BLeach

The Shadow Hymn

It's still early in the week, but already I've had to respond to so much tragedy that's entered good people's lives.  These are friends; good people who love God so much.  And their situations are so difficult to explain.  Impossible really.  The kind of stuff that makes your head spin.  What can you do other than cry, hug, pray, and worship?

Throughout the day I've also seen good things.  A great report from Sunday's offering.  Answers to prayer. 

I've had this simple song from David Crowder on my lips.  The words really capture this two-sided reality that exists in the gospel.

Life is full of light and shadow
O the joy and O the sorrow
O the sorrow

And yet will He bring
Dark to light
And yet will He bring
Day from night

When shadows fall on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When darkness falls on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When all seems lost
When we're thrown and we're tossed
We remember the cost
We rest in Him
Shadow of the cross

Here's the song.  Be encouraged.  Our God shows up in the shadows.

Oh How He Loves Us

Spiritual Streakers

Yesterday I continued our Pneuma series by talking about the Holy Spirit's activity in our lives after salvation.  Everyone who experiences regeneration is like Lazarus.  When he emerged from his grave he still had his grave clothes on.  Full of life, yet dressed like a dead man.

Have you ever met someone who obviously experienced regeneration?  There's life there that wasn't present before.  There's desire for God where none existed before.  But they still have issues.  That's the dynamic I'm referencing.

The Holy Spirit regenerates a heart in a moment.  Then He goes to work on the rest of a man.

To paint the picture I brought up the armor of God.  These are the clothes we put on after undressing from our grave clothes. 

• Helmet of salvation
• Belt of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Sandals of peace
• Sword of the Spirit--which is the Word of God
• Shield of faith

But what do you get if experience salvation but fail to pursue righteousness, or explore truth, or digest Scripture, or walk in relational peace, or take steps of faith?

Spiritual streakers--Christians running around with nothing more than a helmet on.

The Real Truth About Resentment

Resentment: The feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc...

I had a great conversation with one of our leaders this morning about the subtle danger of resentment in ministry.  If we're not careful, resentment can grow undetected in our hearts over time.

• Have you made sacrifices for a worthy cause?
• Have you sacrificed evenings with your family in order to counsel people?
• Have you put a particular dream on the backburner in order to pursue ministry?
• Have you taken on debt in order to finish Bible College?
• Have you accepted a pay-cut because your church's finances took a dip?
• Have you moved to an undesirable location in order to start a new church?

If so, it may be that you joyfully submitted to God in sacrificial obedience.  Or it could be that you did it for a different reason--

To please someone
To avoid failure
To achieve recognition
To grow your ministry

Here's one way to diagnose your motivation.  Can you identify any traces of resentment in your heart?

Resentment is an indicator that you've done something good for the wrong reason.  It's presence in your heart should prompt you to examine your motives.

I gave up all these evenings but the person never changed.  Did you do it for that person?

I've accrued all this debt and can't find a full time position.  Is that why you did it?

I gave up a full ride to business school, and now my ministry is anonymous.  Did you do it for recognition?

I moved here to start this church, and now it doesn't seem to be growing.  Is that why you moved?

The only good reason to sacrifice in ministry is because you're compelled to obey the one you love.  When you're in love, sacrifice isn't sacrifice.  It's a delight.

Leah and I have talked alot about this, because resentment can often show up in the heart of a spouse.  It's a powerful thing for me to tell Leah that God wants us to make a particular sacrifice.  But if she doesn't sense God in it for herself, she will most likely go along with me out of duty.  After all, who wants to stand in the way of God's will.  And if we're not careful, she'll grow to resent the very sacrifices I thought God was leading us to make.

Sacrifice is good.  And when it's done as a relational response to God's loving call it is a beautiful thing.  Just make sure He's the one inspiring it.  Otherwise you'll wake up one day and resent the very thing for which you've sacrificed so much.

By the way, if you've developed a resentful heart, there is an atidote.  It's a grateful heart.  Gratefulness trumps resentment.

Have you sacrificed for God?  Then I guarantee He's given up even more for you.

Selah

Selah is a Hebrew word that means "stop and listen."  During the month of August our church will be practicing Selah on Wednesday nights.  We're taking a break from our regular Wednesday night Life Groups, children's, and youth ministry.  My suggestion is to dedicate these evenings to life-building, relational activities.

Here are some ideas:

• Invite another your small over for a BBQ.
• Go out to dinner with a few people you'd like to get to know better.
• Gather at Starbucks with a group of 4 or 5 friends to discuss a chapter in the Bible.
• Go on a walk with some new friends from the church.
• Volunteer to serve at the Cruisefest on August 14!
• Anything else you can think of to build relationships in the church.

I'm amazed by how quickly the summer is passing us by.  Take some time to slow down, enjoy the weather and invest in people!

Fathers and Teachers

This weekend I'll be wrapping up our Abba series.  I've enjoyed communicating the heart of God as Father, and including reflections on my own recent journey into fatherhood.

This weekend we'll dig into a statement Paul made as he addressed his spiritual sons and daughters in Corinth. 

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (1 Cor 4.15)

Simply put- when your faith is reproduced in someone else, and they are reborn into the family of God, you become a spiritual parent.  It doesn't matter how old you are.  If you have a son, you're a dad.  If you have a daughter, you're a mom.

This prompts Paul to point out a crisis in the church.  There were too many absentee spiritual fathers.  Lots of teachers, but not so many fathers.  And here's how I might describe the difference. 

Teachers inform.
Fathers impart.

Teachers study, prepare to communicate truth, and fill hearts and minds with biblical, relevant content.  Fathers also teach.  But they take it a step further.  They actually reproduce themselves in disciples and pass on their own spiritual DNA.

Look at what Paul says next.  I urge you, then, be imitators of me.  The word is "mimic."  And he says the same thing six times in his letters (1 Cor 4.16; 1 Cor 11.1; Phil 3.17; Phil 4.9; 2 Thess 3.7; 2 Tim 3.10).

Fathers don't teach for 45 minutes during a sermon.  Fathers teach all of the time.

You can pack an auditorium and teach hundreds of people at the same time.  But you can't father all of them.  Not in an auditorium.  You can only father a few.  Mothering requires life on life investment.

And this is why teachers outnumber fathers in the church.  It's a messy, full-time, frustrating job to be a parent. 

It's also most rewarding to see your faith passed on to someone else.

So here's to spiritual fathers and mothers.  We need you.

Simplify

Spent some time this morning talking with one of our interns about the spiritual discipline of simplicity.  To me, simplifying life is to center yourself on Jesus command to seek first the Kingdom of God.  When we do, everything else finds its place in proper order.

Simplicity is a discipline I've often misunderstood, probably because I confused it with asceticism.  Asceticism effectively renounces all possessions, which is an extreme position that makes it difficult to share life with real people.  Simplicity on the other hand puts possessions in their proper perspective.

Richard Foster's thoughts on simplicity in The Celebration of Discipline really inspire me.  He offers ten principles to help Jesus-followers grow in this spiritual discipline.

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. (Do you really need that 4th pair of sneakers)?
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. (This one might put Starbucks out of business).
3. Develop a habit of giving things away. (Combine simplicity with generosity).
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetery. (A fancy way of saying, "don't worship technology).
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. (Why not visit the library more)?
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for creation. (Walk, run, slow down, and spend less money).
7. Look with healthy skepticism at all "buy now, play later" schemes. (Debt works against the true enjoyment of life).
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. (Matthew 5.37).
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. (The most difficult one for me to apply).
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the Kingdom of God. (Isn't shun a fun word?)

How do you practice simplicity?

Following the Holy Spirit

It was a great weekend with Johannes Amritzer at the church!  On Saturday night we gathered with three other churches at Freedom Christian.  Then yesterday Johannes spoke to our church in the morning and spent some time teaching and praying for our leaders last night.  The highlight for me was the one on one time I was able to spend with him during the weekend.  Johannes is always on, which means he's not just ministering when a microphone in his hand.  He poured into me at Starbucks, red lights, and restaraunts!

I've got pages of notes in my moleskine from the weekend.  There's no way I could share all of it on the blog, so here's a little taste from his message to our church yesterday on following the Holy Spirit.

Four Principles:

1.  Don't Grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4.30)

The Holy Spirit's activity in our lives often begins with a check.  If we ignore these corrective or protective checks then we can't expect to continue to hear his voice.

2.  When the Spirit Speaks, Obey Fast

Hesitation makes it more difficult to hear.  The converse is also true.  When we obey, the volume of the Spirit's voice increases.  As followers of Jesus we stand in the Holy Spirit subway station.  When the train comes by, get on it.  If you've missed a few because of distractions or disobedience, watch for the next one.  Because of God's grace it will come.

3.  Keep in Step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5.16)

Don't run ahead of him or you'll get tired.  Don't fall behind or you'll get lost.  Look for God's grace in your life, and invest your resources there.  The Holy Spirit is a very good dancer.  He'll make you look like a good dancer as well...if you let him lead.  Be careful not to step on his toes!

4.  Let the Holy Spirit Break your Routines...Often!

Take a different route to work.  Eat at a new place.  Shake up your weekly schedule a bit.  And notice what the Holy Spirit is doing around you.

Why I Followed the Bus Home

We often think we can't rest because we're so busy.  We just don't have time.  But I think the opposite might actually be true.

We're busy because we don't know how to rest.

John Ortberg was right about me.  My problem is not a disorderly schedule.  It's a disorderly heart.

So on Sunday I challenged our church to practice three disciplines this summer in order to confront hurried sickness head on. 

Slowing: You can practice slowing in the normal course of life by intentionally placing yourself in situations that force you to wait.  Drive in the slow lane.  Wait 15 seconds between bites during dinner.  Choose the longest line at the grocery store, and let at least one person pass you.  On Monday night, Leah even had me follow a bus all the way down 12 Mile Rd, including stops!  (The Holy Spirit is more real to me now that I'm married:)  As a result, I developed a little more humility and patience.  And I turned my frustration with moving so slowly into worship to God for His unending care.

Solitude: For this one you've got to break away.  Sometime this summer, get alone for four hours with nothing except your Bible and a journal.  Refuse to talk.  Instead, sit, walk, meditate, reflect, and write.  It's amazing how clear the voice of God becomes when we slow down and get quiet.

Sabbath: Choose one day every week and declare it to be holy (set apart) by approaching it differently than the other six. Sleep in.  Take some extra time at the gym.  Eat your favorite foods.  Read a few extra chapters in Scripture and enjoy some extended time of worship.  Read a good book or watch an inspiring movie.  Spend time with family and close friends.  Most of all, remember that God is the tireless Creator of every good thing in your life.

How to Care for 10,000 Orphans Without any Money

My Tuesday night Life Group is studying Experiencing God.  In the study, Henry Blackaby shares George Mueller's story.

Because George Mueller wanted his life to prove that God answers prayer, He decided not to communicate the needs of his ministry with anyone other than God.  By the end of his ministry he built four orphanages that cared for 10,000 orphans.  Altogether, $8,000.000.00 was distributed through his ministry...all by faith.  Mueller had the rare ability to discern what God was up to and the guts to join Him.

Here is how he summed up the way he entered into a "heart" relationship with God and learned to discern God's voice:

1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2.  Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3.  I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4.  Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5.  I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.

6.  Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly.