Experiencing fellowship with God today should be a Christian's prime focus. Living in obedience to God is evidence that I am His, and He is mine. Eternity weighed against the temporal is more important in a sense, but if I do not fear God and love Him today my sense of eternal security could be a product of self-deception. If I genuinely love God, I will obey Him and desire to spend time with Him now and gratefully join with others in the Body of Christ in worship. I will desire to have a deeper understanding of God and take practical steps to draw near to Him.
1 John 1:6-7 reads, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." My theology does not assure me entrance to heaven, but the blood of Jesus Christ applied to my soul by grace through faith. I can be sound in doctrine, but it is only theoretical unless I am born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and become my life, I have fellowship with God and other Christians. Since the Holy Spirit fills each born-again believer, I experience fellowship with God through communion with others who are in Christ because we are one in Him.
Are you experiencing fellowship with God? Do you speak to Him and heed His voice through the prompting of the Spirit and the reading of His Word? What prophetic words have you taken to heart God has spoken through fellow Christians? If you do not care to spend time with God today, do you really want to abide in His presence forever? And if a person is not delighted at the thought to spend today in God's presence, why should that person fool himself to think God wants such an ungrateful one with Him forever? God is interested to have a close relationship with me today. He is not interested to offer me a heavenly flophouse where I can be eternally content and secure without me caring to know Him. Eternal security is found in knowing, trusting, and obeying God now.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen." Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:7-8). As I read this portion recently, it struck me that Jesus did not ask His disciples to obtain decisions for Christ so people could go to heaven. He told them to go and make disciples of all nations who obey all Christ commanded. People are willing to pledge themselves, but God is not interested in man's promises. He seeks to save sinners! Make no mistake: only true followers of Christ will go to heaven, for faith without works is dead. Only those who have fellowship with God and walk in the light will live eternally with Him.
Christianity is not a religion but a decision to enter into a relationship with the living God. God has reached out to us, not to impose rules upon us to restrict, but having freed believers from sin He instructs us in how to live in the way that pleases Him. He has demonstrated His love for us through Christ dying on the cross, and He has proved His victory and power through His resurrection from the dead. He has also sent the Holy Spirit to fill all who trust in Christ, providing the desire and ability to do His will (Phil. 2:13). If you do not have fellowship with God today, do not be deceived to think you will suddenly obtain this privilege when you body dies on the basis of your theology. Jesus spoke to the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Will you open the door today?
30 July 2015
28 July 2015
Grate Expectations
Ultimately God is the One who prepares and sustains people in ministry whether locally or abroad. There are unique challenges faced by those who are led to serve in a foreign field. Recognising and preparing for these changes will aid you immensely in overcoming all by God's grace. When shrubs or trees are transplanted they can experience shock, and moving a family across the ocean can be shocking as well. But the glorious truth is Christ is the best husbandman, and the fruitful tree He prunes so it might bear more fruit.
I never aspired to foreign ministry, but it is something God has called me to embrace. Answering the call has been rewarding beyond belief. Such aspirations will eventually end up disillusioning and burdensome when of the flesh. Travel and living abroad has a romantic appeal to some, like a boy who becomes temporarily infatuated with a girl. But those for whom God has opened a door no man can shut to a foreign field, having confirmed His call upon your life through His Word and others, here are a few things to keep in mind which can prepare you to stay the course with joy. Expect things to occur which will grate on you, but this is a necessary part of the refining process God employs to make us useable. This is obviously not a exhaustive list, but these are lessons my family and I have learned along the way.
I never aspired to foreign ministry, but it is something God has called me to embrace. Answering the call has been rewarding beyond belief. Such aspirations will eventually end up disillusioning and burdensome when of the flesh. Travel and living abroad has a romantic appeal to some, like a boy who becomes temporarily infatuated with a girl. But those for whom God has opened a door no man can shut to a foreign field, having confirmed His call upon your life through His Word and others, here are a few things to keep in mind which can prepare you to stay the course with joy. Expect things to occur which will grate on you, but this is a necessary part of the refining process God employs to make us useable. This is obviously not a exhaustive list, but these are lessons my family and I have learned along the way.
- Understand you need to change. Moving internationally means transitioning into a new culture with a different mind-set and world view. It is insensitive and foolish to be endlessly comparing and contrasting with your original background. Quit comparing and learn to be content. You need to be willing to adapt concerning language and communication style, eat different or unfamiliar foods, watch or play different sports - without trying to force people to change to accommodate you! You are the foreigner, and you must be willing to change every aspect of your life to minister effectively where God has placed you.
- Be prepared for silence. Just because your life has been radically changed with an international move, life for everyone else is very much the same. If you expect hundreds of email replies to your newsletter, you will be disappointed. If you expect phone calls from friends and family or even the people with whom you are connected in the foreign field, you may be waiting a while! Life goes on, and only Jesus is available to speak anytime - even without needing a good internet connection.
- Get used to being wrong. Be prepared to say the wrong thing the wrong way at the wrong time. Humbly admit mistakes when you make them, and do your best to improve. Be willing to have a hearty laugh at your own expense. No sense in becoming angry over missing a turn because you were driving in the wrong lane. Accept you are imperfect and welcome correction as a loving friend and gratefully accept those who seem to rejoice to instruct you.
- Get used to needing to prove yourself again and again. It can be hard going from having a reputation as the "real deal" in your home country to being an untested unknown - and sometimes unwanted - in a foreign field. Respect is earned over time, not obtained by virtue of your position or sacrifice. Being a foreigner in Australia, whenever my circle enlarges I need to prove myself again. Even becoming a dual citizen, my accent for the remainder of my life will expose me as an outsider. It is following Jesus with patience, humility, and faithfulness over the long haul which brings credibility. It can be exhausting to perpetually be on trial, but God provides all the strength we need.
- You need to to take the initiative. Don't expect to be automatically included because you are new. Take time to make friends outside of ministry. Ask people about where they do their shopping and ask them to help you buy clothes. Involve yourself in volunteering with charities or at your children's school, connect with other parents through sports, and invite others out for coffee or dinner. Go up to people at church and join in with their conversation. Unless you take personal steps to enlarge your circle, it will remain painfully tight.
- Transition will take time. Be prepared for this to take many years, not months. When I trimmed a lemon tree, it remained without much growth or lemons for an entire year. A year later, however, the same tree produced a massive harvest. Establishing a family in a foreign country takes a long time. Things will not be "normal" for years. At every turn there can be constant reminders you are a stranger in a foreign land. Take time to ensure your immediate family is well settled before spreading yourself thin with ministry responsibilities. The house should be built before the shed, or otherwise we leave our family in the cold while we toil away on our projects.
Give God What Is His
God is not looking for men but for a man, said J. Oswald Sanders in the classic Spiritual Leadership. He seeks one person to fully surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit within his regenerated heart. Are you willing to pay the price to be the man upon whom God shows Himself strong? Sanders wrote, "But not all who aspire to leadership are willing to pay so exacting a price. However, God's conditions must be complied with in secret before He will honour a man in public." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody, 1980. 21-22. Print.) If we desire to lead others in following Jesus, it is important we take those necessary baby steps when the camera is not rolling and no one is cheering.
Last night during the discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I was reminded how tempting it is to offer God sacrifices over simple obedience. The Holy Spirit is persistent, and His conviction is not ignored without internal strife and miserable discomfort. Do you know God desires more than our obedience and allegiance? He wants you! One occasion stands out in my mind during my pilgrimage with Jesus. God showed me my vinyl record collection needed to be purged from my life. This was a feeling I had experienced over many other things, and frankly I was tired of it. As I dumped my prized collection into the rubbish bin, I started thinking about all the other things I had pitched - admittedly with a twinge of resentment. "How much more of my life do I have to give up?" I asked God in exasperation. His answer was shockingly simple: "All of it."
That was all He said. It struck me as brilliant and true. I had been selfishly looking at things all wrong. I was focused on physical items and behaviour, but God went straight to the heart. When I was born again through faith I had agreed to be purchased and redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus. God desired me to give myself into His control - not just my stuff or what I did with my time. Because I was His, everything else concerning my life belonged to Him already. I was familiar with the passage, but I had not put the essence of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 into practice: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." I am still learning to do this, to joyfully grant God full access to my life He has purchased for His own righteous use. If you desire to be a man upon whom God looks and shows Himself strong, you will need to learn this lesson too! What is impossible with men is possible with God. Praise God for the truth of Philippians 2:13: "...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." God will always do His part, and God help me to be responsible to do mine!
Last night during the discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I was reminded how tempting it is to offer God sacrifices over simple obedience. The Holy Spirit is persistent, and His conviction is not ignored without internal strife and miserable discomfort. Do you know God desires more than our obedience and allegiance? He wants you! One occasion stands out in my mind during my pilgrimage with Jesus. God showed me my vinyl record collection needed to be purged from my life. This was a feeling I had experienced over many other things, and frankly I was tired of it. As I dumped my prized collection into the rubbish bin, I started thinking about all the other things I had pitched - admittedly with a twinge of resentment. "How much more of my life do I have to give up?" I asked God in exasperation. His answer was shockingly simple: "All of it."
That was all He said. It struck me as brilliant and true. I had been selfishly looking at things all wrong. I was focused on physical items and behaviour, but God went straight to the heart. When I was born again through faith I had agreed to be purchased and redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus. God desired me to give myself into His control - not just my stuff or what I did with my time. Because I was His, everything else concerning my life belonged to Him already. I was familiar with the passage, but I had not put the essence of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 into practice: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." I am still learning to do this, to joyfully grant God full access to my life He has purchased for His own righteous use. If you desire to be a man upon whom God looks and shows Himself strong, you will need to learn this lesson too! What is impossible with men is possible with God. Praise God for the truth of Philippians 2:13: "...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." God will always do His part, and God help me to be responsible to do mine!
26 July 2015
The Anti-Christian
We live in a world under the sway of Satan, and he has been a liar, murderer, and destroyer from the beginning. Consequently, this world today is far from a reflection of the glorious perfection which initially marked God's creation. This is nothing new. Even when Christ walked the dusty roads in Israel, there was no shortage of political problems. His cousin was arrested for criticising Herod's unlawful marriage, and was beheaded because of a rash oath Herod made to a dancer! My point is, Jesus could have enacted an "anti-Roman" platform which would have garnered great support among the Jews. But He didn't. Jesus went around doing good, preaching repentance and the kingdom of God.
The apostle Paul had no shortage of difficulties from governments, assassination plots, unlawful arrests, beatings, and incarcerations. The issues he was privy to by true and false brethren in the church were countless. Yet Paul did not become an "anti" Christian, one of those Christians who expends energy railing on doctrines or people he disagrees with. Instead of establishing a critical, negative stance towards others, Paul sought to positively promote Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
There are few things easier than pointing out faults in others. It is ridiculously simple to produce videos or write articles to pick apart doctrines or personalities without rebuttal. Incredible illogical leaps can be taken which on the surface appear sensible. Sadly, this seems to be an increasingly common and popular method. It should be a great concern if you spend more time lashing out at perceived wrongs in others rather than promoting Jesus Christ yourself! It would be tragic for Christians to be defined by what we are against rather than what and Who we stand for. Should we waste our time proving chaff is chaff when God has given us the good wheat of His Word to feed upon and share with others? What good is it to prove the lack of nutritional value of chaff when we could grind and supply the wheat to those who are starving? Taste and see that the LORD is good, and focus on sharing the good stuff with others!
The apostle Paul had no shortage of difficulties from governments, assassination plots, unlawful arrests, beatings, and incarcerations. The issues he was privy to by true and false brethren in the church were countless. Yet Paul did not become an "anti" Christian, one of those Christians who expends energy railing on doctrines or people he disagrees with. Instead of establishing a critical, negative stance towards others, Paul sought to positively promote Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
There are few things easier than pointing out faults in others. It is ridiculously simple to produce videos or write articles to pick apart doctrines or personalities without rebuttal. Incredible illogical leaps can be taken which on the surface appear sensible. Sadly, this seems to be an increasingly common and popular method. It should be a great concern if you spend more time lashing out at perceived wrongs in others rather than promoting Jesus Christ yourself! It would be tragic for Christians to be defined by what we are against rather than what and Who we stand for. Should we waste our time proving chaff is chaff when God has given us the good wheat of His Word to feed upon and share with others? What good is it to prove the lack of nutritional value of chaff when we could grind and supply the wheat to those who are starving? Taste and see that the LORD is good, and focus on sharing the good stuff with others!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)