“The Exchange”

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” -Proverbs 18:10

I used to run track when I was in high school.
I was a sprinter. I would train with my team every day after school even when it was hard. I would run the 100 meter, 200 meter and the 4×100 meter relay. The relay was where team work would come in. Each runner had their own part to play in the race. Each ran their respective portion…but it would be all for naught if the exchange of the baton was mishandled. Sometimes failure in the exchange came by way of holding on too tightly to the baton as one attempted to pass it on. Sometimes failure in the exchange came by way of holding on too loosely as one attempted to pass it on. That’s why we practiced day after day. We needed to be a synced group. We needed to have a simple, nondramatic hand-off each time in order to even consider winning the race. The relay’s success of failure hinged upon “the exchange”.

Have you ever felt weak?
I imagine we all have from time to time…some of us probably just thought to themselves “I feel weak all the time”. I want to encourage you today. There is strength in knowing the Lord. There is joy in this “knowing” as well. What happens within this fragment of time (when we allow God’s strength to become our strength and when we “know” whose strength it is coursing through us) is an exchange of lordship. The success and failure of the Christian walk sometimes hinges on this pivotal exchange! Within this exchange of lordship, what we are saying is “Lord I abdicate my human authority that is frail and weak and I exchange it for your Lordship in my life!” When we allow this lordship exchange to take place within us, we knock down pride and selfishness and erect a stronger, more firmer foundation found only within complete humility and selflessness.

The Apostle Paul puts it like this – “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Despite Paul’s sufferings, despite his weaknesses, despite everything kind of persecution he faced, he recognized that even in weakness Christ would be strong!

I wonder if any of you are kind of like me. I am stubborn. I am often prideful. I am sometimes insecure. I am quick to repay wrongs done to me in similar reciprocating responses. I am still far from the prize of holiness. BUT… there is something within this confession of mine. I have to recognize that in all of these shortcomings I cannot attain the strength that I need on my own. I require this exchange of authority in my life. I require the Holy Spirit’s presence within me. I cannot afford to run aimlessly, full of myself and on my own. My own efforts will, and frequently have, failed.

Oh that we run to the Lord!
Oh that we allow His presence to transform us.
Oh that we are filled with His strength by emptying our weaknesses out at His feet.
This is where the exchange of lordship begins…and the prize of holiness (the very reflection of Christ) is seen.
May we allow this exchange of lordship to occur within us.
It is a very private matter for most of us. It isn’t something that often happens overnight, but instead His presence begins to urge us to relinquish things. His presence begins to remind us of what could be. His presence prompts us to run to Him and lay down our pride and self-assurances at His feet.

How’s your “Exchange of lordship” going?
Something more to ponder today, to God be the glory!

June 25, 2015 0

Living within the sacred.

The sacred.
It is not strictly for the holiest of us.
The sacred was kept hidden.
The sacred was closed off to the “public”.
Only those who were cleansed could enter.
Those who did enter the space of the sacred who were not cleansed would die.

God’s holy presence makes a space sacred…nothing else will do.
No amount of gold, incense or prayers can make something devoid of God sacred.

But the sacred moved…
On the day of death.
On the day of the cross.
The day when Jesus died for the sins of the world, the sacred moved.
not far away from Golgotha, the temple stood.
The place where the presence of God resided within the sacred holy of holies.
That dark and mighty day the sacred space moved.
The very presence of God relocated.
He wasn’t evicted…perhaps in a way He was.
He wasn’t changing…God is the same today and yesterday.
But circumstances changed.
The plan of salvation, the day of redemption unfolded before humanity who had not it recognized Him.
The curtain to the sacred tore.
Its space now vacant.
No, God ~~had not~~ would not abandon them,
but the space became bigger.
The sacred expanded.
Satan and Death were conquered.
Beyond our human understanding and our existential vision, something supernaturally remarkable took place.
Messiah had come.
Death was defeated.
New life was possible and available to those came seeking.
The sacred space didn’t move, it became available to everyone.

-Living within the sacred-

Truth:
living here within the sacred takes time.
Not because God’s presence isn’t enough but because many times we are still dealing with stuff.
We are still in need of full surrender.
We have not completely relinquished our old patterns of life to fully embrace this new creation Christ has won for us.
Living within the sacred requires our full devotion to the Risen Lord.
Living within the sacred requires us to embrace our own crosses and to lay down our selfishness only to pick up His image of selflessness.

This is the beginning of Holiness.
The Holy Spirit can, and will, take up residence within a new sacred space – our lives.
He will transform us.
He will begin anew within us…
but living within the sacred demands our allegiance and attention.
Living within the sacred requires us to embrace fully the divine plan of redemption.
We can live here.
We can grow here.
We can be holy…here.
The Holy Spirit will transform us…
the only question is are we willing to live here no matter what the cost or earthly sacrifice?

Something more for us to ponder today.

April 6, 2015 2

Dear Salvation Army, Too Much Rhetoric Not Enough Practice??

You don’t have to be in a political office in order to view politics…it’s everywhere including the church.
Church/corps splits have happened because of truly silly things – “the color of the carpet in the sanctuary”…really??

I’m feeling a little feisty today, so please bear with me.

Rhetoric…and Holiness???
The Salvation Army struggles with too much rhetoric and not enough practice sometimes.
What do I mean by this?
We (like any church) are so good at saying all of the right things.
We (like any church) are so good at wearing all the right clothes…ahem the uniform.
We (like any church) are so good at touting our scripture verses and doctrines…but can it become more about outward appearances like when the DC, TC or General comes to visit than about personal/corporate holiness?

Sometimes I feel as if we are very good at polishing the outside of the cup while we just keep neglecting to do the hard stuff like cleaning the inside of the cup (our hearts). We try and try to impress the “brass” with our efforts and works but are we truly living consistently? This isn’t some sort of witch-hunt today. I’m not pointing the finger at anymore more than I am pointing fingers. back. at. myself.

This is Personal…
This is truly personal.
if this resounds with anyone else, then great!
Let’s do something about this together.
I honestly know that I am not the only one who struggles with this.
We are so good at singing ‘the Founder’s Song’ in Holiness meeting and thirty minutes later we’re at our favorite “Sunday Lunch Spot” complaining about the wait time, the server, we barely give a tip and then we complain on our way home about the traffic and some ignorant sap who just cut us off…do you get what I’m saying?

This is Deadly…
I, for one, do not want to be a member of the Salvation Army in Laodicea, if you get what I mean (Revelations 3:14-22).
If I’m honest, I’d rather rip off this uniform and walk away from it all before I start striving to become a pew warmer and a luke-warm one at that. The church of Laodicea, according to Revelation, didn’t get their act together. They didn’t have the passion to serve Christ as His bride. They weren’t on fire for Him, instead they were barely tepid in their faith. Sometimes I feel that in our Army we walk a fine line too. We can utter all of the “catch-phrases” of our Army like “Fire a volley” and “Hallelujah” but on the inside we’re so caught up in the bickering and pettiness that are missing out on the fire of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think we need another Pentecost, it’s already here we are just so caught up in our own issues that we can’t see it…that’s just how I see it…I hope I’m wrong. When did we desire to be a mediocre Army? When did we sign up to warm a pew but as soon as the hard work comes we’re suddenly absent? If we are truly “witnesses for Jesus” why aren’t we more visible with this message in the streets? We cannot hole ourselves up in beautiful Halls of worship and expect the brokeness of neighborhoods to be mended by how well we sing and play an instrument. We’ve got to get on with it! We’ve got to either catch fire and be moved by the Holy Spirit or we need to get out of the way and stop hampering the Spirit and the potential growth of other Soldiers. Either warm up or be spit out.

This is real…
I have felt this sting of conviction.
I don’t write this as a “guilt trip” for anyone before it strikes my heart and brings ME up short first.
We need to stop “playing” army and be army.
We need to stop fighting amongst each other and fight the real war for the souls of those who are lost.
We need to stop spouting half-empty words of rhetoric when our hearts aren’t in it and instead fall upon our faces and recommit ALL OF WHO WE ARE to Christ once more.
We do not need pew warmers and more apathetic bodies in uniforms, instead we need leaders who are servant who will serve and love regardless of where someone came from or what their last name might be.
We don’t have time to play “church politics”…this gets in the way and stunts our growth as a corporate body of holiness.

It’s “Put up” or “Shut-Up” time.
I have seen the walking dead amongst soldiers and officers.
I have seen the passion-less works of apathetic hearts.
I have witnessed the “going through the motions” without a resemblance of the practice of holiness.
We have a choice.
We can either put up or shut up.
We can either live lives worthy of this calling upon our lives, or we can stop pretending and get out of the way.
This is a wake up call.
This is a call to holiness.
This is a reminder that there is more to it than donning on the uniform and spouting all the right words.

How is your heart today?
How is your spiritual journey?
This is something more for our Army to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

January 26, 2015 2

“Cleaning the inside of the Cup”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.26“You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.” -Matthew 23:25,26

I hate doing dishes, just ask my wife…There, I’ve said it.
Sometimes I put dishes into the dishwasher and put that little soap dispenser in and just hope for the best.
Most of the time that little soap dispenser lets me down…but sometimes I get lucky.

We do this too sometimes within our spiritual journeys too.
This passage of scripture may have been originally directed at the Pharisees and “hypocrites”, but it may as well have been directed at us too.
Jesus blasts these teachers and scholars of the Torah. They know all the right things to do and all the right things to say, but their hearts are far from clean.

Sometimes we just load up our spiritual practices.
We just pile up the songs and scriptures and outfits that we wear…and we hope for the best.
Sometimes we get lucky.
Many times we do not.
A lot of the time, it makes us feel hollow and empty inside…almost as if something is missing or somehow, something has been overlooked.

Why?
Because the inside of the “cup” has not been cleaned.
We can polish away at the soft glow of a sparkling clean exterior, but if the interior is still gross and filthy – what good will that polishing do? I’m sure we can fool everybody. We can fool even ourselves into thinking we have it made spiritually…but we aren’t fooling God.

News Flash:
You. Can’t. Fool. God!

I’m not saying we don’t sing songs of praise.
I’m not saying we don’t read the scriptures.
I’m not even saying “don’t go to church”.
But if all that we do is for “appearances”…then what’s the point?
If all we do in “worship” is hope that we sound good and “man did that worship team nail that last song“…we’re misguided and we could be avoiding the “camel” for the gnat (Matthew 23:24)…me may have some serious internal issues to deal with.

How is the inside of your cup?
Does it still need work?
Does it still need some cleaning?
A lot of cleaning?

This is a personal thing.
This is deeply personal…and yet this is also a corporate “Church-family” thing too.
Each of us should be mindful first of the condition of our own hearts before we even begin to contemplate the condition of others.

Are you sick of just going through the motions in Church? –So am I!
Are you tired of comparing yourself with others of the faith because they seem to have it all together and you’re just pretending? -So am I!
Are you ready to do the hard work?
Are you prepared to allow the Holy Spirit to strip away the grime and caked on gunk in your heart? -Me too.
You see this is the constant work of the Lord.
We must not stop seeking to be like Christ in our lives today.
We must not give up because holiness seems to be so far from where we are right now.

How is your cup?
May you seek Him out.
May you diligently allow Him to reveal and remove the dirt within.
God Bless you today!

-Something more for us all to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

January 13, 2015 2

Dear Salvation Army, When Orders And Regulations Get In The Way…

Acts 151,2,7-11 “Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:“Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ²This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question…⁷After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

I am not sure who these “certain people” were…but today I wonder if our “certain people” wear uniforms and act the part of the pharisee from time to time. I don’t wish to sound judgmental…truth be told, we have all played this role a time or two…and we’re not proud of it (I hope).

The Early Church
There were certain fundamentalists within the early church; rule abiders, standard bearers, orders and regulation holders. When new comers (Gentiles) came to the faith proclaiming to be Christ-followers, these traditionalists demanded they be made practicing Jews in every way including circumcisions (yowza!). You see, in order for these new comers to be accepted as members of the faith in the eyes of these traditionalists, they had to change everything about themselves. The law had to be upheld, and these stiff regulations followed to the letter. It was practically impossible for these Gentile followers to obey the law completely. In essence these “certain people” were setting them up for failure.

Grace & Law
^{8 “}God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:8-9)

Peter tells it like it is to those gathered in Jerusalem.
We are given the Holy Spirit…He purifies our hearts. We do not need additional ritualistic practices or outward performances to meet regulations of salvation. We have been saved through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been purified through and through.

Do Orders And Regulations Get In The Way?
Yes. At times.
Sometimes, even in The Salvation Army, we can get so caught up in the law and the ritualistic practice of the law that we can lose sight of a grace that purifies and transcends common practice. Are new comers joining our Army? Do they understand this Army? Are we helping them to understand our forms of worship? Do we lose them because of lack of grace, compassion, judgement, appropriateness?

I am not advocating anarchy, in fact just the opposite.
Could it be that the grace of the Holy Spirit is all the law we need? I am not saying that we throw out our orders and regulations…but do we hold far too tightly to these? Have they become our “Jewish law”? In order for visitors to truly believe and worship as Salvationists, do they have to meet our requirements of dress and practice?

Sound Doctrine?…yes…Rigid Rules?…no.
Again we should be mindful, as Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James were in Acts 15 of the trappings of ridged Law abiding practices that strangles growth. The Apostles didn’t say that they were throwing out sound doctrines, but they did loosen the stiff regulations for Gentiles coming to the faith.

Questions:
Can new people & visitors truly come to your corps “as they are”?
Do we judge new comers based on their appearance and practice?
Have we lost potential soldiers and even officers because we rigidly follow our orders and regulations and “accepted” practices in worship (excluding foundational doctrinal beliefs)?
Do we really mean for new Christians or would be Christians to “come as they are” into our Holiness meetings and Salvation Meetings?
Are we exhibiting grace, love and compassion to the “whosoever”?
Have we ever discriminated (consciously or subconsciously) people because they didn’t fit OUR Salvationist mold?

Warning: Don’t Get In The Way!
Don’t be the “certain people” found in Acts 15.
Our world already contains enough judgement, condemnation and discrimination. If ~~the Church~~ The Salvation Army cannot be a beacon of hope, grace and holiness, then a I fear we will have lost our way and God help us if we turn away individuals because they aren’t “our kind of people“.

The Remedy:
If you have been a part of the “certain people“…I pray you can reconcile yourself once more to His grace and love. Ask Him once again to soften your heart. Ask the Lord to make you holy. True growth of our Army begins upon our knees in penitence as we seek to be inclusive of the whosoever regardless if they wear a uniform or look just like you and me.

Prayer: Lord make us holy. Set us apart for your missions here on earth. May we seek to love and to serve everyone regardless of their differences. Give us your eyes so that we may see others the way you see them. May we exude your grace, peace, love and acceptance of those who are so desperately in need of these qualities here on earth. May we be your people who will help usher in your kingdom here on earth today through our faith in action. In your name we pray. Amen.

-Something more for our Army world to ponder today.

Additional reading on this topic for your consideration:
Cookie Cutter Christians
Christians and Racism?
When Christians Get It Wrong

November 13, 2014 0

If You Can’t Stand The Heat…No, Seriously Stand it For Just a Bit Longer…

“…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 1:7

God corrects us. It may be painful. It may sting a little…but it is always worthwhile. I recall being corrected and disciplined as a child. It wasn’t something I ever looked forward to, nor was it something I would want to do again, yet it provided me direction and it refined me as a human being.

When we accept Salvation for what it is – God’s grace imparted to us by Jesus Christ, we begin this transformational refinement. Initial sanctification (what we know of to be accepting Jesus at the moment of Salvation) isn’t the end of our spiritual journey, it is only the beginning. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” At the first infant steps of our salvation we are shucking off our old sinful selves. For some that transformation occurs quickly while others this gradual refinement of the old to the new takes a little longer. The Holy Spirit does the prodding in us…the pleading, the yearning for us to recognize the unsurrendered bits and the road to complete submission. The “new life” is not easy, nor is the transformational process. Yet, through correction, conviction and purification by fire we can become cleansed and washed clean from our old lives.

There is pain at the altar of submission. There is heartache and grief as we allow the prodding of the Holy Spirit to take root within us and allow Him to burn our old decay away. The refinement of gold and other precious metals is hot work. The solid must be melted down to its basic elements within the fire. As the solid becomes liquid metal, piping hot and volcanic, the impurities begin to become visible. Before these metals were melted down, the impurities were hidden and buried somewhere deep within…but now as the flame alters its state, these impurities can no longer be hidden. These impurities are plain as day, floating on top of the hot metal ore. The one who has melted down the ore will then gently skim the surface of the precious metal and remove the impurities.

So too the Holy Spirit longs to this work within us. It is hot work. It may burn a little. We may groan under the heat of the flame, but what a difference it will make!

Questions:

Where are you right now on your spiritual journey?
Is the Holy Spirit trying to refine you?
Are you allowing Him access to you completely? Or are you holding back?
The old cannot be skimmed from your life if you aren’t willing to stand the heat of His Holy Fire.
You are meant for so much more. You are meant to be refined and cleansed. You are God’s precious possession!
He wants you all to Himself, but that cannot happen unless you are willing to be refined, and to do so requires your complete surrender.

Stand the heat for just a little bit longer. Let His flames consume you.
Our purification within His holy fire will be ongoing, and we may have to surrender time and time again but what a peace it is to discover that we aren’t on this path alone.

There is real peace in our surrender.
There is real joy in His Holy fire.
May His loving arms be on us ever
and complete submission – never tire.

-Just a something more to ponder.

June 5, 2014 1

3 Pitfalls of Holy Living

I grew up within the context of a “Holiness Tradition”. If you have grown up in this too, perhaps you will understand the importance of sanctification. This is the second blessing – the Holy Spirit’s anointing and subsequent cleansing of the soul. Holiness is the willful acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s prodding to become who we were intended to be. It is the act of complete surrender which leads us on the path of reflecting Christ in every fiber of our being. It is the beginning point of surrendering our old sinful self completely as we long to become complete in the image of Christ – which is our “new creation” image.

Yet, all too often, when the topic of holiness is discussed there are pitfalls that creep in and threaten to undo or destroy this transformation of the soul. These pitfalls come in the form of erroneous thoughts or beliefs which can make ones attempt of complete surrender to the Holy Spirit impossible or at the very least extremely difficult.

I would like to address three major pitfalls of holy living which always seem to cripple and strangle this vital growth process. I use the term “process” for lack of a better word, though I mean this walk of holiness and complete surrender. I also find myself using the words “holiness” and “complete surrender” either together or interchangeably only because “complete surrender” is what is required of us when we allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us through and through.

These pitfalls seem to be the three most influential concepts hanging around today that can cause the most damage and deter a person from accepting and receiving this second blessing:

Pitfall #1 – Holiness is about Perfection

I cannot count how many times the term “perfection” comes up when discussing “Holiness” with Sunday School classes and Bible study groups. Holiness and “human perfection” are not synonymous. When we talk about becoming Holy, we do not all of a sudden become devoid of our imperfections while suddenly becoming perfect in every way physical shape or physical form. Human perfection is not our goal when we talk about becoming holy. The pursuit of human perfection is ~~impossible~~ improbable. We need to recognize that this pitfall of associating human perfection with holiness will only cause us to become frustrated and long for an easier route in the spiritual life.

Although we recognize that human perfection is not our goal we should also, in the same breath, acknowledge that it does not let us off the hook within the realms of our moral living. The old scapegoat of “I’m only human” cannot be our excuse when we make mistakes and stumble upon this path of righteousness. Yes, we will not be humanly perfect, but the Holy Spirit can sanctify us through and through while providing us aid and strength to avoid the trappings of the old life.

Pitfall #2 – Holiness is all about working harder

Truth be told this pitfall leads to a lot of burnout among Christ-followers. Some feel as if they must do more for the “glory of God” and when they consider what “do” is, it entails longer hours of sweat and toil. Don’t misunderstand me here, the Holy life does include many sacrifices and effort, but simply working harder is not the sole pathway to holiness.

We can dress up in our uniforms and act the part and still not be any closer to being sanctified through and through.
We miss the point. Sanctification is the Holy Spirit’s work within those who are earnestly willing to surrender everything from within and without. No effort unto our own will ever suffice. No measure of extraneous “works” will earn us holiness. We must begin with a humble, seeking heart and a willingness to be taught by the Master. When we are on our knees before Him, longing to be made whole through the Holy Spirit, then and only then may we experience the all consuming power of sanctification.

The working harder doesn’t come first…it comes second. This isn’t to say that we maintain our holiness through working harder, but rather it is a response of love and devotion to the One who cleanses us through and through. All physical appearances for the benefit of others within the realms of our “works” may very well still fall within the old life. Working harder in the hopes of attaining holiness will only cause frustration, burnout and disillusionment. Instead worthy pursuits to consider would be – humility, complete surrender, the discipline of prayer & supplication.

Pitfall #3 – Holiness is only available to smarter more capable saints.

Believe it or not many come to the conclusion that holiness is only reserved for the wisest and the smartest of the saints. Thankfully (in my case and perhaps yours) this is simply not true. Jesus even told His disciples when they were attempting to shoo off children who were climbing all over Jesus this: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14 NIV) I recognize the context here but to me this also indicates the child-like faith we need in order to receive the Holy Spirit.

Here’s a comforting thought: We don’t need to be a scholar to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that of Sanctification. We do not need to have degrees on our walls or wear a specific color of trim on our shoulders to pursue Christ-likeness. A lot of people have the head-knowledge but when it comes to the heart-knowledge the mettle of sincere intentions and devotion are formally revealed. This is first a personal matter. A private conversation with God Himself. It is a one on one appearance with God in the holy of holies. He shows up. He will never forsake us, and His desire for us all is to avoid these pitfalls as we pursue His holiness in our lives. Yes, Holiness is possible and attainable to all who are willing to surrender fully to Him.

-Just another some to ponder today.

May 12, 2014 0

Is Salvation important…to the Church?

Sometimes I think the church is more concerned about competition than it is about people.
It strikes me that many churches spend a lot of money on “church-growth” seminars and guest speakers and even other resources just to increase their Sunday attendances. I doubt many pastors are like this, but at times there is this perception that the more people a church can attract the more in tithes and offerings they will receive.

I feel it vital, for we who are church members and fellow sojourners of Christ, to stop the comparisons and the rivalries. What is the purpose of such folly? Are we fulfilling the great commission when we look across the street and the other church and covet what they have? Are we really reaching the lost and hurting in our world when we mock or slam other churches and denominations? Granted there is a time and place for theological conversations, but our unloving actions have a way of destroying any good we might do.

Fellow believers in Christ, how vital do you consider the salvation of others to be? This isn’t a question about how big or small your (our) church is, this is a question about your (our) mission and your (our) priorities. Sometimes we cloudy the already murky waters of what we do and make excuses for our busy-ness when the #1 priority is to, through the Holy Spirit’s power, help save lost souls. If what we are doing does in no way impact the potential salvation of the lost then, perhaps, we must once again re-align our priorities.

I offer you two solutions to assist in the realignment of mission:

1. Stop Coveting what you do not have!

1 Corinthians 12:12 – “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.“

We need to get back to work! Just because another church is having success doing one thing really well, doesn’t mean that we have to stop what we are doing and adopt their mission. Perhaps they are fulfilling their “part of the body” and we need to put our heads down and stop coveting what they are doing! Our mission and effective tools, given by the Holy Spirit, might be something completely different than theirs. We don’t need to have an identity crisis over this, we have to move on and prayerfully and humbly do as He (the Holy Spirit) prompts us to. We may never look like that mega-church down the street, but was that supposed to be our “model” for Holy Living in the first place? NO! Jesus should never be replaced with out covetous longings to be someone else. He has created us very differently and uniquely! So with that in mind we need to stop the comparisons and sometimes the jealousy…get on with it!

2. Start using what you do have!

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.“

The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts and dare I say even the passion to fulfill our mission of Salvation to the lost. So we must be willing to use what He has given us to use. We must stop with our identity crisis and get on with the full utilization of the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit wishes us to employ! He provides what we need, so we have to work within our giftings and abilities! Every one of us is vital to the body of Christ. It matter little if we serve in a small church or big church. The message has to be the same though the gifts might often differ.

Is Salvation important to you?

If the answer is “yes” then we need to put aside our jealousy and our frustrations. We may even have to go before the Father and ask for forgiveness because of our covetous ways. The church was never intended to be some sort of statistical competitive success drive, but rather a mission of love, compassion and grace who willingly went to the orphans, widows, the poor and hurting and those who were seeking. We are still that today? Can we put aside our ridiculous worldly desire for statistical successes and instead focus on the vital nature of the great commission and disciple making?

Perhaps it’s time for a readjustment of our motives and our missions. Perhaps it’s time to get back on our knees and allow the Holy Spirit to reignite our wandering hearts. Perhaps it is time to stop relying on our “church-self help books & seminars” (sometimes they work) and start relying more on the leading of the Holy Spirit in our churches and in our hearts. There is not some “quick” method to salvation…it begins in relationship, love and fellowship. So, without further adieu, let’s get on with it!

April 15, 2014 0

“Dear Abby-Normal”

Many of you will recognize the reference from Young Frankenstein and if you have never seen this quote here’s the humorous interaction from the movie – “Whose brain did you put in?”

In the clip Igor mistakenly puts an abnormal brain into the body that doctor Frankenstein is trying to reanimate. As soon as the “monster” is alive the doctor quickly realizes something is definitely wrong. Igor thought the label read “Abby-normal”.

Are you Abby-normal?

I don’t wish to make light of an advice column but since we’re on the topic of advice, let me offer some advice to my fellow Christ-followers out there. I don’t claim to have all of the answers, nor would I ever make such a claim. I do know the One who does have the answers and without Him we are surely lost! Since we are no longer slaves to sin and Christ has redeemed us we are now different aren’t we? Essentially we have been transformed or changed and we no longer bear the image of the world.

How to be Abby-Normal:

I don’t wish to imply to anyone that we are to be strange or weird, or that we have to be completely divorced from the world around us. What I am implying though is that the world does become different to us when we peer through the lens of Christ, who has set us free and saved us from or sins. Thus, to the outside world, we are now considered strangers of “abby-normal”. We aren’t the same anymore in essence – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

But how do we remain “abby-normal” and still maintain relevance and witness in a world that needs the hope of Christ?

Here are a couple thoughts on remaining “abby-normal“:

1. Pray continually & Feast on the word of God!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray continually“. These words were written to the early believers who, though new in their faith, were facing persecution and pressure. Prayer is more than just kneeling beside your bed at night or as you wake up in the morning. Prayer can be a support system, a communication with God on a moment by moment basis. We don’t need a special place to pray, we can pray in our cars on our way to work. We can also pray in silence as we walk or in between meetings…or whatever else fills our day. We do not have to say specific words to make prayer more powerful, God desires our hearts and sincerity. Prayer is our connection to a limitless God and personal Savior.

Along side our prayers is the need for us “abby-normals” to feast of God’s Word! “Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2Tim 3:16,17) The Word of God has a way of correcting us and providing to us direction in this life. Though it is true that not everything we face in this life is written about in the days of Jesus…They never had to deal with rush hour traffic or some of our social issues today, but God can speak to us through His Word. His Word is vital to our growth and will equip us to challenge the world around us. We are strangers in this world because of our love of this unseen God, but faith has a way of providing for us perseverance especially in times of pressure and trouble.

2) The Gift of the Holy Spirit

We are not alone in this world. We have One who goes before us and walks beside us! At the moment of our salvation the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. He can guide us and provide us strength for the journeys we all face. Romans 8:26 says, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Paul wrote these words in the midst of his own struggles and that of the recipient of this letter, but these words should bring comfort to all of us today as well! We are recipients of the Holy Spirit too and with His help we are never alone in our witness of the resurrected Christ!

To Whom do you belong?

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

We are no longer citizens of the world…”But our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). As citizens of Christ we are His, and though the world see us as “abby-normal” we know that truth of this life and how we ought to live it. But secondly we also know where hope for the world comes from – Christ Jesus. Therefore as “Abby-normals” we ought to be sharing and declaring this hope with love and joy to those around us. How we do this begins with how we live and conduct our lives. Because the world doesn’t want Christians to preach at them…they long for genuineness and authenticity. If we are walking with God and His Holy Spirit is truly guiding us (which He promises to do) then we have to put feet with our faith and our words. Living the resurrected life out-loud is so much more effective than mere words or sermons…our lives should be living sermons which will bring others to Christ!

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12

Don’t be ashamed to live an “Abby-normal” kind of life! Remember your identity as a child of the Most High! You have been bought with a great price and our mission is to shine and love even if it means we aren’t always accepted. Shine anyway and live this “Abby-normal” life out-loud!

-Just a thought!

April 8, 2014 0

“Ambassadors of Reconciliation”

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:20

One of my favorite words in the English language is “Reconciliation”. The etymology of the word reconcile comes from the Latin “reconcilare” which means “to bring together again”.

When Jesus came into this world and identified with humanity as the God-man He sought to bring together again the original creation of man with God the Father. Did you catch that? At one time, in our original state, we were together with God. He would walk with Adam and Eve. He would fellowship with them in the garden of Eden. He actually, physically, walked WITH them.

But.

Because of original sin, which entered the picture, we became separated from God. Think of it like a great big, messy divorce…except we were the offending party and God the Father did nothing to deserve our infidelity. How it must have wrecked His heart to find us unfaithful to Him. To find out we (Adam and Eve) deliberately and consciously disobeyed Him. But we all know this story don’t we? We understand the consequences of the fall of man…don’t we?

Yes Jesus came.

He came to set things right with us.

He came to Reconcile us (back again) into the Father’s arms.

Think about that for a moment. Isn’t that beautiful? Doesn’t that evoke in you some sort of longing to physically be embraced by God the Father as you enter into the wedding feast? Jesus came to restore us. He came for the whosoever…those who would actually come seeking Him.

But, wait…there’s more.

When we face the God-man, Jesus Christ, for who He is and what He came to do, we make a vital decision. We, who have then become Christ-followers, we choose to become like Him in our daily living. A part of this “becoming” is to pick up where Jesus left off. We follow in the footsteps of the Rabbi, but in so doing we shuck off our old identities and adopt (not just imitate, but become) Christ in our everything!

Taking it a step further, we are to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world relaying the vital message of reconciliation to the whosoever. There is a misnomer though that I think we buy into once in a while – “Reconciliation is only for the sinner”. This is simply not true. Though we have become like Christ in every way, shape or form (or so we think thus far) we are still in need of THAT reconciliation daily!

The Hebrew words associated to the word “Ambassador” are: “tsir” or “melits” and “malak”. Essentially they mean “an interpreter” or “a messenger”.

When we think of Ambassadors today we think of politicians from certain countries whose job it is to broker peace and trade agreements with other countries. But we as Christ-followers are also called to be ambassadors of reconciliation to the sinner and the saint. Taking it a step further being an Ambassador also implies that we are to literally breathe Christ’s message into other people by our words and more importantly by our actions.

How can we provide clear interpretation of God and that of His love to those around us if we have not fully adopted and reconciled ourselves to His love as well? If this reconciled life is not within us then we cannot breathe this into other people’s lives. So as an Ambassador it has to begin with You…and it has to begin with me.

It first must become personal…daily, even moment by moment breathing Christ’s holiness and likeness into our own hearts and minds through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Philippians 4:8).

Prayer:

Dear Lord, let it begin with me. Breathe on me breath of God, allow me to be reconciled to You daily. Help me to see that I am called to be your messenger to others, even other saints. Help me to be the best Ambassador for you that I can be. May it be my lifelong passion which begins moment by moment with you. In Your Holy name I pray these things, -Amen.

March 31, 2014 0

Tag: Holy Spirit