Year End Thoughts

I cannot believe 2011 is coming to a close. It seems the older I get the faster the time goes. It is hard to believe that my family and I have been in Spring Valley for close to four and a half years. God has been faithful to us and I pray for his continual faithfulness in the year to come.

As we enter 2012 there are a lot of things I am believing God will accomplish. My number one prayer request for the year would be for our church health altogether. I am really excited about the new series I am starting in December called Christian Idols and my prayer is that this series will be an entry level series for the future health of our church. My purpose for this series is to look at the idols we Christians put in our lives that many times we fail to see as idols because they are not necessarily bad things. However anything that we place above God in our lives are considered idols no matter how good they may be. The Bible is clear that God will not tolerate idolatry among his people so as his children we need to recognize what things we have in our lives that are hindering our true worship of God. I hope you will join us on Sunday mornings as we go through this eye opening series.

In October the Deacon and Trustee boards met with the 4-C’s Director of Conference Care and Church Development John Kimball as he introduced to us a the Natural Church Development (NCD) and Vista Assessment surveys. Vista is a an assessment tool designed for the leadership of the church to help determine the mission, purpose and Spirituality of the church. The NCD is a 20 minute survey that is to be taken by active members and non-members of the church and evaluates Eight Key Principles of our church. The Principles are…

1) Empowering Leadership

2) Gifts Based Ministry

3) Passionate Spirituality

4) Effective Structures

5) Inspiring Worship

6) Holistic Small Groups

7) Need Oriented Evangelism

8) Loving Relationships

John Kimball proposed and the boards concurred that we do both the Vista Assessment and NCD. The Boards are currently determining the date we would like to administer the NCD and it is important if you are an active attendee of Spring Valley Congregational Church to be willing to take this survey. After taking the survey the results will be compiled and areas of concern will be addressed. Please keep your eyes open for the date and time for this survey as we need about 30 to 40 participants in order for us to get an accurate look at the health of our church. If you would like more information on this process please feel free to contact me.

I would like to invite you to join with me in praying for the coming new year and ask that God would provide all we need in order to have a healthy and effective ministry here in Spring Valley. Join me in thanking God for his blessings on the youth ministry and in his blessings of our new members which will be installed by years end.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I look forward to celebrating our Saviors birth at the Candle light service and Christmas morning.

Book Review

If God Is Good: Faith In the Midst of Suffering & Evil
Randy Alcorn
Multnomah Books

I don’t know how many times I have heard people say, “If God is so good then why does he allow suffering and pain?” but it is a lot. I think it is a good and valid question and is not easily answered. There are a number of books out today that deal with this question and as far as I am concerned most of them are not very good. They spend so much time making excuses for God or use philosophical analogies that don’t necessarily pertain to the trueness of God. However, when I picked up Randy Alcorn’s “If God Is Good…” I found this book to be one of the best, most comprehensive and honest books on the issue of suffering and evil. Alcorn brings a fresh and biblical perspective to these issues and does so in an easy to read format that is loaded with scripture references to back up his findings. He also uses many examples of men and women throughout history whose lives have been affected greatly by pain, suffering and evil and still have a faith (although challenged at times) that remains stronger than ever.

“If God Is Good…” is an excellent read for anyone who is struggling with the question of why God allows suffering and pain. It is also a great companion for those in the midst of suffering and trials in their own lives presently. It’s not a light read as it is nearly 500 pages but is worth the time investment.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Book Review

Enemies of the Heart
Andy Stanley
Multnomah Books

In Andy Stanley’s book Enemies of the Heart he writes about “The Terrifying truth of what lurks in your heart”. As I read I was reminded of many things concerning our hearts. There are two types of heart spoken of in the Bible. There is the physical muscle that pumps blood through the body, and the Spiritual (or nonphysical) heart which is “that mysterious, wonderful confusing part of you that enables you to love, laugh, fear and experience life. It is the sphere in which relationship happens. And it is the sphere in which relationships are broken.” This is the type of heart Jesus spoke about throughout the Gospels. Both hearts are equally important in regards to life and both are the central command center for healthy living.

Both hearts have one thing in common and this is the dreaded heart disease. Pastor Andy Stanley defines them as the “four enemies of the heart” which are anger, jealousy, greed and guilt. Each enemy has the potential to eat away at relationships, moral fiber and most importantly our relationship with God. Any of these symptoms in our lives is a sign of an unhealthy heart.

According to Stanley, “The world is full of outside forces that have the power to disrupt the rhythm of your heart… the inevitable pain and disappointments of life have caused you to set up walls around your heart… but the truth is your heart is out of sync with the rhythm it was created to maintain.” Jesus states in Matthew 12:33 – “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” One of the ways we can check our hearts is by checking the words we speak or the way we treat others. Do your words and actions match up with the Savior you proclaim?

Like most heart disease, it doesn’t just appear overnight. Usually it is the result neglect and allowing impurities into our systems that causes damage to our hearts. In the same way, our road to a healthy heart is not an overnight process; it will take some hard work and time to get back on the road to health. The first step to recovery is identifying the problem and taking action from there.

How are things with your heart?

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Wall Quotes and Picture Frames (Part 5)

“It’s one thing to dream, but when the moment is right, you’ve got to be willing to leave what’s familiar and go out and find your own sound.”

Howard Schultz

The above quote is from chairman and CEO of Starbuck’s Howard Shultz and it really hit home when I read it. I think what Schultz is saying is it is important to dream but there is a time when one needs to go from dreaming to doing. As a church and a pastor we/I need to dream about the future. It is important to make plans and have a vision for the future and I/we must realize that in our dreaming, visioning and planning there will be a time where we need to make the jump from dreaming to doing. As the quote says, “You’ve got to be willing to leave what is familiar…” This usually involves change.

What does it mean to find your own sound? Personally I think it means you have to be willing to go out and become who God created YOU to be and not what people think you should be.

As a church I believe it means that we have to become what God wants us to be and not what we or others think we should be. This may and probably does mean we need to be willing to seek God’s plan and purpose for us and not try to fit a human made definition of what is called “the church”. It means we should be more than just a service or program on Sunday morning. We need to be more about being and not just showing up and doing. We don’t attend church we are the church. We are to be a group of believers who unashamedly love God, loves people and are disciples of Jesus who go out and make disciples of Jesus. This is the dream I have for my life and our church.

Are you willing to leave behind the familiar to pursue your own sound? Are we as a body of Christ willing to leave the familiar? I know we like the familiar. We like safe. We enjoy the “norm”. We like to sit in the same pews week after week. But is God calling us to a familiar, safe, normal sit in same pew kind of faith day after day? From what I read in the Bible God/Jesus is continually commanding/asking us to leave what is familiar and safe to follow him and sometimes that journey is unknown, dangerous and wild. We see this is the cases with Moses, Joseph, Abraham, Jonah, all of the disciples, and so on. May we learn from these men of faith. Let’s not be afraid to dream in our lives and in our church. May we be willing to leave the familiar and allow God to work in us so that we can find our own sound.

Wall Quotes and Picture Frames (Part 4)

"The sovereign selection of God gives great confidence to the Christian workers. We can truly say, ’I am here neither by selection of an individual nor election of a group, but by the almighty appointment of God.’”

J. Oswald Chambers

“How did you end up here?” This is usually the response I get when I am asked by a local why I moved from Western PA to Spring Valley, WI. I always answer, tongue in cheek, “I still haven’t figured out how I got here yet.” The truth is (and I always say this after my joke) I am here not because I chose to come here; nor am I here because I was the one person selected out of many to be the pastor of this church. I am here simply because God has appointed me. This truth gives me great confidence in where I am personally and as a pastor. I am here because of God. This truth should give the members of the church great confidence. Why? Because if God is the one doing the appointing then nothing and I mean nothing can change the fact that we are in his will. In Romans 8:31 the Apostle Paul writes, “If God is for us then who can be against us?” He answers this hypothetical question in verses 35—39 God is in control of all and victory belongs to those who are in Jesus Christ. In these verses he goes through a list of possible “things” that can separate from the love of God. He concludes that he is CONVINCED there is NOTHING that can separate from the love of God. This is where my confidence lies and should give you great hope and confidence

The quote from J. Oswald Chambers is probably one of the oldest quotes I have had on my wall. For over ten years I have read this (almost daily) to remind me of why I am where I am today. There are times when I question my calling as a pastor and all I need is to be reminded… I am not a pastor in the Upper Midwest because I chose or was chosen by people, I am here by the sovereign selection of God. This means I will remain here until God has revealed both to me and the church any different. This gives me (and hopefully you) great joy and confidence that we are right where God wants us. There is nothing better than being right smack dab in the middle of where God has put us.

How about you? Are you confident God has put you where you are? Can you say that you are where you are not because you or anyone else put you there but because God in his sovereignty selected you to be where you are today?

Wall Quotes and Picture Frames (Part 3)

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."

Woodrow Wilson

Human beings are very resistant to change. We like our routines, traditions, and predictable lives. If you don't agree then do as the quote from Woodrow Wilson above and you will see he and I am right. As a pastor I could tell you story after story about how resistant to change the church can be. In my 17 years of pastoring I have seen people leave churches because they changed the music, the hymnals, versions of the Bible, decorations, facilities, order of worship and so on. Believe me, I am well aware of the enemies one can make by trying to change something. Why are churches so resistant to change? That's a good question and I bet there are thousands of answers. Maybe the better question to ask is "Why does the Church need to change?" (Pause...Open can of worms). I don't think I want to go there today.

One of my frustrations as a pastor is meeting resistance to godly change and/or even worse apathy to godly change. What do I mean by godly change? Simply, changing something that needs to be changed so God may be glorified (because he is behind or in the necessary change) and not merely changing something for the sake of change. I know and have read about pastors who have been fired from their churches because they pushed for unnecessary change and I am not talking about this kind of change. I also know personally, pastors who have been fired for instituting change that God was in.

The truth is when God moves in a church body or an individual we need to re-adjust our lives and church bodies to fit God's plan and purpose. I find it maddening when people knowingly resist godly change simply because they refuse to change. In my mind resistance to God is futile; it's a losing battle from the get go. What gets to me even more is when people say, "Do what you need to do pastor; but don't expect me to re-adjust because I am fine where I am right now. Things are going well for me, life is good and I don't want to mess with that. You go ahead but I'm going to stay right here." What these people are saying is, "I really don't care where God is heading or what he has in store I am fine right where I am."

Sometimes we pastors push for change because we REALLY want to see God come alive in our church bodies and in individuals lives. We promote change because we see God in the change. I encourage you to read Isaiah 43:18,19 to see that God also does new things because he cares for his people and wants to bless us. I know I can come across as the enemy when I promote change, but realize I promote godly change because I desire godly change in my life. I promote it because where God is I want to be... want to come along?

Wall Quotes and Picture Frames (Part 2)

"What we are in secret is what we really are."

N.T. Wright

This is probably one of the most convicting quotes that hangs on my wall. It is a short sentence with few words but it packs a punch. I am a pastor and people (whether I like it or not) have expectations of me. I am expected to be moral, pure, genuine, caring, truthful, trustworthy, a lover of God, a man of prayer, a counselor, a comforter, an encourager, a preacher of God's Word, or in other words I am expected to be one step shy of Superman (at least a Spirit-filled one).

As I stated, these are some expectations people place on me... But what am I when I am alone in my office, at home, or at a place where no one can see what I am up to? If you were to observe me in any of these settings it would speak volumes as to who I really am. Do I read God's Word when nobody's watching? Am I kind to my family when it's just the six of us? Do I pray when I am alone? The list goes on.

I know you know that I know I am not even remotely close to being a hint of perfect. I also assume (you know what that means) that that you know I don't sit around and pray, read the Bible and preach at people all day long either. I am a man who is human and I have flaws (more than I care to share with you). I don't always pray when I should, nor do I study God's Word as diligently as some and I definitely have moments of doubt and questioning.

So what am I in secret? My prayer is that I am the same person when I am around many people... a flawed individual who is striving by the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life that is pleasing to God and reflects the Jesus who is in me. Some days I do this well and other days I fail miserably. However when I do fail I am constantly reminded by this 8 x 10 black picture frame that hangs on my wall "What we are in secret is what we really are."

May my secret life be the same as my public life.

Wall Quotes and Picture Frames (Part 1)

"Sin disunites the most united hearts: It is the bane of holy fellowship."

George Whitefield

I love quotes. I mean who doesn't? I peruse Facebook and read quote upon quote day after day of friends statuses of meaningful quotes. I think I may be a quote hog? Whenever I read a book (generally non-fiction) I like to keep a pen or highlighter in hand to note quotes that really speak to me. I am not a person you would probably want to borrow or buy a book from because of all the underlining and notes I make. Quotes really make me happy.

If I come across on I really like I will open up my ancient version of Microsoft Publisher on my computer and copy the quote into the program. Then I give it a fun colorful font (with a shadow or outline for curb appeal) and tape or tack it up on my wall. I have been doing this for years. In fact for fifteen years I have been in ministry I have only acquired about two handfuls of quotes that have made the honorable transition from book to eye catching MS Publisher document that hangs on the wall.

This past weekend was my 41st birthday and for a present my wife bought me six picture frames and put some of the quotes in these frames so I could hang them on the wall in my office. This was a very thoughtful gift and I just (moments ago) finished hanging them (hopefully I didn't bug our youth pastor too much with all the hammering). As I was positioning these special quotes in just the right places on my wall I thought it would be fun to blog about them and how they impacted me so much. So, Lord willing, I would like to post a quote throughout the days and weeks and write about it and share with you a little of my heart.

The quote above from George Whitefield is probably one the most (definitely in the top three) favorite quotes simply because of the truth factor and reminder of the horrible consequences of sin. Since the creation of humanity sin separated fellowship between us and God. It was because of sin man and woman were cast out of the garden. It continues today to put up barriers between God and humanity. Sin not only creates a barrier between God and people; it also the main factor that ruins true godly fellowship we have with each another. I am often reminded of what the presence of unrepentant sin in one's life has done to sever the fellowship I have had with those who I love. Whether it is my own sin or the sins of others it is without a doubt the main thing that has broken holy fellowship between myself and others. This is why I hate sin.

On the contrary the unsettling thing for me is I claim to hate sin, yet it seems I find myself running to it more than I from it. Why is that? I wish I had the answer. I do know that when I allow sin to run unchecked in my life I feel distant from God and separated from other believers. I also acknowledge the destruction and hurt sin can and does produce in a family, church, small group or individual, yet I/we allow it to run rampant in our lives.

Only by the grace of God can I find forgiveness in Him and pursue the life of holiness He calls us all to. I will never reach sinless perfection in my lifetime but through the power of the Holy Spirit I can (and Lord willing) and will allow God's presence in my life to overshadow the temptations of sin that are ever before me. Words cannot express how much I enjoy fellowship with God and with fellow believers and I am thankful we have the privilege of having both. My hope and prayer for my life is for unity with God the Father and unity among fellow believers. Will you pray for and with me as I seek more joy in fellowshipping with God and believers than I do in pursuing the "pleasures" of sin.

Next Christians (Part 2)

The second category of Christians are called Cultural Christians. According the Lyons there are two sub categories that make up this second group of believers according to how they interact with the current culture.

Cultural Christians - "They don't obsess about the afterlife and generally believe heaven is reserved for most, everyone, except for awful folks..." These groups tend to focus more on social justice and not being too Christian (which many believe can be harmful to the face of Christianity).

BLENDERS - These are individuals who who identify themselves as Christians but culturally they try to "blend" into contemporary culture and try not to "look" or "act" to Christian. The author writes, "Blenders have one concern: being like everyone else." It seems as though these people desire to be Christian but do not want to come across as "holier than thou" or seem like a bible thumper so they become Christians incognito. Lyons identifies many "blenders" as individuals who believe they "inherit their parents' religion - It's a generational hand me down."

PHILANTHROPISTS - These are Christians who emphasize working on making the world a better place to live. Often these individuals are heavy on "doing good things for the better of humanity" and light on the Gospel. They take seriously Jesus' command to serve the needy and one another but often neglect the Great Commission.

With these two groups we can see that Separatists do everything in their own power to disconnect from the world and its evil while the Cultural Christians concern themselves mainly with engaging the world, becoming part of it and doing social justice. Both groups have an exclusive feel to them... Separatists may view the Cultural Christian as too liberal and the the Cultural Christian may view the Separatist as too conservative, strict or judgmental. While both have good qualities about them they do ultimately miss the point of the Gospel of Jesus.

The Next Christians (Part 1)

Today I started a book entitled THE NEXT CHRISTIANS by Gabe Lyons and after reading 50 pages of it this morning I am finding it extremely insightful. Below is a summary of some insights Mr. Lyons made in regards to the "different ways Christians Interact With Current Culture" (What do they emphasize? How do they interact with the world? Where did this mentality come from?) It is broken down into three categories with sub categories for the first two... 1) Separatists 2) Cultural 3) Restorer

Today I am going to share his/my insights about the first group...

Separatists - This group of people take seriously the call of Jesus to bring the light to the world at any cost irregardless (sometimes) of how they come across to others. Many believe that

1) INSIDERS - these individuals "earn their label from the spaces they choose to occupy - or perhaps the spaces they avoid at all costs." This group tends to immerse themselves into the Christian culture and separate themselves from the world. According to Lyons, "These Christians spend the majority of their time in Christian communities - 'safe' places." I (Jeff) call these people "Bubble Christians". They live in a bubble of safety and protection from any influence from the secular world.

2) CULTURE WARRIORS - This group "often hold an underlying view that America and Christianity are deeply intertwined." They have waged war on culture because they believe that modern (or post modern) thinking is the demise of America and ultimately the Church.

3) EVANGELIZERS - Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is their main goal and to these people is the ONLY "legitimate Christian activity in the world." They are passionate and motivated for spreading the Gospel (which in itself is not a bad thing it's actually part of our commission) however they can come across as judgmental, rude and loud. "For them, the ability, courage, and boldness to witness - in hopes of winning converts - is the defining mark of the truly faithful."

While the author may come across as critical towards these people he does say that many of these people's motives are pure... they just may not be the most effective way to reach the world for Jesus. The times are changing and so our method of sharing the message of Jesus may have to change just as well. Now this does not mean the MESSAGE (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) should change but the METHOD or way we share may have to in order to be more effective for Christ.

He Must Increase

As I was studying the text this morning for Sunday's sermon the words of John the Baptist have struck a chord in my heart today. "He must increase, I must decrease." Such a simple, yet profound statement. As I prayed this morning I said, "Lord make my attitude be that of John the Baptist."

The church and ministry that God has given me charge over has nothing to do with ME and increasing my influence in the world; it has all to do with Jesus. I do not want to waste an iota of my time trying to promote myself because none of what I do has anything to do with me and advancing my agenda. I want to promote Jesus and His Kingdom... God has given me charge to point this congregation and all of my friends, peers and relatives to Jesus.

Lord, I continue my prayer today... "You must increase in my life, ministry, family, relationships, work, recreation etc. and I must decrease because all I do I want to do for you."

A Pastor's Success

"A pastor who feels competent in himself to produce eternal fruit- which is the only kind that matters- knows neither God nor himself. A pastor who does not know the rhythm of desperation and deliverance must have sights only on what man can achieve... We are called to labor for that which is God's alone to give. The essence of the Christian ministry is that success is not within our reach." John Piper (Brothers We Are Not Professionals)

The above quote really hit me this morning. I love the last sentence, "The essence of Christian ministry is that success is not within our reach." How true this is. As a Pastor I am called to labor in Christian ministry nevertheless success is not a result of my labor but because of God's grace. I am called to pray continually for the congregation, use my time wisely to prepare a message that is Gospel-centered and God glorifying, and love God's people. However the end result of my labors is not up to me, it is up to God. If He in His grace and sovereignty decides to bless us it is only because He will be glorified. No amount of planning, scheming and vision casting can MAKE God do what I want Him to do. Sure I can come up with some great programs that will appeal to the public, I can create a message that will tug at hearts, and create a vision that will encourage the troops to go out and take our little town for the glory of God. But if God is not in any of these things then it is pointless.

My success is not God's concern... His glory is. So I will commit my ministry, time and life to seeking His will and getting on board with Him for His glory. Lord, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I will trust you and believe your will to be accomplished.

Super Bowl Bash

I am not a fan of the Green Bay Packer's (this is no new revelation to those who know me) and I REALLY do not like the Pittsburgh Steelers (again no new surprise). However I want to congratulate the Packer's for a great game and for winning the big one. But what I really want to thank the Packer's for is a reason to get together with family and friends at the church, watch the game and have an AWESOME time of fellowship! We had a blast! It truly felt like a family gathering (minus all the drama and bickering).

Thanks to all who came and to those who didn't... Maybe you can join us next year when the Patriots make their next appearance in the big game.

A Pastor and Prayer

This past week I attended the Desiring God Pastor's Conference in Minneapolis, MN. During this time I was encouraged, convicted and challenged concerning my prayer life. Below is a link to a message by Francis Chan that convicted me and encouraged me in the same way. I have never listened to Francis (I have read his books) and I was blow away. If you have some time check out the message. I have a link to the video and posted the outline below.

FRANCIS CHAN MESSAGE (Video)

Being Amazed at Answered Prayer (Message transcript from Francis Chan - Desiring God Pastor's Conference)

Pastor John gave me the topic of prayer as a personal journey. In my life, prayer has even rivaled the Scriptures in stirring my affections towards God. I know that Jesus loves me because the Bible so—God, you love me that much! But I know he loves me because of the way he answers my prayers. Just five minutes ago backstage, pleading with God, “How do I share what you and I have been through all of the years!? How do I communicate that? Do you love everyone this much? I see it so much in how you answer my prayers.”

Whenever I have money in the bank, I want to give it to people in need. But this one time I wanted to take my family on vacation and I pleaded with God and made it known. And I prayed and waited. A few days later my wife called me at work and said we got a cashier’s check in the mail for $2,000. All it had on it was a Post-It note that said, “Spend it on your family.” Wow! God is so good in answering my prayers.

Another time, my wife and I were talking. She was saying how she just loves our life and loves how simply we live. But she said, “You know, I just want to be more generous.” We have always wanted to be the kind of people who just write checks to people. We just are not those people though, so we prayed for wealthy people to be raised up in the church who just don’t care about their stuff. We also prayed that God would make us wealthy to give it away. And just last year, we made about $2M off of sales from Crazy Love. None of it comes to us but to a fund and we get to write checks to people.

Prayer is a way of walking in love. I love God so much because of how God has answered my prayers. Sometimes even we pray the wrong thing and we are so grateful and amazed that God did not grant those prayers. But when you look at Scripture, don’t we see that prayer is what sets us apart from other religions? The story of Elijah, God is the one who answers prayer. He is not a block of wood. He answers the prayers of his people.

One thing I have done is writing in prayer journals. I write my prayers on one side and then go back and write on the other side of the page when God has answered that prayer. It is so good to go back and remember how God has answered prayer. We so easily forget what God has done. This is a serious power that we have here in prayer.

Another time I was cleaning out my garage. I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to do something that would last for eternity. So I prayed that God would help to do something eternal in it. So I was cleaning out my garage and my neighbor stopped by. He said he had been wanting to talk with me and asked that I pray for him. It was great!

Believing in the God of Power

Every time I experience answered pray, I am just in awe of God. Why do I do anything but pray? The only thing that ever differentiates between me and some other religion is that God is my God who answers prayer. When I talk to someone on a plane or somewhere, I pray that God would show up in power, otherwise I will just sound like one of these other religions. He has to work and do something.

When an unbeliever walks into your church, don’t you want him to walk away saying, “Man, that guy, those people, are connected to God!” Is that what they see? Is that what comes across in your church? Isn’t that what we want? We want to show how great God is through our connection with him.

Yes, God is sovereign and he could use an unbeliever to preach the gospel with authority. But don’t you want to be connected to God so people are pointed to God? Remember Sunday School as a kid? You would walk out thinking and believing that your God can do anything! You would read and hear about all these great things God has done and would believe it. But now that we’re older, we are no longer amazed by the miracles that God does. Instead, we’re amazed by a communication style and by knowledge.

Maybe we need to get back to preaching those great stories of God’s greatness in the Old Testament. We need to remind our people that our God can do anything. Do you still believe it? Do you still believe that God is able to do anything? We have lifted up Moses and Elijah as super heroes but they were just men like us. They have nothing on us. If they were here today, we may be in awe of them. But they are no big deal! We have a nature just like them. They prayed fervently. We could pray that we could do that.

Cry Out, He’ll Answer

I am now getting so used to God answering my prayers that I have to pause think about it more when he doesn’t. I have to think harder about why he doesn’t heal that person. I have to think if I’m praying with wrong motives or if I’m not treating my wife well or what is going on. I want to point you to Isaiah 58:5-9.

There were people who were pleading with God for certain things, but because of their disregard for his commands, of course he was not going to listen to them. But as soon as they start doing them, he says, “Here I am.” There are times when I marvel at the Lord because I don’t pray as hard and long as some people. I feel spoiled because of how he answers when I just pray quickly or just think about it. This passage says he will answer. Just cry out.

If you abide in Jesus, he will abide in you. This is probably my biggest failure. It is so easy to get busy in the ministry and my prayer life just turns into, “Do this. Do that.” It lacks abiding in Jesus. It takes faith though to sit and abide in God. I neglect the most important thing, which is prayer as a way to walk in love. I fail to just commune and talk with God.

I fear that many of you focus so much on the work of God that you neglect the person of God. If you abide in him, there is much fruit. Think about it. The great things that have happened in your ministry—were they a result of your great planning or strategy or did something just fall in your lap? It is always the grace of God. Just abide in God.

The One Thing

I have camping out on this verse for the past several weeks, Psalm 27:4. What is the one thing you keep asking of the Lord? If I read a transcript of your prayers, what would I see is the one thing you keep asking for? Would it be, “Let me dwell in your house all the days of my life and gaze upon your beauty”? Is that what I would read? Joel said last night, “If you want to humble a man, ask him about his prayer life.” What would it be?

The context of this passage is danger and crazy things happening in the life of the psalmist. The Enemy wants us looking at all the things that are going around us and anxious about the future and all the chaos. If he can get us fearful and worried about the things around us, no one will be amazed by God. But the psalmist says that God is the stronghold of his life.

Other things become our stronghold. We rest on our great staff who can pull off anything. Or we look forward to a day off or vacation or a great conference like this as our stronghold. Maybe you come here not desiring God but you are desiring Desiring God. Or maybe you are desiring Piper. We begin to find our stronghold in other things beside God. But when you are alone with God and baring your soul to him, there should be sweet fellowship and abiding.

When you face the stressful and terrible things of life, you should be able to have a “Go ahead, make my day attitude.” You should have a confidence. Why? Because of the one thing you have asked of the Lord. Because you are in God’s presence, communing with him. Who will attack you as you commune with Lord? That’s ridiculous! Just dwelling with the Lord and things will be fine.

Think about it. If there is only one sovereign Being who is over all things in the universe, then if I just abide him all things will be taken care of. Right? We would say that we believe in the sovereignty of God, but the question is how is that fleshed out in your life. Does it result in a peace that surpasses all understanding? Even when it seems like there is nothing else going for you, you have the sovereign God who is your refuge.

Do you get to the point where you just want to stay with God and stay in his presence? That’s what this verse is about—just gazing upon his beauty and spending those sweet moments with him. It doesn’t have to be somewhere special. I spent two hours at an IHOP eating pancakes, communing with God. Sometimes in the middle of the night I will just count my breaths and be amazed that God has given me another breath. It should stun us that the God of the universe will listen to us in prayer. What is better than that?! He listens and hears and loves. Let this be the one thing you ask.

The Pitfall of Assumption

Everyone has been talking about me leaving my church in Simi Valley. I moved to San Francisco three weeks ago and everyone’s asking what I’m going to be doing there. But not one person has asked, “How is your prayer life?” It’s because everyone assumes that you’re doing that. I think people assume that I am doing that. Maybe they think it is silly to ask me if I’m praying. I wish more people would say, “I hope you haven’t started anything without praying first.”

We’ve all done that, right? We’ve made assumptions about staff people or congregation members. And then we find out later what they have been dealing with and wrestling with. So I don’t want to assume anything this morning. I don’t want to assume that you are walking closely with God right now. My prayer is that your boast is in God and that you are about God and that people see that in you.

It takes so much faith to abide in Christ and to dwell in the house of the Lord. I pray that you get there. That is what people want to see when they come to your church. They want to see a man of God who is connected. Elijah was a man just like you, just like me. He was connected to God. I want you to be connected to God like that.

Reading List for January and February

Jesus, In His Own Words - Robert Mounce (B & H Publishers)
"An account of the life and ministry of Jesus that combines all four gospels into a single narrative and allows Jesus himself to tell us the story,"

God Is the Gospel - John Piper (Crossway Books)
All aspects of the Gospel should draw us closer to God.

The Inner Circle - Brad Meltzer (Hachette Books)
A great thriller that is quite captivating.

Undisputed - Chris Jericho
An autobiography of "The Lion Heart", WWE Superstar and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho. I'm a sucker for autobiographies.

The Reformed Pastor - Richard Baxter
A very convicting and encouraging book on what it means to be a pastor.

Prayer, Professional Football and Planting

Every month I travel about 40 miles to spend some time with fellow pastors for prayer and fellowship. This is the one part of the month I soooooo look forward to. Being a pastor can be a lonely and trying job at times (especially in a small church and town) so it is very refreshing to spend time with fellow pastors and pray for one another. I was especially blessed this month as one of the pastors invited a former Minnesota Vikings defensive back to come and observe our time together. I wasn't bless because there was a great football player in our midst who played in Super Bowl 4 but because this man has a heart to pray for pastors. What a joy and privilege it is to know that there are men and women in this area praying daily for us. What I really noted about this gentleman was his humble spirit. As we were sharing our struggles and requests I asked the man, "Is there anything we can pray for you about?" He asked that we pray for his wife to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He has been praying for her for 30 years! That's right 30 years! Would you join me in praying for this man's wife? It doesn't matter who he is, I just ask you pray for her and for Jesus to reveal himself to her and lead her into a saving relationship with Him.

Another blessing of our time together is (after a hearty meal) we re-convene for our Northstar Church Multiplication Hub meeting. In our denomination we are really pushing forward with church planting. In the Upper Midwest we are praying God would establish new churches for his glory. I encourage you to go check out our web page here and read about what we are all about. The Northstar Center would appreciate your prayers as we continue to seek God in making decisions and assessing men and women for future ministry.

Lastly, I ask you to keep myself and our church leadership in your prayers. Would you pray that God would raise leaders in our midst so we may be the church God is calling us to be? I am also praying for God to send five (spiritually healthy) families or individuals to our church so we can continue to go out and minister to the community for the cause of Jesus Christ.

Rule Follower Explained

In my post yesterday I think I may have failed to clarify that I am not implying that the "law" is bad and we should never keep the rules. This was not my intent. I came across a quote this morning in my devotional time and wanted to share it. I believe it says somewhat of what I was implying or at least it expands on it.

John Piper writes in his devotional A GODWARD LIFE, "Tragically most of us have been taught that duty, not delight, is the way to glorify God. We have not been taught that delight in God is our duty! Being satisfied with God is not an optional add-on to the real stuff of Christian duty. It is the most basic demand of all. 'Delight yourself in the LORD' (Psalm 37:4) is not a suggestion, but a command. So are: 'Serve the LORD with gladness' (Psalm 100:2) and, 'Rejoice in the Lord always' (Philippians 4:4)"(p. 23)

Following rules and christian duty are not bad things. However when we let them be our perceived righteousness then the law, morals and duty become a bondage. I think it's a sad testimony to the state of modern Christianity that we even have to clarify that works duties, and obligation will not make you right with God. Unfortunately the Church in the West is becoming more performance driven and man-centered that we are pushing grace, justification and salvation through Christ alone to the backburner. I think people fail to realize that when we submit ourselves to Jesus Christ and allow Him to be Lord of our lives then rule following and duty will come naturally as a form of worship and not as our righteousness.

Heart Changer or Rule Follower?

Here is an excerpt from my sermon yesterday. I wanted to re-post this on my blog because I feel it is something God showed to me in regards to Christianity verses religion...

John the Baptist’s whole ministry (and life for that matter) was devoted to pointing people to Jesus. He was a heart changer. He knew his place in life. He had a humble (and strong) spirit to him. He was not about self promotion, he was about Jesus promotion. He had no agenda of his own. He had God’s agenda. He was more concerned with people being right with God by preaching a message of baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Than he was about telling people how they should act or interpret the law. His purpose and goal was to show people a new way of life... a relationship with God through the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

The Jews (or religious leaders) were all about the rules, conformity and power. Their whole lives and ministry were about keeping the law and being pious. Their “religion” was more about doing than being. They were very much into self promotion and power simply by imposing rules and regulations on people based on their interpretations and beliefs. The clothes they wore were lavish and their attitudes were conceited. They had no concern for God’s agenda; they were more about God changing his agenda to fit their plans. There was no talk of repentance and forgiveness and submitting to God. It was all about the rules. Their righteousness was based on outwardly keeping the rules.

When I look at these two groups of people I am reminded of how these attitudes are still among us today. Thankfully there are heart changers in this world today. There are believers today who are caught up in Christ promotion and preaching a message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. They understand that their spirituality or faith is not a result of keeping rules and pointing out the sins of others in a self righteous way. They are who they are because they are submitted to the one (Jesus) who has shown us the way to the Kingdom. A heart changer receives a new heart when Jesus becomes their Lord and Savior. They don’t just become better versions of themselves, they become new creations in Christ. The old has passed away and the new has come.

Unfortunately there are still people and attitudes among us today of the rule followers. These are individuals who depend on “doing” more than “being”. In their minds their fulfillment of duties and “being a good person” are all they need in order to be a Christian. They attend church on a semi regularly basis, they try to be moral (but like all of us fail every so often). They may put some (in some cases a lot of) money in the plate when it comes around. There is little to no change in heart; they are the same person they have always been. Maybe they have carved out a little compartment in their life for God (on Sundays or when they are in a difficult situation.) You get the picture.

The question I want to leave with you today is this… Are you a heart changer or are you a rule follower in your relationship with Jesus? Are you putting all your chips on the belief that you are a good person and follow the rules and treat others kidly as insurance for life? Or have you repented of your sins, sought forgiveness and given your heart completely over to Jesus to completely transform your life?