October 31, 2007

Missionaries

I had the privilege of meeting Amy Johnson yesterday.  She is a missionary to Nicaragua who is home for a while.  As she spoke about the clear call of God to work with street gangs in Central America, her eyes shone with an incredible energy and peace from God.  Amy is using her time at home to spread the good news about Jesus and delights in telling how He is changing lives among the Nicaraguan street gangs to whom she ministers.  That same Jesus is also changing lives here and she rejoices in that, too.

Meeting her made me think about the story of Hudson Taylor.  As a teenager, he heard God's call, "Go to China for Me."  After his call, Taylor first moved from the comforts of his parent's home in Barnsley of Yorkshire to Drainside, Hull, a poverty-stricken and depressing area. He went there purposely to work for a doctor, accumulate a little medical knowledge, and accustom himself to something of the loneliness and dangers of living in a strange land where his only companion would be God.  At only nineteen years of age, Taylor learned he could trust and obey God in every area of his life.  That was a necessary revelation, because in China he would have no one to ask anything of except God.

After finishing his training as a doctor at the London Hospital in the East End, Hudson accepted appointment as a Chinese Evangelization Society missionary and sailed from Liverpool on September 19, 1853.  There were storms at sea and miraculous deliverances in the five and one half months' journey to China. There was civil war when he landed at Shanghai with rebels holding the city.  Fires, famine, and many other fearsome circumstances were confronted by the young missionary on his knees and God delivered him.

Taylor ministered in the river towns and saw many Chinese converted Chinese.  On June 25, 1865, he made the move inland to minister to the millions of China "West of the Mountains, South of the Clouds, and North of the Lake." He established "The China Inland Mission" and set a goal of having twenty-four workers join him.  As he prayed and trusted God, he saw heaven unfold, for within 11 months, the twenty-four additional missionaries had set sail to China.  Then there were seventy more...and another hundred.  Finally, more than eight hundred missionaries ministered across the far-flung miles of China's interior under the banner of Christ and the appointment of the China Inland Mission.

When God calls and we obey, who knows what the results will be?

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)


Posted by Jim at 06:29:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

October 30, 2007

Scripture reminds us, "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22 ESV).  Watch this short video of a little boy singing the Mickey Mouse Club song and I guarantee you will find yourself smiling.  Be sure to share it with someone else who needs a lift.

Posted by Jim at 05:43:56 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

October 29, 2007

Don't Let Failure Define You

The all purpose lubricant, cleaner, and anti-corrosive solution WD-40 is a wonderful substance.  I learned of its many uses from my dad who believed in its liberal application in almost any mechanical situation.  Squeaking door...get the WD-40.  Rusty bolt...get the WD-40.  Don't know why the thing won't work...get the WD-40.  You get the picture.

I later found out that this miracle substance gets its name from the term, “Water Displacement” and the number of experiments it took to perfect the formula.  In other words, there were 39 formulas that did not work properly before they found success.  Imagine if Norman Larsen, the inventor of WD-40, had given up at 38 or 39 tries and said, "I'll never get this thing right.  I'm quitting!"  The world and my dad would never have had WD-40.

Don't give up too soon and let failure define your life.  Success may be just around the corner.

Posted by Jim at 11:08:29 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

October 27, 2007

An Answer for a Friend

A new friend from the Internet asked me this:

What happens when you re-evaluate your faith because you can't remember why you wanted it in the first place?

Now I could give all the "pat" answers that most Christians give to those who question their faith and perhaps that might give some light to my friend.  However, I want to answer by posing a few questions for my friend to ask himself and then make a comment or two.  But mostly, I am going to pray they find the answers they seek.

Here are the questions:

1.  What circumstances have changed in your life since you came to faith?

2.  Are you involved with other believers or would you describe yourself as a "Lone Ranger" Christian?

3.  Are you disappointed with God over a specific event or circumstance.

Here are a few comments:

Many people question their faith when facing difficult times or changing circumstances.  The guys who wrote the Psalms were always asking, "God, where are You?"  Elijah got depressed after a great spiritual victory and wanted to die.  John the Baptist was isolated in a prison cell and wondered if Jesus was even really the Messiah?  I get down in the dumps and a bit confused sometimes, too.

But when the dust settles and I rethink my experience with God, I remember that it was not I who reached out to Him, but He who reached out to me.  I was bopping through life happy as a lark and doing quite well, but He began to put people in my path who pointed me towards Him.  I ignored them for a while and then ultimately I was exposed to His Word.  The truth of Scripture captured my heart and it still captures my heart.

I said, "Yes" to God over 35 years ago.  It seems impossible that it has been that long, but it has.  I have failed Him plenty, but He still hasn't failed me.  There have been many times that I have not understood what He was up to, but I have learned to trust Him through those times.

This quote from Charles Spurgeon sums it up for me:  "God is too good to be unkind. He is too wise to be confused. If I cannot trace His hand, I can always trust His heart."

Over a hundred years later, Babbie Mason and Eddie Carswell took Spurgeon's words and turned them into a great song.  I have included the lyrics below in the hope they may bless you.

All things work for our good
though sometimes we can’t see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two
sometimes blind us to the truth.
Our Father knows what’s best for us;
His ways are not our own.
So, when your pathway grows dim,
and you just can’t see Him,
Remember He’s still on the throne.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
when you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.

He sees the Master plan.
He holds the future in His hands.
So don’t live as those who have no hope.
All our hope is found in Him.
We walk in present knowledge,
but He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry, He’s weaving you and me
to someday be just like Him.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
when you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.
Posted by Jim at 15:17:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |

October 26, 2007

Priorities in the Light of Day

As I have thought about priorities for Enon Chapel in the previous posts, I realize that I have not broken a lot of new ground.  I have just rehearsed the truths and dynamics which are the focus of our calling.  That is necessary, once in a while, much like a veteran football team returns to the practice field to run plays they already know in preparation for the “big game” next week.  But there is a danger in doing so.

The danger exists that we will become routine in thinking about holy things and will begin to devalue them because our familiarity has made us take them for granted.

“Yeah, yeah, we know that.  We don’t need to work there anymore.  We are already doing a good job with that discipline.  We need something that is more exciting.  Can't we put in some new plays?”

The biggest threat to following a God-sized vision for the future is pride, self satisfaction, and self absorption.  We already feel that we have it all together.  We are proud of our accomplishments in the past and forget that there is still a world out there that needs Christ.

More people are being born into this world every day than are being born into the Kingdom of God and we sit idly by congratulating ourselves on the good job we have done.  We love to practice and rehearse the truths of God and mess around with every new fad of church life, but we never leave the practice field (the church house) and get out into the game.  How ridiculous is that?

Posted by Jim at 11:22:05 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

October 25, 2007

Priorities - Part Four

In the previous three posts, I have discussed some things that I believe are Scriptural priorities for every church.  Today, I am going to share a priority that is particular to our context.  That being said, your church has its own cultural context that will give you opportunities for Kingdom ministry as well.  We are in a military community.  You might have a community of farmers, factory workers, etc.  Just think about the following statement and let it serve as a springboard for envisioning ministry through the people in your community.

A fourth priority for Enon Chapel is to advance the Kingdom through ministry to and with and through the military.

In Scripture, we see God's salvation extended to various people groups.  Therefore, it is not inconsistent to believe that God has a redemptive concern for the military community in contemporary culture.  In the gospels, one can find numerous examples of God's interaction with the military establishment.  In fact, Jesus was born, grew up, ministered, died, and was resurrected in a land occupied by the Roman Empire.  Rome ruled by the strength of its army.  The Roman army had a pervasiveness presence in Israel, so Jesus would have often come in contact with them.  One should not view this contact as mere chance for the sovereign and omnipotent God was harnessing the might and influence of the Roman Empire's military for his missionary purpose.

If God could do it in the First Century, He can do it again in the Twenty-first Century!

Gary Sanders points out several factors that make the military a natural vessel to carry the Gospel.  I will list his factors in bold type and quotation marks and then will make a couple of comments:  "First, the military is racially integrated."  Some have called 11:00 o'clock on Sunday the most segregated hour in America.  If we are going to reach the nations, we need to reach all races and learn how to worship and follow God together.

"Second, the military population is very young.  The U.S. military has the nation's highest concentration of adults less than thirty five years of age."  This is the very generation we are in danger of losing.  We need to reclaim our young people for the cause of Christ and mobilize them to reach succeeding generations.

"Third, the military population is very transient and nomadic."  This mobility will take them to places we may never go.  Their very mobility can take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

"Fourth, the discipline and honor involved in military service, along with the gravity of the duty that is required, make this 'people group' more receptive to truth than others in the general population.  Too, the dangerous nature of their particular service often makes for open hearts."  Do you remember what Jesus said about the centurion in Luke 7:9?  "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

"Fifth, a high percentage of individuals within the military are generally influential in human societies. Especially in some nations where the military and the government are virtually one and the same, military leaders are government leaders. To influence the military is to shape the nation."  Even in our own nation, military leaders have tremendous influence in the political and social order.  They can also bring their experience and expertise to leadership within the body of Christ.

Imagine with me what can happen if we come alongside military personnel and their families with authentic, Holy Spirit empowered, Gospel ministry and see God change their lives.  We can then see God change the world through their changed lives.  In a very real sense, they become a missionary force that spreads out across the face of the world and only heaven will know the results.
Posted by Jim at 06:56:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

October 24, 2007

Priorities - Part Three

In the course of considering what values and passions should set the agenda at Enon Chapel, I come now to a point that is in reality a continuation of the last entry.

The third priority for Enon Chapel is to be a church that makes disciples in our community.

 In the denomination of which I am a part, we make a distinction between evangelism and discipleship.  Frankly, I think that is an unhealthy divide.  I do not believe evangelism and discipleship should be compartmentalized.

Most Southern Baptists I know think of evangelism in terms of soul winning.  Then they think of discipleship in terms of baptism, church membership, and plugging you into our programs.  We want to see you get saved, get wet, and get your name on the roll of our church.  Then we assume you will grow into a mature follower of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps that is why we can't find 50% of our members on any given Sunday. I think such a compartmentalized idea of evangelism and discipleship stops far short of what Jesus had in mind when He called us to:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

I do not see in the Great Commission a divide or distinction between evangelism and discipleship.  We are called to make disciples, not converts.  Notice the phrase, "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."  It is not just teaching them, but teaching them to observe (obey). 

How do we teach someone to obey God's commands?  We do it the same way that Jesus did it by taking them with us while we follow God.  Jesus took 12 men and for three and one half years taught them what the Father said and obeyed God in front of them.  When will we "get it" that evangelism/discipleship is a process and not an event and they are two sides of one coin.

Posted by Jim at 11:47:24 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

October 23, 2007

Priorities - Part Two

As I continue to think about what values and passions set the agenda at Enon Chapel (and should for any church), let me share another idea for your consideration

The second priority for Enon Chapel is to be a church that loves our community!

A self proclaimed agnostic wrote this in his Letter to the Editor, which said, “We, the agnostics, atheists and skeptics of the world, are looking for someone whose faith is evident when faith is not the question. We will be open to religion when we meet someone whose everyday joy and ability to cope with pain exceed our own. Who are just as warm, excited, and caring when dealing with people as they are when talking about religion.”

That’s what I long for us to do; put the love of God on display in front of the people of our community.  Too often Christians want to condemn them because of their sin or loudly and proudly proclaim how good they are.  Instead of bragging that we are Christians, what about showing the world that we belong to Him by the way we live and love.

The early church didn’t give themselves a name; it was the unbelieving world that witnessed how they lived and called them “Christians” - little Christs. Now we call ourselves Christians and the world calls us hypocrites.  I don’t have to introduce myself to people like this, “Hi, I’m Jim and I'm a human.”  Folks can tell I'm a human.  I shouldn't have to tell people I'm a Christian; it should be evident in who I am and what I say and do.

Just like the letter writing agnostic, people all around us are looking for someone to show them the love of God.

Posted by Jim at 17:43:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

October 22, 2007

Priorities

I meet new people every week when I come to worship at Enon Chapel.  Yesterday, I was asked a familiar question by a new couple, "Pastor, what is your vision for this church?"  While the question was not new, I was challenged by it in a new way and was caused to think about what values and passions set the agenda at Enon Chapel.  Let me share a few of those thoughts with you during this week.

Up front, the number one priority of Enon Chapel is to be a church that loves God.  I know that it might sound odd to state something that should be so obvious and fundamental, but I am convinced that not all churches love God first and foremost. 

  • Some churches love their tradition above all
  • Some churches love their programs above all
  • Some churches love their prosperity above all
  • Some churches love their "super star" pastor above all
  • And the list goes on and on

Loving anything more than God is a huge problem for a church or an individual.  The Scripture is clear about this issue.  The Old Testament states it in the negative:  "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 ESV)  The New Testament states it in the positive:  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38 ESV)

That being said, what does it mean to be a church (or a person) that loves God?  Fortunately, God answered that question for us in John's Gospel.  On the last night of Jesus' life before His crucifixion, He spoke these words to his disciples, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15 ESV)

Obedience to God's Word is the greatest evidence of our love for God.  But do not think that our obedience earns God's love in return, for His love has already been freely demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 16:26:32 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

October 21, 2007

Strength for the Journey

At the age of seven, he had to go to work to help support his family.  At nine, his mother died.  At twenty-two, he lost his job as a store clerk.  At twenty-three, he went into debt and became a partner in another small store. At twenty-six, his partner died leaving him to bear the burden of the debt by himself.

By the age of thirty-five, he had been defeated twice when running for a seat in Congress. At the age of thirty-seven, he finally won a congressional election. At thirty-nine, he lost his re-election bid.  At forty-one, his four-year-old son died.  At forty-two, he was rejected for a land officer position.  At forty-five, he ran for the Senate and lost.  At forty-seven, he was defeated for the nomination for Vice President.  At forty-nine, he ran for the Senate again and lost again. 

At the age of fifty-one, he was elected President of the United States over three other candidates with only 40% of the popular vote.  By February 11, 1861 as Abraham Lincoln prepared to depart for Washington to be sworn in as the 16th president, 11 states had already seceded from the union.  It was a turbulent time in the history of our nation...when national survival was in question.  The task ahead of him was staggering in its immensity.  His words on that day reveal the source of strength that would sustain him during his presidency and had carried him through the difficulties of earlier years:

"My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell."

Lincoln cast himself on the mercy of God.  He also committed those whom he loved and was leaving behind to that same merciful God.  His course of action is a wise one for us as well.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7 New International Version)

Posted by Jim at 15:07:56 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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