Let’s Get Uncomfortable About Prayer

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Today is National Prayer day.
So let’s talk about prayer shall we?!

We have these images in our minds when we think about the word “Prayer”…perhaps it looks like this: or maybe maybe this:
These iconic images of prayer are okay, but are they really what prayer looks like and should be for us today? Don’t get me wrong, I am not discounting some of us might fold our hands like this when we pray, but by and large our prayer life probably looks more like this:

Driving back and forth from home to work, only to repeat this process. Perhaps after a really good, challenging Sunday service we might feel compelled to be more intentional about prayer and so we turn off the radio and simply talk to God. Realistically, the World around us seems to be a constantly busy place and our prayer life can begin to be measured out in how long it takes us to get to work.

Still there are some of us whose prayer life resembles this:

We work hard all day long and when it comes time for us to go to bed we think about prayer. So we pray, and we are serious about it, but at the end of the day we are completely spent and so our prayers fall into sounds of deep breathing and even snoring.

I don’t say this as a guilt trip, because I’ve been guilty of this too. We mean well, it’s just that our bodies and our minds are tired and we drift off to sleep.

Let’s Get Uncomfortable About Prayer:
This will probably be unpopular among many Christians, but we are too soft. We are not as disciplined as we should be in regards to prayer. Instead of looking like this in our prayer life:

(We don’t take the intentional time we need. We aren’t focused. We lack the discipline to keep going. We struggle with many distractions such as TV, cell phones, social media, websites, books, video game…etc. )

So we end up looking more like this in regards to the discipline of prayer:

And the only time we pull out our prayers, our conversations to God, is when we are in need of something. Could it be that THIS is why we feel as if God isn’t listening? Perhaps because we haven’t really disciplined ourselves enough to have a constant conversation with Him?

It’s like the couch potato suddenly getting up from the comfortable sofa and putting on their shoes and attempting to run a marathon without any training. Sure, some might actually finish, but by and large most would fall flat on their faces in utter exhaustion.

Prayer takes work.
Real prayer isn’t a bunch of “Thees” and “Thous” thrown into some fancy sentence full of flowery meaningless words. God doesn’t want our ritualistic prayers. He doesn’t want us to be something we’re not. He wants our authenticity. He longs for us to be completely candid with Him. He already knows us, there’s nothing hidden from Him…so why do we feel as if we have to put up a wall or limit what we say to Him?

Brother Lawrence, in his little book called “The Practice of the Presence of God” said this; “Do not be discouraged by the resistance you will encounter from your human nature; you must go against your human inclinations. Often, in the beginning, you will think that you are wasting time, but you must go on, be determined and persevere in it until death, despite all the difficulties.”
― (The Practice of the Presence of God)

True prayer requires concerted effort.
It might require us to become uncomfortable.
Discipline is required to spend time conversing with the Almighty.
It is not a waste of time.
He does hear us.
He will speak…but the question is are we actually listening?

Do we need prayer?
Absolutely…BUT perhaps prayer isn’t what we have always been taught it is.
Could it be that our prayers should resemble more of a constant invitation for God to hang out with us? Could it be that instead of kneeling at our bedside, we continually begin to think and speak to our Creator? Perhaps we’ve been taught prayer is all about closing our eyes…maybe we should open them instead. God longs for our fellowship, and a part of that fellowship is our constant communication with Him. He is nearer than we think or realize. But perhaps could it be that our hearts are not completely in tune with Him? Perhaps we are out of sync due to our random, undisciplined prayer lives?

The Discipline of prayer is more than just a notch in the “Christian” belt of accomplishments (hopefully we don’t think of it like that), it is connect ourselves completely to the Divine. It is a part of Holiness. It is a part of the complete surrender the Holy Spirit is desiring from us. For many of us, a complete surrender is really scary to think about. Instead of thinking about the things we will give up, think about the life that we will gain and the peace and knowledge that brings.

I’m not there either, but I want to be.
Something more to ponder today.

May 5, 2016 0

Are We Lying To Ourselves?

I think we all do it from time to time.
Do what you ask? We lie to others and to ourselves.
We convince ourselves that everything is okay, and that we are “fine”…but deep down we have been lying to ourselves, convincing our hearts and minds that we need not grow or that growth is not necessary any longer.

I don’t want to pick this scab…I really don’t.
I’m afraid of what lays beneath it.
But you know what? The funny thing is the Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to settle. He doesn’t want us to become static – this Pilgrim’s Progress is very real, and very needed for all of us. I can only speak for myself, but I have recognized the times when His holy presence wanted to move me into deeper fellowship with Him while I resisted because I was afraid of what I would have to surrender. Has this happened to you too? I kept lying to myself, trying to convince my heart and mind that I had imagined the prompting, and that I was fine and not in need of fixing…oh but I was wrong.

It is very hard to face the truth of spiritual undernourishment and the necessity for us to move. It is dangerous territory when the Holy Spirit desires to penetrate our prideful hearts and even more terrifying to admit these liabilities and struggles to others around us. We might tell ourselves, “I don’t need help, I’ve got this…and even if I don’t I’m going to fake it until I do.” And so we never ask for help and sometimes we tell the Holy Spirit “I don’t want to move, I’m perfectly comfortable right here.”

Stop Lying.
When will we come to terms with our lies?
When we will confront this elephant in the room?
This is about personal holiness, not personal convenience.
The Holy Spirit desires to move us, to spur us out of our comfort and into the fire of spiritual discipline. Through this holy fire we can become further refined and purified. Perhaps some of us must walk through this purifying fire over and over again just to surrender the hidden sins of the heart. This isn’t a guilt trip by any means, this is a deep personal conviction. I believe one of the reasons our churches are dying is because we have been lying to ourselves and to each other for far too long. We have bottled up our comfort and refused to become vulnerable to the Holy Spirit. We have pushed accountability aside and desired to privately entertain the desires of our own hearts and have turned the mission of others into a self-indulged power trip.

But I don’t believe it’s too late.
I believe that there is still time.
I know the tide can turn, if we would only stop lying and start moving back into the fire.

Begin To Feel The Flames Again…
I began anew this very topic with an accountability partner recently, and I began to recognize just how far I have come in my faith but also just how stagnant I have become.
At the risk of oversharing, I was convicted in my own life because I have been neglecting the Holy Spirit’s presence. I have been ignoring His pleading. I have been lying to my heart and mind that I require no further refinement…how wrong have I been?!

I need to feel the heat of refinement again…do you?
I need to stop lying and start confession my needs…do you?
The only way our churches will grow in the right way is when we are found on our faces before the Almighty and we burn with His refinement once again.
So how about it? Are you ready to begin to feel the flames again?

For further reading, please consider this tried and true (albeit difficult confrontation of questions) approach: A word of caution, don’t ask all of these questions all at once…perhaps digest a few poignant questions at a time, then pray about this or get with an accountability partner and talk it out.

The 22 Questions of John Wesley’s Holy Clubs Over 200 years ago when Charles and John Wesley were students at Oxford University, they started a small group that met for regular prayer, bible study, and discipleship. In their private devotions, they’d use these questions to “methodically” examine their spiritual lives to help them be spiritually accountable in the faith and encourage growth in their commitment to Christ. This became the beginning of the Methodist movement. John Wesley asked himself these questions every day & recorded his responses in a journal in order that he could grow spiritually. How might a commitment to this kind of honest examination of your spiritual life sharpen your commitment to Christ? How might this kind of spiritual accountability impact the mission of Christ in the world?

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not like other people?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

About The Holy Club ” John and Charles Wesley and a handful of other Oxford students devoted themselves to a rigorous search for holiness and service to others. The Holy Club, the name given to John and Charles Wesley’s group by their fellow collegians in mockery of their emphasis on devotions, was the first sign of what later became Methodism…
(Source: https://fairhopechurch.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/the-22-questions-of-john-wesley.pdf)

A Shorter version of this comes from General William Booth – so if you wanted to condense and ask the most relevant questions –
William Booth had 11 Questions for the Weekly Self-Examination of the Soul.

How must you answer them before God?….

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5 RSV)

1. Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practice or allow myself any thought, word or deed that I know to be wrong?

2. Am I so the master of my bodily appetites as to have no condemnation? Do I allow myself any indulgence that is injurious to my holiness, growth in knowledge, obedience, or usefulness?

3. Are my thoughts and feelings such that I should not be ashamed to hear them published before God?

4. Does the influence of the world cause me to do or say things that are unlike Christ?

5. Do my tempers cause me to act, or feel, or say things that I see afterward are contrary to that love that I ought to [show] always to those about me?

6. Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners? Do I feel concern about their danger and pray and work for their salvation as if they were my children?

7. Am I fulfilling the vows I have made to God in my acts of consecration or at the penitent-form?

8. Is my example in harmony with my profession?

9. Am I conscious of any pride or haughtiness in my manner or bearing?

10. Do I conform to the fashions and customs of the world, or do I show that I despise them?

11. Am I in danger of being carried away with worldly desire to be rich or admired?

Selected material from: Chosen to Be a Soldier – Orders and Regulations for Soldiers of The Salvation Army 1977 (pp. 17-18)

Something more to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

April 27, 2016 1

Dear Salvationist – Arrogance Beware!

Luke 18:9-14(NLT)

Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

⁹Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ¹⁰“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer^[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹²I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ ¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ¹⁴I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Beware dear Soldier of the trappings of arrogance, for it can creep into that uniform of yours and corrupt your heart and attitude! We do not wear this uniform and associate ourselves with this army because we are better than other people, instead we should wear it as as sign of utter humility, servitude to Christ and as a constant reminder of our mission in this world.

Could our corps halls feel like an exclusive club to outsiders? -This should never be the case! We might become tempted, at times, to puff ourselves up with all of our corps’ accomplishments and fortunes, instead run from such thoughts and temptations! Do not become like the Pharisee in the parable Jesus told – who was so enamored by his own pride and arrogance that those earnestly seeking were criticized and despised.

No, instead fight this war against pride and arrogance as a Soldier of this army! We ought to fall to our knees and repent every time we become prideful of who we are instead of Whose we are. We must recognize and repent every time we aspire to places of position and power out of personal gain and selfish ambition. Pride and arrogance will poison our army if we are not careful; and although we do good in our communities lest we not forget Who our faith is in and for Whom all of these good works are accomplished.

If we as soldiers exchange this true calling of sincere holiness in our lives for earthly recognition and these temporary places of authority the world bestows upon us, we will have lost it all – and our identity as an Army for God.

Jesus despised the hypocrite and the religious zealot who couldn’t see past their own personal needs and desires. Beware dear Soldier of the trappings of arrogance and pride.

Prayer:
Lord, make us humble. May we be mindful of our fellow man – and the hurting world around us. Give us Your heart and eyes – may we ever be on our knees earnestly seeking after you. Holy Spirit, instill in us this servant-heart. Break us of our pride and arrogance. Remove the dross, wipe away the old life. If need be, remove us from places of prominence so that we may be yours and yours alone. Lord, forgive us when we have had a divided heart – you want us all to yourself, and there have been times when we have strayed. May Christ-likeness be our goal as we humbly serve. Amen.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

April 6, 2016 1

Dear Salvationist -Making War and Swaying With Booth!

“We are sent to war. We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war…and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus” (William Booth)

Dear Salvationists, allow me but a few minutes to ponder and dissect this quote by our Founder:

I understand this quote…I really do.
In some ways it resonates with me.
I know that within our world there is a spiritual war that wages on for the souls of men, women and children.
I also have the understanding that for forces of darkness (Satan, demons, sin & death) are not (nor will they ever be) equal to the force of Light who is God – the Creator and sustainer of all life.

I agree with this quote…and yet I have trouble with it.
I agree that we are to engage in a spiritual war as soldiers – not of just an army formed by men and women from the 1860’s, but as an army called by God. We face opposition almost daily, and even when we wear the uniform (or because of it), we encounter resistance and even contempt. The spiritual war, which is unseen, is real…it is evident. This war has claimed millions of souls, and it will not cease simply by ignoring it.
I agree we are to wage this war.
I agree we fight for more than “good works”.
I agree that this army of salvation is here for more than just Sunday church services.
We are more than just a congregation.

“…We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going…”

However, I wonder if this type language is insulting to churches around the world today?
I understand the context and time that this was written in. I’m not bashing the Founder, or disagreeing with our mission. I just wonder if these words apply more for the time in which General Booth lived than it does today? There was a certain segregation in the industrial age from the working class, the aristocrats, the poor. Even among the churches, in that era, the marginalized and poor were not being reached. Does this still happen today? Was this about bashing the contemporary church of Booth’s day or about rallying Salvationists into action? I believe it was the latter. I believe William & Catherine intentionally set out to do what needed to be done in their day and their mission and purpose certainly went beyond the perimeters of “Church”.

(Coincidentally, I wrote about this very topic last week entitled “Are we ‘Doing’ Church All Wrong?” and you can read more about that pondering by clicking that hyperlink. )

I wonder if we, as an Army are STILL fully committed to this war?
I wonder if we’ve become lacks in some ways.
Is there still a fire in our hearts?
Are we still willing to wage to the very gates of hell for the lost and hurting?
Sometimes within the Church we (all of Christians) are so horrified when a drunkard walks into our sanctuaries…or someone who smells…or someone who is a criminal…or someone of ill-repute…yet, isn’t that what we the “Church” should be all about? It should never be about the disruption and the order of our services…after all, I believe even the Holy Spirit disrupts our services from time to time because He has something to share that our “order of service” didn’t squeeze in.

We are pretty good at dressing up our buildings. We make them look inviting. We spending millions of dollars on new edifices with beautiful plaques of dedication on them…but these places are still only buildings. They ought to invite everyone in. They ought to serve the purpose of saving souls…but that shouldn’t be all that we are..all that we do. We should never be static and firmly planted in just our buildings…we should be an Army on the move – working in our communities…going to the poor, the lost, the marginalized, those without hope…instead of waiting for them to come to us, which they never will.

“…and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus“
I know, dear Salvationist, that we are Christ’s hands and feet in our world, but does that mean that He needs our help to “subjugate” the world to the sway of Jesus? I know what Booth means here, but I have trouble with the language. I recognize our responsibilities and being Saved to Save, or Saved to Serve, but we also recognize that without the power of the Holy Spirit – nothing is possible. We are without power…and though we might claim certain victories in our own strength, we are never more powerful than when we call upon His presence to guide and to provide.

The world within the “sway” of the Lord – is the Lords work to be done – not ours.
We, in my opinion, are called to obedience, and in that obedience we become pliable to God’s workings and will. It is a power surrogacy or sorts. We stop talking about our war plans, and our building plans, and our fund raising goals, and we listen to God’s battle plan and His redemptive power will surge through us so that the “sway of the world” has, and always will be His to command.

I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.…(John 17:15-17)

Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

March 8, 2016 0

Pondering – “Does God Need Us?”

I recently read a blog article from one of my friends that was entitled “Does God Need Us?” Timothy McPherson’s blog site is – http://latitudinarismus.blogspot.com/

Does God Need Us?
That question reverberated in my heart.
It sent me wandering down unknown corridors of my life…places I’ve been afraid to go, or afraid to ask such questions. It caught me off guard, and yet it has been a question that has been rolling around in my head for sometime now.

A follow-up question that I’ve wondered too is “Have I inflated my opinion of myself?”
I often ponder this.
I am curious if you’re at all like me…if this comes to the surface of your life as well.
I wonder if we see the ourselves in a much different light than God sees us?
Do we think too highly of ourselves?
How big are our egos? – an honest/gut-checking question that seems to knock the wind out of us every time.

Micah 6:8 sets us straight – “…and to walk humbly with Thy God…”

Ego Kicked To The Curb…
I am not a biblical scholar by any means, but I know that within my heart God certainly doesn’t need us. My control over circumstances and situations give ME power. My job, my ministry, the words I am writing right now…in the grand scheme of things, carries very little weight in comparison to a mighty Creator who SPOKE the Universe into being.

So…Does God need me (You)?
Did He need me (You) when he loosed a flood upon the wicked and saved a small family in an ark with a whole lot of livestock? -No.
Did He need me (You) when He guided a ruddy youth to slay a giant Philistine? -No.
Did He need me (You) when He sent His only Son into the world? -No.
Did He need me (You) when the day of Pentecost came? -No.
Does He need us now? No.
If that doesn’t deflate our egos, I don’t know what will.

BUT, perhaps an appropriate follow-up question is –
Does God long to commune and fellowship with His Creation?
And the answer is ABSOLUTELY! -YES!!!

God doesn’t need us –
To advertise His goodness.
To convince sinners of their sinfulness and of God’s grace.
To do “Church” work for Him.
To win souls…
To play the best music we can possibly play…
To write the best prose we can about Him…

God doesn’t need us to do all of these things.
He doesn’t have to use our pitiful offerings or our “best foot forward”..(sorry)
All of these things can become arbitrary, routine, and pointless if we forget why we are “doing” these things in the first place.

God’s first request is for us is to “Be Holy as He is holy” (Lev 11:44)
Perhaps it’s not so much about God needing us as it is about us BEING like Him.
He could do without us…

God longs for our fellowship.
God wants our hearts, our lives, our moment by moment experiences, our joys AND our deepest darkest cliff-hanger moments…He wants to journey along with us. After all “Emmanuel” means “God with us”. Proverbs 18:24 says, “…but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Does God need us? No.
But does God long for our fellowship and our constant connection with Him? -Yes.
This is where grace starts.
This is where God comes to OUR pitiful level…all because of love.
Were it not for His grace – none of this would matter.
None of our flowery speeches, or our eloquent rituals…nothing places us in His presence…nothing we can do is ever good enough. Thus grace entered. Thus Christ took our shame. Thus life instead of death. Thus hope instead of utter despair.

No God doesn’t need us…but we need Him.
O how we need Him!

Thank you for the reminder!
Something more to ponder today!

February 25, 2016 0

Dear Salvationist, On Removing All Doubt!

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.“-1 John 1:7

The Biggest Pondering to consider for Salvationists – “Do you believe God can cleanse you from ALL your sins?”

This was a revelation and turning point of Samuel Logan Brengle, and perhaps it should also be a turning point for all of us! We are very good at saying that God can cleanse us completely, but believing in our own hearts and minds can prove to be at times elusive. We live with regrets, and often times, dredge up the past and those sins we would be embarrassed of if anyone ever found out.

Those deepest darkest regions of our hearts, those hidden sins – are often the only things preventing us from a spiritual explosion of growth in our lives.

Do we (I) truly believe that God can cleanse us (me) from ALL your (my) sins?
If so, why do we hold back?
Why do we doubt?
Even in my own life, I catch momentary glimpses of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. And as he begins to walk he is ACTUALLY doing it – he’s walking on the water, an impossible feat, yet it’s happening. Then something happens. Something catches Peter off guard. He looks around him, perhaps reality (his reality – men don’t walk on water) sets in. He sees the tempest of the waves, the power of the surging waters. He feels the billowing gusts of the winds. What had been an absolute conviction of faith, has now become a glimpse of mortality and human frailty. Like the deep rumbling of storm clouds, doubt settles onto Peter’s certainties. His absolutes turn into “maybes” and then into “no ways”…His eyes shift from Divinity and Eternity towards uncertainty and self-doubt. Excuses then enter – “I can’t do this,” “Who do I think I am?” “This is impossible” -Peter begins to sink. As he is facing the tempest and the horrific certainty of death by drowning, he calls out to Jesus, “Lord save me!”

According to Matthew 14:31, Jesus IMMEDIATELY reached down and pull Peter up…Jesus immediately saves him. Notice that the text doesn’t say that Jesus sinks in as well. He doesn’t stop walking on top of the waters. No, he pulls Peter back up above the surface of the dark watery depths. What might have been the certainty of the grave by drowning, turned into a salvation story. Then Jesus says to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

To me, this portrait is how I see this cleansing grace of God.
It is but a window into the portrait of our immediate cleansing.
God can and will cleanse all of our sins…IF we let Him.
It has never been about if God is able to cleanse us…
It has never been about God having enough power to cleanse us through and through…
It has always been about our doubts, our uncertainties, our inadequacies, our convictions of guilt and shame.
It has always been about our penitent hearts unwilling to see that He will cleanse the worst of sinners – including you and me.

Jesus died for ALL – His blood cleanses ALL.
Knowing and believing this truth makes all the difference!
We can have all of the wisdom of scriptures at our disposal, but if they are not employed and believed in our lives – they mean nothing, and God’s cleansing will not touch our deepest darkest sins.

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Still applies to you and me today.
Can we consecrate our lives again to Him?
Can we recognize that God can and will purify us from ALL sin?
Perhaps this is what has been holding you back all of these years.
Perhaps you have felt unworthy of this cleansing.
Maybe you don’t feel as if you deserve it, or you doubt that you could ever live up to God’s complete and utter cleansing.

**Warning: words that are harder to live by are contained within the next statement!!**
He has made you whole, now live out that wholeness for Him!
Accept this complete cleansing.
Lay all of your sins, all of your guilt, all of your shame before Him.
He will immediately lift you out of the depths!!

By the love that never ceased to hold me
In a bond nor life nor death shall break,
As thy presence and thy power enfold me,
I would plead fresh covenant to make.
From before thy face, each vow renewing,
Strong in heart, with purpose pure and deep,
I will go henceforth thy will pursuing,
With my Lord unbroken faith to keep.

By the love that never ceased to hold me,
By the blood which thou didst shed for me,
While thy presence and thy power enfold me,
I renew my covenant with thee.

-Will J. Brand/Bramwell Coles

The Lord desires an Army of Salvationists consecrated and given to His mission completely. The Lord desires all lives fully surrendered to Him…then and only then can He cleanse us through and through!

Something more for our Army world to ponder today!

February 8, 2016 2

Persevere and Endure!

“By your endurance you will gain your lives (souls).” Luke 21:19

This is a foreboding passage.
Jesus basically tells His disciples that bad days are coming, and yet if they persevere, they will win or gain their souls. It is without question that most of the disciples endured hardship, persecution and even execution. Life was extremely hard for these Christ-followers, yet they persevered not just for themselves, but for their Rabbi – for their Messiah. The purpose that they had been given was beyond just their solitary lives – it was a purpose that brought hope into all of the corners of the known world.

From this first century context, we too can glean some meaning from these words of Jesus. Life doesn’t always contain full promises and ONLY happy days…life is sometimes hard. Sickness happens, unemployment occurs, cut backs, mounting bills, relationship issues, broken promises, loss of loved ones and friendships you thought would be long lasting. Life. Is. Hard. Sometimes.

It is certainly a sharp contrast from the lives of those first followers of Christ, but there are still many very real struggles in this life. I don’t want to list all of them today, but I do wish to convey that you are not alone. We all endure these hardships, these difficult days, these dark days. Sometimes giving up seems like the easiest thing to do – don’t. Sometimes throwing in the towel on our faith seems like the logical thing to do when anger and frustration consumes us – don’t.

Faith
Faith often takes us to places that we generally do not wish to be.
We long for the warm sun in our faces and the soft sand beneath our feet, but instead we stand in the bitterness of winter’s blasts numbing our faces and our hearts. Even then we’re to endure? Even here in the dark days? -Yes. We fight on. We recognize that our witness of Christ in us matters to our small corner of this world. We wage a war against these spiritual forces in our world that long to tighten, not loosen, the bonds of sin and death upon all of humanity.

Despite the season or circumstances you might find yourself in today – Faith wins.
We step out and onward knowing that God’s Holy presence is with us. We continue this calling of love. We say “Your will be done in my life – not mine.” Only in full submission does any of this make sense. Only in full submission to God do we become strong again and can access strength that is supernatural and beyond us. Only here are we able to persevere and endure. Only here will we gain the constant presence of the Holy Spirit, not that He isn’t always present, but rather, we have become finely tuned into His frequency in this world and in our lives.

So How About it?
Are you struggling today? Do you know someone who is going through a dark time?
How can this hope and light of Christ alleviate and penetrate that darkness? Are you submitted fully to Him?

Regardless of what has transpired in your life, today is what matters – how you live this moment makes a difference. We can choose to curse God for our circumstances or we can praise Him despite the difficulties that we face.

Something more to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

February 2, 2016 1

Dear Salvationist -Watch Your Mouth!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29

The Holiness Movement is far from dead.
We, as Salvationists, have within our veins more than the figurative colors of red, yellow, blue…we have the image of Christ within our hearts. Not to say that other Christ-followers do not, or that we are better than anyone else, but this message, this pondering is primarily for Salvationists in our world today.

We face difficulties in our communities and in our culture which makes it hard to be truly set apart for God. The lure of many things comes knocking at our doors and begs us to participate, to comprise, to ignore this calling. Is it possible to look so much like the culture that our effectiveness in mission is compromised? Is there a line that begs and pleads alluringly to be crossed? What of our attitudes, our hearts, and our speech? Do these go hand in hand with our lifestyles, with our mission?

There isn’t a time clock that we punch when we accept this holy mission of Christ’s. We are either all in or not at all. We don’t wear the uniform to the corps but once it’s off at home we become someone else, with a different set of life rules. We are beckoned to “go into all the world…” We are asked to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ. If we are to imitate Him in every way (Ephesians 5:1), then this includes what we say.

Confession:
I can be cynical at times (That’s not a shock to some of you).
I always joke that I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, but sometimes that sarcasm takes a very harmful turn. My speech isn’t always as it should be. Words can become barbs that are razor sharp that can cut to the heart of people faster than any blade could ever penetrate. I know this of myself. I make no excuse of this. Does that mean I wish to continue to the live my life in a verbal rut? Of course not!

Dear Salvationist
Do you have the deep desire to continue to grow in Christ?
Is there, within your heart, the Spirit’s pleading to become more than you are right now?
Are we settling for the verbal ruts, the bad habits, the inexcusable behavior? Do we make excuses and/or rationalize these away in order to make them more palatable and accepted? I can tell you truthfully that you will never really know peace within your heart as long as you continue to reside where the Holy Spirit does not want you to reside – in regards to ungodly habits and behaviors that are contrary to your covenant or promise to Him.

Like our tithe, like our commitments to God – if we continue to only give Him a portion, we will never be truly satisfied living within His will. What is God’s will for us? Read Micah 6:8 again “He has shown you, oh man what is good and what the Lord requires from you. To live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Watch Your Mouth!
Be mindful of your mission field.
Be aware of how ungodly speech corrupts your heart and those around you.
What kind of speech am I talking about? Not just profanity and course language, but (and more importantly) unkind words towards others, Gossip of any kind, malicious-hate fueled speech. Words that do not build up but instead destroy. Soldiers of this Army; more importantly Soldiers of God do not act this way…should not act this way! Watch your mouth…it can build souls and help them become more Christ-like, or it can burn the heart and fuel it into hatred towards God…that is how helpful or harmful your words can be.

Questions to Ponder Today:
How can I change my patterns of speech?
Do I recognize those moments when my words become barbs and are used as weapons?
What is the Holy Spirit instructing me to do within my actions and my use of speech?
What kinds of changes do I need to make right now?
Have I settled for where I am right now or am I willing to grow through the direction of the Holy Spirit?

Something more for our Army to ponder on today.
To God be the glory!

January 14, 2016 5

“Legacy – Owning Your Influence” – Precious Diamonds!

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
–Martin Luther King Jr.

Yesterday at church I spoke on the topic of “Legacy”.
It’s an important message for all of us to hear, not because I spoke it, but because we are all called to this holy purpose. If we claim to be a Christ-follower, we are set apart for something much more precious than common existence.

Imagine if someone were to give you a magnificent diamond to take care of. (I know, but imagine with me for just a second) The gem is extremely valuable, the clarity is remarkable and it truly is a precious stone to admire and protect. There is nothing common about this diamond, it is one of a kind and cannot be replaced. So, what do you do? You protect it. You store it in a safe place. You don’t just leave it laying around like a common rock gathered from a field.

Similarly – You are precious to God.
You are HIS prized possession. You matter to Him. There is nothing common about you in His eyes. He has saved you for a Holy purpose, and at a mighty price: His Son’s death on a cross. Because of the resurrection, because of grace, because of forgiveness and atonement, we have become His, and His alone!

Now that we know WHOSE we are, WHAT we DO matters!
A legacy isn’t so much about what we want people to remember us by, but about being found faithful in WHOSE we are. Everything that we say and everything that we do MATTERS! Everything we are inside a church building and ESPECIALLY outside a church building matters! There is nothing more off-putting to people in our communities than individuals who claim to be “Christians” but their lives consistently contradict the claim. Why would anyone want to be a Christian if they don’t practice what they preach?

What kinds of fields are we sowing in our communities?
What kinds of legacies and examples are we living out loud for our children?

How is the world better off because we have lived and are faithfully serving in it?

Perhaps it’s time to reevaluate our lives today.
Perhaps we need to re-commit our lives to Christ.
Perhaps there is a deep need for a reconciliation of our hearts and intentions to the will of God once more.

What we do – matters.
How we live – makes a difference.

WHOSE we are – defines the impact we can make in our small corners of the world.

How is your Legacy going today?
Something more to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

November 9, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, 3 Things Every Soldier Should Know About Holiness

It can be quite easy to simply nod our heads when a topic such as holiness comes around. We might nod our heads and deep down we really don’t understand much of it at all, we just don’t want anyone else to know.
I understand that, and I’ve been there. Today on Pastorsponderings I want to delve into the topic Holiness AND be as simplistic as possible.

These are 3 Things Every Soldier Should Know About Holiness:

1. What is Holiness?
“Wesley taught that genuine faith produces inward and outward holiness. The regenerative process inwardly cannot help but find expression in an improved moral character outwardly. The doctrine of holiness is grounded in the command to be holy as God is holy (Lev. 19:2 and other Old Testament loci). Jesus commanded, “Be perfect therefore as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). Jesus also taught that true Christian discipleship requires loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving neighbor as self (Mt. 22:34-40).” (Asbury University/Wesleyan-Holiness Theology – source: Wesleyan Holiness Theology)

We become saved, we perhaps kneel at the mercy seat and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. What then takes place is the Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence within your life. We receive this “second blessing” – as He indwells among us. With the Holy Spirit’s promptings, we are then forced to confront the “old self” still remaining within our lives. I know of individuals who, at the moment of salvation, seemed to be completely changed. I also know other individuals (myself included) who, at the moment of salvation, still struggled with the old life and with temptation.

Just because we have this passion and desire to become like the Christ doesn’t always mean it will happen over night, in fact, in my experience it is both a crisis and a process. Holiness begins on our knees accepting Christ into our lives, and it progresses so that we become less and He becomes more day by day, minute by minute.

2. What is Entire Sanctification?
“The Bible often speaks of sanctification, which basically means the total, lifelong process of becoming holy. Because the process begins with the new birth (salvation), we call the spiritual growth immediately following regeneration “initial sanctification.” That is, we begin walking God’s way. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives becomes evidence that a change has taken place…Entire Sanctification is God’s gift. We do not earn or deserve it any more than we earned or deserved regeneration. We consecrate; God sanctifies.” (Frank Moore, Coffee Shop Theology p. 68)

Is entire sanctification possible? You bet it is!
Many will struggle with this concept because we can become so tied up in the notion of perfection. Entire Sanctification doesn’t mean “Human Perfection”, it means that we have surrendered fully and we have died completely to the old self and have begun to completely live for Christ in every facet and in every way. John Wesley even addressed the debate about whether or not”ES” was a process or an instantaneous second work of grace. His answer? “Yes“. It is both a crisis and a process. From my experience the Holy Spirit still have much to teach me in regards to this faith. I am not completely like Christ yet…but I desire to be. This crisis and process has to first be an individual holiness before it can be a corporate holiness.

“The difference between our spiritual progress before and after Entire Sanctification centers on the removal of the hindrance of self-sovereignty” (Moore, Coffee Shop Theology p. 69)

3. Renew, Refresh, Restart!
How do we renew? How do we maintain this “Holiness” in our lives when there are so many distractions all around?

Samuel Logan Brengle describes the need to study and diligence –
“If you want to hold the truth fast and not let it slip, you must read and read and re-read the Bible. You must constantly refresh your mind with its truths, just as the diligent student constantly refreshes his mind by reviewing his textbooks, just as the lawyer who wishes to succeed constantly studies his law books, or the doctor his medical works. John Wesley, in his old age, after having read and re-read the Bible all his life, said of himself; ‘I am homo unius libri’ – a man of one book. The truth will surely slip, if you do not refresh your mind by constantly reading and meditating in the Bible.” (Brengle, Helps to Holiness p. 74)

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t always understand these theological terms.
Be a faithful soldier of Christ. Read the Bible. Study. Be mindful that life was never guaranteed to be easy post salvation and the second blessing. Remember that there is more for us to learn, more room for us to grow. Renew daily in Him. Find a prayer closet, make it a discipline in your life. Be aware of the distractions of life and perhaps fast from those distractions from time to time. If He is to become more and you are to become less, then you must become disciplined in this path.

“Do not be discouraged by the resistance you will encounter from your human nature; you must go against your human inclinations. Often, in the beginning, you will think that you are wasting time, but you must go on, be determined and persevere in it until death, despite all the difficulties.” -Brother Lawrence, The practice of the presence of God

Wrapping It Up:

Where are you in your faith journey?
Is Holiness important to you?
How determined are we to sacrifice self-sovereignty and take on the mantle of selflessness?
Are we committed to Entire Sanctification?
Is Christ-likeness truly our goal and passion in our lives?

Dear Soldier,
We are a Holiness Movement, we don’t wear this simply as a badge of honor, it should propel in all we are and all we do. How is your faith journey today?

Something more for our Army to ponder today, to God be the glory!

Re-read this week’s conversation on Holiness here by clicking on the links below:
Sin and Holiness
Cheap Grace
Unpopular Holiness

Disclaimer: The writings, and opinions of Pastorsponders are the writers expressed opinions and do not always reflect the opinions and views of The Salvation Army.

October 23, 2015 2

Category: Holiness