It Can Happen

The Corinthian Church is one of the most interesting fellowships we read about in God's Word. If we take the letter at face value it would be easy to miss the unique aspects of the church - where it was started, the type of culture that surrounded it, and the diversity of its members. One should read the book of Acts to get a solid background of Paul's work in the area. I would also encourage you to read some of the history into the culture. If we don't, it would be very easy to miss the clear warnings that Paul brings out in this letter.

When we take the time to understand 1 Corinthians we find in the first few verses that this church body was blessed with every spiritual gift and had grown greatly in their knowledge of the things of God. The reason for Paul's letter was simple: deal with the disunity, immaturity, and immorality within the fellowship. My question is this: What went wrong? How does a church that is able to operate fully under the gifting of the Holy Spirit get into such bad shape? There are several factors that play into the difficulties within the church. However, I want us to look at some of the warning signs with the understanding that it can happen to any church.

1) We must always be mindful of who we are (1-7)
Paul was addressing the Church at Corinth - "ecclesia" - those who were called out of a pagan society and gathered together in fellowship. Regardless of their background (religion, culture, or economic class) these people had accepted the Gospel message. They had been saved out of a perverse culture and God had blessed them by allowing them to function in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in all knowledge.
*Warning: It doesn't matter how gifted your church body (or how knowledgeable) we can all fail to live up to our potential. How many churches have failed regardless of the giftedness of the people? When we take our eyes off of what matters and become concerned with petty things - disunity awaits us all. Gifts are not a mark of spirituality but a mark of grace. We should never forget that!

2) We must always be attentive to God's Word (10)
There is a great warning issued by Paul concerning disunity in the fellowship. Some within the church were divided over leadership. Some claimed Paul...some Apollos...some Peter...and some Christ. Jesus had been divided into different groups. Paul's teaching here was that all of us are united in Christ regardless of our leaders. It's not about the servants, it's all about the Savior. We would do well to listen to these examples. God can use anyone to bring truth into our lives. Some people are brought into the body to plant, some will water, but it is always God who gives the increase. Whenever a church body begins to exalt a leader over God, you can be sure the problems will follow.

3)We must always be faithful to God's will (7-9)
Paul was trying to help the Corinthian church understand that the message that was brought to them was the same message they should follow in - Jesus Christ crucified for the sins of the world. The continuation of what God was doing in them was not determined by the leadership of an individual but by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It was His work in them that would strengthen them daily, remind them of their calling into the fellowship, and supply all of their needs. Far too often we can become distracted by our own desires (what we want to see happen) but Paul reminds us to look to a faithful God who will never forsake what He started.

If you read on you will find that there were many other things at work to destroy the church body. Rather than go into each individual thing allow me to summarize:
Disunity will kill the fellowship of a church
Carnality will kill the effectiveness of a church
Immorality will kill the testimony of the church

If we, as believers, cannot live in unity our fellowship will be destroyed. If we do not operate in the Spirit of God we will allow carnality (has to do with the flesh) to kill our effectiveness - it doesn't matter how "gifted" we are. And if we do not deal with immorality within the church it will kill our testimony in the community. We must be willing to ask the hard questions. Is there anything we need to deal with? Churches cannot expect every problem to work themselves out. If there is gossip and back-biting then it must be stamped out. If there is adultery, fornication, lewdness, drunkenness, etc. - it must be dealt with. If the leadership of the church has become focused on anything other than doing the will of God they must be corrected. Too many churches have failed in what they do simply because they have yet to believe that God is able to equip or supply.

It can happen! As much as I love PBC I'm always reminded to pray for the unity of the body. As much as I have seen God do in and through this church I'm always reminded to pray that we be led by the Spirit of God. And as much as I believe in the testimony of every believer (their relationship with Christ) I am reminded that sin cannot be allowed to run rampant within the church. These are valuable lessons for everyone within the body of Christ.

Sure...it can happen. But it doesn't have to happen in your church. May God give wisdom, insight, and strength to every congregation to do what is right. May we continue to follow in His leadership. May the church of Almighty God continue to be a city on a hill that shines light into the dark valley below.

To God be the glory!

Setting the World on Fire

John the Baptist told us that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit & fire. I love that reality.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a powerful thing. He is the guarantee that we have eternal life. He is the one who seals us as God's children and guides us into all truth. However, when you think of fire...

Think about what California goes through every year. Wildfires that go on for days. Blazing a path of destruction that is hard to stop. In fact, those fires are even hard to slow down. They burn to hot - there is too much fuel to the flame - and they normally have to wait for them to burn out.

Read the words to Britt Nicole's new song:

Set My World on Fire - Britt Nicole

"I wanna set the world on fire
Until it`s burning bright for You
It`s everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There`s nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father`s hands

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire
I wanna set the world on fire, yeah
I`m gonna set the world on fire
Set the world on fire"

When you and I are set on fire by God we CAN set our world on fire. The difference between the fires you set when contrasted to the wildfires in California is that yours shouldn't be destructive! The fire you burn with is for life and transformation. Your is a fire that should burn hot and be hard to stop. Your fire should be hard to slow down and you should never burn out.

Get before the Lord today and ask Him to allow you to burn hot with the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. Then go out and set the world on fire!

Who's @ Work?

"A servant of a human master works for his master. God, however, works through His servants." - Henry Blackaby

This is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. Rather than looking at what we can do for God, we should only see what God can do through us.

Who can preach a message? Who can share the Gospel? Who can make a difference in the world? It's not what we do...It's what He does! What do we learn from Zech. 4:6? It's not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord! That sounds familiar doesn't it? Eph. 3:20 "according to the power at work in us." If there is a principle that God is trying to teach us through is Word is that it's not about us!

What we do doesn't make the difference but what He does through us. Please understand that God is not looking for your ability but availability. He's looking for someone whom He can pour Himself into...someone who will carry His work in their life out into the world. The world doesn't need better preachers, better thinkers, better workers, or a better message. What the world needs is believers who will place themselves in the hands of the Potter and ask Him to mold them into the vessel that He wants them to be.

Here's what I am discovering: I cannot be the parent I "need" to be but I can allow God to parent through me. I cannot be the husband I "need" to be but I can allow God to love my wife through me. I cannot be the pastor I "need" to be but I can allow God to feed and lead through me. If I could lose this "need" mentality and recognize that it's not about what I do then maybe (just maybe) I can allow God to move in and do it.

I wish that I could tell you that I have mastered this approach. I wish that I could say that in every area of life I have allowed God to equip me but the fact is that I'm still learning. Sometimes this experiment goes bad. It's not God's fault...it's mine. Thank God for grace!

Maybe we can learn to do this together. D.L. Moody heard a phrase that changed his life: "The world has yet to see what God can accomplish in a life that is completely surrendered to Him." D.L. took this challenge and sought to give himself completely to the will of His master. He looked to God to complete His work through Him rather than with Him. The result? D.L. Moody has become one of the most recognized evangelists the world had ever seen.

Almighty God,
Too often when I look at my life all I see is me. I see my failures, my attempts to be who You want me to be gone wrong. I ask that You equip me in every area. I ask that You accomplish through me what You desire. Help me to set aside my agenda for yours. Help me to empty myself so that You may fill me - in every area, every place, every time.
In Jesus' Name
Amen

Pressing On by Pressing In

Ever wake up in the morning and you know that you're just not "feeling it"?

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the day before. In fact, yesterday could have been one of the most awesome days ever...but today {UGH!}.

I'm realizing more and more that everyday is an adventure. Unless I am willing to press on in spite of my feelings I won't accomplish a thing. I was thinking about this very thing and I had the thought of some of the world's greatest explorers. Do you think that those who conquered Mt. Everest woke up each day ready to tackle the mountain? What about those who have discovered new places - don't you think they woke up with discouragement from time to time? What made the difference? They were willing to press on.

Folks, some days you have to pull up your boot straps and push ahead. The good news for those of us who walk in faith is that we don't have to walk alone. Maybe...just maybe - what we really need to do is get before God and let him know how we feel. Maybe we need to press in before we press on.

A quiet time with the Lord can be the difference between seizing the day or being seized by the day. Rather than being ruled by our emotions we need to consider being ruled by the truth of God's Word. If you wake up and head off to face the world through your feelings you will fail. However, if you take the time and allow God's truth to permeate your soul you will be able to tackle whatever comes your way.

Press in to the throne of God's mercy. It is there we are able to find grace to help us in our time of need. Too often we think of this verse only when it comes to our need for forgiveness. But I want you to understand that God wants to make a difference in every part of your life! He cares for you and desires to walk with you every day.

Press in through prayer & press in through worship. Realize that your agenda may need to be altered by God's agenda. But we have to take the time to pursue His agenda. Take the time to get into His presence. Confess your feelings about the day while at the same time claiming the promises of His Word. Regardless of your feeling He is still able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or think according to the work of the Holy Spirit in you (Eph. 3:20). Don't sell yourself short AND don't sell God short either.

Press in so that you may press on! The mountain is waiting.

The Missionary's Master & Teacher

"You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am...I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master..." John 13:13, 16)

*Sept. 22 Devotion from 'My Utmost for His Highest' - Oswald Chambers

"To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught. Having a master and teacher means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, who is closer than a friend, and who understands the remotest depths of my heart and is able to satisfy them fully. It means having someone who has made me secure in the knowledge that he has met and solved all the doubts, uncertainties, and problems in my mind...

"Our Lord never takes measure to make me do what He wants. Sometimes I wish God would master and control me to make me do what He wants, but He will not. And at other times I wish He would leave me alone, and He does not.

"'You call Me Teacher and Lord...' - but is He? Teacher, Master, and Lord have little place in our vocabulary. We prefer the words Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer. The only word that truly describes the experience of being mastered is love, and we know little about love as God reveals it in His Word. The way we use the word obey is proof of this. In the Bible, obedience is based on a relationship between equals; for example, that of a son with his father...If we are consciously aware that we are being mastered, that idea itself is proof that we have no master. If that is our attitude toward Jesus, we are far away from having the relationship He wants with us. He wants us in a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it - a relationship where all we know is the we are His to obey."

How's the relationship?