"I am with you."

Monday I discovered that my riding mower needed the blades changed. After propping it up (safely!) I found I couldn't turn the wrench and hold the blade at the same time. My neighbor, Tom, was working in his yard, so I called out, "Would you help me, please?" An extra set of hands made the job much easier to complete. Could I taken the blades off of the mower deck alone? Probably, but with frustration and skinned knuckles!

One of the memories that brings a wide smile to my face is that of my daughter, Chrissie, when she was a little girl. She was fiercely independent. (I wonder who she got that trait from?) I remember a wintry day when she was perhaps 4 or so and we were preparing to go outside. There she stood in the back porch with her winter parka upside down, her foot in the hood, and she was attempting to put her arms in the sleeves. When I tried to assist she brushed off my offer - "I do it myself!" and then became more and more agitated as her efforts failed.

Maturity brings us the realization that living like the Lone Ranger, aloof and self-sufficient, is not an ideal to emulate, but a foolish fantasy. On TV, the Lone Ranger may appear a romantic figure, but in reality, people who choose that path are just lonely and ineffective. We need each other. Sharing our lives, joining with others in deep and meaningful relationships, is a source of joy and multiplies our effectiveness. One of the keys of a successful life is learning how to relate well to others, how to collaborate on tasks, how to contribute to others and how to receive from others. The best leaders are not those who try to do it all by themselves, or who want to be the star of the show; but rather those who know how to draw together people of disparate skills into teams and then to keep the team inspired and unified!

Believer, Jesus Christ has given you and me a big job to do. "Go, build the Kingdom." I hope you realize that He wasn't telling us to create power structures and wealth building schemes! His commission was that we should go into the world and shine the light that dispels confusion and fear; that we should bring love and compassion that would defeat hatred and apathy; that we should demonstrate the purposeful existence to which God calls us for those who are living without hope. And He promises this- "...be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20, NLT) We are not alone!

When we grow weary, especially after a time of high output, we are subject to falling into the 'Elijah syndrome.' That great prophet saw a great victory on Mt. Carmel with the defeat of the Baal gods. But the victory of Yahweh, the God of Israel, infuriated Jezebel who threatened Elijah with death. Exhausted, he ran off into the wilderness. In his isolation, he prayed a foolish prayer - “I’ve been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,” said Elijah. “The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”" (1 Kings 19:10, The Message) Doesn't that just ooze self-pity? But God didn't give up on the prophet. Instead, He gave him rest and sustenance and then reminded him that there were still 7000 other faithful Believers in Israel. Then, God told him to go find a man to work alongside of him, someone to whom he could hand off the prophetic responsibilities, and he found Elisha.

If you really want to make a difference for God, maximizing both your joy and effectiveness, join a team! If you're looking for a 'perfect' team, you will search for a long time, and should you find it and join it, your presence will ruin it. ('cause you're not perfect, and neither am I.) Bring your strengths, your spiritual gifts, and your weaknesses! Let God use you as you are content to be who you are - no more, no less. And never forget what Jesus promises - "I am with you!"

Here's a word from the Word to ponder today -

"You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ....

If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything." (1 Corinthians 12: 20, 26-27, The Message)

Choose!

Making a choice can be a liberating experience. All through the past Summer, I pursued replacement of my car. For three months I spent time on the Internet researching various models, visited showrooms to do test drives, and calculated the difference in costs between buying a used car and a new one. Only God knows (literally) how much time I used (wasted?) in the process of finding another car. Then one day at the end of August, I made a decision. Within an hour's time, I had signed the contract. My choice liberated me from the ongoing search for new wheels.

When we were serving a church in Massachusetts, my daughters approached High School graduation dates and I knew in my heart that God would be sending me to another place of service. In early 1999, I began to pray that He would guide us in the new step. "Where do you want me to go, Lord?" I prayed about the possibility of missions. I considered various regions of the country. I evaluated the gifts He's given me to use in His work. Then, in the Summer of 2000, an opportunity was presented to us and we prayerfully followed through. The choice to accept the pastorate of Washington Assembly in August was liberating. No more wondering, 'where, how, what?'

Making a choice, committing ourselves to a course of action, allows us to move forward. But some of us will not choose, because we want to keep all our options open.

Joshua, at the end of his life, called the people of God together and presented a challenge of choice to them: “Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. . . . If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. . . . As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”" (Joshua 24:14-15, The Message)

Elijah, a few generations later, called the leaders of Israel together for a show-down and demanded a choice - “How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, (the regional fertility god) follow him. Make up your minds!” (1 Kings 18:21, The Message)

Jesus came by the fishing boats of Peter and Andrew and said: “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.”" (Mark 1:17, CEV)

I believe that Holy Spirit is confronting us with the same question today! "Choose! Make up your minds. Come, follow me!" If we answer His call with a clear and unequivocal, "Yes!" we will find great freedom and new direction for life. The wondering and wandering will be over for us. Life will be purposeful. There will be moments of stress, times when we may wonder if we have taken the right way, but if we keep focused on Him, we will not fall or falter, for the choice is made.

To whom do you belong, friend? Is your choice made, or are you still 'on the fence?' Are you trying to protect all your options and as a consequence doing little or nothing for the Lord and His work? Are you miserable because you are trying to keep one foot in the things of this world and the other in the Kingdom of God? Choose! If you are not ready to make Him Lord of all, then do not attempt to make Him Lord at all! He is a jealous God and will not allow you to share your affections with other gods.

I believe that the single greatest reason people find their Christianity so unsatisfying is that they have not truly made the choice to follow Jesus. Many want Him to be their Savior. They want the assurance that God is there for them, that Heaven's door will be open to them when the last act is played - but they want to hang onto their life, to live by their own desires, to say and do what they want, without seeking or submitting to the Lord God. In that double-mindedness, they are, as James says, "unstable in all their ways." They cannot enjoy anything because they are trying to own everything.

So, choose today! If God is really God, then serve Him. Consider these words of Jesus and I pray that they will compel you to choose Him as Lord of life.
"Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.” Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (Luke 9:61-62, The Message) ______________________

Jesus Is Lord Of All

All my possessions
And all my life,
Jesus is Lord of all.
All my tomorrows,
all my past,
Jesus is Lord of all.

King of kings,
Lord of lords,
Jesus is Lord of all!

I've quit my struggles,
Contentment at last,
Jesus is Lord of all.
All of my conflicts,
All my thoughts,
Jesus is Lord of all.

His love wins the battles
I could not have fought,
Jesus is Lord of all.

All of my longings,
All my dreams,
Jesus is Lord of all.

All of my failures
His power redeems,
Jesus is Lord of all.

King of kings,
Lord of lords,
Jesus is Lord of all!

© 1973 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management CCLI License No. 810055

Step into the river!

Israel was at the door to the Promised Land once again. The second generation, the children of those who had left Egypt were now presented with the opportunity to take what God had promised them. Would they see the hardships and turn back as their parents had done? Would they allow fear to drive them to faithlessness? God said, "Be strong and courageous!" So spies were sent out on reconnaissance missions. Plans were made. The people were on the move. Then, they met their first obstacle- yep, there it was- a river that stretched along the entire border of Canaan, flowing at flood stage. What could they do? They turned to the God who made rivers and He said, "Step into the river and I'll stop its flow!" In obedience to this seemingly impossible directive, Joshua placed the Ark of the Covenant on the shoulders of 12 priests and told them to walk into the river!

Joshua tells the story - "... as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by them. They waited there until everyone had crossed the Jordan on dry ground." (Joshua 3:15-17, NLT)

I've always wondered what it was like to be one of those priests. What did they think as they waded into that river? How long did it take before they saw the miracle start to happen? Did they hesitate, even for a moment? This story from Joshua reminds me that if I want to enjoy God's providence I must be prepared to be obedient and take the step of faith before I see the result!

It's not hard to jump on the bandwagon once we see the miracle in progress, is it? But, it is a real challenge to do what God tells us to do when all we have is a promise!

For example, I believe in the principle of tithing, that is, giving away the first 10% of my income for charity and the work of God in the world. I also believe that Jesus promised that God would bless the generous person who puts His work first in their finances. When my own financial needs were pressing, it was an act of faith to write those checks on the first of the month, giving away a substantial sum of money. But, I stepped into the river and throughout my life He's always provided for my needs. Now, it's not hard at all, because I've experienced His provisions.

The churches I've led through the years have come to moments of decision, when it was important to move forward in obedience, but when it seemed impossible to do so. At that moment, we had the choice of two roads - fearful retreat or faithful advance. Like the Israelis, my experience has been- to this day - that IF we're moving in obedience to God's directive, He does what needs to be done so that we can move ahead.

So, Believer, is there a river God wants you cross?
Then, stop talking about the decision and 'step into the river?'

This principle applies in so many areas of our life in Christ.
Forgiveness is often a step of faith, offered when we just don't think we can actually do it, and God gives us grace.
As I've mentioned, tithing is a step of faith.
Perhaps God is calling you to reduce your standard of living so you can spend more time doing ministry work. That's a step of faith, isn't it?
Has He called you to take on a new responsibility and you're stalled, focused on the impossibilities? Step into the river!

The Bible says- "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see .. So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:1,6 NLT)
_______________________

Step into the water,
Wade out a little bit deeper.
Wet your feet in the water of His love.
Step into the water,
Wade out a little bit deeper.
Come, join angels singing praises
To the Lamb of God.

There is vict'ry for the Christian
Who walks the narrow way.
There has been a prize appointed
For the soul who does not stray.
Oh, I want to live for Jesus,
Be all that I should be
So that I can rest with Him
Forever, live eternally.

© 1981 Homeward Bound Music. 1984 Assigned To Kirk Talley Music (Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055

T'is a Glorious Church!

George Barna studies trends in America and writes about them, particularly as they will effect Christian churches. I'm part way through his latest book, Revolution, (Tyndale, 2005) in which he reports on people who are "devout followers of Jesus Christ, serious about their faith, constantly worshipping and interacting with God, whose lives are centered on belief in Christ." These 'revolutionaries' have written off the organized church because they are disgusted with 'do nothing' churches. Barna opines that they "refuse to play religious games... and want to aggressively advance God's kingdom." Well, I surely can empathize with their desire to make a difference for God. I am frustrated by meetings that accomplish nothing, ministries that just spin wheels, and religious systems designed to protect the privileges of a few at great cost to the many.

But, unlike Barna's revolutionaries, I am not ready to say that the church is a relic of the past. She is God's creation; He loves her, and so, we (yes, Believer - you and I) must work to recapture a vision of her glorious mission that will once again drive us to seek God's power for her, to set aside our petty differences to do His work through her, and to devote our lives and wealth to making a difference.

The facts are that suffering is real. Evil is relentless in its assault on God's world. I see a globe where urban American kids are full of hate, where militant Islamic terrorists want to spread their religion with bombs, where AIDS is killing millions in Africa, where poverty stalks billions (!) of people on this globe. I agree with Barna's 'revolutionaries' that too many Christians close the doors behind them on their safe building and shrug off their responsibility to change the world by saying, "Isn't that awful?" and then singing about the Lord's love for them. Too often we buy into the theories that point to psychological and/or economic issues as the reasons behind the societal 'problems' that are so prevalent. In the last 50 years, the church has grown increasingly irrelevant while the government's role has increased.

Wake up, Believer! We have a high, holy calling from God to be warriors against the Evil one! Do you KNOW that? Government cannot change the human heart and is powerless in the face of evil. Only a Spirit-filled church is equipped to defeat sin and Satan. We can still make a difference, but not if we're locked into defense of tradition, maintaining tepid programs, and escapist theologies.

Does this purpose motivate you to prayer, to serve in compassionate ministry, and to invest your resources in God's work? The Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ is the one great hope for the world because the real issue is EVIL; and if that is true, the solution is SPIRITUAL.Yes, I realize that many American Believers have so personalized their faith in Christ that it has become all about their 'feelings' about self-satisfaction and gaining a home in Heaven while the rest of the world is left to Hell! Many churches -- might I generalize and say, 'most?' --organize their efforts around making a comfortable 'home' for sleepy saints. The building is carefully prepped to be 'inviting.' The sermon is toned to be therapeutic, not too challenging, so as to keep people returning to the services. The lyrics of the songs are focused on "Jesus loves me" but in such a way to make us selfish even with that great truth! "Church-ianity" is a multi-billion dollar business in America that is a lot like football. Church entertains us on Sunday morning, football on Sunday afternoon, but neither makes all that much of a difference in the way we live!BUT... it can be different and it should be! Christian you have a critical role to fill -- first as a warrior. Your prayers (are they weak or powerful?) are strong weapons that can tear down strongholds. Have you lifted your family up to God today? Have you prayed for situations of suffering that need to be changed by Christ's love today? Have you prayed for the kingdom of God to come on earth and His will to be done?

Your service to Christ through vital ministries of the Church is another means of defeating evil. Teaching children, taking the Gospel to a prison, feeding the hungry, giving to a mission, supporting a Christian school, discipling someone in the way of Christ, studying the Word of God so you can share the wisdom found there with your world are just a few of the ways we become catalysts of change - or as Jesus said, "salt and light!" When we are actively engaged in spiritual warfare that meets evil where it is with acts of service and love, then church will become different, too. Shallow sermons about the 'love of God' and vapid choruses that are catchy tunes with lyrics that are all sweet emotionalism won't nourish us. We will drag ourselves together like spent soldiers desperately in need of The Word of God that stiffens our resolve. We will cling to each other because we know we must watch each others' back and make sure that no soldier falls and is left behind on the battlefield.

Believer, re-claim the MISSION! Jesus stated it succinctly at the end of His time on earth. Meditate for a moment on this passage.
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs." (Mark 16:15-20, NLT)

Here's my prayer for us today -
God, awaken us to the thrill of being in your work to change the world. Fire us with a passion to see slaves to sin set free. Clear our vision so we are not deceived by the illusion of power provided by our material wealth. Bring us to the end of ourselves and cause us to thirst for You, to desire You more than anything or anyone in this world.
Holy Spirit empower us, not for silly emotionalism, but for real spiritual warfare. Set eternity in our hearts.
Lord, make us authentic Christians. Save the church from us and from our programs.
For the glory of Jesus Christ's holy name, we pray Amen.

Using Fear to Motivate?

Since 1995, churches around the US have been creating "Hell Houses" in October, capitalizing on the Halloween craze for fright and horror. The concept of the "Hell House" first developed in Arvada, CO by Youth Pastor Keenan Roberts. He created a walk-through experience that featured graphically produced teen-centered vignettes on the consequences of disobeying God's commandments. Promiscuous sex, alcohol abuse, abortion are among the sins that make their appearance in the experience and the ultimate scare is that sinners end up in Hell's flames.It is true that drunkenness, engaging in promiscuous sex, abortion, and homosexual activity are all sins. The Scripture is clear that "the wages of sin is death." But, I would never allow a "Hell House" presentation in the church I lead because I find the whole presentation tragically mis-focused!

The message in the Hell House presentations that people go to Hell because they do bad and immoral things is flat out wrong! Yes, I believe there is an eternal separation from God that is marked by misery, but nobody ends up there because they do immoral acts. If that were the case, we're all doomed. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard." Neither you nor I are an exception to that sweeping indictment. My assurance of being in God's house for eternity is based, not on my moral goodness but on the grace of Christ, which I received in response to the Spirit's gift of faith! I am convinced that in this Hell House craze, Christians who are truly concerned about sharing the goodness of Jesus Christ are placing the em-pha'-sis on the wrong syl-la'-ble!

It is religion that depends on fear and guilt as primary motivators. It is a performance oriented, human effort based religion that needs gory, graphic Hell Houses to scare people into church. But true Christianity doesn't! We don't drive people to Christ Jesus. We lead them, with a message full of promise, to Him. Paul says, "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!”" (2 Corinthians 5:19-20, NLT)

It's hope, not fear, that is our message to a sinful world. Yes, I know that fear is a powerful motivator, but I also know it has a very short shelf life! The fear felt in the dark of night evaporates in the morning's sunshine. The pull of temptation to sin quickly overcomes the terror of God's judgment. As a kid who grew up in church, I heard more than my fair share of 'Hell and damnation' sermons. I attended Youth rallies where the build up to the altar call was long and terrifying! I made many trips to the 'altar' and cried fearful tears of regret as I begged God to forgive my sins... and then days, sometimes even hours, later I went out and did the same things again. Why? Because, fear is simply too weak to restrain the rebellious and sinful heart. When God revealed His patience to me, showed me the depths of His love, and let me know that Jesus died on the Cross to reconcile me to the Father, more than to keep me out of Hell - I was changed. The truth proclaimed in 2 Peter 3:9 became real to me. ". . . He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent," and I discovered the power of transformation by love.

Love is so much stronger than fear! If we would see people commit their lives to Christ, it must be for love's sake alone. They must see such an irresistible grace in Him that they will repent and turn from sin to serve Him wholeheartedly. The Good News is not 'you're a bunch of awful sinners and you're going to Hell!' The Gospel is "We're all sinners who are deeply loved by God, loved so much that He went to great lengths in Christ Jesus to make our forgiveness and reconciliation possible. He loves us and wants us to come home to His house forever." Read Luke 15 again. In that chapter we read 3 stories Jesus told about 'lost' things: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. In each instance when the lost was found, there was a great celebration. The story of the Prodigal Son is really mis-named. It should be called the story of the Waiting Father. When His way-ward son finally comes home, broken by his own willful sinfulness, the father kisses him, restores him to the family, and celebrates his return. Jesus was telling an 'every-man' story! It is a love story that I can never tell without becoming full of emotion.

This Halloween, there will be no Hell House for me. How about a "Heaven House" instead?
_____________________


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
was blind, but now I see.

T'was grace that taught my heart to fear
and grace my fears relieved,
how precious did that grace appear,
the hour I first believed.