Are you connected?

• net·work n.
  
  A structure in which cords, threads, or wires cross at regular intervals.
  
  Something resembling an openwork fabric or structure in form or concept.
  
  v. intr. To interact or engage in informal communication with others for mutual assistance or support.

Invitations cross my desk for 'networking' events, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. The computers in our church are networked. I belong to several different networks - the Assemblies of God being the largest of those. I watch TV news on the Fox News Network. Last night several men and women, Deacons of our congregation, networked to advance the Kingdom's agenda. The Internet allows networking to occur in amazing ways with information being shared on the World Wide Web!

When we learn to form and maintain strong connections with others, we not only enjoy the friendship of many people; we become many times more effective in our work than we could possibly be alone. We do not always believe that! Sometimes getting connected and staying connected requires so much work that we are tempted to cut the ties. In a recent discussion about getting a task accomplished, I volunteered to 'just do it.' That is consistent with my personality which enjoys the results much more than the process! A friend reminded me that it was important to give others the opportunity to 'buy in' and become a part of the effort, even though that would slow down the process. And he is right! I might be able to get the job done efficiently alone, but no one would have an investment in it and the outcome would just belong to Jerry. But, when people are encouraged to tie in to the network,to take a meaningful place in the process, the end result will be enjoy wider support and decisions will find broader acceptance. That is true no matter what social structure we are thinking of - family, neighborhood, church, corporation, or government.

Solomon observes that "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NLT)

So, if the advantages of being networked are so obvious, why don't more of us get connected in more of them? By definition, networks limit our autonomy! When we become part of a network, we give up some of our rights to just be ourselves. We have to start to think 'we' as a higher value than 'me.' The old sinful human nature resists that concept because of a sin as old as Eden - selfishness. The devil's lie is - "Express yourself. Do your own thing. It's the only way to be happy." God's truth is - "Give yourself away. Serve and love, and you will discover joy!"

Here's a word from the Word to keep in your mind today. "Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose." (Philippians 2:2, NLT) "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,... taking the nature of a servant." (Philippians 2:3-7, NIV)_____________________________

You're invited to the Assembly for worship on Sundays at 10:15 AM.
On Sunday, I'll be starting a series of messages about 'networking,' discovering truths about the way that God wants His church connected and functioning around the gifts of the Spirit that He invests in each of us. See you then!

Ready to take a risk?

Some people that I know live fearfully and cautiously. Their primary life endeavor appears to me to be risk avoidance. They monitor their diet with scrupulous care. They are vigilant to lock doors and check security. If their children develop a low-grade fever, they whisk them off to the doctor. They actually have a family lawyer. $Billions worth of insurance are sold primarily as a means of risk avoidance. Some might call me reckless. I don't go looking for danger, but my first thought is seldom, 'is it safe?' My attitude is usually, 'let's give it a try!' I usually forget to lock my car unless Bev reminds to do it, which she always does. I've been told that I'm naive when it comes to other people, trusting others too much, and becoming disappointed when a person doesn't turn out to be who I assumed they were.

So what makes some of us risk-takers and some of us cautious? There are many factors. How we were trained to see the world by our parents is a big one. Some us were raised by parents who taught us that it was important to minimize risk, to choose the safest course. Others of us were encouraged to try new things, to reach out and stretch ourselves. Of course, if we manage to hurt ourselves, that experience can make us less prone to take risks in the future. Some of it is innate- just part of our wiring.

Believer, if you want to grow in your knowledge of Christ, if you want to become an effective ambassador of the Kingdom of God, you'll have to overcome aversion to risk; you'll have to give up control of circumstances. How do we do that? We ask God to give us something called - FAITH! Jesus' disciples were so challenged by His teaching, they realized the futility of trying to follow Him apart from a supernatural intervention and they said, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV) Is that a prayer that you're praying often?

Are you asking God to help you to branch out in His work with holy boldness, to blaze new paths into the lives of people that have not yet been touched by the good news of the Kingdom's coming? Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in defense of his ministry. He reminds them, even as he is reminding himself, that the key factor is not the approval of others, but rather the commendation of God! Then he writes this: We hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places that are far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question about being in someone else’s territory. As the Scriptures say, “The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done.” When people boast about themselves, it doesn’t count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that’s different!" (2 Corinthians 10:15-18, NLT)

When faith-filled people join together, God's work gets done in amazing ways! Instead of doing the 'safe things' that someone has already done, people of faith let the Spirit of God take them into new territory, but not so they can brag about how wonderful they are! No, they establish new ministries and build the Kingdom for the joy of saying, "look what the Lord has done!"

The Church needs men and women of holy boldness that comes, not from ego expression nor from arrogance, but from deep faith in God! These people live on the edge for they see the 'possible' not just the 'probable.' They ask God for great things and through them God does great things.

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today - “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’" (Jeremiah 33:2-3, NKJV)

"Content to do God's will."

Success is usually has something to do with BIG, more, attention, influence... am I right? If we adopt big, powerful, or rich as our standard, we become very hard to be around because we're always pushing our agenda, trying to hit the mark. It's hard to sincerely love people in the ordinary situations of life while looking for the big moment, the chance for success. This is true whether we are talking about pastors, real estate agents, or plumbers! If the focus is on 'success,' serving people will become a casualty.

The Bible lauds faithfulness in life and contentment in service, not power and influence as marks of success! Eugene Peterson, best known as the translator of The Message, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible, has served the church as a pastor, teacher, and author for nearly a half century. He writes that his work as a pastor is a lot like farm work. He ought to know for he was raised rurally in Montana, where he has now returned in retirement. Anyway, he says, "Pastoral work consists of modest, daily, assigned work... routines similar to cleaning out the barn, mucking out the stalls, spreading manure, and pulling weeds. This is not bad work in itself, but if we expected to ride out on a glistening black stallion, in daily parades... we will be severely disappointed." That isn't just true for professional ministers. It is true about the Christian life. God does call us to ride in parades. He calls us to service, to faithfully taking on the opportunities that He gives us each day to make a small difference, to care for another, to love Him humbly. Peterson observes this: "Spirituality is not about ends or benefits or things; it's about means. It's about how you do this. How do you live in reality? So, how do you help all these people? The needs are huge. Well, you do it the way Jesus did it. You do it one at a time. You can't do gospel work, kingdom work in an impersonal way." (Full text of the interview - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/26.42.html )

During a discussion about His return and the subsequent judgment, Jesus was asked about preparedness for that awesome moment. Take a look at His reply- “I’m talking to any faithful, sensible servant to whom the master gives the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns." (Luke 12:42-44, NLT) In other of his teaching stories, Jesus explained that God expects us to use the abilities and spiritual gifts given to us faithfully and diligently. Some of us are multi-talented, some are singularly gifted, but we can all be faithful!

What is of greatest importance is God-focus over self-focus. Much success literature explains how to reach one's highest potential, to achieve peak performance. The techniques and methods work - to make us all we can become on our own. But that's not the goal of the Believer! We are called to become all that God wants us to be and that we cannot accomplish without getting to know Him and living in His will - today. Perhaps you need to lower your sights! Strange suggestion, isn't it? What I'm trying to say is that if you're looking too far to the horizon, waiting for 'the dream,' you will miss out on the opportunities that exist right in front of you to serve God.

So, be faithful and leave 'success' to God.
Right now, would you take a moment and consciously place yourself at His call?
"I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.
We look to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." (Psalm 123:1-2, NLT)

"Oh, Jesus."

There was time in my life when I worried a lot about the structure of my prayers. I read many books on praying looking for a method that 'worked.' Note that word for it was the operative one about prayer in my understanding. Prayer was less a talk with a friend and more a kind of business transaction, a negotiation with Heaven, that - if done right - would produce the desired result. What an inadequate, immature concept. As I grew in Christ, I began to simply talk with Jesus - much as I would talk with any friend. Now, some of my prayers are long earnest conversations, and some are more like short 'emails' of the moment. Paradoxically, the less obsessed I am about 'making something happen,' the more I see God at work in my life and in the world around me!

Now I have some of my best talks with Jesus at 3 am! They aren't coherent, neatly formed, and logically presented prayers. When I awaken at that hour with my head full of concerns for the people I lead and love and questions about how to lead the church to be the Body He desires- "How should I address that situation? What can I do for that one in need? Which way should we go?" - in the darkness, I just begin to talk with Jesus. The conversation meanders along the stream of consciousness in my mind, much like a chat with a friend over a cup of coffee. And, I've got to tell you that I find such rest in those early morning conversations.

Yesterday, as I drove to the hospital to visit a friend in the ER who was waiting for a diagnosis that included some serious possibilities, I just kept repeating, "Oh, Jesus!" It was a sigh from my soul, a nearly wordless expression of my need, my longing for His touch! I knew that I didn't have to prepare a news release for Heaven, nor did I have to argue with Him all the reasons He needed to do this or that. I just wanted my Friend in Heaven to be near to my friend on earth, to hold her hand, just like He holds mine. "Oh, Jesus," seemed a fittingly simple expression from my heart!

When Jesus taught about prayer, He was so direct, so clear, about the need to keep it simple. I wonder why I fell into the foolishness of formulaic prayer for so long? Why didn't I accept His invitation to a living conversation? Maybe it was just being steeped in the religion of Christianity that made me ignorant to the mystical relationship to which He invited me. Take a look at His words.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.
Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.
Like this:
Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.
Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge! You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes." (Matthew 6:7-13, The Message)


The way that I prayed began to change right around the time that I had a grace awakening, when I came to the end of myself, and through the revelation of the Spirit came to know that God really did love me - warts and all! For a long time, He was my Savior and even my Lord, but not my Friend. I just couldn't grasp that!

Have you had a grace awakening? Do you know that He loves you? He does!! And it's not a dutiful love, nor is it just a generalized love. He knows your name, your heart; yes even 'the very number of the hairs on your head.' He wants to walk and talk with you. When you accept Him as a your Friend, your prayers will change - I guarantee it!
____________________________

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.


What A Friend We Have In Jesus;
Scriven, Joseph M. / Converse, Charles C.
Copyright: Public Domain

"Looking Good!"

Yes, I watched the Super Bowl and I paid attention to the commercials. I laughed at the funny ones, but the one that stayed with me was one produced by Dove, the cosmetics corporation. (see it at http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/commercial.asp?src=homecommerciallink ) It featured a series of pictures of girls and young women who, when they measure themselves by contemporary standards, consider themselves unattractive. They focus on what they see as flaws - too many freckles, wrong color hair, not a perfectly shaped body, etc. According to this company, 92% of American girls think they are flawed, and many of those suffer from low self-esteem. That leads, in many cases, to self-destructive behavior - cutting, eating disorders, promiscuity, etc. It is rather ironic that a cosmetics company is taking the lead in this campaign to recognize real beauty. The cynic in me wonders why, but never the less, I applaud the initiative!

More than a few Christians suffer a similar issue in their spirituality. Our Christian world is filled with celebrities and super-stars whose real humanity is invisible as we see them only 'on stage' or through their books. From that distance their fears, doubts, sins, and inconsistencies cannot be detected. They look so beautiful- their lives so utterly wonderful. And by comparison, we are so human. They change the world, we just try to keep from being mean to our spouse. Their prayers reflect an enviable friendship with God, ours are filled with fumbling, uncertainty - is He really listening? They seem never to be touched by temptations, we feel the magnetic pull of greed, lust, indolence, sensuality - from the first moments of the day. Of course, at some level, we know that these celebrity Christians are really human, but we want the 'image' to be real so badly. If one of them sins publicly, we are shocked and grow angry. Then, we throw away all their books as though what they wrote is somehow less true because we learn they are struggling, imperfect Christians - just like us!

Living authentically as a Christ-follower is a soul-deep thing that isn't always pretty. Living honestly, confessionally -without pretense- will cause many to turn away from us, disgusted by what they perceive as a flawed soul! Thus, many of us will learn that when we around other Believers we should pray only positive prayers, only smile, always be 'up,' and say the right words that impress. The issues of sin, the angst of doubts, the issues of our lives will be covered over with the cosmetics of religion, leaving us with no depth of spirit. Spiritual superficiality is a curse that Jesus Himself addresses. In the 6th chapter of Matthew, he reminds us to go beyond just 'looking good,' which is hypocrisy, to really be good. “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don’t shout about it as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get." Matthew 6:1-2, NLT

Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, was confronted with the challenge of preaching the Truth - which sometimes is not so attractive- to people who had been dazzled by 'super apostles' who had come through town with their magic show religion, their puffy words, and with their empty promises. He reminds the Believers that the Treasure is not us. It is the Spirit IN us! For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10, NLT

I love that passage! "Pressed... perplexed... hunted down... but not crushed, never quitting, not abandoned!"

Are you ready to wash off the make-up, admit the flaws are there, and let the real beauty of Jesus be created in your soul?
Yes, there is a real beauty and it comes from a genuine, ongoing intimacy with the Spirit of God that transforms our hearts.
____________

Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God, may I be like You.

You are the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.

Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God, may I be like You!

--Espinosa, Eddie Copyright: 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing