Monday, November 30, 2009

Faithful

Fail Us Not


Fail Us Not from Steven Potaczek on Vimeo.

Marriage

John Piper post:  Why Say That Marriage Is Like Christ and the Church?

When I asked Noël if there was anything she wanted me to say about marriage, she said, “You cannot say too often that marriage is a model of Christ and the church.”
I think she is right and there are at least three reasons:
  1. It lifts marriage out of sordid sitcom images and gives it the magnificent meaning God meant it to have.
  2. It gives marriage a solid basis in grace, since Christ obtained and sustains his bride by grace alone.
  3. It shows that the husband’s headship and the wife’s submission are crucial and crucified. That is, they are woven into the very meaning of marriage as a display of Christ and the church, but they are both defined by Christ’s self-denying work on the cross so that pride and slavishness are cancelled.
Adapted from the 2007 sermon "Marriage: God's Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace."

 

All the Paths

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.


Psalm 25:10

Biblical Realism

Mark Batterson post:  God Is For You

"If God is for us then who can be against us?"

Romans 8:31

You + God = a majority. If God is on your side, there is nothing you cannot overcome. Why? Because we are more than conquerors through Christ. That is reality. That isn't optimism. It's biblical realism.

If you know that God is for you, then no challenge is too great, no problem is too big, no obstacle cannot be overcome. But most of us doubt this fundamental truth. And I believe it's one of our root spiritual problems. We aren't sure if God is really for us or against us because we allow the guilt we feel over sins committed to infect our feelings. We think God feels about us the way we feel about ourselves! We need to sanctify our feelings.

You need to settle this once and for all. God is for you. God is on your side. God is in your corner. His intentions toward you are always good. Here's an amazing promise in Psalm 84:11:

"No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right."


Expectation and Yearning

First Sunday of Advent (Year C):  Thematic

God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds.
Raise our heads in expectation,
that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord
and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Give Thanks .. Gracious and Merciful

Praise the LORD!I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
   in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the LORD,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
   and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
   the LORD is gracious and merciful.


Psalm 111:1-4

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thankfulness

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [ESV]

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. [The Message]

Colossians 3:15

Sentness

Excerpt from Alan Hirsch:  No Disciples, No Mission | Catalyst

Having been believers and ministers for over 25 years now has given Debs and I an appreciation for just how hard it is to be an authentic follower of our Lord and Savior. To be an authentically radical disciple requires a relentless evaluation of life’s priorities and concerns—together with an ongoing, rigorous, critique of our culture—to ensure we are not adopting values that subvert the very life and message we are called to live out. For true followers of Jesus, discipleship is not simply the first step toward a promising career of being a Christian, rather it is itself the fulfillment of our destiny. So, Debs and I have decided to write a book on what we call “missional discipleship.” Appropriately called Untamed, it is meant to be a penetrating look into the things that keep us from becoming all we were made to be and has many practical suggestions about how to become wild followers of Jesus again.

The truth is that discipleship, at least the way the Bible understands it, cannot be limited to a personal exercise in personal spirituality. There are much greater, perhaps even global, consequences at stake in our becoming more like Jesus. So much so that we have actually come to believe that discipleship is a frontier issue for the people of God at this time in history. Why? Because most commentators would now agree that the Western Church, because of its deep embedding into the prevailing consumerist culture, has all but lost the art of discipleship. Reggie McNeal has concluded that “church culture in North America is now a vestige of the original [Christian] movement, an institutional expression of religion that is in part a civil religion and in part a club where religious people can hang out with other people whose politics, worldview, and lifestyle match theirs.”

If this is indeed the case, we should be clear that this is not what the church is called to be, and is, in fact, directly caused by a failure in discipleship and disciple-making. And it will have to be addressed if we are to give faithful witness to our century. Therefore, rediscovering what it means to radically follow Jesus is now an area of strategic—and definitely missional—concern. To recover mission we are going to have to take discipleship seriously again, but the reverse is also true; to rediscover discipleship we are also going to have to take mission seriously. We cannot be true disciples without also being missionaries (sent ones) to our worlds.

The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of the world (Rom. 1:16), and God wants to redeem the broken and lost world around us and through us. Our lives, individual and corporate, play a vital role in the unfolding of the grand purposes of God. The gospel cannot be limited to being about my personal healing and wholeness, but rather extends in and through my salvation to the salvation of the world. To fail in discipleship and disciple-making is therefore to fail in the primary mission (or “sentness”) of the church. And it does not take a genius to realize that we have all but lost the art of disciple-making in the contemporary Western church. No wonder Dallas Willard calls the systematic non-discipleship of the Western Church “the great omission” in his book by that name.

...

Monday, November 23, 2009

Extravagant Generosity

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out.

   Is there anyone around who can explain God?
   Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
   Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
      that God has to ask his advice?

   Everything comes from him;
   Everything happens through him;
   Everything ends up in him.
   Always glory! Always praise!
      Yes. Yes. Yes.


Romans 11: 33-36 [The Message]

Trust

LifeToday Devotional

Faith, Risk and Diving Boards
by Dave Hackbarth

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your
God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:9, NIV)

“It’s not possible,” I thought as I peered over the edge of the diving board. My heart beat wildly in my chest and my knees felt more like jelly than bone and muscle.

“I have no idea why on earth anyone would want to do this! What’s wrong with people?” My thoughts were doing a great job at giving me the courage to take that risk and jump. If I could get them to shut up for five seconds, I just might do it.

I slowly moved up toward the edge again and looked down on my mom, who was encouraging me to jump. But she didn’t see what I saw: the water. It looked like solid glass or transparent concrete. I swear a mysterious breeze started to blow and shake the diving board. Did I mention this was an indoor pool?

I don’t remember how old I was at that point in my childhood, but I do remember the timidity and fear that seized me as I failed to bravely conquer that diving board. I don’t really think it was the diving board or swimming or scaling heights that was at stake. It was my trust.

Earlier this year, I attended a leadership conference at my home church, Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. Neil Cole delivered most of the content for the weekend, which focused on empowering and equipping organic leaders . On the second day of the conference, I vividly recall him saying, “If you don’t have a good story, it’s because you’re not taking enough risk.”

That statement echoed throughout the auditorium. I immediately recalled months earlier asking God to give me opportunities to take risk and have faith without any solid proof or clarity. No more pillars of fire by day or writing on the wall or dew-soaked fleeces. Just faith.

Then I started reading Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning as part of my residency at Gateway and I was again hit with this picture of what it means to trust God:

faith + hope = trust

I have always understood the faith part. It is essential to knowing God through Jesus. But what about the hope part? Have I really trusted God?

These questions bombarded my soul in an all-out assault on my heart. I wrestled with the answers and found more questions. I reviewed my life and saw multiple times where faith was evident and hope was somewhat present.

To be honest, hope in what has yet to happen often seems so insubstantial and elusive. I recalled instances of having hope, but they seemed to only appear in the storms of life when uncertainty surrounded me. It was as if the valleys of life offered more hope than the hills and peaks. You may know exactly what I am talking about.

The Bible offers us story after story to illustrate this, but I think that we often gloss over the reality of hope in the midst of a faith story. One story that came to mind during the war between my soul and heart was that of Peter’s hike on water. Let’s set the scene…

The disciples, following Jesus’ orders, are crossing the lake by boat while Jesus seeks several hours of solitude. Trouble arrives in the form of a squall and treacherous waters. These seasoned fishermen are having a hard time getting to the other shore, indicating the severity of the storm. (Matthew 14:22-24)

Life is like that, isn’t it? The storms of life hit us and, though we’ve been through several storms, each one can rock our world. We struggle to gain control, just as the disciples were struggling with their boat.

Jesus, now done with his solitude, sees that the disciples are in a bit of trouble and far from land. So, he charters a boat to sail to their rescue. Right?

No. Jesus strolls out into open waters, straight into the tempest! The disciples see Jesus, assume he is a ghost and immediately panic.

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.’
 ‘Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’
 ‘Come,’ he said.”
(Matthew 14:26-29a, NIV)

Did you notice a subtle, but important, element to this story? The disciples knew Jesus’ voice! They had enough faith that they knew that Jesus would save them. After all, the last time this sort of thing happened Jesus’ words alone calmed the storm. (Matthew 8:23-27)

Even more than having the storm calmed, Peter immediately wanted to be like Jesus. He wanted to do what he saw his master, his teacher, his mentor doing. Peter initiated and Jesus approved. Faith is like that because it always takes action. Faith always takes initiative.

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29b, NIV)

I almost wish the story ended there. What a great Hollywood ending! Fortunately for us, it does not.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
(Matthew 14:30-33, NIV)


Most of the time when I read this story, I criticize Peter for his lack of faith. Think about it. Peter just saw Jesus feed 5,000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish!

How many times do we think something like, “If Jesus was right in front of me, I would have done it.” When I read the Bible, I am always the one who obeys or the one who loves well or the one who is daring and risky. How about you?

Truthfully, I am rarely that person. The reality of my life is more akin to the other disciples than Peter. Notice I said “other disciples.” In this story, they are only referred to as “those who were in the boat.” They aren’t even mentioned by name! That would have been me. I would not have even had the intestinal fortitude to try getting out of the boat. I would have most likely been the wanna-be protégé sitting near the edge of the boat with one hand firmly gripping the center of the boat, pretending to be fearless. Then Peter gets all hopped-up on seeing Jesus and gets all heroic.

Even Peter’s lack of faith was more faith than the rest of the disciples. In that moment, Peter was not only exercising his faith by taking initiative, but all of his hope was in Jesus. He trusted Jesus with his life. Just look at the evidence. When Peter began to sink, who did he call out to? Who did he trust to save him? His faith, combined with hope, allowed him to trust that Jesus could do what Peter was incapable of doing for himself. He trusted Jesus to save him.

This leads us back to my childhood diving-board experience. In life, I have had many diving-board opportunities. Heroic moments where my life could have been defined by great trust in Jesus. Divine moments that could have taken my comfortable life and propelled me into a life of unleashed faith. Too often, I chose the lesser life. I chose not to risk; not to trust.

What about you?

This Week
How is God asking you to trust in Him through your struggles or storms? What must you do to choose the heroic life Jesus called you to live, like Peter? What can you do at work or in your neighborhood to exercise your faith?

Prayer
“Jesus, forgive me for choosing the comfortable, lesser life by not fully trusting in you. Give me the strength I need to respond to your Spirit, not with timidity, but with heroic trust. Help me step out of the boat. Amen.”

Advent

Excerpts from Ed Stetzer post:  Advent Without the Conspiracy on SermonCentral

...

The very word "advent" essentially means the arrival of something. So, as we celebrate Christmas, we supposedly celebrate the arrival of God into human form. The Incarnation is a moment to savor. All of our presents and lights and parties ought to have a better meaning. But usually, they don't. So, in a bid to create a more relevant/helpful/meaningful advent season, the church of late has sought to delineate itself from the commercialization of our country's Christmas culture. Oddly enough, we have done so by simply offering Christianized versions of what they were already doing—Christmas dinners, Christmas plays, Christmas musicals, and Christmas events in every size and shape. But alas, we have done no better than my neighbor. The church has cluttered the advent season with our own set of lawn décor.

Sure, our event planning seems more spiritual than the guy who wants his house to be seen from outer space. And yes, our events are done so with the façade of telling people the ubiquitous "reason for the season." (Am I supposed to capitalize "reason"? I don't know any more.) But are we bringing anyone closer to understanding the gospel? I fear we are only adding more decorations onto the already crowded front lawn of culture.
...

We are seeing a much-needed return to the simplicity of the Gospel and its power to bring transformation. The advent season needs no décor, conspiracy, or sales pitch. It needs simplicity.  It needs a gospel simply proclaimed and the work of Jesus simply done.

As you and your church move into this advent season, allow me to make some suggestions toward simplicity that may just help present a season that is filled with more advent than conspiracy.

Be obvious. We have grown far too comfortable with the bait-and-switch mentality reserved for the lowest form of salesmanship. "Come for a relaxing evening of music." But we really mean, "Come for dinner so we can ambush you with something vaguely spiritual."
...

Live in the experience of the Incarnation. It only happened once. So enjoy thinking and talking and living about it. John 1:14 is one of the high-water marks of scripture about the Incarnation. It is paraphrased by The Message as:
"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish."
I love that—"moved into the neighborhood." Jesus came to live among us, work like us, experience life like us. His experience is one for us to both revere and revel in.
Our advent celebrations should find their embodiment in work similar to His. He spoke the truth—so should we. He cared for the outcast—so should we. He sacrificed personally—so should we. It is not complicated to emulate a living example.

...

Be native. Everyone feels a bit of nostalgia at this time of the year, but it is only a fleeting glance at the past. The advent season should be lived in the present, especially among those who live in the now of their everyday lives.

I often encourage pastors to ask themselves and their congregation, "What year is it here?" It is intended to provoke the thought of how well a congregation is connecting with their community. After all, as soon as we step off of our church campuses, it is 2009, no matter how we act inside our buildings.

During the advent season, we ask everyone to take a backward glance of almost two millennia. But do you know what most people want to know? How does that little boy born in a barn change your life right now? They are waiting to hear us talk about the gospel's power in contemporary terms.

Your coworkers and neighbors harbor a silent but deep hope that one of their own (you) is telling the truth about this faith they've heard about. So be the native that delivers the message to the rest of your tribe.
...

Friday, November 20, 2009

His Grace

Christine Wyrtzen devotional

HOW OFTEN I FORFEIT FAVOR

I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.  Psalm 119:58

There are many who feel that God's favor is owed to them.  Perhaps this describes the majority of God's creation.  They believe that they do more good than bad.  Because of how that set of scales reads, they believe that God owes them pleasure and ease.

This psalmist, whoever he is, begs for God's favor.  He knows that even though He follows God, loves the Torah, and attempts to live a life that honors God, he does plenty of things every day to forfeit God's favor.  On this day, He asks God to consider pouring out His favor once again on his life.

No matter how sincere my heart was yesterday to honor Christ through my life, I failed to do it perfectly.  My sin grieved God and without His grace and mercy, there were grounds for God to withdraw the warmth of His smile from my shoulders.  He didn't - because of Christ.  He didn't - because of His Son's blood sacrifice.

Entitlement is a nasty spiritual disease.  It's unbecoming to children here on earth who live with their hand out.  How many parents have sacrificed for their son or daughter only to see their love spurned with indignant demand.  "Ungrateful!", that parent mutters under their breath in disappointment.

Entitlement is even more profound when God's children hold out their hand, feel entitled to the sacrifice Jesus made and the blessings of their inheritance in Christ, and give no thought to the graciousness of God who gives it all despite their unworthiness.  Oh, may my life be marked with humility and gratitude.  Anything good that He gives me is due to His grace, not my goodness. 

When I see signs of Your favor, I take in the gift with prayers of thanksgiving.  Forgive me for when I've been an ungrateful child.  Amen

Thursday, November 19, 2009

God's Fellow Workers - But Only God

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. [ESV]

Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working.  [The Message]

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Your Voice

Mark Batterson post:  Unique Voiceprint

There never has been and never will be anyone like you. But that isn't a testament to you. It's a testament to the God who created you absolutely unique.

All of creation is singing a worship chorus to God. And it's not just the meadow lark with its 300 notes or the nightingale finch with its 24 songs. According to the German physicist and pianist, Arnold Summerfield, a hydrogen atom emits 100 frequencies which makes it more complex musically than a grand piano which emits 88 frequencies.

For what its worth, Pythagoras said: "A stone is frozen music." Very interesting in light of what Jesus said: "If you remain silent the stones will cry out."

My point? All of creation is singing a unique song to the Creator. And you are part of that universal chorus. No one can worship God FOR you or LIKE you. God has given you a unique voiceprint. There are millions of people praying and worshiping God in every language all the time. But your voiceprint is unique. Like a parent who knows His child's unique cry or scream or laugh, God knows your voice. He hears your voice. The Heavenly Father loves your voice.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Steadfast Love Upon Us

Our soul waits for the LORD;
   he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
   because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
   even as we hope in you.


Psalm 33:20-22

Monday, November 16, 2009

Capture Me With Grace

Newsong "Rescue"

Full

And one called to another and said:

    "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"


Isaiah 6:3

Purpose

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE SIGNIFICANT DOMINION
 
Genesis 1:26
Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth

In the original creation, Adam didn't search for significance; he was significant. He was given rule over all His creatures. Was Satan on the scene at creation? Yes. Was he the god of this world at that time? Not at all. Who had the dominion in the garden? Under the authority of God, Adam did, that is until Satan usurped his dominion when Adam and Eve fell. That's when Satan became the god of this world.

Do you realize that the significant dominion Adam exercised before the Fall has been restored to you as a Christian? That's part of your inheritance in Christ. Satan has no authority over you, even though he will try to deceive you into believing that he has. Because of your position in Christ, you have authority over him. You are seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6).

First John 3:8 says, "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil." The whole plan of God is to restore fallen humanity and establish the kingdom of God where Satan now reigns. This work of God is not just for our personal victory but for all of creation. "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21).
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that I am part of Your redemptive plan. Show me my responsibility so I may live a life of purpose.



Owning Scripture

From an email.  Seemed related to yesterday's class discussion:

A few thoughts on OWNING GOD’S WORD:
      
      The book of Hebrews has historically been referred to as the Book of Faith, and in Chapter 4, verse 12, the writer says:  “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of jonts and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

    The writer goes on to say that nothing is hidden from God’s eyes; that we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and that we should come boldly to the throne of grace and there obtain mercy and grace in time of need.

       It occurs to me that in order to incorporate this living power, we must “own it.”  Let me explain.  In the realm of music, whether instrumental or vocal, to perform correctly, one must “own” the song.  For instance, a vocalist singing to a live audience should not carry on stage a copy of the words; it would be a hindrance and a distraction.  Therefore, the song must be so committed to memory, so familiar to the singer, that he or she “owns” it.  The song can then be sung confidently anytime and any place.

       In like manner, if we are to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ, we must be so familiar with scripture that we can share it with others without referring immediately to the Bible, as one may not always be available.  Oh, I don’t think it’s necessary to memorize every jot and tittle, but an accurate understanding of pertinent passages and what they mean is imperative.  As a singer must own a song, we as Christians must “own” scripture in such a way that it is readily available to us because of our familiarity with it.  After all, “the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,”and we must proclaim it boldly.  Don’t you agree?

                                                                                                Harvill here…11-22-02

Great Commandment

Here is a web site introducing a new book.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Questions

Perry Noble post:  Four Random Questions I Wrestle With

I often reflect on my early years in ministry…and the questions I wrestled with then.  As I look at my struggles my first five years…not that much has changed.  I still struggle with the same things…

#1 – Why do people criticize a church that reaches people?

I remember hearing early on in my ministry how evil Willow Creek/Bill Hybels was…so…I went to a conference where Hybels was speaking (so I could make my own decision) and watched him WEEP over people far from God (something I had never seen his critics do!)  It didn’t take me long to realize that his critics were not motivated by concern…but rather jealousy.

Yet…this still happens today.  In fact, it is quite popular to speak against anything that is growing in Christian circles…because if it can be shown in a negative light then it empowers other churches/organization to stay where they are and not make any sorts of adjustments.

#2 – Why do churches continually invest in broken systems?

For example…I am from Baptist world (this will be fun)…and I never, EVER, understood the concept of Sunday school.  The church begged and begged people to go…but the pastor didn’t go, the staff didn’t go–HECK, the Sunday school director didn’t even go!!!

If I am remembering correctly…SS attendance in ever major denomination has been DECREASING since the 1970’s…and yet churches STILL invest in the system that DID HAVE IT’S DAY…but needs to be let go of.  (I am REALLY making a lot of new friends in Baptist world right now!  Guys…I don’t hate you!  My heart is built on nothing less than Lottie Moon and Broadman Press!  I just desperately wish change would be embraced for the sake of HIS KINGDOM…and the SBC’s goal would not be merely to survive…but thrive!!!)

The other thing that comes to mind here is the way churches invest in youth and children’s ministry!  Seriously…I’ve read statistics that say up to 80% of CHURCHED KIDS walk away from the church when they graduate high school…and very few EVER return.  Could one of the problems be THE WAY the church approached ministry?  If so…then does the church MAYBE need to make some adjustments?

If the system is broken then say it is…and doing so is NOT irreverent…it is actually honoring to God!!!

#3 – Why do “Christians” hate people who aren’t like them?

This was REALLY confusing…I remember churches organizing abortion protest and then going out and yelling/screaming at people entering the abortion clinics and such.
NOW…let me be very clear…I am NOT for abortion…at all!  BUT…I remember thinking during the times when these protests were quite popular, “what about the girl who is sitting in the church right now and has had an abortion?”  (You can actually put anyone in that situation…the person who has given away their virginity, had a divorce, struggles with an addiction.)

Unfortunately…I’ve discovered that the people who most often look down on people who aren’t as “good as them” are usually hiding something of their own!!!

Oh…and one more thing here…why do “Christians” hate people who don’t believe just like them?  (The reformed guys are usually the worse…and, being pretty much reformed in my theology I believe I can say that with integrity!)  We all have different beliefs…but I would say if we could claim the Nicean Creed as our common ground…we should be mature enough to work through the rest.)

#4 – Why do pastors/church leaders listen to people who tell them what they should be doing…but have actually never done it?

If I wrote a book on surgery…the how to’s and such…there isn’t a doctor in the world that would buy it and/or attempt to apply what I had written!  Why?  Because…I am not a doctor…and I have NEVER actually performed surgery.

Yet…someone who has never planted a church and/or been a pastor can write a book in the Christian world…and church planters/pastors will devour it.  Some people call this brilliant…I call it stupid.

The world seems to grasp this concept…learn from people who have been where you want to go.  Yet the church seems to embrace, “listen and learn from the people who have never actually done anything…but have really good theories.”

Pastors/church leaders…if you want to learn the seek the wisdom of people who have actually done what you are wanting to do.  (BTW…these people do not descrie themselves as “experts”…but rather servants who simply listen to the Lord and do what He says!)

And for the person/people who have great theories about how to plant/lead a church…I would say if you really believe in your theories then why don’t you risk it all and put them into practice rather than trying to make a profit by selling your untested ideas to men and women whom you are hoping may have the faith that you don’t actually have?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Greater Joys

Jon Bloom (DG) post:  When You Don't Feel Like It, Take Heart

Did you wake up not feeling like reading your Bible and praying? How many times today have you had to battle not feeling like doing things you know would be good for you?
While it’s true that this is our indwelling sin that we must repent of and fight against, there’s more going on.


Think about this strange pattern that occurs over and over in just about every area of life:
  • Good food requires discipline to prepare and eat while junk food tends to be the most tasty, addictive, and convenient.
  • Keeping the body healthy and strong requires frequent deliberate discomfort while it only takes constant comfort to go to pot.
  • You have to make yourself pick up that nourishing theological book while watching a movie can feel so inviting.
  • You frequently have to force yourself to get to devotions and prayer while sleeping, reading the sports, and checking Facebook seems effortless.
  • To play beautiful music requires thousands of hours of tedious practice.
  • To excel in sports requires monotonous drills ad nauseum.
  • It takes years and years of schooling just to make certain opportunities possible.
  • This goes on and on.
The pattern is this: the greater joys are obtained through struggle and pain, while brief, unsatisfying, and often destructive joys are right at our fingertips. Why is this?
Because, in great mercy, God is showing us everywhere, in things that are just shadows of heavenly things, that there is a great reward for those who struggle through (Hebrews 10:32-35). He is reminding us repeatedly each day to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

         Each struggle is an invitation by God to follow in the footsteps of his Son, “who for the joy that             was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the             throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

         Those who are spiritually blind only see futility in these things. But for those who have eyes to see,         God has woven hope (faith in future grace) right into the futility of creation (Romans 8:20-21).                 Each struggle is a pointer saying, “Look! Look to the real Joy set before you!”
So when you don’t feel like doing what you know is best for you, take heart and don’t give in. Your Father is pointing you to the reward he has planned for all who endure to the end (Matthew 24:13).
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (1 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The LORD Reigns -- Rejoice

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
   let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
   and burns up his adversaries all around.

His lightnings light up the world;
   the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
   before the Lord of all the earth.


Psalm 97:1-5

Just One

I read about Fair Trade on Dan Kimball's blog.

Think about this: Just One Fair Trade purchase from every American churchgoer this Christmas would lift one million families out of abusive poverty for one whole year.
Let’s make sure that when gifts are given, they speak of the sort of world that Jesus came to show us—one where the last is first, where the poor are included, the sick are healed, and the captive is set free.
Giving meaningful gifts. It’s the new original way to celebrate Christmas.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A Gift

Excerpts from John Piper sermon:  The All-Providing King Who Would Not Be King

John 6: 1-15

...

One of the reasons God created bread—or created the grain and the water and yeast and fire and human intelligence to make it, and I mean the really good kind, that’s not mainly air—is so that when Jesus Christ came into the world, he would be able to use the enjoyment of bread and the nourishment of bread as an illustration of what it means to believe on him and be satisfied with him. I believe that with all my heart. Bread exists to help us know what it is like to be satisfied in Jesus.

This is true for water (John 4:14) and light (John 14:6) and every other good thing that God has made. Nothing exists for itself. “All things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Every honorable pleasure that we have in the created world is designed by God to give us a faint taste of heaven and make us hunger for Christ. Every partial satisfaction in this life points to the perfect satisfaction in Jesus who made the world.

...

Now jump to the end of the story of the feeding of the five thousand in John 6:14-15, and we will see what’s wrong. “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

Why did Jesus withdraw? Because the enthusiasm these people have is not for who he really is. This is so important for our day and for your life. People can have a great enthusiasm for Jesus, but the Jesus they’re excited about is not the real biblical Jesus. It may be a morally exemplary Jesus, or a socialist Jesus, or a capitalist Jesus, or an anti-Semitic Jesus, or a white-racist Jesus, or a revolutionary-liberationist Jesus, or a counter-cultural cool Jesus. But not the whole Jesus who, in the end, gives his life a ransom for sinners (Mark 10:45). And if your enthusiasm for Jesus is for a Jesus that doesn’t exist, your enthusiasm is no honor to the real Jesus, and he will leave you and go into the mountain.

...

So what is Jesus doing in this miracle of taking five loaves and a few fish and feeding over 5,000 people? He is opening a window on who he is. He is manifesting his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (John 1:14). And he is opening this window on his glory not that we might get excited about how useful he might be in getting what we already wanted, but that we might see that he himself is better than anything we ever wanted.

The point of making bread, as it were, out of nothing—like God making manna—is that the Son of God has come into the world not to give you bread, but to be your bread. And, since we are all sinners and do not deserve this bread, how will he give it to us? “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51). When he gives his flesh on the cross, he becomes bread—all-nourishing, all-satisfying bread—for sinners who believe.


Verse 6 says that Jesus was testing Philip when he said in verse 5, “Where are we going to get bread for these people?” And I would say, Jesus is testing us now. Right now. Will we be like the Jewish leaders? “It took 46 years to build this temple, and you’ll build it in three days?” Will we be like Nicodemus? “How can a man be born again, enter into his mother’s womb?” Or like the woman at the well? “How will you give me living water when you don’t even have a bucket.” Or like Philip here in verse 7? “Jesus, 200 days’ wages couldn’t feed these people.”

Or will we see the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth? Will we see Jesus crucified for sinners and risen from the dead to become not mainly a Giver, but a Gift, not mainly your benefactor but your bread? Taste and see that that the Lord is good.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Foundational Words


"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." 


Matthew 7:24-27 [The Message]

Embracing the Word and the Spirit

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional:

SPEAKER OF THE PROMISES

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.  Psalm 119:50

    A promise is only invaluable to me if the promise came from someone precious and trustworthy.  The same words, spoken by a casual acquaintance, don't carry the same weight as words spoken by my dearest friend.  There is comfort and meaning only because of the relationship.

    To experience true life-change from the Scriptures, I must understand two things; 1.) They are words.   2.) And, they are just words unless the Spirit reveals them to me.

    If I read the Bible just to entertain myself with stories, just to acquaint myself with concepts, I will miss the relational meaning behind them all.  It will feel the same as reading a novel or the morning paper.

    If I seek manifestations of the Spirit, in worship, in prayer, without the Word, I will feel some sense of the Lord's presence but He will have no definition without the Word behind Him.
   
   To fully engage with Him and the life-changing power of His Word, I must engage with both.  My life was forever changed in 1997 when I came to the open scriptures and said, "These are just words on a page, nothing more.  Where are you?  Please open my heart to your words and reveal them to me."  That prayer (still made every single day) transformed me from a 'once-in-a-while-Bible-reader' to a passionate student and disciple.  I don't study it because I love to study.  I study because I'm wild about Jesus and I know He wrote the words.
   
   So, I contemplate the psalmist's words this morning.  He reveals that God's promises give him life.  How do words on a scroll drip life into his afflicted heart?  He has a throbbing, pulsating relationship with the One who wrote them.  The author and inspirational force behind the scriptures, when engaged, becomes the One who whispers the Torah in his ears.  In the context of love and faithfulness, promises spring to life.

    Every one of us who has trusted Christ knows that the Spirit lives inside us.  He is ever with us - because He promised that He would be.  So, why is that not more comforting?  It's because we have not asked Him to fulfill the role He was meant to fulfill in our lives.  Interpreter, teacher, revealer, speaker of the Word to our souls. I've often said, "I know You're here, Lord.  But I can't feel it!"  I failed to realize that seeking the Spirit, void of the Word, was like asking someone to comfort me but putting a muzzle on their mouth so they couldn't speak and putting a blindfold on my eyes so I couldn't see them.  If I want the full effect of God in my life, I must embrace the Word and embrace the Spirit as speaker, teacher, and revealer.

I long for your Words to penetrate my heart as deeply as You intended.  Teach me.  Move me.  Speak your Word over me that I might see, that I might life.  Amen 

Incredible Greatness

LifeToday Weekly Devotional:  Words of Life

Everyday Miracles
by Bruce Wilkinson

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s
power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that
raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at
God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”
(Ephesians 1:19-20)

What if I told you I’m certain you missed a miracle yesterday? And not just any miracle but one that Heaven wanted to do through you to significantly change someone’s life for the better – maybe your own?

Almost everyone in the world can point to an event in their lives that seemed directly orchestrated by Heaven, that seemed impossible to explain without using words like, “I can’t believe what just happened! That was a miracle!” We tend to value such events so highly that we recount them over and over, often for years.

Why do we remember such events so clearly? I think it’s because we feel that we have been touched by Heaven. It’s as if God Himself stepped through the curtain that separates the seen from the unseen to make something wonderful happen for us, something only He could do.

In the experience we hear a personal and unforgettable message from God. Something like, I’m here. I care about you. I can do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

When it comes to miracles, most people I know see the world as divided in two. On the far left is a region we could call the Land of Signs and Wonders. In this land amazing miracles seem to happen a lot, although only for a select few. On the far right is the Land of Good Deeds. Interestingly, in Good Deeds land a lot of people believe in miracles and spend time studying them. They just don’t expect to actually see any miracles, much less be a part of them on a regular basis.

Between the dazzle of Signs and Wonders and the duty of Good Deeds lies a broad and promising middle ground: Everyday Miracle Territory. Here people believe that God wants to intervene – and does – in supernatural ways in human affairs on a regular basis. Here unmet needs are seen by ordinary people as golden opportunities for God to show up, and to do so through them, at almost any moment.

Most Christians know the importance of expressing their faith through deliberate acts of service to others. Everyone’s good works matter a great deal to God. As Paul reminds us, we have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Among the good works you and I were born to do lies a wide range of accomplishments that are extremely important to God, that we have been commissioned to do for Christ – and that we cannot do without His supernatural power working through us.

Think of the relationship between good works and personal miracles in your life in terms of two equations:

Your good works for God = ministry.
Your ministry + God’s supernatural power = miracles.

For a personal miracle, you must choose to proactively partner with God’s supernatural power to do what no good work of your own could. All of Christ’s followers have been invited into this amazing partnership with Heaven.

It’s a joint but unequal venture between weak humans and an extraordinary God to pursue His agenda in His way in His time by His power for His glory. But you can be a Christian for years and miss it completely!

This explains Paul’s unusual concern about this very issue, as expressed in his letter to the Ephesians. Paul understood that a person can be a true believer in Christ and not yet understand at all how we are to actually accomplish the business of Heaven.

Thankfully, a simple, self-evident approach to delivering miracles does exist.

For a personal miracle to take place we must have:

• a person (the recipient of the miracle)
• a need (the purpose for the personal miracle)
• an open heart (the place where a personal miracle is completed)
• a delivery agent (the means for getting the miracle where it is needed)
• God (the person who does the miracle and receives the credit)
If God is going to meet a specific need for another person through us, then we need to find and connect with that person by responding to God’s nudges. The fact that a nudge seems out of context or surprises us helps to identify our person with confidence. If in doubt, proceed – all you risk is being friendly.

Once you’ve connected with the person, your role is to patiently and sensitively look for the need. This is where a bump question like “How may I help you?” can be effective. You’re still relying on God’s guidance, but now you can partner with Him more completely to meet the need at hand.

Miracles often involve some kind of material provision, but miracle agents don’t stop there. Strategic prayer is involved.

We want to partner with God to get inside the recipient’s heart. A heart tends to respond best to gentle and sincere invitations from the heart of another. Our role is much like that of John the Baptist’s – preparing the way for God.

Thankfully, God desires to deliver miracles through us more than we want Him to. That means we can relax, trusting that God will deliver a miracle and that our necessary role in the event is to respond to His direction.

 We intentionally do everything in our power to help the person make the all-important leap between the wonderful experience and the wonderful source of that experience – God Himself.

This Week
Make yourself available to be the delivery agent of an everyday miracle in someone’s life.

Prayer
“Lord, thank you that you desire to work everyday miracles in people’s lives. Please help me to be the hands that deliver your goodness into the life of another person. Amen.”

Friday, November 06, 2009

Hearts Wide Open

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

2 Cor 6:11-13

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Praise You

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!


Psalm 67:3

Living

Lyrics from "Born Again" by Third Day

It feels like I'm born again
It feels like I'm living
For the very first time
I'm living for the first time

It feels like I'm breathing
It feels like I'm moving
For the very first time
I'm living for the first time,
In my life

Affliction and Comfort

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.  [2 Cor 1:3-7]

 5For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn— fighting without and fear within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.  [2 Cor 7:5-7]

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Such Good Cheer

That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

2 Cor 5:6-8 [The Message]


Stand

Mark Batterson post: Standing on the Word

There is a vast difference between a casual reading of the Word and standing on the Word. Honestly, there are some verses we read in comfortable circumstances that can't come to life until we're in a situation where we have no where to turn but to a biblical promise. You can't just read it. You need to stand on it.

For eight years we prayed that God would give us a piece of property at 201 F Street, NE. And we stood on this promise: Matthew 18:18. We didn't just read it. We stood on it. "What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven."

We believed that God wanted to give us that piece of property to build a coffeehouse so we stood on Matthew 18:18. The word "bind" means "to place a contract" on something. How do we do that in the spiritual realm? Prayer. Prayer puts spiritual contracts on things. So we had a spiritual contract on that property long before we had a physical contract. This isn't "name it, claim it." I'm not talking about selfish pursuits. There comes a moment when you simply need to stand on the Word and believe that God is going to deliver on His promise!

Don't just read the Word. Stand on it.

Helping Others

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

HELPING OTHERS FIND FREEDOM

2 Timothy 2:24-26
The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will

The main qualification for helping others find freedom is not an unusual giftedness or calling. It is godly character and the ability to teach. The instructions in the epistles for helping others find freedom in Christ are best summarized in 2 Timothy 2:24-26. It requires that the Lord's bond servant be mature in character as expressed by love for people and evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit. It is also important that we are able to communicate the truth so the captive can be set free.

The classic picture of deliverance is to bring in an expert who will call up the demon, determine its name and rank, then cast it out. This would make the deliverer the expert who gets his information from the demon. I believe there is a better way. I believe the deliverer is Christ. We don't have to send for Him; He already came.

As the Lord's bond servants, we shouldn't believe anything a demon says. We must seek to get our information from the Holy spirit who will lead us into all truth.

We can't assume responsibility for someone else, but we can serve as the Lord's instrument to effect their freedom. It is every individual's responsibility to resist the devil, put on the armor of God, confess, forgive, renounce sin, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. But according to 2 Timothy 2:24-26, by the grace of God we can help them.

Furthermore, this passage requires that we be absolutely dependent on God, because He alone can grant repentance and set the captive free. I always start any attempt at helping others by declaring my total dependence on God my Father.

Prayer:

Lord, make me Your bond servant that I may help others find their freedom in Christ.


Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Every One

... in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:16b


Simple Trust

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, no one in Israel"Truly, I tell you, with have I found such faith. Matthew 8:10 [ESV]


5-6As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain."

7Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him."

8-9"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

10-12Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened."

13Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

Matthew 8:5-13 [The Message]

Monday, November 02, 2009

Centered

Martyn-Lloyd Jones quote from Miscellanies post: Babel's Tower and My Schedule

“We are all expert planners, are we not? Those people [the builders of Babel’s Tower] were planners. They drew the specifications of the city. They had it all worked out. We all do that in life, do we not? You have your plans. Your future life and career are mapped out. You know what you want to do. Where does God come in? Is the plan made under God, or is it made apart from him? The one lesson of [Genesis 11] is that if you plan your life without God at the center, it will come to nothing, nothing at all. It will be as futile and as fatuous as the Tower of Babel. God will come down and will destroy it, whether you like that or not. This is the whole history of the Bible. It is the history of the subsequent centuries after the end of the Bible. It is the history of the twentieth century. The human race is not allowed to build a civilization without God, and you are not allowed to build your life without God.”

—Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Gospel in Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith (Crossway, 2009), p. 141.

Don't Quit

Mark Batterson post: Keep On Keeping On

The king stuck the ground three times and then quit. The Holy Man became angry with him: "Why didn't you hit the ground five or six times?"

II Kings 13

Dare I say it? The primary reason we don't experience a complete breakthrough is because we quit too soon! There is a time to call it quits--if the Lord has released you from the thing he called you too. But you better not quit for any other reason!

When I get discouraged, 9 times out of 10, it's because I'm focused on the short-term. I need to zoom out and see the big picture. Here's some encouragement. In the words of Bill Gates: we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in 2 years and underestimate what we can accomplish in 10 years. It's true! Don't quit after three attempts. Keep hitting the ground. Literally and figuratively. One way we honor God is simply this: keep on keeping on.