Where Truth Comes to Life

Community: Where Truth Comes to Life Appearances: Does the Outside Reveal What’s on the Inside? Several years ago I was watching a news segment and they were talking about various stores advertising furniture as being made from real wood. Stores such as Pottery Barn as well as discount retailers. I’m sure many of us have been shopping for furniture and we base our decision on what we see and the price that best fits our budget. We want the best bang for our buck. Automatically, in most cases, we think if we spend more money on an item the quality of it surely matches. This is not always the case. The news segment revealed that from the least to most expensive pieces of furniture were not solid wood. They were made from various products like fiber board and particle board with beautiful veneer affixed to it. In other words, what was visible on the outside was not reality throughout the piece of furniture. The same can be said of us as Christ followers. We can present ourselves as Christians in our appearances and yet what’s on the inside; the materials or character of the product doesn’t match. This type of replica or forgery is one of the greatest barriers to people coming or returning to faith in Christ. It is what most people away from God say the moment you ask them about their reasons for avoiding church, hypocrisy. It’s sad, but true! The Bible provides many examples of the inner life and how it transforms and affects what others see and hear from us. I will paraphrase a few. The good man brings forth good fruit out of what is stored up inside of him. Out the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Continue to bare the fruit of repentance. As we are transformed in our minds we should no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world. Genuine attributes like love, joy, and peace work their way from the inside out. These are just a few examples. The most difficult thing for me is to continuously stay yielded and committed to the inner disciplines that generates both inner and external transformation. It is far easier just do Christianity than to become a genuine Christian. This is why it is much easier to simply maintain appearances while at the same time getting lured into religiosity. People can see and measure my faith commitment by what I do rather than by who I am becoming. My guess is that this kind of stuff is what breeds tradition and legalism. Following external practices, codes, and rules replaces the cultivation of an intimate, deep, and abiding relationship with the lover of our soul. Just as important as maintaining personal inner disciplines is the commitment to pursue and live out these disciplines in community together. Sharing how the Lord is transforming our lives in a group setting creates and cultivates an environment that can bring about transformation among those gathered. After all, the ultimate goal and byproduct of group life is becoming REAL followers of Jesus Christ from the inside out. We are not interested in appearing to be something we are not. We are pursuing the reality of being and becoming more like Jesus. We are Kingdom apprentices manifesting the Kingdom of God Now!

Put Your Hope In God

Put Your Hope in God Even When It Looks Like All Hope Is Gone! Psalm 42:5, 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. When life isn't going the way you envisioned it, the road gets long, and the load is to heavy to carry it is easy to give in to despair. Trust me, unfortunately I have been there myself more times than I care to admit. The more I dwell and roll in despair the more helpless and hopeless I get. I lose sight of God, my faith wavers, and my world shakes, and I feel alone and afraid. It seems like everything and everyone is against me even though it may not be so. It's times like these that I turn to scripture to regain focus and encourage myself in the Lord. I have to make a conscious choice to praise God for all He has done. Even though I may feel that He has abandoned me at the moment. I have to draw on His faithfulness and steadfast love. He alone is my salvation and my God. Put Your Hope in God!

Time to Return to the Lord

Time to Return to the Lord I recently heard a statement that went something like this: America has traded in the blessings of God for unbridled pleasure and that our Nation needs to return to God. My thought is this: The church in our culture has traded in the blessing of God and our Nation is under reached, unchanged, and now considered to be unchristian. Until the Church comes back to Jesus we can't expect our Nation too. What say you??? I received a great question in response to my statement: So does that mean that the Bride of Christ is to blame..... That is a loaded question. I don't want to make a blanket statement. I know that there are many totally sold out believers. However, there are many in the Body that are stagnant, compromised, and divided in their affection for Jesus (Nice way of saying-spiritual adultery and idolatrous.). I am speaking of those of us who are professed Christians. Let me interrupt my train of thought and make a side note. Lest I sound self righteous and judgmental, I confess that I too, must accept responsibility for the tarnished, weakened, condition of the Church-Bride of Christ in our culture. I don't always live, act, speak, and serve in ways that are pleasing to the Lord. Thanks be to God for His amazing grace, tender love and mercy, and His ALL sufficient power and strength that He gives me. I don't deserve it and yet He gives it to me freely every day. Now I will get back to my original thoughts. I think the Church in our culture (the Bride of Christ) are in state much like is found in the book of Hosea. Our culture has seduced, allured, and deceived us into thinking we can profess Christ and live our lives as if He doesn’t exist. Because of this condition our witness in our society has been weakened. As a result the Church in our culture is low on conversion and high on transfer. Churches are dying, doors are closing, and in many cases the communities they were in don’t even know they are gone. Unfortunately, the Church in our culture is giving ample reason for those outside of faith to play the hypocrite card. We can’t expect our Nation or those who are far from faith to act like Christians but we should expect those who profess Christ too. That is the premise of my thought and the results speak for themselves. I love Jesus, His Church, and the local Body of Christ. I believe God has called us all to so much more. I believe the bar has been set high and it is time for me and all of us to rise to the challenge of our calling. There are so many lost and hurting people right here in our community and they deserve to see the very best of Christ through us. It is far past time for us to make the change. My prayer is that we revisit the blood stained cross, experience grace anew, walk in the power of His resurrection, and demonstrate His love and compassion toward one another, our friends, neighbors, associates, community, and our world. Long answer to a very thought provoking question. I am not crazy about the word blame. I would say we need to accept responsibility for the condition of the Church and as Christians encourage each other to return to the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When the Church in our culture returns to Jesus then maybe we might be able to make a difference in our Nation. Thoughts??????

LIFE LESSON FROM A WANDERING SHEEP Psalm 23:1-6 ESV The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (The shepherd knows what I need so I can trust in His provisions. Only He can satisfy my wants and needs. There is no other. He can be trusted!) He makes me lie down in green pastures. (Sheep are stubborn animals and I am no different. I need the guidance of the shepherd to take me to a place of safety, rest, and nourishment. Sheep will keep going and going until the shepherd makes them stop. My shepherd has to exert force in my life to make me stop, rest, and refuel. He is the Good Shepherd!) He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. (The shepherd takes me to the calm streams of His presence so I'm not overtaken by the strong and violent currents found in the river of life. He refreshes, revives, and restores me safely in the shallows. He is a God of restoration and peace!) He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Like sheep we all have a tendency to stray from His path. My shepherd will lead me if I yield and submit to His authority and leadership. His path is righteousness and He longs for me to follow Him on it and in it!) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Even when I walk in the cold, dark, shadows of life/death He assures me of His love and presence and drives out all fear! With the rod of discipline and staff of guidance He will comfort me in the darkest hours and places in life. He is my comfort!) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (When I'm in the presence of those that seek to harm me whether by choice or not my Shepherd will sustain me. He will come to my aid regardless of how I came to be there. He will tend to my needs; He will validate and affirm me as His own. He will deliver me safely into His care. He will fill me with His goodness and joy until my life once again is overflowing with His presence!) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (With my Shepherd leading, guiding, restoring, comforting, delivering, healing, and freshly refilling me all that could possibly be in the wake of my life is goodness, love, and mercy. No doubt, I’m an imperfect follower nevertheless I choose to follow Him all the days of my life.)

Characteristic of Authentic Community Proverbs 14:10 ESV Only those who intentionally establish and invest in relationship will ever see and know the hearts of those they do life with. Only those closest to me know the trials and challenges that God has used to shape and sanctify me. Pain and hardship seem to be cruel tools at the time but when you see how the Lord works in and through them to produce our deliverance then and only then can we share in the joy of redemption together. So, when I allow others into my heart and life they see and know what I've been through so they to can share in the joy of what God has done in my behalf. To know my bitterness is to share my joy! That is but one Characteristic of Authentic Community. Proverbs 14:10 ESV 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.

Intimately Known Yet Intimately Loved! Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24 ESV This morning as I read this I was reminded of how intimately involved God is in my life from beginning to end. He knows my every thought and every word I have to say before I even speak it. There is absolutely no where I can go that He hasn't been or wouldn't go to be with or make Himself and presence known to me. That is both comforting and troubling to me. The reason for this is that I know myself. My heart, mind, and thoughts unfortunately are not always the most God honoring and yet God still loves me. In these passages he comforts me with the reminder that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He encourages me by His relentless pursuit of me even when I'm seemingly outside of His will and plan for me. Knowing this about God is what gives me the courage to invite Him to search my troubled and wicked heart. I might be able to gloss over the unseen areas of my heart and life that gives the appearance of my being humble and holy but the truth is I struggle terribly at times. So much so I can't even begin to understand how or why He loves me so. You see, while I'm "Intimately Known" I am still "Intimately Loved" by God. Oh God, lead me in your everlasting way! Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24 ESV 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

The Search is Over Matthew 13:44-46 ESV For the first 20 years of my life I was searching for meaning and significance. I sought it the form of acceptance and belonging socially. I attempted to fill the void and heal the pain through drug use, promiscuity, and anything else that promised pleasure and fun. Sad thing is the more I searched and filled up on those things the pain and emptiness multiplied. Then I discovered the treasure and pearl of great price. His name is Jesus Christ. On that day I surrendered my life. The search was over. I found Him and He gave me everything. He gave me life, meaning, and purpose. He delivered me from myself and the path of destruction I was on. He healed and continues to heal the wounds in me and my life. 25 years later with many ups and downs, good times and bad, mountain top and valley experiences I can tell you life in the Kingdom is worth my full surrender and absolute abandonment to Jesus. You will never know the joy and fulfilment I am writing about until you discover the treasure and pearl of great price that is Jesus Christ. For me the search is over and what I have found in Christ is worth far more than this life could ever offer me. May you find Him today! Matthew 13:44-46 ESV 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.