On fire or burning out? (Col. 1:28-29)

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (Col. 1:25-29).

I'm sure that many of us have heard of the alarming statistic of the number of Pastor's (1600) that are leaving the ministry every month. Well, recently I read about another alarming statistic that stated:

"90% of the people entering ministry DO NOT RETIRE from ministry, they either quit or have some sort of moral/ethical failure that disqualifies them."

What's the reason for why so many ministers are falling out of the ministry? Some studies have shown that one on the leading causes for this is burn out. What does it mean to be burned out? As I was preparing for this message I came across this definition:

"Burnout is a state of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional exhaustion caused by extended and
intense levels of stress, causing the body to over-produce adrenaline. It leads to the questioning of one's abilities and/or the value of one's work."

In the Old Testament Elijah is a perfect example of someone who experienced burnout. Elijah was a prophet who was mightily used of God. Yet later in his life this mighty prophet is sitting under a juniper tree in the in the middle of no where having a pity party and experiencing burnout.

As I mentioned already, burnout can occur in the physical, emotional, and spiritual areas of life.  Sometimes it affects one or two of these areas, but it can also hit all three at the same time.  This is what happen to Elijah with almost fatal results. He was physically spent from running approximately 25 miles from Mount Carmel to Jezreel ahead of King Ahab's chariots (I Kings 18:46). He was emotionally drained as evidenced by his wish to die. He prayed, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” (I Kings 19:4). And finally he was spiritually disillusioned, which was shown by his words, “I, even I only, am left” (I Kings 19:10).

Now, burnout doesn't just happen to people involved in ministry. It can happen to anyone (a stay at home mom, a business man, a single mother) anyone who may be burning the candle at both ends.
Some of the great dangers of burnout, are that you may feel depressed, a loss of motivation, and a lack of purpose. But also that these feelings can lead to destructive ways of coping with them, like withdrawal, overeating, alcohol, sexual sins, and worse case scenario, even suicide.  I have no doubt, that when it comes to the matter of burnout, many of you have been there, are on your way there or are there now. Therefore, I wants us to see in the life of Paul how, in spite of many dangers, toils and snares because of his ministry, he remained fired up and did not burnout.

There are many things that can cause burnout and it would be impossible to mention them all? In this message, I want us to examine some primary causes, especially as it relates to ministry.

1. The purpose of Paul’s ministry:

To begin with I want us to see the purpose of Paul's ministry. In our text, notice that Paul talks about his God given ministry: To present everyone mature in Christ (V.28). What was the goal of his ministry? Before we answer that question, let me address an issue concerning the plans and purposes of God.  Many often want to know, “God, what is your plan for my life?” But, as one Pastor put it, a better question may be:

"'God, what is your plan and how does my life fit into it?'
God’s plan isn’t first and foremost about us.
His plan for us isn’t about us either.
It’s not about our lives.
It’s not about our careers.
It’s not about our future spouse.
It’s not about our anything.
It’s about His Purpose, His Kingdom, His Glory, His Plan.
And then about how our lives...
Our careers...
Our future spouse...
Our everything...
Fit into it."'

We need to start asking the right question. And then God will begin to first show us through His word what His Kingdom agenda is all about.  And secondly, about how a career, future spouse, and
everything else fit into it. Too often people want God to direct their ways, as in direct their ways in buying house, a career choice, or some other pursuit, but it has very little or nothing to do with how that all fits into his kingdom agenda.

Now, what was the purpose of God that Paul was to fulfill? What was the goal of his ministry? Notice that Paul clearly defined it when he wrote in verse 28: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” What does it mean to present everyone mature in Christ? To make disciples (fully devoted follower of Christ) that make disciples. Keep in mind that spiritual maturity, which is what we should all be aiming for, not only has to do with our sanctification, but our service. It not only has to do with developing a christ-like character, but also making a christlike contribution to the cause of Christ. And not only within, but beyond the walls of our church. This is what Paul was living for. He wasn’t trying to get God to fulfill his agenda. He was living for God’s agenda, namely to present everyone, starting with himself, mature is Christ.

Paul, in spite of all that he suffered in the ministry could say, "I rejoice in my suffering (Col. 1:25). How was this possible? How could he go through all that he went through, shipwrecks, beatings and imprisonments and not only keep from burning out, but remain fire up for the cause of Christ? No doubt it was the grace of God in his life, which we will look at more later. But also the fact that he didn't lose sight of the purpose and main goal of ministry, namely making disciples that will spread the fame of Jesus to all nations.

Now, making disciples is not the job of the Pastor only. In one way or another all believers are to be a part of making disciples of all nations. We all should not only be growing in Christ, but we should all be contributing to the mission of Christ to the world. But sadly, as one Pastor writes in an article on the mission of the church:

"For many, especially in the American church, this isn't an easy pill to swallow. The church has become a consumer good--something people shop for and evaluate based on what they and their family will get out of it. In well-intentioned efforts to attract and reach people, churches start viewing people as the customers. We wonder what we can teach that will resonate with them. What programs can we offer to keep them coming back? How can we keep their time, attention and resources here instead of being directed toward other, less-significant pursuits? Instead of serving the world, we begin serving the people we want to keep coming through our doors week after. How can we devote time reaching people outside our church when it takes so much to serve the needs of
the people inside of the building? To best serve the people of our church, we must lead them to serve
the people outside the church. We stop programming their needs and invite them to serve the world with us. It means leading them from a mindset of receiving to one of giving. Instead of ,"what can I get?" the question becomes, "what can I give."

When we lose sight of our responsibility as follower of Christ to bring others to maturity and ministry, and instead feed the consumer mentality, we will give out, burn out, and fall out.

2. The passion of Paul’s ministry:

Notice now not only the purpose of Paul's ministry, but the passion. How do we know that Paul was passionate about the ministry? This passion that Paul had for the ministry, the intensity that he had, and the devotion that he had is expressed in his letters to the churches in many ways. For example, Paul said in our text concerning his ministry: "For this I toil, struggling..." Paul gave his all for the ministry God had called him to. His passion is seen not only in how he gave his all to reach the gentiles for Christ, But in how in Romans 9 he writes about being in continual anguish for the lost condition of the Jewish people, who were his enemies. We see this passion for the lost also in Romans 10:1, where Paul wrote: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1 ESV).

Paul was fired up about leading people to Christ and helping them to grow into maturity and ministry. What are you passionate about? We give are all to the things that we are most passionate about. But when we lose our passion or have very little or no passion for what we are doing, especially when it comes to ministry, we are more likely to burnout.

Now, more importantly, where did Paul get this passion, this intense desire to see people saved and growing in Christ?  The answer is found in Paul’s statement: “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14). It was the love and grace of God—his identity in Christ that was fueling his passion for the ministry.  The more we know the love and the grace that God has for us in Christ, the more passionate we will be about expressing His love to the world. If we are going to be like Christ and have his heart for the world, we must spend much time with Christ in His word and in prayer. More often than not, what causes Christians to lose their passion, which can lead to sinful compromises and spiritual burnout, is neglecting the care for their own spiritual, emotional and physical lives.

3. The power of Paul’s ministry:

Lastly, notice not only the purpose and passion of Paul’s ministry, but the power.
Paul wrote:

“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29).

Notice that Paul gave his all, he toiled, he struggled, but he did so in the energy of the Holy Spirit, which was the power that was at work within him. Let me ask you: “Can we do ministry in the energy of the flesh?” The answer is yes.  And when we do, the consequences will not only be spiritual barrenness, but we will be endanger of burning out. In a well known passage in Isaiah 40, Isaiah writes about how we are to avail ourselves of God's strength to keep from burning out:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).    

How do we keep from burning out—becoming so weary that we want to throw in the towel? “They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”  When was the last time you waited on the Lord—you wrestled in prayer like Jacob saying: “Lord, I will not let you go until you bless me. I can’t do it without you Lord. I need your grace—I need your strength and power?”  This is what the early church did during times of persecutions—they waited on the Lord and as a result the bible says:

“And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).

Keep in mind that the great grace that was upon Paul as he toiled and struggled was first and foremost about fulfilling the purposes of God. This is important to remember because, although God’s grace can enable us to do what we would be unable to do in our own strength, this doesn’t mean that we must do it all. Paul wrote:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” (2 Cor. 9:8).

God’s grace is sufficient for every good work, but that doesn’t mean that God wants us to do everything. God’s grace will enable us to do what he wants us to do. Burnout can happen, not because God’s grace is not sufficient for every good work, but because we may be doing more than what God is calling us to do.

Pastors need to constantly watch that they are laboring and toiling for the right things. Sometimes they can wear so many different hats that they miss the main goal of ministry, namely to make disciples, as we devote our lives to the priority of prayer and the ministering of word (Acts 6:4).

There was a time when I was Pastoring Light House Baptist Church that I was the Sunday School teacher, the preacher, the song leader, the secretary, (I actually made the bulletins), the visitation leader, the trustee, (the church building was my house) and I wasn’t getting a salary. You know what will help keep a Pastor from burning out? A congregation that recognizes that it’s every ones responsibility to make disciples…a congregation that protects the Pastor and helps him to keep the main thing the main thing.

A Pastor should not want his congregations to be spiritually dependent upon him. Yes, they are to feed the flock, but his feeding, and teaching and admonishing should be leading his flock to learn to feed themselves and others. In addition, it’s important to note here that although Paul depended of the supernatural to accomplish God’s work, he gave his all, he toiled, and he struggled. In other words, our understanding of our need for the power of God should not be an excuse for a lack of preparation—for not giving our best in whatever God has called us to do.

Are you fired up about the cause of Christ, or are you burned out? Paul was fired up because he was living for God’s purpose, with passion and power from above. Remember that God’s purpose is not first about our lives, and our careers, and what we desire. It’s all about his kingdom, His cause and His glory. So rather than asking: “God, what’s your plan for my life? Ask and pray: “God, what is your plan and how does my life fit into it? I’m willing to make any adjustment to fit into you plan and do my part for the cause of Christ." I looked to you Lord and trust you to give me the strength to keep on keeping on for Jesus sake. Amen!    

The miracle of multiplication

There’s an old hymn that says, "Little is much when God is in it." Do you believe this to be true? I’m counting on it. If you do believe it to be true the next question is, “have you acted on that belief?” I have found that many Christians struggle to believe that God could ever use them in any significant way? They feel that there's very little or nothing that God can use in their lives to further his kingdom. But the truth is that we can be too big for God to use, but we can never be too little for God to use. Little is much when God is in it.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we find a poor widow who found herself in a desperate situation. Although she had nothing, but a little oil, God used it and multiplied it to meet her needs and the needs of her family. From her life we can glean seven principles for how God can use what we have, no matter how little it may seem, and multiply it for kingdom impact.  

Principle # 1: A crying out to God in times of great spiritual need always precedes an outpouring of the multiplying power of God.

Notice that the widow woman reached out to Elisha when she found herself in dire need. "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen" (2 Kings 4:1).   

As is has been well reported, Christianity has been spreading in China in spite of years of persecution and poverty?  According to the World Christian Database, of Gordon Cromwell Theological Seminary, there were about one million Christians in China in 1970, which was a sharp decline from earlier in the twentieth century because of Communist repression. But there about 120 million today, with some 70 million in unregistered churches. If this estimate is correct, it would constitute one of the most spectacular explosions of Christianity in religious history.

Why has Christianity been multiplying in China in spite of a lack of the freedoms that we enjoy in America and many years of persecution? For the same reason that Christianity spread from the very beginning: Persecution drove believers to cry out to God in dependence on His miraculously power to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 4, for example, the early church gathered together to cry out to God when being threaten by the religious leaders of their day for preaching Jesus. Afterwards we read, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. ³² And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:31-33).

The history of the Christian church reveals that the greatest threat to the spread of the gospel has not always been times of persecution, but times of prosperity. In times of prosperity the danger has been for Christians to become self-centered, self-satisfied and dependent on worldly comforts. Consequently there is a very little sense of the gravity of sin and the greatest need of the world, namely, the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And the end result is that the gospel ceases to spread.      

O, but in contrast, what has always preceded the multiplying effects of the gospel is when Christians, with an increase sense of the eternal consequences of sin, cry out to God for power to spread the hope of Christ.  

Principle # 2: God will not multiply in our lives what doesn't take any faith on our part to accomplish.

 Notice that not only did the poor widow cry out to the man of God for help, but she responded in faith to his unusual request.

 “And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.” 

Notice that after the widow cries out to Elisha for help, he asked her, “What hast thou in the house” (2 Kings 4:2-5).  She probably was not expecting that response from Elisha. Some might have responded, “Are you kidding me?  My husband is dead, I’m broke, and the creditors are coming to take my sons as payment, and you’re asking me, what I have in my house?”  Now that’s not what she said, but the sentiment is similar. What she said was, “I don’t have anything in my house except a pot of oil.” You know she could have been very protective of that oil since it was all she had. But instead, she takes the oil and does what Elisha told her to do with it, namely to pour it in others vessels that she was to borrow from her neighbors. What Elisha was asking her to do didn’t make a lot of sense, but by faith she did what he asked.  

If you’re saved and seeking to live for God’s kingdom, He is going to ask you to do something that requires that you trust him for the outcome. God wants to use us to build his kingdom in ways that our beyond are human capabilities, and capacities.  But in order to do so, he going to ask us to get out of our comfort zone and trust him to do in us and through what we could not do in our own strength. And until we are willing to do what will require trusting the Lord for the outcome, we will not see the multiplying power of God—we will not see God using us in ways that our beyond our ability.  What are you doing for God that requires that you take a risk...that requires that you trust Him for the results?

Principle # 3: God has a history of using the little that someone has that seems to amount to nothing in order to do great things that only he can do.    

Remember that all that this widow had was a little oil. Yet God wanted to use the little oil that she had and multiply it to meet her needs and the needs of her family. But when Elisha asked her what she had in her house, she responded: “I don't have anything except a pot of oil.” Notice that initially the widow’s main focused was on what she didn't have. But, as one Pastor put it, “Elisha was interested in her exception…And it was her exception that became the vessel for an exceptional miracle.”  

Sometimes what keeps some Christians from being used of God in exceptional ways is that we think we don't have enough for God to work with.  Maybe we feel we don't have enough training, enough resources, or eloquence to be effective at doing something for God. Or maybe we feel that our past failures disqualify us from ever being used of God to build his kingdom.  But what we fail to realize is that God specializes in using the little that we have, what we think is not enough and multiplying it for kingdom impact. Often what make us believe we don't have enough talent, enough time or enough resources is that we compare ourselves with others.  And when we compare ourselves with others who appear to have more than we have—who are more gifted than we are, we will feel that we don’t have much to offer. But God is not asking us to give what we don’t have. He's asking us to be willing to give what we do have, regardless of how little that may seem, and trust him to do with it what only he can.

Principle # 4: The multiplying flow of God's power is unleashed as we obey Him.

Notice that the little oil that the widow had did not begin to multiply until she did with it what the man of God told her to do. After Elisha told her what to do we read: "So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out" (2 Kings 4:5).

Sometimes the reason why Christians are not being used of God to build up his kingdom is that they want to “feel” God's power before they do what God is commanding them to do. Once again it wasn't until the widow obeyed what the man of God told her to do that oil began to flow. And it wasn't just oil that was flowing; it was the power of God being unleashed that filled those vessels with oil, which by the way is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

Whether it’s witnessing, serving in a ministry, or giving to missions, don't wait until, you feel God has blessed you with an abundance, don't wait until you feel the    power. Obey God first and trust him to make up the difference. Obey, and his power will flow.

Principle # 5: The more believers seek to be empty of self the more the Holy Spirit will multiply His work in their lives.

 Remember that the oil that the widow possessed began to miraculously multiply as she poured it out into empty vessels.  I mentioned already that oil in the bible is a type of the Spirit.  Not only is oil a type of the Holy Spirit, but the bible likens the body of believers to vessels and temples where the Holy Spirit resides. But although the Spirit resides in that heart of all who have trusted Christ as their savior, He does not manifest Himself in the same way or to the same degree in every believer. One reason that is it that we are not all gifted in the same way by the Holy Spirit for ministry. But also, and this is the point that I want to make, the reason that the Holy Spirit may not be fully manifested in our lives is because self gets in the way.

The Spirit was not given to us to make us look good, but to make Jesus look good. When Christians make the focus of their church attendance about others meeting their needs, rather than exalting Jesus, they will know very little of the multiplying work of the Spirit in their lives. Are you hungry for a greater experience of the presence and power of God in your life? If this is our desire we must die to our selfish ways, motives and attitudes so that Christ can be fully manifested in our lives.

6. The multiplying effects of the Spirit are more fully evident when many empty vessels are being filled by Him.

 When did the miraculous flow of oil stop?  In verse we read: "And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” (2 Kings 4:6).

 Notice that the miraculous multiplying flow of oil stopped when there were no more vessels to fill. But because many were filled there were great and lasting effects that met the needs of the widow and her family.

In many ways as Christians and as a church we are reaping the blessings of those who have gone before us. We heard the gospel and were saved because many Christians throughout church history sacrificed everything to spread the fame of Jesus. MBC has existed for 80 years now because of the loving sacrifices and faithfulness of many that have been a part of this church throughout the years. We can say that we have benefitted from the multiplying oil that flowed from their lives. We ought to be thankful for those who have gone before us. But God doesn't want us to rely on the blessings of the past. He desires for fresh oil to flow through each and every one of our lives today. And when it is not flowing from each and every one of us the multiplying effects of the Spirit may not stop, but they are limited. There are many areas in our church where we need others to step up and allow God to use them to build up the kingdom of God. And remember if you have not stepped up, you’re limiting what God desires to do through you and through this church body. 

Have you made yourself available to God?  Present yourself to God as an empty vessel. Cry out to Him to fill you with His Spirit and use you as he desires to build up His kingdom. Obey him as he directs you and watch him do in and through your life what you never imagined.

Principle #7: We can expect to receive the multiplying provision of God when we our living to fulfill his calling upon our lives.

 Keep in mind that the widow came to Elisha seeking God's Help knowing that he was a prophet of God and that God spoke through him. And by faith she acted upon what God through Elisha wanted her to do. As a result, she was able to meet the needs of her family. Many of you know that I'm a bi-vocational Pastor, which means that in addition to being a Pastor I'm also a Police Officer. And because it takes time to be a Pastor, a Police officer, a father and a husband I'm often ask, “How do you find the time to do all that you’re doing? A few days ago, I was having lunch with a Pastor who asked me that very question. The only way that I can is by the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit.  Knowing this the Pastor I was having lunch with prayed for me.

There were many encouraging things that he prayed, but one thing that stood out was that he prayed for God to multiply my time. It stood out because God has answered that prayer in my life multiple times. One way that he has is through others in our congregation that have stepped up and allowed God to use them to serve the church in various ways. Another way is during my sermon prep time. When I needed it most, God allows things to come together in less time than it normally takes for me to prepare a sermon.  I believe that as long as I'm doing what God wants me to do he will supernaturally work in my life to enable me to fulfill his calling.

Now God is multiplying my time as a bi-vocational Pastor. But is this what he will have me to do long term? If not, and there comes a time when he wants me to leave the Police Department to continue in ministry and I don't do it, should I expect for God to continue to multiply my time, energy, and resources to do what I want to do? It’s been said, “God does not appreciate what he does not initiate.” God is going to multiply His work in my life when I’m fulfilling His calling and His agenda for my life. This applies to all believers. When we are seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteous we can trust him to provide all that we need.

How many of you would say, "Pastor, I don't want to sit on the side lines? I want God to use me however, whenever and wherever he desires. I don't have much, but I'm willing to give to God whatever he ask and trust him to do with it what only he can. Present yourself to God as an empty vessel. Ask Him to direct you in what he would have you to do for His kingdom. Cry out to Him to fill you with His Spirit and use you to spread the fame of His name in a lost and dying world. Little is much when God is in it.  

Extending the kingdom of God

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20).

Do you want to know the power of the kingdom working in and through your life?  We can know that power when we are filled with the Spirit –when we are living under the control of and in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

During the Super Bowl last month there was a power outage that caused the lights in the stadium to go out. As a result, the players could not play the game until the power was restored and the lights were turned back on. The lights needed to be on not only so that the players could play the game to their fullest potential, but also so that fans could watch the game being played. After the power went out, it no longer mattered if the players and coaches knew the plays, it didn’t matter what the game plan was, it didn’t matter what strategies they developed, they couldn’t play the championship game unless the power was restored and the lights were turned back on.

If the church is going to extend God’s Kingdom the light and power of God must be manifested in the lives of believers as they faithfully proclaim the gospel of Christ. What the church needs today is not artificial lights that are dependent on man made power sources. Slick programs, high powered worship teams and a motivational talk may draw a crowd, but they will not build up the kingdom of God. The church needs the only power that can save and transformed lives—the power of the Holy Spirit.  It's been said that churches have been substituting dependence on the power of the Spirit with artificial means so long that if God removed the Holy Spirit they would continue doing what they've been doing and not even know the difference.

In 2 Corinthians 12: 9 we learn that the Apostle Paul was willing to pay any price "so that Christ's power may rest on me."  This was the cry of Paul's heart. "Jesus had told him that such power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). Weakness does not create power. But weakness drives us all the more to God, the source of all divine power. When we recognize how weak and insufficient we are, we call on God, cling to God, and make this the constant cry of our hearts" (Wesley L. Duewel).

Oh God, grant that your power may rest upon us to spread the glory of your name." 

Dangerous church trends confirmed by mega church Pastors

Why does the church exist? I recently came across that question in an article written by Pastor Greg Laurie, entitled, "Greg Laurie: 4 Dangerous Church Growth Myths." This article, which is well worth reading, can be found at churchleaders.com. In this article he writes, "In a recent survey of 1,000 church attenders, respondents were asked, “Why does the church exist?” According to 89 percent, the church’s purpose was “to take care of my family’s and my spiritual needs.” Only 11 percent said the purpose of the church is 'to win the world for Jesus Christ.' These attitudes concern me and many other observers deeply. A business-driven response may only make things worse. In the long run, if we train consumers instead of communers, we’ll end up with customers instead of disciples. It might fill up an auditorium, but it will never turn the world upside down for Christ."

Why does the church exist? The mission of the Church according to Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, is not to build up the membership roll, but to build up the kingdom of God, to make disciples of all nations. In an interview with mega church Pastor Bill Hybels (see Better preaching update sermoncentral.com), he shares what he has learned in 37 years of ministry. When asked about how a church can best fulfill its mission he shares about "something that was a miss" for decades in the church he Pastors', which today is one of the largest churches in the world.  He said, "I dramatically underestimated how often my colleagues and the people in the church practiced the classic spiritual disciplines. I just thought everybody spent time with God and surrendered their spirits before Him every day. That everybody worked hard to receive promptings from God, quieting the ambient noise in their lives so they could hear Him. I misjudged that, and the few times that I preached on it, I remember seeing the semi-confused faces of the people in the crowd and thinking, “I must be doing a terrible job of teaching this because they are not getting it or they are not interested. I'm not getting the same kind of feedback that I get when I teach on other subject matters.” So, I wound up not teaching on the spiritual practices very often. It's hard to do, and I got mixed response. Decades later I found out…that I should have stuck with that. I should not have been dissuaded by the kind of feedback I was getting. I should have done a major series on the classic spiritual disciplines every single year, whether I saw confused faces or not. I should have just dug in and made that a regular part of the menu. We also had some feedback that went like this: “Yeah, well, interesting. But I'd really like to know something more practical than this, like how to be a better parent. Why don't you teach this other stuff at a seminar, not on Sunday morning?” Well, we didn't have the facilities or the teachers to hold those kinds of seminars. So, it wasn't until decades later when we found out…that you can strip away almost every other thing the church does. But at the core of the core of the core, growing people into Christ followers is all about helping them engage in God's Word and inspiring them to invite God to be at the center of their lives. I did not emphasize that as much in the early days as I do now."

Sadly, what Pastor Hybels failed to emphasize in his church for decades has become a trend in many churches that are seeking to fill their buildings. What Hybels admits also confirms what Pastor Greg Laurie warned about concerning the business response of churches that are seeking to meet the demands of the consumer minded attenders. "It might fill up an auditorium, but it will never turn the world upside down for Christ." In other words, churches can grow wider in numbers, but not necessarily deeper in their love for God. They can build bigger buildings and bigger congregations, but make little impact when it comes to building the kingdom of God.

During the early church when the demands of ministry were threatening to distract and deter the calling of its leaders, Dr. Luke records, "And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said,  It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.  Therefore, brothers,  pick out from among you seven men  of good repute,  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.  But  we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:2-4 ESV).

Pastors, we have not been called to build our own kingdoms. Our orders are to build God's kingdom, to make disciples of all nations. We've been called to preach the word in dependence of the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. May we purpose in our hearts that we will keep the main thing the main thing to the glory of God.

What has God put on your heart to do?

"And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem:" (Neh. 2:12).

When I read this passage recently I asked myself, “What has God put on my heart to do?” This is a vital question because God is only going to bless the work that he has put on our hearts to do. In the life of Nehemiah we not only see how God put His plans in his heart, but how he used Nehemiah to fulfill it, namely the rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem.

We also see in the life and work of Nehemiah a spiritual pattern that is consistent throughout the bible and church history that is prerequisite to a moving of God that results in spiritual renewal and restoration.

1. He burdens our hearts:

What God put in Nehemiah's heart to do, namely the rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem, started off as a burden that he could not shake.

"As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days…” (Neh. 1:4).

The burden that Nehemiah had dwarfed every other care and concern in his life. In the same way, when God gets ready to do something significant in regards to restoring lives that are in spiritual ruin, he shares his burden with someone. And I don’t mean just the need, but the burden.

The amazing thing is that Nehemiah had it going on. He was a cupbearer to the king. He had it made. It could have been very easy for him to be so wrapped up in the comforts and pleasures of his life that he could have been indifferent to what was going on in Jerusalem. But Nehemiah wasn’t indifferent. He was a broken man. He was broken oven the ruin in Jerusalem and the reproach it was to God’s people.

What ought to be the burden of our hearts that dwarfs all other burdens in our lives? There is no doubt that the spiritual ruin of man, the lost-ness of man and perhaps the indifference of the church to want to be used of God to do something about it, ought to be the overwhelming burden of our lives.

Recently, I received a message from a sister that reflects a heart that is burden by the Lord, which is a prerequsite to being used by God to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. She wrote,

“Hi Pastor, Just a quick testimony from this morning. I was really convicted this morning when you mentioned how we need to seek first the Kingdom of God. I have had that verse memorized since I was a kid but I don't think I truly understood what it meant until today. I was all prepared to come to prayer this morning asking people to pray for our finances...but then when you mentioned that verse tears started welling up in my eyes. Here I am concerned about money when I have loved ones that don't know Jesus...where are my priorities? I immediately confessed this morning and asked God to forgive me and to break my heart for the lost. Then during my lunch period my bible reading for today led me to Luke 16 where it mentions the parable of the shrewd manager and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. That’s when the tears started…”

Once again, as God did with my sister, when God gets ready to do significant things when it comes to the spiritual ruin of our world, he shares his burden with someone who has a receptive heart. The problem sometimes is that God is sharing his heart, but our hearts are hardened by love for this world. Oh how we need to turn off those things in our lives (i.e. TV, and others forms of media) that strangle the word and burdens that God is sowing in our hearts and allow God to cultivate in us his heart for a lost and dying world.

2. When God burdens our heart we are to take that burden to the Lord in prayer:

Another important principle we see, that is prerequisite for spiritual renewal and how God goes about using someone for his purposes, is that Nehemiah took his burden to the Lord in prayer. In the same way, when God puts his burden on our hearts we are to first and foremost give it right back to Him in prayer to use us to meet the needs of others. When Nehemiah heard of the ruin in Jerusalem he wrote,

"As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 1:4).

It's been said, "asking is the rule of the kingdom." God's work will not get done if God's people don't pray. "We can do more than pray, but we can't do more than pray until we have prayed."

3. Take action by trusting God’s power and provision to accomplish that which he has put on your heart to do:

After Nehemiah prayed he would not only be granted permission to lead a rebuilding project by the King, but the king would also provide resources for the task. And in 52 days the walls were completed.

There are great spiritual needs in our world and if we’re not careful we can feel overwhelmed by them. But God is not expecting us to try to meet all the needs, but to be faithful to do what he puts in our hearts to do.

“Recognition of need must be followed by earnest, persistent waiting upon God until the overwhelming sense of world need becomes a specific burden in my soul for one particular piece of work which God would have me do” (Alan Redpath).

May we continue to seek God to give us a broken heart for the spiritual ruin in our world and the provision to accomplish what he puts on our hearts to do for Christ sake. Amen!

"God gives the Spirit to those who are obedient to Him"

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:31-32).

In spite of the all the threats, persecution and physical violence from the religious leaders of their day, the Apostles ceased not to preach Jesus.  As a result, the gospel spread like wild fire throughout the Roman empire and beyond.

Notice how they responded to the threats and violence from the religious leaders of their day:

"And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" (Acts 5:41-42).

Although the apostles suffered severely at times for their faith, the fire of their gospel witness could not be put out. What enabled them to so boldly and courageously advance the gospel under such hostile opposition?  When asked by their persecutors why they would not obey their commands to cease their preaching of Jesus, they responded, "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:31-32). Notice that the apostles were not alone in their witnessing. They were working in cooperation with the witness of Holy Spirit which is "given to them that obey him."

When believers are obedient to do what God calls all believers to do, namely to be witnesses to the saving power of the gospel, we can trust that He will bear witness along with us, in us and through us. The Spirit is given to those who are obedient--who seek to lives that glorify the name of Jesus with their lips and with their lives.

"It is necessary for evangelicals to acknowledge that the immediacy of the Spirit's presence can, and does, vary. To say it differently, the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit is not synonymous with the effects or influences of the Spirit; what Christians from previous generations have termed 'the manifest presence of the Spirit', 'the sensible presence of the Spirit', or the felt presence of the Spirit'. To be sure, the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit is a fact that Christians can always assume. Being fully divine, He is always present. In contrast, the effects of His presence can never be presupposed. That is to say, they can be graciously given. They can also be judiciously withdrawn" (Arturo Azurdia III, ").

When we are living for our interest, when we are in love with this world, when we are living our lives contrary to the word of God we will grieved the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:29-30).

"What, then, are the concerns pertinent to the subject at hand? Stated simply, the wounding of the Spirit can and often does, lead to a withdrawal of His influences. The well-known plea of David is illustrative at this point: 'do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me' (Ps. 51:11). Some have suggested that this plea is inappropriate for a new covenant believer. But such thinking reveals a failure to distinguish between the Spirit's presence in the Christian and the experience of His gracious effects. John Stott explains: 'For the Holy Spirit is a sensitive Spirit. He hates sin, discord and falsehood, and shrinks away from them.' Hodge adds: 'His indwelling certifies that we are the children of God, and secures our final salvation...To grieve him, therefore, is to wound him whom our salvation depends. Though he will not finally withdraw from those in whom he dwells, yet when grieved he withholds the manifestations of his presence'" (Arturo Azurdia).

What enabled the apostles to be such powerful witnesses in the face of intense persecution? It was their obedience to and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. When they faced persecution, they didn't just ask God to deliver them from it, they asked for supernatural boldness to preach the gospel in spite of it. As a result they were filled with the Spirit of God and shook up the world for Christ (Acts 4:13-31).

May we seek continually to walk in obedience to and in dependence upon the Spirit of God to the glory of Christ.  

Peter Dynamite, a man mighty in prayer

 "O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield" (Psalm 115:9-11).

Although the Lord worked mighty miracles in the lives of his people they had a tendency to drift away after other gods. They did so especially in times of prosperity. And whenever they found themselves back in trouble again and cried out to God, in His mercy and love, God would deliver them. God is not happy with our sin. But he loves when his children look to him in dependence, faith and repentance. Three times the Psalmist exhorts God's people to. "...Trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield."

Men and women that have accomplished great things for God have always been those that believed with great faith that God would answer their cries for help. And not only did they trust that God would help them to fulfill their service to him, but they were more concerned with God's reputation than their own.

Notice that the Psalmist not only exhorted God's people to trust in God their help and shield, but he writes in the first verse of his Psalm, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth-s sake."

Peter Deyneka, who founded the Slavic Gospel Association, and who God used to win countless others to Christ, was a man mighty in prayer.

 "In the early years of the Youth For Christ movement following World War II, Peter's contribution to their efforts were super doses of prayer, all-night session which opened the door of heaven and unleashed spiritual power. Those Deyneka-led prayer meetings became legendary, continuing to occur for 20 consecutive summers. One YFC rally was scheduled at Chicago's huge Soldier Field on a memorial Day weekend. For three weeks before the rally it had rained steadily every day, threatening to cancel the event. Much preparation had been made and much money spent on advertising. YFC president Torrey Johnson phoned in an SOS to Peter.

"We must have a 24-hour prayer meeting," Torrey said, "and I want you to lead it, Peter."

Christian leaders, pastors, and laymen gathered at the Sherman Hotel in downtown Chicago to ask God to stop the rain so the meeting could be held. "As we prayed for it to stop, we could hear the rain falling outside," Peter recalls. "It was difficult for some to keep going."

Two hours before the 24-hour prayer vigil was scheduled to end, Peter stopped the meeting. "We have been praying for the rain to stop," he reminded the gathered intercessors. "Let us now spend the final two hours thanking God that there will be no rain tomorrow!"

The next morning, the rain had vanished. Sunshine bathed the rainsoaked city, although for five miles all around Chicago the rain kept falling. More than 65,000 people gathered at Soldier Field to hear the singing, testimonies, and Gospel message. Hundreds of people committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. The service closed and the people went home rejoicing and praising God--and the next day the long siege of rain resumed. It continued to rain for several days afterward." (Peter Dynamite, by Norman Rohrer and Peter Deyneka Jr.).

On another evening Peter was directing an all night prayer meeting at the old Westminster Hotel in Winona Lake, Indiana. "At about 2:00a.m., he began to warm up to his usual "level" and his prayers began to rise to the floors above the main conference room...Soon, there was a knock on the door. It was the clerk at the front desk asking, "Could Mr Deyneka please lower his voice so guest upstairs could get some sleep?" One of the men took the message to Peter and tapped him on the shoulder. "You know, Peter, God isn't deaf." "No," Peter replied, "and He isn't nervous either!" He went right on praying without missing a beat." (Peter Dynamite, by Norman Rohrer and Peter Deyneka Jr.).

Like Elijah of old, Peter Deyneka (aka, Peter Dynamite) was just a man of like passion as we are. But like a Elijah, "he prayed earnestly..." May, "he prayed earnestly," be that testimony of our lives to the saving of souls and for the glory of God.

Sowing seeds of peace

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (James 3:13-18).

 If we desire to have harmonious relationships within our families and communities of faith we must sow seeds of peace rather than selfishness, bitterness and strife. If a farmer expects to reap a harvest he must sow the proper seeds and work hard to cultivate that harvest. If he doesn't work hard at sowing and cultivating a harvest he will not reap. If he does sow the seed he will reap in accordance with what he sows. If we desire to reap harmonious relationships we must sow and cultivate the seeds of peace. We must deal with our pride and selfishness. And we must speak and act in accordance with godly wisdom, not worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom seeks to promote self at the expense of others. Godly wisdom seeks to die to self to promote others and make God look good. What kind of seeds have you been sowing lately?

My Candidate & My King

My Candidate & My King

Bob Lepine Nov 07, 2012

Dear Friends,

I have watched all the debates.  I have listened as political reporters and commentators have discussed the good, the bad, and the ugly about each of the candidates.  I’ve read up on a few of the third party candidates.

And I’m ready to vote.  I’ve made my choice.

The candidate I’m supporting this year is…

…a flawed, sinful person.

He has said and done stupid things in the past.

As I’ve listened to his stump speeches and his debate rhetoric, I’m afraid he has vastly overstated what he can accomplish over the next four years if indeed he is elected.  He may or may not be able to get our economy headed in the right direction again.  He may or may not be able to enact policies that will stimulate the creation of new jobs.  Try as he might, there is no way this man can ensure our safety.  There are people in our world who are committed to acts of violence against others.  He can’t stop that from happening.

He will not fix the centuries-old divisions in the Middle East.

He will not be able to persuade the leadership of other nations to respect the human rights of their people.

Greed and corruption will continue to flourish around the world.

If my guy wins, we may be in a slightly better place as a nation four years from now.

Or slightly worse.

Maybe a lot worse.

Probably not a lot better.

If I sound cynical, I’m not.

If I sound pessimistic about where we are headed as a country, I’m not.

Honestly, I’m hopeful.

Not hopeful that “our way of life” will be preserved or that my candidate will make it possible for me to keep more of my paycheck.

Not hopeful that the threat of terrorism and genocide around the world will ebb.

Not hopeful that as a result of having the right man in the White House, our nation will once again embrace our Judeo-Christian heritage.

Here’s why I’m hopeful.

I had a long talk today with the King.

The King promised me that He will be watching things carefully over the next four years.  He didn’t say whether we will be facing hard times as a nation or whether we’ll see things getting better.  But He did say that He has a plan and He will be working everything together for good for those who love Him.  Whatever happens with our country and in our world, the King said, His Kingdom will not fail.

It turns out that whoever wins the race for the White House ultimately reports to Him anyway.

And the King is a very effective manager of people.

He also reminded me that sometimes, what is best for the Kingdom is for a nation - for His people - to go through some very hard times.  That’s often when the King’s men and women do their best work.

So, I will vote.  And I will pray for whoever wins.  And I will do what I can do to see that justice and righteousness will prevail in our country and around the world.

But my hope for the next four years is not built on who wins 270 electoral votes on November 6.

My hope is in the King.  And in His Kingdom.

All other ground is sinking sand.

What do we do now? (Living on the door step of heaven)

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world" (1 John 4:16-17).

The love that characterizes who God is ought to characterize the life of all believers. God is love. Therefore John the apostle wrote, "and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (1 John 4:16). How does God demonstrate his love? John writes, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).  God laying down his life for us is a picture of His love and an example of how we ought to love one another. Do we put the needs, and interest of others before our own? Are we willing to sacrifice time, energy and money to help others in need without expecting anything in return? John adds, “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).  Loving others in real tangible ways is not only at the heart of our Christian faith, but it is supreme evidence that we are in God and God is in us.

Although our love will not perfectly reflect the love of Christ to the fullest, we ought to be growing in it more and more every day. Notice that Paul commended the Thessalonians for their growing love when he wrote, "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing" (2 Thess. 1:3).

In the context of John’s revelation that “God is love” he states, "...as he is so also are we in this world?" Can the same be said about you and me? Does God’s sacrificial love characterize our lives? If Christians are going to make a difference in this world God’s love must clearly be evident in their lives (John 13:35).  And that means not just loving others when there is something in it for us, but putting the interest of others before our own.

This election season has been a very ugly one not just for the candidates, but for Christians. I do understand the frustration that many feel about the direction that our country is going, but we must never lose sight that as believers we are to be the salt and light of the world. It's one thing to disagree, but as Christians we must speak the truth in love not hate.

Regarding the demeaning language that some Christians have used debating the issues during this election season and their bitter attitudes with the results of the elections before a lost world, one Pastor wrote, "It has not been a good reflection of the Christ we serve. Our Lord described us as salt and light. He said that we are to be the preserving and directing forces in our culture. He said that it would be our love–not our theology, our religious performances, and certainly not our political persuasions–that would be our greatest gift to our society. But he also warned that if we ceased to be salt, if we ceased to be light, and if we ceased to love, then we would become ineffective and lose our right to serve in his name."

In a society where people will throw others under the bus to get ahead, Christians should stand out by demonstrating a willingness to throw themselves under the bus, so to speak, to reach the lost with the saving hope of the gospel. Thomas Merton wrote, “To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.” Let’s demonstrate instead that we live on the door step of heaven by considering persons, events and situations, (in spite of their effect upon us), as opportunities to show the love of Jesus to the glory of his name.

Stay close and under the loving care of the shepherd and overseer of your soul

"For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" (1 Pet. 2:25).

According to reports in the Turkish media, a large herd of sheep jumped over a cliff one after the other in IETANBUL, Turkey. The Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched in stunned silence as a total of 1500 sheep leaped off the same cliff before their eyes. In the end, 450 sheep lay dead on top of one another in a billowy white pile. Those who jumped later were saved because the sheep that went before them cushioned their fall.

I'm sure that we would all agree that sheep are pretty dumb. And it is because of this fact the bible likens believers and non believers unto to these dumb animals. There are many things that we can say about our likeness to sheep, but one that Peter points out is that like sheep we are prone to wander (stray). We are not just susceptible to briefly getting off the path of obedience. If we are not vigilant we can plunge over a cliff of spiritual ruin and destruction just as many professing Christians have before us. Just today I read an article by a well known Pastor of a large church who recently discovered that a staff member and close friend was engaging in marital infidelity. The Pastor stated, "I was crushed. I didn't see it coming." The point is that we all are susceptible to straying in ways that we may have never imagined we would stray. When believers stray the problem is never that our great God and shepherd was asleep on the job. Christians stray not because of God's failure to lead, but because of our failure to follow.

How does God shepherd His sheep? First of all God shepherds us through His word. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me..." The author of Hebrews wrote, "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,9  where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. 10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways" (Heb. 3:7-10). Are you spending time in God's word and under it's teaching listening for God's voice with a heart that's eager to follow? Secondly, the Lord shepherds believers by His Spirit who dwells within them. Through his Spirit God illuminates his word, convicts us of sin and guides into all truth. Thirdly, God has ordained the church for believers to grow spiritually as they come under the oversight of godly leaders and serve the body. Christians that fall off of cliffs of immorality and spiritual ruin don't usually decide one day that they're going to jump for the fun of it. They typically begin to drift away by making small compromises. Among other things, they begin to compromise how they use their time, who they hang out with and what they allow themselves to watch. Its been said, compromises tolerated over a long period of time can lead to major disasters.

One of the major causes of spiritual drifting is neglecting to spend time in prayer and the word communing with the shepherd and nurturer of our souls. When we neglect the nurturing of our spiritual lives we are easy prey for the enemy. "The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and the left are enemies who never rest." (Thomas à Kempis). Stay close and under the loving care of the shepherd and overseer of your soul.

The testing for your faith

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).

Someone has wisely said that "a faith that can't be tested can't be trusted." It's easy to be joyful and to praise God when things seem to be going our way. But what happens when our faith comes under fire. How do we react when we suffer pain and loss? Trials have a way of revealing what our faith is really made of. Trials have a way of exposing that our faith is often not in the person of God, but in what seems to us to be favorable circumstance. Jesus suffered and died on a cross not to guarantee favorable circumstance here on earth to those who believe, but to pay the price for the sins that separate us from a Holy God. By the blood of Jesus we can draw near to God, we can know him and His life transforming, joy producing, soul satisfying glory. Through the gospel we have everything that we need, namely, God himself. 

But although we have everything we need in Christ, sometimes we settle for lesser things. Sometimes we look to the world to find the joy, acceptance and love that we were created to find ultimately in God. Therefore, God will allow trials to reveal to us that we are trusting in and looking to others things to find what we can only find in God. 

James writes that we should "count it all joy...when you meet trials of various kinds..." How is this possible and what does this mean? If we lose a love one or find out we have cancer should we be all giddy about it? In other words, should we for example, celebrate gleefully the news that a loved one died in a tragic accident? When we or others we know encounter difficulties we often say, "All things work together for good." It is so very true that God is sovereign over all things and is able to work it all for good. But trusting in God's sovereignty doesn't necessarily eliminate the pain. But what it can do is enables us to persevere despite the pain knowing that God will use it to increase our faith in Him, to deepen our dependence on his sufficient grace. 

When James says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" he means that although we will experience suffering there can be with that suffering an inner joy that comes from looking unto Jesus in faith and knowing that he is using it to perfect us. And this perfecting that comes through trials is not just about becoming a better you. The perfecting that comes through trials is about more fully depending on all that we are in Christ. In a time of great suffering Job said, "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold" (Job 23:12). The greatest blessing that Job experienced was not the restoring of what he lost, as many have imagined, but a higher, more glorious view of God. 

The greatest value of trials is that they can bring us to more fully experience the glory of God as we look to him and in turn come to more fully express his glory to the world. Because of this glorious outcome we can count it all joy when our faith is put to the test. 

"God On The Mountain"

Life is easy, when your up on the mountain

And you’ve got peace of mind
Like you’ve never known

But then things change and your down in the valley
Don’t lose hope for your never alone

[Chorus]

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley
When things go wrong He’ll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God of the bad times
And the God of the day is still God of the night

V. 2

You talk of faith when your up on the mountain
Oh, but the talk comes so easy
When life’s at its best
But its down in the valley of trials and temptations
That’s where faith is really put to the test

Repeat Chorus 2 times and then:

And the God of the day is still God of the night

God equips us to do his will

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20-21).

One of the goals of the book of Hebrews was to show the superiority of Jesus and the new covenant in contrast to Moses and the old covenant. And in the light of the greater blessings of the gospel the book closes with a prayer for God to equip believers to do His will. Through the gospel not only are believers saved, but they are also assured that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will work powerfully within us to accomplish his purposes. It's been said, "God's will done in God's way will never lack God's supply." The blood that Jesus shed on the cross provided us with access to the throne of God's grace. This access is a believers greatest asset. But the access is not ultimately for us to get God to do what we want, but so that we may seek Him to do what he wants through us for his glory. Seek Him in prayer and trust him to do in you and through you what only he can. He is able!

Let us draw near

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:20-21).

Notice that the author of Hebrews reminds believers how, with great confidence and full assurance of faith, they are to draw near to God. Where does this confidence and assurance by which we are to draw close to God come from? It comes "by the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19). To be near to God is why we were saved, its what our souls long for and its the only way that we will be truly satisfied.

Because of are sin we deserve to be separated from God for all eternity in hell. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)" (Eph. 2:4-5). God gave his best when he gave his son who shed his blood that we may boldly and confidently draw near to God. The blood of Jesus has opened wide the door for us to commune with God. Jesus invites us, "Come unto me" and yet many professing Christians do not come. Why? Many Christians have allowed themselves to be distracted, deceived and drawn away from God by the allurements of this world. Another cause is that some have allowed the guilt of their sin to keep them from drawing near. But the author of Hebrews writes, "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience..." When our past sins condemn us we must remember that we've been washed in the blood of the lamb. If we sin against God in the present we must fully embrace the promise, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "Even when we feel dull and lifeless, we should say, "O God, I am dull and lifeless, and there is only one hope for me, nearness to you. I come. Have mercy on me and touch me with your flame and set me on fire again. Give me life in your presence. Open my eyes to your glory and make me live again" (Piper). Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

 "Draw me near"

 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, And it told Thy love to me; But I long to rise in the arms of faith And be closer drawn to Thee.

 Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, By the pow’r of grace divine; Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, And my will be lost in Thine.

 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God I commune as friend with friend!

 There are depths of love that I cannot know Till I cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that I may not reach Till I rest in peace with Thee.

What ever happen to "Sweet Hour of Prayer"

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon..." (Ex. 30:8-9).

In the bible incense is symbolic of the prayers of God's people (Rev. 5:8; 8:3). Just as Aaron the priest was to burn incense before the Lord in the tabernacle continually, so believers today are to offer up prayers to God that burn from their hearts. The incense that Aaron was to burn unto God was not only to be offered continually, but it was to be made of very specific ingredients. If it did not contain those ingredients, even if it was offered continually, it would be viewed by God as strange fire. 

Is the sweet incense of prayer burning in our hearts and in our churches today? Jesus said, "My fathers house shall be called a house of prayer." But sadly, God's house today is known for everything else but prayer. It's known for programs, music, and sunday morning talks, but the fire of prayer has gone out. Prayer in many churches today seems to be more of a formality to be endured than a foundation to be established.  Call for a prayer meeting and no ones shows. Whatever happen to "Sweet hour of prayer? Sweet hour of prayer has become the bitter hour of prayer.

Besides the promises of God that assure that he moves in answer to prayer, do we not have enough reason to cry out to God continually. During the early church age when Peter was thrown in prison awaiting execution Luke writes, "...but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church" (Acts 12:5). And when Peter was released in answer to "earnest prayer" he went to the church where Luke records, "many were gathered together and were praying (Acts 12:13).  

Sadly, today the last place where many Christians are gathered is in a prayer meeting. In fact, many churches have abandoned their prayer meetings. I believe one reason they have is because Christians no longer see the "benefit" of the prayer meeting. Perhaps the reason that some churches have not experienced the benefits of prayer is because what they are offering to God is not "earnest prayer" but "strange fire." Prayer that is not first offered unto God in worship, mixed with faith and fervency, will not be a sweet aroma unto God.  James wrote, "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16 KJV)

E.M. Bounds profoundly hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "Little prayer is the characteristic of a backslidden age and of a backslidden church.  Whenever there is little praying in the pulpit or in the pew, spiritual bankruptcy is imminent and inevitable. The cause of God has no commercial age, no cultured age, no age of education, no age of money. But He has one golden age, and that is the age of prayer. When its leaders are men of prayer, when prayer is the prevailing element in worship, like the incense giving continual fragrance to its service, then that cause of God will be triumphant."

The church today has lost its power to spread the good news of Jesus in our world. And the need of the hour is to return once again to the sweet hour of prayer. We don't need to reinvent the church to find the power and presence of God. No, we don't need to reinvent the church as much as we need to rediscover the lost secret to it's power, namely "prayer." May our hearts and churches burn once again with the sweet incense of prayer to the glory of our savior and the spread of his cause in the world.

For love sake

"Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus" (Philemon 8-9). 

In Paul's letter to Philemon he was writing on behalf of Onesimus. Onesimus was an indentured servant of Philemon's, who had ran off and apparently taken a few things which did not belong to him. Somewhere along the way Onesimus came to Christ under Paul's ministry. And after spending some time with Paul it was time for Onesimus to return to Philemon and fulfill his obligations. But Paul did not want Philemon to hold anything against him, but to receive him back as a brother in Christ. However, Paul did not want Philemon to do anything out of obligation, but for love's sake. Therefore Paul made an appeal to him rather than a demand. Paul could have commanded Philemon to do what he felt was right. But Paul's power and authority was tempered by love. It wasn't about imposing his will or his preferences. The appeal that Paul made sprung from love that was not about self interest, but the interests of others. Making appeals that are motivated by love rather than demands motivated by self interests opens the door for others to respond in kind. May all that we do be motivated by the love of Jesus to the glory of his name. 

Keep your hearts pure

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled" (Titus 1:15). 

In 1974 a research firm surveyed 35,000 young people from the ages of 16 to 25 to determine their values. The study revealed that only 31% viewed premarital relationships as morally wrong, compared to 52% in 1969. Opposition to abortion dropped from 58% to 45%. The proportion who considered living a clean moral life a very important value fell from 71% to 52%. That was 1974. What's it like today? I heard a statistic recently that 90% of all high schoolers are no longer virgins by the time they leave high school. Today many of the television shows that professing Christians are glued to, advocate and defend promiscuous living, adultery, homosexuality and a whole host of other perversions. What was considered 30 years ago as pornography, believe it or not, is on our television screens advertising everything from lingerie to perfume. 

When we live in a society that celebrates perversion how can Christians keep their hearts and minds pure? First we must purify our minds "by the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:23). We need to take a bath in the word of God everyday to keep from being desensitized by this world. In addition, we must turn to God to search our hearts and confess those areas where we have defiled ourselves (1 John 1:9 Psalm 51). And with a heart filled with the word and cleansed by the blood of Jesus we must "abstain from all appearance of evil." Keep your hearts pure. 

He is faithful and worthy of our trust

"So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19). 

In this passage of scripture the author of Hebrews is illustrating the necessity of persevering in faith.  The majority of the children of Israel that came out of Egypt did not enter the promised land because of unbelief. Consequently, they not only wandered in the wilderness for forty years, but they died without ever possessing the land. The bible clearly teaches that we are not only saved by faith, but we are to walk by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). All that God desires for us, whether it has to do with how we live our lives or how we serve his kingdom must be achieved by faith. But many Christians today are not fully possessing all that God desires for their lives because of a lack of faith or a misunderstanding of what true faith is. 

Once again the author of Hebrews wrote, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. "(Hebrews 11:6 KJV). Faith is coming to God believing that He is who he says he is and will do what he promised, namely reward those who diligently seek him. The faith necessary to progress in our Christian walk and to possess all that God desires for us is not faith in faith or believe it and you can achieve it. Faith is believing God. In the context of the kind of faith that can move mountains, that believes God in prayer to do the impossible Jesus said, "Have faith in God, " (Mark 11:22). 

Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, said the Jesus' words in Mark 11:22, "Have faith in God," could be translated, "Hold on to the faithfulness of God." 

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of London's Westminister Chapel, appreciated Taylor's insight and said: "Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties...Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith looks at God..Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man's faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God...He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered." 

Sometimes we feel like throwing in the towel because we focus on ourselves or our circumstances and fail to diligently seek The Lord. O how we must Keep looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith lest we get weary and faint in our minds. He is faithful and worthy of your trust!

"He's been faithful"
Brooklyn Tabernacle choir

In My Own Suffering

Through Every Pain Every Tear

There's A God Who's Been Faithful To Me

When My Strength Was All Gone

When My Heart Had No Song

Still In Love He's Proved Faithful To Me

Every Word He's Promised Is True

What I Thought Was Impossible 

I've Seen My God Do

He's Been Faithful

Faithful To Me

Looking Back He's Love And Mercy I See

Though In My Heart I Have Questioned

And Failed To Believe

He's Been Faithful, Faithful To Me

When My Heart Looked Away

The Many Times I Could Not Pray

Still My God Was Faithful To Me

The Days Are Spent So Selfishly 

Reaching Out For What Pleased Me

Even Then God Was Faithful To Me

Every Time I Come Back To Him

He Is Waiting For Open Arms

And I See Once Again

He's Been Faithful

Faithful To Me

Looking Back He's Love And Mercy I See

Though In My Heart I Have Questioned

Even Failed To Believe

Yet He's Been Faithful, Faithful To Me