Photo credit: Robert Whyte www.arachne.org.au

I can serve him because I want to be faithful, or because I want to be a testimony, or because I want God’s blessings in my life, or even because I don’t want to be chastened by the Lord. All these reason might have a proper place in my service, but the single correct answer (in my view) is that we should serve the Lord because he is worthy!

1. He is worthy because of who he is – John 1:1-5.
2. He is worthy because of what he did – Romans 3:21-26.
3. He is worthy because of what lies ahead – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Too much of our lives as believers is limited by wrong views and/or wrong associations that limit our service to the Lord. We need to see the Lord as Isaiah did, high and lifted up. When we see him that way, our choice to serve will be changed from “have to”, right past “want to”, all the way to “I can’t do anything else.” (Acts 4:19,20)

As you make your way through this next week, ask yourself the question: “Why do I serve the Lord?” The answer will set the course for your whole life. Serve because he is worthy!

Three issues plague this simple thought about simply letting God do His work through us:

1. We want to be in control. We want to be the one telling God what we want to hold, carry, or otherwise be done with us as the vessel. If we don’t want that hot liquid in us, we will find a way to spill it out. If those pebbles get to heavy for us as His vessel, we will just stop in the way and refuse to move any further. We would just as soon God let us choose what to do as his vessel and then have Him follow our lead!
2. We want blessings without the hassle of struggles. We all like to see the blessings of God in our lives. That new job (with the bigger paycheck), that new car (with the bigger payment), or that new recognition (with the bigger ego). However, we are not prepared for having to live in the sufferings of Christ if that brings God greater glory.
3. We want our dream, even if it isn’t God’s dream! This issue is the key. If God’s desire for you is buried deep in your subconsciousness; if you are not allowing God the Spirit to move you toward its fulfillment; if you are resisting the leadership of the Lord, your life will be filled with the ups and downs of the human struggle rather than the blessed peace of God’s presence.

Paul understood these issues and we see his declaration of dependence when he writes:

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:8-14

And if that weren’t enough he followed up his own declaration of dependence with this:

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” (vs. 15-17)

You see, Paul knew that is was simple, just let God do it!

God has continually amazed this week as he has honored our church with great services and answered prayer. I am so excited about what he has planned for us that I might just explode! (That would be too big a mess, so I pray I can contain myself.)

The center point of human history is the empty tomb and every human life will be measured by how it responds to that tomb. My prayer is that your Easter morning will be filled with the wonder of the risen Saviour and the grace and mercy his salvation brings to you!!

Happy Easter to you all!

Pastor

Seven Years of Walking in God's Grace!

What a day it was!

Because it was our seventh anniversary (seven being the number of biblical perfection or completeness) the message in the celebration service dealt with now being the perfect time to do several things:

1. It is a perfect time to learn the lessons from out life trials.
2. It is a perfect time to yield our lives fully to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
3. It is a perfect time to strive for masteries in our lives/ministries.
4. It is a perfect time to forget the past and press toward the mark.
5. It is a perfect time to cross our Jordan river and trust God to possess our promised land.

As we listened to our newly created choir sing, along with our men’s quartet, and a solo from Tara, I was reminded that God has blessed us as a relatively small church with a wonderful music program. They were awesome and I know God as well as his people people were blessed.

I don’t know what else to say about the day except that God amazes me every day and today I was simply stunned by his grace. Thank you to all the members of Crossroads who came, who brought visitors, who worked, and who prayed for this historic day!

May God continue to bless him as we follow his lead in this world!!

(Photo credit: Bright Meadow)

I had an interesting conversation this week via Twitter with an atheist. Throughout the conversation I wondered why I was even talking to him. He was not going to change his thinking and neither was I. We were point/counter-pointing each other with no give on either side.

Every time I read his “new” comment, I thought, “OK, that’s enough. I’m beating a dead horse.” I would sit for a few minutes and then feel the draw of the Spirit back into the conversation. I would send out one more tweet and think that I had surly said enough. At the end of the conversation there were between 15-20 comments on each side and the conversation took most of the evening. Indeed neither of us had changed the others mind, but I learned three very important things:

1. God does not need to let me know why I need to witness, just that I need to witness at his direction. I don’t know who else is witnessing to this man or how the Holy Spirit might use my comments, but I do know God was the impetus for my continuing to speak with him all night.
2. I learned that when God is directing your witness, it can be the truth spoken in love. In the course of the conversation, my atheist friend (maybe too strong a word but you never know) attacked God, abused His word, challenged His omnipotence and omnipresence, told me he hated my doctrine, and told me that I was unintelligent.  Normally that would not make we want to speak the truth in love, but this day God was in control. It was really weird and interesting at the same time.
3. I learned what it means to have a burden for someone who I don’t know and who is totally blind to the faith I cherish. Mourning is something I am learning to do and I now have the name of a specific atheist to mourn for.

In the end I don’t know what will come of this conversation, but I know that I will be both asking for more conversations like it. It has re-charged my desire for God’s salvation to be seen not only in my community but also in places and among people I may never meet in person.

To God be the glory!!

Downtown Davenport, Iowa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I love spring! Everything is beginning to grow and all that is possible is right in front of us. My favorite place at this time of the year is my deck. I can work out here (thanks to the wonders of wireless technology), I can read out here, I can pray out here, I can talk to family and friends out here, and most importantly I can hear from the Lord out here.

So, what is the Lord telling me on this beautiful spring day? Well, let me tell you, he is saying lots! (No audible voices so don’t get nervous!) But, my mind is filled with the voice of His Spirit and I am very excited by what he is telling me!

First of all, he has told me to keep my eyes up (I saw the Lord high and lifted up … Isaiah 6). With all the craziness going on around us, this view is the best one for us these days. Paul reminds us of this when he said, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Second, he has told me to keep my ears open (Hear, O, Israel … Deuteronomy 6:4) With all the noise that the world is making, it is sometimes difficult to hear the sound of the Lord and the wisdom and direction he is giving. God’s warning is to all who choose to not hear the voice of his wisdom, “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” (Proverbs 1:20-27)

Finally (at least for today), he has told me to get ready to move. No, I am not leaving the position that God has called me to here in Davenport, but rather to be ready to move into new areas of “the land” that God has prepared to give us, IF we are ready to conquer in his name!

So that, as they say is that! What is God saying to you these days? Are you looking up, listening up, and ready to move?

So, in thinking about this, my conclusion is simple, “I need to choose to be me only better.” I need to let God work in me (the closest to my epicenter) through the power of his Spirit and as he does, he will then cause the ripples of the changes he makes in me to expand beyond myself to those around me and then to those around them, and then around them and so on.

In the same way, you need to choose to by you only better! Let God work at your epicenter. Let him mold you into the image of his Son. Let him make your life what he wants it to be and then let him move you beyond yourself into the lives of those around you, and around them, and around them (you get the picture). I know this thought seems really simple, but I am personally stunned by its power. This simple little truth could in less than a generation bring about the third great awakening that this world is in dire need of. However, nothing will happen in the greater scheme of things until you (an I) choose to be ourselves … only better!

What do you think? How can we work to this end? What choices are you making to let God have all of you?

This is why the testimony of each church as a body of Christ and its members in particular is so critically important. At the end of Acts 2, the Bible says, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (vs. 46-47) It was the testimony of the church at Jerusalem and the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated in that testimony that caused God’s grace to add to the church daily such as should be saved.

As churches in the 21st century trudge through the apathy, the materialism, the humanism, and the outright hatred toward God and his word, we need to choose to return to the basics of humble service and a life yielded to the Spirit so that God can use our life/testimony as a demonstration of his life-changing power.

Image via Wikipedia

resounding … Duh! And yet, if most people, as well as churches, were completely honest, we would admit that prayer is not something that has been given the place that it deserves. It is like knowing that if you eat right and exercise everyday you will be healthier than you are, yet day in and day out we eat badly and don’t exercise. Just knowing what is right doesn’t end up producing the desired results. Action must be taken!

As we consider prayer, the best way to really see how that this is a basic that packs power is to notice where it was used in the Book of Acts and then to see the power of prayer at work in the church at Jerusalem:

1. Acts 1:12-14 says, “Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” The results of this period of prayer was what we call “The day of Pentecost” where 3,000 souls were saved and added to the church.

2. Acts 4:23-31 says, “And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 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.” The results of this prayer was that everyone there was filled with the Holy Ghost, they all spake the word of God with boldness, and “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” (v. 33)

When Peter was arrested on another occasion, the church prayed and Peter was visited by an angel and freed in the middle of the night. (Acts 12:1-19)

Again and again prayer stands out as the power by which the church at Jerusalem saw God’s hand at work. They were “successful” not because of their efforts, but because they relied on the power of God through the activity of prayer!

When we seek to do the work of God in this modern generation we need to recognize that prayer is a basic and that without it we can only operate in the power of man and not in the power of God. Let us always remember what Paul admonished the church at Thessalonica to do when he said simply, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

God, in his wisdom, has created an organization (the church) that can handle this kind of growth and do it in a way that everyone who joins can quickly and easily develop a sense of family. We see this in Acts 2 as the scripture tells us that this church continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread.

I consider the breaking of bread to be one of the most intimate times in the life of a family. It is a time when a family can feel free to talk about anything and can do so in the safety and confidence only found in the family unit. And here we see a group of people who just days earlier were complete strangers now sharing their meal time as members of this family of believers in Jerusalem.

It is this kind of love and giving of oneself to others that is an absolute basic truth that will set any church apart from organizations who call themselves churches and struggle with love. Jesus said to his disciples that it was by this kind of love “shall all men know that ye are my disciples …”

When an unbeliever walks into a church they should see and sense the love of family. And, when God saves them, they should know immediately that that kind of love is now embracing them. Every church should pray diligently and seek the Spirit’s power to develop a sense of family!