ words about Jesus as recorded in scripture.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21, KJV).”
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end…’Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!’ (Luke 1:31-33, 42 NIV).”
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord…’Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’ (Luke 2:10-11, 14, NASB).”
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel (Matt. 2:6, HCSB).”
“When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him (Matt. 2:10-11a, NLT).”
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32, ESV).”
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isa. 9:6-7, NRSV).”
You are blessed.
Hello!
In May, 2014, I heard John Crowder’s announcement that he and Dave Vaughan would lead a missions team to Bangkok. The “targets” were the ladyboys. The emphasis would be showing the love of Jesus to them, and I was interested in seeing this accomplished.
The troublemaker, John Crowder. My appreciation for him runs deep.
Jeremy Gilbert, a closet brony, with the ladyboys. With that t-shirt, he isn’t closeted anymore.
Due to your support, I was able to join this incredible mission in November. I never experienced a trip like this. Typically, local churches host a mission team, you hand out flyers for meetings and invitations for bible studies, and participate in those revivals and studies. That is not what happened in Bangkok.
Several of my amazing teammates: Joanna, Caleb, Britney, Julie, Mi-So, Travis, and Brandon.
Some random statue around the block from our motel.
A woman with a toddler accepting money on the sidewalk.
We did not have a local church hosting the revival for the ladyboys. We did have a space reserved for a meeting, but that fell through on the first day! From my understanding they were not fans of the idea of hosting a revival with ladyboys in their building. Therefore, all the flyers that were printed were worthless. Since we were there to specifically contact ladyboys, we had to go where we knew they were — in red light districts (hence, we did not door knock with pamphlets and flyers).
Clayton loved the pictures!
I’ve been to some seedy places before, but never a red light district! Thank God the Spirit helped remove the comfort zones so we could focus on love. It took a while, but we eventually found places frequented by ladyboys. The language barrier was an issue, depending on how long a ladyboy worked in Bangkok. The longer a ladyboy sold her time, the better her English.
Joanna and 3 new friends.
At first, the females on the team seemed to have an easier time starting conversations with the ladyboys. They were able to talk about hair, makeup, and things of that nature. For males to start talking about that stuff may have come off as flirting, thus trying to solicit the ladyboy’s “services”. Finally, I just asked one of them “What makes you beautiful”? After I heard the answers, I was able to talk more about Jesus and the gift of beauty He gives all of us. That was the approach with which I felt most comfortable and easiest to start engagement. I would ask about their families, growing up and their dreams. I adopted those talking points from my teammates.
Julie, Hannah, Travis, Britney and Mi-So playing a mean game of Jenga with several ladyboys.
I was able to visit Rahab Ministries on Wednesday. The building was spotted by my roommate, Jeremy Gilbert. When a woman wants to stop earning a living from prostitution, Rahab Ministries teaches them how to make jewelry and speak English. They also teach them basic computer skills. Sadly, this ministry is struggling financially. It seemed to assist heterosexual women who worked as prostitutes, not ladyboys. They were serving lunch when I visited, and it was a small facility, so I felt awkward asking the co-director, Chanaprai Wongkhampha, more questions about the ladyboys. She was very friendly, and the women seemed very happy to be there.
Chanaprai Wongkhampha, co-director of Rahab Ministries.
The week was spent trying to connect with the ladyboys by buying time so we could talk without them getting in trouble with their employers. A lot of the week was stumbling around just trying to do my best. It went better than I thought. My goal went from trying to get them “in a church” to just opening their minds to Jesus, the Creator of the Universe. I wanted them to know they were loved by a Man that cared about them regardless of their history and occupation. Jesus doesn’t have ulterior motives. Everything He does is out of love, and that is a relationship that was very foreign to the ladyboys I met. They were used to being used for their money and their bodies. Several that I met sent money to their families in rural areas. To keep their jobs they had to live a life being treated as an object. Hopefully you can appreciate how Jesus’s love would be a breath of fresh air for them to embrace!
Candy and me.
If you are wondering how many ladyboys received Christ, I would like to partially quote my friend Jeremy’s response to that:
“I can’t count the number of people that have asked me if anyone received Christ on my mission trip. My answer to them is a resounding “Yes.” EVERY SINGLE soul I came in contact with received Christ…and, I’m serious about that. Not one soul rejected my smile, my offer to share a beer with them, my offer to pray with them, my prophecies, or any other display of love. Each person received the radiance of Christ in me which helped them to recognize Christ in themselves.
As far as an evangelical conversion to a set of clearly defined religious beliefs, with a water baptism, a new language of tongues, and a dedication of aherence to religious principles such as full time church attendance & daily Bible reading – well, I’m afraid we’ve allowed the semantics of the 2 words “receiving Christ” to become misconstrued if we think that’s the meaning.
Christ isn’t a Sam’s Club where you have to be a member displaying your proof of membership at the door before you can shop. He’s more like a Samaritan’s Purse that gives away items for free. As you begin coming back again & again for free items, you inevitably begin to become one that helps distribute the items as well.
You are the message!”
I had more conversations about Jesus with ladyboys than I ever did on other religious trips. It was incredible to see faces light up when they started to grasp there was a greater purpose for them than being used. The ladyboys would always be beautiful, but not because of their makeup and body modifications. They would always be adored because they were made by Jesus!
Jeremy, Caleb, and Travis with Alice. LOVE their story about their time with her.
Jerome praying for a man in front of 7-11.
We also worshiped with Mark Amir, a brother that ministers to Pakistani refugees. Mark and his wife, Felicity, do a wonderful job helping Pakistani refugees. It was a joy to be with them. Mark went with us in the red light district the first evening. It is my prayer that he can create an environment that will be open and loving to the ladyboy community.
Kristian getting owned by Linda in a game of pool.
Mi-So visiting with a young girl playing her recorder for money on the sidewalk.
Was the trip worth it? Was it a success? Absolutely! We were able to reveal the person and love of Christ to a community that may not have heard about Him otherwise. How many people would rather talk about and condemn ladyboys than start a friendship and genuinely love them? It was a trip of a lifetime, and I am open to going back. It never gets old revealing Jesus to others.
Dave Vaughan with Benty.
Thank you for making this possible. Thank you for partnering with me to love and reveal Jesus to people that are accustomed to being used as objects. Also, you enabled me to meet a team of incredible people that loved everyone around them. The impact Jeremy, Joanna, Mi-So, Britney, Travis, Julie, Brandon, Clayton, Kristian, Jerome, Hannah, Caleb, Dave and John will never be forgotten. They taught me much about Jesus and the ability to reach far beyond what we thought possible because of the gospel. The time I had with them is priceless. I am eternally grateful for all you did to make this possible!
Grace and Peace,
James
Never again did I think I’d see the day when teachers were scared of others believing in too much grace. It has happened. Sincere people, in an effort to discourage saints from sinning, have actually watered down the overwhelming power and implications of grace! Extreme grace beliefs has been blamed for people being comfortable living in sin. However, is extreme grace to blame for sin?
Paul taught that grace builds us up and gives us an inheritance with the saints. Read for yourself: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32).” Sin is anti-God in its very nature. It is impossible for any measure of grace to build us up while encouraging sin. Sin tears down while grace builds up.
Living under grace means sin is no longer our master! We no longer have to be enslaved to it: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14).”! Why would grace free us from enslavement to sin only to encourage living as a slave to sin? That doesn’t make good nonsense. Grace frees us from the control of sin rather than encouraging us to run back to a slave master.
Grace is a teacher, and He never teaches that sin is “no big deal”. We wouldn’t need grace at all if sin was harmless. Paul informed Titus that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live soberly, righteously and godly (Tit. 2:11-12). If people really sin because of grace, then they do not understand God’s grace! Don’t be afraid of encouraging or believing in radical grace, hyper grace, extreme grace or whatever else you want to call grace. Every ounce God’s grace is good all the time. Never water it down! If you are trying to discourage sin, please do not teach against the expression of God that builds us up, rescues us and directs us. Be careful of teachings against extreme grace rather than fearful of extreme grace. God’s grace never hurts us.
Left Behind will be released in theaters soon. One of the verses used to describe the Rapture is Matthew 24:40. It states: “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.” According to supporters of the Left Behind series of books and films, no one wants to be ‘left behind’.
If you read Tim LaHaye’s book “Left behind” and watch the first “Left Behind” film, you do NOT want to be left behind. However, did Jesus believe the ones left behind had it bad? Read Jesus’ remarks in Luke 17:34-37 and you tell me. “‘I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.’ And they said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'”
Matthew 24:40-44 and Luke 17:34-37 are parallel accounts of the same event. While people today, with good intentions, may tell you that you do not want to be among the ones left behind based on Matthew 24, I believe you do want to be among the left behind! Jesus told his disciples in Luke 17 that the ones taken away would be found where the vultures were circling around their bodies! Jesus wasn’t talking about their being caught up together in the air with Jesus in Matthew 24.
In Matthew 24:40-44 and Luke 17:34-37, the ones that ‘disappeared’ were the ones that were killed. The ones “left behind” were the ones that lived and avoided the initial slaughter. Based on Jesus’ explanation in Luke 17:37, I believe I would have wanted to be left behind!
Forgiveness Factor 