Living Psalm 127

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

The Biblical Markings of Ministry

This is how Paul described what his ministry was marked with:

2 Corinthians 3

3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

Allotted Periods and Boundaries

A friend of ours sent this as prayer and encouragement to us on Sunday from Acts 17:26-28.  As I have begun reflect upon the words, they give me real challenge and encouragement about our next steps.  The thought of the change that is coming our way is a little (or alot) overwhelming and we are simply trying as best we can to follow God with everything that we are.  Though some may not understand our choice, we have had to make our most difficult decision so far to make this move forward in God's plan for our lives.  Our love and passion for the greatness of Jesus has not changed one bit, we have simply had to make a different decision that is just as God-glorifying as the original one we have made to come to here.

Here are Paul's words in Acts 17:26-28: "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we are indeed his offspring.'

 There are allotted periods (of time) and boundaries where God places us for this purpose: "That we would seek him, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him". That is God's purpose for us, wherever our boundaries are and wherever we spend our time.Our life is to be about seeking him, not who we work for, where we live, what our age is, or our race.  We are to spend our days seeking him in the hope that we get deeper and deeper into his character. It is not about geography or decades, but it is only about seeking God.  Only about seeking him.  

 Seek him only today for it is the only place to find the real essence of life.

The Walk and the Talk

We have all heard the "Walk the Talk" saying and I want to look at it today in a new light.  Paul wrote these words in Colossians 4:5-6 in regard to how we deal with those outside of the church. Here are his words:  "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."  Here are the principles:

     1.  The Walk

 a.  It is a walk with them - We are to do life with non-believers as well as believers.  It includes both.  Notice that Paul writes "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders".  This carries the idea that we are to go deeper and closer with those outside of the church.  Is this true of our lives?

 b.  It is a walk of wisdom - We should know how they think, what their fears are, know the type of questions to ask them.  We should become experts in what it means to walk with them.

 c.  It is a walk of quality time - We make the most of the time with lost people.  It becomes an issue of quality time over quantity.  We may not always have alot of opportunities to share about Christ, so we make the most of the conversations that we have.   We should know what we are about.

     2.  The Talk

 a.  Talk with Grace - We are to speak with love and kindness to other people. it was the way of Jesus and it is evident in his life as the tax collectors, adulterers, prostitutes, and some Romans found him very unlike anyone they had ever known.  He spoke with grace.

 b.  Talk that is intriguing - "Season with Salt" carries the idea that what we have to say is flavorful and leaves people desiring more.  We have the most interesting story in the world.  What happens sadly is that we lose the influence of the story at times  because of the manner in which we live and speak of Jesus.  We should talk in grace and our lives should be evidence of how great Jesus is.

 c.  Talk that is informative - "Know how to answer each person".  We should know the scriptures in such a way that we are always ready to answer each person that may show an interest in who Jesus is.  We should be informed and we should be ready.

 

That is how we walk and talk with outsiders.

Clearly Portraying Who We Are

These are Paul's words about how he made known who he was among the Corinthians.  They speak for themselves.

2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.

 2 Corinthians 4:2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

 2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

Red Sox Trikot

     I have to admit that I found it funny, very funny, since I am a Red Sox fan.  I am referring to the Red Sox Jersey that was buried in the new Yankee Stadium. A construction worker attempting to plant the Red Sox "Curse" in the new Yankee Stadium by burying a David Ortiz jersey.  Now, if you are a Yankee fan, would you leave it there?  Of course not.  It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete.  The things we will do to get rid of that which we hate.

     The story has spiritual implications we can relate to.  The things that are not of God are our enemy and some of them lie buried deep within us.  What will we do with them?  Leave them alone and live with them there or jackhammer them out. Just as a Yankee cannot have anything "Red Sox" around, we as believers cannot have those things in us that are not of God.

     It is a daily decision to deal with these things and sometimes we even have to take some time to locate, drill, and extract.  It is the price that at times has to be paid to live a life of Holiness.  

       

Pursuit and Shaping

What we feel is our purpose, we will pursue.

                 What we pursue will shape our identity.

                                   Whatever is our identity will shape our life.

Who Do We Minister To?

     This week, I have undertaken a little research project, in which I looked at all 4 Gospels to see who Jesus specifically ministered to.  It wasn't really that eye opening, but still I found it interesting.  I will list below what I found but just a brief word about the #'s I will share.  I did not break down the same story that is in 3 of the gospels and make it one, but I simply listed it as 3 in the total number of references.  For example, in the groups/crowds section, the feeding of the 5,000 is in all 4 gospels and all 4 references are included in the total.  I will condense it at another time.  Here are my findings so far:

1.  Women - 18x

2.  Groups/Crowds - 13x

3.  Demon-possessed - 17x

4.  Sick - 9x

5.  Blind - 6x

6.  Romans - 5x

7.  Children - 13x

8.  Disciples/Apostles - 6x

     That is just a sample as I will continue to look at it a little deeper in the days ahead.  This is the question I have of myself and maybe for you:  Does my ministry include these type of people that Jesus included in his ministry sphere?  Should mine look like his? Or have things changed in our time of ministry? And if my ministry should include these type of people, does it match up?  I do not have any definitive answers to this questions, but I have some thoughts.  If he is my model for life and ministry and he said his mission was this in Luke 4:18-19: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.", should my ministry focus look like his?   In Matthew 9:12-13 Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'. For I came to not call the righteous, but sinners".  Do I spend more time with my colleagues, other Christians, or with those who are 'sinners'?  Do I have balance between them all, or is my ministry tilted more to those like me?

     I just wanted to give some food for thought as we examine what we do in general in regard to ministry, so that it looks more and more like the way Jesus ministered.           

A Resting Place for Faith

     Where does your faith rest?  And I mean, where does it really rest?  Not in where we would like it to rest or what is the correct answer, but where is it placed during the moments of our day.  Since everything depends upon our faith daily, where are we placing our faith?  Is our life marked by the pursuit of him or is our daily life caught up in the pursuit of the things that the earth places so much value upon.  Everyday we breath we are placing our faith in something, someone, or in some pursuit of something.  Jesus said it like this, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."  This is the life that has placed their faith solely in Jesus.  No matter what comes, and what comes is not enjoyable, but the life stands because their faith has found a resting place in Christ alone.  This life is strong in character because it has been built upon the truth of Jesus.  Only Jesus can shape our character to be strong.

     Jesus describes the person who has not found a place to rest their faith in this way, "And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it".

     Both houses have the same exact things come against it, but because of the foundation and material used, one stands and one falls.  One house (life) has been built on Christ and godly character and one has been built on the shifting sand of the world and self-sufficiency.  One has found a resting place in Jesus and one has faith in their own means as their hope.  The trouble for many believers is that they are not content to rest their faith in Christ alone, but they want Jesus and the things of this world, they try and build in both places.  We can never build character that will last through the struggles of this world if we are not content to rest our faith in Christ alone.

    How is it with you?  Are you built to last or have you set yourself up for a fall?  The choice is ours in regard to where we will find a resting place for our faith.

LOE

LOE - it is a new word i have made up.  It stands for something that I have been processing in regard to how we can be more effective in our mission task.  What do we need to do when we come to a new city or approach a new work?  To effectively have impact in the culture there are some things missionaries should do in that land or city.  This is regardless of of it being a foreign land or in America.

L - Listen.   To what people are saying.  Hear what they value.  Be a friend.  Learn the language if in a foreign land.  Listen to their life-story and value it. Hear what the different generations talk about. 

O - Observe.  Where do they spend their time?  What do they drive?  Where do they gather for Coffee?  Customs. Celebrations. Clothing.  Holidays.  How they spend their free time?  How do people get places?  What TV shows have influence? 

E - Engage. Then we engage with individual people with the first hand knowledge we have gained.    

We cannot be effective if we do not become students of the culture.  LOE can help us be much more effective and it is something that we must continually be about, not just at the beginning. We must always be searching for new perspectives and insights on the people we are attempting to reach.

Culture or Subculture

Do you live in the "Bubble"?  You know, the "Christian Bubble".  We have all heard of it, but I want to look at it maybe in a new way.  Let me define it briefly. The  "Christian Bubble" is what happens to believers the longer we walk with Christ and it happens to most of us naturally. Here is how it goes:  We trust in Christ as our Savior, then we get active in church and in order to grow deeper we get more and more involved in church until eventually the only people we really know are Christians.  We listen only to Christian music, go to Christian schools, have our parties with Christian Friends, etc. and etc.  Obviously, nothing is wrong with our desire to protect our minds and kids from the things that are harmful and our desire to live in deep community is biblical, but we must remember that we are called to engage the culture.  

Some of what I mentioned above don't have to belong to the life of the "Bubble", if other things in our life are different.  Obviously we make decisions to guard our purity and the innocence of our children, but that is not what I am addressing here.  I like my Christian friends, Christian music, and the community I have with other believers, but we need to be careful.

What I am saying is that our lives must intersect with both Christians and non-Christians.  If we never cross paths with non-believers in a focused and strategic way then we most likely live in the "Bubble".  Jesus spoke to this issue in John 17:15-18, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."  Jesus wants us to be in the world, to be engaged with it, but prays that we would be safe from the evil one and he shares how we can live best in the culture.  Being safe from the evil one requires us to be sanctified in the truth - it is the only way to protect ourselves.  But listen,  this does not mean we insulate ourselves from the world entirely.  Jesus says that just as he was sent into the world, we are sent by him into the world. A deep passionate love for truth becomes our protection as we live in the world - that prayer comes from Jesus.

What it comes down to is this:  Will we live in the culture or will we create a "Christian Subculture" that actually keeps the gospel away from those not yet believers?  Look at the life of Jesus, he was engaged with both believers and non-believers.  Remember, it was those in the "Bubble" who gave him the biggest problems and it was those dominated by the culture who found him the most intriguing person they had ever seen.

Where do you live right now - passionate for Christ and the lost in the Culture or engaged in the "Christian Subculture"?  Remember, we are to engage the lost culture and it is hard to do when we live disengaged from it.

Spiritual Conversations

On Monday night I had a spiritual conversation about Christ with my friend Andy.  For the past two years I have played on a German Basketball team and though Andy is not on my team, he practices against us each week.  There is nothing like 2 men sweating after 5 games of pickup ball and talk about Jesus.  From time to time Basketball has given me opportunities to share who I am and why I am in Germany.  Andy was quite interested in my view of Christ and how my relationship with him has changed who I am.  But I experienced what happens often here when I have spiritual conversations.

There is so much disconnect in the minds of postmoderns when you talk about Jesus and getting to the truth is so difficult when they think truth cannot really be known.  I should not be surprised and amazed at their view, but I have to admit, I was again.  It is overwhelming to see the incredible lostness of Europe and the power of darkness that pervades the minds of unbelievers here.  When I asked Andy about his view of God, he said, "Who is God, who is to say who God is, God is power I think."  That is as far as he could go.  When I tried to get him to think in terms of the personal nature of God's love - Complete disconnect.

What should one do with the Andy's of the world?  Obviously, the spiritual answer is prayer, but there is really another thing that is more effective with postmoderns who have no idea of the personal nature of God - You live your passion for God before them.  Through the incarnational life they can see, taste, and observe that Christ impacts a life in its daily experience.  

This is why the whores, tax collectors, etc. loved to be around Jesus.  He lived his passion for God and it really was attractive to those who did not know him.  They did not feel uncomfortable around him.  What does it say about us, that the lost of our culture do not want to be around us?  Impacting the world happens when passionate people for the greatness of Christ live in joy before non-believers.