The Church – part one

A mother once asked her child if he knew what a church was.  With a big smile on his face he replied, “Yes, Mommy, that’s easy.  The church is where God lives.”

That the church is where God lives is true, if we don’t equate the church with the building.  The church is the body of Christ.  It is the community of believers in which the presence of God dwells.  We regularly come together in a building often called a church, but the church itself is the people of God purchased by the precious blood of Jesus.

The church is often belittled and ridiculed in our culture.  Considering some of the wacky leaders that have popped up over the years, I guess some of it is deserved.  But the church is important.  The church matters.  The church was established by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18).  Jesus died on behalf of His church (Ephesians 5:25).

Over the next few weeks this column will focus on the importance of the church – not the building, but the church universal and the church local.  The hope is that God’s people will develop a greater understanding just what the church is and why it is important to the plan of God in this world.

I am grateful that God does not make us Lone Ranger Christians, but places us into the body of Christ.  May God give us a new appreciation for His church and a renewed passion to be part of it.

Proof of Faith

I grew up in the Christian faith.  I heard the stories of Samson, David, Moses, Noah, and the like.  I was taught the Ten Commandments and the Sermon the Mount.  I went to Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and youth group.  And there came a time in my life when I accepted the truths of what I had been taught.  It became personal.  I repented of my sin and confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

As I grew in my faith, I understood I had a responsibility to share it with others, but quite frankly that was intimidating.  In spite of being immersed in Bible stories as a boy, I didn’t know very much Scripture.  What if people rejected me? Even worse, what if people rejected Jesus? 

There were other times when I was challenged on my faith.  I discovered in college that not everyone believed like I did.  They seemed to have no problem defending their religion or lack thereof, but I struggled to defend the faith that I found so precious. 

I determined that to share my faith and defend my faith I must know my faith.  This began a lifelong pursuit of truth … but I still have a long way to go.  All of us who hold the Christian faith dear should have a passion to know more of what we believe and why we believe, but there is a further threshold that must be crossed.  People will not believe us merely because of our knowledge.  They must see our faith is real.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  Jesus gave the world permission to examine not just our knowledge of what we believe but whether our lives have been changed by what we claim to believe.  We may have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible, but people will not believe our doctrine if our faith is not marked by love.

Using Jesus

Jesus is to be worshiped, honored, and followed. He is not to be used.

Every election cycle Jesus gets pulled out of the mothballs and brought forward as a political prop. Politicians, many of whom rarely darken the doors of church buildings, now spout a verse or two of Scripture (often out of context) and may even offer up a prayer every now and then. But politicians are the only ones who use Jesus to their own ends.

One of the earliest known confessions of faith was “Jesus is Lord.” Modern day believers use that phrase, too. We declare that Jesus is both Savior and Lord of our lives. By “Savior” we mean that He died for our sins on the cross and was resurrected giving us the hope of a new and eternal life in Him.

By “Lord” we mean that Jesus is the boss. We relinquish control of our lives to Him. He’s not our co-pilot; we give Him the driver’s seat! He sits on throne of our lives guiding our decisions and lighting our way.

We may not struggle with the concept of Jesus as Savior – He’s our “get out of hell free” card – but we do struggle with the idea of Jesus being in control of our lives. We kind of like the feeling of being in control ourselves, so often we will declare that “Jesus is Lord” but live as if, in truth, we are.

When we choose to claim the mantle of lord of our own lives, we will soon find ourselves in hot water, quick sand, or some other metaphorical but very real dilemma. It is then that we turn our faces heavenward and ask Jesus to bail us out, yet again. And often He does just that.
Truth be told, often Jesus becomes Lord only when it’s convenient for us. That is using Jesus!

But what if we quit using Jesus? What if we chose to declare Him Lord from the moment we woke up to the moment we dozed off? What if He were truly Lord of our time, our words, our thoughts, our finances, our diets, our everything? How would our lives change? How might the world be changed?
D. L. Moody said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that man.” I pray they find out and soon.

Redeeming Love

A song has been playing in my head throughout the week.  It’s not a new song.  It was written in 1800 by a brilliant man, but one who was often given to bouts of deep depression.  The man was William Cowper.  The song is “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”  Here are the words most commonly sung:

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power;
Till all the ransomed church of God are saved, to sin no more.

For since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply;
Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.

These words have been sung using a variety of tunes.  I am personally enjoying the version by City Hymns.  But it is the power of these words that grips my mind and stirs my soul, for the song speaks of a redemption that comes by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the cleansing I have received because of it.

“Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.”  What is the theme of your life? What is that truth that holds your life together and gives it meaning? There is no greater theme or more solid truth than the redeeming love of God shown in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ.

Redeeming Love

A song has been playing in my head throughout the week.  It’s not a new song.  It was written in 1800 by a brilliant man, but one who was often given to bouts of deep depression.  The man was William Cowper.  The song is “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”  Here are the words most commonly sung:

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power;
Till all the ransomed church of God are saved, to sin no more.

For since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply;
Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.

These words have been sung using a variety of tunes.  I am personally enjoying the version by City Hymns.  But it is the power of these words that grips my mind and stirs my soul, for the song speaks of a redemption that comes by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the cleansing I have received because of it.

“Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.”  What is the theme of your life? What is that truth that holds your life together and gives it meaning? There is no greater theme or more solid truth than the redeeming love of God shown in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ.

Rediscover Life

Transforming Grace

What is life all about? The pursuit of ease and happiness? The acquisition of wealth and material possessions? Filling every hour with activity and motion? Doing good deeds and attending church services?  I guess, if we asked people what life was all about we’d get quite a variety of answers.  Think for a moment – how would you answer?

Who determines what life is all about? Who determines what is important? Who determines what is cool or in style? Who determines what has value and meaning? If we allow the culture to set the pace for us, to shape our value system, to define life for us, then we will set ourselves up for constant disappointment.  About the time we think we’re heading the right direction, they change the goal line on us!  What it takes to have a full and meaningful life shifts like the dunes of the Sahara. 

An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there’s nothing there.”

Another wise man discovered that truth many years prior.  His name was Solomon – perhaps you remember him.  He was the son of David, the King of Israel, and endowed by God with great wisdom and wealth.  If any man could figure out what life was all about, it should be him – and he tried pretty much everything available.  So what was his conclusion after trying money, stuff, power, wine, women, and song?  Well in his own words:  “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.  “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

As we consider what life is really all about, it might be best to consult the Giver of life for that answer.  Here is a least a little bit of what He says:

 Life is short, and because life is short we cannot count on tomorrow.

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.  Each man’s life is but a breath.” (Psalm 39:4-5)

 Life matters, and because it matters we must use each day wisely.

We cannot control the length of our days, but we do exert a lot of influence on how those days are used.  “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

 Life is to flow outward and upward and not simply inward, and because of this we need to serve others and share Jesus.

When Jesus was asked the most important command, He gave us two that are so tied together that they cannot be separated.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

 Life is eternal.  Because it is eternal, we need to decide what we will do with Jesus.  Now, wait a minute … didn’t we just say that life is short?  Yes, we did.  So, let me explain.

God created man to live forever physically and spiritually, but because mankind willfully chose rebellion rather than relationship, sin rather than communion with God, mankind fell.  Sin brought with it a terrible price – spiritual and physical death – separation from perfect communion with God.  And the worst part is that we are helpless to fix what we broke … so God stepped in.  God so loved fallen, sinful, rebellious, lost mankind, that He sent His Son to bring us life!

The Bible says of Jesus, In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

Jesus says of Himself, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Sin brought separation and death, but Jesus came to reverse the curse!  Jesus proclaimed:  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”  (John 11:25-26)

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

When we rediscover life, we are not talking about rediscovering how much we enjoy lounging on the beach carefree and beyond the reach of cell service.  When we rediscover life, we need to hear what God says about it.

What It’s All About

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke 2:1-20, NLT

Gift Giving

In the midst of our shopping sprees and wrapping frenzies, remember this quote from Robert Flatt:  “The giving of gifts is not something man invented.  God started the giving spree when he gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift of His Son.”

You may be disappointed that the box doesn’t contain the gift you hoped for.  You may be disappointed that the one who received your gift didn’t seem to love it as much as you thought he or she would.  Our gift giving and receiving can be disappointing, but God gave us a gift that will satisfy us for eternity – JESUS.

5 Less Conventional Ways to Celebrate Christmas

Every year Americans spend bucket loads of money (much of it on credit cards) in order to give Christmas gifts to family and friends. Some of those gifts are appreciated and used during the year. Others find their way to the back of the closet never to be seen again. In truth, we end up grabbing things out frustration because we feel like we just have to give something!

I was recently reading an article by Shawanda Greene at Bible Money Matters. In it she listed 5 less conventional ways to celebrate Christmas. I have adapted them to fit our setting:

1. Drop off items you’re no longer using at the Greene County Christian Outreach Thrift Store, the Habitat for Humanity store, or the local Goodwill. It won’t cost you anything to give away gently used (or unused) bread makers, musical instruments, exercise equipment, or whatever else a momentary state of delusion led you to purchase. If you haven’t used it or sold it in all these years, it’s highly unlikely you ever will. Christian Outreach sells the items at a rock-bottom price and the proceeds go toward meeting the needs of those of the p

oor – so it does good two ways! The Habitat store takes larger items and also sells them at a discounted price, and the proceeds are used to assist in building Habitat houses in our community. Goodwill uses the proceeds from donations to fund job training programs and placement services for people facing various employment challenges.

2. Sell unused gift cards and donate the cash to your favorite charity. Plastic Jungle offers up to 85% of the balance on your unwanted gift cards. You may also donate your unused or unwanted cards to your local church to be used as part of its benevolence ministry. You might also consider having a post-Christmas White Elephant exchange using gift cards instead of gifts.

3. Maximize the value of a dollar. Planning an international vacation isn’t the only time the strength of a dollar deserves consideration. Case in point, for less than the price of many iPhone apps, you can feed 4 Tanzanian children a healthy breakfast by donating $1 to GO Campaign. A $5 gift to Samaritan’s Purse will feed a hungry baby for a week. Your $25 gift to Save the Children will help health workers deliver lifesaving malaria medication to 10 Malawian children. And, of course, your gift of any size to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering will directly support the work of carrying the Gospel to the world!

4. Give anonymously. You might know someone who’s financially struggling to the point they don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help, but suppose you are led to give anonymously. Through Giving Anonymously, you can send a gift to a friend without the recipient knowing it came from you. If you or your small group wants to give anonymously, contact the church office who receives information of what families are in need in the community. You can arrange for them to pick up any gifts at the church.

5. Facilitate charitable giving. For the person who has everything – and it seems many of us do – give a gift in their name to a local or international ministry. Ministries include: First Call Pregnancy Center, ATLAS, Gideon’s International, Light of Messiah, Bearden Ministries, Simple Disciple World Ministries, and many others. You may also give gifts to the church’s building fund or missions fund in the name of a friend or family member.

Everything we do is to bring glory to Christ. Does our Christmas giving do that? If not, consider some less conventional ways of giving.

I’m Glad the Church Needs Money!

The following is a blog from Don Linscott. It is thought-provoking!

“I wish we didn’t talk so much about money,” is a comment I have often heard while working with churches to raise funds for their important purposes. I understand the sentiment but hold an opposing viewpoint. In fact, I hope my church always needs money. Here is why.

My son, Lance, was born before it became acceptable for the father to be present in the delivery room. (A fact for which I have always been grateful!) I waited in the hallway just outside the delivery room. At precisely 4:13 p.m., I heard the unmistakable cry of a newborn baby, Lance’s first sound. The nurse emerged with a smile and said, “You have a baby boy.” Only a new father can know the wonder of those words!

The wonderful glow of fatherhood was soon dimmed, however, when I was asked to visit the business office of the hospital. They wanted me to pay for Lance! In fact, it seemed to me that my child might be held hostage until the hospital bill was settled.
I wrote the check paying all the expenses in full, freed my family, and we made our escape. That check turned out to be only the first of hundreds, maybe thousands, I would write on Lance’s behalf. Children are expensive. There was formula and food to buy. Doctor visits and vaccinations assaulted my banking account. Diapers and toys took their toll. And clothes were a constant drain. Just when he would get a good wardrobe, he would grow a smidgen and we would have to start all over.

As Lance’s age and size increased so did the expenses. Soon it was baseball gloves, Nike shoes and uniforms. Then he needed glasses for his eyes and braces for his teeth. And then, disaster struck. Lance became a teenager! Now it was cars, electronic gadgets, and cool clothes.

Then came college. Lance had always, and only, wanted to be an architect. To me it seemed he would be in school until he was forty two years old. Expenses soared! Tuition, books, and drawing tools led the long list of essential expenditures.
But, of course, just like loving fathers everywhere, I was happy to be able to help him and I did all I could to support his growth and his dreams. I never thought of these expenses as “sacrifice.” I was his Daddy and was prepared to give everything possible toward his life and dreams.

And then, one day, Lance died.

On a bright, beautiful, and horrible Halloween Day, twenty-one-year-old Lance was buried in his church’s little country cemetery. That afternoon I walked away from his grave and since that day I have never spent another nickel on Lance.

That is how I learned it. Death is cheap. Death can be sustained without expense. It is living that is costly. It is growth that is expensive. Our dreams, visions, and hopes require resources. Death doesn’t! And that is why I am glad my church needs money. A living, growing, thriving church will always require the continual, consistent, and conscientious financial support of its members. And that’s the church I want to belong to.
(Don Linscott, http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/156872-don-linscott-why-i-m-glad-my-church-needs-money.html)