Persevere…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”    James 1:2-4 (NIV)

An aspect of character we must master is perseverance.  James tells us that it is the quality of character that will bring us to the mature and complete destination God desires.  It is the character that will not leave us lacking and prepares us for every good work God has for us. 

“So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”    John 6:67-69 (ESV)

I have made a decision in my life that has served me well.  I am determined to persevere no matter what.  This is not something I choose in my own strength, but in faith.  I am determined to persevere if it kills me.  I find myself where Jesus’ disciple found themselves after all of Jesus’ followers left Him and the 12 remained.  Their perseverance was based on the fact that Jesus was the Holy One of God and only He had the Words of life.  When we really get to this point, we will persevere.  If we are not convinced of this we will loose heart in the weakness of our flesh.

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”     Ephesians 6:18

Three things we must do where things get tough:

1. Pray – pray in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
2. Keep alert with Perseverance.
3. Pray and think about others instead of dwelling on yourself.

God wants us to endure to the end.   If we do not persevere we will miss the joy of our journey.

To love, someone must die…

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13  (ESV)

There is a high price for love.  You can have it for free but it will cost everything.  You cannot love without paying the full price.

God will allow us to choose to live our lives on a lower level that He has called us, but there is a price to pay.  If we do so we will never really and fully know Him nor experience the fullness of the life promised to us in Him.  There is a higher and GREATER love.  Love of this magnitude can only be received, experienced and given away through death. 

There is no greater love than when we die to self, lay ourselves down for someone else.  God wants us to walk in a greater love.  Greater love is received when someone else had to die in order for us to receive it.  Jesus laid down His life to break the barrier that would keep us from receiving the Father’s love.  It was the ultimate expression of love. 

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8  (NASB)

Jesus broke the barrier of our sin with the laying down of His life.  It doesn’t get any greater than that.

In order for us to have Greater Love, we must die, laying ourselves down for people.  We must die to being right about people or things or we will defend our rights and find an excuse to not love.  We must put away personal justice or we will punish people and seek to justify ourselves in the eyes of others, when Jesus said He was just and the justifier of all.  We must overlook faults or we will keep records of wrong suffered and not love.  Ouch.  Ouch.  If we die to self, we can release GREATER LOVE.  If we don’t, we will love self and then others when convenient.

Are you dying to give GREATER LOVE?

Why not?

I will Build My Church…

“…I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”   Matthew 16:18

It is easy to miss what Jesus was talking about here, especially if you are in the ministry vocation.  No judgment, just an admission that we can get off track doing good for Jesus.

It’s not so much about our doing as it is what He is doing.  Jesus said, “…whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”  John 5:19

When Jesus said these words to Peter, He was not talking about the church down the street or a building or even a local gathering of believers.  He was talking about His work of reaching into the world and pulling out rough hewn stones that He would fashion and fit to His use in building a Holy Temple unto the Father that He Himself would dwell in.  A dwelling place of His Spirit and presence, “who is at work in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13

Just a few things:

1. It’s His Church.

2. He’s building it.

3. It’s still a work in progress.

4. I can do nothing alone.

5. I must see what He’s doing in order to be doing anything.

6. It must be Him in me doing it.

7. Operating out of intimacy brings Him pleasure.

8. Operating any other way will kill you.

These are just a few things, you can probably think of others.  If so, leave them in a comment.

What are you doing about it?

What are we waiting for? 
Jesus said, (John 4:35) “lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.” As followers of Jesus and especially leaders in ministry we cannot lose sight of this fact.  We can be confused about the difference between waiting for the harvest and preparing laborers for the harvest.  The harvest is always there.  Jesus said in this same passage that we say “four more months then the harvest.”  He then reminds us to look, it’s ready.  The implication is that our eyes or focus is on something else and we are missing the fact that it’s ready.  We have to keep our eye on the harvest. 

Jesus also say that we get to reap from what others have already prepared and labored for.  I like that.  We don’t have to wait to see fruit.  We just have to get out into the field and reap.

This harvest is happening so fast and is so ready that He said the sower and reaper get to rejoice together.  There is a place for all of us in the harvest.

We need to be harvest ready.

How are you laboring in the harvest?

Great faith…

As is my custom, I tucked my two boys into bed an prayed with them.  My sons have gotten into a habbit of thanking God for all of our family and then one by one every animal we have ever had dead and alive.  No, this is not going to be a theological discussion on “prayers for the dead.”

I am always looking for teachable moments.  Jonathan (10yrs) begings his prayer and gets to the pets – “…and thank you Jesus for Charlie, Wishbone, Tucker, Sinbad, Waves 1, and Waves 2.”  At this point I stopped his prayer (maybe I’m going to hell for that one) and said “Jonathan we don’t need to pray for our dead pets.”  If your curious, we don’t have a petting zoo, most of the list above is deceased and Waves 1 and Waves 2 are fish that belonged to their sister which died due to the boys helping assist in their suicide via the toilet.

It was Nathan’s (8yrs) turn to pray.  Keep in mind the picture above of the baby shark in formaldehyde.  Nathan begins to pray in the same manner as his brother – “Jesus, thank you for Mom, Dad, Jordan, our two dead cats and…. the poor dead baby shark (as he stretches his hand forth toward the shark – maybe too much TBN – kidding) Lord please make him alive.”

Oh ye of little faith – that shark began to swim around.  OK, maybe not.  But, do we believed like children and do we have the audasity to step out on faith and ask for the ridiculous.

Jesus told his disciples “Until now you have asked nothing in my name.  Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”   John 16:24

How BIG is your GOD?

I’m dying…

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4 that he carried around in his body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus might be manifested in his mortal body.  He said there is a treasure in our body (that is if we belong to Him.)  That treasure is Jesus Himself. 

How is this treasure revealed in our life?

In the Gospel of John 12:24, John tells us that unless a seed falls to the ground and die it will produce no fruit.  It’s still just a seed.When the seeds of Jesus’ Words fall into the soil of my life I have realized that there is a death that has to take place.  If I allow the seed to take good root in me then the Word encounters areas that are contrary and resistant to the Word.  A death must take place where the seed lands in my life.  If it does it will bring forth life and fruit.

In Matthew chapter 5-7 we find the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus tells us if we look at a woman to lust we commit adultery; bless people who insult us or talk bad about us; we can’t give our offerings if we are not in right relationship with others; we must go the extra mile; turn the other cheek; love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, and the list goes on and on.  At first we look at these things and religiously say, “OK, no big deal, I do that.”  But do we?  Do we show up early for work and stay late with out complaining?  Or do we go the extra mile on our jobs or in our relationships?  Do we give more than we are asked of?  Do we think of kind words to say to those who say unkind or insensitive things to us? 

When the seed of Jesus’ Word truly fall into the broken up soil of our life we see this kind of life is impossible.  Our flesh rises up and say no, it’s my human right.  Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”  This means dying daily.  This means denying self.  As you see when we really allow the Word to penetrate us it causes a dying in us.  Our flesh resists death.  It wants to preserve the life it has. But dying is necessary if we want the life of Jesus (the treasure) to produce life and fruit.  It is an impossible task to follow Jesus with our old life.  It is impossible to embrace the new life the way Jesus commands.  When we recognize the truth of His Word and can admit we cannot do it, we are at the dying place.

Let the Word offend your flesh.  Embrace it.  Die to it.  The result will be life and peace.  It means the manifest presence of God.  When you truly discover the Shepherd in Psalm 23, you will want for nothing else and you will find everything you ever needed.

I’m Dying…but not dead yet…

The Next Top Model…

This TV Reality Show with Tyra Banks take some everyday girls who would like to break into the Modeling Industry and gives them a shot at becoming America’s Next top Model.In 1Thessalonians 1:6-8 Paul talks about the Thessalonians who followed after the example of Paul and Jesus and became a MODEL for others throughout Achaia and Macedonia.

In John 13:15 Jesus said He came as an example for us to walk in.

What kind of Model are you?

I understand Paul’s pride in those who were being models to others.  I get excited when I see people on Sunday intentionally being an example of the kind of worshiper we should be.  There are a couple of guys I know who are our church’s Top Models.  Pastor Ben, whether he realizes it or not, is one of my biggest cheerleaders on Sundays and I try to be his.  He pulls out his Bible and takes notes.  He stays engaged with me throughout my sermon Modeling what it means to be a disciple who desires to learn and apply the Word of God.  For Pastor Ben I try to be near the front to model the kind of worship that God deserves and hopefully becomes contagious to others.  I also think of the example of  my father who has a way of changing the entire atmosphere in a room when he worships because he models an enthusiasm and passion for Jesus in worship that is an encouragement to the worship-leader and an example to other worshipper.  This reminds me of the scripture that says the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David.

Our whole life is about modeling the example that has been given to us by Jesus and others.

Are you The Next Top Model?