Archive for Ministry
What “Gospel” do we really believe?
Posted by: | CommentsLike most people, I look to others for advice on things I’m not sure about. So when I received a few opinions about how I could make this blog better, (or more effective) for those who read, it I was happy to listen. After all, I am a novice on all social media, and only recently learned how to upload photos for facebook! I’m the first to recognize I could certainly use a little help!
But as I processed some of the opinions offered, I became a little overwhelmed with statistics and polls that apparently rate the success of your media out reach based on the constant flow of content. “Content is Currency” they claim and I would heartily say “Yes!” and “Amen!” to that…but they aren’t talking about quality…they are talking about quantity.
They tell me the more often you “tweet” daily, the larger your Twitter audience. The more often you post your blogs, the more people will want to see what you are saying. To me, this seems to be more of a reflection of our society’s 30 second attention span than it is a blueprint to really benefit anyone.
Recent… refashioned …re-evaluated information, products and service. This is what I am told the “cyber-surfs” want. If you want their traffic, you need to give them what they are interested in– quick! They are click, clicking away, spending seconds, not minutes deciding if the site they are on is worthy of their attention. This bothered me in more ways than I could process in a 3o second window! So I took the week to think about it.
The first thing I concluded was that hopefully, surfing the web is something you do…not who you are! It kind of makes it sound like a sci-fi android movie, when we calculate the motives of cyber-space users to anything less than human.
The next thing I decided was that I don’t really care how many people visit this site. I’m not trying to introduce as many issues as fast as possible, trying to hit upon a hot enough topic to hold your interest.
My goal must always be to present a Relevant, Credible and Effective dialog to discern the Truth, and reflect a genuine witness to that reality. Anything less than that objective is a violation to my relationship with God…and my relationship with you as my reader. On that I will not compromise.
Because of this, I cannot guarantee that I will post often enough for anyone to read or care about what I write about. However, I hope that those who do, will be provoked to search the Scriptures for themselves to better understand God’s will for them and be motivated by love to obey what He has said; for their sake…and the sake of their witness of Christ.
The last (and most important) thing I have decided was that only the right and true opinion matters. …Whose report will we believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord! (Rom 10:16.) The report of the Lord is found in His Word. Not just a verse or two that can be wrapped around my point of view, but the consistent and whole counsel of God.
The trouble is that too many people use the Bible to verify their own opinion, rather than adjust their opinion to the truth found in scripture. Or worse, they do not read and study the Word of God at all.
Absolute Truth is also easy to twist. It is as pliable is our deceptive heart can manipulate. (James 3:13-4:3) If our desires are anything less than purely motivated…we can easily wring out a doctrine to suit our own agenda.
As hard as it is to accept, God allows this to clearly divide the ones who are truly seeking His will…from the ones who are not. It is clear from Scripture itself that He will not interfere with our free will to choose. He will however, make known His will to us and allow us to respond accordingly.
I used to think that as long as you really loved Jesus…everything else would fall into place. The Holy Spirit would teach you Truth, and help you discern the written Word, and all the while, the Father would guard and guide the process of your life-journey until the day you met Him face-to-face.
I still believe this.
Yet…the genuine outcome of this is entirely dependant on which Jesus you love, what spirit you receive, and who your real father is! (Gal 3:1-13,1Jn 4:1-6, Jn 8:13-59)
Jesus is another name for “Savior” Unfortunately; many people put their hope in something other than the True Jesus for their salvation.
These people follow doctrines of men that enable them to trust in deceptions that prevent them from receiving true transformation in their daily lives. They may be active in their churches…but their homes and closest relationships are more likely to resemble graveyards or battlefields. There is no real “fruit” to verify that their faith is genuine.
The longer I walk with God, the more evident I see this in most of our churches. The high cost of discipleship is nearly non-existent, save for the few radicals who believe in various causes worthy of their passion.
In a recent independent poll of young college girls who professed to love Jesus, most stated that “yes,” they would make out with another girl if it would turn on their boyfriend. They found nothing compromising in their faith to make such a statement. We may find that disturbing…and we should! But it is only representative of a culture of “Christians” who believe and hope in different “Christ’s.” Those, whose Jesus’ understand and graciously tolerate modern thinking.
I am hoping that whomever “out there” surfing the web is searching for more than a 30second sound bite that tickles and entertains. I am writing to those who are looking for more than just the answers to their questions, but the real reasons that they ask them in the first place!
I am not writing as an expert, but as a seeker myself, who will not be satisfied with anything less than “true Truth.” I know that there are a lot of opinions out there to what that is…There always will be. But if God is really God, and His Word is really Truth, we can rest in certainty that He will reveal His ways to us through His written Word in ways we can understand and obey.
It is our responsibility, however, to seek to know Him.
That is what we are going to endeavor to do here in this forum.
So here is my question to you dear reader…
“What Gospel (or good news) do you hope in?”
Break it down…look it up…think about it…
“Where are you compromising…where are you unclear?”
“What is it worth to you to gain the freedom of true salvation in every way you can receive it?”
“Who is Jesus to you?”
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Savior Jesus Christ!
Posted by: | CommentsI am burdened to write this letter concerning our current common affliction. We are facing an unprecedented time of urgency, yet I am afraid the focus of our attention has been misplaced upon our circumstantial situation rather than our most obvious resource. I am amazed at the calls I have received in utter panic as to what we should be doing right now. Because of this I have decided to share my heart with you all.
It is said that crisis never develops character–it only reveals whatever character has already been established. The word, “established” is particularly relevant here because it means “to put into place or practice something that is permanent in motion.” Said another way, this particular moment in our history is only revealing habits and lifestyles, as well as what we truly believe in our heart-of-hearts. So we must ask ourselves: As we are being squeezed…is it faith or fear that is being expressed?
If it is fear, be honest! Praise God for His divine interruption in your life! He is able to transform fear into faith. The problem with human nature is that we would sometimes rather hide in our fear, and deny its severity. But the truth is, when we do not confront our truest selves in the presence of God in order to deal honestly with our fear, we are likely to take in its children…Disobedience and Unbelief as well!
Fear at its very core is mistrusting God’s goodness, His love and His capacity to work on our behalf. If we do not tackle this head-on, we are apt to try and solve our own problems in our own wisdom, and in our own strength. This is not wise; and definitely not a good testimony for those outside.
I have heard that there are those among us who profess to be of the household of faith, yet are living as though there is no Provider! This should not be so! The current financial situation can not be countered by hoarding and stockpiling, or taking extravagant measures in ensuring security! The Word of God tells us that when we do such things we are in danger of losing even what we think we have! (Luke 12:16-21, Luke 12:33, James 1:27, Matthew 25:14-30) There are principles governing prosperity that are given by the mouth of God. (Malachi 2:8-12) Tithing, stewardship, and generosity are a way that the heart can learn to trust Him and the hand can be disciplined in order to distribute His wealth. Remember it is all His anyway! I promise, we will not be put to shame if we trust God on this point. We will not be seen begging bread either. (Psalm 37:35-26)
Yes, some of us are losing homes, or jobs. (Remember Job, Daniel, Joseph, and John to name a few who suffered likewise) For some of us, this is a course correction, for others it is something else. However, if we are willing, either way we will see God’s provision in the midst of our greatest need. Remember, our stories are still being written! God is after our wholeness, and He is relentless. He is not pacified with half-hearted followers who serve Him as is convenient. He desires All-in, no plan B disciples who are yielded to the transformation process. If we are truly His, we must remember He will not settle until we are wholly His.
Often times we really have no idea what we are lacking until the time of our testing. Many of us have faced these trials in previous times and can boldly testify to the goodness of God that we experienced. (Luke 21: 10-19, Psalm 139:23-24) Do not lose heart! Do not lose faith! God sees. God is still with us! His plan is being perfected even as we speak.
These are serious times, but they should not be taking us by surprise. There are hard decisions to be made, but we, who have been so richly blessed, should also be amply equipped. Why are we living as though we were never going to be tested? As I have already said… what we are experiencing is a common affliction. It is found in all places; it is global, nondenominational, interracial, secular and sacred. It is a real situation with real consequences. However the principles for a faithful covenant with our Creator still apply!
If we claim that Jesus is all we need, but have peace only in the absence of conflict– what difference is there between us and the world? And if we only experience joy in the abundance of our provision and comfort, why would the world stop to ask us what the hope is within us? I am sorry if this is brand new information…but suffering is a part of the “Life-on-Earth-package!” Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. These are not my words, but His Word. We will all suffer…either we will suffer justly—or unjustly. (1 Peter 4:12-19)
The “Serenity Prayer” is a beautiful example of learning to discern between the parts of life we are responsible for, and what part we need to trust God for. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Oh how I wish this were a common exercise! It is said that 100% of Life can be divided into two parts: 10% is the “stuff” that happens to us-and the remaining 90% is how we handle the 10%! We are not responsible for the 10% what happens to us…but we will certainly be held accountable for the 90% of how we respond!
WAKE UP! Christians! There has never been a greater time to get real with God! He is so patient with us. His grace and mercy are ready to make our miserable mistakes into majestic masterpieces! But we need to be honest with where we really are right now. Let this crisis shine the light brightly on the true state of our relationship with Him…and with others.
REPENT! If need be. Things are not going to get better with a change directive from any political system. It is our God who is Sovereign! He is setting the stage for a change so swift and certain; it is likened to the coming of a thief in the night. (2 Peter 3:10-18, Matthew 24:36-51, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Revelation 3:3) But we, who are His, do not need to be taken so unawares…we should experience this unstoppable event more like the pregnant woman in labor, than as the thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:3) A pregnant woman knows her time is soon to come. She is ready. She is prepared.
RESPOND! My encouragement, and my hope, is found solely in the Word of God. These Scriptures I have listed for you are life! I am praying more fervently than ever for the household of faith. We are in a very critical time! (Luke 21:34-36, 2Thessalonians 2:1-12) We need to watch and pray lest we fall into the same temptations towards sin and self, as the world. The comfort and convenience of compromise is always just one decision away. Keep company with those who will hold up truth like a mirror. We need the wounds of a true friend more than the flattery of pretense.
Those who claim they do not need to self-examine their own hearts are easily deceived by their own confidence. The Word provokes us to continually test our own hearts to see if we are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5-7, 2 Corinthians2:9, 2Corinthians8:8, 1Corinthians3:13, Romans 12:2. James 4:1, Galatians 6:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:21) It is not a matter of “loosing our salvation,” It is a matter of obedience which verifies our love is genuine. (John 14:15-18)
I am writing to you who are living all across this great country where our freedoms have given us both a license to sin…as well as the liberty to worship our God as we choose. The time is now passed to keep private our personal belief system. This is spiritual Spring Cleaning! Get rid of the snares that stumble and the thorns that choke out the truth! Be ready! Be watchful! Be available to live out what God had poured in!
And if by chance you find yourself standing with a very shiny, (but empty) oil lamp….( Matthew 25:1-13) Praise God the call has not yet sounded that the Bridegroom has come! So go! Go out and buy what is real, what is pure and what is genuine, that the day will not take you unawares.
Read the Word. Not for memorization—but transformation! Let the Word of God pour into your heart, mind and soul. Obey what you hear. There are no shortcuts to holiness. It is hard, but keep pressing on. Pray! Nothing is too big, or too little! It is the communion with our Father that pleases Him. He is with you…will you be with Him?
No matter what—We Are In This Together!!!!!!!! We may stand alone in our decisions, but we stand together in the household of faith. Remember the community suffers alongside us. We really do need each other to be genuine and transparent. It is scary to be vulnerable, but the consequence of self-protection is just too high.
I am being vulnerable in sending this out, but the conviction in my soul must also trust God with how this is received. I am not perfect, and I struggle too, but I know as sure as I live and breathe, we had better raise the standard we see displayed before us to a lost and dying world. Will you stand with me?
Gratuity vs. Gratitude
Posted by: | CommentsAs we prepare our hearts to minister in this season of giving, I began to give careful consideration to what it means to be a servant. Of course our worship to the Lord is a service to Him. We wait on Him, and attend to Him in our songs and our tithes and our obedience to His word. But, often, in a greater way, our best service to God is in the way we attend to the needs of a lost and hurting world.
What if in our worship to God, He only blessed us with His provision of mercy, grace, and love, according to our performance? What if, when we offered Him a meal of our worship, it was partially cold because of self-doubting? Or what if we served the wrong meal entirely because we were new and inexperienced? What if because the meal that we served God was not perfect, He paid us with a tract of rebuke and a dollar of disgust! Thank God He does not give us what we deserve! He tips us instead in abundance…He tips us in GRACE!
In these next few weeks many of us will be out buying gifts, or enjoying a meal out with friends. As Christians, we will have a blessed opportunity to reflect the giving nature of our Heavenly Father. Many restaurants in our area, however, cringe at the thought of having to serve the “Christian Crowd” because they are known to be stingy. Instead of showing our displeasure by tipping with a dollar bill and a tract, we could use even a time of poor service as an opportunity to brighten someone’s day and soften their hearts. Who knows, maybe our poor service was due to the rude customers before us and ruined our server’s day. Should we not be the vessel that could turn things around? Isn’t that a part of the plan of redemption to overcome evil with good?
Our pony-tailed server is likely to be making a mere $2.13 an hour. The minimum wage for a dedicated server is much lower than state wage requirements. They are working in hopes of gratuity. Imagine only getting paid if our customers were completely satisfied with our work! On the other hand, the cooks in the kitchen are being paid reasonably by the hour. If they burn your steak they will not be penalized, nor will they be upset that your tip reflected your displeasure.
Gratuity by its very nature is a deserved bonus. But as people of grace we should not be so ruled. We of all people should not live in the boundaries of “Just Deserts” especially in the season of celebrating the birth of our Savior who came to deliver us from a Hell we so justly deserved. Let us instead be ambassadors of Love; being patient and understanding, and serving the needs others…of even those who serve us!
Serving alongside you in the season of Grace
