Christ in You

Knowing the history of Saul of Tarsus, his conversion and 180 degree change from persecuting Christians to making Christians, his journeys to spread the good news.....on and on the list goes. He is better known as Paul, the apostle; preacher, encourager, church planter and sinner. Yes, Paul knew he was a sinner and confessed he was guilty of doing wrong things and failing to do right things. Yet he was chosen by God to be a messenger of the good news about Jesus. Look closely at just one example.

Colossians 1:24-27

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

None of us could equal the accomplishments of Paul, however that doesn't stop us from being a servant. Yes, in the same way Paul was commissioned, you and I are commissioned by Jesus himself to reach the lost for him. How is that commission thing working for you?

As a fellow-sinner with Paul, do you think less of him because he is handling such an important mission for God? Isn't it amazing how God picks those with imperfect backgrounds, to be his witness, or to accomplish great things? (That includes you and me.)

Who will you unravel the mystery to first? There is a need in your community and your neighborhood to spread the news that "Christ in you, is the hope of glory."

<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>

The Old Gunfighter

Hugh O'Brian was famous in the early days of television for playing the role of the legendary Wyatt Earp.  The show was a half hour in length and was along the same line as other 30 minute westerns like Gunsmoke and Have Gun, Will Travel.   O'Brian is now 86 years of age and has become an example of how Christianity should work.  I make that statement without any knowledge of O'Brian's religious preferences, or if he is connected with any denominational tag. 

The year was 1958 when, between filming his Wyatt Earp TV shows, O'Brian was making the circuit with a traveling circus, headlining a cowboy shooting act. He received an invitation from Dr. Albert Schweitzer to come to Africa. Schweitzer was running a medical clinic there and O'Brian spent 9 life-changing days observing and helping at the clinic.  As he was preparing to leave Africa, Schweitzer came to him and asked, "What are you going to do with all you have learned?"

O'Brian pondered that question over and over on his long trip home. It led to other questions concerning how he might do something in life to make a difference for others. He wanted to impact the world in such a way, that the world would be a better place.  From these thoughts a vision emerged. 

Just two weeks after O'Brian returned from Africa, he started rounding up kids.  They had to be about the age of 15, and sophomores in high school.  He felt this was the age he could work with and they would have two more years of high school to share with their classmates.  This was the beginning of an organization called HOBY, Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership.  The goal was to get the "cream-of-the-crop" kids from across the nation and allow them to be exposed to the best motivational leaders in the country.  Those kids would attend a 3-day seminar, absolutely free to the kids, and allow them direct contact with the country's greatest innovators.

HOBY has grown every year since its inception, bringing in over 15,000 kids annually,  to 70 locations across every state.  Many of those attending this year will be third generation HOBY participants. From the group of HOBY attendees, has come well known ministers, CEO's, judges, financial experts, educators, and the list could go on.  Also from the group there emerges numerous stories of successful husbands and fathers.  Contributions from big business and individuals fund the events every year, and most of the donors will tell you it's the best investment they have ever made. 

So these are the basics of the story of the hero for lots of kids in the 50's as Wyatt Earp tamed the west. But his story continued because of the concern he had for helping others overcome mediocrity and become an asset to society, not only in business dealings, but also in the way they treat people, their love of others in helping them to be overcomers, and the overall goals they reached in making a difference. 

I can almost see the crusty old cowboy smiling as he realizes how his dream to make a difference still brings that difference to so many kids.  And we, complaining that we are only one person and resources are limited, and we work too many hours, often go through life without a vision or a goal.  What do you suppose could be accomplished in our community, in our churches and schools, in our homeless shelters, or in our country clubs, if we had the love for others that Jesus calls us to have?  We who find loving God is easy, find loving others more difficult. Both are commands from the same savior that loves us.  So today I pray, "Lord give me the vision to see greater ways that I can serve you, and give me the love for others so I can make a difference."

Thanks Wyatt. You are my hero again. 

<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>

The Word Became Flesh

When Christmas rolls around every year, we read again and again, the story of God coming to us in the form of humanity through the miraculous birth of the Christ child. The story remains fresh with us when we are followers of Jesus.  The account most of us remember is from Luke 2.

In John's writing of the gospel, there is a completely different approach taken in the birth announcement. Not many lines in John's writing tell the details of the story. However, what John does say gives insight into the mission and the message of the savior. Let's look at part of it:

John 1:10-14

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Today we have the written word, the Bible, which tells us the story, along with the testimony in the lives of believers who have received him. Do we recognize him and receive him? Think of ways and areas of your life that may need to be opened to accept him.

The scripture says, "those who received him, those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Read that over and over, underline it in your Bible, memorize it...and claim it. You have a God-given right to be God's child. What does that mean to you today?

I recently watched a video of the Gospel of John. The audio part of the production was word for word from the scripture. As I watched, I began to think of those who were the ones hearing, first hand, the teachings of Jesus, yet failing to receive him and believe he was the Christ. How sad when that is duplicated in the lives of people today. 

Receive him and believe in him. To you he gives the right to become God's child. 

<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>

Waiting on God

Churchplanters.com conducts seminars and conferences all over the country, the largest this year being Velocity-12.   I have never been privileged to attend, but did follow the Velocity-12 updates online.  One in particular that I  found is Pete Wilson, who pastors a church in Nashville. His keynote message dealt with our waiting on God. 

There was a lot for me to learn from Pete Wilson.  I considered ways to share some of that with you, and chose the blog, and of course,  some additional comments. My hat is off to Pete for stimulating my thinking and stirring my heart through such a dynamic message.

Many of us have experienced the frustrations which accompany God's apparent silence when we are active in seeking his direction for our dreams and hopes.  Faithful Christians struggle with God's silence, sometimes to the point of doubting God's love and concern.  That brings us to a very important lesson we can learn about waiting on God.  1.  Just because your hopes and dreams are not happening immediately, doesn't mean they are not going to happen.  When Jesus was summoned to come to his sick friend Lazarus, he waited and couple of days before he went, and Lazarus died before he got there. Our perspective of knowing the story of raising Lazarus from the tomb allows us to see the purpose for the Lord's delay.  When will we ever learn?  God may respond in 2 seconds, or he may wait 2 days, or 2 years.  Our faith should remain in the spiritual reality that God will answer.  Waiting on God should never diminish our faith.  Instead it can give faith an opportunity to grow as we anticipate his answer. 

Another of the misunderstandings we have while waiting on God happens when we have expectations that haven't materialized.  Those projects that we feel God has been blessing, suddenly slow down. The growth we prayed about isn't happening.  The outcome of some needed teaching doesn't happen.  Here is something else we need to learn.  2. When things aren't happening according to your schedule, it is not an indication that God is doing something bad to you.  Satan makes great strides in attacking us when he gets us to thinking the reason for delay is caused by God's punishment.   In addition to our faith, we also need to develop some trust in God.

Human nature causes us to wonder what God is doing during these times when we are waiting on him. Is he too busy? Has he overextended his prayer answering and put us on hold?  Is there a message for us here?  3. Perhaps there is an area where you need to grow before God responds. The picture I get here is our questioning God for making us wait, while God is waiting on us to get ourselves ready to receive his answer and blessing.  There is a great tendency on our part to allow doubt, complaints and dangerous questioning of God, during a time when we should be continuing in prayer, faith and trust. 

So it looks as though our plans do not always coincide with God's plans and timing.  Look at what God tells Isaiah, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isaiah 55:9. I will also interpret that to mean God's timing is always better than ours. 

What is your take on the idea of having to wait on God?  Are we prone to be more demanding while we wait oh him? There is one more point.  4. When God is silent, it doesn't mean he is absent.  He still promises to be with us and in us. While our human side detects he is not answering, we jump to the conclusion he isn't even listening. Nothing could be farther from the truth.  He is there.  He still cares. He knows what is best. Through faith, trust and continued prayer, may we learn to wait on him.  Your homework today is to memorize Isaiah 40:31.

Leave a comment or stories about your experience with waiting on God.    <ronbwriting@yahoo.com>

To Pray or Not to Pray

Paul began his first letter to the Thessalonians, as he began most of his letters, with a prayer or the subject of prayer. But the truth recorded in 1 Thessalonians has given me an insight into prayer that I wish to share with you, because it has helped me in praying for people in a deeper way. Read closely what Paul says:

1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3
 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Think of individuals, groups, families, or churches that you feel comfortable thanking God for. Start today thanking God for them. Notice the ways your heart is changed.

Make a list (one or two people) of those in whom you see evidence of work produced by faith; another list of those whose labor is prompted by love; and finally, a list of those whose endurance is inspired by hope. Are these Christians' lives an example of the life you wish for yourself?

Being thankful for your fellow Christians and remembering them before God can bring healing to relationships and strength to the body of Christ. Pray for those who are not in any of your lists above. Remember them to God. If you wish, start a prayer journal, and make notes of God's working through his people.

Welcome to the Babies

It's partially my fault, I guess. I had been praying that I would find the time to read more, so waking 30 minutes earlier and not turning on Fox News gave me a half hour to attempt to broaden my knowledge and do more thinking.  I do most of my reading online, so I have amassed numerous blogs which are normally about Biblical topics or devotional messages.  I can't get around to all of them every day so when I stumble on one I haven't read in a while, I follow the blog posts back a few days to see if I missed anything important.  One such search led me to a blog that had a link to the "2011 World Population Data Sheet."  I started to skip the simple click that would unfold the figures, but I couldn't resist.......so I clicked it. 

Did you know that every day in our world there are an average of 382,000 babies born?    Me either.  Further looking at the figures informed me the world population at this point is just over 7 billion.  In looking back to 1960 there were only 3 billion humans on the planet.  Current statistics now suggest we increase a billion people every 12 years.  Mind boggling, huh?

What does all this mean to you?  Well, other than the obvious that we are eventually going to have to make room somewhere for all those people.  Some  think their weird neighbors are too close already.  If our business is baby formula, it may mean we need to add additional workers, or maybe even open another factory.  Should we get ready by starting today to build more schools and train more teachers?  How soon will increased food production be needed?  Will we need to add another worship service to our church schedule or even worse, start another building program?  Is there an landfill somewhere that can handle all those disposable diapers?  Stay with me here, because today's 382,000 are already here and tomorrow there will be another 382,000 to consider. 

Perhaps the most important question is how we as Christians are to view this data.  Do statistics like these cause us to fear or become less interested in our task of reaching the lost? Maybe even more important is how God feels about these statistics and our response to them. 

One thing should be crystal clear to anyone who faces what might seem insurmountable odds at keeping up with the population.  God is still in control. Tomorrow when you wake up to 382,000 new occupants of the earth, God still loves you, and tomorrow brings him another 382,000 to love.  In addition, the saving blood of Jesus still covers your sins, and the sins of all who reside on the earth. His great commission is still a commandment to reach everyone with the gospel. His grace still saves. 

I don't know how many of his children God takes home on any given day, but I know it's less than 382,000. So the task before us is to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ." The people are hungry, and because we are recipients of God's mercy and grace,  our task is to utilize the talents and the power he puts in us to share the gospel with them all.  It starts with the next one you tell.

Go

It's always interesting how we select some things from scripture and make them the central part of our belief, while Jesus says, "Obey everything I have commanded you." We find ready acceptance to commands like "repent and be baptized," because we have labeled it a "core commandment." Then we come to a verse that tells us to "go and make disciples of all nations," and we are the first to say, "send someone else, " or "that's just not my cup of tea." Read closely the closing words to Matthew's gospel. These are the words of the risen Lord.

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

For those of us who have been Christians for years, are we so set in our ways that we would not allow the Spirit to excite us to the point of being obedient to commands we have grown to ignore?

If you are unable to "go" for Jesus, are you willing to give financial and prayerful support for those who do go?

We often think the command to go involves some foreign country, while everyday encounters with neighbors, co-workers, friends and schoolmates are a big part of the harvest field to which Jesus calls us.