The “P” Word

During one of our recruiting visits with my son Stephen, a college coach kept referring to the “p” word.  He said, “our job in college is to get the “p” off of players”.  The “p” word is potential.  So many promising athletes with great potential enter college but never live up to that potential.  We hear it said, “he had so much potential”.  ” I wish he would play up to his potential”.  This coach said it was his job to encourage, coach and help young ballplayers turn that potential into reality.

God has blessed all of us with spiritual gifts and opportunities to further His kingdom.  Someone once said, “what we are is God’s gift to us, what we become is our gift to God”.  How many of us are realizing our potential spiritually?  I am always encouraged when I see people with limited ability athletically or scholastically work hard and give their very best.  Oftentimes good things happen to those who give 100%.  It’s frustrating to see people who are so blessed with ability, intellect, and resources coast through life.  Being lazy and indifferent will often prevent them from reaching their potential.  Go for the gold in your spiritual life, strive to reach your potential.  Follow the example of Paul in I Corinthians 9:24-27.

Our Lives Preach

If we claim to know Jesus, yet we are not living for Him, then we are what is called a practical atheist. An atheist says there is no God. A practical atheist says there is a God but they conduct their lives as if there wasn’t. As a Christian we are called to live the life and how we live our life is a testimony. The question is are we a positive or a negtive testimony?
We are all preachers and we preach a sermon every day by the lives that we live. Listen to the words of the old poem: You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do, by the words that you say. Men read what you write whether faithful or true. Say, what is the gospel accordng to you?
How we treat that waitress preaches a message. Also, how we respond when cut off in traffic, what we say about others and how we treat our spouse and children preaches a message. The challenge—Preach Jesus!

Love one another

Our prayer conference with Gregory Frizzell was amazing—I’m reading his latest book “Releasing the revival flood”.  So far it’s great.  Read here what he says about love of the brethren and unity in the body of Christ:

The greatest reason for seeking a revival flood involves a primary purpose of our existence.  And what is that primary purpose? Put simply, it is to know, love and glorify God through seeking His kingdom and exalting His name.  And without question, loving one another is a vital part of loving God and seeking His kingdom!

Believers, when we learn to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, we find life itself!  “But seek you first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” Matthew 6:33.  “Whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it” Mark 8:35.  Indeed life is all about knowing Him, surrrendering to Jesus and walking humbly with our God (John 17:3).  Jesus pulled it all together in His two Great Commandments.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it—Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

The Bible leaves no doubt that loving God means loving each other (Matthew 22:37-38; John 13:34-35; 17:21).  Today believers must re-discover a vital fact—the two Great Commandments are inseparably linked!  In other words, no one can truly love God yet be unkind or bitter toward fellow Christians.  In Matthew 5:23 and 6:14-15, Jesus made clear that anger and disunity among believers seriously blocks our relationships with Him.  In fact, the entire chapter of John 17 closely ties God’s glory and our witness to dynamic oneness among saints.

In terms of love and fellowship, today’s Church is in a major crisis.  Never has our nation seen such devastating disintegration of church family relationships.  In fact, what we have witnessed in family structure is no longer a decline, it is an unmitigated collapse!  As much or more than any other factors, relational anger and unforgiveness are huge barriers to a modern day revival flood.

God’s priorities vs. Man’s priorities

I’ve been fasting from blogging for the past few months.  That was by design.  I was spending way too much time reading blogs and following pastors and churches and what God was doing in their lives and ministries.  God convicted me that I needed to be spending more time with Him than on the computer.  I hope you have been following my wife Dawn’s and daughter Chrissie’s blog.  (They are on my blogroll).  They are better writers and more committed bloggers than I am.  And they share some really good stuff.

Now, about spending time with God.  Since I’ve been in the ministry I’ve had church members say I need to spend more time in the hospitals, nursing homes or pulpit.  (That I should be the one preaching in every service).  I’ve had people say I need to spend more time managing the staff, developing a vision or involved in missions.  Some think I should spend more time sharing my faith or that I should be more accessible to the congregation.  However, there is one thing I have never heard, “our pastor should spend more time in prayer”.  Isn’t it interesting that God convicted me in this area of my life.  The Bible is right, God’s ways are not our ways.  God is always right and He never changes.

What about you?  In the busyness of life (and we are all busy) is prayer a priority?  It’s not just for pastors.  God is waiting to hear from you.

Just Passing Through

The Bible tells us that we are strangers here.  We are also called aliens, pilgrims or sojourners.  Heaven is our home, our eternal destination.  We are just passing through this world.  No matter how long we live, our stay here is temporary.  As Christians our stay in heaven is eternal.  This old world itself is winding down and wearing out despite the best intentions of the environmentalists.

Sadly, while we are all here we must endure suffering.  Certainly some suffer more than others but noone is immune.  This is a broken world.  Creation is broken.  People are broken.  Sooner or later you rub up against a jagged edge and get cut.  This should not surprise you, you should expect it.

My encouragement to you is to keep an eternal perspective.  Paul tells us in Romans 8:18, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  People ask, “why is there so much suffering in the world?”  Because it is the world and it’s a world marred by sin.  Revelation tells us that there will be a day when there is no more suffering, sin or death. For they have passed away.

Pursuit of Excellence

It’s always better to shoot for excellence and miss it than aim for mediocrity and hit it.  The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little “extra”.  I was just visiting with a lady in our church whose husband passed away.  In speaking about her husband and reflecting on his life and their marriage she said, “he wasn’t perfect, but he was real close”.  What a testimony.  No, we are not perfect, we are sinners saved by grace, yet pursuing excellence should always be our passion.

Robert Shuler said, “there are four kinds of people in life:  the “copouts” who set no goals, take no risks and make no decisions;  the “holdouts” who never get started because they lack motivation; the “dropouts” who start but when the going gets tough they stop; and the “all outs” who pursue excellence in all they do.”

Character Counts

Because of the economy and the loss of profits, a firm in St. Louis was downsizing.  The decision was made to lay off 20% of the work force.  In doing this they would look at several areas of job performance.  Obviously, attendance, productivity and skill level were considered.  But, when it all came down to who would be retained, they decided to retain the workers of the highest moral character because you can never replace honesty and integrity.

Jesus said, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”  (Matthew 5:20).  Only in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit can we walk in integrity and produce the character God desires.  Always remember, my reputation is based on what people think about me.  My character is based on what God knows about me.

Being Intentional

The best publicity is word of mouth.  Many churches spend thousands of dollars on advertising.  Some of that is needed.  We want to get the word out.  Yet, the best advertisement is when faithful members invite their friends, co-workers, and classmates to church.    This may include more than a verbal invitation.  It may mean offering to pick them up or take them to lunch afterward.  We exist as a church to connect people with Christ and with other Christians.  God has called us to connect with others so that they might connect with Christ.  The greatest service we can render is to introduce someone to Jesus. 

So, are you intentional?  Do you have a list of folks you know that you can pray for, talk with and invite to church?  Just think if everyone was instrumental in one person becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ in the next year, attendance would double, giving would increase but what’s most imortant, someone would experience eternal life and that is of eternal significance.  See you Sunday!

Suffering

How do you respond when you feel you have been treated unfairly or unjustly?  Do you seek revenge?  Do you want to get even?  Do you want to settle the score?  We live in a “revenge oriented society”.  People want to retaliate even if they are suffering justly.  We blame others and fail to take responsibility.  It’s always someone else’s fault.  Even when we get what we deserve we still retaliate.  That’s how the ungodly respond and sadly many people who claim to be christians respond the same way. 

I Peter 2:21 says, “Christ suffered for you leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps”.  Jesus suffered unjustly.  He was innocent and perfect in every way.  Yet He was scourned, scourged and nailed to a cross.  He died for our sin, that we might have eternal life.  He paid the price we deserved to pay.  Yet, His suffering unjustly was an example and a model for us.  The Bible says He did not retaliate.  He could have. He had the power. He was in the right.  Jesus left it in God’s hands.  Sometimes we are so quick to seek revenge that we never give God an opportunity.  Years ago I claimed a passage in the Old Testament book of I Samuel.  Read it.  It may change the entire direction of your life and enable you to follow the example of Jesus:  I Samuel 24:12-13.

Our Days Are Numbered

The church is capable of so much more!

When I read the book of Acts I see a church that focused on Jesus and followed the great commission.  They preached the gospel and called for repentance and thousands responded.  I plead with God to allow that to happen again.  We are called and commissioned by God to reach the world for Christ.  I desperately want to be a part of a group of believers no matter how large or small that wants to see that happen and will invest their lives in the pursuit.

My days are numbered.  Not that I think I’m going to heaven real soon but if I do that’s gain—all is good.  It’s just that my life is like a blip on the radar screen of eternity.  The Bible says our lives are like a mist, we pass on the scene and then off.  The Bible also tells me that I will stand before God and give an account for what I have done and not done.  And because of that I don’t want to waste time, tread water, or get caught up in things not of eternal value.

Since I am a servant of the Most High God I want to honor him and please Him even when it may not please people.  I want to do all that I can to further His kingdom every single day, because my days are numbered.  By the way—your days are numbered too!

My days are numbered.  Not that I hink