Despised and rejected in my youth
As irritable and distasteful,
Just a crutch of the old.
Engaged in my time of need
A helpful friend, oft' embraced,
That empowered me to be bold.
Now dearly loved as I creak and gray,
This old, reliable friend,
A steaming mug of black gold.
Ah, coffee, you ol' cup of joe.
When this temporary assignment ends, despite my dreams and hopes,
I'll not cry, blame the world, or wail.
Nor will I beat my chest in agony
As if I've somehow failed.
No, when this assignment ends,
I'll turn to my Master with my thanks
For all the opportunities that He's brought me through
And begin the next journey along the planks,
Seeking after the Lord's direction
To see where He next might send.
I will follow after where He'd have me go
Until I've breathed my last- and the final assignment ends.
Dancing in the Sunshine
Little flame dancing 'neath the clothesline,
Her carefree smile brighter than the sun.
She sways and spins and grins so wide
As daddy watches while she runs.
Little beauty, dancing in the sunshine
Until the day is done.
Such a joy, my little girl,
To watch you dance and glide.
So full of happiness as you twirl,
And peace, and love, and life.
Never lose that fire, dear;
Keep dancing in the sunshine.
Hope in the Darkness
So many dark clouds have fallen,
Drenched in the despair of mankind.
Everything around me grows sullen,
Where is there hope I might find?
My strength indeed has been stolen,
My humanity lost in confusion, now blind.
What is this weakness now showing?
Where is there hope I might find?
Can I step away from the edge of this cavernous despair?
Can I look away from the depths of the blight?
Can I find a path away from the forlorn
To walk along the spires of new light?
Be swept up into the bosom of love
And forget the weight of dark night;
Choose to look away from the darkness,
And put aside the hopelessness of the fight.
I'll never look into your eyes, little one,
Or hold your little hand;
I'll never hold you as you cry,
But I love you more than anything.
I'll never watch you skip and play
Or climb up in a tree;
Or get to help when you skin your knee,
But you already had my heart.
I'll never see you take a step,
Or walk beside you on your wedding day;
I'll never hear your little voice,
But you'll live with me till I die.
I may have never known you, my little one,
But your daddy I'll always be.
Wait for me in heaven, little one,
I'll come running for a hug.
(To E.N. or S.T.)
I've found myself lately to be wanting... something more. Encouragement, guidance, direction- for truth to be poured into me.
Longing, for true worship, for true fellowship, for REAL maturity to push me, to shape me, to challenge me.
What I long for is a group of mature Believers that want to authentically worship, who want to be taught and challenged, and who want to partner in ministering to the world, reaching out to the world...
Wasn't that the point of the Restoration movement? Restoring the church to the model of the Early Church?
I long for it, but I find very little of it in the Western Church. Maybe its why I had such a hard time coming back to the church after living on the mission field.
Venting to my little corner of the blogisphere will have to suffice for now.
(This is an except from the sermon I am preparing for this Sunday. The purpose statement that I have put before the church that I pastor is Teach, Disciple, Send- based on Matthew 28:19-20. This sermon is part 1 of the final pillar of that purpose: Send.)
Your faith is not dependent on the works that you accomplish. God is not watching everything you do with a clipboard, waiting for the balance on your account to become negative so that He can cut you loose. Our salvation is justified by our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf; it is justified by works, just not ours- it is justified by Jesus’ work on our behalf. In the grand scheme of salvation, ours is but a very small part to play.
We were drowning in an ocean of our own sins when Jesus came along in a ship called HMS Salvation and extended to us an invitation to rescue us and bring us to His Father’s house. Now, our part in the process: we must accept His invitation of rescue! We must accept salvation. We can neither brag nor complain about our place; we were drowning in sin because of our own choices and sins. If we are saved, it is because of the grace that Jesus extended to us; if we remain unsaved, we cannot complain that we end up in hell- eternal separation from God will have happened because we refused Christ’s offer of salvation.
The works of faith that James is referring to, that we are looking at in this first part of our Send pillar, come later. They have nothing to do with us accepting salvation. We didn’t strike some bargain with God- salvation in exchange for some future works of service. God extended grace to us when He had no use for us- He loved us and wanted to save us. That’s it.Now anything that we do in service of the Kingdom is an outward expression of our thanks! It is the outward proof of our faith in Jesus and His gift of salvation to save us from our own sins. James is not saying that we are saved by faith plus our works- He is stating to us that to have an authentic faith is to do active, authentic work in service of the one that justifies and saves us.
Our works are the fruit of an authentic faith. A faith that is fruitless is dead and, as Jesus says in Matthew 7:19, at risk of being cut down and cast into the fire. In other words, not the root of salvation, but the fruit that grows out of it!
Ephesians 4:11-16
"And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
"Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part."
I've been pondering this question for some time as the Spirit has laid it on my heart: why are we, believers and followers of Jesus Christ, so divided? More importantly, why have we allowed ourselves to be so fractured and "un-unified?"
A quick search of Christian denominations breaks the Body of Christ into two sides: Eastern and Western. Each side is then broken into smaller subsets: Eastern Catholic vs Western Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox vs Protestant (Adventist, Anabaptist, Anglican, Baptist, Evangelical, Holiness, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Pentecostal, Quaker, Reformed)....
Each claiming that their doctrinal beliefs and denominational structures make them the "one true denomination," the one that has got everything correct.
And within each of those subsets, at least within Protestantism, are a seemingly infinite number of smaller subsets, which have generally come about because of disagreements about pseudo-doctrinal issues or issues that have nothing to do with doctrine and only to do with personal preference.
This past Sunday as I left FCC Marianna and headed back toward Springdale, I began thinking about the number of churches just in Marianna, then about the number of small towns, Marianna included, that have multiple churches within the same/ similar denomination that have split over small, petty issues, and then began considering the number of larger cities that have hundreds and hundreds of churches, with multiples falling within the same denominational structure (First Baptist, Second Baptist, Such-and-such Avenue Baptist, etc...).
As the Apostle James says "Brothers, this should not be!" (James 3:10)
We are supposed to be working toward unity and maturity, so that we will no longer be "tossed by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit."
You see, this division amongst the Believers is the enemy's plan for us to never reach maturity and then never be able to stand firm against contrary teaching and the deceit that comes against us. It also causes the world to look at us and ask, "Why would I want to be a part of that Body; it's completely fractured and can't even work together?"
We need to be The Church. Are there doctrinal issues amongst us that need to be worked out? Yes, of course. But it shouldn't divide us and keep us from fellowship together, let alone working together to grow the Kingdom of God!
As I was thinking the other day, I tried to consider myself and my attitude in this question, especially now in my new role as a Senior Pastor. If there was another Christian Church in Marianna (or another church of any denomination, actually) that came and said "We hear what you're saying, Pastor Josh. Let's merge congregations, sell one of the buildings and you and our Pastor can be co-pastors of the church."
I questioned myself: Would I be okay with that? Would I be okay with losing my status as Senior Pastor to become a co-pastor if it meant finding some unity in the Body?
And the answer is YES!
All of that to say this: while we have got to get back to a place of unity, of the church working together to grow the Kingdom of God, and get over being divided by paint color, worship service time, etc, there are serious doctrinal issues that divide us that need to be worked out Biblically.
Some denominations need to take a long, hard look at the doctrinal beliefs that they have and why they are so divisive. We shouldn't be divided as the Church, but there are some within the Body that may need to be expelled if they continue pushing beliefs that are obviously antithetical to the teachings of the Bible. In those situations, we need to be "speaking the truth in love" to correct those beliefs and behaviors- rather than just saying "Well, since we can't agree, let's just split."
Unity means putting aside petty differences (paint color, carpet color, pews vs chairs, hymns vs contemporary), cultural issues (black church vs white church, service on Saturday or Sunday) and the lesser doctrinal issues (if it's not a salvation issue or a sin issue, then why are we disagreeing so vehemently?), and worship together, do life together and grow the Kingdom together.
How can we really make an effective difference in this world if we are not unified in our faith?
But a simple shepherd,
Leading my sheep o'er barren hills toward town.
Who could have known how life would change
When the angels above shone down?
But a simple shepherd,
Listening to angels entreat.
I make my way toward Bethlehem,
A young family there to greet.
But a simple shepherd, I peered into the stable,
Come to see a little babe, lain 'tween horse and sheep.
Who could have known how the world would change
By this babe so fast asleep?
But a simple shepherd,
Ne'er one to open mouth to preach.
How could I not go with news of the babe
Out into the world, every soul needed to reach?
But a simple shepherd,
Amazed at this life so changed.
Could have ne'er imagined preaching an evangelist's message
That night upon the grassy range.
But a simple shepherd,
Staff and flock long stored;
Shepherding the new believers
Of that baby, our Savior, the Lord.
(Revised Nov. 19, 2021)
I've stood here watching
For so many long years now;
Watching as the world has changed,
Watching to keep myself changeless for you.
I've stood here watching,
Wondering when the day might come
That I could take your hand
And dance with you to life's gentle love song.
The thought leaves me breathless.
I've stood here watching,
Guarding the way to you heart,
Watching as each day passes on,
Watching so you'll know you're treasured.
I've stood here watching,
Wondering as the days have passed
At the legacy of love that we
Will leave to those who come behind us.
The thought leaves me breathless.
I'll stand here watching,
Standing strong as life's storms rage,
Watching for the troubles that life may bring;
Watching to keep you safe from harm.
I'll stand here watching,
Wondering, as the days roll on,
At how very blessed I've been
Walking through life with you beside me.
The thought leaves me breathless.
I'll stand here watching
As life carries us through the years,
Watching our legacy grow wise and strong,
Watching to keep our family anchored true.
I'll stand here watching,
Wondering, after the years have passed
And I'm left all alone,
At how much I've loved you with all my life.
The thought leaves me breathless.
The sun sets low on a pink horizon,
Its hues cascading o'er drowsy hills and plains.
The earth swallows this glorious fire,
Welcoming darkness as the daylight wains.
Cooling under evening's purple cover,
Slumber eases the day's many pains.
Our bright star sinks low each twilight,
Burning flames now shadows o'er the fading earth.
Evening's hush brings rejuvenation,
Calming the earth in silent dearth.
Welcomed sleep covers the waiting ground,
Rest arriving in the day's rebirth.
"A Christ-Built Man"
A Christ-Built Man:
-loves the brotherhood, fears God, honors the King! (1 Peter 2: 17)
-lives by faith! (Gal. 3:11)
-is always on his guard. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:14, 4:5; 1 Peter 5:8-9)
-is a man of courage. (1 Cor. 16:13)
-stands firm in the faith. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Cor. 15:58)
-does everything as for the Lord. (1 Cor. 16:14; Eph. 5:1-2; Col. 3:17, 23)
-preaches the Gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16; 1 Thess 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:2; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:5)
-is Christ's ambassador. (2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Tim. 2:7)
-lives by the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16, 25; Romans 8:5-17; 1 Cor. 2:12-15)
-is patient, humble, and gentle. (Eph. 4:2; Phil 4:5; 1 Peter 3:8, 5:6)
-lives in the strength of the Lord. (Eph. 6:10; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:17)
-prays, in all occasions. (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2-4; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)
-avoids godless chatter. (2 Tim. 2:16, 23-24; 1 Tim. 6:20)
-perseveres through suffering. (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 4:12-15; 2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:24; Heb. 12: 7-8; Gal. 3:4)
-serves his King, not society. (Gal. 1:10)
-is an imitator of God. (Eph. 5:1-2; 1 Thess. 1:6)
-guards his steps. (Ecc. 5:1)
-is slow to speak and quick to listen. (Ecc. 5:2, James 1:19)
-always conducts himself in a manner worthy of the Gospel. (Phil. 1:27, 2:14; Col. 3:17, 24)
-loves his wife! (Col. 3:19; 1 Cor. 7:2-3; 1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5: 25-28)
-avoids sexual immorality! (1 Thess. 4: 3-8; 1 Cor. 5:9-11, 6:18-20; Romans 13:13-14; Eph. 5:3-5)
"Heroes and Princesses"
Every boy grows up with an innate longing to
be a hero; for his life to mean something. He wakes up each morning
with a desire for his peers to look upon him and see something special;
for them to call upon him to share his greatness with them.
Every girl grows up with a burning desire
to be a princess; to be seen pure, and for a hero-man to long to love
her with every ounce of his being. She wants to wake up each morning and
be loved and to pour herself into making sure her hero-man is every bit
the hero he is supposed to be.
So, why has life grown so
mundane? Why does it seem like there are no heroes or princesses to be
found in this land of freedom and tolerance?
The world stood and
told our boys "We don't want you to grow up into heroes." And told our
girls "There is no hero coming to love you; you might as well give up."
And we have listened!
Few are willing to strive to stand against
the world. Few men are willing to stand up and show the world their
greatness and to love their wives with all that they are. And few women
are willing to be loved and to help their man be great.
Why is that? Imagine what our world would be like if we aspired to be what we are made to be...
"How Real is My Faith?"
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into Heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the
disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with
them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it."
Mark 16-17-20
"As you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8
-These signs will accompany those who BELIEVE:
drive out demons, raise the dead, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes
and drink poison without being harmed, heal the sick, cleanse those who
have leprosy.
There is a common theme running through the church
that if God wants something done, then He will give someone the "skills
or knowledge" to do it.
And, while it is true that God does give
us skill and knowledge and gifts to use for the Kingdom and to reach the
world, this idea is contrary to what the Word says.
Anyone who
believes that God is God, and that Jesus is His Son who died on the
cross to pardon our sins, is one who these verses speak of! Anyone who
BELIEVES!
Why is my faith so weak that it is not accompanied by
any of these things? I've never cleansed a leper, or healed someone of a
malady. I've never been poisoned and not harmed, and I struggle with
new languages.
But why?
These verses clearly illustrate that it is available. What has happened to our faith?
Ten Steps to Becoming a Man of Faith:
"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 10:39-11:1
I
was reading today in Hebrews 11 about faith. It's very easy to just sit
back and read through chapter 11, the "faith chapter", and not really
pull anything out of it. I've done it countless times before.
But
then the other night, Jamee, Nick, and I had a discussion on faith, and
what it really means to have faith, and how our faith shows.
It was intriguing, and so the first place I came to explore was "the faith chapter".
So,
the responsibility of being faithful? It runs deeper than most
Christians would ever imagine. Most Christians would agree that they
have "faith", but Paul has other ideas of what it means to have faith.
He starts it off powerfully, "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe, and are saved."
(He.10:39) He's setting it up. "If you're going to be a man of faith,"
he says,"you can't be weak. You can't shrink back. You have to know what
you believe."
So what is faith?
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (He.11:1)
"By
faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so
that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (He.11:3)
Faith
is being confident, because we know where we came from. Faith is being
strong, because we know that Someone stronger is in control.
Then
Paul leads into recalling the experiences of some very great men of
faith. By faith Noah did this... By faith, Abraham did this, and this,
and this. He goes on to tell of the things faith in our King
accomplishes, about people "who by faith conquered kingdoms,
administered justice, and gained what was promised." (He.11:33)
But it doesn't stop there: "who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;"(11:34)
Powerful stuff, yes? There is more: "whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." (11:34)
It
doesn't stop. Paul goes on to talk about how through faith people were
raised from the dead, others endured torture and refused to be released;
others endured flogging, others prison. They endured being stoned,
being sawed in two, and death by the sword.
They were "destitute, persecuted, and mistreated" (11:37); "the world was not worthy of them."(11:38) "These were all commended for their faith". (11:39)
And
then Paul lays it down: "Therefore"; anytime Paul said therefore,
people turned to listen. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses", all those he just described as having great
faith, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."(12:1)
So, step one of being a man of faith: Knowing who you are.
Step two? Getting rid of the stuff that can hold you down.
Step
three is simple, but most of the time, we Christians have jumbled up
number two, and are so weighed down, that we can't manage it. Fix our eyes on Jesus.
"Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (12:3)
Step Four? "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." (12:7)
"No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however,
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been
trained by it." (12:11)
Step five will be difficult, but it is vitally important to your walking in faith: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy". (12:14)
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe". (12:28)
Step six? Being thankful and worshiping God.
Step seven: "Keep on loving each other as brothers." (13:1)
Step eight: "Do not be carried away" (13:9)
Being
thankful, worshiping God, and loving each other as brothers seem to
flow pretty easy most of the time. Most Christians wouldn't think too
much about those.
But how many Christians wake up each day and prepare themselves so that they won't be carried away? Not many, I'm afraid.
Paul then goes on to say, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others" (13:16), almost sounding like a mother sending her child off to kindergarten. But, in truth, this is vitally important!
How often do we get so busy, and wrapped up in the world around us that forget about this command? "Do not forget to do good"?
This whole list of things has been Paul reminding the brotherhood how vitally important it is to prepare themselves each day!
He finishes up with one more that is vital to the walk: "Pray for us."(13:18) Pray for the brotherhood!
Paul's conclusion? "May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing His will." (13:20-21)
We've got to step up and be men of faith, and then God will equip us to do His will.
Step One: Know who you are.
Step Two: Get rid of the stuff that will hold you down.
Step Three: Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Step Four: Endure hardship as discipline.
Step Five: Strive to live at peace and be holy.
Step Six: Be thankful and worship God.
Step Seven: Love each other as brothers.
Step Eight: Do not be carried away.
Step Nine: Do not forget to do good.
Step Ten: Pray for the brotherhood.
"Romans 8:28 - A Crutch to Christianity?"
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
I was reading this morning, searching for something to hold to, while
under attack. And this verse, the "everything for good" verse was my
first stop.
But, I think that we, as Christians, especially those who do not spend much time exploring the Word, have taken this verse and turned it into a crutch.
Christians
view this verse as some sort of Heavenly bank note. As if with every
hardship and trial, we should be issued some sort of "good things" debit
card, which we can use at our discretion.
(i.e.: "Okay, God,
it's time for you to bless me, because I've got several "good things"
credits built up from those hardships I went through last summer.")
God doesn't promise that for every hard time we go through we will have an equally good and blessed time.
He
does, on the other hand, promise that every hardship that we go through
will be used for the good of those who love Him. "Those" being His
people.
Now, I am not saying that God doesn't use what we go through for our good, because He does. But, it goes deeper than that.
There
are things that happen to us that bring about little or no fruit in our
own lives: being raised by a single mom, losing a brother, going
through a rift in your family.
But, those are the things that
happen to us so that, once we come out stronger, we can minister to
others who are going through something similar.
So, a crutch?
"Connected and Loving: Hurting as Others Hurt"
Paul had a good idea of what it meant to be connected to God and to the family in Christ.
"Love must be sincere." "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:9,10)
And, speaking of love, he says, "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:7 NIV)
I think that the Living Bible describes this verse better. "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
Sometimes I find myself dealing with pain that is only a reflection of what the people I love are dealing with.
That's
part of what love entails. It's not all feel good. Sometimes, maybe
often, it is my spirit interceding for your spirit because you are
hurting.
We are connected, you and I, and when you hurt, I hurt. That's part of life, and part of love.
"Ready to Give Up for a Brother?"
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with action and in truth." 1 John 3:18
I've
been reading through John's letters today, and what strikes me is his
passion for the brotherhood to have each other's backs.
He doesn't shy away from the tough subjects like Christians do today.
He says that the world is going to hate us, so we should be ready to give up ourselves for the brothers.
Am I living in a ready manner that I would be able to give up my life for my brothers? I think so.
"Being a Four-Pillared Man"
"Of all the men I have known and admired most in life, it is the
four-pillared men who have most impressed me - and most impacted their
world!
These are not perfect men. They come from diverse
backgrounds - from good homes, bad homes, no homes. They are men who
had strong dads, weak dads, and no dads. Men who are rich and not so
rich. Men who are famous in this world, and men known only to their
small civilizations around them.
But they are men who never stop growing.
When one or more of the pillars begins to crack or lean out of balance,
they turn to their Lord - the ultimate King, Warrior, Mentor, and
Friend - to make them straight, strong, and true once again.
These are not lone rangers.
They realize the enormity and the impossibility of being a
four-pillared man alone. They are rusty knights who need a round table
of other rusty knights to share joys and challenges, fears and
disappointments. They need men who will both call to encourage them -
and call them on the carpet. They choose to never be too busy - or too
lazy - or too proud - to lock arms with men walking in the same
direction.
These men are not cowards who give up and
quit when the task seems overwhelming. They are not so concerned about
their own personal rights, freedoms, and happiness that they sacrifice
the sacred principles of manhood.
They are men who have known
failure, but not defeat; disappointment, but not despair. They are men
who can see through these hard things in life because they have their
compass set on truth (!!), not on the fancies of a fickle society.
These are men who are willing to live - and if necessary, die - for principles far bigger and greater than they.
They are men determined to live life to the fullest...by the Book."
-From Stu Weber's book: Four Pillars Of A Man's Heart
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph. 2:10)
This is something that I've been considering lately; it is a dual-sided question in my mind: how often do we do things for God simply to stay busy, rather than actually fulfilling the call that He has placed upon us?
A friend of mine recently asked me this question and it's been bouncing around in my brain and burning a hole in my heart since: "If you were to stand before judgment today, would Christ be pleased with how you have accomplished the purpose He had for you to do?"
Can I answer that question with a resounding yes?
After being asked the question, I sat down to examine what are the purposes that God has called me to accomplish?
I've known since I was 12 that I was called to ministry of some kind.
I've known since I was 19 that I was to be a father to the fatherless.
I've known since I was 20 that I am called to write for Him.
And I've known for the past year that He was calling me to preach the Gospel.
The hard task, beyond struggling with busy work versus His good works, is figuring out where these four callings intersect- or maybe figuring out WHEN they will all intersect. There's a quote that I've used throughout my life that is particularly poignant in this instance (it's actually on the top of this blog page): "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (Frederick Buechner)
But back to the question at hand: figuring out whether the works that I throw myself into are indeed the good works that God has prepared for me to do or whether I am just trying to stay busy so that I can say that I am doing something for the Kingdom.
I look at myself and see some good things done for the Kingdom, things that line up well with these things that I have been called to do. But none of them are finished, none are accomplished fully.
I just wonder sometimes whether if I were to die today, if my Lord would say, "Welllllllllllll, you did some good things. You gave it the ol' college try, but you didn't quite accomplish all of the things that I needed you to do."
It's not a salvation issue, I know, but it is a discipleship issue. Am I figuring out and then doing the things that He has really called me to do? And if I don't finish them, what then?
For you, my friends and readers: are you accomplishing the good works that God has called you to do? Or are you just piling things on your plate to appear to be busy for the Lord?
There will be times when God has definitely called you to be busy, but there will be others where He has called you to a time of rest and rejuvenation. Don't give in to the opportunity to busy yourself outside of God's timing! If He has called you to rest, put aside the desire to fill your plate with all kinds of works just to be doing something for the Kingdom.
You were called for good works that He's already prepared, not for busy work. Go accomplish things for the Kingdom!
Maybe it was naive of me to think that generational curses could be broken....
Deuteronomy 30:19 says that "I have put before you life and death, blessings and curses."
Exodus 34:7 states that God will punish the sins of the father to the 3rd and 4th generation...
All my life I have said that I would not do things the way that my father did them, that I was going to break the generational curse played out in my dad's life and his dad's life. And maybe even further back than that.
As my namesake says in Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That's all I've wanted. To build a home- a family, a lineage- that serves the Lord, that stands in faith, that doesn't shrink back in the face of hard times...
But maybe I was naive to think that I could control what happens simply because it was something that I was committed to. What happens when a generational curse from outside your line begins to affect things, as well?
I don't know what to think at this point... How do I break a curse that doesn't come from my line? How do I establish the example that my kids need? Maybe all I can do is all I can do.
What I do know is that we each have a responsibility to say: from this point forward, as long as it is up to me, I will change the course of my family line- we will serve the Lord- no matter what.
That is really the point of the vows we make in a covenant before God: even in the worst times, I will make sure my family is serving the Lord; even in the lean times, in the poor times, in the miserable times. Even when I am no longer on the mountaintop high, I will serve the Lord and set that generational example for my family before the Lord.
I'm sitting in my office this afternoon, worshiping and writing, and I came across this little scrap of paper that I jotted a note on a few months back. I think it's something that is going to develop into another sermon about who Jesus is:
The Miraculous Restoration of God's Healing
-When Jesus performed miracles of healing, He could have simply brought people out of a situation where things were bad and broken into a temporary mend- going from completely blind to be able to see "good enough," from being crippled to being able to hobble about, from years of internal bleeding and intense pain to being in lessened, manageable pain.
How ecstatic those healed would have been! One moment, I can't see at all and then the next, I simply need glasses... I can't walk one moment and then the next, I need a cane, but I'm shuffling around better than I've ever been able to. Healing of any kind to someone needing healing would be an amazing blessing.
But Jesus didn't deal in temporary fixes. Jesus dealt in overwhelming grace and generosity- showing us that there is nothing that we can bring to Him that can overwhelm Him or exhaust His generosity. Jesus goes big- period; hard stop.
The miraculous healing brought with it an immediate restoration to "brand new" status. Restored sight comes with healthy, like new eyes- and even more miraculously- doesn't require any time needed to get used to going from blindness to sight. The blind opened their eyes and were able to see (in the one recorded example we have where a man didn't immediately receive full healing, Jesus gave it a second go and then it was at 100%).
I watched my mom go from being hearing-impaired and nearly deaf for my entire life to getting dual cochlear implants- and there was a steep learning curve as she had to get used to the implants and her brain had to learn all these new sounds.
Jesus' restoration came immediately:
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'
'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, 'Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?' Some claimed that he was.
Others said, 'No, he only looks like him.'
But he himself insisted, 'I am the man.'
'How then were your eyes opened?' they asked.
He replied, 'The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.'
'Where is this man?' they asked him.
'I don’t know,' he said.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. 'He put mud on my eyes,' the man replied, 'and I washed, and now I see.'" (John 9:1-13)
Even more amazingly, Jesus' restoration doesn't just cover miraculous healing! The covering over our sins and restoration of our relationship with the Father happens immediately, as well.
The moment you confess of your broken, sinful ways and put your faith in the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers, you are restored to a place of honor in the family of God! Just like those that Jesus healed immediately, there is no waiting period as we wait for our restoration to take hold or any requirement that we must make ourselves good before we can receive it. We simply ask in good faith and it happens.
