Arrested Development?

I have clothing that really ought to be thrown out, but I’m comfortable wearing those old jeans. It’s a man thing, I’m told. I still love Keith Green’s music because he was so ‘right on’ when I was 25. No one will ever accuse me of being on the cutting edge of fashion or art. But, a part of me is constantly developing. By God’s grace, I can honestly say that I am a different man today than I was in 20 years ago, or even last year! I may be content to listen to old songs and wear old jeans, but I will not try to live on yesterday’s experiences with God. I am glad for what He did, seek to walk with Him today, and eagerly anticipate His plans for the future!

Are you ‘growing in grace?’   There are Christians who pine for that ‘great revival’ they enjoyed a half-century ago.  They lock into an experience, a ritual, a tradition and it becomes more important than the Lord Himself.

A few years ago I visited a sect in Pennsylvania, sincere Christians, to be sure, who looked exactly like their parents of the 1950’s.  They sang from a hymnal where you could not find a tune written after 1960. And, their numbers were fewer each year. Why? Because the Gospel they loved was wrapped up in traditions to such an extent that Christ was all but hidden. The world keeps on changing.  Those who will not grow are pushed to the edge of life. When they are marginalized and ignored, they often wonder why. Some become bitter, constant critics of those who are innovators.

By the way, I am not writing about abandoning the truths of the Word. Relabeling sin to make it acceptable is not growth; that is deception. Being trendy, following fads, is not growth, either. Growth is a deep work of the Spirit that reveals the immutable (unchanging) God to us in ways that transform us, that meet us at the point of our need which changes over time, with the Truth that brings hope.

Growth is often unpleasant, sometimes even painful. When we venture into new things we risk failure.
Growth can cause friction with other people who like us ‘just the way we are’ because our growth demands change in their lives, too.
Choosing to grow spiritually requires willingness to let God lead us deeper into the mysteries of His love and grace, into new work of His kingdom.

Paul describes the way a person who is growing in the Spirit lives. He is forward looking, able to let yesterday’s failure and success go. He recognizes that he is a person ‘in process.’  "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,(complete or whole) but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you." (Philippians 3:12-15, NIV)

Whether you’re 18 or 81, growth is still possible. God has new purpose for each new day. There are discoveries about Him that wait just around the next corner in life. The Gospel of Christ, while unchanging in Truth, is constantly adapting to the world in which it is proclaimed. You can look back on yesterday, paralyzed by regret or fond remembrance, or you can pray, “Lord, take me deeper still!”  Are you growing in Christ? The Scripture says that the work of the Spirit in us will always produce growth. "God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love." (Ephesians 4:15-16, The Message)

Here is a word from the Word.  Meditate in it for a few moments and ask the Spirit to speak, to lead you beyond any place of apathy or arrested development into the rich, full, present experience of God.

"So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. … But you, friends, are well-warned.

Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!" 
(2 Peter 3:14-18, The Message)

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I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I’m onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,

By faith, on Heaven’s table land,

A higher plane than I have found;

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

-Oatman
Public Domain

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor

www.FaithDiscovery.com

Grace Only Found in the Darkness

If my faith were visible, I imagine it would  look like it had been in a street fight;  bloodied, bruised.   I do not question the existence of God, but given multiple challenges, I feel like (note word – feel) He has decided not to be around me.  Sorrow, disappointment, and prayers that seem to bounce from the ceiling, demand that I reach for the deepest reserves in my heart and mind.  I can identify with the words from the hymn, “O Worship the King” – “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail; in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail. Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end. Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.”  We are fragile, dusty creatures, aren’t we?

I know that I am not the first, nor the only person who has known this kind of testing. “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?” (Psalm 13:1-2, NLT) In another psalm of lament, we read: “O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” (Psalm 10:1, NLT)  Those passages are a great comfort, a reminder that my soul fatigue is no sin in His eyes.

Psalm 73 is a song of a man with a bruised faith. He says that he looked around at those who did not fear God and it appeared they were living the good life! “They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They aren’t troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.” (Psalm 73:4-5, NLT)  He found himself full of envy, doubting God, wondering at the unfairness of it all until he says …  “I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood …  Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:17, 25-26, NLT)  When our emotions scream for relief,  when our vision narrows down to “right here, right now” —  we must simply trust, wait, and hope for the embrace of grace.

It is important, too, to pause; to look up;  and to give thanks for the rest of life.  By God’s mercy, I realize that my life is not defined only by disease or difficulty!  There is the promise of Eternal Life that cannot be taken from me. There is love of friend and family which make me a rich man. There is the beauty of the earth that fills my eyes with wonder. And there is Jesus!

In a way that might sound twisted to some, I am thankful for the grace I find in the dark!  Kim Kuo,  widowed after her husband’s long struggle with cancer, writes that ”especially in suffering, we can dive below the shallow waters and touch another’s heart and soul . . .  There were moment when we thought we could not take anymore. But, the hard truth is our experience transformed our hearts and radically challenged many others. If our lives are truly about glorifying God, then our only option is glorify Him where we are.”    (Christianity Today, 9/15, pg. 43)

Are you around someone who is fighting for faith, bloody, raw, sometimes impatient or angry?  Don’t judge and hold the criticism!  Resist the urge to offer a pat on the back or a platitude. Instead, offer your ear and your shoulder! Ask God to give renewed courage and a moment of rest.

A long time ago, someone told me that I just needed to “Be Jesus with skin on.”  Jesus wept with those in pain! He touched those who were unclean in the eyes of others. So, too, let’s offer a touch, a hug, a prayer for comfort. A reminder that says “I’ll have faith for you right now while you’re hurting so badly,” blesses the suffering saint much more than a sermon about the unchanging faithfulness of God.

Here’s a word from the Word, the 73rd Psalm to which I referred a moment ago.

Know it. Sooner or later, you will need it, too.

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. . . .

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (Psalm 73, NIV)

____________________________

O worship the King,

All glorious above,

And gratefully sing

His power and His love:

Our Shield and Defender,

The Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendor,

And girded with praise.

Frail children of dust,

And feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust,

Nor find Thee to fail.

Thy mercies how tender!

How firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender,

Redeemer, and Friend!

O Worship The King

Kethe, William / Haydn, Johann Michael / Grant, Robert / Gardiner, William

© Public Domain

____________

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor

FAITH DISCOVERY CHURCH

www.FaithDiscovery.com

Fellowship in the Facebook era

Do you know the pleasure of true ‘fellowship?’  That is one of those Christian words that we perhaps fail to really understand. I sat a table with 10 people last night, who are a ‘fellowship.’ They work together, every Sunday evening, to teach children the Scripture, and they profess to love it!  Each of them is a person whose life is packed with responsibility, who have plenty of things to do; but they have formed a partnership of purpose! One of them, in describing his part, said “I often arrive tired, but when I see the kids learning, hear the laughter, and remember what we are doing here, I go home renewed and filled with energy!”  That’s the joy of fellowship.

Are you part of a team about which you can say, " I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:3-6, NIV)?  “Partnership” is the translation of the NT Greek word – “koinonia.”  (Koy-na- nee-a)  It spoke of creating a relationship for a purpose, working together with mutual benefit.

One of the mistakes some make in this era is filling the God-given need for ‘fellowship’ with social media.  We go to our smartphone or PC to ‘meet’ friends on Facebook where we can post pictures, share opinions, rant, and rejoice.  I really do enjoy it, perhaps too much, because it is a way to stay in touch with people that I would otherwise never see and with whom I might only swap Christmas cards.  Some condemn the new human interactions in this digital age.  They are different, not bad. What we can never allow ourselves to think however, is that a post on Facebook can replace getting together to serve, to pray, to worship, to learn, to play.

Part of the reason we like social media is the convenience it offers to us.  That is its weakness. It feeds our selfishness.  If we don’t feel like talking, we just turn it off. If someone rubs us the wrong way, we can just ‘unfriend’ them.  We can say things without being challenged, and choose live in an echo chamber of like-minded people who can strengthen our ignorance instead of increasing our understanding. Real fellowship drags us out of our living room and gets us involved with people who are sometimes less than wonderful (yes, even me! Smile).  Another upside are the surprises that emerge as we are together,  the unplanned moments that bring us delight, that enrich us.

Make the choice for fellowship. Commit to a ministry that lets you serve.  Get involved with a small group of Christians that meet regularly.  Be part of a church, where you can give, worship, and pray with imperfect Christians in ‘koinonia.’  

Here is a word from the Word.  Jesus said, "I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35, NLT)  "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship (koinonia) with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship (koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7, NIV)

The kind of love that calls us into the ‘fellowship’ is not without cost, it never easy, and often demands more than we want to give!
It's committed, sometimes inconvenient, and is part of how God brings us to mature, rich lives that are marked by the character of Jesus Christ.

How to find real joy

At Chick-Fil-A™, servers are trained to reply: “It’s my pleasure.”  It’s different and memorable.  You won’t hear the more common, “You’re welcome,” or “Come again.”  The owner of the chain emphasizes warm customer service as part of the experience at the restaurant, which is as much a part of their success as the food. At the supermarket chain where I shop I met the opposite attitude yesterday. The young woman at the register was sullen, non-communicative, and rude; and not just to me.  She was visibly miserable and I felt badly for her knowing that she was in for a very long day in a job she obviously hated.

So, how will you do what you today? 
Will you choose to make it your pleasure to work for others or will you be thinking about yourself?

Life, lived with a true servant’s spirit, a genuine willingness to put the needs of others before our own,  will lead to greater fulfillment.  No matter if you are a CEO or a messenger, ‘great’ or ‘small’ if you will forget about demanding respect, you will find joy.  Jesus’ disciples became obsessed with the pecking order in their group.  He "called them together and said, “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28, NLT)  “Act like Me,” He said, “and forget about yourself!”

"Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had." (Philippians 2:3-5, NLT)

Genuine service starts with a change in perspective: from ‘me’ to ‘thee.’  A person wrapped up in himself cannot serve well because he is blinded by his own selfishness. He will walk right past the mess on the floor, not because he thinks he is too good to clean it up.  He won’t even see it.  He will fail to offer encouragement to another, because he will not even notice the pain on her face.  A true servant will work to develop awareness of his environment.

Service is also shaped by a realignment of self-perception.  The question is not, ’who will love me?’   We who are beloved of God will learn to think this way:  ‘Because I am loved, to whom can I show love?’ An insecure person will seldom serve well.  He might serve with a motive of gaining affirmation, but that taints what he does. The moment he does not get the appreciation he seeks, he will become retaliatory.   Secure in the love of God,  Spirit-filled Christians offer their work from a pure heart. They know from Whom the greater reward comes.  Petty thoughts about position are erased by the joy of being available to others.

Service is liberating!   What a delight we can find knowing that our word, our encouragement, our work makes it possible for someone to enjoy a better day.  

Here is a word from the Word.  Meditate on it, then go serve somebody.
"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. … 
If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff.

Live generously.
“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! … If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind."  (Luke 6:27-36, The Message)

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Make me a servant, humble and meek.

Lord, let me lift up, those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be;

Make me a servant, make me a servant,

Make me a servant today!

Kelly Willard

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_________________

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor

Faith Discovery Church

Washington, NJ  07882

http://www.FaithDiscovery.com