It’s More Than An Easy, Safe Life!

I was reading recently and ran across a quote that resonates with something that has been on my heart for some time.  Here’s the quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

That is a message consistent throughout Scripture concerning those who would be Christians…  “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24, ESV).  “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’.”  (Gal. 2:20, ESV)

That should make all of us stop and re-evaluate, or evaluate for the first time, where we are in our walk with Christ!  Words like “bids him come and die” from Bonhoeffer, who did give his life for his faith and obedience following his faith – executed by the Nazi’s after imprisonment in a military prison and later a concentration camp.  The apostle, Paul, also gave himself over to persecution, imprisonment, and a martyr’s death to prove how he was “crucified with Christ” to the point that he would give up life on earth for faithfulness to his Savior.

Listen, when Jesus says, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”, he wasn’t joking, and followed through to his  own death for our salvation.  Those words “deny” and “cross” are words that should haunt we who call ourselves Christians, and who live in the comforts and safety of our Western, United State, independence and freedom.  Because the comfort and safety we have enjoyed has made us soft spiritually, and it has engendered us to an easy believism that has stolen our power and witness.

But, alas, the days are coming, not too much further into the future, when that comfort, safety and soft spirituality is going to disappear.  The wind is at the back of cultural forces that are attacking things that are at the core of what we have believed as Truth, and there is great disdain for the One who IS the Truth.  Those who hold to biblical teaching of the new covenant in Christ’s blood are already under the beginnings of attack, and the attacks will continue to get broader and involve more of us soon.

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It is time, if we haven’t waited too long already, to return to the business left for us to do until he returned – making DISCIPLES.  That’s what he told us to do – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV).

He didn’t leave us here to be good people, although we should be.  His purpose is not just to get people to come to church, though it is good to go to church.  Our God-given purpose is not really even just to get people to join the church.  Nor is our primary purpose to get folks to say a prayer and ask Jesus to be their Savior – which is indeed the beginning of the Christian life.

But no, Jesus said to those early followers, and still says to us today, make DISCIPLES.  That is a word that means many things.  It means to be a follower of Christ, actually an emulator of Christ.  It means to identify with Christ’s death and resurrection as our only hope, and to crucify our old life to live a new life in him.  It means that after coming to faith in Christ, we then launch into an adventurous life and lifestyle of obeying him, and his Word.  And it carries with it the promise that – as we do those things and mature in our faith and walk with him – the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth will be with us as long as we live on this earth.

And as much more than just a casual observer of Christianity, and in fact one who sees our Christianity and church life lived out in more detail than I sometimes wish I had, I can tell you that I don’t see deep and life changing disciple making at the root of who we are, in general, and in the church today.  There is far too much conflict and infighting in the body of Christ today.  There is way too shallow an understanding of biblical truth among church people today.  There is a dirth of those committed to biblical stewardship of life, resources, talents, abilities, and availability.  I am convinced that if a church has financial problems, it is a discipleship problem; if there is lack of leaders, it is a discipleship problem; if there is debilitating conflict among believers, it is a discipleship problem; and if no one is ever getting saved from a churches ministry, it is definitely a discipleship problem.

We don’t know how much time we have left before God calls an end to history as we know it.  So, it is past time for we who call ourselves believers in, and disciples of, Christ; and for gatherings of the body of Christ wherever they exist; to get back to the basics of commitment to strategically and intentionally “GO and MAKE DISCIPLES” for Christ!!

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Unclean, Unclean!!

And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2)

This leper had lived most of his life, probably, having to shout out “Unclean, unclean” any time he came near other people.  If others saw him, they would shout out, “unclean, unclean”!  Can you imagine a life so alone, so labeled, so ostracized, so very unwelcome — no one to show you compassion, going probably years without a hug, or as much as a handshake!

I was recently reminded of this, and brought to deeper consideration of this through a book by Max Lucado in my devotional time.  And now I continue to ponder the plight of this man who came to Jesus.  After many years, most likely, he mustered up the courage to approach Jesus with his problem.  We certainly don’t have all the details of every word spoken here, but there is no indication that he approached Jesus saying, “unclean”; but only with a plea of desperation, “can you make me clean”.  It appears he had heard of Jesus, and heard of his healing others, and now he just longed to be clean and healed himself.

Have you ever felt “unclean”?  Have you ever been put away from a relationship like there was something wrong with you?  Do you ever feel at times like situations in your life, or in your past, cause others to doubt your worth or pass some judgement on you that is unfair or unreasonable?  Is there some sin in your life that is keeping you from reaching out to God, or keeping you from others, because you know you are wrong and can’t imagine things could change?

If so, hear these words, “And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:3).  Here is an amazing thing about this response of Jesus – He TOUCHED HIM!  See that in the context of his leprosy and it is an amazing thing, He reached out and put his hands on him.  I can envision Jesus putting his hand on both sides of that ugly, scared face – something this man had not experienced in a very long time.  And those simple words, “I will; be clean” – He CLEANSED HIM!  Then came the return of feeling in his limbs, the warmth of blood coursing through previously blocked veins, and the flesh being restored.  And, maybe most of all, his heart warmed from the touch of the Savior!  And following this his restoration of relationships with his family, with the people of God!

You see, it doesn’t matter nearly as much what other people think about us or do to us, as much as what Jesus can and wants to do for us!  Whatever our failures, our problems, our difficult situations, even devastating things that happen to us – when we have courage to turn to Jesus, and ask him to make us clean, great things happen.  Our hearts are warmed by His love, and our problems and situations take on a new look, as he says to us “I will, be clean”.

Maybe for you there is someone around you who is feeling put off, turned away, ostracized and rejected because of their sin, their failure, some circumstance in their life.  And God has placed you in their path, and whether they have the courage or not to ask you for it, they need a TOUCH – and you can be the hands God uses to provide it.  Could it be that you are the one who needs to deliver to them the message that Jesus loves them, wants to touch their life, and is the one who can make them clean and whole?

Jesus said to us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).  He is still in the cleansing business, the healing business, and the business of lifting burdens and giving us rest for our souls.

“Unclean” no more, in the presence, in the power, and in the promise of Jesus Christ.  What a Savior!

Out with the Old, In with the New

OK, I know that is a tired and worn out statement (title), but it is genuinely how I am feeling as we close out 2014 and look to begin 2015.  There are so many things that weigh on my mind and heart, and so many things that are going on in my life and ministry – I am ready for change and to move on!

This has been a busy and involved year in regard to ministry, family and life.  There have been lots of blessings as well as challenges, ups and downs, and plenty to keep me busy.  We are going through change in our ministry, and we are experiencing change in our family.  Peggy and I have had times of long distance relationship as she has cared for extended family, and now we are back to being together.  There have been times of great celebration, and times of incredible pain.

And, God is good, dependable and faithful through everything we experience.  He is the giver of all good gifts and the one who is always there for us.  He is also the comforter that sees us through the pain and gives us the peace that passes understanding, and again is always there for us.

I have found in my own life that the times when we experience pain and problems, are the times that God is closest and when I have the greatest sense of his presence and strength.  Those are also the times when I have grown the most in my walk with him, and in my relationship with the Lord.

I have also found that when things are going well and we are experiencing great advancement, it can be times that we take for granted.  Dare I say it, we can think we are the reason things are going so well and forget to give God the credit he is due.  These need to be times when we are just as thankful for the Lord’s work and presence, and when we should be learning new and wonderful things about him.

As we come to the close of this year, Christmas has always been a great time for our family, from when we were first married and gathering with our extended families, especially since God blessed us with our two boys, and through all the years since.  Even as the boys have grown up and established themselves in jobs and their own families, Christmas is a time to get back together, to connect, and to celebrate the joy, hope and peace of the Lord.

What I am rediscovering this year, in many ways, is that the celebration of the Lord’s coming to pitch his tent here on earth (John 1:14), to live and teach and show us God in the flesh, and then pay the price for our sin so we could be forgiven (Philippians 2:5-8) – – – what I am reminded of and have to relearn from time to time, is that Christmas is about God’s love for ME, expressed in the most unbelievable way in Christ (John 3:16).

I am going to love being with family this Christmas, and I am going to enjoy the season of celebration with our church family.  And I know already, none of those experiences will be perfect, and they will simply have some measure of being flawed (because as people we are imperfect, including me).  SO, what I am going to do, in the midst of all the gathering and celebrating, is choose to keep my focus on Christ, and revel in the depth of God’s love for me that I share with my family.

And, as we walk into the unknowns of this next year there will be great joys, plenty of sorrows, wonderful new opportunities, as well as many challenges.  And right smack dab in the middle of all of that, God will be there (Hebrews 13:5c) – good, faithful, dependable, and everything I, and we, need for him to be (Deuteronomy 7:8).

So, yes, out with the old, and in with the new…  “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:13-14, ESV)

Hey, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!

Living Sacrifices

     Several weeks ago now we did the memorial service for Peggy’s step-mother, Ruth.  Ruth has seen declining years with alzhimers disease, the last couple of years in a care facility.  In her final days several body systems began to shut down until finally one day, with Peggy, her Dad Bill, and sister Lisa with her Ruth just slipped quietly away from this life.  While the death of a loved one is never totally easy, Ruth knew Christ and it brings joy and hope to know that she is free from pain and sickness with the Lord.
     These kinds of times give everyone a chance to pause and think about life and death.  And we draw comfort from knowing there is hope in eternity if, and when, we know Christ.  I was drawn back to a familiar passage of Scripture in the midst of all this experience.  I was reminded of these verses:  “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”  (Job 19:25-27, NIV).
     Man, what powerful words!  To know that Christ lives and that one day he will stand totally victorious on this earth.  No matter if I am still alive to see his coming, or join Ruth before that in his presence.  He is coming!  And my heart does long for that day!  There is another couple of people I want to see come to Christ first, but it will be a wonderful day when he comes. 
     But, my mind quickly turns from those thoughts to ask myself, “So, that is all good, but what about today?”  There is life to be lived until that day comes, and we all need to consider what we are doing with this life that we have until the end comes.  And that brings me to what is really on my heart for now.
 
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.”  (Romans 12:2, NIV)
     Have you ever seriously considered what it means to “offer your body as a living sacrifice”?  I have been reminded of that again as I was preparing to lead a Wednesday Bible study at our church.
     Remember when God asked Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering (Genesis 22)?  Seriously, to put his only son on an altar, kill him and burn him up!  Initially, every time I read those verses I want to say “What in the world was God thinking?!”  But, on this side of the story, we know that God had a plan.  He was testing Abraham to see if he would obey him – no matter what the cost.  You know the story, Abraham did obey and God rescued Isaac and rewarded him by keeping his promise to bless all nations through him.
    And, it is not just a story about Abraham, it is also a story about Isaac.  Isaac was young and strong, while Abraham was advanced in years.  Surely Isaac could have struggled and gotten away from dad, and run off to avoid the altar.  I am convinced that there must have been some significant level of compliance on young Isaac’s part – maybe even offering himself to be tied up, even climbing up on the altar.  If so, that was an expression of faith in both his father and God.
     But… what about US?  We read and believe stories like Abraham and Isaac, and all the other stories of people like Ruth, Paul, Peter, Barnabas, and how they persevered, trusted and God worked.  But, how much do we believe God wants to, and still can, ask “living sacrifice” from us as well?  Man, that is a hard question, and a hard thing to consider.   And the questions start flooding my mind and heart…
    What if God wants something from me that I really love and don’t really want to give up?  What if God wants to take that something, or even worse someone, from me?  What of my life, health, family, money, possessions, position, property am I really willing to lay on an altar and give to God to do with whatever he chooses?  How much do I really believe that I can trust that no matter what God does, or what he asks of me, he will be faithful to fill any void that it leaves with faith, comfort and satisfaction?
     But, that is what “sacrifice” is all about!  It is not a sacrifice if it is easy to do.  The point of Paul’s words is that we need to lay down everything for him.  And, that is what real “worship” really is!  It is letting go of life – all of it.  It is surrendering comfort and pleasure if necessary to follow the Lord.  And, watch this, it is “holy” and it is “pleasing” to God.  In other words, God accepts whatever that offering is, whatever it is that we sacrifice, as special and reverent worship.  
    And, in makes him smile!

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3, NIV)

Do you ever struggle in your journey of the Christian life?  I mean, do you ever look at your life and get discouraged that you are not living up to the goal of God for who he wants you to be, and what he wants you to do?  Do you ever start looking at how other people are growing and I get discouraged because you don’t measure up?  If so, I would guess that the next thing that comes across your mind and the next things you try to do is to work harder at whatever it is that is lagging behind God’s design and will.  The thought becomes – if I work harder at this, and concentrate more on me and my performance, things will improve and I can please God more.

The problem, at least that I have found, with that thinking and way of approaching spiritual growth is that the more I focus on me, and the harder I try to make me different. The more “improvements” I make in what I do … the more I struggle, and the more I get discouraged at my lack of progress, and the harder it gets to see any movement in my spiritual life.  You know what I think?  I think I’m the problem!  And, focusing on me isn’t going to make me any better or more faithful.  I can’t make myself any better than I am.  I couldn’t save myself to begin with, and I can’t muster up what it takes to keep moving forward spiritually either.  Remember these words?  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

But, Paul didn’t stop there in his message from God to the Ephesians and us.  He went on to say, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).  Did you catch that – “God’s” workmanship, which “God” prepared.  Now, that means that spiritual growth and good works are God’s design for our lives.  So, what do we do?

Well, let me suggest a couple of things that I think God is reminding me of these days.  First, I have to remember that I am created IN CHRIST JESUS to do good works.  I’m not the one who is in charge of those good works, nor the one who makes them happen.  It is IN Christ that good works become part of my life.  And, secondly, they are the good works that God created in advance for ME to do.  That means the gauge of my spiritual progress is not measured against other people, but against God’s design.  And here’s the deal, all of that just kind of takes a lot of pressure off of me, and you.

I don’t mean to suggest that we don’t have to do anything to grow spiritually, and that it is all up to God (meaning it is his fault if it doesn’t happen).  But what I am suggesting is that spiritual growth and progress is something that comes, not from my doing and striving, but from my abiding – IN Christ.  I think that might be the point of where this blog post began, in Hebrews 12:2.  It says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…”.  He is the “author” of our faith – the one who created us in the innermost place with a design for our lives before even one day came to be.  And he is the “perfecter” of our faith – the one who works in us to cause us to live out that divine design.

Jesus has told us clearly, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”  (John 15:4, NIV).  Here is the prescription for not growing weary and loosing heart in the journey of the Christian life…  Abide in Christ.  Remain in the love of God that is the basis for life and salvation and the process of sanctification.  Remain faithful and true to the leadership of God in your life through his Word, because obedience to what we know IS important.  Rejoice in the Lord, that you belong to him and he loves you.  And love each other in the body, and those who need Christ, like God has loved you.

Really, it isn’t about how much I can do that causes my spiritual growth and progress.  It is about what God can do in me because I am IN Christ.  Turn to Christ for your salvation.  Then, keep looking to Jesus, keep drawing near to him, keep letting him in to all the areas of your life, and HE will produce in you good and lasting spiritual fruit.

Let me know what you think!

Where is wisdom found?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”  (Psalms 111:10, NIV)

Being actively involved in the realm of Christianity, I am mindful today of all the places and situations and relationships I am involved in where people are saying they want to have God’s wisdom.  Whether it is a family problem or situation that needs solutions, or churches needing to make ministry plans, or even conventions that are seeking to understand what the future of their organization should be — all are asking for wisdom from God.  It is the prayer at all the meetings and in the bedrooms and front rooms of homes, “Lord, please give us your wisdom and show us your way.”

Now, those are important desires for families, churches and conventions, along with Christians in business and other areas of life.  And that prayer is an important prayer to pray when those are our desires.  But, what’s next?  I mean, after you have shared thoughts and ideas, searched Scripture, and prayed for God’s wisdom to show you the way – what then?

Where is wisdom found?  I think the psalmist gives us some important clues to the discovery of wisdom in Psalm 111:10 as quoted above.  First, it is found by those that “fear” the Lord.  Vines OT Words resource says that this word means, “to be afraid, stand in awe”.  This is that old concept that someone has a profound respect for God and his power that causes them to be careful in their living.  It is about a reverence for God because we know the awesomeness of his person and power.  And, when we come to the place of reverent awe for God, we place ourselves at the starting line of pursuing true wisdom.

Second, wisdom is found on the road of obedience by “those who follow his precepts”.  Other words that could be substituted for “follow” here are: do, execute, work, perform, maintain.  Do you get the idea?  Following God’s precepts is about doing something with what you know.  You know, education is something that is valuable, and the study of God’s Word in Sunday School, small groups, worship services, and so on is a great and needed thing.  But knowledge alone does not equate with wisdom, and knowledge apart from obedience is just empty and only produces religious piety.  No, we have to DO something with what we already know from God in order for God to be able to give us wisdom.  In other words, wisdom is found, not at the starting line but in the race of life, while we are running after God and obeying what we already know from him.

My concern, for myself and other believers, is that we somehow become too comfortable with learning about God and then failing to follow God – waiting for him to do something or give us something before we ever get off our butt–on tufted couches and pew cushions.  Individuals, families, churches and conventions and ministries – if you want wisdom from God for your future, keep moving.  Take what you know from him and from wise counsel as you share with one another, and keep running the race with what you already have so that God can take you into the future with wise plans and strategies to accomplish his will.

And by the way, while you are running the race with what you already know God wants you to do, don’t forget to SING!  Because, “To him belongs eternal praise”!  Eternal is not just someday in the future, and it isn’t just about the mountaintop experiences of the past.  Eternal includes today, and no matter where we are or where we are going, or what we are going through, God still deserves our praise because of who he is and that we belong to him.

Bird Lessons

I’m sitting in my office and looking out the window in contemplation about some things we are working on in our ministry.  And as I look at the mountains in the distance I notice a bird, or birds, flying back and forth, up and down.  They are obviously building a nest somewhere on the building above my office window.  Back and forth, up and down, carrying twigs and grass clippings up to that home under construction.

Sometimes a bird will fly up with a piece of building material that seems bigger than they are, and then I watch parts of all of it come tumbling or floating back down past my window.  Obviously this is a precarious work in progress, and it has built into it some things that don’t work out completely.  I don’t know if birds get frustrated, but I sure would – putting all that labor into the project only to have things fall off and having to retrieve them again.  That has happened to me a time or two working on stuff at the house, so I know whereof I speak.

But, all of this got me thinking about what the Lord says about birds, and even more what he says about birds that applies to my own life with him.  Remember these words, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”  (Matt 6:26, NIV).  I am reminded by these birds outside my window that God knows all about them and cares for them, BUT I am much more valuable to him than they are.  Sometimes it is easy to begin thinking that, in the scope of everything in the world that God is involved in, I am very insignificant.  But that is not true – I am significant to God, my life does have value beyond what I can imagine.  And, God has promised he will take care of me.

And, I also remembered something else, “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’.”  (Matt 8:20, NIV)  Christ’s coming to earth, living like we do as a human being, was not an easy thing at all for him to do.  He sacrificed his place in heaven so he could live, die and rise again – all so we could have eternal life in him.  It reminds me that in Matthew 6 Jesus went on to say, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matt 6:33, NIV)

And so, little birdie, thanks for the reminder today, and the lessons you remind me of from God’s Word.  Today, I need to be less concerned about material things and more concerned over eternal matters at hand, in my life and in the lives of people around me that I might have influence on.  And, though life can be frustrating as things don’t always work out like we plan we have to remember that the Lord is watching and he knows about our struggles.  He is even using some of those struggles in life to grow us into who he wants us to be.

So, today I am thankful for all that God has done for me, so much so that I will renew my commitment to seek HIS kingdom and righteousness ahead of anything else in this world.  And I’ll just choose to let go of the frustrations of life and rejoice that he knows me and is watching over me.  And too, I will watch as the nest built over my window brings new life into the world – and maybe, just maybe, what God is doing in me can bring new life to someone else.

Amen.

The Presence of God

Have you ever heard the phrase, “practicing the presence of God”?  I’ve heard it many times over my life, and have run into it again several times lately in various venues of life.  The phrase challenges me every time I hear it, because it calls me to a lifestyle of allowing myself to remember that God is with me all the time, and he wants to fill my days with my recognition of that presence.  Even more than that, he wants me to “practice” his presence – which speaks to my own effort to let him be part of whatever I am doing, and by his involvement to change how I do anything, and everything, I do.

I’ve enjoyed, over this last holiday weekend, being around several people.  I went to our home church and enjoyed Bible study and worship with people I have come to love and appreciate.  I played golf with friends from church (at least for me one of those “great times of fellowship” – which means I didn’t play very well).  I spent time with my son, his fiance and her son, just cooking out and relaxing on the patio.  It was a great weekend being with people and enjoying their company.  And, when I am with folks in times like that I focus on their lives, and talk about the issues of life, and acknowledge them by listening to them and just giving them my attention.  However, all of those encounters are passing, they come and go.

God, on the other hand, is with me all the time.  His Spirit lives in me, and his Word is part of my daily experience as I open it to study or just read for my own good.  The key to all of this is that he is with me all the time.  And so, just like when I am with friends and family, I should engage him, give attention to him, listen to his voice, discuss the issues of life.  And, in a moments notice, I should just attend to him when I am rejoicing or hurting, when I am afraid or confused, when something comes up unexpectedly and surprises me.  He is there, and he wants to be part of my daily experience, and even moment by moment not just in communication, but in control of my thoughts, my words, my actions and my plans.

The Word of God says this to us, “Be very careful then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16).  And then I think of Noah and Enoch in the Scriptures of whom it is said, they “walked with God”.  It even says in Genesis that Enoch “walked with God 300 years”.  What does that mean?  We are not exactly sure, and in neither case is it expounded in depth, but I think I can imagine that it means as they lived their lives they were in touch with, and in tune with, God.  They understood his heart, and lived out the practice of the presence of God.

I am hoping that I can continue to learn that same practice of the presence of God in my own life.  While I know God, and I fellowship with God, and I worship God, I want to know his presence more and more in the daily avenues and grind of life.  And, I think as we are able to begin to practice the presence of God we will begin to understand even better the heart cry of Paul when he said, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10).  It is in experiencing the presence of God as a daily presence that we are freed to live a new life, raised from the dull-drums of routine and stagnation.

How do you measure success?

Success – what an interesting and challenging word.  It is a word that speaks to a favorable outcome in life or in a project or emphasis of some kind.  It requires some form of measurement to know if the goal (whatever it might be) has been attained.  Success means different things to different people – some see it in reference to a degree of wealth attained, to others it is the achievement of some level of recognition or a rise to a certain position of prominence or power.

So, how do you measure success in the church?  I am so very convinced that the church is God’s chosen vehicle for the advancement of His Kingdom in this world, and how He has chosen to help people find relationship with Him so their lives can be filled with abundant peace today, and to eventually spend eternity with Him when this life is over.  So, how do we measure the success of the church in fulfilling that mission?

Might I suggest to you that many churches tend to measure their success by the number of those people they bring out of darkness and into the Light.   And that is, of course a worthy goal that is consistent with God’s will for us – to win people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  But, I think the goal should be broader than that.  While we are bringing people out of darkness into the Light, we should also be developing people to send back into the darkness carrying the Light of Christ with them.  Frankly I wonder how successful we are in actually bringing people out of darkness, but I wonder even more how successful we are in sending people back out into the darkness with the Light so others can find their way out.

The Word of God does say, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).  And he goes on to talk about how different the Light is supposed to make us – becoming aliens and strangers in the world, belonging to God and not this world or the things of it; and about how our lives change as we abstain from sinful desires.  When we come into the Light of Christ we are to be changed and transformed in every way, so that our lives shine with him.

And all of that is so we can then carry that Light naturally out into the darkness of the world around us.  For the Word of God also says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:14-16, NIV).  And the Lord of the church tells us that we are to, “become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Phil 2:15-16, NIV).

You know what, I am just thinking that we need to re-evaluate our measure of success in God’s church today.  Let’s first of all be sure we are rescuing people from the darkness of sin and bringing them into the wonderful Light of Christ.  But, let’s not forget to do the polishing work of discipleship and disciple-making that is also integral to the accomplishment of all the Great Commission.  And, as we win people to Christ, and grow each other up to be dedicated followers of Christ, then let’s prepare each other to carry that Light back out into the darkness where so many are still lost and need to find their way back to God.

What do you think?  How is your church making sure it is rescuing people darkness?  What is your church doing to send people back out into the darkness with the Light that will lead others back to Christ?  What is your evaluation of the church in general in succeeding in all these ways?

I’d love to hear from you and share together some ideas of how we can better SUCCEED in advancing the Kingdom here on earth, and especially here in Wyoming.

God bless you all!

The Sweet, Sweet Sound of Grace

All through my life I can look back on the activity of God’s grace in my life.  So many times he has graciously rescued me from bad decisions, or graciously preserved me when I put my life in peril through some stupid choice, and he has so graciously provided for me and my family far beyond what we deserve and need.  Grace is everywhere in the story and journey of my life!  It is so amazing, and so very sweet.

I am reading How People Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, sub-titled “What the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth”.  They make the statement, “People do not grow until they shift from a natural human view of God to a real, biblical view of God.  The first aspect of that shift has to be the shift from a God of law to the God of grace.”  Now here is the statement that really captures the essence of my thoughts today, “People must discover that God is for them and not against them.”  That is such a powerful truth that I wanted to share it with you in this post.

I hope you might live today with this thought in mind, God is for you and not against you.  No matter what the circumstance of life on this earth today, and regardless of the difficulty that you face or even the heaviness of the challenge that is before you — God is FOR you, not against you.  He is the God of GRACE, that undeserved favor of his blessing and peace.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you can move forward today in the confidence that comes from that truth.  Even if the difficult circumstance or challenge is our fault – grace brings God along side us to be for us.  When we fail sometimes there are consequences to that failure that are unavoidable, but even then grace carries us through them.  When we are genuinely victims of some outside source of trouble in life, grace is there to lift us up and help us stand.

If you do not know Christ as Savior, or if you are wandering from his Lordship in your life, you need to hear this today — God is for you, not against you.  He loves you so much his Son died for your sins, and Jesus rose again to give you life that is above the guilt and dirtiness of your sin.  No matter who you are, where your wandering from God has led you, regardless of what you have done – God loves you, he is for you, and if you will receive Jesus as your Savior and follow him as Lord, God will come into your life and rescue you for abundant life today, and eternal life with him someday in heaven.

My mom’s favorite song/hymn was Amazing Grace.  Anytime she faced some challenge she would sing that hymn in her mind to get her through.  The 23rd Psalm was also a favorite for her because of the promise that God was with her, even in the valley of the shadow of death she walked through many years ago now.  It’s one of my favorites too, so I’ll leave you with this…

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost but now I’m found was blind but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.  How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.  ‘Tis grace that brought me safe this far, and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me, his Word my hope secures.  He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.  We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.”   Amen!