JESUS AND SOLITUDE

Do you understand the value of solitude in your walk as a disciple?

Ruth Haley Barton is one of the nation's leading mentors in the area of spiritual growth and transformation.  I first heard her speak at the National Pastor's Conference in San Diego several years ago and have been blessed by her writings ever since.  Here is a clip from an interview done with Ruth on the topic Jesus and Solitude.




You will also want to check out her web site TRANSFORMING CENTER.

FORGIVENESS IS NOT A FEELING

Steve: I am re-posting this excellent post from Blake Coffee to help you in your daily discipleship.

Forgiveness is Not a Feeling

Isn’t it funny that an entire Spiritual revolution (the one called Christianity) can be founded upon the concept of forgiveness but the concept itself can be one of the most misunderstood concepts for those of us who are a part of the revolution? For so many in the Western church today, it may as well be written in Chinese (for those of you who actually read Chinese, my apologies, the illustration loses some punch with you).

Chinese symbol for forgiveness

Sometimes when I am counseling with someone about forgiveness, especially when it is someone who has been hurt deeply by another person, he/she will say something like this to me: “I know I need to forgive them, but I’m just not ready to forgive yet.” Most likely, what this hurting person is conveying with that comment is that he/she is not yet ready to start trusting that person again, because trust is a process and it takes time both to earn it and to give it. But I don’t think of forgiveness in that same way. As Christians, I think it is better for us to think of forgiveness as a promise. It is not something we wait to do, it is a commitment we make right up front, just as soon as the pain has occurred. That’s how God forgives us, and we are instructed to forgive others in the same way God has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).

I think too often we wait to forgive. We wait until it feels right to do so. But forgiveness (in the way the Bible describes it) is not a feeling at all. If we wait until we feel like forgiving, it will never happen.

Forgiveness is more about wiping away a debt. It is saying to a person, “You owe me nothing more…no money, no apology, no hugs, no sympathy cards, nothing…I really am no longer looking for any of that from you…you are released from any moral or ethical or legal obligations to me for this pain…as much as is possible, we are going to move forward now and I will not be holding this over you any longer, waiting to hit you on the head with it if you mess up again…I will not be keeping score because where I am concerned your slate is now wiped clean…I wish the very best for you and God’s blessings on you.” Forgiveness isn’t something we wait to feel, it is something we communicate to the person who hurt us irrespective of how we feel.

And it is hard to do. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. But it is not easy. This is why the very act of forgiveness tends to separate Christ’s church from the rest of the world. It is a distinguishing characteristic of Christ followers. We have been forgiven much, so we forgive.

So while trust may be a process, the promise of forgiveness is not. But though trust and forgiveness are two different things, there is a definite relationship between them. Making the promise of forgiveness is what triggers the beginning of the trust process. Without forgiveness, there can be no more trust. But once forgiveness is given, the process of trusting again begins. Forgiveness takes a broken relationship and places it back on track for the healing process to begin. It is the first step in the healing journey.

 © Blake Coffee. Website: churchwhisperer.com

 

OSWALD CHAMBERS ON DISCIPLESHIP AND SALVATION

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOT A DESTINATION, IT'S A MOVEMENT

Keri Wyatt Kent recently wrote in Christianity Today:
"The kingdom of heaven isn't just a place we go when we die; it's a movement we're part of today. It's living in the presence of God forever, starting right now. Eternity, by definition, is all time, including the present moment.

"Instead of being about the kingdom of God coming to earth, the Christian religion has too often become preoccupied with abandoning or escaping earth and going to heaven," pastor and author Brian McLaren writes in The Secret Message of Jesus. "Too often its members have forgotten the teachings of Jesus about making peace and turning the other cheek and crossing boundaries to serve people formerly considered 'outsiders.'

"Jesus talked about the future, no doubt. But mostly he lived as if the kingdom of God truly was "at hand." He told us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This prayer isn't just hoping for change, but asking God to direct us in facilitating that change and then—often the most neglected part of prayer—actually doing what he commands.

"Jesus also said his disciples would be known by their sacrificial love for each other and for God (John 13:35). How do we show that love? Jesus said: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matthew 25:35-36).

"People who live in the kingdom of God right now choose to give, to practice hospitality, to be kind to the suffering, sick, or poor. We experience the kingdom of heaven on earth when we recognize God's presence here with us and serve him as if he really is our King."
To read the rest of this excellent article go to the link KENT

As a pastor seeking to lead a church to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I believe that Kent is on solid, essential ground. The kingdom of heaven is not a destination, it's a movement. Too many Christians have been co-opted by the consumerism of our culture and think only in terms of personal needs and satisfaction, For them the emphasis is on heaven and once they are assured that they have a place prepared for them there and a ticket to ride to that destination, they pretty much stop thinking intentionally about living in the kingdom of God on this side of eternity.

In that mindset they have abandoned or forgotten the powerful reality that we are a countercultural movement. Our job is to be distinct within our culture as witnesses to the more perfect way of the kingdom of God than the temporary way of the kingdom of this world --a kingdom that is not eternal. Jesus calls us to be "salt and light" - to flavor our world with the distinctiveness of Christ, to preserve the world by making sure that God's eternal values are brought to bear and influence in this life - to bring "light" to a world that embraces its darkness as truth, by demonstrating what the real truth of God is and showing how it can transform our lives (and our world).

Too often our destination mentality excuses us (or so we think) of living like Jesus. Too often we believe it is safe and sensible to embrace our temporal cultural values rather than representing God's eternal ones. And in the "reality" we create, we actually contribute to the problem of God being out of sight and out of mind for most of the world. Our steeples, and T-shirts, and publications are insufficient to overcome the powerful message of human culture.

In this world we think membership where Jesus commands discipleship.
In this mindset we think savings, where God works for salvation.
We chose preservation, God desires sacrificial obedience.
We desire comfort, God wants us to take up a cross and follow Him.

How very different the 21st American church would be if we were truly citizens of the kingdom of heaven that is being manifested here on earth! How very different our world would be if we believed the kingdom of heaven was not a destination, but a movement of God.

Note: This post original appears in LIFE MATTERS July 24, 2010. LIFE MATTERS is my general public discussion/reflection blog.

UN-MOVEMENT

This is from the archives of Nick Francis Stephens' blog Reflections.

“But Lot’s wife looked back”At the moment we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ our whole present reality shifts from one of immobility to a life of wide open spaces. Freedom instantly becomes the platform for our everyday lives, complete unbridled freedom!

So why is it that so many who declare to have this new life still find themselves immobilized, powerless and still suffering from a lack of movement or un-movement? The problem is that we have not yet found the determination to leave the old life behind.

We will not find ourselves able to step into a new future until we are first able to let go of our past and the things we hold to be deceptively beautiful. Like Lot’s wife our cravings continue to drive us toward our sinful life. We yearn for the distractions and escape that we once had. But if we continue to neglect our pre-conditioned responses to those memories, we will always walk away with the product which they intend.

A lie, keeping you from a fulfilling life of intimacy, destiny and meaning!

What do you need to let go of? A need for validation, permission, abandonment, rejection, and criticism? The escapades of glory, consumerism, pride, or lust? Go ahead, stop looking back, a whole new world of faith, love and hope waits for you if you can only walk in that direction and stop looking back.

OUR DAILY WORK IS HOLY

Eugene Peterson has some provocative thoughts on why we view our daily work as holy.

ASSURANCE

WAIT FOR IT ... WAIT FOR IT

This post comes from the archives of  Leonard Lee's OFF WE GO NOW .. ENCOURAGEMENT AS WE GO NOW blog that blesses me regularly. - Steve

Patience is a Virtue… A virtue is something that is morally good or righteous; therefore patience is morally good and righteous. I just spoke about patience the other day and in the middle of my message someone texted me to hurry up.  I thought it was funny.

Why is patience so… awkwardly embraced?  It’s kind of like hugging your cousin that drools and smells… or maybe you are the cousin.  I can preach about love, joy, peace (and I did, see Galatians 5:22-23) and people lean into these character traits God the Holy Spirit produces in our lives, but when we get to patience it’s the awkward embrace.

We know patience is good, right and important but for some reason we seem to live with and even excuse various levels of impatience.  Culture gives us permission to be impatient in several arenas.

• We’re allowed to be impatient when paying for a service.  It is why so many people treat servers and clerks poorly.

• We’re allowed to be impatient when driving.  After all, the guy in front is driving like an idiot.

• We’re allowed to be impatient when trying to get our way.  It’s like admitting that although patience is a virtue, winning is better than virtue.

• We’re allowed to be impatient with our kids.  Were not supposed to harm them but it seems okay to be snippy, critical and pushy.

• We’re allowed to be impatient with our spouse or other family members.  They gotta love us,

Why do we give ourselves permission to be impatient when God is working to put patience inside of us?  Why do we give ourselves permission to be impatient when God is so patient with us?

We see patience as a virtue that is primarily about us. I need to be more patient so I feel less stress, get along better, don’t feel as bad about people, drive safer…

It is true, patience makes our lives better lived.  I am happier when I am patient and grumpier when I am impatient.  As long as I see patience this way, I will see patience as an option.  In all honesty, I don’t always care about being happy as much as I care about getting my way.  I don’t always care about less stress as much as I care about getting somewhere, getting something or… winning.  This makes patience an option rather than an obligation.    In other words, I will use patience when it is advantageous to my goal and impatience when it is advantageous to my goal.  But if the goal is to be virtuous, we lose with this approach.

Another reason is we do not recognize patience for the powerful and formidable weapon it is.  God’s patience is what creates for us security, ushers us into grace, keeps us from being squished, opens the door to trust, allows us to return when we screw up big time, keeps Him from harping on us because of our pace of growth… and a whole lot more.  God’s patience, when I choose to recognize it in my life, is a bold statement of His love.  It is a really powerful tool in moving my life toward holiness and humility.

It only makes sense that God would want this powerful weapon to be wielded by His people for His purposes.  How many people would see Jesus more clearly if you were more patient?  How many people would feel safer around you if you were more patient?  If patience were your operating system, what difference would that make in those around you?

Patience gets it mojo from grace, and it is impossible to be patient without grace.  So here is the rub, if you have a problem with being patient, it is very likely a grace problem not a patience problem.  That’s all I have for today.  Off… we go now.

PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST WORRY

With thanks to the GOSPEL-DRIVEN CHURCH and Jared Wilson.

Rose: "Don’t be worried, Mr. Allnut.
Allnut: "Oh, I ain’t worried, miss. I gave myself up for dead back when we started."

(from The African Queen, a film by John Huston)

The Christian has been crucified with Christ, and therefore is reckoned dead to the world, so when the world offers its problems, the Christian finds worry superfluous: he has given himself up for dead back when he started.

. . . do not be anxious about anything . . .
-- Philippians 4:6

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
-- Galatians 6:14

THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS

I have long been a fan of Bill Watterson and his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. His is not as overtly theological as was Charles Schulz in Peanuts, but every once in a while (I suspect inadvertently) Calvin makes a profound statement that triggers a scriptural truth.  Here are two that I find in this particular strip.

The first is from James 4:17: "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." New International Version

Then Galatians 5:6." The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." New Living Translation.

An authentic disciple understands that omission can be every bit as significant as commission when it comes to sin.  Too many of us have changed the focus from loving our neighbor as ourselves to love myself and then give my neighbor the leftovers.  Or be careful of loving my neighbor too much lest I not have enough for me. Or this one - love myself spontaneously but be sure and schedule how much I will do for my neighbor in need.

Maybe we need to walk through life with eyes wide open to opportunities to be a blessing to others, praying that our love will find greater expression than merely intellectual assent or carefully orchestrated projects.

BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL

This video comes from the Missional Outreach Network. It describes what God in His grace does for us.

JESUS DOESN'T LIVE IN OUR BOXES

Just when we think we've solved Jesus, He turns the tables on us.

Jesus often comes to us in unexpected ways and through unexpected means.

Just think about how He came to Earth. For centuries, Israel had waited for a political Messiah. They expected Him to lead a rebellion and free Israel from Roman oppression.

But how did the Messiah make His entrance into the world? He came in a way that made it easy for His own people to reject Him. He came as a frail baby, born in a feeding room for animals. There He was. The promised Messiah who was expected to overthrow the mighty Roman Empire and set Israel free from Gentile oppression. A needy Nazarene born in a manger.

When Jesus grew up, He ate and drank in their presence and taught in their streets (Luke 13:26). Yet they didn’t recognize who He was. He was unassumingly modest, of humble origin. A mere craftsman; the son of a craftsman.

He grew up in the despised city of Nazareth, fraternizing with the despised and oppressed. But more startling, He befriended sinners (Luke 7:34). As such, the people of God didn’t recognize Him. Why? Because He came in a way that made it easy for them to reject Him.

And what about the disciples? Read the story again. Jesus continued to break out of their expectations. He couldn’t be pinned down, figured out or boxed in. The Twelve were constantly confounded by Him. His teachings were offensive. His actions scandalous. His reactions baffling.

But the greatest offense of all was the cross. It offended everyone—both Jew and Gentile. The only crown the promised Messiah-King would accept was a crown of thorns. Look at Him again. A suffering Messiah, a defeated King. It’s easy to reject Him.

One of the Lord’s most faithful disciples teaches us this principle well. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus after His death and resurrection. Do you remember what she did as soon as she recognized Him? She grabbed Him, and she wouldn’t stop clinging to Him.

Jesus responded, “Stop clinging to me” (see John 20:17, Greek text). Why did Jesus tell Mary to stop clinging to Him? Because Jesus had somewhere to go. He was on the move. Jesus was poised to go to Galilee to see the other disciples and then to ascend to His Father.

Note the principle: He was moving forward, but she was clinging to Him.

Jesus was in effect saying to her: “Mary, stop holding on to me. There’s a new way to know me that’s different from what you’ve experienced thus far. Let me go. I must move on.”

Do you remember the disciples who walked on the road to Emmaus? Their hopes were shattered by Jesus’ horrible death. Suddenly, the resurrected Christ began walking beside them, yet their eyes were blinded from recognizing Him.

However, when He engaged in the very simple gesture of breaking bread (something He had done frequently before them), their eyes were opened.
He then quickly disappeared from their sight.

These stories hold a critical insight. You cannot cling to the Christ you know today. He will vanish from your midst. Jesus Christ is an elusive Lover. Seeking Him is a progressive engagement that never ends. He doesn’t dance to our music. He doesn’t sing to our tune.

Perhaps He will in the beginning when He woos us to Himself; but that season will eventually end. And just when you think you’ve laid hold of Him, He will slip out of your grasp. He will appear to you as a stranger. But upon second glance, we’ll soon discover He’s no stranger at all. Emmaus will be repeated.

We all wish to cling to the Lord who we know now. We all wish to hold on to the Christ who has been revealed to us today. But mark my words: He will come to us in a way we do not expect—through people who we’re prone to ignore and inclined to write off.

Perhaps they don’t talk our religious language. Perhaps they aren’t theologically sophisticated. Perhaps they don’t use our vocabulary. Perhaps they don’t share our insider knowledge nor parrot our religious idioms.

And so we cling fast to the Lord we recognize—receiving only those who talk our language, use our jargon and employ our catchphrases—and all along we end up turning the Lord Jesus Christ away.

What, then, does our Lord do after we fail to receive Him when He comes to us in an unexpected way? He moves on. And the revelation we have of Him ceases to grow.

Jesus Christ is richer, larger and more glorious than any of us could ever imagine. And He comes to us in ways that make it tempting to reject Him.

When Peter, James and John saw the transfigured Lord on the holy mountain, Peter wanted to build a tabernacle for Jesus, Moses and Elijah and remain on the mountain to enjoy the encounter. But God would not allow it (Matthew 17:1-13).

There is something in our fallen nature that, like Peter, wishes to build a monument around a spiritual encounter with God and remain there. But the Lord will not have it. He will always break free from our frail attempts to pin Him down, box Him up and hold Him in place. And He does so by coming to us in new and unexpected ways.

Frank Viola is the co-author (with Leonard Sweet) of Jesus Manifesto (Thomas Nelson). You can learn more about the book at TheJesusManifesto.com. This article originally appeared in RELEVANT.

YOU MIGHT LIKE BIBLICAL JOY

In my church, like most churches, there are people who have no time for small groups.  They particularly want to be a part of a Bible study, but are unable to attend Sunday School or share in any of the other study options of the congregation.  As such they miss the opportunity to engage in an inductive of God's Word and share the thoughts and applications gleaned by others.

So we created Bibical Joy, an on-line small group Bible study.  Since part of the difficulty is a "common time," the on-line comes via a blog. People "join in" at an hour convenient to them--study the text, respond to the questions, and then share thoughts and answers with others in the group via the "comments/reply" feature available on a blog.  Currently there are 12 persons subscribed (which means identified) as part of the group.

You might want to check out what we do at BIBLICAL JOY as an idea starter for your context -- or just might want to be a new member of this group itself. You are certainly welcome.  By the way, we are in Philippians at this time. - Steve

FASTING FROM DOUBT

I’m fasting from Doubt

I am fasting from Doubt.
I am fasting from Doubt and all of its contemporaries: disbelief, fear and anxiety.
After thinking through an array of physical elements from which I might willingly abstain for 40 days (coffee, my phone, wine, Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries), I realized, Doubt is the single most debilitating and destructive distraction in my life.
James 1: 5-8 reads:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

After a brief Google search, I discovered that there are three types of ocean waves:

1. Ripples or capillary waves appear on smooth water created by blowing wind.
2. Seas are larger waves formed under irregular and unsustained winds that can last long after the winds have died out.
3. Swells are formed when seas move away from their point of origin, separating naturally as per direction and wavelength.

I used to be a long, chronic swell.
I asked, mostly in faith, and then denied the possibility.
I knocked, only to run off with impatience.
I sought, only to forget what I was looking for.
Recently, I’ve gotten into trouble, as the gathering of these small instances moved into a gradual shift of heart and mind away from my point of origin. With every prayer I’ve bounced off the ceiling, I’ve lost a bit of security, trust, faith, hope, promise, potential.
So, that was my life up until last week!
Withdrawal symptoms came on fast and strong, as I didn’t quite know what to do with all my spare time. Since denying Doubt, I realized I am able to pay attention and actually hear what’s being said. It’s rather nice to take people at their word and no longer second guess their or my motives.
I’m a bit taller since that steady slide into the black hole of tragic “what ifs” has been removed, vacuum-sealed—and I’m considering keeping it capped permanently.
In the meantime, I’m spending a lot of time in Illinois rekindling my first loves: believing the Word of God and hanging with my best friend.
(I hope to take up origami or sudoku soon… I’ve gotta do something with all this extra mental space!)
.

.
Written by Juliet Richardson
(Juliet is a part of the Soul City Community who currently lives in Utah…but can’t move to Chicago soon enough!)

This post first appeared on SOUL CITY, a blog I found via Gene Reinaman of the Chambersburg First Church of God. You may want to check it out. - Steve
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A MASON JAR AND A MANILA ENVELOPE - Thoughts from Karen Spears Zacharias

Note from Steve: I am becoming a huge fan of an author/blogger Karen Zacharias. She posted this early Sunday morning, November 7th. I was up early, my sleep messed up by the time change, and read it 26 minutes after she posted. I suspect its thoughts will be with me all week and beyond. I'd be very interested in your responses.

Saturday afternoon late, the doorbell rang. Ever since the kids moved off our doorbell doesn’t ring much. Tim and I lead pretty quite lives with our books and our demonic dog. Oh. Sure. Halloween is an exception but on the day-to-day basis, especially on Saturdays, the house is pretty quiet.

I was engrossed in Tom Franklin’s novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Tim was grading papers.  When I opened the door, there was a pretty young girl on the other side. Long brunette hair, sweet face, pink sweatshirt. At the curb beside the mailboxes was an older model SUV.

Tim and I have a rule. If kids are selling something we are buying. Our kids did their share of fundraisers. We try to be the kind of neighbors who help the kids out, the way good neighbors used to help ours out.
She did indeed have two brochures and a manila envelope clutched in her hands.

She stuttered than started again: I am selling things to help out my father who has a brain tumor.

How does that work? I asked.

What do you mean? she asked. I don’t understand your question.

I started to explain that I didn’t understand how selling things help a dad with a brain tumor. But then I stopped, remembering another girl years ago. This one about the same age, only blonder and carrying a Mason jar, instead:

Grandpa Harve had moved back to Tennessee to live with Aunt Cil, just outside Church Hill. Cil was Grandma Ruth’s sister. Mama   had sent him there because she had to have surgery to remove uterine cysts during the summer of 1967 and couldn’t care for Grandpa while she was recuperating. Aunt Sue and Thelma made sure we kids were looked after while Mama recuperated from her surgery. Spurred by my concern for Mama, I took a jar and went door-to-door throughout Lake Forest, collecting nickels, dimes and pennies.

“Do you have change you could spare?” I asked one man who answered the rap on the door.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

 “We’re buying flowers for a lady who had to have surgery,” I replied. My friend Sarah was standing beside me, not saying a word.

“Which lady?” the man inquired, pressing me for details, suspicious, I suppose.

“Shelby Spears,” I said. “My mama.”

The fellow studied me for a moment longer before dropping a dollar in the jelly jar cupped in my hands. The memory of going door-to-door, collecting money to buy Mama flowers shames me in ways I can’t explain. I was only 10. I knew no other way to earn money to do the things for Mama that I knew Daddy would do if he were around, like buy her flowers when she went to the hospital.  (After the Flag has been Folded, HarperCollins, 2006). 

We don’t want to buy anything, but we will make a donation, I said.

Tim handed me a bill from his wallet. I handed it to the girl and asked, What’s your daddy’s name? She told me. Does he have health insurance? I asked, truly concerned. Yes, she said, but this helps with other stuff.
I watched through the shutters as she walked over to the SUV. I couldn’t tell if it was her mother or her father behind the wheel.

Tim and I both felt uncomfortable afterwards.

Not about giving the money.

Unsettled that a child would be sent to collect money on behalf of a parent. When I had taken that mason jar through the trailer park collecting dimes and dollars to buy flowers my mother was in the hospital. She wasn’t encouraging me to do that. She didn’t even know I was doing it and when she found out later she was not at all happy with me.

But what’s even more unsettling is that a parent would be in a situation that would compel them to put such a burden upon a child.

These are hard times we are living in. Hard, hard times for many people.

Whatever the cause that compels them to do it, people are desperate for help. Her parents may not understand it, but I do know exactly how awful that was for that young girl to ask for help. This is a day she will remember for the rest of her life. It will shape who she becomes. I hope what she remembers years from now is not the shame but the concern & compassion others had for her.

More from Steve: How should disciples of Jesus Christ respond to the situations described here? What does it mean to serve a God of compassion?

MEET SARAH COINER

 I am working with a group called Global Media Outreach which trains on-line missionaries to mentor new believers and to respond to seekers via the Internet around the world.  You can learn more about them at GMO.http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com

This is the story of one of those "missionaries" who is an inspiration to us all.

WANTING SOMETHING MORE

More thoughts from Soul Pastor.

Winston Churchill said, "The day may dawn when fair play, love for one's fellow men, respect for justice and freedom, will enable tormented generations to march forth serene and triumphant from the hideous epoch in which we have to dwell. Meanwhile, never flinch, never weary, never despair."

Churchill longed for a day of justice and freedom, when people play fair and love one another, he described the relational world Jesus said we should long for...and pray for. Churchill called for "courageous and indefatigable effort." Until then, he eloquently proclaimed, we must never give up.

Until God's "kingdom comes" and His "will is done," we long for it; the question is, "Do I want it enough? Do I want it so much that I won't flinch, weary, despair or quit? Those are just some of the questions now churning inside of me.

Galatians 6:2-10 says "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

WHOOPS!

This comes from a blogger SoulPastor. What are your thoughts?

Are there mistakes that you cannot recover from? Below is a post from another blog and I am interested in your thoughts…The author first defines that there is a difference between mistakes of competency and mistakes of character. Mistakes of competency is something that we all can recover from. It is like learning to ride a bike…you will fall, but eventually you will get it right. The authors then goes on to add that one of the greatest problems with mistakes of character is that the pain and aggravation of them usually lies on the surface of emotion or gets deflected over to another person or group, and never really sinks deep into the soul where ultimate change can take place. He goes one to push that idea a little further, and here are five mistakes that he feels that one cannot recover:

Adultery. Adultery is rampant in our culture. Ask people like Tiger Woods and the results displayed in his life. Ask politicians. Famous people just like ordinary people cannot escape the nuclear fallout that arises from adultery. Adultery is the ultimate betrayal. It bares naked the soul. It is narcissistic, wounded, and can’t be trusted. Adultery is expensive both in monetary terms and its relational fallout. Avoid it like you would the plague.

Pride. Pride is that inner drive that causes us to act against our own self-interest, even when everyone else can see it. Pride is lifting oneself up to a place which is not earned and cannot be sustained. Pride is so painful because it makes the bearer blind and deaf. It’s like walking toward a cliff. Everyone can see you’re near the end but you.

Resentment. You might say, “Yeah, resentment can be recovered from.” Yes, I would agree. But too many times it’s not. Resentment is bitterness that’s taken hold deep down in the soul and it poisons the well of everything you try to do. It blocks the free flow of life because unforgiveness cuts you off, not only from God, but from everyone else.

Laziness. Laziness can’t be recovered from because it wastes away the capital of life. It has no motivation or drive except that which comes from fear. And when you’re driven by fear, you’re being manipulated. Laziness discounts life as cheap, and people as something to be avoided.

Assumptions. Of all of these, assumptions are probably the most deadly. Let’s say that you are a middle-aged man and you eat like you are a teenager. You fail to exercise because you’re too busy and you don’t have time. You wake up at 42 and have a massive heart attack. Triple bypass surgery and a for sure shortened life is now yours because you, as so many others do, assumed that you’d live forever and that you wouldn’t have to take care of your body because you’ve always been able to abuse it.

Assumptions are also deadly in marriage: assuming she’ll always be home because she’s always been home, that she’ll take care of the kids, and that she’ll always think you are her hero. It leads to neglect which a lot of people do after you get distanced. Communication dries up and all of a sudden you wake up and you don’t care anymore. Assumptions in business, in life, and in relationships are all deadly and you need to avoid them at all costs.

What’s the antidote to all five of these? Gratitude, humility, and joy of work. Those simple things can get you up every day, remind you that life is a gift, that while you are not everything, you are something, and while you can’t do everything, you can do your thing

TIM KELLER ON SIN

 One of the blogs I frequent is called SHE WORSHIPS. It is written by Sharon. Her post yesterday was a wonderful explanation of a much misunderstood doctrine. Her questions and conclusions are well worth our examination.-Steve

One of the things that God has really been teaching me lately is what it means that I’m a sinner. Now before you roll your eyes and think, “Oh here’s another goody-goody Christian who’s pretending to be humble because it’s what good Christians do,” just hear me out.

First off, this isn’t about self-deprecation or making myself feel unnecessarily guilty. I don’t like that I screw up and I want to do better, but I don’t beat myself up about it either. In fact, the more I understand how broken I am, there’s an extent to which I actually feel less guilty. I know that sounds strange, but seeing myself as a sinner helps me to understand why I do the things I do. The concept of sin gives me a lens for interpreting my actions. It is the reason why it’s so hard for me to do and say the right things.

And when I understand sin this way, the result is not guilt–it’s relief. When I truly understand the degree of my brokenness and how helpless I am apart from God, I can stop putting unrealistic expectations on myself to be my own savior. I can cease striving and simply rest in the work of Jesus’ perfect salvation. Understanding my sin therefore frees me from the rat-race of self-righteousness and compels me to cast myself upon God’s mercy. It’s not that holiness is no longer important, but that holiness isn’t possible on my own. I am utterly dependent on God for transformation. And what a relief that knowledge is!

In the midst of learning more about what it means to be a broken, helpless sinner, I came upon a challenging passage from Tim Keller’s book Prodigal God that has deepened my understanding of sin all the more. Keller writes,

“To truly become Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, to. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness–the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord…It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord–lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness–that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed.” (p. 78)

Keller’s words may sound familiar. They are an echo of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7-9: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

In the past, I interpreted the above Scripture to mean that our good works are “rubbish” because they can’t earn our salvation. Our good works are ultimately worthless currency in God’s economy. I still believe that is true, yet Keller’s words also offer a fresh new insight. As Keller explains above, Paul’s good works were rubbish because the same motivation that drove his sin was also driving his good deeds.

Even when you’re trying to do the right thing, sin is always crouching at your door. That is not to say that you are incapable of good things–you are, after all, made in God’s glorious image, and God gives us grace to overcome our sin. However, Keller’s words reveal how profoundly broken we are. Sin is not occasional disobedience but a completely wrong orientation of the soul. As long as we live on this earth, we will struggle against our fallen nature in ways that we will probably never even comprehend. Every day I feel like God reveals new ways that I would be hopeless apart from Him. Seriously, in every possible aspect of my life I NEED GOD’S GRACE!

Some Christians (particularly Calvinists) refer to this as the doctrine of Total Depravity. If you ever run across this term, what I have just described is a helpful way of thinking about it. We are helpless apart from God’s intervening grace in our lives. We need Him to rescue us.

Yet this doctrine is not as depressing as it sounds. It produces in us gratitude and relief. The more I understand how much I need God, the more I love Him for rescuing me and the more I want to serve Him. And when I screw up in trying to serve Him, I don’t berate myself for it but instead thank God for His mercy. I then seek to serve Him better in the future because I love Him so much.

This doctrine also produces humility. Not only does it caution me against judging non-Christians (after all, I am not a Christian because of ANYTHING good in me!) but it also gives me a healthy dose of humility in my personal sense of rightness. When it comes to theology and Scriptural interpretation, I tend to be very black and white. It’s my way or the highway. Yet to have such confidence can betray a misunderstanding of the doctrine of Total Depravity. While the Holy Spirit certainly gives us confidence that we can know God and understand His Word, the doctrine of Total Depravity also reminds us that sin can interfere. Even when our motives are correct and we’re implementing all the right exegetical methods, sin is still present and can subtly creep in.

All of that to say, I appreciate Tim Keller’s words because they remind me how profoundly I need God. Even when I try to do good my heart can still be misguided, but thankfully my salvation does not rest upon my goodness. It rests in God’s. I rejoice that I serve a God who died for me and accepted me, knowing full well that I would be a hopeless sinner, but loving me anyway. I hope that as you contemplate your own shortcomings, you will cast down guilt and shame and instead experience the same sense of relief and awe for such a wonderful God!

FRANCIS CHAN ON FOLLOWING JESUS

Francis Chan: Following Jesus [VERGE 2010 Main Session] from Verge Network on Vimeo.

This is a long clip, but thought-provoking. I'd be interested in your notes and observations.-Steve

WHAT IS THE JESUS IN YOU GOING TO DO?

'I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.' - Colossians 1:25-27

As human beings we often compartmentalize our lives. We have a family life, a work life, a play life, a thought life. 21st century Americans tend to claim to have a private life and a public one.This fragmentation tends to work directly against the wholeness that God's transforming power is working to achieve.It boils down to the question, "Is Christ divided?"

Paul speaks of a spiritual reality.  Christ in us.  He is at work in and through us.  At all times.

He has chosen us -- He loves us and redeems us and calls us to be his partners in the Gospel.

And Christ is the hope of glory.

That hope is intended to be revealed through our living in the world as the witnesses of Jesus Christ. In all aspects of our lives. When we compartmentalize our lives we dilute this witness because we tend to make Christ Lord only in portions of our lives.

When people encounter you at work ... do they see Christ in you, the hope of glory?

When they converse with you at the ballgame ... do they see Christ in you, the hope of glory?

When your children sit across from you at the table ... do they see Christ in you, the hope of glory?

LEARNING FROM MOSES

One of the new blogs I subscribe to is OFF WE GO NOW ... encouragement as you go by Pastor Leonard Lee of Roseville CA.  This was yesterday's post.

One Of My Heroes!

Off in the distance there was smoke and the smoke piqued his curiosity. So on this day, he made the trek up the side of the mountain to investigate. Getting closer to where the smoke was rising he saw something so strange he had to get a closer look.

Moses had been a shepherd in these hills for 40 years and his once luxurious life in Egypt was all memory. He had killed a man and in the crosshairs of the Pharaoh, he fled. His life was now spent as a son in-law and husband and father and shepherd. All this was about to change.

When Moses got closer he could see the cause of the smoke was a bush that was on fire but it was not the fire that intrigued him, it was the fact that even with the fire the bush was not consumed. As he approached, Moses heard his name. Moses, take off your shoes because the place upon which you are standing is Holy Ground.

Moses is one of my heroes. I used to read his story and think, “Moses must have been great, look what God did with him.” After careful study I discovered that God is great and Moses’ greatness was only a result of being tight with God. In the story of Moses is something for all of us and you can find the rest of the story in Exodus. Here are a few things I love about this story.

I love that God called Moses by name. As Moses got closer, a voice called him by name. This is so cool to me because it means God’s invitation to Moses was personal. When God picks us He does not say… “I’ll take the fat kid with funny hair on the end” God’s invitation to us is personal, He knows us by name, He calls us by name because He loves us.

I love that God did not invite Moses to do something Moses was ready for, but rather something that needed to be done. God’s presence with Moses was what Moses needed more than preparation. In my life this is a reality. “My people are crying and suffering Moses… you go and tell Pharaoh to let them go. I WILL BE WITH YOU…” I am in over my head for 26 hours a day 8 days a week. God’s presence in my life is what keeps me from drowning.

I love that God takes Moses most common tool and He uses it for His purpose. “Moses, what is that in your hand? My shepherds Staff…” For the next 40 years this staff is the tool that God uses to turn the Nile to blood, part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock and a bunch of other amazing miracles What Moses used to care for his sheep, God used to deliver and care for His people. God takes what we have and who we are and does something miraculous with it.

I love that God and Moses built a relationship. When Moses started the journey he was reverent, took off his shoes, hid his face but he still tried to weasel his way out of God’s invitation. Over time, God’s presence with Moses became a genuine love relationship with God. Once Moses told God that if God wasn’t going, he didn’t want to go either. What God wants done God can get done, His power and will do not need me or you. The invitation of our Father in heaven is to relationship and from that relationship come all the significance any one life can handle.

These are a few of my thinking thoughts. Thanks for reading and go check out Exodus 3 and the following chapters. Tell me what you notice. Off… we go now.

Steve again ...
God is great and Moses is great because he is tight with God. Great observation. It's like I often tell people, instead of thinking you have to work for Jesus, let Jesus work in and through you.

Now off you go now and have a great day serving Jesus.

AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST

A little musical bonus from Casting Crowns on a Thursday night.

DISCIPLESHIP IS A LIFE STYLE - SNAPSHOTS

KEEPING PERSPECTIVE IN A DIFFICULT WORLD

"DUH" MOMENTS WITH GOD

LEONARD   I came across this blog called Off We Go Now Encouragement as We Go.  Great post on the gospel called "Duh Moments With God." If you like this, go to the link and read more. - Steve

Sometimes I get what I call “Duh Moments.”  ”Duh Moments” are what happens when something that should be clear becomes clear and I say “Duh.”  I have a lot of these with God so on the anniversary of one full year since I started this blog, I am going to share with you one of my “Duh Moments” with God. The word “Gospel” means good news.  The four gospels in the New Testament are the four accounts of the life of Christ and are called gospels because they tell the good news about Jesus.  The bible also mentions  “The Gospel” and this is the incredibly good news that through faith in Christ we can be forgiven and redeemed.

Today, most church going folks couldn’t tell you what the Gospel is, and for many it is set of facts and information we believe.  Get the information right and you are saved… get it wrong and “No Soup for You!”
In Romans 1:16,  Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the Gospel because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone…  This verse was always used to get me to be more bold and the leverage word in the verse is the word “ashamed.”  It means what we think it means.  I have heard a “ton-o-sermons” on this verse and guess what, I always end up feeling ashamed for feeling ashamed… this is certainly the recipe for transformation. (See the post on sarcasm and realize I still need to work on this.)

I heard statements like “what if they die and go to hell and you never told them because you were ashamed of the gospel?”  Here is a confession.  Shaming me into feeling no shame didn’t really work.  Then the “Duh Moment” with God.

I read the rest of the verse and discovered that the reason Paul felt no shame was not about how screwed you are without Jesus but rather because the Gospel is FREEKING AMAZING!!! Duh.

The Gospel is the power of God.  So many Christians are looking for the power of God… going to healers, watching Christian television, begging God to do stuff… making deals with God about giving, serving, loving others… just to get some of that God Power working in their direction.  But right in front of our faces is this Gospel, this good news and it IS the power of God.  It does not contain the power of God, it does not refract, reflect, channel, hold or manipulate the power of God… no it IS THE POWER OF GOD! Duh.
Power for what?  Salvation… kind of a big deal, I got now power for that.  Transformation… Another big deal, I got no power for that.  Cleansing of guilt and shame… I got no power for that.  Healing of wounds, broken heartedness, fear, anger, addiction, slavery to sin… I got no power for that.  Destroyed marriages, rebellious hearts, wayward kids, hopelessness, discouragement… I got no power for that.   But God does and the Gospel IS the power of God. Duh.

So here’s a question; Did you know you had that much power at your disposal?  Did you know that in your grasp is the power of God to alter eternity and change lives?  Did you know that God has given us access to His life altering, sin forgiving, God reconciling, and heart transforming power?  WOW!!!  Call the paper, alert the media, send out a press release because that is BIG.

When I focused on the Power of God, the Gospel, I got motivated.  No shame needed for removing my shame.  I got excited because I have access to the only power that can do what NEEDS to be done in a persons life.  I am a steward of this power.  Holy Smokes, how cool is that?  Now when I read “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” I get excited and say “Duh, who in their right mind would be ashamed of that kind of life changing power!”  Thank you Jesus!   Off… we go now.

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

"A disciple is a person who lives in daily obedience to the will and purpose of God in their lives,

committed to bearing fruit for the kingdom."

This is the definition we use in my congregation, the Church of God of Landisville, for a disciple of Jesus Christ. These days we are far more concerned about people being maturing disciples than merely church members.  We believe that part of the problem that Modernity created for the church is the idea that we are an organization with members (and membership has its privileges).  In that sense, the emphasis for too many

Christians and the churches they populated was divorce their thinking for the missional or sending aspect of the Church.  People said "come join our club" (and take responsibility for the club's survival) instead of going as faithful disciples out into the world, preaching the gospel and making disciples.

It also often meant that the work of the church was done at the church.  As a result, few people thought about their vocations in the workplace as an expression of their discipleship with Jesus Christ.  This compartmentalizing of their lives meant that they practiced discipleship by doing church work in their non-work time instead of living as disciples 24/7.  

In a world where God is out of sight and out of mind because many people never go near a church, the time has come to be disciples-living in daily obedience to the will and purposes of God, committed to bearing fruit for the kingdom.

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY "JUDGE NOT?"

Sky Jethani writes for the blog OUT OF UR.  Noting that nine out of ten young Americans view Christians are judgmental, this opens Christianity to an automatic charge of being hypocrites.  His words are worth reading:

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Judge not, and you will not be judged.” It’s one of the most commonly quoted verses from the bible (Luke 6:37). Many of us, and not merely politicians, invoke the verse as a first defense when accused of wrong. It is also a favorite stone thrown by those outside the church to accuse Christians of hypocrisy.

In 2007 a book was published called UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity. It’s based on research done among non-Christian 20-somethings. One of their core findings was that nearly nine out of ten young people view Christians as “judgmental.” And given the prohibition against judging issued by Jesus, this would mean most people view Christians as hypocrites.

Given these findings, it’s pretty important that both Christians and non-Christians understand what Jesus means when he says “judge not.” The key is recognizing that the word judge can be used in two different ways in the New Testament. Sometimes judge is used to mean “judge between things,” to differentiate, or discern. In this case we judge between right and wrong, good and evil, righteous and unrighteous.

But this kind of judging-the act of discernment-is not what Jesus is forbidding. In fact throughout the Bible we are commanded to discern. In the same chapter of Luke 6 and in the very same discourse as the famous “judge not” statement, Jesus talks about having the discernment to see the difference between good people and evil people (Luke 6:43-45). He compares them to trees. Good trees, he says, produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. The call to differentiate good from evil is to judge, to discern, correctly.

This is often what get’s Christians into hot water in our uber-tolerant and increasingly diverse culture. When a Christian labels something as “wrong” or “evil” they are often pounced upon as being judgmental and out of step with Jesus. Sometimes this is the case, as I will discuss below, but very often the accusation is the result of a culture that no longer understands the difference between discernment and condemnation.

Read the rest of the article at OUT OF UR

HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH MARK LOWERY MEETING AN ATHEIST

CONVERSATIONS, CURLERS, AND CHRIST

 Conversations, Curlers, and Christ by Tammie Gitt LIVING 3368

When I was little, my sister and I would spend a lot of time at my Grammy’s during the summer. Our days were spent making up games in her large backyard, running for the ice cream truck or reading books on her patio.
If it got too hot, we’d take the books into the beauty shop attached to her house – the only air-conditioned spot available. We always stayed out of the way, but the shop provided ample opportunity for a budding people-watcher to hone her skills. Some ladies would sit under the hair dryer and fall asleep instantly. Others would page through a magazine. Sometimes, if there were two ladies at the dryers, they would chat loudly enough to be heard over the roar of the dryer.
But the most exciting spot for a people watcher was near the basins where Grammy washed the ladies’ hair and styled it by arranging it various sizes of curlers. There would be a constant stream of conversation between Grammy and the lady in the chair. Often, ladies would come early for their appointment and sit on a stool near the basins to participate in the conversation.
The topics they covered as Grammy delicately balanced curler, comb and scissors was wide and diverse. Even though I was under 10 years old at the time, I remember being impressed at the skill with which Grammy could weave her deeply-held, deeply-cherished belief in Christ into any conversation.
I also remember that I knew I didn’t have that skill — for hair or for witnessing (as Grammy called it). I was shy as a child, which stuns people who have only gotten to know me since college. I always claim it was the theater major that helped me overcome my tendency to backwardness (as some used to call it).
Somewhere along the way, I realized that Grammy wasn’t sharing her faith with random strangers as it appeared to a child’s eyes. These women came into her beauty shop each week. They talked about their families, the happenings around town, the places they’d been and the places they’d go. The women hated missing their appointments — perhaps more because they’d miss the conversation than that their hair would be a mess.
Into that conversation — into that relationship — she plainly spoke the truth of the gospel.
Each of us have relationships into which we can speak the truth of the gospel as a natural outgrowth of our conversations. Who in your circle of friends and acquaintances needs to hear your Jesus story?

Tammie's great blog and read more thoughts on IMMEASURABLY MORE as disciples of Christ.-Steve 

MORE MIXED MESSAGES

Church signs can be dangerous.  I wonder what message is being received by those passers-by, especially those who think the church is wierd or part of the world's problem or just out of touch.

WHEN LIFE GETS MESSY

For years we had this poster hanging in our kitchen.  My wife Dianne had retrieved it from her younger brother Sam.  On a whim we hung it next to our kitchen table.  It stayed there a long time.

I really identify with the little guy in the photo. (In fact, if you compare this photo to one of my baby pictures, the resemblance almost appears genetically ordained.) Someone once said, "Life is tough and then you die."  At times this life would be an argument for staying out of hell come eternity. This life is difficult enough.

Life gets messy.  That's a given living in a fallen world. G.K. Chesterton once spoke of God's "terrible gift of freedom."  Because God has chosen to give humankind the freedom to choose to live in a right relationship with Him and experience the blessing, or choose to be our own god and experience the consequences; that collision of sinful choices has collateral damage on believers and  unbelievers alike.  God has delivered us from the penalty of sin and enabled us with the power to overcome sin, but we still live in the presence of sin until Christ returns to establish the Kingdom in its fullness.

Life gets messy -- and will get messier until this fallen world is redeemed.

In the time until that occurs, it does me little good to constantly lament the suffering and the frustration of living for God in a world that still wants to keep Him out of sight, out of mind, and out of work.  That just makes me a whining prophet.  What I need to do is to face the presence of sin with the promise of God. 

That promise is best summarized by the apostle Paul, writing to the Church of God at Rome, which knew what it was to live in the messy, destructive presence of sin.

"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:31-39 New International Version.

(c) 2010 by Stephen L Dunn

WOULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN HOW THIS SERVES CHRIST?

This is a photo of a Protestant protester outside a Catholic Church in England waiting near the drop-off point where parents pick up their children from day care.  Seriously, can someone explain how this serves Jesus Christ?  It certainly poses a problem for the unchurched in their perception of Christians.

MOUNTAIN MEDICAL TEAM

Steve Mossburg directs PROJECT HELP - the educational and medical mission arm of the Churches of God, General Conference.  He posted this in his newsletter. I repost, reminding us there's a lot of work to be done by God's people in that difficult land.

Life is a journey a series of events your either going somewhere or going nowhere . Life is a period of time, for some it's short others 70, 80 even over 90 years. So even if you choose to go nowhere with your life's journey your always moving towards the end of your journey. My journey took an unexpected twist when I came to Haiti eleven years ago on a short term mission trip. That week has turned me from a nice retirement to full time missions by founding my own mission organization, G.A.P. Ministry, to recently becoming the director of Project Help-Haiti. Most of the mission people I met here on the mission field 1o-11 years ago have either left Haiti by choice through retirement or completion of their terms. Some have departed because of health issues but unfortunately many if not most have left through frustration.

Haiti is a tough missions field to work in, it can and does wear you down. Some of my friends were really down after the earthquake after years of making some progress they felt defeated by the aftermath of the quake. Some of my friends left for other reasons but in the end frustration is the key word. When I get down a quick trip into the mountains can be a tonic for rejuvenating my spirit. I love the beauty of the mountain landscape the discovery of a bubbling spring of fresh water cascading out of rocky crevasses. The wonderful sound of water rushing down a mountain stream, the sounds and sights of birds and flowers. Beauty is everywhere if you look closely but life is harsh and often very impoverished among all the grandeur of nature and creation here in Haiti.

That is why we took a mobile medical unit of doctors and nurses into the mountain village of Frettas on Wed. and Thursday. The trip involved a moderate hike of 45 minutes from the roads end to arrive at the school building where we set up a clinic and spent the night. I come to this village often to stay and work, I know it's needs and health care is one of them. During our 2 days of working there we treated 300 people. The majority of the cases were nutrition involved, anemic, worms and vitamin deficiencies for children. Several cases required that we take the patients down to Pierre Payen for hernia and for an abdominal mass surgeries. We had one young 26 year old with a large growth on her jaw bone she will require a surgery once we diagnose her illness. Another young woman who died later that day was in renal failure and we could do nothing for her.

This type of ministry in the mountains is much needed and brings hope and a better quality of life for those we treat. We are putting together another medical team to work in the mountains in early Dec. To see the needs and to be able to minister to these people is uplifting for me. The beauty of the mountains rejuvenates my soul and the ability to serve those in need fires up my passion and desire to stay the course and finish strong. In God's love , steve (mossburg)

BACKSLIDERS

Note: This originally appeared as a devotional that I circulate called THRIVING IN CHRIST
Recently I had the wonderful privilege of baptizing eleven teenagers who had given their lives to Jesus Christ. These kids chose the very public venue of a pool party where their friends (some of whom tend to avoid churches) could be present to witness what they were doing and hear the faith stories. I was very proud of these kids. Admitting to caring about spiritual things at all sets them apart from many of their peers. Going public with their faith in Christ really put it on the line for people to now observe, analyze, and make a judgment upon. I pray that this step will be more than youthful enthusiasm, that it has grown from a profound desire to be the persons Christ created them to be. Time will tell, but I have a lot of hope for these kids. I believe they are the real deal.

Unfortunately there are a lot of "Christians" out there who are not the real deal. They may have one time been enthusiastic about Jesus Christ, but they have let that passion grow cold. They no longer seek to stand out as salt and light. They much prefer "fitting in" and then choosing times to admit to their faith when it is advantageous. For years churches and theologians have debated the concept of "backsliding" and whether or not someone can lose their salvation. I come from the stream of Christianity that says you can lose your salvation. Such backsliding is serious business.

But allowing your faith to go from the center of your life to its periphery is also a form of backsliding. It is not backsliding that robs you of your salvation. It robs you of your witness. When people who are generally seeking God encounter you, they are probably going to keep looking because they quickly learn you are not the real deal.

A newfound faith is a precious gift from God, a gift of His grace. But if we really understand the value of the gift, we will always hold it precious. It will always center us and ground us and empower us. When we truly treasure and cultivate the faith God has given us, backsliding will not be an option.

CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER

For two years in high school I participated in one of the most demented sports ever invented – cross country running.  I was a part of a varsity team from the now defunct Mendon-Union High School. Our sport required us to run two miles in a competition with other schools. Although there were more than 20 runners on our team, only the top five to seven finishers actually provided scores for the event. The first runner across the finish line scored one point, the second one two, and so on. The winning team had the lowest combined score.
 
A cross country match is not run on a track in a stadium surrounded by cheering fans. It is run over a course laid out on golf courses, quiet back roads, or simply across fields – wherever two miles could be mapped out and monitored.  The finish line was where the crowd gathered, usually milling about in relative comfort while the runners labored with aching arms, churning guts, and pounding hearts to turn in the fast time. In those days something in the nine minute range usually won. I ran closer to twelve.  A cross country race was not a sprint but a mini-marathon with a mad sprint at the very end to enter the mouth of the chute that formed a finish line.
In the case of most of our time, we did not run for the love of the sport but because it was required of any of us who desired to pursue the favored sport at our high school – basketball.  Our basketball coach operated an offense filled with fast breaks, full court pressure, and all sorts of stamina demanding tactics kept up constantly for the full 32 minutes of a game. Its goal was to wear down bigger teams and taller opponents. That required a conditioning best produced by the discipline of cross country. Hence, if you wanted to be on the basketball team you were automatically on the cross country team as well.  As I said, few of us ran for the love of running.

Except for Blaine. Blaine Edwards was quiet farm boy with a wry smile and gentle demeanor that could leave him unnoticed in the world of boisterous jocks and so-called athletes.  As a basketball player, he was not one of the stars but on the cross country course he was a superstar. Blaine was one of the fastest runners in our league, and in the state.

Blaine was not surrounded by great runners, but some of us weren’t half bad.  In almost every meet, Blaine would finish first; but our next contender was probably a seven or eighth place; the bulk of the team in double digit positions.  In dual or three-way meets, if our first digit was a one we often won, especially because of Blaine’s solitary one.

Blaine knew that, too.  Despite his star status, cross country was a team sport.  So when Blaine crossed the finish line, he would quickly catch his breath and return to the top of the chute. As one of us would run down it, he would run alongside us outside the rope encouraging and cheering us all the way. Then he would return and wait for the next runner and repeat the process until all five scorers had crossed the line.  One of the few times I was that final runner, it was only Blaine’s encouragement that reinforced my waning energy and will that got me across the line to be a part of winning the prize.

One of the core values of the Christian faith is encouragement. It is the belief that we are in this life together. When one suffers all suffer. When one wins, we all win. Although we will not all win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus, we believe that we should contribute to as many achieving that prize as possible.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – I Thessalonians 5:11

(c) 2010 by Stephen L Dunn