Monday, August 31, 2009

Going Public

13"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Matthew 5 [The Message]


Meeting Needs

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

ONE BASIS FOR TEMPTATION

Titus 3:14
Let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful

We all have basic human needs to feel loved, accepted and worthwhile. When these needs go unmet, it's very important that we express them to our family members and fellow Christians in a positive way and allow others to minister to those needs. I believe that one basis for temptation is unmet legitimate needs. When you are too proud to say, "I don't feel loved." or when you push others away by saying, "You don't love me anymore," your need for love goes unmet. So Satan comes along with a tempting alternative: "Your wife doesn't love you like you deserve. But have you noticed the affectionate gleam in your secretary's eye?"

Other than Himself, God's primary resource for meeting your needs and keeping you pure is other believers. The problem is that many go to Sunday school, church and Bible study wearing a sanctimonious mask. Wanting to appear strong and together, they rob themselves of the opportunity of having their needs met in the warmth and safety of the Christian community. In the process, they rob the community of the opportunity to minister to their needs. By denying the fellowship of believers the privilege of meeting your legitimate needs, you are acting independently of God. You are vulnerable to the temptation of thinking that you can have your needs met in the world, the flesh and the devil.

Instead, follow the guidance of Hebrews 10:24, 25: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."

Prayer:

Lord, grant me the humility to confess my needs and hurts to my Christian family in order to allow You to meet my needs in Your way.


Spoken Word

Amena Brown

Friday, August 28, 2009

Love the LORD

19Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
20In the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
from the strife of tongues.

21Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22I had said in my alarm,
"I am cut off from your sight."
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.

23Love the LORD, all you his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!

Psalm 31


Thursday, August 27, 2009

First Word

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me." (Deut. 5:6-7)

First, God. God's presence in the present, the now, is where we also are present, the condition in which we live, we and our families and our friends, our neighbors and the strangers who are among us, and yes, our enemies. This is the neighborhood. And this God who lives here is about to tell us what to do. But his command does not come out of a vacuum; it comes from a rich, storied context of salvation from slavery. Before he tells us what to do, he tells us what he has done: he has saved us from a life of slavery. We are no longer slaves who have no choice in what we do or do not do. We are free to say yes or no. Our freedom is a gift of God's salvation. Do we understand this? Then we are ready to hear his first word: you shall have no other gods before me. Our choice.

Our choice, because God, having set us free, is not going to violate our freedom now by imposing himself upon us. The community in which we live is not formed by coercion. Nobody has to live here with these others whom God has saved. On the other hand, if we want to live in community, this is the first condition: God without rivals, God without secretly holding on to other options.

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Comfort

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Psalm 23

Enough for Me

Some of the lyrics from Matt Maher Your Grace Is Enough

Great is your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters into mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

Pre Chorus:
So remember your people
Remember your children
Remember your promise, oh God

Chorus:
Your grace is enough.
Your grace is enough.
Your grace is enough.
Your grace is enough for me.

---

As I woke to these lyrics this morning the verses from 2 Cor 12: 9-10 came to mind:

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Hope

... we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:2b

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Shield .. Glory .. Lifter

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.

Psalm 3:3

Wilberforce

Monday was the 250th birthday of William Wilberforce.

Video (about 10 min)



Monday, August 24, 2009

Ten Words

Conventionally we call them the Ten Commandments, but the Hebrew text speaks of the Ten Words (Deut. 4:13; 10:4; Exod. 34:28). The Ten Words establish the conditions necessary for a free, loving and just community of God's people to develop and flourish. The three adjectives -- free, loving, just -- are basic to community.

Community is intricate and complex. It consists of many people of various moods, ideas, needs, experiences, gifts and injuries, desires and disappointments, blessings and losses, intelligence and stupidity, living in proximity and in respect for one another, and believingly in worship of God. It is not easy and it is not simple. The conditions, established by the Ten Words, at least make it possible. None of the conditions is onerous. All are both necessary and non-negotiable.

No community worth its salt has ever existed very long in ignorance or defiance of the conditions.

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Finding What You Are Looking For

13-14"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.

Jeremiah 29 [The Message]

Friday, August 21, 2009

Who We Are

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

Ephesians 1: 11-12 [The Message]

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Transcendent

Repost from Catalyst: Great talk (18 min) but worth the listen

Q IDEAS Louie Giglio

The church is like a living organism, existing in a symbiotic relationship with culture at large. But unless we’re careful, our mission will be driven more by our desire to keep up with culture than our conviction to be grounded in One who transcends culture. Hear Louie in this Q Talk, as he calls us to live lives that make much of God.

Gospel Centered Curriculum

Yancey Arrington Post: Gospel-Centered Children's Curriculum: Intro

Associated Link: five-part series on thinking through a gospel-centered children’s curriculum as a PDF article for download.

Over the next few days I will give my thoughts on gospel-centered children’s curriculum. I’m not a children’s director, I’m a pulpit pastor. Yet I think, as you will see in my following posts, that what our age-graded ministries teach should be the concern of both the age-graded staff and senior church leadership. Personally, I have been thinking about this for quite some time, come to some conclusions about it and asked to present my thoughts to a handful of churches. In preparation for this I’ve tried to write these thoughts in some organized fashion, thoughts I have shared with my own church’s age-graded ministries. In the end, I wound up with about ten or so pages of philosophy that I’d like to post in five consecutive installments. This means that some of you will “check out” over the next week while others will read, dialogue and make your own decisions. I would challenge you to read these posts and see how they compliment or contrast what your church is teaching children. I don’t promise to have it all figured out, only to attempt to think about it in a way that I pray is helpful.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Never Again

Then the Angel showed me Water-of-Life River, crystal bright. It flowed from the Throne of God and the Lamb, right down the middle of the street. The Tree of Life was planted on each side of the River, producing twelve kinds of fruit, a ripe fruit each month. The leaves of the Tree are for healing the nations. Never again will anything be cursed. The Throne of God and of the Lamb is at the center. His servants will offer God service—worshiping, they'll look on his face, their foreheads mirroring God. Never again will there be any night. No one will need lamplight or sunlight. The shining of God, the Master, is all the light anyone needs. And they will rule with him age after age after age.

Revelation 22: 1-5 [The Message]

Why?

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

ASKING "WHY?"

Luke 5:36
No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old

Determining the purpose of a Christian practice, and whether it is appropriate, requires an answer to the question, "Why?" "We have always done it this way before" is unacceptable. Christian practices continue for years, often outliving their purpose, until someone asks, "Why do we do that?" Characteristically, the defenses come up as though you were challenging what they believe!

For instance, having three church services a week is generally practiced by evangelical Christians, but few know why. Originally, Sunday morning was for instruction and worship, Sunday evening was for evangelism, and the Wednesday service was for prayer. Today few churches have three services for those same purposes. In many churches, evangelism has switched to Sunday morning (if there is an evangelistic service). Sunday evenings range from body life gatherings to an informal repeat of the morning service. Wednesday stopped being a prayer meeting years ago in most churches.

Few people can say why they have an adult fellowship group and, consequently, most never fulfill the greatest purpose for which they exist. Without a clear purpose, planning dribbles down to who is going to be the teacher and what is the next monthly social! The purpose of fellowship groups is to provide a base for incorporating new people into the church, going after those who stray, and meeting the needs of one another. Routine activities that lack purpose produce mindless participation. How is God going to guide such a group?

The greatest avenue for productive change is to clarify the purpose of any existing ministry or group. I sat with the leaders of an adult group and helped them hammer out a purpose statement. Some major changes took place in their class. Within two years they had doubled. Asking "Why?" forced them to evaluate their purpose and ministry, and necessary changes came.

Prayer:

Lord, I purpose not to waste my time or effort on traditions that are no longer valid vehicles for ministry.


Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Savior-seeker

Excerpt from John Piper Sermon: Go, Your Son Will Live

Text: John 4: 43-54

...

Sign-Seeker or Savior-Seeker?

Jesus does not address the man only. He addresses the whole group he has been talking about—the whole region of his own hometown. And now he says explicitly what we’ve been arguing. Verse 48: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” You are sign-seekers. You are “wonder-worshipers.” You say you believe, but your belief—like those folks in Jerusalem in John 2:23 and like his brothers in John 7:5—is not real belief that honors me. We can call it belief, but it’s not the kind that unites you to me as one who sees and treasures me as the Son of God full of grace and truth. In fact, it dishonors me. So verse 48 is the most explicit indictment of all along with verse 44 that a prophet has no honor in his own home area.

But now what about this official? Was he in that crowd who believed but didn’t believe? Believed as a sign-seeker, but not as a Savior-seeker? A lover of Jesus’ power, but not a lover of his person?

Jesus Tests Him

It seems to me that Jesus is testing him. The official is asking for a miracle for his dying son in a milieu where people love to see miracles. And he seems to be asking for the same reason any unbelieving person would love to see a miracle—I have a health need, fix it. Not: I have sin, forgive it, and give me power to live for you. Unbelievers don’t love God; they use God. So Jesus bluntly says to the man—it says that Jesus said “to him” (verse 48)—that he and the other Galileans are sign-seekers: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

I take it to be a test, like the time a Syrophoenician woman pleaded for help for her daughter, and Jesus at first rebuffed her, but it turned out to be a test (Mark 7:27). How does the official respond to Jesus’ rebuff?

“Go, Your Son Will Live”

He doesn’t even comment on it. He simply repeats his request. Verse 49, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Neither Jesus nor John comments on the man’s sincerity. Jesus simply gives him a gift. Verse 50: Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”

John says (still in verse 50), “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” What is remarkable about this is that the man had asked Jesus to come with him. But when Jesus simply spoke, “Go; your son will live,” the man obeyed without a question. He believed and went. He did not insist on seeing the miracle. He did not complain that Jesus would not come with him. And amazingly, he simply left, John says, believing. I’m inclined to think that in that moment of seeing Jesus speak so sovereignly in spite of his accusations, something awakened in the man. He saw something more than a miracle-worker.

...


Dynamic Movements

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer interview with Steve Addison is the Director of Church Resource Ministries (CRM) Australia, and the author of a new book, Movements That Change The World.

...

You've identified the characteristics of dynamic movements. Tell us about them.

The five characteristics are: white-hot faith, commitment to a cause, contagious relationships, rapid mobilization and adaptive methods.

White-hot faith is the engine room of a dynamic movement. The apostle Paul was not converted by clever arguments but through a powerful encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road. We would not have had the Reformation without Martin Luther's struggle with the question of, "How can a holy God forgive a sinner like me?"

The secret of Jesus' life and ministry was his relationship of loving obedience to the Father and dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. He drew his disciples into the same relationship and sent them out with no other resources.

A white-hot faith provides the motivation, energy and legitimacy to go change the world.

Next is commitment to a cause. For good or for evil, history is made by people committed to a common purpose. Nothing changes unless people care deeply and are willing take action. Jesus had high expectations of his followers. So high, that some of them walked away.

John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement. On one occasion he visited Bristol. When he arrived there were 900 people in the local Society. When he left 143 of them had been removed for various reasons: among them wife-beating, smuggling, and drunkenness. Wesley led a disciplined movement that changed the world.

The third characteristic of movements is contagious relationships. We are all just six handshakes away from everyone on the planet. Ideas, like viruses, spread from person to person and from group to group. In the age of the internet, contagious relationships are still the most important form of communication.

The most responsive people to the gospel are those who have recently seen someone in their world come to faith.

Whenever we see the Christian faith expanding exponentially, it's traveling across networks of preexisting relationships. We tend to focus on building quality relationships with a few. Jesus focused on connecting broadly and then through one responsive person, reaching households and villages. That's how we see the gospel spreading in Acts.

The fourth characteristic is rapid mobilization. Movements don't abolish the clergy, they just ordain everyone for ministry. What did Jesus do? He went after ordinary people and trained them on-the-job. His lecture on the nature of faith was conducted on a sinking boat in the midst of a storm. There was theological content integrated with life and ministry. Jesus grew leaders and released them to go and change the world.

You don't get dramatic expansion of a movement if everyone is a paid professional. If anyone is paid, they are paid to pioneer new fields and mobilize others. Whether they are in New York or New Delhi, that's what missionaries do.

The last characteristic is adaptive methods. The best illustration of an adaptive method I can think of is the game of soccer. Soccer is the world's game played by hundreds of millions and watched by billions. Why? I think it's because you can drop a ball at the feet of a three year old and she can start playing. It may take a lifetime of practice to master the game, but only an instant to begin enjoying it. Try doing that with American or Australian football.

Adaptive methods are simple, flexible and transferable. That's one reason why Jesus taught by telling stories. A good story, like the prodigal son, can be told by anyone to anyone, even across the boundaries of culture and time.

Movements are unchanging when it comes to their core message and beliefs. At the same time they are willing to change everything else to get that message out and get the job done. Unfortunately we have churches that are unwilling to change their methods, but quite happy to change the heart of the gospel. They have the worst of both worlds and the fruit is clear to see.

Where are the current examples of dynamic movements today?

The exciting news is they are mostly in the developing world--Africa, Asia, Latin America. These are also the regions of greatest population growth. Today, over 90% of new Christians will come from these regions. Expect that trend to continue.

In the US I've been encouraged by leaders such as Neil Cole, Bob Roberts, Ralph Moore, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and Jimmy Seibert who emphasize multiplication of disciples, workers and churches rather than just growth. A growing band of leaders are seeing the church as a movement.

The whole missional/emerging discussion has helped unfreeze us all in our understanding of church. If that is combined with a commitment to the Gospel and a passion to multiply disciples it could be quite fruitful.

...


Alive

Perry Noble post: What Makes A Church Come Alive

Was thinking the other day about this…what makes a church come alive?

  • CHANGED LIVES…when dead people are being brought to life a church cannot remain on life support. Changed lives change a community!
  • THE GOSPEL…when the Gospel is THE agenda instead of some ridiculous issue that happens to be the “fad of the year.”
  • HIS PRESENCE…when He becomes UNDENIABLE!
  • WORSHIP…when the goal isn’t to see how little of the song we can sing but rather to sing with everything we’ve got.
  • GIVING…when God is honored because Christians don’t just trust Him with what they can’t see…but are willing to trust Him with what they can see.
  • SERVICE…when believers are unleashed to serve Christ by using their spiritual gifts rather than depending on the “paid professionals” to do it all.
  • DEDICATION…when people in the church are way more passionate about pursuing Christ daily rather than showing up on Sunday and getting their attendance star on their chart.
  • PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY…when people in the church begin to accept responsibility for where they are in their spiritual journey…and then are willing to do something about it.
  • LEADERS WHO FEAR GOD, NOT MAN…leaders who know that God called them and will take care of them…and refuse to let the threat of not getting a paycheck stop them from doing what God has called them to do.
  • UNITY…when a church can truly celebrate when a church…ANY CHURCH…sees something great happen for the Kingdom.
  • BAPTISM…it’s NEVER a bad thing to see hundreds of people go public with their faith.
  • SINCERITY…when people show up with hearts ready to hear, repent and be brough near rather that people checking out the fashions of others.
  • DESPERATION…for Jesus to show up and make Himself known.
  • EXCELLENCE…for people to be willing to give their very best effort to honor the God who saved them.
  • TECHNOLOGY…embracing it and using it rather than fighting it. (Find it funny and sad that there are churches who say that using lights and video is “not in the Bible,” yet those same churches use air conditioner and heaters…which are not in the Bible either!)

Those are just some thoughts I had on it…praying that NewSpring Church is always a church fully alive.


Mentors

Excerpt from Mark Batterson post:

...

As I look back, I'm so grateful for a God send. God provided a mentor named Dick Foth. Dick was a former pastor and college president. At the time he was working with a para-church ministry in DC and felt led to attend NCC. In fact, He and Ruth were part of NCC when we numbered 25 people on a good Sunday.

Everybody needs a Dick Foth. You need a sounding board. You need someone who will speak into your life. You need someone who is further down the path you want want to travel. At critical times in my life, Dick has been a voice of encouragement, a voice of wisdom, and a voice of concern.

...

Monday, August 17, 2009

Blessed

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

Matthew 5 [The Message]


Friday, August 14, 2009

Believing

Devotional from Christine Wyrtzen

BELIEVING

"And, who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him. John 9:36-38

True believing in Jesus is to see His glory, repent, and worship Him above all else and all others. It is to make Him my supreme treasure. To sin is to value something above the value I place on Jesus.

The blind man that Jesus healed didn't worship Jesus because He had healed him. He worshipped Him when Jesus revealed Himself and he understood the identity of the person with whom he was speaking.

The word 'believe' can trip many people up. If asked if they believe in Jesus, they quickly say yes. They believe that He was God's Son, even that He was God. But it's admitted with a casual shrug of the shoulders. Has that intellectual assent changed their lives? In many cases, no. Is that true belief? Probably not. Satan knew who Jesus was, even knew scripture well enough to quote major sections of it, yet he was an enemy of King Jesus. He had long stopped worshipping God and exalted Himself.

The conversation with the blind man happened just after the man had stood up for Jesus in the temple. He had been so bold in his testimonial that he was excommunicated. Cast out of the temple, Jesus went looking for him and found him.

Nothing can separate me from Christ's love. Not a person, not a government, not a church, not a clergyman. When I cling to Christ and wrap my arms tightly around my Savior, I am never cast out. I may be shunned by men, but Jesus will always receive me. When I pay a price for love and commitment, the Spirit of Jesus seeks me out as He did the blind man. Though, at times, I will be asked to pay dearly for my faith, I am never without comfort and companionship. Jesus sees me when I'm spurned and is right there to minister to the wound.

If I'm off the beaten path, trying to recover from the hurts others inflict, Jesus is a friend to the friendless.

I am Yours, You are mine. When I'm feeling forgotten, You are right there. I'm never out of Your sight and I rest in Your caring ways. Amen

The Great Congregation

When Jesus said "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22), he said it to the assembled community. When St. Luke described the descent of the Holy Spirit it was upon the community, one hundred twenty (at least) praying and waiting followers of Jesus "together in one place" (Acts 2:1).

We are a community. We are not ourselves by ourselves. We are born into communities, we live in communities, we die in communities. Human beings are not solitary, self-sufficient creatures. As we realize both the necessity and the nature of our lives in community, we also become aware of the difficulty, the complexity, and, as Christians who are following Jesus, the seductions all around us to find an easier way, a modified community, a reduced community customized to my preferences, a "gated community."

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Thursday, August 13, 2009

God-colors

14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Matthew 5 (The Message)


Contextualization

Ed Stetzer post on What Questions Are People Asking?


For decades, the phrase, "If you were to die today, do you know for sure you would go to heaven?" was associated with evangelical attempts at sharing their faith. My guess is that millions of people have been asked that question over the last few decades-- and I would not be surprised if God used such a conversation and question and many many became followers of Christ.

But, the question itself always intrigued me. And, one of the great things about my job (as a researcher), is I get to say, "I wonder..."

And, in this case, I wondered how many people really ask that question. In other words, how often to people wonder if they were to die today would they go to heaven. My first assumption was that only a few people really would think about their eternal destiny and, thus, thought the question might be less helpful today if few asked that question.

So, to test my informal hypothesis, we commissioned a poll.

About three years ago, while I was serving at the North American Mission Board's Center for Missional Research (now led by my friend Richie Stanley), Richie and I did a poll on that very subject.

Interestingly, "Will I go to heaven when I die?" is not a question most Americans ask themselves with much frequency. The North American Mission Board's Center for Missional Research conducted a survey that give some insight into what Americans are really thinking.

goingtoheaven.png

There are a good number of people who ask that question and do so frequently, but most do not.

Perhaps in previous generations people were asking questions about life after death, and so evangelistic approaches that focused on that issue were contextually appropriate. But the times - they are a-changing.

purposeinlife.png

It appears that more people are thinking about meaning and purpose than life after death. (And it is important to note that the Bible provides the answers to all these questions.)

More people are thinking about is the purpose of life. People are looking for and thinking about purpose: perhaps one of the reasons that Purpose Driven Life has been such a best seller.

Why are we here? How can my life have meaning, value and significance? Explaining what the gospel says to these questions will more readily demonstrate just how relevant the gospel is to their lives. What happens after death is eternally important, but the world isn't always ready to see that. But they are somewhat prepared to consider that because we are made in God's image we have infinite value and dignity; that sin is what robs us of experiencing the reason for which we have been made - to glorify God and enjoy him forever; that Jesus alone is our only hope of redemption - that in him our sins are forgiven, the image of God is restored in us and by him we can glorify God and enjoy him now and forever.

This is the work of contextualization. Answering the questions the world is asking from God's word, pointing them back to the gospel. This is why I value research (asking questions, and really listening). Let's be about the business of making the gospel clear. To do that you will have to do more than speak. You'll need to do some listening as well.


Refuge

Psalm 28: 6-9 [ESV]

6Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

8The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.


Hiding Place - Shelter - Streams of Water

Isaiah 32: 1-4

1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.
2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a shelter from the storm,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will give attention.
4The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.

[ESV]


1BEHOLD, A King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

2And each one of them shall be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land [to those who turn to them].

3Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed or dimmed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

4And the mind of the rash will understand knowledge and have good judgment, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and plainly.

[Amplified]


1-8 But look! A king will rule in the right way, and his leaders will carry out justice.
Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds,
provide safe cover in stormy weather.
Each will be cool running water in parched land,
a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert.
Anyone who looks will see,
anyone who listens will hear.
The impulsive will make sound decisions,
the tongue-tied will speak with eloquence.
No more will fools become celebrities,
nor crooks be rewarded with fame.
For fools are fools and that's that,
thinking up new ways to do mischief.
They leave a wake of wrecked lives
and lies about God,
Turning their backs on the homeless hungry,
ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets.
And the crooks? Underhanded sneaks they are,
inventive in sin and scandal,
Exploiting the poor with scams and lies,
unmoved by the victimized poor.
But those who are noble make noble plans,
and stand for what is noble.

[The Message]



Wednesday, August 12, 2009

He Will

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. [ESV]

Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. [The Message]

James 4: 8b

Now

Pastors .. Church Leaders .. If I May post by Perry Noble

I read II Corinthians 6:1-2 the other day and nearly came out of my skin!

We can’t receive His grace in vain…we cannot pretend that what we do doesn’t matter…because…

NOW is the time of HIS FAVOR!!! The church has more potential right now than ever before in the history of the world! God has set the church up for MAJOR success…when you combine the potential of technology WITH THE SUPERNATURAL HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD…DANG!!! We need to be OBSESSED with this…HIS FAVOR is ON THE CHURCH. Which leads to…

NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION! TODAY!!! God wants to save people…to DRAW them TO HIM through the church! Don’t be afraid to give an invitation…to share the Gospel…to challenge people to respond!

Don’t wait–NOW!!!

  • You’ve been putting off that ministry idea…do it NOW!
  • You’ve been holding off on that sermon…do it NOW!
  • You’ve been too scared to launch that church…do it NOW!
  • You’ve been too fearful to confront certain things…do it NOW!

NOW is the time! Let’s stop the foolishness of saying “one day/some day!” Life is too short to wish it away!

Favor and Salvation…the time is NOW! You say you’re “waiting on God,” but is that a cop out…is it the other way around…that God is waiting on you to take a step of faith and trust Him?

II Corinthians 5:7 = the time is now!


Guidance

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

LIVING ABOVE LIFE'S CIRCUMSTANCES

Philippians 4:11
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am

Some of us tend to assume that it is God's will if the circumstances are favorable and it isn't God's will if the circumstances are unfavorable. Next to the Bible, I would guess that more Christians are "guided" by this means than any other. Yet of all the possible means of guidance, this is the least authoritative and trustworthy.

I had the privilege of pastoring a church that purchased new property and went through a building program. Through most of the process the circumstances didn't seem favorable. Twice I sat with the mayor, who was also a local real estate agent, and asked him if he thought our plans were feasible. He advised us not to make the land trade, and he didn't think the city would allow us to build. He knew the real estate and the political climate better than anyone in the city. But the land swap increased our assets by millions and the city planning commission voted 7-0 in favor of our building plans.

You may have to set sail by the tide, but you'd better be guided by the stars or you're going to end up on the wrong shore. Circumstances may have their effect on your plans, but you have a far greater accountability to God. Make sure you follow Him, not the tide of circumstances.

I heard a motivational speaker say, "I don't like to recruit Christians because when the going gets tough they quit, concluding that it must not be God's will." Generally speaking, I believe that Christians should live above life's circumstances and not be guided by them.

Also be careful about applying too much significance to unusual circumstances or coincidences. "It must be God's will. Why else would that book by lying there!" It could be God's will, but I would never take that kind of a sign on its own merit. I have helped many people in occultic bondage who have made bizarre associations or attached far too much significance to irrelevant events.

Prayer:

Lord, I determine to test all guidance by Your Word and not to be swayed away from Your will by circumstances or popular opinion.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Resurrection Life

... The way we live our lives, the impulses and desires we have to get in on what God is doing in the wonders of creations and the mess of history, is activated now by Jesus' resurrection. There is no living worth its salt that is not the consequence of the action of God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you" (Rom. 8:11). ...

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Self-Feeder

Excerpt from Dan Kimball post

...

We are spending 5 weeks teaching about biblical hermeneutics and the importance of becoming a "self-feeder" of Scripture. Starting next Sunday we are going through the letter of Philemon verse by verse. Becky wrote a study guide for the three weeks so she walked everyone through the heart of how it was written and how to use it.

Becky quoted Bill Hybels as part of her point on the importance of people not depending on their Sunday worship gathering to be "fed" each week - but how church leaders should be setting a culture for teaching people how to be studying and learning from Scripture on their own through the week. Bill Hybels said in retrospect about Willow Creek: We should have taught people how to read their Bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”

...

Monday, August 10, 2009

Presence of Him

“The Indwelling of Christ by faith…is to have Jesus Christ continually in one’s eye, a habitual sight of Him. I call it so because a man actually does not always think of Christ; but as a man does not look up to the sun continually, yet he sees the light of it…. So you should carry along and bear along in your eye the sight and knowledge of Christ, so that at least a presence of Him accompanies you, which faith makes.”

—Thomas Goodwin (1600—1679), The Works of Thomas Goodwin (RHB), 2:411.

Source


His Kitchen

Christ plays in the community of people with whom we live, and we want to get in on the play. We see what Christ does in creation and history and we want in on it, firsthand with our families and friends and neighbors. But difficulties arrive. Soon or late those of us who follow Jesus find ourselves in the company of men and women who also want to get in on it. It doesn't take us long to realize that many of these fellow volunteers and workers aren't much to our liking, and some of them we actively dislike -- a mixed bag of saints and sinners, the saints sometimes harder to put with than the sinners. Jesus doesn't seem to be very discriminating in the children he lets into his kitchen to help with the cooking.

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

Reading Time

Excerpt from interview with Andrew Peterson

...

RES: You have three children. Please tell us about your family devotions—is there anything specific that you try to do, and anything that you want to avoid?

AP: After the kitchen is clean and the jammies are on, we read a Bible story (we love The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones), then we read the next chapter in whatever book we’re working through (right now we’re enjoying 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson). Then we pray. We don’t call it “devotions.” Reading time is just as much a part of our day as throwing the Frisbee or watching the “Twilight Zone.”

RES: Why are you writing books for children? Please tell us about On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and the forthcoming novel, North! Or Be Eaten.

AP: As for why I’m writing books for children, allow me to quote myself (from a Rabbit Room blog last week): “Those of us who write, who sing, who paint, must remember that to a child a song may glow like a nightlight in a scary bedroom. It may be the only thing holding back the monsters. That story may be the only beautiful, true thing that makes it through all the ugliness of a little girl’s world to rest in her secret heart. May we take that seriously. It is our job, it is our ministry, it is the sword we swing in the Kingdom, to remind children that the good guys win, that the stories are true, and that a fool’s hope may be the best kind.”

These books follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Janner Igiby and his brother and sister. In the first book they discover that their quiet little town is anything but quiet, and that their lives are more important than they could ever imagine. In the second book they’re running for their lives, and learning to live with the truth of who they are. Of course, there are swords, sea dragons, toothy cows (the horror!) and bumpy digtoads (which are too loathsome to describe in this esteemed blog).

The Wingfeather Saga is my attempt to tell a great story, one that children and adults alike will enjoy and be comforted by. North! Or Be Eaten, as the title implies, isn’t a safe story. There’s quite a bit of danger and darkness, but I hope it only serves to make the beauty shine brighter.

RES: Which musicians do you think really “get it,” and why?

AP: I’m truly a fan of every member of the Square Peg Alliance (Ben Shive, Andy Gullahorn, Jill Phillips, Eric Peters, Jeremy Casella, Randall Goodgame, Andrew Osenga, and Derek Webb). Other than that, I’d suggest Pierce Pettis, Jason Gray, and of course the late, great Rich Mullins. What I love about these artists is their commitment to excellence, and to telling the truth well, regardless of what's driving the market.


...

Come As You Are

Excerpt from "Perfect People" by Natalie Grant

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Even Though

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Manner of Walk

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4: 1-3 [ESV]

In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

Ephesians 4: 1-3 [The Message]

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Risking Totally

These verses (16-17, The Message) are just before the Great Commission [Matthew 28]
Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
What struck me about these verses is the idea that some held back from worship because they were not willing to totally risk themselves. So, in my mind, I have rearranged these concepts (but hopefully not the meaning) to state it this way:

Worship is not holding back, but totally risking yourself in believing God is God.

Community

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer interview with John Avant and his new book If God Were Real

You talk a lot about "transformation." What should that look like in the Church and what does it look like in yours?

As evangelicals when we read the Bible we get very excited about the Philippian jailer getting saved. But we forget that Philippi itself was transformed! Think of how much of the New Testament is about what God was doing in the cities of their day. I am as committed as ever to the salvation of every soul. But it bothers me that even in the case of many of our largest churches, there is not a lot of evidence that the community around them is being transformed.

I have only been at my church, First West in West Monroe, La for a few years but I believe we are going to be a lab for what it would look like if the churches of a community lived together like God is real. We already have over 100 churches committed to the same vision: "to see the spiritual, cultural and physical transformation of our community so visible it can't be missed." We are working together with city leaders, business leaders, education leaders, and churches to bring the transformative power of the Gospel into the real issues of our community. I could write forever about this. We are committed together to break down barriers that have divided us and see with our eyes what a city can become. We are changing the metrics of the way we measure success as a church to reflect this vision. If we have more butts in the seats but more drugs on the streets we have failed.


Monday, August 03, 2009

His Charge -- This Way of Life

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Matthew 28: 18-20 [The Message]

In Christ

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

OUR ACCESS TO CHRIST'S AUTHORITY

Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

Do we enjoy the same claim to Christ's authority in the spiritual realm as those who were personally sent out by Him? Absolutely! In fact, because of the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have an even greater advantage in spiritual warfare than the first disciples did. They were with Christ (Mark 3:14, 15), but we are in Christ. That was Paul's great news in the opening lines of his letter to the church at Ephesus. Ten times in the first 13 verses he reminded us that everything we have is the result of our intimate, personal relationship with the resurrected Christ and His indwelling Spirit.

Having firmly established the reality of our position in Christ, Paul expressed his heart's desire for Spirit-filled believers in this prayer:

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:18-20).

Our problem with identity and self-perception as Christians is not that we aren't in Christ; it's that we don't see it or perceive it; we're just not conscious of it. We are not supposed to pursue power because we already have it in Christ. We are to pursue truth and pray that our eyes will be opened to our rich inheritance in Christ.

As long as we fail to perceive our access to Christ's authority over the kingdom of darkness, we will fail to exercise that authority in our lives, and we may live in bondage.

Prayer:

Open my eyes, Lord; I want to see Jesus. Open my ears and help me listen, abide in You, and draw strength moment by moment.