Who needs faith for healing?

This coming Sunday, I am going to give a teaching from Acts 3:1-12 - concerning the first recorded healing in the early church.  A lame man that began to walk.

 

One of the questions I will tackle will be (if I get to it) this:  Who need faith for the healing to take place?

 

Who is the agent of faith? 

 

The Scriptures give us separate illustrations of the agent of faith being the sick person - intermediaries and the healer.

 

Sometime is the faith of the sick person that is connected to the healing.

 

Two blind men (for example) came up to Jesus for healing.  Jesus said in Matthew 9:27-31, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?  When they said yes, Jesus responded, "According to your faith let it be to you."

 

And they were both healed.

 

But that is not always the case.  I have been in situations where I didn't have enough faith to pray in faith - in fact I didn't have enough spiritual energy to even pray.

 

What is needed?  Someone to pray for us, someone with faith - an intermediary.

 

In Matthew 8, we read the story of the centurion's servant who was healed of paralysis without even knowing Jesus was healing him.  In this case an intermediary, the centurion, had the faith.  Jesus said, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel (Matthew 8:10)!"

 

The Bible says, right before Jesus said that that Jesus was astonished at this man's faith.  He was blown away in other words.

 

But finally (and there are more) is the faith of the healer themselves - as we will see Sunday.

 

Peter and John approach the lame man at the temple gate and this man didn't expect to be healed - nor were there any intermediaries.

 

Being healed wasn't even on this lame man's radar.

 

But Peter was the agent of faith in this case when he said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you:  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."  Acts 3:6

 

Here's the point:  In different cases God will use different agents of faith (and different methods).

 

One of the most common (and destructive) errors made in praying for healing is to say to a sick person who is not healed through prayer, "If you only had enough faith, you would get well."

 

That is not only unbiblical but cruel and inhumane because it adds on unnecessary pain and suffering to the sick person.

 

Just some thoughts for a Thursday.

Dead men don't get offended

I am around people all the time who get offended.

 

To be candid with you, they are a bummer to be around.

 

You have to walk on egg-shells for fear of saying something that might "offend" them.

 

Now then, I get it that we are to be gracious and kind and supportive and loving to one another.

 

But some people just offend easily.

 

They walk around with a spirit of offense.

 

They hurt easily - probably because they themselves are hurting.

 

But here's what I know:  Dead men don't get offended.

 

Obviously, the guy in the casket can't get any more hurt feelings because he doesn't have any feelings to hurt.  They are dead to self.

 

What is the solution to carrying around a spirit of offense?

 

Die to yourself!

 

We must become totally immersed in the identity and person of Jesus Christ, dying to self and allowing Christ to live through us.

 

Paul said it well in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is not longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."

 

Jesus said (Luke 9:23) that if "anyone want to follow me, they must take up their cross daily."

 

The old nature is what Satan uses to hinder you (Ephesians 2:2,3). 

 

If you live according to the leading of the flesh, Satan will continue to be able to oppress you with offenses, upset emotions, hurt feelings, not to mention many other problems.

 

You can't stop offense from coming your way (somebody, somewhere, will say something to hurt you on a daily basis) - but you can eliminate what offenses you feed on.

 

Die to yourself!  Realize who you are in Jesus!

 

And then the immunity that you seek from offense will come.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

God calls us to wait upon Him

Here's what I know:

 

We can't give what we don't have.

 

It is important that as we minister in God's kingdom - that we spend time in his presence; waiting.

 

Asking for more of His power in our lives.

 

We cannot minister or live life in our flesh.

 

God calls us to wait upon Him.

 

To walk in the spirit means that I wait upon God.

 

Jesus in Acts 1:4 said, "Do not leave Jerusalem (and do ministry) but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about (the baptism in the Holy Spirit)."

 

Waiting on God is not something passive where I sit and a chair and do nothing.

 

It means you only do what God tells you to do, what God anoints you to do and what God give you permission to do.  Then you don't do anything else until God tells you to do something else.

 

God calls us to wait upon Him.

 

Waiting releases the anointing.   Many times as we pray - we talk too much.  Instead we need to go into prayer and humble ourselves by saying, "God, I don't know what to say.  I don't have anything to say that is going to make sense.  If you don't anoint this, it isn't going to get through, so I'm going to wait upon you.  Speak to me, Lord."

 

And then God's anointing is released. 

 

Wait upon God before a situation is confronted.

 

Wait upon God before a person(s) are confronted.

 

Wait upon God before any endeavor that you attempt that will need the foundation and help of the Holy Spirit.

 

Many times we think before we speak.

 

We act before we pause and ask God as to what we should do.

 

We can get so "full of ourselves" that we go ahead of God's timing and direction.

 

God's calls us to wait upon him.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

Busy week this week!

Family summer blast - we encourage you to bring your children - excellent guest children's evangelist.

Tuesday evening prayer:  6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.  This week only:  in room 102 (to accommodate the children's activities in the chapel).

Wednesday:  Pastor Eke (from Nigeria) will be sharing.  I am looking forward to hearing about the revival in Nigeria!

Thanks in advance to all of our volunteers who are helping out with the children's emphasis week!   We are grateful for all that you are doing!

I appreciate the way God is moving in our services.  Power of God.  Relationship.  Small groups.  Prayer.  Having the Word of God as our first priority.  Worshipping with freedom. 

These are all statements of our vision - our mission.

But most of all - reaching people for Christ.

Many times God will offend your mind in order to reveal your heart.

God is not concerned about your reputation (in the context of worship).

God will intentionally offend your mind.

It is hard to soar with the eagles when you are flying with turkeys.

Be an eagle this week - don't be a turkey!

Anybody can "gobble, gobble, gobble," but not everyone can soar in the spirit with God.

Invite someone to church this week - I am speaking on healing this week.  Invite the sick, the terminally ill - and let's see what God can do.

Great to hear the "buzz" of relationship between services with the coffee connection time starting back up.

Overheard from a 6 year old in our church, "The donuts are back!"  (Said with emphasis)

Are you sensing that God is up to "something good"?

I love the church - I love our church - and I love you.

Old Man and growing older in the Christian faith

I want to end up being a gracious, loving old man - before I die to be with the Lord.

I really do.

I don't want to end up being an grouchy, bitter, angry, "Christian" old person.

Complaining about the sound.

Complaining about the style of music.

Complaining the temperature of the room.

Always talking about the way "things used to be."

Always longing for God to move in the way he did in the past.

Always thinking things were better in the "good ole days."

Always remembering pastor so and so.

Insisting on my own way.

Getting angry when anything new is proposed or change is hinted at.

I really get all of that, please don't get me wrong - it's just that I don't want to be or do or say that when I become an "old man."

I want to realize that I am going to heaven and I am grateful for what God has done in the past, but I am not going to live in the past.  I want to realize (when I am an old man) that culture shifts and that we must present the message in a method that will reach the current culture and world we live in.

I want to release any thoughts that the methods and style of the church are all about me - I know I am making heaven - and I want to reach as many people as I can with the current way of spreading the gospel. 

I want to be more concerned about others than myself.

I want to walk in servanthood as Jesus did.  Jesus said, "For the son of man did not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  (Mark 10:45)

I want to enjoy watching people younger than me worshipping God in a way that is touching them.

I want to "give up"  my preferences so that others might draw closer to God.

I want to realize that my greatest ministry as I grow older will be to let God move in the way He wants to move.

In short, I want to be like Jesus.
 

Richard S. Halverson, the former U.S. Senate Chaplain, used to challenge people with the following image:

"You're going to meet an old man [or woman] someday down the road—ten, thirty, fifty years from now—waiting there for you. You'll be catching up with him [or her]. What kind of old man are you going to meet? He may be a seasoned, soft, gracious fellow—a gentleman who has grown old gracefully, surrounded by hosts of friends, friends who call him blessed because of what his life has meant to them. Or he may be a bitter, disillusioned, dried-up old buzzard without a good word for anyone—soured, friendless, and alone.

That old man will be you. He'll be the composite of everything you do, say, and think—today and tomorrow. His mind will he see in a mold you have made by your beliefs. His heart will be turning out what you've been putting into it. Every little thought, every deed goes into this old man.

Every day in every way you are becoming more and more like yourself. Amazing but true. You're beginning to look more like yourself, think more like yourself, and talk more like yourself. You're becoming yourself more and more. Live only in terms of what you're getting out of life and the old man gets smaller drier harder crabbier more self-centered. Open your life to others, think in terms of what you can give, your contribution to life, and the old man grows larger, softer, kindlier, and greater."

Please understand, grouchy, angry, bitter old "Christian" person, that we are here to minister to you and love you - I do love you with all of my heart - it is just that I don't want to be you when I get old.

Just a thought for a Thursday.

Tapping in to the Holy Spirit

Sometimes we try to figure things out - and then ask God for his wisdom.

 

Here's what I know:  We should always ask God first (for wisdom; direction) and then try to find the guidance that we need.

 

As long as we rely upon our own human logic and our fleshly perception of life, we will find ourselves riding the wave of our circumstances.

 

But when we tap into the Holy Spirit, when we tap into the Holy Spirit, the way we look at things takes on a whole new perspective and we begin to walk in the authority and power that Jesus intends for you and for me.

 

We no longer are anxious and worried when the gates of hell rise up against us because we know that Jesus has given us the keys to the kingdom - or the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

Do you ever feel "locked out" by life's circumstances because you don't have the master key to overcome?

 

Jesus knows how you feel.  During his time on our planet he faced:  The traditions of men (Matthew 15:1-3).  Outward religion that left the heart  desperately wicked (Matthew 15:10-20).  Physical infirmities in others, a type of spiritual handicaps (Matthew 15:29-31).  Physical  hunger, a type of spiritual starvation and famine (Matthew 15:32-39).

 

Know this:  As a Spirit filled Christian -  you have the master key that can open any lock.

 

Jesus told the Apostle Peter not to worry about the gates of hell because He (Jesus) would give Peter the keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:17-19).

 

He (Jesus) would give Peter the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

So today, let's recognize Jesus as the Christ (the anointed one).  Let's receive the master key (the anointing) to unlock any crisis in our lives. 

 

And know this as well:  The anointing does not promise to keep the gates of hell from coming against you, but it does prevent the gates of hell from prevailing against you.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

 

 

 

Depression and the Christian

Back in the fall of 1978, I attended Fuller Theological Institute in Pasadena, California (Fuller is the Stanford or Harvard of theological studies on the west coast).

 

I was getting my master's degree in Biblical Languages (Hebrew and Greek).

 

I would be in the library on Thursday evening, studying.  The stress levels were high.  It was an intense academic atmosphere.

 

What brought relief from all of that stress?

 

Every Thursday evening, the Fuller library would seemingly empty out as we would walk across the lawn and gather in the student union at 8:00 P.M. to watch "Mork and Mindy."

 

A silly show, but it brought relief.  How do you spell relief?  R.O.B.I.N. W.I.L.L.I.A.M.S.

 

It has remained so throughout the years.  There has been many a time when I would watch one of appearances on television and laughter would fill my discouraged heart.

 

He was a comedic genius - yet a powerful serious dramatic actor at the same time.

 

That's why I was given pause yesterday, when Debbie looked up as we were watching television and said, "Robin Williams died."

 

Suicide.  Hanged himself.

 

The comic/clown dealing with bi-polar and depression - to the point that it overwhelmed him.

 

I am thankful that we in the kingdom are beginning to be sensitive to the realization that depression is not "just" a emotional/spiritual challenge, but can be mainly a physical (chemical imbalance) problem as well.

 

Are you dealing with depression today as a Christian?

 

Seek your doctor's help.  If necessary, take the prescribed medication.

 

And - know that Jesus is here to help - and God's people are here as well.

 

Reach out to a brother or sister in Christ.  The absolute worst thing you can do in to withdraw and become a recluse. 

 

In her book, "Darkness is my only companion:  A Christian response to Mental Illness," Kathryn Green-McCreight describes her tortured journey through ten years of extreme depression and bi-polar disorder.  Concerning the importance of Christian fellowship while in recovery, she writes:

 

"This is why it is so important to worship in community - to ask your brothers and sister in Christ to pray for you - Sometimes you literally cannot make it on your own, and you need to borrow from the faith of those around you.

 

Sometimes I cannot even recite the Creed unless I am doing it in the context of worship, along with all the body of Christ.  When reciting the Creed, I borrow from the recitation of others.  Companionship in the Lord Jesus is powerful."

 

You and I never know who is hurting as they walk through the doors of the church on a Sunday morning.

 

We really do need each other.

 

We really do need to be real with one another.

 

We really do need to reach out to one another and encourage, support and pray for one another. 

 

Don't be fooled by the smiles and nice clothes that you see on a Sunday morning.  Behind every smile there could be someone who is really, really suffering - like Robin Williams.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

Jesus is coming soon - I believe that wholeheartedly.

The next major prophetic event will be the rapture of the church.

The time to share our faith is now - if not today.

I appreciated the prayer "intensity" that I saw around the altars yesterday - as we prayed for friends and family to come to know Christ.

I am praying this week for all of the names that were given on the "Friends and Loved Ones who don't know Christ."

In fact, the thought just occurred to me:  I will bring them to our Tuesday evening prayer time (from 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.) - for us all to pray for the names.

I believe, I believe that we are going to hear wonderful testimonies of people coming to Christ (or rebooting their relationship with Christ) in the coming weeks and months.

The great secrets of church growth and unity:  Prayer.  Prayer.  Prayer.

Can I tell you something?  I walked away from the services yesterday just longing for next Sunday morning.  I feel an excitement in my spirit as to what God wants to do in us and through us!

Let's not ever, ever, underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lots of needs in our church family.  My heart breaks for those who are hurting.

The devil does not fight fair.

We had 11 visitors during the second service!

I am thankful for life.

We desire to be an Acts 29 church (28 chapters in the book of Acts - we desire to continue to see what God can do through the moving of His Holy Spirit).

The Holy Spirit is just that - He is Holy.

Mean, unforgiving people cannot be filled with the Spirit of God.

A person cannot have a mean and angry spirit and walk in the Spirit at the same time.

Conversely, the only way to forgive is to ask God for the fullness of His Spirit.

In John 20:21-23, Jesus appears to the disciples after his death and says, "Peace to you!  (Just) as the Father has sent me forth, so I am sending  you.  And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive (admit) the Holy Spirit!  (Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him) if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained."

The number one rule is forgiving sins is to receive the Holy Spirit, who provides the strength and ability to forgive.

In almost every case, we cannot forgive on our own.

If you are having trouble forgiving someone today, pray this prayer:

"Holy Spirit, breathe on me and give me the strength to forgive this person."

And then - let it go.  It does not good to go through it all again over lunch with friends or family - and rehash the whole thing. 

After you have forgiven - let it go; otherwise Satan will use it as an opportunity to nullify  your decision to forgive and rob you of your peace and blessing.

Love you all....

Wite-out and forgiveness

Have you ever said something you wish you could take back?

I do that all the time.

As much as I try to put a governor on my words, I still say things I wish I could pull back, throw in a waste can and never hear again.

In some cases, wouldn't you like to just start over?

Let me give you some words from John Ortberg that visualize what I am saying.

Ortberg writes:  "Back in the days when everyone used typewriters there was a little thing called Wite-Out. Wite-Out dates to 1966 when an insurance-company clerk named George Kloosterhouse teamed with a guy who waterproofed basements to develop their own correction fluid. They originally called it "Wite-Out WO-1 Erasing Liquid."

You can still buy the product. Wite-Out isn't perfect. If you made a mistake on the typewriter, you'd have to take the paper out or get it raised up a little bit and then dab it with the Wite-Out, paint over the mistake, and then blow on it and let it dry. Then you could type right over it as if the mistake had never been made.

When electric typewriters came along, some genius invented something even better than Wite-Out—the self-correcting typewriter. Now wouldn't it be great if someday down the road somebody invented self-correcting people? Wouldn't it be cool if there could be a self-correcting husband or wife who would say the wrong thing and then just back up and say it over again right? "You know, you're just like your mother. Oops! Let's just erase that and start over." Wouldn't it be great if every spouse or friend or parent or child came with self-correcting technology?"

Good words.

Important words.

But you and I know that the human race is not self-correcting.

In fact, when left to our own devices - we will always self-destruct.  We will always act in the flesh.

Remember what I have said a couple of times in my teachings:  Expect people to act in the flesh - and when they act in the spirit, rejoice!

That being said, in His grace, God gives us one of the most amazing inventions there is when we say something stupid.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness (to use this analogy) if far more powerful than Wite-Out.

God wipes the slate clean - and if God does that, how much more should you and I.

Just a thought for a Thursday.

 

You have signficance

Here's what I know today:  You have significance in God's kingdom. 

You are needed.

You are important.

Everyone is part of the picture in the photo of our church.

No one is to be left out.

Mike Yaconelli in his book, Messy Spirituality, wrote of how individual believers, who may think they are insignificant, are brought together in the body of Christ to create a magnificent work of art.

He writes:

"Moorhead, Minnesota, the home of Concordia College, lies across the state line from Fargo, North Dakota, a very bleak part of the country (especially during the winter). All year, the community anticipates Concordia's annual Christmas concert. Each December, a huge choir and a full orchestra give a musical performance in the concert hall at the college.

Every year, the people in the community create a unique background for the concert—a one-hundred-by-thirty-foot mosaic. Beginning in the summer, about six months before the concert, the community designs a new mosaic, rents an empty building, and the painting begins. Hundreds of people, from junior high schoolers to senior citizens, paint the mosaic. They paint by number on a large-scale design that has thousands of tiny pieces. Day after day, month after month, one little painted piece at a time, the picture on the mosaic gradually takes shape.

When everyone has finished painting, an artist goes over the entire creation, perfecting the final work of art. When the mosaic is completed, they place it behind the choir. It has the appearance of an enormous, beautiful stained-glass window. The weekend of the concert, those people who helped paint arrive early, along with their friends and neighbors. Throughout the building, you can hear people whispering, "See that little green spot below the camel's foot? I painted it."

Every year in the middle of the summer in Moorhead, Minnesota, thousands of unknown, ordinary people paint a tiny insignificant tile. Six months later, the result is a spectacularly beautiful masterpiece."

I would suggest that you not look at yourself as one insignificant "piece of the puzzle."  But that you remember this day - no one is more important than you in God's kingdom.

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

 

Mark of the Beast

The Apostle John writes in Revelation 13:16, 17, "He (the anti-Christ) also forced (you will have no choice) everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless she had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name."

 

The mark of the beast.

 

If I have time this coming Sunday morning, I am going to mention this in my teaching.

 

Will the mark of the beast be a tattoo?  An arm band or head band of some sorts? 

 

NBC news recently came out with a report that this is and will be reality in our lives by the year 2017 - that modern technology has caught up with Biblical prophecy and we can begin to understand what the mark could potentially look like.

 

An implantable chip in a person's hand.  The chip would interact with your body in the doctor's office.  Scan it, and it could tell your blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, or any other vital piece of information of medical history.

 

It would be used (as Revelation tells us) to buy or sell things.  Go to the store and scan your hand to pay for groceries (already in some Jewel Osco's in Chicago - finger prints are being used to buy groceries).  It would be connected to your bank account and the amount deducted.  No cash.  No credit cards.

 

No fraud.

 

Here's what I know:  we are living in the end times.

 

However, ultimately, friends, no know:  when the complete fruition of these events come to pass, we as a church will be raptured to be with Jesus Christ.

 

That's how close the rapture is.

 

So relax, and keep serving God. 

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday. 

 

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

 

Needless to say, I was anticipating God to move yesterday - and He did - for which I am extremely grateful.

 

I never, ever, take his hand upon us lightly.

 

Knowing that people seek after him and are hungering and thirsting - priceless.

 

There is no other place I would rather be on a Sunday morning than in a setting where people are worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

 

Just had lunch with two great friends, Randy and Nancy Jones - pastors in California.  Isn't it wonderful to reconnect with lifelong friends!

 

Beautiful weather outside - let's all enjoy it while we can!

 

It is hard to believe that football season is right around the corner.

 

New services times, Sunday, August 17, 2014:  9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M.

 

Thanks to our worship team yesterday - outstanding. 

 

The altar time:  What can I say?  God's power is an intangible, yet real phenomenon that can be experienced by everyone who calls Jesus Savior and Lord.

 

We desire more of your ministering presence in us, Father!

 

If Jesus desired and needed to walk in the fullness of God's presence and power - how much more do you and I?

 

There's a song by the Christian rock group Petra that is called "Godpleaser" (I didn't get to use this illustration yesterday).  The words go like this:

Don't wanna be a manpleaser - I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just want to have the wisdom to discern the two apart
Don't wanna be a man pleaser - I wanna be a Godpleaser
I just want to do the things that please the Father's heart

I just want my life to glorify HIs Son
To make my Father proud that I'm His child before I'm done
No need to pat me on the back or stop and shake my hand
I just want to hear my Father say Well done, well done
I just want to hear my Father say Well done.

We do everything to glorify the name of Jesus!

Reminder:  "Hour of Prayer," Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

Love you all.......

The stops of the Lord

One of my all time favorite verses in found in Psalms 37:23, "The steps of a righteous man are ordained (ordered, established) by the Lord.

 

Here's what I know:  so are the "stops of a righteous man."

 

Sometimes God closes a door - and when he does so, it is His will.

 

Let me explain it this way.

 

As I take my daily walk, our neighborhood is filled with dog-owners, walking their dogs.

 

Here's what I have observed:

 

If you walk a dog on a leash and come to a post, or a tree, and the dog goes to one side of the post/tree, and the dog-owner goes to the other side - they will both be stuck.

 

Although both of them are going in the same direction, they will not be able to move forward.

 

So the dog-owner has to back up and pull the dog in the opposite direction in order to get him going the right way.

 

That's how it is in our life with God.  God will pull us back sometimes to move us forward.  He'll jerk us back (as someone once said:  God leads his dear children along - me - he jerks). 

 

In doing so, God is not trying to be mean.  He is just the one who knows how to get us going forward in the right direction.

 

So....if you are seeking God's will about something, and you are living righteously, and you are going through a time when God says, "Stop!"  (How was that for a run on sentence) :)

 

Relax.  You are exactly where you should be.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.

Stories

Elie Wiesel once wrote, "God made man because He loves stories."

 

One of my favorite things to do is to listen to people's stories.

 

Where they have been.  What they have done.  Their ups and downs from the past.

 

Everyone's story is unique.  Personal. 

 

Your story is important.

 

As we studied last Sunday, Jesus said, "But you will receive power (dunamis; dynamite) when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8

 

Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses."

 

Not my bible teachers.

 

Not my ushers.

 

Not my ministry leaders.

 

Not my pastors, teachers, apostles, leaders.

 

Not my deacons or elders.

 

And that is all well and good - in fact, very good.

 

But "witnesses."

 

Not my defense attorneys.

 

Not my prosecuting attorneys.

 

There is a big difference between an attorney and a witness.  The purpose of an attorney is to prosecute or defend.  They are always pushing for a decision (Hey, I know, I watched Law and Order :) ). 

 

"You did this.  You did that.  You didn't do this."

 

God doesn't need defense attorneys for him.

 

He doesn't need us to push people for a decision, a verdict.  To pressure them to accept Him.

 

What does a witness do?

 

He tells what he knows.  He tells a story, his or her story.

 

When you witness for Christ, you don't have to know the entire Bible.  You don't have to go to seminary.   You don't have to get your ministerial credentials.  You simply share what you know about Jesus.  Your story.

 

How Jesus changed your life.  What he means to you.  How he guides you day by day.  How he gives you strength to face your trials and courage to conquer your fears.  How he found you in your sin and gave you a brand new life.  Your role is not to convince people - that's the Holy Spirit's job.  Your role is to believe in what you believe, to share your story and let people see the change in your life.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

Thinking and doing

There is a big difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it.

We think about witnessing - but are we sharing our faith?

We think about ministering in the church - but do we step out and actually participate?

We think about reaching out to our neighbor and do something nice for them - but do we take the time to do so?

We think about praying (and know it is the right thing to do) but we don't pray.

There is a big difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it.

And here's what I know:  Many times we are content and self-congratulatory over just thinking about what we should be doing without actually doing it.

Let me explain.

The Comedian Louis CK has a routine in which he jokes about having the impulse to give up his first class airline seat to a soldier.

Louis CK says, "[Service men and women] always fly coach. I've never seen a soldier in first class in my life … And every time that I see a soldier on a plane I always think, You know what? I should give him my seat. It would be the right thing to do, it would be easy to do, and it would mean a lot to him … I never have, let me make that clear. I've never done it once … And here's the worst part: I was actually proud of myself for having thought of this. I am such a sweet man. That is so nice of me, to think of doing that and then totally never do it."

Isn't that so "human" of us?

Yet in June of 2014 - someone did just that.  Oscar nominated actress Amy Adams actually acted on that thought.

Boarding a flight Friday from Detroit to Los Angeles where she was shooting a new movie, Adams noticed an American soldier being seated in coach. She decided to do something that she's always just thought about doing.

Jemele Hill, a reporter for ESPN and a fellow first class passenger, witnessed Adams quietly asking the airline crew permission to switch seats with the soldier, whom she didn't know.

Adams moved back to coach, and the surprised soldier, who didn't know who his benefactor was, moved up to first class. Hill immediately got the word out on Twitter, and after their arrival in L.A. Adams told reporters, "I didn't do it for attention for myself. I did it for attention for the troops."

What a great example of walking the walk versus talking the talk.

If I remember right the phrase is not, "just think it," but "just do it."

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

 

Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

 

About vacations I always say, "It is good to get away - and - it is good to get home."

 

I was very grateful for the way the Lord moved in both services yesterday.

 

The first and second services were different (in the way the Holy Spirit led us) but both were powerful and effective.

 

God is pleased when He sees His people worshipping Him - many falling on their face before Him.

 

What a wonderful way to begin our series in the book of Acts!

 

I am extremely grateful for the excellent staff that God has pulled together for us at Stone Church.  Brian, Charlie and Aldin are doing an excellent job in ministry!

 

Don't forget the following announcements:

 

August 3, 2014:  One service.  10:30 A.M.  (Prayer will begin at 10:00 A.M.)  Please plan on staying past the 12:00 P.M. hour - allowing God to move in your life.

 

I will be ministering on the passage found in Acts 2:1-13.  The topic:  "What's all this stuff about tongues?"  We are prayerfully anticipating a moving of the Holy Spirit that will be life changing for we as individuals and for our church! 

 

August 5, 2014:  Tuesday evening prayer meetings begin.  6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

 

God distinctly laid this on my heart:  We as a people of God are to pray.  We desire to pray.  "Just" pray.  Two pastors will be attending the prayer meeting to pray for needs (I will be there each week - the rest of the pastors will be rotating). 

 

August 17, 2014:  New services times begin.  First service:  9:00 A.M.  Second service:  11:00 A.M.

 

Why the new service times?  Primarily because our desire is that the first service see numerical growth (Our second service, Praise God, is ready for us to start another service).  In other words, to start a third service, the first service needs to see more people coming.

 

Part of the solution to that is pushing back the starting time a half an hour.  I am told that this makes it a lot easier on families with small kids.  The 30 minute window is important in preparing to come to church. 

 

We prayerfully hope to be starting a third service by September, 2015 (whether that will be on Sunday morning or on a Saturday night - To be determined).

 

I just want you to know that I am desiring the presence and the power of God in us - so that we might reach our area for Christ.

 

It's all about Jesus - and it is all about sharing our faith to others.

 

My heart is full.  I want more of God - how about you?

 

Love you all......

 

 

 

I don't know

As I get older, one of the things I know is this:  The more I know - the more I realize I don't know.

 

Starting as a young pastor in 1980, I wanted to give off the impression I knew everything (like a college sophomore). 

 

Now I realize how much I don't know.

 

So many Christians think they know everything there is about the Christian faith.  Nothing is new.  It's all, "been there done that," in their walk with Christ.

There is a feeling of having arrived.

Nothing could be further from reality.

For one thing, no one has ever "arrived" in the faith.  No one can reach a point where every experience has been experienced, every doctrine solved and understood, every verse in the Bible translated, parsed and comprehended.

Many times we just have to say, "I don't know," and either remain comfortable with that fact - or continue to seek out answers to the question.

(At this stage I am comfortable in saying, "I don't know - why don't you google that.")  :)

Over my vacation, I read a book entitled, "Think Like A Freak," by economists Steven Levitt and Stephan Dubner.

They write:

 

"It has long been said that the three hardest words to say in the English language are I love you. We heartily disagree! For most people, it is much harder to say I don't know." They point to the following experiment as one of the many ways that we won't admit "I don't know":

 

Imagine you are asked to listen to a simple story and then answer a few questions about it. Here's the story: A little girl named Mary goes to the beach with her mother and brother. They drive there in a red car. At the beach they swim, eat some ice cream, play in the sand, and have sandwiches for lunch.

 

Now the questions:

1. What color was the car?
2. Did they have fish and chips for lunch?
3. Did they listen to music in the car?
4. Did they drink lemonade with lunch?

How'd you do?

 

Let's compare your answers to those of a bunch of kindergarteners, who were given this quiz by researchers. Nearly all the children got the first two questions right ("red" and "no").

 

But the children did much worse with questions 3 and 4.

 

Why? Those questions were unanswerable—there wasn't enough information given in the story. And yet a whopping 76 percent of the children answered these questions either yes or no.

 

Kids who try to bluff their way through a simple quiz like this are right on track for careers in business and politics, where almost no one ever admits to not knowing anything. [But it's a shame we can't humbly admit our ignorance], for until you can admit what you don't yet know, it's virtually impossible to learn what you need to."

 

Good stuff. 

 

The next time you are asked a question you don't know the answer to - just reply, "I don't know," and rest well at night.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday. 

Your tongue and the Holy Spirit

What is the door into your life?

Your  mouth.  What you say.

Your words can bring life - or your words can bring death (Proverbs 18:21).

There is power in your words.

The ability to speak is part of being a human being.  Animals do not use rational speech.  Apes do not either, despite what the movie shows.

If your dog or cat were to say to you, "It's a nice day, isn't it?" and proceed to hold a conversation like Mr. Ed. You would probably say, "Why, you're not an animal, you are a person!"

But we abuse our ability to speak as we misuse and abuse the other gifts that God has given us.

The Book of James says that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity," that needs to be tamed, and that it is like the bit that guides the whole horse or the rudder that steers the ship.

In other words, if you control the tongue, you control the whole person.

You open up the possibility of entering into the holy of holies.

Zephaniah 3:9 states that in the last days God will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord."

When you speak words from the Holy Spirit, you are letting Him tame your tongue and gain a new level of control over your whole personality.

The voice is your chief means of expression.

How can you speak of total surrender to God if you haven't surrendered your most important means of expression?

It would be like one country surrendering got another while keeping control of the radio and television facilities.

Until  your tongue is tamed, your ability to verbalize and rationalize is a barrier to the moving of the Holy Spirit in your life.

If you let the Holy Spirit freely guide your voice, there will be a break through which permits him to flow forth from where he is living in your spirit, to fill, to baptize, to flood and overflow your soul and body and minister to the outside world.

Just a thought for a Wednesday.

Freedom in the home

Parents, here's what I know:

 

You can create an atmosphere of freedom in your home.

 

Let me share with you quickly how.

 

Teach them well.

 

One of the principles I teach is that much more is "caught" than "taught".  But do not rely on this principle alone!

 

No child just naturally knows how to live in a way that brings freedom to themselves or others - some things need to be taught as well as caught.

 

I would suggest that you never assume that your children will "pick up" what is right or wrong - even in church - but take up the mantle of teaching your children spiritual things well.

 

Your child's primary spiritual leader/pastor is you!

 

And while I am thinking about it - it is never, never too early to begin their spiritual moral and social training.

 

Someone once wrote, "God's commandments are like the owner's manual for the proper living of life."

 

God says that (read Deuteronomy 11:18-21) if we will teach our children to respect, honor and live by His laws (owner's manual) then we can expect the following blessings for ourselves and for them:

 

Both our lives and the lives of our children will be long.

Our days on earth will be like those of heaven.

 

Live out the ways of God.

 

This is the "caught" part.

 

Living a life of obedience before our children speaks volumes.

 

One suggestion:  Have communion in your home once a week.  There is power in sharing the Lord's table with your children. 

 

Let worship be a part of that practice.

 

Explain the why and how of dealing with spiritual issues, elevating the depth of the truth as they grow older (and hopefully wiser).

 

Finally, (and there are many more), if your child (children) does come in contact with an ungodly influence (through a T.V. show or a movie or book), use that as a tool to understand God's ways in contrast to man's ways. 

 

I would encourage you to minimize the times that your children are watching T.V. alone - you never know what comes up in today's culture. 

 

As one author put it, "the key is for parents to watch TV programs and videos with their kids, helping them to understand God's way in contrast to what they have just seen or heard."

 

I understand those who are home-schooling their children in and effort to protect them from the evils of society.  But even in the homes of reasonably dedicated Christians there can be a lapse in moral and spiritual standards no matter how hard you as a parent try to protect them.

 

The positive side of that is that you can, again, use it as a teaching time to explain what is right and wrong.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.

 

 

 

Being like Nathan (Christ)

I talk a lot about "surrendering our entire lives" to God - acting like Christ.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone really understands what that means (including myself).

Are there really people in the world that are selfless enough to be like Christ?

There are.

Francis Chan in his book, "Crazy love," writes about a man by the name of Nathan Barlow.  Nathan was a medical doctor who chose to utilize his skills in Ethiopia for more than sixty years (and I am quoting Francis Chan here). 

Nathan dedicated his life to helping people with mossy foot.  Mossy foot is a debilitating condition primarily found in rural districts, on people who work in soil of volcanic origin.  It causes swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs.  The subsequent deformity, swelling, repeated ulceration, and secondary infection make people with mossy foot social outcasts equivalent to lepers."

Francis Chan writes, "I met Nathan shortly before he died.  His daughter, Sharon Daly, attended my church and brought him to her home from Ethiopia when his health started to fail.  After only a few weeks, he couldn't handle being in the States.  The people he loved were still in Ethiopia, so his daughter flew him back home so he could spend his last days there.

Once, Nathan got a toothache, the pain of which was so intense that he had to fly away from the mission field to get medical attention.  Nathan told the dentist that he didn't ever want to leave the mission field for the sake of his teeth again, so he had the dentist pull out all of his teeth and give him false ones so he wouldn't slow God's work in Ethiopia.

This amazing man was the first to help these outcasts, and he spent his life doing it.  yet he died quietly, without a lot of attention; no one really knew about him.

Finally, Chan writes, "It surprised me that such a man of God would faithfully serve for so many years, despite minimal recognition.  It is a beautiful thing to witness."

 

What an amazing, crazy love for God. 

Am I that kind of servant? 

Are you that kind of servant?

Here's what I know: God is probably not calling you to go to Ethiopia, but he is calling all of us to lay aside ourselves, serve others as Christ has served us - and do what we can to make this planet a better, holier place.

Just a thought for a Monday.