LivingClear.net

Hey all viewers and followers, both pro and con. LivingClear.net is launched and operational. So, I'll be updating the onsite blog rather than this one.

Thanks for all your reading and comments. Follow us on over to LivingClear.net and stay connected with this ministry that God is opening.

Audio Clear

Started pre-production today on the audio version of Clear. Hope to have the first few chapters completed by the end of next week, with the rest completed by the end of September. The audio book will be available online at clearimitation.com and through iTunes.

I'll keep you posted as to the progress as we make progress (that's from the department of repetative redundancy department).

Clear - Chapter Two

The second pericope of seven from Clear.

Chapter Two — Confession

Where did we get the idea that we have to be perfect to lead?

Have you ever taken the time to examine the lives of the people that God used in the Text? A mötley crüe if ever there was one. In fact, the man that was designated after God’s own heart had a fetish for virgin flesh. So much so that on his death bed his physicians attempted to revive him by having young virgins go to bed with him. He was also a murderer, an adulter and much more.

Noah was a drunk. Moses disobeyed God and had an attitude about it, dashing his chance to enter into the promised land. Rahab was a prostitute. Samson was a womanizer. Job felt sorry for himself. Solomon—the wisest man in the world—had some sort of sick addiction to women and just couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I do.” Jonah went AWOL, then got ticked off at God for forgiving Ninavah anyway. Jeremiah was a cry-baby. Hosea married a whore.

Matthew held orgies at his house and—according to some scholars—even had the audacity to invite Jesus to the party. John the Baptist was offended by Jesus’ not rescuing him from prison. Martha doubted Jesus. Her sister Mary was lazy and also doubted Jesus. Peter doubted Jesus and only threw one net out when Jesus told him to throw out several. Judas had a horrible attitude and questioned Jesus’ motives, then planned His arrest, but he was still one of the twelve closest people to Jesus.

Back to Peter, who first attacked a man, inflicting bodily harm, then—in his willingness to give his all for Jesus—he denied Him three times. He took the Lord’s name in vain; yet he was still chosen to preach the inaugural sermon for the 1^st Century Community at the Feast of Pentecost. Later in his life, Peter didn’t want to reach beyond the Hebrew race, then—after he finally accepted the fact that God could save non-Jews—he wanted Gentiles to convert to Judaism in order to demonstrate that they were true followers of Christ. Paul, the writer of the majority of the New Testament, orchestrated the mass murder of the followers of Jesus. He tried to preach when he was a bit full of himself and failed miserably. He even argued with Peter about Peter’s apparent spiritual racism. And don’t forget his thorn.

The Bible is filled with these vivid stories of imperfection and many more. Are you starting to get the picture?

From this glowing list of candidates we could determine that the only qualification that God is really looking for in a person is availability and a pulse. It is men acting with human ideals that require these pristine oracles of God’s goodness. God doesn’t want perfection and neither do His followers.

So why do we keep hiding?

Special Thanks

A good friend of mine purchased a copy of Clear last night at the SoCal Campmeeting. When I say good friend, I should probably clarify that this man is one of the elders in my life, Pastor Bryan Claborn, who is a good 15-20 years my senior. The mere fact that he was willing to read my ramblings made my night.

I bumped into him tonight at service and the first words out of his mouth were, "I read your book. I stayed in my hotel all morning… I couldn't put it down." I was blown away, and deeply honored.

Thank you Pastor Claborn for your kind words, and the encouragement that you gave me to stay the course in this Call that God has placed on me.

Clear - Chapter One

Several people have asked me to post some excerpts from Clear, so here's the first of seven posts with a pericope from each of the chapters.

Chapter One — Clear

LET ME BE CLEAR… MONTE YOUNG IS A LIAR.

I have told so many whoppers in my life that if—for some reason—I would be required to correct the lies, I would have no idea where to start, nor with whom to begin the confession.

I figured I’d get your attention right off the bat with that acknowledgement. While some readers may be laughing, others are slamming their fists into their hands saying, “I knew it!” Still others of you are a bit intrigued by this open confession so early in the narrative.

Standards of writing compel me to softly entice you into my web of prose, then—when you’re completely surrounded by the verbiage—deliver the crushing blow of syntax and jargon. Well, I’ve never been one for standards, as they tend to mutate the individual into a faceless drone of conformity that is devoid of passionate personality and God-inspired expression. So I’ll dispense with the status quo and drop the bomb first then work backwards from there.

Yes, I am a liar by nature, but this is not about me, it is about the God Who lives in me. While I’m am a sinner extraordinaire, my God is pure and holy, and beautiful. If at any point you see me rather than Him, then I’ve become less clear. The purpose of this tome is to tell a bit of a life’s story and to share the illumination that came from hitting the very bottom. My prayer is that this may in some way help people who are struggling with their identity in God by showing them the power of transparency.

I want to tell some of the story of my life, primarily focusing on the last seven years or so. While there may be other details of my past that would make great book fodder, I’ll save those for possible future endeavors. The reason the past seven years hold such great import for me is that these are years in which I have been learning to be a true Christ-Imitator.

While I’ve known about Jesus basically my entire life, it has only been in the recent past that I have truly attempted to get to know Him on a personal level. For the better part of my life I’ve relied on the experiences and commitments of other people to establish my walk with God. My parents are great people, and I come from a long history of spiritual patriarchs on both sides of the family, so it was easy to pick someone from whom to leech.

Sadly, despite my stellar heritage, I had no idea who I was or what God wanted me to be. In fact, I had no personal knowledge of God whatsoever. My entire teen life and all through my twenties I waged an inward war with myself over whether God really had a purpose for my life. I didn’t feel worthy of the calling that weighed so heavily on my soul, nor did I have any idea how to change who or what I was. I was completely and totally lost.

My life was empty and meaningless. I felt dirty. I was dirty. If God was looking for a vessel to use, He definitely would look past me. I was like the misshapen mass that is not unlike the fledgling attempt by a child in art class, required to fashion a bowl from some form of low-quality modeling clay. I was not something nor someone God could—or would even want to—use.

Or so I thought.

I know that I am not alone in these sentiments. There are many people in our congregations who feel completely worthless, yet they remain, sitting stoically in their seats at every gathering. They go through the motions devoid of passion, all the while their spirit is screaming for release.

Let me tell you what I’ve learned.

It helped me.

Maybe it can help you too.

It all begins with a jar.

In his letter to the Body at Corinth, Paul tells us about God shining the light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ into our hearts. He describes the recipient of this illumination as jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.¹

This metaphor is interesting because of the contradiction between God’s glory being housed in something so temporal and sans value. What Paul was trying to get across to these 1^st Century believers—and subsequently us—is that while we may hold God’s glory within our fleshly and carnal jars, we can never allow the jar to become the focus. Our focus must always be on Who and What we are containing, never on the fleshly Tupperware® with the seal-in-the-freshness pop-top. When the jar—or container—becomes the most important thing, then we are putting the creation before the Creator. God has never tolerated this. Sometimes we place the jar before the Substance filling the jar, but we have to remember its not us that has the power to change our world; it is God in us.

Jesus’ cousin, John, said it best, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”² John understood the power of being clear, transparent, translucent—pick your poison. The point at which our identities as jars become more important than the One we are housing, our clearness lessens and we become the focal point. This ties directly in with Jesus’ teaching on spiritual works. Jesus said to His disciples, “…Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”³ It’s important to understand that Jesus is not referring to good religious or spiritual works; He is not talking about outreach, door knocking, etc. He is talking about His people doing good for the world in which we live. It’s not enough to have the Truth; we have to shine Jesus to our world through our actions.

1. 2 Corinthinans 4:6-8 (ESV), my personal Sword of choice. This passage of Scripture is dissected masterfully in Petrus J. Gräbe’s, The Power of God in Paul’s Letters .

2. This is a quotation of John the Baptist found in John 3:29-31, again quoted from the ESV.

3. Extracted from Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV).

Random Testimony

I went to the first campmeeting for the SoCal District of the UPCI last night. Because it was being held in Orange County, Pastor Morgan dismissed our mid-week Life Principles Class. I normally don't enjoy campmeetings, but I have to say that last night was fantastic.

It was good to hear Pastor Anthony Mangun preaching with passion and vision. As he admonished us to strive for sacrifice, God began to speak into my spirit with confirmation, and pulling me to a deeper walk in Him.

Thank You God for Who You are to me. Thank You for Your Call. Thank You for your mercy and grace that saw past me.

Clear

I want to thank all of you who have read Clear and have sent me emails in response. Your kind words mean a lot, but the most moving thing is the fact that God is using the book to minister to you. I hope and pray that the ministry continues.

Spread the word. We'll ship the book anywhere to anyone who is hurting.

Comments

Hey y'all.

I just found out that for some reason no one has been able to comment on any of my posts. I've updated the settings, so feel free to re-blog 'til your heart's content.

M

Look Mom... No Training Wheels!

Sunday afternoon—after my grueling, mostly uphill mountain bike ride (how is it possible to go uphill both leaving home and returning?)—I was back home watching my brood and their friends ride their various bikes, scooters, big wheels, etc. Jade was having trouble with her bike because the training wheels were stuck and wouldn't turn. She was forced to push so hard to try to turn the wheels that she could barely stay on the bike.

After watching for a while I could take it no longer; I promptly turned her bike over and performed a trainingwheeldetactomy (medical term for sure). She was none too happy. So as not to embarrass her in front of her friends, I called her off to the side to find out why she was so upset. I wiped the tears from her eyes and as calmly as I could told her that she was a big girl now and needed to ride her bike without the training wheels. Amidst her snuffles, she said, "but Jefe (that's what she calls me… means the boss in Espanol), I'm scared." "Of what?" I asked. Her response made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. She said, "I'm scared of growing up."

Yesterday afternoon, when I returned from my myriad errands, I walked into the house to the peels of laughter from my three and their friends. The chicks were ecstatic that I was back home. Eden—despite her stuttering—informed me that I had to go outside with them because Jade was going to ride her bike with "no trainin wheelds," (exact quote). We all marched outside (they marched, I sauntered… for some reason Aerosmith's Walk This Way comes to mind) and pulled the bikes out of the garage. After some brief explanation, Jade was on her bike with me walking beside her, holding her steady. I walked her up and down the alley behind our house a few times, then told her it was time for her to try it on her own. At first she was a bit nervous, but I talked her into it.

Then—without warning—I let go.

She warbled, but then corrected herself and was off down the alley without me. Eden was beside herself with glea. She ran inside the house to get Olga. I could hear her yelling all the way out in the street, "Look Mom! No trainin wheelds!" Jade wasn't laughing or talking, she was too busy concentrating on not falling. It was awesome.

After a couple of small tumbles she realized that she wasn't really going fast enough to hurt herself, so she ventured further down the alley. Then, without me having to teach her, she turned around (without having to get off the bike) and came back to me. Just as she got even with me she said, "Jefe, look what I just learned." She turned around me and headed back the other way.

She is—of course—now a pro, and ready to get her own wristband campaign started.

I thought about our afternoon all evening. Jade had said something the day before that I didn't understand. I called her aside and asked her why she was scared to grow up. Her answer was, "I was scared I would hurt myself if I fell. But I'm not scared anymore, cuz I fell, but it wasn't so bad."

Now, y'all know me well enough to know that I can't simply let this kind of good stuff go by without a comment.

I began to think about my own journey to salvation and Christ-imitation. When I started really trying eight or so years ago I was so scared that I would get something wrong, that I would stumble, that I would disappoint, that I would hurt myself… During that time God was patient with me; He held my hand, He guided me through my pastor to fall in love with His Word, His Character, Him. At first, I could only handle the milk of the Text, and Pastor would have to prepare a warm bottle so that there would be no shock to my fragile system. Then, as I developed and grew stronger, I could handle stronger Spiritual food. God never left me, and yes, I still relied entirely on my pastor to feed me what God had prepared, but I was stronger.

Then the day came that God wanted to speak to me directly. I heard a Voice (not literally, but go with me on this journey for a bit). I didn't recognize it. It was almost as if the Voice spoke from within me. The Voice called my name. I ran to my pastor and told him what had happened, he patiently told me to respond to the Voice. So, I did. The next thing I knew, God was talking to me, speaking things into my character, illuminating His Character…

But… I didn't understand… how could God speak to me directly? As I became more brave I told God that I was scared to go where He was calling me. I was scared because I knew this was a place I had to go alone. This was a place that Pastor couldn't take me. God was calling me to a relationship with Him. The lyrics that Toby Mac wrote for DC Talk came to mind: "What if I stumble, what I fall, what if I lose my step and make fools of us all…" But God was gently pulling me, reassuring me all along the way. Pastor was right there supporting me as I moved toward God.

Then… there was a peace. A peace that far surpassed anything that I could have imagined. I was completely and totally surrounded by God Himself. I floated for a bit, simply because it was so amazing. Then, as I got my bearings, I began to move deeper into relationship with God. The ride was (and is) amazing. For a while I didn't even notice that it was just me and God. Then, I felt fear bubble up from my belly into my throat. Where was Pastor? Doesn't he know that I can't make it without him? Why did he let me go? I looked down to where Pastor had been, supporting me as I moved deeper into God, but he wasn't there. It was then that I heard him, I turned to the side and saw him running beside me, calling out encouragement, warning me to watch out for the obstacles that were strewn across the path. He wasn't holding my hand any more, but he was still there.

It was like my training wheels were gone.

I was lost in God's Essence.

Sure, this was mostly allegory, but I hope you see my deeper point. I truly thank God for a pastor who was willing to let me go into God. If any of you ever get the opportunity to sit under their ministry, Jeff and Sandra Morgan are the greatest pastors to have ever filled the sacred desk.

Traditions 2

I want to continue on the discussion that we began in previous posts on the subject of traditions. It has recently come to my attention that there are those in the Apostolic Movement who are are preaching and teaching the credenda that if there is anyone among the congregation who does not follow the traditions of that congregation that they should be shunned, ignored... basically, the rest of the congregation should have nothing to do with that individual. The Text that they have used to back this contention is 2 Thessalonians 3:6. So that we are all on the same page, I'm including exact quotations from both the KJV (the translation that is most often being used to back this teaching) and the ESV.

KJV

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us."

ESV

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us."

First, let's look at the biblical definition of the word tradition. Tradition comes from a koine Greek word which is transliterated paradosis. Paradosis has several definitions, but the one that contextually applies in this usage is as follows:

1. a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e. tradition by instruction, narrative, precept, etc.

• objectively, that which is delivered, the substance of a teaching
• of the body of precepts, especially the ritual which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written Torah, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence.

By the context of Paul's usage of the word paradosis we can glean that he is referencing a previous teaching that ties directly into this particular letter to the Thessalonian Community. Also—by the context—we can see that Paul used paradosis in its singular voice, referring to a specific tradition or ordinance rather than generally all previously taught traditions. Paul is obviously reminding the Thessalonian Community to remember his previous teachings in regards to individuals who are not willing to work and provide for their families and the Community. In reading the remainder of chapter 3 you'll see that contextually Paul is specifically dealing with laziness.

Paul was not giving the instruction that individuals who do not follow any of his other teachings should be avoided. He was writing to a group of people who lived as a community, providing for the needs of their individual families, and those of the collective; an action in which Paul himself participated during his stay in Thessaloniki. He was specifically dealing with the issue of people not pulling their weight in the collective, then spreading discord through their verbiage.

People who are too lazy to get involved are normally wonderful arm-chair quarterbacks.

For anyone to cherry-pick verse 6 of this Text and establish a teaching or instruction that if an individual does not follow the traditions established in a local congregation they should be shunned or excluded in any way from the Community is adding to the Text, not to mention a huge stretch hermeneutically.

I would like to again reiterate the fact that the Paul instructed the 1st Century Community to not abolish the traditions taught to them simply because they were traditions (2 Thessalonians 2:15). However, a practice to which Paul continually adhered was to identify traditions as just that, traditions, and not as doctrine. The danger is not in traditions but in deifying our traditions as doctrine.

Another stretch that is often made is to assume that the traditions established in a local congregation apply collectively to the entire Body. Who are we to assume that our opinions and ideals are that close to God's doctrine? As we've discussed previously in other posts, Jesus condensed everything given by God to Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament to two commandments: the Shema (Deut. 6:4) and the fact that we should love this one God with everything in us, and that we should love our neighbor in the same manner and with the same veracity in which we love ourselves (Matthew 22:40). Is it possible that now is the time to teach this rather than our own private interpretations of the Text? By the way, is the Text open to any private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20)?

The time has come to collectively examine our traditions to honestly see if they are bringing individuals closer to God or blocking their path to God. This is not rebellion nor lack of submission to the God's delegated authorities. Peter admonished pastors to shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock, (1 Peter 5:2-3, ESV).

Authority vs. Authoritarianism

A good friend sent this to me today. I thought you'd all enjoy it. I'm not sure who wrote it, but when I find out I'll give them proper credit.

Authority is kind.
Authoritarianism is dismissive and rude.

Authority is firm, looking into the heart of a child.
Authoritarianism is overly concerned with the letter of the law, often completely overlooking the heart of a child.

Authority disciplines.
Authoritarianism abuses—through manipulation, or power pulls, or verbal undressing, or worse.

Authority is open and approachable.
Authoritarianism is easily threatened, and therefore discourages being approached.

Authority is thoughtful and intentional.
Authoritarianism is explosive.

Authority is consistent.
Authoritarianism is unpredictable and can jump out and bite off a head at any given moment.

Authority encourages people and builds them up.
Authoritarianism discourages people by focusing on their faults.

Authority holds out an open hand of generosity.
Authoritarianism is stingy—stingy with praise, stingy with kind acts, stingy with money—clutching its hand in a tight fist.

Traditions

There is a lot of controversy in the Apostolic Movement concerning traditions. The primary controversy is whether or not they should be taught, followed or otherwise. There are some who contend that because they've been taught they should be followed with no questions asked, while there are others who posit the theory that because they are traditions of men and only loosely based on the Text that they should not be adhered to, and in fact, done away with.

Over the past week I've been in multiple discussions with people from both sides of this discussion, and while I have my own view of the subject, I have learned a bit from both sides. The primary lesson that I've gleaned is the fact that both sides have both right and wrong in their positions.

Let me first spell out my position, because I'm sure that there are those of you who have already begun to be concerned for the direction I'm going, simply because I'm willing to openly discuss this issue.

I—personally—have no issue with the teaching and establishing of traditions. In fact, there are traditions that I have taught in my own family that were passed down from my parents and generations past. Biblically there is nothing wrong with the teaching of traditions. However, when the teaching of these traditions is that they are doctrine simply because they've been taught by a man of God, this is where I depart from the status quo. Paul taught traditions through his letters to the 1st Century Community, but he was always careful to let them know that they were his thoughts or traditions and not directly from God. Paul also never used God's allowance of his traditions as a license to spiritually abuse the Community because he understood completely that the people were God's not his.

The Text specifically states that we shouldn't simply do away with the traditions established by our fathers, but it also specifically instructs that each one of us—individually—must seek out our own salvation with reverence and in awe of the task. This is not a contradiction in the Text. It is possible to seek out our salvation individually without tossing all the traditions out with the bath water. This can only happen through open and honest discussion of the traditions.

Too many in the Apostolic Movement posit the theory that their traditions must be followed simply because they came across the pulpit. This is not a biblical position. While rebellion is never sanctioned nor accepted in the Text, God never intended His Community to simply be blind followers of the doctrines of man. His missional cry from Eden to the Apocalypse is for man to commune with Him, personally, intimately. In addition, God never gave pastoral license to establish doctrine, He reserved that right for Himself.

Look at what happened during the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. The Hebrews, because they were no longer hearing from God, began to expand the Torah far beyond anything God had ever intended. When Jesus came on the scene He reduced all of their expanded traditions to simply two commandments: love your God with everything you are and love your neighbor as yourself. He even clarified this further. He said that everything in the Torah (the Law) and the Nevi'im (the Prophets) hung on these two commandments. Basically, if you miss everything else, this is all it takes.

I was recently told that my understanding of the Text was incorrect because I was ignoring the fact that all Scripture is given for doctrine, instruction, reproof, for correction, for instruction... My response was simply this: this is correct, but preaching was only given for the saving of the lost, not the maintaining of the saints. It is my humble yet wholehearted belief that God never intended for doctrine to be preached from a pulpit. I believe that His intent was that doctrine would be taught, then caught one individual at a time. I find this evidenced over and over when individuals discover doctrine personally. They simply don't want to walk away from it. Conversely, how many people are leaving en masse from traditionalist congregations?

Rejecting all traditions, simply because they are traditions is also not what God intended. There has to be a middle ground.

I believe there is.

The time has come to allow people to ask questions about what is taught and preached. Questions do not equate with rebellion nor lack of submission. Questions are what bring us understanding. For far too long the Body of Christ has been content with people simply being preached at or taught to but the instruction never takes root. We've been content for people to simply go through the motions acting as though they understand. This is a gargantuan mistake on our part. Our job as disciple makers is to teach each individual what Jesus taught, to walk beside them on their journey to salvation, always being careful not to stand in their way and block the path to their God.

God never put the onus of salvation on the shoulders of the pastors or the preachers; He placed it squarely on the shoulders of the individuals.

If you want to teach a tradition, fine, but be strong enough spiritually to explain where the tradition comes from, and that it might not be a Heaven or hell issue. Don't reject traditions without first finding out why they are there. And most of all, find God for yourself. Be intimate with Him, personally. Allow Him to penetrate your existence with His Essence and impregnate your soul with desire and unction that draws you ever closer to Him... Not to religion, not to an organization, not to a fellowship, not to a church... but to Him.

The Writings of Matthew

The writings of Matthew are quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of the entire Text. Matthew's use of wordplay in the first two chapters to identify Jesus as the Messiah is brilliant. Of the entire book, the genealogy in the first chapter is one of my all-time favorite passages. In this chapter Matthew uses the Hebraic philosophy of Gematria to prove to his primarily Hebrew readers that—in his view—Jesus was the Messiah, a descendant of David.

I love this kind of writing. This is the stuff that makes me want to dig deeper into the Text to see what else is there.

Another aspect of this Text that really grabs me is the fact that Jesus first called Matthew to be one of His closest disciples. Matthew was hated by the Jewish population because he was a tax collector. Not to mention that he—along with all the other selected twelve—had been previously rejected by the religious establishment and denied the privilege of rabbinic study. Yet, Jesus—a rabbi Himself—thought that Matthew was completely qualified to follow Him and learn His yoke.

This demonstrates to me that my past and my present sins are merely the foundations upon which God will begin a work in my life that will catapult me into the future that He has purposed for me. If God could use Matthew, He can use me.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

This was originally posted on FB. Enjoy.

December 15, 2008

We were getting ready to go eat dinner and Olga told the girls to go put on their boots because its cold outside. Adia, with a bit of whine in her voice, replied, "But I don't want to wear my boobs!"

I just had to share this with the world. Later, when she, Oprah and Wannbe-Dr. Phil gang up on me I'll regret it, but until then... hooboy that's some funny whatnot.

I'm Big, 'Cept on the Hills

This was originally posted on my Facebook page, but I thought it would work here as well.

June 9, 2009

Today I took the two oldest chicks from the Young brood for another bike ride. This is a rare thing for me as I am normally working 10-12 hours a day. I guess this is one good thing that's come from the overtly socialistic state in which we live: work's slow, so I get to play with my chicks (Comrade Obama, I'm still waiting on my check..., but I digress).

This ride is only the second time that Eden (age 4) has been willing to ride her bike by herself, even though it has training wheels. She's normally more than happy to simply scoot around on her razor (which has three wheels). But, for some reason, both yesterday and today I've been able to convince her to ride her bike.

As we prepared to set out on our afternoon trek, I offered to help her affix her helmet. She promptly informed me, "Daddy, I'm big." Whilst we were riding, I was trying to coach her through the turns, as well as telling her how to brake as we went down the gradual slopes of Ladera Ranch. Each instruction merited her response: "Daddy, I'm big!"

I have to admit, she hung in very well. Our total ride today was just under five miles (and yes, before any of you jump on me about child abuse, we stopped often). As we made our way back toward home, the bike trail began to incline slightly. She did great. Puffing and panting, she trudged her way up the ever steepening grade, with me giving encouragement all the while. Finally, she could go no further. I dropped my bike to the ground and helped her up the rest of way.

We reached the crest and stopped for a brief respite. Jade, Eden and I flopped down on the bench and shared a bottle of water. I turned to Eden and said, "You're doing great baby. You're riding like a big girl!"

She looked up at me, Dora the Explorer helmet all askew and whatnot, the sweat dripping down her little cheeks, and said, "Daddy, I'm big...'cept on the hills."

Now, I'm not the most "spiritual" duck in the pond, but my mind immediately began to wander (I guess it's the teacher in me). In my mind's eye I could see my Father guiding me through my journey to Christ-imitation, speaking words of encouragement to me as I stumble and get things wrong, and I can even hear my somewhat childish response to His guidance, "But, I'm big!"

Then I can see me going through some of the most trying times of my existence, and He's still there, encouraging. In fact, He's having to stop and pick me up and carry me. It's on these uphill climbs that I begin to see just how small I am, just how much I truly need Him in my life.

Yeah, I'm big...'cept on the hills.

Correction

In an earlier post I referred to my father as "Curtis." This was an oversight and completely and totally unintentional. I had intended to type "Curtis Young, my father" but my brain moved faster than my fingers. It is important to me that you know that I hold both my parents in extremely high regard and would never intentionally do anything to disrespect them or bring them shame.

Someone showed a blog post to my father and he saw the mis-type and was hurt. So—as I made the mistake publicly—I wanted to make the correction publicly as well.

While I'm on the subject, the individual who showed the blog post to my father expressed some concern about "the direction" that he thinks I'm going. He had a problem with my abhorrence of all things religious; assuming that he knew to what I was referring. This individual told my parents that he speaks with me often. Yet, in all of these conversations he has never once asked what I meant. Go figure.

I live my life by the principles of being clear and transparent with God, myself, my family and the world at large. There is nothing hidden nor in riddle in my life; what you see is what you get. I also encourage questions. Questions do not offend me in anyway. My life is an open book that is to be read by all men. If there is ever anything posted here, on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter or published in a literary foray that you don't understand, feel free to contact me directly to discover my intention.

Living clear is my sole purpose in life and I refuse to hide behind structures raised by men rather than God. Religion is one of these structures. I am not a card-carrying member of any organization, and Lord willing, never will be. But, I am not attacking anyone who is. My belief system and worldview is not established nor maintained by my parents, my pastor nor any other oversight save Jesus Christ. I adhere to no other yoke (doctrine for those of you just joining us) than His, as it is the only saving doctrine there is.

There are stands in my life that are different than stands that my father took long ago, but this in no way means that his stands were incorrect. The stands that I have taken were born out of a Spirit-walk that took me to the very bottom of my being, flushed me out like the bitter waters of Marah and left me new in Him. Not in a religious structure, in Him. Not in an organizational abyss, in Him. I am devoutly 1st Century in my thinking, but I go back even further; I'm learning to think Hebrew. There are stands that I've taken that are far more stringent than any ever taught by my father, and these stands are for me personally and my family. I will never saddle anyone else with my personal dedications.

My journey is spelled out in detail with no room for conjecture in my book Clear. Please read it, you'll understand more about where I'm coming from. You can purchase a copy by going to http://clearimitation.com. Once you've read the book, if you still have questions, come to me directly. I welcome the discussion.

Distractions

Last week Olga and I decided that we would save some money on our monthly bills by switching from Cox to AT&T. I believe in being a good steward with what God has entrusted me, so I felt really good about the switch. In doing so, I had no idea that I would be without Internet nor visual entertainment for almost a week (we turned Cox off before we knew AT&T's install date. Not smart).

The temporary lull in mediadic connectivity hasn't been an issue because our weekends are quite full; that is, until last night. I finished all my husbandly duties and work then noticed it was only 9:00 pm. Normally, this is where I'll catch up on personal emails, watch the news, then watch a sitcom via DVR, then fall asleep around mid-night or later.

But now it was 9:00 and there was nothing to do. Surely I couldn't just go to bed, it was too early.

I told my wife I was going to go sit outside the local Starbuck's and piggyback off their wifi. She asked why I didn't just check my email on my phone. There was a pause... I couldn't come up with a good reason. It was then that I realized I was trying to escape reality by entering into the virtual world. I was looking for a distraction.

As this realization flooded my conciousness I made a descision: I would not hide from my life. I hugged my kids and my bride and went to bed. It was here that God met me. My dreams were filled with visions of things God is going to do in my life, and dreams of what He's already done.

I awoke this morning rejuvinated (a rare occurence). Today my mind has been more clearly focused on His purpose. Thank You God for the respite. Thank You for meeting me outside of my distractions.

-- Post From My iPhone

LifePoint Community

Olga and I—along with several of our friends—have begun planting a new community in South Orange County. We are really excited about what God is already doing in South County, and look forward to being a small part of this Purpose.

Our first gathering was this past Saturday. It was great! The connection, the interaction, all combined with the palatable presence of God that was in the room made for a fantastic evening. The feeling that God is with us in this effort is indescribable.

Visit our web site at http://lifepointcommunity.cc. If you would like to stay up-to-date on LifePoint Community you can follow us at http://twitter.com/lifepointoc, or you can become a fan on Facebook; just search for LifePoint Community.

Spread the word. Help us make an impact in South County.


-- Post From My iPhone

Little Wonders

I know that my first book "Clear" hasn't shipped yet, but I've been working on my second book for the past couple of months. The working title is "Little Wonders," a borrowed title from a song by Rob Thomas. This book focuses on remembering our testimonies when we're faced with the trials that life throws at us all.

Today, while working on chapter five, God started working me over—again—about my lack of true discipleship. While I was writing He began to show me that one the most powerful ways to disciple a new believer is by leading them through the places that I've already walked.

I'll flesh this out better as the book unfolds, but I wanted to give a brief preview of where this is going. I'm enjoying the journey and am looking forward to more illumination.

In the meantime, download "Little Wonders" from iTunes. You'll enjoy it.

-- Post From My iPhone

Mobile Blogging

I just downloaded the Blogger app for my iPhone. Don't you just love technology?

Hope all of y'all are enjoying the whatnot. There'll be more stuff as the week progresses.


-- Post From My iPhone

Perfect

This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I think it says a lot about how the world in which we live views religion; one more reason for us to run kicking and screaming away from religiosity.

Muslim Discipleship Plan

I just watched this video on YouTube (my dad sent it to me, of all people. Imagine my dad watching YouTube). Very sobering.

Clear

"Clear" is finally ready to ship and should start going out to next week.

For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, I've just finished my first book. I've very excited about what God has already started doing through the book. I sent it out to a few people for review before it was published and the response has been fantastic.

If you want to order a copy go to http://clearimitation.com.

Discipleship

Discipleship is becoming my passion.

Over the past few months God has been working me over about my lack of true discipleship. I was Spirit-baptized when I was twelve years old, I've grown up attending and working in church and my spiritual heritage is stellar. However, the vast majority of my life has been spent in the futile attempt to be more Pentecostal rather than actually imitating Jesus Christ.

This is what God has been working on in my life.

Around six months ago my wife and I began discipling a young couple. The subject of God wasn't necessarily new to him, but she was brand new. We met weekly for what was supposed to be an hour-long Bible study and discussion, but—because of their hunger—the sessions lasted longer and longer each time we met. Probably the most impacting day was the Saturday that we spent over twelve hours together, talking about God and His purpose for our lives. The next day she was Spirit-baptized.

Now, I have no inclination that her finally yielding to God had anything to do with me or what I said to her the previous day, but I do believe that the time that my wife and I spent with her, allowing her to question us (really God, we were just the people she was looking at) brought her to the point where she was ready to surrender to God's purpose for her life. Olga and I are continuing to disciple them two-to-three times a month, and I can't express in words the awesome feeling that we all experience in each session. I am blown away each time that God illuminates a different aspect of Himself to both them and us, and I thank Him for the opportunity to fulfill the call He has given to my family.

Why is it that we (a collective moniker applied to the Apostolic Movement as a whole) have spent so much time focusing on making converts and building churches rather than discipling people to God?

A convert is someone that we've swayed to our way of thinking by the veracity of our argument, not necessarily the content of our position. This is fine until the day comes along—and we all know that these days will come—that someone presents a better argument. At that moment we've lost our convert. Sometimes it doesn't even take another argument to move our converts; it may be the underlying questions that eat at them night after night that slowly move them away from our position.

Conversely, a disciple is an individual with whom we've spent time with, taught, shared, Jesus Christ. We haven't convinced them with our argument, we've taught them what we've learned (and nothing else until we've we've learned more) and walked with them as they process the information.

A disciple can't be swayed because they are a believer.

God is calling us to stop converting people to pentecostalism and to begin making disciples. This is the Commission He gave us in Matthew 28:19-20. It's time to stop building our churches and grow His Kingdom, one disciple at a time.