Crosspointman

On Being Likeminded

2010-04-09T07:27:00.002-06:00

It happens more and more. My wife and I will turn to each other with the same thoughts -- and often the same words on our lips -- at the same time! After years of loving together we often can anticipate what the other is thinking or feeling.

Did you know church is to be like that? As we come together for a common purpose to exalt Christ in our lives, we will find ourselves experiencing a oneness of thought and mission. We should work at achieving oneness (Romans 12:16), but Paul later adds that we should ask God to give us a sameness of mind (Romans 15:5). So we should work for unity -- but we should also ask for it in prayer.

Can we disagree and still "be of the same mind"? Yes, but only if we assume a fundamental respect for the motives of others who -- like us -- belong to the family of God. Our oneness lies in a common motive to please God -- not in agreement on every issue or scruple.

So how can we be "of the same mind" towards one another? Assume an attitude that every other believer has equal access to God -- just like you. Therefore, their thoughts are as potentially inspired and significant as your own. No one has a corner on the market of "divine insights." I must humble myself to consider with care the thoughts of my brother. I need to listen. I need to pay attention. What he is thinking may match or enhance what I am thinking -- I need to respect his conclusions and rationale.

"The same mind" does not refer to agreement in all things, but to an attitude.

Stop World Whining

2010-04-02T18:12:00.002-06:00

In a church parking lot one Sunday I passed a small truck that had a new bumper sticker on it I had not seen before. It said, "Stop World Whining."

I stifled a laugh as I thought about the many times pastors have to handle dissatisfied members in their church. Have you ever felt like saying, "What do I look like? God's complaint department?"

Complaints, problems, and disagreements will always erupt in our churches when we least expect them to. They can be threatening and discouraging to the forward movement of the church. But hang in there.

When I played football years ago, one of the drills we used to run required us to hit a line of defenders, spin off and around the line, and continue running down field. The early church was like that. When they encountered complaints in the church, they addressed the issue head-on, spun off the problem using a Spirit-guided solution, then continued to grow and expand in a dramatic way (Acts 6 & 15).

"Stop World Whining"? It would be really be nice wouldn't it? Yet, the Lord seems to use even whining to propel His church forward.

He is risen!

Consistency

2010-03-27T18:20:00.002-06:00

Described in John 12, Palm Sunday has been observed through the centuries by the faithful, marking the beginning of Holy Week on the Christian calendar. The story is wonderful and a warning at the same time. Proclaiming their support for Christ, the citizens of Jerusalem greeted Jesus on his famous ride into Jerusalem, waving palms and shouting praises before the Lord. However, many of those same citizens were probably part of the same crowd that support His crucifixion.

Palm Sunday is a good time to remember our own tendency to be inconsistent in our service of Christ. Hypocrisy and unfaithfulness is usually someone else's problem. The television preacher exposed as a philanderer; the church member who professes devotion on Sunday, only to embrace unethical business practices during the week; or the deacon who prays for God's blessing, while dividing a church with destructive gossip about the preacher. Those are the hypocrites.

Yet, James cautioned that teachers would face a greater judgment (James 3:1). The more we know, the more we are called to live and model before a watching world. What an awesome assignment to be a communicator of God's Word!

It is easy to get caught up in the duties associated with our ministry -- especially during a busy Easter season. Yet, I can't think of a better time to pause and reflect, asking the Lord to search our hearts and renew our passion for Him. Lord, make us consistent, matching our words with our deeds.

Thanking a Father in the Lord

2009-05-08T13:22:00.002-06:00

Six years ago I had the privilege of joining other ministerial alumni of Blue Mountain College (http://www.bmc.edu) in honoring Dr. James Travis. Retired after teaching for 36 years, Dr. Travis influenced several generations of young pastors through his faithful, enthusiastic friendship and instruction. He was the first mentor many of us had in ministry. In my own life, Dr. Travis...

* encouraged me to make a firm, clear commitment to the ministry;
* sent me out on my first preaching assignment to a little church in north Mississippi;
* recommended me for my first staff position in a church;
* taught me (and many others) how to perform a baptism;
* preached at my ordination; and
* helped me settle into my first pastorate.

What he did for me was not special--he helped hundreds of young people get on their feet, get back on their feet, and stay on their feet during critical times in their lives.

I had someone take my picture with Dr. Travis during my visit to the campus. But for as long as I have been in ministry, he has been "in the picture."

Dr. Travis passed away in 2005. I didn't have an unlimited amount of time to tell him what he meant to me.

Paul was right when he said we do not have many "fathers" in the Lord. I have been fortunate to have had several over the years. Saying "thank you" to those men has become increasingly important to me as they age and as I realize the impact they had on me.

Who can you thank for where you are today? Who has invested himself in you and made the difference? Why don't you give them a call or drop them a note this week.

Preacher, What Will You Preach This Sunday?

2009-04-27T06:16:00.002-06:00

With economies floundering and a potential flu epidemic, it's natural for someone to reflect on the big questions of life: why am I here? What does life mean? Where is God?

How should a Christian preacher respond?

During World War II, Martyn Lloyd-Jones continued to preach at the historic Westminster Chapel in London every Sunday morning--no matter what. Famous for preaching through books of the Bible, Dr. Lloyd-Jones did two things well.

First, he never deviated from his careful exposition of the Scriptures. No matter what was happening in the world of current events, Dr. Lloyd-Jones believed the best thing he could do for his people was to supply them with a complete diet of God's Word. Armed with truth, the flock would be best prepared for whatever they might encounter during the week.

Second, he typically integrated observations and insights on current events into whatever message he was preaching Sunday. Although he continued to preach through books, he believed it was important not to ignore current events, but to think through those events biblically.

In 1944 a German bomb exploded near the chapel while Dr. Lloyd-Jones was preaching. A cloud of dust enveloped the congregation, turning everyone white. One woman thought they had all died and gone to heaven!

After a slight pause... Dr. Lloyd-Jones continued preaching and finished his sermon.

The Cemetery Next Door

2009-04-20T10:32:00.002-06:00

In 2003 my wife and I made a run down to Yazoo City, Miss. for the funeral of her grandmother. A wonderful believer born in 1916, she lived her entire life in the hills just above the Delta cotton fields with a simple faith and an unconditional love for people.

Conducting her funeral in a little Methodist church near her home, I was reminded of something often lost to congregants of newer church buildings: the cemetery next door.

When the old timers built their churches they didn't worry about parking or a premium location. They didn't have a website with streaming audio of the most recent sermons. Nor did they have projected images for sermon outlines or song lyrics.

But the old timers who built their churches with the cemeteries next door lived with a stunning, weekly reminder that death was near and life was short. Each time they entered and exited the church building, the markers of the dead stood before them as silent messengers of a very real eternity awaiting all of us.

As I stood before family and friends and reminded them that "death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor. 15:54), I looked out and saw that cemetery. To emphasize Christ's victory over death in the face of a constant reminder of death was a little easier there--with a cemetery next door.

You may not have a cemetery next door anymore, but the need for that weekly reminder remains--as much as ever.

Do You Have a Spiritual Elder?

2009-04-15T18:09:00.001-06:00

Being the youngest of six children, our daughter Abigail has many models around her to draw from when learning her way through this world. As a result, she has developed faster than the other children in many ways -- both positively and negatively! :-)

This is a family secret to rapid, solid growth -- and it applies to our work of building saints too. Business people call it "mentoring"; Christians call it "discipleship." We are encouraged in the Scriptures to draw from older Christians ("spiritual elders" or "Pauls") life lessons that we can, in turn, pass on to younger Christians ("Timothys"). For men the key passage is 2 Timothy 2:2; for women a central passage is found in Titus 2. Both ministries are often neglected.

One of our men in our church approached me about entering into a mentoring relationship. I was absolutely delighted, knowing that God will always fill a thirsty heart. This man is on the grow and is tapping into one of the growth principles of the Scripture.

God has blessed me personally with 2 mentors who have invested their lives in me. In my first pastorate and throughout my ministry those men have protected me (through wise counsel) and prayed for me again and again.

We will grow more... we will grow faster... if we will embrace, pursue and model a biblical form of life change and development.

Often Defeated, Never Discarded

2009-04-05T05:53:00.002-06:00

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25 (NKJV)

Can you think of something that you were never any good at--but wanted to be? You tried your best. You took lessons. You read books. You practiced. But it was no use--you were never going to be any good at it.

Baseball was that way for me in the second grade. Just no good. The coach did everyone a favor by leaving me on the bench most games. I got a "hit" once when the ball bounced off of my knee on a line drive to second base. I still remember the cheers from the stands as they carried me off the field--I had never heard cheers before!

In Romans 7 Paul is expressing his frustration over sin. He wants to eradicate it completely, but as he grows, he continues to discover sin in his life like a multi-layered garbage dump.

Sin will be resident within you until death opens the door to heaven. You will hate things you say and things you do. You will wonder how a holy God could still love a person like you. You have not finished sinning. And there's more to come. Much more.

Can you feel Paul's anguish? "What a wretched man I am!" More importantly, can you exercise Paul's faith that ultimate deliverance will come through Jesus Christ?

The truth is none of us are going to completely master the ins and outs of a holy life. We need to know that our failures cannot keep us from the love of God.

Someday you and I will be carried off the ballfield of life by his angels--kind of like that second grader who was no good at baseball. And there will be cheers from the welcoming saints in heaven's stands. But the loudest cheering will come from the throne!

Doing a "New Thing"

2009-03-28T08:41:00.001-06:00

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)

God does a "new thing" when He comes into our lives. We are cleansed and changed from within, immersed into His body (the church), and led into a life of mission and purpose.

How do I respond to or cooperate with His Presence?

As a young college student I attended Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin Texas, where I was befriended by a deacon. He was a big man, a single adult, and an African-American serving in a predominantly Anglo congregation.

He often drove by the campus to pick me up for church, peppering our conversation with valued advice and quotations that echo in my mind to this day. One of his favorites was "Donovan, if can do your best, why settle for less?" I took his words to heart.

However, I have found that pursuing God's direction often involves mopping up problems as they surface, then moving forward again. God's will is rarely experienced as a sequence of error-free decisions or attempts. I must stay sensitive to His voice.

Let me encourage you to pursue God's will -- experiencing the "new thing" of God's mighty work in your life-- but be very forgiving of yourself and those around you when failure rears its head. Create an environment where failures and mistakes are okay: they are simply part of the price paid for taking new ground!

A Church in the HOV Lane

2009-03-17T15:57:00.001-06:00

About 10 years ago my wife and I were driving through Houston, Texas during rush hour when I realized that I could jump over into the High Occupancy Vehicle (H.O.V.) and miss most of the congestion. It was wonderful! Passing all of those other vehicles snarled in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

As we cruised by our fellow drivers, my wife and I began talking about the H.O.V. lane as a descriptive analogy of growing churches in America. Why do churches get "stuck in traffic?" What would a church have to do to move into the H.O.V. lane?

After a little research, I was able to make two basic observations about the requirements for moving into the H.O.V. lane:

1. you may not enter the lane alone; and
2. you must stay in the lane until you have reached your destination.

Can we apply these observations to a church?

(1) you cannot go there alone - Moving a church off of a spiritual plateau or out of a numerical decline is not easy. You cannot do it alone. You need the Lord and His supernatural guidance and power. You also need a team of faithful brothers and sisters who will make the move with you.

(2) you must stay for the entire journey - If you begin leading change in your church so that it can become a "High Occupancy Vehicle" for the Kingdom, you must also stay the course until you arrive at your destination. Except for times of true revival when God speeds up the clock, time and tenure are critical requirements for successful change.

In addition, I never talk about leading change in a church without making it clear that you are not changing a program or an organization: you are leading a change of heart in the people you serve.

People can tell the difference too.

In Word Only?

2007-11-10T14:17:00.000-06:00

It was my first preaching assignment in college. At breakfast in the school dining hall, the chair of our Bible department walked up to ask my companion if he could preach at a little country church later that morning. Knowing how badly I wanted to preach somewhere, my friend declined but pointed out that I was available. The professor looked at me -- an untried commodity among the preacher boys on campus -- and decided to take a chance.

I had been preparing sermons for months. Grabbing a set of notes and my Bible I traveled about 45 minutes and pulled up to the front of the tiny, rural chapel. I was early, so the Sunday School director took me to a small kitchen where I could wait prior to the service.

I began to pray. In fact, I cried out to God with all my heart for His help. I didn't know much at that time about God's anointing assistance He provides preachers of His Word. I just knew I was young and didn't know much. (I still don't know much!)

The service was unremarkable. Yet, the impact on my life was dramatic. I began to be conscious that there was something God does during the act of preaching that goes far beyond my efforts and eloquence.

Paul observed this phenomenon among the Thessalonians: "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance." (1 Thess. 1:5 CSB) By noting their message did not arrive "in word only" Paul acknowledges the possibility that it could have happened that way!

What kind of preaching arrives "in word only"? According to Paul, this kind of preaching is missing something. Specifically, he mentions three things that should accompany our preaching.

I'll leave the word studies to you, but let's pray each week for His words and for what He alone adds to the message.

Overheard at the Southern Baptist Convention

2007-06-12T08:09:00.000-06:00

Michael Spradlin quote at the Mid-America Seminary breakfast:

"More people are in trouble because of their people skills, not their doctrine. Most people don't know doctrine."

The Personal Retreat

2007-06-06T09:05:00.000-06:00

"He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed." (Luke 5:16 HCSB)

Several years ago I served a church in a bivocational ministry. Working 50 hours per week in an environmental consulting firm, I lived for the additional 20 hours I spent doing outreach leadership and visitation in the church. Very quickly I learned how fast the "inner well" could run dry.

I was irritable at home and impatient at work. Something had to change.

One day I took off a few hours early and went to an empty Sunday School classroom at the church. Taking only my Bible and journal along, I sat and read and prayed and wept as the Lord refreshed and redirected my heart.

The personal retreat has since become a life habit embraced and carried out every 3-4 months (in fact, it's time to do it again soon). Getting away for 1-3 days alone with the Lord clears my mind and renews my vision for what He wants me to be doing at home and in ministry. I always return with a handful of adjustments to make in my life.

Sometimes I have to go ask forgiveness from someone or work on a specific relationship. At other times I need to make spaces in my schedule for a new habit he wants me to develop or a new activity He wants me to engage in. The directions are always practical and concrete.

A study of the life of Christ reveals a rhythm of public advances and private retreats that enabled the Lord to walk closely and consistently in step with His Father. If Jesus Christ my Lord had to retreat for prayer and quiet hours with the Father, how can I expect to get by doing less?

Be like Jesus... get away and get alone once in awhile!

Is it Worth a Bad Haircut?

2007-05-31T09:53:00.000-06:00

Several years ago a mission pastor entered a barber shop around the corner from his church. Although he needed a haircut, his purpose was to build a witnessing relationship with the owner. They had a good talk, but the only result was a really bad haircut.

Laughing at his new "butchered" look, the pastor visited another barber to fix the problem haircut. Weeks later he returned to the barber next door for another haircut -- with the same result. My pastor friend's comment the second time: "I think he's improving... some."

Building relationships with the people who serve us every day can be like that.

We encounter people who serve us at the bank, the fast food restaurant, the post office, the cleaners, the grocery, or the pharmacy. These secular servants encounter complaints and cranky customers every hour. Are we part of the "complaints and cranks" crowd? Or do we stand out? Do they look forward to our smile and kindness?

It is so easy to focus on the quality of service rather than on the souls.

To my knowledge the barber who gave bad haircuts never came to Christ or attended the mission my friend pastored. But if Jesus was willing to suffer deadly abuse at the hands lost men, I think I can handle the bad haircut.

The "See-Through" Church Member

2007-05-29T12:29:00.000-06:00

Twenty-two years later, the experience remains vivid. The Lord still whispers the fragrance of that time across my heart, "this is My church". Church as He intends it to be.

It had been a fairly ordinary retreat experience. The mountain setting made it easy to reflect and evaluate my walk with God. During our final session, the leader of the retreat led about 25 of us in a time of sharing: what had God done in our lives through our study and time together?

For almost 5 hours our group became honest with each other and before God. The sharing was discreet (no unwholesome details), but open and full. Little was held back as God's Spirit took us to a new place of trust and oneness as the people of God. How refreshed and alive we felt when it was over!

Back in the church service the next day, worship was different. Our greetings were transformed -- less casual, more personal -- more like family. More like heaven. More like home. We were made for this and finally were experiencing a taste of our privilege as God's children! It was glorious.

We live in a world of people looking for a safe place to be open and honest. A place where they can be known, and still be loved. Individual spiritual growth explodes in the fertile soil of mutual love and trust. How can we help create a place like that?

(1) Become a truth-seeking church member - pray that God will open hearts in your church. The retreat situation described above was birthed after several years of prayer. Ask and keep on asking for true revival in your church;

(2) Become a truth-keeping church member - what is shared with you stays with you and goes no further; and

(3) Become a truth-telling church member - when you feel led to take the risk, honestly share your weakness and need with other members of the Body. If you do not already have a circle of brothers or sisters you share with regularly, form one soon.

The Pastor: The Life of a Door Man

2007-05-25T13:06:00.000-06:00

Who gets in? Who gets left out in the cold? The door man decides.

Several years ago, The Los Angeles Times entertainment website unveiled a cover story on the city’s club scene. Profiling door men who screen entry intoexclusive establishments, the article explains that success is attached to what you wear and who you are with (not to mention how much cash you are willing to part with). Over the last twenty years, the profession evolved from leather-clad, biker "security"men into headset-wearing, business suits sporting sunglasses at night. It is not a comfortable job.

Can you imagine doing that? You are on the front lines, rarely getting to enjoy what’s going on inside. You must endure long hours outside in all kinds of weather. You have to deal with people - some who like what you do and others who despise your work.

Kind of like being a pastor isn’t it?

Through our spirit of hospitality we control who gets into our church and who is excluded. (I hope it isn’t based on what someone is wearing!) Through our personal example we impact the guest sensitivity of leaders, teachers, and greeters throughout our church. Through our messages we can either reward or ignore the welcoming behaviors of our members.

The psalmist writes about this experience in Psalm 84:10 (NIV)"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." The Temple entrance was typically crowded with persons begging alms, often unqualified to enter theTemple due to disease or deformity. It was a lowly job in a lowly place.

The door man was NOT the most sought-after position on the Temple staff.

Yet - one day serving at the doorway to His presence is experientially better than a thousand elsewhere.

See you at the door this Sunday guys!

The Theology of Yard Work

2007-04-21T06:49:00.000-06:00

Genesis 1:28

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Today is Saturday... the day I love to hate when the weather is warm and the sun is shining... and the grass is growing. Yard work is not my thing. It has become something I work at really hard, but it is a supernatural thing... not an act of the flesh.

The struggle reaches back to a childhood. I mowed, did the hedges, edged the lawn, and bagged the cuttings -- only to watch it all come back next week (we lived in the South where everything grows with gusto -- especially belt lines). My attitude did not improve for many years. Well into adulthood, I found myself dreading the day when the yard would have to be tended to... again.

I hated yard work.

I grew conflicted, then convicted, when I realized that my Father cares about the way I care for my yard. It is a theological statement about what I really believe happened at creation and where I think He is taking the world in the future. The world was a place being threatened by chaos and by the enemy of our souls. He creates man and woman then tells them (in the Hebrew verse) to subdue the earth -- to subjugate the earth, placing it under their directive influence. An Aramaic form of the word contains the idea of beating down a path -- a place where you can walk at will in an environment under your control.

The world now is a very dark reflection of the Creator's intent. Marred by sin and Satan's dominance over the ages, mankind gave up his assignment in the Garden, yielding rule of the earth to the one Jesus called, the "ruler of this world." Now we have man-eating creatures, blood-thirsty cycles of life, and killer forces of nature. It's not okay. It is a world running amok.

Like my yard.

Jesus restores things. He puts people back into the physical and emotional state that the Creator intended. He un-does the work of the enemy. Ultimately, the earth itself will be restored to a new form, alive again with vibrant colors, arresting smells, and luscious tastes of the Garden. He calls His people to a ministry of restoration. He announces that God reigns and the kingdom of God is pressing into this world once again. But He does more than just talk, He also demonstrates the reign of God over and over and over again.

So shouldn't my work reflect His work? Shouldn't my yard reflect something of His creative intent? Shouldn't my yard point to a future when He will restore the earth to a state of unutterable beauty?

Gotta run. Time to get into the yard... again.

Living in Enemy Territory: Reflections on the Tragedy at Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T07:37:00.000-06:00

It has happened once again. Evil has surfaced unmistakably in a form everyone can see. The world will struggle with this for days to come, asking "why would a good and loving God allow such evil to happen?" Meanwhile the parents and friends will weep, struggling with their own questions drawn from a darkened, bottomless well of unspeakable pain and disorientation.

For believers it is a harsh reminder that the world we live in is at war. Evil is not simply an idea or an act. Evil is fueled by an individual consciousness nearly as old as creation itself. The early Christians never asked "why did God allow...?" They knew better.

The world we see is profoundly affected by a world we cannot see.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 2:1-2

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12

For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. 1 Thessalonians 2:18

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

We tend to see everything bad that happens in terms of something God allows or disallows. Yet, we also fiercely (and correctly) hold on to the idea of personal choice. We choose--which makes us responsible for our actions. We can be influenced by evil, but we are ultimately responsible for the evil we choose to do.

Angels make choices too, just like us. Millennia ago, the Bible explains that some of God's creatures rebelled. The angels sinned. Man sinned. The world as God intended devolved into moral and spiritual chaos.

Jesus came to rescue us from the enemies of our soul, both in this world and the world we cannot see.

It is true that God is sovereign. He is the Lord of Lords. He is the King. Jesus came announcing the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). He taught us to pray that God's kingdom would break through into this world, demonstrating that He is the King (Luke 11:2). He "bound the strong man" and demonstrated God's reign by restoring creation and creatures to a condition reflective of God's rule (Matthew 12:28-30), then expects you and me to "gather with Him" -- doing the same kind of ministry today.

Jesus calls the devil the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). The devil tempts Jesus by offering Him the very kingdoms under his control in exchange for worship (Luke 4:5-7): if the devil does not control the kingdoms of the world, how could Jesus be tempted? He was tempted only if it was legitimate offer by the ruler of this world.

Jesus calls Satan a liar and a murderer (John 8:44), who steals truth from the hearts of people who do not know God (Matthew 13:19), keeping them blind to the reality of a living God (2 Corinthians 4:4). He animates evil in the world, influencing and empowering those who do not know God to reject God and do everything that is offensive to God (1 John 5:19).

In the face of clear, biblical teaching, the church too often slumbers on, fumbling around trying to answers questions about "why did God allow this to happen?" rather than running to the secret place, combating the mortal enemy of the souls of mankind. We are called to do battle.

When we are responsive to Jesus and doing life under His directional control, Jesus said the gates of hell would not be able to withstand the forward movement of the church (Matthew 16:18). Far from being on the defensive, the church Jesus builds goes on the offense against an unseen army of evil at work in this world.

C. S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity:

One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is.

Do you realize where you are living today? The horrific acts of violence at Virginia Tech are a reminder that there is no place where you and I can sit down, relax, and forget about the imminent threat of evil. You and I are doing life in the middle of a battlefield that is raging... all around us... every day... right now.

growing faith

2007-04-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Romans 10:17

"…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Be careful what you pray for. When I first married, I asked God to make me a man of faith. I thought that was the thing to do. Then…

… he allowed us to experience a deep financial crisis;
… he led us to serve twice in places that couldn't support us;
… he allowed us to lose children in three pregnancies;
… he allowed me to be unemployed on 3 different occasions; and
… he allowed me to enter a surveilance mode for cancer (though still clear after 6 years).

And there's more. But you've got the picture.

Faith didn't arrive because of those experiences, but faith in God was enlarged as He led us through those experiences. In each circumstance I found myself driven for direction and comfort in God's Word. And on each occasion God spoke to me in new ways even when reading familiar passages.

Faith cannot be exercised until we know what to trust God for. We can read the Bible and not hear God. But when we turn to the Scripture with a burning thirst for direction and help, He speaks!

Faith is a response to what God says. Hearing results from the word (literally "utterance") that God impresses on your heart as you pour over the pages of the Scripture.

When God speaks, my life changes, even though my circumstances may never change to my liking. Would I pray again to become a man of faith?

In a heartbeat! I would not have wanted to live those experiences without a vital faith rumbling around in my soul -- a faith driven by encounters with God in His Word.

Grieving for the Lost

2007-04-09T06:25:00.000-06:00

Romans 9:2-3

"…I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren…"

What makes you really sad?

Imagine a circle of relationships around your life. In the middle of this circle is your life. For most of us, our response grows more intense the closer tragedy strikes. Troubles on the fringes of our world (like slavery in Sudan or persecution in India) do not concern us as much.

Paul loved those close to him. But he grieved continuously for those outside of Christ. His circle of compassion ranged wide and far. Tears were shed. Cries were made to heaven. A burden was borne.

Do we cry over the people next door who don't know Christ? Do we groan under the weight of spiritual concern for the men and women we work beside? Do we weep for our lost employer? Do we ask God to light up the darkened souls in our city and in our world?

To be like Paul means drawing the circle of our love and compassion to include anyone with a spiritual need. To have a heart for God will lead to God's heart. Are you ready?

Chosen

2007-03-30T08:35:00.000-06:00

Romans 8:15-16

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”

How can I know for certain that I am a Christian? God wants you to know your salvation as a fact. More than that, He wants to write that truth on your heart.

When our oldest daughter was four she disobeyed and was scolded. Afterwards I could see that she was not feeling very good about herself. In fact, she was devastated. For a moment I could see a lifetime of self-doubt trying to climb its way into her soul.

I took her by both shoulders, looked her in the eyes and said, "You know what? If I could pick any four-year old little girl in the whole, wide world to be mine, do you know who I would pick?"

I could see the question loom large in her eyes as she wondered. Who would Daddy choose?

"You!" I said with a smile and a hug. The clouds lifted from her face and her soul. That exchange became a game we played for years -- she needed it.

So do you. The Bible says that when we trusted Jesus' death on the cross to save us from our sins, we were saved. Period. The Bible tells me so. But that's not all. There's more…

John tells us in his first letter that we can look at our daily life. Can you see a change? People who have been born again change over time. You may look at your life and see objective evidence that your life is different. But that's not all. There's more…

The Holy Spirit lives within. He wants to convey to your heart an experiential knowledge of your sonship. As He moves you to cry "Father", He wants to open your spiritual ears to voice of God. Listen to a father's heart: "You are my child. And of all the people in the world I could bring into my family, I choose you!"

Who is cheering for you?

2007-03-29T07:11:00.000-06:00

Romans 7:24-25

"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Can you think of something that you were never any good at -- -but wanted to be? You tried your best. You took lessons. You read books. You practiced. But it was no use -- you were never going to be any good at it.

Baseball was that way for me in the second grade. Just no good. The coach did everyone a favor by leaving me on the bench most games. I got a "hit" once when the ball bounced off of my knee on a line drive to second base. I still remember the cheers from the stands as they carried me off the field -- I had never heard cheers before!

In Romans 7 Paul is expressing his frustration over sin. He wants to eradicate it completely, but as he grows, he continues to discover sin in his life like a multi-layered garbage dump.

Dear Christian, sin will be resident within you until death opens the door to heaven. You will hate things you say and things you do. You will wonder how a holy God could still love a person like you. You have not finished sinning. And there's more to come. Much more.

Can you feel Paul's anguish? "O wretched man that I am!" More importantly, can you exercise Paul's faith that ultimate deliverance will come through Jesus Christ?

The truth is none of us are going to completely master the ins and outs of a holy life. We need to know that our failures cannot keep us from the love of God.

Someday you and I will be carried off the ballfield of life by his angels -- kind of like that second grader who was no good at baseball. And there will be cheers from the welcoming saints in heaven's stands. But the loudest cheering will come from the throne!

Free!

2007-03-28T08:38:00.000-06:00

Romans 6:6

"…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

After the Civil War, emancipated slaves found themselves in a new relationship with their old masters. Imagine the feeling! It had to be a curious mixture of joy and fear…

Jeremiah moved through town as a free man, until he encountered his old master in front of the grocer. Week after week he loads the master's supplies -- just like before. The day after the war was over he celebrated his freedom, until his old master drove up and said, "load my wagon."

Why does he do it? He knows he is free. He knows he is no longer a slave to the master. Yet, he continues loading the wagon. When the old master calls, it is a lifetime of habitual responses that kicks in. Suddenly, he doesn't feel free. He feels just as he always has felt -- he feels like a slave who must respond to the master's voice.

Christian, you were really set free at the cross from the control of sin. Our old relationship to sin (called "the old man"), was destroyed when Jesus died for us. Paul explains that we have the ability to do away with the "body of sin" -- our old habitual responses and actions to the old sin master. We are free!

When the old master commands, we do not have to obey. We can live freely.

Jeremiah realized this one day. Walking along the dusty street he encountered the old master who gave the usual command to load the wagon. Jeremiah hesitates. Everything in him is ready to do as he has always done, but he is free -- and now he knows it. "Load it yourself," says Jeremiah. He walks away.

Overcoming sin begins as we accept God's truth about ourselves. Sin is no longer your master. You are free. Live like it today!

Talking About a Brother (or Sister)

2007-03-27T07:54:00.000-06:00

James 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.

Almost 20 years ago my wife and I attended a national meeting of church leaders and pastors in conflict. We were disturbed by what we heard and saw. Pastors made derogatory remarks about one another. Leaders unashamedly ridiculed brothers and sisters with differing views. The spirit and manner of the comments grieved us.

But to be honest… I find myself doing that at times. Saying or thinking something about someone in my spiritual family that James says is "evil". Why is it wrong?

We must increasingly view ourselves as one body. My brother or sister in Christ is part of me. When one hurts, I should hurt. When one is blessed, I should feel a part of the blessing too. We enjoy a union in Christ that is intimate and real.

Why is it wrong to "speak evil of" or "grumble against" a brother? What I do to them… I am doing to myself. How absurd! I might as well stand in front of a mirror and call myself names as to tear down a born again brother or sister in Christ.

James stresses that to "speak evil" is really a judging activity that belongs to God. When I reach a conclusion about a brother's character, actions or motives and then repeat that conclusion to whoever will listen -- I am assuming the role of judge. I am taking God's place.

How much better to leave judgement in the hands of our Father!

What can we positively do today to turn the tide in the church?

Determine to build up and bless everyone you talk to and talk about;

Set your heart against a complaining, critical spirit; and

Graciously refuse to listen or tolerate "evil speaking" about others.

Sounds easy enough doesn't it? Yet I assure you that success will require a supernatural driver in your soul: the Holy Spirit Himself. Ask him to guide your speech and attitudes throughout the day.

Transparency and Truth-Telling

2007-03-23T05:57:00.000-06:00

Colossians 3:9 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.

James 5:16 - Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

It had been a fairly ordinary retreat experience. The mountain setting made it easy to reflect and evaluate my walk with God. During our final session, the leader of the retreat led about 25 of us in a time of sharing: what had God done in our lives through our study and time together?

No one said anything for a long time. Finally, one of the single women stood and moved to the front of the group. She was trembling - obviously scared and nervous about what she wanted to say. Tears welled up in her eyes as she began to speak. "I'm pregnant," she confessed. She had been dating an unbeliever and the unthinkable had happened. After sharing her story she said, "I am so sorry everyone, please forgive me -- I need you right now so much…"

Immediately one of the women spoke, "We forgive you." The group surrounded her for prayer and encouragement. After many minutes, we sat back down. It was only the beginning of what God wanted to do that afternoon… soon someone else spoke up. Another confession was made. Then another. And another… and still another. Relationships were mended. Deep needs and fears were expressed. Wrongs were uncovered through confession, covered over with forgiveness, and then put away forever.

For almost 5 hours our group became honest with each other and before God. The sharing was discreet (no unwholesome details), but open and full. Little was held back as God's Spirit took us to a new place of trust and oneness as the people of God. How refreshed and alive we felt when it was over!

Back in our home church the next day, worship was different. Our greetings were transformed -- less casual, more personal -- more like family. More like heaven. More like home. We were made for this and finally were experiencing a taste of our privilege as God's children! It was glorious.

Twenty years later, the experience remains vivid. The Lord still whispers the fragrance of that time across my heart, "this is My church". Church as He intends it to be.

When we hide from each other it is safe and comfortable, but it is also lonely. We are missing so much. We live in a world of people looking for a safe place to be open and honest. A place where they can be known… and still be loved. Individual spiritual growth explodes in the fertile soil of mutual love and trust. How can we help create a place like that?

Become a truth-seeking person -- pray that God will open our hearts to each other. The retreat situation described above was the result of several years of asking;

Become a truth-keeping person -- what is shared stays with you and goes no further; and

Become a truth-telling person -- when you feel led to take the risk, honestly share your weakness and need with other brothers and sisters.

Esteem

2007-03-21T07:41:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

It has been over 20 years... the man was seen on national television by millions each week. Bill had acted in 25 feature films with superstars. He made more money in a month than I made in two years. He was continuously reading scripts on upcoming film roles and commercials -- he was a success by every material definition. And I was sitting in his dressing room on the backlot of a major studio.

For two years Bill had been attending our worship services in Beverly Hills, California. He would come in and sit in the back, slipping out during the last song to avoid talking with church members or pastors -- he was painfully shy! He had recently committed his life to Christ. I called him to see if we could place him in a service role in the church -- due to his shooting schedule he apologetically asked if I could drop by his dressing room on the studio lot. "Sure!" I said.

Bill was overwhelmed that I would take time out of my busy schedule to come see him at work! He hated to bother me, but was willing to serve if we had a place for him. I was dumbstruck by his attitude, which was absolutely void of pretense or condescension. He felt unworthy to do what we wanted him to do. He valued highly his relationships with others in the church -- some wealthy, some on welfare -- it didn't matter. In his mind they were light years ahead of him in their walk with God.

I left the studio with a sense of brokenness that afternoon. Bill valued my position as a child of God more than I did. He greatly honored and treasured his church family. He truly "esteemed others better than himself."

Submission

2007-03-20T09:04:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 5:19-21 …submitting to one another in the fear of God.

1 Peter 5:5 …all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Submission. What images come to mind when you think of this word? Are any of them positive? In our culture we value independence and self-preservation -- submission is viewed as destructive to our personal worth. Submission exposes us to abuse. It is demeaning.

Yet Paul and Peter direct us to submit ourselves to each other. Far from being destructive, submission to my brothers and sisters is a pathway to an increase of God's grace in my life and the growth of His church.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, "It is the picture of soldiers in a regiment, soldiers in a line under an officer. The characteristic of a man in that position is this, that he is no longer an individual; he is now a member of a regiment; and all of them together are listening to the commands and the instructions which the officer is issuing to them."

In a war there is no safe place for self-seeking, individualistic soldiers on the front line. Not only will the individual be in danger -- but so will the entire company! We are called to submerge self-interest in a pursuit of the highest good for others. That's why we are here. That is our mission. That's why we are told to submit "in the fear of God" -- not to do so is a denial of His purpose for our lives.

So what does it look like when I do this "submission"? Paul prefaces the command to mutually submit with these directions…

to daily let God control my decisions, actions, and speech -- His Spirit will guide my "submission" in serving others in my church family (Ephesians 5:18);
to engage in meaningful, heart-felt worship with other Christians -- with a focus on encouraging others in their efforts to live for God (Ephesians 5:19); and
to maintain a sense that all I am and all I have is a gift from God -- to be continually conscious of what He has done for me in Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

Think about it. If you are seeking God's rule in your life, why wouldn't I take care to listen to what you have to say? If you are trying to encourage my walk with God, why wouldn't I try to encourage you in return? If I am daily conscious of the cross (where Jesus gave His life for me), how could I do less than lay down my life for you? If I have already been given everything I really need, why would I try to get more at your expense?

The implications are endless, but the point is clear: when I have found all my joy in Christ, I am free to serve you. You can come first. I no longer have to look out for "number one"!

One more thing… what about abuse? What about occasions where we are asked to do what is sinful or illegal? Submission does not mean we should commit sin, facilitate the sinful behavior of others, or compromise our faith. On those occasions we must stand firm with grace, kindness, a quickness to listen, and in the Spirit -- but we cannot participate in evil.

Bearing the Unbearable

2007-03-16T06:05:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 4:2 …with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love...

Colossians 3:13 …bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

A grandmother celebrating her golden wedding anniversary, once told the secret of her long and happy marriage. "On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband's faults which, for the sake of our marriage, I would overlook," she said.

A guest asked the woman to share what some of the faults she listed. She replied, "To tell you the truth, I never did get around to listing them. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself: Lucky for him that's one of the ten!"

"To bear" with someone literally means "to hold one's self up". I shouldn't react to irritation or provocation, rather I am to wait patiently until the problem has passed. Can I do this in my own strength? Perhaps, but not without physical or emotional consequences to myself.

Paul is not directing us to simply "suck it up" and "gut it out" when someone offends us; we are to bring positive responses to the relationship. Paul encourages us to bear with one another in a way that is marked by humility, gentleness, love, kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness! What an awesome assignment!

How can I do this? Paul answers "even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do" and "even as God in Christ forgave you." These phrases remind me that God's forgiveness of my sin is:

Undeserved - I really offended God. Forgiveness was granted to me when I deserved punishment. He could have "chewed" me out and been absolutely right to do it --but He didn't do it to me -- and I shouldn't do it to a brother or sister who sets me off.

Unrestricted - He included each and every offense in His forgiveness of me. He never says "that's it, I've had enough! I've had all I can stand!"

Unending - He never changes His resolve to forgive. I am not forgiven, then later reminded of all the things He has overlooked. He will not give forgiveness then retrieve it at some time in the future.

Only the Spirit of God can empower me to do this with others. Since He has the willingness to do this for me -- I should stand ready to do this for the ones who offend and wound me in my world.

Like the grandmother in our story, I can decide ahead of time that every offense made against me is already on the list - "one of the ten!"

100% Messed Up

2007-03-15T08:37:00.000-06:00

Galatians 6:1-2 "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

During a high school football game a play was called that I could not remember. As a lineman I knew my job was to drive my opponent out of the way for the ball carrier -- but which way? When the ball was put in motion, I hesitated -- then drove my opponent into the path of the man running the ball! Oops!

Well, Saturday mornings were special times for the team: we reviewed the game film from the night before! When my play came up, the coach caught my hesitation on film, played it back a couple of times, sighed heavily and in front of the team said, "Pucik, if you're going to make a mistake, do it 100%!"

Not very encouraging, but it was a lesson I never forgot.

Paul points out for us that in church we will encounter believers who have blown it spiritually -- 100% messed up. They already feel bad -- beaten up on the inside by the sin they have committed. What can we do for them?

Line my life up with the Spirit -- Paul describes the helping brother as "spiritual" - a person deeply involved with the Spirit of God. It is impossible to provide support and encouragement when my own life is marked by sin's control.
Be sure my purpose is to "restore" -- Paul uses a medical term for "setting a broken bone or dislocated joint". Don't beat up the beaten soul!
Cloak my words and manner with "gentleness" -- approach with care and with not intent to cause harm.

Paul describes this process as bearing "one another's burdens" -- loads that we cannot carry alone. When we have blown it, how very much we need encouragement and gracious words. Most of the erring souls we deal with are knee-deep in self-condemnation and a consciousness of personal failure.

Are we going to add to the burden today? Or make it lighter with a word of encouragement and simple redirection?

Pure Provocation

2007-03-14T05:44:00.000-06:00

Galatians 5:25-26 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."

Advice to a young man starting his first job: "You're likely to be nervous at first, but don't let it upset you. I, too, was frustrated, bewildered and subdued. It works like this, so don't worry: The first year you're on the staff, you will ask yourself what am I doing here? After a while you will have another question: What are the rest of 'em doing here?"

Paul warns us in his letter to the Galatians of one of the dangers of spiritual development over time: conceit. After encouraging us to walk in the Spirit (under His control, guidance and prompting), Paul directs us to avoid sliding into an empty pursuit of attention and respect from others. It makes us easily irritated and jealous of others in the family of God when we do not receive the praise when something good happens.

A Spirit-focused walk will provoke our spiritual family members to love and service. Rather than creating ill-feeling in others, we will cause those around us to desire another level -- a higher place -- a purer devotion -- in their walk with God.

The writer of Hebrews suggests that we have to think about how to do this. Irritating others requires little effort or forethought. Challenging others to love more… requires deep reflection and openness to the Spirit of God.

Do you consistently rub people the wrong way -- or the right way?

The Art of Pausing for People

2007-03-13T08:26:00.000-06:00

1 Corinthians 11:33

Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous...

Do you remember rushing to get the best place in the lunch line as a kid? Do you still see that behavior during morning rush hour? I do… and sometimes it's me trying to get that "vital" space ahead of someone else. It's stupid.

In Corinth, Paul learned believers were eating up the potluck dishes before others arrived. How rude! Yet it was being done with relish! (no pun intended) Paul directed the Corinthians to "wait for one another". And Peter elaborates on this idea by encouraging his readers to "be tenderhearted, be courteous".

But this outward courtesy begins in the heart. Peter tells us to have "compassion for one another". This simply means to "feel together" in a mutual way.

Do you have feelings when you hear of pain in a brother's life? If so, what do you feel? In church I hear often of the pains and difficulties of others -- and I fear it is way too easy to become "numb" to the hurts of others.

Could I "wait" on a brother or sister today? When confronted with another's needs, will I pause… really bring a full stop to my forward movement… to think how he/she must feel before I rush ahead with the meeting of my own agenda for the day?

Doing Relationships with the Light On

2007-03-12T08:53:00.000-06:00

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…

In the 1950's Mamie Eisenhower was living in the White House with her husband, President Dwight Eisenhower. One night her nose was all stopped up and she reached for a jar of Vicks on her bedside table. He writes, "During the night when I woke up, I reached over to put some in my nostrils. Well, it seemed to just get drier, instead of moister, so I kept applying more and more. I didn't want to wake up Ike, so I didn't turn on my light. Then in the morning I discovered that I was using INK to cure my cold." She also discovered that there were black splotches all over her, Ike, the sheets, headboard, and pink dust ruffle!

Has that ever happened to you?

Trying to do something in the dark can often turn out much differently than we intend. That is precisely what the apostle John is revealing to us about relationships.

"Light" is used here to describe our understanding and experience of God's truth. As we apply God's instructions to our daily interactions with others, we are "walking in the light" in much the way Jesus did 2000 years ago. Jesus put it this way: "…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me… I always do what pleases him." John 8:28b, 29b

My walk with God will naturally and positively impact my walk with others.

Are you having a series of problem relationships in your church? Are there members of your church family that you avoid or can't stand? Are there past hurts in your heart that are keeping you from relating to someone else?

These are the "black splotches" that can result from trying to manage our relationships "in the dark". Listen - don't be like Mamie… turn the light on! The remedy for the problem does not lie in rushing to your problem people and trying to fix them. The answer begins first by checking in with the Lord. Let Him speak to you about those problem relationships. Allow Him to guide you in your efforts to repair the damage. Do it when and where and in the manner He directs.

Walk in the light… like Jesus did.

Weekend Wanderings

2007-03-11T06:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I met for several hours with a group of pastors serving in the Arkansas Delta.

The Delta region is geographically flat and historically agricultural. For many years, the towns have been shrinking in population as each generation that can, escapes to the dream of a better life elsewhere.

What a challenging assignment: each one was devoted to his task of caring for his church, but also deeply concerned for reaching out to families caught in deep, generational patterns of poverty.

Rarely will you meet real heroes. But these guys are mine.

The Power of a Greeting

2007-03-09T09:26:00.000-06:00

Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1 Corinthians 16:20 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
2 Corinthians 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1 Thessalonians 5:26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
1 Peter 5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Do you remember your first kiss? Sure you do! What makes it so special? What is it about a kiss that so captures the imagination and heart of our culture?

Let me suggest that with a kiss we are communicating our affection and acceptance of another person. Intimacy. Warmth. With just a kiss.

Every culture has a way of doing that, but we have done it for centuries with a kiss. Two millennia have not altered the basic message. Paul wants us to greet one another with the highest form of affection.

How can we do this today?

(1) Determine to take every instance of greeting seriously - Paul is really issuing a command to obey. Greeting one another is a non-optional activity. So we ought to carefully reflect on how we normally greet others. We should avoid simple protocol greetings when possible -- let's get real!

(2) Take the focus off yourself and place it on the other person - Think about the kind of recognition you would want to receive. Think about the times when a poor greeting was hurtful to you.

(3) Learn and use a person’s name in your greeting - Think of the other person as family. Knowing and using a name is a measure of a person’s significance to you. Paul greeted no less than 25 persons by name in Romans 16 in a city he had never visited! Names are vital.

(4) Bless the person with affirmation and interest - “Pause” for the person as you greet them. Acknowledge enduring qualities you appreciate about them. Ask them genuine, probing questions. Introduce them to others with words of affirmation.

(5) And yes - do use an appropriate physical expression of affection - Paul stresses use of the “holy kiss” -- please understand that he was referring to greetings between the same sexes! While the function of greeting never changes, but the physical form may vary from culture to culture. Whether it's a warm handshake and a hug, a squeeze of a shoulder or arm, or a simple pat on the back - we must not offend or tempt others with the physical form of our greeting. But don't be afraid to display warm affection.

How to "Choose Up Sides" in Church

2007-03-08T06:21:00.000-06:00

Romans 15:7
Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

It's happening on playgrounds all around our country today… and it happens in churches too. Groups get ready to choose up sides and someone is chosen last. "Arrrggghhh!" as Charlie Brown used to say -- what a terrible feeling to be unwanted and unwelcomed.

Paul says we are to "receive one another" -- I do it for you and you do it for me. In the New Testament this means:

to take or receive someone/something to oneself, to admit, or to receive;
to take someone aside for a private conversation; or
to welcome/accept someone as a close friend.

And Paul says I am to do this "as Christ received" me! In Him I find what many spend a lifetime searching for: someone who will "choose me" every time. Someone who treats me like I am His favorite. Someone who does not allow disagreements or barriers to create distance between us. Someone who isn't preoccupied with himself or his needs -- but who has time to listen to me. Someone I do not have to be afraid of. Someone whose motives are genuine -- He will not use me and then lose me.

How can I do that for someone else? If Jesus accepts me, I can afford to give to others without expecting a return on my investment. After all, He gave all for me -- with no cost to me, but at great cost to Himself. I can set my heart to be like Jesus to others.

I can trust that God is at work in every person I encounter. I can look for the hand of God in every heart -- that qualifies a person to be treated with care by me. I can place my faith in God’s working, not in people -- they will let me down, but if God is at work in them… I think I can be willing to be hurt by those I accept.
I can act as if all conditions for intimacy were already fulfilled. I don't have to make people earn my acceptance or love.
I can cover areas of offense or disagreement with love.
I can ask questions to know people on the deepest level. I can avoid the superficial encounters.
I can take people to others and introduce them -- facilitating their acceptance into a group.
I can talk about people to others and tell their story.
I can be intentional about including others in the ministry of my church by giving them a job to do -- so they will gain a sense of belonging.

I suspect most of us feel like the kid on the playground that never gets picked to play. Remember today that Jesus always chooses you -- so now you go choose someone else. Go ahead -- you're already on the best team! Make a difference -- welcome someone into your life with warmth and affection.

Let's Get Salty!

2007-03-07T06:09:00.000-06:00

Mark 9:50

Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

What an odd passage! If you find it a bit of a challenge to understand -- you are not alone. There are a couple dozen different scholarly interpretations. Nevertheless, Jesus said we are to "have peace with one another" -- of that we are sure. Let's see if we can figure out what He meant…

The day had been long and difficult as Jesus entered a house in Capernaum to rest. Being aware of intense conversation among His followers on the way in, he asks: "What were you arguing about on the road?"

The disciples had been arguing over who was greatest among the followers of Jesus… but they said nothing. So, sitting down, Jesus placed a small child among them and began to teach them that greatness lies in quiet service of others. We are to welcome and encourage the "little ones" who believe -- even more than the highly gifted and popular ones who believe. Jesus issued a warning against offending and wounding such valued members of His family -- the ones who were the true "greats".

Then he talks about salt! Salt in the Old Testament was used to flavor food, season sacrifices and seal covenants. In Leviticus 2:13 salt is offered with a grain offering as a symbol of the promised, unbreakable relationship between God and His people. It was customary to exchange a measure of salt when making a legal agreement as a symbol of the incorruptibility of the deal. Salt was a preservative.

Disciples fighting over "greatness" are driven by a selfishness that works against the care and honor of the "little ones" in the family of God. We possess a oneness in Christ that he wants us to maintain and preserve -- in much the way that salt preserves food and is a symbol of a binding agreement.

Selfish ambition renders us unfit as a living sacrifice for God's use, so Jesus says "get salty"! Be at peace with your brothers and sisters -- especially the "little ones" who seem less important and worthy. Recognize the family relationship and act like family.

Do we argue today about greatness among the brothers? Well, let's see…

Have you ever thought you were closer to God than another brother or sister?

Have you ever rejected a brother or sister because they held an "inferior" understanding of the Bible? (e.g., Baptist, charismatic etc.)

Have you ever felt your position in the church elevated you to a place of greater honor?

Have you ever put down the ministry of another church that was being blessed by God? You know -- a little bit of jealousy? ("There has to be something wrong with what they're doing over there!")

When you took a class, read a book, or obtained a level of education/training that others did not have -- did you feel a "bit ahead" of other believers?

Did you ever feel like you didn't need to listen to another believer because they were young or inexperienced?

Wow! JESUS IS SPEAKING to each of us about the care we need to bring to every conversation and relationship with our family. Let's set our hearts to maintain peace through recognition of our family ties. Let's get "salty"!

People: God's Penny Jars

2007-03-06T07:29:00.000-06:00

Romans 14:19

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

I use to have a penny jar at home… not any more. Let me tell you what happened. Day by day I used to empty my pocket change into my penny jar, but as my kids got older, I noticed the level of saved change began going down! While I was adding to the jar regularly, someone else (I will not name names) was taking my contributions away -- the result? No more change for emergency Big Mac attacks!

That really captures what Paul is dealing with in Romans 14. God is building a bride for His Son and we are very much a part of the process. In the church we are called to "edify" or build each other up -- not to tear each other down. The way we speak to each other and the way we treat each other adds to what God is doing or detracts from it.

So pretend the church today is like a great, big penny jar for God. Every day He adds to our lives as we read His Word and spend time alone with Him in prayer. With a deep affection, He encourages us, guides us, corrects us -- whatever it takes to build us up into a mature, godly lover of Jesus Christ. The level in the penny jar is raised daily as we walk with Him.

And as we come to interact with other members of His family, He intends that the building continue. But does it? Or do we take away from what God is doing in others? In every conversation I have a decision to make: will I add to this person's life or not? Worse yet: am I going to pilfer what God has stored up in this person? Sound like an odd concept? Consider the range of decisions we can consciously make when we encounter a brother or sister in Christ. Some quick examples…

In general conversation: am I going to speak about my needs or focus on encouraging someone else?

When I hear of a brother's failure or weakness: am I going to spread damaging information about him or be graciously silent?

When we disagree: am I going to argue my position or listen to your heart?

Every member of my family needs my contribution to his or her life. God made us that way -- and I need your contribution too!

Let's stop pilfering from the "penny jar of God" in the hearts of others. Let's start emptying pockets of kindness into each other's lives. Let's do it today!

The church needs more attitude...

2007-03-05T07:09:00.000-06:00

Romans 12:16

Be of the same mind toward one another…

Romans 15:5

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus…

It happens more and more. My wife and I will turn to each other with the same thoughts -- and often the same words on our lips -- at the same time! After years of loving together we often can anticipate what the other is thinking or feeling.

Did you know church is to be like that? As we come together for a common purpose to exalt Christ in our lives, we will find ourselves experiencing a oneness of thought and mission. We should work at achieving oneness (Romans 12:16), but Paul later adds that we should ask God to give us a sameness of mind (Romans 15:5). So we should work for unity -- but we should also ask for it in prayer.

Then where do church conflicts come from? Pride. And pride is a state of mind that flourishes in a climate of putting down the ideas of others and exalting our views.

Can we disagree and still "be of the same mind"? Yes, but only if we assume a fundamental respect for the motives of others who -- like us -- belong to the family of God. Our oneness lies in a common motive to please God -- not in agreement on every issue or scruple.

So how can we be "of the same mind" towards one another? Assume an attitude that every other believer has equal access to God -- just like you. Therefore, their thoughts are as potentially inspired and significant as your own. No one has a corner on the market of "divine insights". I must humble myself to consider with care the thoughts of my brother. I need to listen. I need to pay attention. What he is thinking may match or enhance what I am thinking -- I need to respect his conclusions and rationale.

"The same mind" does not refer to agreement in all things, but to an attitude.

Estimating the Value of a Human Soul

2007-03-04T06:51:00.000-06:00

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

Her words have stayed with me for all of my adult life. I was 18 years old. As a second-time guest at a Bible study, the youth pastor's wife introduced me to several other kids by saying, "This is Don - he is a really neat guy - you need to get to know him!"

Me? A "really neat guy"?

What she did was esteem me before others. She expressed a value for me that I did not even possess for myself. By introducing me to others as a valuable, worthy person, she used the occasion as an opportunity to exercise love.

She determined my worth and value by the way she talked about me. This is the essence of the word "honor."

Most of us in the church family are more conscious of our personal "ugliness" than anyone will ever know. We beat ourselves up and often come to church beaten by the world. Should church be a place that adds to our sense of failure and insecurity?

Of course not! Honor someone with value and affirmation today. A kind word and a smile. A hug and a warm embrace. A note or a quick phone call. Any soul Jesus died for was a soul of eternal worth and value to Him. We are not flattering people: we are establishing their true worth in the sight of God.

Why should we value others any less than He did?

The Big Clue!

2007-03-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Loving one another: Jesus Himself calls you and me to freely give love to each other. Some quick observations…

Loving one another is non-optional - "a new commandment I give to you" - I must do it whether I feel like it or not.

Loving one another means loving others like Jesus loves - "as I have loved you" - I must lay down my life to enhance the lives of others -- their needs before my needs.

Loving one another marks me as a follower of Christ before a watching world - "all will know that you are My disciples" - our mutual love for each other will draw a watching world that is hungry for what we have.

Although the word used by Jesus refers primarily to an act of the will, Peter would later add that we are to love one another "earnestly from the heart" - with heat and passion and feeling.

Imagine with me a church full of members doing this. Sacrificially loving each other with great affection in an open, flagrant manner. What would it look like? What would it feel like?

When can we start?

Now that the meal is over...

2007-03-02T09:50:00.000-06:00

John 13:12-14

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

What do you like to do when you are finished eating a meal? Take a nap? Read the paper? Watch TV?

The night before Jesus died on a cross, He shared a final meal with his key leaders. He had poured Himself into their lives and was squeezing in a final teaching time before His departure. Washing feet was the servant's task in a household populated by people who walked around outside in sandals through dusty, dirty streets and fields. Typically feet were washed as guests entered the home and before meal time.

At the Last Supper, no one volunteered to do it. Jesus finally did it Himself, after the meal was concluded. He stated flatly "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet."

Washing feet on a full stomach… doesn't sound great, smell right, or feel good. In this age of senior, executive-style leadership models, foot washers are hard to find. What does it mean to wash feet today?

Could it mean pulling preschool duty or teaching children on Sunday morning?
Could it mean rolling up your sleeves and taking on a responsibility in your Sunday School class or small group?
Could it mean greeting guests in the parking lot or in the worship center?
Could it mean hanging around after service to listen to a hurting brother or sister?
Could it mean meeting a practical need in our care n' share ministry?
Could it mean inviting some church people over for dinner?
Could it mean keeping children for a young couple to get out for awhile -- for free?
Could it mean coming to church early to pray over the places hurting people will be sitting and listening?
Could it mean giving a senior a ride to the grocery store or beauty shop?
Could it really mean ________________? (you fill in the blank)

Not very glamorous is it? But then neither is washing feet!

If you enjoyed the sermon, the worship, and the class study time -- then you are truly well fed! The meal is over - what will you do now?

Members of One Another

2007-03-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

During a hike through the woods, a troop of Boy Scouts came upon a short stretch of abandoned railroad track. One by one they each tried to walk the rails from one end to the other, but every one of them lost his balance and fell off. Suddenly, two of the boys, after considerable whispering, bet that they could both walk to the end of the rails without falling. The others laughed and challenged them to prove it. The two got on the track, one on each rail, grasped each other's hand, and started walking. This time they had no trouble keeping their balance and managed to walk the entire length of the track without falling.

God never intended that we walk alone through life's ups and downs. In Romans 12:4, the Apostle Paul explains this truth by comparing the members of a church to the different parts of the human body. Drawing on this metaphor, Paul says that Christians are each members of the body of Christ -- each of us serving a different purpose in keeping the church alive and healthy. But he goes deeper -- much deeper: we are also members of each other!

This truth is the foundation for "reciprocal living". Because I am intimately bonded to all other believers through the person of the Holy Spirit (Who lives inside every Christian), it becomes immediately clear that whatever I do to you -- I am really doing to myself!

Paul illustrates this fact in Ephesians 4:25. He instructs us to put away lying and to speak truth always. Why? "For we are members of one another". If I lie to you -- I am lying to me!

Do you sense the bond you share with all Christians? Is your heart tender towards your brothers and sisters who are hurting or in need? They are family… they are part of you because they are part of Him.

But Wait! There’s More!

2007-02-28T11:23:00.000-06:00

Read Romans 8:22-27

Do you recall the famous Ronco commercials? Did you ever find yourself wishing you had a Mr. Microphone, the Pocket Fisherman, the Dial-O-Matic Food Slicer, or the Smokeless Ashtray? Ron Popeil the inventor revolutionized the ad industry with his sales pitch: It cuts, it slices, it dices—but wait! There’s more!

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul is not selling gadgets, but as he teaches young Christians how to respond to the ups and downs of this life, he holds them spellbound: Jesus forgives, He transforms, He guides—but wait! There’s more!

On Pentecost Sunday we remember how Jesus returns to dwell among His people in the Person of His Spirit. In this passage, Paul unveils three ways the Holy Spirit impacts our hearts after He comes to live inside us. His Presence causes me to:

Long for the unimaginable. (vs. 22-23)

In the West, we spend enormous amounts of time and money on our health. We go to great lengths to extend the length and quality of our lives. In the United States, we have succeeded in raising our life expectancy a full ten years ahead of the world average (Source: EarthTrends http://www.earthtrends.wri.org/).

Nevertheless, despite our best efforts to combat our mortality, Paul says all creation “groans” under the weight of sin’s damaging effects (vs. 22). Everything and everyone is vulnerable to illness, disease, injury and death.

Can you imagine life in a body free of frailty, weakness, imperfection, or aging processes? Paul can! He explains that when the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside your body, He births in you a desire for God to hurry up and finish the process of adoption: setting you completely free from everything that interferes or impedes your relationship to God as His child.

Throughout your lifetime, God wants to free you from the guilt and dominance of sin—but wait! There’s more! He also wants to free you from the destructive effects of sin on your physical body (vs. 23). This is the unimaginable final act of redemption that occurs after this life: when God provides every believer with a new body unstained and free from the presence of sin.

Hope for the unseen. (vs. 24-25)

An ad for a small business consultant reads: You work long hours, have no time to relax, no time for your family, you're often stressed and disillusioned that your dream has turned into a nightmare, and you feel more like a prisoner than a king!

Unfortunately, that describes what often happens when we pursue earthly dreams—they rarely deliver what we expected. It is normal to dream of a place or situation or relationship that could fulfill the deepest longings. We need dreams. They keep us going and they give us a reason to live.

Paul uses a different word to describe our dreams: hope.

The Holy Spirit forms in us a desire to be free from sin’s awful effects in this life. But wait! There’s more! When we were saved, Paul says we were infused with a new hope for ultimate fulfillment (vs. 24)—not here—but there with Jesus in an unseen place and time (vs. 25).

Peter agrees with Paul, explaining that God creates a “living hope” inside every Christian when they are born again. It is a hope for “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled”—it will not be a disappointment. It is a hope that is “reserved in heaven”—it cannot be found in earthly, ambitious, life-consuming pursuits (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Pray for the unknown. (vs. 26-27)

The Holy Spirit fashions in me an unimaginable longing for a new life free from sin and an expectation that one day my deepest desires will be fulfilled. But wait! There’s more! He also helps me pray effectively.

Why is that significant? If prayer is asking and expecting God to do what He wants to do (1 John 5:14-15), how can I pray when I do not know what God wants to do? I need help!

Have you ever had your hands in the sink when the phone rings? Or perhaps you were working in the garage and your hands were too dirty to hold the phone? Did someone hold the phone up to your ear so you could talk?

When you pray with the purpose of asking God to do His will, Paul explains that it is like “holding up the phone” so that the Holy Spirit and God the Father can talk. The Spirit literally joins in to help you pray (vs. 26), but His mysterious, non-verbal intercession is “according to the will of God” (vs. 27).

At the end of a movie I saw not long ago, most of the theater-goers got up to leave as the credits began to roll—but the film was not over! There were several minutes more of humorous outtakes to enjoy!

We may be forgiven, saved, and born again. But wait! The Father is not finished with us. There’s more!

The Problem of Ineffective Christianity

2007-02-27T06:12:00.000-06:00

Read Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

On July 20, 2004 Jason Clauss and his brother went surfing on a beautiful summer day off the coast of Long Island, New York. At the end of several hours of fun, Jason returned to shore and had removed his wetsuit when he heard cries for help offshore. Two brothers had been pulled out to sea by a riptide and were struggling to stay afloat. Grabbing his board, Jason plunged into the icy waters and managed to rescue one of the boys. The body of the other boy was never found. Whenever someone calls Jason a “hero” he brushes it off saying: “The other kid is still out there.” (Source: Doug Colligan, Rough Waters, Reader’s Digest, March 2005, p. 31)

How many Christians through the ages have struggled with “ineffectiveness”? Faithfully sharing the good news, they are delighted when someone comes to faith—but devastated when someone “falls away.” The good news can change a human heart forever, but it doesn’t always happen that way—leaving many sincere Christians with disturbing questions about what went wrong.

We will not always experience success in our sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 13 anticipates the discouragement that His disciples (and future generations) would face in sharing the gospel. Jesus does not want us to be surprised -- He wants us to understand what is happening.

Through a simple story about a farmer broadcasting seed, Jesus explains that the successful transformation of a human life requires three elements.

The seed represents the message of redemption (13:19). The message of salvation is powerful. Paul would later describe the gospel message as God’s power to change a human heart (Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:18). Power like that cannot fail!

The sower represents anyone who shares the good news (13:18-19). Although Jesus Christ is the ultimate “sower” (13:37), He uses Christians as His hands and feet in the act of redemption. If Jesus is the one who sows the truth, then the sower does not fail!

The soils represent the hearts of the hearers and how they respond to the good news (13:1-9). Four very different responses to Jesus are described, but only one heart is really transformed (13:23). The problem of “ineffective Christianity” does not lie in the seed or the sower, but in the soil!

Armed with this vital insight, we can begin to understand why the good news doesn’t change everyone who hears it. There are four very different heart responses.

There are people who simply will not care. (vs. 19)

As the sower scatters seed in the air, some of it lands on the hard, dusty trail beside the field. The birds quickly snatch up the easy meal. The message never had a chance! This soil represents people who hear with little or no comprehension of the truth. They do not even try to absorb what they are hearing. Preoccupied with other issues on their mind, they are demonically distracted and become indifferent to our message.

There are people who will like what they hear, but will not be changed by what they hear. (vs. 20-21)

Some of the scattered seed lands in shallow, rocky soil. It germinates, but cannot survive when the sun’s heat dries out the vulnerable root system. Jesus said this describes a heart initially moved by the good news, but not really motivated by the good news. Expressing great emotion and excitement, this person is void of any real commitment to Christ. As soon as trouble or persecution erupts because of their close association with Christ, they will fade and abandon the race.

There are people who will partially commit themselves without a full commitment. (vs. 22)

The seeds also land in a patch of thorns. In time, the dominant thorns crowd out the seed, causing it to die and become fruitless. Partial commitment describes a heart trying to nourish multiple sets of lifestyles, passions and pursuits. Because this person accepts the gospel as one of many other interests and ambitions, competing passions obstruct genuine conversion. Career ambitions, financial goals, and recreational pursuits can easily crowd out an authentic commitment to Jesus Christ.

There are people who will absolutely give their lives to the truth and lead others to do the same. (vs.23)

Some of the seed lands on good soil, yielding an abundant harvest. Jesus said this soil represents people who hear and understands the message. This person alone understands the full implications of what it means to follow Jesus Christ in total commitment. The responsive heart is marked by a drive to reproduce itself in the hearts of others. Not satisfied with just hearing the truth, this person is ready to give away life for the sake of others.

Safe in Jesus?

2007-02-26T06:23:00.000-06:00

Read 1 John 5:9-13

As a group of young, neighborhood friends, we were playing a fierce game of tag, running through backyards and between houses. I was being hotly pursued, when I sped around the corner of a house and saw him: a huge, tethered dog staring at me from a back patio! He barked and lunged at me. I stumbled backward and landed hard on my pride. As the beast approached, I did not feel safe—until he reached the end of his chain and stopped abruptly.

In that moment, I wanted immediate answers to some basic questions! Was I at a safe distance? Would the chain hold the beast back? How could I get out of this predicament?

Have you ever questioned whether you were really saved? I may believe the facts of the Gospel and I may believe in God’s ability to forgive my sins—but how can I know it all applies to me personally?

Based on John’s teaching, there are three diagnostic questions you can use to determine whether you are “safe in Jesus” and be certain of your salvation.

Does the Holy Spirit live inside you as a messenger of God’s truth and love? (vs. 9-10)

John explains that God is a witness to the identity and work of His Son. He did not want to leave you in the dark! In the gospels, God the Father verbally identified Jesus as His Son on two different occasions (Matthew 3:16-17 and Matthew 17:5). God the Father clearly tells you who Jesus is: the Son sent to die for you, setting you free from sin’s power and penalty.

How does He communicate His witness to your heart? John says, “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself…” (1 John 5:10). When someone hears the good news and responds—turning from sin and trusting in Christ’s work on the cross—the Holy Spirit has played a significant role. He not only convicts, but at the moment of decision, He comes inside the new believer.

In Romans 8:9, the apostle Paul writes: “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” The presence of the Holy Spirit in you—the witness of the Father—is the greatest assurance that you are safe in Jesus.

In Romans 8:16, Paul adds, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” The Father wants you to know that you are His child, so He interacts with you and communicates to you through the most intimate means possible: His Spirit living inside your body (Colossians 1:27).

Are you experiencing a growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ? (vs. 11-12)

Visiting a friend at a large corporate headquarters, I had to wait in a comfortable lobby behind locked doors while he made his way downstairs to meet me. Once he arrived, I was free to enter and move around the building, so long as I was with my friend. If I had my friend with me, I had access. No friend, no access.

John writes, “He who has the Son has life.” Eternal life is not a promise, but it resides in a Person. Other religions may offer a different path to heaven, but God does not offer a path to eternal life—He offers a Person who says, “Follow Me!”

If you are growing in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ through His Spirit and His Word, you can know that you are safe in Jesus.

Is your faith resulting in a changed life? (vs. 13)

The Holy Spirit is at work inside us, confirming God’s Word. Jesus lives in relationship with us, engaging us to follow Him. With these powerful influences at work within us, our lives should change.

John says, “These things I have written to you... that you may know you have eternal life.” What things? Throughout John’s letter, he explains that inner transformation results in outer reformation of our attitudes and behaviors. Over time, I should see real change in my life such as:

· A readiness to obey God (1 John 2:3);
· A sincere love for other Christians (1 John 3:14); and
· A concrete, practical response to those in need (1 John 3:18).

Over and over again, John indicates that if I am not changing outwardly, I am not being honest with myself or with others about my true spiritual condition (e.g. 1 John 1:6; 2:4, 9-11; 4:20).

Staring into the eyes of that angry dog years ago, I was able to conclude that he was chained up securely and couldn’t reach me. I got up and brushed myself off. Then with great relief and confidence, I walked away from the snarling beast—absolutely safe.

In the same way, you need to reach a conclusion regarding your personal experience of salvation. Ask the right questions. Be honest with yourself as you examine your own heart. Sin and hell would devour you if they could—but in Jesus, you can find a safe place—forever!

Mission Possible!

2007-02-25T06:15:00.000-06:00

Read Isaiah 6:1-8

In the TV series Mission Impossible, Jim Phelps received his secret mission assignments from a mysterious voice on a tape recorder. Listening carefully, Phelps would hear the voice say "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it..."

Wouldn’t it be great if God sent out tapes like that? Yet, God has His own process for revealing our mission. He has a purpose for your life for you to discover and fulfill. He doesn’t ask for your ideas or plans; He asks you to seek Him! How can you discover your mission in the heart of God?

Get to know God personally. (vs. 1-5)

Do you have a spiritual hero? I believe Isaiah carried a deep respect for Uzziah, who reigned 52 years as a godly king. When Uzziah died, Isaiah’s hero was gone. Great uncertainty must have filled his heart, wondering what would happen to the nation with the passing of this great man of God.

Perhaps for the first time in his life he was placed in a position of seeking to hear from God on his own—with no help from a spiritual leader. When we lose our spiritual bearings, we should follow Isaiah’s example: he goes where God is. He seeks Him in the temple. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can seek God in prayer anywhere. In James 4:8 we have this promise: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

When Isaiah encountered God, what did He discover? First, he experienced God’s holiness. Isaiah writes that he saw the Lord sitting on a throne. He saw God in human form! How is this possible? Years later, the apostle John explains that Isaiah actually saw Jesus Christ on that day in the temple—a pre-incarnate appearance of the Savior (John 12:41).

Isaiah felt the building shake as the angels proclaimed that God is holy. Isaiah was experiencing the presence of a pure, unstained, uncreated, perfectly good Being: a holy God!

Isaiah immediately became conscious of his own sinfulness. As we draw near to a holy God, we can expect to become increasingly conscious of sin in our own life. In much the way that bringing the lights up in a dimly lit room exposes details we had missed in the darkness, so exposure to the holiness of God will cause us to become painfully aware of our own sin.

As you seek God’s face for specific direction in your life, do not be discouraged when the feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy erupt. Expect this to happen as you approach a holy God.

Be honest with God totally. (vs. 5-8)

Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me” as he begins to confess his sin in detail. He is broken over his sin. He does not try to hide it or dress it up. He exposes his sin before God. If I want to hear the heart of God, it is vital that I confess every sin that comes to mind.

In some cases, repentance may mean going to someone and asking his forgiveness for an offense. It may mean returning or paying for something stolen years ago. When John the Baptist preached the Jesus-endorsed message of repentance, the first question new converts often asked was “What shall we do?” (Luke 3:10, 12, 14). John called these actions the “fruit” of authentic repentance (John 3:8).

Confession leads to cleansing. In the moment of repentance, an angel grabs a coal from the altar (a place where things died for sin) and touches Isaiah’s lips. His sin is purged. He is forgiven. He is clean!

Obey God carefully. (vs. 8)

The cleansing cleared the way for communication. Isaiah suddenly begins to hear the voice of God saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” I believe God had been speaking all along, but Isaiah was out of touch and failed to hear the heart of God.

God’s heart to speak to a generation that is disoriented and devastated by sin is consistent and does not fluctuate. As Isaiah began to align his life with the heart of God—dealing thoroughly with sin and self-centeredness in his own heart—then he began to hear God.

Isaiah’s heart cry--“Here I am, send me”--was the beginning of a lifetime of responsiveness to God’s heart. No longer were two wills vying for control of Isaiah’s life. Now there was only one: Isaiah set his heart to obey God carefully for the remainder of his life.

In Mission Impossible, Jim Phelps had to quickly review the details of the mission, before the tape self-destructed at the end of the message. Phelps and his team had to come up with a plan. They were always on their own.

While God does not send out tapes that self-destruct, I like his method of making mission assignments much better. Unlike Jim Phelps, I don’t have to come up with a plan—God already has one. I’m not on my own either—God goes before His people to accomplish everything He asks them to do. This is Mission Possible!

The Problem of Counterfeit Christianity

2007-02-24T07:29:00.000-06:00

Read Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Walking in the hot summer sun, we were enjoying a wilderness hike near a saltwater marsh in south Louisiana. Suddenly my son Jonathan was crying out, “It moved! It moved!” I looked up and he was dancing in circles about 15 yards ahead of us. Running to his aid, I arrived to see a small snake gliding away into the grass beside the trail. Jonathan didn’t think it was real when he found it sunning itself on the path in front of him. Nudging it with his shoe, Jonathan was startled to learn that real snakes bear a striking resemblance to fake ones!

Throughout the centuries churches have struggled with counterfeit Christianity. Despite every effort to assure that all church members have an authentic, growing relationship with Jesus Christ, leaders are often devastated when they see little or no evidence of conversion among some of the souls populating in their pews.

In Matthew 13 Jesus anticipates many of the questions plaguing the church today, including the question concerning counterfeit Christianity. He compares the reign of God on earth to a man who plants a wheat field, only to learn later that his enemy planted weeds while he was sleeping. The dilemma created by the co-existence of wheat and weeds in the same field sets the stage for Jesus’ explanation of how to handle counterfeit Christianity.

Where do counterfeit Christians come from? (vs. 24-25, 39)

Mincing no words, Jesus fingers the devil out of the line-up of possible culprits as the source of this problem in the church (vs. 39). Calling the fakes “sons of the evil one” (vs. 38), Jesus exposes a demonic plan to frustrate the reign and purpose of God in the church.

Without the notice of the church leaders (vs. 25), the devil plants men and women in the church who will be useful and responsive to him. They share the same appearance as the “wheat.” They share the same “soil” as the “wheat.” These false believers are living in close proximity to real Christians.

Outsiders are quick to criticize the church and question the veracity of the Gospel because some of the historic leaders of the church have been scoundrels. Yet, far from undermining the reliability of our faith, this problem confirms the accuracy of the Bible: Jesus said it would happen!

How can counterfeit Christians be identified? (vs. 26)

Counterfeit Christians can teach, preach, profess faith, do miracles, and perform good works (Matthew 7:15, 21-22). In the parable, no one noticed the problem until the wheat began to reproduce, forming heads prior to the harvest (vs. 26). The key difference between wheat and weeds is not in what they do, but in what they are. Wheat reproduces wheat. They are different by nature.

What can we do about the problem of counterfeit Christianity? (vs. 28-30)

Nothing. I should always examine myself, but my ability to judge the heart of others in the church is very limited and subject to error. How can I tell the difference between a counterfeit Christian and a carnal, immature Christian? (1 Corinthians 3:1) The truth is I can’t. Nor should I try. The Lord clearly instructs us to leave the suspected counterfeits alone: He promises to deal with them in the final judgment at the end of time (vs. 41-42).

Notice the calm demeanor of the Master (vs. 30). He is not surprised or disturbed by the problem. He is coming again and in His presence all counterfeits will be exposed and removed from the kingdom of God.

What about the responsibility to exercise church discipline in the church? Church discipline is designed to be applied to unrepentant, sinful behavior and false teachers. Church discipline can never deal effectively with false professions.

So I cannot test the faith commitments of people around me in the church. But I do need to examine my heart with care. Remember that in this parable, the counterfeit is exposed by nature, not action. The ultimate test of authenticity is this: is the character and life of Christ being reproduced in me and through me? Am I coming to know Him more intimately and is that relationship causing me to reproduce my life in the lives of other Christians?

Finding Your Spiritual Home

2007-02-23T07:26:00.000-06:00

Read Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Children shouldn’t have been throwing the ball in the church’s fellowship hall downstairs, but they were… and the inevitable happened: striking the wall by accident, the boys left a small, indented “crater.” One of the older men came in the next morning with his tools, calling out to me as he went downstairs “I’ll have it fixed in no time.” Several hours later he emerged covered in white dust. “You’ll have to call a professional,” he said as he exited the building, “I’ve done all I can do.”

I went downstairs to survey the repair attempt, only to find a hole that was four feet across! Rather than admit he was powerless to remedy the situation, my brother’s best efforts only made the hole larger and harder to repair.

Many people are searching for answers to their deepest questions and heartfelt longings. In this passage, Jesus gives instruction on how to find just such a spiritual “home.”

Jesus begins by exposing five attitudes that will keep you from finding your spiritual home. Like my well-intentioned church member, you might discover that your very best efforts to get answers about God have only served to carry you further away from Him.

1. “It’s all about me.” (vs. 16-17) Jesus compares some of the people in His day to children playing in a large open marketplace. One group of children chides another for not playing the game they want, the way they want it played, at the time they want it played. This attitude may be cute in children, but it is spiritual suicide to a real seeker of God.

2. “I know what an authentic religion should look like.” (vs. 18-19) The generation rejecting Jesus also rejected John the Baptist. Preaching a message of repentance, John was rejected for being too austere. Preaching the good news of redemption and forgiveness, Jesus was rejected as having too much fun, eating and drinking with sinners. Jesus wasn’t religious enough!

3. “I know what I am talking about.” (vs. 25a-26) Later Jesus praises God for revealing truth, not to the ones who thought themselves to be wise and learned, but to the “infants” in the crowd. People who think they already have the answers have stopped asking questions. This is deadly to a genuine pursuit of God.

4. “I do not need anything from you.” (vs. 25b) God chooses to reveal Himself to the “infants”—the ones who are most dependent on another for life and survival. The difference lies not in the intellect, but in the consciousness of need. The more conscious you are that you need a Savior, the more ready you are to recognize Him when He comes.

5. “I already know what God must be like.” (vs. 27) Jesus states in the clearest terms that He alone knows what God is really like. You must be willing to lay down your assumptions about God in order to learn the real truth from Jesus.

The call to your spiritual home is an invitation to:

Enter into an Intimate Encounter with Jesus Christ. (vs. 28)

Jesus says, “Come to Me.” He does not call us to a religious tradition or set of man-made practices, but to Himself. The qualified respondents will be those who are tired of keeping rules without a real relationship with a living God. Jesus also issues His invitation to those who have been loaded down by the religion-mongers of the world. His promise is real and simple. Literally, He says: I will rest you.

Embrace the Mission of Jesus Christ and Your Personal Assignment. (vs. 29-30)

Jesus says, “Take up My Yoke.” Like two oxen teamed together to plow a field, Jesus invites you into His work. For the seeking ones, He gives direction to God. For the hurting ones, He offers relief from God. His mission worked out through your life will be a unique one. In verse 30 He explains that His yoke is “easy” and the burden is “light”: literally, He means that it is “form-fitted” for you alone.

Experience His Guidance Through Every Step of the Journey. (vs. 29)

Jesus says, “Learn from Me.” The mission of Jesus and the person of Jesus are inseparable. You cannot serve Him without His help and power. He will guide us to not only do His will, but to become like Him in every area of our lives: self-controlled in action and humble in attitude.

If you will respond to this very personal invitation from Jesus, He promises you will find rest for your soul (vs.29): a true spiritual home.

At The Starting Line (Acts 2:1-21)

2007-02-22T08:38:00.000-06:00

In high school I enjoyed running on the track team. As the official gave us directions at the starting line, I vividly recall the adrenaline pumping through my veins at the beginning of each race. He would slowly call out three phrases in an elongated, deliberate tone: “Ready… on your mark… set!” Then BOOM! He would fire the starter pistol.

In the book of Acts we have a record of the “starting line” of the Christian church. Beginning at Pentecost, believers reached out to the lost in dozens of languages and cultures throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Although they encountered many obstacles and disappointments, the early Christians penetrated their world with breathtaking speed. So where does effective ministry begin?

Effective ministry begins…

When I understand that all of my resources combined will never be enough to do the job. (v. 1)

On the day of Pentecost we find the disciples gathered together in one place. With all they had experienced with Jesus and armed with the Great Commission, we would expect them to be out in the streets, preaching the good news.

However, in Acts 1:4 and 1:8, Jesus made it clear that the disciples needed something more in order to fulfill their mission of local and global evangelization. Years of intensive training and sitting at the feet of Jesus were not sufficient. By telling them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit, Jesus was underscoring a basic truth: in my own strength and abilities I will always be inadequate to do what God has called me to do (Zechariah 4:6).

Power for the task is a gift, not an achievement.

When I am filled with and fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit. (v. 2-4)

Heralded by the sound of wind and the appearance of fire, the Holy Spirit came to rest visually on each disciple as a fiery flame. Through this imagery, He makes it clear that each individual disciple needs His guidance and enablement in ministry. It is not enough to have a Spirit-filled pastor and staff in my church. I need to cultivate a personal relationship of love and obedience with the Lord Jesus Christ through His Spirit.

It was common when I ran track in high school for some runners to start too soon: this was called “jumping the gun.” They were forced to go back to the starting line and begin again. Have you “jumped the gun” by attempting to do ministry apart from the Holy Spirit?

When I am willing to do whatever it takes to share the gospel with my world. (v. 5-11)

Moved by the Holy Spirit, the disciples immediately began to speak in the languages of at least 15 different nationalities gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Jewish feast. Now the Spirit did not have to do this. Using the language of business and trade, the disciples could have simply spoken Greek or Aramaic. They would have been clearly understood by most of the crowd.

The Holy Spirit wants to help us overcome every obstacle posed by language and culture. Unlike Islam which requires seekers of truth to study the Koran in Arabic, the good news of Christ is to be shared in the idiom and within the cultural norms of peoples around the world.

Was it comfortable for the disciples to speak a language they had never learned? I doubt it, but the greater purpose of proclaiming the “wonderful works of God” (v. 11) overwhelmed all personal preferences and tastes. Are we willing to do whatever it takes to communicate the gospel in terms others can easily understand?

When I accept that some people will reject me and my message. (v. 12-13)

In verse 12, some people are asking “what does this mean?” In verse 13, others are mocking the disciples, accusing them of being drunk.

Some people will reject and ridicule you and your message. Paul taught we should expect persecution whenever we begin to live our lives with reference to Him in all we do and say. (2 Timothy 3:12)

However, there will also be those who want to know more. Endure those who reject you so that you can impact those who respond positively to you.

When I embrace a deep sense of evangelistic urgency. (v. 14-21)

Quoting from Joel 2, Peter announces to the crowds that the arrival of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of prophecy. Everyone willing to call on the name of the Lord (v. 21) could be saved and subsequently filled with the Spirit (v. 18). He also explains that these are the last days, describing signs and wonders which will immediately precede the “day of the Lord.” (v. 20).

Life is short and time is short. Anyone and everyone can now call on the name of the Lord. Armed with the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, God’s people ought to be deeply motivated to broadcast the good news.

Let’s go to the starting line for effective ministry and allow Him to launch us into His work—just like He did for the church at Pentecost.

Follow Him in Every Decision

2007-02-19T14:23:00.000-06:00

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...
John 16:12-13 (NKJV)

Some time ago, my wife and I drove separately to a retreat center in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Because I was preaching a Sunday night service 200 miles away, my wife decided to leave home early and make her way to the hotel. She had some difficulty finding her way, but eventually she made it there safely.

Several hours later, I drove into town and experienced the same difficulties she had in finding the hotel. I called her on my cell phone and she guided me through town, directing me at each turn and intersection. Step-by-step, she helped me find my way to the hotel. She was my guide.

In verse 13 of this passage, the Holy Spirit is called our guide. The Holy Spirit is assigned the task of communicating truth and insight that we need from Jesus every day – but not all at once.

Jesus understands that we are weak and limited in our ability to process and apply truth. As the Holy Spirit continues the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, He guides us incrementally – step by step. The Apostle Paul would later caution us to walk with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) in this way: by keeping in step with Him on a moment-by-moment basis (Galatians 5:25).

Ask for His Time

2007-02-19T14:20:00.000-06:00

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness... It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel…
Deuteronomy 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Deuteronomy opens at the end of 40 years of wilderness wanderings. In verse 2, Moses notes that a normal journey from Sinai to the Promised Land was only 11 days.

However, because of their obstinacy and rebellion, it took Israel 40 years to experience what God was willing to give them in just 11 days! I don’t have that much time – do you?

We can talk about praying for revival. We can preach about it, write books about it, teach classes on it and even hold an occasional prayer service focusing on it.

I am suggesting the time line for revival may not be nearly as long as we think. We ought to pray and not give up – but we also ought to pray as if God was about to come soon. I mean really, really soon!

Ask God to help you boldly obey everything He asks you to do – unlike the generation of Israelites who lost their inheritance in the wilderness – so that you do not miss anything God wants to accomplish in your generation.

Pray Hard, Live Hard

2007-02-19T14:15:00.000-06:00

On August 2, 1745, David Brainerd penned the following words in his diary after 28 discouraging months of serving as an early colonial missionary to native Americans in New England:

"I began to entertain serious thoughts of giving up my mission. I do not know that my hopes respecting the conversion of the Indians were ever reduced to so low an ebb. And yet this was the very season that God saw fittest to begin this glorious work! And thus He ordained strength out of weakness, by making bare His almighty arm at a time when all hopes and human probabilities most evidently appeared to fail. "

On August 8, God broke through. Less than a year later, Brainerd had baptized 77 and led a congregation of 150.

The converts immediately abandoned animism, alcohol, and adultery. The change of life was permanent and dramatic.

In less than two years, Brainerd died – at age 29.

Are you losing hope that God could do a mighty work in your life or in your church? This might be the very time He is about to move! Don’t quit now… keep praying until He shows Himself strong to you and your church.

Longing for the Presence of God

2007-02-18T08:40:00.000-06:00

In the early 90’s, I worked for an environmental engineering firm in south Louisiana. Occasionally, I would go into a chemical plant or refinery to draw water samples. In the lab, we analyzed the samples for the presence of various chemicals.

After a worship service, I often hear people say “God was here today.” How can we know for certain? How can we “test” for the presence of God in our church fellowship?

Things happen. People change. God’s presence accomplishes something in our lives. For example:

You will have a sense of awe (Revelation 1:17). John fell on his face in the presence of God.

You will have a sense of His love (Ephesians 3:17-19). His love is not only a fact; it is also experiential and defies verbal description.

You will have a crushing awareness of your own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:1-5). Like raising the lights in a darkened room, God’s holiness will highlight all the impurities in our lives.

You will have a deep desire to confess your sin and make things right with others (Luke 3:8-14). Under John the Baptist’s anointed message of repentance, the people, tax collectors and the soldiers all asked, “What shall we do then?”

You will begin to share His heart for a broken and lost world (Luke 9:36-38). If His heart is moved with compassion, how can ours beat in any other way?