Jim Elliot, the famous missionary to Quichas Indians (Huaorani) wrote these words after many in his American congregation told him it would be to hard and that he should not leave his comfortable church setting:
"So what if the well-fed church in the homeland needs stirring? They have the Scriptures, Moses, and the Prophets, and a whole lot more. Their condemnation is written on their bank books and in the dust on their Bible covers. American believers have sold their lives to the service of Mammon, and God has His rightful way of dealing with those who succumb to the spirit of Laodicea."
Jim and his colleagues would eventually die at the hands of those Indians. So, who was right? Those in his congregation or Elliot? Of course Elliot was as he was in God's will and therefore right in his choice to serve and follow Christ to his death. After his death, it was his wife, Elizabeth, who was a part of seeing the people of this tribe come to know Christ.
Remember these words of our King:
"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eterrnal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."
John 12:25-26
Real life is not going to come at the hand of the American Dream, but in following Jesus to wherever He is leading!
Make it your pursuit today!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Preacher
I am walking back through one of the most significant little books for those who are called by the name preacher. Sadly, the term preacher is not such a relevant designation in today's world of Lead Pastors, Teaching Pastors, and other names that may be used. EM Bounds wrote a little book entitled "The Preacher and Prayer" and it is being a firm reminder of the calling on my life.
Often, I am humbled and overwhelmed by the calling and wonder if I am any good at it. What I have found in these days, is that the role seems much more important and much more difficult. After talking with some friends, we have come to see that there is so much expectation, little encouragement (unless it is going really well), such joy and at times disappointment, times of fruit and times of feeling lost in what we are doing. We love and treasure the calling.
No man call fulfill all the expectations of the calling in his own power and that is why so many have resorted to being personality driven, technology dependent or taking the step to water the message down and make man central to the message instead of the gospel being center to everything. If the course of our ministry takes us away from making the gospel central, then it is short of the true calling we have been entrusted with. We will all go one way or the other and you will choose a church that has made a choice about how the gospel fits and is embraced.
Here are some thoughts from EM Bounds:
Bounds also said, "The energy of self-denial must be his being, his heart and blood and bones".
This was also John the Baptizers view of life when he said, "He must be more and I must become less."
I want to crucify myself and experience the words of Jesus when he said that whoever loses his life for my sake will find life. Why live any other way if we claim to be a minister of the gospel.
It is a unique time, for far to long the gospel has not been central in many ways as we have made music, media, personalities, good feelings, buildings, and far to many other things as almost equal to the gospel. We need a real return to simplicity of the gospel message. Our future depends on it.
I want to be a preacher of the gospel. I am okay to be called that. How I might be seen by church members or others I cannot control and I also will not stand before them to give an account when my days here are over. So I will choose to pray, love people, share Christ, and be a preacher of the gospel.
I want to live the words of Paul to Timothy because they are biblical. It is enough to live in these 5 verses regardless of what anyone may think.
II Timothy4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Often, I am humbled and overwhelmed by the calling and wonder if I am any good at it. What I have found in these days, is that the role seems much more important and much more difficult. After talking with some friends, we have come to see that there is so much expectation, little encouragement (unless it is going really well), such joy and at times disappointment, times of fruit and times of feeling lost in what we are doing. We love and treasure the calling.
No man call fulfill all the expectations of the calling in his own power and that is why so many have resorted to being personality driven, technology dependent or taking the step to water the message down and make man central to the message instead of the gospel being center to everything. If the course of our ministry takes us away from making the gospel central, then it is short of the true calling we have been entrusted with. We will all go one way or the other and you will choose a church that has made a choice about how the gospel fits and is embraced.
Here are some thoughts from EM Bounds:
- Preaching is not the performance of an hour. It is the outflow of a life.
- The gospel of Christ does not move by popular waves. It has no self-propagating power. It moves as the men who have charge of it move.
- The real sermon is made in the closet. The man - God's man - is made in the closet.
- Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God's work and is powerless to project God's cause in this world.
Bounds also said, "The energy of self-denial must be his being, his heart and blood and bones".
This was also John the Baptizers view of life when he said, "He must be more and I must become less."
I want to crucify myself and experience the words of Jesus when he said that whoever loses his life for my sake will find life. Why live any other way if we claim to be a minister of the gospel.
It is a unique time, for far to long the gospel has not been central in many ways as we have made music, media, personalities, good feelings, buildings, and far to many other things as almost equal to the gospel. We need a real return to simplicity of the gospel message. Our future depends on it.
I want to be a preacher of the gospel. I am okay to be called that. How I might be seen by church members or others I cannot control and I also will not stand before them to give an account when my days here are over. So I will choose to pray, love people, share Christ, and be a preacher of the gospel.
I want to live the words of Paul to Timothy because they are biblical. It is enough to live in these 5 verses regardless of what anyone may think.
II Timothy4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Entitled to Slander and Gossip
I've read a few things in the last days in the Bible about 2 issues we can all potentially struggle with. I want these 2 issues to be right in my life and I hope we all do. So...here we go.
Our tongue is an evil and causes most of the relationship issues that we all have. One of the things that can really cause harm to others in our lives or in the church is when those who feel they have some entitlement to slander and gossip work their magic. Through all of my 24 years of ministry I have never seen one time when the slander and gossip of the "entitled" has brought about healing and unity. It only destroys. Here are a few verses in regard to these two problems with our tongue.
1 Timothy 5:13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
Proverbs 11:13 13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Titus 2:3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
Why some think they get to ignore the scripture and speak evil behind the back of someone else is beyond me. It is though, just like most things, where we simply choose to ignore what the Bible says as it does not fit into our lifestyle choice of some particular sin. We think it is not a big deal to God. Here are some thoughts from my experience with people like this:
If this an issue that is strong or an occasional problem for you, I would say these words to you:
Shut Your Mouth, Hold your tongue, Shut your mouth, Bite Your Tongue, Shut Your Mouth. Speak well of people and do not speculate about them in your mind or with your words before other people and consider it "your duty" to inform. It is sin and it is evil.
Remember these words from Jesus in Matthew 15: 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Our mouth is a tattle tale as to the true condition of our heart and if someone gives false witness of others or slanders them, then according to Jesus, those things defile us.
We also should not stand there and listen to that kind of talk either when we know it is wrong.
It is amazing how we just can't love others, forgive them, extend understanding, be not so quick to judge, and to decide instead to not say anything at all if we can't say something nice. I think my mom told me that when I was little.
Jesus said that people will know us by our love. Is it loving to speak evil of someone, malign their motives or automatically doubt and discount them and then share those doubts with others.
It is loving to guard our tongues, be kind, forgiving, and to be understanding. Maybe this is one of the main reasons people don't know about the love of God is because we have given a wrong picture of our love for one another by our words.
After all, it is "His kindness that is meant to lead us to repentance" Romans 2:4b.
Maybe the people in our personal world today could really use a little kindness in the harsh world we live in.
Our tongue is an evil and causes most of the relationship issues that we all have. One of the things that can really cause harm to others in our lives or in the church is when those who feel they have some entitlement to slander and gossip work their magic. Through all of my 24 years of ministry I have never seen one time when the slander and gossip of the "entitled" has brought about healing and unity. It only destroys. Here are a few verses in regard to these two problems with our tongue.
1 Timothy 5:13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
Proverbs 11:13 13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Titus 2:3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
Why some think they get to ignore the scripture and speak evil behind the back of someone else is beyond me. It is though, just like most things, where we simply choose to ignore what the Bible says as it does not fit into our lifestyle choice of some particular sin. We think it is not a big deal to God. Here are some thoughts from my experience with people like this:
- They think they are entitled because they are better than other people
- They are prideful and arrogant as to the issues of their lives
- They usually have low self-esteem and that is why they must put down and destroy others
- They have to be in the know, therefore they must share what they know. Often it is "spiritualized" from their slant of things and at times it is spoken by way of prayer request.
- They always change the perception of both the person hearing the slander and how people see the person who is being slandered
- Gossipers and Slanderers think the taste of evil words is sweet to the tongue, therefore revealing their hypocrisy and love of evil
- Their mouth reveals the true condition of their heart.
If this an issue that is strong or an occasional problem for you, I would say these words to you:
Shut Your Mouth, Hold your tongue, Shut your mouth, Bite Your Tongue, Shut Your Mouth. Speak well of people and do not speculate about them in your mind or with your words before other people and consider it "your duty" to inform. It is sin and it is evil.
Remember these words from Jesus in Matthew 15: 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Our mouth is a tattle tale as to the true condition of our heart and if someone gives false witness of others or slanders them, then according to Jesus, those things defile us.
We also should not stand there and listen to that kind of talk either when we know it is wrong.
It is amazing how we just can't love others, forgive them, extend understanding, be not so quick to judge, and to decide instead to not say anything at all if we can't say something nice. I think my mom told me that when I was little.
Jesus said that people will know us by our love. Is it loving to speak evil of someone, malign their motives or automatically doubt and discount them and then share those doubts with others.
It is loving to guard our tongues, be kind, forgiving, and to be understanding. Maybe this is one of the main reasons people don't know about the love of God is because we have given a wrong picture of our love for one another by our words.
After all, it is "His kindness that is meant to lead us to repentance" Romans 2:4b.
Maybe the people in our personal world today could really use a little kindness in the harsh world we live in.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Living to Please
For every person on earth, we have to make decisions about how we are going to respond to the people who comes across our path. We all have values and depending on how much we really embrace them, they will either be followed or discarded. The decision we make can often be based on whether we want to please the people we are with or hold tightly to our values. The name we most often call this is people pleasing and it is not good when we live this way.
John 6 deals with this issue. The popularity of Jesus was greatly increasing as John 6:2 says "2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick."
Everyone in ministry would love to have a large crowd, but crowds are always fickle and the love from them can quickly fade.
Jesus feeds the 5,000 and the crowds grow in their respect of him: 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself." Ministry is going well for him as they are wanting to see his fame increase, but Jesus withdraws as he was not going to fall prey to doing only that which the crowd wanted. They do not have the best things in mind for him.
Later, as they find him across the Lake, Jesus says to them, "26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” They now are following him for another reason and it is not because they love him - He is a food provider now. In just a few minutes they turn on Jesus after they have difficulty embracing his teaching. Here is what they say,
Jesus though, did not have to have everyone happy with him. As they grumble and leave, he does not back off of the truth and tell them what they want to hear.
Do we want to please others so much that we will back down to keep them around? Pleasing others at the cost of our integrity and standards is not living.
John 6 deals with this issue. The popularity of Jesus was greatly increasing as John 6:2 says "2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick."
Everyone in ministry would love to have a large crowd, but crowds are always fickle and the love from them can quickly fade.
Jesus feeds the 5,000 and the crowds grow in their respect of him: 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself." Ministry is going well for him as they are wanting to see his fame increase, but Jesus withdraws as he was not going to fall prey to doing only that which the crowd wanted. They do not have the best things in mind for him.
Later, as they find him across the Lake, Jesus says to them, "26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” They now are following him for another reason and it is not because they love him - He is a food provider now. In just a few minutes they turn on Jesus after they have difficulty embracing his teaching. Here is what they say,
- 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
- 52 And then the crowd responds this way, "52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
- 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?
- 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
Jesus though, did not have to have everyone happy with him. As they grumble and leave, he does not back off of the truth and tell them what they want to hear.
Do we want to please others so much that we will back down to keep them around? Pleasing others at the cost of our integrity and standards is not living.
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