Oneness Despite Differences

Let me first say thanks to those of you who happen by now and then to check out the blog. My original intent was to have an update weekly. It seems that it has become more of a monthly thing. I know how difficult it can be to maintain a readership with that kind of consistency.

Hmmm...consistency. That sounds like a great subject for a future entry. I will make every effort to get back to a weekly update.

This week however, our upcoming combined area worship service is on my mind. The excitement is building as we look forward to hosting an event like this for the very first time. We have invited over 30 congregations to come and share God's goodness and worship with us. I don't know how it could be anything but a great time in the Lord.

For those of you that don't know, this idea found it's genesis in the St. Louis Area amongst some of the congregations in the city when they began getting together every other month or so. North Hills, West Central, Berkley Heights (now Ferguson Heights), Wagner Ave., along with Illinois congregations, Logan Street, Centerville and Buckmaster were the congregations primarily involved. Each would take a turn in hosting the others for a great time of singing, praise and worship.

When I began to serve at O'Fallon, it seemed natural to continue the affiliations I had previously known. This time however, I was part of a new family. It occurred to me that perhaps one of the reasons the Lord brought us together was to bring Christians together. Graciously, a number of O'Fallon members were willing to go and participate in the services. Nearly a dozen enjoyed the time we had at West Central earlier this year and a few more at North Hills. Then, my dear friend in the ministry, Thomas Jackson of the Ferguson Heights congregation, invited me to bring the message at the service they were hosting. Something along the order of 60 O'Fallon members attended this service (and I appreciated the amazing support). It was here that a strong appetite was developed to host this multi-congregational fellowship.

My desire was to expose my new family to a style of worship that some may never have experienced before. I think we all understand that there are differences between people and therefore there are commensurate differences between preferences, styles and techniques. It does not mean that one is better than the other, but that they are simply different. I've always believed that by opening yourself to things outside of what's "normal" or fits well within your comfort zone, you expand your knowledge, experience, awareness and appreciation of any number of things to which you allow yourself to be exposed. More simply put, if you taste calamari, you might find that you like it and will ask yourself, why you waited so long to try it.

To most in our family, I represent a difference. Whether it's preaching style, subject matter, personality, perspective, etc., it is surely different than what many have previously experienced. Since I've not been thrown out of the building, I'll take it that the difference is at least palatable and at most, enthusiastically welcomed and appreciated. Conversely, both serving in this capacity and with this family, represents a significant difference to what I've previously experienced as well. I can say with all sincerity that it is an amazingly horizon expanding experience and I'm grateful that the Lord brought us together.

At the combined service, we will have an opportunity to share OUR uniqueness with congregations that may have never experienced it before. Additionally, we have invited a number of other congregations that were not previously a part of the group that regularly worships together. It is my hope, and that of the brothers and sisters that are working so hard to make this a God pleasing experience, that we will all come together as one and celebrate the goodness of God and the great privilege we all have in being His people.

"There is one body (church), and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; one lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Eph 4:4-6

And being one church, we are ALL God's people, despite our differences.

Next week, I'll continue this theme from a scriptural standpoint.

Until then...

Each one reach one
Each one teach one

Unconditional

Family,
In my spare time (ahem), I do a little creative spiritual writing. I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a piece with you. I hope you enjoy and find it edifying.

unconditional

i've waited my entire existence to meet you
anxiously awaiting the time when you
would turn and see me there
standing there
arms outstretched
for you

the glories of heaven with all of the angelic host
are not enough
to keep me
from
you

there is no length that i would not go
no pain that i would not endure
no sacifice that i would not make
to give all that you need
to gain your love

my spirit groans when you are hurting
my heart bleeds when you are lost
and confused
once you are mine
i would leave EVERYTHING
to retrieve you
if you
wander
away

when you turn to another
when you turn to THE other
i feel that i could just die
and that it would be in vain
but i love you still
with my whole heart
i love you
still

so i leave castle and kingdom
to come to your humble abode
to knock on the door to your heart
can't you hear my voice
calling
you

won't you let me in
won't you at least
be my
friend

just to show my heart to you
just to prove my love for you
i would
die
for
you

Rev 3:20,21


Each one reach one.
Each one teach one!

Choose Ye This Day...

It was Joshua, in my humble opinion, that best exemplified the idea of choice; that is to say, whether to choose God or not. Based on what we know of Joshua's history, he always chose God. Consider the following:

• We first meet Joshua in Exodus 17:9 where at the urging of Moses, he leads the famous battle against the Amelekites at which it was necessary to have Moses' arms supported in order for the people of Israel to prevail. He chose to fight for God.



• Exodus 24:13 first refers to Joshua as Moses' servant. It goes on to say that it was he that accompanied Moses to the mountain of God so that Moses could receive the ten commandments. In that Joshua was not actually a slave, it is clear that he chose to serve and support the man of God.



• Having been chosen as one of the 12 spies to investigate the promised land in Numbers 14:6-9, it was only Joshua and Caleb that brought back a good report and encouraged the people to, with God's help, go and take the land promised to them. He chose to have faith in God.


• As a result of his choices, Moses chose to groom him for leadership. God chose to allow him into the promised land, even when Moses was prohibited along with nearly every other person of his time. And God chose him to lead his people.

The exploits of Joshua are many, but I want to guide you to the thrust of this discussion. In the 24th chapter of the book that bears his name, he outlines a brief history of God's relationship with the people of Israel. He then issues the following challenge:

• "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell..." Joshua 24:14,15

Brothers, sisters and friends, we all have choices. Man has been making choices since he was first brought to consciousness. Some of the decisions have been good; the pursuit of cures for disease, assisting one another in time of need, acting as peace makers, and ultimately, choosing God, for example. Some of them have been phenomenally bad; the decision to eat the forbidden fruit, robbing, murdering and all manner of other sinful behavior.

The bottom line however, is that we DO HAVE CHOICE. God made us that way, ultimately for His glory. I've said many times from the pulpit that it would have been easy for God to make us into automatons that did whatever he commanded. However it is clear from studying scripture that God wants us to choose to love Him as He chooses to love and provide for us. Even in our personal relationships, who among us does not want our love requited? Who does not want to be loved by the ones that we love.

God has provided greatly for us. It is up to each individual to decide whether he/she will serve Him. How does one serve Him? We serve Him and show our love to Him by being obedient to His word (John 14:15). We know that this pleases God and contributes to our growing closer to him, which in turn contributes to his coming closer to us (James 4:8). Our goal is to return to the relationship with Him that was originally intended. You've read about it in the first couple of chapters of Genesis.

I'll close with what Joshua said at the end of 24:15:

• "...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Each one reach one.

Each one teach one.

The Importance of Preaching

By way of a disclaimer, I'll start by saying that what you will read today will seem self serving from my point of view. I can assure you that it is not, but in fact, there is a purpose for me recording these particular thoughts. That purpose is consistent with everything that you read here and that is 1) for the glory of God and 2) in service to His people. That having been said...

There are a variety of opinions about the person whose responsibility it is to provide the preached word. There are some that idolize and place these men upon pedestals far beyond reach. Conversely, there are those that feel that the preacher, minister, evangelist is no better than anyone else and only exists to share a few words for a few moments and move on. Admittedly, most people feel that the importance of what the man does (rather than necessarily who he is) lies somewhere in the middle.

I'd like to share a few thoughts about what thus saith the Lord about the "man of God."

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!'" Rom 10:13-15

Allow me to extract a couple of points from this passage:

• God's ultimate aim is that all men everywhere would be saved. The reason He sent His Son was to seek and save the lost. Jesus' death created a path of reconciliation between man and God. His fervent desire is that His ultimate creation love Him and seek Him. The reality is that people don't instinctively know the truth. According to Romans 1:20, there are things that should give all creatures an inkling of a higher power, but there is so much more to it than that.
• It is only when there is an awareness of his existence that belief can be nurtured and brought to full fruition of obedience. Only through obedience can one be saved.
• This awareness and everything that follows cannot happen unless there is someone to do the telling. Someone must introduce the concept, explain the rationale and reality. Someone must show the "how to", the benefits and the consequences. It is nothing less than evangelism.
• Though we all have the responsibility to share God's word and God's love with all we meet, there is a particular individual in the church that is charged with that responsibility. According to the scripture, that is the preacher. This is fortified by the fact that preacher is sent. To under gird this thought, read Eph 4:11-16 to see not only that God placed these men in the church, but also to see WHY (and you know we as thinking people always want to know why). I submit to you beloved reader, that each one mentioned in vs 11 was in fact engaged in preaching; sharing the word, bringing good tidings, carrying forth the word of God, teaching, reproving, correcting and instructing in righteousness. Each apostle was a preacher. Each prophet was a preacher. Many disciples were preachers.

What we think of the man engaged in preaching is a separate issue. From these passages, we can see that the heralds of Christ, the ministers, preachers, evangelists, etc. are sent men, ordained by God to carry forth His word to His people. This is primarily, but not exclusively done in the worship service. Christ Himself repeatedly spoke both in and out of the synagogue, not about social events or how to build cabinetry, but about God. We know that it was Paul's habit to go into the synagogue (a place of worship) and preach the word of God. Even the gentiles were attracted to these Jewish institutions to hear about the Lord. In fact, the preached word (unfortunately) is all the God that many people get. It is absolutely indispensable and shares an important role in the worship service along with the other elements we characteristically lump together as "worship." Preaching is a critical part of not only the worship service, but of our Christian lives. God has ordained it. So let it be understood. So let it be done.

Each one reach one.

Each one teach one!

Haven't You Heard?

In our human interactions, one of the most frequent activities in which we engage is communication. One way or the other, we are almost constantly sharing information. Whether we do it verbally, in writing, body language or gestures, ideas fly back and forth between us at rates of speed that would flabbergast if one were to stop and think about it.

The question of the day, especially to Christians, is what information is being transmitted and what information is being received? I submit to you that each of us should be employed in sharing the good news of Christ's sacrifice for us. There is no information that can be shared that is as important, as critical, as timely and as classic as the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Of course this is something that we all know. Big deal right? RIGHT! Our problem is that we don't treat it as the big deal that it is. What is the most urgent thing you might share with a co-worker, neighbor or acquaintance? Is it highlights from your favorite TV show? Is it a fabulous sale at a local retail outlet? Is it gossip about a mutual acquaintance? More to the point, is it EVER the gospel?

You see as Christians, we have been given specific instructions to share the good news. Matt 28:18-20 is known as the Great Commission. It is a command to all believers to help make other believers.

Some may realize this but are not sure how to go about it. Without going into an extensive class on evangelism, I'll give you three simple tips that, properly employed, will work for anyone who uses them.

1. Know the gospel: It is important that you familiarize yourself with God's word. For everyone that believes, this should be a life long pursuit. If you have come to the knowledge and understanding that God has granted you a free gift that you cannot earn, it stands to reason that job one should be learning what else He has provided. One of the things He has provided is instruction. Acts 17:11-12 reveals that our ancestors in the faith received (heard and learned) the word, verified the teaching through study of the word, and believed by confirmation of the word. The key is the word!
2. Live the gospel: You can always tell what's important to a person by how they spend their time. You can always tell what type of person someone is by what they do when they think no one is watching. Do the people in your sphere consider you a child of God or a pretender...or do they have an opinion at all. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt 5:16 It should be obvious that you serve God in your words AND deeds. It is this light that attracts those that are in darkness.
3. Share the gospel: It is the greatest story ever told and the truest story ever told. Of all of the things we could share with others, none exceeds the fact that our sins have been paid for through no effort of our own. Salvation is full and free! This is something that should be, as Jeremiah famously said, "like fire shut up in our bones," ostensibly, burning to get out. There are many ways to start a conversation about the Lord, but my advice is to just be yourself and tell others what your experience has been. Talk about the difference He has made in your life, talk about what He has done for all mankind, and talk about how anyone can accept God's free gift. It's not nearly as hard as we make it. You could always tell someone what you were told that caused you to accept Christ.

Sharing God's good news should not only be something about which we are all enthusiastic, but it literally should come naturally to us. Sometimes we just need to shut off the radio, TV and Internet and just have a little talk about Jesus.

Each one reach one.

Each one teach one!

Running This Race

I thought I'd take the time out to share with you some thoughts from my favorite scripture in the bible. Even having a favorite scripture is a stretch since there is so much good there, but we all have areas of need, concentration and significance in our lives and this matches well with mine.

"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." Phi 3:13,14

Let's take a closer look at this:

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended..."

A perusal of the previous verses will show that Paul's main goal is to win Christ, to know Christ intimately, to be found in him and to know and attain the power of his resurrection (vs 8-11). These are lofty goals indeed, but to Paul, goals are indeed what they are, for according to his word, he has not yet attained or apprehended them. He goes on to say in vs 12 that he is diligently pursuing this apprehension, the attaining of all aspects of a relationship with and true understanding of Christ. These are worthy goals for all Christians. I submit to you that we are all in the same state Paul was, having not fully grasped all that is Christ Jesus.

"...forgetting those things which are behind..."

Paul outlines his pedigree in vs 3-6. In it, he explains why he is a Jew of Jews, and had every right to brag on his lineage, upbringing, education, associations and accomplishments. The key is in vs 7 & 8, where he says he willingly turned his back on all of that and counts it all as dung compared to the quest for Christ! Too often we put more stock than we should on things that pump us up, even as we fail to give Christ credit for who we are and what we have. This interferes with apprehending him. Think about it this way: looking back often results in going back. Remember Lot's wife?

"...and reaching forth unto those things which are before..."

Now I'd like to introduce you to the race analogy that Paul is employing. The Olympics in Greece were a big thing during this time and everyone could identify with athletic competition, particularly running. In fact, athletes were the rock stars of their day. The thought is that everything, the gaze, the legs, the arms, all reaching forward toward the goal, with great intent and never looking back. The Greek word here indicates stretching and straining. How often do we slip into remembrances and old habits that distract us from moving forward in our Christian lives? How much effort do we really put in to "winning" Christ?

"...I press toward the mark for the prize..."

The Greek here refers to the speed and effort. It conveys that he is doing everything to win. We know that the race goes to them that endure rather than the swift, nevertheless, you must figuratively be the first to cross the line in order to win. Paul wants to win, but what he wants to win is the prize of the high calling of God. What is that we are hoping to win? Popularity, wealth, fame, or heaven?

"...of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

The high calling is nothing short of the upward calling. It conveys not only that we need to lift our lives, lift our spirit and lift our way of living, but that we want to attain that which is above. God has been calling us home since Adam and Eve got thrown out of the garden. We can only make it home through Jesus (John 14:6). Godliness and our final reward should be the goal of all Christians and it should be seen in the lives that we live.


Brothers and sisters, consider your own favorite scriptures, why they are and what they truly mean to your life. Study this scriptures and attempt to extract every bit of meaning from them. I assure you that the longer you live and the more you go through, the more God's word will have to say to you.



May the great God of Heaven grant you every spiritual blessing.

The Slippery Slope of Sin

I saw a movie once that imparted the following:

If you were to toss a frog into boiling water, it would hop out immediately.
If you were to place a frog in temperate water and slowly increase the heat, it would stay there and boil to death.

In thinking about sin, I find it to be a lot like that.

Faced with things that offend our Christian sensibilities and that we might find egregious in nature, we typically avoid quite easily. We know the difference between right and wrong and for the most part avoid the wrong, particularly if it is blatantly and obviously so. We will give that type of sin a wide berth and go a long way to avoid it. In fact, we may even speak out against it warning others of its harmful nature, just like we would boiling water.

The challenge comes when we allow the "little things" to creep in. You know those things by some of the following names:

• little white lies
• minor indiscretions
• no big deal
• just a little
• slight exaggeration
• everyone else does it
• at least it's not _______
• it was just once

It is these things that begin to drive up the temperature of the waters of our Christian lives. When you participate in whatever your particular variety of sin might be, you may find that you experience all types of remorse, anguish and depression over your transgression. But when the opportunity comes around again, you find that it's just a little bit easier the next time and the pain of godly sorrow is a little less. It is in fact, a slippery slope that will speed your descent into a pattern of regular and premeditated sin.

Brothers and sisters, this will ultimately introduce you to temperatures I am confident you will not find comfortable.

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren." James 1:14-16

May the great God of Heaven grant you every spiritual blessing.