The LSO

Let me tell you a story, one I’ve told before....

This is the tale of the Life Saving Organization, which was started along the shore of the sea to rescue sailors in peril. The little band of townspeople were intense about their mission, risking their own lives to venture out to souls in distress. With such fervor and excitement, the LSO grew quickly. So a functional building near the sea was built where lifesavers could be trained and rescued sailors warmed and fed when they were dragged from the sea. Rescues were an occasion for great joy!


The organization offered a sense of camaraderie and mission that more people joined up. In time, fewer members actually made any rescues, preferring to offer their support and encouragement from the meetinghouse. Within a few years a big beautiful clubhouse was built where members could gather and enjoy a talk about some technique for rescuing lost sailors, some music, and an occasional dinner. The club’s home became the nicest building in town.

Rescued sailors were wet, dirty, and smelly! Their presence interrupted the community events often scheduled in the clubhouse. So, members decided to build a small building nearer the sea, where those rescued sailors could be taken there without bothering the LSO membership.

Over time real rescues declined to the point that the club decided to hire professional contractors to carry out rescues for them. Meeting were boring. Though there were stories about great rescues of the past, and lectures about life-saving, nobody actually did it anymore. The sense of mission was long lost. Membership declined and the LSO became an 'historic' site.

It’s a tough question, but here it is: is that what has happened to the Church?

Our core mission is to rescue people from the stormy seas of sinfulness, bringing them into the safety of the Kingdom of God. "Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15, NIV)
Terrible storms are blowing over America, sweeping millions into despair, away from God! Hell's fury still sows death and destruction in our world. A whole generation of young Americans are in serious peril, adrift on a sea of sensuality and materialism, living without God, seeking meaning, purpose, and hope in things that can never provide them.

Will you open your heart to the Holy Spirit so He can inspire a new vision? Disciple, Christ called us and saved us from sin so that we would become active members of His soul saving crew.


Here’s a word from the Word.
"Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them;  to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 21-26, NIV) ___________________

Go To Hell!

“Go to Hell!” is an oath hurled in anger. I don’t recall ever hearing those words come from my mouth, but have my actions said as much? Has a judgmental spirit, a harsh unforgiving heart, or a refusal to extend the offer of God’s grace to someone I determine to be unworthy as much as said, “Go to Hell!”?


Jonah, the runaway prophet, finally obeyed God’s call to preach to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. “Forty days until calamity befalls this city,” he cried in the streets. From the slave to the king, an amazing thing happened. They repented! "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened." (Jonah 3:10, NIV) Did Jonah rejoice that 120,000 people were spared? Not at all. He sat at the edge of the city and sulked, furious at God for giving these unworthy people grace. "So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:2-3, NLT) He wanted justice, not mercy, even though he knew the heart of the LORD God was one of compassion.

Disciple, are you like Jonah in relation to your world? Are you furious with the godless culture, angry at the greed and sensuality, distressed by the selfishness? It is right to be angered by sin! It offends our Lord and should offend us, whether it is our own or that of people around us. However, it is not for us to say, “Go to Hell!” While we are courageous to speak the truth, we do so ‘in love.’ We must love His mercy and not just for ourselves.

Grace is scandalous. If it were deserved, it would not be grace! The Cross is an offense to those who are religious, who think they can please God with their own righteousness, who mock those whose hope is fixed in Christ alone. But those who know grace, who are among the pardoned and restored, think differently. They extend forgiveness, live in love, experience joy, and are filled with peace. Yes, that is the fruit of the grace that allows us to live in the Spirit.

Here’s a word from the Word. I pray it will fill your heart with gratitude for His grace and cause you to be a gracious Christian who says, “Come with me to Heaven!”

"God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins." (Psalm 103:8-12, The Message)

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Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss.
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty Cross.

Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within!
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!



Grace Greater Than Our Sin



Johnston, Julia H. / Towner, Daniel Brink

You're Invited! How will you respond?

The envelope announced that I was part of a select group chosen specifically for the enclosed invitation. The sender surely knew how to appeal to pride! The print flourishes and gold trim made it look very official and important. Urgency was implied as the back of the envelope warned me that space was limited and the deadline for reply was fast approaching. Appearances were deceiving! It was just a solicitation to attend an investment presentation. They wanted my money.


God extends us an invitation that is important. He has elected to extend His favor to us, but awaits a response. Just as He once called Abraham, the ‘father of the faithful,’ who responded with obedience, He now calls us to be included ‘in Christ.’ We make a huge mistake if we take His call as a reason for pride, or somehow think that it confers an irrevocable status on us. Take a look at this passage.
"But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. … remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:17-22, NLT)

The Scripture reminds us that God loved Israel, not because they were somehow desirable or special in themselves. He did so because of His mysterious grace, His sovereign purpose. Yet, in spite of His love for the children of Abraham, when they refused Him and lived in unbelief, they forfeited the blessings that He offered. Ah, disciple, this is both a warning and promise! He has now offered the blessing of acceptance and salvation to us, not because of our heritage, race, or beauty; but because of love. The Word blazes with His love. "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5, NIV) It is an amazing invitation that brings blessings beyond our ability to comprehend. But, if we refuse it with unbelief, the very promise becomes that by which we will be judged!

You opened the invitation, are you responding with faith?
You glimpsed His promise, are you pressing towards knowing Him, so that you may own it fully?

Take this word from the Word and let it inspire you to full faith. "Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don’t presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you’re out of there." (Romans 11:22, The Message)

__________________

O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name.
Your words are true,
Your mercy does not change.
All Your promises are precious,
Reviving our faith.
Every one of them
Will be fulfilled one day.

We will run,
We'll run and not grow weary.
We will rise upon the eagle's wings.
In the presence of the Lord,
Our spirits will soar,
'Till we one day gaze upon our King.

But my foot had almost slipped,
O Lord, I'd almost lost my way,
'Til I entered the house of the Lord
And heard Your sweet Spirit say,

Oh, all Your promises
Are "Yes" and "Amen" in Jesus.
Your promises are true.
All Your promises
Are "Yes" and "Amen" Lord Jesus,
We'll keep running after You.


All Your Promises
Smith, Andrew
© 1995 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)

CCLI License No. 810055

Are you a star?

"Become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15-16, NIV) Have you walked under the stars and looked up at them? In the vast expanse of the night sky, they shine. The darker the light, the more beautiful the stars become.

Shine brightly! Disciple, we must for this world is a dark place. I watched a documentary film recently that told the story of children in Cambodia who are sold by their own parents into sex slavery for $10/month! Silent tears slid down my face as I heard young girls tell of the depravity of those who used and abused them, of their hatred of their mothers who gave them up to such a life. My daughter told me of the unspeakable depravity she sees that has ruined the lives of her young clients, many of whom suffered carnal abuse from their fathers. We could each, I am certain, tell our own story of encounters with darkness; experienced through hatred, pride, or total selfishness.

Thank Jesus for being your Light! We who enjoy the blessing of living where we can see clearly, where we have the power to deal with sin and temptation, can never forget where God found us. "You were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!" (Ephesians 5:8, NLT)

Do you ever have the sense that the light you shine in your family, your office, or the world around you is not really all that important? Think again. Your life could be the star by which another navigates his way to the Bright and Morning Star. Christ’s kingdom influences the world quietly and persistently, changing one heart at a time. Each of us, though small and not all that significant by ourselves, has a part in the process. We let the light of His holiness, His wholeness, shine through us.

Your world is waiting for you to shine! Here’s the word from the Word again. Take the calling to heart. "Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night." (Philippians 2:15-16, The Message)

_______________

This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine,
Let it shine.

Let it shine ‘til Jesus comes,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine ‘til Jesus comes,
I’m gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine,
Let it shine.

- Public domain

A Magic Bullet

Do you ever wish for a magic bullet, a one shot solution that solves a problem forever? I do! I’d like to preach one sermon that answers all the needs of the people in the pews, bring one ministry into being that could lead all of the people to a vibrant relationship with the Lord, or find the one tool that would assure that the work I do is always effective. You’re smiling, aren’t you? You’re right. There is no magic bullet!
Meeting life’s challenges requires steady effort, a persistent press against the natural tendency for all things to slide towards decay! Thanks to sin’s entry into Creation, flowers in our garden must be fed and watered. Weeds grow without care. The Word instructs us about this effort: "Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." (Hebrews 12:1, NLT) The Spirit’s counsel is not to look for a magic bullet. Instead, God tells me to stick with the program: "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36, NIV) Perseverance. Endurance. These words mean the ability “to persist in spite of opposing force,” and “to stand up under the pressure of adversity or stress.” It may seem that success comes to the ‘lucky’ or the talented. The fact is that success, which God defines as “finishing well,” comes to those who courageously stick with responsibility or relationship even when it hard!

It is important to do a heart check in all this. Stubbornness and conviction are next-door neighbors. The former is born of self, the latter of principle. There is a time to listen to wise counsel that points to the necessity of change. Only a stubborn fool takes pride in his unyielding commitment to a lost cause. A wise person holds onto the will of God, following Him into tomorrow, with his hope founded squarely on faith in the Promise of the Kingdom’s fulfillment.

Want to develop maturity of faith? Endure!
Need to see that teen-age son through the storms? Persevere!
Involved in some service or ministry that is stalled? Steady on!
Struggling to conquer a habit that cripples you? Don’t yield ground!

"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:2-3, NLT)

_____________________

When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall

When the choices are hard
When we're battered and scarred
When we've spent our resources
When we've given our all

In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on

Press On
Dan Burgess