Ministry is Service

The word "ministry" in our modern vocabulary has taken on a great deal of religious cultural baggage. Being "in the Ministry" today can mean that you're a member of a recognized clergy group. It can also mean that you work for a religious non-profit organization such as a homeless mission or soup kitchen. It can even mean that you collect millions of dollars, in the name of Jesus, in order to finance your lavish lifestyle. These are the ways that ministry is defined today but if we are going to be biblical about this word ministry, then it has one simple definition...service.

The Object of Our Service

Ultimately no matter who or how we serve, our service is directed toward the Lord. Through the grace of Christ, God has allowed us the privilege of serving him. Not that God needs our service. He is the only truly self sufficient being in existence. Since all things came from him, he is in need of nothing. The privilege of serving God is extended to us for our good. We are most fulfilled as human beings when we are engaged in serving. It's the way were made by our creator.

God, Servant to Creation.

One of the great mysteries of God is that at his heart, God is a servant. When God became a man, he took the form of a servant. This is the form that God choose for his Son in order to reveal the himself to us. It's humbling to consider that the All Mighty God lowered himself to serve us. If Jesus, who had the glory of the Father, lowered himself to the level of a servant, then how can we do any less?

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
Phil 2:5-8 (WEB)

Why Jesus Is Not Enough For Us

In Jesus Christ is all that we need to live a full and happy life. I am fairly confident that most Christians would agree with this statement. So why is it that we, the church, act as if Jesus were not enough? Many Christians will not let go of the law. They still cling to such Old Testament concepts as tithing and holy days. Others become obsessed with theology and pet doctrines such as "King James Only" or "Calvinism".

The message of the church is pretty clear; "Jesus is not enough for us". Just like the ancients before us we long to have a god we could see and touch. Israel wanted a human king rather than have God as their king. The church too desires a king in the form of a pastor rather than the Holy Spirit. Living by Grace is not enough for us, we need a library of self-help books and church programs to prop us up.

Jesus is enough. I need no other shepherd. I need no buildings or holy days. I need no labels or pet doctrines. I need no law but love, no rule but grace, no king but Jesus.

Is Jesus enough for you?

The Word Made Flesh

He could have remained far above us in his holy heaven. Angels attend him and perfection surrounds him, but he did not remain removed and aloof; God came down to us. In fact, he actually became one of us. He shared in our pain, our sweat, our grime.

He could have written us off. He could have decided we were not worth the effort. If we destroyed each other, that was our problem. Love compelled him. Love could not sit idle while humanity continued it's steady slide into self destruction. Love had to intervene.

He could have just sent us a bible and left it at that, but that would not do. He could have sent an angel or a prophet but he did more than that; he came in person. He did not want to just tell us the message of salvation he decided to be our salvation. He wanted us to see, feel and know clearly that he loves us and wants us to be with him.

Behold, the Word made flesh. God among us.

Advent - Are You Ready?

Every year our family celebrates Advent. It's a great way to lead the family in our devotion to Christ. We light the candles, read scripture, sing hymns and discuss the deeper things of life. I believe every man is pastor of his own family and that church-life begins at home. That may sound a bit chauvinistic in this modern day, but it has been my experience that most christian women have a strong desire for their husbands to take the lead in spiritual things. If you are tired of the commercialism of the holidays, perhaps it's time to make a change?
How do you take the lead in your family to prepare for the advent of the king?

How Little we Know

How little we know the Holy Spirit. We know much about Him, but how little we know of walking daily in His power and presence. We understand His deity, we can catalog His works and we can site the many promises of His coming, yet for all of our study and striving, the reality of fellowship with the Holy Spirit remains for many illusive. For many God is in His heaven and we just plod along as best we can on earth. Yet the promise of the Master remains. "I will never leave you or forsake you". "I will give you another Comforter and He will remain with you forever".
My intention in this study is not to simply gather more facts about the Holy Spirit, but to deepen my communion with Him. Jesus has promised to provide this comforter and Paul spoke of the "fellowship of the Spirit". What adventure awaits those who explore the depths of fellowship with the Spirit. What would He say to us? What mysteries would He reveal? What sin expose? With humble trust in the graciousness of Christ, let us seek to walk in daily, intimate communion with the Spirit of the Living God. Lead on dear Jesus. Lead on.

Inspired by "The Spirit of Christ" by Andrew Murray

We gather as the church to follow the leading of the Spirit.

If Christ is the head of the church then should he not be present at each meeting? In many churches the service is more like a funeral memorial than a visit with Christ. Many believers today have an image of Jesus as being somehow disconnected from His church, as though he was too far away to meet with us. Did not Jesus say that where two or three are gathered in his name he would be there? I hear that verse quoted a lot but I wonder how many take it to heart. By the working of the Spirit we have the real presence of Jesus with us.
Oh Lord, that we may follow as sheep, the great shepherd of our souls.

About Gatherings

We gather as the church as often as we feel the need. This may seem a bit presumptuous to some but consider what the Master said in regard to keeping the Sabbath day, "The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath." This must have blown the religious people of his day away! It would seem that Jesus wanted his people to not become subservient to a day. If the Jewish people under the law were not servants to the Sabbath, then why should we, children of grace, be servant to a standing meeting?

You Are

Before the sun's rays ever kissed the earth,
You were.

After the stars have lost their light,
You shall be.

No matter the darkness that surrounds us now,
You are.

Before life first sparked in me,
You were.

After the light has left my eyes,
You shall be.

No matter the darkness that surrounds me now,
You are.

And now a little free form something.....

The Tug

Sit at my desk,
stare at the screen.
Punch the keys,
write the code,
think in ASCII.
Answer the phone,
lose track of time.

Then the Tug,
the pulling,
the knowing.
It sweeps over my soul,
bathing me in it's warm sweetness.
For a moment,
I'm not here.
Kneel at his throne,
gaze at my Lord.
Pray my heart,
give up my thoughts,
think Kingdom.
Answer the call,
lose myself in Him,
follow the tug.

Religion vs Relationship

Here are some thoughts culled from recent meetings together around the subject of religion and relationships.

• Religion is me trying to build something to reach God. Relationship is God pulling me into fellowship with himself.
• Religion uses hype, PR and strategic marketing to grow in numbers. Relationship uses humility, truth and divine wisdom to grow in love.
  
• Religion is obsessed with what people see on the outside. Relationship is passionate about what goes on in the heart.
• Religion demands obedience. Relationship draws me with love.
• Religion seeks to own and control people. Relationship seeks to love and set people free.
• Religion uses guilt to manipulate others. Relationship extends grace to build-up others.
• Religion loves to track numbers. Relationship values quality over quantity.
• Religion is very concerned about being right. Relationship is very concerned about you.
• Religion lectures. Relationship listens.
• Religion attempts to speak for God. Relationship let's God speak for himself.
• Religion teaches us to pray to God. Relationship teaches us to talk with God.
• Religion is centered on man's work for God. Relationship is centered on God's work in us.
  
• Religion is boring, overbearing, formal and stuffy. Relationship is intense, humbling, casual and messy.
  

Thanks to all the saints I meet with for these thoughts and insights.
What would you put in your list of Religion vs Relationship?

God on Trial

I watched "God on Trial" the other evening and I was both disturbed and inspired. Disturbed by the idea of putting God on trial and inspired by those who held faith even in the face of suffering. I was struck also by the idea of God being terrible and awesome.

Is God guilty of murder and suffering? If all things have there origin in Him then perhaps he is. There would be no sin and suffering if God had not created man with the will to choose. If God is guilty of causing suffering and death, then how could he possibly be brought to justice?

If only God himself could be brought down here among us humans and be forced to taste of our suffering. Betrayal, loneliness, suffering at the hands of cruel injustice and a painful death would be a fitting punishment for what God has done. After sharing in our suffering, God should set everything right and bring all evildoers to justice.

Christian Passover?

We are planning a Christian Passover meal to commemorate our freedom from the bondage of this world. The words "Christian" and "Passover" are not normally seen in the same sentence. After all, Passover is a Jewish thing, so what could that have to do with Christians? In returning to our primitive roots as Christians, we find ourselves acknowledging our Jewish origins. It should not be forgotten that Jesus was a Jew, being the son of a Jewish woman and that 2/3rds of what we hold as sacred text came to us through Jewish prophets. While we are not justified by the works of the Law, nor are we obligated to keep it, we can learn from the ancient feasts of Israel.

Jewish Passover commemorates Israel's escape from Egyptian bondage. For those of us who are not Jews after the flesh but after the faith of Abraham, Passover has a different meaning. It was on Passover night the Joshua the Messiah felt the sting of betrayal. On this night he washed the disciples feet to show that we are all servants of one another. On this night the New Covenant was ushered in and commemorated with the drinking of the cup and breaking of the bread. On this night, the ushering in of complete atonement began. This is the night we remember when we have communion.

Rather than deliverance from slavery to Egypt, we celebrate our deliverance from this corrupt world. We celebrate the hope of Resurrection and anticipation of Messiahs return. We rejoice in the salvation purchased for us, not in the blood of an animal but through the sacrifice of a perfect offering. We are preparing to leave this world. We will join with our brothers and sisters across the ages in The Great Feast of the Lamb. So pack your bags and kiss your cares goodbye.
It's Canaan or bust!

Speaking of Kids

What makes God tick?

What is it that drives God? I know what motivates me, but what motivates God? I think the answer may be found in a familiar passage of scripture; John 3:16. In that verse it is stated that the reason God sent his only Son was because he "so loved the world". Could it be that the God of infinite complexity has one simple motivation? Simply love. This is what lies
behind all that God does. I don't understand the ways of God, but I do understand the whys.

As we seek to share life together, motivation becomes very important. All attempts at community will fail if we are not motivated by love. In the U.S. we are all about success and for most success is defined by wealth and influence. It is no different in the religious world. Success is how many people we had last Sunday, how much money was raised for our new building and how modern our facilities are. This kind of thinking leads to wrong motivation. We become motivated by the desires of the eye, pleasure and pride. It becomes all about the show, all about what makes me feel good and what makes my chest swell. If these things motivate us, it will poison the well of fellowship and drive us back to what we are coming out of. We will become just another group with an agenda.

To be motivated by love is to seek the welfare of another, at your own expense. It cost the Father dearly to love us. Every stripe laid on the back of Jesus is a testament to the immense love that God has for us. It will cost something to be motivated by love. It will cost pride, ambition and self preservation. It will cost all that we have. The wonderful thing is, that when we are cativated by the glory of the Fathers love, there seems to be no cost at all, only reward.

This is not something we can muster on our own. We need a Divine intervention, a new heart, a new life. This is the life that the Father wants to fill our hearts with. The life of his love. This is the life we live by, the life of faith in Christ Jesus. "It is not I that lives, but Christ who lives in me." The only way that I can truly be motivated by love is to abide in Him and He in me. I know what makes God tick and he is changing what makes me tick, so what makes you tick?

True to God, Yourself and Others

Being genuine before God.
We must be honest before God. Honest about words, our thoughts and our actions. The redemption we have through Christ allows us to enter this place of honesty with God. If God has forgiven us, then there is no reason to be false with Him. We live in the knowledge that He loves us where we are. There is truly nothing to hide because his Love has been given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Being genuine with yourself.
The one person we lie to the most is ourselves. We think one thing and do another. This disparity between thought and action robs peace from our hearts. It is hard to be truly bold before God, if we are accusing ourselves inwardly. First we must be honest with God about ourselves. This will bring us to honesty with ourselves. When we accept Gods assessment we can begin to find peace.

Being genuine with others.
We put up false fronts before others because we care what they think about us. To some degree this is healthy and normal. After all we don't want to bring offense without cause. On the other hand if we find that we are putting up a persona to others that dose not reflect our true selves then we will find ourselves in a great difficulty. The difficulty is this; are we putting up a false persona or is the false persona a real one? To put it another way, if we have been faking it, then what does that say about our real self? The way out begins with finding our selves in God.

Accepting God's assessment.
We must accept the person God has made us and realize there is a person He is making us into. If we think we are shy, it may be to show the meekness of God. If bold, His fierceness. However He has made us, let us accept His assessment and live genuinely before Him. This genuineness with God naturally leads to honesty with ourselves and others. Be who you are before God inwardly and you will be who you are before others.

The Christian's Secret Life

Christ calls us to a secret life. In His sermon on the mount he clearly said that we should give, pray and fast in secret because our Father who sees in secret will reward openly. It seems clear from this text that much of what we do should actually be unseen by the world and yet in the same teaching he said that a person should "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven". This would seem to be a contradiction. To those who understand the Kingdom there is no contradiction. "Works in secret" has to do with intentional acts of devotion. "Good works before men" has to do with the light shining from within. If we have an inward experience with the Father, we cannot avoid being a shinning light in a dark world. The hypocrite practices his acts of devotion in the sight of all with the hope that they will see him and think him a "holy man". The sincere person practices his acts of devotion in secret because his only desire is to please the Father.

When our hearts are totally devoted to pleasing the Father, the good works will follow. These works come from our secret life with the Father. We are like the merchant bringing out treasure old and new. We are like the branch that is full of life from the vine and bears fruit from that life. These are the good works that bring glory to the Father. Jesus said that it was the Father in him that did the works. If Jesus relied on the Father to do good works so should we. Religion wants us to seek the approval of men whereas Jesus tells us to seek the approval of God. Religion tells us that if we set our goals, work at it and don't give up, we will be the kind of person God wants us to be. Jesus teaches us that if we will seek His will, trust in the power of His Resurrection and abide in Him, He will change us into His image.

It is a secret life because it is an inward life, an unseen life. A life spent veiled to those who are born from below. Just as men are not able to grasp the Kingdom, so they also cannot understand those who are of that Kingdom.

What the world will see is the outward manifestation of the secret life. Like looking at the light of the sun without seeing the sun itself. They behold our good deeds without seeing the source. Being secret dose not mean unknown, it simply unseen.

Even now Christ is hidden from this world. Seated at the Fathers right hand, he remains for the time being, behind the veil. Soon to be revealed to the world in all his glory with judgment and wrath to those who do not obey the Gospel; Joy and reward to those who have believed in Him. God has not left us without witness.

We have the witness of His word, His Spirit and His people. His word has been preserved across the ages as a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus. His Spirit has been convincing men of the reality of Christ. His people (Jew and gentile), have continually Born witness to God the Creator and Jesus the Lord.