CONSULT GOD. YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

There is something we see time after time in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.  When people were obedient to God they were blessed and had success.  When they disobeyed God, things didn't go well.  It seems to me there are four main reasons for disobedience.

1. We prefer our selfish or immoral desires.
2. We think we know better than God.  
3. We have good intentions but do the wrong thing because we don't consult God.  
4. We struggle between fear and faith. 

Today I'm thinking about #3, doing what we think is right and forgetting to check with God. (I'm pretty sure I'll be writing about #4 next week.)

Joshua was a great man of God.  He served faithfully as Moses' right hand man for forty years, and when Moses died who did God choose as his successor?  Joshua.  He was a warrior, a man of faith, and he had a sincere desire to lead the people God's way. This was the guy who led the people across the Jordan, and marched around Jericho until the walls fell down, just as God instructed.

Still, he was human and he made a mistake now and then.  One of those mistakes that God recorded in scripture had a huge impact on me and the way I think about serving God. The story is in Joshua 9.  

The Gibeonites were afraid of Israel and wanted to sign a peace treaty.  God told Joshua not to make peace with anyone who lived nearby. So the Gibeonites dressed up in dirty old clothes and carried moldy bread, and convinced Joshua they were from a far off country.  The key to this story is a very short statement in verse 14.  "The men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord."  In other words they considered the situation and made what seemed to be a perfectly rational decision.  The only problem is they forgot to ask God.

Good intentions aren't enough.  Joshua didn't deliberately disobey God.  He didn't even make a careless decision.  He considered things and did what seemed very logical.  But he forgot to ask God what to do.

I can't say that I've learned this lesson perfectly, but I used to be a lot worse.  I'm a planner by nature, so when faced with a decision I would naturally weigh all the evidence, maybe even list the pros and cons.  With the best of intentions, and certainly not out of rebellion to God, I would do what I thought best.  Then through a set of circumstances too long to relate a the moment, God taught me the importance of not relying on my own judgement, but of seeking Him and His will.  It's probably the most important lesson I've ever learned.

I've been thinking about this in the context of our upcoming counsel meeting and elections at The Mission.  There are many outstanding people on the list who have agreed to be available should the congregation call on them to serve.  I could check off just about any of them and feel like I made a good choice.  But in the end it's not my choice or the person I like best that matters.  God's choice is what matters.

That's why I've arranged a special time of prayer for December 6 (9:00 am), the day of our business meeting.  I am hoping many of the congregation will come before God and formally acknowledge that His will is supremely important.  We really need to pray that He will guide us to the right choices.  

This isn't spiritual rocket science.  It's just recognizing that God knows best and we will all be better off when He is in control.  So please join us on December 6 for a time of prayer and seeking God's will for The Mission.  I believe with all my heart that God will bless us for putting His will first.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, 

declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the Earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than 

your thoughts."   Isaiah 55:8-9

SO YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT? GOOD!

Lately God has been reminding me of a lesson he taught me rather dramatically a number of years ago.  The lesson is pretty easy to say, but a lot harder to put into practice.  It comes from John 15:5 when Jesus said "Apart from me you can do nothing."  I take that to mean that if I want to do something for God, some kind of ministry with spiritual goals, I'd better not try to do it on my own.  I'm just not capable.

I've been feeling the truth of that very much in the last week or two especially as I contemplate the ministry God has set before me at The Mission.  Helping people on the journey of spiritual growth.  Oh, I can put programs in place and teach lessons, but it's got to be so much more than that.  All the programs and Bible lessons in the world are not going to have the effect we want unless people are motivated, unless people really want to grow in Christ and are willing to do what it takes to get there.  Now that's something I surely can't do.  

I've known this from the beginning, but lately I've been sensing in an even greater way the challenge of the ministry and the need for God to go ahead and do the many things I can't possibly do on my own.

What about you?  Do you sometimes have trouble remembering the importance of being dependent on God in your life and ministry?  Do you find yourself occasionally relying on your own talents or training or hard work to accomplish something, when the reality is there is no hope of being effective unless God is in control?

Are you a Mission Kids worker, a small group leader, a worship team member, a board member, a deacon?  Are you someone who is attempting to have a Christian witness to a neighbour or co-worker or relative?  

Wherever and however you are working to serve God the message is the same.  Jesus says "Apart from me you can do nothing.".  If you find yourself frustrated with lack of progress, or overwhelmed with the task; if you are crying out "I just can't do this!", you're absolutely right.  In fact that's a very positive thing because now you've reached the place where you are ready to depend on the God who can take our meager talents and multiply them like loaves and fishes into something that is truly useful.  When we acknowledge our need for God in everything we do, He can step in and take control. That's the key to successful ministry.

As often as I've had to learn this lesson I have to keep learning it over and over again.  So maybe you're like me.  What I've just written is not new to you.  You know the verse and you understand the principle.  But maybe you need to be confronted from time to time with the truth that you can only succeed in what God called you to do if you are absolutely dependent on Him.

So here's your reminder.  And here's the other half of the lesson, another important verse to take with you.

"For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:13

(If you find this blog to be informative or helpful, feel free to forward it to someone else who may benefit from these weekly thoughts on God's word.)

LIVING WITH CRACKED MUGS

I was sharing with someone recently about the challenges that suddenly confronted my family when we "became Christian".  My 17 year old sister was the first to accept Christ, and soon after at the age of 10 I made that commitment as well.  Months later both my Mom and Dad and other siblings decided to turn their lives over to Christ.  This was especially huge for my Dad, since the decision to follow Jesus meant some radical changes to his lifestyle.  

You might expect we suddenly became a home filled with peace and love and all the things a Christian home is supposed to be.  Well, we eventually did make some big steps in that direction, but only after a number of false starts and stressful months.  You see, although my Dad had lived a lifestyle that was far from Christian, he had in his mind a pretty clear picture of what he expected Christians to be like.  He was a perfectionist in whatever he took on himself, and he expected that of others.  

After our family attended church long enough to discover that the people there weren't perfect, Dad's reaction was "that place is full of hypocrites and I'm not going back".  I still have a vivid picture as a child seeing the pastor come to our house to help Dad work through the struggles he was having with a church full of imperfect people, convincing him he should give it another try.  Then a short time later my Dad couldn't tolerate it anymore and the cycle would start again.  I don't know how many times we went through that turmoil, but it was more than a couple.  Each time it looked like our family's new faith in God was going to come to an end.  

Dad never really got past being frustrated by what he saw as hypocrisy in the lives of Christian people, but he grew to understand the need to look to his own life and his own relationship with God.  Eventually he reached some level of acceptance that people are human and we're just not going to see perfection while still in these physical bodies.  

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, I've been reflecting on how every church is a collection of people who are struggling with problems and imperfections.  Years ago I used to see bumper stickers that said "Be patient.  God's not finished with me yet."

Under Pastor Paul's leadership The Mission has adopted a vision of being a place of refuge. He challenges us from time to time to consider how we're doing with that vision.   We may not get it right every time, but I see a real desire among the people at The Mission to be a place where the broken and hurting can find care and acceptance; where spiritual needs and many other kinds of needs can be met.  Paul has encouraged us to be a place of restoration rather than judgement, where we understand we are all on a faith journey and we all have a responsibility to look out for one another on the way.  

Obviously that doesn't mean those with addictions should stay addicted, or those struggling with issues of morality should just continue on. On the contrary it means that with love that comes from Christ Himself we reach out to help, pray, teach, and encourage one another so each of us can move steadily closer to the people God wants us to be.

I may be oversimplifying, but it seems to me there are two pieces we have to get right.  First is the accepting part, being willing to welcome in love and draw to ourselves those who are hurting, and those seeking the place of refuge.  Second is the helping part, being willing and able to come alongside others in this journey of restoration and transformation.  

The Bible teaches that in the body of Christ we all have different personalities and experiences and abilities to bring to the table.  So in a place of refuge we all have different ways we can contribute to the process of helping others come to that place of transformation in Christ. Let's continue learning to be Christ-like in our attitude toward others, and in our desire to care and help one another.

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

                                                                                                      1 Thessalonians 5: 11

Living to please Him every day

This past Saturday a Russian plane filled with 224 passengers disintegrated in the skies over the middle east.  In the news reports that followed reporters included this picture of a 10 month old toddler.  The picture was taken by the child's mother as they waited to leave Russia for a family vacation in Egypt.  Days later this child and her parents perished along with a plane full of others.  Each of them had families and plans and dreams.

This picture somehow adds an extra layer of sadness to what is already a tragic story. Yet it's a story that repeats itself every day all around the world.  Lives come to an end, often suddenly and unexpected.

Sorry to be a downer on a beautiful fall day, but this story, and particularly this picture, have me thinking today about how tenuous life is. When I was a teenager I was invincible. The end of life seemed so far away I hardly gave it a thought. Four or five decades later the end seems a lot closer, and I'm more prone to consider just what that means, but the reality is that even as a teenager all it would take was a driver who wasn't paying attention.  It happens every day. Life is not just short, but it's uncertain.  

The Bible talks about this.  James 4:14 says "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone."

So how do we respond to this?  Do we live in fear and become a recluse?  Do we focus all of our energy and resources on anything that promises to add a few hours to our lives?  Do we devote ourselves to lives of adventure and fun so whenever the end comes we can proclaim that we "lived every minute" and did everything on our bucket list?  These options all lack understanding of some basic truths God has made clear to us in his Word.

• For the Christian the end of this life is the beginning of something far better.  Life is not to be grasped and death is not to be feared.
• While we are here our role is to serve God faithfully in whatever way He leads and calls.

Jesus told several parables to help us understand that we need to invest our lives every day as good servants, always ready for the end, whether that's through death or meeting Him in the air.

What winners we are as Christians!  We can live lives full of purpose and fulfillment, and we can do it without fear for the future because we are destined for eternity in God's glory.  It truly can't get any better than that.

The challenge for us is this.  Given the uncertainly of life on Earth, are we living as if it could all wrap up today?  Or tomorrow?  The words of Jesus below refer to us being ready when He comes again.  Whether we live to that time or pass away as all others have before us, the challenge is the same.  Let's live every day we have to please Him.

“The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning."  (Mark 13:34-36)