Life in the Kingdom of God

High School Graduation

2007-11-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

I was thinking back to high school graduation. I had some good friends and some best friends… at school. We were constantly together… at school. We did everything together… at school. But when school ended, most of the relationships that were associated with school ended too. I’ve heard from many people that they often never see former classmates again unless they attend a class reunion. Once in a while a relationship may endure, but generally the relationship ends or is greatly diminished shortly after graduation.

With these thoughts in mind, I was watching some of my high school students today. They were working together on their class work. They were talking, laughing, and smiling. When one was finished, she walked over to another group and talked with them for a few minutes. Then she went on to another group and talked with them. She was smiling and looked to be having a great time. But it struck me that the reason she was talking with these people was because the bell hadn’t rung yet. If she could have left to go home, she would have. Being with those people really wasn’t her #1 choice for how to spend her time. If there was no school, she probably wouldn’t have called any of them and sought out their companionship today. Similarly, after she graduates, she will most likely go her separate way.

“Church” (as defined by our culture rather than the word of God) seems to perform a similar function for many people. Picture some people talking in the lobby of a church building. They are smiling and genuinely appear to be enjoying themselves. In fact, they honestly feel like they are enjoying nice “fellowship”. But if they searched their hearts and got very honest with themselves, perhaps they’d discover that they aren’t really “fellowshipping” at all. Why are they together in the lobby? If there was no “church service” that day would they still have sought out one another’s companionship? Do they seek to be with each other and “fellowship” outside of regularly scheduled “church functions”? Are they together on this Sunday morning because they love one another deeply from the heart or because of the calendar and the clock on the wall telling them it’s Sunday at 10am and that’s where they are supposed to be? Are they together today because they are supposed to “go to church” and they feel guilty if they don’t?

Can you see it? Do you see the similarity between the school organization and the church organization? The relationships are much shallower than the Scriptures describe and prescribe. All it takes is a job transfer and people generally choose their jobs over the many supposedly close brother-sister relationships. Please read Acts 2:42-47, 1 Cor. 12, Heb. 3:12-13.

The religious organizing has caused and contributed to superficial, artificial and shallow relationships between believers. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth and you love one another unhypocritically, now choose to love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22). “Church” and “Fellowship” are much deeper and much better than what culture and tradition has set out before us. “Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU” can’t be done merely from 9am-noon in a religious building. Jesus’ love is deeper than that! Choose to go deeper too.

For the Sake of Others

2006-12-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 3:1-2 "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you..."

Notice what Paul says here. He was a prisoner for the sake of others. God's grace was given to him for others. The next verse makes clear that Paul had received revelations from God, not for his own personal "edification", but for the sake of other people.

Colossians 1:28-29 "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."

Do you want "his energy" to "powerfully work" in you? WHY do you want this? Is it for yourself or for others? Is it so that you can labor and struggle to present others perfect in Christ or so that you yourself can be perfect in Christ?

Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ: he made himself of no reputation, he emptied himself, and obeyed God fully and completely, not thinking of himself, "not my will". As we live a life this way, we will find ourselves struggling and laboring for the spiritual well-being of others.

So, if you think you are abounding in the "grace" of God perhaps I could ask you a question. Just like Paul, can you look at your life and say, "God's grace is given to me for the benefit of these people, ______." If not, you are severely limiting what God wants to do in you.

This is not merely "theoretical". Paul had specific, concrete, tangible things that he did and said. Any onlooker would verify that Paul used his "gifts" for others. It was not just a theoretical statement that was "technically" true. He literally labored and struggled in very practical ways. So, please, don't just nod your head and agree that the gifts of God that you have are for others. Look for the practical lifestyle that Paul surely had. Look at the practical ways that Jesus laid down his life every day for his disciples. Is your life FULL of such practical examples?

If not, consider this writing as something to "provoke you to love and good works" (Heb. 10:24). Don't receive his grace in vain. Rather, join with him in accomplishing his purposes for your life. :-)

Visible Love

2006-11-09T06:15:00.000-05:00

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
"Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?" (Prov 20:66).

It is true that many claim to be "loving". Many may love with "words". But the apostle tells us NOT to love merely with the right sounding words. "With actions and in truth" is how we are to love.

True love is visible. In fact Jesus said that the love that we have for one another will be expressed outwardly as highly visible declarations. All men will know that we are his disciples when they SEE our love for one another. (See John 13:35)

"Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it" (2 Cor. 8:24).

When God calls us to be "joined and knit together" (Eph. 4) and "members of one another" (Rom. 12:5), and when he calls us to consider others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2), these callings will find themselves expressed visibly among the people of God. The people of God will be a "light" and a "city" set on a hill that cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14)!

Why is this important???? Because it is SO easy to "agree" with something in our heads, but still not experience it. We may think that we love in actions and in truth, but in reality we are loving only with words. We are loving only with our "doctrinal statement" or "beliefs" or "philosophy".

Let me give you an example. There's a movie that was made about a teacher of very poor, inner-city high school students. The students didn't care about anything. But the teacher cared a lot. The teacher visited the students at home and even dragged them to class if he had to. He got involved in their real lives and showed real care outside the classroom. Well, the teacher was a big success and all the students turned around and became good students and got good grades and all of that. The point is this and it's important: When people watch this movie, they often cry; they admire the teacher in the movie; they think he is a great guy; they really find themselves "caring" about the students in the film. People who watch the film find themselves believing that it is a "good cause" to help students like the teacher did. Again, the people watching even cry. BUT.... they never have in the past nor will they in the future raise a single finger to ever DO SOMETHING about helping poor, inner-city students themselves. They find themselves agreeing emotionally with the "cause", but they do not love in "actions and in truth". Understand?

Now, I'm not trying to get you to get involved with inner-city students unless God specifically wants you to do that. But I am trying to get you to not merely "agree" with "loving one another" and "laying down our lives for one another" but never actually DOING IT. Love NOT in words or in tongue, but in action and in truth! :-)

Don't merely LISTEN to the word--you'll deceive yourself. Rather, DO WHAT IT SAYS!

The love we have is a love that is to be SHOWN. It must be visible: "No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is WELL KNOWN for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds" (1 Tim 5:9-10).

"In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden" (1 Tim 5:25).

God's Awakening Call

2006-09-22T05:32:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's been almost 3 months since I've written anything here. Got something to pass on from some saints at AllAtHisFeet.com . . .

The Call to Be the Body of Christ,
Rather Than To “Attend” Something

It has become more and more obvious to God’s Chosen, worldwide, that the typical expression of what is known as “church” has been influenced by the enemy, and through worldly culture. Our understanding and expression of “church,” in generation after generation, around the world has been led down a Machiavellian path of shallowness, pride, greed, lukewarmness, worldliness, and Ishmaelic infrastructure. In the institutions of today, the quality of the sermons and teaching is sometimes good. I hesitate, after visiting many hundreds of “services” of every conceivable denomination and “non-denomination,” to say that “most” teaching in these assemblies is Truth-filled. But, certainly some of it is quite good. Sometimes the “worship time” is “encouraging” or “inspiring.” We need to add, though, that accomplishing this has often required Spiritual prostitution to acquire “talented” musicians to “lead”—in spite of the fact that they may have little or no real relationship with Jesus. Their unregeneracy, or worldly life is often overlooked in order to accomplish our desired end of a wonderful worship experience to attract larger numbers. Frequently the “programs” of modern religious assemblies have targeted “worthy” objectives, such as feeding hungry unbelievers, building homes in Nicaragua, or distributing tracts to passers-by in an urban area. Many groups have a formidable number of creative efforts ongoing, many or most of which may be good things to be involved in. And yet...

And yet the quality of DAILY LIFE of people in these organizations is what it’s all about. THIS is the TRUE measurement of how much of what is going on is really of Jesus. The lack of the daily application of the Word of God, by the Priesthood of Believers with one another, is cataclysmic. In most religious assemblies, only the 5-10% “committed nucleus” (a number offered by many “pastors” as the norm) even TRIES to be involved in each other’s lives on a visible daily basis as Jesus commands, and demonstrated. And this number is still fairly accurate, even with the “cell group” programs that have sprung up everywhere as an acknowledgment of this crisis. Even within these cell groups, the stories of surprise suicides, rampant concealed pornography, love of the world, gossip, unforgiveness, pride, ambition, and general shallowness are legion. Simply changing the size of the group, “assigning” a less experienced leader, and trading the religious facility and seating for a home and a sofa...doesn’t change its DNA.

By the way, running away from “institutional religion” so that “you don’t have to answer to anyone but GOD!” is usually a deception as well. Caution and wisdom, and learning God’s Ways are in order here. You cannot just run out and “start a group” (the way men typically do such things) and expect to find much more than heartache, confusion, division, and a colossal waste of time and emotion. Ask most of those that have tried it! Let’s proceed carefully with such delicate and Holy matters as Jesus’ Church!

Laying down their lives for one another, being involved in the homes and work places, sharing in the children’s lives together, living in vulnerability, “confessing sins one to another,” “bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the Law of Christ,” the mutual Life and dependency and Priesthood of 1 Corinthians 12-13...these are almost unheard of as a description of an ENTIRE congregation of Believers. And such a congregation, Biblical and mandatory as it might be to live this way, would be viewed with suspicion and called names. Yet, the rampant lukewarmness and leaven amongst the general population of most congregations is forbidden by God. It is only “preached to”—rather than resolved. The insanity of deception and worldliness amongst the teenagers of these organizations is beyond words. I could refer you to folks from any number of the most highly-respected congregations anywhere that have been totally devastated by what has happened “backstage” at their congregations. All of these tragedies and fatalities, and more, simply say what Jesus said: “You know a tree by its fruit” and “Wisdom is proved Right by her children.”

There is (as hundreds of thousands are now shouting from the mountaintops in every language) something fundamentally wrong with the understanding and expression of “church” as has been so frequently practiced for the last bunch of years!

HOWEVER! This is still worth saying: Though most churches bear precious little resemblance to the Life-filled Church we read of in the Bible (in spite of their good teaching, good worship, and good programs), most who energetically participate in the organizations of today have had only the highest motives all along.

So, why the “wake-up call” now? Why haven’t we seen all of this before? Some in previous generations have, of course. But most of them were martyred, as Jesus predicted. Some were martyred physically, some by slander and libel and politics. Those with something to lose have suppressed God’s prophets in every generation. Why are multitudes in ever-increasing numbers and courage raising their voices as One today? Perhaps, the “Two Witnesses” are ready to stand, and the Bride is sensing that the time of preparation for the Groom is growing short. Perhaps “the Spirit and the Bride,” discerning the Hour to say to Him, “COME!” is drawing near. And still there’s so much lacking in this Preparation!

Too often, we have been hypnotized by the immensity and traditions of the religious world as we’ve known it (“It’s everywhere, and all we’ve ever known!” “Mom and Dad were good folks. They ‘loved the Lord,’ so what’s the problem?”). We’ve been decoyed by men’s religious sentimentalities and emotional devices (“It’s all so nice, so sweet, so moving, so soothing, so fulfilling....”). We’ve allowed ourselves to be threatened and blackmailed into subservience to it. (“You don’t want to oppose GOD, do you? Touch not God’s anointed!”) Sometimes we’ve even been seduced by promises of advancement within it. (“You could be a leader one day! You have a true calling and gift from God! You could have your own ministry one day! Just ‘work from within’ and you can really help us.”) “Pinnacle of the Temple” stuff, for sure.

Yet most of us who have offered our involvement into typical church situations around the world, “staff ” or not, have had only the best of interests in serving our resurrected Messiah, Jesus. We have rightfully chosen and attempted to serve Him within a relevant and Biblical expression of His Body, the local visible Church.

The good news: On a level of global magnitude—stuff ’s getting better every day. Many everywhere have been awakened by the Holy Spirit to His Call for the Life of Jesus to be lived out DAILY in the local Church, reflecting His Glory and Wisdom and Holiness. Though we get letters literally every day in this season of Awakening, there is undoubtedly far, far more than we could ever be aware of. Even the letters we receive come from a cross section of many countries and languages and cultures, crying out to know about Jesus and the daily Life of His
Body in the local Church. I mention this to you for a reason. Many times the letters or telephone calls we receive are moistened with tears. “I’m so happy! I’ve been told my whole life that I’m crazy. I’ve been told that I’m a troublemaker and just looking for perfection that I’ll never find. I should just be content with things as they are, and try to make them better. But I’m not crazy, and God does want to build a VISIBLE Church that lives every day as His Son lived every day!”

He does want a Church that, while not “perfect” of course...still “everyone, from the least to the greatest” loves Him and knows Him and “loves the light!” We mention these other folks out there, because we want you to know that you are not alone, and you are NOT crazy. Or maybe you are crazy like Enoch, like Abraham, like Moses, like Elijah and Jeremiah, like Paul...and like Jesus. So maybe you’re crazy, but you’re not alone.

In Malawi, Africa, a very dear friend and brother (native to Malawi) has likened the Call of the Holy Spirit regarding the functioning of Jesus’ Church to this: “David Livingstone brought to Malawi the Good News of Jesus (in 1859). David Livingstone’s Gift to us is like Lifegiving Bread in a basket. And now, the Good News of the KINGDOM, and the LIFE of the Body of Christ as a daily Priesthood is giving us another companion Gift. This Gift has given us the ability to truly take the lid off of the basket, take the Bread out of the basket, eat it and be nourished to the full!” Precious insight.

In spite of what we have all been conditioned to accept as “church” for so many, many years, many people now know that the Bride of Jesus must be “making herself ready.” And this real Church is unrelated to sitting in a pew, on a bench, or folding chair, or even in a home or living room. Involvement in a setting constructed and controlled by mere men is still not what God intends. Even if some “amateur talent ‘specials’” are permitted, or some filtered teaching or utterances are allowed in some controlled settings (so that all the “laymen” feel involved), this is not the Real thing—born of, sustained by, and defined by Relationship with Jesus and His Body. A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, daily LIFE involvement by 100% of the “members” of Jesus’ Body, with one another, breaking down hell’s gates—this is all that will ever satisfy His Heart and fulfill His Prophetic Teachings. And the Valley of Dry Bones, touched by the Wind of the Spirit that brought Jesus Christ back from the dead, shall arise by His Grace and Mercy! I love it. Stuff ’s getting better every day. :-)

Working Out His Dream!!

And so. An inner call of God’s Spirit is precipitating a coming “outside of the camp” to fellowship in His Sufferings and BE His Body—instead of just “studying” about it, or singing about it. DAILY. The Church really becoming the CHURCH! As so many are in a Holy pursuit of His Holy City descending from Above, it is increasingly more important to speak, as Paul did, of “the administration” or the “practical working out” of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8-10). In other words, there are some really practical issues that come up as we move towards being the Church on a daily, interactive, “joined and knit” basis.

They are, of course, mostly irrelevant to those who try to center Christianity around meetings, buildings, hired clergy, and programs. To those religious organizations that have little difficulty or discomfort with known or unknown “leaven in the batch,” there is not much to think about. If someone wishes to move in and “place membership” at such a place, they are always most welcome. At an institutional assembly, the questions are fairly simple. If they’ll “tithe,” have some talents they can offer, and have a commitment to attend regularly, that would nearly universally be sufficient. They would be more than welcome to move and “become a member.” While there are surely many true Christians who are part of these groups, that is not to say that Jesus is happy with those organizations, or that much of anyone will reach their full potential in a place where “a little leaven leavens the WHOLE batch.” Just as Uzzah discovered, when we use the Philistine’s ways to accomplish God’s Purposes, people get hurt and people die. In a Church that is not building God’s Way, even the true Christians will suffer loss. Don’t mistake anything here for saying, “So-and-so can’t be Christians.” We’re not discussing that. This is about how we build. It is shameful that many will never reach their potentials for Jesus because we’ve “tried to grow an orange tree at the North Pole.” It really does matter how we build.

“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If what he has built is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Now, for those that want to build out of Relationship—rather than org chart hierarchy, programs, forms, traditions, and calendar-ized times, places, and events...there is much to talk about.

(this article was taken from a book; the whole book can be read here: http://www.allathisfeet.com/foundations/hammer.html)

If You Don't USE it You LOSE It!!!!!

2006-06-20T05:50:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm a chemistry teacher. And one day one of my students came up to me with a textbook from another class in his hand. He asked me for some help with some of his algebra problems. I thought to myself, "In college I took math all the way up through Calculus III, so I can tackle this baby algebra stuff." He opened his "baby" algebra book and showed me the problem. Uh oh.... I remembered doing this stuff a LONG time ago when I was in high school.... uh.... I couldn't help him at all.

Although it was technically much easier than the math I took in college, I could not help him in the least bit. I hadn't USED that algebra stuff in a long time and so I LOST the ability to use it.

I recall when I first became a chemistry teacher. I didn't know chemistry very well at all, even though I had a degree in it! I first learned chemistry well when I had to teach it; I learned it just a little faster than I had to teach it. (By the way, I ONLY know the aspects of chemistry that I teach. Many people think that since I'm a chemistry teacher that I know all about chemistry, but I only know the stuff that I use.)

Ask yourself: how would you do on an algebra test if you took it right now? Unless you've used algebra recently, you probably wouldn't do that well. OK, so how does this apply to you and me?

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Last night several of us were having a conversation and a brother read the above Scripture. It hit me that we are supposed to DO SOMETHING with the "Word of Christ". We are not told to just let it "dwell" in us, just let it accumulate in our minds, just memorize more Scripture, just keep on learning, etc. We are told to let the Word of Christ dwell in us as we teach and admonish one another. We are supposed to USE the Word in one another's lives. We are supposed to speak the truth in love to one another (Eph. 4). We are supposed to build one another up in our faith! As we USE the Word for the purpose of building up others we will see that we are actually learning and growing more ourselves. And if we don't use it, we will lose it. We will be like someone who has a degree in chemistry but couldn't begin to teach someone else!

And, by the way, "teaching and admonishing one another" doesn't mean that we need a Bible degree and need to become a "pastor" or something. "One another" means that everyone can and should do it for everyone else at grass-roots, daily levels (Heb. 3:13). As I mentioned in yesterday's post, sometimes it means just being there and being available in the "little" things of life. Don't be tempted to look for great ways to "teach" one another.... don't start making your teaching outlines..... but DO start caring more and loving more and desiring to build up the faith and love of those around you. :-)

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

What Should I Do????

2006-06-19T05:28:00.000-05:00

"Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" (Matt. 19:16)

The man wanted to do a "good thing" so that he could have eternal life. He was looking for something "good" to do. Isn't this human nature?

It reminds me of Naaman, the Syrian official who had leprosy. He was an important man and 2 Kings 5 tells us that he went to the prophet Elijah to be cured of his leprosy. He arrived at Elijah's doorstep with his horses and chariots, probably looking quite distinguished. Naaman was enraged when Elijah himself didn't even come out to meet him. Naaman had pictured that the man of God would come and wave his hand over the leprosy, doing some showy important-looking ceremony, maybe chanting something mystical.... but nothing like that happened. Elijah didn't make a grand appearance. In fact, he didn't even make an appearance at all! He simply sent a messenger and told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River. By the way, the Jordan was much dirtier than many other rivers in Naaman's homeland.

Naaman was not happy. He wanted something big to happen. He didn't want something as lowly as a bath in a dirty river. Fortunately for Naaman, one of his officers said, "if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"

Naaman was looking for a "great thing" to do, but he really needed to humble himself and follow what GOD wanted him to do. Similarly, the rich man from Matthew 19 wanted a "good thing" to do, but Jesus just wanted him to become humble (get rid of all of his earthly richness and important status, selling all he had) and come follow the homeless Son of God.

Many times what God wants US--you and me--to do is something very basic, very unimportant.... at least to our eyes. Sometimes we find ourselves asking, "what does God want me to do today?" The answer is often so simple that it escapes our attention. What God wants from us is often something that seems insignificant or unimportant. While we are looking for a "good thing" or a "great thing" to do, we miss the truly important things.

The disciples did this too. They rebuked those who were bringing little children to Jesus (Matt. 19:13). They probably figured that Jesus had more important things to do. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me; the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them." Remember, "Whatever you do to the LEAST of these you do it for me!!!!" Many times it is the "little" things we do for the "least" that matter the MOST to God.

OK, so how can we apply this to US? Well, I think if we don't understand these things then we will be prone to sitting around and not doing anything for God because there is nothing "great" enough to do. Sometimes people get paralyzed because they are thinking of a "ministry" that they can do for God. Their ideas may include helping out at a nursing home, feeding people at a soup kitchen, writing checks for charity, going on a "mission trip", sharing a Bible verse with someone, "witnessing", etc, etc. These are some "great things" to do and people don't end up doing them very often.

God SIMPLY wants us to CARE about the things he cares about. He wants us to LOVE as he loves. There is great simplicity in Christ. He simply wants us to lower ourselves and become the servant of all. If we want to be great in God's eyes (and we should want to have his approval!), then we need to become the servant of all--that's what Jesus taught.

Can we stop looking for the big important things to do? That limits our vision incredibly. Can we simply be real people who want to help in real ways? The believers in Acts devoted themselves to fellowship. Fellowship, by the way, means "the sharing of life". It doesn't always mean "the sharing of Bible studies" or "the sharing of church services". Maybe we can endeavor to "share real life" more? Not big, important "meetings" or monumental tasks to undertake. But maybe we (Believers) can buy groceries together, work in our gardens together, shovel snow together, wash cars together, change oil together, go to the hardware store together, play with our children TOGETHER, eat dinner together, etc, etc.... If we are together more (i.e. if we are devoted to fellowship--sharing life) then we will be around when we are needed at some grass roots level. We'll be around to help out when someone else's child falls and gets a skinned knee. And there'll be many other things too.

But don't be tempted to say, "nothing really important happened today; all we did is go grocery shopping together."

More probably happened than you realized.... you just need to stop looking for a "great river" to wash in and look at all the miracles that happen in the dirty Jordan River. :-)

"The Fall of Kakia"

2006-05-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

The following is a "podcast" that a friend did for an English class. It is a figurative production about the beginnings of spiritual warfare...

You can listen by clicking here: http://www2.gvsu.edu/~emerysco/In%20the%20Beginning%20Podcast%20-%20128.mp3

The text follows:

In the beginning, A-ga-pe, the Most High, sent forth his Son, Ha-yah, to design a realm where His justice and honor would be upheld. With the unlimited wealth of His Father’s goodness, virtue and wisdom, Ha-yah created the universe to house a sacred experiment, and within the vast expanse of the cosmos, Ha-yah made a planet called Earth where rational creatures known as humans would participate in a divine test that would probe every human heart. Would people pursue truth, humility and righteousness despite the deception, pride and wickedness surrounding them?
It was A-ga-pe’s desire for humans to side with his justice, benevolence and integrity. You see, before the beginning of this sacred experiment, there had been a hideous insurrection against A-ga-pe’s sovereignty and primacy in the Eternal Realm of Light. A horde of immortals had rallied to the cause of Kakia, the wisest and most beautiful divine creature. Though created good, beautiful and noble, Kakia had been corrupted by both his resplendent stature and his distinguished position in the realm;
Pride had twisted Kakia’s heart when he forgot that the cause of his being and magnificence was in A-ga-pe, the Source of Beauty, Goodness and Life. Ha-yah, the appointed Lord of this Eternal Realm, at once confronted Kakia over his arrogance. "Why have you disregarded your Creator and Lord? You have been given the highest honor of leading the immortal host to worship the Most High, but there is nothing innately exceptional about your position and grandeur. Life flows from A-ga-pe and worship returns to Him. You understand your defiance must be dealt with most severely, lest others shame the name of their Maker." Kakia did feel ashamed and hung his head in grief; he realized Ha-yah was right and that he had begun to ponder his own greatness and majesty. But something was rising from his soul’s depths, a dark thought, a corrupting influence. He was truly beginning to believe that despite the wisdom A-ga-pe had granted him, he had been the one developing it and using it; and he believed he could direct things better; he was the director after all.
Ha-yah feared what was to follow but remembered that before He and His Father had designed the realm, the volition they imparted to the created host to practice love, goodness and worship had the capacity for destructive forces like selfishness, hatred and rebellion. Although Kakia had only showed signs of the first, a gathering of everyone in the realm was necessary to reprove this first sign of evil. So, Ha-yah commissioned A-ga-pe’s chief-aid Mikai-ale to seize Kakia and bring him before the immortal host for public sentencing. (3:37)
When many saw Kakia debased and humiliated, they remembered his wisdom and leadership, he was the glorious singer who had directed the whole multitude in songs of praise to A-ga-pe, their Creator and King. As Ha-yah was reprimanding Kakia before them all, some of their minds were being polluted. Instead of listening to Ha-yah, they were venerating Kakia’s gifts and services, they were recalling fondly his most celebrated voice, and the beauty of the songs instead of remembering who the songs were to and why they sang them; in essence, they were exalting the creation over the Creator. Thus, as Ha-yah indicted Kakia for his pride, a small throng was questioning A-ga-pe’s wisdom and Ha-yah’s commanded seizure of the stately director; "How could they dare to shame this most glorious creature," they thought. By venerating his regal status and hallowed leadership, they couldn’t understand how Kakia had so transgressed the Most High’s sacred honor. Suddenly, one in the crowd lunged forward and attacked Mikai-ale. Screaming against the injustice of Ha-yah’s admonishment, he began beating and relentlessly pummeling the head guard, Mikai-ale. But Mikai-ale was defenseless because he had bound Kakia and was detaining him. Confusion erupted; Kakia broke loose from his bonds and gathered his sympathizers to join in the attack against Mikai-ale while Ha-yah ordered the royal guard to defend him. Once they had beaten away the attackers, Mikai-ale assumed leadership of the guard while Ha-yah beckoned to the crowd and avowed A-ga-pe’s justice. Convinced, the faithful rallied to Mikai-ale to suppress the mutiny. A great war ensued, yet the rebellion was crushed rather quickly, despite the chaotic turmoil Kakia and his sympathizers triggered. Upon Ha-yah’s command, the faithful host hurled the accursed horde into outer darkness, an oblivion of nothingness.
It was indeed a solemn day for the Eternal Realm of Light. A-ga-pe and Ha-yah were immensely grieved by the actions of the rebellious mob and they knew that such questioning of their goodness and sovereignty was treacherous. The insurrection and treason warranted utter banishment from the realm of light for Kakia and his followers. However, despite their grief, they had great concern and care for those who had remained faithful to their goodness and sovereignty. Selfishness and Doubt had produced the most heinous of evils and almost complete anarchy in the Realm of Light. Ha-yah and A-ga-pe realized that the faithful must see that Kakia’s wickedness was not limited to sudden revolts; Kakia’s minions rendered A-ga-pe’s benevolence and justice suspect of righteousness, and the attempt to take control was no different than trying to become like the Most High. Yet for this evil to be seen in its totality, its affect would have to be felt yet again before all could see and honor the Most High properly. Evil would unfortunately help show A-ga-pe’s goodness and Ha-yah’s wisdom. Hence, the Sacred Experiment commenced, Ha-yah designed the cosmos, the Earth and its inhabitants to experience the goodness, beauty and perfection of the divine, but allowed Kakia and his minions influence upon this physical realm so that the faithful host would see the devastation of the rebels corrupted ways.
It is true that A-ga-pe knew his most prized creatures would initially choose Kakia’s deception. But because humans had tasted the goodness of the Most High and longed to return under His favor, A-ga-pe understood that his creatures would desire order in their fallen world and justice against those that follow Kakia’s deceptions and corrupt practices. In his benevolence, A-ga-pe made two promises: He promised to bring release from the shameful desires that cause disorder, mayhem and carnage in the world, those desires that make men prideful, jealous and hostile. Secondly, he promised a path for humans to achieve immortality. And here was the plan, the mission if you will: Ha-yah would be sent into the world to display the same virtues that had condemned Kakia and his minions before. He would reprove evil and demonstrate the path of truth, humility and righteousness. Everyone aligning themselves with Ha-yah would understand the nature of evil and the wickedness of Kakia’s schemes and practices. However, in order to align themselves to Ha-yah and become a part of his realm, or kingdom, humans had to admit their guilt and shame, for they had participated in the same deception and corruption that had overtaken the first humans, and ultimately Kakia himself. Ha-yah taught that A-ga-pe would condemn those men and women who followed their pride and hid their hatred, covetousness or lust as much as those who rape, pillage or murder. So, Ha-yah told people to turn from these evils and imitate his virtue. By this, the experiment would show why evil is so reprehensible and why Kakia and all who follow the path of darkness deserve condemnation. Nevertheless, Kakia was determined to fight and deceive as many as possible. A-ga-pe allowed for this deception, i.e. a sharp distinction between good and evil, so that those who pursued goodness, righteousness and truth could see the goodness of Ha-yah and the goodness of His ways.
Throughout the ages, Kakia has schemed with his minions and designated a chief council whose members embody the forces that continue to deceive and corrupt the human race. These gods have morphed throughout time, assumed different names and been worshipped in varying ways. In their highest degree of success, those worshipping the gods that personify these forces of evil do so unawares and steal glory from A-ga-pe and his integrity. Their work in America has been particularly problematic for those attempting to follow Ha-yah. Counter-intuitive forces create a haze of fraudulence and abominable behavior. But the gods themselves describe best the degree of their success:
Kakia: I am particularly pleased with the work being done on the Western fronts, especially in America. Polemos, you have served me well over the years, ever since you first struck out at Mikai-ale. Indeed, the last hundred years have been immensely successful. The number of deaths and atrocities in war are on the increase, but what’s even better is that people don’t know what to do and who to fight. Even now, it appears U.S. citizens are in confusion about how they should repel terrorist attacks we cause around the globe. The religious community is convinced in the righteousness of the American cause, while secular society knows that a failed state in Iraq will only produce worse consequences for their precious nation.
Polemos: Indeed, no end appears in site for the violence and bloodshed. Ethnic tension and cultural hatred masterfully fuel the spread of my art. Even more beautiful is how Atsarah pollutes American churches with a framework the polar opposite of Ha-yah’s teachings. She’s making my job much easier. Instead of loving their enemies and praying for them, they war and fight and take personal vengeance against their adversaries.
Atsarah: The greatest feat has been to convince people they believe something without it actually changing them. They put faith in this creed, some teaching, or that doctrine, but nothing changes – no spiritual transformation. What’s more, I’ve distorted their entire religious paradigm by separating ‘religious life’ and secular life. They can go to church, hear a message and sing a song, but return to the world to party, frolic and indulge. Thus, the masses go to temples, synagogues and cathedrals to feel spiritual, but prefer the pleasures Western decadence offers them. Albeit, I personally congratulate Disneylio, whose job it’s been to infect our hosts with reasons to forget Ha-yah and his teachings.
Disneylio: My team has contrived so many seductive and enticing amusements that Americans can’t stop thinking and talking about the newest movies, the latest fads, the freshest music, the hottest
celebrity-gossip, the fantastic foods, the best teams, and not to mention their T.V. shows, books, magazines, video-games, dance-clubs, peep shows, theme parks and chat rooms - where they can spend their time and money. We’ve made evil either blatantly fun or covertly decent. People don’t even need to waste their time thinking about gods and goddesses, and if they do, they can just visit some sacred building during the week or wait for some religious holiday to feel spiritual again. All in all, we’ve created as much confusion as possible for anyone trying to apply Ha-yah’s wisdom to their daily lives. All hail to you Kakia- the Master of Wickedness!
Kakia: From every aspect of life: religion and education to entertainment and politics, we’ve provided a perspective of reality devoid of A-ga-pe’s presence, benevolence and righteousness. It’s even better when people actually blame him for evil, sorrow and death.
Saquak: Indeed, the increasing spirit among the majority is to make light of social problems and corruption in the world. The entertainers and intellectual elite bow to my schemes. They spend more time making evil something funny and to be mocked, rather than something grave and to be shunned. Sexual innuendos, course jokes, scoffing and teasing are my favorite sacrifices…tis music to my ears.
Academia: Agghhem! You fools’ld have little to play with if Darwina and I weren’t advancing the latest and greatest ideas in classrooms across the West. Science has been exalted to such an extent that people actually believe the Universe and the Earth are billions of years old. Of course, that’s what the evidence tells them, so that’s what they believe…they are so rationale you know. All the while, they forget to rationalize that Ha-yah turned water into wine too; he made something fresh incredibly aged. You remember when Ha-yah made the world, the peace, the beauty and perfection. We came and ruined it all. Within a few thousands years, we’ve taught humans how to be greedy, and in their pursuit of wealth, how to destroy the natural environment.
Darwina: But really, we’ve done more work in the last couple hundred years than you all ever dreamed possible. Consider this: People think they have an id and superego, not a soul and spirit, and more and more actually have the faith to say that mind evolved out of matter, language out of chirps, buzzes, barks, and hoots. The whole system flows so nicely towards more corruption, deception, wickedness and evil. Maybe you’d like to hail us too!
Mythelos: You two are always so stuck on yourselves. Do you forget how little you’d have to work with if I hadn’t confused the very story which gave humans origin, purpose, salvation and destiny? Science would never have stepped in to offer its convoluted doctrines if people’s foundational stories were not in utter chaos and confusion. Despite varying accounts of creation, a great flood, and the spiritual forces of gods and demi-gods, prominent philosophers are now trying to offer meaning in what they deem a meaningless, random world. In fact, the most basic of human desires become hopeless quests when detached from a benevolent, just god. We’ve robbed consciences of pondering the reward for the righteous and wicked even through they long for justice, yearn for immortality, and search for significance. All in all, we’ve utterly confounded the West as they attempt to escape from the nihilism created in their minds! Deep down people want justice against Hitler, Stalin, Milosovic, Ted Bundy, Geoffrey Dahmer, Jim Jones and Charles Manson – they want evildoers to be punished and to suffer for all the misery they’ve caused, but they reject Ha-yah’s spiritual paradigm since it also labels them as degenerate. Humans want to believe that they are good inside and don’t need deliverance from corruption and deception. But Ha-yah promised that all would suffer who spurn A-ga-pe’s goodness and live contrary to His ways. Many think they’re more righteous and pure than the most blatant criminal, and for this, I, Mythelos, am the greatest of deceivers!
And so they schemed, on and on; some were praising the work of others, some flaunting personal achievement. The only consensus was that A-ga-pe must pay for his injustice towards their leader…the deception and corruption must go on…as long as possible.

Our Eternal Purpose

2006-04-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 3:10 tells us that God's purpose for the church is for us to make His wisdom known to "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm". The verse tells us of an "eternal" purpose regarding things that we cannot see with our eyes. There's a spiritual dimension out there that we only know only dimly.

I was reminded of a poem recently called "This Drama Earth". It is based on Ephesians 3:10 and some other Scriptures. It was helpful to me in setting my eyes on that which is not seen and considering things in heaven. I thought that it might be thought-provoking and helpful to share.... so check out this link if you'd like:

"This Drama Earth"
http://yourkingdomcome.com/dramaearth.htm

To be a disciple in the Kingdom of God

2006-04-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me CANNOT be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has CANNOT be my disciple.

"Cannot" in the above verses… I’ve always mentally translated it as "not allowed". If you don't carry your cross and if you don't give up everything you will not be allowed to be Jesus' disciple. That is true. He won't let you half-heartedly think you are following him, but there's more to it than that.

Literally, the word "cannot" is "not able". If you don’t deny yourself you are not able to be Jesus’ disciple. You won’t make it. You are not able to follow "in his steps" if you don't deny yourself.

As an example, consider a firefigher's gear:

To be a firefighter, you MUST have very special equipment. A firefighter's jacked and pants is made of a fire resistant material called Nomex. He wears a tank and facemask so that he can have a fresh supply of oxygen in a smoke-contaminated environment. The helmet is made of heat resistant, heavy-duty plastic that protects the firefighter from many types of danger.

So... Anyone who does not wear his Nomex jacket and pants CANNOT be a firefighter. Unless you take up your tank and mask you CANNOT be a firefigher. They will not allow you to be a firefighter AND you would never last as a firefighter. If you tried to be a firefighter you would get burned up; you are not able to do it.

To be a disciple of Jesus you must "carry your cross" and "forsake all". You must lose your life in his in order to find it (Matt. 10:39). These are not just random requirements that Jesus is saying. Jesus wants us to be successful; he died so that we would be successful--so that we would triumph over the devil through Him! He wants us to be his disciple and so he says that we need to carry our cross, we need to deny ourselves, etc. It will be too "hard" for you, if you don't. You won’t be able to stand up against the schemes of the devil. Temptations will prove to be too much. You’ll fail. You won’t last as his disciple. It is impossible—YOU CAN’T DO IT!

And so, Jesus wisely and lovingly has told us what to do so that we CAN be his disciples! Everyone who wants to be a firefighter must take up a firefighter's equipment or else they will get burned up. Everyone who wants to be a follower of Jesus must take up his cross and deny himself or else you'll get defeated by the enemy. "You CANNOT be my disciple."

By the way, you cannot be a "Christian" without being a "disciple". "And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).

How We Learn

2006-04-04T05:41:00.000-05:00

A couple nights ago when the people of God here were gathered together we were discussing how God teaches us things. There is a great difference between "knowing" something in your head and knowing it deep down in your heart. There is a difference between knowing about love and knowing the "love that surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:19). There is a difference between knowing about peace and actually experiencing and feeling deep down the "peace that passes understanding" (Phil. 4:7). How do we get "information" in our head transferred to deeply embedded sustinence in our hearts?

It seems that God uses experiences to teach us things. Often, words are not enough.

Prov 29:1919 A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understands, there will be no response.

Sometimes words alone are not enough for us to truly understand in our hearts. As an example, take Peter. Jesus said, "Peter you will deny me." And although Peter had seen hundreds of times where Jesus was right, where Jesus predicted what would happen, read men's hearts, etc... although Peter had seen all these things, Jesus' words were not enough. Peter told Jesus that he would never deny Him... even if everyone else did! Peter "knew" that to follow Jesus meant that he had to forsake everything. Peter knew that to follow Jesus he must "die" and "take up his cross". Peter "KNEW" all of that.... in his head. But, did Peter have a deep, firm understanding way down in his heart? Apparently not. But the experiences that would ensue in the next several hours taught Peter about the cost of following Jesus. Jesus had said it many times. Peter had heard the words many times. And now Peter thought he was ready. But he wasn't. I know that after Peter denied Christ and then repented he had a MUCH greater understanding of how much he needs God's grace daily, how weak he is, etc. The experience certainly taught Peter that Jesus' words are absolutely true and trustworthy. The difficult situation was greatly used by God to instruct Peter in a way that was much deeper than "head knowledge."

The Bible says that even Jesus LEARNED obedience by what he suffered (Heb. 5:8). Take a minute and reflect on that. Jesus, the Son of God, LEARNED obedience?!?!?!?! How and why did he have to learn anything???? I certainly don't understand this fully at all, but if we picture Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane weeping and in great agony, crying out to His Father, "if you are willing, take this cup from me" (Luke 22:42), perhaps we can understand a little better. Jesus already knew everything that was going to happen to him. It was for this purpose that he came. He knew before the "foundation of the world" that he would need to redeem mankind in this way. And yet, when it came down to it and the experience was right at the door, it was hard. Perhaps it was surprisingly difficult for Jesus. He learned a lot about obedience.

And so, what about us? It is not enough to sit and read our Bibles and listen to teaching and to read books.... and to think that we are learning. Learning is going to come from more than "words alone". We will learn through difficult and trying situations. Things that are hard on our flesh.

How do we learn about patience, hope and good character? Through trials (Romans 5:3-4). Yes, we can read an encouraging book on patience... but the heart-level understanding will most likely come from more than words alone.

How much do we REALLY know deep down in our hearts? We know a lot about many things, perhaps. We know that we must "deny ourselves".... but how much experience do we really have in sacrificially denying ourselves? We know the Bible says to consider others more important than ourselves (Phil 2).... but how much experience do we REALLY have in doing that? Think reality here, NOT theory.

Let us be humble in how we view ourselves. Let us not merely tolerate difficulties, let's embrace them and wait expectantly upon God for what he will teach us through them.

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Be assured it will be more difficult than you think. Right now, you may picture some difficult situations that you may have drawn back from.... The difficulties will be greater than that. But you will also receive many more blessing that you ever can believe. Below is a link to a very encouraging song that talks about these things.

Will You Follow Me?

Thoughts About the Kingdom of the World and the Kingdom of God

2006-03-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

God's rule does not begin in heaven. That may seem like an obvious statement. But reflect on it for a moment: God does not begin ruling when we get to heaven. He is already ruling. Are we willingly--indeed JOYfully--under his rule? God ruling over us doesn't begin when we get to heaven; he rules over us now... IF we will have him as our Ruler. We don't begin to follow his lead in heaven, we follow his lead now. We are currently the subjects in his kingdom... if we will have him as our King.

Satan is currently opposing God's rule and trying to usurp His authority so that he (the devil) can reign instead. The devil has the "whole world" under his control (1 John 5:19). That's what the Bible says--the WHOLE world! What is Satan trying to use the whole world to accomplish? He wants to make God's ways look undesirable. He wants to make God's ways seem "burdensome". He wants other things to seem more "fun" than walking in harmony with our Creator. Satan wants us distracted so that the distraction becomes a sort of false reality.

But we--the Church, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus--have another mission, handed to us by God Himself. It is our mission to make God's wisdom known (Eph. 3:10)--to make Him look good, to make His Ways appear as they really are: wonderful, peaceful, joyful, full of goodness, lovely, etc, etc, etc. This is why we are hear.

It is OUR job to break down Satan's distractions, to destroy everything that sets itself up against the TRUTH--we don't want people to buy into Satan's false reality any longer. We are to demolish any argument, reveal any deception, and shed light on all darkness. See 1 Cor. 10:1-5. We don't want people to fall for the devil's lies. The devil has sold millions of people a false hope--a LIE. God's ways actually do bring peace, love, joy, and hope. Walking according to the ways of "the world", which the devil controls, will only bring misery--it would mean walking against everything that we were created to be. A creature trying to go against that for which he is created is most miserable.

And so, we NOW find ourselves right in the middle of a great struggle. The struggle is invisible to most, but it is as REAL as any war that is being fought on the face of the planet today. We must take a step back and recognize the battle. If we don't, we will buy into the lie. We cannot walk around carelessly in the world--the world which is under the control of the devil. We cannot lightly tread in this place. That's why the Bible tells us so often to be sober, to be vigilant, to be careful, to walk circumspectly, to be alert, to be self-controlled, etc. For our enemy the devil currently walks around like a lion seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But what a wonderful salvation we have! Jesus came so that the blind may SEE! Oh, if you are blind to much of what I have written, pray that you may have eyes to see, and ears to hear! Jesus opens prisons doors and sets captives free. Our salvation has come. He has delivered us and he will continue to deliver us.

A huge part of Salvation is this: being brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light--the kingdom of the Son (Col. 1:13). Salvation does not only concern "sins forgiven", "hell avoided", or "heaven promised". Salvation includes these things, but even more. What are we saved from RIGHT NOW? Have you been saved from the kingdom of Satan and brought into God's Kingdom? Are you demolishing the deceptions of the devil and making God's ways look wise and loving and good? How sad if we wear a name tag that says "kingdom of God" and yet we relish in the things of the world! How hypocritical!

When our time comes and our lives end, we will continue existing in the kingdom of which we are now a part. If we are belong God's Kingdom NOW, we will be in God's Kingdom in heaven too. If we belong to the world now, we will later be in the kingdom of the one who manipulates the world--the devil. Let us war against the world. We must choose sides now. The world or God--you can't follow both. Do not be conformed to this world; rather be TRANSFORMED (Romans 12:1-2). Let us not be a part of this kingdom. Rather, let us give up all this world, to attain that which is True. "He who seeks to save his life will lose it; he who loses his life for my sake will keep it for eternal life" (Matt. 16:25).

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Galatians 4:3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Praise God for such a wonderful Salvation! He saves us from an empty way of life NOW. He has delivered us from a wandering existence and filled us with eternal purposes! What a wonderful God we have. May he receive glory. Use us, O Lord, to gain the attention you are due; may all creation praise your holy name.

We Must Go Deeper

2006-03-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

A recent survey of American pastors reveals that the average pastor believes that 70% of the congregation consider their faith in God as their number one priority. However, the same survey reveals that only 23% of church goers consider God their number one priority. Why the discrepancy????

The discrepancy exists in part because of how the pastors measure the spirituality of the congregations. If a lot of people volunteer, if church attendance is good, if the people SAY they have had a religious experience then the pastor is likely to think that they value God more than anything else. ALL of these measures are very superficial.

We must go deeper than this. How do we know when our brothers and sisters are "doing well". It cannot be based on attendance. It cannot be based on claims that "everything is fine" or "I've been doing well". The Bible tells us that each of us is responsible to "see to it" that "none" has a sinful, unbelieving heart in departing from God (Hebrews 3:12-13).

Let's take this seriously! Let's not live in a dream world where we think everything is fine with the church but in reality we don't know, we haven't CARED enough to find out, and we haven't been vulnerable enough to really open our lives up to each other. Let's CARE!

Well, that's all for now... the study I referred to earlier can be found at the following link. It's quite interesting and may be worth the read:

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=215

You Have Mustard On Your Cheek

2006-03-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

The other day a few people (not from our church) asked me, "what do you do if your wife picks out some clothes that you don't really like?" I said, "I'll tell her." They hardly believed me. In fact, some of them scolded me and said that would be unkind. Since when is it unkind to speak the truth? After lunch, if you see someone who has a streak of mustard on his cheek, don't you tell him so that he can get it off? That's an uncomfortable feeling. We don't like to say something that may potentially embarass someone else. But what if we don't speak up?!?! Someone will be walking around with mustard on his face... and it will be YOUR fault if you didn't tell him!

The Life we are seeking as a Body in Christ is much more than merely having a church where we know each other really well. We do want to merely "know one another well". We want to help each other conform to Christ--to become all that he wants us to be. Part of that is being willing to speak up when we see something in our brother or sister's life that appears to be un-Christlike.

We need to be willing to obey God and "speak the truth in love" when necessary, even taking along with us two or three others when a person displays an unopen attitude, or a prideful, rebellious attitude in not wanting to hear.

What I have just written about hardly ever happens in most "churches". Let's break the mold. Let's be willing to not let our brothers and sisters walk around with "mustard" on their faces.

Row the Boat

2006-02-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

This morning on my way to work, I noticed a sign at an auto repair place:

"Men who are busy rowing seldom have time to rock the boat."

I immediately thought about the Church. Instead of sitting back logically deducing the "best way" to row... Instead of watching other people row the "wrong way"... Instead of trying to find an easier, more efficient way to move the boat... Let's just obey God! Let's DO what he wants us to do. Let's give our lives away. Let's love one another with a sacrificial love. And as he sees fit he will steer the ship and point us in the direction we should go. Let's use the oars he has supplied us with and in due time he'll get us more powerfully designed ones--ones we wouldn't be able to handle right now. And PLEASE let's keep our eyes of Jesus instead of the waves.

Ephesians 4 talks about the body of Christ growing as each part does its work. As each person grabs an oar and rows, we will be busy about the Father's business and we won't have the time to get into our own business (our own philosophies, ideas, methods, or who know what else).... which would end in disaster.

There's probably some more helpful meditations about being busy rowing, but I'll leave it there for now.

It Takes Time

2006-02-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (Psalm 111:2)

It takes time to be a worshipper. We need to stop and look and listen for a while to appreciate all that God does and who He is. It takes time. Take the time necessary to consider the goodness of the Lord.

Are you thankful for your spouse? Take a few extra minutes to think about just what it took for God to put you two together. If you've ever had something happen "just in time", think about that too. Try to consider all of the times that God has put much love and care into your day. When a good thing "happens", think about all the "little" things that God had to do. Think of all the circumstances that needed to be timed perfectly; all the schedules that needed to line up properly. God puts much thought and care into each of our days, more than we often take time to notice or appreciate.

Take time to appreciate the Lord. He cares. Taking time to notice and appreciate Him is much of what I think of when I think about "worship".

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love (Psalm 48:9).

Thought-Provoking

2006-02-16T04:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a quote that you can't read quickly. Please take the time to read it and think about it. Don't simply nod your head and "agree". Truly ponder it and consider how it may apply to you. A friend wrote:

"CHRISTIANITY is not a technique, something to attend in a home or building, a philosophy of lifestyle, a belief system, or a social and do-good club. "CHURCH" is not something we can attain with knowledge and effort and sincerity. It is a Sovereign issue of God’s Intent, Timing, and Gifts. "I praise You, Father" for that! :) "

Christianity is not a philosophy of lifestyle…Christianity is not a belief system… It is not merely about believing the right things. It is tempting and even easy to begin thinking that what is wrong with some people is that they are believing false doctrines and they have false ideas about what God is like. But if the only thing we accomplish is to reform one's belief system… if all they do is exchange wrong beliefs for right beliefs… if all they do is think about God in a more accurate way… that comes up short. Yes, it is good to not follow false doctrines. But, there's something lacking.

For example: If someone stays married because they believe they "have to" because the Bible teaches against divorce, it is good that they are willing to follow the instruction of God's Word by not getting a divorce. However, their marriage will fall VERY short of what God wants their marriage to be like. He wants their marriage to be an example of Christ and the church, yet they are married only because "the Bible says". There will be many "small" facial expressions of disappointment and deep down there will not be joy in the marriage at all. I'm sure you know people who are "married", but there is very little heartfelt affection between them. How sad!!!!

See what I'm getting at? If we obey God merely because of a belief system… i.e. if we believe that a Christian is someone who must be Christlike, rather than someone who has merely said a prayer (i.e. we "believe" the right thing)… then our lives will lack many characteristics of Christ. We will lack joy. We will not be in awe over our God. A form of thankfulness will be there because the Bible says "be thankful", but it will not be overflowing from our hearts to the extent God wants it to. What about our genuine affection toward God? Loving God with all our heart must come from our heart!

Christianity is not a technique…

Do you ever treat Christianity like a "belief system" or "philosophy of lifestyle"? Do you ever treat it like a "technique"? Ask God to reveal it to you, to search you. I must admit, there have definitely been thinking patterns develop in my own life, that reduced Christianity to such things. Thankfully, God showed me. We are so prone to invent methods and mental compartments. We are so prone to treat the study of God the same way we treat the study of science, deriving theories for how he does things and models for how God works. Hmmm.

So, here's the original quote again. And if you like, I posted the link to the entire article from which the quote came:

"CHRISTIANITY is not a technique, something to attend in a home or building, a philosophy of lifestyle, a belief system, or a social and do-good club. "CHURCH" is not something we can attain with knowledge and effort and sincerity. It is a Sovereign issue of God’s Intent, Timing, and Gifts. "I praise You, Father" for that! :) "
-- http://www.allathisfeet.com/housechurch/index.html

What is the Kingdom of God?

2006-02-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the title of this post sounds a bit too definite. I'm certainly not going to attempt to define the "Kingdom" exactly or to explain all the ins and outs of it. But, to me, something that I think of when I consider the "Kingdom of God" is that it is about being under God's loving authority and living as a subject in his kingdom--a kingdom that is invisible to most, and that will some day be visible to all. These are a few thoughts I had a couple days ago...

This morning I was thinking about having an eternal mindset. Jesus said that we are blessed if we are persecuted and suffer for righteousness. We are blessed when people say all kinds of evil things about us for his sake. We should rejoice because great is our reward in heaven (Matt. 5:12). When I thought about that phrase, "great is your reward in heaven", it hit me that such a mindset kind of sums up a lot of what I think about the kingdom of God.

When I think about the kingdom of God I think about being under the authority or "kingship" of God and therefore realizing that living with eternity in mind is more worthwhile than living with earthly things in mind. It is the mindset that allows me to say "amen" from the heart to the thought of being persecuted. It is the mindset that recognizes that my current citizenship is in heaven and I'm eagerly awaiting Jesus to return from there (Phil. 3:20). My citizenship in heaven is much more real than my citizenship of the United States. My citizenship here will expire upon death, but my citizenship there will be with me forever. The government of the United States will end; but his government will never end (Is. 9:7).

Knowing that only my citizenship in heaven will last, how then should I live? Such a thought embodies to me what it means to be in the Kingdom of God right now. Right now it is as if our King has gone on a journey and we are waiting for him to return (Matt. 21:33; 25:14). Actually, of course, our King is still very near to us and has not left us alone, but his physical presence is not here. We cannot see him with our eyes or touch him with our hands. The whole world cannot see him. The world does not know him (John 14:17; 1 John 3:1). But we know him. And we eagerly wait for the day when every eye shall see him (Rev. 1:7) and every knee bow before him (Phil. 2:10).

That Day is real to us. It WILL happen and we are excited. So, we choose to bow our knees now. We "see" him now, by faith with the eyes of our hearts. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor 4:18). And that's what I think of when I think of the Kingdom of God right now--an eternal mindset that lives by faith rather than sight. The things we cannot see are more real than what we can see.

The physical, bodily presence of our King is "on a journey" and he has given us tasks to do. We will be about his business, waiting for his return more than "watchmen wait for the morning" (Ps. 130:6). The Kingdom of God is here right now. God is a ruling King among those who will have him. Not everyone recognizes it now, but soon… "Come, Lord Jesus!" He will come and his reward will be with him. He is actually bringing a reward. What a Savior!

His Great Love

2006-02-09T20:15:00.000-05:00

We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).

This truth has been hitting me lately. He loved us FIRST. Before we ever thought of seeking him, he sought us. Before we ever had the smallest desire to begin walking after the truth, he drew us. We love because he first loved us.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10).

That's what love is: GOD'S LOVE. It is easy to think about how we love him and how we want to love him more and how we want to love him with all of our hearts. But let's remember that his love is everything.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

Do I? Do you? Do we really put our confidence, reliance, trust, faith in the love God has for us? If so, we will be able to live in love; God himself will be living in us. His love will be made manifest among us. This is supernatural and beyond anything that anyone can "work up".

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Cor 15:10).

Oh, let us get a glimpse of God's grace--the pleasure he takes in us, the delight he has in us, his favor upon us, his love for us! If we RECEIVE that grace, it will have an effect on us... a powerful effect on us. We will no longer be the same. We will walk in the light as he is in the light. Our love will abound.

Love is a fruit of the Spirit. It is the result of his favor and his love being realized within us. Let us KNOW and RELY on the love he has for us. Take the time to consider him. Take the time to ponder his love for you. Think about his gracious hand upon you many times from the time you were a baby until now. Think about his loving, drawing hand that has chosen you to know the Gospel that had been hidden for ages, but revealed TO YOU. Think of the many billions of people who clearly do not have God's favor upon them as much as it is upon you. Think of how "lucky" you are to be confronted with the Holy One of Israel.... and then remember that there is no "luck".... it is God's choice. He has done this because of his great affection for you. An affection you didn't earn. Receive it. Let it be effectual in you.

You'll never be the same.

"The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you... KNOW therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands..." (Deut 7:7-9).

He is WORTHY!

People Who Care

2006-02-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col 4:12).

Epaphras was a bondservant of Christ. And he was a man of prayer. Obviously, Epaphras cared deeply for the wellfare of the Colossians. Paul said that he always labored fervently in prayer, praying that the Colossians would be able to stand "perfect and complete" in all of God's will.

There weren't many people like Epaphras who cared deeply for others. Specifically, he cared for the spiritual well-being of others.

Another man who comes to mind is Timothy. About him Paul said, "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ" (Phil 2:20-21). This is a sad commentary about the cares of others, but a great testimony of the love of God inside of Timothy.

Similarly, today there are not many who take a genuine interest in the spiritual well-being of others. Each person has their own cares of life that they are busy attending to. The call for us is to be a people who care for one another and will "go the extra mile" to help each other grow. The body of Christ grows as EACH ONE does it's part (Ephesians 4:16). Sometimes it is harder than we realize to truly put our own interests aside and invest ourselves in the lives of others.

You don't have to be a "preacher"; you just have to CARE.

"My house remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house" (Haggai 1:9).

Love From the Heart

2006-01-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart" (1 Peter 1:22).

So far I've written some blog entries about topics like "Shocking" each other with our love and the need to have "Daily" relationships invested in helping each other become more like Christ. Hebrews 3:13 comes to mind: "exhort one another daily, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

A church where EACH one is devoted to "coming alongside" others everyday to help keep each other from being hardened by deceitful sin is almost non-existent. Where are the people who put Hebrews 3:13 into practice? Where are the people who live like they did in Acts 2:42, "daily with one accord"?

Why don't people live this way? We desperately need "sincere love" for one another. But let us love one another deeply, FROM THE HEART.

When we seek to follow God or keep his commands, we must do so by faith. If we want to "exhort one another daily", if we want to love one another, it must be by faith and from the heart. We cannot merely invent a principle to live by and then try to adhere to the principle. In this case, we cannot merely read Hebrews 3:13 and say to ourselves, "OK, now I'm going to start hanging out with people every day." It goes deeper than that.

The believers in Acts 2 sold their possessions, were together daily, committed themselves to one another and to following the apostles' teaching, etc. They LIVED Christianity. Most of them hadn't heard nearly as many teachings or "sermons" as most Christians today, but their lives were unquestionably committed to Christ and to one another. They were "cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37) by God's word and the way they lived was the overflow of their hearts (i.e. Matt 12:34).

We desperately need to be cut to the heart by God's Word. It is sharper than any two edged sword (Heb. 4:12) and it is supposed to go much deeper than our brains. We cannot merely increase in knowledge of what "the church" is supposed to be and then try to walk it out as best as we can.

Here's an analogy. If a neglectful dad reads in the Bible that his heart should be turned toward his children (Malachi 4:6), he may feel guilty and decide to start spending more time with his children. Maybe he will begin spending more money on his children, buying them gifts. But unless his heart actually turns, unless his love and compassion actually increases, his efforts alone will not produce everything that God wants in that relationship. In fact, his actions will be reluctant at times and incomplete, sometimes motivated by guilt and duty rather than love. But the dad who loves his children from the heart can't wait to be with them. He rushes home from work. He invests into their lives and longs to do so more and more. Hundreds of "little" things about him change, from subtle attitudes and facial expressions to large sacrifices of his time and energy.

Applied toward the church, Christ's Body, we cannot be satisfied with an intellectual understanding. For example, we cannot merely read that we are supposed to need one another just like a hand needs a foot and that if one part suffers the rest suffers too (1 Cor. 12) and then change a few of our actions. Let's not merely "hang out" more with one another. Let's love one another deeply from the heart. If our hearts are for one another we will consider one another better than ourselves (Phil. 2). We will honor one another above ourselves (Rom. 12). We will labor to present each one mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). We will wrestle fervently in prayer for one another (Col. 4:12, Eph. 6:18).

"Get a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezekiel 18:31), not just some new actions. May our actions proceed out of a heart devoted to loving God and loving one another. God will do it; he who has promised is faithful. We, however, cannot be content with intellectual understanding. God will quickly put his word into our hearts if we will let him--this a promise of the new covenant. May God receive glory in his church!

Put What We Learn About the Kingdom of God Into Practice

2006-01-27T05:20:00.000-05:00

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus...

Religious expert: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus: "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"

Religious expert: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Jesus: "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." (see Luke 10:25-28)

The above dialogue from the Gospel of Luke was on my mind this morning. Very simple. Yet, often overlooked. Jesus didn't tell him to make sure he believed a certain set of doctrines or make sure that he did a whole bunch of things. How Jesus dealt with the question got right to the man's heart.

Notice that the man already knew the answer to his own question. Jesus said DO THIS and you will live; he didn't say KNOW THIS and you will live. People who have grown up around religion often know the right answer, but doing it proves difficult. Jesus said that those who hear his words will be blessed if they put them into practice (John 13:17). Otherwise, they will be like a man building a house on the sand (Matt 7:26). There will be a house there; it might look nice to the occassional passerby... but the end is destruction.

I may learn a lot about "the Kingdom of God" or "church" or all kinds of things, but if the things I learn do not find reality in my life, then it is no good at all.

So, if you know the right answer, but do not put it into practice... the answer does you no good. In fact, you have actually deceived yourself.

As we learn more about what it means to be part of the Body of Christ, let's not let our knowledge get in the way of actually doing what we learn.

What Really Lasts?

2006-01-14T06:15:00.000-05:00

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Col 3:1-4).

That's a big IF at the beginning of Colossians 3. IF you were indeed raised with Christ then seek the things above. Set your minds on things above, NOT on earthly things. Is your life really hidden with Christ in God? If so, what will we be DOING here on earth? If our minds are set on things above, what will our "earthly" relationships be like? What will be the point of our lives? WHY will we be living? WHY will we "get together" with other people? There's more than one way to answer these questions, but here's what Paul said:

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily (Col 1:28-29).

Paul lived for Christ. "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." He labored and struggled mightily so that people could stand before God blameless. He wanted his life to count. When he got to the heavenly kingdom he wanted other people to be there because of his work (actually God working through him). This is one type of fruit that lasts.

Paul was not the only one who was supposed to live this way. Aren't we also? We may not be traveling by boat all over Asia and the Middle East like Paul, but we can have that mindset in whatever calling the Lord has us. We can be like Epaphras, "always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col 4:12). As Paul said, "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me..." (Rom 15:30). Isn't this part of what it means to be a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), that we CARE and help others to know Christ? And with others who already know Christ that we labor fervently, with much effort, to do whatever we can to help them know him better?

These things are not just for "the pastor" to do. No, EACH one MUST be laboring to present each other "perfect in Christ". If that's not our mindset, then we need to set our minds on things above; we need to TURN our minds (repent) from earthly things to heavenly things. Stop letting pointless, fruitless earthly things get in the way of a lasting, heavenly calling.

"From him the WHOLE body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as EACH part does its work" (Eph 4:16).

Indeed, there is much work, but not enough are willing to be laborers.

Shocking One Another With Love

2006-01-07T06:26:00.000-05:00

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:14-15).

This portion of Scripture recently stood out to me. I think that most of us know that Jesus is talking about more than washing feet here. Of course, there is nothing wrong with washing each other's feet. But I think we can all see that Jesus meant much more than just literal foot washing. If all we do is get a bucket and a towel and wash someone's feet, I think we will miss a lot of what we need to get from this Scripture.

Jesus set us an example. We should do as he did. What did he do?

He shocked them by expressing his love to them. How do you think the disciples felt when their Lord and Master got up from the meal, took off his garments and girded himself with a towel, and then began to go around and wash each of their feet? At least Peter was shocked. He initially refused Jesus saying, "You shall never wash my feet!" Certainly, this act amazed, surprised, and even shocked the disciples.

So, how do we follow Christ's example? He said that we ought to follow his example in this?

When is the last time others around you were amazed by the love and humility that you demonstrated?

"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim 4:12).

Let's set a "shocking" example of love, good works, faith, purity, etc. Don't look around you at what other people are doing; think about yourself. What can you do to show your love? How can you be an example for others to follow?

As we seek to apply these Scriptures to ourselves we need to allow God to show us things outside the box. Many people cannot see because they are blinded by their own experience. May that not be true of us! Do we secretly limit God working in us? Have we ever allowed God to take our thoughts to something as radical as taking off our garments, putting on a towel, and going around one by one and washing peoples' feet? Most of the ways Christianity is expressed these days does not live up to what Jesus wants. We must allow God to take our thinking outside of our experiences. We must allow him to radically tranform us. And we must be willing to put into practice a radical, wholehearted love.

We all have a "comfort zone". We will sacrifice for others up until a certain point. Maybe we will allow ourselves to be uncomfortable, but we all will stop at a certain point. My appeal is this: let's be as uncomfortable as Jesus wants us to be.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart... Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David replied, "...I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. (2 Sam 6:16,20-22)

Wisdom

2006-01-04T05:11:00.000-05:00

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom" (James 3:13).

I was talking with a dear brother yesterday and he said something like this: "wisdom is not about content." This got me thinking. Wisdom is not all about knowing a bunch of stuff. Wisdom involves good fruit in our lives, as we can see by the verse quoted above. A few verses later we read:

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

That's what we want: wisdom from above. We want these characteristics to be abundant in our lives. We don't merely want to know some facts. Wisdom is not only about lots of content...

Considering Others

2005-12-30T05:46:00.000-05:00

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Heb 10:24).

This verse was on my mind today. My own personal experience tells me that the more I consider others the more beneficial I am to them. If I think about my fellow believers and pray for them... if they are in my thoughts often, then when I see them I can more effectively spur them on toward love and good works.

How often do we really consider our fellow believers? Do we realize that one of the reasons we exist is to help others conform to Christ?

"To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Col 1:29).

The Purpose of "Church"

2005-12-28T05:55:00.000-05:00

"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph 3:10-11).

I was pondering Ephesians 3:10-11 this morning. I just have to say WOW! God is wonderful. Did you catch what the verse is saying? God has had a purpose for a long time: an "eternal purpose". The previous verse says that for "ages" the mystery of Christ had been hidden. At just the "right time" Christ came and died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). And there was an eternal purpose for it all.

His intent, or purpose, according to Ephesians 3:10-11 was to make known his wisdom to the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms". Perhaps the "rulers and authorities" are angels, perhaps angels and demons. Either way, the church is supposed to live in such a way that it makes God look very wise. When people, or angels, or demons see God's people, functioning as "one body" (Eph. 3:6) they will say, "wow, God's ways are best; he is all-wise!" This is God's intent.

Yes, God also wants people to recognize his glory as they observe the church. He hopes that men would see the love of the church and then come to him. But his plan, his purpose, his intent is even greater than this. There are other observers, "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms", who are looking on. And God has an eternal purpose that they will see his manifold wisdom through the church!

"To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Eph 3:21).

Right now, in this generation (and in all generations), there needs to be glory coming to God as a result of the church. How ought God's people to conduct themselves? How ought they to love one another, to sacrifice for one another, to lay down their very lives for one another? If God's people REALLY believe that eternity is more important than temporary things, how will they live?

Later in Ephesians, God has a wonderful description of the church. It says very clearly why Christ died and what kind of church he is building:

Eph 5:25-27 ...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Is that your "church experience"? First of all, are you part of a "body"? Are you part of a "radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless? Literally. Practically. So that all the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" will not be able to do anything but cry out, "God is wise!".

What is commonly called "church" falls so far short of these things! It is not God's will that we fall short! His will is that we display his wisdom by being a radiant church! Praise God that there is a remnant. There are people on earth today who are bringing God glory like Ephesians 3:10-11 says. But there are very few (Luke 13:24, Matt 7:14). Few churches would fit the Biblical description of being part of the "pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).

If you're reading this, I guess that I'm hoping that you will not make excuses and say that all these things are impossible and that God is hoping for something that won't happen. No, Jesus died for these things. And Ephesians 3:11 says that not only did he purpose or intend to receive glory through the church, but he also made it possible--he "accomplished" it through Christ! May he receive what he died for.

Eph 4:1 I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

When Will the Kingdom of God Appear?

2005-12-19T06:40:00.000-05:00

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)

Someone quite angrily and rudely insisted to me that the "kingdom of God" is not now at all because it is only when Jesus comes and rules. So, I thought I'd write a little about my thoughts on "when" the kingdom of God is. I don't have many answers, so most of the time I'll just quote Jesus. :-)

Certainly, in the Bible there is a future sense in which the "kingdom of God" is used. Jesus talks of the 12 disciples sitting on 12 thrones. He talks of a big feast in the kingdom. These, and many other aspects of the kingdom, are obviously yet to come.

But there is also a present aspect of the kingdom of God. There is a sense in which it has begun already. Even as Luke 17:20-21 hints at (quoted above).

John the baptist hinted that the time was very near when he said, "The time has come, the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). It was so near that Jesus could say, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power" (Mark 9:1).

Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God. One of them is as follows:

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matt 13:24-30 )

He explained the parable a few verses later:

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt 13:37-43)

Please notice the present and future senses of the kingdom of God in the words of Jesus. The good seed is being sown and there are present-tense "sons of the kingdom". There are weeds, an enemy, and a looking forward to the harvest. Notice that when the harvest, or end of the age, comes the kingdom is already there. Yet, there is still a future shining like the sun in the kingdom. But there is a kingdom already established and the angels are sent to weed out all who do evil out of it. Obviously, we are in the "phase" of the kingdom where there is a lot of sowing of seed. The enemy is lurking. We are looking forward to the harvest.

Hopefully it is clear what I'm trying to say. This blog has been emphasizing the present sense of the kingdom. Even as Paul wrote that we are already in the kingdom: "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" (Col 1:13).

Well, there is much more to say, but hopefully everyone will get my point. And actually, what I am trying to write about on this blog isn't some theological treatise about what exactly the kingdom of God is and isn't and when and how.... There is MUCH that I don't understand. What I am trying to write about is how Christians are supposed to interact with one another right now.

Well, hope all that helps. Maybe I can refer you to all the parables in which Jesus describes the "kingdom of God". Come, Lord Jesus!

Why "Preaching" is Not Enough...

2005-12-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

Most people realize that experience is more valuable than head-knowledge. If people want to become school teachers, they go to school to learn their subject matter AND they spend a lot of time visiting teachers’ classrooms. Before they graduate they must spend at least half of a year “student teaching” —- actually running a classroom under the close supervision of a teacher. It is during “student teaching” that every school teacher will tell you that he or she really learned how to teach. Sure, some of their university classes may have been helpful, but every teacher learns their “basic survival skills” during student teaching.

Someone who wants to be an engineer goes to a university to learn a lot of things, but when they are done if they want to get hired they had better have experience working as an engineer in the real world. If they are hired in as an engineer at, say, Ford Motor Company, they have a two year training program working side by side with other engineers to teach them how to be an engineer in the real world.

If someone wants to become a plumber, they do not even go to school for several years. Instead, they work side by side with a plumber for several years. Would you hire a plumber who had a four year “degree” in plumbing, but had never actually fixed a toilet?

Where am I going with all this? In the church world, it seems that many times we stop at the education phase. There’s lots of teaching a preaching; lots of books on almost every topic. People can become pastors with enough "education". It’s almost like we feel like we’ve done our job if we have taught people something. We feel like we’ve received what we needed from the church if we’ve received teaching from them. “Marriage counseling” has become a once a month “meeting” to discuss a few things. The person counseling has little knowledge of the couple’s real life and the couple has very little knowledge of what their “counselor’s” life is really like.

I have noticed that despite the increase in the amount of books and sermons on various topics, the quality of church life is not improving. Divorces continue in the churches. The youth in the “youth groups” continue to dress more and more according to the world’s pattern with shorter and shorter skirts, etc. Clearly, more books alone will not solve the problem. Teaching is good and necessary, but it is not the end all solution.

I have preached several times on topics such as child training and marriage and then in the days and weeks that follow, I have noticed that people’s lives do not change as much as I thought they would. There could be more than one reason for this, but one big reason is that teaching and preaching are not enough. What is more valuable -— hearing someone speaking about raising children or spending a weekend with someone who is very good at raising children?

If I teach something to the believers, I cannot simply conclude that the job is done. In essence, after speaking to them, I need to then walk with them in their lives side by side so that I can help them apply the teaching to their lives. After I receive instruction from others, I desire to have them help me apply what they have taught.

Jesus did the same thing. He said, “love one another as you have seen me loving you.” Paul often told his readers to remember is way of life, not just his words. Let’s help each other move beyond the “education phase” of life and get into the trenches together.

Seek First the Kingdom of God

2005-12-08T05:12:00.000-05:00

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..."

About a year and a half ago in May of 2004, I bought 4.5 acres of land halfway between Grand Rapids (where the believers are) and where I work. I would have a 20 minute drive to work and "only" a 20 minute drive to see believers. I had talked everything over with several of the brothers here and instead of living right in the town where I work, I decided to "sacrifice" so that I could be close to believers. I was seeking first his kingdom...

The house that we built was the perfect house for us. It had open spaces to promote togetherness in our family. We designed it so that we could have lots of people over for fellowship and even put a large parking pad on the side of the driveway. (By large, I mean large enough to hold about 10 cars.) I had all kinds of ideas of how living in the country would be good for my children; from raising chickens to chopping wood, I was going to teach them responsibility. We were seeking first his kingdom...

By the time the house was ready, one year ago, in December of 2004..... God made it clear to us that we should SELL it! "Oh no", was my initial reaction. Furthermore, God made it clear that we should move the city of Grand Rapids to be very near the believers. "Oh no." I didn't like the city! And I certainly didn't want a 40 minute commute to work. It was as if God was saying, "Nice try; you were trying to seek first my kingdom, but since your heart is right I'm going to lead you in such a way that you can seek first my kingdom the way I want you to."

I learned quite a bit about seeking first God's kingdom. Even though I thought that I had God's best in mind, I didn't go far enough. By May of 2005 God brought us to where we currently live--right in the city of Grand Rapids, about 2 miles from downtown. This was the last place I wanted to live.

But by the end of the summer, God had moved upon the other believers here to want to live closer together. And now we all live within 3 or 4 blocks of each other. Close proximity has really helped us to carry out sharing life ("fellowship") with one another in real, practical ways (see "Practical Daily Life in the Kingdom" Part 1 and Part 2 for examples).

And now, I really enjoy living here in the city! Wow! I am so surprised. But I have this strange peace and joy. I really like this house! But I NEVER would have designed a house like this. This is NOT what I THOUGHT I would like. But God knows best, that's for sure.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Prov 3:5-6).

I had a lot to learn about what seeking first God's kingdom meant in that situation. And I suspect I have a lot more to learn!

Whoever is reading this, would you consider one thing? Do you go all out in pursuing the will of God? Empty yourself of your own thoughts and preferences and see if there's more for God to show you. You just might be surprised.

Contradictions in the Lives of "Christians"

2005-12-06T20:06:00.000-05:00

“Not everyone who calls me, ‘Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father.”
--Jesus (Matthew 7:21)

Many people say that God is their first priority, but their lives testify otherwise. Jesus said that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter heaven. Doing God's will is the deciding factor. Let me jot down a few of the contradictions I've observed in peoples' lives. By the way, for the most part, I'm speaking from personal experience. All of the following things used to be true in my life. I thought I was following Christ, but he lovingly showed me I was not. Here goes...

Professing Christians claim that the Bible is the most important book in the world, but they spend more time watching TV than reading their Bibles.

Although the Bible says that complaining leads to destruction (1 Cor. 10:10), many people complain about their difficulties and even complain about the weather that God made.

Much of what entertains people on television is sin. In this world we will see sin occur around us, but should we deliberately put it in front of our eyes? Should we be entertained by it? Have you ever laughed at a sexually perverted comment that the movie calls "comedy"? God grieves and weeps at the sin, but many of his professed children laugh at it. Something is wrong!

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10 to freely give since they had freely received. Do you think Jesus would have been pleased if his disciples wrote memoirs of their experiences with Jesus and then sold copies of them for $14.95???? Isn't this what happens in modern Christianity today?

Many people in churches speak of peoples’ faults behind their backs. The Bible clearly forbids this.

I wonder if people would be honest and if you asked them what they truly enjoyed more: their sporting events or spiritual things? Are they more alert and excited during the 4th quarter or during a sermon or prayer or opportunity to witness on the street...

Many people are ashamed to share their faith. They might be ashamed at work, at the supermarket, or any other time. Sure, some are not ashamed. But some definitely are. "If you are ashamed of me and my words, I'll be ashamed of you."

Well, that's all I'll say for now. I don't want to be too "negative", but the truth sometimes hurts. I know that not all of these things apply to everyone. But whoever reads this maybe it'll help you take a good, hard, honest look at how you live. Do you live what you say you believe?

If we really believe that our lives are a drop in the bucket compared to eternity, how will we live? If we really believe that only what is done for God will last, how will we live?

“Will you come to my house and say, ‘We are saved,’ and then continue to do these detestable things? I have seen it!”
--God (Jeremiah 7:10-11)

Are God's Commands Too Difficult?

2005-12-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

Before you begin reading this, would you please grab a Bible and be ready to look up the Scriptures I refer to? Thanks!

Within the pages of the Bible are some pretty intense descriptions of people who choose to follow God. These include denying one's self (Matt. 16:24, Luke 14:27), loving God above anything else (Luke 14:26, 33; Matt 22:37), and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:39). If we have true faith in God, our faith causes changes in our lives. These changes are evidenced by what we do (James 2:14-16; Eph.2:8-10), what we think (Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:1-3; Eph. 5:23), what we say (Eph. 5:25, 29), and what we delight in or take pleasure in (Psalm 1:1-2; I Pet. 2:2, Matt 5:6). Through Christ we are dead to sin (Romans chapter 6) and our former way of life. By His grace, we are made free from sin (Rom. 6:18). Jesus is our example and we need to follow in his steps (I Pet. 2:21) and live like he lived (I John 2:6). Those who are in Christ are a new creation (II Cor 5:17) and we need to "...put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24). In Christ Jesus, we are created by grace to be righteous and holy through faith in him. We are told to forsake our life of sin.

Is Jesus's call too difficult? Is it too hard? For just any human being, it is too difficult, but a Christian has the Spirit of God. God's power is at work in us (Eph. 3:20). Through Christ, we ARE dead to sin (Rom. 6) and we ARE crucified with Christ; He lives in us (Gal. 2:20). So, I ask you this: is obeying God and overcoming sin in our lives too hard for us IF we have faith in him and trust in him (not ourselves)? Let's see what the Bible says:

Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your sould. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:29-30). Would you agree that Jesus' yoke is easy and his burden ligh t? From a human standpoint it may not seem like his yoke is easy. But what is a yoke anyway? A yoke is a device that holds two oxen together to plow a field; it has two large holes--one for each ox. If we take the spiritual yoke upon us that has one h ole for Jesus' head and one for ours, we must let him lead and give up our will. If we rebel, the yoke will pull at our neck and then it will hurt; but if we let him lead, He will guide us through the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23). Don't get the wron g idea: just because Jesus said his yoke was easy doesn't mean we won't suffer persecution. In fact, Jesus said that WE WILL go through trials but we can have peace in Him (John 16:33). He even gives us joy that enables us to rejoice at being counted wo rthy to suffer for him (Acts 5:41). Also, trials serve to perfect us (James 1:2-4). If we rebel against God, we will find that Prov. 13:15 is true: "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard." So, the way of a transgressor is hard, not the way of the righteous. Saul (later named Paul) found the way of a transgressor to be hard when Jesus appeared to him and said that it was hard for Saul to kick against the goads (Acts 26:14). (An ox kicking against the goads was a Greek proverb symbolizing useless resistance; eg- the ox was only hurting itself.) It is hard to rebel, but IF we surrender our will and die DAILY to ourselves, it is easy to let him lead. We must continue to serve him and deny ourselves (Matt. 16:24) or else we will find ourselves fighting God. We WILL fall if we rely on ourselves. "Where fore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12).

God's commands are not a burden to us, but rather a joy. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3). And it is possible to keep his commands because as the very next verse in I John 5 states: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (v.4). Have the faith to believe that his power works in us (Eph. 3:20) and you can and will overcome. "Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Eph. 6:16). "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23). "I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which STRENGTHENETH me" (Phil 4:13). "No temptation has seized y ou except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (I Cor. 10:13).

Rely on God to help you take the way out of EVERY temptation. He is a faithful God. "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and HE WILL DO IT." I Thess. 5:23-24

Please, don't accept less than what God has for you.

Big Tent Revival

2005-12-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

A couple years ago I was at big tent revival meeting. Before the revival meetings actually began, people would gather and pray that God would use the meetings. We would pray early in the morning and then go back home. Then we would come early before the meeting and pray together some more. The atmosphere was very sober and we were waiting expectantly for God to use the meetings to accomplish Great things for his Kingdom.

Another time, I was at a church building and many of the men of the church were down in the basement praying together before the service. I remember taking particular note of the fervency of the prayers. Men were crying out to God that he would use the meeting that was ready to begin in a few minutes. “Lord, give the preacher words for us.” “Lord, please have your way with the service today.” Many heartfelt, sincere prayers went up to the Lord that day.

And then it hit me. Do I take spiritual matters this seriously only at times like these? How fervent are the prayers before we go off to work? Why don’t we ever get up early and pray with others before we begin our workday? How much to I look for and eagerly expect God to work in my day TODAY????

Yes, the revival meetings were special, but I couldn’t escape the reality that every day is an opportunity to glorify His name. God wants all of our time, all of our hearts, all of us. He wants to use us for his kingdom. He wants to use our “normal”, everyday lives. He wants our lives to be so full of him, that when the squeeze of everyday life hits us, Jesus comes out and others see it.

It’s fine to be excited about something “special” God may be doing, but let’s not forget the opportunity of everyday life. But this requires absolute surrender, complete dedication to doing God’s will and not our own. Let’s not forget that every single day we have an opportunity to be a testimony for Christ whether we testify to men or to principalities in the heavenly realms. More on this later…

“God’s intent is that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 3:10).

In the Kingdom of God, We Need Each Other

2005-11-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

"And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you" (1 Cor. 12:21).

How much do you really need other believers that you know? How much do you really feel a NEED for your brothers and sisters in Christ? The Bible says very clearly that we cannot say that we don't need one another. Most people wouldn't say that with their lips, but they say it all the time in their hearts. In your heart, do you truly sense that you need your brothers and sisters? Your actions will reveal what you really believe. If you truly believe that you need your brothers and sisters, it will be demonstrated in your life. Should we need our brothers and sisters only for church meetings? Is that the only time we should need one another? Let us never say in our hearts, "I need you on Sunday and Wednesday, but not other days during the week!"

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:13).

Practical Daily Life in the Kingdom of God, PART 2

2005-11-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

This is part 2 of what I wrote yesterday. If you haven’t read part one yet, I would encourage you to read that first. In fact, before reading part one, you may want to read “Daily Relationships With Purpose" and "Growing in the Kingdom of God" for a little background…

“…better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away” (Proverbs 27:10).

A dear Christian brother or sister who lives far away is sometimes less valuable than a next-door neighbor who isn’t even a believer. It’s true if your car breaks down, if you need to borrow a shovel, or if you need a couple eggs to complete a recipe. It’s also true in a multitude of other ways.

The believers in our fellowship have deliberately positioned themselves to be more valuable to each other by deciding to live close to each other. For some that meant selling their home and moving. For others it meant renting a place closer to other believers. Rather than a 15 or 20 minute drive separating us, we would much rather have a one and a half minute walk! (I would like to write a post for this blog soon to get my thoughts down about how God worked in my heart personally in deciding to move closer to believers, but I’ll save that for later.)

Again in response to an inquiry about how daily life relationships leads to building up believers in love and in faith, I’ll share the following examples. These examples are taken from the last three or four weeks. Some may be more profound than others....maybe you won't think any are "profound". :-) There are many more in addition to these, but I think you’ll get the picture… So, in the last three or four weeks…

In the past days and weeks believers have shown up at my door to borrow shovels, rakes, a wheelbarrow, and some other things that I can’t remember. How is that “spiritual”? Well, whenever two or three believers who are dedicated to conforming to Christ and helping each other conform to Christ…whenever such people can see each other or interact it is a great opportunity to share a Scripture, a thought, or a prayer… or even just share a shovel. Random acts of kindness have been known to increase love between people. When Jesus says to “love one another” and that “all men will know you are my disciples when they see you love each other” he was referring to everyday life. I don’t think he was meaning that unbelievers would say, “wow, look at how those Christians love each other by going to that building together every week!” So, as we look to increase in love for each other and to show the world, random acts of kindness toward one another is a big deal.

About a week ago, a neighbor who is not a part of our church called and asked if she could borrow some vanilla. We (the believers here) were right in the middle of sharing life together. My wife was attending to one of our children and I was in the middle of a conversation with a couple of brothers. A sister in the Lord was available and she brought the vanilla over to the neighbor’s house. What did this plant in the mind of my neighbor? It was unexpected that someone other than a member of my “family” would bring the vanilla over…but maybe it will help reveal what Spiritual Family is all about.

A couple weeks ago, a brother borrowed my car. (It was very handy since he lives a block and a half away!) He noticed that my oil needed to be changed probably because he saw the little reminder sticker that the oil change place put on the upper left corner of my window. He brought the car back with an oil change and some information about something that the mechanic said could be wrong. Another bonding experience from an “everyday” situation. It was more bonding that sitting in a church pew and looking at him across the room. :-) Other times, my car has been returned having been professionally vacuumed!

In the last few weeks several people have needed to use our washing machine for various reasons. These were great opportunities to share and also to be “inconvenienced” in a very minor way, learning to put others before ourselves.

One day our neighbors stopped by. (Different neighbors than those I mentioned earlier, but they aren’t a part of our church either.) When they showed up, someone from our church was just leaving. We talked with them for a few minutes and in walked a couple from the church. They asked if we could pray about a trip they were going to take to China. This made quite an impression on the neighbors who noticed that we do more than just “go to church” together… there is something happening that is unlike anything they’ve seen…

A couple days ago I was stapling up insulation in the walls of a bathroom we are adding to our home. (A brother had already framed the walls for me; another had done the plumbing; another had done the electric; and another had done the heating.) I ran out of staples. Just then a brother named Andy knocked on the door and asked to borrow our rake, but someone else had already borrowed it! So he left in search of another rake. Meanwhile I called a different brother named Ryan and asked if he had any staples for a staple gun. Ryan informed me that he had staples (but no gun) and that Andy had just shown up looking for a rake. Andy got several rakes and Ryan sent the staples with Andy, who hand-delivered them to me. My wife and children ended up going with Andy and helping with raking, while I finished my project.

The other day, I was getting my 2 year old in the car to go to Home Depot. I thought, “This would be a much nicer trip if I had someone to go with me.” So, I called a brother (who lives down the street) and he came over with his son and we all went to Home Depot. It allowed us to observe each others children and offer meaningful input into father-son relationships and child-training. We also opened our hearts to each other on some topics of concern. It was a good time.

A week and a half ago, I had a work-related conference to go to in Chicago, on a Friday. A brother, Joshua, who had the day off graciously volunteered to go with me to keep me company and to fellowship. Another brother, Scott, arranged so that he could have the day off! The day before we were to leave, a dear believer from Missouri called and asked us to come for the weekend: they needed some help with a very serious spiritual matter. God worked through several brothers (7 I think) to show us that Joshua shouldn’t go afterall, but that another brother named Chris should go. And all of us needed to take Monday off of work. So, we all spent the day driving about 3 and a half hours to Chicago. And then another 6 down to Missouri later that evening.

OK, this is getting a little long. Sprinkled in the midst of all this we have had prayer, Scriptures, a few songs, help with child-raising, etc, etc. The other believers would each have their own stories to tell. And if I sat here longer, I would have more to tell as well.

At the very least, strings of affection have been tied in each situation. In some situations, unbelievers have watched. In others, we got to speak truth and life into each other’s lives. We see each other interacting with spouses and children. We can offer advice and speak about things that we can see, but individuals may have missed. Whatever the case may be, may God receive glory in his Church.

Practical Daily Life in the Kingdom of God

2005-11-22T11:14:00.000-05:00

I received a comment asking for some practical, real-life examples of this “daily life” I’ve been writing about on this blog. Well, I’ll share one example. It may seem trivial, but it is not. Before I share it though, let me provide a little framework…

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

It is true that one person sharpens another, not just because the Bible says so, but because it is reality! Think of how marriage is a sharpening experience. There is not a man I know who hasn’t become more considerate as a result of getting married! Before we are married we can study in our Bible and read about considering others first and denying ourselves. We can read about laying down our lives for others and putting their needs above our own. But when we get married, all these things we’ve read have a real life context. We really learn what it means to deny ourselves when we are married. We really learn about being married when we are married! Because we sharpen each other! But then, our first child arrives. Talk about denying ourselves! People learn what selfishness and selflessness really are when they have one child, then two, then three… And they either grow in the Lord or very obviously hold onto their own priorities and do what they want to do…. And their family will either prosper or suffer.

In “church life” it is the same thing. We can either attend events together and go home or we can be a part of each other's lives like the Bible says. We can either read and hear about how to be more Christ-like, or we can actually become more Christ-like. As I’ve shown from the Bible in the last few entries, real-life relationships are necessary for the kind of growth God wants.

Well, here’s that practical example I mentioned. Sure, I could offer other ones, but this very simple story will hopefully give you a glimpse into just a regular day in the kingdom of God… And it’s the kind of day that we are looking to have more of here in Grand Rapids. We are not looking to have more “revival services”; we are looking for more days like the one I’ll describe. I hope you can see why. :-)

One weekday while I was at work, a brother from our church who didn’t have to work was thinking of how he could enrich the lives of others. How could he “come along side” others and be an encouragement? He stopped by our home and asked my wife if he could take three of our children for a walk to the park. (He had already picked up a boy from another family’s home.) Talk about feeling loved! Our children knew they were thought of by others in the church. We all want our children to feel important in real ways and we all want them to grow up to love God and love God’s children. Investments into their lives like what this brother did are what will make it happen. My wife saw the care also! And besides she had a lot of work around the house that she wanted to catch up on.

Without delay, my wife began planning what she would do and how she would make good use of her freed up time. Knock, knock, knock… Someone was at the door. It was a sister from the church here. It was clear from the concerned look on her face that she was hoping to talk to my wife about something that was important to her. My wife immediately had a choice to make: care about a friend or have some “free time” to herself. And if you can imagine, such a decision can feel difficult for a mother with four small children. My wife chose what Jesus wanted her to choose and she spent the time investing in a dear sister. The housework would have to wait. In fact, God most likely arranged some “free time” not because my wife needed the time, but because someone else needed my wife to have some free time. Although seemingly simple, this situation not only was helpful to the lady who stopped by, but it was helpful to my wife. My wife became more Christ-like. She became better, more practiced at putting others before herself. Through many experiences like this, it will become more and more easy to do what Jesus would do.

We can hear sermons all day long about loving each other and denying ourselves. We can read in our Bibles about considering others more important than ourselves (Phil. 2). It is so often in the workings of daily life together that many of these theoretical concepts actually get put into practice. It happens in a husband-wife relationship. It happens in a parent-child relationship. Denying yourself on behalf of others in simple, un-profound ways builds love and affection that is hard to describe using words on a computer screen. Can you picture what would happen if interactions such as these occurred every day between believers? Wouldn’t it make us more like a family? Isn't that what a family is?

Hope that helps. Your comments are always welcome. :-)

Growing in the Kingdom of God

2005-11-21T07:28:00.000-05:00

How does someone grow spiritually? Bible reading? Prayer? Of course, reading your Bible and praying are wonderful! But there is another tool to help you grow closer in your walk with God. And it is a tool that is under-utilized by most people. The tool about which I am speaking is relationships--real relationships--with other Christians.

…from whom (Christ) the whole body, joined and knit together by what EVERY joint supplies, according to the effective working by which EVERY part does its share, CAUSES GROWTH of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:16 NKJV)

Ephesians 4:16 tells us that the whole body (each person in the church) needs to be joined and "compacted" or "knit" together. Every joint in the body--each person--needs to be supplying something. Every part of the body needs to be working effectively and properly. Then the body grows!

One of the ways that the Scriptures speak of Christians helping each other grow is that we are told to "edify" one another. The word "edify" simply means to "build". So when we read of the need to edify one another, in plain words it means that we should build each other up in the faith. Christians should build up the faith of other Christians.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" (Rom 14:19). In this verse, the word for "follow after" in Greek means to "pursue". It means to pursue tirelessly and so it is also translated "persecute" in many verses (Matt. 10:23, Acts 9:4-5, Rom. 12:14, and many others). Christians ought to tirelessly pursue the building up of each other. Have you been making every effort to edify those you fellowship with?

It is time that people go far beyond merely attending one another's lives a couple times a week at "church". Instead, there is a great need that the people of God BE the Church. We need to BE to one another what God wants us to be. We need to help one another, building up faith in each other.

Could it be that many people are not growing in their faith because they are not closely connected with other believers that are determined to build God's household? I know people who may read their Bibles and pray and "go to church", but still they haven't grown much in many years. Why? It is time that we examine what we think "church" is all about. It is MUCH more than attending a weekly service, listening to a sermon, and singing a few songs. God's people are supposed to be actively and purposely building on one another every day! (I'm not talking about "hanging out" more or having more "social time", but considering how to spur one another on in the faith--Hebrews 10:24).

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost..." (Jude 20).

Major Problems With "Small Groups" in Churches

2005-11-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

More and more churches are seeing a need to become more personal. They are recognizing the overwhelming failure to connect with people in intimate relationships. So, they try to solve the problem by starting “cell groups” or “small groups” or “discipleship groups”…or some other program with a different name. Although some relationships can form a little better in a “small group” than in a 1000 seat auditorium, the quality of the relationships is much less than the quality that we read of in Acts chapter 2:

“All the believers were TOGETHER and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. EVERY DAY they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate TOGETHER with glad and sincere hearts…” (Acts 2:44-46).

No matter how nice the “cell group” structure is in a church, I have not seen such a programmed existence lead to a description like that in Acts 2. Think about your church for a minute… If someone wrote a one paragraph description of your church, what would it include? How often would the word “together” appear? How often would it describe that people were actively engaged in building each other up in the faith? Or would the primary interactions occur only during a pre-arranged, church programmed event such as a "service" or "cell group"?

Let’s take a closer look at these “groups” and examine some of the things that make them not work very well. I’ll use the term “discipleship groups” to refer in general to “small group” program thing…

One of the problems with discipleship programs is that they are very mechanical and artificially removed from everyday life. Most discipleship programs include some instruction at some regular intervals, maybe once a week or once a month. Perhaps the instruction consists of a book to read, followed up by a discussion. Perhaps the instruction consists of a list of Bible verses to read and a follow-up discussion later. This is quite different from what Jesus did with his “small group” of disciples. To illustrate what I mean, let's look at how Jesus "discipled" the disciples. What did he do to teach those who wanted to learn from him. Obviously, he opened his mouth and taught them many things. This is an important part of discipleship and this is the most common element of a discipleship program at a church. But now let's consider what else, besides direct instruction, that Jesus did to "disciple" the disciples.

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:15).
"…he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves… I am AMONG YOU as the One who serves. But you are those who have continued WITH ME in My trials." (Luke 22:26-28).
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:29).
"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John 2:6).

It is strikingly clear from the above Scriptures how important it is to frequently BE WITH whoever you are learning from. The disciples did not meet with Jesus once a week to receive their "discipleship discussion". No, Jesus lived among them and showed them what he meant by his life. He said, “love one another as you have seen me loving you.” Jesus spoke that the greatest man would be like a servant and then he, their Lord and Master, lived a servant's life right in front of them! The Apostle Paul believed that it was very important that people he was teaching also knew his lifestyle. Consider the following Scriptures:

"For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Cor 4:17)
"You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance…" (2 Tim 3:10)
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith" (Heb 13:7)
"You know how we lived among you for your sake" (1 Thess 1:5)
"For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow" (2 Thess 3:7-9)

Please consider how shallow the following scenario is. In this hypothetical example, let's say that Doug is a teacher in a church and John is being "discipled" by Doug. Let's say that Doug and John are meeting for their regular Tuesday night discipleship time…

Doug: Last week you mentioned that you were struggling with impatience toward your wife and children. How is that going this week? (notice that Doug was not present in John's life to provide guidance as he saw real-life situations occur.)
John: Well, I think it is going a little better. (Notice that John is left to evaluate his progress all by himself.)
Doug: Is there any other thing that you are having difficult with this week? (notice that Doug wasn't involved in John's life so Doug cannot say something like, "John, I noticed you did such and such this week; it might be more helpful for you to do this instead…")

I hope from the above hypothetical conversation that you can realize that there is something sorely missing if people are not involved in one another's lives. “Small groups” and “discipleship groups” are not going deep enough. Let's go deeper. Let's get real. Don't settle for a "program" of discipleship. Rather, let discipleship be a way of life. Discipleship should happen almost automatically if there are people spending time together who live for the purpose of conforming to Christ and helping others conform to Christ. Let us examine ourselves: if we need a program for "discipleship" to happen, maybe our everyday lives are not what we think they are. Maybe we are not as serious about helping others grow in their faith as we think we are. Maybe we are not desiring to grow in our faith as much as we think we are. Let us examine ourselves. A tree is known, not by what it thinks or says, but by its fruit.

Maybe we are not committed to Christ whole-heartedly after all.

"We have a good pastor"...REALLY?

2005-11-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

When I ask someone about his or her church, I often hear, "We have a really good pastor." So, allow me to take this opportunity to ask a question: What make a pastor good? After some people have told me that their pastor is really godly, I have asked them several questions:

How does he treat his wife at home, in regular every day life?
What is his wife like? Is she trustworthy and cheerful as she goes about her daily tasks?
What are his children like?
Is he a patient man, full of self-control as he goes about life on a day to day basis?
How does he spend his free time?
How often do you spend time with your pastor outside of the official church functions?

I have been alarmed to see that many people do not know the answers to many of the above questions. They do not know what their pastor is really like outside of the church building. But listen to what the Bible says about qualifications of leaders in God's church:

Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church? (1 Tim 3:2-5 NIV)

In light of the Scriptures, how can someone know if his or her pastor is actually a "good pastor" if the pastor's daily life is unknown? Is your pastor really qualified to be a pastor? Going to seminary does not automatically qualify someone to be a pastor. Knowing Greek doesn't qualify someone as being a pastor. A good public speaker doesn't qualify. According to the Bible, being "able to teach" is one of many qualifications. Let's not hinge everything on that one quality. Think about how many "good pastors" have ended up falling into sin, sometimes horrible and vile sin! How many pastors are really accountable? How many pastors are truly godly men, qualified to be pastors?

By the way, a "pastor" is a gifting. For one to be a pastor, God must give him the spiritual gifts necessary to shepherd God's church. It is a GIFT that cannot be earned. God GIVES it. "It was he who GAVE some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers" (Eph 4:11). It cannot be earned by going to seminary. Although, of course, a pastor will study the Bible, he cannot "earn" the gift of pastor by studying the Bible. It is a GIFT.

Hopefully this short writing has helped you to think about the disjointed church experience that is all too common these days. Allow me to make this simple appeal: "And we beseech you, brethren, to KNOW them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you" (1 Thess 5:12 KJV). We must know the lives of those who are leaders in God's church. We should know each other's lives too, but how much more the lives of a "pastor"!

Daily Relationships with Purpose

2005-11-16T20:39:00.000-05:00

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:13).

Hebrews 3:13 is an excellent Biblical description of what it is like to recognize our need for one another. It says very plainly to exhort one another daily. The Greek word here for exhort is "parakaleo", which means to call near to one's side. We need to come alongside one another very frequently--even daily--so that we don't get deceived and hardened by sin! I am not advocating daily "church services". I am simply suggesting that brothers and sisters have a lifestyle that includes one another. I'm simply suggesting that we recognize our need for each other and live accordingly.

We should be coming alongside one another very frequently for the purpose of spurring each other on in the faith. Notice: if we are aware of the possibility of being hardened by sin's deceitfulness, we will come together for a specific purpose. Our purpose will be to help one another to become more and more like Christ. Our purpose will be to help one another to do God's will and to increase in love (Heb. 10:24-25). We won't merely be getting together like a social club, without a higher purpose. No, our mission is clear and we will have great determination.

Contrast what I have just said with the way that most Christians live. For example, most church-goers see each other only at "official" church functions such as worship services, prayer meetings, Bible studies, picnics, etc. There are some who may "get together" with church friends outside of church functions. But many times such "get-togethers" are not very focussed; maybe a lunch get-together or an evening out, there is not often a determination, a purpose of sharpening each other to become more like Jesus.

Ask yourself: do your relationships with your church friends center around a mutual desire to help each other become more like Christ? When you get together with friends from church, how deep does it really go?

Introduction: READ THIS FIRST

2005-11-16T20:24:00.000-05:00

I've been wondering about starting a blog now for a while. I've asked some others from the church here about it and prayed about it and it seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us to start a little web log...

The purpose of this blog is to hopefully engage in dialogue about really important things--eternal things. Things that last. Some topics may be controversial, but I hope that an environment will exist that will encourage honest and sincere questions.

So, please feel free to make comments and ask questions and either I or one of the believers here in Grand Rapids will get back to you.

May God bless you as you seek him with a sincere heart.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt 6:33).