Alive!

I am writing this obviously more for my benefit than for anyone else's. The seasons of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now New Year have come.....and gone! So, now what? What do we have to look forward to? In a word....

LIFE.

So much of life happens between the bookends. As we read the book the title just draws us in and the contents page just lays out the progression, but until you turn to page 1 and begin to read, nothing really can be learned or appreciated from the book.

So much of life I feel falls in a similar vein. We can start this year with all the good intentions and can declare it by title...2010! Now the analogy breaks down, because as LIFE happens the contents of this year begin to be etched upon the pages of each day, month, and then in summation, the year's end. But nothing can be experienced apart from the living of this life.

We look back and see that from January 1st to December 31st we have experienced the real and the mundane. But is life really able to be mundane? When you take into account that somewhere right now children are born....and children die? When you take into account that there are those whose livelihoods were taken away this past year and others had great success? When you consider that someone's daughter or son went off to college, graduated, got married, or moved to another country?

How can we say that life is mundane? How can we call life routine? Life is what we are filled with, look forward to, protect with all our might. Life is who we are and what we live for.

So, what will our life be like this new year? What will we live for? What will we give up, let go, or claim as the moment of great delight, fear, hope, dread, or success?

LIFE

To know it, and to have it, and then to live it. As a Christian my life is sourced, founded and sealed in the ONE who alone has given to me real LIFE, real purpose, and real hope. LIFE has no real meaning apart from Christ and the life He has blessed me with. Yes, blessed me with. Even in death, in loss, or in great triumph and new found directions, all of these come together for His glory and my good.

As comes the New Year, so comes the opportunity to remember the New Life that we have because of Christ. May this new year afford us the opportunity to make Christ the real success in our lives. May we be found at December 31, 2010 as a faithful steward and a promoter of LIFE in Christ.

Minors and Major - A Request for Prayer

This next week I go to be with my father who is having major open heart surgery. I am grateful that God has protected my father and I know that God is in absolute control of all that will transpire.

I have only had "minor surgery." Of course I have come to believe that the label "minor" is only given to the surgery that is done to someone else. But this is a "major" deal. No matter what kind of circumstance of life, major or minor, we need to always remember that God is still God. Nothing has taken Him by surprise and that His will is best.

I am most certainly not a fatalist, nor am I one to believe that life is only what I make of it. God has a plan, a purpose, a design for life. I fit into that framework and in my existence I affect and am effected by others.

My father has affected many lives in over 50 years of ministry. This is a surgery that will be prayed for in many different time zones and in different countries. I am sure of that. However, I am grateful that people are praying for it is to the One and only One God that we turn to in these "major" points of life with absolute confidence that He is the only one who can make the "no-matter-what-happens" of life work out for His glory and our good.

I hope we can also learn this in the "minors" of life as well. God is still the only one who can seam together the monotonous of our daily routine into a tapestry of effective and purposeful living.

Thanks for praying and may we remember that God is just as concerned with our minors and we are about our majors.

This thing called "Ministry" (Part 12)

I come to the conclusion of this series I have been running on the shape of ministry through the pages of Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, specifically, 1 Corinthians.

The whole series has been a personal viewpoint of how Paul did ministry, expressed ministry, and challenged me as a minister to view my own understanding and performance. There are obviously many other passages we could go to and study, but this book was for me a challenge. Ministry is about a heart and soul dedicated and sold out for Christ. Ministry is about forgiveness and forthrightness. Ministry is about transparency and honesty. Ministry is about people and less about pride.

The passage I want to conclude with is thus:

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

What a classic passage of Scripture! Paul grants to us a new lease on living. We are given such great contrasts between corruptible and incorruptible, mortal and immortality. We are shown the stark reality of death but the greater conquest of Christ over death. We are given "new revelation" that death holds no power over the forgiven soul and the grave is not a place of repose or cessation.

The law brought death's sting, but Christ's death destroyed death's law. Death and the grave hold no more power and we have victory, catch that, VICTORY!

Notice then the conclusion that Paul grants us in verse 58, "Therefore....BE."

Be what? Here then lies ministry. As ministers of the Gospel and the message bearers of Christ we are to be.....

Steadfast - firmly or solidly in place (also found in Colossians 1:23 and 1 Peter 5:9)

Unmovable (immovable) - without shift or change (only place in NT where this form of the word is used)

Always abounding - has an attachment to have abundance in growth and thus to be abundantly growing. Under that idea specifically here Paul is emphasizing the idea of being outstanding, to excel, to be prominent in that growth. (Used other places but a good example is found in Colossians 2:7 of the abounding of thanksgiving.)

We could spend a lot of time discussing the further implications these terms bear, but I will leave that to you. The issue then goes to what are we to be steadfast, unmovable and abundant in? Answer: "The work of the Lord."

Another passage that comes to mind is Ephesians 4:12 - the work of service, the work of ministry. The job of pastor/teachers is to equip the saints to do their labor of love (of course we as pastors are in that category of saints as well).

"The work of the Lord."

What is your work? Where do you labor? What do you find to be your place and practice of service?

The implication is that we all are to be doing something. Thus we all are to be ministers of some sort. We all have a toil to perform and a job to accomplish until the day we are called to glory either through grave's door or by means of Christ's coming back for His chosen people. So....What then is your task? Of course we all the the Great Commission to fulfill, but specifically, what is your ministry to the body of Christ?

The challenge is granted and with it Paul then offers this word of encouragement as well, "your labor (toil) is not in vain (futile) in the Lord (when done for and because of Him)."

Ministry is many things, but it is ours to do. Ministry has many challenges and sometimes is not as noticed or seems not as important as others, but it is handed to us by the Lord of our life and lover of our soul.


Whatever your "ministry," do it unto God and not unto men. Your labor is not futile, empty, vain if it is done for Christ. He is our ministry. We labor for Him because of Him, and through the power He affords us.

Now that is Ministry!

This thing called "Ministry" (Part 10)

Near Skagen, Denmark, visitors can see the tower of the Tilsandede Kirke, the Sand Covered Church. The tower is visible because this 14th century church has been buried since the 1700's. Shifting sand from the coast of Jutland has covered much of the surrounding farmland and the church as well. Only the tower is visible. What a metaphor for the danger the church always faces; the danger of being buried beneath the sands of human opinions, power struggles, and personality clashes.*

As we continue our thought about "This thing called ministry," I come again to what Paul said.

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body." (1 Corinthians 12:12-20)

The more I minister in the church today I get that there is a sense of uneasiness about the roles of the membership. There becomes a vision of opposing forces or different "sides" in this essence known as the "church" or the "body of Christ."

The greatest struggles come when someone hurts someone else and now both are "gun shy" about how to handle the future with all of its potential altercations. Pastors beating up on the sheep; sheep questioning the vision and direction of the pastor. Back and forth goes the power struggle and in the end, nothing is accomplished. Both sides become deeper entrenched and in the end both sides lose. Campaigns are waged and the tug of war drags unaware bystanders around like rag dolls.

So where then lies the hope of not seeing such chaos and destruction in the church? The only way we will ever see such a united church is when we as a whole adhere to unity passages like 1 Corinthians 12 and Philippians 2. Both "sides" appreciating that God has established leaders and established roles within His body. But yet remembering.....

Leadership is not Lordship.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:1-3)

It reminds me of the game of chess. Each piece is vital. Each piece has a purpose and moves in designed fashion. (Do not take the analogy too far.) The object is to win without losing as many pieces as possible and of course to capture the opponent's king. Being the poor chess player that I am, I find myself losing pieces pretty quick and then I am left in the end on the run trying to figure out a way to keep my King alive. A lonely king is an eventual "check mate" in the game of chess.

Pastors, you are participants in this body. Breaking away from the analogy above, you are not kings for Christ is the head; but in keeping with the analogy, you most certainly are not able to stand alone. This body is one, yet its members are many. Each member is vital. As Senior Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, Charter Member, or "Church-Pew Warmer" Member do not forget that when you crush the spirit of another member you are hurting the body. When you abuse the membership you abuse the body. However, when you fulfill your Ephesians 4 prerogative to edify, build up, and encourage the membership, you are doing so to the body of Christ. "Speak the Truth (i.e. things pertaining to God) in Love."

"The church is the most complex of all human organizations," says Ed Dayton of World Vision. "It's what we call 'goal-conflicted.' One goal is to send people forth, and another is to care for them. People are always either getting on a stretcher or getting off. You've got this continual dynamic where relationships, not bottom-line numbers, are the key product." *

Ministry is people! Ministry is not us and them; it is us working together and there is not a "them" in this body of Christ. As ministers we stand opposed to sin and the destruction that wishes to come in its wake. As ministers we proclaim the Word of Truth to the ears of the saints inside the body and to the sinners outside the body. As ministers we are to hold our place in the body local in which you serve. Peter teaches that we are to "take the oversight," but do not take it for self-serving gain. Ministry is participating with the other members to build Christ's body and not our empire. May we Serve as the Holy Spirit serves us (John 14-16). May we communicate the Word of God as it communicates itself to us.

This past Wednesday evening in our church's Bible study we were focusing on Encouraging One Another. The last verses we went to were found in Colossians.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:15-17)

Now that is Ministry!

Mystery Musings

I remember as a boy reading the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of one of literature's most unique characters, Sherlock Holmes. I loved the discoveries and the plot's thickening, and all that went into foiling the plans of wicked men and revealing their deeds of evil. Things so obscured and hidden to dear Dr. Watson and the others in the cases were so readily seen and observed by our beloved Mr. Holmes.

We are now into our fourth month as citizens of Madison. The church is steady and the Lord is working, but there is always this desire to see God do it faster and with more obvious results.

My wife and I were discussing this late one evening. The reality of God's will is always great, but the revelation of God's plan is somewhat a struggle at times. The reality is we are here and God orchestrated everything. The revelation of God's plan is....well, it sometimes seems hazy, or a bit blurry. What do we have to hope in and to put our confidence in? How do we become certain without hesitation that this is what God wants or even wanted in the first place? How do we proceed from here? What is the next step and will it also afford any clearer answers?

Does God offer us any sort of a guide or platform to stand upon? Does the Bible offer us a grid to lay down and build within? Does the work of God revolve around just a vague path stretched out ahead of us with only the next step clear to the eyes?

Job asked, "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?" (Job 3:23) Why do I even have this life if God is going to hide his way from me? For what purpose was I given life if God is going to do these things? "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. "I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes." (Job 3:25-26)

Maybe you have not felt this way. Perhaps you are in one of those situations of life where all is well with the world and the stars are just aligned perfectly. Choices have come easy, decisions have relatively few nuances, or the path is so clearly laid out there is nothing obscuring the the vision. In some ways I envy you and yet in some other ways, I do not.

I have found that in these times of searching God has truly become more real and relevant to me. I also find that His Word becomes more important; prayer becomes more earnest, and my hunger for His will becomes more pervasive.

David writes, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant." (Psalms 25:14)

Recently I preached a message about the "fear of the Lord." Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 1:7 that it presents wisdom to those who hold to such an awe and wonder of this great and terrible, majestic, and magnificent God.

The paths of life are measured. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalms 37:23) Each step is identified by God for us. Each placement of our foot is weighed and found to be good by God. Good for us and glorious for Him.

So let the clouds roll in and the haze perplex the path. For God declares that I am there! David points out in Psalm 139, the darkness becomes light and the hidden becomes revealed. There is not found on earth or in the sky a place where God is not, and that gives me assurance to His perpetual presence and persistent planning.

As Job was reminded by God, "Then the LORD said to Job, 'Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.' Then Job answered the LORD and said, 'Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.' Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said, 'Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?'" (Job 40:1-8)

"Then Job answered the LORD and said, 'I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.'" (Job 42:1-6)

May we be humbled when we balk at God's measuring of our steps. May we be willing to "retract" our presumptions when we come to "see with our eyes" this great God who does hear us and knows our frame, and takes an invested interest in our lives. May it cause us to fall completely in all humility and declare, "I AM NOT GOD!" But, I know Him and He is real to me. May the next step be revealed and the path be lit, and the glory of His plan become our goal for life.

Having a Prayer

Recently I stopped by a local church in our area. Being new to this metropolitan area, I felt it good to meet some of the local ministers. We began with the usual greetings and searchings. In the midst of the conversation we found that we were pretty much on the same page in many respects. The churches we serve in are not of great size, but we are both concerned with reaching our perspective areas.

We shared some of the challenges we had faced in our respective ministries and how the Lord had used those times to refine and challenge our ministries for growth or to reveal areas of true need.

As we were closing our time, I heard one comment he made to me that sort of stopped me in my tracks. "I find that our people get turned off when I say we are going to have a 'prayer meeting.' They will not come if we say we are going to have a 'Prayer meeting.'" Christian people bored, scared, or unconcerned about prayer? Could it be possible? I am not sure if he realized the declaration of his statement. I know it seemed to be a moment of honesty and it did seem to bother him.

I took that thought to our people here. I shared that statement in a very similar generic way without names, but shared the concern it welled up within my heart. Here we are saying that we are concerned about reaching people and yet we grow stagnant in our prayers. We come to God with our "grocery list" style of prayer. "Lord I need to move quickly and get through this list today." "I don't have time to stay long, you know, got this list to accomplish and need to just get what I need from you."

I wonder if God just sits back and frowns. I wonder if HE just slumps HIS shoulders at our lack of enthusiasm to speak with HIM? I really imagine HE grows disappointed with our lack of dependence, our lack of urgency, our lack of humility.

I challenged our people, few though we may be, "Let us pray with all dependence!" We need God to do what only God can do. We need to know His heart and the only way we will know that is to be in His Word and communicating with Him in prayer. The only way we will reach this vast, liberal city is to see a working of God's Spirit.

I think it comes from an Ephesians 3:19 relationship, "filled up to all the fullness of God." As we come with that overflowing cup, then we find that HE is ABLE to DO! To do what? ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL that we could even begin to ask for or to even imagine HIM willing, nevertheless capable of doing.

Then the glory is HIS, the Person of our Glorious Christ, our wonderful Savior, is evident and seen. We no longer see us, but only HIM.



Get a handle on Prayer. We have a prayer. But do we come ready for the answer He has for us? Are we open to hear HIS plan, HIS Purpose? Throw out the "list mentality," get rid of your expectations and increase your faith to see what only faith can see, to hope in what God has already pre-determined.

Open the doors,CHURCH! Pray!

Your Purpose....My Purpose?

Starting in this new year I have been establishing some goals for my congregation. We have been discussing some ministry shaping aspects that I feel will help solidify and establish the type of ministry we can expect to have in the very near and even distant future. Some of the thinking has been helped along by reading a book by Aubrey Malphurs entitled Ministry Nuts & Bolts (ISBN #0-8254-3190-5). Along with that book another one that I am currently reading as well is entitled Management Essentials for Christian Ministries by editors, Michael J. Anthony and James Estep, Jr. (ISBN #080543123-3).

All of that to say that it is not at all original with me. However, the burden has been building and it is great to find resources to help me formulate or guide my desire into action.

The greatest challenge in all of this has been helping our people see that change is not necessarily about changing beliefs, but about appropriating truth to the next generation. Christ was relational in His approach to people. He met them where they were but obviously His message never waivered. Christ still spoke truth, lived truth, and demanded an acceptance of truth.

I recently had lunch with a man in our church. As we sat discussing a range of topics I brought him to this discussion we are having as a body. The way I explained it to him was that each of us comes in with our purpose for life. I have a purpose, you have a purpose, the fellow across the aisle has a purpose. Then, in walks this visitor and they now come with a purpose for their life. I explained to him that my job as a pastor is to try and help you and even that visitor in the development of his or her purpose for life.

If only we could grab hold of the reality that God has a vision for our life. God has given us purpose and as 2 Peter 1:3 declares,

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (ESV)

We have been called to "excellence" and not "maintenance." I believe that it is not Biblical to exist without vision in your life. I do not believe that Paul got stuck in the "mid-life" rut. His goal was to be known by the One whose opinion really mattered most.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Phi 3:7-12 ESV)

Paul exercised a mental acuteness for life. He did not "drop out" in setting goals for his life. He lived with a purpose in mind and that purpose propelled him to run!

In our churches you bring your purpose into the household of faith. Each of us brings our purpose for living. The real question then is what is your purpose? It is what motivates and pushes you. What do you see as "success" and "accomplishment" and you will learn your purpose. Now how does that purpose affect your ability to be an effective Christian? A follower of Jesus Christ? How does that effect the purpose of your church? Does your purpose in life match up to the spiritual purpose God gave you for existing?

If not, then your reward is short lived. If so, your reward is eternal. The classic verse is still true,

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Mat 6:21 ESV)