The Joy of Jesus

Luke 10:21, "Then Jesus was filled with the JOY of the Holy Spirit and said, 'O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.'"

I absolutely love the idea of Jesus being filled with the JOY of the Holy Spirit. It does our hearts well to consider that the "Son of Man"/"Son of God" was JOYful and that His JOY is available to us.

Think on these verses:

Luke 2:10 - The announcement of Jesus' birth was good tiding of great JOY

John 15:11 - Jesus told His disciples that His JOY would remain in them and that their JOY would be full

John 16:22 - Jesus taught us that the JOY He gives no one can take from us

John 16:24 - Have you ever considered that answered prayer was allow us to walk in a fullness of JOY? Jesus did

We understand that the fruit of the Spirit is joy but rarely do we hear people talk about Jesus walking around JOYful. How often have you seen Jesus portrayed as JOYful? Too often we see the ultra serious, stoic, and face like a flint portrayal of Jesus. What is lost in those pictures, movies, etc., is the JOY of the Lord that was present in His life. What is also lost is the JOY that can be in our own lives as well.

Jesus was filled with JOY when the seventy other disciples returned to Him with their report. It brought Him great JOY to know that the men He sent out were successful in their ministry of the kingdom. What great JOY it must be to the heart of the Father when we are found faithful in what He has called us to do.

Got JOY?

If you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you then you have all the JOY you need. Ask God to flood your heart with JOY. May you experience overwhelming JOY in His presence. Call out the JOY that is actually stored up in you like a fountain of living water. Let the JOY of the Lord flow out of you like rivers of living water. And learn what it means to allow the JOY of the Lord to be your strength.

EnJOY the rest of your day!!!

Recapture Your Childlike Faith

Matthew 18:3, "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Does anyone still marvel over Jesus' statement to become like a child or are we too mature to accept it's simplicity?

Children are willing to believe, to have faith, to love, and to accept love. The complexity of life leads us to question everything, to be guarded, and to be hesitant about receiving love from anyone. The doorway to salvation is opened for those who can enter as a child. The wonder of salvation is open for those who will continue in childlike faith.

This has nothing to do with being childish. It seems like any time I want to refer back to the mentality set forth by Jesus that there is a line of people waiting to tell me that the Bible says we should move out of the elementary principles. I agree...we do knew to move out of the elementary principles but we should never lose the excitement or awe-struck nature of a child. We should never become so "mature" in the faith that we lose the enjoyment of abundant life in Him.

Imagine if every believer came to church on Sunday with the excitement of a child
Imagine how loud the songs would be sung
Imagine how many people would be ready to clap their hands
Imagine how excited we would be to see one another
Imagine how we would never miss the small things

In "The Ragamuffin Gospel", Brennan Manning shares an interesting aspect of Christ's compassion toward people:
"The gentleness of Jesus with sinners flowed from His ability to read their hearts. Behind people's grumpiest poses and most puzzling defense mechanisms, behind their arrogance and airs, behind their silence, sneers, and causes, Jesus saw little children who hadn't been loved enough and who had ceased growing because someone had ceased believing in them."

How many seasoned adults do you know who revert to some childlike behavior? It seems as though life has taught them one valuable lesson: Stop to enjoy life.
Gone is the hustle and bustle of "living".
Gone is the idea that they have to achieve.
Gone is the idea that there is never enough.
In childlike wonder they watch other children playing. They love to be around infancy. I think it's because it reminds them of the greatest adventures of life.

To come to faith in Christ we must come in child-likeness. To uncap all of the wonders of this faith means we must remain childlike in all others aspects. Much of what God is longing to bring us into in this relationship hinges upon our ability to view life as a child. Remove the rules, the barriers, the laws of gravity, and all the things that were taught to us. Regain you childlike faith and trust His heart for you.

What if...?

What would happen if we changed the way we read the Bible? I'm not talking about changing your quiet time, or the particular method you use. What I'm referring to is the tone in which we read the Word. Do you think it would make a difference?

I'm exploring something in my own life. I have discovered that I tend to read the Bible in the way it was preached or portrayed to me. I think it's a common practice for most of us. There's not too many people who grew up watching the 10 Commandments that don't read Moses in Charlton Heston's voice. Or we get to a certain passage of Scripture and read it exactly the way a pastor/preacher read it during his sermon. While I'm grateful for preacher, pastors, and movies; their influence isn't always helpful. We tend to portray the voice of God in the way it was portrayed to us. So I'm going to do a little experiment. I'm going to read the direct quotes of God & Jesus in a way that I think best represents His nature. The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus was the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. What do we know about Jesus? What do we know about how He interacted with people? What does the Bible say about the coming of Jesus?

John 3:17 teaches us that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. If God didn't send Jesus to condemn us then why do read His Word in such a condemnatory way? Case in point: John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." Many (if not most) of us have heard this portrayed in a commander type way. If you love Me...you will... Another way to express this statement according to the tone that many believers read it is "If you love me then you better do what I say." Does that sound familiar to you?

What if the statement of Jesus is not just a command but a promise. What if He's proposing that your love for Him will benefit you in such a way that you walk in His commands? What if this isn't an "either/or" statement? You know...either you love me and you walk in my commands OR you don't love me because you don't keep them. What if Jesus is showing you that your love for Him will produce obedience rather than your obedience producing love? Could it be possible that we have read the word in such a way as to miss what He is really saying?

If there is one thing we know about God it is this: He is love. If He is love then don't you think He would speak to us in a loving way? I'm not talking about the kind of love we have seen displayed around us (the kind where someone yells at us because they love us). Do you really think that God needs to yell to get our attention? Does God have to portray anger for us to listen? Or is hearing the voice of God such a sweet moment in our lives that He can actually infuse us with more of His love?

This is my challenge for me. Read the Bible in such a way as to portray the unconditional love of God. Stop and really think about what is being said. Jesus accurately exposed God's heart to the world. Were there times where He was angry, frustrated, or upset? According to the Bible, Yes. But the Bible typically tells us when he was angry, frustrated, or upset. If we don't see it in the words, you can pick up on some of the tone in the original language. The point I'm making here is that we should be careful to always portray God in the way Jesus portrayed Him to us.

The Bible says of Jesus in Matthew 12:20, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out..." It sounds to me like Jesus handled Himself perfectly. He was always mindful of who He was speaking to and was careful to portray God accurately. Now it's our turn. When we sit down to read the Word, let's ask God to guard our hearts. Let's be careful to never portray Him in such a way that is different than what He intended. We may actually discover that God wasn't as angry as we thought and that Jesus wasn't as demanding as some have perceived.

What if...?

A Rose By Any Other Name...

The recommendation is final. And the "Breaking News" coming out of the Southern Baptist Camp is that there will be a big change...sort of...well...not really. Several blogs ago I told you about the possible name change for the SBC. Here's the results:

The task force assigned to look into a possible name change of the Southern Baptist Convention reported Monday and recommended to maintain its legal name but adopt an informal, non-legal name for those who want to use it: "Great Commission Baptist."

According to Baptist Press, the task force decided that "...the potential benefits of a legal name change do not outweigh the potential risks that would be involved in a legal name change." Citing Jimmy Draper, "Changing the name of the convention would require a great cost in dollars and in energy, and would present huge challenges legally that create a multitude of issues. The value of a name change does not justify the risks involved."

Basically, the task force believes that keeping the legal name and using a non-legal, informal name is a win-win situation. What does this mean for the convention? None of us are really sure. The Southern Baptist Convention isn't until June and the messengers will have an opportunity to affirm the recommendation or start all over. The idea behind a name change is that the use of the word "Southern" can be offensive. So what really changed? I guess we will all have to wait.

In the mean time, should the SBC go with the recommendation, churches can voluntarily use the name "Great Commission Baptist" instead of the offensive "Southern" when referring to their church.

You want to hear my thoughts behind all of this?
> Tagging a church as a "Great Commission Baptist" church doesn't make them any more great commission than putting a hunk of steel in a garage and tagging it "vehicle" means you can drive it around.

> Has anyone asked the question whether or not "Baptist" is offensive? I mean, it seems to me that if being Southern can be offensive then being Baptist can be just as offensive.

> What about the potential risks of having this huge convention of churches divided between "Great Commission Baptist" and "Southern Baptist"? Does anyone else not see this coming? "Well...we are the great commission churches..." or "Well...you aren't really Southern Baptist..." If churches can fight about the color of carpet then surely we can start a good argument over how we are identified. Oh...wait a minute, we already do that.

My curiosity over this whole things isn't satisfied. I'm very interested in hearing how all of this plays out. What will Pioneer Baptist Church do with this? We will continue being a Great Commission Church by going into the mission field and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We will continue to love God, love others, and serve both. We have never allowed the name on our church sign to be what identifies or categorizes us.

Maybe one of these days, preferably before Jesus returns, all churches will let go of denominational identifiers and be known a the church. Imagine a church without tags, without divisive denominations, and without disunity. Imagine all churches working together to see the Kingdom of God expanded across the earth. Imagine each of us working arm in arm to reach the lost with the gospel. That is the day that I look forward to.

Shout Out for Marriage!!!

In spite of the difficulties that many marriages face, there are some reasons to celebrate. If you are like me, then you are hearing the stories of failed marriages. Unfortunately, you can even see many of them falling apart on facebook. However, I want to give a shout out for the marriages that are making it work.

Last year at this time I was working with a couple to bring some reconciliation to their relationship. They had come through an extremely difficult season, had many reasons to give up, and this week we were able to celebrate some major victories in their family. While I'm not willing to proclaim that the battle is over, I'm rejoicing over at least one couple that has decided that divorce isn't the option.

This story isn't unusual. It's just not one that you hear as often. Our headlines are plagued with stories of celebrity couples that call it quits. Our workplaces are filled with lives that are falling apart. Our schools are filled with children that are waking up in broken homes, spending weekends with one parent or the other, and are trying their best to cope. And last but not least, even our churches have people nestled safely within the walls who aren't willing to work through the stuff. These are the stories that we are used to hearing. These are the stories that seem to get the most attention. But I want to celebrate the marriages that are learning to endure, learning to handle conflict, and learning to love one another.

The question that I often ask but is rarely answered is: Why do people think working on a new relationship is easier or more rewarding than working on a relationship that they are already in? The "grass is always greener" metaphor is garbage when you consider that you have to cut the grass on the other side of the fence. Or when you consider that maybe the grass was greener because they use a lot more *fertilizer. Couples that are willing to take on the difficult task of changing to make their marriage work enjoy the benefits that many people have chosen to live without. Couples that say "Yes" to their family discover a greater love, a greater capacity for forgiveness, and a greater understanding of the heart of God for marriage.

My wife and I will celebrate our 17th Wedding Anniversary this year. It hasn't always been easy. In fact, there was a time when I wondered if we would be able to pull out of the mess we had made. While divorce was never really something we entertained, I'm grateful that we also were not willing to entertain anything else that could have created greater problems. It took an honest evaluation from both of us. It took a willingness to sit across from each other and bare our souls. It also took responsibility from each of us to change what we needed to change. Our marriage has become a testimony of God's incredible grace and unfailing love. I can honestly say that I love my wife more today than I did 17 years ago. I can definitely say that I have learned to appreciate her as an individual, a wife, and a mother. She is God's gift to me and every day I thank Him for allowing us to spend our lives together.

While I celebrate what God has done in our lives, let me celebrate what God is doing in many of yours. Thank you for your willingness to work things out. Thank you for not giving up on your spouse. Thank you for enduring the pain, working through the emotions, and displaying to the world that God's grace is enough. I wish I could give you a trophy but I will let your children be the shining example of what you have accomplished. I would love to parade you all across the stage but I believe the community around you has given witness to what God can do through two people who are willing to make it work. What I will do, as I type these words, is applaud you for saying "Yes" to this most blessed relationship.

To all you married people out there: Keep Working - Keep Loving - Keep Going!!! God is with you in this endeavor.

The "Christian" Experience

Luke 9:23, "Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me." [NLT]

What does the Christian Experience look like to you?

If you have been in the church for any length of time, it may seem that most "believers" come into an experience of salvation, followed by stagnation, and ended in frustration. For whatever reason, the idea of being a Christian was appealing but it never really came into fruition.

Allow me to share with you some of the reasons I think this is true:
1) We put a lot of emphasis on our salvation experience
2) There wasn't anyone around to model the Christian life
3) No one taught us how to move past our discouragements
4) Prayer and Bible reading didn't prove to be enough
5) I never could seem to live up to the standards

Does any of this sound familiar? Maybe you have experienced this in your own life. Maybe you understand full well why so many people seem to quit on God...or at least the church. If you know of these experiences, you are welcome to comment at the end of the blog.

Let's take a look at my comments from above. Too many believers put a lot of emphasis on their salvation experience but never move past the being born again stage. Unfortunately, the pinnacle of their Christian life happened the day they got saved. I celebrate my birthday every year but the day my kids were born holds greater significance in my life. Why? Because I have moved past my day of birth. I have matured in my understanding of life. And I realized that I couldn't allow my natural life to be stuck in my past. Make every day in the faith a reason to celebrate.

Far too often, new believers are left to themselves. For whatever reason, there isn't a loving brother/sister in Christ that comes alongside them to help them grow, plug into the church family, and help them find their way in this new life. Could you imagine the day your kids were born simply celebrating their birth and then expecting them to walk out of the hospital on their own? The natural life doesn't happen that way and neither does the spiritual. Not only that, but if there is no one to teach us what it means to walk with Christ, then there is no one to show us how to overcome the discouragements that we may face. The church was never meant to be a Lone Ranger community.

Prayer & Bible reading just wasn't enough. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Here's what I mean by that statement: We are born into a relationship not a religion. If prayer and Bible reading are not grounded upon this relationship then we find a Christian experience that is dry and dull. While we need prayer and the Word to guide us along in this journey, a biblical discipline isn't enough to produce life.

How many people have giving up on the Christian faith because they felt that they couldn't live up to the standards? My question in this type of thinking is: What/Who is the standard? There are plenty of church families out there that I could not/would not be a part of. When a church "family" is rigid, legalistic, and lacking the love of God then we will be kept from experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised. Now some of the standards that people think of may come from their own understanding of the Christian life. If that is the case then we need to ensure that they know about the grace of God, His unconditional love, and how to live out their identity in Him.

In Conclusion:
Jesus summed up the Christian Experience in Luke 9:23: Put away your selfish desires, shoulder your cross, and follow me.
It's a life that is filled with making Jesus the supreme object of our affection.
It's a life that follows Him wherever He may lead.
It's a life of making Him known in the world.
It's a life that is identified by His sacrificial love.

If you haven't moved past your salvation experience, then you have missed out on the abundant life that He has promised. But the good news is that you don't have to miss out anymore. Go Ahead...Take Up Your Cross...Follow Him!!!

Unleashing the Atonement ~ Recap

Isaiah 53:4-5, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole." [Amplified Bible]

The PBC Family heard a sermon on Sunday morning titled: Unleashing the Atonement. I want to recap that message for you. I used the Amplified Bible Version of Isaiah 53:4-5 (above) just to make this a little easier.

One of the psalms of David describes the benefits that we receive from God (See Psalm 103:1-5):
Forgiveness
Healing
Redemption
Lovingkindness and Tender Mercies
Provision
These are just some of the benefits that David lists in his song. What astounds me about the songs of David is that he lived under an old covenant understanding of God. We live under a new covenant and argue about the benefits package. While most people would agree with Psalm 103 (at least in theory), some would disagree with the idea that God still heals today. Many of the believers that I know believe in Divine Healing. However, it's their idea that God's healing in those instances are not necessarily a part of His will but a show of favor. Some people even believe that God brings sickness into our lives to make us more like Jesus. YIKES!!! It is my belief that God has provided for our healing in the atonement.

Isaiah's prophecy concerning the suffering and death of Jesus is well known in the Christian community. Yet many have not done their homework to understand the meaning. It's far too easy to read these words in our English translations and forget that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. While most Bible scholars take due diligence to bringing accurate translations, there is still a necessity to return to the original language. It's through my study of Isaiah 53 that I discovered some things I had never seen before.

I. What Jesus Bore
- Our Sickness
Verse 4 should read "He has born our sicknesses and carried our pain"
- Our Sin
This is the understanding that most of us have. We have heard about our transgressions and our iniquities
- Our Sorrow
When you read through these verses, you discover that Jesus took upon Himself everything that would plague us...sickness, sin, and anxieties.

*Here's where we need to remember that we are body, soul, and spirit. Jesus' death was to bring salvation to all 3 areas of our life.

II. What Jesus Endured
- He was Pierced (Wounded)
- He was Crushed (Bruised)
- He was Punished (Chastisement)
- He was Whipped (Stripes)

III. What Jesus Purchased
- Our Salvation
Our iniquities and transgressions have been removed. All our rebellion and moral perversion was placed upon Jesus. Paul stated it this way, "He became sin for us that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him."
- Our Peace
The "Shalom" (Hebrew for Peace) means: safe, well, happy, friendly; welfare, health, property, peace. What fascinates me about the use of this word is that it is closely related to the Greek Word "Sozo". I have talked about this word quite often in the blog. It is typically translated as Salvation but it's a word that is packed with meaning. Healing, deliverance, completion, protection, it's all found in this profound word. If you read a Greek translation of the Old Testament, you will read that Chastisement for our "Sozo" was upon Him!!!
- Our Healing
By His stripes we are healed means just that - We Are Healed!!!

With every crushing blow that Jesus endured, freedom was on it's way. Every stripe upon His back allows us to walk in healing. The nails in His hands and feet, the crown of thorns upon His head, and the spear that pierced His side unlocked the fountain of salvation for us.

Jesus was crushed so we wouldn't have to be.
Jesus took stripes upon His body so that our bodies could be free from sickness and disease.
Jesus was beaten, whipped, and crucified so that we could go free.
It's all in the atonement!!!

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2, "Don't become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants-what is good, pleasing, and perfect." (God's Word Translation). Want to change? Then learn to change the way you think.

You have heard me say this before, our behavior always follows our belief system. If we are unable to change the way we think then we will not be able to change the way we live.

I'm going to give you a challenge for the weekend. Eliminate all negative thinking.
No negative thoughts about yourself
No negative thoughts about anyone else
No negative thoughts about any situation
I'm challenging you to find God's point of you about yourself, others, and all circumstances in life.

The Word of God is filled with precious promises. It's learning to accept these promises based upon God's unconditional love for us where we learn to partner with His divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4, "And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires." (New Living Translation)

As you take part in this challenge, do your best to make note of how many critical/negative thoughts attempt to come through your mind. I think you will be surprised. This challenge is much more than just bringing you to a place of positive thinking. I'm hoping that through this exercise you will discover the power of the renewed mind. I'm praying that you will be transformed.

At the end of the weekend, you decide: Do I want to keep living out the renewed mind or do I want to return to the place of "stinkin' thinkin'"? I believe that I know what your answer will be.

Enjoy the journey. Remember, God is with you on this one!!!

40 Days to a New...

So...I'm listening to a sermon and out comes this idea of 40 days. I decided to do a search for the biblical significance of the number. It starts making sense. Now I'm just hoping to make a little sense with you.

The number 40 seems to be significant to a time of testing/judgement. 40 years also seems to constitute a generation. Think about this: women are pregnant for 40 weeks. I mention all of this because I am focused on what comes out of the 40.

Jesus was tempted for 40 days.
Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 days.
The flood came and it rained for 40 days.
Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days.

While I do not want to diminish what takes place during those 40 days, I think there is great significance to what comes out of it. And as I'm considering all of this, it all starts making sense. Lent is 40 days. Many of the people who go on the "Daniel fast" do it for 40 days. Rick Warren lead his church through 40 days of purpose. Why? Because at the end of 40 days, there is something new to walk in.

With all this stuff running around in my head, I ask myself the question: Why don't you take 40 days and do something significant. Imagine 40 + a heart devoted to encountering God = _________________. The possibilities are endless.

40 days to a new relationship with God
40 days to a new mindset
40 days to a new understanding of God's Word and His Spirit
40 days to a new...

To be honest with you, it sounds so good that I'm going to have to do it. I'm going to set a time with the Lord where for 40 days it's just going to be me and Him. 40 days in His Word without anybody else giving me a commentary. 40 days of seeking, praying, and listening to the voice of God. I'm sure somebody else has already thought of this, but it doesn't matter. I simply want to encounter God.

How about you? What could 40 days of seeking the heart of God accomplish in your life. Remember...this isn't just a formula or another program. This is taking a biblical principle and adding it to a heart that yearns for God. Can you imagine what it would do in your life?

Thanks for letting me ramble. I'm not going to announce when this will take place. However, I will share with you all the exciting things that God teaches me through this season. Stay blessed!

Is God's Grace Enough? (I keep asking)

2 Corinthians 12:9, "Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." [NLT]

Grace is the operating power of God. It is through the grace of God that we discover the ability to do everything He commands. In fact, there is nothing that God will ask of us that He does not supply the grace to accomplish.

God's grace is sufficient for...
My Life
My Marriage
My Vocation
My Weaknesses
My Strengths
My ______________ (insert whatever you like)

Do you believe that?

I hear a lot of people who believe it in theory but struggle in the practice. When we live like that, we actually frustrate the grace of God in our lives. I say frustrate because it causes us to put a lot more emphasis on what we do rather than trusting in His all sufficient grace. This mentality shows up when we are dealing with sin (in our lives or others). Allowing the grace of God to have its perfect work in our lives is the solution.

This warped mentality about the grace of God also shows up in relationships. The couple that doesn't want to reconcile. The parent that feels the need to control their child. The child that refuses to live under authority. God's grace is sufficient for these things as well. God's grace gives us the power to be our best in every situation. As I shared with you yesterday, there is nothing that comes into our lives that love cannot overcome. Grace gives us the ability to walk in and demonstrate that love through our lives. We can reconcile, we can forgive, we can strengthen relationships rather than weaken. His grace is sufficient.

I keep asking the question (even though I know the answer): Is God's Grace Enough?
Is His grace enough for salvation?
Is His grace enough to keep me?
Is His grace enough to carry me through this tough time in my life?
Is His grace enough for healing?
Is His grace enough....
The answer is a loud and booming...YES!!!

It's time to expand your thinking about God. His love is unconditional and His grace is sufficient. God has allowed us to enter into a relationship with Him where the possibilities are endless. Are you ready to enter into abundant life? God's grace says you can.

Love is... [Recap]

Over the last few weeks I have been sharing a series of messages entitled "Love Is..." The whole point of the series was to help the PBC Family not only encounter the love of God but to teach us how to represent the love of God to one another.

The scriptural foundation for the series comes from the popular 1 Corinthians 13 description of The Nature, The Practice, & The Culmination of Love. What you discover in this section of the Bible is that...
Love is a powerful force
Love looks like something
Love never changes
Of all the virtues that the Bible describes for us, Love is the one that will stick around for all eternity. Why? Because God is love. Love isn't just something that God does. Love is who God is. What God does flows from who He is. In the same way, you and I must learn how to draw from the nature of God in all of our relationships.

For far too long people have looked upon this idea of love in such a way that it is seen as weak. Or they think that if all we do is love then we will never confront any situation or person. But that isn't love. Jesus embodied for us what perfect love looked like. He didn't have a problem confronting issues in His disciples, in the religious institution of the day, or the people that He encountered. Just because we walk in love doesn't mean that we are going to "lay down" for everything or that we will be a doormat. Walking in love is difficult because it forces us to operate in such a way that relationships matter.

In fact, I believe there is a valid reason why this description of love shows up in church history. The church at Corinth is in a mess. The mess wasn't due to a lack of gifts, lack of resources, or a lack of people. The mess was created from the wrong mindset. You often see this in powerful people. It's real easy to operate in our gifts or from our position without recognizing the spirit that we are functioning from. Where the Spirit of God is present then we will operate in love. I truly believe that the more gifts that are manifested in the church, the more God's love should be experienced. However, church history has shown us that we have not learned the lesson of the Corinthian church.

It doesn't matter how gifted we are in the Spirit if we are not operating in the love of God. It never is a question about gifts. It's never a question about the right programs, the right music, or the right people. The question will always be: Is love present?

I encourage you to experience the love that...
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things
and never fails!
This is the love of God. And this is what we should be operating from as a community of believers.

Dwelling in Hope

Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." You ever have a week where you had to live from the proverbs and psalms? You know...looking for wisdom and trying to sing His praises? It's from that mindset that I share with you today.

It's in moments like this that I must dwell in the place of HOPE. Our faith is supposed to be made up of the substance of things hoped for. In other words, hope is a building block for faith. But what happens when what we hope for doesn't happen? How do we handle those moments when we have prayed for something and don't receive it?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Have you ever considered that living in disappointment can hurt you? You probably already know this, but entertain me for a moment. If we never learn how to handle the times that we have been disappointed, I believe that we can invite depression, anxiety, fear, and even sickness into our lives. How many people do you know that trusted the Lord for something, it didn't happen, and they never recovered? Not only did they not recover, but they created a theology that God doesn't do this/that, or that God doesn't answer certain prayers, or that God...well, you get the point. It's in the place of disappointment that we actually define God not based upon His Word, but upon our experiences in life.

In the same sense, when a longing is fulfilled it becomes a tree of life. The answer, the fulfillment, and the arrival of what we had hoped for becomes a place of provision and shelter for our faith. It doesn't matter what comes against our lives because we have a hope that is settled in what God has done. It's in the place of fulfillment that we are able to see God through the lens of His Word, find Him trustworthy, and experience His goodness.

This statement covers two ends of the spectrum. The first part deals with disappointment while the second part deals with success. Hope deferred is a place of sadness while hope received is a place of comfort. It's actually in both of these instances that we must learn a very important truth: we never base our lives or our faith on the successes and failures. We must always trust in His love.

That is why I love Psalm 13:5, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." In spite of what I am experiencing in life, I will continue to trust in God's unfailing love and rejoice in His salvation! This may sound like a simple concept but the results in your life will be astounding. I cannot allow my disappointments to shape my view of God. I cannot allow them to drive me to a place of despondency. I must always focus on the one clear thing that I know to be true: His love for me!

Too often, people wait until they are in the midst of disappointment before they try to secure themselves in the love of God. But it doesn't work. I have to make up my mind, based on the cross, that God has already demonstrated His love for me. I must trust in that unfailing love regardless of the circumstances in life. I must hold to the salvation that He has given to me and allow it to become an anchor for my soul. Maybe I haven't received everything that I trusted God for, but it will not shape my theology or concept of God.

He is the Lover of my soul!
He is my Redeemer!
He is my Counselor and Friend!
He is my Abba, Father!
He is my Hope!

This is what it means to dwell in the place of hope. I CANNOT allow disappointment to rule my mind or my emotions, and my lack cannot fuel my faith. It is actually in the unfailing love of God that I find confidence, I find security, and I discover strength. Just knowing and experiencing His love for me is enough to push me past the disappointment that I may be experiencing.

Here's what you and I must learn to do. Take our disappointments to the Lord. We acknowledge them before Him, affirm our trust in His unfailing love, and then continue to step out in faith. The process may take some time. So...you better learn how to remain in that place until your heart is moved. Then get up from that place and continue to move forward in your faith. And always remember that His love for you can overcome any disappointment. Take the wisdom we have discovered in the Proverbs and join it together with a song from the Psalms. You will recapture your hope and learn to trust in the God of your salvation.

May your weekend be blessed and all your hopes be fulfilled. May you rest in His unfailing love and rejoice over His salvation.

Healthy Confrontation

Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." I would love to tell you that a "proverb" always works. However, if they ALWAYS worked then we would call them promises. One thing is for certain, someone has to have the level head.

Over the last several weeks I have been listening to a teaching on honor. One of these teachings discussed how to handle confrontation when you are living with powerful people. The fact of the matter is that we are all powerful. It's how we use our power that determines whether or not we are going to honor someone in a given situation.

Healthy confrontation (which is done in love) can actually strengthen relationships rather than weaken them. You can build someone up rather than tear them down. When love becomes the foundation of our relationships then each of us can remain strong, powerful, and honoring regardless of the circumstances.

Unfortunately, many of us have had to deal with confrontation that wasn't healthy or honoring. This type of confrontation typically comes when we have grown tired of dealing with a certain issue, or someone has gotten tired of putting up with ours. Due to the fact that this has gone on for several days/weeks/months, there is a lot of emotion that has been suppressed. In this type of confrontation, anger is usually expressed, love is withdrawn, and the relationship is wounded or severed. What is normally lost in this type of confrontation is the understanding that the person you are dealing with is powerful, awesome, and loved by God.

Galatians 6:1 gives us insight on what confrontation should look like among believers: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." What you and I must glean from this verse is that when dealing with sin, wrongs, and problems; we must approach a person in a spirit of gentleness. We should also recognize that we could fall into the same trap. Therefore, we cannot be arrogant, rude, or dishonoring in the process. We must find a way, even in the midst of an ugly problem, to bring restoration.

I wish I could tell you that I have mastered the art of confrontation. But the truth is that I'm still working on it. But I would like to share some tips on how to keep a conflict from erupting into a full out assault on another person. Keep in mind that these tips will also help you when being confronted. Remember the soft answer thing? It will work for you. You just have to keep practicing.

Watch Your Tone
This is one of the most difficult aspects of confrontation. It's especially difficult for me because I come from a family that has tone issues. I must always be aware of "how" I am addressing something. We can say the right words but the wrong tone will kill any type of conversation.

Own Your Stuff While Allowing The Other Person To Own Theirs
The only person we can control in any situation is ourselves. So when I am confronting someone, I don't want to project anything. I simply want to point out what I consider to be the problem.
Example:
"Are you aware that you made me feel...?"
"Did you mean to come across this way?"
"Do you realize that...?"
In each of these examples, the questions you ask help the other person own their problem. I'm not blaming. I'm not harassing. And I'm definitely not lecturing. I'm simply asking questions to help bring things to the surface. This style of confrontation creates inner pressure rather than outward.

Remember That You Are Dealing With A Powerful Person
This is true whether you are confronting your kids, spouse, employees, or friends. Regardless of the person (their age, gender, or position), you have to see them powerful. You also need to help empower them through the process. In an unhealthy confrontation, we tend to beat down people. We want them to feel shame or shrink away. This is typically done through intimidation. In a healthy confrontation we want them to remain powerful. We need them to be the best they can be in this situation. We help point them to a problem and give them the opportunity to clean up the mess.
Example:
"Did you mean to be sarcastic just a few moments ago?"
"I sense that there is some major tension between us and was wondering if you noticed it as well."
"So...what's the problem?"
"What are you/we going to do about it?"
*In this step, we are trying to help them find the solution. We only offer advice if they can't seem to find one. "Do you want to handle this on your own or do you want some help?"

Be Quick To Forgive
This can be one of the hardest parts of confrontation. Especially if we are waiting until we have the confrontation to do it. I have found that it's much easier to forgive someone if I can do it before I have to confront them. Which means I must be willing to die to myself. Sure...my feeling have been hurt or I was angry. But forgiveness needs to come easy for us. Imagine the impact of saying, "I forgave you two weeks ago" or "I forgave you right after it happened."

If you are looking for some great ideas on how to develop a culture of honor in your home or church, look for Danny Silk's book "Culture of Honor" and the teaching series "Honor Among Us." Danny also has a teaching called "Keys to Confrontation" that I'm personally going to check into. I point you to these resources because Honor is at the center and Love is the foundation. These resources can be found at store.ibethel.org

Notice the them in what I have been sharing over the past few weeks.
Love
Honor
Humility
All of these things can carry you a long way in your relationships. Be blessed!

Having the Right Attitude

I have embraced the fact that the way I view the church is different than many of my contemporaries in ministry. The reason why we gather, what unifies us as a body of believers, and how we express the love of Christ are just a few of the differences. It's this context of ministry forces me to stretch against the walls of orthodoxy. I just don't want to be negative or critical.

After watching a documentary on church life and hearing some of the responses, I realize that there is a lot of negative light shining upon the church as a whole. Too often, in our attempt to bring about change, we are simply raging against the machine. I hear a lot of bitterness and hope to never be in that place.
Do I want to see change? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I believe we need to look inside the walls of the church for solutions? YES!
But I don't want to be seen as a Crusader. I'm not willing to go to war because I view the functions, ministry, or even some of the dogma of doctrine differently. I truly believe there is a better way.

The other day, I was talking with a husband who was experiencing some difficulty in marriage. I stressed with him the need to communicate effectively with his wife. I said, "I find it interesting that we can take classes on how to debate effectively but there isn't much out there on how to have a conversation." How do we approach our differences in the church? How can we hold true to what we believe while accepting those who view things differently? Like many of the things that we face in life, the answer is found in Christ. What did His life look like? How did He face criticism and division? How do we respond even when we know we are right?

Philippians 2:5-11 gives us great insight into the attitude that Jesus displayed while on the earth.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Christ's willingness to serve, rather than be served, is a great example to us. Much of His ministry was spent teaching a group of disciples how to walk with God. Before His death on the cross, He put a towel around His waist and was willing to wash the feet of His disciples. He was careful to honor and respect those who opposed Him, even though He didn't mind dealing with them. In love, He confronted them. On purpose, He gave His life as a ransom for the world. Yes...instead of clinging to all of His rights, He humbled Himself to death.

Humility has been lost in our efforts to be right. Humility is typically not one of the attributes that is pointed out by the world when they discuss the church. Humility is rarely practiced when we view opposing sides of a particular debate. Instead we march on like valiant warriors slaying anyone that would stand in our way. We say it's for the "Truth" - this is the reason we fight. And in the midst of the struggle, we lose credibility with an already confused world. We lose the affection of our brothers in Christ. And we lose respect among those who are different.

I'm not saying that we should never stand for what we believe in. I'm not saying that we should be weak. But when did meekness (strength under control) become a bad word? I truly believe that if we could learn to walk in humility that we would see less "lines in the sand." Humility dissolves division, helps to eliminate conflict, and fosters reconciliation.

While I type these words, I realize that this is an area that I continually have to grow. Thank God that there is grace for it. But what I have seen in my life over these last few years is a willingness to sit down at the table with people that I would typically not even have a conversation with. I have been willing to listen to opposing views, lose some of my own dogma, and try to find common ground with those who are different. It's not easy but the example of Christ compels me to take on the form of a servant. His Spirit within me is a driving force that says being right is not always the best thing.

Think about what humility could do in our marriages. Imagine what takes place when our problems are confronted with "I'm sorry", "What can I change to make this happen?", or "I'm willing to talk about this." Is there anything that we cannot work through when humility is present in our relationships?

How about the kids. Do you realize how little our kids witness humility from the ones who are in charge? I don't know if there is anything more humbling than having to apologize to your child. But it's a place we need to be willing to visit. "If we can't teach them through our successes, then learn to teach them through your failures." ~ Bill Johnson

And of course, the church. Paul said, "Let this mind be in you..." Our attitude should reflect the very nature of Christ. It is through humility that we deal with confrontation. It is with humility that we walk in love for one another. It is humility that allow us to honor each other, bear one another's burdens, and seek to bring reconciliation to the world.

I don't expect one blog to change the world. However, I do hope that it will cause each of us to think about areas we have been unwilling to yield to those around us. Someone once said that we have to choose the mountains that we are willing to die on. My first question is, Do we even know why we are fighting?