HINTS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH?

 Acts 2:41-47 [The Living Bible]

And those who believed Peter were baptized—about three thousand in all! They joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles’ teaching sessions and at the Communion services and prayer meetings.

A deep sense of awe was on them all, and the apostles did many miracles.

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other, selling their possessions and dividing with those in need. They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness, praising God. The whole city was favorable to them, and each day God added to them all who were being saved.

One of the authors of a book I’ve been reading over the last two weeks - Shane Claiborne - reminds us that there are over 36,000 Christian denominations! This clearly indicates how severely broken the "body of Christ" is, and yet none of these denominations appear to be searching for common ground!

He writes:

"Jesus' longest prayer in John’s gospel was that we would be one as God is one (17:22). With more than 36,000 Christian denominations, we have a long way to go.”

Back in June, Debbie and I attended the Harvest Conference’s Tri-Conference sessions in Dalton, Ohio, It was led by our area bishop, Kay Kolde, who reminded us that the number of FM churches in America have fallen from 1050 to 825 over the past fifteen years [a decline that is mirrored in most – if not all – Christian denominations in America].

To add to this drama, I know that in 2012, when we left for China, the number of Free Methodists in America was around 105,000.  It startled me recently to discover that our number has now declined to a little over 69,000 Free Methodists in America AND CANADA!

Yet the Free Methodist denomination is rapidly expanding around the globe through vigorous evangelistic efforts!  Currently we have 1.6 million Free Methodists globally with a mere 4% of those being in the United States!

Now, before you get discouraged, let me assure you that these trends are not exclusive to Free Methodism; they are reflected in every Christian denomination in America.

Observations:

·         The Pew and Gallup polls indicate that about 20% of Americans attend worship weekly at least three times a month. However, a Washington Post breakdown of America’s faith habits reports that as few as 5% of the population regularly attends religious services.

·         Many denominations are finding it difficult to find enough pastors to lead their churches.

·         It is estimated that 15,000 churches closed in 2025.

Why do churches close?  

Well, the answer is easy: it’s because they’re failing at their God-given mission!

When we examine churches that have closed – or are about to – we tend to find that they’re:

• not growing by convert growth.
• plateaued or declining in attendance.
• not invested in their community.
• or, they’re in a state of internal conflict.

It is not a pretty picture for the American Church and consequently for our culture. The WOKE agenda has clearly infiltrated the Church and is undermining its desire and passion for being spiritually fruitful! 

And, by the way, WHO is driving the WOKE agenda?

Our spiritual enemy! 

In reading through Job he doesn’t hesitate to name this enemy. Satan was hounding believers in Job’s day and he hasn’t stopped!  Jesus didn’t try to hide from this conflict. He openly addressed it! 

Consider Matthew 4, where Satan Himself came to Jesus while He was fasting and praying for forty days in the wilderness.  He came at Jesus’ weakest moment and tempted Him in areas where He was most vulnerable:

• The temptation to eat
• The temptation to test His Father’s love for Him, and
• The temptation to gain all the kingdoms of this world and all their glory

But each time, Jesus quoted scripture to rebuke His enemy!

The result?

1.    Satan left Him alone!

2.    Angels came and ministered to Him! 

I wrote recently in a blog article that I posted:

“I never want to be a part of a church that is not a threat to Satan and his kingdom! We’re not propping up an institution! We’re the living body of Christ! We are His representatives intended to influence those who are lost and distracted! Broken churches lose their sense of mission!  ‘Conflict passion’ replaces ‘evangelism passion’!”

Studying the New Testament Church in its earliest days is a good way to find out how on-track or off-track we are as a church in the twenty-first century. 

What were the characteristics of the church when it began?

We’re talking about the church that exploded into the streets after receiving the Holy Spirit in that upper room where 120 people had prayed for ten days!  That was the day that Peter preached in the streets and the other disciples discovered that they could suddenly speak in languages that they had never studied! The massive crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost, so people were present from many nations – and most of them heard the gospel that day! 

That day alone, 3,000 people became followers of Christ!  Then, Luke gives us a graphic description of how this church grew and operated in those early days!

1.    The first thing we need to notice is that the New Testament Church had NO BUILDINGS! So, in many cases, we have a HUGE advantage over the NT Church! Being generous with our building and property would send a pretty positive message that would likely draw people to us!

2.  Our second observation is that the New Testament Church studied and grew together in small groups! Since they didn’t have buildings, a lot of these gatherings probably took place in homes! 

Also, they didn’t have Bibles!  The New Testament was just coming together during that first century. If they were in the right place at the right time, they might have at least heard one of Paul’s letters being read.

What they did do, however, was to sit under the teachings of the apostles and their associates. 

3.    Our third observation is that they met together regularly for fellowship! All their activity was not spiritual in nature. They learned to love one another – as Christ had instructed them. This meant knowing one another and enjoying one another’s company!  Apparently they ate together a lot!  During some of these meals they even celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a part of their gathering!

This concept has almost been lost to the American Church! We only meet for church or an occasional Bible study. These believers became like extended family to one another! They enjoyed being together! They loved one another!

4.    Our fourth observation from this passage is that the New Testament had gatherings that were just for prayer!

Prayer aways has been and always will be the engine that drives the growth and outreach of the church!

5.    And finally, our passage mentions one last area  -  KOINONIA. In the New Testament, the Greek word κοινωνία (koinónia) is translated into English in several ways, depending on context. The most common include: fellowship, sharing, participation, communion, partnership, and community. It is a word for which we have no single replacement. Rather, it includes aspects of all of these we’ve just mentioned. 

But Luke – the writer of Acts – goes on to describe the implications of this word in verses 44-46:

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

These new followers of Christ were:

• together – apparently this means common ownership of some things
• sharing their possessions with one another based on need
• having contact with one another day by day
• eating together with some regularity
• praising God together in all of the above!

There’s a pretty big hint here as to why the Church in America doesn’t resemble the New Testament Church as described in its earliest days!

Today’s American followers of Christ:

• rarely, if ever, share possessions with one another
• rarely, if ever, see one another during the week
• almost never go into one another’s home
• almost never enjoy meals together
• only praise God together during our once-a-week meeting on Sunday morning

There is one more VERY IMPORTANT factor that characterized the New Testament Church, and that was the constant incorporating of new followers of Christ!

Based on church reports: An average American church of 85 people [which IS the average sized American church] tends to report one convert per year!

This statistic tells us that there is a very low demand for training and discipling new believers in most American churches, because they simply are not seeing many new believers! 

The American Church has VERY LITTLE in common with the New Testament Church described in the early chapters of Acts!

The Book of Acts records the rapid expansion of the early Church from Jerusalem to the ends of the known world, showing both numerical growth and spiritual vitality.

I can speak most authoritatively about my own denomination – Free Methodism. There are distinct reasons why the American Church is shrinking while Christianity around the globe is exploding!

Our missions’ department has divided the globe into five areas: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. According to our World Mission page, we have an active presence in 99 countries [WHICH IS AWESOME!!!!]!

The Asian area has set a goal to see a million new believers this year! We observed earlier: "Currently we have 1.6 million Free Methodists globally with a mere 4% of those being in the United States!"

Here’s our assignment:

1.    How can we open our buildings to others in a way that promotes our caring for this community?

2.    How can we generate prayer groups and Bible study groups that will help us to grow as well as get better acquainted with one another?

3.    How can we create times when we get together for fun and pleasure so that we can grow in our loving and caring for one another? How can we plan occasional meals together that allow us to mingle and get to know one another’s families better?  [Eating together lowers inhibitions!]

4.    How can we generate prayer gatherings that are not boring but ARE genuinely effective?

5.    How can we retrain our brains to be more outspoken about our faith?

Are we content to just be a gathering of Christian people, or do we want to be a threat to Satan’s kingdom?

I have great difficulty believing that God is pleased with the American Church – with some exceptions, of course! I believe with all my heart that God wants something of significance to happen here, and there are signs that it has begun! It will continue and flourish – IF WE PRAY AND INITIATE A NEW TESTAMENT ZEAL IN OUR CHURCHES!

YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD PERSON DOWN!

The opening line of the Old Testament book of Job states that Job was a man who…was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.  [All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted.]

A few verses later, listen to God brag about Job while talking with Satan:

“Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him – honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”  [Job 1:8]

After this meeting in Heaven, Satan departs with God’s permission to afflict Job – with one exception: Just don’t hurt him, [1:12] Satan then immediately causes:

·        Job’s oxen and donkeys to be stolen by the Sabeans; also killing all but one of his servants

·        Right after that, lightning struck and killed Job’s sheep and their shepherds – all except one

·        Next, Chaldeans raided Job’s camels and killed his camel-drivers – all except one

·        Then, finally, a messenger arrived reporting that a tornado struck the house where Job’s seven sons and three daughters were feasting. The house collapsed on the young people and they all died

Job’s response is not what we would expect!  Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped. His words were:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth.
God gives, God takes.
God’s name be ever blessed.  [1:21]

Most of us would find this response to be one of remarkable poise, faith and restraint!  The text continues with an almost shocking statement: Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God. [1:22]

The very next verse tells of God meeting again with the angels and again Satan attends the meeting. To our great surprise, God repeats his question to Satan:

Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him, is there – honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! [2:3]

Satan argues that God has spoiled Job with special treatment and suggests that if he personally suffered, he would curse you to your face. [2:5]

God responded to Satan: “All right. Go ahead – you can do what you like to him. But mind you, don’t kill him.” [2:6]

Satan left GOD and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself…[2:7-8]

Then, as a final blow, Job’s wife said: “Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it! [2:9]

Job answered her: “You’re talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God – why not also the bad days?” [2:10]

After the author reports that Job’s three foreign friends arrived to sit with him, a final note is included: Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God. [2:10]

However, after sitting with him in silence for seven days, Job broke the silence. 3:1

This godly man speaks out in an angry and depressed manner.  And then, much of the bulk of this book is an ongoing dialogue between Job and his friends - with God ultimately having the final word!

__________________________

Let’s lay out what we've learned from this passage as an evaluation tool for our own lives.

God had tremendous pride and confidence in Job! God was so certain of Job’s persistence and integrity that God nearly challenged Satan to come against him!

Leaving the complications of this ancient text behind for the scholars and theologians to debate, we must bring this message into the 21^st century.

1.    How convinced is God of YOUR devotion to Him?

Are you honest inside and out?

Are you a man or woman of your word?

Are you totally devoted to God?

Do you hate evil with a passion?

Do you have a firm grip on your integrity?

Why not schedule a time to meditate on these questions? Open them before God and allow Him to whisper into your heart and mind areas that He might like to touch and refine?

 2.    Do you EVER consider that some of the problems and obstacles that you face and deal with could be coming from Satan?

Does it EVER occur to you:

·        We have authority from Christ

“I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions… and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19)

·        We have God’s armor to use in these skirmishes

Ephesians 6:10-13 teaches us to put on the whole armor of God — truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God as a sword.

·        In Matthew 4:1–11, Jesus used memorized scriptures in His battle with Satan.

·        Praise and worship discomfort and discourage our spiritual enemy.

As a personal testimony, I thrive on Christian music – both contemporary and traditional!

·        Prayer! Jesus tells His disciples to pray that you may not enter into temptation (Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:41) as a call to constant spiritual vigilance and reliance on God’s strength.

·        BE ALERT!

Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too. (I Peter 5:8-9)

3.    Depression is NOT sin!

Job chapter 3 is difficult to read as we hear Job saying things like:

o   Obliterate the day I was born. Blank out the night I was conceived. (v.1)

o   Why didn’t I die at birth, my first breath out of the womb my last? (v.11)

o   Why does God bother giving light to the miserable, why bother keeping miserable people alive, those who want in the worst way to die, and can’t, who can’t imagine anything better than death, who count the day of their death and burial the happiest day of their life? (vs.20-22)

But God doesn’t cut off communications with Job for this! There are many pictures of God’s leaders being angry or depressed!

o   Remember when Moses came down from the mountain and saw the golden calf? He threw down the Ten Commandments and broke them to pieces!

o   Remember when Queen Jezebel told Elijah that she would see him killed.

He fled from the area and cried out to God in fear and desperation!

o   King David wrote a psalm in which he said:

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:11)

o   The prophet Jeremiah sounds a great deal like Job:

Cursed be the day that I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!

As one who has experienced chronic episodes of depression since my young adulthood, I know its pain. I have been – too many times – in a condition where I couldn’t make myself think a positive thought! But God never abandoned me! And He always delivered me. Many – even counselors I visited – suggested medications. But I chose to rely on spiritual resources that always led me out of the darkness. A few:

    > Accountability partners

    > Seeing professional counselors

    > Christian music

    > Pouring myself into God’s Word

    > My last resort was to begin reading the book SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION, by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones. I have never made it past chapter five without experiencing relief! [I suppose the rest of the book is equally good! Maybe someday I should finish it! 🤭]

 If you struggle with depression – remember:

BEING DEPRESSSED IS NOT A SIN!

Follow some of the suggestions above to find relief!

___________________________

God wants us to pursue Him,

follow Him,

obey Him,

speak with Him,

speak up for Him,

love Him,

worship Him,

sing to Him,

honor Him, and

live in His Word!

And like Job – He will restore us fully! 

SATAN’S NUMBER ONE WEAPON AGAINST THE CHURCH!

It’s an easy answer: DISTRACTION! And churches can become distracted so easily! 

Good things can distract the church from its mission!  It happens regularly.

·         Building programs can easily become a distraction from our primary objective of going into the world and making disciples of all nations!  There’s a reason why pastors who oversee large building programs often leave the church shortly after it’s completed. Dissension and brokenness over the massive number of decisions to be made drain the people of unity and focus!

·         Satan will stir any pot possible to divide a church and distract it from its God-assigned purpose! For instance, a conflict between two key leaders can dampen the presence of God in worship and cause a major disturbance among the people who are part of the church.

·         Other major decisions about programming can become sources of frustration and discontent. If these are not quelled by open discussion and transparency, then discontent and suspicion can run rampant!

·         Election of leaders and votes on controversial issues frequently become oppositional and cause friction among the membership. The highest level of integrity must accompany this process with plenty of opportunity for discussion, questions and information sharing.  Leaders must exhibit Christian grace in their dealings with one another and with the congregation.

·         Expansion of staff can raise concern and questions that must be addressed. This will typically only occur within larger congregations where it is genuinely needed. But first attempts to hire help in a growing church can be vigorously challenged. Great patience must be exercised to help the people understand the need and be willing to accept another leader.

·         In smaller churches there can be strong feelings about the finances of the church. Certain individuals will focus on this area with great scrutiny. Of course, finances should be transparent and subject to frequent review by finance teams, auditors and leadership teams.

In most cases these kinds of concerns are not known to the vast majority of attenders in churches over 300 in size. However, in smaller churches there is a greater sense of ownership and control on the part of members.

Listen, Satan’s task is really easy! All he wants is to see the church be distracted from influencing lost and hurting people toward the Kingdom of God! He doesn’t care WHAT distracts the church; only that it BE DISTRACTED!!!!

Happy, comfortable small churches where the focus is on loving one another and living together in harmony are not a concern to Satan! He will essentially leave them alone! They’re not a threat to his kingdom. A church that registers no new converts year after year gives him no reason to oppose them or even distract them! THEY’RE ALREADY DISTRACTED!

I suppose the weapon that is next in line would be COMPLACENCY! When a church is happy and content with maintaining things as they are, they are not a threat to his dominion. He’s happy to leave them alone with their ‘we four and no more’ attitude!

But let new leadership arise that begins to teach about discipleship and evangelism and the enemy will take note and begin to make attempts to bring dissension, opposition and confusion.

He will stir up good, Christian people to use manipulative and deceitful methods to disrupt the body. He will catalyze bully-types to outwit, outmaneuver and over-speak milder, less confident people.

He will influence people toward gossip, secret associations and malicious and underhanded actions.

He will raise up bitterness, hurt, division, and general nastiness that demeans and discourages  others.

______________________________________

Church leaders must be on guard for signs of the above! Our mission is far too important to allow ourselves to become distracted! People are headed for an eternity of misery and we must intercept them with the saving message of Christ!

Leaders must be courageous in confronting and guiding the church body through these times of temptation and opposition. The pastor/shepherd role becomes highly significant at times like this by pointing out the reality that the church may be under attack and urging congregation members to seek the Lord and pray for the restoration of passion for God’s priorities to reign!

Lord of the Church: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 

We are weak but You are strong!

Keep us Savior from all wrong!

 

Help us to recognize the clear reality of being distracted from our God-given mission!

Help us to care enough about the lost to make whatever concessions and confessions that may be necessary to put us back in Your graces!

 

Help us to remember and realize that it’s NOT about us and what we want,

But IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU AND WHAT YOU WANT!

 

Grant us the clarity to see what is wrong with our attitude and perspective.

Correct us through intercession and Your Holy Word!

Speak clearly to us – through the fog of distraction – and encourage us to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord!

 

Jesus, we are Your body!

As Your Father sent You, so You have sent us!

We don’t want to disappoint You!

We want to be full of love and compassion – especially for the spiritually lost!

 

Have Thine own way, Lord,

have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter

we are the clay.

Mold us and make us

after Your will

while we are waiting

yielded and still!

 

FOR THE KINGDOM’S SAKE, AMEN!

THE PRIORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Barnabas and Saul [note the order of names at the beginning] were set apart for a special work by the Holy Spirit by the Antioch church’s prophets, teachers and people. After laying their hands on them, these two men [and a younger man, John Mark] were sent out by the Holy Spirit. [Acts 13:1-4] [All quotes from the CEV unless otherwise noted]

They went to Seleucia [due east of Antioch on the Mediterranean], and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus. When they came to a city named Salamis, they preached the Good News of God in the synagogues [v.5]. Then, they went across the whole island to Paphos where they met a magician named Bar-Jesus. He was a false prophet who always stayed close to Sergius Paulus, the governor and a smart man. [vs.6-7]

Sergius Paulus invited Barnabas and Saul to come to him, because he wanted to hear the message of God,… Elymas…tried to stop the governor from believing in Jesus. [v.8]

But Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas and said, “You son of the devil! You are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of evil tricks and lies, always trying to change the Lord’s truth into lies. Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind  [vs.9-10].

Then everything became dark for Elymas and he tried to find someone to lead him by the hand. When the governor saw this, he believed because he was amazed at the teaching of the Lord. [vs.11-12].

_______________________________________________

OBSERVATIONS

1.    During the first stop on their mission, Paul emerges as the leader. 

Verse 4 – Barnabas and Saul

Verse 13 – Paul and Barnabas

 

2.    This mission team is clearly being directed by the Holy Spirit who seems to tell them where to go and how to proceed.

 

3.    Paul is no longer going by his earlier name – Saul [see v.9]. Apparently, he uses the name change to signify his heart change!

 

4.    Paul is given boldness in standing up against the evil in Elymas which was surely due to his dedication to serving demonic forces that had enabled him to do magic [see v.8].  Paul demonstrates – under the leadership of the Holy Spirit – that the power of God is far more significant than the power that was directing Elymas!  Elymas went from walking in spiritual darkness to walking in actual darkness!

 

5.    The governor – Sergius Paulus – believed because he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord [v.15]. 

__________________________________________

 

LORD GOD: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 

Raise up Spirit-filled and Spirit-led leaders for Your American Church!

Leaders who are willing to make sacrifices [such as going without food] to be enabled to hear from and follow You!

 

Help us – as Your people – to discern genuinely committed leaders from those who may be simply seeking a following that gives prestige and wealth!

 

Keep us mindful that we live in the age of the Spirit!

His power has not diminished!

What He did 2.000 years ago – He is still capable of doing TODAY!

 

Move your Church from nonchalance to fully engaged,

from tepid to boiling,

from aimlessly wandering to being led by the Spirit!

 

And start this work in ME!

 

AMEN!

SIN OPENS DOORS [to more sin]

Follow the progression of this trail:

Acts 7:58 [All quotes from the NCV unless otherwise noted]

They took Stephen out of the city and began to throw stones at him to kill him. And those who told lies against Stephen left their coats with a young man named Saul.

Acts 8:1

Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good.

Acts 8:3

Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail.

Acts 9:1,2

In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ's Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

Saul began as a mere observer who was caught up in the raucous behavior of a crowd. Like any young man, his curiosity was peaked. Then, as a bystander, he became the protector of the coats of those who were killing Stephen! 

It's a subtle progression, that moved him from 'observer' to 'participant'! Somewhere in this role change Saul decided that he was in agreement with the acts of violence that these men were perpetrating! That's a BIG STEP!

There are some missing steps in Saul's progression at this point, but apparently not much time passed. Did he begin to associate with some of these violent men? Was he noticed by some of the leaders of this mob?

All we know is that the next verse tells us that Saul had begun to destroy the church. He did so via a vigorous campaign that portrays him as going from house to house. Notice the description of violence: "dragging out men and women and putting them in jail!!

I clearly recall being taught in one of my college classes the correlation between Acts 1:8 and 8:1.

Acts 1:8

But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses

in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."

Acts 8:1

On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

______________________________________

THREE OBSERVATIONS

1. The subtlety of sin and its progression in our lives.
2. God's persistence in getting through to us!
3. What the enemy intends for evil, God can turn into good!

THE SUBTLETY OF SIN

One of the most clever tactics of our spiritual enemy is to persuade us that the sin we're about to engage in is not significant.

Put it in the same category with 'white lies'. It won't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things.  It won't hurt anybody. No one will ever know! 

In essence, you are being tempted to compromise!

Giving in to the process of compromise is a slippery slope! 

Once you've begun to compromise, the temptation to compromise becomes more and more compelling! 

• "Well, you did it yesterday. Why not do it today?"
• "It's a small thing! No one will notice."
• "You deserve a little pleasure in your life! Go ahead and do it!"
• "God doesn't really keep track of every little sin. Go ahead and live a little!"
• "Just do it! You can confess it later!"

And within three short verses, Saul went from holding coats to dragging Christians from their homes!

It can happen to you! It has happened to you! We can NOT afford to compromise! Write that down on the flyleaf of your mind!

THE HOUND OF HEAVEN!

God's love for you is persistent! 

"The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."  I Peter 3:9 [NASB]

When one of His sheep gets lost, He goes and searches for it!

When we have given in to sin, we immediately begin to sense God's displeasure! We begin to lose our joy! Guilt bears down on us. We lose that connection with God! Disorder begins to characterize our lives! 

If we're observant, we will see that God is reaching out to us and calling us to repentance! He wants us back in a right relationship with Him! He wants to use us for His glorious purposes!

If we allow Him,

"He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

[Psalm 23:3  NASB]

That inner peace is renewed in our lives! We know that we are back in a right relationship with our Lord! 

GOD REDEEMS US AND USES US FOR HIS PURPOSES!

Our amazing God took the zealous persecutor of Christians and appointed him as Judas' replacement among the Twelve!

No one saw this one coming! The original apostles were slow to accept Saul/Paul! They were afraid of him! They were suspicious of his intent! After all, this was the man who - almost single handedly - caused the Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city!

God will do the same in you - if you'll allow Him! 

Once cleansed, He will position you for influence! People will see the change in your life and will follow in your footsteps! They will want the peace, joy and assurance that you exhibit! 

Your spiritual impact will be magnified and your fruitfulness will be noticeable!

____________________________

 

Can God still do this? Is He still redeeming lives for His purposes?

ABSOLUTELY!

I recently re-read a book by Chuck Colson. He was President Nixon's 'hatchetman'. His intelligence and strategic manipulation was infamous! 

And yet - great was his fall!

From advisor to the president of the United States to the penitentiary!  In this evolution, a friend reached out to Colson with words of faith and encouragement. He was given a copy of C. S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. After reading it, he humbled himself and became a follower of Christ.

Colson never gave up on the 'down-and-outers'. He founded 'Prison Fellowship' which still reaches out to prisoners around the world with the transforming message of Christ! Colson rose to a new level of influence among the Christian community because of his brilliant mind and outspoken leadership! 

In the 20th century, God took another Saul and turned him into a dynamic and effective Paul!

He is able, more than able,
To accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able,
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
To make me what He wants me to be.

Back in the 1980's, I was a big fan of the television program, HILL STREET BLUES. In almost every episode, Sergeant Phil Esterhaus ended the roll call by saying:

"All right, that's it. Let's roll.

And Hey! Let's be careful out there!"

It's equally important for us TO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

"Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith,...

the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself

perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.!"

[I Peter 3:9-10 NASB]

OUR MOST POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPON

There is a greatly underused tool in our arsenal that has far more impact than most people realize.  Many Christians have NEVER used the tool.  Others have used it – but incorrectly.  Our American culture almost completely fails to consider this tool unless it has to do with weight loss. 

I have recently gone from being retired to being back in the ministry again.  It’s been quite a change!  The last I led a church was in 2016 – at which point I retired.  Actually, the last I led a church as a full time pastor was 2012, when Debbie and I left for China.  I was sixty at that time – I’m seventy-two now. 

Returning to the responsibilities and strains of leading a church has caused me to experience increased stress and a return to that feeling I once knew so well – that one’s work is NEVER done! 

My work week once again revolves around:

• Preparing a message for Sunday
• Leading a weekly staff meeting
• Preparing for and leading a Board of Administration meeting
• Mentoring leaders and candidates for the ministry
• Visitation – minimal since the church has a nearly ordained Pastor of Visitation
• Prayer for the various people and needs represented in the church!
• Meeting requests for personal interventions
• Addressing areas of brokenness within the church in hopes of creating health and effectiveness
• Add to this that the church is nearly an hour-and-a-half from my home!

The last two weeks has brought a rise in my stress level – the kind that’s hard to escape from.  It has the potential to take the joy out of your life.  It’s pervasive.  It preoccupies your mind.  For many pastors, this is a perpetual state of being.  Leading a church - especially a growing church - may look easy from the pew, but it’s a VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO! 

So, in the last two weeks, I’ve pulled out that old tool!  While I was actively leading churches, I used it a lot!  However, in retirement, I must confess that I haven’t used this tool in quite a few years.  I’m not proud to admit that!  I guess it shows how much I’ve allowed myself to be removed from the fray! 

This tool is – from my experience and perspective – the most powerful tool in our box!  Used properly, it can make a massive difference!  Yet, so many people misuse this tool!  But the problem is that this tool is difficult to teach about and explain.  Doing so can cause people to think that you’re super-spiritual – even when that is not the case!  In reality, this tool requires and creates a great sense of humility.

My study carrel is loaded with various reminders that intentionally catch my eye as I work there.  Back in the corner behind my lamp is one that serves as a reminder from a time when I used this tool. 

The tool – if you haven’t already guessed – is fasting.  Fasting is, of course, going for a period of time without food and focusing your life on prayer instead.  It is a willing deprivation in hopes that you will be able to create a more focused relationship with God!  It is a tool that is to be practiced in private – to the best of one’s ability.  In some sense, it is a ‘trigger tool’ that allows you – every time you feel hungry – to deliberately turn your heart to God! 

I’m dealing with a delicate matter in the church right now.  I don’t have the necessary wisdom to know how best to lead through this situation.  All my past experience still leaves me in significant need of divine guidance and the nearness of my Lord!  So, several times in the past two weeks I’ve returned to using this tool.  I desperately need the guidance of the Lord of the Church!  

Make no mistake about it:  it is a spiritual warfare tool!  My study-carrel poster reminds me [in my own words] of two very important facts:

I believe that fasting is

THE MOST POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WARFARE WEAPON

THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US!

and

I also believe that fasting is the most

UNDERUSED SPIRITUAL WARFARE WEAPON

that God has given us!