Worth Repeating - December 14, 2017

Acts 8: 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. (NIV)

Discipleship must be as intentional as conversion.*

When I read this verse, I imagine Christians going out into the world, randomly sharing the gospel as they go – like Johnny Appleseed planting apple trees. While there may be some similarity between the scattered Christians and the famous tree planter, the reality is not quite how I pictured it. I did some research on John Chapman and learned that his seed-scattering methods were far from random. He planted. Strategically.* Research indicates that he carefully selected and prepared the spot and, after planting the seeds, returned at regular intervals to tend the plot and the trees.*

Sharing the gospel as we go about our lives is exactly what Jesus commanded before he ascended into heaven. Whether he intended for us to be so random about it is questionable. Sometimes, we are actually planting seeds unknowingly as others see us walking in faith, but that does not excuse us from also being deliberate in sharing the gospel as we go. We should be planting our seeds in carefully selected soil and faithfully tending it. In nature, some seeds will grow and produce fruit without any human intervention, but sharing the seeds of the gospel should be accompanied by prayer and constant care. It is true that even our best efforts may not produce results, but without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, our crop is doomed.

Personal transformation is the Spirit’s work.*

Worth Repeating - December 13, 2017

Luke 19: 10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (NIV)

Perhaps the most profound thing about Jesus’ method of discipling is its simplicity – not highly structured, but highly intentional.*

For all the seminars and workshops I have attended, I have never been able to distinguish the difference between a mission statement and a purpose statement. (When my husband reads this he will want to explain it to me – again.) In Jesus’ statement here, I don’t know if he is identifying his mission or his purpose or both, but he is clearly announcing why he came to earth.

He didn’t have to look far to accomplish the first part of his mission: seeking the lost. They were all around him. They were everyone! But he didn’t just stand still and wait for the lost to come to him. He sought them out – intentionally. You might say he targeted them. He didn’t just randomly snag people as they passed by and ask them if they were saved. He taught in the synagogues (Luke 4: 15) – lots of lost Jews there. He sought and found Zacchaeus in a tree (Luke 19: 4, 5). He found Levi (Matthew) at his job (Luke 5: 27). He called Andrew, Peter, James and John while they were fishing (Matthew 4: 18-22). And his call came to Paul as he was on his way to Damascus on persecution business.

Jesus preached to a lot of crowds, but he modeled one-on-one ministry as well. His mission was to seek and save the lost and he adjusted his strategy to fit the immediate need. We might not possess his versatility but each of us should apply our gifts and strengths in fulfilling his commission to us:  go, disciple, baptize, teach (Matthew 28: 19, 20). Look for the lost – in church, at work, at the lake – in trees! Your ministry might be to the random passerby - but it most likely will be to those in your sphere of influence every day.

Finding the lost is not so difficult, but we can’t lead them to the Savior if we don’t have a relationship with him ourselves. Jesus showed us that spending time with the Father was the most important component of his ministry. Seek and save the lost – but seek the Father first.

[Jesus’] intimate personal relationship with the Father was the source of His power.*

Worth Repeating - December 12, 2017

Ephesians 5: 8, 10 Live as children of light . . . and find out what pleases the Lord. (NIV)

You can know the law by heart without knowing the heart of it.*

I find security in rules. Procedure manuals can cure my anxiety. I like to know, step-by-step, what is expected of me. For people like me, a sincere desire to find out what pleases the Lord can lead us into the bondage of legalism. But we are saved by God’s grace, not by anything that we do. But that is not license for an “anything goes” lifestyle. There are rules for living the Christian life - but we don’t live according to rules. We live according to what pleases God. 

Am I talking in circles? 

Imagine being married to someone who claims he doesn’t know what you want. “Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” Now picture yourself telling him, step-by-step, what will make you happy. Do you think that his adherence to your list of rules will solve your problems? I am reminded of the trailer for a movie that shows a couple sitting on a couch, as far apart from each other as possible, body language screaming, “I’m right! You’re wrong!” The woman says, “I want you to want to do the dishes.” The man replies - disdainfully, “Why would I want to do the dishes?” Does anyone read her subtext: “I want you to want to make me happy.” 

How can we make God happy without being slaves to rules and regulations? By knowing his heart and by having a heart that wants to please him. A heart that is tuned in to God does not obey him out of fear of displeasing him but out of a desire to show him that we love and honor him. No one wants to do the dishes – but perhaps we should want to want to do them!

I began trusting God instead of trying so hard to please him.*

Worth Repeating - December 11, 2017

Romans 8: 37 In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (NIV)

Christians do not lose.*

The Apostle Paul was a masterful communicator. He had a complete grasp on his subject matter, and he spoke and wrote with confidence and authority. His letter to the church at Rome is a classic example of his ability to know his audience and tailor the message accordingly.

What would have been the reaction if Paul had addressed his “more than conquerors” illustration to one of the Jewish-Christian churches? The Jews were much more familiar with the concept of “conquered” rather than “conqueror.” The Roman Christians, while most of them had probably not actually participated in military action against another nation, were beneficiaries of the empire’s might. The idea of being a conqueror would not trigger negative vibes in their minds.

For different reasons, American Christians, like the Jewish Christians, might also find that the notion of being a conqueror is a foreign concept. We won our independence but we overcame more than we conquered. So we, too, may not quite fully comprehend the implication of Paul’s words. He says that we are more than conquerors. We are the aggressors, not just the invaded nation who has defended ourselves successfully. Our victory is more than victory – we are “over-victorious.”*

And what are these things that we are victorious over? We find the answer in a previous verse: “Who shall separate us from the love Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8: 35). Doesn’t that pretty well cover any adversity we might face? But in our role as more that conquerors, we don’t merely avoid becoming victims, running and hiding to protect ourselves. We attack. We march into battle against trouble and hardship, etc., because Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. (Romans 8: 34) We don’t just not lose; we overcome.

Nice soldiers do not win wars.*

Worth Repeating - December 10, 2017

Exodus 7: 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. (NIV)

The same sun softens wax and hardens clay.*

We get uncomfortable at the thought that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart against his will. But there is more to the story than that. What happened to Pharaoh began long before and he made his own choices every step of the way. It is not as if Pharaoh wanted to have a tender heart toward Israel but God wouldn’t let him.*

God’s Word speaks the same to every heart. How the heart responds is at the discretion of the owner of that heart. Whether it is more accurate to say that “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” or “Pharaoh’s heart became hard” is not the question. When Pharaoh’s heart was exposed to the “sun,” was it wax, ready to be softened, or was it clay, shaped and prepared for baking into inflexibility?

What about your heart? Is it wax – submissive and pliable? Or is it clay – pre-formed and resistant? It is your choice. God will not force his will on you.

We don’t try to force anyone to accept God’s standards, but we believe the truth has the power to change minds and hearts.*

Worth Repeating - December 9, 2017

I Corinthians 11: 27-29 Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without regarding the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (NIV)

Communion time requires preparation of emblems and heart.*

On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as an object lesson and a memorial. He didn’t establish a lot of rules – not when or where or how often; no complicated ritual for how to partake of the emblems. We know that he used bread to represent his body, and “fruit of the vine” to represent his blood. And he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Matthew 26: 17-30; Mark 14: 12-26; Luke 22: 7-20)

His disciples who were gathered there that night did not have to be told that this was a solemn occasion and worthy of an attitude of reverence. The church at Corinth, however, apparently needed a reminder. Paul wanted them to understand that the disrespectful way they were observing the Lord’s Supper was endangering their immortal souls.

We may not be guilty of turning the Lord’s Supper into a party, but Paul’s warning to the Corinthians is a good reminder to us that this is serious business. Most denominations fear that the Lord’s Supper will become too commonplace if taken too often so they only offer it monthly, or even quarterly. I don’t believe you can partake of it too often if you are truly communing with the Lord and reflecting on the body and blood he sacrificed for us.

Jesus’ disciples arrived at that first Lord’s Supper prepared for a Passover feast. It helped them in their understanding of Jesus’ introduction of a new memorial meal, but they might be excused for being a little foggy on the momentousness of the occasion. As someone has remarked, “Strange things were happening, and stranger ones about to happen.”* They couldn’t be expected to remember a death that hadn’t occurred yet. We, on the other hand, have no excuse if we participate with hands and hearts unready to handle anything holy.*

Gather around the Lord’s table often – but come prepared to remember and to worship and to show the world your allegiance to your Savior. Don’t bring judgment upon yourself!

Often we rush into and out of His presence without that quiet preparation of heart which is essential to communion with him.*

Worth Repeating - December 8, 2017

Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (NIV)

Responsible relationships with others are essential to our spiritual growth.*

Barnabas, Paul’s companion, was named “Joseph” by his parents (see Acts 4: 36). Because his new name means “son of encouragement,” it is safe to assume that Barnabas was an encourager. Often encouragers are people whose intentions are better than their advice. They are the ones who tell us what we want to hear or who dispense useless platitudes. A fake Barnabas might make us feel better, but he has nothing substantial to offer. 

The writer of Hebrews urges us to consider how we can encourage one another to love and to perform good deeds. How much time do we spend thinking about how to be that kind of encourager? How would that look in actual practice? Here are a few suggestions: 

1) set an example as someone who loves and does good deeds; 

2) pay attention to your friends’ strengths and encourage them in using them to serve the Lord; 

3) pray for your friends and let them know you are praying for them; 

4) never lie to someone just to make her feel better about herself, but cultivate the ability to speak the truth in love; and, 

5) never forget that nothing encourages a person to improve more than knowing that he is loved and accepted just as he is. 

And suggestion number six comes from the writer of Hebrews in the very next verse: Let us not give up meeting together . . . but let us encourage one another . . . Sometimes all you have to do to be an encourager is to show up!

I worship God anywhere I choose. But the assembly is for us that we might encourage each other toward greater fidelity.*