the paradoxes of pastoring…

NOTE: I am out of town 11 June - 7 July, so I thought I would use this opportunity to invite some of the leaders I have the opportunity to serve with to write a guest devotional. My “pen” will return on 12 July… and you might (rightfully) prefer their reflections to mine!

This week’s devotional comes from the pen of Pastor Ron Flores: Ron and his wife, Portia, co-pastor Meadows Fellowship in Las Vegas. Before entering pastoral ministry, Ron spent ten years playing professional baseball, with the majority of his career in the Oakland Athletics organization. He has a passion for loving people well through laughter and tacos. In his spare time, Ron is pursuing his Masters in Strategic Leadership from Life Pacific University.

If you’re like me, you got into ministry because you love Jesus and have a heart for people. And like you, I take Paul’s call to church leaders seriously to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:11-2). Having grown up a PK, I went into ministry with (what I thought were) eyes wide open. My dad’s life lesson was always, “Count the cost and then pay the price.” I knew what I had to do. And I knew what people expected of me as a lead pastor.

I need to be an:

- Inspiring leader
and
- Excellent communicator

But as ministry often entails, I quickly found out that I also need to toe the invisible line:

- Raise funds but don’t talk about money.
- Be clear in your leadership but don’t hold anyone accountable.
- Draw crowds but don’t be about the numbers.
- Lead by example but don’t be legalistic.

Also, apparently I need to:

- Get the worship just right,
- Crack the code of small group dynamics,
- Lead my staff and ministry leaders to ultimate life fulfillment,
- Make sure I work out daily and sabbath weekly.

Also, in my spare time I need to:

- Master the Greek and Hebrew (even though I got a C in High School English)
- Be a social media guru
- Tech-savvy
- Miracle-worker (literally)
- Conflict resolution specialist
- Financial wizard
- Compassionate counselor- Community impactor
- Creator of catchy slogans and sermon titles
- Building expander
- End-times expert
- Trend spotter/pop-culture referencer
- Attract the younger, honor the elder
- Ultimate multi-tasker
- Crisis manager
- With super-human patience
- And by the way - you ARE preaching this Sunday and, yes, you do have a super quick meeting with a disgruntled member right after service.

(I know that list should have come with a trigger warning.)

All jokes aside, we know our calling is bigger, grander, and weightier than the external expectations we live under, however unrealistic they may be. Our work is Kingdom work—e work—spiritual eternal work. And it’s worth the fight. As Paul instructs, “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.”

I’m thankful for a Big Jesus, a good group of friends, and fellow pastors who can shrug off the small stuff, laugh a lot, and point everyone to the real Savior! I hope that you have these in your life too…

ordinary time… is it?!

NOTE: I am out of town 11 June - 7 July, so I thought I would use this opportunity to invite some of the leaders I have the opportunity to serve with to write a guest devotional. My “pen” will return on 12 July… and you might (rightfully) prefer their reflections to mine!

This week’s devotional comes from the pen of Pastor Jennifer Thigpen. Jenn is the Multi-Ethnic Coordinator for the Western District of The Foursquare Church. She is a Fuller Theological Seminary graduate and serves on the Foursquare Doctrine and Ethics Team and Foursquare Multiply, where she coaches and resources church planters. In her free time she is an assisting pastor at Pasadena Foursquare Church.

---

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV

I’ve spent my life being formed by and leading in Pentecostal-Charismatic spaces, but in my adulthood, I have found a deep appreciation for the rhythms of the liturgical calendar. Seasons like Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost mark so many important days in the life of my faith. For church leaders, those big days are where we put much of our time, energy and resources. (Enter “Easter is the church’s Super Bowl” chant here.)

But the part of the liturgical calendar I have come to love the most is “Ordinary Time.” Ordinary Time is the longest season of the church year, broken into two parts: spanning the weeks between Epiphany (January 6) and Ash Wednesday, then spanning the months between Pentecost and Advent. It is all the time that isn’t marked by fasting or feasting; it’s just…ordinary. Ordinary is often cast as boring or uneventful, but it is so much more than that.

In liturgical contexts, ordinary time is marked by growth, maturing, spiritual disciplines and discipleship. It is the invitation to faithfully follow Jesus amid the (sometimes) mundane, everydayness of our lives. In fact, the life of Jesus is where the reading and liturgy of ordinary time invites us to reflect most often – the teachings, the miracles and even the mundane.

So, why do I, a Pentecostal Foursquare pastor, care about ordinary time? Because reminds me that Jesus meets me in the ordinary spaces of my life: in the rhythms of work and rest, around tables and in living rooms, in sermon prep and on walks, with friends and family, in church and outside of it. It is an invitation to orient my life in the way that Jesus oriented his.

I grew up as a product of the church growth movement of the 1990s, where so much of my discipleship and development was event-driven and experience-oriented. “Come to [x] conference!” “Bring your friends to [x] event!” For a certain generation (looking at you, fellow Millennials), we were raised to chase moments and to create experiences, but aside from giving us a formula for how to do our quiet times, there wasn’t a whole lot in the way of how to follow Jesus in ordinary time – in the days between youth group services and events, in the months between camps and conferences, in the years between revivals and great awakenings. We, like every generation before us, have had to learn how to follow Jesus in the midst of paying bills and starting businesses, raising families and building community, shepherding congregations and mentoring students, celebrating big wins and grieving big losses…you know, the ordinary stuff.

For me, the gift of ordinary time has been encounters with God and God’s people. What I used to think of as a lull in my calendar has become a meaningful slowing to reorient myself and my story to the life of Jesus and find intentional presence with God and others. For all the big days that we give our time and energy to, may we all lean in a little bit more to the gift of the ordinary for ourselves and those around us.

nestle, don’t wrestle…

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you… “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said… My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. (Luke 1.35, 38, 46, 49)

I meet many saints crippled by unbelief, and this unbelief is a big barrier against the Holy Spirit, filling our lives. Although we may desire a fresh work of God in our lives, many of us find it difficult to believe that God will actually work in the manner we long for. We have all been taught, “There are no guarantees in life.” But this aphorism was not composed with the promises of God in mind. Jesus invites us to trust in His promises— “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11.9) In other words, Jesus tells you that if you ask to receive the Holy Spirit in fresh ways, you will receive His renewing presence in your life.

Mary is an example of faith to us all. She was promised the gift of a son, yet she couldn’t understand how this could happen and asked, “How can this be?” The answer was that the Holy Spirit would come upon her. How did she respond? She surrendered her life to the Lord, risking scandal, difficulties, and much future pain, and then praised God, saying that what He had promised was already true as far as she was concerned. What a far cry from our “wait-and-see” skepticism of today!

Years back, preachers would distinguish between seeking faith and resting faith. Couples coming to see me before getting married are often very nervous. They perch on the edge of the chair, eager to “get going”  and find out if I will do their wedding. As we chatted, they gradually relaxed and let the chair take their whole weight. You might say that they begin by showing seeking faith– tensed up, hoping that God might act— and end up with resting faith— a secure reliance on God’s promise.

We need to ask for the Holy Spirit in an attitude of resting faith— an attitude which takes Jesus at his word when He promises: “Streams of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.” (John 7.38, 39) John’s gospel goes on to explain, “By this Jesus meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” (John 7.39) This means that receiving the Holy Spirit is not contingent upon merit, signal experiences, leadership potential, spiritual prowess, or your need. The Holy Spirit is God’s promised gift to you… all you have to do is ask and trust. Dear friends, your striving can cease; we can all rest in God’s promise. Like those who first waited in the upper room, it was never a question of “if” God would send His power, just the answer of “when” the power would come.

As Corrie ten Boom was fond of saying, “Nestle, don’t wrestle.”

unashamed…

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead¿8¿ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3.7-14)

This week at our denomination’s annual gathering, the theme was for pastors to hold the line, incarnate the gospel within our own lives, stay the course, and re-up to the shepherd’s heart and life that is the foundation of our calling. These messages drew me back to this testimony of the apostle Paul. It remains one of the most encouraging, motivating, and challenging passages of Scripture for me and countless others. Years ago, Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Overlake Christian Fellowship east of Seattle, was inspired by it and penned the following reflection: I hope you are inspired, motivated, and challenged by the witness of these two men as I am:

I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made...I am a disciple of Jesus, I won’t look back, go back, hold back, let up, slow down, back away, hesitate or be still! My past is redeemed, my present remade and my future re-aimed. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, dwarfed goals, deficient faith and cheap grace.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, prestige or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my gift is grace and my God is good...my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear and my power sufficient. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, distracted, deterred or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, wilt in the heat of the battle or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, worked up and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I walk in good company; I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, stay until all go and work until He stops. And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no trouble recognizing me...my colors will be clear.

May we all, regardless of calling or vocation hold the line, incarnate the Gospel, stay the course, and re-up to serve under our Shepherd Jesus.

failure is inevitable… and so is victory

Do you not know that all the runners run in a race, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Brethren, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus

(1Corinthians 9.24; Philippians 3.13,14)

Failure is inevitable. It is not a question of ‘If?’ It is simply a matter of ‘When?’ At the heart of the matter is our mistaken notion that the experience of failure is an epitaph—a verdict—that marks us for the remainder of our lives. It is almost as if Descartes’ famous Enlightenment dictum, “I think, therefore I am,” has mutated into an equally errant postulation, “I fail, therefore, I am a failure.”

Setbacks, missed expectations, unrealistic goals, rejection, mistakes, ineffective programs/results, poor decisions, poor timing, etc… All this and more are the realities of life. Yet, wisdom, focus, faith, resolve, character, and hope arise from God’s grace.

Failure is inevitable. We need a Holy Spirit-inspired resiliency that empowers us to press on toward winning the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

Next week, pastors from my denomination will gather in Washington, D.C., for our annual Foursquare Connection. If you happen to be at the Lincoln Memorial, consider this: no one exemplifies resiliency amidst failure better than Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States.

·      His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them (1818).
·      His mother died (1831).
·      He failed in business (1832).
·      He lost his job and wanted to attend law school but couldn’t get in (1833).
·      He borrowed money from a friend to begin a business, and he was bankrupt by the end of the year. (1834).
·      He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt (1834).
·      He ran for state legislature again and won (1835).
·      He was engaged to be married, his sweetheart died, and his heart was broken (1836).
·      He had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months (1838).
·      He sought to become speaker of the state legislature but was defeated (1840).
·      He sought to become an elector and was defeated (1843).
·      He ran for Congress and lost (1846).
·      He ran for Congress again, and this time, he won (1848)!
·      He ran for re-election to Congress and lost (1849).
·      He sought the job of land officer in his home state and was rejected (1854).
·      He ran for the Senate of the United States and lost (1856).
·      He sought the vice-presidential nomination at his party’s national convention, and he received less than 100 votes (1858).
·      He ran for U.S. Senate again and again, but he lost (1860).
·      He was elected President of the United States (November 6, 1860).

Leader, do not be discouraged. Run the race by God's power for God's glory, and you will win. It’s not a question of “if?” It’s just a matter of “when?”

so what?

Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 5.18-20)

This Sunday will be Pentecost Sunday completing the Christian trinity of “high holy days” - Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Theologians continue to reflect on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Pastors preach the power of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit. Today, I would like to suggest 4 “under-the-radar-so-what’s” that should be hallmarks of the Holy Spirit filled woman or man of God.

First, a Holy Spirit-filled believer is one who loves to worship God. You will recognize her by her intensity in prayer, her attentiveness to God’s presence, her exuberant praise, her expressive joy, and her gracious freedom. One of the most frequent and wonderful impressions visitors to the churches I pastored had was the joy, beauty, and freedom they perceived when the congregation worshiped. On one occasion, a woman described to me how she noticed one of the men worshipping with his eyes open: “His countenance possessed joy and wonderment… I was sure he was looking at someone, so I just had to follow his gaze… The way he looked, I expected to see Jesus standing there!”

Second, the Holy Spirit-filled believer does not stop worshipping when the church service is completed. His worship continues throughout the week as he “sings and makes music in his heart to the Lord.” Worship songs, hymns, scriptures, and God-honoring images and ideas regularly fill his mind throughout the week. He will frequently be aware that this wellspring of adoration is not his own creation; instead, it is being “poured” into him by the Spirit of God Himself!

Third, the Holy Spirit-filled person is not a worshipping “lone ranger.” She looks forward to praising God with others and strives to encourage and release vital worship in her church. Like King David, she exclaims, “Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34.3) Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she remains steadfast in her resolve to gather with other believers even when inconvenienced by weather, travel, vocation, or even family. 

Fourth, the Holy Spirit-filled believer trusts God through thanksgiving and praise for every situation. The Spirit-filled believer knows he is not called to praise God for evil or tragedy. Yet, he also understands that circumstances do not judge God's presence (or absence?) nor the verity of His ways. The Spirit-filled believer is free to thank God because he knows that God is in control.

Descartes epitomized the Enlightenment when he postulated, “I think, therefore I am.” The Holy Spirit-filled person counters, “I worship, therefore I am.”

What would your life look like if these four traits of the Holy Spirit were abundantly evident in you?

worship births mission…

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 When they had made the prisoners [Peter and John] stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

(Acts 4.5-7).

Peter and John were in a tough situation. Their master had been crucified and they were in danger of the same fate. Here they were in front of the religious leaders who had brought about Jesus’ death. They could have chosen to answer cautiously, guardedly. Instead Peter declared, “Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 4.10).

Someone has written, “Reticence can be as harmful as unguided speech, and it is not always what Christians say, but what they don’t say, that misrepresents the things of God.” If we say nothing about these things, people will assume that they are not important. Worse still, if we remain silent when we have an opportunity to speak for Christ, we are virtually denying Him.

Why are some bold and others reticent when it comes to sharing our faith? The answer lies partly, but not predominantly in temperament and personality. Our witness is tied to our worship — our devoted submission and praise for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We talk and share experiences about the things and relationships that we value the most. If we truly place God on the highest place in our lives; if we are filled with a love for Jesus; and if Kingdom issues are very real to us— then we will testify easily and naturally to the truth, forgiveness, and freedom that we have found in Christ.

Consider C.S. Lewis’ observation from his Reflections on the Psalms (pp. 94-95):

The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game—praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds, praised most, while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praise least… Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible… I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about most.

Let’s pray for ourselves and other women and men to have a fresh vision and experience of Jesus and the reality of His Kingdom come. A present vision that inspires our worship, fills our souls with a devout love for Him, and which will then organically overflow to others in personal testimony. We cannot just rely on the great spiritual experiences of our past. We need the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity each day as we read the Bible, praise, pray, and go about our daily lives. Otherwise we shall find ourselves preoccupied with things of secondary importance.

Beloved, please take a moment to reflect upon your own "praise life…” Has it become routine? For those of us responsible for worship gatherings, has our own "well" run dry because praise has been reduced to a production preoccupied with numbers, the most current “playlist,” and the reaction of others? Could it be that our personal witness is muted by the absence of our own vibrant praise encumbered by a transactional faith that reduces praise to “what we got” rather than “Who He is?”

There is no way around it — the mission of the Church is intrinsically connected with the worship of the Church. A small God who exists only to please us will always lead to anemic mission — the witness of "nice.” And the painful truth is: “nice” is hardly going to command attention and transform lives.

integrity is Christ-centered…

When Jesus saw the crowds He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are those who mourn... Blessed are the meek... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness... Blessed are the merciful... Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God... Blessed are the peacemakers... Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness... Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you... You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world... You have heard it said, “Do not murder... Do not commit adultery... When you pray do not be like the hypocrites... Do not worry... The man who hears my words and does not do them...” (Matthew 5-7)

The Sermon on the Mount contrasts two ways of living before God. One way to measure faithfulness is by what we do, and the other is by who we are. In short, the Sermon on the Mount is about integrity that is distinctly Christian. Every sentence bears the conviction that who we are on the inside matters immensely to Jesus because there is no inherent relationship between what we do and who we truly are. A woman may go to church, sing the songs, and read her Bible but never have the essential poverty of spirit that God blesses with salvation, love, and strength (Matthew 5.3). A man may not cheat on his girlfriend or wife, but his obsession compromises his fidelity with lust and sexual fantasies of every kind (Matthew 5.27-30). Anyone may pray eloquently in front of others, but God knows that it is not an expression of faith but a will to impress, influence, and manipulate (Matthew 6.5-15).

Christian integrity is distinct. Philosophers suggest that integrity means living according to a consistent set of principles, but surely consistency is the wrong criterion because one could then argue that the devil or a “Hitler” has integrity! Christian integrity is less a state and more an exercise of living, discerning, loving, reflecting, and doing that is inspired, empowered, and exemplified by the person and power of Jesus.

There are three basic steps to pursuing a life of Christian integrity. The first step is to spend the time to discern the presence of Jesus in our lives. Our relationship with Him is our foundation for understanding right and wrong, good and evil, commitment and hypocrisy. Therefore, prayer, Bible study, and quiet reflection are essential disciplines for those seeking a life of integrity. Christian integrity is distinct because we live according to our relationship with Jesus— He alone is our living “set of principles” that we seek to be consistent with.

The second step to a life of Christian integrity is to struggle to live according to our relationship or faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift but the Christian life is a lifetime-encompassing challenge. We pursue a life of integrity when we are willing to fight, strive, and persevere to live in a manner that reflects the life of Jesus Christ within us. This means that a life of Christian integrity will be counter-intuitive. We will love those who Jesus loves although we may initially feel no natural attraction; we will take actions that will advance Christ but do little for us; we will risk the loss of favor and esteem to live out our life in Christ.

The third and overlooked step to a life of Christian integrity requires us to be open and emphatic about Who and what we are living by— to say why we do the things we are doing or believe the things we believe. Witness is an essential ingredient to Christian integrity because integrity, as a lifestyle, can never be separated from the person and power of Jesus Christ. We live, believe, act, relate, love, hope, judge, and yearn the way we do because of Jesus. Christian integrity mandates that we bear witness to Him because it is only His person Who can make sense of the life of integrity that we struggle to achieve.

Christian integrity must be Christ-centered lest we understand integrity legalistically rather than relationally. Integrity flows from His living presence in our lives and it returns to Him as our living sacrifice. Integrity is never a “box we check”. It will always be a life we aspire to live.

a daily resolve…

Romans 12.2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Galatians 4.8-10 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods; but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Ephesisan 6.10: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

I took a partial day off a few days ago and made my way to Strasbourg, Germany, to see its famous cathedral. This cathedral towered over the “modern world” and was the world’s tallest building from 1439 to 1869. Yet, despite its immensity, the world passes it by with only a passing nod to history and the architectural marvel it represents. One doesn’t need an academic’s insight or keen powers of observation to recognize that the “spirit of the times” has changed…

Zeitgeist is a German word that historians and sociologists have adopted as a technical term. It comes from two words: “zeit” (time) and “geist” (spirit). Zeitgeist refers to the spirit of the time—the taste, culture, and outlook characteristic of a period or generation. It is the unseen force or tide that carries people, communities, and nations in its stream. A crisis — whether political or ideological— occurs whenever one zeitgeist confronts another.

Thus, for example, wars are the result of competing zeitgeists. The political and cultural upheavals that polarize and divide us also illustrate the fallout when zeitgeists collide. Scholars attempt to understand the zeitgeist of any period to gain an understanding of the unseen forces (spirits!) behind human behavior, perception, and decision-making.

Scripture recognizes the reality of living in a world that daily tempts followers of Jesus Christ to exchange their liberty for enslavement. Therefore, we must make a deliberate decision every day to be filled with the power and resolve of the Heilige Geist (the Holy Spirit), lest we become carried along by the tidal wave of the zeitgeist. Without this daily resolve, we will:

• Equate “blessings” solely with prosperity, convenience, acquisition, title, or power.

• Subjugate Christian truth to personal experience or our own need for security and acceptance.

• Believe God only for what is “believable” (i.e., realistic and practical) and avoid the need for a faith that is dependent on God.

• Rationalize our selfish “wants” as representing God’s will for our life.

• Perceive inconvenience, challenge, or conflict solely as the devil instead of God’s discipline.

• Relativize the Scriptures to avoid God’s truth and life-changing conviction.

• Pursue sexual gratification, self-esteem, and self-aggrandizement as the great goals of life.

• Tolerate sin and avoid personal accountability.

• Perceive ourselves as a victim rather than as a victor and overcomer through Christ.

• Flirt and fixate with pornographic materials or sexual imagery that titillate.

• Blame our parents, spouses, culture, or education for what we don’t like about ourselves.

• Prejudge others by appearance, ethnicity, nationality, party loyalty, or vocation.

• Capitulate to cultural moral conformities

• Lose our evangelistic commitment

• Settle for mediocrity rather than yearn for “His utmost for our highest.”

Without this daily resolve, followers of Jesus Christ will become nondescript residents of society with little to distinguish them from the world in which they reside. Oh, some may still retain peculiar habits like going to church, praying occasionally, reading the Bible or observing Christian holidays. But in reality, the values, concerns, and pleasures of this world will draw them back, and they will again be subject to its demands and mastery. Such Christians will hardly influence and impact the lives around them.

Our freedom is maintained by our steadfast commitment to struggle against “powers and spiritual forces” that seek to enslave us (Ephesians 6.12). How do we do this? “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Free is the person who daily seeks the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and presses into the abiding presence of Jesus.

Hold fast…

Fix your thoughts upon Jesus… For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end… Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 3.1, 14; 10.23)

This week I am in Albania, the first country in history to officially declare itself an atheist nation (1946). This was not an empty declaration of the state. It was backed up by the destruction of worship spaces of any faith and the ruthless persecution, including the execution of anyone professing faith or guilty of assembly. Museums narrate these nightmare decades with vivid and oppressive detail.

As I walked the streets of Tirana, I wondered: Would I be faithful in such a context? Would I “cave in” or “stand up?” Would I capitulate or challenge? Would I surrender or lead? Would I isolate or gather?

On such occasions, I turn to the Scriptures, and what I learn again is that the correspondence within the New Testament contains a distinctive focus and a singular challenge.

The distinctive focus is on the uniqueness and supremacy of Jesus Christ, the Reconciler, Redeemer, Reigning Lord, and Returning King.

The singular challenge is: “Believers in Jesus Christ should worship, live and love like believers.” no matter our circumstances. In fact, I believe the Scriptures admonish us that our alarms and our adversities are irrelevant to the heart determined to have a first-love faithfulness to Christ.

Consider this: the book of Hebrews was written to Christians who were beset by difficult circumstances and besieged by impending tribulation that loomed on the horizon. This letter was sent to encourage those tempted by their circumstances to give up their faith and abandon the distinctiveness of a Christian lifestyle. The central message of the letter is simple: “There is no one like Jesus... therefore hold fast to Him.”

He is God’s last word...
  He is the Heir of all things...
    He is the creator of the universe...
      He reflects God’s glory...
    He is the great High Priest...
   He is the supreme and final atonement for sin…
He is the great Pastor who understands us completely.

Therefore, live like followers of Jesus
and HOLD FAST TO HIM!

Or consider this… Thirty-five years after the Ascension, Jesus Himself inspired the apostle John to write a letter to Christians in Ephesus who were facing turbulent times due to their city's apostasy (Revelation 2). They strove to uphold God’s truth and righteousness amidst a culture that had lost its moral and theological compass. Nevertheless, their passion for Jesus was in jeopardy, and they were exhorted to return to their first love. Jesus wants our hearts and devotion. He is not glorified by cold, stoic, and passionless people who can merely “gut things out.”

There is one thing and one thing only that God is looking for— an abiding and lifelong passion for Jesus Christ.

In God’s eyes, there are no excuses.
War, persecution,
Prosperity, achievement,
Poverty, illness,
Family needs, marital strife,
Personal “woundedness,” loneliness,
Ministry and/or the distractions of leadership

are all inadequate reasons for allowing our hearts to wane in our affection for Jesus Christ. Let me say it again: THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FOR ALLOWING OUR ONE HOLY PASSION FOR GOD—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—TO DIMINISH. God is responsible for our salvation, and we are responsible for our passion, love, and affection for Jesus.

After fourteen years of suffering under the Romanian Communist regime, pastor Richard Wurmbrand wrote, “There exists only one method of resisting brain-washing, and that is heart-washing. If the love of Jesus cleanses the heart, if the heart loves Him, you can resist all tortures” or successes or distractions or temptations.

So, I return to the question that prompts this week’s devotional: would I be found faithful in Christ if I were alive during the perilous decades Albanian believers were forced to live through? My answer is, “I don’t know.” What I do know is “as now, so then.” As I devote my heart to Him now, I will be cultivating a faith that might stand then… If I live now with a casual, easily distracted, shallow, culturally coopted faith, there will be little chance that I will have any desire to hold fast then.

How might I keep my passion for Christ that He might be my “first love,” — preeminent in all things? I can do no worse than to follow the first pattern of the Ephesians (see Acts 19):

they came to the cross,
they were filled with the Holy Spirit,
they gave serious attention to God’s Word,
they got rid of anything that displeased Him,
and they took decisive steps to put Jesus first.

I do not think that God expects me to do anything less…

Albanian saints— you who have gone before me— thank you for convicting me afresh: there is nothing more important than the deliberate and passionate submission of

my affection,
my attention,
my ambition
my actions and
my associations
before the relentless love of my God.

as now, so then…

an essential “apostolic”…

Acts 2.42: They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…

Apostolic… Every Christian fellowship arrogates or aspires to be apostolic. But what does it mean to be apostolic? Simply defined, an apostolic church is one that continues to devote herself to the apostles’ teaching… The New Testament highlights four areas of concentration that together comprise the core of an “essential apostolic.”

First and foremost it was teaching about Jesus. This teaching was designed to answer the obvious questions that would have sprung to the minds of seekers and new believers then—and now. Who was this Jesus whom they had come to trust? What did He teach? Why did He die? How sure could you be about the resurrection? Where was He now? What about the future? This apostolic framework of understanding has been passed down to us through the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Second, it was a message about fulfillment. This is where Peter’s Pentecost address begins: “This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel” (Acts 2.16). By “this,” he meant the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy embodied in the gift of tongues, the radiant joy and praise on the streets, and the awareness of God’s presence that had overtaken them. Healings, prophetic gifts, and fearless evangelism that recognized no human distinction or cultural taboo were to follow. This all sprung from the sense of fulfillment that marked the infant church. All the disparate strands of truth in Judaism and pagan philosophies had reached their culmination in the Man from Nazareth, whom God had made both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2.22, 36).

These first Christians confronted Jews and Gentiles alike with composure and confidence. They did not pander or capitulate to the pluralism and syncretism all around them because they had been set free by nothing less than the Truth incarnate. Their confidence surged from the recognition that they were living in times of fulfillment. The Old Testament is no longer merely words on a scroll. It is a living truth that they know and experience being fulfilled in Jesus and seared upon their consciousness by the Holy Spirit. Their understanding is clearly this: all truth, all promise, all hopes, and all love find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. This is what forms the basis from which they can face the many “isms” that they were daily confronted by.

Third, it was an expectation that concerned the new life in Christ and the ethical imperatives it involved. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, there is the sequence:

• Put off the old nature (Col. 3.9)

• Put on the old new (Col. 3.10)

• Be subject (Col 3.18)

• Watch and pray (Col 4.2)

• Stand (Col 4.12)

This may look like an arbitrary selection until you begin to notice a similar pattern elsewhere. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has much the same pattern:

• Put off (Eph. 4.22)

• Put on (Eph 4.24)

• Be subject (Eph. 5.22)

• Stand (Eph. 6.11)

• Watch and pray (Eph 6.18)

Peter’s first letter has a similar sequence:

• You are born again (1Pet. 1.2)

• Put off (1Pet. 2.1)

• Worship (1Pet 2.4-9)

• Be subject (1Peter 2.13- 5.9)

• Watch and pray (1 Pet 4.7)

• Resist (1Pet. 5.8-9)

Or take the letter written by James:

• Starts with new birth (James 1.18)

• Put off (James 1.21)

• Be subject (James 4.7)

• Resist the devil (James 4.7)

• Pray (James 5.16)

An essential “apostolic” called those first Christians (and us) to live the reality of a radically transforming new life in Jesus that was marked by an equally radical new lifestyle. This lifestyle fostered surrender and submission, victorious resistance to evil, and a recognition of the power and assurance that comes through prayer.

Finally, it was a commitment to raise up and send women and men to be heralds of Jesus and His Kingdom. Every community will engage with this differently. But an essential apostolic practice involves more than just giving money—that is called “generosity,” and we should always celebrate the posture of a generous heart. However, an essential “apostolic” involves “giving” people… sending our best to “bring the Kingdom of Jesus” into the midst of countries and communities who have not yet received Him.

Dear ones, our world needs

• An apostolic message—the absolute truth of Jesus: his life, death, resurrection, and ongoing rule today.

• Apostolic messengers—called ones who are convinced that what people truly long for can be fulfilled in Jesus.

• Apostolic mentors— loved ones who can model with compassion, openness, and devotion the realities of new life in Jesus.

• Apostolic senders - people who collaborate to raise up, resource, and release “goers” who will herald Jesus - His person, presence, power, and promise — and plant new life-giving communities.

I pray that this Resurrection season finds you with a resident passion to be authentically apostolic…

a vibrant faith=a growing faith… part 3

Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. (2 Corinthians 10.15)

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. (John 13.1-6)

RECAP PARTS 1 & 2: Guard your relationship with God and do not take it for granted. Care and nourish it or you may discover (already?!) that it will grow stale, stagnant, and second-hand. That is why there is no evidence—  Biblical or historical— of vibrant faith in Christ that is not committed to personal spiritual growth. How does faith grow? Faith comes through the Word of God… Faith comes through the Spirit of God… Faith comes through the praise of God… Faith comes through the people of God… Let’s conclude…

Finally, faith grows through the service of God (Matthew 20.25-28; John 13.12-17). Everyone who desires to grow in their faith must descend the stairways of power, prestige, and acquisition and take up quarters as a servant of God. The one who seeks to serve God will eschew every temptation in the world and in the church that encourages one to be self-centered. Neither the amphetamines of ambition or the barbiturates of self-pity offer the servant of God any allure. In the servant’s paradigm (see John 13.1-17)

• the Upper Room replaces the “board room” or any other human court of power

• the basin of water challenges every impure motive

• the towel repudiates authority that is aloof and avaricious

• and the foot-washing itself exemplifies the character and the content of the servant’s endeavors..

A servant of God understands that there has never been, nor will there ever be, authentic Christian growth that is not rooted in a lifestyle of service to God.  Why? For the simple fact that Jesus Himself did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2.6, 7). Deluded is the person who lives as if there is a detour around this path Christ has set. Jesus spells it out very clearly:

“Do you understand what I was doing?… since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master… Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them (John 13.12-17).

Do you want to be blessed by God? Do you want to experience the tangible signature of His pleasure in your life? Then live your life as a servant of Jesus Christ… Look for ways to serve where you work— is there anyone ill, depressed, discouraged, downtrodden, fearful, overwhelmed, harried, or betrayed? Look for God’s opportunities for random acts of kindness, a note of encouragement, or the assurance of prayer. Your faith will grow as you experience the frequent yet diverse ways that Jesus will use you as you consecrate your life afresh for His service each day.

So there you have it - a time-tested and time-attested recipe for growing your faith:

1. Faith grows through the Word of God…

2. Faith grows through the Spirit of God…

3. Faith grows through the praise of God…

4. Faith grows through the people of God…

5. Faith grows through the service of God…

Until next week…

easter IS the gospel…

Now, if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain… your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1Corinthians 15.12-17)

How are we to account for the beginnings of Christianity? What made it different from the Jewish religion from which it sprang? All the earliest Christians were, of course, Jews. What made them choose to depart from their fathers' religious orthodoxy and heritage—a faith marked by miraculous election, redemption, and provision? It must have been something tremendous in light of the simple fact that Jews, then as now, tenaciously stick to their heritage and identity even when faith appears optional.

There needs to be more than the moral teaching of Christianity to account for the birth of this new movement. Most of the teachings of Jesus, though arresting in form, were familiar to His Israelite audience. In Mark 12.29-31, his summary of the law is that to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself is the heart of Jewish orthodoxy itself. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the earliest Christians had no new and distinct system of morals, though perhaps they placed greater emphasis than other Jews on love and service. But it was certainly not the Sermon on the Mount that produced Christianity.

Nor was it that they met separately and became a sort of Jesus synagogue. The Jews were very tolerant of different groups meeting separately within Judaism. Indeed, we are told that for a considerable period, the apostles and first believers habitually went to the Temple and synagogues to worship with the other Jews who did not believe in Jesus.

No! There is only one thing that accounts for the start of Christianity, only one peculiarity they had, which made them utterly different from others. It was this: they were convinced that Jesus was alive. Cambridge Professor C. F. D. Moule, in his book, The Phenomenon of Christianity, puts it very clearly: “From the very first, the conviction that Jesus had been raised from death has been that by which their very existence has stood or fallen.” The first Christians did not merely assert that the tomb of Jesus was empty on the first Easter day— though they did assert that. They also made it clear, both by what they said and what they did, that Jesus was alive in their midst. Experience bore witness to history! This has been the essential core of the Christian faith ever since. Christians are convinced that Jesus is risen— a personal experience in alignment with the facts of history.

C. S. Lewis summed it all up very clearly in his book Miracles (pp. 143f): “The Resurrection and its consequences were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought. What we call the “gospels,” the narratives of our Lord’s life and death, were composed later for the benefit of those who had already accepted the gospel. They were in no sense the basis of Christianity; they were written for those already converted. The miracle of the Resurrection and the theology of that miracle comes first; the biography comes later as a comment on it. Nothing could be more unhistorical than to pick out selected sayings of Christ from the gospels and to regard those as the datum and the rest of the New Testament as a construction upon it. The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the resurrection.”

Their experience testified not merely to that fact that they saw Him. Their experience proclaimed that He was for them and with them. He was the transformative presence that brought new life. The Resurrection was an experience before it was ever a doctrine, a personal testimony before it was ever a corporate confession. Their appeal and invitation were simply this: the new life that has overtaken ours you can experience too. Repent, believe, and receive was an invitation to an experience, not mere cognitive assent to a fact, while true, held no personal consequence or promise.

Do you know the ever-present, tangible, and personal presence of Jesus in your life right now? Yes? Then, take a moment to express your gratitude! No? Then, could you take a moment to ask Him to make His life-giving presence known to you? We do not have to pretend that life is all beauty, butterflies, or a box of chocolates. We are deeply aware of darkness, sin, poverty, pain, loss, and isolation. However, we live in the light of His relentless grace and steadfast presence. We can confidently and defiantly proclaim

We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!*

THE LORD HAS RISEN!

He has risen FOR us…
He has risen TO us…
He has risen to be WITH us…

In light of this, may this be our common Easter prayer

Risen Christ,
for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek the good of others
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of God the Father**

THE LORD HAS RISEN

.… happy Easter!

______________________

*Pope John Paul II in a letter to Catholics living in Adelaide, Australia, November 30, 1986.

** The Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Easter, The Book of Common Prayer, The Church of England

a vibrant faith=a growing faith… part 2

Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. (2 Corinthians 10.15)

RECAP from last week: Guard your relationship with God, and do not take it for granted. Care and nourish it, or you may discover (already?!) that it will grow stale, stagnant, and second-hand. That is why there is no evidence— Biblical or historical— of vibrant faith in Christ that is not committed to personal spiritual growth. How does faith grow? Faith comes through the Word of God… Faith comes through the Spirit of God…

Now let’s continue…

Faith comes through the praise of God (Romans 4.20f). Abraham is the classic example of faith. Abraham and Sarah were promised a child in their old age when it was humanly impossible. Nevertheless, Abraham’s faith “did not leave him, and he did not doubt God’s promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4.21) Praise arises out of faith only to establish, expand, and enliven the very faith that conceived it!

Furthermore, faith’s victories are frequently released through praise. Consider the armies of Israel who used to go forth with their “worship team” in front of the military. They did not employ this tactic merely to illustrate the primacy of worship— they deployed their worship force to win (2Chronicles 20.20ff). Beloved, there can be no abiding assurance, no confidence, no strength, or no ultimate victory without the cultivation of a “praise life.”

Our praise of God is essential for the cultivation of faith for the simple reason that all of life is worship. History, life, and experience reveal that everyone needs a god.  All men and women have, somewhere in their heart, in the center of their being, a shrine in which stands a deity whom they worship. The very composition of human life, the mystery of our being, demands a center of worship as a necessity of existence. The question is whether our life and powers will be devoted to the worship of the true God or will they be dissipated as we chase after false gods.

C. S. Lewis observed long ago:

The world rings with praise— lovers praising their mistresses; readers their favorite poet; walkers praising the countryside; players praising their favorite game— praise of weather, wine, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, and sometimes even politicians or scholars. I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it.  Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that is magnificent? The psalmists, in telling everyone to praise God, are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about (Reflection on the Psalms, p. 80).

Faith comes through the people of God (1John 4.12). Every follower of Jesus Christ possesses a deep-rooted nostalgia for the early church. We long for their faith, vibrancy, power, authenticity, and evangelistic explosiveness. Yet mark this well: the first Christians constantly met together, talked together, shared together, studied together, prayed together, worked together, worshipped together, and witnessed together. Their life together was so strong and full of love that their faith grew by leaps and bounds. Multitudes came to Christ because they were attracted by the evidence of God in the midst of their gathering.

The apostle John writes, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us” (1John 4.12). Some years back, I received a letter from someone who had visited our church. This person commented, “One of the most wonderful things was to look at the faces of the congregation— they were so relaxed, so absorbed, so open, and content. This created the most incredible, almost tangible, atmosphere for me… All that it gave me and showed me convinced me regarding the reality of Christ and His desire to be present in my life.” Your faith will grow as you gather with the people of God because He has promised to be tangibly present whenever Christians gather in His name to worship, pray, praise, eat, and/or study.

One more thing comes to mind but I will save that for next week…

a vibrant faith=a growing faith…

We hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged. (2 Corinthians 10.15)

Guard your relationship with God, and do not take it for granted. Care and nourish it, or you may discover (already?!) that it will grow stale, stagnant, and second-hand. That is why there is no evidence— Biblical or historical— of vibrant faith in Christ that is not committed to personal spiritual growth. This begs us to ask the question: how does faith grow?

First, faith comes through the Word of God (Romans 10.17). Show me a man or woman who does not consistently, prayerfully, and thoughtfully study the Bible and I will show you a person whose body is going through the motions but whose soul is standing still. This is “virtual Christianity” that may tickle our spiritual ear, but it will lack the power to transform our hearts and minds so that we think God’s thoughts, perceive God’s presence, and fulfill God’s purposes.

Martin Neimoller, a German pastor imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp because of his faith, wrote: “The Bible: what did this book mean to me during the long and weary years of solitary confinement… The Word of God was simply everything to me— comfort and strength, guidance and hope, master of my days and companion of my nights, the Bread that kept me from starvation, and the water of life that refreshed my soul. And even more: ‘solitary confinement’ ceased to be solitary.”

The Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6.17)— we who want to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit must first give Him something to grasp and brandish. Not even God can wield a soft noodle!

Second, faith comes from the Spirit of God (John 14.16f). It is impossible to be genuine, alive, and growing in Christ without knowing the new birth and life that the Holy Spirit brings. All that we esteem and treasure about the Christian life is cultivated within us by the Holy Spirit as we depend on Him each day for our spiritual life and health. The Holy Spirit brings the tangible manifestation of God into our lives as He steadily transforms us into the likeness of Jesus—  full of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control” (Galatians 5.22ff).

There is nothing more frightening to me than a “spiritless” Christianity that has denuded itself of the power, grace, and love of God that He desires to confer upon us through His Holy Spirit. The “Spiritless Christian”— in truth, an oxymoron— exchanges a relationship for a religion, makes the Church an institution rather than a living Body and treats the Bible as a rulebook and doctrinal encyclopedia rather than the Book of Life. May God spare us from such orthodoxy!

It doesn’t take much for the devil to compromise a Christian. He needs to do little more than to sow apathy towards the Holy Spirit. Vance Havner observed:

“Have I ever bowed to the absolute sovereignty of the Holy Spirit? Do I lie to Him, grieve Him, quench Him? Do I regard my body as His temple? Have I ever been filled with the Holy Spirit? … The trouble with us today is that we say we are depending on the Holy Spirit, but we are actually so wired up with our own devices that if the fire does not fall from heaven, we can turn on a switch and produce false fire of our own. If there is no sound of a mighty rushing wind, our furnace is all set to blow hot air instead. God save us from a synthetic Pentecost”

It is the nature of the Christian to be a woman or man whose growth reflects both the light of God’s revelation and the water of His Holy Spirit. Fellow saint, a plant needs both to survive and grow—and so do we…

people of impact…

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ... (1 Timothy 6.11-14)

People can be divided into three groups:  those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened! Timothy, the subject of this Scripture passage, is clearly intended to be in the first group. In other words, God intends him to be a man of impact.

Today, there are three main reasons why our world needs followers of Jesus Christ who will be people of impact. First, our world is changing.  Assuming this devotional takes you 3 minutes to read, there will be 27,000 more people in the world than when you started!.  Who will lead them?  Will our leaders develop or destroy them? Who or what will shape their understanding of God, grace, truth, justice, morality, and destiny?

Second, many in leadership positions have abdicated their responsibility— either intentionally or functionally. In the United States, the majority no longer considers character an essential ingredient of good leadership, are cynical about leaders in general, and consider pastors irrelevant and untrustworthy.

Third, people fear change!  Change will occur whether there is effective leadership or not. Without positive leadership, change will bring deterioration and destruction rather than growth and improvement. A leadership crisis occurs because change will not wait for leadership. Society is unlike a car parked in a driveway waiting for a driver. It is like an automobile careening down the freeway at 100 mph without a driver—  it will surely crash. If the driver is reckless or drunken, the results will be tragic. If the driver is misguided, the destination that the hearts of humanity yearn for will never be reached.

Every person who follows Jesus Christ is called to be a person of impact. The Spirit of God forbids you to remain silent or passive while a leaderless and broken world plunder and cripple lives that we are called to influence and transform.

You have an “Impact Zone.” Your Impact Zone will include yourself, your friends and/or family, your neighborhood, and your co-workers. While their size and scope may vary from person to person, mark this: your temperament neither accredits nor disqualifies you. It is your responsiveness to God’s call and your readiness to do His will that certifies you to be a Person of Impact.

A Person of Impact will deliberately exert special influence within their Impact Zone in order to move women, men, youth, and/or children toward a destination established by God.  To accomplish this

¬ People of Impact will realize that vision is the foundation of their leadership. Vision is a revelation of the will of God for us. Spiritual vision doesn't simply fix what is wrong or broken— it redesigns.

¬ People of Impact set goals of beneficial permanence that fulfill God's wishes and address people's real needs.

¬ People of Impact recognize their responsibility to take initiative and not remain passive. People of Impact will take deliberate action in keeping with God’s call, grace, and truth.

¬ People of Impact understand their need to cultivate personal discipline and purity.

Neither the world nor the Church need a coterie of elitists who talk about love and compassion while isolating themselves from real people. People are not looking for a retinue of cliche‑spouting, self‑avowed “quick fix” magicians.  The world is looking for authentic people of impact— only women and men committed to Jesus and compassionately concerned for others will make a lasting difference. I believe these are the “laborers” Jesus envisioned when He urged us to pray to the “Lord of the harvest” to send laborers.

Can we agree to pray this prayer and step forward in hopes of being the answer as well?

a pattern of nature…

I tell you the truth, unless an ear of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds. (John 12.24)

Before there can be life, there must be death. We can see this principle at work in nature, in the life of Jesus, and in our own lives as well.

This is the pattern of nature. The world is full of visual aids in this sermon! Put a seed into a jewel case, keep it safe, and nothing will happen. Put a seed into the ground, let it rot, perish, and die, and it springs up and shoots out leaves or flowers.

We see this same principle in the passion of Jesus Christ. He came as a suffering Savior:
His crown was of thorns,
His throne was a cross, and
His coronation was a crucifixion.
The seed of His life, given over to death, bore fruit. His life gave and continues to give life to millions of people around the world. He died so that our lives might be filled with meaning, purpose, power, and joy now and for all eternity with God.

This principle is also the path to life for us. The rich fool (see Luke 12.16-21) was a fool because he lived for himself. His vocabulary consisted almost entirely of four words: me, I, my, and mine. He put the seed of his life into the coffin of his own selfishness, and there it remained safe from God’s interference— or so He thought. However, the rich man soon discovers that the only place entirely safe from God is hell. The one thing he held onto in life was the very thing he had to lose one day. We have to take the seed of our life, bury it, and let it die by surrendering ourselves to Jesus Christ so that He may do with it as He chooses. Then and only then will we spring up into the fullness of life and bring blessing to others.

Do you feel you have grasped and embraced this “life-from-death” principle? Do you really believe that the best way to live is to die to yourself? Are you ready to have your life “spent” by God for the purposes He values? Are you ready to die to lust, greed, the hunger for “more,” the accolades of others, vain ambition, the will to power, the need to be right, or the mediocrity of a compromised life? Are you ready to conduct your life and relationships without thought of what you will get in return? Are you ready to die to your notions of my time, my money, my will, and my life? Are you ready to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me?” (Galatians 2.20)

Four simple barometers indicate whether or not we have begun to grasp this principle: bible-study, prayer, service, and tithing. Together, they indicate a life that has died to itself that it may bear much fruit. Anybody can excel in one or two areas, but it is only the surrendered life that will feel the freedom to embrace all four and not hold back.

Lent is a wonderful season to begin dying because we know that there is a powerful life ahead for those who die in Christ. The Resurrection we will celebrate on March 31 is living proof of the reward that awaits the faithful person who is willing to die to herself. One can only imagine the profound impact a generation of Christian women and men could make if we embraced this simple principle.

speak up! we have to!

But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel…" (Acts 9.13-15).

Ananias had a problem. He was summoned by God to share the message of the gospel with Saul of Tarsus— the man we know as Paul. But was there ever a more unlikely man to become a follower of Jesus Christ than Paul? An esteemed yet opinionated, legalistic, zealous man who was so sure of what he believed that he was willing to see people killed who departed from his understanding of faith in God? Ananias’ problem is our problem, too! We have many people in our circle of relationships that we have judged unlikely (impossible?) to ever respond positively to Jesus Christ. Yet those whom we consider unlikely, God may consider a “sure thing” because He knows the hearts of men.

Opportunities for talking about Jesus come in so far as we want them to. The crucial question is: “Do I really want to speak about Jesus to others?” I remember being on study leave once and not wanting to speak to anyone about anything, but I believe the Lord challenged me to the contrary! I said, “All right, Lord, I am willing to speak to anyone in this hotel about you if you guide me to someone.” And He did! The next morning, I was joined for breakfast by a man who, by all appearances, had it made. He had an exciting career and a beautiful family. He was physically fit, intelligent, and good-looking— in short, and by all appearances, a real “leader-type.”  Soon, the conversation came around to the usual question, “What do you do?” I explained I was a pastor— usually a conversation killer— but not this time… Contrary to all appearances, he was a broken soul searching for spiritual truth and very receptive to the gospel promises.

There are many people who are hungry for God, however self-confident or uninterested they may appear to be. I discovered this with the man at the hotel. He appeared to have everything, but he quickly admitted that he didn’t know which way he was going in life. Many times, I have needed this reminder— appearances are deceptive. All people need Jesus!

But here’s the challenge: how will they hear unless someone tells them?

The Gospel may be expressed through loving deeds but explained with words.

I think God desires us to have a vision for unlikely people that He wants to reach. Take a moment right now and prayerfully consider people in your network of relationships that you have written off as impossible. Some may be family members or even close friends. Some may be at work with you right now... Would you take a moment and ask God to give you His insight and compassion so that you may have a rekindled faith for the people that have come to mind? Finally, ask God to use you in any manner He sees fit to share the Life that is within you.

postponed…

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert. (Psalms 95:7,8).

Here is an apocryphal story worth telling because it contains an important truth…

It was the time of year when junior devils were tenured and certificated by the A.F.D.I.— the Academy for Demonic Influence. The devil himself was present for the day-long ceremonies. At one point during the festivities he reviewed three eager graduates who stood at attention before him. To the first he said, “When you get out into the world what are you going to say to people?”          

            “Oh,” the evil spirit confidently replied, “I shall tell them that there is no God.”

            “That’s no use,” reprimanded the devil. “Creation persuades too many humans that there is a God. Not many will believe you.”

            Then he said to the second demon, “And what are you going to tell people?

            “I will say that there is no judgment— SIR!” was his reply.

            “That’s not much use,” answered an exasperated devil. “Conscience tells many about judgment. Not many will believe you.”

            The devil then turned to the third spirit and skeptically addressed him, “Now! What about you?!”

            “I shall tell people that there is a God and a judgment to come,” answered the graduate, “but I shall add that there is no hurry.”

            “Excellent!” said the devil. “Many will believe that.”

I believe that the world, the flesh, and the devil conspire to persuade us that there is no urgency about turning to God and/or responding to His call. However, if the truth be told, time is running out fast. Procrastination is dangerous because it masquerades as “deferred obedience.” When we procrastinate, we dodge the call of God. We delude ourselves when we perceive the problem as “timing” rather than our resolve to respond promptly.  The right time to respond to God’s voice is always now— as soon as we hear it.

Consider this parable Jesus told, “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,' but he did not go.’ Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Matthew 21.28-31)

God will never call us to what is needless, irrelevant, or trivial. His call is inseparable from His rule, and His rule is inseparable from His love. Neither servant nor lover will ignore the urgency of their King’s call or their Beloved’s invitation. Both recognize that delay will threaten the relationship.

Healthy relationships have a quality of urgency about them. It is not the urgency of self-centered demand. It is an urgency to respond. I get texts daily, but what delineates some from the rest is my sense of urgency to respond. They are not demanding the timing of my response — my heart is!

Dear ones, I hope God’s word to us — both written and living— will cause our hearts to leap with urgency otherwise, I fear we may be slumbering in self-deception, having created a Pharisee’s casuistry that allows us to postpone our attention, response, and obedience.

So let me ask you, are you putting off anything or anyone that God is speaking with you about now?

an open letter to marketplace believers…

“Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. “Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God… (Deuteronomy 4.9, 10)

One of the most important words in Scripture is also one of the most skipped over. The word “remember” occurs in Hebrew and Greek over 250 times. “Remember” reveals

-- the immediacy and the intensity of God’s love for us;
-- the passionate exercise of His sovereign rule on our behalf;
-- the complete expression of His unconditional grace;
-- the attentiveness of His shepherding care and provision; and
-- the vindication of His justice over evil and sin.

“Remember” is also used to exhort and encourage God’s people

-- to recognize with reverence and awe His might, His rule, and His steadfast love;
-- to recall His saving work on our behalf;
-- to realize our obligation to obey His commands;
-- to reflect daily on the reality of God’s presence and our faithfulness to Him; and
-- to repent when our thoughts, words, and deeds tragically reflect that we have “forgotten” Him.

“Remember” clearly reveals God's desire to have a relationship with us that is personal, immediate, substantial, and faithful. This relationship is not theoretical, mystical, virtual, or mysterious. It is not a relationship for the “spiritually minded” among us who are especially prone to such encounters. Because God “remembers,” He contends for an authentic relationship with us so that the benefits of His presence may make a tangible impact on our daily lives. For our part, God expects us to live a life whose thoughts, words, and deeds indicate that we are joyfully and gratefully cognizant of this precious relationship we share. God expects our fidelity just as wives and husbands expect their beloved to live in a manner that actively honors and treasures the uniqueness of their marriage relationship. Herein lies a fundamental problem…

I regularly meet marketplace followers of Jesus who are
faithful in gathering for worship,
consistent in their private devotions and
generous in the giving of their time, talent, and treasure.

Yet they feel frustrated and disheartened by the compromises they perceive themselves to be making at work. Their painful confessions echo the words of Paul: “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Romans 7.15). Their discouragement is compounded when they recognize that God also intends their vocations to be the public and visible location of their witness and service to Him. The result is a series of spiritual defeats, ranging from the trivial to the significant, that smother their witness and chip away at

their identity as women and men of God
their awareness of God’s presence,
their recognition of God’s love and strength, and
their expectation that God desires to use them
to impact lives at work with the person and power of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps, you will find this observation helpful:

your vocations are not antithetical to your commitment to Jesus
so much as they are indifferent.

The reality for most of us is our Christian faith is acknowledged to the extent that it is not intrusive or intolerant. Very few of us labor in work environments that encourage, remind, and reward a steadfast commitment to Jesus that is expressed through our employment. Thus, you apply your strength, ingenuity, and creativity 50+ hours each week for decades towards something that you may erroneously perceive as fundamentally disconnected from what matters most to God. Amidst the maelstrom of daily urgencies, the absence of Christian fellowship, and the silence of biblical encouragement, it becomes easier to forget God at work rather than remember and press into Him.

Marketplace believers, you belong to Jesus Christ. Your vocation is the location for your Christian service and witness. The marketplace is where you follow, love, and serve. In the marketplace, you are called to exert a relational influence only you can exercise. You have a relational equity that no one else may have. If not you, who?!

In the marketplace, God wants you to:

-- expect God’s gracious visitation while at work;
-- see Kingdom purpose in the midst of your vocational responsibilities;
-- be confident in the Holy Spirit’s presence, fullness, and counsel regardless of circumstance;
-- utilize the rich resources of worship, prayer, and Scripture while at work; and
-- experience congruity in your relationship with Jesus as you move through your own spaces at work, neighborhood, and home.

I believe that God desires to manifest His redemptive presence in the marketplace through you. So let me urge you

            To live for Christ,
                     To be responsive to His presence and leadership in your midst,
                                 To be confident in the counsel of His Word, and
To be challenged by His clear clarion call,

“Come and follow Me into the marketplace and beyond.”