Ok boys and girls...gather round. Teeth brushed? Got your pj's on? Got that final drink of water? Ok sit down and Pat will tell you a story...a true story about when God is quiet.
Back in late 2007 I knew the time was near and that God was leading me back into the senior pastorate. I loved being a missions pastor in Baton Rouge and was quite content with teaching our Bible fellowship class of 60 adults on Sunday morning. I was 9 months away from finishing my MBA in church admin from California Baptist University. We had just come through a horrendous hurricane called Katrina and had worked with our great pastoral staff and wonderful volunteers as I oversaw the the relief work for 18 months working directly under our senior pastor. That is another story for another time...
Carol and I began praying and seeking God...the desire to pastor became stronger and stronger. I finished my MBA and Carol was busy selling real estate post-Katrina and she taught volunteered with a team each week in the nearby women's prison. We waited...waited...prayed....and waited. God got quieter...and soon was downright silent with us. So, we prayed some more...and waited some more all the while God was quiet...not even so much as a divine grunt!
The quieter He was the louder I became...praying, asking out loud where was He. Getting frustrated even angry. All the while I was sending out resumes and friends were recommending me to some pretty cool churches in great locales. Nights on realtor.com looking at housing in places like Washington DC (that was depressing for what we could afford there...a plastic porta-toilet like you see at the fair), Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and places in-between. I perused the pastor search pages on-line every Monday...without fail.
In March of 2008 in the midst of a spiritually dry time...I mean Sahara dry time I took a Saturday morning and checked into a local hotel with my Bible and I was not going to leave there till I heard from God!
We were 9-10 months into seeking a church with God being as quiet as an Ol' Miss fan sitting in the LSU stands at a football game! I sat on the bed with my Bible open. I intended to begin at Habakkuk 3:17 which says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."
I wanted God to know that I loved Him and that I did not want to be a fair-weather friend with Him. I would love Him and serve Him in the dryest of days, yet I also wanted to hear from Him! He did not have to tell me where Carol and I would be going, or even when....just that He had me and that He had plans and a place for us to pastor.
Just like God to send me to another scripture nearby "by mistake." I actually turned to Zephaniah 3:17 which says,"Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring [you] quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy."
WOW!! That jumped out at me at 500 mph...and my heart grew peaceful for the first time in weeks. My eyes teared up and I lifted my hands to heaven in that motel room and told God, "Ok, that's good enough for me! You are quiet on purpose but you are rejoicing over Carol and me at this moment. You are quiet on purpose in your love but you delight in us with whoops of delight." IT WAS ENOUGH ANSWER FOR THE TIME BEING! He had not shelved us in a dark attic finished or tired of using us!!
Four months later we began discussions in earnest with Woodland Hills Church in Asheville, NC. By Thanksgiving we were moved there and serving as senior pastor...that's with a 2 week vacation in Hawaii thrown in too :-)
So boys and girls our story reminds us that God is always working life for our good and for His glory...even when He is silent it is done in love and He delights in us as we walk with Him anyway because He is worthy of our faith, love and commitment to serve even in the dark arid times like right now for someone reading this story. Goodnight and sleep well boys and girls.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Extremism Causes Problems On Both Ends
I gotta tell you...this stuff in Florida where the Koran was put on trial and then 2 people were beheaded in Afghanistan and several UN personnel were killed in protest of the Koran being burned is just plain lunacy.
This is the same pastor who threatened to burn the Koran last September 11th but backed down after every body and their uncle asked him not to. The White House, the Vatican, other government leaders, and more sought to have this pastor with 30....not 300...not 3000...30 in his congregation not to burn the Koran in protest to 9-11. Frankly, it was a stunt in which the media was duplicitous in escalating the tension by giving such frenzied media coverage to such a non-event in terms of national scope.
So on one hand you have a small church in Orlando putting the Koran on trial. At best this smacks of a PR stunt and at worse it is a hypocritical stunt gone awry. Why not put the Book of Mormon on trial? Why didn't they put the Watch Tower publications on trial too? If they believe the Koran is false and burned it then why not the rest of the myriad of extra biblical writings that they would oppose, as well?
Then there's the radicals in Islam....Al Qaeda, Islamic Brotherhood, the Taliban and many other similar groups who feel compelled to take life because 30...not 300...not 3000...THIRTY people don't like their holy book! Again, the media seems to be in the middle of both sides reporting "they said and then they said" and then reporting the results. Frankly, its a travesty coming out of all three groups.
WWJD (what would Jesus do?) is what should be asked. Jesus showed us how to love our enemies as He did (Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34). He taught we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5). Both sides could learn a thing or two from the Lord. Innocent deaths have come from all of this lunacy. Needless and tragic consequences because of the actions of both sides.
Lord, help us to love the Lost the way you do!! Lord, give us wisdom in how we say Truth and how we live it in front of others.
This is the same pastor who threatened to burn the Koran last September 11th but backed down after every body and their uncle asked him not to. The White House, the Vatican, other government leaders, and more sought to have this pastor with 30....not 300...not 3000...30 in his congregation not to burn the Koran in protest to 9-11. Frankly, it was a stunt in which the media was duplicitous in escalating the tension by giving such frenzied media coverage to such a non-event in terms of national scope.
So on one hand you have a small church in Orlando putting the Koran on trial. At best this smacks of a PR stunt and at worse it is a hypocritical stunt gone awry. Why not put the Book of Mormon on trial? Why didn't they put the Watch Tower publications on trial too? If they believe the Koran is false and burned it then why not the rest of the myriad of extra biblical writings that they would oppose, as well?
Then there's the radicals in Islam....Al Qaeda, Islamic Brotherhood, the Taliban and many other similar groups who feel compelled to take life because 30...not 300...not 3000...THIRTY people don't like their holy book! Again, the media seems to be in the middle of both sides reporting "they said and then they said" and then reporting the results. Frankly, its a travesty coming out of all three groups.
WWJD (what would Jesus do?) is what should be asked. Jesus showed us how to love our enemies as He did (Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34). He taught we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5). Both sides could learn a thing or two from the Lord. Innocent deaths have come from all of this lunacy. Needless and tragic consequences because of the actions of both sides.
Lord, help us to love the Lost the way you do!! Lord, give us wisdom in how we say Truth and how we live it in front of others.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Great Food For Thought About Christmas
Our son, Jon, is a pastor in PA. He writes a monthly article for their local paper. This is a great reminder of what Christmas is about...
Walking into Target, before we even got through the second set of doors, Karis says, "Daddy, please, please can I have a Zhu Zhu pet?"Last month we were watching cartoons on a lazy Saturday morning. A certain commercial appeared and the girls screamed, "Daddy, please, please can we have a Zhu Zhu pet?"Do you see a trend here?
Since the end of September all the retail stores have been ramping up to this "Season of Stuff" we call Christmas.Now I get it. Don't label me anti-business. Both the big box store manager and the mom and pop shop keeper need to put food on the table and hopefully have a little left over at the end of the year. I live in that world, too! It's just that as a pastor I see the fallout all the time.
Dec. 25 is more than a month away and already my daily news feed on Facebook is sprinkled with status update laments about Christmas gift-buying stress and Black Friday sales hysteria.Next week at this time we will read news articles about how this person got trampled or that person got into a fist fight shortly after the big box store opened their doors at 3:45 a.m. Black Friday morning.
I see the stressed-out families feeling guilty because each year they regret how much they spend on their already spoiled kids and yet somehow they feel powerless to declare a definitive "No!" to excessive spending again this year.Even in a recession, last year we spent $45 billion on Christmas. Did you know that is three times the amount it would cost to rebuild all the broken buildings and broken lives in Haiti?
Why is it that we feel panicked and nauseous if we gave a gift of lesser value to someone who bought us a more expensive gift? I see people buying gifts out of guilt because they feel an obligation to buy gifts for extended family members they only talk to once a year.Why do we think purchasing gifts will somehow ensure everyone feels loved by us? The Beatles were right - you can't buy me love. I guess we can try?Oh, and by the way - your kids and grandkids think you can buy their love, but you can't.
I'm not saying don't buy gifts for your loved ones and friends. I am saying that the real gifts we crave are not Zhu Zhu pets or the latest gaming system.Oh, so we finally gave our girls their Zhu Zhu pets. How long did the little digital hamsters hold their attention? Try a week and a half. Thus, on and on we go to the next momentary sought-after distraction.I'm not suggesting you become a Scrooge and boycott Christmas. That just creates another set of problems.
Rather, how do we redeem Christmas?You know what the people in your life really want? You know what you really want? It's not another digital distraction. The people in your life really want you.They want to know you think they are valuable and worthy, not just because you buy them gifts, but because when they speak, you intently listen. They want to know that you are their biggest fan. They long for your approval. They hope for your understanding and desire for you to know what matters most to them.I know grown tough guys, men with children of their own, who would give up all of their latest gadgets just to know that their emotionally absent fathers were proud of them for who they are, not just what they do.
Humor me. What did you get for Christmas last year? What about the year before? If you are like me, you can't remember.In the last five years the only gift I remember receiving was when my parents took everyone in our family out for a special dinner the day after Christmas. We ate, drank, laughed and talked about the highs and lows of our lives that year. It was great, better than all the gifts I've since forgotten.We don't live for stuff. We live for relationships.This Christmas, use your brain. Divert your gift-buying energy and stress into finding creative experiences that value relationships over possessions.
Jon Hand is the pastor of Engage Community Church in Carlisle. He welcomes comments at jon@engagecommunitychurch.com
Walking into Target, before we even got through the second set of doors, Karis says, "Daddy, please, please can I have a Zhu Zhu pet?"Last month we were watching cartoons on a lazy Saturday morning. A certain commercial appeared and the girls screamed, "Daddy, please, please can we have a Zhu Zhu pet?"Do you see a trend here?
Since the end of September all the retail stores have been ramping up to this "Season of Stuff" we call Christmas.Now I get it. Don't label me anti-business. Both the big box store manager and the mom and pop shop keeper need to put food on the table and hopefully have a little left over at the end of the year. I live in that world, too! It's just that as a pastor I see the fallout all the time.
Dec. 25 is more than a month away and already my daily news feed on Facebook is sprinkled with status update laments about Christmas gift-buying stress and Black Friday sales hysteria.Next week at this time we will read news articles about how this person got trampled or that person got into a fist fight shortly after the big box store opened their doors at 3:45 a.m. Black Friday morning.
I see the stressed-out families feeling guilty because each year they regret how much they spend on their already spoiled kids and yet somehow they feel powerless to declare a definitive "No!" to excessive spending again this year.Even in a recession, last year we spent $45 billion on Christmas. Did you know that is three times the amount it would cost to rebuild all the broken buildings and broken lives in Haiti?
Why is it that we feel panicked and nauseous if we gave a gift of lesser value to someone who bought us a more expensive gift? I see people buying gifts out of guilt because they feel an obligation to buy gifts for extended family members they only talk to once a year.Why do we think purchasing gifts will somehow ensure everyone feels loved by us? The Beatles were right - you can't buy me love. I guess we can try?Oh, and by the way - your kids and grandkids think you can buy their love, but you can't.
I'm not saying don't buy gifts for your loved ones and friends. I am saying that the real gifts we crave are not Zhu Zhu pets or the latest gaming system.Oh, so we finally gave our girls their Zhu Zhu pets. How long did the little digital hamsters hold their attention? Try a week and a half. Thus, on and on we go to the next momentary sought-after distraction.I'm not suggesting you become a Scrooge and boycott Christmas. That just creates another set of problems.
Rather, how do we redeem Christmas?You know what the people in your life really want? You know what you really want? It's not another digital distraction. The people in your life really want you.They want to know you think they are valuable and worthy, not just because you buy them gifts, but because when they speak, you intently listen. They want to know that you are their biggest fan. They long for your approval. They hope for your understanding and desire for you to know what matters most to them.I know grown tough guys, men with children of their own, who would give up all of their latest gadgets just to know that their emotionally absent fathers were proud of them for who they are, not just what they do.
Humor me. What did you get for Christmas last year? What about the year before? If you are like me, you can't remember.In the last five years the only gift I remember receiving was when my parents took everyone in our family out for a special dinner the day after Christmas. We ate, drank, laughed and talked about the highs and lows of our lives that year. It was great, better than all the gifts I've since forgotten.We don't live for stuff. We live for relationships.This Christmas, use your brain. Divert your gift-buying energy and stress into finding creative experiences that value relationships over possessions.
Jon Hand is the pastor of Engage Community Church in Carlisle. He welcomes comments at jon@engagecommunitychurch.com
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Would Jesus Torch A Koran?
Well, if you ask pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, FL he would tell you heck yeah Jesus would torch a Koran in a Mecca minute! His church of 50 has caused quite a stir provoking Muslims around the world to protest the little church's planned protest. It has prompted Secretary of State Clinton to call and ask them not to burn the Korans. Secretary of Defense Gates called asking the same thing. The Vatican has also asked Jones to not carry out the protest. Wow, what a tempest in a teapot!!
So it begs the question whether Jesus would burn a Koran. After all, in John 2 of the New Testament Jesus cleaned out the Temple one day in anger and disgust at the merchants' lack of regard for God's Word. So we know He was passionate about the Law of God. So....would He torch the Muslim holy book?
Nope, not in a NY minute! Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:43-47
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Nope, not in a NY minute! Jesus would take the time to love Muslims and build relationships with them. He would share the Truth with them and He would work at sharing the Gospel with them. He would not go out of His way to provoke the Muslim world. Just the Gospel alone will provoke the most fervent Muslim without going out of the way to threaten their holy book too.
Sadly, Pastor Jones and his flock have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind receiving world-wide condemnation! It has allowed the media to once again paint all churches with the same paintbrush in that we are all wide-eyed weirdos thumping our Bibles and condemning folks different than ourselves.
I will argue all day long that Jones and his church has the right, as Americans,to protest anyway they like as long as they are not violent! I will also argue that their protest is a travesty to grace shed abroad by Jesus love for this broken sinful world.
So it begs the question whether Jesus would burn a Koran. After all, in John 2 of the New Testament Jesus cleaned out the Temple one day in anger and disgust at the merchants' lack of regard for God's Word. So we know He was passionate about the Law of God. So....would He torch the Muslim holy book?
Nope, not in a NY minute! Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:43-47
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Nope, not in a NY minute! Jesus would take the time to love Muslims and build relationships with them. He would share the Truth with them and He would work at sharing the Gospel with them. He would not go out of His way to provoke the Muslim world. Just the Gospel alone will provoke the most fervent Muslim without going out of the way to threaten their holy book too.
Sadly, Pastor Jones and his flock have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind receiving world-wide condemnation! It has allowed the media to once again paint all churches with the same paintbrush in that we are all wide-eyed weirdos thumping our Bibles and condemning folks different than ourselves.
I will argue all day long that Jones and his church has the right, as Americans,to protest anyway they like as long as they are not violent! I will also argue that their protest is a travesty to grace shed abroad by Jesus love for this broken sinful world.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Jesus Is Always Worth It
Have you ever been disappointed by life? Has life ever let you down...hard? I heard about a spunky little old lady flying to see her family. It was a stormy day so flying was very turbulent. When the pilot landed the plane fell the last few feet onto the runway rather hard. As she was exiting the pilot stood at the exit saying goodbye to the passengers. When the little old lady walked past the pilot she stopped and asked. "Sonny, did we land or were we shot down?"
Perhaps you feel like that lady...life has let you down hard! People disappoint you, or circumstances go awry when you least expected it. As Followers of Christ how do we view these let downs? Aren't we teflon from the world's hurts and people's words?
We are no more teflon from struggles, problems, and hurt than Jesus was. The Bible uses words like "wounded," "bruised", "betrayed," and more to describe Jesus' sufferings in circumstances and from people He loved but did not love Him back.
How do we handle life when that happens? How do we push on? How do we deal with disappointments?
Hebrews 12 gives us good advice.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
How do we handle life when that happens? How do we push on? We find comfort that Jesus suffered in this world and we learn to suffer as He did! We run our race in life because Jesus is worth it. When circumstances in life hurt...people in our family disappoint us...when money is short and bills are piling...we realize following Jesus and living His teachings are the priority because Jesus is worth getting up off the mat for and brushing the dirt off and keep running the race God has put us in. Where are you today? Feel shot down? Do you want to walk away from people or circumstances? Then follow great advice in verse 2 above. Then dwell on verse 3...so we won't "grow weary or fainthearted." Jesus is worth it!
Perhaps you feel like that lady...life has let you down hard! People disappoint you, or circumstances go awry when you least expected it. As Followers of Christ how do we view these let downs? Aren't we teflon from the world's hurts and people's words?
We are no more teflon from struggles, problems, and hurt than Jesus was. The Bible uses words like "wounded," "bruised", "betrayed," and more to describe Jesus' sufferings in circumstances and from people He loved but did not love Him back.
How do we handle life when that happens? How do we push on? How do we deal with disappointments?
Hebrews 12 gives us good advice.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
How do we handle life when that happens? How do we push on? We find comfort that Jesus suffered in this world and we learn to suffer as He did! We run our race in life because Jesus is worth it. When circumstances in life hurt...people in our family disappoint us...when money is short and bills are piling...we realize following Jesus and living His teachings are the priority because Jesus is worth getting up off the mat for and brushing the dirt off and keep running the race God has put us in. Where are you today? Feel shot down? Do you want to walk away from people or circumstances? Then follow great advice in verse 2 above. Then dwell on verse 3...so we won't "grow weary or fainthearted." Jesus is worth it!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Few Thoughts on Vacation With Grandkids
Yep, I'm a granddad and loving it! Yep, I have 5 of the cutest, smartest grandkids on planet earth!! No brag just fact!! Yep, I am bone tired and have fallen into bed the last two nights at the late hour of 9:30...PM. Why? Because we vacationed with grandkids all last week...who were up at 6:45 or 7 am EVERY morning ready for Pop Pop (that's Rev. Pop Pop to you WHC folks) to take them boating or swimming. Now get this...these kids run everywhere...no walking EVER...just full bore pedal to the metal running indoors or outdoors. A couple of them have only an outside voice even when inside and none of them want to miss one single solitary thing that is going on!
Confession is good for the soul...right? We even sat their clocks so they would sleep till 8 even though the clock said....uh....7 AM. I know...I know but I am thinking about trying that tonight. The last two nights we have snuggled together to watch Disney's, The Princess & the Frog. It is a cute chick cartoon that my wife and the two girls loved!!! I came away from the movie with two thoughts...
1. I am hungry for frog legs for some reason
2. I really need to see a war movie or a shoot'em up western...soon
I would not trade our time with them for all the quiet vacations in the world. We cherish every moment, every hug, every belly laugh, every "I love you NaNa...I love you Pop Pop," every rubbing our noses, and every chat about Jesus that we have had...but do you mind if I close this blog now because...yawn...I am...tired! Cherish every moment!!
Confession is good for the soul...right? We even sat their clocks so they would sleep till 8 even though the clock said....uh....7 AM. I know...I know but I am thinking about trying that tonight. The last two nights we have snuggled together to watch Disney's, The Princess & the Frog. It is a cute chick cartoon that my wife and the two girls loved!!! I came away from the movie with two thoughts...
1. I am hungry for frog legs for some reason
2. I really need to see a war movie or a shoot'em up western...soon
I would not trade our time with them for all the quiet vacations in the world. We cherish every moment, every hug, every belly laugh, every "I love you NaNa...I love you Pop Pop," every rubbing our noses, and every chat about Jesus that we have had...but do you mind if I close this blog now because...yawn...I am...tired! Cherish every moment!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Are You Growing or Shrinking?
John the Baptist says one of the most interesting statements in scripture as he referred to Jesus. He sincerely said in John 3:30, "He (Jesus) must increase and I must decrease." That is one of the most declarative sentences from a follower of Christ!! That kind of thinking is not said a lot from our culture of American consumer christianity.
J.I. Packer said over 3 decades ago, "...Christian minds have been conformed to the modern spirit: the spirit, that is, that spawns great thoughts of man and leaves room for only small thoughts of God." As one guy put it, "Christians have neglected their first great calling: to know their God." Evidently they had the same problem back in Jesus' day as He ministered on earth...that is we tend to think too highly of ourselves and pursue our agenda and not God's will for us. It is too easy to compartmentalize our faith by thinking that Jesus is followed and praised on Sunday morning from 10:30- Noon and then I do whatever I want to do the other 6 1/2 days.
Even our Christian philosophy and worship can be all about us if we don't be careful. Instead of praising God for His glory, majesty, and power we end up singing junk about how God does my bidding, and jumps through hoops for me because He needs and loves me. We still find ourself thinking big thoughts about us and small thoughts about God!.
What this produces ultimately is shallow Christians who follow God until He does not answer prayer the way they think He should...or God disappoints their expectation of having their own private little God who, like a genie, grants our wishes. Great thoughts of man and only small thoughts of God!
This thinking stems from biblical illiteracy. Our great purpose on this earth is to please God and live for His bidding in our life. If we do not read God's Word and spend time learning about our God then we will naturally fill the void with great thoughts of us and small thoughts of God...God Almighty...Jehovah...our Creator, Savior and LORD.
Yet, the more we read about His nature, and character, miracles, and teachings the less we think of us and our selfish priorities and the more we praise God and let Him out of our box to be our Lord God who amazes us in His power and glory. We naturally shrink and allow Him to grow in majesty, importance, priorities, and Lord of our life. He must increase and we must decrease.
Decreasing will show up in how time is spent. Shrinking will show up in our freeing up our schedule so we can do Kingdom work in the local church, or build relationships with neighbors or co-workers so we can earn the right to witness and tell our story to them of how Jesus has changed our life.
So, how do we decrease so Jesus may increase? Think about it. How do we decrease so Jesus may increase?
1. Make the Bible part of your life. Determine to be a student of the Bible. www.crosswalk.com has an amazing Bible program with many translations, commentaries, and more...FREE!! I usually have my devotions there. This morning I read Titus and had access to some great study tools.
2. Make it a priority to say something to others everyday about God in some manner. Perhaps give testimony of what God has recently done and post it on Face Book or say it over lunch with a co-worker. Tell your kids how much you love God and that they can love and know Him too. Look for ways to brag on God in tribute to Him.
3. Re-prioritize your schedule to reflect that God's Kingdom is more importance than the small temporary plans that can eat up our time and resources. Put a hit-list together of folks you will ask God to allow you influence for Christ. Invite them to WHC. 87% of folks saved in a ministry were saved because somebody invited them to church and they heard the Gospel.
He must increase and we must decrease...for Jesus!
J.I. Packer said over 3 decades ago, "...Christian minds have been conformed to the modern spirit: the spirit, that is, that spawns great thoughts of man and leaves room for only small thoughts of God." As one guy put it, "Christians have neglected their first great calling: to know their God." Evidently they had the same problem back in Jesus' day as He ministered on earth...that is we tend to think too highly of ourselves and pursue our agenda and not God's will for us. It is too easy to compartmentalize our faith by thinking that Jesus is followed and praised on Sunday morning from 10:30- Noon and then I do whatever I want to do the other 6 1/2 days.
Even our Christian philosophy and worship can be all about us if we don't be careful. Instead of praising God for His glory, majesty, and power we end up singing junk about how God does my bidding, and jumps through hoops for me because He needs and loves me. We still find ourself thinking big thoughts about us and small thoughts about God!.
What this produces ultimately is shallow Christians who follow God until He does not answer prayer the way they think He should...or God disappoints their expectation of having their own private little God who, like a genie, grants our wishes. Great thoughts of man and only small thoughts of God!
This thinking stems from biblical illiteracy. Our great purpose on this earth is to please God and live for His bidding in our life. If we do not read God's Word and spend time learning about our God then we will naturally fill the void with great thoughts of us and small thoughts of God...God Almighty...Jehovah...our Creator, Savior and LORD.
Yet, the more we read about His nature, and character, miracles, and teachings the less we think of us and our selfish priorities and the more we praise God and let Him out of our box to be our Lord God who amazes us in His power and glory. We naturally shrink and allow Him to grow in majesty, importance, priorities, and Lord of our life. He must increase and we must decrease.
Decreasing will show up in how time is spent. Shrinking will show up in our freeing up our schedule so we can do Kingdom work in the local church, or build relationships with neighbors or co-workers so we can earn the right to witness and tell our story to them of how Jesus has changed our life.
So, how do we decrease so Jesus may increase? Think about it. How do we decrease so Jesus may increase?
1. Make the Bible part of your life. Determine to be a student of the Bible. www.crosswalk.com has an amazing Bible program with many translations, commentaries, and more...FREE!! I usually have my devotions there. This morning I read Titus and had access to some great study tools.
2. Make it a priority to say something to others everyday about God in some manner. Perhaps give testimony of what God has recently done and post it on Face Book or say it over lunch with a co-worker. Tell your kids how much you love God and that they can love and know Him too. Look for ways to brag on God in tribute to Him.
3. Re-prioritize your schedule to reflect that God's Kingdom is more importance than the small temporary plans that can eat up our time and resources. Put a hit-list together of folks you will ask God to allow you influence for Christ. Invite them to WHC. 87% of folks saved in a ministry were saved because somebody invited them to church and they heard the Gospel.
He must increase and we must decrease...for Jesus!
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