What If?

One of the shows a grandparent can learn from with their grandchildren is Wild Kratts.  The Kratt brothers explore for animal life around the planet and expose young learners to the amazing world in which we live.  Their shows begin with them telling a little about the animal of the day, their habitat and characteristics, and then ask the question, what if we could become them and live in their world? What if?

I’ve been thinking a lot about “what if” as it applies to us as a church, and us as Christians.  Especially as I have been reading through the Gospels, and the letters.  What is coming as we read the culture is persecution in a form the American church has not experienced before.  What if it was declared a hate crime to talk about certain issues from a Biblical viewpoint in a public setting?  What if all tax incentives given for charitable giving or being a religious non-profit disappeared?  What if it became a crime to declare that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation?  What if?

Something would change.  What if how we have viewed church was not really in keeping with the mission we have been given by Jesus?  We think in terms of an inspiring speaker, a cool band, smooth programming, and an amazing facility.  We tend to think in having a church that is large, well known in the community, and meeting the needs of people.  All of this can be fine.  But what if we used God’s assessment?  What if the lens of Scripture was applied to church?

The number one thing Jesus prayed for in John 17 was the unity of the people in love.  Such an overwhelming love that lost itself in Jesus and others.  And the picture Jesus gave was that of a family.  In a family, we love unconditionally.  In a family we train the children.  Not that we know everything that we are doing because when we brought Jalonna home from the hospital they did not give us an owners manual.  But we loved that little girl and figured out what to do to care for her and train her (and later her brother) to love and serve Jesus and others.  We got advice and sent them to school.  But we took responsibility for them to be trained in the nurture and life of Jesus.

All this to say, that over the next months we are going to talk about what real church is; where we are headed as a church; and what supernatural visitations we will experience as we ask, “What if?”

Answered correctly and followed, we will be in a position to shift in an instant when any of these cultural changes take place.  It will be as if we were the only Christian in our sphere of influence, in our town or in our neighborhood, we will know exactly what to do to keep the mission moving forward for Jesus’ sake.

Resolving Old Battles

Most (ok, all) of us have past experiences with us for some or most of our lives.  For some, it is like a carry on, not much there, but enough to need to deal with it.  Others seem to have checked luggage, at times multiple bags, that weigh us down and slow our progress in life.

But what if we could unload the luggage and fly in life with no baggage at all?  Sound good?  Oh, wait, we feel like we need what we are carrying.  So we are not so willing to part with it.  We feel like it is a necessary part of us.  We don’t want to forget what happened or let the people off the hook for what they did to us.  We are self-aware of the effects.  We just are not sure how to live without the luggage.

Bob (not his real name) was such a guy.  Raised by up and comers, he knew how to win approval by his actions.  Absentee Dad and career-oriented Mom left him with varied baby-sitters when younger and on his own when a teen.  He had little direction in life but also found that when his random decisions and actions cast a poor shadow on Dad or Mom, he had their attention then.  Life was about not embarrassing them.  He found himself looking for an escape from them.  He was also looking to fulfill deep desires within, such as being loved.

He found himself using people for his own means and when they disappointed him, he cut ties with them.  That is what he was taught.  He wandered in a pit of despair for a long time.  College was an experiment in searching.  A failed marriage; then a second.  The bags kept piling up and their weight was overwhelming.

One day one of his few friends starting talking about something amazing that happened in his life.  His life was similar to Bob’s life.  In his search, he had a conversation with a man who seemed to honestly care.  The guy lived next door and had shown kindness to him.  He brought him some meals when he was recovering from some minor surgery.  The guy even mowed his lawn during that time.  He told him about Jesus. How Jesus loved him unconditionally. How He died on the cross for all of our sins.  How He came to life again three days later and is alive today.  How He is the one who created us and has wonderful plans for our lives if we are willing to follow Him.

Bob’s friend responded by asking Jesus to forgive Him and he began the journey of following Him.  He told Bob he never felt this way before.  All the old junk of his life did not matter any more.  He realized that even then Jesus was showing love to him.  And that Jesus has been there wanting a relationship with him all along.  He felt free.

Bob was not sure what to say.  Was he willing to consider the same decision?

At our church, we offer a special form of spiritual counsel called Transformational Prayer Ministry.  It is a spiritual conversation, walking us through the baggage of our lives and seeing how Jesus was there loving us even at those times.  The outcome is to let go of those painful things to Jesus.  He desires for us to be free, unloading all the experiences and sins that hinder us so we can fly!

Are you willing to consider unloading your bags?  If so, contact the church at 688-7165 and make an appointment.  You can fly free today!

A Book Every Christian Should Read

My friend Daniel Henderson recently published a book I believe every Christian should read.  I won’t spoil it for you, but here is a review I did on Goodreads.  The book is titled Transforming Presence:  How the Holy Spirit Changes Everything From The Inside Out

In a day when there is so much confusion about spirituality, power, and the work of the Holy Spirit, Daniel Henderson provides some much needed and timely input and clarity through this book. I believe one of the most important parts of the book is the section that points us to the “why.” If we know the “why” of something we will be open to hear the how’s and the what’s. This essential is summarized on page 49:
“Let’s keep the plumb line of God’s purpose in mind. The Holy Spirit was given to glorify Jesus in our hearts, minds, and actions; in our homes and relationships; in our service, fellowship, and worship in His church. All this occurs as a witness to nonbelievers in our relational circle and beyond, into the near and far reaches of a lost world desperate to see and hear of our Christ.”

Daniel pushes for us to examine (and abandon where necessary) our previous understandings of the Holy Spirit as interpreted through the lenses of our traditions and experiences. He also gently prods us to listen to ourselves. Some of our verbiage and songs betray thoughts of the Holy Spirit being a force rather than a Person; something for us to ask God to send rather than responding to the One who has already come. 

The clarion call is for us to embrace and respond to the Holy Spirit who is God Himself living in us for the sole purpose of bringing glory to Jesus Christ and to empower us to fulfill His mission on earth. He, the Spirit, works in our minds, emotions and will to accomplish all this.

I believe every reader who approaches with an open mind and heart will be confronted, affronted, encouraged, revived and motivated after reading this book. I commend it to you.

It’s Not That Hard

This past weekend at our church Gary Stith gave a humble yet powerful testimony of how seeking to be the best music teacher he could be and showing a loving interest in people’s lives opened opportunities for him to share Jesus with them.  It wasn’t hard.  It was just doing life in the Spirit.  He gave us an endearing picture of doing his daily devotional time down in his basement with his pre-school daughter waking up to join him, cuddled together under blankets.  It’s not hard, it is doing life in the Spirit.

We read messages from those Gary worked with and taught.  They spoke of his godliness and humility, his generosity and graciousness.  They all said that his influence and the impression he made still lingers in their lives today.  It’s not hard, it is doing life in the Spirit.

I can graciously say that Gary was embarrassed to have the questions asked and the attention put on him.  But he was willing to go through the experience for one sole reason:  giving all glory and praise to Jesus.  His life has been focused on Him.  His heart has been transformed by Him.  Jesus’ love for people has flowed through Gary.  What I appreciated was how Gary told us his own amazement about  the doors opened for him, like being given a professorship at Houghton College without an earned Doctorate.  Rare in our world but not in God’s world.  Jesus opens doors that no one can open and shuts doors no one can shut.

If you missed the message, including Gary’s testimony, take 45 minutes this week and listen.  It may help you to realize that excellence may draw, but love influences.  It may also help you realize that leaving a powerful witness for Jesus is not hard, its just doing life in the Spirit.

Independence

Happy 4th of July.  We celebrate today as the birthday of our country.  It is the day when the Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain and began the journey toward a Constitution that sought to protect the unalienable rights of every human being, especially those of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Self-governance was its central theme.

Yet we know that God’s design for us is not self-governance in a sinful state, but Spirit-controlled governance in a redeemed state.  The mind controlled by our “flesh”, our human intellect and instincts, is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.  (Romans 8:6)

If we are to win new friends, our desires must line up with God’s desires for them.  In fact, our lives must not be able fighting for self at all, but for the ability and opportunity to fulfill our God-given purpose in creation.  And that purpose is to bring glory to Him and goodness to others.

As we celebrate today as Christians, the reality is not about patriotism and parades and government, it is about freedom in Christ and ours absolute dependence on Him.  In this we rejoice and find true life, liberty and happiness.  And we get to share it with others.

Have a blessed day.

Dispensers of Hope and Grace

““Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.     Job‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One of the values we hold is that of God’s grace.  When we have received undeserved kindness from the Lord, how can we withhold it from others?
Therefore when we are seeking to walk along side current friends or encountering a new friend, our countenance and words should ooze of grace.  Grace is given as a signpost for healing.  It points the way to the solution.  Grace is one wounded person who has found healing telling another wounded person about the remedy for their condition.Job was suffering.  Terribly.  And his friends, rather than helping to point him to the solution, were busy telling him about his failings. They were trying to explain to him how his arrogance, his pride, his self-righteousness, were the cause of all his problems.  The problem is that they were wrong.  Totally wrong.Friends don’t need us to diagnose the cause.  They need a remedy.  And the remedy is the grace of God.  And that remedy is obtained by confession of our neediness and repentance of any sin that we have committed.  Challenging conditions do not always mean we have sinned.  The Lord may bring a situation to us to strengthen our trust in him, like He did with His friend Abraham in Genesis 22.  But even those situations demonstrate our need to turn to and depend on Him.So don’t neglect kindness when dealing with your friends.  Point them to Jesus just as you have turned to Him many times in your life.  Friends are not dispensers of justice but of grace and hope.#summerofwon

Subtle Deception

When you read through the opening pages of the Bible, you find that perfection gets derailed through very subtle deception.  Adam and Eve were in perfect harmony with God and with each other.  A singular command was given to follow.  They joyfully did so until a question was raised in their mind through Satan.  “Did God really say” leads to a distortion of God’s intentions and the breakdown of the relationship.  And sin enters into the world, and death through sin.

Fast forward to a scene in the Temple during Jesus’ time.  It is found in Luke 18:

““Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:10-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Notice the focus for both men was their own condition.  The Pharisee felt sorry that other men were not as “righteous’ and faithful as he was.  The tax collector was broken before the Lord, feeling the weight of his sin, and cried out for mercy.  Jesus said that the tax collector was justified before God and not the Pharisee.

Here is the subtle deception.  When we “feel” like we are in good standing with the Lord, it should move us to join in the same mission as Jesus.  Remember that Luke also told us that the “Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”  (Luke 19:10). So Jesus left the perfect surroundings of heaven in order to wade into the muck and mire of lost humanity in order to seek out people and redeem them.  True compassion does not just feel sorry for people because of their messes.  It moves among them in order to lead them out of their circumstance and into a solid relationship with Jesus.  If we simply feel good about ourselves and sorry for them without seeking to help them, we are in essence no different than the Pharisee standing in the Temple.

Subtle deception derailed Adam and Eve (and all of us through them) from the perfect relationship they were experiencing with God.  And subtle deception can derail us today from the perfect work God created for us to do in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 2:8-10).

So let’s show true compassion today. Have that cup of coffee with someone who you know who is asking questions about faith in the midst of their addiction or broken marriage or rebellion.  Meet with that new believer who does not have a clue how to make hard choices to honor Jesus.  Patiently coach someone who struggles to develop simple spiritual disciplines.  Let’s give of ourselves to them the way Christ gave of Himself to us.

Taking Lightly What God Takes Seriously

Knowing that what I am about to write is counter-cultural, I suggest to you that it is one of the strongest tools in our arsenal both to protect ourselves and to give a witness to others.  I am also painfully aware that many that name themselves as followers of Jesus Christ seemingly take this matter lightly while God takes it very seriously.  It is the matter of sexual purity.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, God says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

God’s calling for us as believers is to be holy, living our lives differently than the world around us.  Notice the verbs:  AVOID (to abstain from or distance ourselves from) sexual immorality; LEARN TO CONTROL or POSSESS our own bodies (this could mean focusing on our own spouse); not WRONG or STEP OVER A LINE with brothers and sisters; we are not CALLED to impurity; and REJECTION is against God.  God takes these things so seriously that He will be “an avenger” against anyone who commits such sins.  WOW.

Playing around with pornography is not a harmless endeavor. It objectifies people; violates your marriage commitment; and lures the user into deeper sin.  God speaks in the Bible about not denying relations in marriage except for prayer so we don’t set ourselves up for temptation. (1 Cor. 7:5)  Flirting with the opposite sex, especially a married person, is crossing the line of proper treatment of someone else’s spouse.  In essence it is like trying to steal the intimacy and emotional energies that belong to another.  

That is why the writer to the Hebrews also exhorted, Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Hebrews 13:4

The wording reflects any aberration of God’s design for sexuality. Our culture flagrantly celebrates sexual freedoms on all levels and chastises as judgmental anyone who suggests limits. This contributes to broken marriages and broken people. Our counter-cultural expression of purity and the celebration of monogamy and the wonders of married life sends a strong message about the glory of God and His designs for life that way it is meant to be.

Let’s send a message that helps others avoid the pain and us to experience God’s glory in wholesome and pure relationships.

Don’t Give Up

I’ve always loved picking up details in stories even though I don’t do well with all the details in getting a task done.  One is an exploration toward completeness.  The other is the drudgery of completing.  My mind is drawn to the one and allergic to the other.

So I picked up an encouraging detail in a well known story I read recently.  Jesus is questioning the disciples, getting the latest polling on who people thought He was.  Elijah and John the Baptist, both reincarnated, led the polls.  Then Jesus polled them: “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter immediately blurts out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Here is the detail.  Blessed are you Simon, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by my Father who is in Heaven.  No human being showed you this Peter.  You may not even know how you came to the conclusion.  But you are right.  You are Peter and I will use you to fish for men and build my church.  Wait?  Isn’t this Peter, the one who will tell Jesus along the road to Jerusalem that he would never let happen to Jesus what He is telling them will happen?  Isn’t this Peter, who will get so scared from the accusations of a teenage girl that he will deny Jesus three times?  Isn’t this Peter who doesn’t know what to do after the resurrection and returns to fishing?

Yes.  It is.  But Jesus sees Peter as He knows he can and will be, not as he is.  We focus on where we are and get discouraged.  We want to give up.  But Peter, when filled and directed by the Holy Spirit will be a totally different man.  And that is what we have to remember when we feel like giving up.  The Lord is not giving up on us.  He does and will reveal Himself.  And it won’t be in the same way always.

To Elijah, who was distraught and lonely, He spoke with a still, small voice.  (I Kings 19). To Paul on the road to Damascus, He spoke in bright light, with a voice that he alone heard.  Others heard sound but not what or who it was. (Acts 9). To Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds, He sent an angel with a message. (Matthew 1; Luke 1-2). Through the years I have heard numerous testimonies of people who told me that the Lord spoke to them as if He were right beside them yet there was no audible voice.

So don’t be discouraged today or quit.  The Lord sees you the way He created you to be.  And He will continue to reveal Himself to you as you seek Him.  Patiently seek Him.  You will find Him when you seek Him wholeheartedly. (Jeremiah 29:13)

What Are We Thinking?

Acts 28:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”  29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

   As we begin a new year, what are we thinking about?  What we dwell on drives us, convicts us, convinces us and motivates us.  For the Apostle Paul, the mission of bearing witness to Jesus and seeking to persuade men to follow Him was all consuming.  It was the essence of his life.

   And it is for us too.  Every day, every way, to every one, we are giving a witness.  And when God opens an opportunity, we can graciously speak so as to persuade others.  Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:  Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. 

If you read the whole interaction (you can here) you will find a few things.  First, Paul is very honoring and respectful to King Agrippa.  He is not aggressive or insulting or accusatory.  He counts it a privilege to have an informed conversation.  Second, he tells his story in a concise but relevant manner.  The details he gives, as he says later, are what the king would be aware of.  He was testifying to the truthfulness of the events in light of Jesus.  And he concludes by asking the king if he believed what the prophets have said.  In other words, do you find merit in what you have seen and heard?

When challenged, Paul responds by showing concern, stating only that his desire is that the King and others would find the same peace and joy and confidence in Christ he has.

What do you learn by "sitting in" on this interaction?  Do you have the same daily passion to want to "persuade others" about the Gospel?  Is your approach gentle and respectful or argumentative?  Do you show respect in the process?  Is your testimony focused on what Jesus has done or about you?

These are good questions that can guide us to a powerful year of watching Jesus open the door for more and more opportunities to give a witness for Him.