Tag Archives: God's Character

True Generosity Serves Others

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In God’s Economy

We typically think of “generosity” in financial terms, don’t we? But, in God’s economy, generosity is shown in more than financial ways! In the book of Proverbs, the Spirit of God inspired King Solomon to include these words:  “A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water” (Proverbs 11:25). God intends for us to understand generosity as being about more than our finances! It’s not just about our money! According to this Proverb, God also measures generosity in the ways we serve others. He measures generosity by our willingness to minister and help others.

Throwing Money At A Need

In the world, there’s a tendency to just throw money at a need. Rather than getting their hands dirty, the person who has the financial means would rather gift someone or an organization. Unfortunately, that same attitude can often be found in the church too! Many would rather “gift” it than get dirty through service or ministry to others! But, that’s NOT God’s economy! The Message paraphrases Proverbs 11:25 like this: “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” God measures our generosity by our willingness to serve and by our willingness to enrich the lives of others by ministering to them. By offering something, Solomon says, as simple as a glass of water. It’s that same principle that Jesus taught, of being “others focused.”

The Mindset Of A Consumer

Unfortunately, it’s typical in our American church culture to look for a church that serves “me”! To look for a church that serves “my kids”! That’s the mindset of a “consumer,” isn’t it? And, it’s a way of thinking that is foreign to Scripture and to the church in other parts of the world, where they look for a church that has needs so they can serve the faith community! Faith’s way of serving is to look for needs and meet them! Faith’s way of serving actually prays that God’s Spirit will open eyes to those needs and open hearts to actually meet them! As with your finances, don’t “calculate” how God might move others to serve you if you serve them! That’s serving out of GREED! And, just like God will not bless a greedy giver financially, He’ll not bless a greedy server either! He gave to us in love and we must give the same!      

Serve Recklessly

The principle in Scripture is kind of like this— just serve and minister to the needs of others with reckless abandon! By faith, believe that God will keep His Word! Believe that, whether it’s by sacrificial giving or service, that God is going to reward you. You might be rewarded in this life! Or, your reward might be received in heaven! At the same time, though we know the reward is coming, don’t give to get! Just be generous, in faith, that God will take care of you! When we give from a generous heart, it truly costs you nothing! You lose nothing in the exchange! You gain! You get richer the more you give! It’s counter-cultural! Jesus said:  “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life BECAUSE OF ME will FIND IT.”
 

Your Giving Reveals Your Heart

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Money Is An Exact Index

Richard Halverson served as the Chaplain of the United States Senate from 1981-1994. Some considered this statement he made, about money, to be controversial:  “Jesus Christ said more about money than any other single thing because, when it comes to a man’s real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man’s true character.  All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles his money.” Money is an “exact index” to a man’s true character, he says! In other words, you can get a good feel for a person’s level of spiritual commitment by checking out their spending habits!

Where Your Treasure Is

Jesus said it like this, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will follow” Matthew 6:21. What your money goes after is a pretty clear indication of what your heart goes after! What your hands buy is a reflection of what your heart is doing with God! I saw this 1st hand because I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. I was 13 when my parents came to faith in Christ; and, I saw how it impacted all their decisions about finances. So, the “quality” of your faith will reflect in all your financial decisions, as well as the level of your generosity. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”; and, He had a lot to say about money! Nearly half of his parables were about finances— He talked about money & possessions more than all His talks on heaven & hell combined! REALLY!

Money Can’t Be A Taboo Subject

All of this means that it’s impossible to separate your financial life from your spiritual life. We can’t make money a taboo subject in the Church & the pulpit when 1 out of every 7 verses, in the New Testament, deals with money. Think about this: There are 500 Bible verses on prayer; LESS than 500 verses on faith; and, more than 2,350 verses on money! If the Church is to be faithful to the Word of God, we can’t NOT preach and teach about money! There is a fundamental connection between your spiritual life, and, the way you think about & handle money! Your financial decisions ultimately reveal what you think about God! And, it’s vital to your walk with Christ— to your SANCTIFICATION & your spiritual growth— that you listen and obey what the Scriptures say about this. You’ve got to get this right, Church!  

We’re Managing God’s Stuff

Let the Holy Spirit, who indwells you as a believer, convict you with God’s Word if you’re not doing this right! And, REPENT! Make the right decision for God! As we conclude, let the words of the Apostle Paul to the Church of Corinth speak to your heart:  “Remember this, the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver…You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.” 2 Corinthians 9:1-12 . In other words, how you spend your money is an “exact index” to your spiritual character. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with God about this. He already knows your heart!
 

Do I Really Own My Stuff?

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Are You An Owner Or A Steward?

You don’t want to be on the wrong side of that question! If you don’t listen to the Word of God—when it comes to your finances & your stuff—you’ll forfeit something. God will oppose you as long as you live like an “owner” of YOUR stuff rather than a “steward” or a “manager” of HIS. The prophet, Malachi, was inspired by God’s Spirit to write: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed ME! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse” Malachi 3:8,9.   Clearly, God means for us to understand that our resources are not ours to use however we may wish!

God Owns It All

In my last post, I challenged you with Scripture that makes it clear that God owns ALL of it! He doesn’t just get our tithe & offerings; and, the rest is ours to spend on ourselves! He owns it ALL—Deuteronomy 10:14; Haggai 2:8; 1 Corinthians 10:26. As stewards, we are responsible for managing the portion of HIS “estate”—that He has entrusted to us—the way that HE wants it to be managed! We don’t have the freedom to do what we want with it! Our responsibility is to spend it the way He directs us! We have to get this right, Church! You’re the STEWARD of your stuff, not the OWNER! Repeat that out loud! You need to convince yourself of that! Here’s what you need to do—you need to do an AUDIT of your finances! And, if God’s Spirit shows you that you’ve been living like an owner instead of a steward, you need to “repent.”

Change Your Mind

To “repent” literally means to “change your mind” about something. If you’ve not been obedient, in this area, you need to repent & change your mind about the way you’ve been living! And, I would challenge you to make it a matter of prayer, every day, to release your stuff back to God! Talk to Him every day, about it, and, give it all back to Him. And, how will you know if you’re making progress? Well, you’ll begin to experience freedom from greed, first of all! When it’s part of your mindset that none of your stuff is really yours, you’ll also begin to experience a freedom from the anxiety that a love of money can bring. It all belongs to God anyway; and, He’s promised to take care of you! So, your dependence transfers from your IRA to God, right? 

Don’t Wander From The Faith

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy, his son in the faith, with these words: “But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains” 1 Timothy 6:6-10. Catch the gravity of Paul’s warning to young Timothy? He tells him that the way he looks at his money & his stuff has a direct correlation to his relationship with God! And, if he gets it wrong he’s in danger of “financial apostasy”; or, wandering from the faith! Don’t do that!

Why Am I So Discontent?

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Hoping To Hit It Rich

One of the most embarrassing financial decisions I ever made was getting into the beef jerky vending machine business! It was like the late ‘90s, as I recall; and, I spent $10,000 for 20 machines. I trusted the company to place them in high-traffic areas; but, it didn’t work out that way! My kids benefited— the boys, especially, enjoyed lots of beef jerky snacks! Then, there were all the “Publisher’s Clearing House” and “Reader’s Digest” sweepstakes entries I filled out religiously in hopes of striking it rich! But, perhaps my most embarrassing financial “scheme” was one of those “Chain Letters” where you write 1000 strangers, asking them to send you $10; and, then they send 1000 letters. And, if no one breaks the chain everyone will have like a million dollars in 30 days—it didn’t work! I lost a lot of money on postage! Yeah, I did that! Only once! I was dirt poor; and I was easily manipulated! Don’t judge me! HaHa!

Greed Masqueraded

Now, let me tell you why I’m willing to embarrass myself with those true stories! I wanted to illustrate how greed & covetousness can masquerade themselves! I’m NOT saying that buying into the beef jerky vending business; or, any kind of vending business is greedy! I’m NOT saying that filling out the “Publisher’s Clearing House” entries is greedy and covetous! But, FOR ME, it was! All those activities, FOR ME, were a hoped-for “get rich scheme.” I was greedy and covetous! I saw someone wearing a t-shirt once that read, “All I Want Is A Little Bit More Than I’ll Ever Have.” That was ME!

The Lie About Stuff

I had bought into that worldly attitude that to be happy, I needed more STUFF! That’s the assumption behind most advertising, isn’t it— “You can’t be totally happy ‘til you own our product. If you wanna enjoy life, you need this & you can buy now, pay later, on our easy credit plan!” It’s my hope, over the next few posts, to search the Scriptures with you and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to determine what we ought to value in life! There’s no denying that God has a lot to say about money and wealth and stuff; and, generally speaking, this is what He says: “Everything belongs to ME!” It all belongs to HIM! None of our stuff is truly ours! How much do we leave behind at death? ALL of it!

God Owns It All

Consider these Scripture verses— “To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it” Deut 10:14. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the LORD Almighty” Haggai 2:8. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” 1 Cor. 10:26. We are NOT owners! We are “stewards” and “managers” of God’s stuff! Let me tell you why that’s so important— If you think YOU own your stuff, you’ll use your income to build your “Little Kingdom”; when it’s God’s will that you leverage it to build His “BIG Kingdom.” You’ll be guilty of robbing God. That was one of Israel’s sins: “Will a man rob God?” He ASKS, “Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse” Malachi 3:8,9. It’s a serious crime to “rob” God— they were cursed! Please pray over this & search the Scriptures! If you do so, you’ll be challenged to rearrange your financial resources as would a steward who manages someone else’s money! Because none of it is yours!

Abraham’s Faith Crisis

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A Picture Of The Sanctified Life

If you follow Jesus by faith & trust Him for your eternal salvation, then “sanctification” is the work God is presently doing in your life. We all want to be “SANCTIFIED”; but, rarely do we enjoy the process God uses to get us there. On several levels, Abraham presents us with a picture of a sanctified life. In Genesis ch. 11, v.30 it reads:  “…Sarah was unable to conceive; she did not have a child…” So, Abraham loved a woman who could not conceive a child! That presented Abraham with a crisis of faith because God had promised to make of Abraham a great nation, through his offspring, with Sarah!

God Uses Our Hardships

After reading the entire account, we come away with this— God uses the hardships in our live to sanctify us! This crisis of faith would provide God the perfect opportunity to stretch Abraham’s faith & trust in Him; and, it’s in the stretching, of our faith, that we grow! Jesus taught His disciples:  “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have to suffer in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” John 16:33. Jesus already overcame all the suffering that this world had to dish out! And, He conquered it! Notice, “…you will have suffering in this world,” Jesus said, “in part, so we find peace in Him!”

The Spiritual Growth Process

God uses pain, trouble & suffering to loosen our grip on the stuff in this world! That’s part of our sanctification—part of the spiritual growth process! We only grab hold of our future “GLORIFICATION” as we let go of this life! Let go of your dreams & aspirations! Let go of your attempts to control your circumstances & your environment! And, give it all over to Jesus! That’s NOT what the world tells you! The world tells you to live out your dreams! Do whatever you want! To go after it with gusto & determination! Jesus says, “If you hold onto your life you’ll lose it! But, if you lose your life for my sake & the Gospel you will find it” Matthew 10:39. 

God’s Dreams & Plans For Your Life

We grow, in our sanctification, as we desire to live out God’s “dreams” & “plans” for our life; and, relinquish our own! The sanctified life grabs hold of Paul’s words:  “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.  He doesn’t promise to make all things good! He promises to work them together for our good—for our sanctification!

Trusting A God Who’s Not In A Hurry

Abraham is a picture of the sanctified life because he trusted a God who did not hurry! God wasn’t in a hurry to fulfill His promise to Abraham about moving to Canaan land. He wasn’t in a hurry to follow through on His promise of a son, to Abraham, through Sarah. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac—the son of promise! In His perfect time, God came through! Because God is never in a hurry, we can become impatient with Him & try to provide our own fulfillment to His promises. Abraham tried to make Ishmael acceptable to God—the product of his liaison with Sarah’s handmaid; but, God refused him. Abraham would learn to trust in a God who was never in a hurry! Ask God to make you willing to wait on Him!

What Are Your Attachments?

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*TAKING SOME VACATION TIME* *RETURNING JULY 31ST*

Raised With The Messiah

My sinful life was the OLD me! But, that’s no longer who I am. Sin has no power to rule over me anymore than it had power over Jesus. In His resurrection, Jesus left the tomb! And, so should we! We’re no longer “dead” if we’re “in Christ.” We’ve been made “new”; or, ALIVE in Him. We’re no longer a dweller among the tombs! Do you know who you are? Do you identify with Jesus? Is He your Lord & Master as well as your Savior? The Apostle Paul says, “…if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God” Colossians 3:1. 

It’s An Imperative

“Seek what is above,” he says! That’s an imperative! He’s commanding the Colossian believers to be seekers of something. That has everything to do with your “heart” or your “affections.”  We always seek after the things that our heart desires; what we’re attached to! Your ability to live in your identity in Christ; and your ability to defeat sin, has everything to do with the things that your heart is attached to! What are you ATTACHED to here? Where are you focused? If your heart & your affections & your attachments are in this world, you won’t be very effective in purging sin from your life.

Seek What Is Above

Your spiritual growth & sanctification will be stunted; and, the weeds, of SIN, will grow out of control in your life. Look at Paul’s words again:  “…if (or SINCE) you’ve been raised with the MESSIAH, SEEK WHAT is ABOVE, where the MESSIAH is…” Set your heart & your affections on Jesus! He’s the TREASURE our hearts ought to desire! None of the created stuff that so easily turns into idols will last. One day it’ll all burn up & pass away! Your spiritual growth has a direct correlation to how highly & how often you think of God; and, how little you think of yourself!

Set Your Minds

“Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth,” Paul says in the next verse (Col. 3:2). Your spiritual growth & sanctification depend on what you “…set your minds…” Your ability to be kill the weeds of sin in your life is dependent on your thought life— the things you dwell on; and, think about. To mature spiritually, you have to see everything against the backdrop of eternity; not, this mortal world. We can no longer think like we did when we were still “dead in sin”; when we lived like this world was the only thing that mattered! He specifically tells us not to set our minds on EARTH!

Where Is Your Citizenship?

It’s so easy to get swept up in the nationalism & the politics & the drama of our nation! It’s so easy to “set our mind” & our conversation on those things, isn’t it? But, that’s not who we are!  We can no longer self-identify as an “American Christian”— that moniker says we are an “American” 1st and a “Christian” 2nd.  NO! “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul wrote the Church of Philippi. The Apostle Peter agreed! He called life, on planet Earth, a “temporary residence.” Don’t make country an IDOL! We belong to HEAVEN! We are heaven’s AMBASSADOR!  As such, our sole purpose for remaining on this planet is to “reconcile” the lost with the Father! That is the mission our Savior left us: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20)
 

God Makes You New, Part II

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No Condemnation Now Exists

One of the most powerful Scriptures for a believer to hold onto is this:  “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  God no longer condemns you if you’ve placed faith, for your salvation, in Jesus’ work on the cross! So, we need to quit condemning ourselves! When you mess up & sin, CONFESS it— that means you AGREE with God that what you did was sin! (1 John 1:8-10) But after you confess it, thank Him for forgiveness; and, get back into fellowship with Him! God has adopted you into His family; and, no one is going to overpower Him and rip you away! You belong to Him!

It’s Who You Are

That’s your “identity”— it’s WHO you are! Until you live by faith, knowing who you are in Christ, you will struggle to experience spiritual growth! Unlike “JUSTIFICATION”— which is an instantaneous judicious act of pardon by God; and, a passing from death to life— ”SANCTIFICATION” is a process that God begins IN YOU the moment you’ve been JUSTIFIED! God frees us from the power of sin as He SANCTIFIES us! But it’s a progressive work of God in our lives. Little by little, with each new day, God gives us the grace we need to overcome sin.

We Were Chained To Sin

The Apostle Paul, in Romans, speaks of our sin as DOMINATING us BEFORE “JUSTIFICATION”— i.e. we were chained to sin; and, we couldn’t help but sin! But, at the moment of our “JUSTIFICATION”, the Holy Spirit indwells us; and, empowers us in a battle to “mortify”— or, “put to death”— the deeds of our flesh; or, the “old man” Paul calls it! So, at “JUSTIFICATION” we WERE saved; and, “regenerated” or made alive! In our “SANCTIFICATION,” we are BEING saved! Don’t be concerned by that! It’s a good thing! Theologically, we mean that God’s “SANCTIFICATION” work, in us, is ACTIVE!

The Capacity To Overcome Sin

The Holy Spirit is not passive about purging sin from our lives! He’s aggressive! In the Spirit, we now have the power or the capacity to overcome sin; and, at the same time, a growing DESIRE to be rid of it! That is one of my greatest PASSIONS— to BEAT SIN! If you have no desire to overcome sin, your “salvation” is in question! Perhaps you’ve been deceived! It’s in the “SANCTIFICATION” process that you are progressively becoming MORE like Jesus; and, LESS like you! It’s a work that only God can do in you!  So ask for His help regularly to overcome sin! 

Trying Harder Doesn’t Work

Unfortunately, it’s pretty typical for believers to try hard, do good & FAIL. That didn’t work; so, try HARDER, do BETTER & FAIL again! Until they stop trying so hard; and, just give in and FAKE IT. Can you relate to that? I know I can!  Listen, God’s “SANCTIFICATION” process tells us to take off the masks & quit pretending we’ve reached perfection! We’re all broken! We all need to be made complete in Christ! So, make yourselves accountable to each other to strengthen the Spirit’s effort to crucify your flesh! And, finally, one day we will all become who we already are “positionally” in Christ—we’ll be “GLORIFIED”; and, set FREE from the very PRESENCE of sin! We’ll be like Jesus, Amen! No more corruption! No more sin! So live with that hope!

Sustaining Spiritual Momentum Part II

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The Old Way Isn’t Working

There’s a saying; and, I’m sure most of you have heard it— that, “Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Over & Over And Expecting Different Results.” In other words, if you’re looking for different results, you’ve got to change the way you’re doing things! The American church is desperately in need of a “paradigm shift” in the way we do things! The old way isn’t working! It’s broken! You’ve heard the statistics— 9 out of 10 churches, in America, are in decline! And, of that,  in 10 experiencing growth (many are “Mega Churches”), 9 out of 10 have grown— NOT by adding new converts— but, by TRANSFER growth; or, people leaving the 9 out of 10 churches in decline!

The Same God

As for me, I’m unwilling to accept some sorry excuse that people just aren’t seeking God these days! The same God, who worked the sweeping revivals in the book of Acts, is alive and well today! The Bible offers us hope! And, there is a grassroots movement that is effecting change in the Church across our land. God is raising up modern-day “prophets” who refuse to preach the pragmatic “self-help gospel” with its self-absorbed, man-centered appeal to consumerism— that false gospel will not endure the coming persecution! It’s a movement that’s slowly building, gaining momentum, and, returning to “ground zero”— to where Jesus said, “I will build My church.” He would build His Church— NOT by appealing to the fleshly lusts of the world & the unregenerate heart; but on the WEAKNESS of man & the POWER of God! “Not by man’s might or power; but, by MY Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6). 

Empowered By His Spirit

Jesus built that early church, in the book of Acts, out of broken men who were empowered by HIS Holy Spirit to simply obey His “commission” to make disciples! This post is about sustaining the spiritual momentum necessary to continue making new disciples.  In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer is addressing a falling away of some of the believers. Somehow, the momentum of the early church, in Acts, had stalled! Earlier, in the letter, the writer had warned them that they needed to learn, all over again, some of the elementary truths of faith— so, this is basic stuff! If it was a class it would be “Basic Discipleship 101.”  The text says, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our gatherings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” 

Don’t Do Life Without It

If you had only 2 words to summarize those verses, they would be “relationships” & “gatherings”; and, that’s Church!  The writer is saying, “Church: Don’t try to do the Christian life without it!” And, his 1st point is to “be concerned about one another.” If the Church is to sustain the momentum necessary to make disciples who make disciples we have to quit making Church about ourselves! God calls us to look after one another! That Church is attractive to unbelievers! Can you point me to one like that? The narcissism that defines the current culture will not produce spirituality, nor does it have the ability to sustain any kind of spiritual momentum. This comes from the Spirit of God alone! And His Spirit tells us to concern ourselves with “relationships” & “gatherings.” May God help us move away from our self-absorbed selves!

Sustaining Spiritual Momentum Part I

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Looking For Different Results?

There’s a saying; and, I’m sure most of you have heard it— that, “Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Over & Over And Expecting Different Results.” In other words, if you’re looking for different results, you’ve got to change the way you’re doing things! The American church is desperately in need of a “paradigm shift” in the way we do things! The old way isn’t working! It’s broken! You’ve heard the statistics— 9 out of 10 churches, in America, are in decline! And, of that,  in 10 experiencing growth (many are “Mega Churches”), 9 out of 10 have grown— NOT by adding new converts— but, by TRANSFER growth; or, people leaving the 9 out of 10 churches in decline!

The Same God

As for me, I’m unwilling to accept some sorry excuse that people just aren’t seeking God these days! The same God, who worked the sweeping revivals in the book of Acts, is alive and well today! The Bible offers us hope! And, there is a grassroots movement that is effecting change in the Church across our land. God is raising up modern-day “prophets” who refuse to preach the pragmatic “self-help gospel” with its self-absorbed, man-centered appeal to consumerism— that false gospel will not endure the coming persecution!

I Will Build My Church

It’s a movement that’s slowly building, gaining momentum, and, returning to “ground zero”— to where Jesus said, “I will build My church.” He would build His Church— NOT by appealing to the fleshly lusts of the world & the unregenerate heart; but on the WEAKNESS of man & the POWER of God! “Not by man’s might or power; but, by MY Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).  Jesus built that early church, in the book of Acts, out of broken men who were empowered by HIS Holy Spirit to simply obey His “commission” to make disciples! This post is about sustaining the spiritual momentum necessary to continue making new disciples. 

A Falling Away

In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer is addressing a falling away of some of the believers. Somehow, the momentum of the early church, in Acts, had stalled! Earlier, in the letter, the writer had warned them that they needed to learn, all over again, some of the elementary truths of faith— so, this is basic stuff! If it was a class it would be “Basic Discipleship 101.”  The text says, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our gatherings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” 

Don’t Do Life Without It

If you had only 2 words to summarize those verses, they would be “relationships” & “gatherings”; and, that’s Church!  The writer is saying, “Church: Don’t try to do the Christian life without it!” And, his 1st point is to “be concerned about one another.” If the Church is to sustain the momentum necessary to make disciples who make disciples we have to quit making Church about ourselves! God calls us to look after one another! That Church is attractive to unbelievers! Can you point me to one like that? The narcissism that defines the current culture will not produce spirituality, nor does it have the ability to sustain any kind of spiritual momentum. This comes from the Spirit of God alone! And His Spirit tells us to concern ourselves with “relationships” & “gatherings.” May God help us move away from our self-absorbed selves!


Church Community Encourages Growth

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Celebrate The Differences

During our 41 years of marriage & ministry together, my wife and I have had several opportunities to minister to some married couples who were struggling with their relationship.  And, more often than not, they were fighting over the very things they originally found attractive about each other— their differences! Oh yes, indeed, opposites do attract! I have never yet met a couple who were matched up because of their likenesses.  And, if you don’t celebrate the differences from the start of the marriage, you’ll begin to see them as irritants after a while.

Diversity Adds Strength

Those differences were obvious early on; and, they were seen as complimentary because each one filled in some deficiency in the other person. That’s also true in the faith community that makes up every local church.  Have you noticed how different each individual member is in your church? We all have different backgrounds & upbringings; and, that diversity adds strength to the faith community! But— like marriage— those differences can become problematic to our fellowship if we’re not careful. We can look at how different we are & conclude that we just can’t fellowship with those people! When we go there we make the same mistake as the troubled married couple! The differences that my wife & I brought into the marriage gave us perspective; and, stretched us because they exposed our individual weaknesses & our need to make some changes in our lives.

How God Uses His Church

I believe we are each a better person because we’ve grown in those areas, to be more like the other person. God uses His church to accomplish the same thing in our lives— our differences and our diversity make us stronger! God often exposes our weaknesses & our sinful tendencies through the strengths of others. Our interaction, within the faith community, is one of the MOST significant ways that God grows us spiritually! It’s the friction that we encounter, in our church family, that gives the Holy Spirit the necessary traction to grow us! So, don’t ever look condescendingly at anyone! The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Roman believers, points out the fact that there are individuals— within the church—  who are strong spiritually; and, others who are weak! And, that can be said of every local church! No two people are ever at the exact same level of spiritual maturity!   

Spiritual Infants Need Your Help

In every faith community, some are spiritually weak in their faith. Perhaps they’re a spiritual “infant” because they’ve never been discipled. Their greatest need is for someone spiritually mature in the faith, to come alongside them & show them how to grow.  Others are weak because they’ve been wounded or hurt— it could be spiritual, emotional, or physical pain that they’re dealing with! Again, they just need someone to love them enough to come alongside them & take the time to listen; and, to help! God intends for the Church of Christ to do the work of Christ! That’s why He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every believer so that we could reconcile people to God! In the letter from Paul to the Roman believers, which I alluded to earlier, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write:  “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” It is our spiritual obligation to leave no believer behind. Build them up!