“Like-minded…but not like the Borg!”

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” -Philippians 2:1,2

What does ‘being like minded’ mean? I’m a science fiction geek I freely admit it! And I recall the old Star Trek Next Generation when the Enterprise faced off a number of times with the terrifying aliens called the ‘Borg’. The thing that stood them apart and made them so dangerous was that they were of one mind. They were all connected to the ‘collective’ and they would absorb and assimilate other cultures and worlds, thereby gaining knowledge and understanding. The Borg were terrifying and yet effective because of the ‘like-minded collective.

But truly, science fiction aside, what does being like-minded mean? Are we to be God’s “collective” here on Earth? Not for any evil purpose mind you, but for His Holy purpose? What does being like-minded mean? Especially when we see so many church splits, divisions and varying thoughts of ideology. How is it that what began as one body of believers coming together to worship, testify and make other disciples has ended up being many bodies and many sets of worship practices? Is this what Christ had in mind? If I were to take it a step further, if this wasn’t what Christ had in mind then did He make a mistake?

The answer to both of those questions is ‘NO’! His prayer ‘that they may all be one” (John 17:21) is still a prayer for us today. The problem with this earthly body of believers is that we have free will. When it comes to deciding and making our choices in worship and practice, we fall short of attaining this unity. Let’s be honest, church has in the past, present and most probably the future been run by those within the spectrum of human authority. Sure God has been present within churches, but not all decisions made by man have been God led or God honoring. It is safe to say that politics is alive and well within the Church. Both on the large and small scare this is true. From leadership selection to the color of the carpet in a chapel there is politics involved. I think Paul had experienced politics that was of selfish intent through various towns and cities when he went on to say in this same passage, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:3-4

Unfortunately the down side is that some, not all, leaders are bent to self and selfish motivations. It’s the nature of humanity that is not fully surrendered which becomes evident through the choices of man sugar coating it to be what God has intended. But I am confident that God can take that which man has marred, that which man has broken, that which man has truly messed up and turn it into something remarkable.

It’s not that I willingly place my faith and trust in leaders who lead this way, but rather in my submission to the Father in Heaven. So that when I say “Thy will be done” I really mean it even if I am subjugated to a system or to leaders who are fallible and often make decisions based politically rather than biblically.

Paul implores us all to serve selflessly rather than selfishly. When we can actually practice selflessness in word and in deed then being like-minded can actually occur within God’s body here on earth.

Confession time:

I too struggle with this in my life. There have been times when I have made decisions based on how it will impact me rather than others. Sometimes that full surrender isn’t made complete in me. It’s a daily thing that must take place, in which we force our selfishness back in the box, we kneel before the Father and give Him the box again and we allow His love to shine through us instead of the light of selfish intentions and moral failings.

I want to be a transformer in my world how about you? I want to be like-minded with others who are in the truth but this can’t be done if I’m looking out for me, myself and I. If we are to function and thrive as His ambassadors we have to stop playing church politics and the selfishness game and instead face the mission of Christ that He beckons us to.

May 16, 2013 1

A Survival Guide to the Storms of life

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; Let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame…” -Psalm 70:1-3

Is there a storm brewing?

Do you have burdens?

Are you going through a storm right now?

How do we get through these situations? How do we overcome them, when possible? These are difficult questions and unfortunately there aren’t any easy answers here. But what I do know and what others know is that going through the storms and surviving requires a supernatural power to journey with us.

Cue Bob Marley and his song “Don’t Worry About a thing – three little birds.” We need to understand that when we are aligned with God’s will and his power that our burdens and our problems become His burdens and his problems. That makes it so much more clearer then when we read what Jesus said about our burdens and his burdens:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

What Jesus is essentially saying is that though burdens exist, though we face them, that if we allow him access to them and surrender them we will experience a lightening of our load and our worry. We were never meant to carry these things on our own.

Here are three prescriptions that will help us when we face and weather the storms of life. If we adhere to these prescriptions we will survive and even thrive!

1) Prayer!

Don’t think for a minute that prayer is a last resort or that prayer is like casting out wishes into the universe and hoping that someone will hear you. It is not like being on a deserted island and throwing a message in a bottle out into the sea hoping someone will find it…no! Prayer is so much more powerful than that! Prayer isn’t just hoping someone will hear you utter some desperate words, prayer is knowing we aren’t alone and that God’s power is accessible through all of life’s situations and mysteriously and amazingly they transcend time and space. Meaning if there was one thing that could penetrate the science realm of space and time prayer is it. God doesn’t work the way we do via a linear approach, God is outside of time and space and will intercede and protect us even before we utter the prayers that keep us connected to him. When we pray, make sure it’s not just prayers in crisis…but pray to Him as a daily, even minute by minute conversation. As difficult as this may sound, communing and conversing with him can lift many a burden before the storms arrive. Do not underestimate prayer and its essential nature, nor its power.

2) Intercessory Prayer & the Fellowship of the Believers:

We are not alone in this world…so why do we continually think that we cannot share our burdens with other Christ followers in whom we trust? Do we fear ridicule? Do we fear being vulnerable before others? We need the body of Christ more than just in the storms of life, but we ought to recognize that if the early church and its Apostles needed support then who are we to assume that we do not need help? The fellowship of believers is vital to our continuation in the faith and another prescription by which we can weather the storms. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s pretty clear isn’t it? We are in this together and so we should be there for one another through thick and thin. Do you have a home church? Do you trust other believers within your church to help you? If you don’t have a church or a fellowship in which you belong you are missing out on the amazing support and care that comes with the connected body of Christ.

3) Service

I know, it sounds strange. How can we serve when we are riding each ebb and flow of this present storm surge? The answer is faith. If we have this continued prayer conversation with our Lord, and we have or are continually surrendering our burdens to him in the midst of the storm then what service does is put feet to our faith. What we are essentially saying is that despite the storms we will serve the Lord. We can’t stay stuck or static in the process of the tumult. We have to get on with it and serve him the best that we can. Service in the storm is two fold: a) We let his praises be glorified despite our circumstances and we acknowledge that it’s not about us but it’s about him. b) We will be so immersed in serving God that there will be times that we will forget about our present storms. This isn’t to say that they will go away if we ignore them, but rather when we are serving him, we are fulfilling the Lord’s prayer when we say the words ‘your will be done’…we are living it in this manner.

These are just three prescriptions to help us amidst the storms of life. There might be more helps along the journey, but these are central to our victories through the power of the storm tamer – Jesus Christ.

Here’s to survival and to thriving in the midst of our burdens and storms:

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in (victory) triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

May 14, 2013 2

Sacramental whether we like it or not

“As his sacramental people, we find him living and at work in our own life-experiences. We celebrate the presence, the gift, the healing, the reconciliation, the joy in our own life by connecting it with the earthly life of Jesus. We are a sacramental community because our life, our work, and our celebrations centre on Christ, the one true Sacrament. Our life together is sacramental because we live by faith in him and our everyday lives reveal and offer unexpected grace, his undeserved gift again and again.” (The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine, p.270)

Concise Dictionary of Religion calls a sacrament “a Rite in which GOD (or Gods) is (are) uniquely active”.

By this definition of what sacramental means every Christian church on earth is sacramental. If we invite the holy presence of God to meet us in our worship, which is usually the case in times of worship for without His presence in what we do, church is meaningless and should be regarded as social hour instead of worship. We do not pray to each other, so God becomes active in prayer therefore making it sacramental within our worship. When we read from His word, which we attest to being living and active and the only source of Christian faith and practice, we acknowledge that His word is vital and applicable to godly living therefore God is again active in our worship. By this definition alone we attest that we are sacramental people who wish to interact with a living and Holy God.

Sacramental living has unfortunately been compartmentalized within church to be specific actions or rituals in which we do or do not participate in, such as Communion or baptism. While these two specific acts of worship have the potential to be sacred moments in Christian living, they hold no more or less sacred value than that of corporate prayer or the call to salvation in an altar call setting. One could argue that we have been instructed through scripture to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) But many fail to realize the context in which Christ was instructing…what does remembrance mean? Where was Jesus and the disciples when he gave this command. Many would argue that it is strictly the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine, but if we were to explore further in this context of this scripture the entire ecclesia of believers/disciples were gathered together over the dinner table and fellowshipping with Christ. This too is divine interaction in the context of worship! A meal together in the corporate sense of worship is sacramental as well, not just the breaking of bread and the passing of the cup…I believe historically we as Church have only scratched the surface of the sacraments when we only take a portion of the passover meal in the two elements and make it something more than it should be. Dare I say it’s a misrepresentation of scripture to evoke one segment of this meal with his disciples to be more important than the entirety as a whole.

We are sacramental as a people because of the unity of the body through Christ Jesus. When we as His people participate unified in the corporate setting we are doing this in remembrance of Him. Our worship is never perfect, we all have our hang ups, but when we invite God to partake in our prayers, songs, scripture readings, message, meals we are practicing sacramental living.

Holy living within the context of partaking in these sacred moments is the result of our invitation and reception of His presence. We enter into His presence not only in church but in our private prayer closets and daily devotional lives. We have received his holy presence at salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit prods us onward in becoming more like Christ in our new creation through continued surrender of every fragment of our being. Submission or fully surrendered lives to the Holy Spirit is by far the most sacred sacrament we partake in within our human existence.

We are sacramental in word and deed whether we like it or not…but I’m willing to venture a guess that upon receiving and accepting His presence in our lives this realization becomes all too clear through our surrender and His love which permeates every fiber of our transformed lives.

May 10, 2013 0

An Angelic Prison Break

Jesus had told him that he would go where he didn’t want to go and be led to places he never wished to be…but Peter wasn’t quite prepared for the violent onslaught the seemed to never end for his fellow apostles. Stephen had seen a horrific end, though many had believed. Now, sitting in prison in chains, surrounded by guards Peter considered that this might be the end of his journey too. After all, just hours ago Herod had executed James the brother of John by the sword and Peter though full of faith, wept for his family. In a very small corner of his mind he ponders just for a brief second what may have taken place had he left Jesus when he had had the chance. Yet, Peter quickly pushes that thought aside as an overwhelming warmth of love fills his body when we remembers the master’s face. He remembers what forgiveness felt like on that beach after he had denied Him three times. His love poured out undeservedly upon Peter. “No I would not change a thing”, Peter says to himself. No second guessing, no self-pity, no turning back!

The chains jingle as Peter, a little bruised and tender, shifts position in the dingy rank cellar of a prison. The guards are positioned all around him, as if Peter were some sort of Samson-strong man who could take down a regiment of soldiers with just a jaw bone of a donkey. The guards eye him carefully as he shifts in his chains, King Herod had been explicitly clear that this man had to be watched and that if anything happened to him they would pay the price with their lives. King Herod was a vicious man not to be trifled with or taken lightly.

Minutes pass that seem like hours, as the torches on the walls flicker casting shadows on the molding green stones of the cell. Peter, slumped and weary, closes his eyes intent on praying but too emotionally drained falls quickly into a fitful sleep. It seems like a second passes when someone strikes him on the side to awaken him. At first Peter thinks it’s one of the guards and he wonders to himself, “is it time?” Looking up he finds not a solider dressed in military garb, but rather an Angel luminescent and powerful to behold. As Peter looks at the angel, sleep blurred and groggy, the angel looks fiercely back at him and says, “Quick, get up!” Thinking it a vision, Peter doesn’t hesitate or ask any questions and as he moves to pick himself up off of the damp floor, the chains fall off of him as if they had never been clasped tightly around him at all. Bewildered and yet unsure of what this was real or a vision, Peter stands before the Angel.

“Put on your clothes and your sandals Peter!” The angel continues his instructions to Peter, “wrap yourself in your cloak as well!” Peter doesn’t waste any time in protesting, he’s learned long ago not to question but to obey. After dressing and putting on his cloak, the angel instructs him, “Follow me.” Again Peter, thinking this to be a vision, does what the angel says and puts one foot in the front of the other and walks right out of the prison. He walks right past the guards who had been keeping a careful watch over him and they do not even respond to his passing. He follows the angel through the metal doors and past the outer door that leads into the city. The door even opens by itself. After Peter has walked with the angel for about two city blocks, suddenly two things dramatically occur: The angel disappears, vanishes completely from sight. The second thing that amazes Peter is that this isn’t a vision at all. This is very real…and he is now free! What started out as a death row vigil has become a divine prison break!

Full of joy and renewed mission, Peter makes his way to the house of Mary, mother of John Mark. His fellow brothers and sisters in Christ were gathered there earnestly praying. And as Peter knocks on the front door, a servant girl answers and is shocked to see Peter there in front of her. She is so shocked by his appearance there that she shuts the door on him and runs off to announce his arrival. A fugitive, by the name of Peter, is standing outside in the open air while the small house church is made aware of his escape and arrival! At first they don’t believe the servant girl, “how could this be?” One apostle asks. “She’s just making up stories!” Another voice calls out from the back of the room. Then another Christ-follower offers another conclusion of who it might be; “It could be an angel” He says. Now curious what or who has caused this commotion, they all rush to the front door and find out for themselves that it is in fact Peter who is still knocking at the door. Peter is standing there and he is free! They are amazed at this miracle! For hours they had been gathered in a small room made sacred by their continued prayers. Their faith, love and intercessory prayers had been answered!

Peter, though prison weary, recounts the miracle and the angel and all who hear rejoice and are amazed! Knowing he is now a wanted man who is an escapee from prison, Peter leaves their company quickly and without delay before the sun even has a chance to crest over the city walls.

Does God answer prayer? In the midst of our deepest struggles and in the midst of our trouble lives the answer is a resounding ‘YES’! Though there will be times that He doesn’t answer the way that we think He should, what we are called to be is faithful! Will the dangers be lifted from us? Not always. We may still have to endure the valley of the shadow of death a time or two…but know that we never walk these paths alone! God really means it when He says that He is our shepherd and we are under His care! Believe it and received it today!

May 10, 2013 0

Church Practice…Mission & Vision Pt. 2

Church Practice pt.2:

Assessment & Strategy

“Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Proverbs 29:18

How do we begin to set our sights on new ventures and capture victories in our church? Or perhaps how do we recapture the vigor and passion our church once had is a better question? All too often organic ministry takes shape, spontaneous growth occurs and we just don’t know what to do next. We say that we want more people coming to church but when they start coming many of us don’t know what to do with them. Sure some might say, “well we love them.” And that may be so, but without purpose behind ministry we run the risk of losing these new people because there is just nothing that keeps them coming back. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and save, but it’s the church’s responsibility to love them and accept them into the family. Without acceptance and then provided roles and duties a new member may begin to feel like the third wheel, unwanted and might be eyeing the exit sign.

Questions to consider:

What is your Church’s Mission & Vision?

Do you have these written down?

Have you shared them with your congregation?

Are they posted in a prominent place within your church so that all can see them?

If your answers to these questions is “I don’t know” and “No”, then dare I say that perhaps it’s time to get started on articulating what it is your church wishes to accomplish, what your vision needs to be and how your mission might be accomplished.

How Do We Get Started?

Scripture tells us that people without vision will perish.

1) Pray:

So perhaps the very first thing you ought to do is pray. This could be done individually at first then corporately with your core group of leaders. But prayer is our direct connection with the one who makes all things possible and the only source of our true power and wisdom in this process. Vision casting cannot effectively take place within the church without first inviting God’s Holy presence to partake in the planning process. Prayer should not be taken for granted or taken lightly. Without His wisdom and direction our Mission and vision for our church will not succeed.

2) Look Back:

I don’t say this so that we will remain there in our past, but rather we might begin to identify exactly why something became successful in your church in the first place. You might be surprised as to why a program or ministry flourished or grew. Was it because of the leadership present at the time? Was it because of the community dynamics?

The whole reason to look back at past victories is twofold. The first reason is because we need to recognize that God was present in the past and He is here in our present planning. He has granted us these moments of refinement and we ought to celebrate them! So we recognize that God was involved in the victories. The second reason we look back is to identify our victories which will motivate us and cause us to believe that these victories are still possible in this present day! Be mindful though, that what worked in the past might not work in the present. This is simply an exercise to identify the victories and the successes so that we can possibly recapture or claim new victories through the planning process.

3) Know Your Community!

There are any number of statistical web sites out there that can give you vital information regarding the demographics of your community. Not only will they provide you with the breakdown of ethnic groupings but also median age, education, house hold incomes, and even a statistic of single parents in your neighborhoods. This information is crucial to recognizing who is living in your church’s radius. When we can analyze this data we can begin to identify what our mission to our community should be. For example if there is a high percentage of single parents living in your community you might begin to use this information to craft applicable ministries to meet the needs of single parents. It is important that as you begin to craft your church’s mission and vision that you have a good understanding of your community and that of its needs.

4) Know Your Church

This isn’t to mean that you are limited to just the people in your church, but rather to be wise and know who makes up your church and its current ministries. When you know your church, its specific dynamic, good & bad, generational demographics, educational demographics, then you will begin to see what their needs are also. From this study you will then also be able to draw from those resources to better help you devise your strategies as you move forward. With your Core group of leaders you can identify church members who could be utilized in any number of ministries and that of their potential. It is important to know what you already have and who will support your church’s mission and vision.

5) S.W.O.T. Analysis

There are other means of analyzing and planning your mission & vision, but this is one tool that I have used and have seen success from. In your Core group, set aside an hour or two to sit down and do a S.W.O.T. analysis of your church while having your community demographics information at hand. What is S.W.O.T.? It is a tool to identify you Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats. Here is a web link to read up further on this vital tool: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1049.aspx

As you get together have some big poster board paper handy, or a couple of dry erase boards available to that you can discuss and identify your church’s strengths and weaknesses, its opportunities and threats. Write them down as you share, post them on the wall so you begin to see the big picture as you proceed forward. When these are visible you will begin to grasp where your Mission is, what it looks like in your specific community and then you can cast your vision.

6) Identifying your Mission

There are many ways to do this, but with the information you have now already done, you can begin to see what it is God is calling your church to be and do in the community He has placed you in. But be mindful, you must not mistake your vision statement for your mission statement. These two things are not the same…they are hand in glove but the Mission statement ought to come before the Vision statement. Your mission is what you do every day, while your vision is what will take place in the future because you are living out this mission every day. Does that make sense? Mission is intrinsically who you are, while Vision is where you’d like to be because of who you are. Mission =Identity, Vision=future.

Since there are a lot of mission statement helps out there, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel here…use some of these resources to help you. Do some research! Here is a great tool to help you with your mission statement: http://www.firstthird.org/eym/EYM-Tool-2-Identifying-Your-Churchs-Culture.pdf

7) Vision Statement:

Again make sure that you have your mission statement for your specific church nailed down before tackling the vision statement. It’s like trying to build a house without the foundation. You need your mission statement to be clear before you can identify where you want to go. Vision casting might take some time; some continued prayer will be involved. But remember this is your church, your future and good things don’t come from poor planning or no planning. It will take some sweat and possibly tears to get there.

http://scottjeffrey.com/2010/01/how-to-craft-a-compelling-vision-statement/

Video Helps:

http://youtu.be/ioY-YSOKBtY

http://youtu.be/7orBFwkziyg

http://youtu.be/HOSpEFyGWLQ

When I went to college for organizational leadership, I learned this process and it struck me how simple it can be but many times we make it out to be so complex. With your Core leaders there has to be no ego, no sugar coating, just humble servants wanting to invest in what God has given you and your church ministries. When you put your church and community under the microscope it might be painful, yet endure the uncomfortable nature of this process because great things can and will take place if you allow God to use you and your church for His purposes alone!

Feel free to send me questions or feedback if you are interested in starting this process with your church. I have a real passion for churches going through or needing to go through this planning process!

scottstrissel@yahoo.com

May 9, 2013 0

Church Practice…Mission & Vision

Gonna step on some toes, some sacred cows and maybe a few egos.

Here goes…Why do we do what we do in Church? Is there significance in the standard things we do in church on Sundays? Do we continue various things in our services because that’s how we’ve always done them and that’s just how church is done?

Questions to consider:

the bulletin…is it necessary to print one every Sunday or do we just like to have a check off list to go by? Is it because we like order? Is there something sacred about that piece of paper that we glance at and then collect and toss in the trash after the service?

the sermon…is there an altar call at the end? A call for repentance? A challenge for the week to consider and chew on? Does it necessarily have to be at the end of the service and right before lunch?

four praise songs and only four…with tongue firmly place in my cheek, is four the magic number when it comes to praise songs? Or is it just the knowledge that this is the maximum songs any number of generations represented in the congregation can stand? When it comes to the song selections do we intentionally theme the music to coincide with the message or are they just thrown together because we like the songs?

Teachings… do we intentionally share scripture and testimonies with the edification of God and the encouragement of the ecclesia in mind? Teachings aren’t necessarily reserved for the sermon time. These can be present in worship song sets, traditional congregational songs, and scripture readings, dramatic performances, prayer/testimony times. Is there intentionality with these moments of teaching?

Collection of Money (Offerings)…scripturally the collection box was located in the back of the temple, why do we bring it into the forefront of our worship? Don’t get me wrong, if done correctly it can be another teaching moment, but is there a perception (even wrongly so) that all the church is interested in is our money? Do we teach that our tithes are a spiritual act of worship? That what we are doing is declaring that we place everything even our finances in the hands of God? Money can be a sensitive subject in church and to church members…yet do we instruct our members of not its value but its subjugation to the Creator and sustainer of all things?

Churchy Lingo…things like “washed in the blood”, “we’re bible believers”, “CSM”, “DC” “Corps”, even words like “worship”, “testimony” (I know I used it already), “Give God Glory”…and many more of these types of churchy lingo can be confusing to first time visitors. That doesn’t mean that we ought to “dumb it down” (not to be offensive here) or even to talk down to visitors…but what does an outsider see when they come to your church for the first time and hear this foreign lingo? Sometimes we might as well be talking a foreign language.

Traditions are important in that we know where we have come, but don’t mistake tradition for heritage. By that I mean, one holds us back (Tradition), keeps us looking back to the “glory days” and doesn’t consider where we ought to be going (Mission/Vision/Goals). Whereas heritage says, we have a richness of saints who have paved the way for us…we owe it to them to keep our mission and vision clear and set our sights on what is ahead rather than what we have already accomplished.

In your church why do you do the things that you do? Is there significance or are you simply going through the motions? When a church has lost its significance, its mission and vision and has instead is simply plodding along through the motions watch out! A church without mission is a church on the brink of dying away. My hope and prayer is that each and every church evaluates its mission and vision so that though denomination may guide them in the large spectrum and doctrine the local church knows where it’s going, how it’s going to get there and why they meet as a body to worship together.

Coming tomorrow: tools to help restart your church and reinvigorate its mission and vision.

tune in tomorrow as we continue this dialogue.

May 8, 2013 4

True Heroes ARE Real!

news story & interview

Yesterday I commented on the breaking story of the three women who had been kidnapped and held in a home for over tens years. Again how sick is that? Yet in the midst of this sickness and vile evil, a bright light of hope has arisen in this story. A hero by the name of Charles Ramsey. Yesterday he was interviewed by Anderson Cooper and the nation should be honored to have people like Mr. Ramsey in our midst. At face value, he’s a humble guy who doesn’t want any recognition. Upon further review he’s a solid Christian who just wants to do what is right!

Wow! I couldn’t be more impressed with this man! I’m not here to place anyone on a pedestal…and Mr. Ramsey clearly doesn’t want that either…but this is what I’ve been talking about for quite some time now. Christians living the life and not just in word but also in deed.

In the interview yesterday Charles Ramsey lifted up his actual paycheck and told the nation that he didn’t want or deserve a reward and that any kind of reward should go to the women who were rescued. Seriously I was floored and overjoyed to listen to this man speak. Again I’m not trying to elevate him or sound boastful, but we need more Charles Ramseys in our world today!

It kind of provides for us the type of testimony each and every Christian ought to have as well. We aren’t in it for the notoriety, or the money or to sell anything. We are in it for life for Christ and the redemption of the world! What He wants us to say we say, where He wants us to go we go. We are His faithful disciples and ambassadors in a world who needs hope, who needs assurances that good and salvation yet remains.

Today, I applaud Mr. Ramsey for his integrity, his heroism and the fortitude he has displayed thus far. May that be one of the shining examples of godly living to us as well as those around us.

True Heroes…they still exist…they ARE Real!

May 8, 2013 0

Wanted: A Few Good Men & Women!

“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” 1 Peter 2:12

How do we do this as Christ followers? How do we keep our conduct honorable despite the pressures that seem impossible to resist? I suppose the question we must ask ourselves first is, “what is honorable?” If you were to look at a dictionary some of the similes of the word ‘honorable’ are: “Blameless, upright, virtuous, moral, righteous, principled.” Therefore, if we are to be honorable disciples of Christ we have to possess these qualities as disciplines in our words and our deeds. The hypocritical notion of “do as I say not as I do” cannot apply to us.

Someone is watching you!

I love that classic Michael Jackson song “Somebody’s watching me” , it’s perhaps a bit paranoid but the truth of the matter is that if you profess to be a Christian then you better act like a Christian in your actions! Why? Because there are people looking at you and looking to you as an example what it means to live an upright life! If you blow it and display something opposite of what you are professing then guess what? It’s not just you failing it’s the identity of Christ in you that has been poorly misrepresented. I hate to point fingers and I rarely will, but when churches like the Westboro Baptist church goes out and spews hatred and condemnation, what they are doing is poorly representing Christ to a lost world. Their idea of Christ isn’t something I embrace and in fact they do more harm than good with their protests and divisive signs.

You see the world is looking for blameless, upright people! The world has far too few of them. I’m not just talking about being an honorable GOOD person; I am talking about godly examples of Christ in our world today. This may sound harsh but there are a lot of Christians in this world who talk a good game but bring very little of it home with them in the way that they conduct themselves. My place isn’t to shift the blame on anyone, but if truth be told I too struggle with this in my own life as well. 1 Peter 2:12 tells us that not only ought we be honorable so that others see us do good, but that they too might see God and glorify Him! It’s a double edged sword here. On one side we are to live upright principled godly lives for ourselves and because it brings glory to God, and on the other side others are watching and innately they too want to find this truth for themselves. So that when others see these good deeds displayed in God’s people, they too want what we possess which the indwelling of His Holy Spirit and a transformed life.

How is your soul today? How is your life? Are you living for God or are you talking a good game, but there is very little evidence of Him in your life? I want to first encourage you when I say that God has great expectations for us. He knows what we are capable of and the potential that we already possess to do good in our own world for Him! He believes in you! He loves you! And our calling as Christ followers is to live this life out loud so that others might see Christ through us.

Secondly, this passage reminds you and me that there is so much more at stake here than just our reputations. If we’re wearing the cross on our bodies and as bumper stickers on our cars then shouldn’t we be wearing a transformed life as well? I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be another Christian casualty on the spiritual highway wrought with moral car wrecks! I doubt you do either.

So what?

Live what we say, and say what we live! And may God be visible in every capacity and fiber of our being!

God is looking for a few good men and women to service Him in the trenches of life. Are you up to the task? He believes in you…do you believe in you? Do you believe in Him? Get on with it then! Blessings on you this day and May you live for Him in word and deed! Amen & amen!

May 7, 2013 0

A Supernatural Hero – Resurrection Power!

Ironman 3 news article

The superhero zooms in, a little beaten and bruised…but something keeps him going. With determination in his eyes he faces off with the sinister villain who is intent on destroying anyone in his path. The hero, moments before, had been beaten and considered vanquished. Now he stands before the shell shocked villain ready take him down once and for all.

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for superhero movies! If one were to look at my movie collection one would find a slew of hero films, in fact it’s probably the biggest collection of all of my movies. I love a good versus evil story plot! It evokes in me justice and peace with just a little action and mayhem thrown in. This past week Ironman 3 debuted at theaters all around the country & world. It blew the competition away in that it was the top grossing film of the weekend (probably a few more weekends to go too). What that says to me is that I’m not alone in my love of superhero movies. There are millions out there who line up, pay for film tickets and see these films with me. Why? Why are superhero movies such a popular draw?

Here’s my take – because everyone at heart is looking for a hero! Everyone wants not just to escape into fantasy, but they want some sort of rescue in their own lives. We want to see evil vanquished! We want to see good stand triumphantly over the fallen maniacal villain! At heart, we long for heroes in our lives today!

The man stands in front of the grave of his good friend who is four days dead. The dead man’s sisters are not happy with the visiting teacher. Why hadn’t he come sooner? He is a healer, he could have done something to save him…but now it’s too late, he’s gone! But Jesus stands there and tells them to open the tomb. They must have thought to themselves; ‘Are you kidding me? Jesus he’s been dead for four days, it’s going to smell horrible in there!’ But Jesus insists and after the tomb is open, reeking of death, Jesus does something astonishing. He calls out loudly to his now dearly departed good friend. “Lazarus come out!” The people gathered there with the sisters must have exchanged confused even worried looks at each other. “Why is Jesus doing this?” Some must have wondered, “Haven’t Lazarus’ sisters suffered enough?” And yet something remarkable and awesomely supernatural takes place…there are shuffling sounds coming from the tomb.

What seem like hours pass by from Jesus’ words to what happens next…but it’s mere moments. Everyone is clinging to this last ounce of hope as death has been the unwanted house guest for more than four days. Another moment passes and then there is a sharp intake of breath and then a gasp as the dead darkens the door way of his own grave. Jesus has done the unthinkable, He has risen Lazarus from the death. A body in full rigor, decomposing in the tomb has been reanimated. Where stillness had been claimed within vacant lungs, now breathing and motion has gained access once again. Lifeless is replaced with life. Lazarus is no longer dead…he is alive!

Imagine being one of those witnesses that day? They experienced something they couldn’t quite explain; they see the unthinkable take place. A very dead person is brought back to life! Jesus, God’s one and only son, displaying His very real power over life and death! Is there any other person who has walked this earth and lived human life done more? Jesus who is the Lord of life and death? One who actually has supernatural power? A true hero for all of humanity? It is wondrous to think that not only did Jesus heal the sick and give life to the dead, but He also went to the extreme and laid down His life for all of humanity. When He hung on the cross for the sins of all of us, He went to hell and conquered sin and death! But the story didn’t end with a heroes sacrifice and finality of a mournful death…NO! He brought himself back to life! Jesus even said that He would do this for us: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life (for my sheep) –only to take it up again.” (John 10:17 NIV)

Is Jesus your superhero? Not in some corny or silly way, but in the very real sense that He has displayed His love for you, He has conquered sin and death for us and that He is the only way by which we can find our eternal home in heaven with God. Jesus wants you to experience this supernatural salvation and deliverance. He comes to each of us and asks if we will accept Him as our savior. I have chosen to follow Him, will you?

John 11:25-26 (NIV)
²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

May 6, 2013 0

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“Jesus the good shepherd”

John 10:1-21 (NIV)
¹“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
⁵But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
⁶Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
⁷Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
⁸All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
¹³The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
¹⁴“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–
¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.
¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again.
¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
¹⁹At these words the Jews were again divided.
²⁰Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
²¹But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Sermon Podcast: “Jesus the good shepherd”

May 5, 2013 0

Category: Church