Friday, January 29, 2010

More To This Life

Last Wednesday’s Upper Room devotion was one that hit the bull’s-eye for me. To read it (again), click here: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/default.asp?month=1&day=27&year=2010&x=108&y=12
I too think far too many people misunderstand their faith in Christ to be nothing more than a guaranteed ticket to heaven. But in reality, our faith impacts our lives each and every day we walk here on this earth. The Bible contains too many phrases like “living the abundant life,” “receiving power,” or “overcoming this world” to relegate our relationship with Christ solely to a future benefit. God has every intention for us to experience the benefits of that relationship now, today! God will take care of our needs…God will guide our steps…God will go with us through the valleys: does this mean life will always be sunshine and roses? No, in fact Christ warned us that we (his followers) will have trouble, but it does mean that one thing is certain (contrary to the author’s statement that ultimately nothing is certain): my God is with me every step of this journey we call life. Think Christ is only your ticket to heaven? Try living today without God…that’s what I call hell on earth.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Two Out of Three IS Bad!

As I stated, I and several pastors from the area attended a Church Growth workshop last Tuesday in Indianapolis. It was a good meeting in spite of the weather and much less than ideal driving conditions. I would have to say I heard nothing earth shattering there…it was the basic, common sense what to do and what not to do stuff. However, one thing I heard, again, has been resonating with me since the meeting. I, or any leader for that matter, cannot take you where I have never been. Now, that sounds simplistic, but think of the ramifications of that statement. You will not grow spiritually if I am not growing spiritually. You will not worship if I do not worship…are you beginning to see the awesome responsibility of leaders? Certainly the pastor, but also worship leaders, musicians, teachers…all leaders! God has wired us in such a way that we cannot successfully tell someone how to worship God if we are not worshiping God ourselves! Oh, we can offer some spiel about what you should do, or suggest a book to read, but if I do not worship God, eventually that is going to show…not only in my life, but also in yours! That, my friends, is accountability to a higher degree! Reminds me of something I’ve said before (I think here) explaining why the Church seems to lack power and direction. Acts 6:3 gives us the basic qualifications for leaders in the church…aside from giftedness; "they are to be respected, wise, and filled with the Holy Spirit." Church leaders are not to have one or two of these qualities, but all three…anything less is a recipe for disaster.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Church Growth 101

I am preparing to get out of the office for a Church Growth workshop in Indianapolis tomorrow and wanted to share a pre-workshop observation…we’ll see if I change my story after the workshop. It doesn’t matter what programs the church tries, or what the leadership says, or what workshops one attends…if the people do not want the church to grow it will never happen. We certainly cannot do it on our own…in the Book of Acts we clearly see the power of God working thru the people to add to their numbers, so I know God has to be in it…but I also know that God wants to be in it! It’s the (church) people who can throw a wrench in the process. In Acts 2:47 a little phrase jumped out at me today: “Everyone liked them and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.” Do you suppose they liked them because the believers were merely friendly? I’ll bet it was because they loved them. I wonder what the outcome had been if no one had liked them? Do you suppose the Lord could still have added to their number? Once again, I see evidence supporting the fact that we must first surrender to God if we ever hope to accomplish His will. We must develop the same burden that Christ had for sinners if we expect to point them to Him. Oh, I know God can/will attract some people to Himself, regardless of what we do or don’t do…but how many more souls in our world would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior if we loved them as Christ loves them?

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Life v. Death

Yesterday I was able to visit the newest member of our ‘church family.’ Westin James Floyd was born on Thursday evening to Michael & Lindsay Floyd. Because I know some of you will want to know, he weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz, and was 21½ inches long. It is always a blessing to welcome a new child into the family, but I mention this birth because of the irony. As I drove to Evansville last night I was reminded it was 37 years ago Friday that the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade released Americans from any legal obligation to protect or preserve the life of a fetus. The debate has raged on since and continues today, and while I do not have sufficient space to begin to address the issue here, I found these statistics startling. This comes from the website of The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html), and these are statistics for abortions in the United States, not worldwide. “Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".” As my heart ached from these statistics and the future grief inflicted on these women, I realized just how significant Westin’s birth is...praise God, I'd call it a victory!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Here I Am Lord, Use ME!

Continuing my thoughts from the past few blogs…if the world sees us (the church) as nothing more than a powerless assembly, that is good people doing good things for God, we have failed miserably. The Lion’s Club is good people doing good things…the Rotarians are good people doing good things…4-H is good people doing good things…at times each of these good organizations might even invoke the name of God in their good works! Is that what the church is to be? I don’t think so. Jesus promised us power, God delivered the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and the Church was born…not as a powerless assembly struggling to survive in a worried world, but as an army, well equipped to battle against the principalities and powers of dark. At that moment (Pentecost) we were given the authority and credibility to boldly act in Jesus’ name to make disciples and expand the Kingdom…before Pentecost that was Jesus’ job. We, like Peter, should shout, “Look at us!” (Acts 3:4) As we do, the world should see in us the Holy Spirit flexing its muscle. There should not be a spirit of fear or anxiety; rather our eyes should be fixed on the prize as we boldly proclaim the name of Jesus. If we do, it leads us back to Acts 3:10 where we find everyone “absolutely astounded!” Are you worried yet? Don’t be, unless you are trying to act in your strength instead of the power of the Spirit. You can’t do it…doesn’t matter how big or small your church is…how good a person you are or how good your works are. We can only become the Church when God is in us because only the Spirit can do God-sized things thru us (Philippians 4:13). My prayer is that God would find us usable for the transformation of the world into the Kingdom.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Powerful vs. Powerless

Please allow me to continue thinking out loud. As to why we (the church) should absolutely astound everyone (Acts 3:10)…it seems to me that too often, when it comes to serving God, we tend to attempt only what we like and think we are good at (that is called being comfortable). Now while God certainly uses those things we are proficient at and enjoy doing, God demands much more from us than simply serving from our strengths. That is much too comfortable a place for God to leave us…although He often starts there. If we serve only from our strengths we do not need, nor will we ever rely upon the Holy Spirit. At best, if that is how we operate, the world will look at the church and see good people doing some good things for God (the powerless assembly), but they will never see the power of God working through His people to accomplish what only God can do. Think about it a moment, if we are to serve only according to our talents, why did Jesus send us the Holy Spirit? Why did Jesus tell the disciples to wait until the Spirit had come upon them? I believe it was because our best is not nearly good enough when it comes to Kingdom work. My prayer is that God would do such great things at Beulah UMC that no one with an inkling of common sense could give me or you the credit…they would immediately see it is God at work! That's the kind of church I want to be a part of...what about you?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

An Adventure with God

I am posting on Sunday night, which I normally do not do, because at 6:45a I am some other adults are taking 11 youth on a ski trip to Paoli Peaks…how much fun does that sound like? Anyway, referring back to my blog of January 13…because of ongoing conversations, let me expound just a bit. In John 14:12 Jesus tells us, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” When we allow Jesus Christ to function as the Lord of our lives (remember the surrender word?) the Spirit is free to actively work within us and we will do great things in the Spirit's power. Some have commented about the Holy Spirit and its seeming absence in lives…let me just say this: if you don’t know the Holy Spirit of God, you do not know God. You may know of God, but it is impossible to know God and not know the power of His Holy Spirit. Too many people want to know of God and keep their status/comforts in this world. However, like so many things, talk is cheap and God can spot a cheap-talker a mile away, even if no one else can. But here’s the good news, once you surrender to Christ (yes, fully surrender) and the Spirit begins to work in and thru you, the difference will be obvious. Life will no longer consist of doing good things for God…instead life is an adventure of walking with God. Eternal life is not something you look forward to after you die; it is a living relationship with God that begins at surrender and extends into eternity. It is then, and only then, a powerless assembly can become the church God intended us to be.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Hope/Help In Times of Trouble

This has been a stressful week for many in our area. On Monday we said good-bye to a member of Beulah UMC who died unexpectedly last week. Early Tuesday morning we learned of a tragic house fire which claimed the life of a Lawrence County woman and three of her nine children. Then late Tuesday evening the horrific reports and images from Haiti began filling the newscasts. Now we continue to sit helplessly as we watch relief workers trying to help alleviate the suffering of the living. Our week concludes with the visitation and funerals of the four members of the family killed on Monday night. Someone who isn’t in relationship with Jesus Christ might have a hard time explaining the events of the week…actually I have a hard time explaining these events! But what I can do is see hope. During this time of pain and suffering, let us claim and take comfort in the promise of Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in time of trouble." The key to understanding that verse, I think, is that God is always ready to help, but we must ask for help. God will not force us to be helped; still we have access to the Power that created the heavens and the earth. What greater hope is there than that?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fueling Our Unbelief!

Another reason the church is failing to astound people (see yesterday’s blog) is that we have learned manipulation from satan. Because the Holy Spirit is called our Helper or Comforter, many Christians assume the Spirit’s role is to be our servant and help us enjoy abundant life. But Jesus sent the Spirit, not for us, but for Him…to carry out His rule and authority in our lives. Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing the Spirit states, “Too often, we fall into a self-centered approach to our walk with God that emphasizes what we get out of it, what we can experience if we’re filled with the Spirit.” Sounds great, but the simple truth is that until we unselfishly allow the Spirit to live in us and Christ to live through us, we will not experience the promised power. It is available, to each of us, but not until we surrender to God’s will and set our wants and agendas aside. I actually think this fuels our unbelief. Because we lack the power that Jesus speaks of…the power he promised…we come to the point where we do not take any of Jesus’ words seriously. After all, if it were true, wouldn’t I experience it? Remember The Purpose Driven Life? Rick Warren could have stopped after page one when he made the point, “It’s not about you, it’s about God.” That really says it all. Here’s my challenge: I believe today’s church can again astound everyone, but we’ve got to reclaim that first love. Let’s stop staring at the sky, arguing about his return, and allow His presence to permeate our lives today.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Powerless Assembly (please don't call it Church!)

I apologize for not posting for a few days…been really, really busy and on vacation! Francis Chan says in his DVD lessons from Forgotten God that the first century church was unstoppable…I totally agree. He goes on to say that the problem with today’s church is that it is very stoppable. Unfortunately, I again concur, but I want to know why is that? The early church faced severe persecution and still shook the gates of hell. This resulted in all people being “absolutely astounded” (Acts 3:10). When is the last time your church “absolutely astounded” someone…anyone? I am going to guess that very few of you answered last week, or even last year! I think one main reason (yes, there are a few) is that very few people believe Jesus’ words in Scripture (or other parts for that matter!). Too many in the church today would rather argue the inerrancy of the text without really believing it...or explain it away so that it fits comfortably into our secular society. I am speaking of believing what it says…no more, no less. In John 14:12 Jesus tells his followers, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” Do you believe that? There seems to be a tremendous disconnect between reading those words on the page and believing those words in our hearts. Could it be Peter, John, Paul & others were simply so stupid they didn’t realize they really couldn’t perform miracles, or has the 21st Century Church drifted so far from the church Jesus wants us to be that we may not be able to return?

Friday, January 8, 2010

God's Gets Us Thru the Storms

As I prepare for this coming Sunday’s sermon which is titled “Weathering Storms,” I find our church, and more specifically a family in our church, is in the midst of a storm. Last Wednesday, Jerry Totten went home to meet his Savior, and while we are grieving, this is actually cause for celebration. Now, if you know me well yet, you will find out that I believe the end of a Christian’s life is always cause for celebration, regardless of how it ended…it’s a promotion. This is especially true for Jerry, because it was the 22nd of last November that he was baptized and made a profession of faith. I praise God that others had planted seeds, presumably all of his life, and that those seeds sprouted and grew before he met his Savior. You can wonder why God does certain things, or why God’s timing is so different than ours, but know this: God loved us so much that he sent his only Son as a sacrifice for our sins…and that love persists today because he continues to love us so much that he offers us multiple opportunities to accept his grace and mercy. When you or I might turn our backs on someone, God still loves them and reaches out to them…again.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Home, But Not Alone!

Why is it every Thursday morning…did I say every…every Thursday morning I must drag the girls out of bed to get ready for school at 7:00a and they act so tired one would think they haven’t slept for days. But today, since they did not have school I decided to let them sleep in, so at 6:50a Anna wakes up and when she hears on the radio that school is cancelled, she becomes all bright-eyed and ready to go outside and play! It’s not bad enough that Jill is in Mt. Vernon, now I am working from home with two girls who have so much energy that they cannot be contained! Who says God has no sense of humor? Actually, I guess Beulah must take responsibility for the weather. I am thinking of moving our month of prayer and fasting to July next year so that when we “pray up a storm” at least it will be rain instead of snow! I suspect this will not be a tremendously productive day for anyone, so in the meantime, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation…we watched three deer this morning meandering across the snowy field in front of the house…and stay warm. Gotta go, sounds like someone is mounting a rebellion in the living room!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Serving

My schedule permitted me to help at the Sign of the Kingdom in Sumner this morning; an activity I hope to make a part of my week. For those who don’t know, this is the local food pantry. It was a slow morning (I guess others do not like cold either), but nevertheless I did meet some new friends and we served some in need. As with my experience at the Lifeline, the local food pantry in Sesser, working at such an agency will expose one to those folks I believe Matthew spoke of in chapter 25 when he wrote of “the least, the last, and the lost.” And while that is an account that compels us to serve, I am also reminded of James words when he told us that “faith without works is dead.” The Contemporary English Version interprets James 2:17 as, “Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!” We are not called to be a part of a monastic community, all alone cloistered behind the great walls of a monastery, seeking to know God as ordinary people cannot. We are called to draw closer to God by serving the needs of others. John Wesley built upon this notion of seeking God and serving others with his Works of Piety and Works of Mercy. We are to enter into an intimate relationship with God, and that is a process that takes time. But Bible study or prayer time alone will not produce a balanced disciple…in order to become as much like our Savior as we can, we must also serve others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Is Anyone Else Cold?

Well, I’ve just about had it! I am cold. Has anyone else noticed it is cold? I do not like the cold. Nothing works well during the cold…least of which is me! Now, for that person who wants to call me and say that God created cold and they love the cold…save your time. Cold is the absence of heat. God created heat…and I like heat. God did not create cold, just like God did not create evil…which is the absence of good. But cold, if I didn’t know better, cold is of satan. If I sound a bit cranky this morning, I apologize…but I do not like cold, and outside it is very cold! The only thing that gets me through these days is one of my favorite verses from Philippians 4:13…let me paraphrase it for you, “I can do everything through him who gives me heat.” Yeah, I know I’ve taken liberty with the text, but we should be turning to Scripture to get us through the trials we face. Cold is insignificant to cancer, heart disease, or an accident, but if Scripture can get me through this cold snap (and I am feeling warmer already), know that the Lord of the universe can use it to lead us through any valley, regardless of how deep it is. He never said we wouldn’t face cold...er, trouble, but he did promise to help us through it.

Monday, January 4, 2010

One Nation Under God

I recently received this clip (thanks JW!) on Jon McNaughton’s painting, “One Nation Under God.” Take a couple of moments and watch the video. It helped me realize that regardless of where we seem to be headed as a nation; our beginnings were rooted in a reliance and faith in the Almighty. I too would contend that the Declaration of Independence is an inspired document that continues to hold truth and guidance for all of mankind today. We have been abundantly blessed by God; as we here at Beulah pray for revival throughout the month of January, let’s also pray for the restoration of our nation’s recognition of God, the source of our blessings.