All of us want to be accepted by others. To be wanted, desired, and let in to the group is so important to all of us. Who hasn’t experienced or at least feared the experience of being the last kid picked for the playground kickball game when teams are chosen? We want to be accepted!
But, with all of our “stuff” and “junk,” how could we hope to be accepted by a Holy and perfect God? Doesn’t seem possible does it? Yet Paul said to the church at Ephesus that we have been accepted, but that acceptance comes as a result of our relationship with Christ. We are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). We are not left to wonder what that means. Jesus, when emerging from the baptismal waters of the Jordan, heard the Father’s affirming voice: “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
As we place our trust in Christ as Savior, Sacrifice, and Lord, His status before the Father becomes ours and we become the accepted, the heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ, and the recipients of God’s lavish love that grants us the privilege of being called His children.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
What Kind of Leaders are We to Be?
Leadership in society today is severely lacking both in the secular world and in the church. Strong, capable, and godly leaders are difficult to secure, and yet lining bookshelves in almost every bookstore are quick-fix answers to developing strong and successful leadership techniques and leadership skill-honing exercises are being piped in through internet webinars at a frightening rate. Still, the vacuum for leadership grows.
There is no place where this leadership vacuum is more prevalent than in the church. Too often, at the risk of appearing too “unspiritual” or “too rigid,” Christian leaders hide in the safety of claiming to act only when prompted by some mysterious spiritual feeling. Or, in reaction to this subjective and shallow approach, many are trying to adapt all the principles of the secular world into their leadership practices and people are being treated as numbers, commodities, or expendable resources. Both extremes have led to the spiritual impotency being experienced by many churches.
Israel bartered their spiritual birthright for the benefit of contemporary secular thinking when they demanded that they be like other nations and be given a King. God granted them a perfect specimen of a worldly leader: handsome, physically impressive, yet incredibly arrogant and insecure. His leadership was a miserable failure.
Then God chose David, a man after His own heart, a leader who led with the “integrity of his heart” and guided with the “skill of his hands” (Psalm 78:72). David was a godly leader, with great skill and a passion for excellence, but above all, his heart was after God! This is the kind of leader we must become. “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Let us be certain our hearts are completely His and then call upon Him for strength, guidance, wisdom, and the carrying out of excellence in our leadership.
There is no place where this leadership vacuum is more prevalent than in the church. Too often, at the risk of appearing too “unspiritual” or “too rigid,” Christian leaders hide in the safety of claiming to act only when prompted by some mysterious spiritual feeling. Or, in reaction to this subjective and shallow approach, many are trying to adapt all the principles of the secular world into their leadership practices and people are being treated as numbers, commodities, or expendable resources. Both extremes have led to the spiritual impotency being experienced by many churches.
Israel bartered their spiritual birthright for the benefit of contemporary secular thinking when they demanded that they be like other nations and be given a King. God granted them a perfect specimen of a worldly leader: handsome, physically impressive, yet incredibly arrogant and insecure. His leadership was a miserable failure.
Then God chose David, a man after His own heart, a leader who led with the “integrity of his heart” and guided with the “skill of his hands” (Psalm 78:72). David was a godly leader, with great skill and a passion for excellence, but above all, his heart was after God! This is the kind of leader we must become. “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Let us be certain our hearts are completely His and then call upon Him for strength, guidance, wisdom, and the carrying out of excellence in our leadership.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Glorifying the Father
Just hours before His death, Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “I have glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do” (John 17:5). Paul exhorted the Philippians to have the “mind of Christ.” To glorify the Father by accomplishing the work that He has called US to do should be our highest aim. What does this aim imply?
We are called to accomplish what He has called us to do. We are not called to do everything, and certainly not what He has given someone else to do. We do not glorify the Father when we try to do someone else’s work or become pre-occupied by their methods, successes, or failures. Only when we accomplish what He has asked US to do does He receive the glory.
We can accomplish what He has called us to do only when that call becomes the passion of our life. In John 4, Jesus said doing the Father’s will was His meat or His food and in John 9, He noted “I must work the works of Him that sent me.” If we can do anything other than the Father’s will, it is not our passion and the Father will not be glorified.
In order for our lives to bring the Father glory we must recognize our utter dependence upon Him. As long as we are doing things in our own power, we will do things that men and women can accomplish and those human accomplishments will be noted and honored as such. Jesus said “I can do nothing on my own initiative” (John 5:30). He made known His dependence upon the Father so that what was accomplished was clearly a work of the Father and He was glorified.
The Father is glorified when HIS CALL trumps OUR WILL. Never was this reality more clear than in the hours preceding Jesus’ death. “Now is my soul troubled,” He said, “but what shall I say Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I into this hour, Father Glorify thy Name!” The Father responded, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again” (John 12:27, 28). The ultimate response of relinquishing His will was witnessed in Gethsemane when while sweating great drops of blood He prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” On the cross the Father’s justice was vindicated and His love fully demonstrated, the plan of Jesus was accomplished. The Father was glorified.
There will be struggle in carrying out the Father’s assigned work. Jesus struggled, but fixed His eyes on the “joy set before Him” and was thereby able to “endure the cross”, the Father’s purposed plan. And, we too, may accomplish our call and glorify the Father if we will look away from the odds stacked against us, refuse to listen to the enemies taunts, refuse to busy ourselves with the calls, tactics, or methods of others, and set our eyes on the joy of accomplishing His call in our lives, glorifying the Father and hearing Him say, “Well Done.”
We are called to accomplish what He has called us to do. We are not called to do everything, and certainly not what He has given someone else to do. We do not glorify the Father when we try to do someone else’s work or become pre-occupied by their methods, successes, or failures. Only when we accomplish what He has asked US to do does He receive the glory.
We can accomplish what He has called us to do only when that call becomes the passion of our life. In John 4, Jesus said doing the Father’s will was His meat or His food and in John 9, He noted “I must work the works of Him that sent me.” If we can do anything other than the Father’s will, it is not our passion and the Father will not be glorified.
In order for our lives to bring the Father glory we must recognize our utter dependence upon Him. As long as we are doing things in our own power, we will do things that men and women can accomplish and those human accomplishments will be noted and honored as such. Jesus said “I can do nothing on my own initiative” (John 5:30). He made known His dependence upon the Father so that what was accomplished was clearly a work of the Father and He was glorified.
The Father is glorified when HIS CALL trumps OUR WILL. Never was this reality more clear than in the hours preceding Jesus’ death. “Now is my soul troubled,” He said, “but what shall I say Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I into this hour, Father Glorify thy Name!” The Father responded, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again” (John 12:27, 28). The ultimate response of relinquishing His will was witnessed in Gethsemane when while sweating great drops of blood He prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” On the cross the Father’s justice was vindicated and His love fully demonstrated, the plan of Jesus was accomplished. The Father was glorified.
There will be struggle in carrying out the Father’s assigned work. Jesus struggled, but fixed His eyes on the “joy set before Him” and was thereby able to “endure the cross”, the Father’s purposed plan. And, we too, may accomplish our call and glorify the Father if we will look away from the odds stacked against us, refuse to listen to the enemies taunts, refuse to busy ourselves with the calls, tactics, or methods of others, and set our eyes on the joy of accomplishing His call in our lives, glorifying the Father and hearing Him say, “Well Done.”
Monday, February 8, 2010
Not by Might
How well I remember as a child, standing on the last verse and chorus of the old camp-meeting song, “Not by Might,” during the Sunday night service. The song leader would call us to our feet and upon finishing the last verse we would close our hymnals (Melodies of Praise; then) and clap as we sang:
Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
This mountain shall be removed! This mountain shall be removed!
This mountain shall be removed! By My Spirit saith the Lord!
It was a fun song in the early 1970’s and especially enjoyable with 300 voices lifted to the top of their range, bellowing out triumphantly, “this mountain shall be removed!” But honestly, what mountains did I as a nine or ten year old have? What did I know about my need for the Holy Spirit, for His Divine enabling? The biggest mountain I had was the stress of learning spelling bee words or getting enough tips on my paper route to buy french fries at Burger King or the weather report that promised rain that threatened to wash out tomorrow’s little league game. Not exactly big mountains! But something as a child was being imparted into my spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit could bring down big mountains in my way!
Today I know what mountains are! A parishioner racked with a terminal illness, a hopeless man who has tried repeatedly to gain victory but cannot, a job lost, a marriage breaking, a sleepless night that turns into days and weeks, a sense of fear or dread, or the pain of a parent whose wayward child appears to be lost forever. These are real mountains! As Tozer wrote, “Is it not now plain that the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God, far from being an optional luxury in our Christian lives, is a necessity?” How thankful I am for a heritage that has taught me, even when my mountains were in reality molehills, that by the power of God’s Spirit, my mountain can be removed!
Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
This mountain shall be removed! This mountain shall be removed!
This mountain shall be removed! By My Spirit saith the Lord!
It was a fun song in the early 1970’s and especially enjoyable with 300 voices lifted to the top of their range, bellowing out triumphantly, “this mountain shall be removed!” But honestly, what mountains did I as a nine or ten year old have? What did I know about my need for the Holy Spirit, for His Divine enabling? The biggest mountain I had was the stress of learning spelling bee words or getting enough tips on my paper route to buy french fries at Burger King or the weather report that promised rain that threatened to wash out tomorrow’s little league game. Not exactly big mountains! But something as a child was being imparted into my spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit could bring down big mountains in my way!
Today I know what mountains are! A parishioner racked with a terminal illness, a hopeless man who has tried repeatedly to gain victory but cannot, a job lost, a marriage breaking, a sleepless night that turns into days and weeks, a sense of fear or dread, or the pain of a parent whose wayward child appears to be lost forever. These are real mountains! As Tozer wrote, “Is it not now plain that the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God, far from being an optional luxury in our Christian lives, is a necessity?” How thankful I am for a heritage that has taught me, even when my mountains were in reality molehills, that by the power of God’s Spirit, my mountain can be removed!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Fear of the Lord
As I ponder what we do today under the guise of worship, I can’t help but confess that we are sorely and woefully falling short of being the kind of worshippers that Jesus said the Father is seeking. Those who call themselves “seasoned” or “mature” Christians seem to be incapable of worship without just the right atmosphere being set for them. The temperature must be perfect, the lights just right, and the music at a professional high level and of the tempo, volume, and genre most preferred by the “world of worship” must be prevalent. Even then the emotions must be just right, the mood socially unencumbered, and the attitude be set toward spiritual experience. Then, with all in place and the ambiance skillfully prepared, worship may occur. Can this really be what Jesus meant that the Father seeks?
It seems what is sadly missing from what we call worship today is the fear of God. That state of being astonished at the inconceivable elevation, magnitude, and splendor of Almighty God! Tozer once mused that “the last thing God desires is to have shallow-minded and worldly Christians bragging about Him.” Too few know of, consider, ponder, or reflect upon the greatness of God and because of that, our worship is shallow, impotent, and requires human design to produce even a cheap substitute for genuine worship. At issue is the fact that Christians today do not think great thoughts of God. They have lost what the Psalmist said was the blessing of all wisdom-the fear of God (Psalm 111:10).
Jesus said if we lack wisdom, we can ask God to give it to us and He will gladly oblige (James 1:5). May this be the prayer of every sincere believer: “God grant us wisdom that begins with a fresh awakening to Your awesome and holy majesty, a reverent fear in Your presence so that enraptured in our great thoughts of You, we may worship acceptably.”
It seems what is sadly missing from what we call worship today is the fear of God. That state of being astonished at the inconceivable elevation, magnitude, and splendor of Almighty God! Tozer once mused that “the last thing God desires is to have shallow-minded and worldly Christians bragging about Him.” Too few know of, consider, ponder, or reflect upon the greatness of God and because of that, our worship is shallow, impotent, and requires human design to produce even a cheap substitute for genuine worship. At issue is the fact that Christians today do not think great thoughts of God. They have lost what the Psalmist said was the blessing of all wisdom-the fear of God (Psalm 111:10).
Jesus said if we lack wisdom, we can ask God to give it to us and He will gladly oblige (James 1:5). May this be the prayer of every sincere believer: “God grant us wisdom that begins with a fresh awakening to Your awesome and holy majesty, a reverent fear in Your presence so that enraptured in our great thoughts of You, we may worship acceptably.”
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Priorities
There are times, such as this morning, when I ask myself some penetrating and at times, troubling questions. One such question is “do our priorities as a church match God’s priorities for us, either corporately or individually?”
First, we must identify God’s priorities for His people. What is His chief aim for us? The authors of the Westminster Confession, noting the revelation of John as their inspiration, said that man’s chief aim is to worship God and enjoy Him forever. Is worship the highest priority after which we seek? It seems to be the priority of God for in the words of Jesus, “the Father seeketh such to worship Him, those who worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
Is worship our highest priority? Are we seeking to develop worshippers? Are we ourselves authentic worshippers? One could easily argue that the church seeks talent, growth, and excellence. No one would deny that the church seeks spiritual demonstration, gift manifestation, and unity amidst diversity. Clearly the church seeks cultural creativity, social appeal, and generational relevance. But do any of these rise to the place of being called a Divine Priority?
The Father is seeking worshippers! Are we? Paul said that true worship entailed the giving of our whole selves to Him as a sacrifice and Abraham said that the laying down of Isaac was an act of genuine worship. Worship is not about creating a feeling that stirs our emotions to clap or lift our hands, shout, dance, or express our spirituality in ways that ensure that we are seen by others. Rather, worship occurs when we become profoundly aware of God’s perfect holiness, majesty, and power and at the same time cognizant of our weak, frail, and carnal selves. With both pictures before us, we humbly recognize that to have an audience with God at all, should evoke from us a complete surrender and willingness to lay our Isaacs, our desires, and ambitions, our entire selves at His wounded feet and without hesitation declare, Thou are worthy! Worshippers are the priority of the Father. Are we seeking worshippers and longing ourselves to become what the Father seeks?
First, we must identify God’s priorities for His people. What is His chief aim for us? The authors of the Westminster Confession, noting the revelation of John as their inspiration, said that man’s chief aim is to worship God and enjoy Him forever. Is worship the highest priority after which we seek? It seems to be the priority of God for in the words of Jesus, “the Father seeketh such to worship Him, those who worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
Is worship our highest priority? Are we seeking to develop worshippers? Are we ourselves authentic worshippers? One could easily argue that the church seeks talent, growth, and excellence. No one would deny that the church seeks spiritual demonstration, gift manifestation, and unity amidst diversity. Clearly the church seeks cultural creativity, social appeal, and generational relevance. But do any of these rise to the place of being called a Divine Priority?
The Father is seeking worshippers! Are we? Paul said that true worship entailed the giving of our whole selves to Him as a sacrifice and Abraham said that the laying down of Isaac was an act of genuine worship. Worship is not about creating a feeling that stirs our emotions to clap or lift our hands, shout, dance, or express our spirituality in ways that ensure that we are seen by others. Rather, worship occurs when we become profoundly aware of God’s perfect holiness, majesty, and power and at the same time cognizant of our weak, frail, and carnal selves. With both pictures before us, we humbly recognize that to have an audience with God at all, should evoke from us a complete surrender and willingness to lay our Isaacs, our desires, and ambitions, our entire selves at His wounded feet and without hesitation declare, Thou are worthy! Worshippers are the priority of the Father. Are we seeking worshippers and longing ourselves to become what the Father seeks?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Paul penned these very simple words to the believers in Rome, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). These words, as simple as they may seem, carry profound truth and lay out a very basic yet difficult principle to follow, renew powerful potential within the body of Christ, and offer a marvelous privilege.
The principle is clear: If you can keep peace, then you should do it. Clearly there are cases where it is not possible or in which to do so would be to compromise or even sin. Peace is not in these cases the highest aim. But in the majority of cases it is possible and we are to keep peace. If it means saying we’re sorry or giving up our rights, we should do so.
The potential is even greater! Imagine what the church would look like and what great things for God might be accomplished if this principle were heeded: Churches would not split, relationships would not break, influence and testimony would not be lost; the potential is immeasurable.
Finally, obedience to this command carries a great privilege, for Jesus said the peacemakers “shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), a status that according to John is a mark of God’s lavish love (1 John 3:1-3). Let us strive to keep peace, see the church become what God intended, and walk in the lavish love of God who has called us His own.
The principle is clear: If you can keep peace, then you should do it. Clearly there are cases where it is not possible or in which to do so would be to compromise or even sin. Peace is not in these cases the highest aim. But in the majority of cases it is possible and we are to keep peace. If it means saying we’re sorry or giving up our rights, we should do so.
The potential is even greater! Imagine what the church would look like and what great things for God might be accomplished if this principle were heeded: Churches would not split, relationships would not break, influence and testimony would not be lost; the potential is immeasurable.
Finally, obedience to this command carries a great privilege, for Jesus said the peacemakers “shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), a status that according to John is a mark of God’s lavish love (1 John 3:1-3). Let us strive to keep peace, see the church become what God intended, and walk in the lavish love of God who has called us His own.
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