Jesus' Obedience

S:  “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:47-52‬ ‭NIV‬‬

O:  I found these verses very interesting today.  Jesus was only 12 years old and was in Jerusalem with his parents for Passover.  They had completed all the rituals for the Passover and were returning home and Jesus was not with them.  He had gone into the temple courts and was speaking with the teachers of the law...listening and teaching them.  They were amazed at his words and the wisdom of his understanding.  When his parents find him, their comments were of concern as to why Jesus has left them.  Jesus gentle reminds them of his purpose, and even in though they did not understanding this completely, Jesus submits to their wishes and returns home with they.  

Then there is the statement that Jesus "was obedient to them."  The Son of God, who can incarnate to us on this earth lived in submission to his God's given earthly parents.  He could have stayed in Jerusalem and lived at the temple and continued his teaching ministry, it he chose to return home and live under the roof of this parents, loving them, learning from then and shaping his earthly character and rappor with those around him.  

A:  I never fully understanding the mind of God and the plans he has for me.  There are times when I am directed to do things that don't seem to make since (like Jesus leaving the temple has he was teaching and to go home with this parents).  But Jesus gave us an example to follow...to remain obedient to those in authority around us.  To live an upright and pure life before others.  

P:  Lord, give me the wisdom and grace to be obedient to you and see your plan in all things that are before me.  Help me to remains faithful to you in my dealings everyday wth people around me.  Amen

God's Redeeming Love

To say that I have not blogged in awhile is an understatement.  In the past few years, life has brought some ups and downs in life, but I am confident in one things...that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  That God is in the business of redeeming broken lives.  That God is more that I could ever ask or imagine.  I serve a faithful, loving, merciful God expresses his love to me every single day.  I am overwhelmed by God's love for me.  I read this Psalm recently and it really expressed what I feel...

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Thank you Lord, for your unending love.  For redeeming my life as you make me life an example for others.  I will call on your name as long as I live!  Amen

The Power of the Resurrection - Past, Present and Future

The resurrection is a powerful event…there is not an event in history that could surpass the greatness of the resurrection. But we must be careful to not just see the resurrection as an historical event. Yes, it did happen and when it did, the atoning work of Christ was complete for you and for me. And the centrality of the atonement must be taught and preached in the church, or we cannot call ourselves Christian. The resurrection has tremendous implications…

The Resurrection Saves You FROM…

• Saves us from the wrath to come – 1 Thess. 1: 10
• Saves us from the slavery to sin – Romans 7
• Saves us from the devil - John 8: 44
• Saves us from the power of darkness – Colossians 1: 13
• Saves us from the law – (law weakened by the flesh). He did what we could not do - Romans 7:1
• Saves us from the law of sin and death – Romans 8:2

However, an event like the resurrection should not just be views in history, but in the present and future as well. In the present, we must realize the power in the resurrection. Our lives are different as a result of the living Christ. The implications of the resurrection continue, but into our lives today…

The Resurrection Saves of TO…

• Saves us to union with Christ – John 6: 5
• Saves us to eternal life – John 3: 16
• Save us unto participation in the triune life of God – John 17
• Saved us for knowing God – John 17: 3
• Saves us for freedom - Galatians 5: 1
• Saved into community – 1 Corn. 12
• Saved into the Commission and Mission of God – Matthew 28: 18-20
• Saved into the Kingdom of God – made agents for reconciliation

Lastly, the resurrection gives us tremendous hope in the future. As a Christian, I know that my life on this earth will end some day, but I am also confident in the hope of eternal life found only in Jesus Christ. Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1: 3-5, ESV).

In the resurrection, Jesus overcame death and the grave…and He is still conquering the grave today. We have a living hope in Jesus Christ…so we can face death with a sense of loss and joy, knowing that we will be living eternal with Jesus Christ.

My heart is full today. I am awe filled with the wonder and love of my God. The resurrection makes all the difference to me…I pray that I will be able to continue to serve in the name of Jesus Christ…for His glory and for His honor. Have a Blessed Easter!

Good Friday is Not So Bad!

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46, ESV)

Today is a wonderful day for Christians around the world. It is the day that we remember the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I remember as a kid wondering way we called this "Good" Friday if it was the day that Jesus died. My reasoning...death is not good...it is sad and we lose a relationship. But through the years, I have grown to a greater understanding of Jesus death and the "good" that is brings.

It is good because we needed a blood sacrifice for our sins. The writer of Hebrews records:

"He (Jesus) entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:12-14, ESV)

It is good because through Jesus' death our sins have been removed and our life is fixed in Christ. Paul says in Galatians 2: 20:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,

but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It is good because ultimately, Jesus conquered death and in so doing offers to us eternal life.

Jesus said:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish,

and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

(John 10:28, ESV)

So on this day of remembering the death and burial of Jesus Christ, I am overwhelmed with the goodness of my God. He loved me more than life itself and continues to love me. I am so grateful for the life that is mine because of the death of Jesus. It is a "good" Friday. Thanks be to God!

Being the Gospel

I have been rereading the book "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. Stearns, the president of World Vision US, speaks of his journey to World Vision and then gives insightful words as to our call to participate with God being the gospel to the world around us. It is a very good book and I highly recommend that you read it. Read my earlier review http://gkclifejournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/hole-in-our-gospel.html

What has really been in my mind the past 12 hours is responsibility that I have as a Christian to be all that God has created me to be. It goes beyond just knowing the right things and even just 'saying' the right things...but becoming the person God intended and being God's hands and feet to the world. We can so easily go through the motions of being a Christian and acting in the right way and saying the right things at church, but then not carrying our Christian lives beyond the church and beyond our comfortable existence.

Isaiah confront the people of Israel with this problem. They are been offering God empty actions in worship and The prophet gives a message of what God wants from us:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:6-8(ESV)

God is calling me to be his hands and feet. It is to put the gospel into action through our lives as we love and give and serve those around us. Stearns says it best..."any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ will be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of a transformed life." He later adds, "There is no 'whole gospel' without compassion and justice shown to the poor".

My life is to be marked in some way by demonstrations of Christ's love and grace in me.

My heart is stirred as I think about what God is calling me to be and do for Him. I want to have a genuine concern for the 'least of these' that fins tangible expression in my life through my words, thoughts and actions. I want the expression of the gospel be part of the very fibers of my being.

Lord, take my life and use it for your glory. Give me eyes to see the needs of people around me. I yield my life to you and ask that I be shaped with your heart.

Follow The Hole in Our Gospel Blog

God Revealed

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me;

Psalms 86:11-13a (ESV)

God has always promised that He would reveal Himself to me. As you read the scriptures, we see how many times in in various ways God reveals Himself. In creation God shows us His splendor, in the law, God reveals his true character, in His Son Jesus Christ God chose to reveal his very nature. The writer of Hebrews says, "He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature," (1: 3a)...Paul stated, "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell," (Colossians 1: 19). It is clear to me that God wanted me and you to know all about Himself, so He made sure to make it clear.

But I also believe that we must seek after God. He desires that we desire Him. In these verse above, the Psalmist is clearing opening his heart to God's presence and his great love. He asks for wisdom to walk in truth...he asks for an undivided heart that is fully and solely focused on the truth of God...and he rejoices in the fact that God's love and presence is found in him.

What a join to God wants for each of us to know Him. How great is the Father's love for us...and today I pray that I might be filled with rejoicing as God's love has filled me.

Loving God, you created me and love me, even when I don't give you first place in my life. Forgive me when I fail you...I receive you love and grace today and offer my life as a living sacrifice to you. Amen.

What I have Learned at PRBC! - Part 2

Here is an addition to my post from yesterday...

11. I can't count! Leigh Ann and I were sitting in the living room this morning and she said, "I read your post and we have been here 9 years." So like any smart person, I held up my hands and counted and sure enough...We have been at Pea Ridge for 9 years and are beginning our 10th year here!

This does not change anything I said yesterday...I am confident God has called me here and I am excited to continue in His work with the great people of Pea Ridge Baptist!

What I have Learned at PRBC!

March marks my anniversary at Pea Ridge Baptist. I just completed my eighth year as pastor of this wonderful congregation. What an incredible journey it has been for me and my family. I have enjoyed serving the people and love bing part of God’s work through you and this community. As I have reflected on my time here as pastor, I have learned many lessons. I am a different person today than when I began my ministry here. Let me share some of the things I have learned.

1. Reading God’s Word for my growth in essential. Many times it is easy to just read for study and preparation for sermons, etc. I must read God’s Word for my OWN spiritual growth. I have grown more in my personal relationship with God in the past 4 years and it is so refreshing.

2. Evangelism is a part of everything I do. There is never a time when I stop sharing the love of Christ with those around me. Every sermon I preach, every visit I make, every step that I take is an opportunity to tell about God’s love for me.

3. Growth as a disciple is hard to measure. While our mission and vision as a church is to “make disciples”, it can be a very difficult process to measure. It is not in numbers, but in the depth of commitment of the individual believer.

4. Change is inevitable. One of the things that I have been reflecting on is the change that comes naturally in the church or in any organization. New people come in, others leave, systems change, demands are different, the economy fluctuates, knowledge of scripture and God’s will are deepened in the individual and congregation…things don’t stay the same. This has actually been very freeing. When we realize that things change, it demand that we need our eyes fixed on the purpose rather than the process. Sure process is important, but being open to God’s plan for our lives and our church must never take a back sit to the “way to do things”. Traditions are no longer kept for sake of keeping, but we are challenged every day to live and serve in a way that is pleasing to God.

5. One church can have an impact in the world! This has been lived out through our partnership with Hope Church in Ryazan, Russia. I have been so blessed in this partnership and I have seen how we can join hands with a church in another part of the world and have a tremendous impact for Jesus Christ. My involvement with the Russia Mission Partnership since 2001 has changed the way I look at the global church. God is doing amazing work in the world and we are so privileged to be part of His work. This year, we will be sending mission teams to Costa Rica (July 2011) and Russia (Dec. 2011…details soon). With the ease of global travel, easy translation on the internet and services like Skype, we are able to keep in contact with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. These relationship that form are wonderful and will encourage our lives on a day to day basis. In addition to our personal work in places like Russia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic (July 2009), we are been supporting the work of through missionaries in Bolivia, Japan, India and more. What a joy to be part of God’s work in the world!

6. God meets our financial needs. I have been blow away to see the generosity from my church family. We have taken HUGE steps of faith through our annual budget and even through over an above giving and God has always provide. It is good to see the people of God respond to help accomplish His work through the ministry of PRBC.

7. Leadership is more caught than taught. I know that we have leaders in this congregation and I many of you stepping up. And the I see you stepping up, the more people I see getting involved. BEING the leader that God wants me to be and you to be will ultimately mean that others will follow you. We are called to be God’s worker for His kingdom…carrying out the ministry He has called us to do. Ephesians 2: 10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” What I high calling we have as leaders!

8. Relationship are key to a healthy church. Our relationship with God is the most important. Our spiritual life begins with God, but I believe it is hard to be a Christian lone. We need other people, so the relationships with have with are vital to our Christian lives. When we live in relationship with others, we have systems of accountability that begin to emerge. And when I am held accountable to how I live my Christian life, I am more apt to grow and be stronger as a result. Relationships with new people in our church are also very important. I believe that people are really desperate for quality, purposeful, meaningful relationships. If a person visits a church, they are probably looking for someone to connect with. That is way it is SO important that we relate on a personal level to anyone who is a guest in our church. We need each other and can do so much more together than we can do alone!

9. Reading is fun! I have read more in the past 2 years than I ever have. I have learned to enjoy a good book and love to read a variety of things. My favorite things to read are history, John Grisham novels and what I call “church books”. I have developed a great love for books and have grown in so many ways as a result of increasing my reading.

10. We must live intentionally! As an individual, I must have a commitment to live my life with intention toward God. I have responsible for my own relationship with Christ, I am responsible how I lead this church and my family. And that kind of responsibility demands that I live intentionally. I set aside time for my spiritual growth and prayer live. I spend time with my family. I have an exercise plan to keep me healthy,etc. The same is also true in the church. It is much easier to go on autopilot and just keep things running in the church for all the members, but God has called us to be salt and light…to keep a focus on evangelism and bring new people into the kingdom of God. We keep to intentionally move beyond the walls of the church and reach out in the name of Jesus Christ. We have to care about people who might be dying without Jesus and take intentional action in bring the good new to them. I love the quote from Rick Warren from his book, The Purpose Driven Life…”The church does not focus on evangelism is saying to the world you can go to hell.” We must be intentional about our relationships and ministries outside this church wall.

This list is not at all complete. It has been good to reflect on the past eight years. God is good. But let me say one more thing.

I can’t imagine being any place else! I am so confident that God has called me to be your pastor at Pea Ridge Baptist. I can’t imagine being any other place right now in my life. I am committed to helping us continue to grow as disciples and committed to reaching beyond the walls of this church a world who needs Jesus. I look forward to many more rewarding years and ministry and I can’t wait to see what lessons God will send my way in the years to come. Thanks for being committed to our Lord. Let’s keep our eyes focused on Him, let’s keep our hearts totally surrender, let’s keep our hearts tuned to the ways of God! I love you all!

Reflection on Persecution

Yesterday, my sermon was from Matthew 5: 10-12. Jesus is concluding the section of the Sermon on the Mount known as the beatitudes. This particular passage deals with persecution. I don’t know if I fully understand the ways that I am persecuted in my Christian life. In fact, I don’t think that I have even spent much time thinking about being persecuted. For the most part, my life has been relatively calm and easy going. Raised in a Christian home, I always was involved in church ministry and was very active in all the church had to offer. I was involved in a music ministry called the Continental Singers and had the privilege of leading groups of young people around the world to sing praise the Lord and invite people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. This was a tremendous experience and I would trade any of it….but in these areas of life and ministry I don’t remember feeling persecuted.

I married Leigh Ann in 1989…our family has grown in the years since to include our wonderful boys. We have been in ministry at Pea Ridge Baptist for the past 8 years and I don’t think that I have thought about ways that persecution has come. Sure there have been some difficult situations and times in our family and ministry, but I have not seen them as persecution. When Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy is said, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted“ (2 Timothy 3:12, ESV). Jesus told the disciples just before he was crucified, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 20, ESV). So as I look back over my life, I am wondering if I have experienced persecution and just did not recognized it as persecution or perhaps I have not faced any at all. Either way, I am becoming keenly of whether or not there is persecution in my life.

Perhaps the greatest lesson that has come in this study and reflection on suffering and persecution is simply the truth that how I live my life really does matter. Jesus said it best: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8: 34-35, ESV). God is calling me to abandon my life to follow Him. When I do this…I will walk in the ways of God, not man…I will pursue the goals God places before me and not my own…I will seek to please God with my life and not worry about what people around me are saying. I have to rise above the temptation to “do the right things” so that people will like me and instead “do the right things in God’s eyes.” When that becomes my focus, then there will be resistance and hardship and conflict (persecution). People might wonder way I am doing certain things and acting in certain ways, but it will not matter. My focus and desire must be to please God…to be totally and complete sold out to him in every way! What a difference this will make in my life!

The Bible says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11, ESV). Since suffering and persecution are going to be part our lives, it is comforting to know that we will receive God’s strength and protection as we go. Christ himself will “restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you” in all ways for His glory and His honor. What hope and comfort these words bring to one who are will endure all kinds of suffering for the sake of the gospel!

So my objective in the days to come, live for God…completely, totally and without reserve. Give myself fully to the work of the Lord, knowing that I will receive my strength and comfort from Him and knowing I will be rewarded someday for being faithful! Praise be to God!

Watch the full sermon

Daily Provisions

I am just amazed at the provision of God for my life and my family. Too many times I don't trust in God's provision for my life. I begin to do what so many people do and trust only in themselves and what they are do to provide. I think about what I can do, how I can work and what I can create in the way of provision and they I weary myself in trying to accomplish the tasks of provision. Yes, I do have a responsibility to work and provides, but I also need to have an element of faith in as I look at my life and needs.

God will not place me in a situation without making full provision! Take the Israelites for example. God led them out of Egypt...out of the bondage of slavery and placed them in the wilderness for many years. They learned many lessons in the wilderness for those 40 years...and one was about provision. Exodus 16: 12 says:

"I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'"

God heard their voice and then provided for them. Notice how the provision provided at God's timing and not theirs. It was exactly what they needed for the day and evening. Nothing more and nothing less. In fact, the scripture tells us that if they did take too many, it would spoil and be of no use to them.

What great lessons on provision...God provides exactly what we NEED, not too much and not too little. He provides WHEN we need it, and if we think we need more, there will be consequences...trouble might come if we gather with a sense of hoarding.

I am learning to DAILY rely on God's provision. This is not easy for a type a personality, but I am learning to loosen my grip and trust more in the all powerful, all knowing, all loving God.
And as provision comes, I am going to honor the one who provides. There needs to always be acknowledgment of God's gifts to us. To see these on a daily basis will only increase our ability to trust and know God WILL provide. How much freer life will be as I place my complete trust in the provision of God!

Total Commitment

Yesterday was an amazing day in Ryazan. I was privileged to preach once again at Hope Church to my Russian Church family! They truly have become a family to me. When I come into their worship, I see people I have been acquainted with for nearly ten years...I give and receive hugs from them (a universal symbol of love and acceptance)...I pray with them and we share each others hearts. Yula is a lady in the church. A couple of years ago we were told she was home bound and wanted to have communion, so I traveled to her home with Pastor Pavel and we had communion and prayed for her. It was a great time of fellowship and ministry. Yesterday, I learned that Yula's mother died just recently. I was able a talk with Yula and offer continued comfort and care. This is my family and I love them with all my heart.

The church in Russia has experienced growth in the past years, but they still are faced with many challenges. On Saturday evening I spoke with Pavel and his family about the needs of the church in Russia. They spoke of the need for youth people to connect personally with another person...allow them to see Jesus in their lives. They spoke of the need for commitment to the church and they have a very high expectation of what he means to be a member of the congregation and more important, a high expectation of what it means to be a christian. Yesterday I spoke from Luke 14: 26-27, 33.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple...So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
Luke 14:26-27, 33 (ESV)

I talked about three main points that Jesus made about being a disciple...
Wholehearted Devotion to Jesus (vs. 26), Total Submission to Jesus (vs. 27), and Complete Surrender of Everything (vs. 33). As I was speaking I pondered the difference between the church in Russia and the church in America. One of the most crucial issues in the church (in my understanding) is the need to be completely committed and surrendered to Jesus. One of Pavel's daughters, Alyona said "A christian should not question whether or not they should serve God...it is our responsibility and part of our commitment in being a christian." That was a powerful statement for me to heart. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we are to be completely devoted and surrendered to him. That is what Jesus asks of us in his statements from Luke's gospel.

It is easy to say I am a christian and to come on Sunday's and hear a message from God and then reflect on that all week...It is another thing to come to church and be filled to overflowing and spend the rest of our week "being" the person God calls us to be. Our christian lives need to be defined by our service and giving and very life...not just by our church attendance!

I am constantly challenged by my Russia brothers and sisters in Christ. What privilege to be part of this ministry and to have the opportunity to be part of God's worldwide kingdom!

Faith Giving

What an incredible day in ministry here in Ryazan, Russia! We traveled to two different cities today and met with pastors of churches...Ryazhsk with Pastor Oleg Yeponichnikov and Korablino with Pastor Dima Mikava. Both churches are very active in social ministries such as meeting needs of food and clothing and other practical expressions of love, as well as youth and children's ministry.

The highlight of the day for me was hearing from Pavel Jirov and Dima Mikava sharing the collective vision for the churches of the Ryazan Baptist Union (RBU). Let me give you some details about Ryazan. Ryazan is an called an oblast (equivalent to a state in the US) and is divided into 25 districts (or counties). There are presently 14 churches or small house groups in the RBU that meet in 9 different districts. As the church in the RBU have been coming together and doing ministry and planning as a group, they are laid a vision before the 500 members of these churches to reach the entire region of Ryazan. They are a vision to see a church or small house group in all 25 districts of Ryazan! What an incredible vision the Lord has given to them.

In order to care this out, they knew they would need the help of missionaries from other oblast of Russia or other countries. So they proposed to all the churches of the RBU to pledge faith gifts over and above their regular tithes to the church. In January 2011, they asked every church member who was interested in giving to this special ministry expansion...of the 500 members of the churches of the RBU...380 made a faith pledge in the amount of 880,000 rubles (approximately $29,000)! We were blow away by this amount and so where Pavel and Dima. They are sacrificing so much for the furtherance of the gospel here in Ryazan. Most of the people who are giving don't have much money, but they are committed to helping people in this oblast hear the gospel message. The 880,000 rubles will be enough to invite 4 families to come and begin ministry here in Ryazan. They are so excited to see the work of God among the people of Ryazan and so am I.

As I heard this...my only response was WOW and Praise the Lord! It is such a tremendous testimony of setting a God sized goal and then seeing God meet that goal. I know that they will continue to take the same steps of faith in this area and other areas of ministry.

These verses came to mind as soon as I heard this story today:

We want you to know, brothers,^£ about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ESV)

The people of Ryazan have places their lives first and foremost in the hands of the Lord. They want to see the kingdom of God expand and grow and they are giving sacrificially to make that happen. What a testimony!

I have been reflecting on my own steps of faith for the Lord. It is so easy to life out of my comfort zone and have the nice things I have and rely on my own strength and ability to provide...and I have to ask the question...do I live by faith? Do open up my life to what God is doing around me and see the work of God take place. I want to be a person who walks by faith and not by sight. I want to set God sized goals in my ministry and see God provide and guide and direct. I want to be part of God's work in me, through me and around me.

I guess it begins with my surrendered heart!!! With my willingness to give and live by the provision of God and nothing else. Thank you God for the reminders of how you want me to live for you!

Giving My Life

Today was my first full day in Ryazan, Russia. I am traveling with three other people...David and Jeannie Bess from First Baptist, Nitro and Jon Viller from Philippi Baptist. We are here for one week to do some training and encouragement of pastors in the region. I have been here in Ryazan most every year since 2001. What a joy to be connected to my brothers and sisters in Russia.

Today, we had lunch with Pastor Valery Severin from Novomirchurinsk. This is a small town about one and a half hours south of Ryazan. Pastor Valery has been in Novomirchurinsk for several years and has been working to make good connections with leaders in the community. Doing this gives him much credibility and stability in the work of ministry. I listened to his story of their ministry and marveled at all that they can do with so little resources. He spoke of there needs and wants in the ministry and he also spoke of God's constant provision for their needs. They are trusting God to provide what they need.

As I listened I couldn't help to think that we have the opposite problem in the United States. We tend to lean too much on our resources of money and programs, etc. and get lazy in our approach to ministry. We have to learn to give away and put away what can be a distraction and learn to trust and depend only on God. When you boil to down, we both must trust in God and God only in our ministry.

In the end, we both have the same resources...the Holy Spirit that lives and moves in our lives and our very lives. We are called as believers in Jesus Christ to give our very lives for the gospel. No matter where we live....what language we speak...we are called to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through our lives.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

There is one body and one Spirit—
just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)

I am compelled by our God...encouraged by the example of our brothers in sisters in Ryazan and energized by the presence of the Holy Spirit to continue in giving my life to the Lord's work.
What a joy to serve my God in this world. Thanks for your prayers for our continued safety and fruitful ministry here in Russia.

The Master Plan of Evangelism

I am reading a book entitle The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. This has been a wonderful study of the ministry and evangelism approach of Jesus. One of the ideas that has really stood out to me is the personal investment that Jesus made in the lives of the twelve disciples. He invested a great amount of time with them, being an example to them and instructing them on the ways of the kingdom. He said with conviction and passion, "I am the way, the truth and the life; and no one comes to the Father but through me" (see John 14: 6).

As a pastor, I am constantly looking for ways to better equip the church to do the work of ministry. I am bombarded with so many programs and studies on all topics, including evangelism. Each one promises to help bring people into the kingdom of God. I know that many have proven to be effective in leading people to Christ and for that I am grateful. But the church does not need another program. Jesus, and the disciples after Him, did not have a program…they gave of themselves. They took their experience with Jesus and introduced people to the kingdom of God.

As I have studied the early church in the book of Acts, I have noticed the same thing. They didn’t have a program or tool they used…they were the tool that God used to introduce people to Jesus Christ. And it did not stop with evangelism…it continued in the lives of new believers in Jesus Christ as they began to mature as Christians. Coleman writes:

“There is a lot of talk in the church about evangelism and Christian nurture, but little concern for personal association when it becomes evident that such work involves the sacrifice of personal indulgence. Of course most churches insist on bringing new members through some kind of a confirmation class which usually meets an hour a week for a month or so. But the rest of the time the young convert has no contact with a definite Christian training program, except as he or she may attend the worship services of the church and the Sunday school. Unless new Christians, if indeed they are saved, have parents or friends who will fill the gap in a real way, they are left entirely on their own to find the solutions to innumerable practical problems confronting their lives, any one of which could mean disaster to their new faith. “

The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman

I have really been convicted by this simple understanding. I don’t need anything new…I don’t need a program…I just need to make myself available to share my story, my testimony, my experience in Christ with those around me. Beyond introducing them to Christ, I must help them to grow in Christ. I must be intentional in how I disciple people.

I don’t know about you, but I am at a point in my life where I want to do the important things for the Lord. I don’t want to waste any more time…I want to pour my life into my family and others around me to make an impact on the Kingdom of God.

Living in Faithfulness

I have been thinking quite a bit about what a mature disciple looks like. How do we know we are doing the right things in “making disciples”? How can we measure growth in the lives of disciples? I believe it is sometimes difficult to measure objective growth when we consider discipleship. Sure, we can look at church attendance and participation in a GROW Group as markers that we are making disciples. We can see that people are reading their Bibles and praying and even serving in some capacity, but I believe it goes much deeper than just attending church functions and doing the right things.

As I reflect on measuring discipleship, one of the markers I think is measurable is faithfulness. In other words, we could say, “A disciple is faithful.” How is the knowledge gained from study and worship and prayer evident in a person’s life? The apostle Paul wrote: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,” (1 Timothy 1:12, ESV). God is looking for faithful men and women. I don’t think that faithfulness is about attending and doing…I believe faithfulness is about being the person God calls us to be. It is not just in being present at church events; it is about being in a living, dynamic relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Faithfulness is demonstrated in faithful service, in selflessly loving and in complete surrender to God’s will. In Galatians, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit as, “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV). Faithfulness is manifest in our lives through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be faithful, just as the scriptures tell us of His faithfulness… “...for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV).

Faithfulness will cause changes in our relationship with God and with others. It will spur us on to do great things for the Lord. F.B. Meyer, a Baptist pastor and contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody said, “Don’t waste your time waiting and longing for large opportunities which may never come. But faithfully handle the little things that are always claiming your attention“. Being the person God wants you to be will require faithfulness to the details of your relationship with God and will be manifest in your faithful service to the Lord.

This is our goal as a disciple…to be faithful to God’s call and to wait with anticipation for the day when we will hear from our savior… “Well done good and faithful servant.” (see Matthew 25: 21).

God's Word for Me

S. "My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh." Proverbs 4: 20-22, ESV

O. It is my prayer that I will always be attentive to God's voice around me. My desire is to know him completely in my life and that requires that I listen and pay attention to what he is saying to me. A major part of that comes through the reading of God's Word and the truth found within His word. A few years ago, I didn't read the Bible much for my own personal growth and spiritual growth and maturity. I would study the Bible, I would read for sermons or Bible studies...I would spend a good amount of time in the Word, but it was only to give to other people. I was not taking it in for myself. I was challenged by another Pastor to change this seemingly good, but destructive pattern in my life. I was encouraged to read the Bible for me...to allow the truth of God's word to flow over me and mold me into the man that God has intended to be. I began a journey that is still going strong today...a pattern to reading for my own spiritual encounter with God has emerged in my daily routine that I really enjoy and desire like never before.
What I have found is exactly what the write of Proverbs stated...As I keep the Word of God...the truth of God within my heart, it gives me life and a fresh sense of God's holy, healing presence can be found in this place. God's Word is alive and active...there is a great mystery in this faith journey in God's Word...it is living in me and leading me in God's ways each an every day.

A. The application is simple for me today...to encounter God's Word on a personal level each day and to allow God's Word to mold me and shape me into God's desire for my life.

P. Lord, I thank you for your Word and for the live-changing, live-giving power of your Word. I open my life to receive your truth! Amen.

Victorious

S. "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." Psalms 3:3 (ESV)

O. This verse is so comforting to me. To know that I have a God who is a shield, defending and protecting me from the flaming arrows that this world will throw toward me is simply amazing. The entire verse points to being victorious in the Lord...we are protected, we have glory and our heads are lifted up as proud and confident warriors. I am so honored to be counted as one of God's own!

A. I am planning to live today in the victory that is mine in Jesus Christ!

P. Lord, thanks for your awesome presence in my life. I offer my live in the service of your kingdom today. Amen.

Seeking After God

S. My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. (Proverbs 2: 1-8, ESV)

O. Here is the bottom line for me today from these words from God. I MUST be a follower...I MUST seek after God with all my heart...I MUST never be content in my spiritual state and in my level of understanding...I MUST continually seek a relationship with my God. There should never had a time in my life where I am content in my understanding of God and God's plan for my life. There will always be room to grow in my faith. Like anything else in my life, If I want to grow and move forward, I have to work at it. This has been so true in my running. I have had to make this a priority in my life...getting up early to run or go to the gym...making it part of my normal routine. The same is true for my spiritual growth. I must make it a part of my normal routine each day...If I want to grow, and I do, then seeking after God will be a major priority.

A. I know that there is so much more that I need to understand about God. I know that I have not reached a point in my Christian life where I know everything there is to know about my relationship with God. So, I must make my time in the Word of God and my availability in prayer a major priority in life. I will devote myself in the days ahead to being a student of God's Word...seeking knowledge and understanding from reading my Bible and through times of prayer with my God.

P. Lord, I seek after your face and I seek an understanding of your will for my life. Give me spiritual insight that I might be more like you. I offer my life to You today and everyday, that I might be more like you. Amen.