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Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

TRANSITION THAT COMES FROM CIRCUMSTANCE AND CHANGE BORN FROM TRANSITION

Two weeks ago the opening round of the NFL playoffs provided the perfect canvas to present the idea of The Oddity of Circumstance? In what appeared to be the “random” event of every visiting team winning (a NFL first) was corrected, this past week, with every home team winning the following round. It was as if the anomaly of chance and circumstances transitioned into a scenario of what was supposed to happen all along.

dm_150102_nfl_live_predictions_cardinals_panthers

There is nothing odd in circumstance because all circumstances have the unique ability to trigger transition and everyone is need of change at some point in time. Most people like the idea of change but seldom are they truly open to what change will really do to their status quo. For example, we would gladly welcome a positive change in our financial circumstances; but nobody would want a change, for the worse, in their health. Obviously everyone wants a change for the better but it is also in how we presently view any circumstance do we color the seasons of transition as “good” or “bad.”

Steve jobs“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” – Steve Jobs

At some point your life will require a series of circumstances, to occur, that will initiate a season of transition and eventual change. We have all looked in the mirror and said, Today will be different…it needs to be; but just when we are prepared to break from our established mold we discover the familiar patterns and mindsets are to entrenched to break free.

shaw3George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Shaw’s changing of the mind is what needs to be challenged and it is during the moments of circumstance God initiates a transition that, if followed through to the end, will lead to a necessary and lasting change for God’s best.

Consider the life of Abraham, before he was father of our great faith, the intercessor for his nephew Lot or even the man of Mt. Sinai; Abraham was first Abram. Remarkably it is in what we learn about Abram that helps us discover a pattern for every man and woman. Stephen (see Acts 7) fills in the “missing history” of Abram’s Genesis calling and the unfolding of a man who had “the right kind of God stuff.” But Abram was also a man of his age, culture and un-renewed mind every bit trapped by his circumstance, as you and I, until God initiated seasons of transition.

Genesis recounts the story of God’s invitation for Abram to join in covenant, with God, and even after his initial agreement it still took over twenty years for Abram to first settle in Canaan. Why did it take Abram so long to travel from Ur to Canaan with temporary stops in Paddam-Aram (Haran) and Egypt? I would suggest God knew the life that was familiar and acceptable to Abram required a series of circumstances and transitions to prepare Abram for the future calling of Abraham.

While Abram is a derivative of the name Abraham the two names carry very different weight, authority and promise. Originally the name of this patriarch was Abram (Heb. ˒aḇrām; e.g., Gen. 11:26; 12:1), but God subsequently changed it to Abraham (Heb. ˒aḇrāhām). According to Gen. 17:5 the latter name is composed of Heb. ˓aḇ “father” and hmn “multitude,” thus meaning “father of a multitude.” As a variant Abram can signify “love of the father, he is of good ancestry” or simply “exalted father” (Clements, pp. 52–53); but Abram was not the best name for a man who was the father of many nations.

From Abram’s family upbringing, culture, way of life, obligations, personal wealth and comfort it would have been next to impossible for Abram to carry his part of the covenant agreement unless God allowed circumstances to push Abram into seasons of transition. Here is a simple, yet brief, outline of Abram’s early transitions and major life changes.

  1. Leaves Ur due to the political and economic stresses caused by the Amorites and Elamites.
  2. Settles in Paddan Aram with wife, brother (Nahor) and father Terah.
  3. Following the death of Terah, Abram becomes the patriarch of his family and departs for Canaan.
  4. Settles in Canaan with his family and nephew Lot but famine drives them further south into Egypt.
  5. Forced by Pharaoh to leave Egypt Abram re-enters Canaan and after a dispute with Lot, a war in the region surrounding Sodom and the birth of Ishmael he will be given his new name, Abraham.

abraham-journeying-into-the-land-of-canaan-1866It would be easy for most to quickly move from Abram to Abraham or from Ur to Canaan without considering all of the transitions and changes God allowed to refine a man who established generations of God’s covenant people. Still we can’t gloss over how difficult every transition and change must have been for Abram along the way; as well as what each transition did in shaping the man. CS Lewis said, “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” For change to occur we need to be willing to be hatched or risk going bad; and that is why God will always use circumstances to encourage us in the pursuit of His will and purposes.

It should come as no surprise that growing up in the Boston area has made me a dedicated New England Patriots fan and so this weekend I will be fixed on the game hoping “my team” will have another chance at winning the Superbowl. But I also know a game, on paper, is very different than a game tpatriotsbroncoshat must be played. An entire week of experts picking their winners and fans best guesses will boil down to a game that still must be played out and rest assured there will be some series of circumstance(s) players and teams will have to overcome if they want to emerge victorious. Circumstance will always initiate a transition and it is my prayer we all remain open to the changes that follow. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill.

winston_churchill

As I close today’s post I want to leave you with a short story that I feel best illustrates the this point:

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle (circumstance) presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition or change.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy

1 “Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

2             a time to be born and

a time to die,

a time to plant and

a time to pull out what was planted,

3             a time to kill and
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a time to heal,

a time to tear down and

a time to build up,

4             a time to cry and

a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and

a time to dance,

5             a time to scatter stones and

a time to gather them,

a time to hug and

a time to stop hugging,

6             a time to start looking and

a time to stop looking,

a time to keep and

a time to throw away,

7             a time to tear apart and

a time to sew together,

a time to keep quiet and

a time to speak out,

8             a time to love and

a time to hate,

a time for war and

a time for peace.”[1]

 

[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ec 3:1–8). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

The Comeback

James 4:10 [widescreen]Who doesn’t enjoy a good comeback story? I, for one, am always encouraged when I witness what I like to call a “redemption in progress.” As the 2015 football season approaches there are no shortages of men trying to make a team, get a second chance or attempt one final push for a Superbowl ring. Among the many athletes playing for a roster spot is Tim Tebow. Yes, the same player who was cut from the Denver Broncos, NY Jets, New England Patriots and, after sitting out a year, has another chance to make it in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. While it still uncertain if he will survive the final cut, to witness him pursuing his dream after so many setbacks greatly encourages me.

In a similar story I was watching a boxing match that featured one fighter who was re-entering the ring after many years of being out of competition. In his youth he was a highly touted fighter with limitless potential; but the combination of poor choices and reckless living had derailed his career with many never giving any thought of his return. Nevertheless, with his past behind him, the boxer rediscovered a new appreciation for second chances and to the amazement of most professionals, and experts, his career continues to prove comebacks are possible.

What do these men reveal aside from focus, determination and tenacity? Humility. Both have been quoted numerous times expressing how thankful and humbled they are to have the opportunity to pursue their calling and dream. Pressing past the doubt, failure, hurt, fear and critics they joined the many who have lived the comeback; and while everyone experiences challenges not everyone desires to press on after defeat. Why? I believe the Apostle James gives us some insight to this question when he writes,

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you? 3 When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure….6 But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, “God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people.” 7 So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. 8 Come close to God, and he will come close to you. 10 Humble yourselves in the Lord’s presence. Then he will give you a high position.”

Selfish desire, the chase of the right things for the wrong reasons and arrogance are three key pursuits that derail even the most willing, talented and eager. The Apostle James refers to these dangerous ingredients as the “perfect mix” for quarrels; and when I take the time to consider how much I have fought with others, myself or God I can’t help but wonder if the humble life, before the Lord, might achieve more than the contentious one?

Clearly James is addressing a hot-tempered attitude that works contrary to a spirit of humility. The powerful disposition of humility not only equips us for a better life but also prepares our hearts as an ideal seedbed where Jesus can deposit His blessing, wisdom and favor. Yet, despite knowing He wants to bless us we still approach God with contentious hearts. Again, I ask why? Could it be we don’t trust Jesus’ goodness and genuine love for us? Could it be we have become so used to fighting we can’t imagine laying “the fight” down for Him? Could it be we have yet to humble ourselves before the Lord so He can redeem our story and invite us to join in the comeback?

Returning to what the football player and boxer both possessed was a life rediscovered through the lens of humility. The mere fact they were grateful for just another chance to pursue their call became a reward in of itself and in the case of Tim Tebow he has often used his opportunities to glorify God through his circumstances.
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While the boxer’s career has been long, successful and financially rewarding, and Tebow’s career been uneven, both men speak with an integrity and refreshing perspective that should encourage us to pursue Jesus, remain humble, resist fighting and allow Him to open doors for us on the “field of life.”

How many of us are missing out on God’s choicest blessings because we are instigating fights when we could be pursuing the path of humility before the Lord? How many more of us are walking through seasons of living humbly, in the Lord’s presence, and now beginning to experience seasons of reward?

We all desire to reach the high places with God where our life story is shared as the comeback tale of redemption. But to begin such a journey starts with living the humble approach before Jesus and allowing Him to exalt you before others for His plans and purposes.

Remember our current circumstances are not inviting us to fight more but rather to love more and trust that the love of Jesus, toward us, is building our story even after we have fallen. When He lifts us up our story of redemption will echo all the louder because it was through His might and not our own; and those are the best comeback stories everyone desires to hear.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

‪#‎redemption‬ ‪#‎secondchance‬ ‪#‎humiltiy‬ ‪#‎stopfighting‬ ‪#‎love‬ ‪#‎liftedup‬‪#‎thecomeback‬ ‪#‎lovesick‬

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

“Hang Up’s That Need to Be Hung Up!”

Ezekiel 34:30 [widescreen]Have you ever attended a social event (IE: Party, family gathering, community occasion or church meeting) and upon meeting another individual your thoughts race asking such questions as, What do they think about me? Am I making a good impression? Do I connect with them? Etc… Ironically the very people we are inwardly concerned about making a solid first impression on are probably asking similar questions. As the awkward introductions progress into deeper conversations we either find ourselves rambling on or providing such little responses that a new level of anxiety kicks in. Finally the discussion ends with a sigh of relief only to then torture ourselves by revisiting the meeting over and over wishing we had done or said things differently.

Of course there are other individuals that, in such social interactions, are completely self-unaware and say anything they want while thinking or caring very little on what others feel. While some may find such an approach very liberating the reality is such people are often sitting in a corner of the room, alone, with others doing their best to avoid any contact with the individual at all.

In conclusion what both groups of people suffer from are a series of hang-ups. While everyone struggles with different hang-ups the very purpose of a hang up is to hang us up! Of course there is validity in desiring to make a strong first impression as well as possessing an honest and direct approach; but there is also a need for us all to consider others when we are trying to express an opinion or belief.

I have hang-ups, my wife has them, your pastor has them even your banker, doctor, coach and best friend…WE ALL HAVE THEM! But guess what? While we have become used to, and in most cases accepted, hang ups God’s prescribed way of living makes no room for such road blocks in our life and desires us to remove the hang ups for a new image, and confidence, in His identity being manifest in and through our life.

Most, if not all, hang ups come from hurts and offenses that have become so familiar we no longer realize their crippling effects. But what would our life be like if we replaced the hang-ups with a God reality of who He sees us to be and what that life looks and behaves like? “Our lack of identity controls us and keeps us from truly being who He has called us to be.” – Jeannette Johnian

How levitra 40 mg http://respitecaresa.org/christmas-wish-list/ does kamagra work? Kamagra is prepared with an active ingredient well-known as ‘sildenafil citrate’. Early cancer symptoms are a lot such as cost of sildenafil the vasodilator papaverine and the alpha-blocker phentolamine to improve its efficiency. Many doctors recommend Kamagra jelly for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. get viagra prescription Most of the colleges and driver’s impotency classes on-line also will offer pages packed with resources, or books to respitecaresa.org cialis 20 mg review, which may assist you throughout the exams, schoolwork assignments, and alternative work that’s needed in order to complete the glasses. “Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the people of Israel, are my people, declares the Almighty LORD.”

The covenant promise God extended to Israel (Ezekiel 34:30) echoes loudly to every Christian within the context of everyone knowing He is with us. We can be down, in a dark season or even in a time of blessing and great reward; in either case everyone should know our God is with us and we are His sons and daughters and that reality is far more rewarding than the hang-ups.

What is true of the King is also true of the Kings people and the call from Jesus, to all who will listen and obey, is to draw closer to Him in the higher places. We are all called to be in Him and project His image without the hang-ups that keep us focused inward. It’s time to hang up the hang-ups and pick up our identity in Jesus! God is looking for a people in whom He can declare, through our circumstances, He is our God and we are His people. While the hurts and hang ups may want to keep us bound in a false narrative let us reject the lies and embrace the liberating freedom of an identity in Jesus and how such as likeness will bless others we encounter along life’s way.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

‪#‎hangupthehangup‬ ‪#‎inChristalone‬ ‪#‎identity‬  ‪#‎songofsolomon‬

Inspirational

God’s Promises Are Complete

Hosea 2:18 [widescreen]Have you ever lived through despair and joy during the same season? For me the seasons of despair always seem to “feel” longer than the refreshing periods of joy but I would gladly trade my despair for joy any day.

The Prophet Hosea has the unenviable call to share, with God’s covenant people, the reality of their despair; yet in same breath he also points them toward their coming season of joy and reunion with Jesus. What I find especially encouraging is the complete nature of this prophetic promise. God not only reminds them of a wedding reunion but a day in which all things, in creation, will be perfect as it was intended.

Imagine a day when “On that day I will make an arrangement with the wild animals, the birds, and the animals that crawl on the ground. I will destroy all the bows, swords, and weapons of war,
so people can live safely.”

In an increasing age of war, violence and societal despair creation longs for the restoration of all things back unto Him. What a day when we live no longer under the social and moral ills that plague our daily life. What a life to expect when we are no longer burdened with unfaithful thoughts, misplaced affections and distractions that turn our priorities all around. I am longing for that day of joy in my life…what about you?

One final thought….All of God’s promises are complete. Remember Hosea not only prophesied to Israel but the entirety of creation. Perhaps many of us have only experienced partial seasons of blessings that too quickly passed and were replaced with times of despair. While we can all reflect on the “How we arrived at such a place?” let’s also live with the glad expectation that seasons of refreshing and joy are waiting. God never leaves life half-done. The complete and perfect nature of God guarantees He will see His promises fulfilled as He spoke them.

What does that mean for us? Those who are part of His wedding plans have the joy of anticipating a great reunion, festival and eternal season of happiness….one where despair is so distant a memory we can never feel its curse or remember its burden…and I, for one, gladly anticipate that soon coming day!

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (Ho 2:18). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.

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Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Genesis 4:9 [widescreen]How often have I heard this verse applied to Christians, and Christianity, when the secular world is looking to criticize a “loveless church.” When the very real suffering of a world, void of the love of Jesus, reaches a painful point instead of turning to Jesus the hurting world criticizes the church with this verse.

Are Christians, and the church, supposed to be the “keeper of world?” No! In context Cain was specifically speaking about his relationship to his brother; but we must remember these two men were raised, as a next generation, with the full knowledge of God and even giving sacrifices of worship unto to Him. This is a very different relationship Christians (light) are called to have with world (darkness).

Today’s world / society hardly acknowledges God let alone offers Him any kind of worship. The result? A suffering world without any relief from their sin. Of course complete relief, from all sin, is in Christ alone; but when the world comes face to face with their sin it is not the fault or place of the church to be the “keeper of the world.”

The church, and Christians, are called to be keepers of the Word and our relationship to our “brothers” are to be experienced, as well as nurtured, through this dynamic and not one a godless and loveless world places on us.

As Christians we will only be able to serve a hurting world, not as their bonded brother, but as a lifeline pointing a drifting soul toward the direction of adoption. But the process of adoption must come through Jesus and not through a relationship with “the church.”

Christians and the church must first be keepers of their relationship with Jesus, than keepers of His Word and finally voices of hope… but never offering themselves as the hope…the only hope of the world is Jesus!

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

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Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

The Honor of Being in Debt…to Jesus!

GoodDebt-BadDebt1When I was a young man fresh out of school, and working in ministry, I discovered very quickly the ministry doesn’t pay but life quickly demands payment. The exciting prospect of just you, God and the Call, was hit with the reality of a wife, children and expenses that soon proved my few pennies couldn’t stretch far enough to cover my needs.

What began as “infant” steps of crawling debt soon grew into a full blown “teenager” that devoured my life, family and calling. The long road to living debt free took a tremendous amount of time, family cooperation, opportune blessings and careful planning; but the life lessons that followed forever taught me there is such a thing as “bad debt” and “good debt.”

There are some who believe in “good debt” and while I am not a savvy financier I do understand certain investments, such as owning a home, can often require you to carry a level of debt before you reap its long-term rewards; and we have all lived with the bad debt we continue to pay Visa or Master Card for purchases we no longer own or on meals we can’t even remember. Therefore, while good versus bad debt can be debated there should be little discussion in considering the honor every Christian possesses being “in debt” to Jesus.

 The Apostle Paul often wrote of his indebtedness, to Jesus, and modeled his entire life by sharing about this honor with others. Often we sing songs on the amazing grace or mercy that flows from Jesus into the lives of His faithful; but having such grace and mercy should compel us to appreciate a higher sense of indebtedness to Jesus. Certainly when we investigate the “good debt” we owe Jesus we would not dare compare it to the burden we experience when paying a credit card or car note. Rather I would encourage us to reflect on the unquenchable gratitude we feel for Jesus’ ongoing labor of love manifest in the salvation of any soul, beginning with our own!

As Christians we need to recapture the honor of living our lives worthy of the great price paid for our souls. We can all remember those exciting days when freedom and joy flooded our loneliness and we began to comprehend what a genuine relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit behaved like.
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So let me ask? What are you doing to pay back “the debt?” While our sin is paid in full are we not obliged to live fully for Him? Of course Jesus is not some heartless collection agency harassing you for a payoff; but He is searching for those intentional moments when we “pay it forward.” Perhaps the reason we share less, or privatize our faith, is because we are ashamed of carrying debt? Nobody boasts about what they owe unless they wish to look like a fool or long to demonstrate their personal gratitude for the gift of the Spirit alive in them. When the Spirit is alive, in the life of the Christian, our sense of indebtedness to Jesus becomes a place of honor.

Again, the Apostle Paul referred to himself as one who was not a superior Christian, among men, but a bond slave indebted to Jesus. “You are not your own” Paul wrote as he explained his life as one gladly in debt and sold back to Christ. The result? Paul now became “a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the Gospel of Jesus; I am free to be an absolute slave only.”

Earlier I considered there might be such a thing as “good debt” and I believe, in matters of faith and the Spirit that is absolutely true. As Christians we need to live, and be encouraged to demonstrate, a life that possesses the characteristics of a life of honor. While we all go to great lengths expressing our love for His mercy, grace and new found freedom let us remember there is an even greater honor in taking your freedom and becoming His bond slave, forever in debt to Jesus.

Blessings – Pastor JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE ITCH, THE CHALLENGE, THE ANSWER

imagesThis past Christmas we bought a family pet for our kids, Prince Casper, and as you can imagine this little five-pound Maltese has quickly settled in as part of our family. Of course with any new pet there is a period of adjustments and some training; but animals are pretty smart and soon they gravitate to particular places and people in the home. While I have always enjoyed the company of a family pet the last thing I really wanted was for our new furry friend to be attached to me. In the dining room, where I do most of my work, he will often wait for me to sit down before he jumps up in my lap and sits there for hours on end.  One day while I was typing, and he was sitting in my lap, I noticed a patch of hair that was thinning around his neck and then another thinning spot on his back.  This was followed by an itch that didn’t seem to go away with even the proper shampoo. Quickly I made an appointment with the local vet and he prescribed some medicine that slowed some of the conditions but Casper’s itch continued. After a few more weeks of trial and error the vet finally concluded Casper’s itching problem wasn’t the serious issue but actually a symptom that pointed to something deeper going on.

There is nothing more annoying than having an itch you can’t reach; but there is also nothing more relieving than the itch you can get at and scratch away. The thing about any itch is its ability to drive us all a little crazy and if it is bad enough, no matter how much we scratch, we seem no closer to really getting at the source of what created the itch in the first place.  Today’s post is about an itch, a challenge and a cure.

My recent posts on evangelism, discipleship and community have all led us to a place of rediscovering the nature of Jesus and how we, as Christians, can reach our world. We all know we are commanded to compel the world around us, as stated in the Great commission, but if you are anything like me with such a command an “itch” soon surfaces. Questions such as, Where do we begin? Who do we reach? Are their limitations in our reach? Are only the surface itches and no matter how much we scratch we seem no closer to arriving at satisfactory solutions, or cures.  Like Casper’s vet, we need to understand the itch is only pointing us to something deeper that exists within a greater context of what is really occurring in our world.

Perhaps no other decade has seen so much transition than ours. It is as if since post 9/11 our world has rapidly sped up. Economic swings have been fast and furious, social changes have been rapid and boundary breaking, entrainment has become more about agenda’s and politics and less about relaxing diversions,  politics have become more ugly and the church has flipped, flopped, splashed, grown, shrank, been rocked by scandals and rebranded more than a popular coffee chain.  Our sons and daughters have grown up in a decade of war that, while it remains miles away, brings uncertainty, fear, depression and anxiety.  With the technological boom and social media today, more than any other generation, has created endless voices clamoring for attention, stage space and recognition. And since there is nothing new under the sun what we are all witnessing is the resurfacing of age-old questions that are adding to a growing itch.

Today’s Christian is experiencing their faith in a post-Christian world; and today most of society borrows their philosophy from modern thinkers like Jean-Francis Lyotard who said, “it is difficult to believe one story, any story about the world and human condition, can be true.” Such a skeptical philosophy has only added to a world with multiple itches with each younger generation scratching without getting any closer to their cure.  Coming from the Gen X/Y generation I now parent Millennials; and while I know my generation was far from perfect I am witnessing today’s generations are marked with an alarming sense of hopelessness and disillusionment.

America had experienced a similar swing during the post-Vietnam war generation which experienced a great loss of life, questions of authority, purpose, life and truth. And similar age of skepticism plagued Europe, post WW I, that also resulted in a backlash against traditional values, belief, thought and faith from which Europe never recovered. And so, here we are again…old itches repackaged for a new age and the need for a Christian response to reach a lost generation with real and lasting truth!

Several posts prior I addressed three toxins that poison, and eventually kill, the Biblical community. They are consumerism, isolationism and individualism.  Added to these toxins is an added pressure facing every Christian, non-Christians and seeker: Privatism. What is this new term mean? Privatism is defined as, I have my truth, you have your truth and let’s not bother each other with conflicting views. And do not bother me with your truth even if you think you have reason to believe it.

Today’s world is trying to survive on the motto, “The only thing that matters in the world is me. I am the center of my universe and I determine my own future and existence.”

Let me suggest: You did not create this world but you are called to minister to the world. Many will try to reach their contemporaries by looking, sounding and acting like the environment that surrounds them. Others will try to impact their world by being counter-cultural and express a world-view that is perceived as opposite of today’s trends and assumptions.  I would like to suggest, and challenge all of us, to consider the latter.

A counter-cultural Christ-centered community can, and should be, a family of faith that isn’t primarily about you, me, our specific needs, particular happiness, fulfillment and or meaning.  In fact a counter-cultural Christianity is not about one story of many stories that borrows a little from here and there to make a good case for a our way of life.  Counter-cultural Christianity will always make the claim to be truth universally, not American truth, the truth of another nation and certainly not truth for just today, but God’s truth for everybody and for every generation. Counter-Cultural Christianity has always challenged the prevailing wisdoms, ways of life, thinking and living while calling its disciples to live a radical faith that is committed to full-time discipleship in Christ alone!

Radical? The very word scares us and conjures all sorts of stereotypes and falsehoods. By radical I am not referring to a certain dress code or throw back version of Christianity. What I am calling for is a radical counter-cultural faith that is rooted in the Biblical Jesus and expresses the entire Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) as the best possible guide, for everyone, to understand a particular view of the human condition, an exclusive way for salvation and a certain hope for the entire world. If the Christian faith will not dare to live counter-cultural than we will never be able to reach a world with any message, any hope and or lasting truth. Remember the world has an itch that needs scratching.

I am challenging all of us to consider after we have our discussions on the nature of the Biblical community, the heart of evangelism and the call for discipleship we must answer the restlessness of the world with the counter-cultural message of the Biblical Jesus and break through the carefully constructed veneer of the post-Christian, post-modern restlessness of our current culture.

The world is desperately searching for enduring truth and we alone have the tools to reconnect our seeking world with a vibrant truth, community and relationship that will guarantee wisdom and direction for all generations.

Sadly many of our current thinkers, universities and churches have revised history into a narrative that is exists largely disconnected from centuries of verifiable fact. Such a disconnect has further contributed to a society that has developed as a religious and social “vessel” that is free-floating, without an anchor, hoping not to wreck upon the rocks or find whatever port of call is safest at the moment. If this is true then what Larry Hurtado says is all the more impactful as to why Christianity today must be counter-cultural, “the rise of Christianity existed in a setting where religion was varied prominent, pervasive and popular.”  In fact Hurtado later goes as far as to connect how every part of 1st Century life was connected to religious practice in some way; and this was the spiritual seedbed from which Christianity burst into the world. Within a short period of time (three centuries) the faith of the ancient apostles, and their disciples, confronted pagan practices, ancient religions, philosophical assumptions and even the most powerful cult of the emperor while managing to overcome them all and rise eventually to the faith of an empire.  Did Christianity overtake the world by borrowing from the worship of Zeus? Apollo? Or Caesar? Did the church overcome with the witness and thoughts of Plato and Aristotle?

Today’s world is filled with spiritual pluralism, TV celebrities and part-time philosophers that have only added to the normalization of many roads that can eventually reach God. Yet, the itch continues and the infection, which drives the itch, is well beneath the surface to the place where it hurts most. So, how do we reach our world for Jesus while facing the dangers, challenges and obstacles?

  1. We can either be identified with the culture

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  2. We can be identified against the culture or,
  3. The church can transform the culture.

I propose a way of life where we are to be identified in the culture because we need to live and interact with a real world. It will be impossible to share the Gospel with any part of the world if we remain huddled in a bunker and shut away from the spiritually sick and needy. Therefore, we should be encouraged to live balanced lives, marry, have children, buy food, eat out and engage in the marketplace of ideas. However, we must also resist the urge to be shaped by the culture:

 

  1. Do not be shaped by unrighteousness (Romans 6:12)
  2. Live like the old man (Col. 3:5-9)
  3. Walk in the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)

But live shaped by:

  1. Righteousness (Romans 6)
  2. According to the new man in Christ (Col. 3: 12-27)
  3. Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26)
  4. Overcommers of darkness and spiritual oppression (Eph. 6:12)

Finally, Transform Your Culture! Whatever walk of life you are in let the world know of how Jesus has transformed your life and why your faith, and worship, rests in Him alone! Today’s Christian is to be the salt, light and ointment that provides the soothing balm to the itch of the world.  You provide a “thinking world” a deeper question to ponder and answer: How you, a Christian that live in the same world as they, are not trapped by the spiritual / secular paradox that creates “the itch” in your life. As a missional follower of Jesus you have a unique opportunity to provide the world with an invitation to a real community of truth that is committed to a deeper identity than “self” and rooted in Jesus!

You, I and all believers in the BIBLICAL JESUS have a story to tell and it is worth sharing.  Jesus’ story is not an account of a moral, spiritual or philosophical relativism. Rather it is the story of a world that begins with a glorious creation and later experiences a cataclysmic fall. Yet, despite this, God provided the Seed (Jesus) to redeem and revived the heavens, earth and humanity. Jesus’ message is one of enduring hope that has always been best expressed in the Judeo- Christian ethic, standards of right and wrong and commitment to a Biblical worldview that remains proven true yesterday, today and forever.

Judeo – Christianity has always been dramatically counter-cultural because it is born from the DNA of Jesus as Lord. To be His disciple, and make disciples of others, will always be counter-cultural because you will be developing people into one true faith, ethical absolutes and not some confused god-speak that borrows from everything but means nothing!

Yes, the culture has changed and some changes are good and acceptable, especially when we want to communicate and reach our world. Some may wear jeans, different hairstyles and our meeting places may be from coffee shops to living rooms and even spacious buildings. But none of the cosmetic changes are ever acceptable if they alter the absolute message of Jesus.  As Christians we must recognize we no longer a “Christian society” as our president reminded us of six years ago. As such we need to understand the challenges of our world and seek to transform it in every arena of life.

There is an itch that requires scratching. But there is also a hurt that runs deeper.  You represent the bringers of the great medicine that will not only stop the itch but also cure the real ailment. The disconnect from God can be bridged by today’s Christian if we will accept our counter-cultural faith, represent a transformational message and embrace a life of real people, living in a real world, with real hope and promise in the power to change lives…the power is in Jesus!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

A Three –Fold Attitude that Stimulates Discipleship and Forms a Genuine Community of Faith

thLast week I shared some thoughts on my immersion into a community of disciples and discipleship. But what happens when you have gone beyond “putting your feet in the water” and are fully enveloped by the waves of a genuine Jesus formed community?  I acknowledge by using the word “genuine” that must imply there also can be “less than genuine” communities of faith. And guess what? Sadly there are. This is not to say people set out to be purposely disingenuous, but it does mean people can believe they are living in the nature of Jesus when they are not; and so, by default, they become immersed into a community that looks, feels, sounds and may even act with some version of Jesus but entirely miss the opportunity to become a community that engages His true nature.

 

Simply stated to be a disciple of anyone, means you have learned directly, and accurately, from the disciple-maker. As a New England Patriots fan I have been spoiled by a high level of competition the Patriots provide every season. At the lead of the team’s success is their quarterback, Tom Brady. But before Brady became a Super Bowl MVP, and top quarterback in the NFL, he had to learn from someone. Beginning in high school, through college and even into his professional career Brady routinely sought advice, counsel and training from his long time mentor Tom Martinez. Perhaps few will ever know of the man who helped form Brady into the player millions watch on Sunday afternoons, but his legacy and counsel are witnessed every game Brady leads the New England Patriots out to play.  In like manner the greatest violinist the world has ever heard, Jascha Heifetz, learned from Leopold Auer. Tom Brady was developed by Tom Martinez and Plato was instructed by the words and methods of Socrates.  While subtle variations in one’s style, approach, look or feel may develop differently, from teacher to student, there will always be a common thread throughout the life of the mentor and mentee: Fundamentally they will be the same in their approach, application, intent and drive to succeed without compromising the richness of truth in their chosen field.

As Christians should we be any less careful to attention, detail, passion, perfection and desire to share Biblical truth with our world? When one becomes immersed in the life of discipleship, in Jesus, there can be no room to compromise His message, and divine nature, in favor of our personal “variations.” Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all men commanding them (the Apostles) to instruct everyone in all He (Jesus) had shared.  Woven within the DNA of discipleship is a sanctified template of how one becomes His disciple without compromise and with the guarantee of blessing. Getting one’s feet wet, in the community of Christ, is where it all begins; but that has never been a substitute for continuing on the journey of discipleship. True Biblical discipleship begins when we live immersed in the community of faith while being mentored into developing unique techniques and strategies, not gimmicks, that help us draw people to encounter the nature of Jesus!

In my attempt to unpack the heart of discipleship, as well as understand the nature of Jesus, I have come to understand there are three necessary attitudes that invite people and engage them into immersion in the community of faith. The three attitudes are worship, preaching / teaching and mentoring.

ATTITUDE #1: WORSHIP. Try to define worship and the exercise quickly opens into a very large umbrella that the Bible stuffs a lot of action underneath. You can worship God through prayer, fasting, singing, reading and meditating on His Word, tithes and offerings, work, life, common grace acts and the list goes on and on. But to help me better understand worship, within the context of discipleship, I needed to have a simple working definition that could cover all the bases. So, here is a definition I part borrowed and retooled: Worship is not a program but an invitation for people to participate in the truth of Jesus; and we celebrate His story in a variety of forms and activities. There is so much opinion regarding the state of worship within the church today. But wherever you may come down on the issue, worship is always meant to form any community into authentic adoration of Jesus with integrity. What I personally find so inviting about worship is how it really is meant to be apart of everyday, as well as every portion of life, and not just Sunday morning.

While some choose to debate various styles and expressions, of Sunday worship, I feel there is a deeper concern if we allow our times of worship to fall into the traps of being another program or routine.  For some, if not most, it may be a little frightening to provide the breathing room necessary for the Holy Spirit to move through our times of worship. But when we give Him the room necessary to move He draws the community of worshippers into the rhythm of God’s nature. It is then our individual and communal moments of celebration merge into the signing of Jesus’ story and our songs become those of great thanksgiving.  Worship was at the heart of the early church’s liturgical calendar and the same reason why God gave Ancient Israel the Feasts of the Lord. Life, every day, was to be a celebration of God’s nature and it is meant to immerse His disciples entire lives into Him.

The added by-product of worship is the development of disciple and disciples. Worship has the unique ability to draw everyone into one community that lives, talks, hears and shares the rich celebration of Jesus’ life. Here again this is why disciples should find opportunities to raise our hands, clap and even shout; because a corporate action of thanksgiving, love, relief and even celebration become the moments where the Holy Spirit’s presence can be truly experienced through the cycles of life. Rudolph Otto said,  “Good worship will use language of mystery.” And I honestly believe the mystery of worship should be one we all long to uncover. When people, in the Body of Christ, genuinely live lives of worship not only will we experience Him but we will know Him and desire to learn more of Him as our lives behave more like His. All who are in Him are gladly invited to be worshipers; and worship has the basic power to shape the disciple!

ATTITUDE #2: PREACHING / TEACHING: A recent survey, by Thom Rainer, concluded the most decisive factor for visitors, in choosing a fellowship, is the preaching/ teaching.  One need only thumb through the pages of the Gospels and book of Acts to discover Jesus routinely taught His disciples wherever they traveled. The development of lay ministry underscores the necessity for trained and qualified men and women who are in a position to teach and disciple within the local church.

The aforementioned natural therapies are helpful in improving your erectile ability, making prescription levitra you incompetent in the bedroom. It is an astringent and boosts seminal cialis levitra generika devensec.com fluid. Finally, http://www.devensec.com/images/bose-slides/bose-8.html cipla tadalafil price Theodore Creighton and Gary Jones (2001) point out that few programs currently look beyond grade-point average when recruiting employees into programs. Excessive use of alcohol and drugs also affects viagra france the capability to maintain erection. Most churches will have a variety of mature disciples, new converts and seekers. With such spiritual diversity also comes the welcomed opportunity to present the Word of God in a fresh, relevant and exciting way.  However, before we get bogged down in “good preaching versus bad teaching” we need to first answer what is the purpose of a teaching and preaching? Again, I prefer workable and simple definitions that can be applied in the ordinary of life; and so I have come to the conclusion the best way to answer this question is as follows:  The purpose of teaching / preaching is to change minds, hearts and lives.  

Certainly the Holy Spirit is the one who illuminates the need for change in any one’s heart but the inspiration of Spirit-birthed teaching / preaching always encourages faith in the pattern of Jesus.  It is well documented Augustine, for example, always used his teachings as an opportunity to weave doctrine with moral living. So what kind of preaching / teaching should we accept as those pursuing a journey of discipleship? Biblically speaking (and this is always the safest way to judge anything) only teachings that are based on Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)! Of course there is always a place for sharing how to raise your kids, manage money, discover purpose, etc… but if such themes are not based in Scripture, as the primary source, they will eventually draw people away from the pattern of Jesus and point others toward worldly solutions. Simply put, teaching rooted in anything other than Scripture will make you a disciple of that teacher, or cause, but such an approach will not draw you any closer to the nature of the Father or a disciple of Jesus.  Again, teaching and preaching, within the context of discipleship, must always focus on what the Bible says, no more and no less.

Genuine disciples are always called to live submitted not to ones favorite minister, or ministry, but to God’s Word. Let me be so bold as to say, Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is true…..all of it! And so, as disciples of Jesus, we are put ourselves under it and live in obedience to it!

 A final thought on preaching / teaching: Tell the Whole Story.  I am guilty of watching ESPN for the purposes of viewing the highlight real in order to follow my favorite sporting events. But just watching the highlights will never tell the entire tale of the tape. Highlights are exciting because by their very definition they are “HIGH –LIGHTS!” But three-second clips are incapable of really helping one understand the “why” of the game. To appreciate the highlight you need to know the details of the game. Likewise, discipleship is not meant to be lived, or seen. in highlights. Rather discipleship should always be a public witness and full portrayal of God’s grand design for all creation. Biblical preaching that is coupled with proactive discipleship always keeps Jesus at the center of life’s story, and there He is meant to always remain.

ATTITUDE #3: MENTORING. One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is, “The Mentor.” In this particular episode Jerry was dating a girl that relied so heavily on her mentor she was incapable of making a move without her advice. Too often we have adopted a “top-down” approach to mentorship and as a result our bonds of mentorship become more like chains of control. Could it be we have somehow misapplied Biblical mentorship? Robert Clinton defines mentorship as, “one person helping another person grow.” Henry Simon explained mentorship as, “having something to share with another who needs it to help him grow.” Today the best form of mentorship remains as it was in the days of the early church and John Wesley, discipleship through class meetings and peer to peer cooperation.  While there is a definite need for a one on one relationships it has been my experience an attitude of community mentorship is best suited to knit people together in relatable and personal ways. Within the small group, or home koinonia, a fellowship can discuss a teaching, pray and even provide mutual support and accountability. A single mentor doesn’t, and can’t, have all the answers. But mentors, within the community of Christ, can help others grow and share in Christ. Combined with genuine care, support and prayer the disciple quickly matures; and when this change occurs the entire community becomes immersed in the Jesus cycle of life.

People are searching for genuine Christ-centered communities of faith that expand beyond the church walls and touch real need and real lives. When genuine disciples, in Jesus, invigorate the church then we become an antibiotic to the illness (sin) and perhaps then the world will no longer perceive the church as the illness but an aide for healing and restoration?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

 

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

Immersed in the Community of Disciples & Discipleship

thRecently, I was visiting with the owner of a new business launch that was giving me a sneak peak through his new site. The facility was top notch with every “bell and whistle” that would cater to potential clients in his industry. As we walked through the various workstations he stopped to introduce me to one of the men applying the finishing touches to a particular section of the office. Our conversation was brief and while the man was polite and engaging I could tell there was more to his story than the work he was currently doing. Later I learned the young man, I met earlier, is an excellent guitar player and by some peoples opinions one of the best they have heard in a long time. As I considered such a bold statement I asked, for me, the next logical question, “Then why is he woodworking and not even pursuing music on any level?” Of course I am not privy to this man’s life story; but like most people there is a strong possibility that a man with such talent, and not working in his field of calling, is also a man who stopped being a disciple or disciplined in his craft some time ago. As it is with our chosen profession, or calling, so to the same standards apply toward discipleship. Truthfully, discipleship never ends because everyone is to be constantly led by the Spirit, maturing in Jesus and challenged by one another. If there is such a thing as “steps toward Biblical discipleship” these progressions need to be modeled, in the initial stages, if we desire to help seekers to become converts and converts into disciples.

Bill Hull, who wrote The Disciple-Making Pastor said, “The Great Commission has been worshipped, but not obeyed. The church tried to get to world evangelism without disciple making.” In my opinion his quote accurately sums up the challenges we are facing in a post-Christian / post-Modern church age. Daily we encounter people, spread across life’s journey, whose experiences and backgrounds are unwittingly making them resistant to the hard work of being discipled. Even though the secular / spiritual paradox faces everyone this cannot become the sole excuse for us to avoid the obvious process and spiritual discipline and discipleship. Sadly, Michael Wilkins, a professor of Theology and trainer of pastors, says “The most common answer when asked if anybody has discipled you is, no.” Discipleship has always been, and will forever remain, a life-long process we are meant to experience and be immersed in. Yet many adopt the belief that a semester of discipleship classes will suffice for lifetime journey. The results, and state of our church today, does not bear this out as true or helpful for the maturation of the body of Christ. Therefore, to better understand discipleship let’s take a moment to first explore the nature from which discipleship is developed.

Where Does the Nature of Discipleship Come From? You don’t need to dig through the archives of a denominational library, or a trendy new release on Amazon, to find a manual for discipleship. Beginning with the ancients (Abraham and Eliezer), through the Patriarchs and more specifically with Moses and Joshua we discover a pattern for discipleship. This same process is replicated in the lives of Elijah and Elisha, Jeremiah, Daniel, his three friends and the list is far more exhaustive than limited. So it really should not come as any surprise, within the structure of the Hebraic Holistic worldview, discipleship would be practiced and readily accepted by Jesus and His chosen twelve.

Many of us, me included, have been guilty of assuming the process of discipleship started with Jesus’ earthly ministry but, in reality, this ancient method was just as much a spiritual practice, from the beginning, as a natural relationship designed to share the Word, keep it pure and replicate it throughout each generation. Therefore, when Jesus instructs His disciples in Matt. 10:24-25 He frames the nature of discipleship, and roots for future Christian disciples, in His nature alone.

Contextually speaking when Jesus was sharing such truths it wasn’t revealed in a time too removed from our world today. In Jesus’ day there were many examples of disciples learning under various educated rabbi’s. St. Paul, learning under the instruction of Gamileal, was one example of a long accepted tradition that was the custom of the day. However there was a stark difference in the discipleship, advocated by Jesus, and that of Rabbinic Judaism. Whereas Rabbinic Judaism advocated the process of “leap frog “, where the student would eventually exceed his master, Jesus instructed His disciples by telling them the student will never be above the master. It could be argued Jesus’ teachings did far more than other models of discipleship to help the church rapidly developed through the early years and then exploded through the reformation age. It is discovered in the nature of Jesus His system of discipleship wasn’t a organization of one trying to outdo the other; rather it was a long series of disciples that studied under other disciples. In a very significant way Jesus never encouraged or made disciples that were independent of Him. Every man and woman, who were taught in the model of Jesus, understood their goal was to make disciples back into Jesus.

Six Ways Jesus Taught Discipleship:

  1. Jesus focus and teaching was developed around repentance and the reality the Kingdom of Heaven was near. (Matt. 4:17)
  2. Jesus taught the exercise of His compassion. (Matt. 9:36)
  3. Jesus commanded His disciples to follow the traditions of Him and not others. (Matt. 12:1-8)
  4. All disciples belonged to family obedience. (Matt. 12:46-50)
  5. A disciple must live the life of servanthood. (Matt. 20:24-28)

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  6. A disciple shares in the destiny of suffering. (Matt. 10:16-25)

Late 2013 NT Wright published an amazing work on the writings, life and ministry of St. Paul. Throughout his work NT challenges the thought, some hold, that St. Paul’s teaching were in some way a rival to Jesus’. Sadly, those who see St. Paul and Jesus as rivals have adopted pure liberal foolishness! In fact, Rabbinic Judaism today uses a similar argument against Jesus and Christianity by claiming Christians are following a Jesus reinterpreted through the lens of Paul. In short, for Rabbinic Judaism, Jesus should only be viewed as a rabbi of the first century who taught people how to live whereas Paul turned Jesus into a Savior / Redeemer. NT does an amazing job of addressing this in far more detail than I can in today’s post. But the reason I cited this example was to validate St. Paul’s mission, within the framework of discipleship, was always to make people in Jesus’ image and not his own. Paul’ sole mission was to introduce Jesus, from the Tanakh, to the developing and emerging gentile church. (See. Phil. 1:20-21) True disciples and genuine Biblical discipleship will always follow Jesus’ nature and pattern. This is why we need to be encouraged to avoid discipleship built upon spiritual gurus, specific pastors or our favorite theological teachers. We are all meant to mature, through this life, into sound discipleship in Jesus alone!

How do you become a disciple? Believe! Behave! Belong! (See: John 20:31 , Acts 2:42, 47, Romans 12:2)

How Does the Community of Faith Disciple? While some people will be persuaded by the rational apologetic approach, of which I am a big fan, most people will be discipled through the process of relationship, community and work. When we worship together,  learn together and labor together we grow, in Him, together! This is why life groups and peer to peer discipleship, or coffee shop Gospel, can effectively form a Biblical community for today!

Get Immersed into the Life of the Community: The church is you and all of us gathered together; and we collectively are telling the story of Jesus. While we may share His story through a variety of methods and approaches we must never loose site of the fact we are called together for the purposes of glorifying Him as well as be a witness for the entire story of God. This amazing story is worth sharing! It is a remarkable account of how a Triune God is Creator, involved throughout history, incarnate as Jesus, sacrificial in death and in resurrection becomes victory over death and all evil. In the ascension of Jesus He took His place as the sole ruler over all things and will soon return restoring all things, in creation, unto Himself in a new heavens and new earth. THAT IS A STORY WORTH SHARING!

We are all called to not just recite this remarkable account but to live these words as a community that reflects the values of a relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. We are called, as a community immersed in Him, to reflect the many creative gifts that reveal His majesty. We are called to be a community of love, redemption and reconciliation. Discipleship and maturity, in Him, also affords us the opportunity to have the deep conversations of how we will address sin, through heart and sight of Jesus. Biblical discipleship will also teach us how to care for the needs of a suffering world and also provide hope of a glorious future for those who are in Him.

Immersion is part of life. The community of Christ is more than capable, by His Holy Spirit, to immerse everyone into the life of Jesus. For those who are willing to shape their life around the reality of Jesus they will truly discover a different story, and vision, than the life they are currently have. Remember we are all on a journey and people are looking for a lasting truth, peace and bonds of relationship. So share His story and live the discipled life of a disciple in Jesus!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

Evangelism on the Flip Flop

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My son is fond of saying, as he leaves the house, “Catch you on the flip-flop Daddy-O!” I’m not quiet sure where or what the flip-flop is but I know, when I see him next, something new will have happened or is getting ready to happen. So, since I wanted share with you some reflections on evangelism, and community, I thought we may need a “flip-flop” conversation since I know something new is about to happen.

It all started at the beginning of this year when my wife, Jeannette, shared two messages on communion and the importance of the love feast. In both instances these teachings were designed to invite and draw us back to the table of thanksgiving with Jesus and then with one another. Like a frog hopping from one lily pad to another our community of faith, at Maranatha, leapt “back the future” and started repairing, as well as revisiting, some of our broken bridges from our ancient to present faith. The weeks that followed brought us through a series of teachings where we re-examined the value of living in a community, like a little house on the prairie, that shared in a unique nature of  faith, hope and love, in Jesus, and whose expressions were very different than the language or culture of our current age. Did this mean we were out of touch with the people we hoped to reach with the Gospel message? Far from it!  In fact, what we discovered was we were part of exclusive mission, vision and purpose. A plan in which we can be those who carry the sole message of Truth to a people searching for lasting truth in their lives.

For me, and for those who were committed to this journey, it also meant we needed to comprehend our ancient faith was so much older than the 1st Century. As Christians we have given little thought to a term we often say in passing, as if it is understood by everyone, when in reality we seldom preach or teach with such beliefs and conviction. The term? “Judeo-Christian.” Our Christian journey is unique and  exclusive, in part but not limited to, the reality of our  Judeo-Christian roots. And once you reset your Biblical worldview in Hebraic holism then you better understand the words and nature of Jesus, His Great Commission, evangelism every Biblical principle.

And so here is the point: From communion to discipleship the local church is in place to help you discover your gifts, mature in Jesus and go out making disciples in His name. In it’s simplest form this is what is meant when we are to proclaim the Good News (Great Commission). But before we actually have a discussion about evangelism we need to comprehend what is happening in our present, and future, to help us better understand the world around us.

Today’s society lives in a paradox. Actually we all live with some kind of paradox around us everyday. We are encouraged to save but the government spends out of control. We are told to eat and live healthy but the majority of what is offered are unhealthy options. It is said we should develop our “spiritual persona” but the spiritual menu is often endless and with more customizable options than what you would expect to see in a buffet line. And this sums up society. People live secular, Christians included, but everyone is influenced by some type of spirituality. So while people are open to exploring their spiritual nature, and solutions, they are not necessarily open to exploring exclusive answers. So for Christian evangelism to really hit the target, effectively, we need to understand this paradox and begin to work through it.

It is at this point I want to also make you aware of a remarkable parallel today’s church shares with the historic church of the first three centuries. If we were to travel back in time we would find a church living in an array of spiritual alternatives ranging from the mythological to the mysterious and even familiar, for their time, pagan cults. Tucked away in this sea of spirituality was also Judaism and the growing community of people identified at Christians. And despite the early church being considered a cult the Christian faith grew primarily on three natural factors, and this is not to excluded the power of the Holy Spirit.

What were the 3 Natural Factors for Church Explosion and Growth?

#1 The Christian Community was Open: Remove from your mind the way we define open and accepting. In the ancient world an open group had a very different meaning and practice (as you will soon see) and in most instances the ancient world was not as open as some like to think. In fact, most cults were secretive and so heavily regimented by rules they excluded the simple, slaves and women. So, in a sense, spiritual communities of the past behaved and operated like country clubs today. And so while it may have been difficult, if not impossible, for some to find a spiritual place of belonging the Christian community was considered open and welcoming to those who lived life on the outside.

#2 The Christian Community was Open but Exclusive: While other cults and pagans practices were  willing to compromise their beliefs to adapt or include other worldviews, such spiritual “wishy-washiness” only contributed to a world already sinking in uncertainty. Enter Christianity with an exclusive  and certain message that cut right to the heart of the spiritual mosh pit. While it was not widely accepted, at first, for those who believed it must have felt like a welcomed glass of cold water on a hot and desperate day. The exclusive message and reality of Jesus was then, and remains so this day, a reassurance of hope in times of hopelessness.

#3 The Christian Community was a Close Family, Organized and Disciplined Disciples: Of course we will read of debates within the early church community (the Book of Acts) as well as other Ecumenical Councils that discussed the Scriptures and theological challenges. And while their world did not have some of the structures of today they knew how to live in accountability, as a family, and even     shared in needs, risks, dangers and hope. Unlike what most experience when today’s church doesn’t work in cooperation with one another the early Christian community was a true family that met the needs of the Christian family first, and then was able to better meet the needs of the seeking world around them. I wonder what our world would look like if the church really behaved like a genuine family in Christ?

So, borrowing from some of our ancient church roots, and knowing they were able to extend into the world around them, we can only conclude they did so with the paradox also surrounding them. Let’s take a page from the second century church’s rich history. Though hardly strange to them, but perhaps odd to us today, the early church saw themselves as citizens who shared things with others but endured all things as foreigners. They saw their entire world as a mission field and not their place of citizenry. Perhaps this is one subtle reason why evangelism is largely ineffective in America today? Could it be too many Christians have misplaced passports?  Have we become so use to”the world” that it is now our home and we have forgotten our divine residency?

The early church was far more hospitable and looking for opportunities to out do one another in kindness, to the church first, and then their world in need. Furthermore, just like today, the church existed in a very real social world. Of course they did not have Facebook or Twitter but the early church was very willing to invade and create a social paradox by sharing their faith with friends, co-workers and family. The church saw their “social web” as an opportunity to influence people through their world and invite them into the Christian community. Long before large churches and fellowship halls the church met in homes and lived as a community that gathered as well as ate around the table.  As for so many of us, growing up, the table always presented a central opportunity to share and live life.
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Consider portions of Jesus’ earthly ministry and you will discover much of His ministry was done around tables, weddings, feasts and dinners. Why?  Because the table has always been a safe place to engage one another in love, charity and hospitality.  Whether Starbucks knows it or not the church is operating a lot of ministry and evangelism through their doors. Question? What would happen if you opened your home, one night a week, to somebody in your community, for the sole purpose of ministering to them, discipling them and sharing your faith? What might happen in your neighborhood?

But…Back to the Secular / Spiritual Paradox:  We cannot forget the paradox exists and because it is alive it also presents dangerous poisons to the community of faith that work will against us.

Three Enemies to the Christian Community: Individualism, Isolationism & Consumerism.

#1 Individualism has become the father and mother of the selfie generation. You need only know that individualism is alive and well when last year’s “word of the year” was selfie.  Truthfully I have also contributed a few selfies and most likely the majority us have taken atleast one picture while, others are minored in a degree in photography on self. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with taking a picture but the very idea of a world where “selfie” exists sums up the dangers individualism at it’s best (or worst).  Sadly, individualism has also become a firm set piece within the Western church culture because it encourages a community that says proudly: I think what I want, I do what I want, I go where I want and I am responsible to only myself.  Whereas our early church community was about reaching out, hospitality and sacrifice our individualism of today encourages “ME FIRST” over “OTHERS FIRST.”  When we become a “Me First” generation, and church, then it becomes impossible to have a common creed, common language or common culture.

#2 Individualism has Spawned Isolationism. How so? Consider this: If you can earn enough money or control enough of your surroundings then you really do not need anything or anybody else.  We have become a generation that has been encouraged to be ourselves and form our own controllable community while not worrying about the world we are attached to. I once knew a fellow Christian that said, “If I could just wall off the world and live with my family, by myself, that would be ideal.”  Looking at his specific circumstances, his job, earning potential etc… his personal desire was the epitome of individualism that leads to isolationism. Sadly, this same man and his family never joined our community and soon disappeared behind their self-created walls of isolationism.  I thought about my mothers stories of growing up, on Sand Mountain, and while I am certain there were individuals that wanted little to do with other people (called hermits) they missed out on what others enjoyed in the development of the community church, community festivals, weddings, funerals, jobs and the blessing of being with other people.

Let me ask us again to reconsider if we were a genuine community what might we look and behave like?  What if we were not a community of a programs driven church, that operates like an corporation,  but a community within a deeper community that invites people to believe, behave and belong to something bigger than themselves, their money or their personal wants. What if we were a community that actually was changing our world through our language and culture while also helping converts become disciples?

You see this will never be accomplished through what is called linear relationships where we are disconnected and don’t stick. The ancient church, and the church for many generations, lived on what was known as the Parish principle and that resulted in generations, that lived in a neighborhood, where the local church was the focal point of that community and served the church family as well as the city searching for hope. We need to get back to living this concept.

#3 The Final Enemy: Consumerism. As Robbert E. Webber said so wonderfully “Consumerism  encourages your rights over your responsibility.” By its very nature consumerism undermines the community and always keeps us focused on ourselves and not others.

So with our enemies now defined if we want to be effective evangelist of the “good news” then the obvious question is how do we build that ancient community? Again, the secular / sacred paradox comes into play because it has proven that certain approaches no longer work as they once did. For example statistics have proven .5 percent of people come into a church community through crusades. Crusades are wonderful and still have a place in making the broad appeal for Christ. But the crusade can never do what the missional relationship can do best. Looking back to the ancient church, and their approach, they saw their focus was missional. For the early church missional meant the community you lived, and interacted with, was the same community you shared your Christ-like language, culture and beliefs with. Literally the missional Christian verbalized the Gospel message and sought to meet the seeker and connect with them and their journey. Statistically speaking 79% of people who are converted enter into a church community, and discipleship, because of personal contact with a relative or friend.

Our dynamic faith, life-style and witness will speak volumes more than a media blitz, fancy building or flashy style because our life, in Jesus, is one that has been renewed from the inside out. And while the cosmetic changes are great they are just superficial and people today are in search for the real thing! Someone who lives on displayed and is alive, in Jesus, can not be argued away. The Christian witness must either be accepted or rejected; and that is the power behind you as the evangelist and your witness. When you are the display of Christ people have to accept you or reject you just as they will have to do with Jesus.  This becomes a powerful truth that, when done with the right Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, invigorates the community of faith and fuels our evangelism from the awkward and stale to the bold and life changing.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA 

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

PERSPECTIVE

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boat-land-perspective1PERSPECTIVE

Have you ever heard the expression, You can look at the glass half empty or half full? Any combinations of these sayings are meant to ask the deeper questions of ones perspective and, of course, we are heavily influenced by our dispositions, presuppositions and upbringings as to how we view our world.  But the very concept of perspective is universal and essential in all phases and walks of life. From architecture, to art and even how we deal with changing circumstances, in our lives, perspective keeps us rooted in a bigger picture or larger narrative.

As individuals we need perspective in the ordinary of life but as Christians we require a divine perspective that grounds our lives in a story richer, deeper and enduring more than the temporary of here and now. Truthfully it is difficult to comprehend, especially during hardship, divine perspective. We are prone to ask questions of Why? Or Where was God when? And while these questions are logical responses, expected from emotional people, divine perspective allows us to take a step back and evaluate the highest and biggest picture.

What is the highest and biggest picture? While we all may be tempted to answer such a question with our family, job and professional / personal goals the reality is all of these pale in comparison to the reality of the eternal Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Therefore, while perspective can be framed by immediate circumstances it also must be influenced by divine perspective so we do not misdirect our lives from the plans and purposes of God.

The highest possible point of view is His (God) and the greatest of all purposes are His as well. Therefore the Christian must be led, by His Spirit, to maintain the careful balance of perspective at all times and in every situation. The viewpoint we, as Christians, are called to preserve is that we are here for one purpose: to be vessels of His honor in His triumphs. While the showroom of heaven is filled with many wonders, people and testimonies they all bring us back to a reality of an eternal story rooted in someone bigger than us (Jesus).

THE STORY IS ABOUT VICTORY IN JESUS AND THROUGH HIM ALONE! When our story is no longer about us, but what He did for all of creation, then our perspective forever changes. No longer should we view ourselves as small, great, less or more rather, with divine perspective, creation points us back to maintaining our cause is in Christ alone!  St. Paul reminds us of the greater divine perspective when he says, I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.

But e-mail marketing is becoming much cialis canadian more common these days. Atherosclerosis affects not only the cardiovascular system levitra line pharmacy but also the male sexual health. levitra 20 mg http://deeprootsmag.org/2015/01/12/condemned-live-1935/ If the chemist denies then change the chemist but get only general medicines. This mainly happens when the PDE5 enzymes acting in the penile region causing erectile dysfunction.Thus, it allows for smooth circulation of blood to the man’s sex organ. order cialis online deeprootsmag.org Is this a perspective we possess today? Do we live this divine purpose practically in our lives? The happiness expressed in Paul’s bold words reveal a secret joy he was often quick to share. It was the new humanity, in Jesus, that rescued a religious, spiritually blind rebel and led him to the life of bondservant for the King and the Kingdom. And now? Now St. Paul states that this is all he is here for…this was his new perspective and he considered it a great joy to be a prisoner for Jesus’ sake with no other perspectives rivaling his new vision and new life.

In desiring to live by divine perspective I have had to curb my enthusiasm that allows me to believe victory, in life, is attributed to my ingenuity and force of will. It is a dishonorable attitude for today’s Christian to talk about attaining any success, without Him, when the True Champion (Jesus) ought to own every part of our victorious story. But this takes divine perspective that comes only through the Holy Spirit’s illuminating our understanding to comprehend the incomprehensible, and see with spiritual and not natural vision.

It continues to be my personal prayer we all share, and rejoice, in the larger reality of what He is continuing to do with us and through us, despite ourselves, so His manifold wisdom is expressed throughout all creation.

“Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” (2 Cor. 2:14)


Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

SECRETS

th (1)Who doesn’t love a good secret? Growing up playground secrets were the best because they always included some type of who liked who. Built into the nature of secrets is the near impossible task of keeping one, because the greater the secret also means it is more appealing to share. What I liked most about the high school lunch table was not the food (far from it), but the passing of secrets and the satisfaction I felt knowing something only a select group of people knew. Of course, in reality, everyone in the school knew the same secrets, which is how I later came to understand the phrase the worst kept secret. But whether you are “on the in” or have only heard a few “bits and pieces” knowing something private and potentially life changing has a powerful allure.

Today’s world doesn’t operate too different from our playground or lunch table days. I am reminded of a running joke throughout the sitcom Seinfeld where the expression, I’m putting it in the vault was a certain way of knowing somebody’s secret was soon to come out and become the central piece for that episode. We all have, and many still do, trade in secrets through work, families, friends, society and faith. At times we have been the victims of a secret and at other moments we have been entrusted to keep intimate and personal matters private. And almost in every instance secrets are important because they have the power to change lives temporarily or permanently.

While it is easy to focus on the surreptitious, that are meant to cause damage, (such as gossip) not all secrets are bad, hurtful or dangerous. In fact there are some mysteries, when revealed, that make perfect sense as to why, who, where or when. Believe it or not Jesus was a great secret keeper and secret sharer. Reading throughout the Gospels you will discover a Jesus who frequently shared hints and fragments, secrets if you will, of His identity, mission, purpose and the bigger picture of what was really happening.  Other times Jesus revealed the undisclosed when he used parables to expose the hearts and conditions of those He was ministering to. Granted, Jesus didn’t call people directly out, by name, but his parables of rebuke and or forgiveness revealed a secret that was deeply hidden within the hearts of the hearers.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation… for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you, a hidden, obscure thing.” Just this past weekend I was with my wife walking through our local mall. Store after store displayed beautiful items meant to draw us in and consider purchasing what was tucked away behind the glass walls. Consider what Jesus is revealing about the Kingdom, and us, in the above passage. Just like my visit to the mall, every Christian lives their lives in the “window” where seekers and searchers will pass by, daily, to consider visiting your story. Furthermore, let me challenge all of us by asking, If you had a visitor to your story would they be interested in purchasing what you have to share?

Continually throughout the ministry of Jesus He invited people to “window shop” who He was and what He was saying. While there were many passers by He continued to offer “sales”, or secrets, that were meant to draw people into His story where He could reveal the innermost of the innermost and the only power that could change their lives forever.

In the Gospel of John (18:36) Jesus shared another secret that even perplexed the Roman authorities when He said, “My kingdom doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king. (MSG)” Today I hope to encourage us to move beyond the plague of religious spirits, born from a religious age, and get back to sharing the secret of the Biblical Jesus as revealed through His Holy Word. While there are certainly many rooms, annex’s and chambers, within the Kingdom of God, Jesus begins and continues the story by discipling us into the secret of Him.
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HERE IS A SECRET WORTH SHARING: The central reality of Jesus, and His Kingdom, starts with a personal relationship with Him. The secret of Jesus, and Him alone, has never been in what we are able to achieve from our muster and might; but where we are weak He is strong. The secret of one’s origin, design, meaning and destiny lies in the fact that when we are fully submitted to Him and His purposes then we are truly alive and not just living.

Life has a way of acting like a roller-coaster and through all of the twists and turns we beg to know the secret of what God is engineering through the circumstances. Let me encourage all of us to spend less time fretting, and trying to unlock every secret, and more time embracing the mystery of submitting to Jesus through the process of discipleship. Once we live the discipled walk He will reveal the great fundamental truths of God’s Redemption; and if we will truly be His disciples then we will embrace a life of His calling. As with all things in life there is a certain mystery as to why God places us with people, and in circumstances, that challenge and refine us. However, through it all He knows a secret, which He is not sharing with us, that in time we will lean the why’s as we are further educated, matured and developed into a better understanding of Him and His Kingdom.

We all have a Kingdom secret worth sharing and there are seekers who continue to “window shop” in search for the only universal truth that will give them life and set them free. The secret of Jesus is an awesome truth worth sharing! Will you share it?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA 

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

WHAT IS THE LOVE OF JESUS?

Blue wall“Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.“ (3 John 1:5-8)

Recently I read an article written by a bishop within the Episcopalian denomination titled, Christians, You’re Not Victims. The provocative title matched exactly what you may imagine was expressed throughout his commentary. Perhaps some would be surprised to read such opinions within Christian thought? However, when carefully reading the article, one would soon discover the bishop has a very different understanding of love, and more important how the love of Jesus should be expressed today, through a post-Christian worldview.

Try to define love and you will arrive at a myriad of definitions that range from the clinical, to the expected standard displays of affection. When you consider how difficult it can be to define love, from a natural perspective, then it shouldn’t surprise Christians that we may also struggle to define and express love. So, I have a question? Where do we turn to best understand Biblical love and or show the love of Jesus?

To best answer my question I needed to understand the concept, definitions and applications of love are not just limited to the synoptic Gospels in the same way Jesus is not limited solely to the New Testament. In the same way Jesus is revealed throughout the entirety of Scripture also the Father’s love gives us an understandable and complete picture of what love is and is not.  Within the Gospels we read how love manifests itself when He instructs, Do you love Me? Feed My sheep. Did you notice Jesus frames the idea of love not in His sheep, as a starting place, but in Him?

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In many future discussions of who and where to demonstrate love, Christians will engage in, I am reminded of John’s words in his small letter (quoted above). In his correspondence he reminds Christian’s of how, where and with whom love begins. In fact, John even goes as far as to say this type of Biblical love is worthy of God Himself! While we may express the love of God to many in need I would also like to challenge us to consider, How can we love those, who are not His sheep if we cannot love one another within His Holy family? Simply put how can any of us express the love of Jesus with the seeking, searching and lost when we don’t share His love with fellow Christians first? Furthermore what does such a disconnect, between Christians, say about our love for Jesus?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

Discouragement? Yes…But Fire is in My Bones!

mosesUnderdogs, Cinderella stories and Rudy (from Notre Dame football lore) all share a common thread: discouragement. Perhaps it is a critic, well-meaning friend or just reality but at some point in time we will all face the challenge of discouragement. We don’t like to think about discouraging seasons and are often told not to dwell on them since they only further depress our circumstances; but the fact of the matter is, in life, a series of situations can grow too far beyond us and discouragement will not be too far behind.

As long as I can recall my mom has pushed 100% beyond the breaking point of most people. Physically speaking she stands no taller than 5ft and her heart has never cooperated with the goals she set for herself. Like most women, of her generation, she experienced life through a different paradigm, a distinctive work-ethic and a certain stoicism that would make ancient Greek philosophers proud. This is not to say my mom is cold, indifferent or uncaring; in fact just the opposite is true. She knows how laugh when something is funny, cry when there is a need for grief and reflect when there is room for pause. She has travelled the world, several times over, often with a Bible in one hand, a harpsichord in another and a case of books or music in tow. And everywhere she went she brought the hope of Jesus to the needy, hungry and desperate.

As she has aged her seasons have also matured and transitioned into other giftings, but she has never forfeited her divine purpose for being on this earth: to proclaim Jesus to people. In many ways my mom has lived the life of an underdog and so it shouldn’t be surprising, though it is difficult the see, she now faces another serious challenge. By the beginning of 2014 my mother began to experience a series of weak spells coupled with some lingering health issues from her youth. Over time these “spells” worsened and eventually my mom just gave out. Literally flattened by the circumstances I saw another foe soon visit her, the enemy of discouragement and while my mom may be one of the strongest people I have ever known I saw discouragement was taking its toll on her physically and spiritually.

I recall the story of Moses and how he saw the oppression of his people and knew God had appointed him to be the instrument of deliverance. While a sudden victory would have been impressive, and sent a resounded shockwave through the world’s greatest empire, at the time, God allowed Moses to experience a prolonged season of discouragement. It wouldn’t be through Moses’ court favor, family ties or elite training that God would choose to deliver His people. No, victory would come through forty years of discipleship, while herding sheep in Midian. Perhaps Moses thought he had settled into a quiet life and that past hope of delivering his people would some how just “work out?” But after forty years of learning to be a shepherd God called him out once again and placed a fire in his bones.

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While discouragement is a part of life’s experiences it should never overtake our world-view of Him. He is still working great and mighty Kingdom exploits through those who patiently wait on Him, learn the cost of discipleship and in their time of trouble call on the Name of the Lord! I know, given some time, my mother will “bounce back” because there is still Kingdom work left in her bones. But what about you? Have you allowed a season of discouragement  to sideline you and try to tell you Cinderella teams never win, underdogs fail and Rudy will never score a touchdown? Perhaps you are in a season of discipleship and training where God is preparing you for enlargement? Or perhaps you have run out ahead of God and fallen into a temporary trap? Either way don’t allow discouragement to rob you of His Kingdom reality and remain close to His Word, and Spirit, because He is always speaking and when He says, I AM is who sends you!…then it is time to press on with the fire of God in your bones!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Motivational

“I AM WHAT I AM THROUGH GOD’S EYES…NOT MY OWN”

in_the_eyes_of_god_by_rainacornasusgirl-d652cziThe other night I was channel surfing and settled on a station where a popular TV preacher was sharing, with his audience, his belief that “God knows who you are and if you are going to sin. And He has already forgiven you. So don’t concern yourself with your sin. God’s love is greater than your personal failure.” Perhaps you have already heard, or read, some versions of this contemporary teaching? As a teacher and pastor I have the luxury of spending my time studying the Bible as well as any variety of teachings and doctrines being advocated today. This was not the first time I have heard some variation of the gospel of “hyper-grace” and universalism, and to be honest there was something about the entire approach that appealed to me.

Who wouldn’t cherish the idea of relegating our personal sin to some corner of “Oh well…God knows therefore…” Such a motto for life would seem to take the pressure, concern and responsibility off one’s shoulders and firmly set them of the broad shoulders of Christ. But then I started to develop an “itch” that I couldn’t quiet satisfy. As much as I wanted to trust this opinion I found myself bothered by the thought of my personal indifference to “my sin”; and this soon created another itch that begged to be scratched, “Is my continual speaking of my own inability and weakness possibly an insult to the Father?”

The certainty of personal sin highlights our need for an eternal redeemer and someone greater than ourselves that bridges the gap for redemption and sanctification. While we may struggle with our fallen nature, the flesh, the continual deploring of our own incompetence is a defamation against God for having overlooked us or created us so weak and feeble that He must do everything for us because we are incapable of even responding to Him. When He calls us to love Him does not require a response from us? And when He commands for us to live according to His holiness are we not asked to reply? To consider God, in His infinite wisdom and omnipotence, created us and then thought so little in His master design that our human condition necessitates our personal berating for failure, provides us with an incomplete and unloving portrayal of the Father. However, if we swing the pendulum so far as to believe God’s love is so big and compassionate He doesn’t care about your sin then such an approach, from us, rejects His holiness.

At the center of this issue is what lies at the heart of many problems we encounter when we discuss matters of human nature, faith and how we relate to a Holy God. Like with most things we tend to view our world around us and not Him. We think life and events revolve around our existence and not according to His centrality within the story of creation. As we mature in His Word, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we need to develop the practice of examining our lives as God see’s us, and the human condition as God is aware of its darkness and need for restoration. How do we know how God see’s and understands our struggle? He has revealed His divine character and nature from Genesis through Revelation. So by turning to His own words we discover the Biblical Jesus revealed, and the depth of His words and actions, from before the foundations of creation, can be grasped by even the simplest of children.

Furthermore, we need to reject the natural and spiritual hypocrisy of our incessant need to sound humble before men, and yet be disrespectful to God. Many people live their spiritual walk advocating how humble they are, before others, without considering if their shows and sounds of humility ever reach the heart of Jesus? “Again, the things that sound humble before God may sound the opposite before men.” (Chambers) If Jesus is the center of all things in our life, and we are truly abandoned to Him and His purposes, then we should be less concerned by what sounds humble before men while always remaining genuinely humble before God.

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Today I want to encourage, as well as challenge you, to let everything else go but maintain an intimate relationship with God at all costs. It is through the eyes of how God see’s you, and not how you see yourself, can He fulfill His purposes. But never assume how He see’s you is some type of “exemption” for your need to respond to His holiness as well as His love.

“But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.” (1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Motivational

THE “GOSPELS” of “JESUS?”

th (1)The more I scan the blogosphere, listen to teachings / sermons and am passed a variety of “you need to read this!” I can’t help but have a growing concern for the wide variety of “gospels” being advocated that carry the seal of approval of “Jesus.” Just the other day somebody shared a Facebook video of a man filming, via his Iphone, a three minute rant that sounded, and looked, something like an old time Baptist preacher mixed with a charismatic hipster. With his hat on backwards and couple of earrings in place he carried on about “His Bible” and “My Jesus” within the context of a current hot-button social issue. By about the first minute I thought, to myself, this was a joke, right? But the joke was on me when I scanned all his fans and friends that supported his opinions in the thousands. I wasn’t really stunned or shocked but disappointed for what I can only conclude is such a dismantling of the Christian faith we are now willing to accepted any gospel that fits our definition of Jesus.

The Iphone preacher, as I call him, is an easy target for much of the confusion and noise coming from the today’s Western Christianity. But one only has to go to Amazon and match today’s top Christian authors, with their respective churches, ministries and doctrines, to wonder how we have arrived at so many different views and opinions on sin, grace, love, forgiveness, Law, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, repentance, etc. I know of several prominent church leaders that teach from St. Paul’s letters while others dismiss them altogether. There are those who advocate James, Peter and Paul were engaged in an ongoing dispute, against one another, in their letters; and others still that have divided the Old and New Testaments in such a neat and precise manner that our Biblical contexts make no sense.  If that was not confusing enough there are an abundance of teachers who promote some version of modern psychology, mixed with the Bible, that passes for “sound doctrine” and yet another branch of teachers that scream a “one-note” message: as if the Bible is only about one thing such as love, grace or sin. Last, but not least, there are those who are convinced the only way to reset our loose moorings is to return to a refreshed Roman Catholicism while others would prefer we go even further back and embrace some version of Rabbinic Judaism.

But that is the problem isn’t it? Today’s Christianity has adopted our own “Jesus” and specific “gospel” because it seems to resonate with a culture that is more interested is spiritual (spirituality) fiction and not fact. The social media and mass marketing, of Church USA, looks, feels and brands just as good Madison Avenue and we, the church, are too easily impressed by our superstars, blog stars, rock stars and millionaire ministers…but not the Biblical Jesus and His Gospel. Could it be few would even accept Jesus and His exact words, in context, if they heard them?

Now here is where you no doubt expect me to advocate “my Jesus” and why I am right and you are wrong?  But I am not taking today’s post down that rabbit trail. Rather I would like to ask one simple question, “Have you ever read and studied what Jesus said about Himself from the Scriptures?” Your immediate response to such a challenge should be, “Of course.” But if that was true then you would have already encountered a Jesus that is very uncomfortable to the generation of His age and your current age / world-view.

Everybody loves the Jesus who kicks against the religious system, corruption or loves the sinner. But we skip the language of the Jesus who called for repentance, from sin, confronted adulterers, liars, gossips, cheats, hypocrites, drunkards and the spiritually blind. We share the stories of the “miracle Jesus” as if they were a myth cut from some scene of Lord of the Rings and even doubt if the blind really saw, thousands were fed, He walked on water, raised the dead or cast our demons. And while we are challenged with the supernatural how do explain the deep theological questions of His identity? Jesus seemed to have little issue claiming to be none other than God Himself. He told His disciples, He quoted Isaiah many times to His doubters and even shared His identity with Rome. If Jesus is who He said He is than how could He possess a contrary nature from the Father (God) as revealed in through the entire Word of God? Logically and Scripturally we can conclude such divisions, of a Triune God, cannot exist (Read the Athanasian Creed); and such support of this belief is further confirmed in ALL the writings of the apostles, John the Baptist (the last of the great prophets) and most early church fathers.

You need only scan the history of the early church to discover any doctrines contrary to such a view of Jesus, as God, was considered heresy and an anathema (two words that have been dropped from our lexicon in favor of tolerance). Here again, just as it was in Jesus’ day, so we experience, today, the counter-cultural message of Jesus as Christ; and such an exclusive declaration runs contrary to today’s comfy preaching, soft Jesus and softer doctrines. Sadly because we have been unwilling to teach the whole Word of God, and hold each other accountable, we have accepted a familiar contemporary standard that has given us a new status quo.

THE NEW STATUS QUO: There was a time, say twenty plus years ago, when denominations, ministers and church associations only allowed like minded people “at the table” to debate theology, and positions of the organization, for the sake of unity and rubber stamping agendas. As the church slipped further from the social and spiritual consciousness of the nation there was a backlash to such practices and the call to allow diverse opinions a seat at the table. As the doors were opened and more chairs pulled up an honest and open discussion helped Christians understand why we believed, behaved and belonged to this faith, and how we can communicate this message to the seeking and searching. For a time this went a long way in reshaping our church traditions and teachings and today Christianity has developed, looks and behaves much different than its past.

But now a new status quo has replaced the old and the once radical firebrands, who were screaming from the outside to be let in, are now the elder statesmen holding the keys to newly, locked doors. Today the suits and ties have been replaced with the skinny jeans and muscle shirts.  Pastors no longer act like fathers but big brothers and just like the “old guard” they too have filled the room with like-minded people. And, once again, there is a new crop of people left screaming on the outside wanting to come in and have a seat at the table. What we hear, from the outside, are terms such as celebration of diversity and invitation to discuss and wrestle with the Scriptures but in reality there are no seats available unless you think, look and act like Agent Smith from the Matrix.
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ONE OF THE SEATLESS,  NAMELESS AND FACELESS MANY. For the record I wear jeans, t-shirts, try to stay fit and have half my head shaved. I’m not part of a major denomination even though I am part of an association of ministers. I have multiple degrees but never wear them on my chest. I’ve written a book but it’s never been published. I have traveled and ministered across the world, several times over, but never been interviewed on my experiences. I drive a car that was totaled and rebuilt because that is all I could afford. I do have a house on a hill, but it can fit in the garage of most houses around me. I do get paid for pastoing, but just enough to classify me as the working poor. This post is not about me but about the thousands like me, and those who have it more challenging than me, that remain seatless, nameless and faceless. The reason I shared a little about me is not to solicit your pity, or to play on your emotions, but to remind you why I, and many others, am okay with or lot in life while other people are offered a seat at the table of discussion.

In an age where there are so many gospels and different Jesus’ there are still those who are willing to live, serve and preach the Biblical Jesus, and His Gospel message, from the whole Word of God. We didn’t all begin our journey this way because at some point we also saw the potential for big money, popularity and social acceptance. But over time we also learned these trappings came at a heavy price. So, we cast our lots with Him (Jesus) and held on through all the roller-coaster ups and downs. Admittedly we haven’t hit the target square in the middle all the time. But increasingly we realized that compromise, in an age of “big tent” Christianity, doesn’t guarantee you a seat at the table or access behind locked doors.

You see we came to a realization we are on this earth for such a short period of time and life is not about what you can “name and claim” but life is about Jesus, as God, and Him crucified to reconcile a fallen world back to Him and Him alone. Yes, the message of the Biblical Jesus is an unpopular reality because it forces everyone to consider the whole Jesus, as God, revealed in all of Scripture. Certainly such a commitment can be a hindrance to developing a large viewing audience, building a massive congregation or landing a plum book deal. But of all the gospels being preached we are the seatless, nameless and faceless advocates that remind the world of Jesus’ suffering, martyrdom and consecration that trumps all superficial doctrines. Everyone I know, with this commitment, will do anything and everything for Jesus but we will never humiliate ourselves to the level of world acceptance, and recognition, that avoids the gift of salvation through Christ alone!

I learned, some time ago, I cannot earn or win anything from God; but I must either receive it as a gift or do without. The greatest blessing is the knowledge that we are destitute! Until we get there everything we do is always measured in our own strength, not His. Jesus will not do anything for us if we think we are self – sufficient.  Like Jesus we have to possess His Kingdom through the door of hardship and when we hunger spiritually, for Him, the Holy Spirit is close by.

There are too many noises and distractions in today’s Christian faith. There are too many gimmicks and smoke and mirrors being passed off as reality. There are too many gospels and too many Jesus’. There are too many preachers and teachers that haven’t obeyed His great commission: “…teaching everything I shared and instructed you.” It really isn’t that hard to know Him and preach all He said; but it is hard to be hated as He was, reviled, mocked and abused. And I guess I can see why some preach “the other Jesus” because after all who would really want to share in the sufferings of the real Jesus?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Motivational

WASTED ENERGY / SPIRITUAL ENERGY

imagesI was about six years into my ministerial journey and serving in my second church when I was called into the Senior Pastor’s office for a one on one meeting. In the several years that followed, working with this man and serving this ministry, we spent many times chatting, having lunch or passing some funny stories. Of his many gifts he always had an amazing story to tell, he was bigger than life and possessed that special knack that made everybody seem to like him. He was the kind of man who, when entering the room, absorbed all the attention and had a generous nature that was shared without any strings attached. Sounds perfect, right? Well, the longer I served with him I also experienced some of his more “challenging” sides. My pastor’s emotions could swing wildly on a dime. When he was good he was great; but when he was down it was difficult to manage around him. Of course, I didn’t do myself any favors because in my youth, and own arrogance, I was more than willing to lock horns with this bull; and looking back we both wasted a lot of energy. Now I don’t want to give you the impression there were major battles in public; because there were not. But behind closed doors we debated, and even argued, theology, politics and race vigorously. As time has advanced I’ve had the opportunity to revisit those years and come to the conclusion there were far more effective ministry moments than wasted ones; but, there were many lessons to come I would soon have to discover, on my own, that I wish I learned while serving him.

About six years later, when Jeannette and I planted Maranatha, I managed to discover how to waste energies I wasn’t even aware I had. In an attempt to not make the same mistakes I witnessed others make I was convinced I had a “better way” of doing ministry. Through inexperience and pride I managed to stumble through five years of Maranatha ministry with more than my fair share of parishioners willing to trip me, fight with me and drag me through the proverbial mud. All the while I asked, is this what ministry is all about? As I too learned how to sling mud with the best of them. Ugh….

Two years ago ministry forever changed for me, and our entire community, when I decided to stop building a church and start building a family. By concentrating on God, as the center of our teaching, worship and living collectively we all began to grow up! The wasted hours and energy on arguing, competing and trying to keep up with the “Jones’” salted away in favor of those who wanted to mature in Christ and learn how to reach their community with what really mattered…Jesus.

You see when the energy we waste, through fighting, competing, gossip, offense, etc… is energy we use to focus on Jesus, as the center of all things, we began to experience community invigorated with spiritual energy. The result: evangelism, conversion and the road to discipleship. This has proven to be, time and time again, the best expenditure of one’s energy, focus and attention. Though we still have to battle with self and the urge to waste our spiritual energy, on the divisive, if we collectively focus our energy on Jesus, the Cross and the Kingdom we cannot help but experience the radical move of His Holy Spirit in our midst.

Doctors prescribe generic drugs but it is the chemists that promote branded medicines for profit. ordering levitra from canada Acute gastritis is a term covering a cheap viagra broad Spectrum of stinks. After getting informed tadalafil cialis with the points, you can order the medicine from the same site you have advised to visit. Age factor, chronic diseases and smoking are also closely related cheap cialis mastercard to erectile dysfunction in men. Ineffectiveness and hypocrisy, in the church, are often points of criticism today; and that assessment does possess some merit. One reason for the church’s weakness is the wasted energy and lack of teaching, on the Biblical Jesus, in our communities of faith. Without Him, living as the center of His church, the Holy Spirit will never visit our communities and revive us into Him. The “in Him” people of God are the body of Christ universal and that is very different from those who claim to be His but have little intention of knowing Him better, deeper or more intimately. Here too even the “shallow” and those who continue to waste their precious energies have been given the gracious invitation to experience His presence if they will commit to sharing Him without shame or apology; but such a commitment cannot live in the shallows for long because such a journey starts one on the road toward discipleship in Christ alone.

Many years after I left the ministry, I referenced earlier, I went back to that pastor and apologized for my behavior and role in wasting valuable energies. In a wonderful moment of reconciliation we reconnected with the things we most admired in each other. We shared in the celebration of our passion for Jesus and blessed one another as we continued to serve God in our respective callings. Of my many ministry experiences this one remains a powerful testimony of maturity and reunion that set us free to effectively minister to people without hurt, offense or frustration. I hope today’s post will serve to encourage you to stop wasting valuable energy and pursue the development of spiritual energy that will glorify the King and enrich the Kingdom.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational

REMIND YOURSELF OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN

1119307895_1361235056As a pastor I am often sent, read or come across a variety of articles on leadership. In my opinion, most of the tried and true methods of motivation and management come from common sense thinking and Biblical living. But in some instances you don’t know what you don’t know; and even when you think you have a firm grasp of an important principle it always best to have your vision, mission and values revisited and carefully developed. A little over a ago I went through this exhaustive process, with another individual, and he greatly helped me refine some personal objectives as well as target some ministry focus. Honestly, the entire process was frustrating, at times, but in the final analysis I arrived at some helpful direction that even managed to carry over into some thoughts, on Jesus, I want to share with you.

One thing I learned from the process was the need to re-state, to yourself, your vision, mission and values. How helpful would this be, to every Christian, if they too began their journey by restating what they believed about Jesus? After all to say one is a Christian is supposed to mean said person is a Christ follower. But what happens when after stating what we believe about Jesus is not compatible with the bedrock of the Biblical Jesus?  Dare I say we may have arrived at the wrong Jesus? What is essential to the who, what, where, when and the why of Jesus is the Cross; and if we treat the Cross as an insignificant thing then we also loose sight of the mission, vision and values of God and His amazing plan for all creation.

All recorded history must pass through the intersection of the Cross. Great empires have come and gone. Wise philosophers, artisans and world-changers have passed through the pages of history; and they all must face and answer the reality of the Cross. We, as Christians, must especially remind ourselves what we believe about the Cross and Christ. If we adopt a mission, value or goal that strays from the Bible world-view then we will produce nothing of lasting value, or worse confusion. Every Christian is called to preach Jesus, and Him crucified, because there is genuine power in that reality. Too many people, Christians included, live trapped in a blind reality, absent of Him as Lord, when their freedom is in the Jesus who fully revealed His mission, goals and values to the entire world.

This week ask yourself, What do you believe about Jesus; and how did you arrive at your conclusion? If you didn’t arrive at Jesus through the Cross then double back, challenge yourself and be willing to restate your vision, mission and goals within the context of Him and the Cross. If you do you will rediscover what the Bible says about Jesus, “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe…We preach Christ crucified.”
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Something to ponder and act on.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

WHAT ARE YOU FIXED ON?

bretonnian_battle_Standard_bearer_golden_demonOne of my favorite British TV series’ features Sean Bean, in a rare good guy role, titled Sharpe’s Rifles. The long mini-series follows the life of Richard Sharpe and his service to England’s imperial drive during the Napoleonic wars. Based on historical events the fictional Sharpe fights with honor, grit and cunning while also representing the lowest class of man in England’s colonial social structure. As the series progresses Sharpe is able to rise in rank, gain honor and eventually lead his own regiment of the Britain’s best and worst. As you may imagine Sharpe’s regiment is only as good as the men who serve his command; and though they all lack the social standing to sit at a dinner table they are more than capable of holding their own in a battle.

Every good expedition, or regiment, needs a compliment of team players and this theme is often visited throughout Sharpe’s journey. In one battle, while Sharpe and his men were fighting overwhelming French numbers, it seemed defeat was immanent. While French victory was certain Sharpe managed to rally his men, restore their courage and snatch triumph from the jaws of defeat. How did Sharpe’s regiment survive the day and capture the French standard? They kept their eyes fixed on their leader.

What or who are you fixed on? In the middle of crises or the depths of great despair where are your eyes fixed? The prophet Isaiah tells us that when our eyes are set on the Father our knowledge of His countenance is gained (Isaiah 53:1). Admittedly we quickly loose our courage when our eyes are not set on Him. The very purpose of a battle standard or war drums was to keep the soldier fixed on the lead. Therefore, as long as the flag was still raised or the drum still beating the soldier knew how to keep his focus and calm. But in “the fog of war” our eyes dart back and forth to the sounds of the enemy, the cries of desperation and the call to retreat; and sadly more people are lost or captured in a retreat then those who are facing their enemy head on.

For the Christian we all face a real enemy, everyday, and if our eyes are set on the standard of Jesus then we can never loose the battle. Certainly, we can become distracted in the fray of any moment and loose critical footing; but the standard of Christ has never fallen, and never will, so take courage and press on. When you feel lost in the battle, surrounded by your enemy or disarmed and unable to fight set your eyes upon Jesus and don’t loose your faith in Him. When, in the crisis, you make your stand for God His Spirit will always reinforce your position and when this happens victory is as certain as Him!

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keep-your-eyes-on-jesusBehold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master, … so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God. (Psalm 123:2)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE CHRISTIAN MONSTER CREATED BY APATHY, TEMPER & SELFISHNESS (AND THE CURE)

news3-maggyRobert E. Webber was an American theologian who wrote extensively on the relationship between the ancient church and the today’s modern church. In a development called the Convergence Movement Webber hoped to reintroduce Christianity’s ancient creeds, practices, worship, prayer and community into the culture of today’s Western Christianity desperately needing grounding,focus and renewed purpose.  While his topics and theme were both wide and deep, in their scope, a simple but profound truth leapt off the page for me: We live with paradoxes and need to return to the Biblical facts for grounding (more on this later).

Our fellowship, Maranatha Koinonia, began the transition from Western institutional church in search for true Biblical community about one year ago. Throughout the process some families and individuals left, hoping to connect with church that was more recognizable and convenient for societies standard of Christianity and fellowship.  But while some left others joined our fellowship largely due to what a true Biblical community represented and the promise, that if we reconnect to our ancient faith, we will better understand and reach our world. Webber calls today’s world one of a secular / spiritual paradox. On the one hand we have many people in search for spiritual connections and while this pursuit is sincere many are also unwilling to surrender the secular culture that pull them away from spirituality. We all sense this tug of war daily and we wake up with the conflict in our mind, body and spirit. Before we are actually able to devise an effective approach as to how we can conquer the paradox we must recognize victory will only ever be achieved if we get the “facts” correct from the beginning.

What “facts” am I referring to?  Remarkably if you ask a person about what Jesus actually said, or did, you will soon discover a myriad of one-liners, common grace works and a personal theology that casts Jesus from a mere moral mortal to a demi-god or to God in flesh. It isn’t very surprising in an age of secular / spiritual paradoxes that even Jesus can be, or is, anything but what He actually said of Himself; and this draws us back to the necessity of needing to know the facts. You see to actually know what Jesus said and why He did what He did requires the reader to look beyond the paradox and comprehend the “facts”, of Jesus, as revealed though an entire narrative from Genesis to Revelation. Such an approach, often referred to as Biblical Hebraic holism, capture not only the earthly ministry of Jesus but places His life within the context of prophecy, divinity and deity. This is why the facts can’t be glossed over or flatly ignored; because to do so creates a “Christian monster” that is far from Christian and every bit a dangerous monster.

What has contributed to the “Christian Monster?” You may be surprised to discover Webber’s paradox is not an invention of Modernity or Post-Modernity. In fact the paradox has always been with us; but until recently this paradox was held in check by disciplined discipleship and commitment to a Christianity that represented an entire Word of God (the Bible) world-view.  Webber cites, in his book Ancient – Future Evangelism a gathering of 450 churches, across multiple denominations and nations, which gathered to address the growing concern of the church’s place in society. Specifically this conference met to discuss the challenges of evangelism and discipleship and concluded, “The church is a mile wide but only one inch deep.” In 1999, when this conference was held, the crises was looming; and now living in 2014 the crises is a monster which has created a Christian faith that resembles very little from the ancient faith of the Patriarchs, Moses, the prophets, Jesus or the Apostles. I have uncovered at least three contributors to this monster and I would like to address them while also suggesting a cure.

1. APATHY:  lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern (IE: widespread apathy among students). The very word makes us all cringe. We know it when we see it, we feel it when we are there and like a filthy weed we know it will rob life out of anything healthy. Apathy remains one of the significant poisons that has sapped the rich, vibrant faith of Christianity and replaced it with a yard that, from afar, looks green; but upon closer examination is little more than a large weed patch. Apathy is a great robber of all people and when apathy infects the Christian community of faith it always damages people’s belief in the integrity of God, His Word and His promises.

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3. “CARES OF THE WORLD” The last ingredient to the Christian monster is the one that feeds the here and now without ever considering the eternal. Too often we settle for quick, pat answers that have been formed in the shallowest pools of spiritual and intellectual thought. We have become the generation of one-liners and pass them along via Twitter and Facebook without really comprehending what they mean, relay or represent. Today we are inundated with a multitude of Christian writers that are passing little more than spiritual baby food that feeds the apathetic, temper-tantrum prone Christian monster. As we are called to mature in Him (Discipleship) anything that distracts us from Him (Jesus), and produces the wrong kind of attention back to us, needs to be starved.  St. Augustine prayed, ‘O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.’

THE ANSWER: If we are called to live, move and have our being in Him (the Father) then we need the discernment of the Holy Spirit to help us see our world is trapped in the secular / spiritual paradox; and we must allow His discernment to turn our apathy, temper and selfishness into passion, calm and selflessness. When we really live according to Biblical holism then we will be able to see our world for what it is and what it is not. Only then can we effectively administer the only cure for the seeking, hurting and searching…the true Biblical Jesus in His own words from the beginning to the last amen. This is, and always has been, the only cure for the misguided person.

While I am convinced sick people can become addicted to living unhealthy, most people desire to be healthy. We want happy marriages, connected families, blessed children and most of all the reassurance of being safe. Safety, happiness, joy and community have always been in Him (Jesus) and the additives of “self” have done more harm to our bodies, and spiritual development, than good. To know Jesus is more than an intellectual ascent or a comforting warm and fuzzy. To really know Him is to know His Word and to know His Word is a life long pursuit of discipleship. Yes, it is hard work and the monstrous us will have to die in the process but the reward is, in this life and the age to come, Jesus the joy of man’s desire!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA