Thinking About Missions...

I'm currently in South Carolina at a Missions Conference. It's been a great couple of days. Ron (Missions Pastor) & I will be heading back to Wytheville tomorrow.

One of the greatest aspects of being involved with a Missions Conference like this is being able to share with like-minded people. These are "regular" men and women from the Body of Christ who understand the Great Commission that Christ gave to the church. In other words...they "get it."

I look forward to sharing some more thoughts with you all when I return.

Blessings to you all.

God's Willingness

In Matthew 8:2-3 we find the story of a man with leprosy coming to Jesus. He says, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the man. He said, "I am willing..."

Over the past few days I have been praying for a friend of mine who is in the hospital. I have no doubt that God is touching his body and that he will be coming out very soon. The words that Jesus spoke to this man with leprosy have brought me great encouragement. Oh, how we need to hear Him say, "I am willing."

I want you to think with me about how we handle God's willingness.
Is God willing to SAVE?
Is God willing to PROVIDE?
Is God willing to DEFEND His Children?
Is God willing to SPEAK to us?
Is God willing to LEAD?
The answer to all of these question usually come with a positive response. We hear them and almost automatically say "Yes" or "Absolutely". We have read God's Word and found the answer. We know that anyone who comes to Jesus, He will not cast out. We know that God has revealed Himself as our Provider and that we do not need to worry about the things that tend to consume our thought life. We have read that God watches over His children and that He will not leave or forsake us. We have also discovered that God speaks to us when we are willing to listen and that the Holy Spirit will always guide us in truth. However, when we come to this issue of healing...we have plenty of reasoning to keep us from considering God's willingness to touch our bodies.

Here are a few of the prayers that I have heard in my lifetime:
"God if you are willing..."
"Lord, if it will bring you glory..."
"I know that you are able..."
"Let your will be done..."
While most of these prayers are grounded in an understanding of God's ability to heal, many of them lack a foundational understanding of God's willingness to heal. I'm not trying to stir up controversy. I am trying to stir up faith in God's people.

Jesus told His disciples (Mark 16:17-18) that these signs will follow them that believe: "...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." While there has been much argument over the validity of this portion of scripture, there is no valid reason to not believe these words to be true. This portion of Mark is found in all the major and commonly used manuscripts. In other words, this portion of Mark belongs with the rest of the Gospel. When we look at how the followers of Jesus ministered in the book of Acts we find them laying hands on the sick and people receiving healing. Isaiah told us of the suffering Messiah and that it is by His striped that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Why then do we struggle in our understanding of God's willingness to heal?

Here's why we struggle (in my opinion):
We have never experienced it.
We have prayed for people but didn't see the answer.
We don't believe that God still operates this way in the world.
We trust the words of Doctors over the words of Jesus.
We don't see healing as something provided in the finished work of Christ.
Etc., etc., etc...

Folks, I'm not saying that I have all the answers. I don't even have all the questions!!! There have been people that I have prayed for and didn't see the desired results. However, I am confident that God is willing to heal more people than we understand. I still believe that we are able to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. I still believe in calling upon the elders of the church, anointing with oil, and that the prayer of faith saves the sick. While I may not be able to explain everything, I still trust in the heart of God. Jesus still says, "I am willing."

The church must recapture this confidence. We must be like Jesus - moved with compassion, willing to stretch out our hands. This act of faith is grounded in God's Word and established in the heart of God. To question His willingness is to question His heart for His children. We must stop thinking that God gives stones instead of bread, and scorpions instead of eggs. God is much more willing than we perceive. Every act of grace in our lives is a manifestation of His heart for us. When we realize that, and understand that this reaches out to every portion of life, we will begin to move in faith.

Jesus says, "I am willing." He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). You can trust in the heart of God as revealed through Jesus Christ.

Keep Fighting

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

Have you ever considered what it means to "fight the good fight of faith"? I don't know about you...but what I have discovered is that the fight is very different than what I thought.

Who are we fighting?
- The Bible teaches us that our fight is not against flesh and blood. In other words, people are not the enemy. We are actually fighting against principalities, powers, and anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. I realize that who you consider to be your enemy looks like a regular person. However, what you and I have to consider in this fight of faith is that there is a greater enemy at work. Somewhere along the way we have considered that anyone who stands in opposition of what we do to be our enemy. But our fight IS NOT against flesh and blood.

How are we fighting?
- Paul told Timothy to "fight the good fight" by "laying hold on eternal life." The greatest weapon that we have is the security found in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This isn't about degrees or education. It's about being grounded in who you are in Christ. What you have experienced in this relationship is far greater than what you have learned. I can choose to be a man with a theory or I can choose to be a man with an experience. As long as our experience is grounded in biblical truth and the leadership of the Holy Spirit then we are never at the mercy of a man with an argument. It's time for the Body of Christ to lay hold of that which God has given us.

What are we fighting for?
- This is where the fight has changed for me. I once thought that I was fighting to preserve what I thought was right: the way we do church, all of our doctrinal stances, etc. However, what I see in the ministry of Paul is that he was continually fighting to preserve the message of the Gospel. He longed to ensure that the Gospel would be held in ALL of its purity and ALL of its power. He didn't want Timothy to give in to those who would pervert the message.

When do we fight?:
- We fight continually!!!

The PURITY of the Gospel is always under attack. Paul's message to the church at Rome was to believe and confess. Anything outside of that message can begin to create a works righteousness. It was God's design that we would believe in the finished work of Christ and confess Him as Lord. Once that happens, then we can live this "Good News" out to the rest of the world.

The POWER of the Gospel is always at stake. Anytime we allow this message to be perverted then we have stripped the Gospel of its power. We can not allow this message to fall under the persuasive words of man's wisdom. This isn't a man-centered gospel. This is a God-centered Gospel!!! The "Good News" has always been about the heart of God being revealed to a lost world. It was God who chose to send Jesus into the world. It was God who determined that He would die for the sins of man. It was God who reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus Christ. It is simply our job to proclaim this powerful message to them.

Ways to Prepare Myself for the Battle:
Lay Hold On Eternal Life
Confess who you are in Christ
Stand Firm in the Promises of God
Live out that faith
Maintain the Purity & Power of the Gospel

Keep Fighting!!! The world is in dire need of this message.

Happy to Support Family Values

I recently ran across some articles regarding a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A that has stirred up quite the controversy. It seems as though some people were upset that this locally owned restaurant chose to donate food to a pro-biblical marriage seminar called "The Art of Marriage" which was created by "Family Life."

As a result of the "controversy," sparked by homosexual groups, one university decided pull the franchise's food while Chick-fil-A has received overwhelming support from customers as the company has refused to back down from their values.


The following is Dan Cathy's complete statement from January 29th:

"Recently, there have been some misleading stories about Chick-fil-A in the media and on the Internet. As a result, I feel strongly about the need to clarify some things. In recent weeks, we have been accused of being anti-gay. We have no agenda against anyone. At the heart and soul of our company, we are a family business that serves and values all people regardless of their beliefs or opinions. We seek to treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect, and believe in the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself.

We also believe in the need for civility in dialogue with others who may have different beliefs. While my family and I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage, we love and respect anyone who disagrees.

Chick-fil-A has a long history of trying to encourage and strengthen marriages and families, both within our Chick-fil-A system and with our customers. My father and our Founder/CEO, Truett Cathy, is a role model for the Cathy family and all those who have joined Chick-fil-A. His personal and business values have always reflected a belief in the importance of marriage and family. We have seen these principles honored powerfully in Dad's marriage of more than 63 years to our mother Jeannette and those of his family, including my wife Rhonda and me in our 37 years of marriage.

At Chick-fil-A, we have a heart for helping marriages because we know marriage can be difficult at times. Through the years, we have supported our Chick-fil-A staff and franchised Operators in their marriage journey, and since the formation of our family foundation, the WinShape Foundation, we have helped others as well. Primarily through WinShape, we have supported summer camps for girls and boys, 14 foster homes, more than $26 million in college scholarships and the development and operation of the WinShape Marriage Retreat Center.

Some recent coverage has incorrectly reported that we require potential franchisees to discuss their church involvement. In addition, we do not require this in our franchisee selection process nor do we require a pledge to follow Christian values for the college scholarships we provide.

Chick-fil-A's Corporate Purpose is "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." As a result, we will not champion any political agendas on marriage and family. This decision has been made, and we understand the importance of it. At the same time, we will continue to offer resources to strengthen marriages and families. To do anything different would be inconsistent with our purpose and belief in Biblical principles.

In summary, we are a dedicated family business committed to three core areas:

* A 65-year history of operating the business according to Biblical principles.

* A 65-year history of providing genuine hospitality for all people.

* A 65-year history of serving families and communities without a political agenda.

Our commitment to these areas has never been more important in light of recent events. Speaking of commitment, I want to thank our restaurant Operators and their more than 60,000 team members for their commitment to customer service.

We appreciate, value and have enjoyed serving all of our customers for many years. We also appreciate this opportunity to clarify any confusion about our beliefs, and we thank everyone for supporting our restaurants and your love for the Chick-fil-A experiences. It has and will continue to be our pleasure to serve you."

PBC Voice stands with Chick-fil-A and their support of family values. Not only do we love their chicken sandwich, we love the foundation this company is built upon. When will the world understand to be pro-family & pro-biblical marriage does not mean we are anti-anyone else? May God continue to give strength and courage to Dan Cathy and those within the corporation.

The Foundational Message

What is our message? It was God's intent that, through the church, His manifold wisdom would be made known (Eph. 3:10). With that being said...why is there so much confusion?

The foundational message of the church is the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ. Within this good news we have discovered the unconditional love of God. John 3:16 was the life of verse of Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." All that Jesus did, said, and displayed was the love of God for mankind. He came with no other intention but to reveal the heart of the Father and to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin. How can we possibly miss this?

Before I go any further, I want you to know that I love the church. However, I am not blind to the reality of how the church is perceived in the world. We are often seen as critical, judgmental, and hypocritical. Do you know why? I have a simple answer: We don't live out the message that we say we believe in!!!

1 John 4:8 tells us that "God is love." John then goes on to tell the church that we shouldn't be anything less. We should be the embodiment of love to the world. We should preach a message of God's love for the world. And we should operate as those who are loved by loving one another. God has done everything possible to show us His love.
In the Word - you read it.
In History - you see it.
In the Cross - you find it.
In the Church - ???

I was actually thinking about this issue last night while discussing theology with some friends. There are actually certain denominations that believe once you experience a particular manifestation of spiritual gifts that you have received the fullness of the Spirit. However, because they do not believe that you are secure in your salvation that this same Spirit (which you have received fully) can/will leave you. Where is the love of God in that?

Before you think I'm picking on a particular denomination keep reading. Other denominations believe that you are secure in your salvation by the grace of God but spend a lot of time focusing on works for establishing your righteousness. Although it may not be communicated so directly, the thought process is there. Grounded in salvation but bound in legalism. Where is the love of God in that?

All that we are as believers, all that we do, and all that we can operate in is based on faith. It's a faith that believes in the unconditional love of God, operates in the grace of God, and trusts whole-heartedly in the fact that Jesus Christ accomplished all that needed to be accomplished. As a believer I now rest in all that God has done in Christ and walk in this love relationship. The work, the discipleship, the growth...it all comes as a result of living out this love that I have for God. Because I am saved - I flesh it out. It comes out in my worship, in my conversations, in my decisions, in my family, and in my preaching.

The message that must be re-claimed by the Body of Christ is the love of God. The understanding that we have of God must be grounded in the unconditional love of God. This is the foundation for all that we do - all that we are - and all that we hope to be. Get into His Word and rediscover the love of God. It will change your life.