What’s holding us back?

My 5-year-old son recently asked me if everyone goes to heaven, to which I told him heaven is for those who love Jesus.

“Why wouldn’t someone love Jesus?” he asked me. I told him some people have never heard about Jesus.

With innocent eyes, he replied, “Really?”

We talked about telling people about Jesus and I pretended to be one of the kids in preschool class. I asked him questions and he proceeded to give me the gospel from a 5-year-old’s perspective.

Couple things really touched my heart, on top of the just the shear beauty of hearing him talk about Jesus dying for our sins on the cross. My 5-year-old son communicated the gospel to me and did it without fear of looking dumb, hurting his reputation of being labeled an outcast. He also showed enthusiasm in wanting his friends to know about Jesus.

So what’s holding us back? This is why Jesus rebuked the disciples for trying to forbid the little children from seeing him and also why he says our faith needs to be like a child’s faith – believing in something we call cute when a child does it and then turning to our adult peers and calling them stupid for believing in such nonsense.

We need to wake up.

I recently attended a Newsboys concert in Huntington and one of the opening bands, Anthem Lights, has a song called “Can’t Shut Up” about not being able to shut up about the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We’ve got to break the silence; we’ve been quiet for too long,” is one of the verses. And they are absolutely right.

Why is it we stand up and defend America, but we shy away when our faith is attacked?

Why will invite our friends for a drink Saturday night but not to church Sunday morning?

We need to have a response like my son, who couldn’t believe that someone might not have heard that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and forgives us and makes a way to heaven for all eternity.

We need to have that childlike faith and desire to want the people in our lives to know this truth and not be ashamed to tell them how Jesus has changed our lives.

You are part of God's ministry

When you hear the word ministry, the first thoughts that come to mind are your pastor, worship leader and maybe your elders.

What about you? Are you in the ministry?

Scripture says you are. If you have called upon Jesus to be your savior, then He has called on you to a part of the ministry.

In 1 Peter 4:10, the apostle reminds followers of Jesus that “each us you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

He says if any of us speak, we should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. And when we serve, we should do so with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

In the two preceding verses, Peter says we do this because we are to love one another deeply and offer hospitality without grumbling.

When you share the gospel with someone, when you pray with someone or when you show compassion on someone, and do so in the name of Jesus, you are doing ministry.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends out an appointed 72, two by two, because the “harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

It’s easy for us to say they were active participants in the ministry. But they were really no different than us, even the apostles, because at this point, it’s still very early in Jesus’ ministry.

Remember, you don’t have to have some theology degree or have gone to Bible college to be part of the ministry. If you’ve trusted Jesus as your savior, for the forgiveness of your sins, you are part of His ministry.

God has given you certain gifts, whether it is writing a blog or writing music or simply having people into your home.

If you aren’t sure where your spiritual gifts are, there are plenty of assessments available online. One good one that I found is Gifted2Serve at http://buildingchurch.net/g2s.htm.

It has 125 questions, but it can help you narrow down what areas of ministry you can best serve. Maybe that will be taking care of young children at church. Maybe you will find your strengths are in praying for people or maybe you’ll find that God has gifted you with the ability to walk up to complete strangers and start a conversation about Jesus.

Pray about the ministry God would have you be a part of and use tools like a spiritual gift assessment or simply talking with friends or your pastor about what strengths they see in you.

Remember, we don’t know how much time we have on this earth. Our personal ministry may last 50 years or we may only have five minutes.

Live so that the Lord will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God will fight for you

A friend shared a verse this week that really gave me rest on a day when I was feeling attacked from within my mind about who I am in Christ and was simply overwhelmed with life’s circumstances.

That verse is Exodus 14:14, in which Moses says to the fleeing Israelites “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

By itself that verse is uplifting and calming. But when you read the surrounding text, it develops a much deeper meaning.

Moses had led them out of Egypt, but they knew Pharaoh’s soldiers were coming after them. So they reach the Red Sea and tell Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

In the face of certain death and re-enslavement, Moses responds, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

In the very next verse, God responds to Moses, saying, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on,” before God uses Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea.

What are you facing today? A diagnosis, job loss or death of a loved one? Have you tried to fight your own fight or been tempted to go back to the world’s ways because it would simply be easier?

Heed the words of Moses. Stand firm and you will see deliverance. But stand firm in the stillness of knowing the Lord will fight for you.

If there’s any doubt he’ll fight for you, turn to the New Testament and see that he sent his son, Jesus, to die for you on the cross.

God wasn’t cheering from the sidelines, “Go, Bill!” He said “I know you can’t win this fight on your own, so let me fight it for you by sending the true champion.”

Remember also not to forget the times in your life that you faced an impossible situation like the Israelites and the Red Sea and God has swooped in and done a miracle in your life. It can be easy to forget, just like the Israelites did as they wondered through the dessert for all those years.

Not only did the Lord part the sea, but he sent bread from heaven and caused water to flow from a rock.

Each time, however, the people forgot how BIG their God was. Let us not forget that the God in heaven that we serve is a BIG God. And he loves you and yearns for you to see the BIG sacrifice he made for you.

The 1 Percent

Recently, we’ve seen all across the nation people setting up ‘Occupy’ protests over the idea that they are the 99 percent, while contending that the top 1 percent is getting richer at their expense.

I’m not hear to argue that one either way; but I am here to say that I am the 1 percent…when it comes to Jesus’ flock.

In Matthew 18:12, Jesus tells the story of a man who has 100 sheep that he loves so much he is willing to leave the 99 to find the one that has gone astray or gotten lost.

In that sense, I am the 1 percent. I was lost for a long time and there were plenty of times I went astray even after Jesus found me 10 years ago.

There also are times, though, that we aren’t lost or go astray, but simply stand still while the shepherd leads the rest of flock. We feel insignificant and unlovable or are just weary from life’s circumstances.

In those times, we tend to forget the lengths our shepherd, Jesus, went to restore us to his flock.

A song by Mike’s Chair, I think, sums up not only how we feel in those down times. But it also reminds us of the promises of God.

“I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free, but you think you're the one that grace could never reach. So you just keep asking, what everybody's asking …

“Am I more than flesh and bone? Am I really something beautiful? Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that I'm not just some wandering soul; That you don't see and you don't know. Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe, that I am someone worth dying for.”

As a Christian, I know this truth. I know that Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient for my sins. I know that if I put my life in his hands and trust his death and resurrection, I will be a part of his flock for all eternity.

But there have been some moments even after I accepted Jesus in which I needed his help to believe that I was someone worth dying for, someone worth leaving the 99 to find.

Jesus says we’re so valuable that when the shepherd finds that one sheep, he is happier about that one than the 99 who were never lost.

In Luke’s gospel, Luke records Jesus as saying that there is “more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

In closing, remember the great lengths Christ went to save you: dying a painful, undeserving death on the cross so that we can have fellowship with our father in heaven.

Call on the Lord and be saved

I was reading Pslam 18 today and one sentence by the author David caught my eye.

He writes: “I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

This statement jarred by heart and mind in a couple of ways. First, I think it is extremely important to point out that David doesn’t say that if he calls upon the Lord, he will be or might be or hope to be “saved from my enemies.” He says “I am,” which infers an instantaneous action.

Secondly, and this is for those who are suffering, I think we need to define what enemies David is talking about. Throughout the Psalms, there are verses that talk about the Lord saving his people from their enemies who are seeking to destroy them.

Is he talking about enemies in a literal sense? Yes. In 1^st and 2^nd Samuel, you find several examples of David’s enemies. One involves his own soldiers talking about stoning him over their great distress.

But he also is talking about it in a figurative sense, such as Psalm 22 in which David describes strong bulls and roaring lions surrounding him.

I think these are the same enemies we often face – demonic forces that attempt to infiltrate our lives, diminish the sovereignty of God and poke holes in His story the way Satan did to Adam and Eve.

That, I believe, is why David says “I am” in Psalm 18. He is talking about the unseen enemies that God immediately halts when he did and when we do call to the Lord -- who is worthy of praise.

The worldly enemies may still come, sometimes because it is a consequence of our sin (going to jail for committing a crime) and sometimes because of God’s plan.

In closing, I think the best way to illustrate this is the story of husband and wife missionary team, Martin and Gracia Burnham.

A decade ago, they heeded God’s call to take the gospel to the people in the Philippines and were taken captive and held by rebel soldiers for a little more than one year.

And when the country’s military division went in to rescue the hostages, Martin was caught in the crossfire and died. Gracia was shot in the leg and survived.

Throughout their ordeal, they were able to somewhat document the time they were held. And much of what I’ve read reflects a faith in Jesus that also reflects the Psalmist’s statement.

They were not were saved from their literal enemies, but they had confidence that the Lord had already saved them from the spiritual enemies that could have put their faith in question with statements like, “If God is for you, why are these people against you?” Or, “Would a God of love put you through this?”

Martin, sensing the end of their captivity was near (by death or by rescue), told his wife that they needed to go out faithfully. “Let’s serve him all the way with gladness,” he said.

He could say that because they had called upon the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and they could say, “We are saved from our enemies.”

When faith is all you have

During the Christmas holiday, my wife and I have delivered the news to our families that another grandchild is coming.

The reception was subdued enthusiasm, which, in all fairness, was ours too.

We weren’t planning for a third child. We have our hands full with our 5-year-old son and 22-month-old daughter. And I know people say there is never a good time financially to have children, but this is really not a good time financially for us to have another child.

To be brutally honest, the pill failed us and now we are probably staring the most difficult challenge of our lives in the face: Do we trust God with our finances?

We would have said yes before we found out about No. 3. But this exciting news made both us take a step back and evaluate how deeply we were trusting in the Lord in this area of our lives.

Money is one of those things that Christians have the most difficulty in letting the Lord have control over. I can’t blame them. We work hard to provide for our families, and we get pressured into making sure we have enough stuff, the right cars and the right vacations. So, we tend to flinch when God calls us to give more to our local church or another ministry that is serving people.

Not long before we found out about the pregnancy (on Black Friday of all days), I toured a space in downtown Huntington with some other members of our church that will soon become our new home. During that tour, it was mentioned by our elders that to meet the vision of taking the next step for our church, giving would have to increase.

I immediately felt convicted that we have not been giving in proportion to what God is providing, despite the bills we are paying. I felt like we needed to double our usual monthly gift. And I still feel that way.

What I’m saying through all this is that it’s gonna take faith in our Lord and savior Jesus Christ for us to confidently navigate these next seven months and beyond.

And, to be honest, we’re excited about it. After the initial shock wore off, we realized that first and foremost, God wanted us to be pregnant or the pill would have worked like it has in the past.

Secondly, God must have an awesome plan for us 2012. He knows that our current finances can’t support another baby, so we’re excited to see how He’s going to provide for us.

Thankfully, scripture is full of verses to fuel our faith. Just read a few of them and see if God’s words don’t lift you up:

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:2-5)

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145: 18-19)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Your father knows what you need before you ask him. So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:8b, 31-34)

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. (Romans 8:28)

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:6-8)

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?' (Hebrews 13: 5-6)

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)

God knows what we need, according to Matthew 6, and we are to ask in faith, without doubt, according to James 1.

We’re placing our hope in the Lord. In the book “Manna,” the author talks about learning to live on God’s daily bread one day at a time, having the kind of faith that does not question whether God will provide tomorrow. We must rely on Him and His daily provision and not put our hope in storing up wealth that can disappear in an instant.

So, please pray for us, that we will walk by faith and not by sight on this journey that is ahead of us. And I will pray for you, who are reading, that your faith might be strengthened through our example.

There’s always grace

I was listening to a sermon by Steven Furtick, who leads Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C.

And he made a very important point that I think sometimes can get overlooked, especially when we are going through difficult times in our lives.

Furtick says that while God’s plan for our lives might include seasons of heartache, sickness or struggles, his love and grace continue.

When life seems like a constant struggle and you aren’t sure where God’s blessings are, remember the grace and forgiveness he has extended to you through his son, Jesus.

And, because we’re sinners until the day we die, we are always in need of his grace. So, everyday, we can boldly go to the cross of Jesus and ask for forgiveness in his name.

In Romans 4:7-8, Paul tells us when our lawless deeds are forgiven, we are truly blessed. In verse 8 he says, “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

On those days when life seems hard and I’m not sure what God is doing, when the dark clouds will clear, I have to remember that I’m still being blessed.

I think that’s why Christians in third-world countries are such a model for faith. For they truly have nothing, yet they rejoice daily in knowing they are forgiven through Jesus.

A couple years ago, I was listening to an interview with Dan Haseltine, the lead singer for Christian rock band Jars of Clay. They head up a ministry called Blood: Water Mission, which he founded in 2002 after a trip to Africa. He said the two things they need is clean blood and clean water. They have worked to raise money and support to build wells throughout continent.

In his interview, he was asked what they tell the people there about Jesus. And he said they don’t have to tell them anything. Their faith, Haseltine said, is an inspiration to them.

Pastor and author John Piper said being a Christian in the U.S. is probably the hardest place to live because we have so much stuff we don’t recognize the blessings God has given us.

When we lose our jobs, our homes, our stuff, we cry out to God, asking him what he’s doing. Maybe he just wants to remind us of the true blessing of forgiveness that are fresh and new and already paid for by the blood of Jesus.

Stop and thank him today for his endless grace that will flow freely to his people forever.