I just read those words this past week as I was working on an upcoming message…“We don’t know what we ought to pray for.” (Romans 8:26 NIV)…and, I thought, “Oh, how true!” Sometimes it is the very answers to our prayers that cause many of the difficulties in our life. We pray for love of others, and God sends suffering people our way who are difficult to love, and say things that get on our nerves just to remind us that “love is patient, love is kind…it is not rude…it is not easily angered…it ALWAYS protects, always trusts… always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
We pray for patience, and it seems that the first people who cross our paths are difficult and demanding, and test us to the limits…because we know that “suffering produces perseverance.” (Romans 5:3). We pray to be unselfish, and God responds by giving us opportunities to sacrifice by placing other people’s need first. We pray for strength and humility, and “a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) is promptly dispatched to make sure we are “not puffed up”.
We pray for a Christlike life that exhibit’s the humility of Jesus, and we are soon asked to perform some lowly task, or we are unjustly accused and given no opportunity to explain. We pray for gentleness and quickly face a storm of temptation to react with harshness and irritability. We pray for a quietness, and suddenly it seems that we have only one nerve left…and someone is STANDING RIGHT ON IT!…all so we can learn that when He sends His peace, no one can disturb it.
We pray as the Apostles did, to “increase our faith” (Luke 17:5), and it seems that promptly our money seems to take wings and fly away; someone close becomes critically ill; the car won’t start, and if it did you couldn’t go anywhere till you changed the tire; or, some other new trial comes upon us requiring more faith than we have ever before experienced.
We pray to be like Jesus, and God’s answer is “I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10) “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong?” (Ezekiel 22:14) Or, as Jesus said in Matthew 20:22... “Can you drink the cup?”
It appears that the way to peace and victory is to accept every circumstance and every trial as being straight from the hand of our loving Father, knowing He is looking down from glory on those circumstances as being lovingly and divinely appointed to grow us into what He created us to be…in His likeness.
I read a poem written by Annie Johnson Flint that I would like to share with you. I believe it is called “Better Than My Best”.
I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile
All sense of nearness, human and divine;
The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart,
The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine;
But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone,
The everlasting arms upheld my own.
I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds,
The moon was darkened by a misty doubt,
The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears,
And all my little candle flames burned out;
That while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night,
The face of Christ made all the darkness bright.
I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease,
A slumber free from pain, a hushed repose;
Above my head the skies were black with storm,
And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes;
But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew,
I heard His voice and perfect peace I knew.
I thank You, Lord, You were too wise to heed
My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought,
Since these rich gifts Your bounty has bestowed
Have brought me more than all I asked or thought;
Giver of good, so answer each request
With Your own giving, better than my best.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
A MEMORIAL DAY PRAYER FOR OUR HEROES AND THEIR FAMILIES
Lord, this morning I turn my thoughts toward the women and men who have served our nation in times of war and times of peace. I stand before You, God, grateful for the dedication of the heros who have lived and died, suffered, and cried, and stood with pride on ship, battlefield and parade ground. I honor those who gave their lives for peace with courage that others families may be free, so children could grow strong and safe as they would ever be. In giving your life and safety for the sake of peace, you and your families may have suffered loss, your body may still show its wounds from taking up the battle. I pray the remembrance of your personal sacrifice for peace have time to fade away.
So, I take time to pray this morning, Father, that these women and men experience Your healing and comforting presence for the wounds they have known and still know today,… for the losses they have endured and always will endure. I also ask that Your healing and comforting presence be experienced by their families, their children, and their loved ones who have suffered beyond measure along with them, and who have had to endured the anxious loneliness living without them.
I especially ask that Your presence be experienced by the heros of tomorrow,… those who are bravely serving in harms way today. Please, gracious God, guide them to safety, guide them to justice and righteousness in even the toughest of conditions. Bring them home to their husbands, their wives, and their children. Comfort those moms and dads and those who love these patriots, and teach us how we might help them with their troubles. Show to us how to be Your compassionate presence to them as they experience anxiousness, anguish, and the loneliness and pain that comes with the knowns and unknowns of war.
Finally, God, for all of us, for all who are in the service, for America, for the world, we pray for peace. Lead the leaders of the world to the day when “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; [to a day when] nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4).Grant us Lord, that we would strive more strongly for freedom from causes that sent some away to fight that we may freely live. With gratefulness we thank you, veterans for all you gave and give. We long for Your peace, for Your shalom. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
So, I take time to pray this morning, Father, that these women and men experience Your healing and comforting presence for the wounds they have known and still know today,… for the losses they have endured and always will endure. I also ask that Your healing and comforting presence be experienced by their families, their children, and their loved ones who have suffered beyond measure along with them, and who have had to endured the anxious loneliness living without them.
I especially ask that Your presence be experienced by the heros of tomorrow,… those who are bravely serving in harms way today. Please, gracious God, guide them to safety, guide them to justice and righteousness in even the toughest of conditions. Bring them home to their husbands, their wives, and their children. Comfort those moms and dads and those who love these patriots, and teach us how we might help them with their troubles. Show to us how to be Your compassionate presence to them as they experience anxiousness, anguish, and the loneliness and pain that comes with the knowns and unknowns of war.
Finally, God, for all of us, for all who are in the service, for America, for the world, we pray for peace. Lead the leaders of the world to the day when “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; [to a day when] nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4).Grant us Lord, that we would strive more strongly for freedom from causes that sent some away to fight that we may freely live. With gratefulness we thank you, veterans for all you gave and give. We long for Your peace, for Your shalom. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
PASTOR'S LETTER TO HIS WIFE
Dear Connie,
I was sitting here at my desk working, and began to think of you and how precious you are to me and my ministry. I believe that very few understand the pressure of being a pastor’s wife. Higher expectations are often placed on you more than anyone else in the church. Your life is more public than you likely would have ever chosen it to be. You receive more scrutiny than others. I know there are times of loneliness because you often have to share me with others as I attend my meetings and other functions that take me away from home. You are expected to endure when my hours are long; you shoulder my pressures; you feel my disappointments; and, you suffer my defeats, probably as profoundly and as deeply as I do. And yet, you shoulder your role. Your beautiful smile speaks more powerfully to people than all of the words that pour from my mouth.
I’m learning from you how to be a better pastor, and hopefully how to be a better husband. You challenge me to be a man more like Jesus. I know that being a pastor’s wife was the farthest thing from your mind when we started our life journey together almost 39 years ago. But, I have no doubt God made you to be a pastor’s wife. Now…why He chose to bless me with you,… I do not know. But, God gave you this desire for me that is without explanation. Your love for me is a picture of God’s grace in my life.
Remembering some of the lessons I learned in my earlier years in the jewelry industry, I can say you handle the pressure of being a pastor’s wife with the skill of a master watchmaker. You have a sense of understanding the delicateness of all the relationships in the church, understanding how each gear turns another, and how each part affects another. I know I don’t always show the greatest mercy in my conversation, but you help me learn how to have more tact when I speak.
God’s grace just seems to shine through you as you manage the scrutiny of being a pastor’s wife. Though I cannot share with you every private matter in the church, I count on you to be my outlet for stress. It is only God’s grace in your life that explains how you can diffuse my ministry stress, understanding when I need a word of encouragement, or simply a time of quiet. You are the one who listens to my dreams for the church and helps me to look into the future and see those dreams become a reality. You gracefully love others the way Christ loved. I’m learning about God’s grace more and more through you.
I am thankful for the way you live out the higher expectations placed upon you…not because of what others may think or expect,…but because you live them out for Jesus. You’re a godly, (though sometimes slightly stubborn) woman. And, I love you, Connie. You make me want to boldly live the Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:25, when he wrote… “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” I am blessed to have you on this journey with me.
Love, John
I was sitting here at my desk working, and began to think of you and how precious you are to me and my ministry. I believe that very few understand the pressure of being a pastor’s wife. Higher expectations are often placed on you more than anyone else in the church. Your life is more public than you likely would have ever chosen it to be. You receive more scrutiny than others. I know there are times of loneliness because you often have to share me with others as I attend my meetings and other functions that take me away from home. You are expected to endure when my hours are long; you shoulder my pressures; you feel my disappointments; and, you suffer my defeats, probably as profoundly and as deeply as I do. And yet, you shoulder your role. Your beautiful smile speaks more powerfully to people than all of the words that pour from my mouth.
I’m learning from you how to be a better pastor, and hopefully how to be a better husband. You challenge me to be a man more like Jesus. I know that being a pastor’s wife was the farthest thing from your mind when we started our life journey together almost 39 years ago. But, I have no doubt God made you to be a pastor’s wife. Now…why He chose to bless me with you,… I do not know. But, God gave you this desire for me that is without explanation. Your love for me is a picture of God’s grace in my life.
Remembering some of the lessons I learned in my earlier years in the jewelry industry, I can say you handle the pressure of being a pastor’s wife with the skill of a master watchmaker. You have a sense of understanding the delicateness of all the relationships in the church, understanding how each gear turns another, and how each part affects another. I know I don’t always show the greatest mercy in my conversation, but you help me learn how to have more tact when I speak.
God’s grace just seems to shine through you as you manage the scrutiny of being a pastor’s wife. Though I cannot share with you every private matter in the church, I count on you to be my outlet for stress. It is only God’s grace in your life that explains how you can diffuse my ministry stress, understanding when I need a word of encouragement, or simply a time of quiet. You are the one who listens to my dreams for the church and helps me to look into the future and see those dreams become a reality. You gracefully love others the way Christ loved. I’m learning about God’s grace more and more through you.
I am thankful for the way you live out the higher expectations placed upon you…not because of what others may think or expect,…but because you live them out for Jesus. You’re a godly, (though sometimes slightly stubborn) woman. And, I love you, Connie. You make me want to boldly live the Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:25, when he wrote… “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” I am blessed to have you on this journey with me.
Love, John
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS
Have you spent periods of time, some short, some long, or maybe in between, when it seemed as if you were traveling though the dark nights of your soul. Maybe even a time where your identity and self worth seem to come under direct assault. At the risk of vulnerability, I must confess to finding myself wandering through that wilderness recently. Those moments were marked by depression and maybe even an underlying anger toward the Lord for even allowing me to go through such emotional torment. What is going on, God? Why is this happening to me? This doesn’t make any sense! But, the wilderness time just continued, dragging me through anger and then to apathy. Soon I was knocking on the door of sadness until I could no longer move. My frustration became so intense that I didn’t know how to navigate out of the darkness…I couldn’t even pray. Have you ever been to the point where you can’t even utter a word…you don’t know what to pray?
I am thankful God blessed me with a loving caring wife who knows me better than I know myself and is not afraid to reach out for help when she sees I am struggling in the wilderness. She quickly called on a great friend with whom the Lord has blessed me, who quietly came alongside me, and with a simple phone call, he gently helped guide me back on track again. The burden became clearer and not so distorted, the frustration (though still present) became a target for action, and I was able to refocus my energy. And now, I’m beginning to feel like maybe I can identify a some of the truths revealed to me over the course of that painful crawl through the wilderness.
Somewhere in the midst of all my crying, and frustration, and yelling at the Lord, I began to realize that He’s not really impressed nor even swayed by my fit throwing. It seems that as so often the case, most of my overly dramatic cries for help were actually my attempt to get the Lord to do what I thought He should do. And, of course, that demand would not be complete if it didn’t include the desire that I wanted Him to do them in the time frame that I thought He should. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is that God really does have “all the time in the world” to accomplish His plans and purposes. So, for us to require the Lord to respond to our “more important than anything” requests, or even to fulfill His promises in our time frame…well, it just doesn’t work out that way. When I surrendered to His Lordship, part of what that meant was that would be trusting not only that He’ll get it done, but that it will happen when He’s ready for it to and not a moment sooner,… no matter how much I complain, or whine, or “beseech” Him (I love that word…I need to use it more) to do otherwise.
Another thing I learned about navigating through the wilderness was staying focused on the right things. Paul encouraged the early church saying…“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … if anything is excellent or praiseworthy…think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) One of the enemy’s oldest tactics is to rob us of our enjoyment of life by simply reminding us of what’s not right. If he can get us to spend our days dwelling on what’s not right about ourselves, or our situation, or that person who makes our skin crawl,… then he has succeeded in getting our minds out of focus on those things that are… “true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … excellent or praiseworthy.” Magnifying the negatives and minimizing the positives of our realities, whether past or present, will inevitably suck the joy out of us and leave us depressed.
This principle is particularly true when applied to our relationship with the Lord. If our prayers are focused on what He hasn’t done for me lately, rather than what He has,… then we’ll slowly be convinced that He surely can’t love me the way I once thought He did. That deception can literally can ruin your faith, and, spoil your life. Thanks to a lot of time in prayer and inner searching, I have developed a stronger inner resolve to focus on the goodness of God, and what He has done, and is still doing in me and for me.
You know, if we’re going to spend eternity in the WITH-GOD life…we must first take ownership that we are saved, redeemed, justified, adopted, deeply loved, and accepted just as we are. We serve a GOOD GOD who wants nothing more than to bless us just because we are His children. He is indeed true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of our praise! If we choose to believe anything other than that,… regardless of how miserable our situation may seem in the moment,… then we are walking in the foolishness and deception of the enemy of our soul. We cannot allow our flesh and our struggle with our own human weakness to twist and distort our heavenly perspective.
I think the discipline of focusing begins with a decision to simply “think about” the “right” things. And, we will stay rightly focused as we learn to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Lord Jesus, help us to get this one right. We know You are good. We know You love us. Forgive us for our impatience. You want to bless us and surround our lives with your mercy and favor. You have provided for us, you have protected us, you brought us out of the darkness and into the light and we give you our praise. We worship you because you are worthy! Thank you Jesus, we love you. Help us to stay rightly focused today. Amen.
I am thankful God blessed me with a loving caring wife who knows me better than I know myself and is not afraid to reach out for help when she sees I am struggling in the wilderness. She quickly called on a great friend with whom the Lord has blessed me, who quietly came alongside me, and with a simple phone call, he gently helped guide me back on track again. The burden became clearer and not so distorted, the frustration (though still present) became a target for action, and I was able to refocus my energy. And now, I’m beginning to feel like maybe I can identify a some of the truths revealed to me over the course of that painful crawl through the wilderness.
Somewhere in the midst of all my crying, and frustration, and yelling at the Lord, I began to realize that He’s not really impressed nor even swayed by my fit throwing. It seems that as so often the case, most of my overly dramatic cries for help were actually my attempt to get the Lord to do what I thought He should do. And, of course, that demand would not be complete if it didn’t include the desire that I wanted Him to do them in the time frame that I thought He should. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is that God really does have “all the time in the world” to accomplish His plans and purposes. So, for us to require the Lord to respond to our “more important than anything” requests, or even to fulfill His promises in our time frame…well, it just doesn’t work out that way. When I surrendered to His Lordship, part of what that meant was that would be trusting not only that He’ll get it done, but that it will happen when He’s ready for it to and not a moment sooner,… no matter how much I complain, or whine, or “beseech” Him (I love that word…I need to use it more) to do otherwise.
Another thing I learned about navigating through the wilderness was staying focused on the right things. Paul encouraged the early church saying…“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … if anything is excellent or praiseworthy…think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) One of the enemy’s oldest tactics is to rob us of our enjoyment of life by simply reminding us of what’s not right. If he can get us to spend our days dwelling on what’s not right about ourselves, or our situation, or that person who makes our skin crawl,… then he has succeeded in getting our minds out of focus on those things that are… “true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable … excellent or praiseworthy.” Magnifying the negatives and minimizing the positives of our realities, whether past or present, will inevitably suck the joy out of us and leave us depressed.
This principle is particularly true when applied to our relationship with the Lord. If our prayers are focused on what He hasn’t done for me lately, rather than what He has,… then we’ll slowly be convinced that He surely can’t love me the way I once thought He did. That deception can literally can ruin your faith, and, spoil your life. Thanks to a lot of time in prayer and inner searching, I have developed a stronger inner resolve to focus on the goodness of God, and what He has done, and is still doing in me and for me.
You know, if we’re going to spend eternity in the WITH-GOD life…we must first take ownership that we are saved, redeemed, justified, adopted, deeply loved, and accepted just as we are. We serve a GOOD GOD who wants nothing more than to bless us just because we are His children. He is indeed true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of our praise! If we choose to believe anything other than that,… regardless of how miserable our situation may seem in the moment,… then we are walking in the foolishness and deception of the enemy of our soul. We cannot allow our flesh and our struggle with our own human weakness to twist and distort our heavenly perspective.
I think the discipline of focusing begins with a decision to simply “think about” the “right” things. And, we will stay rightly focused as we learn to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Lord Jesus, help us to get this one right. We know You are good. We know You love us. Forgive us for our impatience. You want to bless us and surround our lives with your mercy and favor. You have provided for us, you have protected us, you brought us out of the darkness and into the light and we give you our praise. We worship you because you are worthy! Thank you Jesus, we love you. Help us to stay rightly focused today. Amen.
Friday, May 13, 2011
RELATIONSHIP THAT CAUSES THE EARTH TO SWOON!
I still remember my wedding day, when my beautiful bride, now of nearly 39 years, came through the door of the church on her dad’s arm…I nearly swooned from the beautiful sight I beheld. Connie and I had gone through much to arrive at that day. There were hurts, and heartaches along the way, but forgiveness and genuine love for each other carried us through to a relationship of belonging, and acceptance, and love. My love for my bride has not weakened in the years that followed. When we would begin to build up walls and barriers to protect our hearts from hurt, we found that wouldn’t work long. We did much better when we were open and vulnerable to each other. So, no matter what came our way…we stayed with each other, and helped each other…doing life together.
The church needs that same powerful commitment to relationship. God wants to have a relationship with Himself and His creation that would cause the world to swoon. People walk through the doors of our churches for a lot of different reasons, but ultimately they stay for only one reason…they have cracked the near impregnable wall of cliques and clusters, and have been able to establish relationships with others. When we have been joined and fitted together rightly in relationship, we will put up with all kinds of our church craziness. But, without relationship, or having the sense that no one really gives a rip about us, or that we won’t be accepted for who we really are, we will bail at the first sign of trouble. Don’t you think it’s time that we Christians come to terms with our incredible need for belonging and acceptance?
Ultimately it is all about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is true that we must be in constant pursuit of a deeper revelation of God’s unconditional love and acceptance of us as His children. But, this seem to me to be where we’re missing something. We are also to be our Father‘s expression of love to each other. Think about it…what better way is it that we receive God’s love for us than through another’s loving touch, or kind and caring words, or selfless actions?
Jesus clearly understood this principle. During his ministry on this earth he was a living and breathing testimony of how we’re to conduct ourselves as a follower of Christ. Did Jesus ever wall off his heart from others so he could avoid further injury than which he was already receiving from the religious leaders? Did Jesus make it a point to avoid any meaningful relationships in order to avoid rejection? No, he kept putting himself out there….serving the needs of others, healing the sick and lame, and ministering compassion with all who came to Him through up close and personal contact. Indeed, Jesus would often get away to escape the constant drain of ministry so He could spend some uninterrupted time with his father. Yet, once recharged and strengthened, he just kept coming back for more, even to the point of enduring torture, humiliation, and death as His final demonstration of love for others.
I cannot help but believe that our Lord is saddened by the relational superficiality that so many believers are currently experiencing in their local church. When it comes right down to it, what or who is to blame for this relational breakdown is probably a mute point…but, for pastors like myself, and other church leaders, it is our responsibility to do something about it. And, it always seems to come down to this…more often than not, it starts with us. Church leadership seems to provide plenty of opportunities for relational strife and personal heartbreak. Way to many pastors, myself included, have had to fight off the natural tendency of becoming overly protective of our heart in order to survive… and the walls go up. But, erecting impenetrable walls of protection around our hearts can lead to an even greater problem than the outside assault…it well eventually result in love starvation, and an overwhelming sadness or anger toward others…and maybe even towards God…after all, it was He who called us into this.
It seems as if the church need some emotional restoration effort for its people. Christianity simply must be lived from the heart. If we ever hope to accomplish anything of eternal value, our passions and our emotions must be fully engaged and alive both vertically and horizontally…toward God and toward people. If we find ourselves going about our Christianity like we’re killin’ snakes…trying to do all the right things,… running from one ministry to another,… while our primary motivation is our sense of obligation or duty, we likely won’t last very long. And, if in the middle of all that business in the Lord’s work, we get our emotions stepped on and choose to remain offended, or refuse to seek healing for those wounded emotions,… we are a sitting duck for our enemy who knows that if he can get us to close off our heart…he’s got us. It only takes a little un-forgiveness and soon he has succeeded in knocking us out of the race.
1 Peter 2:4-5 tells us that Jesus was the original “…living Stone rejected by men”, and that “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” If you feel rejected, you have to understand that you’re not the only one in that boat. You’re in pretty good company. Rejection seems to be like a right of passage for us to achieve true spiritual authority. And, somehow or other, through the process of having our heart repeatedly wounded and healed… it becomes stronger, and maybe even a little softer at the same time. I am finding that in the times when I am unwilling to be vulnerable with the Lord or with others…I am soon headed to the altar for confession…because it is a sign that I have lost my trust in my Father’s sovereignty and loving care and watchfulness over me.
The local church is that spiritual house built with living stones. And, just like the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed…with many of its stones burnt and scarred by the ravages of battle… in order for you and I to function properly, or even to survive for that matter, we cannot be rebuilt by leaving our burnt and scarred hearts laying in the rubble…we must be connected to one another…not just organizationally, but at the heart level. The local church must regain its place of being a refuge for those in need of emotional restoration… it must return to being a place where the building of meaningful relationships is a top priority…instead of building personal agendas, structures, and programs.
As individuals, we must pursue a deeper revelation of our Father’s unconditional love and acceptance for us so that we can receive that kind of genuine love and give to others. It is only when we lay ourselves before the Lord and allow ourselves to become vulnerable to His touch that we can find the kind of intimacy that we all secretly long for. It seems as if our poor treatment of one another, our uncompassionate heart toward those who reach out to us in great need, and even our faulty perceptions of how we might feel the Lord has treated us, we can find ourselves prone to relational superficiality. But friends, we simply must resist this tendency. Our spiritual life really depends on it. Our ability to function as an integral member of the body depends on it. The fulfillment of our spiritual destiny depends on it. We need a renewed focus on the value and importance of maintaining a deep, heartfelt relationship…not only with our Lord, but with our fellow man.
"Jesus we really need some help here. Lord, I know we all want to serve You with an open heart. Please heal our emotional wounds. Tear down the walls we have built to protect our hearts. Heal your church Lord. Heal the bride so fully that her beauty will cause the heavens and the earth to just swoon! Give us Your great love for others, and strengthen our trust in You that we may do as You have taught us…to Love God…and love others. Amen."
The church needs that same powerful commitment to relationship. God wants to have a relationship with Himself and His creation that would cause the world to swoon. People walk through the doors of our churches for a lot of different reasons, but ultimately they stay for only one reason…they have cracked the near impregnable wall of cliques and clusters, and have been able to establish relationships with others. When we have been joined and fitted together rightly in relationship, we will put up with all kinds of our church craziness. But, without relationship, or having the sense that no one really gives a rip about us, or that we won’t be accepted for who we really are, we will bail at the first sign of trouble. Don’t you think it’s time that we Christians come to terms with our incredible need for belonging and acceptance?
Ultimately it is all about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is true that we must be in constant pursuit of a deeper revelation of God’s unconditional love and acceptance of us as His children. But, this seem to me to be where we’re missing something. We are also to be our Father‘s expression of love to each other. Think about it…what better way is it that we receive God’s love for us than through another’s loving touch, or kind and caring words, or selfless actions?
Jesus clearly understood this principle. During his ministry on this earth he was a living and breathing testimony of how we’re to conduct ourselves as a follower of Christ. Did Jesus ever wall off his heart from others so he could avoid further injury than which he was already receiving from the religious leaders? Did Jesus make it a point to avoid any meaningful relationships in order to avoid rejection? No, he kept putting himself out there….serving the needs of others, healing the sick and lame, and ministering compassion with all who came to Him through up close and personal contact. Indeed, Jesus would often get away to escape the constant drain of ministry so He could spend some uninterrupted time with his father. Yet, once recharged and strengthened, he just kept coming back for more, even to the point of enduring torture, humiliation, and death as His final demonstration of love for others.
I cannot help but believe that our Lord is saddened by the relational superficiality that so many believers are currently experiencing in their local church. When it comes right down to it, what or who is to blame for this relational breakdown is probably a mute point…but, for pastors like myself, and other church leaders, it is our responsibility to do something about it. And, it always seems to come down to this…more often than not, it starts with us. Church leadership seems to provide plenty of opportunities for relational strife and personal heartbreak. Way to many pastors, myself included, have had to fight off the natural tendency of becoming overly protective of our heart in order to survive… and the walls go up. But, erecting impenetrable walls of protection around our hearts can lead to an even greater problem than the outside assault…it well eventually result in love starvation, and an overwhelming sadness or anger toward others…and maybe even towards God…after all, it was He who called us into this.
It seems as if the church need some emotional restoration effort for its people. Christianity simply must be lived from the heart. If we ever hope to accomplish anything of eternal value, our passions and our emotions must be fully engaged and alive both vertically and horizontally…toward God and toward people. If we find ourselves going about our Christianity like we’re killin’ snakes…trying to do all the right things,… running from one ministry to another,… while our primary motivation is our sense of obligation or duty, we likely won’t last very long. And, if in the middle of all that business in the Lord’s work, we get our emotions stepped on and choose to remain offended, or refuse to seek healing for those wounded emotions,… we are a sitting duck for our enemy who knows that if he can get us to close off our heart…he’s got us. It only takes a little un-forgiveness and soon he has succeeded in knocking us out of the race.
1 Peter 2:4-5 tells us that Jesus was the original “…living Stone rejected by men”, and that “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” If you feel rejected, you have to understand that you’re not the only one in that boat. You’re in pretty good company. Rejection seems to be like a right of passage for us to achieve true spiritual authority. And, somehow or other, through the process of having our heart repeatedly wounded and healed… it becomes stronger, and maybe even a little softer at the same time. I am finding that in the times when I am unwilling to be vulnerable with the Lord or with others…I am soon headed to the altar for confession…because it is a sign that I have lost my trust in my Father’s sovereignty and loving care and watchfulness over me.
The local church is that spiritual house built with living stones. And, just like the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed…with many of its stones burnt and scarred by the ravages of battle… in order for you and I to function properly, or even to survive for that matter, we cannot be rebuilt by leaving our burnt and scarred hearts laying in the rubble…we must be connected to one another…not just organizationally, but at the heart level. The local church must regain its place of being a refuge for those in need of emotional restoration… it must return to being a place where the building of meaningful relationships is a top priority…instead of building personal agendas, structures, and programs.
As individuals, we must pursue a deeper revelation of our Father’s unconditional love and acceptance for us so that we can receive that kind of genuine love and give to others. It is only when we lay ourselves before the Lord and allow ourselves to become vulnerable to His touch that we can find the kind of intimacy that we all secretly long for. It seems as if our poor treatment of one another, our uncompassionate heart toward those who reach out to us in great need, and even our faulty perceptions of how we might feel the Lord has treated us, we can find ourselves prone to relational superficiality. But friends, we simply must resist this tendency. Our spiritual life really depends on it. Our ability to function as an integral member of the body depends on it. The fulfillment of our spiritual destiny depends on it. We need a renewed focus on the value and importance of maintaining a deep, heartfelt relationship…not only with our Lord, but with our fellow man.
"Jesus we really need some help here. Lord, I know we all want to serve You with an open heart. Please heal our emotional wounds. Tear down the walls we have built to protect our hearts. Heal your church Lord. Heal the bride so fully that her beauty will cause the heavens and the earth to just swoon! Give us Your great love for others, and strengthen our trust in You that we may do as You have taught us…to Love God…and love others. Amen."
Friday, May 6, 2011
RE-DISCOVERING COMMUNITY
I was just starting reading Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer III’s book “Essential Church” and in the first couple pages I read that “2/3’s of churchgoing young adult students drop out of the church because it is not essential to their lives.” Other polls and studies indicate that clearly the majority of people in all ages in our country are not committed to, or attending a local church in any significant way, and that includes many who would consider themselves a believer. Before I paint with such a disturbingly broad brush… there is without question communities and pockets where spiritual renewal is taking place, and there are healthy and even thriving local churches. But, I don’t think we can ignore the sick and dying congregations that are often sitting right next to them. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12, the body’s “parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.”
If we are to be perfectly honest…which of course we should be as Christians…when we’re enjoying all that comes with being a part of a healthy church full of spiritual growth and vitality, it’s pretty easy to slip into that place where we become overly focused on our own little corner of the Kingdom. When we’re not suffering,…when the attendance is up…and the money is flowing nicely…when every corner of activity seems to have the blessing of God on it…it’s easy to forget those who are struggling. Or, maybe it’s your church that’s struggling, and all you see around you are growing and thriving congregations, and you begin to wonder, “What is wrong with us?” Either way, I’m convinced that, as a whole, our churches and leaders cannot continue with business as usual as our smaller local congregations that are so critical to the Kingdom, grow more and more unhealthy.
For most believers in this country, Sunday morning is still the central focus of our Christian experience. More often than not, our faith is more likely identified by where we go than by who we are. If someone is asked, “Are you a Christian?”… the most common answer would likely be “Well, I go to_________church.” Christianity is not an event that we attend regularly, although that is the way we often think of it. Church has become more about where we go than who we are. And folks, this is a problem, because we have made Sunday morning service a pitiful substitute for the abundant lifestyle we were created to enjoy as Christians. And, this attitude is perpetuated by (I’m ashamed to say) even our church leaders who spend a lot more time and effort trying to maintain our buildings and programs than we do actually interacting with the people in our congregation.
We can say, “Wait a minute…we have several small groups meeting in homes. That’s good interaction isn’t it?” Sure it is…and we need more of them! But, the real question is not so much about who you are meeting with…but, who are you really doing life with? How many people know and care about the real you? How many people know the person you are when you’re weak, or tired, or discouraged? How many people know and share with you your moments of triumph? How often are people in your home for no other reason than you just enjoy hanging out with them? See, I’m not talking about some program or agenda driven meeting. I’m talking about mutually gratifying relationships that would survive with or without the Sunday morning routine. I’m talking about congregations enjoying what we were designed to enjoy…genuine community. I believe that one of the challenges we face as small congregations is re-discovery of genuine community. Because if the truth be told…many of us have not lived or functioned in actual community for many years.
When I grew up in the small town of Ashley, everyone knew their neighbors (whether you liked them or not). But in today’s society most of us have little or no relationship with our neighbors. Why is that? I don’t believe it is because we don’t want to get to know them,… it’s that we don’t seem to want to invest the time and effort into building a relationship. I realize that life growing up in Ashley just isn’t the way society works anymore…and I need to recognize we no longer live in Mayberry where generation after generation would grow up and eventually die in the same small town…where everyone knows the Sheriff and the town drunk on a first name basis. Our society is different…and to be honest, while I might often hark back to the good old days…I kind of like the challenges and changes that have come with progress. I am especially thankful that I can sit in my Sunday services in the heat of summer in a nicely air-conditioned building rather than trying to cool myself off with a paper fan on a stick!
I guess my point in all this is that there are things we’ve been doing in some of our small local churches that just aren’t working anymore,… and it’s time to be honest about it… and begin to make the changes necessary so we can get past them and move on to what’s next. Please understand, I am not claiming to have all the answers. I would be satisfied to just have a few answers. I am just finding myself hungry to process through some of sacred cows and the craziness we’ve come to know as church life, and begin recapturing the sense of community and meaningful relationships with each other. The small local church needs to move on…and move out. And, I’m not speaking in terms of all the church growth stuff. I’m talking about getting out of our comfortable quagmire that stifles vitality and health, and to begin to reclaim our rightful place as “essential” in the lives of our people.
Help us Lord to be faithful to the commandments You have given us…to Love God, and Love others. Help us to restore honest community with one another in our churches, and then as a Holy Spirit inspired army…then carry that community into our world. Amen
If we are to be perfectly honest…which of course we should be as Christians…when we’re enjoying all that comes with being a part of a healthy church full of spiritual growth and vitality, it’s pretty easy to slip into that place where we become overly focused on our own little corner of the Kingdom. When we’re not suffering,…when the attendance is up…and the money is flowing nicely…when every corner of activity seems to have the blessing of God on it…it’s easy to forget those who are struggling. Or, maybe it’s your church that’s struggling, and all you see around you are growing and thriving congregations, and you begin to wonder, “What is wrong with us?” Either way, I’m convinced that, as a whole, our churches and leaders cannot continue with business as usual as our smaller local congregations that are so critical to the Kingdom, grow more and more unhealthy.
For most believers in this country, Sunday morning is still the central focus of our Christian experience. More often than not, our faith is more likely identified by where we go than by who we are. If someone is asked, “Are you a Christian?”… the most common answer would likely be “Well, I go to_________church.” Christianity is not an event that we attend regularly, although that is the way we often think of it. Church has become more about where we go than who we are. And folks, this is a problem, because we have made Sunday morning service a pitiful substitute for the abundant lifestyle we were created to enjoy as Christians. And, this attitude is perpetuated by (I’m ashamed to say) even our church leaders who spend a lot more time and effort trying to maintain our buildings and programs than we do actually interacting with the people in our congregation.
We can say, “Wait a minute…we have several small groups meeting in homes. That’s good interaction isn’t it?” Sure it is…and we need more of them! But, the real question is not so much about who you are meeting with…but, who are you really doing life with? How many people know and care about the real you? How many people know the person you are when you’re weak, or tired, or discouraged? How many people know and share with you your moments of triumph? How often are people in your home for no other reason than you just enjoy hanging out with them? See, I’m not talking about some program or agenda driven meeting. I’m talking about mutually gratifying relationships that would survive with or without the Sunday morning routine. I’m talking about congregations enjoying what we were designed to enjoy…genuine community. I believe that one of the challenges we face as small congregations is re-discovery of genuine community. Because if the truth be told…many of us have not lived or functioned in actual community for many years.
When I grew up in the small town of Ashley, everyone knew their neighbors (whether you liked them or not). But in today’s society most of us have little or no relationship with our neighbors. Why is that? I don’t believe it is because we don’t want to get to know them,… it’s that we don’t seem to want to invest the time and effort into building a relationship. I realize that life growing up in Ashley just isn’t the way society works anymore…and I need to recognize we no longer live in Mayberry where generation after generation would grow up and eventually die in the same small town…where everyone knows the Sheriff and the town drunk on a first name basis. Our society is different…and to be honest, while I might often hark back to the good old days…I kind of like the challenges and changes that have come with progress. I am especially thankful that I can sit in my Sunday services in the heat of summer in a nicely air-conditioned building rather than trying to cool myself off with a paper fan on a stick!
I guess my point in all this is that there are things we’ve been doing in some of our small local churches that just aren’t working anymore,… and it’s time to be honest about it… and begin to make the changes necessary so we can get past them and move on to what’s next. Please understand, I am not claiming to have all the answers. I would be satisfied to just have a few answers. I am just finding myself hungry to process through some of sacred cows and the craziness we’ve come to know as church life, and begin recapturing the sense of community and meaningful relationships with each other. The small local church needs to move on…and move out. And, I’m not speaking in terms of all the church growth stuff. I’m talking about getting out of our comfortable quagmire that stifles vitality and health, and to begin to reclaim our rightful place as “essential” in the lives of our people.
Help us Lord to be faithful to the commandments You have given us…to Love God, and Love others. Help us to restore honest community with one another in our churches, and then as a Holy Spirit inspired army…then carry that community into our world. Amen
Thursday, May 5, 2011
MY PRAYER ON THIS NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
Our gracious God and Father. I approach Your throne today on this National Day of Prayer, knowing that it is only through the name of Jesus that I can stand before You. I thank and praise You for Your goodness in allowing me to do so. I recognize very well that I am unworthy of this honor, this privilege, apart from Your unmerited favor and grace. I come before You to petition Your power, mercy, and abundant grace be granted us.
I first pray for our leaders. Lord, give our leaders godly wisdom. Guard them from making ungodly decisions, but lead them in all righteous instead. Return our leaders to the godly principles our Nation's Founders employed. May they lead in a way that pleases You, not men.
May the citizens of this great country, recognize the greatest patriot is the one who recognizes Jesus as Lord. Refresh our memory of the spiritual foundation upon which our country was founded. Restore a spirit of humility that comes from realizing we moved away from You, not the other way around. Restore honor and integrity to all elements of our nation.
Give to our President wisdom to make the choices You want him to make. Give him a tender heart of compassion for those he serves. Give him godly conviction and holy desire. Give him courage to do the right thing even when expected to do the wrong thing. Make his way parallel to Your way. Keep his thoughts pure and his walk blameless.
Give our cities strong leaders with strong spiritual wisdom. Help our leaders take care of business without compromising godly principles. Surround us with favor among other cities. Shine in the dark places of this city to give hope to the fearful. And, restore a godly influence through godly leaders.
Grant to our churches a real desire for revival. Make our churches a place where Jesus is praised, and our worship is predominant and open to your leading. Give to Christians a renewed passion to be clean and reconciled to each other. Bless us so we can bless others. And as a pastor You have called to ministry, give me and all pastors strength and energy to do Your work in Your power. Make us men and women of prayer that we may lead a people of prayer. Keep our eyes on what You want, and give us the endurance to run the race well.
As for me Lord, use me to do your work and allow me to praise your Name forever and ever. Restore my soul, extend my boundaries, and bless my ministry. Magnify the work of my hands and heart to bring glory to your Name. Make the desires of my heart the absolute same as Yours, Father. Help me to stand when I want to quit. Turn my mistakes into learning experiences. Make a way where I can't see one now. Give me strength and means to continue serving You. Use me to do something extraordinary today. Open the door where previous failures have seemingly closed them. Use me anyway you will. Use me to accomplish what You desire.
Teach me to love my wife today the same way Jesus loves me. Bless my spouse today with your richest blessing in Christ Jesus. Provide the spiritual needs of my wife in a way that glorifies You. Thank you for using her to fill my missing parts. Bless her for the way she has blessed me.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to Your sight Lord, my Rock and Redeemer. I render to You, a thankful and surrendered heart. I ask all of these petitions on this day of prayer, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I first pray for our leaders. Lord, give our leaders godly wisdom. Guard them from making ungodly decisions, but lead them in all righteous instead. Return our leaders to the godly principles our Nation's Founders employed. May they lead in a way that pleases You, not men.
May the citizens of this great country, recognize the greatest patriot is the one who recognizes Jesus as Lord. Refresh our memory of the spiritual foundation upon which our country was founded. Restore a spirit of humility that comes from realizing we moved away from You, not the other way around. Restore honor and integrity to all elements of our nation.
Give to our President wisdom to make the choices You want him to make. Give him a tender heart of compassion for those he serves. Give him godly conviction and holy desire. Give him courage to do the right thing even when expected to do the wrong thing. Make his way parallel to Your way. Keep his thoughts pure and his walk blameless.
Give our cities strong leaders with strong spiritual wisdom. Help our leaders take care of business without compromising godly principles. Surround us with favor among other cities. Shine in the dark places of this city to give hope to the fearful. And, restore a godly influence through godly leaders.
Grant to our churches a real desire for revival. Make our churches a place where Jesus is praised, and our worship is predominant and open to your leading. Give to Christians a renewed passion to be clean and reconciled to each other. Bless us so we can bless others. And as a pastor You have called to ministry, give me and all pastors strength and energy to do Your work in Your power. Make us men and women of prayer that we may lead a people of prayer. Keep our eyes on what You want, and give us the endurance to run the race well.
As for me Lord, use me to do your work and allow me to praise your Name forever and ever. Restore my soul, extend my boundaries, and bless my ministry. Magnify the work of my hands and heart to bring glory to your Name. Make the desires of my heart the absolute same as Yours, Father. Help me to stand when I want to quit. Turn my mistakes into learning experiences. Make a way where I can't see one now. Give me strength and means to continue serving You. Use me to do something extraordinary today. Open the door where previous failures have seemingly closed them. Use me anyway you will. Use me to accomplish what You desire.
Teach me to love my wife today the same way Jesus loves me. Bless my spouse today with your richest blessing in Christ Jesus. Provide the spiritual needs of my wife in a way that glorifies You. Thank you for using her to fill my missing parts. Bless her for the way she has blessed me.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to Your sight Lord, my Rock and Redeemer. I render to You, a thankful and surrendered heart. I ask all of these petitions on this day of prayer, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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