Growing in Grace

Grace is defined as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ.  Grace has been extended to man because as God's prized creation, He is favorable toward man.  It is not something we earn, but something God in His sovereignty chooses to bestow upon us when we choose to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.  The grace of God represents His kindness toward us.  I have often heard grace described with the following acronym:

God's 
Riches
At
Christ's 
Expense

I feel Paul sums it up nicely in his letter to the church in Ephesus when he declares:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

What an honor it is to be saved from our sin, our selves and from the system of this world based solely upon God's willingness to offer grace to us.  We cannot do anything that would ever make us worthy of this type of love and devotion given to us by God.  Yet, He doesn't ask us to do anything to earn his grace.

But, what about growing in grace?  Do we have a role to play in that?  Does the grace of God that we receive at the time of salvation cover all things at all times with no requirements from us?  To answer that let us read the next verse in Ephesians 2.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

We are God's workmanship - His creation.  He fashioned us and formed us by His hand.  He knows us intimately.  He knows how He has made us to tick and to operate.  We are each fearfully and wonderfully made.  We are each unique.  

And, we have been created by God FOR GOOD WORKS.  This means we have been made by Him to be active, to accomplish great things and to live our lives with purpose.  This can literally be understood as doing that which harmonizes with the order of society.  I am not looking to get kooky or weird, but there is nothing as powerful and liberating as doing that for which you have been created to do.  

Furthermore, it says that God prepared in advance or beforehand for you and I to walk in the good works for which He has created us.  God has placed destiny in your heart and in your life and finding and realizing that destiny is one of the most valuable things any of us can do.  The most fulfilled people are those who are fulfilling their God-given destiny.  

So, what does this all mean together about growing in grace?  Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior is a complete and total act of God's grace.  We cannot do enough to earn, work up or purchase the grace of God.  Yet, even in that, going forward we have a role to play in partnering with God to grow in the grace He has bestowed upon us.  

I see, find and talk with so many who just want to sit on their stool of do-nothing (as my father-in-law would often say) and soak up God's grace.  But, what is that actually doing?  That is abusing God's grace and misrepresenting its purpose.  Grace is God saving you from something and bringing you into something better.  Even James says faith without works is dead.  God's design for the church - the bride purchased by His grace through the blood of Christ - is that we be an agent for the "equipping of the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:11).  

Grace is not an escape from something.  On the contrary, grace is an enabling and an empowering to fulfill God's purpose and accomplish much for Him.  We grow in grace as we put God's grace to work in our lives.  This means obedience.  This means sacrifice.  This means service to God and His people.  This means commitment to God.  Not growing in God's grace is no different than a 40-year old having his mother change his diapers and asking for permission to nurse.  Please pardon the warped image, but you get the point.  

I don't want to be one that abuses or takes for granted God's grace.  I know I cannot earn His grace.  However, I also don't want to be one that nullifies or misrepresents His grace.  I want to be one that grows in grace - attaining to the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11).

People, People, People

Warning: This is brutally honest.

Today I find myself thinking about this strange verse in the book of Proverbs:

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean.  Proverb 14:4

It causes me to realize and remember something very important.  When you have a gathering of animals you will have messes to deal with.  Fair enough? 

It also causes me to realize as a pastor that when you deal with people you will also have messes to deal with.  And the reality is that people relations can be the most difficult thing in the world to navigate through.

There are two very important promises I will make about myself:

1. I will do my best to live at peace with all men, by speaking the truth in love, by giving and receiving correction and instruction, by working through messes in a timely fashion, and striving to hold short accounts and let things go.

2. I will blow it trying to fulfill #1.

Now that we have that out of the way . . .

I would love to say that I have mastered relationships and being a pastor, friend, family person, etc.  But, that is simply not true.  Very few things in life cause struggle quite like interpersonal relationships.  Some things are inevitable.

-- Feelings will get hurt.  Been on both sides of that.
-- Misunderstandings will happen.  Too many to recount here in this blog.
-- Apologies only go as far as actions support.

Day in and day out dealings with people can turn hair gray or like me make it fall out.  From a natural standpoint we are bent toward being people pleasers.  From a spiritual standpoint we are created in the image of God who fully embodies love.  Therefore, most of our relational lives are built between these two tensions.  We want to please people while loving them as God does.  I find more and more that THIS SIMPLY ISN'T POSSIBLE.

So, I boil it down to a few things that I am hearing God speak to me over and over concerning relationships.  Here is my directive, plan and proposed commitment.

1. I will grow in loving myself so that I can fulfill God's call to love my neighbor as myself.  My issues with and toward others stem from my issues with myself.

2. I will work to always speak the truth in love.  When the pendulum swings too far either direction it is not beneficial to anyone.

3. I will not assume anything or tie anyone to their past.  When you assume the worst about someone you will never bring out the best in them.

4. I will hold short accounts.  There is no reason for me to continually revisit things I say are over.  If I revisit I have obviously neither repented nor forgiven.

5. I will see the potential in everyone.  Several people saw potential in me and everyone is deserving of someone believing in them.

6. I will not base my opinion about someone on what others say to me about them, but will take the time to get to know them for myself.

7. I will be willing to invest into the lives of anyone who will allow me that privilege, never taking for granted how precious that opportunity is, and never taking that person for granted.

8. I will celebrate victories with people and never become jealous or upset when those I have invested in surpass me in recognition, position, honor, etc.

9. I will allow others to correct me, hold me accountable, and tell me "NO."  I do not need "YES" men surrounding me.  I will welcome confrontation when I need it.

10. I will guard my tongue and watch my cutting sarcasm, knowing that there are passive aggressive tendencies in my life and at times behind my words.

None of these will be easy always.  Yet, all of them are definitely necessary.  I love people.  I love relationships.  And I value them enough to do my part to make them the best they can be.

Why books?

So, why have I ventured into the arena of writing and self publishing books?  The reality is that deep in my heart I have carried a desire and dream to write. Many times I have imagined my name on a book but never quite new how to get my words inside. Many years ago I wrote a manuscript entitled, "Are You Content to Wear Those Chains?"  I never did anything with that as I didn't know what to do or how to do it. I determined that perhaps writing was not for me.

This past May I told my wife that I felt I needed to begin writing seriously. As always she was very supportive.  Within 2 weeks of that conversation I heard 2 sermons on Josiah and revival, I was challenged by prophetic people and words to write a book, I was given an outline for a book about Josiah and revival, and I spoke at my first conference. What topic was I given? Revival. I thought I had better pay attention.

On May 30, 2012, I began writing "Carrying the Torch for Revival," and the first draft of the book was completed June 30. I can honestly say I never experienced anything more powerfully in my years of church life or ministry. The message of the book was stored in my spirit and exploded out. Revival is my driving passion. I long to see Gods people alive with His truth and Spirit.

In September, I stumbled upon a method of self publication that utilizes Amazon, Kindle and other avenues of distribution. The company is known as Create Space. My first venture into publishing was "31 Keys to Possessing Your Promise," a 31-day devotional that began as a daily email to our church family. The response to that has been humbling and surprising. Seeing my name on a book was unlike anything I could have imagined. I still look awkwardly at it and try to figure out "why me?"

Finally in January, "Carrying the Torch for Revival" became a published reality. I am not entirely sure what God has planned for these and future books, but I am totally convinced I am following His plan in writing. My prayer with the messages I have put in print is that they will be in the right hands at the right time.

Your dream may not be writing, but I want you to know that your dream can be a reality as well. What can you do today to begin making that happen?

So, why books?  Why writing?  Why not????

God Deserves Our Best

This morning has been a reflective one for me.  I sense various challenges and opportunities before me that are exciting and even a little bit frightening.  At the same time, I have before me some difficulties of things gone wrong and unfulfilled dreams and visions.  The reality is that we can find times in our lives where we feel trapped or uncertain as to what is going on and what it is that God is trying to do in and through our lives.

Yet, I have come to a renewed conviction about something.  GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.  

When things are going as we want . . . GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.

When things aren't going as well as we would like . . . GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.

It seems that in many ways within the modern church the idea of excellence and giving God our best is a foreign concept.  How many times have I myself done just enough to get by?  How many times have I forfeited God's best and my best to just embrace the good enough?  You might say it is a church epidemic.  We only approach God at appointed times.  We only think of Him when we need something.  We want His bailout when it gets tough.  And, we want all that God has to offer without our having to offer anything.  If we would be brutally honest with ourselves, many of us fit that picture. 

But I am haunted by this question this morning:

IF I DON'T GIVE GOD MY BEST AM I GIVING HIM ANYTHING AT ALL?

I think about the story of David in 2 Samuel 24 when he was instructed to build an altar unto the Lord and offer sacrifice and worship.  He approached the owner of the field and the guy was willing to give the land to the king for nothing.  Yet, David's response baffled him and it baffles me this morning.

²¹ Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be held back from the people.” ²² Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. ²³ Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” ²⁴ However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵ David built there an altar to theLord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

David had it in his heart to only give God the best.  And it was said about David that he was a man after God's own heart.  Just like God cared enough to send His very best - His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross - so are we to give our best to Him.  Yet, how often do we just skirt the issue?  We give just enough.  We do just enough.  We go just enough.  On and on.  

Jesus said that our hearts are where we have placed our treasure (Matthew 6:21).  The choices we make in our lives reveal what is really in our hearts.  And the begging question is whether our hearts are in the right place with God to the point that we give Him our very best.  

Just like the widow who gave her 2 small coins, our very best does not have to outdo or measure up to or with someone else.  It must be OUR very best.  I cannot give your very best.  You cannot give my very best.  We each have our own responsibility.  Always remember . . .

GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.

Hey God, what about me????

     We bought  our son, Josiah, a police car power wheel for Christmas.  The product inside the box did not look the same as the product he had seen many times on the shelf.  Why?  Well, some assembly was required of course.  We began to put the car together and hit a bump or two along the way as you are always prone to do.  But, the real issue was in putting the steering wheel on.  Of course it wasn’t in some trivial piece that if it didn’t go on right wouldn’t make a difference.  Nope.  This was the steering wheel.  

     It consisted of a metal rod coming up through the dash and the steering column fitting over the rod and then putting a screw through 4 aligned holes.  Simple enough.  Yet, when it was in place for some odd reason it would not align and the screw would not go in.  We tried and tried and tried.  So, being a man of faith and power I did what a good preacher would do.  I prayed and believed that God would unleash His angels to align that screw and it would be taken care of.  Yet, the screw still would not go in.   

     Well, that set me off.  I was not a happy camper.  I began to tell God how it was such a simple request and how He had answered much bigger things for me and others.  How on earth could I ever trust Him for something big when He wouldn’t even answer something so small?  I was getting offended because of Him.  And, it wasn’t a light and momentary thing.  I got really frustrated.  

     I started talking about how He was letting me down and I didn’t know if I could trust Him ever again.  I went for a walk with my hood on and my head down.  I prayed simply, “GOD, DO NOT TALK TO ME!”  He didn’t, but what I heard was me making two statements while preaching or teaching recently.  

     I heard myself say, “It is better to pray and believe and attempt something for God and fail than to never attempt anything and succeed.”  I told God that didn’t apply in something so simple.  

     Then, I heard myself say, “God is not going to jump through anyone’s hoops and do anything just because they ask.”  Then, I heard the still small voice of God say, "Not even for you, son." 

     Needless to say, I didn’t like either of those statements.  The worst part was, I WAS THE ONE WHO HAD SAID THEM.  After I finally got over myself, I came across something that led me to the following passage of Scripture that brought my simple situation into a whole new light.

^{Luke 7:18} The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. ¹⁹ Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” ²⁰ When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’”²¹ At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. ²² And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. ²³ Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

     If you consider John the Baptist for a moment, you realize that he had grown up close to Jesus - being his cousin didn't hurt - and he had been directly involved in the ministry of preparing people for the coming and ministry of Jesus Himself.  Yet, when he was in jail he was offended.  John was offended that Jesus was doing all of the great things He was doing for everyone else, and yet the great servant John was in jail.  How was it fair for Jesus to not swoop to John's rescue?  Jesus summed up one of the most important lessons any of us can ever learn:

Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.

     To be blessed of God is to be fortunate or advantaged of God.  To take offense can literally mean to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging him and his authority.  The issue for John and the issue for us is that we can become offended at Christ for not meeting our "in the moment" need and forfeit or miss the blessing He desires to have on our lives.  It can completely become the misfortune of sacrificing God's best on the altar of our disappointment of missing God's good.  Consider this same verse in a more drawn out way (my own interpretation).

You will find yourself in the state of receiving God’s blessing and favor if you do not allow what I do or do not do to hinder you from acknowledging My authority.

     John got offended because he was in jail.  I got offended over a stupid screw in a power wheel.  What about you?  Do you have any offense toward Christ?  It can be quite a stealer of God's blessing on your life.  Is it worth it?  The ultimate calling of God for all of us is to simply trust Him and to view and accept Him as God.  Besides, isn't that what He is anyway?

When is the Right Time to Praise?

            Have you ever been in a battle?  OK, who among us hasn’t?  The better question is probably have you ever wondered how you were going to make it through a battle?  I often find it interesting to see how different people face and deal with the battles in their lives.  How many times have you or I been in a battle and wondered if God was able to deliver or help us?  How many times have we wondered what the outcome was going to be and if this just might be the battle that destroys us completely?

            That brings me to my thought for today.  When do we praise God?  When is the right time to praise Him?  Generally speaking, many of us take the Miriam approach and praise God when the battle is over and we have clearly won.  I am referring to Exodus 15, after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.  In that chapter, Miriam, Moses’ sister, picked up a tambourine and had herself a praise party.

^{Exodus 15:20} Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. ²¹ Miriam answered them, “Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

         
   It is very common and very appropriate to praise God for the good things He has done.  So many times we could talk about how He has come to our aid and brought victory and deliverance.  Of course He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving in those moments. 
        
    Yet there is another approach that we find in Scripture.  In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat was facing a battle with Moab and Ammon.  There was fear and uncertainty among the people as to whether or not they could be victorious.  Yet, we find a powerful principle instituted that day.  They went into the battle in praise.

^{2 Chronicles 20:20} They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” ²¹ When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” ²² When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. ²³ For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

            This one is a bit less common.  How many of us ever find ourselves entering a battle in an attitude or mindset of praise?  Yet, how often do we come out of a battle in the same manner in which we entered the battle?  If we go into a battle with a mindset of defeat we come out of the battle defeated. 

            Therefore, the challenge that is before us is this –

PRAISE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BATTLE!!

            Is this easy?  Nope.  Is it natural?  Not usually.  Is it powerful?  You better believe it.  And seeing as usually we are either going into a battle, in the midst of a battle, or just coming out of a battle, that means the answer to my question of when is the right time to praise is this – THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW.

Did God Just Speak to Me?

So did I just hear from God? This is a question that is so often asked. How do we really know when God has spoken to us? Is it as hard as we make it? God speaks to His people today without question, but we at times struggle to determine if it is really Him or if we even have the capacity to hear from Him. Jesus said His sheep know His voice (John 10). Knowing when God speaks is primarily a learning to recognize His voice. We learn to recognize the voice and communication style of anyone we are in relationship with and that is the same with God. We can know when He speaks to us.

But how? Are there things we need to be aware of and do? What if I am simply not sure it is God? That is perfectly normal. Quite often we can mistake our own thoughts and ideas for God speaking. And, God has instructed us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1). There are some basic questions I like to consider when determining if what I just heard or felt is really from God.

1. Is this leading consistent with God’s character as revealed in His Word?

a. “Revelation” does not carry the same weight as Scripture and will never replace or supercede Scripture.

2. Do my closest friends and spiritual mentors sense this to be God’s leading in my life as well?

a. “If a leading creates unrest in the spirit of mature Christian friends or counselors as you share it with them, question it. If a leading requires you to shatter family relationships or important friendships, question it. If a leading requires you to go deeply in debt or place someone else in a position of awkwardness, compromise, or danger, question it. I am not saying you should automatically reject such leadings (unless they are also against Scripture), but reconsider them and treat them very carefully.” (Hybels 1998, 165)

3. Even if it may be tough, does my spirit tell me I am doing the right thing? Do I have a genuine peace?

4. Is this leading self-serving and self-promoting or does it call me to serve others? Is God calling me to humble myself and serve others?

5. As I begin to step out in obedience to this leading, is God’s Spirit confirming it in my heart? Do I see this standing the test of time or is this rash?

6. What circumstances have confirmed that this leading is God’s will for my life? Do I have the gifts and abilities needed for the task?

7. What is likely to be the outcome of this leading? Will it bring glory to God? 

#1 is paramount. God is never going to contradict His written word. If the "leading" fails test one don't even go through the other 6. But, friends, know this. God is speaking to His people today. He desires to speak to you in the same way you speak to Him. Be open and receptive to hear the voice of the Lord. He is speaking...are we listening?