People are Looking

Jesus told us that he came so that we would have “life to the fullest” (John 10:10). If that was Jesus’ goal while he was on earth, don’t you think that should be a goal of the church?
Most people in my 100 foot circle aren’t living life to the fullest in my opinion. Sure, most people have full lives. They’re always going from one place to another, from one accomplishment to another, and often from one relationship to another. Many people’s schedules are full, but that’s a far cry from living life to the fullest through Jesus Christ.
First and foremost for me, living life to the fullest starts with Jesus. We cannot have a full life without him. Salvation is the starting point to a life fulfilled, but it’s not the end. There are a lot – I mean a lot – of unfulfilled Christians. And that devastates our witness to the world.
After salvation, a fulfilled life is one of the following four basic needs (support, stability, self expression and significance) and how they are met. God has uniquely called the Body of Christ to meet those needs. Everyone wants to know they’re not alone. God said in Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for man to be alone,” but there are a lot of factors in today’s world that are causing us to be more alone.
The vast majority of us live in cities, and we don’t know our neighbors.
We’re increasingly separating people into different boxes – further isolating ourselves.
In just a few generations, we’ve gone from the extended family to the nuclear family to the single-parent family.
To many people and things have become more important than people.
People are coming into the church searching for something to belong to. They want to know they aren’t alone. They want to know someone cares about them.
That’s where the church steps in. God designed the church to be a family (Ephesians 2:19). Small groups are crucial to this. That’s where we meet the need for support in people’s lives.
People are looking for a strong foundation to build their life on. This is surprising to me because. Every study you read about truth these days says people don’t believe in absolutes anymore. but people want absolutes to center their life on The sad part is that even regular church goers aren’t acknowledging absolute truth. But if you have no absolutes in your life, you’re asking for anxiety and stress.

Deep down, the people in your community know that. Those who walk into your church this weekend want absolutes to build their life around. Whether they want to admit it or not, they’re looking for principles to help guide them. Until people establish an authority in their life, they’ll never have life to their fullest.

You have an opportunity to do that. We must teach people that God’s Word is that kind of authority. It’s an anchor that we can depend upon when life gets rough.
God made us all a unique mix of gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences. And he gave us an irrepressible desire to express our uniqueness. When we can’t express that uniqueness, it produces frustration, dissatisfaction, and boredom.

The vast majority of men and women who’ll walk through your church doors this weekend – and the vast majority of people you’re trying to reach – are bored out of their mind. They have no opportunity to express their uniqueness. Often, the media, their jobs, their family, and their friends are trying to stuff them into a box that makes them just like everyone else. When they come to your church, they’re hoping you’ll help them express that uniqueness.

The church should be that kind of place. Helping people discover their uniqueness by finding out about their S.H.A.P.E. (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences). Teaching how to minister through the unique way God created us.
We all want to know our life matters. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We’ve been wired for this. Man’s search for meaning wrote the history of the 20th century. Communism and nationalism thrived because people long to be a part of something bigger than them. Today, radical Islam operates in that same way.

We should corner the market on meeting this emotional need. You and I are a part of the biggest mission imaginable – sharing the Good News about God’s Kingdom. I can’t think of any bigger mission to center our lives around. As we help people see their unique part in this mission, we’re meeting this huge need in their lives.

Philippians 2:13 in the New English Bible says, “For it is God who works in you, inspiring both the will and the deeds for his own chosen purpose.” God has a purpose for our lives even before we were born. One of the greatest things we can do for people is helping them to discover that. What is their unique mission? How does God want to use their uniqueness to tell his story? Your church has the opportunity to help people discover that.
Romans 5:2 sums up my heartbeat and what I hope is your heartbeat for your church: “We can confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all God has in mind for us to be.” I want to be able to say that I’ve helped my congregation become all God wanted them to be. That means I have to be meeting these four basic needs in the ministry of our church.
Here’s my underlying message. If you’re built around the biblical purposes of the church (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism), you’re meeting those needs. A church committed to fellowship meets the need of support. A church committed to discipleship meets the need of stability. A church committed to mobilizing members for ministry meets the need of self-expression. And a church committed to evangelism and missions meets the need of significance.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

How alive is your life?

People look at lot of places to find “life” they become big time sports fans, material fans, social network fans, who are my friends fans and finally of this world fans;
I say a Possible, popular sources of “life is in ” Romans 8:6-11

Jesus said:
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. The Message
Jesus Christ claims to be able to give you more and better life than any of these other sources, better than you can imagine.
What does this mean? Our first inclination is to think that this has something to do with heaven, with extending our life after we die. That is true, but it is only part. It obviously has to do with the life that you and I have, that we experience right now. If you watch certain folks on television, you might come to think this has to do with wealth, with prosperity. As attractive as that sounds, it is not what Jesus means. He’s not just promising to dump on you a load of cash. He is promising something far better than that. He’s promising the most real, satisfying, best life you can imagine.
How does he do that? Have you ever wondered how?
The vehicle of this new life, this great and eternal life, is the Holy Spirit.
This is what Jesus told his followers before he left them:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

When you believe in Jesus Christ, you receive the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell inside of you. And this Spirit gives you life. The Holy Spirit is the source of new life that Jesus gives you.
Today’s vital parts of you that I see that the Spirit brings alive are that the Spirit of God gives life to..
The first place that God’s Spirit brings you life is found in Romans 8:5-6.
You have a mind
Paul begins here talking about your mind. Today we are going to talk about your mind. Do you mind?
When I ask you to define your mind, what comes to mind?
Probably something about your brain, the part of you that thinks, reasons, understands things. When we say, “What’s on your mind?” we mean “what are you thinking?” But your mind is much more than that. Your mind is also your outlook on things, your assumptions, values, desires, and purposes. It is what you think, how you respond. These things make up your ‘mindset.’
We say, “I have a mind to…” and that shows determination, purpose. We say, “Make up your mind,” and that has to do with choices, decisions.

And your mind often governs your body, it determines how you act, the course you take.
Illus.: Lately I’ve heard some of the women in our church talking about tackling some of Colorado’s 14ers this summer. Nobodies body just pops out of bed one morning and starts hiking up a mountain. No, it begins with a decision, a determination in your mind.

Your mind is a significant aspect of the immaterial part of you – what we might call your soul. Your mind represents the rational side, whereas we refer to your heart as the more emotional component of your soul, your inner being.
You experience mind control
Did you notice what Paul said about our minds? Paul describes two kinds of minds: one belonging to someone who lives according to the sinful nature, and one belonging to someone who lives according to the Spirit. To live “in accordance with” means ‘to be under the control of.’ That’s clear in verse 6, where it talks about the mind controlled by the Spirit. In other words, Paul is talking here about mind control.

In fact, he says each of us is subject to mind control. That’s right, mind-control. One of the things we like to think about our minds is that they are independent. We pride ourselves in having a “mind of my own.” But Paul points out that none of us has a truly independent mind. They are controlled, either by “the sinful nature” or by “the Spirit.” The sinful nature (also called “the flesh”) refers to your nature left to its own devices, infected and impacted by sin.

Our natural state, the way we are born, because of sin running rampant in the human race. If your life is dominated by, controlled by your sinful nature, it effects your mind. Your outlook, disposition, values, desires, purposes, etc., are shaped, literally controlled by this sinful nature. This mindset results in death. It produces nothing but death.
Romans 8:7-8 shows us why.
The sinful mind, the mind dominated by the sinful nature, is by nature hostile to God. It resists doing things God’s way, preferring it’s own way. By definition, it does not follow or obey God, thus it cannot please God, and that leads to death.

The other kind of mind-control is when your mind is dominated or controlled by the Holy Spirit. This person, by definition seeks to live for God. The Spirit-controlled mind results is life and peace.

There it is. Did you see it? The Holy Spirit gives life to your mind. He brings your mind fully alive. This is a key component of who you are. God says that with his Spirit in you, controlling you, your mind can be fully alive. That means your outlook, your perspective, your decisions, the course you choose, all of that can be more and better than you can imagine. Your mind can produce, result in life, real life. And peace. Would you like a mind characterized by peace?

You see, eternal life begins now. It isn’t just about living on after you die, although that’s pretty good too. It begins now because part of the rich full life Jesus came to give you includes a mind that is fully alive, full of life and peace. A Christian’s mind is controlled by the Spirit
Now, look at Romans 8:9. Paul says if you are a Christian, if you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of God in you, and you are no longer controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit. There is no such thing as someone who belongs to Christ but doesn’t have the Spirit in him. That’s what that verse says.

So let me ask you a question: Who is in control of your mind. Is your mind characterized by life and peace? That’s the test for who is in control of your mind. Is your mind, are your decisions, outlooks, choices, purposes characterized by life and peace, or by hostility and rebellion against God that leads to death?
If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, the solution is simple. Let Christ free you from the control of your sinful nature. Believe in his death and resurrection. Admit your need for his forgiveness, and this wonderful Spirit will live in you, and will control your mind so that you can please God.

If you are a believer, but you aren’t characterized by life and peace, the key is back in Romans 8:5. We must learn to live in accordance with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” A lot of us never take seriously this business of living by the Spirit. He is in us, but we don’t let him control us, we let our sinful nature have control. The results are disappointing at best, disastrous at worst.

Living by the Spirit, in accordance with the Spirit is a daily process of humbling ourselves before God and learning to hear and obey his leading. This is a big subject, but suffice it to say that you will never accomplish it if you don’t stop thinking you are in control and if you don’t take time to stop and listen, really listen to God, primarily as he directs you through his Word. The Spirit gives life to our minds
God’s holy spirit, that lives in us when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ, brings our minds to life, resulting in life and peace.

In Romans 8:10 we see what else the Holy Spirit brings alive in us.

The second crucial part of you that the Spirit brings alive is your spirit. Did you see that? Paul says “If Christ is in you” and that is equivalent to the Sprit of Christ back in verse 9 which is equivalent to the Spirit of God also in verse 9. Paul uses all of those phrases interchangeably. They mean the same thing.

If Christ is in you, literally in the person of the Holy Spirit, your body is dead because of sin. That means your physical body still dies – you and I experience physical death as a consequence of sin that infects the world. But, he says, your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Your body may die, but your spirit is made alive. This is the result of righteousness, meaning the effect of Christ’s perfect righteousness being placed in you, replacing your own faulty righteousness. The Spirit of God makes you spiritually alive. In theological circles, this is called regeneration. The Spirit of God regenerates your dead spirit into an alive spirit.

Just as you have a mind, which makes up your inner man, your soul, you also have a spirit. You are, at your core, a spiritual being. There is far more to you than just what you see in the mirror. The Scriptures tell us in Genesis 1:27,
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
The Scriptures also tell us that God is spirit, (John 4:24a)
This means you, who are in the image of God, are also spiritual.

Your spirit is the part of you that can communicate with God. It is the part of you most connected with God. This part has to come alive before you can have a relationship with God. Your spirit is literally dead until you come to faith in Christ, and receive the holy spirit. The Spirit brings your spirit to life!

The Spirit gives life to your spirit. You now have the capacity to truly connect and commune with God. You can hear his word, understand him, know him, communicate with him, love him. You now speak the same language, on the same terms, with God. This is a profound spiritual resource for your life!
The Spirit gives life to our spirits
God’s holy spirit brings your spirit alive. His spirit makes your spirit alive!
Transition: A mind that is alive and a spirit that is alive – that’s pretty good, don’t you think? But there is more. There is one more component of you that God’s spirit brings to live. Notice what it is in Romans 8:11.

It’s not just your mind and your spirit that come alive through God’s spirit. He also gives life to your body – your physical body. Paul tells us here that if the Spirit dwells in us, we can be assure of the resurrection of our bodies. If the spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in you, your body too will be raised from the dead.

Although your body is still subject to death, because of sin, you have the promise of resurrection. The logic is, if he could do it for Jesus, he can do it for you too.

Paul describes a little bit of what this will be like in the book of 1 Corinthians. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.

That’s quite a scene. The gist of it is that the body you have, the one you will die with, isn’t fit for eternity. That’s no big surprise to most of us, is it? If my body can’t even make it out of bed some mornings, how is it going to last for eternity? So your body will be changed. What is currently perishable, will be made imperishable when your body is raised from the dead. This is made possible by the power of God, who’s Spirit lives in you.

This is the one area we are most familiar with – our bodies. We sense that they won’t last, so we spend a lot of time, money, and effort trying to keep them going, even looking for some secret to longevity. But Jesus says I have the key to the life you are looking for. Sure, it involves your body, but it involves far more. If you will come to me, I will give you life!
The Spirit gives life to our bodies
God’s spirit, with the power that raised Christ from the dead, will raise our bodies from the dead.

That’s a lot of life! Will you enter into his life today?

God's Word All Over Again

Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?"

What is your fate? Why do you subsist? Is there a reason, a purpose, for human life? These questions have baffled me lately.
Have you ever pondered the meaning of life? A child naturally wonders, "Where did I come from?" As adults we ask, especially in our twilight years: "Is this physical life all there is? Does my life have a purpose?"
Think about your own existence. Can you see a purpose for your own life with its ups and downs, its mixture of joys and sorrows? Do you sense lasting value in its toil, challenges and uncertainties?
Just why were you/we born? Understanding that only God can reveal His purpose for creating us, the overwhelming majority of people have failed to grasp the amazing future God has in store for those who develop a proper relationship with Him. As the apostle Paul put it: "No eye has seen no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT).
The Scriptures tell us that our destiny can exceed anything we could imagine in our wildest dreams! Isn't it time we let God explain—from His Word—what He has in mind for us?

A prophetic passage gives us our first clue to our fantastic future. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, it tells us that a time is coming when "many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." It adds: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).

Is this but just a hint of the amazing future God has planned for us— to live forever, shining in glory like brilliant stars! Before I/we can grasp man's eternal fate, however, I think we need to clearly understand what man is now. That is how God created us: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). This to me means a physical being composed of the chemical substances of earth mortal, rather than immortal, Gods servants are those who "seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Romans 2:7) Immortality is available only through mankind's Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The human spirit is critical to our destiny, since God's Holy Spirit joining with it is what makes us God's children (Romans 8:16). And just as the human spirit gives us human understanding, so God's Spirit gives us higher, godly understanding (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). We are not born with the Holy Spirit but receive it from God following repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

Our eternal life “purpose” is the gift God has in store for those who turn from the way of sin and begin obeying Him from the heart. Again, it is not something we inherently possess. Rather, it is something God offers to us— if we turn from our old sinful ways and, through Christ, accept His forgiveness and direction for our life. This to me is what He wants for everyone: "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God desires to give us the precious gift of life forevermore. He will do everything he can to ensure that we receive this timeless destiny he has planned for us!
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Retirement

Philippians 3:7-11
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
All through out my years, I have pondered these questions, “What plans do you have for the rest of your life Ron?” That is not an uncommon question, is it? We make plans that affect our finance, retirement, housing, and physical needs, just to mention a few concerns that call for serious planning. I often say to myself, “What about your relationship with the Lord in the years to come?”

You ask where I got this thought for my faith journey this month; well it has almost been one year since my departure from an ELCA Lutheran Church and while thinking about that I read a message by St. Paul that caused me to ask the following question: Is Christianity divisive? It can be. That doesn’t seem right, does it? We shy away from people who cause dissension and admire people who are able to unite a group of people. When Paul came to Philippi he came with the Gospel. He told the people that we are sinners. However, God has come into this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross as a payment for our sins. He then personalized the message by saying, “If we repent of our sins and trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will be forgiven and restored into a personal relationship with God.”

While some people in Philippi believed this Gospel, others bitterly opposed St. Paul’s teaching. They insisted that in order to be saved it was necessary to obey the Jewish laws, such as circumcision, eating special foods, and celebrating Jewish holidays. This group also told the people that Paul was a false prophet and should not be heard.

Paul’s response was, “Watch out for these dogs.” You see at times at that church I was only receiving one part of the gospel message and what a struggle because I did not want to cause divisiveness or to be a righteousness of only the mind I stayed and kept quiet. But my concern never went away and soon I left. “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22)
St. Paul tells us in our text what he wants to happen in his relationship with the Lord Jesus, and I believe it is good advice for all God’s children.

First, Paul wants to be a righteous man. He writes, “I do not want a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith”. This means to me, I live out of love for Christ and not by trying to obey the law. It seemed to me while attending this one ELCA church that was the only message I heard, “the Law”. As the spiritual relationship with Christ grows, he motivates us to live according to his will. A righteousness that is based on keeping the law says that I must do this or that, because it is what God wants me to do. I am fulfilling an obligation. Sometimes this obligation gets quite heavy.

A righteousness that comes from God and is by faith says that I want to do this or that. Let us take something as simply as going to church on a Sunday morning. When I am living under the law, I go to church because I have to if I am a Christian. It is an obligation. That is what his law tells me to do. When my righteousness is a fruit of the Gospel, I attend church because I love him who first loved me, and I want to be in his house so that I may be fed by his word and fellowship with other believers. Again, it is not that I have to, but that I want to.

Paul knew what a man-made righteousness was. That is what he had experienced in Judaism. It could often be burdensome. When Christ had captured his heart, it was a love relationship and he wanted to please him.

Second, Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.” Paul had known Christ and lived in a close relationship with him for many years, but he wanted to know him better. Is that our desire?

For us it means spending time with Jesus in his word and prayer. Through Christ’s resurrection, the Savior has won victory for the believer over sin, death, and the devil. This affects our lifestyle. It means that, when temptation confronts us, Christ gives us the power to overcome it. When life seems like it is coming apart, the Holy Spirit is there to lift us up and assure us that “though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for (he) is with us.”

Obviously Paul is talking to the Christians in Philippi. These people were aware that they were terrible sinners, but Jesus was a mighty Savior. When they received Christ as Savior, they were justified by grace through faith. Now they were committed to spend the rest of their lives growing in this relationship with God.

This is the desire of every Christian who truly knows the Savior. However, while justification is instantaneous, sanctification is lifelong. We say with St. Paul, “Not that I have already obtained all of this, or been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Is this not our desire also?

Each day we see the need of that power that only the Holy Spirit can give us to press on. Satan has a new set of temptations to confront us with each day of our lives. He never stopped attacking Jesus while he was here in the flesh. Only hours before he was crucified, the tempter was trying to convince our Lord that there was still time to escape this suffering and death. Yet Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was given strength to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” With that power he set his face toward Calvary where he died for the sins of the world.

What about the rest of our lives when we know that it cannot be long before we will die? Our bodies tell us that they are wearing out. We cannot do the things we used to do. We even sell our houses to escape the chores that go with owning property. We are tempted to become very apathetic about carrying any responsibilities in our community or church.

Satan finds a powerful servant who is twenty-five or thirty years younger than you and they suggest that you and your peers move out of the picture and let the younger generation take over. You find yourself saying, “Yes, he is right. It is time for us to quit giving of our time and experience of past years.” It is time to withdraw and bring younger people into places of responsibility. However, it is also possible that it is not an “either-or” but a “both-and.” The old need the young, and the young need the old. There is no substitute for youth, and there is no substitute for age and experience.

The time comes when retirement is in order. However, there is no retirement from serving Christ and his kingdom. Now that is not spiritual chatter. I am willing to admit that we do not have the strength at age 70 that we had at 40 to 50. However, I am also convinced that walking with our Lord for those extra years has equipped us to share insights into God’s plan that will bring blessings to Christ’s church and other people.

What about the rest of your life? I like the counsel given to me by my former coach when I was in my 20s. I pass it on to you. “It is better to wear out than to rust out.” Let us keep on growing spiritually until we die.
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Coaches Ministry

What has Coaches Ministry meant to me?
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Coaches Ministry has helped me with a deeper understanding of why I coach and what is coaching. Through this ministry I learned that we as coaches should help our student athletes build vision and move toward the future. To me coaching is not reactive, looking back; it’s proactive looking ahead. It is not about healing; it’s about growing. It focuses less on overcoming weaknesses but more on building life skills, discipline and help strengthen our youths faith. It is that discipline that Jesus talked about in Matthew 28:19. I feel that through football, I can teach, witness and share with the student athlete, my life lessons, my spiritual journey and the love of God through Jesus Christ by my Actions.

My best advice for coaches out there who want to coach Biblically? My best advice is to use the’ KISS’ method keeps it simple. As a Christian coach we know that none of us can be completely neutral. I constantly remind myself of my own youthful story (and it was not always perfect). One of my goals in coaching is to ask questions that will help the student athlete identify and clarify his or her own Christian values. Usually as a Christian coach I seek to listen and encourage with short anecdote stories about my life. Avoid imposing my own agendas. I rarely have direct advise unless I am invited, and I never tell people what they should do. Instead, I encourage them to set their own goals and directions, crystallize their own visions, and formulate their own mission and plans of Action. When the situation presents it’s self; stand up to what you believe as a coach, share your faith, be prepared by knowing your doctrine and tell your story. Be ready for some of the follow questions:

1. What you like about Jesus?

2. Why do you go to Church?

3. What about the Bible?

4. When did you become a Christian?

5. Is there a God?

And finally know the following:

Grace- free gift and not earned. Man- Sinner and cannot save himself. God- loves us and he is Just.

Christ- 100% man, 100% God and went to the cross for us. Faith Do you believe it and it is a life change.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

I will leave it to God

I Corinthians 6:9-11
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

In 1980, my mother in-law presented me with a Bible in honor of my adult baptism. She reminded me that this was God’s inspired Word and it had the power to change my life. At that time, I believed this because it was what our church believed and what I had been taught as a youth. Today, however, I believe this because of personal experience. What a powerful gift that Bible was! God’s Word truly has changed my life.

Now, twenty-eight years later, some believe the Bible needs updating. To safeguard against such changes, our church has stated in its confessional writings that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the only authority in matters of faith and life. If this is true, why are we hearing so many strange statements about biblical changes?

Let me give you an example. One day a man, whom I have always respected, asked if I believe all people are saved. He was visibly upset and went on to say that his pastor told him that all people would go to heaven. I told him to read Jesus’ words: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He replied that he had shared these words with his pastor and was told that there is more than one way to interpret this statement.

A few days later I was having coffee with a group of teachers when a woman asked me the same question. She told the group that her pastor, who has freshly progressive ideas, had told her that Jesus was not the only way to heaven. When I asked how she responded to his statement, she assured us that she let him know this was not what she had been taught and believed.

It saddened me to hear this woman, who was so disturbed that her pastor had openly denied one of God’s inspired truths.

Another way, in which we see some, clergy and lay alike, attempting to change the Word of God, is in the call to ordain practicing homosexuals, using code words like “a Reconciling in Christ Church” and bless same-sex marriages. If you ask them why they are departing from what Scripture says about these practices, their answer is simply that the Bible must be interpreted in light of its culture. In other words, we need an updated Bible.

Listening to today’s sermons, I ask, why less focused on sins by some and others preach on it routinely. Trying to avoid a debate from either side or being labeled as a sin phobia, I read I Corinthians 6:9-11, which reads, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy, nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

I asked myself, haven’t the church dealt with all of these sins? None are condoned. We would not ordain a person who was living in adultery. I don’t believe we would ordain drunkards if we were aware of their problem. A person found guilty of stealing would be dismissed from the clergy roster, I pray.

In my mind none of us are without sin. But we can be forgiven if we repent and turn to Christ. Notice, Paul says to the Corinthians that this is the way they used to live, but they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. The practicing homosexual, on the other hand, does not want to repent; rather, he or she wants to remain in this lifestyle and still be ordained by the church. This is the difference.

It is one thing to fall in sin and be forgiven by God’s grace. It is quite another for the church to say that some behaviors should be looked on charitably because of modern cultural changes.

We cannot condone sin and update our Bible. What, then, shall we do? Listen to the words of Paul: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

In other words, we use church discipline. Who does the disciplining? In most churches, the documents of the church tell us. Within the congregation, it generally falls to the leaders, people chosen by their brothers and sisters in Christ, When clergy are to be disciplined, the responsibility is with the bishops and those trusted people of God who are their counselors. But if the group or leaders has this philosophy and it is affecting your vision of life,"what are you to do?" At this point in my life because of my love for all, I will leave it to God.

The church is in serious trouble. Part of it is because we have given in to diluting the Scripture in order to satisfy the culture of our day “This is the easy way” and if you speak about it you are labeled or told they don’t understand you. however, Jesus never said that the way will be easy. Culture is not to shape the church; the church is to shape culture. We are the salt of the earth, according to the Word of our Lord.

Do we need an updated Bible? Definitely not, instead, we need to take the teachings of God’s word seriously.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

My Dream

Luke 10:25-29
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God; with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”


I truly believe in dreams and that no dream in life is beyond a persons ability to accomplish. God would not plant a seed in your mind if he did not plan to give you the means to nurture and cultivate it into a beautiful flower. God is working with us and we can cherish our dreams as divinely inspired visions of our new life. We must hold firmly to our dreams especially during the moments of doubt and challenge. The key for my transformation has been to keep my mind and heart focused on my dreams in a positive manor by working hard and constantly seeking those moments of ah-ah for Christ.

Your dream is a sprouting creation that needs desire and support to develop to full maturity. Then it returns the care by nourishing the dreamer as well as those who promote it. Every great achievement begins as a dream. A vision of success is a decisive idea that must be cultivated and strengthened by the individual who believes in his or her dream to stand by it in moments of difficulty.

Are you willing to stand by your dream in times of opposition? Especially when someone says they don’t understand you. Are you willing to say yes to yourself and your thoughts (ideas) when others stand against you? For your dream is none other than God’s dream for you, His love”! If you believe you will obey your dream and if you obey you will believe! Sometimes we humans need to be faced up with reality, and that is what Jesus does in his Word. But remember, He does this in love.

My dream sometimes lacks in much understanding I have for Christianity. I like to emphasize in both faith and life in what we believe and how we live. To me if we place all the emphasis on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for our sins and never talk about the fruits of this faith, we have only told a part of the story. On the other hand, if we talk only about the kind of life that Jesus taught, and place little or no emphasis on our salvation, but Justice there is no power to live this life. Jesus then in that view is no more than another moralist, and with that we have little relationship with our Heavenly Father. A part of that Christian message is never adequate in my mind. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no way that we can even make a contribution to our salvation, but when Christ’s dream lives in us, this relationship produces fruits of good works, which means helping people plus trusting and walking with Christ. Sing these words to yourself. What does this song remind you of?
“Love and marriage,
Love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother,
You can’t have one without the other.”

You can’t have just faith or just dreams without love!

God Bless You and This Ministry

“The Other Shoe”

Whether you agree with me or not here are some of my naive thoughts. What is Worship as a Christian Church today? And have we changed to far? After belonging to numerous congregations that were Lutheran (ELCA), the other day this thought came to my mind. What are Lutherans unique perspective on worship and Church issues period? That is one question I have never asked a Pastor with out feeling a little guilty and confused. So I decided to first discus this with a number of people. I prepared myself for the follow type of answers: Worship is praising the Lord" or "Worship is what human beings do to express their thanks to God" or "Worship is going to church," or something like that. Well, I didn’t exactly hear those same words but it wasn’t far from it though. While there is some truth to each of those answers, they did not adequately feed me spiritually, help with describing the main purpose of Lutheran worship today or understand what message I was hearing today. It only has made me wonder where is the Lutheran Church Today?

I thought to myself I know that God's Word and His holy Sacraments are His precious gifts to us and are the tools the Holy Spirit uses to give us forgiveness, life and salvation. Then is the main purpose of our worship and church life to receive these gifts from God? But how do we understand this during this climate of change? Hmm, I am not sure whether we have adequately emphasized this important truth or maybe we are limping with two different gospels. The one we all grew up with at the foot of the cross that is based on repentance, and another that follows a different gospel of acceptance that has been foisted on us. You see this new gospel is emphasizing, “God is love and God is only love, and since Jesus’ ministry was all about love, his followers were to love others in the same way.” Again, love is to be defined solely in terms of inclusion, acceptance and not to be reminded of our ungodliness. The result of this new gospel’s love is not repentance and death to ourselves, but instead love for and acceptance of ourselves because God has accepted and loved us. It has taken me a while to understand this second gospel but given such assumptions, that is why to me our gospel message has focused so much on social justice. (A reason found for the church to exist today). This second gospel mission cannot be proclaiming God’s justification of the ungodly, because the gospel of acceptance does not believe that people are ungodly, except to the extent that they exclude people. Instead, that is why the mission worship message of the church today as been dominated by social and political issues in my view.

But we cannot do both because it divides us.” My ears have been closed to it and it needs to be revisited. God gives His gifts. We receive them. He does this as His Gospel is proclaimed, as His Word is read, as His forgiveness is announced and sinners are absolved, and as we receive our Lord's body and blood in Holy Communion. In these wonderful ways, God is present with us, His people, drawing us to Himself and giving us what we need so much--His mercy, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, power and comfort! The purpose of worship, therefore, is to be gathered by God around His gifts. Then why is this today such a battle between the mind and the heart? Boy oh boy We need to take great care with change today help our visitors as well as ourselves appreciate and understand what is happening with changing things just so that every point is new guy but old perfectly clear.

Then it follows that our worship is Christ-centered from the heart or as we take a look at the liturgical orders of service now I understand why everything said and done is filled with His Word for the mind as well. Why? Remember what St. Paul wrote to the Galatians? “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one that called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to another gospel – which is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6 - 7).”

Because our focus is on Christ and His work, that's why. The focus of church service worship is on Christ, not man. Who is present for us and with us in His Word and Sacraments? He is truly among us. We are not contemplating a far-off Christ, or meditating on abstract ideas. Lutheran worship is not like going to a self-help group or a therapy session. It is God who gathers us for worship around the gifts He gives to us through Word and Sacrament. But I would like to remind you that it is not really our church, it is the Lord's church. As long as the church tries to acknowledge two different gospels, we will never be united or have answer to those little questions, it will never be at peace, and it will never settle all the issues of today.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Numbers in the Pews

READ: Luke 9:57-62

Luke records for us in this passage an account of three men whom Jesus met as He traveled along with His disciples. Two of these men declared that they wished to follow Jesus; to become His disciples. The other was one whom Jesus summoned to follow Him.

What immediately strikes me is the way in which Jesus handles these inquirers (and I think that this is Luke’s reason for recording the details of these meetings). Some think that men with a cause are busy trying to recruit as many as they can. Most preachers, council leaders and lay people are busy trying to get as many members for their church as they possibly can (and most have good intentions). I like seeing new members myself!

It’s natural. It’s what we expect to see. But Jesus is radically different in His approach I think. He seems to spend a great deal of His time trying to advise against men from following after Him - or at least that’s what it looks like.

It’s funny how I can remember advice that was given to me by an aging preacher when I was on church council; I was really concerned about numbers in the pew. This person whom I greatly respected would say to me, Ronnie “Son, always endeavor to keep the church as small as you can!” That’s strange talk isn’t it? And that was coming from a man who himself had pastored quite a large congregation. But what he meant was, preach the truth of God’s salvation, and the demands of following Jesus, clearly that only those who have counted the cost and are ready to give up ALL for Christ will join themselves to you.

Boy what an impact that statement made on me during a time in my spiritual journey when I thought church was only to be worked on, maintenance wise, it has been my desire to see as many as possible come to Christ - I pray to see them come in their hundreds and even thousands - BUT I DON‘T JUST WANT TO GET A CROWD . . . that doesn’t interest me at all! I want to see men and women, young people, boys and girls turning to Christ with whole hearts; becoming true sold out disciples committed to the fullness of Life in Jesus Christ for all. Hallelujah!

And so, it’s interesting to read of Jesus’ way of dealing with those who expressed a desire to follow Him; He seems to be trying to discourage them. But not really. In actual fact Jesus’ desire is that people will follow Him but He wants them to think it through first . . . to count the cost involved . . . so that once they do follow Him they’ll never turn back. Even as He spells out what is required in such clear, shocking terms, inside He is longing for them to accept it - He’s rooting for them - but the cost is the cost . . . it’s non-negotiable . . . and they/we MUST be prepared for it.

What can the call to discipleship, the faithfulness to the word of Jesus, mean today for us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on one of many of my summer readings, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. For me Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing an influential reading of the separation between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship.... Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the girl, which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know.... It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.” Man’ these words are strong, aren’t they? Here is what it will cost you to follow after Jesus. In short, it will cost you EVERYTHING. He calls for us to commit ourselves completely to Him, and hold nothing back and help all in need. And that to me is the picture of the authentic numbers of Christian in the Pews.

Jesus said to the first man: “COUNT THE COST”. He said to the second man: “LEAVE IT BEHIND”. And He said to the third man: “DON’T LOOK BACK”. The bell to your heart's door rings today. There stands Jesus. He is recruiting you to join Him in the mighty job of “Building” numbers in the pews, and help those who are vulnerable, which is forever.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

This-ness

“This is My Father’s World”

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres, This is my father’s world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies And seas; His hand the wonders wrought, This is my father’s world, the birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise. This is my father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me every where.

Can you believe I’ve sung that hymn a million times and never once stopped to consider what it was saying? Go figure. What does it mean to You?

Recently my wife and I were planning a trip to San Francisco. As we planned our trip, I learned a valuable lesson about mutual support from California majestic redwood trees. Redwoods are inclusive trees as they grow, they incorporate into their basic structure objects around them, including rocks and other plants. Although redwoods have shallow roots, they are noted for their strength and longevity because they share their roots with others. Each individual tree is invited into the whole and in turn helps support the entire group. This adaptation appears to have worked, for redwoods are among the oldest living species of vegetation on earth.

We as Christians could learn a lesson about inclusiveness and sharing from the redwoods during these times. Sometimes, I am a little embarrassed by how little I think about the relationship between my faith and the natural everyday world. What about outside the church building in a different context, do we really love to tell the story to our neighbor? To our unchurched friends, our family, our coworkers, or our fellow students? I suppose, if we are really honest about it, many of us would say, No, I guess telling the story about Jesus in public makes me a little uncomfortable at times.

I recently read a book entitled, The Embarrassed Believer, by Hugh Hewitt. The author writes, “Many Christians today can hardly make themselves say the 'J' word, pray in a restaurant, or invite a colleague to church. They cringe at anything that makes their commitment visible in this current environment. Every Sunday in the safety of the sanctuary, many believers sit and pray with sincerity and gusto, then vanish and go silent the next six days.” What’s the reason? Public expression of faith is not only unfashionable, but it is seen as slightly bizarre. No one likes to think people are looking at them, thinking they are bizarre. So they are discouraged into thinking that maybe their critics are right. 'Why should we bother? It won’t make any difference anyway.' Jesus instructs us to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the ‘whole of creation.’ We must share our roots, heritage and faith with each other, to ask for encouragement and support when we need it, as we stand ready to give the same to all of creation. You and I have one life to live and many stories. This life has many chapters. What is He doing in your life today? How will this chapter read? And how will you share it with others! So, brothers and sisters in Christ, he who has ears to hear, listen: that seed is good and powerful! As you tell the story, remember, many people are ready to hear it, and the harvest will be great. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That is our Good News.

As you go on your way, may Christ go with you;
may be go before you to show you the way,
behind you to encourage you,
beside you to befriend you,
above you to watch over,
and within you to give you his peace.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

If we build it they will come

Acts 8: 26-40
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, And as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

This points out to me that Philip an ordinary man (not one of the apostles) like you and I, was taught how to minister not only to one man but to a nation who would be introduced to Christ by this new convert. Now one could say, three cheers for Philip! We thank God for his powerful witness which was fluent with words and had the personality which made it easy for him to talk with other people about Christ, but was Philip the exception.

Believers in Christ were not ashamed to tell others about Jesus Christ! The Christian witness was heard clearly in the New Testament Church. Is that witness as strong in the Church today? That's the question I ask in this message today? "How does the witness of the Church in the 21st century compare with the Church in the New Testament? Or is that a fair question?”

What made the Christian Church grow in those years? God was using great preaching to make Christ known. But more than that, the streets were filled with those verbal witnesses who used the opportunity to tell the story of Christ and the way of salvation.

It would be unfair and incorrect to say that there is little or no verbal witness in our churches today or even to suggest we need to go door to door in our witnessing. So, do we get an A+ for doing a good job in the department of witnessing within the church? No, especially when the Church is decreasing in membership, or even remaining status quo, it is evident that our message of evangelism does not have a high priority in our ministry, or have we loss touch today in teaching how to spread the message of Christianity in our time.
Just recently I read a book by Gustav Nelson, “Service is the Point” in the book it tells us that in the mainline churches there has been a major decline in membership compared to the Mega Evangelical Churches. Nelson says, "The disturbing part is that of those still in church, about one-third are not very active. They show up on the doorsteps of the church (guest) with surprising regularity. They are looking for the transcendent, and we give them an invitation to sit on a committee. This description, argues Gustav Nelson, demonstrates what is wrong with the model of church membership that has dominated in churches for quite some time. According to this participatory model, the principal responsibility of church membership is to participate in the programs and functions of the local congregation. While the participatory model has been successful in recruiting individuals to be there while the church doors are open, how well has it prepared those same individuals for Christian life apart from the church? What would happen if we really took seriously our rhetoric about service in the world as the focus of Christian discipleship? The answer, Gustav Nelson contends, would be a new model of membership, in which the church exists to empower believers for the ministries in the workplace and home to which God has already called us. Worship would become the central activity of the gathered congregation, the time when assurance of forgiveness is given, new life in Christ celebrated, and Christians are commissioned anew for the ministries of the week. The vision of the church would turn outward, with the purpose of training Christians to bear witness to Jesus Christ through service in the community throughout the week. The educational ministries of the church would focus on giving depth and vigor to our understanding of the vocations we fill daily.

It doesn't paint a promising picture for mainline churches today. And while some of our mainline churches are having success with change, we need to ask ourselves,” what are they doing? How can we model that change? And better yet how will you as a leader lead the change?” I know from experience that asking people to share their faith does not come natural for the average Christian in the congregation. Is the answer, to start yearly vision quests of encouragement in-which Christians teach some of the basic principles on “ how to share our Christian faith”; or do we engage in things like hospitality, prayer, studying scripture, knowing our church history with reflection, service and paying attention to people’s spiritual lives. This is serious, for Christ's mandate to His Church was to tell the story of God's love. If the Church does not do this on a one-to-one basis, it is not being faithful to the mission Christ gave us to do. Or do we continue to have the attitude if we build it they will come.

Yes, in the early Church lives were being changed and Christ's Body was growing. The question? And I quote,” If the old village and all the old answers have vanished, then how do seekers determine goodness, truthfulness and beauty?” by Diana Butler Bass,” Christianity For the Rest of Us “. (a great read for all!)

Is there a strong witness for Christ coming from our congregation and denomination? What are we called to be and is it God Honoring? These are questions that must be given much consideration, for the life of the Church to me depends on it.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

FUN

John 21:1-3
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

“I’m going fishing.”

Those were Peter’s words spoken sometime between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Why do you suppose Peter decided to go fishing? And why do you suppose six of the other disciples said, “We’re going with you.” I have a suspicion that they were getting bored. It was the same routine each day. The routine of just sitting there and waiting for Jesus’ next instructions was getting pretty long. Peter wanted action, and he simply could not stand just sitting around without an agenda to motivate him.
We are emotional people! We think and we feel. Often emotional thoughts are stronger than rational thoughts. Our emotions are never stable. Sometimes they are high, and other times they are low depending upon what is happening in our lives.

About a month ago, I was lying on the couch and saying, “I’m bored.” I was feeling sorry and hurtful for myself about everything. Life’s routine was affecting my job, thoughts about the church, friends you name it. There was nothing to do, it seemed and no one to entertain me. There was a workout to be done, a house to be cleaned; I could read, I could write down my thoughts or do whatever came to mind, I could do it but I was not motivated, I was having a pity party day. I had become excessively self-focused and that’s when I thought this was a warning sign from God that there was a “disease” in my heart that must be faced. Grow up! You’re not supposed to like your job every day. Perfect church, it doesn’t exist because it is made up of people. It’s not supposed to be fun all the time. That’s why they call it work. If work was supposed to be fun all the time, most places would be spelled F-U-N. Many days you won’t feel like going or being, and if you do, you won’t enjoy it. Big deal. Go anyway. Do what you have to do. And do it with all your heart. Put your passion into your existence your spirituality and see what happens.

A wise man once said, “All of life’s occurrences are to be either enjoyed or learned from.” This is a different perspective from the one we usually hold. We have been conditioned to believe that life is a combination of good and bad and that the price we pay for the good is the bad. Yet there is another way of looking at our life. During the boring times of life, God is working to instill His character in us; with that in mind boredom maybe our opportunity to experience the presence of the Lord.” And yet, it is so hard for some of us to be quiet and listen to what God’s plan is for us.

The hurts and sorrows that we as Christians feel in life are not punishments from our Creator; to me they are messages given to us by a loving God, who is showing us exactly what we need to change in order to grow. As with Peter we must learn the importance’s of quiet time. It is a gift from God. It was in one of those quiet times that God took Peter a step further in his understanding of God’s Kingdom by showing him that Christ had died for all. I used to think that boredom was my enemy but it is a friend. It is the driving force that pushes us out of our comfortable nest and forces us to learn to fly on our own. When times are darkest, we develop the fortitude to rally again and win if we understand the true nature of adversity and life’s challenges. Without it our growth is slow; with it we are transformed from fledglings into masters and that’s when we get those aha moments.

Who can lift you in those times of boredom? Jesus can, but first you have to know him. Do you? Is He yours? Empowered by the Holy Spirit, do you receive Him anew every day? Then He has a mission for you that will erase all boredom. Martin Luther said,” a man should live with the day of his death placarded before his eyes”. Luther managed to turn the world upside down. Life with the Lord taught Peter an important lesson. Nothing happens of importance in the life of a Christian unless there is a regular quiet time with the Lord. He will lead and guide us as to what His will is for our lives.

It is in this routine time of life with the Lord, that you meet your greatest challenges, and when the challenge comes from the Lord, life is no longer boring.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Who listens to them anyway?”

John 18:33-38
Pilate than went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priest who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked.
We are inundated with questions on every conceivable subject, and with each question there are just as many answers. This leads to confusion, and with a great deal of frustration we ask, what is truth?

Do you remember what it was like as a child attending church every Sunday morning? My favorite hymn was “The Lord is on Our Side.” At the time the words to that song were just words. But today they fall upon my ears with new meaning and truth. After struggling for many years and encountering a host of belief setbacks, at times I have struggled to be consistent in my Christian witness. Have you ever had someone ask you where your Christianity is today, after you made some unkind, critical remark? Or have you ever been conversing with a good friend who reduced Jesus to an insignificant person? That is the perfect time to tell them that Jesus is more than a teacher - he wants to be their Savior. You could encourage them to make him a part of their life. Instead you keep silent, because you don't want to offend your friend plus it is here, that the world says, that Christianity needs to be changed. Reduce Christ to a great martyr and prophet, and the world will admire him; such a change for me is not an option.
That is inconsistency. I have come to the stark realization that the world is tough but simple and that life can sometimes be difficult to swallow, But I welcome the soothing words of that song from my past to help strengthen my beliefs for today and to become a person of action.

Our spiritual/religious beliefs are very important. What we believe controls our lives and provides correction to our lives. What we believe as children is important as well. Some truths (beliefs) never change. Gospel truth never changes. Biblical truth never changes. And these truths make a big difference in the way we live. Recently, I shared the following beliefs with a friend,” I believe that the Bible is still God's Word. It is God-inspired, God-breathed, and God-given. We need to read it, refer to it often, and rejoice in it. As we listen to it, lean on it, learn from it, and allow it to lift us up as we love our neighbors! God works through his Word the Bible, and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion to empower us as new creations that no longer strive against Him, but are restored to fellowship with him, through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Jesus says, “Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me.” Our culture's response to this statement seems to be to take the parts of Jesus' teachings that people will accept and leave the rest for the theologians to write books and argue about. “Who listens to them anyway?”

The question the Christian must answer is this: How will we be seen in today's culture if we seriously follow the truths Jesus teaches us?

The Lord's love is old, but strong and powerful and ever new. The Lord's commission still stands. And the Lord's return is still promised; old truths, old songs, with refreshing gospel truths that are powerful and eternal. We to me are a Community of all Believers as long as the focus is Christ centered. Remember what Jesus said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Jesus neither taught, nor gave the impression, that the Church is going to be a cozy group, where each can believe what they want to believe, and they are not challenged because unity is all important. This to me is our witness, and it must be consistent. Tell it, sing it and model it whenever you have an opportunity at work or at worship, with Christians or with unbelievers, in all kinds of circumstances and conditions in your life.

The world needs to hear your consistent Christian witness. Where God's word speaks, the Christian is challenged to speak. As we speak, the Holy Spirit works. Love the Church. Christ does. With all of its imperfections, it is still the Body of Christ.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Whoop, There it is”

Corinthians 9:19-23
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.


I don’t know about you, but often the inner promptings I get from God to reach out in love to someone are difficult. I could be preparing a article, a lesson at school or I could be at a conference learning a new computer task or football technique and “Boom! There it is! Love that person!” Now let me poke a bit deeper and I confess that evangelism is frequently hard for me for a number of reasons. I find I’d rather talk to someone about sports or politics or even theology. Plus the statement that God loves you and has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you isn’t joyfully received by all people? It isn’t. It wasn’t received two thousand years ago in Corinth, and it isn’t received today by millions of people in America. Evangelism is not as easy as I’d like.

I want to suggest that our inconvenience with living out the Great Commission is tied to the Great Commandments. How so? The best evangelism, as nearly every statistic tells us, emerges from love and out of a relationship. Whatever we call it, the best evangelism is nurtured by love.

When Jesus was asked by a scribe what was the greatest commandment of all, Jesus recited a confession of Jewish faith which is called, “Schema” and then, rather surprising to the scribe, added an obscure command from Leviticus 19:18: “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-32). Because Jesus amended the historic creed of Israel, the Shema, into a love God and love others command, we can call this “confession of faith” the Jesus Creed.

The essence of living before God is to love God; the essence of living with others is to love others. If we recite the Jesus Creed, as often as the ancient Israelites did it works into our Soul.

Now my ponder: What’s the different between those who let the Jesus Creed work into their DNA and those who let it work through their minds? For me the answer is rather natural: love of God and love of others, the kind of Great Commandments that make the Great Commission our delight that tremble my heart; not one’s based on fact, proof and given enough time, we will solve our problems only through our human intellect.

Those who live the Great Commandments discover themselves setting up Jesus Creed feeders for their neighbors. Well, Paul has a word for us: “To the weak I became weak to win the weak for Christ. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I might share its blessings.” In these words God is telling us to live with a sensitive ear. Without compromising your Christian convictions, learn what it is to be adaptable and be all things to all people that they might see Christ in you. When that unbelieving or confused person visits with you, he or she might not agree with your Christian belief, but they will know that you are different, for the Spirit of Christ dwells in you.

God Bless You and This Ministry!!

“Impacted by Impressions”

Mark 12:18-27

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question,” Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

This text gives us an excellent example of how the Sadducees evade the big questions in their religious life and try to make the teaching of the resurrection look ridiculous. And today some are still avoiding the big questions of life by asking less important ones. I wonder is it because our society is governed by the power of impressions which can influence our spiritual lives. These impressions flow in a constant stream often times uninvited in ways that make me wonder by what authority it does comes from?

We create our friendships and relationships on them. Careers can be made or stalled depending on how a boss or manager views our work and ability. Politicians are often selected not by what they actually believe and represent, but what people think they believe, represent or what kind of inspirational speaker they are. To me our views of God, of spirituality, and of the church have all been impacted by impressions from our life experiences. So what’s the essential big question? Do we busy ourselves with the less important questions so that we do not have to face the big questions dealing with our relationship with God and the mission of the Church? There is that danger. Or is it we live in a society today that craves spirituality, but does not have an interest in religion?

We live in a time when people are seeking spiritual things, spiritual answers, and yet have no concept of or relationship with their Creator. I wonder if one of the main reasons for these problems lies in the impression that people have concerning Christianity and Jesus Christ today. There are many misconceptions about Jesus; there are a lot of wrong ideas. There are half-truths, and watered-down characterizations about Jesus. Some of those pieces may be accurate, others are not, but the end result is the same, “impressions”. So let me ask you the following questions: what is your impression of Jesus? What happens to our beliefs if Jesus is removed? What would our lives be like without a Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life? I come to the conclusion that it takes Faith to come under authority not faith in man but Faith in God who ultimately controls the outcome of our impressions. At times you might feel alone and uncertain about spiritual things in these times. The truth is; God is never far away and he is in control. Don’t be afraid to take steps of Faith, even if they seem to you to be giant ones. God will never let you down! Let’s learn from Jesus’ visit with the Sadducees and remember to talk about the big questions, “Where do I stand in my relationship with God.” Who do you say Jesus is?” and” Which is the greatest commandment”. The conversation is still relevant.

God Bless You and This Ministry

“Remember”

But when he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! Luke 15:17

Memory can be the first step on your way back. In this verse the prodigal son suddenly remembered his home and is speaking to those who are in the inside but have lost their way. Do you feel you/we have lost our way?

The Bible says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.” This is a great thought, but have you ever felt just a little frustrated with these kinds of words especially around the New Years when it’s so difficult to keep your mind focused on new objectives, goals or New Year resolutions based on faith? In my preoccupied and sometimes hectic life, I need the patience of a saint to “think on these things” all the time. But I must admit commitment to new goals every year is the engine that makes spiritual growth happen for me, it’s the key part of my heart that drives my being, purpose within this Christian life that seems like a marathon; one we’ll be running the rest of our lives but even in a marathon, you’ll find pit stops where you can have a sense of accomplishment and steps to a finish line.

A day after his checkup a man called his doctor to get his results. The doctor said he had bad news and worse news for him. Which did he want to hear first? The man decided he’d rather hear the bad news first. His doctor said, “The bad news is that you have only twenty four hours to live.” As expected, the man became distraught. He shouted into the phone, “Twenty-four hours to live? I can’t believe this it’s incredible! What could be worse news than this?” The doctor replied, “The worse news is I was supposed to tell you yesterday, but I forgot.”

So what’s the key? How do you stay focused in the midst of turmoil? How do you walk across that room and share your faith with all? Each morning I take just a few precious minutes to mentally visualize on an image from scripture that will set the tone for me the entire day. Jesus was a master at this. When he talked to fishermen he said, “Follow Me. I’ll make you a fisher of men.” They got the picture immediately. When he talked to a farmer, he said, “The Word of God is like seeds. They’ll grow 30, 60, and 100 fold.” He said, “I want to be your shepherd” to people who knew about sheep. Jesus had a way of giving people just the right picture to help them get to their next level of commitment. This mental conditioning helps to slow me down or buoy me up depending on my needs. These precious moments incite me to enthusiasm and calm me with tranquility. Just a few minutes each day can work wonders. By taking time to center ourselves we can approach life in a peaceful state of consciousness. Our faith teaches us that we must lean on our Savior for He alone is our strength and our security. Have you heard my words today? Do you believe it is true? If so the good news is the longer we walk, talk and mentally visualize the model of Christ in His Word, the stronger we become. The more we express our Lord’s faithfulness, the more secure we are. He makes all things new.
My visual picture for you today is, “Fear not. I am with you. I will comfort you and strengthen you. I will direct you.” God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Spiritual Draft”

John 1:1-3

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.

John’s prayer for his friend Gaius raises an important question. How is the health of your soul?

Have you ever noticed that the longer you put something off, the more difficult it is to make a decision? Ironically we deliberately add to the frustration and maybe unhappiness in our lives that we could so clearly avoid. Sometimes, I wish there was a magical pill that would help me with my spiritual life and soul. But unfortunately there is not one that can help us at those times in our journey that are difficult. So we either seek help from a friend, scripture, prayer or in my case carry that burden as long as we can and keep on marching forward.

The distance to be traveled seems to me, is great and the work becomes much more unpleasant. Its moments like these that lead one to believe that maybe just no way of overcoming our circumstances, of digging out. But there is!

Pick the thing that seem most difficult and get brutally honest with yourself. Stare that issue in the face. Ask, “What is the condition of my soul?” Secondly, Take ownership of your own spiritual life. Don’t play the victim card. Don’t play the, "this is just a busy season" card. You can’t blame the condition of your psyche on your friends, your pastor, your spouse or the church; you are responsible for leading yourself.

Thirdly, identify the things that fill your soul. What refreshes you spiritually? What replenishes your soul? What refuels you emotionally? Do what you have to in order to make room for these things in your life.

You have a soul. It’s who you are at your deepest core. It’s eternal and it requires soul food. Pay attention to it and nurture it Look for a friend who will encourage and kindle spiritual passion in you. Some people call that type of person a soul mate. For me my spirit needs activity, the type that feeds on effort and work. I need to read and study alone as well with others. This will saturates your thinking and your life with God’s word. Think about other out side sources you can use. It’s a matter of soul health. Effort is not a curse; it is the prerequisite of success, the true measure of civilization. God didn’t burden us with work. He blessed us with it.

This path is not easy to maintain. We need wisdom from older believers as well as enthusiasm from the young as we try to be accountable in the community of all believers. Yet we are called by faith to follow Jesus as the ultimate missionary. The one who came to demonstrate, preach, and become good news for all is our model and a means to effective mission in the 21st century. We are ever contending for the truth of the gospel and ever walking in the fluid streams of the world. He is our hope, our vision, our life, our truth and our peace as we follow him to reach out without selling out. Today, I will take small steps on this journey and engage in work and thereby ease my burdens with the help of God. How is your soul getting along?

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Hooah, What good is religion?”

I Peter 2: 9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
John 20:24-28
Life has its anxious and fearful moments, and when they occur, we find ourselves uncertain of what is going to happen. But Jesus has a good word for us today: He holds us in the palm of his hand.

In reality all of us are born free and equal. But how many truly find meaning within these words? When one child is born into the lap of luxury with servants to attend his every whim and fancy how can he be said to be born equal to the child who has difficulty securing many of life’s simplest needs-adequate food, shelter, and clothing? How do we account for the great inequality among men and women? I would like to share the following tale and it may provide a clue.

A preacher and a soap maker took a walk together, the soap maker turned to the preacher and asked, “What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery within the world after thousands of years of teaching about goodness, truth, and peace-after all the prayers and sermons. If religion is so good for people, why should this be?” The preacher said nothing. They continued to walk until they noticed a child playing in the gutter. Then the preacher said, “Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on that little child? Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, that child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is after all?” The soap maker protested the analogy and said, “But Preacher, that’s not fair. You know soap is useless unless it is used.” Exactly,” replied the preacher. “So it is with religion.”

Each of us is equal in what counts most: We have equal access to the greatness of God that governs all and knows all. Each of us can draw upon this for all of our needs. But this power lies dormant unless we use it and take actions. Remember God wants our Hands. But I use to wonder what is that hand? , Is it only a relationship or just playing religion… My conclusion was,” I want to know Him and not just know of Him…” And if I/you are going to have a relationship instead of religion… then we have to try to do what Jesus did,” He Watched, He Listened, He Endured, He Did The Work and He Fulfilled His Ministry… By giving His life so that we might live.” Brother and Sisters we are the masters of our fate. We are equal with all men and women before God. Think of what blessings God can bring to our lives if we will take a few minutes every day to let him shape our lives. Many of those unhealthy thoughts that we battle will no longer mold our personalities. The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will open our eyes and lead us out of the darkness and into the light as He guides us to face each event in life with God as our refuge and strength. The question that I want to ask , “Do You want Religion Or a Relationship…?”

God Bless You and This Ministry

"Uncle Bill"

John 1:1, 14, 16-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father's Only Son, full of grace and truth.

From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son who is close to the Father's heart who has made him known.

When I was seven years old, my family lived in a two-room apartment in the projects of Cincinnati called Laurel Homes. Some Sundays as a family we would visit my great-uncle Bill (he was known in his community as uncle grace because he was so forgiving, full of love and his kitchen was always open for the needy). He lived in a small community out side of Cincinnati Ohio, called Hamilton. Often when we we would visit, the house would be filled with adults, other relatives, having a meal and right in front of them all would be my Uncle Bill with a Bible in hand and in deep conversation. My sister and I were quite bored, so Uncle Bill instructed one of the older cousins to walk us down to the school playground, which were a few blocks away. We were glad to go. The cousin took us there and left us on our own to play.

A great deal of time passed, and we decided we probably should get back to Uncle Bill’s house. Unfortunately we could not remember how to get back there. After a couple of attempts with nothing looking familiar to us, I realized we were lost. My sister started crying. I did something I probably should not have done. I took her by the hand and began to knock on doors. In my excitement when people answered I would ask, "Do you know where Grace lives?"

The first few homes looked at me strangely. Finally, I knocked on a door where a younger adult man responded positively to my question, "Do you know where Grace lives?" He had a smile on his face that was as big as a sugar cookie full of love, he told us to wait a minute with excitement. He came back out and said, "Yes, I know where Grace lives. Get into my car and I will drive you there." We got in the car and a few minutes later we were sitting in front of Uncle Bill's house. We were so relieved. My sister ran in and immediately told my parents how we had gotten lost. They were not too happy about that, but were glad to see us. We had a pleasant dinner, piled back into the car, and made the long drive home that evening. All ended well.

Do you know where Grace lives? I am not talking about my uncle, but the experience one has when God steps into your life and you receive His unmerited love and favor. Do you know where to find that? We hear about it now and then. For instance, from the sober alcoholic who testifies that is by the grace of God that he hasn't had a drink in a long time. Or we might hear a friend talk about God as if he lives right in his house with him. Or we hear someone who has gone through a crisis and says, "I would never have made it but by the grace of God." We think to ourselves that we would like to have some of that grace. Where can we find it?

John 1:1, 14, 16-18 tells us in his gospel where to find grace.

He first tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Replace the Word with Jesus, because that is the truth John is sharing with us. Then we learn that the Word was not only with God, but that the Word was God. To me they are one in the same.

In verse 14, John announces that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us. That is John's way of saying that Word became a human being and tabernacle among us. We reminded of God's presence with his people in wilderness as he led them to the Promised Land. His presence was in the Tabernacle. I once remember hearing a Pastor, paraphrase or interprets this as: "The Word moved into our neighborhood and became one of us." He came to get personal with us. That phrase has stuck with me and often made me think of my Uncle Bills community of believers.

Then he wraps his story up by saying, "It is God - the only Son who is intimately tied to God - who has made God known." He has taken us on a personal God tour. He has shown us God's heart.

Later in John's Gospel Jesus will say, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
To look into the face of Jesus Christ is to look into the face of God. Looking into that face a person will find, receive, and experience GRACE. Grace has a face - Jesus Christ!

We no longer have to guess about God in terms of how he feels about me and what he thinks. Christ has made him known as he stepped into our world filled with grace and truth. Grace is available and it has a face - the face of Jesus Christ. So . . .

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of his glory and grace.

God Bless You and this Ministry!