Category: Ministry

Recently, I have been seeing a growing trend of Christians not being able to get along with each other.  This is not something new, but it seems to be coming back on a more prevalent level.  In all honesty, this is something that has been happening since the Church was founded on the day of Pentecost.  The problem is that we cannot truly follow our call to be the Church if we are not unified.  Unity is essential in God’s plan for us.  How else are we going to be able to complete “The Great Commission” found at the end of the book of Matthew?

Unity is something that I have always strived for in my relationship with Christ.  All the bad-mouthing and in-fighting that we see among Christians does nothing to really help the cause of Christ.  In fact, it hinders it greatly.  Again, I know this is really nothing new, but it seems to be growing a very fast rate.  And it needs to stop.  I am not trying to single anyone out in this.  Most of us have been guilty of this at some point in our lives.  Some of us struggle with this on a daily basis.  Even though I am not singling anyone out, I think it is important to show some examples of what I am talking about.

A few weeks ago, there was a church conference, Strange Fire, held in California.  Strange Fire became very controversial, especially toward the end of the conference.  In fact, if the conference wasn’t officially trending on Twitter, I would be very surprised.  During the last night of the conference, my Twitter Feed was absolutely full of tweets, both supporting and denouncing the conference.  I had not heard of the conference before that night, but it did not take a lot of effort to find out the basis and general teaching of this conference.  It was a conference based around John MacArthur’s book Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship.   From what I could find, this basically boiled down to one group of Christians that think the gifts of the Holy Spirit like speaking in tongues ended with the death of the apostles calling another group of Christians that believe those gifts still exist false believers.  I’m not going to get into what I believe about those gifts here, but I don’t see the benefit of calling another Christian out because they believe something different from you, and it doesn’t really seem to be a salvation issue.

On Facebook, I am a member of a few different groups, mainly revolving around the Christian Church/Church of Christ churches.  The Restoration Movement is what I have always been a part of, and it really seems to me that it is designed around unity.  In one of those groups, however, there was a gentleman that on a daily basis would pose scenarios that were based on half-truths, and then he would go on to pose a question.  These questions, for the most part, were basically attacks on todays Church and/or ministers that invest their time trying to lead others to Christ.  When others would post answers to his questions that were anything against his idea, he would become very defensive and state that he wasn’t interested in going back-and-forth with the person that was making a point against him.  It was almost as if he were just trying to start controversy and division.  (He has since either removed himself from the group, or the admins removed him).

These are just two examples that I have seen, and I know that there are many more that I could reference.  I think that gives us a good place to start, however, and I don’t want to get bogged down on the problem without looking to Scripture for the solution.  In my last post I wrote about Ephesians, and I briefly touched on the subject of unity.  Well God continued to rock my world tonight as I read Philippians.  Paul has a lot of mind-blowing things to say in this very short letter.  One of the many topics I found tonight, and a huge chunk of the letter, deals with unity in the body of Christ.  Philippians 2:1-19 speaks to unity and why we are to have unity.  You can go to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%202:1-19&version=NASB if you wish to read the text.  He also has a lot to tell us about unity in Philippians 3:20-4:2.  It reads, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.  Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.  I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”  We are to be unified under Christ, because we as Christians all have the same fate awaiting us.  Our citizenship is of another place, and that should unify us all under Him.

I know there will always be debates and disagreements.  That’s natural, and not necessarily a negative thing.  They become negative when it causes Christians to state that other Christians are not really Christians.  And it becomes a huge problem when our fighting causes non-believers to be turned off to God.  We should be living in such a way that we are drawing outsiders in, not driving them away.  Christ died and was raised from the dead for all.  How dare we drive some away, simply because we don’t know how to get along with each other and show God’s love through our interactions with one another.

I recently read an article describing the seemingly growing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/27/a-global-slaughter-of-christians-but-america-s-churches-stay-silent.html).  In this article, there seems to be outrage from a few about the apparent lack of outrage from American Christians and American Churches in regards to this persecution.  While I agree that we should be doing something, I’m not sure that anything we do will stop this persecution from happening.  In fact, I have to think that there are only two things that will stop Christians worldwide from being persecuted.  Christ’s second coming is the first and best option.  The second, is to become like the majority of Christians that aren’t currently being persecuted.

What do I mean by that?  I believe we have become so apathetic in our faith and relationships, and that is why we are able to avoid persecutions.  We are fitting into the world too much, and because of that, no one on the outside thinks it’s worth the effort to try to make us stop living for Christ (if we are really living like Christ).  Jesus taught his disciples that they were to expect persecutions.  In fact, he stated that they would be persecuted because the world had persecuted and would continue persecute him.  John 15:18-25 states, “‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”

I am not trying to say that we should be silent about persecution around the world.  What I am saying, however, is that we should take a long, hard look out our own lives and try to figure out why we are not necessarily facing persecution ourselves.  I love religious freedom.  I love that this country was founded with the idea of being able to freely worship without fear.  But I also strongly believe that if we are living in relationship with Christ the way we should be, then we are going to look so much different from everyone around us that we will be persecuted.  Whether we have religious freedom or not.  Maybe it won’t be to the extent that we are currently seeing in the Middle East and Africa.  It may not even be facing death (yet).  But we should be so different from those around us that people are either asking what we have in our lives that cause us to look so different, or cause people to lash out at us because of our differences.

Christianity was a radical movement when it started.  It challenged the cultural norms of the day.  The problem seems to be that now we, as Christians, try to make Christianity mainstream and fit into the culture.  There are good things about this, but when our central message is not so much different that any other social club, then we are not going to draw attention.  We need to be relevant in our culture, so we have to change the way we present our message, but we also need to be focused on the central message.  A growing, changing, and deep relationship with Christ is a must.  And when we have that relationship and it is changing us, the world becomes uncomfortable with that.  It draws some people in, and it pushes some people to lash out against it.  Either way, it makes people pay attention and doesn’t allow us to slip through this life unnoticed.  Matthew 5:14-16, “14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So, what should the churches and Christians in America be doing about the persecution popping up in the Middle East and Africa?  I think we need to lift this group up in prayer for strength and courage.  I also think we need to take a long, hard look at our faith.  Are we making people around us uncomfortable because we are truly different from the world around us, due to our relationship with Christ?  Or are we being tolerated because we aren’t living out what we say we believe?  Our lives should be a sermon for people to see and a Bible for people to read.  Sure, we will make mistakes and not always live out what we believe, but we should grow from that.  Outrage?  Yes, we should be doing more for those around the world.  But our true outrage should maybe be about the way we are living and conforming to the world. (Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“

My home church in Gray, TN is coming up on its 10th anniversary.  November 20, we are going to celebrate the 10th year we have been ministering with and to the community of Gray, and it’s been a great 10 years!  One of the things that the church has been doing over the last few weeks is sending out a daily e-mail called “Milestones and Memories–Crossroads 10th Anniversary”.  This is the heading that they use on each of these e-mails before the actual subject each day;

Each day leading up to Crossroads’ 10th anniversary, we will be posting an event or milestone that we have shared as a congregation over the past 10 years. We hope that by looking back, you will be encouraged by the way God has blessed us and that you will be inspired to “Join the Journey” as we look to the future.

It’s been really cool to read these memories on a daily basis.  Our church has done so much over the last 10 years and it has really impacted the community.  It’s really nice to be able to reflect and see where we came from, how much God has allowed us to grow and use all of those memories to project what God has in store for us over the next 10, 20 or 100 years! God has blessed Crossroads with great leadership and they are constantly seeking God’s will in prayerful consideration for the future.

There is a lot we can learn from this process of looking back over Milestones and Memories, and the church is doing just that.  But there is so much we can learn from that same concept in our own lives.  These daily e-mails have really got me to thinking a lot about my own life.  God has called me to a life of ministry, but how can I use this concept of looking back now to help me with what God has called me to do with my life?  It’s made me realize that I need to make a conscious effort to do meaningful things now that will help me towards the goals and dreams that God has called me too.  It has also made me realize how important even the small things are.  Even small things, if handled correctly, can become Milestones.  So I have some questions for you that I am trying to answer myself.  Take some time and think through these.  With God in control, how are you helping yourself in the process?

What am I doing on a daily basis that is worth looking back on in a few years?  What am I doing that will help me achieve the goals that God has given me?  How am I using the gifts that God has given me to help reach out to the community I live in and the world in general? 

God Bless!

Titus 2:1-8: “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.  Teach the older men to be temperate, worth of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.  Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.  In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In you teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

Mark Batterson has become one of my favorite authors.  In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day was an incredible read.  I have just recently started reading his second book (for the second time), Wild Goose Chase.  While Batterson has a lot of wisdom in both of these books, he really has challenged me with a couple of thoughts from Wild Goose Chase.  He states, “It’s never too late to become who you might have been.” and later in the same chapter, “I don’t care how old you are, if you’re still breathing, it means God isn’t finished with you yet.”  What encouraging thoughts.  God has a plan for us and we can never be too old.  That’s what I took out of the passage above.  Paul has a lot he is saying to Titus here, but I really picked up on the fact that he is challenging Titus to challenge the older men and women to mentor the younger men and women.  He is saying that God has a purpose, even if it is teaching the younger generation how to live life the way God intended.  That’s all well and good, but it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking, well I have my whole life ahead of me.  I’m young, God won’t use me until I’m older because “It’s never too late to become who you might have been”.  Then we read Paul’s words to Timothy.

I Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

This is the thought that hit me the hardest.  This passage from I Timothy has long been a favorite verse of mine because I like to work with teens.  I use this verse to tell them that they can be used by God.  What struck me is that I have my own doubts about being used by God.  I have recently been feeling the call to preach full-time; to become the Preaching Minister at a church and to also, one day, have the opportunity to preach across the country.  But doubt creeps in.  I only have a degree in Biblical Studies with an emphasis on Youth Ministry.  No church is going to bring me in to preach full-time.  I forget the words from I Timothy and what they can mean in my life, not just the lives of the teens that I am blessed to work with.  Batterson goes on to write, “In my experience, God loves using us before we feel like we’re ready.”  How true is that?  I think part of it is Satan playing on our insecurities, but I think it’s also God saying, you can’t do it on your own.  But with Me, you’re more than ready.  It’s God’s way of showing His power through us.  And that’s an encouraging thought.

God Bless.

I’ve been writing recently about Wide Awake by Erwin McManus.  There are many ideas that are brought out in this book, however, the main theme seems to be that we need to dream big and not be afraid to try to make those dreams our reality.  Last night I posted 5 quotes that hit me hard from the book.  Well, it’s now time to start expanding on those, 1 or 2 at a time.

The first thought is something that I feel like I have known for a long time, but was either afraid or just didn’t care enough to try to pursue it.  Dreaming big can be a very, very scary thing, because the bigger you dream, the more chance of falling or failing increases.  But failing is not always a bad thing, if you are at least trying to follow the plan or dream that God has for you.  McManus writes, “If nothing can stop God, then who can stop you when you are pursuing him and living for his purpose?”  Do you get that?  If we are honestly pursuing God and living for His purpose, then who can stop us.  We are really the only ones that can stop ourselves and that’s by being to scared to dream or to try to follow those dreams.  And this is a thought straight from Scripture.  Romans 8:31 states, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

What stops us from following our dreams or living the life God created us to live though?  If He’s for us, and Scripture tells us that He is, then why are we scared?  Do we get caught up in a life that is good and forget that there may be a greater calling out there for us from God?  McManus states, “I wonder if for many of us, the only thing stopping us from living the life God created us to live — the life of our dreams — is to let go of a life so good that it betrays the great .  Are we willing to give up all the things we have right now to be able to obtain that which God longs for us tomorrow?”  Wow!  Stop being afraid to dream of and work for the life that God has created us for.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”  God has a life planned out us, but are we willing to give up what we have to go after what He has planned for us?  How can we fail if we are pursuing God?

Enough for tonight.  Feel free to let me know what you think.  God bless.