Born Again…again!

Teaching at Island City Church

A good friend of mine messaged me this week noting of my blog that I’d been “busy”.   I had to laugh a bit as I could see she was right.  Looking at January I realize I did 16 posts for the month.  A year ago I would have averaged maybe 3 to 5 a month.

But I can’t help myself!  Those of you old Beyond the Pale readers know there has been a slow change of content in the last year as the blog went from talking about everything under the sun to focusing solely on sharing about who God is and what he has done through Jesus Christ; even to the point of rebooting the blog with a new domain in October.

A little back ground…

When Tammy and I returned to live in Hong Kong three years ago we of course reconnected with the church we had started and pastored here back in the 1990’s; Island City Church.  They asked me if I would speak there on a rotation Sunday morning basis every four weeks or so.

I was always happy enough to do it but if I’m honest I had no big desire to speak there or anywhere else.  I did it more out of Tammy and I’s love for the people and the historical connection we had to the church. I didn’t really mention outside those circles though that I was teaching there on Sunday mornings lest anyone think I was available or wanting to speak elsewhere.

Oh, what a change a year can bring!

I’ve been a Christian for more than 35 years but in this last year I feel like I’ve been Born Again…again!  Yes, there may not be a theological underpinning for being Born Again…again, but well, there you have it.

Like the Peter and John in Acts 4:20 when they declared, As for us, there’s no question—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.” I literally can’t shut up.

I will speak, write, color, use smoke signals, and employ sign language if need be,… do whatever I possibly can to share with people that God’s Kingdom is here, it’s growing, and they have a standing invitation to join it!

Now I can’t stop sharing with friends and work colleagues about who God is and what he has done!

Now I can’t stop blogging!

Now I look at the Island City Church teaching roster looking forward to when I’ll be able to share again!

My friend who I mentioned at the beginning of the post asked me if I would speak at their church when we visit the U.K. this summer.  A year ago I would have probably figured out a polite way of “getting out of that” having no interest in speaking…let alone on my vacation.

Now I think, “I have an opportunity to share about the Grace of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom with an audience that wants to hear? YES, of course I will”

And when I can’t speak…I’ll blog,  as I can’t help but declare these things I’ve seen and heard!