We Need More Churches...

I was fortunate to be a part of a Vision Meeting last week to discuss the necessity of church planting within our state. The primary focus of our discussion was the Southwest portion of the state. While many people who live outside of the state of Virginia would consider us to be a very "churched" society, the statistics prove something quite different. If you look at Wythe County alone you will discover that almost 67% of our neighbors are not being reached by the church.

If that statistic alarms you...GOOD! It needs to alarm you. In fact, I hope that it will alarm other people as well. Too often, church planting seems like an ultra competitive game. I have heard people in established churches ask: "Why do we need another church in our community?" To put it bluntly - new churches see far more conversions than established churches. Not only that, but the truth is that there aren't enough churches to handle the population. The study of our area revealed how many churches are needed in order to have a MINIMUM of 1 church for every 2000 households (4000-5000 people). I thought this was a pretty amazing standard considering that we don't have any 1 church in the county (that I'm aware of) that has 4-5000 members. Are you starting to get the picture? We need a greater presence of the Body of Christ within our communities.

While I am a huge proponent of church planting, I'm not in favor of simply mass producing what we already have in existence. Let's face it, if what we had was already working then we wouldn't need anything else. And what this community needs (as well as others) are churches that are relevant, saturated in God's unconditional love, practiced in a "Culture of Honor", dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit, grounded in the Word of God, passionate about worship, and determined to fulfill the Great Commission. With that being said, don't think that a church planting movement means that we will see the countryside littered with buildings. The fact is, these new churches may reside in homes, meet in school buildings, or gather in store fronts. Most of them will be considered contemporary non-traditional churches because that is what works for this generation. The music will sound different, the preaching style will be different, the way they dress will be different, and the Bible they preach out of will probably be different as well.

The bottom line in this discussion is that we will not see a change in these numbers until the church does what it was placed upon this earth to do. We are to be advancing the kingdom of our God into the kingdom of darkness. We are to be destroying the works of the enemy. And we are to be calling people out of that darkness and into His marvelous light. Are you ready? The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. I'm praying right now to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers out into His field.

How do we make this a reality? There is only one proven method: churches planting churches planting churches...etc.
We (the church community) will have to change our mindset. We will have to make a decision to say that bigger is not always better. We will have to sacrifice some "good members" to populate a church plant that will reach these communities. And each of us will have to ask if we need to be involved.

The Good News? We can change the statistics!!! We can make a difference!!! We can be a part of the mass salvation of our communities!!! These are exciting times.

Is the Gospel Working in Me?

I'm going to begin today's blog with an incredible quote from Tim Keller. A few months ago I read his incredible book "Prodigal God" and was blown away. I'm continually grateful that God allows me to find those whose ministries are saturated with the grace of God. May you be blessed.

"Perhaps the greatest dilemma of the pastor – or any Christian leader – is the danger of hypocrisy. By this I mean that, unlike other professionals, we as ministers are expected to proclaim God’s goodness and to provide encouragement at all times. We are always pointing people toward God in one way or another, in order to show them his worth and beauty. That’s the essence of our ministry. But seldom will our hearts be in a condition to say such a thing with complete integrity, since our own hearts are often in need of encouragement, gospel centeredness, and genuine gladness. Thus, we have two choices: either we have to guard our hearts continually in order to practice what we are preaching, or we live bifurcated lives of outward ministry and inward gloominess.

In this way, the ministry will make you a far better or a far worse Christian than you would have been otherwise. But it will not leave you where you were! And it will put enormous pressure on your integrity and character. The key problem will be preaching the gospel while not believing the gospel. As ministers, we must be willing to admit that ministerial success often becomes the real basis for our joy and significance, much more so than the love and acceptance we have in Jesus Christ. Ministry success often becomes what we look to in order to measure our worth to others and our confidence before God. In other words, we look to ministry success to be for us what only Christ can be. All ministers who know themselves will be fighting this all their lives. It is the reason for jealousy, for comparing ourselves to other ministers, for needing to control people and programs in the church, and for feeling defensive toward criticism. At one level we believe the gospel that we are saved by grace not works, but at a deeper level we don’t believe it much at all. We are still trying to create our own righteousness through spiritual performance, albeit one that is sanctioned by our call to ministry."

I believe that this article points to one of the greatest tragedies in the modern church: Pastors unable to find rest and security in their own relationship with Christ due to the standards of performance that is placed upon them or that they place upon themselves. The fact of the matter is that those who are seeking to touch the lives of others with God's message of reconciliation, redemption, and unconditional love, should be touched as well.

This message is not only true for the pastors but also for the church members. We must discover our identity in Christ. We cannot allow the message of the Gospel to become so commonplace that it no longer affects our lives. We cannot become so complacent in our Christian lives that we are no longer moved by its message. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation." In other words: The Gospel is the power of God unto wholeness, healing, prosperity, preservation, and deliverance. This message isn't just a one time deal. This message must continually flow throughout our lives and into every relationship.

The Good News in your life should always be that in Christ...
There is more than enough Forgiveness
There is more than enough Grace
There is more than enough Love
There is more than enough Reconciliation

May this Good News be renewed in your heart today!!!

The Necessity of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". Paul goes on to tell Timothy that through the Scriptures that every man of God can be fully furnished for good works. Here's what I'm learning: If you want to know what God is saying, then you need to know what He has already said.

I have a lot of friends who are very much involved in prophetic ministry. They are a fun crew to hang out with. Their ability to recognize God in different situations, to hear His voice, and see Him at work in people's lives is amazing. One common theme in most of their lives is this - they understand the Scriptures. And I believe that it is through the written Word of God that they have gained access to the spoken Word of God.

God didn't stop speaking because we finally got a collection of books together called the Bible. However, since God is so amazingly consistent in His nature (Malachi 3:6), the Word of God becomes an unshakable foundation. Paul was very clear in His instruction to his young disciple Timothy: Use the Scriptures!!! This statement does not negate the necessity of prophetic ministry - people need to hear God speaking into their lives. But any "prophetic" ministry that does not have a firm grasp upon the Scriptures can easily go into error.

Over the last few years, I have encountered a lot of different people in this arena. I have also watched people absolutely shut down any type of prophetic ministry in their lives because of fear. It's sad...but if you have experienced people who haven't operated in love and humility, the results can be devastating.

There are groups of Christians who do not believe in prophetic ministry because they feel as though it is adding to the Word of God. But true and genuine prophetic people don't seek to add to or take away. They simply want to bring Edification, Encouragement, and Comfort to your life. They have been trained to hear the Lord speak in a variety of ways and they seek to build you up. With that being said, a prophetic word can have just as much impact in your life because it is God speaking into you through another person. It's not Scripture but it should be scriptural in its application.

I want to give you some tips on how to receive a prophetic word:
1) Write it down
- Depending upon the situation, you may be too emotional to remember everything that is being said. You also want to record the word so you can go back to it.
2) Check it against what God has already spoken to you or what He has revealed in His Word
- Many times, a prophetic word is a confirmation of what God is already saying to you. There may be times when God reveals some new things to you in the process, however, I found that God often uses people to help bring clarity to how He is leading you already.
3) Don't be too quick to receive the word or to negate the word
- Unless the word immediately clicks in my spirit, I'm not quick to receive what is being spoken over my life. I will thank the person for their encouragement and tell them that I will be praying about this. On the other hand, I have witnessed people immediately turn it down. This could be done for a variety of reasons but I don't want any of us to be like Naaman (2 Kings 5) who immediately rejected a word from Elisha. If it wasn't for one of his servants, he would have never received his healing.

In writing all of this I realize that prophetic ministry isn't common in most churches. Many believe that New Testament prophecy is supposed to be weighed the same as Old Testament prophecy or there is confusion between the office of the Prophet and prophetic ministry. While I do not have time to get into the particulars, I will say this: What we do in the New Testament through the gifts of the Holy Spirit is different from what we see in the Old Testament. In the OT, you judge the prophet. In the NT, you judge the prophecy. What's the difference? The Holy Spirit makes the difference because now you have this internal check.

What I want to encourage you with is this: If you are really seeking God and want Him to reveal Himself in your life...get into His Word. God has revealed Himself in some amazing ways. You have the opportunity EVERY DAY to discover more of His nature, more of His love, and more of His will for your life. Learning to hear God in what He has already revealed sets you up to hear Him in what He is revealing. Allow the Bible to become a place of discovery in your life. AND enjoy the journey!!!

Complete in Christ

The great tragedy of modern Christianity (in many areas) is the inability to fully recognize the finished work of Christ. Even some of our brothers and sisters who are considered to be "free" are stuck in a dual-covenant mindset. The struggle in our thinking is not fully accepting all that was accomplished through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

What I am about to share with you is a "hot topic" for me. Over the last year, God has continued to increase my understanding of His love and grace. Much of my thinking is seen as controversial because it flies into the face of what most of us have been taught. However, in the midst of the controversy there are those who are finding amazing freedom in their relationship with God. And contrary to popular opinion, it has NOT produces "loose Christians" but those who are in awe of God's goodness and seek to know Him in a greater way. What has been lost in the process is the idea of religion.

Read Colossians 1:15-23:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--
23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

In Christ we have the reconciliation of mankind. What was once lost through the 1st Adam has been recovered and restored in the Last Adam. Jesus is not only the Last Adam but the Firstborn of All Creation. He now has the preeminence. God was, in fact, redeeming mankind unto Himself. God chose to reconcile Himself to the world through Him and NOW we must be reconciled to God through faith in Christ.

The more I talk about all that was accomplished through Jesus, the more excited I become. When I think of what God has accomplished it boggles my mind. The world has never seen such LOVE nor experienced such GRACE. However, the realization of what God has done in Christ is not a message that some churches want to embrace. I heard Brennan Manning say that a Priest once told him that he had "out-Luthered" Luther. I just don't know that anyone could "out-Paul" the Apostle Paul. God gave him incredible understanding of the New Covenant and the finished work of Christ. I often wonder what the church would have looked like if God had not raised him up. What if there would have been a holdover of the Old Covenant? What if there would have been the righteous requirements of the Law apart from the grace of God in Christ? And where would we be without such an awesome understanding of the Holy Spirit?

Paul gave a vocabulary to all that was accomplished in Christ. He wanted those who were alive "in the moment" to understand what the death of Jesus was all about and why His resurrection was so important. He also wanted anyone who read His letters to understand the indescribable grace of God. Then he wanted the followers of Christ to carry this message of reconciliation to the rest of the world.

The message we now carry is very simple yet profound: God has done everything in Christ to reconcile Himself to us. NOW...if you will believe on the resurrection of Jesus and confess Him as Lord of your life - YOU WILL BE SAVED!!! That is - Be Saved, Be Delivered, Protected, Healed, Preserved, Prospered, and Made Whole. THAT IS GOOD NEWS!!!

Getting Rid of Shame

One of the most common tools of the enemy is shame. And I can tell you from experience that shame is a powerful weapon. Unless you and I can learn how to recover from shame, we will actually keep the door open for the enemy to attack our minds. Like most battles we face in the Christian life - the battlefield of the mind must be won.

What I am about to share with you comes from my own personal experience. I cannot give you a specific Bible verse to back it up, but I can give you a verse that will always counter shame. Romans 8:1 deliberately tells us that "...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". The fact of the matter is you are either going to believe this or not. Depending on your acceptance of God's acceptance will determine how quickly you are able to get out of shame.

Without going into all the details, I want to share with you my own personal revelation of shame and how the enemy uses it. I had gone through a process for inner healing. What we believed would come out of that time would be a difference in how I responded to what the enemy was using to keep me down. Weeks came and went but I wasn't experiencing what I believed I should be experiencing. I was victorious in this particular area of life but when I was tempted this "new thing" wasn't taking place. I thought it was odd but didn't really give it that much thought because I was walking in such personal victory. One day I began thinking about the things that I had done in my life. Shame started to take over my thinking. I was praying to God and I said, "Lord - I feel so ashamed..." Immediately what I believed would happen when I was tempted began to happen while I was praying. This new "trigger mechanism" if you will was working. And as I thought about what was taking place it dawned on me. What was keeping me tied to this particular issue in life WAS NOT temptation. What was keeping me bound in this area was SHAME.

Shame has absolutely no power to get you out of sin. In fact, it will keep you tied to sin. Fear, Shame, and Condemnation are always hanging out with sin. Look at Adam and Eve in the Garden. The fell and immediately shame moved in upon them. It was this shame that kept them from coming to God. Shame will do exactly the same thing in your life. It will keep you from approaching God. It will keep you from living in the abundant life of Christ. And it will keep you tied to your failure.

HOW DO WE FIX THIS?
You have to ground yourself in how God thinks about you. Romans 8:1 teaches us that we do not have to live in shame. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sin that God cleanses us. So if I am in Christ and I am willing to confess (say the same thing about my sin that God says) then I have absolutely NO REASON to live in shame. It's o.k. to feel bad when you fall but you cannot stay in the place. Allowing shame to hang out with your emotions will be destructive to your victory.

This taught me that what I had been sharing for some time now is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Who you are in Christ matters.
Learning how to establish your heart in righteousness matters.
Seeing yourself the way God sees you matters.

I found an old note that I had written that is perfect for this:

Instead of thinking...
My Sin
My Shame
My Failure

Remember...
His Forgiveness
His Grace
His Life

This will keep you walking in the Abundant Life. ENJOY!!!

Forever Changed

Just heard the song "Changed" by Rascal Flatts. Posting the lyrics below. What an awesome testimony to the grace of God. It's the grace of God that brings complete change into our lives. It allows us to step into the forgiveness of God and gives us the ability to walk in the abundant life of Christ.

**************************************************
Changed - Rascal Flatts

I came up out of the water
Raise my Hands up to the father
Gave it all to him that day
Felt a new wind kiss my face
Walked away, Eyes wide open
Could finally see where I was going
Didn’t matter where I been I’m not the same man I was then.

I got off track, I made mistakes
Back slid my way into that place where souls get lost
Lines get crossed
And the pain won’t go away
I hit my knees, Now here I stand
There I was, now here I am
Here I am
Changed

I got a lot of “hey I’m sorry”
The things I’ve done man that was not me
I wish I could take it all back
I just want to tell em’ that

I got off track, I made mistakes
Back slid my way into that place where souls get lost
Lines get crossed
And the pain won’t go away
I hit my knees, Now here I stand
There I was, now here I am
Here I am
Changed

I’ve changed for the better
More Smiles, that’s better
I even started to forgive myself

I hit my knee, I’m here I stand
There I was, now here I am
Here I am, Here I am, Here I am
Changed
Yes I am
I’m changed for the better.
**************************************************

Last week, I talked about the fact that Jesus Christ came as the Last Adam to restore what had been lost by the first Adam. Jesus became our propitiation, our redemption, and our reconciliation unto God. To prove that all had been accomplished, Jesus said from the Cross "It Is Finished!" When Jesus came back from the dead mankind stepped into a new beginning. Jesus was the Last Adam but also the Firstborn from among the dead. What does this mean? It means that man does not find His beginning in the first Adam but the last. No more curse, no more shame, and no more condemnation. And it is our job as bearers of the Good News to wake up our brothers and sisters into the righteousness of God in Christ.

One of the best illustrations of what salvation along with the finished work of Christ looks like in the New Testament is seen in Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers (Luke 17). These lepers cried out to Jesus to have pity on them. Jesus told them to go and present themselves to the priest. Along the way, one of them realized that he was healed and turned back to praise God. Jesus told him, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole." The word translated "whole" is the Greek word "sozo" which means "healed, delivered, saved, made whole, well..." Through the finished work of Christ (death, burial, and resurrection), all of humanity has been healed. However, it is those who realize this and turn around (repent) who receive the whole package (sozo). They get the salvation, the wholeness, the healing, the deliverance, the peace, etc. In other words, the get in on the abundant life of Christ.

God has done EVERYTHING to make sure you could be saved. Believe on the finished work of Christ. Confess Him as Lord. And the Bible promises that you will be saved.

Open, Closed, or Renewed Mind: Your Choice

Our family was enjoying an episode of "The Waltons" last night when I began thinking through something very serious. You can blame it on John-Boy if you like but I really do believe that it was the Spirit of God. I started thinking about how people tend to be close-minded or open-minded when what we really need is a renewed mind.

On this particular episode, John-Boy was experiencing a lot of criticism for his decision to print some of Hitler's writings in the newspaper. Much of the criticism was even coming from his pastor (imagine that). It even got to the point where the pastor of the church "called" him out during a service. This is the point where my mind went into overdrive. I began to wonder how many people over the years had been called out in such a fashion. It's probably more than I want to know.

The close-minded view of his pastor stirred up even more controversy than John-Boy could have done on his own. Things got so bad that there was even a book burning that was organized by the pastor and other members of the church. However, there was an amazing turn of events. John-Boy stepped in, picked up one of the German books that was laying on the ground and asked a woman to read it. She read it in the original language and then translated the first few verses of Genesis 1. I honestly felt the Spirit of God permeate the room. In that one moment, it seemed as though all eyes were opened to the truth that even German's have Bibles and they almost destroyed the very thing that they were trying to protect.

Being too close-minded and too open-minded can lead to the same place: Ignorance.

Far too often we see people on both sides of the fence actually destroy the very things they are trying to protect. Living with a mind that is being renewed by the Word of God allows us to approach life differently. We understand the necessity of possessing core values, clear cut theology, and a belief system that cannot be shaken. At the same time we understand that not every thought or opinion is damaging to the cause of the Kingdom.

I'm often reminded of Mark 9:38, "John said to Jesus, 'Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group.'" Jesus response: "'Don't stop him!' Jesus said. 'No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.'" (vv.39-40)

This is the message that Protestants in many places have forgotten. We aren't working for a Baptist Kingdom, Pentecostal Kingdom, Church of God Kingdom, etc. We are working for the Kingdom of God. The only way that we will ever see the validity of other groups is when we allow the Spirit of God along with the Word of God to unlock our minds. It's the renewing of our minds that brings about the transformation that we all need.

I realize that I challenge a lot of traditional beliefs about church and even the faith that many of us were brought up under. However, it's not because I'm anti-tradition. I'm anti-ignorance. And the only way we will move out of ignorance is when we allow the Word of God to speak for itself. That means that we must sit down and read the Word of God and view it through the lens of Holy Spirit rather than through a denominational lens. My friend Thom Cooper often says that "Everybody believes something. The question we have to ask is what gives us the right to believe what we believe."

My challenge for you this weekend is to re-discover the wonder of God's Word. Sit down with a copy of the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Don't have any other agenda other than hearing from Him. Throughout this week I have been amazed at verses that I have read over and over again that He has unlocked for me. What I am seeing and hearing has caused a revolution within me. The truth of God's Word is powerful and as I walk in that truth I am being set free. I pray that you will experience this same freedom.

Spiritual Surveys & Other Random Thoughts

I found this picture online and had to laugh. Honestly, it's probably more for me than you. I get asked to complete surveys all the time (denominational life, pastoral, spiritual inventory, etc.). It seems to be the way our nation works from the political arena to church life.

The most recent survey that I responded to was used to gauge the role of a pastor in the local church, how the pastor viewed things such as discipleship and spiritual maturity, and our view on the role of the local church. I believe the survey was to help generate materials that would be helpful in equipping pastors but I have to wonder if it is gauging where the church lines up with a traditional view of church life.

***Living with Realistic Expectations***

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone about areas where you are trusting God and they try to convince you not to have unrealistic expectations? Here's what I'm discovering: As long as you are believing God for something that only He can do, then you are not living with unrealistic expectations. According to God's Word, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for...evidence of things unseen..." Jesus said, "With God all things are possible." We live with unrealistic expectations when we are expecting God to do what He has told us to do or believing God for something that He has ALREADY provided.

***Is you Faith Comfortable?***

I had a conversation with a friend today where we discussed the willingness to allow God to change our beliefs. It seems that far too many people are only willing to remain comfortable in what they believe rather than allow God to share His view and opinion. A comfortable faith says "I will tow the line", "I will stay within my denominational/traditional beliefs", or "I absolutely refuse to consider what other Christian groups believe." In fact, I have seen many people take a militant approach to ensure that nothing allow them to be swayed by other groups. I think it's time to allow the Holy Spirit to be our teacher once again.

***If it is broke - FIX IT!!!***

My grandfather (and probably yours) had an old saying, "If it ain't broke then don't fix it." But what if it is broke? Much of the data I have seen over the last few years indicate that churches are not growing in most major denominations. While you think this would cause denominational leaders to scramble for answers and seeks solutions, most of them simply repackage what they are already doing. The results of our inability to see outside our denominational boxes means that we continue to see the same thing. As Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again expecting different results."

***Are we the children of Adam?***

Yes...but the question that you have to answer is "which Adam?" According to Romans 5 everyone under the 1st Adam were brought under condemnation. Jesus became the 2nd Adam and He brings life!!! Jesus (2nd Adam) became the 1st of a new species of humanity. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Anyone in Christ is a NEW creation..." (an unheard of, uncommon, and unprecedented creation). God created in Christ a whole new race of people that He has been reconciled unto. Hear the words of Paul: "And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins." What an exchange!!!

***Final Thoughts***

If spiritual gifts were to cease then why does Paul instruct the Corinthian Church (and all who would read his letter) "not to despise prophecy and do not forbid speaking in tongues"?

Why is that people will give an incredible amount of grace to a lost person who fails miserably but heap judgement and condemnation upon a saved person who fails?

When did Christianity become the religious wing of the Republican party? And when did Jesus become the figure head for liberalism? According to Ephesians 3:10, "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms". It seems to me that God wants to change the world through the church and NOT a political party.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Have a blessed day!!!

The Finished Work of Christ (My Journey)

I am currently on an incredible journey with God. No...I haven't left the country. Much of this journey has taken place in my study, in the office, or enjoying His creation. I have two incredible companions with me in the journey: The Bible and Holy Spirit. And in this journey I'm discovering more and more about the finished work of Christ.

The "finished work of Christ" is a term that I have become familiar with over the last few years. To be quite honest with you, I never heard it growing up in church. I'm not even sure that I heard the phrase while attending Bible College. So what I'm about to share with you has been gleaned through a crash-course study initiated by the Holy Spirit.

The term "the finished work of Christ" refers to all that was accomplished through the death of Jesus. It was at the Cross where God poured out His judgement against our sin. Jesus endured this punishment as our substitute in order to become our Savior. While I do not have time to give you a complete rundown of everything I am learning, I will do my best to get you excited about what God has accomplished.

The Bible uses 3 terms primarily to describe the finished work of Christ:
PROPITIATION
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
REDEMPTION
"In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7)
RECONCILIATION
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Propitiation means "to satisfy wrath by sacrifice"
Redemption means "to buy out of, and remove from, the market in order to set at liberty"
Reconciliation means "to change completely"

Here's what we just celebrated this past week: God was, in Christ, providing the atoning sacrifice that would satisfy His wrath against sin. He was purchasing humanity and bringing about a complete change. ***Insert Happy Dance***

What this journey has compelled me to do is look back over what I have believed, how I have witnessed to the saving grace of God, and essentially re-learn some amazing truth. In fact, just this morning I was revisiting a very familiar portion of Scripture and saw it in a different light. Romans 3:23 tell us that "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard." I have often used this verse to convey to people the sinful nature that dwells in man. What I discovered is that this isn't what Paul was communicating at all. While there is a common denominator in humanity, verse 24 unlocks what was accomplished in the finished work of Christ. "Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins." It's when we recognize that God did all of this BEFORE we ever came to faith in Jesus that we begin to understand the liberty that comes through the finished work of Christ. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. This is what the Bible teaches. This is why Paul could tell the church at Rome that we are now viewed as those who have been set free from the curse of sin.

I know...this is a lot to take in and it's a lot to work through...especially if you were raised in a church that doesn't communicate the finished work of Christ. But if you can get this understanding, you will say with the Apostle Paul "it's the goodness of God that leads to repentance."

His Joy = Our Joy

John 15:11, "I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"

This forces me to ask the question: Where's the JOY?

Joy is a grace that is found in the Holy Spirit of God. This grace should be a part of our every day lives. While we are not promised life without difficulties, we are promised life with a joy that overflows. If you are not experiencing joy then you are not experiencing Jesus.

Over the course of my Christian life, I have often thought of the necessity of joy. Jesus made sure that His followers understood that He was giving them His joy and that their joy would be full. I'm going to share with you some of my own thoughts on the subject.

Joyful people are easy to be around
- Think about it...if you had a choice...who would you rather spend time with: a person who is not joyful or someone who is really joyful? We tend to gravitate toward people who are filled with joy. They make our day brighter and better. The joy of Jesus was not rooted in this world but in the Kingdom. Therefore, He could always share joy with others regardless of the circumstance.

Joy on the inside is evident on the outside
- This principle is clearly seen in small children. They always express what they feel. It seems like over the course of time that we have been robbed of this childlike quality. Joyfulness leads to laughter, smiling, humor, etc. Joy is something that is difficult to contain. Have you ever tried to stop laughing? God wants His joy evident in our life. Joy has the ability to alter your physical appearance. Why not let it?

Joy is contagious
- Joy is something that can be shared with others. In fact, I'm always surprised by the ability to give joy to people and see them return the favor. When our joy is rooted in the work of the Holy Spirit, we will discover a joyfulness that cannot go away. We can experience His joy at any moment in life and then allow that joy to be spread around.

Joy is synonymous with refreshment
- If you were to look at the synonyms for joy, you will discover that there are several words to describe the great happiness and pleasure that is received from it. The opposite of joy is sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, and woe. Is it any wonder that the psalmist declared that it was the joy of the Lord that strengthened him? Is it any wonder that Paul prayed that the God of hope would fill the church with joy and peace in believing? Joy in our lives brings a refreshment - an exhilaration in faith and life that must be experienced.

With all that being said, I'm not asking you to mask your life nor to fake what you are feeling. I'm simply stating that the Joy of Jesus is yours to experience. His Joy is Our Joy. Everything that we need for life and godliness is experienced through the Holy Spirit in our lives. We carry a message that is good tidings of GREAT JOY - I think it's time our lives matched the message. The writer of Hebrews said that Jesus endured the Cross for the joy that was set before Him. It was the joyful anticipation of what would be accomplished in you and the Kingdom that gave Him the ability to go through such agony. If joy can give Jesus the strength to endure the cross then I believe we can endure as well.

If you are not experiencing His joy today then take some time to get into His presence. In His presence is fullness of JOY!!! Watch God change what you are feeling. Allow Him to change your environment. Allow His Joy to be Your Joy. And enJOY it.

Increasing Faith

Matthew 17:20, "...if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

What are you believing God for?

I have been thinking a LOT about faith lately and the practical role it plays in our lives. The followers of Jesus Christ are to be people of faith - not just a common faith that links us together but a radical faith that produces something in and through us. It's easy to say that we are a part of a particular faith but quite another to say that we live in faith.

As yourself some questions:
What is the primary role of faith in my life?
Do I live in a faith that simply trusts God for heaven when I die or do I believe that we can see heaven invade earth?
What have I done with my faith?
Is my faith just something I fall back on when everything else fails or has my faith led me to an intense relationship with Jesus?

Someone asked me the other day about what it means to believe God for something. This man said, "I don't know...is it just something that comes as you grow in your relationship?" I said "Yes" - as you experience God through your faith then you will find it easier to believe Him for even greater things. There is an aspect of our faith that increases through experience. This is why it is pivotal that we remember what God has done in our lives.

James is famous for saying "I will show you my faith..." We tend to look at this statement and consider the works that are associated with our common faith. But I believe that the statement goes much deeper than just our works. I can only show you what I operate in. If my faith only leads me to good works then that is what I'll show you. However, if I have learned how to believe God for even greater things then that's what I'm going to put on display.

For far too long the Christian community has operated in practical faith. And by practical I mean that we do what we can do and trust God for the rest. I think it's time we start operating in a radical faith that says everything I do comes from Him. I'm not just trusting God for the big stuff but I'm walking with Him in the every day stuff as well. I'm believing for the healing of that person in the hospital but I'm also believing for the healing of that person sitting across from me. I'm believing for the salvation of the lost but I'm also believing for the salvation of the person I'm sharing with today. If you want to increase in your faith then you must exercise it more often.

When we hear Jesus talking about the mustard seed, we immediately think about its size. And that's good...cause I don't believe Jesus is pushing for "more faith" as much as He is trying to lead us into a "quality" of faith. We have spent a lot of time emphasizing the mustard seed and yet fail to recognize the fact that "nothing shall be impossible for you." That's the faith we need to operate in - not big faith or small faith but the quality of faith that says this can happen!!!