We Made it to Guatemala

 

Family and Friends, 

We made it to Guatemala! We've had a little bit of an adventure, but all is well. 

We had a 45 minute delay in Knoxville that got us a little behind. They had a mechanical issue with the plane; they couldn't get the tow bar to release from the plane (the pilot actually said on the intercom, "I don't if it is a mechanical issue or the mechanic" lol.) The delay caused us to cut it close getting on our connecting flight in Dallas. We made it, but unfortunately our luggage didn't. All we had last night were our carry-ons. Our luggage is supposed to be delivered to the mission house this afternoon. 

The flights were smooth and our first time flyers did amazing. We arrived in Guatemala around 11:15pm Guatemala time, which was 2am our time. The mission house wasn't ready for us, so the ministry made arrangements to put us up in a very nice hotel in Guatemala City, the Barcelo Guatemala (check out the link). We finally made it to our rooms about 1am Guatemala time (3am our time). We were all pretty exhausted, but everyone seems to be doing well this morning. We've had breakfast at the dining hall, and it was a wonderful buffet of Guatemalan breakfast foods. 

Our original plan was to go to Antigua today for a little exploring. We aren't sure if that is going to happen, since we may need to be at the mission house to receive our luggage, but we will see. Our team has handled the challenges with incredible grace and flexibility. Lydia said last night that this is "calmest" mission team we've ever had, lol. 

Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to Antigua for church, and then a little shopping before we really begin work on Monday. 

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are excited to see what great things the Lord does this week. 

Ehud - An Unlikely Hero

 

Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them... 

Judges 3:15 CSB

In my Old Testament class I recently taught through the Book of Judges. Samson is probably the most famous judge of Israel, but I love the story of Ehud. He's known for being "left-handed." The original wording of this description literally means that his right hand doesn't work. Scholars believe that perhaps Ehud's right hand was injured or he had some kind of defect or handicap of his right hand. In the culture of the Ancient Near East, the right hand was the hand of power and authority, so a person with an injured or handicapped right hand wouldn't be considered much of a threat. But God chose Ehud to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Moabites and their great king, Eglon. You can read the full story in Judges 3:12-30 HERE. It's a really cool story. 

Also this week, I received an email devotion from Carson Newman that happened to be about the story of Ehud. I loved what the writer of the devotion said: 

Once we see how the story of Ehud points to Jesus Christ, we can see our part to play in the story. God uses unlikely people to bring about His plan. God delights to use the weak things of the world to shame the strong; the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. We are strongest and wisest when we think we are fools and weak and look to God. When we do, God can use us for His glory. It doesn’t matter how young you may be.

Joan of Arc led armies at 17. Pascal invented a type of calculator at 19. Madison led the Continental Congress at 29. It also doesn’t matter how old we are. Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings at 62. Webster finished his first dictionary at 66. John Glenn went to space at 77. God gets glory because He uses farmers, fishermen, former terrorists, former prostitutes, and carpenters to turn the world upside down. He can do the same with us!

How true this is; God uses the most unlikely people to accomplish remarkable things for His glory. The same God who raised up Ehud, the left-handed Benjamite, wants to use you for His glory as well!

March Madness

David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword. 

1 Samuel 17:50

If you are a sports fan, this is a wonderful time of the year! The NCAA College Basketball tournament began this week. Over the next few weeks, Sixty-Eight teams will compete for the National Championship. The tournament is also called "March Madness" because there are always a few upsets during the tournament. (Already today #15 Princeton defeated #2 Arizona and #13 Furman upset #4 Virginia!) Upsets are generally exciting games as the underdog rises up to defeat the favored team. 

I love a good underdog story, like David and Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17). Goliath is described as a 9-foot Philistine giant, who had been a warrior from his youth up. He had training, experience, weaponery and a lot of confidence. David was a young teenager, sent to the front lines to check on his brothers who were serving in the Israeli army. He had never been in battle before - the closest thing to a fight for David had been run-ins with wild animals protecting his father's flocks. 

David arrived as Goliath challenged the Israelites to a battle of "Representative Warfare" - he wanted them to send their best warrior to fight him, and whoever won would win not only for himself, but his army and nation also. David was shocked as he watched the Israeli army run and hide when Goliath came out. Not one of the soldiers was willing to go to battle the giant. David got mad, and then he volunteered to go fight Goliath. 

David was the complete opposite of Goliath. He was young, inexperienced and ill-equipped. His only weapons were his shepherd's staff, a sling and five smooth stones... but you know how the story goes - David knocks Goliath down with a well-placed rock and then cuts off his head with Goliath's own sword. The Israeli army rushed the valley and defeated the favored Philistines. March Madness at it's best!

March Madness is also a great lead up to the ultimate David and Goliath story - Easter. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus took on the greatest enemy of human beings, death... and He won! On Easter, we celebrate the defeat of death. And when Jesus defeated death, He also won the victory for all who would believe in Him. Paul wrote to Timothy: "For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News." (1 Timothy 1:9-10)

As you're enjoying March Madness, take some time to prepare your heart to celebrate the greatest upset in the history of the world - victory over death. Praise the Lord!

Revival at Asbury University

 

LORD, I have heard the report about you; LORD, I stand in awe of your deeds. Revive your work in these years; make it known in these years. In your wrath remember mercy! Habakkuk 3:2 csb

Many of you may have heard or read about something that is happening on the campus of Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. On Wednesday, February 8 after a school chapel service, a group of students requested the opportunity to stay in the chapel sanctuary to worship and pray. Permission was granted and in a short time, more students began to gather and worship and praise the Lord. Soon the chapel was filled with students praying, crying out to God, confessing sin and professing their faith in God. Worship has continued around the clock since then and people from all over the nation are gathering to be a part of what God is doing there. There are also reports of similiar stirrings of revival on other college campuses including Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH, and Lee University in Cleveland,TN. 

While we should always be discerning when hearing of such stirrings, we should also be praying for the fires of revival to grow and spread across our land. 

Bill Elliff is a retired Southern Baptist pastor and a student and historian of revivalism. He is currently at Asbury and shares these reflections from what he has experienced: 

Reflections From Asbury - Part 2
By: Bill Elliff

The quiet, precious movement of God continues in Wilmore, Kentucky, on the campus of Asbury University. This is not the first time an extended movement has occurred here. Similar movements happened in the 30s when a prayer meeting led by E. Stanly Jones lasted for many days. In the ’50s, two other activities occurred, and in 1970, a chapel service extended for seven days and nights. God used it as a catalyst to the nationwide revival called the Jesus Movement.

I’ve had the privilege of sitting in Hughes Auditorium, where this is happening, for the last two days, watching and experiencing this extraordinary movement. Only for the purposes of explanation (and no other reason), I would mention that I have been a pastor for 54 years serving in the Baptist stream. Revival touched down on our small Arkansas school in 1970 (Ouachita Baptist University). My wife and I witnessed firsthand the manifest presence of God as a noonday chapel went throughout the day, canceling classes and changing lives. We’ve never been the same.

I’ve been a student of God’s revival movements across history for fifty years. I traveled for several years to churches, helping them pursue God in revival. I was a founding member of the OneCry initiative that seeks to help pastors and churches pursue God for revival and spiritual awakening. I have spoken and written a great deal about this theme, for it is the desperate need of our day. Our deteriorating culture illustrates that it is time for a needed movement from Heaven. Samuel Davies of the First Great Awakening said, “There are eras when only a large outpouring of the Spirit can produce a public general reformation.”

We have seen seasons of His movement in the church I helped plant 25 years ago. One particular season happened in 2011 after six months of fasting and praying by the congregation. One Sunday morning, the Lord interrupted our normal schedule with an unusual outpouring of His Spirit which lasted through the afternoon. That continued—every night except Saturdays—for three to four hours each evening for the next five weeks. It was not weird, nor wildly uncomfortable, but the quiet movement of the Spirit, filled with prayer, repentance, salvation, and spontaneous baptisms by new believers. Many came to faith in Christ.

I mention these things for one reason alone (please understand). It is certainly not to boast but to explain who is writing this article to help those who would criticize this movement from a distance.

THE QUIET ORDER OF ASBURY
Last night, I saw some self-appointed critics of the Asbury movement on social media. Of course, they had not been to Hughes Auditorium, they just “heard” that this and that was happening. When I read their second and third-hand reports, I was shocked, but not surprised. God always has his critics.
What is happening at Asbury (as I witnessed first-hand) has some beautiful, biblical components. This is what I’ve observed.

VIBRANT, POWERFUL WORSHIP.
Worship is being led by various student teams. Some are more proficient than others, but all are humble. We do not know their names. There are no fog machines nor lights—just piano and guitar by unnamed students worshiping God. We are singing songs that would be familiar to most of us, often just acapella, with no instruments. Contemporary songs are sung, often interspersed by the hymns of the church. There are no words on the screen, and they do not seem to be needed.

INTENSE AND INTENTIONAL HUMILITY
The wise pastors on Asbury’s staff who are gently shepherding this movement keep reminding us that there are no superstars and that no one is to be exalted except Jesus. They have encouraged us to get lower and lower and lower under Him, exalting Him higher and higher. I have personally watched them stop a person or two who may have tried to hijack the meeting. They realize that God’s manifest presence is precious and desperately needed. They want no one or no thing to quench or grieve His Spirit.

LIFE-CHANGING TESTIMONIES
The leaders, at times, will open the microphones for a season of testimonies of what God has done. They instruct the crowd to observe these ABC’s:

• All glory to God alone
• Brief
• Current

They stand with microphone in hand and wisely shepherd these moments. They will close the lines when they sense it’s time to move forward.
Often during these testimonies, when they sense God repeating a theme, they have paused and called for those with the same issues to stand, and for people to gather around them and pray.

GUIDED PRAYER
At various times, they have led us into corporate prayer. Instructions are given, and then we’ve turned in small groups and cried out to God.
At the altar, they have a continuous team of prayer counselors, identified by lanyards around their necks, who are helping those in need and praying with them. They have gently invited the people to come to these trained counselors for prayer.

UNASHAMED WITNESS
Everywhere, people are sharing with others in need outside the auditorium. God is opening people’s lips and giving them the Acts 4 courage to “speak the word of God with boldness.” The result is what you would expect—the gospel is spreading rapidly, and many are coming to faith in Christ.

SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, AND EVEN PHYSICAL HEALING
Many are giving testimony of how God is instantly releasing them from years of bondage to addictions. Release from past hurts, bitterness, fear, is happening quickly for the humble ones who admit their need and cry to the Savior. Some are testifying of physical healings, just as occurred in the Book of Acts, but this is not at all the dominant theme of the meetings. The theme is Jesus—exalting Him, surrendering to Him, and testifying of Him to others.

PREACHING
One prognosticator on social media proclaimed that this was not of God because there was no preaching. I smiled, because there have been moments of preaching throughout and a “regular” sermon every single night, delivered humbly by godly pastors.

WISE LEADERSHIP
I cannot say enough about this. I have been in many moments of intense revival. I have led in a number of these moments. I stood at a microphone for five weeks, shepherding a movement of God for 3-4 hours a night.

    I’m overwhelmed by the wise, quiet, strong, loving leadership of those in charge. It is not dominating and not restrictive. They are discerning God’s movement and cooperating. They are giving instruction and direction when needed.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE WAYS OF GOD
The Jesus movement was characterized by vibrant, simple worship and constant witness to the gospel. I was there. The church, by and large, reacted to the “hippies” who were being saved and the more current expressions of worship. Many churches ridiculed this and quenched the Spirit, unwilling to accept new wineskins. Most of these churches have plateaued and died. The churches that humbly opened the door to lost people and wisely shepherded God’s activity, exploded. Calvary Chapel, a small California church, kept responding to God and, in the Jesus movements wake, have started 1400 churches.

    Two things characterized the 1857 revival: First, fervent noon-day prayer meetings that grew from six people (with Jeremiah Lanphier) to 50,000 people every day in New York City alone and, secondly, unashamed testimony and witnessing. There were simple “rules” that they used to guide the prayer meetings. They lasted from 12-1 each day. It spread across the country. Prayer requests came from around the world. I’ve read many of those actual requests—most are for the salvation of a loved one. In revival, our hearts return to beat with the heart of God whose great desire is for people of every tongue, tribe, and nation to come to Him.

    When the church begins to pray, that IS revival, for we are usually prayerless. When that reviving turns to fervent, unashamed witnessing and the rapid acceleration of the gospel, we term that “spiritual awakening,” for that is exactly what God is doing among the lost.

GIVING GOD TIME AND WAITING
The revival here is not hurried or rushed. There are long periods of stillness and waiting. If you want to rush in, get a big dose of God and rush out, don’t come. God works on His timetable. We give God little time and almost no silence. What is happening here is occurring because thirsty people are waiting before God. In time, He speaks to one, then another, bringing them back to intimacy with Him. I’ve always thought that we don’t experience God because we put Him on our timetable. Waiting is a lost art, and it is turning our full attention to Him until He makes Himself known that we need.

SPREADING
As of the fifth day of the movement, 22 colleges have sent groups of students here, hoping to see the same outbreak on their campuses. It would not surprise me if that was how this exploded nationwide, for students are most tender and willing. It is also no coincidence that a very carefully-made movie about the Jesus Revolution is coming out by our friend, Jon Erwin, February 22nd and that the Collegiate National Day of Prayer broadcast has been scheduled for over a year to be broadcast from Asbury on February 23rd. We should pray that these will further accelerate God’s work.

OVERWHELMING LOVE
One of the leaders spoke to us last night about the beginning of the revival when a pastor spoke of hypocritical, self-seeking love. He remarked that what these days have done has reversed that. Asbury has become a sanctuary of the love of God. That is the essence of God (He IS love) and has been the hallmark of every moment when He is placed again on His rightful throne in our hearts, homes, and churches. “Heaven a World of Love” was preached by Jonathan Edwards. And revival is heaven coming down.

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?
I talked with a friend who reminded me of this beautiful truth from a missionary involved in the great revival in Shantung, China, in the late 20s.
    "We heard of the revival in Korea, which began in 1907. It was a mighty movement and had been born through a prayer-revival among missionaries. Oh, to be able to go there and bring back some glowing coals to our own field! But the journey was long and expensive and I had not the money. As I prayed for money and looked for an answer, a definite word was sent instead: “What you want through that journey you may be given here, where you are, in answer to prayer.” The words were a tremendous challenge. I gave my solemn promise: ‘Then I will pray until I receive. Having pledged myself ... the first conscious thought was: Then prayer means as much as that, and that my promise should be kept means as much as that.’ That experience helped me to endure through the almost twenty years which were to pass before the first small beginnings of revival were visible. Truly, God works unhurriedly." (Marie Monsen, missionary nurse to north China, describing how she came to pray for the revival that burned there from 1927-1932)
    You don’t have to come to Kentucky to experience revival and awakening. “The kingdom of God is here,” Jesus said, and He has gladly chosen to give us the Kingdom.

AND FINALLY …
Coming out of Hughes auditorium, with its love and grace and humility, and reading the words of some critics on social media was revealing. The pride of their words was apparent when seen against the backdrop of the presence of God. The spirit of such judgments came through the page and was glaring in its self-righteousness. It's wise to examine things carefully, but foolish to make swift judgments without close examination and real knowledge.
    If you are tempted to criticize this movement flippantly, it might be wise to heed the counsel of Gamaliel when his religious colleagues criticized the early disciples.

“So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Oh Lord, revive Your work in our lives, our churches, and our world today!

Between a Rock and the Red Sea

But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.” Exodus 14:13‭-‬14 CSB 

 I've been reading the Reading God's Story: One-Year Chronological Plan this year and I'm in the book of Exodus.  Moses and the Israelites have fled Egypt. They went south and now the Egyptian Army has closed in on them and the Red Sea. The people have complained to Moses, fearing they will be killed by Pharaoh's army. Moses assures the people that God is with them and they will see the Lord deliver them. Three things he tells them to do: don't be afraid, stand firm, and be quiet. He promises the Lord will fight for them.

The people have done what Moses told and led them to do, but now they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Being obedient to the Lord and following Him often leads to difficult places. And often, as we grumble and complain, we also try to figure out how to get out of the mess (let's go back to Egypt where we came from). Our scripture provides a great prescription for what to do when we find ourselves trapped between the Egyptians and the Red Sea.

1. Don't be afraid - This is less about controlling your emotions and more about trusting God. Fear and faith do not fit well together. To not be afraid is to completely trust the Lord in whatever situation you are in. In Mark 5 the daughter of a synagogue ruler (Jairus) had died before Jesus could get to her. When Jesus overhead the men telling Jairus that it was too late Jesus said: When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” (Mark 5:36 CSB) Don't be afraid means "only believe." Have faith, not fear. 

2. Stand firm - This is about not only controlling your emotions but controlling your actions. Don't try to get yourself out of the mess, stand firm until the Lord tells you what to do. Eventually the people would have to act; they would have to cross the sea between walls of water, but the water hadn't parted yet. Often we have to wait for God to move before we move.

3. Be quiet - Stop complaining and don't try to tell God what to do. It's ok to pray and seek the Lord, He wants us to do that. A big part of the reason He leads us to these situations is so that we will run to Him. But complaining and praying aren't the same thing. Plus, when we are complaining, we aren't listening. We have to "be quiet" and watch to see what the Lord will do.

What happened next is considered one of the greatest miracles in the Bible. God didn't remove the Red Sea, but He made a way through it. That's how God works - He brings us to seemingly impossible situations and tells us, don't fear, just believe; stand firm in your faith, be quiet and watch Him work what only He can do. What is your rock and Red Sea place? God will see you through!

Making A "Christian" Salad

 

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—  he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— and since we have a great high priest over the house of God... Hebrews 10:19-21 CSB

We had a wonderful worship service at Grace Point this morning. The music was spot-on and one of our Elders, Jeremy Smith, preached a great message from Hebrews 10. He titled the message. "Jesus is Greater! Let's Eat Salad!" That's a great title, and it was a wonderful message. If you'd like to listen to it, CLICK HERE for the audio, or you can watch the full service on our church's Facebook page here

Jeremy noted that the title was based on the overall theme of Hebrews (Jesus is Greater!) and the use of the words, "Let us ..." ("lettuce", get it 😃) used three times in vs 22-24. I had never paid attention to that repetition before, so I've spent some time pondering those verses today and the three "let us" verses seem to walk through the progression of the Christian life. 

1. Salvation (v.22)

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 

Jeremy covered this verse very well in the sermon this morning. The writer of Hebrews draws on the imagery of the Jewish High Priest going into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of a lamb on the Ark of the Covenant to make atonement for the sins of the people. Jesus, our High Priest, has "sprinkled: his own blood on our hearts, making atonement for our sins and securing our salvation. We draw near to God through our faith in Him. Our salvation is the work of Christ, through His sacrifice on the cross, and through our faith in Him. 

2. Sanctification (v.23)

Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

Salvation is not the end goal, but rather the beginning of the Christian life. Once we are saved, God begins to do a work in our lives to transform us into the image of His Son Jesus (Rom 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Col 3:10). Author Jerry Bridges says, “Christlikeness is God’s goal for all who trust in Christ, and that should be our goal also.” (The Discipline of Grace) We cooperate in this process when we "hold on to the confession" of our faith in Jesus Christ. The writer also reminds us that God is faithful, He will complete the process of sanctification that began when we were saved. 

3. Service (v.24-25)

And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

The last ingredient of the Christian salad is service/ministry to others. We move from being saved to serving others. The writer tells us that we are to "consider one another;" we should think about others and how we can positively impact their lives. One of the important ways we serve others is through exhortation or encouragement. The writer of Hebrews uses the term "to provoke" which literally means "to stir up" or "to stimulate." We are to stimulate others to grow in love and do good works. And, as Jeremy pointed out in the sermon, we do that more effectively when we are gathering together as the body of Christ. The writer encourages us not to forsake joining in with the gathering of the saints, because we need each other. 

To me, those verses represent the progression of the Christian life: everything begins with our salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But the faith alone that saves, does not remain alone, we progress in the Christian life through cooperating with God's transformation progress. Which in turn leads us being like Jesus and serving others. 

Where are you on this ingredient list? Are you at the first "let us", needing to draw near to God for salvation? Have you been saved, but need to progress in the sanctification process? Or maybe you are reaching the point of looking for opportunities to serve others. I'm happy to help at any stage ... feel free to reach out! Remember, Jesus is Greater! Let's eat some salad!

ENCOURAGER: Everyone Needs One, and Everyone Can Be One

 

"Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have each of them the dew of heaven, which, being shaken with the wind, they let fall at each other's roots, whereby they are jointly nourished, and become nourishers of each other." - John Bunyan

Author Robert Fulghum (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten) attended a lecture of Dr. Alexander Papaderos, a Greek philosopher and the founder of the Orthodox Academy of Crete. At the end of a lecture, Dr. Papaderos asked, “Are there any questions?” “Yes,” Fulghum said. Then he asked, “What is the meaning of life?” People generally laugh at such a question and gather their notes, prepared to leave as the speaker smiles and shrugs off the question. But this day, to his surprise, Fulghum got a serious answer. 

As the attendees whispered and chuckled and prepared to leave, but Dr. Papaderos held up his hand. “I will answer your question,” he said. He drew from his pocket a small round mirror, about the size of a quarter. As he was growing up during the war, his family was very poor, and he had few toys. One day he found the broken pieces of a mirror, left over from the wreck of a German motorcycle. He tried in vain to piece the bits together, but finally ended up discarding all but the largest piece.

“This one,” he said, holding it higher. “And by scratching it on a stone I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine—in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

“I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do in my life.…

“With what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world—into the black places in the hearts of men—and change some things in some people.” (From: "It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It," by Robert Fulghum)

What a wonderful illustration to answer the question, "What is the meaning of life?" The purpose of our lives is to reflect the light of God’s love into the lives of those around us – and by doing so- make a difference. It is amazing what God can do with little things like a broken mirror, a card of encouragement, a text, phone call or kind word. 

It is amazing what God can do with a little thing like encouragement. The dictionary defines encouragement as “the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, renewed spirit, or renewed hope.” In the NT the word most often translated as “encouragement” is parakalein. This term comes from two Greek words: para meaning “alongside of,” and kaleo, meaning “to call.” When people come alongside us during difficult times to give us renewed courage, a renewed spirit – that’s encouragement. Everyone needs a little encouragement – someone to come alongside and hold them up for a while, to help them move on. 

Thoughts to ponder" 

1. Who encouraged or encourages you? 

2. Who are you encouraging? 

Let your light shine into the lives of others on this journey with us. 

Who You Are > What You Do

 

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

The Apostle Peter is writing to followers of Jesus that are scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Among other things, he is instructing them in the ways of God for spiritual growth, and reminding them of an all-important truth, God is more interested in who you are, than in what you do. Notice the chain of growth Peter outlines, with each characteristic linking to another: 1) Faith in Christ - everything begins (and ends) with faith in Jesus. 2) Moral excellence - surrendering your best to God. 3) Knowledge (ginosko) - functional or experiential knowledge, i.e. wisdom. 4) Self-control - self-mastery or dominion over yourself. 5) Patient endurance -  steadfastness, patience in active waiting. 6) Godliness - devotion, piety, reverence. 7) Brotherly affection (philadelphia) - affection for those in the body of Christ. 8) Love for everyone (agape) - unconditional love, the highest form of love. 

Each of these character qualities overlap and generally develop simultaneously. And Peter says that we are to "make every effort" or be diligent to grow in these areas. 

Pastor Francis Chan introduces his message on 2 Peter 1:5-11 with this probing question (one that is applicable to every follower of Christ)... AT WHAT DO YOU WORK HARDEST?

"Peter writes in his letter that we should make every effort to cultivate Christ-like character qualities. Most of us have goals that revolve around what we want to accomplish rather than who we are, but God wants us to develop character. When we focus on being the person God wants us to be, then we will accomplish what He wants us to accomplish." *

Remember: Who you are is always more important than what you accomplish or accumulate. 

What if you said "Yes"?

 What if you said "Yes" to God? 

In Mark 10 there is remarkable story of a wealthy young man who comes to Jesus and asks what he needs to do to gain eternal life. Jesus’ initial response is to keep the Law. The young man reveals that this is something that he has done since he was a child. He obviously realizes that keeping the law isn’t enough, and so Jesus answers him and says, “One thing you lack; sell everything you have, give to the poor and come follow Me.” The young man went away sad because he had many possessions. 

I’ve often wondered what that man’s life would have been like had he said “Yes” to Jesus. He had great possessions, great power and probably great respect in his community; he probably had a lot going for him. But what if he had been willing to sell everything and then follow Christ. What would God have done in this young man’s life if he had said “yes” to Jesus? Perhaps God would have had even greater things in store for this young man ... eternally greater things. 

I think the kind of opportunity this man had is present everyday in our world. I believe Jesus is still calling people to follow Him, and a few are saying yes to Him, but many are going away sad because they have so much invested in this world. Their lives are so filled with temporal stuff, there is no room for God to move in their lives. 

I read the story of Lillian Trasher, who said yes to Jesus when she was only 8 years old. In doing so, Lillian also prayed, “Lord, if there is ever anything you want me to do for you, You just let me know and I will do it.” 

When she was in her late teens God called her to work in an orphanage in North Carolina, so she moved away from family and began a life there. She met and fell in love with a young pastor named Tom Jordan. They planned to get married, but during their engagement Lillian heard a missionary from India speak and she felt a strong call to the mission field. Tom didn’t have that same call, and 10 days before their wedding, Lillian broke off their engagement. Lillian began to seek the Lord for where He would have her serve on the mission field. 

She felt the Lord calling her to Egypt and in 1910, she and her sister arrived in Egypt with only $100 between them. They weren’t sure what kind of ministry the Lord was calling them to, but only a few days after they arrived, a dying woman they had just met gave Lillian her baby. The baby’s grandmother wasn’t able to care for it, and there was no one else. Within a year Lillian and her sister started the Lillian Trasher Orphanage. By 1923 Lillian was caring not only for orphan children but widows and disabled adults as well. There were nearly 300 people under her care. 

Lillian would spend the rest of her life caring for the needy of Egypt. When she died in 1961, Mama Lillian was caring for more than 1200 people. She is buried on the grounds of the orphanage that is still in operation today, 61 years after her death. That’s the kind of thing that happens when people say yes to Jesus, and they make room for him to work in their lives. Ordinary people serving an extraordinary God.

    1900 years before Lillian Trasher said "yes" to God, another young girl said "yes" to Him. An angel appeared to Mary of Nazareth to tell her that she had been chosen to the human vessel through whom the Messiah, God's only Son would come into this world. Though she had some concerns, Mary's response is beautiful: Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 NLT  The world has never been the same since. How different will the world be when you say "YES" to God!

It Is Never To Late to Start Growing

 I have always loved this time of year - between Thanksgiving and New Years. For me this is a time for reflecting over the past 11 months, and preparing for the coming year. I'm still one of those people who makes New Year's resolutions. I still set goals and make plans to achieve them; the dreaming and planning just energizes me. Honestly, I probably only hit about 10-25% of them, but I still like dreaming and making plans to grow. In fact, this is the time of year I create a Growth Plan for the coming 12 months.  Though I haven't done this the last couple of years, I've learned that if I don't have some targets to shoot for, and some kind of plan to hit them, I don't make much progress in life. 

My planning always starts with seeking a word from the Lord from His word. I ask the Lord to highlight a verse or passage that will guide me in making the plan and guide me through the coming year. This year my verse is Luke 2:52, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." This simple verse contains a wealth of wisdom and inspiration; Luke describes the growth and maturity of the young Jesus. The word grew means to advance, increase or progress. Wisdom refers to mental and intellectual growth. Stature is a word that refers to both physical stature as well as emotional health or maturity. “Favor with God” refers to the spiritual component of life, relationship with God. Favor "with man” refers to relationships with people. So Jesus advanced mentally, physically, spiritually, and relationally. 

That covers pretty much every area of life, and gives me a good model to follow in planning for growth in the coming year. My plan will including growing ... 

... mentally and intellectually through intentional reading, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and watching edifying media. 

... physically and emotionally through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and getting appropriate rest.  

... spiritually through practicing the spiritual disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, meditation, service, witnessing, etc. 

... relationally through scheduling of quality time, memory making events, and intentional contacts with family and friends.

Over the next month I will be nailing down specific goals in each of these areas (and a couple more), and fleshing out specific plans to reach my goals. I'm energized as I pray and think about what can be accomplished, but I also remember that setting goals and making plans is the easy part. I will still need commitment, determination and motivation to work the plan and accomplish the goals, but the starting point is to know where and how I am going to grow. If you are interested in growing with me and would like some help developing a Growth Plan, shoot me a message, I would love to help.  

Contending with the Dark Side

Wednesday evening we began a new Bible study on forgiveness. To guide us in our study, we are using a book written by a friend of mine, Dr. Randall O'Brien, (who graciously provided the books for us). I had read the book several years ago, and was helped and encouraged by it.

The first chapter is "Understanding our Dark Side." By "dark side" Dr. O'Brien is referring to the carnal, sinful nature ingrained in every human being. The Bible calls it our "old man" and we all have one. Even those of us who have been saved still have to deal with the old nature. Even the Apostle Paul recognized he had dark side. In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul declares, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'—and I am the worst of them all." (NLT) Notice Paul doesn't say, "I USED to be the worst of them all," or "I WAS the worst of them all." He said "I AM the worst of them all" - present tense, active verb.

Paul also reveals his battle with his dark side in Romans 7:15-23. He wanted to do right, but didn't; he didn't want to do wrong, but he did. He even says there was a war going on within him (v.23).

The reality is saved sinners still sin. Though we should sin less, we aren't sinless (only Jesus achieved that status). So what do we do when our dark side flairs up and gets the best of us from time-to-time? How do we contend with our dark side? A few suggestions ...

1. Run to Jesus. Sin has separating effect on our relationship with God and the old man wants to run and hide when we've sinned and messed up. This has been true from the beginning (see Genesis 3). But don't do it; don't run from Jesus, run TO Him. Paul knew this. At the end of the confession of his battle with his dark side, Paul writes - "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 7:24-25 NLT) Even though his old man was undoubtedly wanting to run and hide like Adam and Eve in the garden, Paul knew that he had an advocate with the Father who had atoned for his sins, and he could run to Jesus knowing that he was forgiven.

The Apostle John writes: "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.  He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins..." (1 John 2:1-2a NLT) Jesus knows we will sin, He's accounted for it and He's already taken care of it. That's not a license to sin (note the first line of the above verse, "I'm writing this to you so that you will not sin"), but it is a recognition that the sovereign Lord of the universe isn't surprised by our sin, and He isn't discouraged by it, because He has already dealt with it. You can run to Him because He loves you, forgives you and restores you.

2. Give yourself some grace. I'm always harder on myself than anyone else. I don't know about you but I tend to dwell on my failures. I can still remember striking out in a Little League baseball game with two outs and two runners on base and the game on the line ... and I still feel bad about it. (I even remember the name of the guy who struck me out ... 44 years ago.) I also tend to dwell on my spiritual failures, and not only do I feel bad about them, I usually beat myself up over them.  I also have an accomplice that helps me with my self-abuse - the devil who is the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev 12:9-11). He likes to help me beat myself up and tries to convince me that God is mad at me, and that I'll never change, and God could never love me or use me. None of that is true, of course, but it hurts.

In times like these when I get down on myself I have to remind myself that I am loved by God. And though He doesn't approve of my sinful behavior, He has already proven His love for me, and He has already forgiven me through His grace (see Romans 5:8). If God has forgiven me, and has shown me grace, I can have grace for myself ... and you can too. There is nothing you have done that would ever cause God to love you less. Your sin is dealt with on the cross and your forgiveness is secured by Christ ... so give yourself some grace. What happened has happened, and there is nothing you can do to change it, but you can move on from it in His grace.

3. Give grace to others also. Everyone has a dark side - that means every person you meet every day has the nature of sin and the potential for their sin to hurt you. When my "old man" slips out and I sin, it doesn't affect just me, it affects those around me as well ... and vice-a-versa. And just as I need grace from God, I need grace from others, and they need grace from me. If we aren't gracious toward others who have a dark side, we haven't fully understood the gospel. We forgive because we have been forgiven. We can love those who hurt us because we have been loved by the One we hurt the most. His grace is sufficient ...

Contending with our dark side is an ongoing war. Through Christ we will overcome and experience ultimate victory over the dark side (ours and THE dark side).  Even if we lose a battle every-once-in-a-while, don't give up, don't give in, and don't stop fighting the good fight of faith and grace. Contend with the dark side knowing that the outcome of victory is already secured.

#ThankfulThursday

Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

As Paul is wrapping up his second letter to the church at Thessaloniki, he kind of creates this "punch-list" of things Christians should be doing, or at least that's what it seems like. It could be kind of a check-list that we could run through and check off. But the things he lists can't be done in a short time or even a day - these are lifetime practices. Really what Paul is describing is what should be the default setting for every follower of Christ, but Paul makes the list, because he knows (and God knows) we are a work in progress and need to be reminded and encouraged. 

In the heart of this punch list, Paul gives what I think is the Big Three - Always be joyful, never stop praying, and give thanks in every situation and circumstance. While I think they go together, it is the last one that Paul says is "the will of God in Christ Jesus for you all." They're all important commands, but Paul spotlights giving thanks as God's express will for our lives. 

I'm not sure we value the giving of thanks as God would have us to. As kids, we’re taught that “please,” and “thank you” are magic words— a formula that will compel adults to give us stuff. As an adult who follows Christ, I've treated the giving of thanks as a perfunctory duty, something I generally do before committing the sin of gluttony at the meal table. Even when I would read a "thanksgiving" passage in the Bible, I would just kind of skim over it and not really think about it. I trivialized the word “thanks” so much that it doesn’t stop me when I read it. I don’t think about what it means. 

The Bible makes a big deal about giving thanks. The word or concept is mentioned more than 200 times between the Old and New Testaments. There are several words that are used for giving thanks, but the two big ones are "yadah" in the OT and "eucharisteo" in the NT. 

Yadah is defined as "Acknowledging what is right about God in praise and thanksgiving" (Baker, Word Study Dictionary). In it's earliest form it meant to "throw or cast" with the hand. It came to mean expressing with words and actions, a deep appreciation for God and His goodness. I love the Hebrew definition of thanks because it is totally tied to who God is. The more we learn about God, the more we should praise and glorify Him.

Eucharisteo means "To show oneself grateful, to be thankful, to give thanks..." (Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary). It is formed from two Greek words - eu (good) and charis (grace), so literally it means expressing "good grace" or we could also say, "thanking God for His good grace."

What both of those words mean is is that giving thanks is not just a thought process or attitude, it is an action - we are to GIVE thanks, express our gratitude toward God, not just for what He does for us, but for who He is to us. Giving thanks not only recognizes God's goodness, but it spotlights His greatness of character and being. He is God and there is no other - give Him thanks and praise! 

Take some time to day to express in words, through prayer and maybe even writing, your gratitude to God for who He is and for all He has done for you!

x

Praying for Those We Love

I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. 1 John 3:4 (NLT)

What do you pray most often for those you love?

Prayer is one of the most powerful, thoughtful, loving ways we can show our love for our family and friends, yet I still often struggle to persevere in prayer for others. What some of us (ME) need to hear most is simply a reminder to stop and pray for the ones we love.

And what we pray for them really matters. Unfortunately, we often ask God for less than we should for our family and loved ones. At least I know that I myself have sometimes asked for less than I should. When I pray for those I love, my mind often defaults to practical, earthly concerns and generalized prayers — that God would guard or improve their health and safety, or that he would prosper what they do at work or school, or for whatever other daily or weekly needs that immediately come to mind.

Prayers like these, while good and even important, fall short of the mountain-moving prayers we might pray — prayers like the apostle Paul prayed. Paul most often prayed for the spiritual life and health of those he loved and served with. A brief look at some of Paul's written prayers can help us pray for the spiritual life and health of our loved ones as well. What did Paul pray for those he loved?

1. He prayed that they would be saved

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. Romans 10:1 (NLT)

Though Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, he dearly loved his Jewish brothers and sisters, and his most important prayer for them was that they would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The most important prayer we can ever pray for those we love is for their salvation. While it is natural for us to want our loved ones to be healthy, happy and successful in this world, the burden of our heart should be for their spiritual lives and their relationship with Christ

We recently started a prayer emphasis at our church called "Who's Your ONE?" that encourages every member to be praying for at least one loved one who is far from God; praying for their salvation, redemption and restoration. I have seven "ONES" that I pray for regularly - some have never been saved, others I believe have been saved, but are living a prodigal life (see Luke Luke 15:11-32) I am praying the Lord reveals Himself to them, and brings them into a right relationship with Him.

2. He prayed they would grow spiritually

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:15-18 (NLT)

In Ephesians, Paul is writing tho those who are saved. He wasn't satisfied with just the salvation of his friends, he also wanted them to grow in their relationship with God. Paul understood that salvation isn't the end of the process, but the beginning of a great journey of faith. Paul prayed for his friends to know Christ intimately, to grow in their knowledge and love for Him and that they would live in confident hope, knowing they belonged to Christ.

What a glorious prayer to pray for those we love. No success on earth can compare to knowing Christ and growing in our relationship with Him.

3. He prayed that they would grow in love and in Christ-like character

God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:8-11 (NLT)

Paul's love for his friends compelled him to pray that they could not only grow in their love and relationship with Christ, but also their love for one another. He prayed that their love would "overflow". That is a beautiful picture of someone who is filled with the Spirit of Christ, and He "spills out" in love for those close by. He also wanted them to understand "what really matters" - it was not their success in business or community activities, but that they would develop and live out Christ-like character before a lost world. This, Paul says, it what will bring much glory and praise to God.

4. He prayed that they would live in God's power by faith in Him

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (NLT)

Paul was persistent in praying for his friends and loved ones. He didn't simply pray once and let it go, he kept on praying for them, asking God to do a great work in their lives. Paul prayed they would live a life worthy of God's calling on them, and that they would live in faith, being empowered by God to do everything He was calling them to do. Paul's great desire is that they would live out God's perfect will for their lives, so the end result would be that Jesus Christ would be honored and glorified through them.

Our greatest calling as followers of Christ, is to live lives worthy of His calling, and to live in such a way that He is honored and glorified through us. As Jesus tells us, we are to let our light shine before others so they may see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Should that not also be our prayer for those we love? Their greatest accomplishments in this world will be what brings glory to God and impacts the world for Jesus. Let us pray accordingly.