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He didn’t arrive fully grown. He didn’t just step out into the world. We are reminded, especially at this time of year that Jesus was born in a manger in a the little hamlet of Bethlehem – some five miles south of Jerusalem. We were given a Savior as a new-born baby. Part of the mystery of this story is that God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1). Most people, I believe, still struggle with this simple little fact of life – God became man!
I watched my grand-daughter the other day as she played. She will be two years old (Lord how time flies) in January. She was lining up her dolls and playing with them. She took postcards from a magazine and laid them on the floor and called it her “book”. She was imagining. Her small world was growing. I remember the boys playing army in the house. We would rearrange the furniture (while Kim was at out of the house) and drape sheets over the couch and chair. We would build fortresses that all the cosmic powers of the world couldn’t penetrate! We shot the enemy down. We took captives. We imagined. We played as though life was real to us.
Somehow I imagine Jesus had to grow up in much the same way. His world would was held under the stronghold of Roman rule. Life was different, dark and complicated for His family. His father owned a carpenter shop and His mother more than likely was a “stay at home mom” who may have engaged in baking bread for extra income. He played life. He must have. Surely He did because after all…we somehow want Him to be like us, our children and our children’s children. Surely He mastered the art of manipulating His mother by his tears. He was wet and needed his diaper changed. He was hungry. He wanted to be held, rocked or cradled in his mother’s arms. Surely he was like the rest of the boys who lived to make noise and take dominion over most of what they confronted – isn’t that the nature of a boy/man? God created man in His image and commanded him to take dominion. Ever since then man has attempted to find out who he is by his nature of dominion. Some survive and others do not.
Back to the baby. What did Mary and Joseph do when he sat up for the first time? Who did they tell when He mastered becoming a pilgrim of the small abode they called home and began crawling placed he had not yet discovered? Where did he go when he finally honed down this thing called walking? Who did he mention first – Momma or Dada? So many questions and so few answers. It’s as though this part of his life was not supposed to be exposed to the world. God somehow kept it under wraps. We don’t see much of him after the dedication in the temple. We see him next as he slips away from the caravan and takes up debate with the scholars in the temple. Mary and Joseph put out an Amber Alert for him and finally discover him about his Father’s business. Can you imagine what dinner was like that evening at the Joseph household?
This baby. This baby named Jesus. This child who was God among us. Today two things crossed my mind. First of all, some things about our family structure, events, occasions, etc. are to be kept private. Those early years of Christ weren’t broadcast for the world to see. We don’t really know what happened to Joseph. We speculate. We assume but no one really knows. Life for the family of Christ was kept under wraps. James, the half-brother of Christ must have been a handful because he didn’t believe Jesus was the Christ until after the resurrection. Powerful dynamics that more than likely led to more than one argument at the dinner table or in the bunk beds in the boy’s room. Life is complicated for all of us. All of us. Not just a few of us. There are things that only the family should know. In an age of social networks are we exposing too much about our private lives? Are we sharing too much information about our children? Are we posting pictures that maybe shouldn’t be? Making remarks we shouldn’t make? Just a thought because God invented the first social network – it’s called the Holy Bible. In it He purposefully kept out the secrets of the childhood of baby Jesus. Maybe we should do as Mary did – ponder some things in our hearts and not on the internet. Just a thought.
Second thing is that Jesus grew up to be a man. His mother was proud of him. He worked with his dad in the “shop.” But when He stepped out into adulthood -she let him. As a parent of two outstanding young men I remember the days when we had to cut the cord and let them go. Not easy but necessary. We had to let them make mistakes, miscalculate life issues, discover pain as independent individuals, become life counselors and not necessarily parental advisors. Mary let Jesus go. Off he went. Performing miracles. Raising the dead. Healing. Delivering people. But Mary had pondered things in her heart. She knew the day would come when this baby would grow up and…well, the rest is His-story.
Sometimes letting go is hard. Sometimes keeping things within the family structure can be difficult. But Christ modeled family life for us all. His gift was more than that of a Savior. He modeled every day life for all of us. Let’s follow His plan more closely in the future!
I can’t believe I haven’t written anything in the last little while! OMG! But here we are at Christmas time! The pastoral team here at VHC is running full speed. Yep! It can get crazy around this time of year. This year we have our children’s special titled “Back to the Manger!” If you’re in the area or within driving distance you will want to come and see the program. I’ve always said no one can do Christmas like kids!
I couldn’t believe how soon stores started putting out their Christmas decorations. I think every year they start a little earlier. I saw a cartoon last week somewhere that depicted two kids talking. One said to the other, “It seems we have to start being good earlier every year!” Somehow I can’t add anything to that statement!
I barked for years about Christmas being too commercialized. I barked about it being a sell-a-bration instead of a celebration. I barked and growled…and no one really listened. No one at all! I came across as Pastor Scrooge! I guess I just got caught up in the…well…sell-a-bration instread of the celebration of Christmas. Guilty as charged…I became the Scrooge.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the world of unbelievers is blind. They don’t have a clue as to how to celebrate Christmas. All they know to do is lean towards a sell-a-bration. Make money. They are blind to the real purpose of Christmas and anyone is who doesn’t Christ as Savior. Our barking only makes things worse at times. I remind you of what Paul the apostle said: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Barking about commercialization of Christmas isn’t spreading the good news! It’s only aggravating the unbeliever who can’t see the end of his nose – spiritually speaking. Yes, I understand that the commercialization is good to the degree that sales people get hired and the economy gets a boost. Yes, I understand that families get together at Christmas who may not see each other for another year. Yes, I understand that people will walk into our churches that have never given their life to Christ. Yes, I understand all of it. But where does that put you and I at this season?
As believers we have the awesome task of sharing a celebration! Gift giving is to remind us that God is a giver! He gave His Son so that you and I could receive eternal life. We give gifts to put a smile on someone’s face. We give in honor of the One who gave us Christ. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior – outside of the resurrection and ascension – is the greatest of all miracles. The human mind struggles to believe such a story but until the human mind surrenders to the soul and spirit within them by faith – they will never know or understand the “baby Jesus” story. I do. I met this baby. I invited this baby Jesus into my heart in 1971. Life has never been the same. How could it be?
So we can either make a big deal about the sell-a-bration of Christmas or we can celebrate Christmas! I’m going to celebrate the Lord! I am going to join in that chorus the angels sang, “Peace on earth and good will toward men.” Did you get that? Good will toward men! Hoping that something I do or say will enlighten the eyes of those who are blind. Can we speak good will toward the blind? Can we gift the blind with the reality of Christmas?
I saw a man with a white cane the other day down town. He tapped his way up to a stop light. He waited and then someone came up behind him and gave him directions, held his arm and helped him across the street. That was symbolic for you and I as believers. We are to help those who are blind – not frustrate them. They are in their own way celebrating Christmas…and maybe…just maybe someone will take them by the arm and help them across the street of confusion, disillusionment, pain, suffering, grief, anger, bitterness and loneliness. Could that someone just possibly be you?
Let’s celebrate Christmas instead of sell-a-brating Christmas. The world will sell-a-brate Him rather they realize it or not. But you and I as believers can certainly celebrate the birth of our Savior. Buy some one who is not expecting a gift from you a gift and then tell them you’re celebrating the greatest of all – the Savior!
Once again I find myself distracted from the norm of my duties to the abnormal direction our nation is heading. I can’t believe that we have aired video clips of a black man ranting vulgar and life threatening remarks without a back lash of anger from the media and politicians of our nation. Unbelievable! If this had been a white man ranting and raving and threatening to kill black people – the approach by the media would have been much different. Somebody would be in jail and the DOJ would have been assigning attorneys to see that somebody spend a long time in jail over this one. Where was the NAACP on this one? Where were all the activists and human rights groups on this one?
We are moving away from a clear, social, economical and political agenda in this country toward a disguised and very covert operation of socialism and in my opinion (for what it’s worth) Sharia law. Trust me on this one…it will be in our face before it’s over. Let me get some things of my chest with this writing.
Our current leader, President Obama, has opened the flood gates to an aggressive and emboldened public meetings with a clear agenda. Read the OneNewsNow.com articel by Chad Groening entitled: Islam on the rise, compliments of Obama. You will be angered – that is if you’re a red-blooded American and dedicated believer in Jesus Christ.
Again, let me bark about some things bugging me. I think the oil spill taking over our southern coastline beaches is an absolute shame and disgrace to our country. We can send a man to the moon and put him in a space laboratory but we can’t plug an oil line decimating our beaches, eco system and the economic structure of our southern coastline. Ridiculous. Unbelievable. Now for my radical non-researched opinion. I think the current administrations handling of this is a much bigger picture. I think Obama is chasing his egotistical dream of becoming a world leader. I really believe he wants the economy to fall in America. I really believe he thinks that if he can create havoc with this oil spill and watch the market collapse in our southern region – it is one step closer to a North American monetary system which will eventually fade into a one world monetary system. It’s the bigger picture he is chasing. With his failed stimulus packages and plans for another one on the way – we’re looking at a shrinking American dollar. The “smaller” the dollar becomes – the larger his dream becomes and moves toward reality. He is a socialist who has Muslim leanings and he is no longer ashamed of his efforts to take America toward a socialist nation. We can’t just blame him. Congress and the Senate are playing right into his hands.
Next on my complaint list is the Arizona issue of “illegal aliens.” I have never understood why men with great legal minds, educated in our best Ivy League Universities, can’t understand the operative here: illegal. America has prided herself on the lady in the harbor who has welcomed millions to our nation of freedom and justice for all. I don’t think anywhere in our constitution or library of laws have we established freedom for those who intend to break the law. We establish laws for me to abide by. Romans 13 gives us clear direction to establishing law. If we are going to welcome every one to our country as an illegal alien, give them social security benefits they have not earned, educate them and care for them physically and medically – then we need to open every prison door in America and let our convicts go. The whole idea of exempting law breakers from the law is edging toward anarchy toward a country that has lived by law since its inception. We were born out of a desire for laws to protect the innocent and convict the criminal. Illegal aliens, regardless of their color, ethnicity or faith ought to be dealt with as criminals….because that’s what they are. Plain and simple. We are spending millions of dollars defending the right for a criminal to have rights in a country in of which he is not a citizen. What’s wrong with that picture?
I am frustrated again. I know it’s just me. No doubt about it. But here I go again wondering how we are successfully going to reach the next generation of faithful attendees to our churches. Yep. It’s probably just me. But after watching two very identical news casts this weekend – I am left with questions. I know some of these I and others have arrived at already. They are not new questions. But they are, in my limited frame of thinking anyway, questions that we have to answer – at least those of us who are attempting to shepherd God’s wonderful sheep in a more…well…traditional manner. Tradition being that of actually going to a place of worship as opposed to not going at all. I digress.
This past weekend I watched snippets of Fox News and CNN run vignettes on the “millenia faith folk”. Yes, those 18 – 30 year olds that we are struggling to keep in our churches. Heaven forbid I use the term “pews” but you get the idea. I learned that some 30% of this age group maintain their faith on-line. They hesitate to use the term Christianity and or evangelical. They are asking the “church” to consider something besides abortion and gay/lesbian lifestyles for a change. Things like the eco system and world hunger and child abuse.
I understand they think the “structured” church is too involved and or focused on homosexuality and abortion. While this are legitimate concerns for the church and we can in no way move away from them – I agree that we have to expand our horizons of world crisis. No doubt about it. Voice of the Martyrs recently informed us that over 500 Nigerian Christians were slaughtered. Men, women and children. There is no outrage over this nor is there a sense of world attention being given to it from our faith communities. Yes, we have to increase our horizons of both global and national concerns.
But on to a few questions that surfaced with these two news vignettes this past weekend. Seriously. Maybe I am not getting the full picture here but I have some legitimate questions maybe you can help me with. For instance….
1. How does this internet church connect with scriptural calls for fellowship? Is it in small groups?
2. How does this group become disciples? How do they go deeper in the practice of their faith?
3. Where does conviction and their on-line belief system come together? Does it at all?
4. How does this group financial support their “church” with tithes and offerings? I know this is controversial so let me rephrase it to calm some of you down. How does this group support the kingdom with their contributions?
I realize the dynamic of this group is going to be more organic than the traditional models of evangelical church. I understand the models and terms being thrown around today. Missional, traditional, organic, emerging, emergent, and attractional. Yes…there are probably a few I have overlooked but you get the idea.
I can’t get this group out of my heart. They are a group that want’s ownership to the church they attend but have little time to commit that relevant ownership. They want leadership without ownership in some cases and ownership without…are you ready for this term….”followership.” Followership can be defined as actually connecting with a church and becoming a follower with actual hands on sacrifice, contribution, discipleship and commitment. I read recently where the 18 -25 year olds are not leaving their faith – they’re just leaving their church. While I understand this season of disillusionment they are dealing with I struggle to grasp where this all fits with what Paul defines as the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. How do we connect them to the body of Christ when there is no practical way to connect them? When they are cyber attendees to an on-line church (one church claims they have 80,000 “members” on-line) – how does the body engage in movement as a body? Can we arbitrarily disconnect ourselves from the church? Can the hand say to the foot “I have no need of you?” I was just wondering because I am really struggling to see this distinct group of people connect to the body of Christ.
I am asking for your opinion. I am on the ignorant side of faith here and need all the help I can get.
I love Joshua chapter one. It is about a young man who has been the apprentice of a “seasoned” prophet and leader. You know all about this one. It’s Moses the “journeyman” and Joshua the apprentice. What a team! They have been together for some time now. Joshua watched as Moses lead God’s people…forward…and in circles. Rebellion and disobedience were the key elements to prolonged deliverance. Wow! There’s another story line for another blog! I digress!
Joshua is a young leader who has to have a massive dose of encouragement to accomplish the will of God for his calling – and that’s just within the first few days! He has been anointed and appointed to lead nearly one million people (popular estimates without a real Obama census of course) to the promised land. Ahhh! The promised land. You would think taking God’s people to a promised place of prosperity and provision would excite them towards obedience. One would think that – but in this case, not so.
There are no less than six times Joshua receives encouragement from someone. Here we go:
Now don’t misunderstand me. I like the idea of encouragement. No matter how much of it we need or how much it takes to get the job done – there is something spiritually and psychologically motivating to receive it. We all like to be encouraged. I mean think about it. The first five times Joshua is getting some encouragement is by Moses and God Himself. What an awesome pair to receive encouragement from. Moses! He’s been around the block (no pun intended) more than once with Israel. If anybody ought to know how hard-headed, obstinate, disobedient, trying and frustrating leading God’s people can be – it would be Moses. My goodness gracious! He wandered in one big circle for what seemed to be eternity. Yep! Ol’ Moses would know that Joshua would have to be told, “Be perpetually strong willed. Be courageous!” What a powerful line of leadership advice.
Then there is the voice of God speaking to Joshua. This booming voice thunders out of the heavens with leadership advice that only John Maxwell could mimic! Two points are all that’s included in God’s leadership advice blog for Joshua. Be strong. Be courageous. God didn’t want this leadership thing to be complicated for this young leader. Strength and courage…and knowing His presence would be Joshua were all God gave to him. Riiiiiiight! I got ya! When Father God speaks only two words and the two words are strength and courage – you have to know something is behind this advice. Add to it that God speak the same thing to Joshua three times makes it even more evident. Joshua son….you’re really gonna have your hands full.
Last but not least – the people of God. How spiritual that sounds…”the people of God.” Makes it sound like the folk getting ready to follow Joshua’s leadership are something special. I’ll say special alright! God’s people giving advice, affirmation and encouragement to their leader is awesome. I have pastored for nearly 25 years and there is nothing like the people you have been charged to lead offering you good, sound advice and encouragement. Absolutely nothing like it. But there is just a small glitch to what Israel offers to Joshua. I’m not so sure I would not have personally sat down and covered myself with sack-cloth and ashes after hearing Israel try and give me this line of encouragement. Let me explain.
In Joshua 1.16-18 Israel responds to Joshua first line of instruction. It is awesome. Here is the good part of what they said:
What words of encouragement! Any leader would have loved to hear those words! What is the problem you ask? Simple. It’s that little troubling phrase in verse 17: “Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey you!” Really? Oh my God! What a bucket of cold water they just threw on Joshua. “As we obeyed Moses we’re gonna obey you big guy!” No…no…a thousand times “no!” Please, take that statement back! Drop it out of the context. Are you kidding me? You’re pledging loyalty to Joshua based on your loyalty to Moses? Joshua knew right then and there that he was in serious trouble. No wonder he was encouraged and affirmed so many times. No wonder Moses spoke into his spirit twice. No wonder God spoke to him three times. Moses and God knew something Joshua was about to experience in a new and memorable experience.
I could have handled all of the encouragement Israel gave Joshua except this one part. They rebelled against Moses. They cried and whined and wanted to go back where they came from. They caused Moses to lose his temper….repeatedly. They moved toward mutiny and wanted to appoint a new leader and head back to the way things used to be (Numbers 14.4). Joshua himself came close to being stoned to death for being an assistant leader…and now he has the entire torch. Tough place to be. They were a difficult tribe to manage. And now they were giving Joshua the same level of commitment. Wow! What was wrong with that picture?
I can only imagine that this was the second generation of followers who didn’t want to make the same mistakes their forefathers had made. I can only imagine that there was a group of followers who wanted to commit a new level of what I call “followership” to this newly appointed leader. They had seen first hand what rebellion and disobedience could cause. They knew by experience what rejecting leadership could do to the group as a whole. They didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes.
There is without a doubt a new move of God taking place in our western culture of faith. The faith community as a whole is evaluating their existence both personally and congregationally. We do not want to commit the same mistakes as previous generations have. We don’t have a lot of time to move forward and engage in winning the lost to Christ. Time is slipping by. “We’re burning daylight!” as John Wayne would so aptly yell to his followers.
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to miss this move of God. I want to hear from Him. I want to successfully lead my congregation forward. It will be a season of sacrifice. It will be a costly season. It will be a hard season. But it will also be a season of reward. Buckle up and let’s put ourselves in drive and take the cities God has given us responsibility for. Let’s not look at past “followership” models except to learn from them. Let’s create a model of church that God has called us to both congregationally and personally. Come on. Let’s do it!
Out of the three parables found in Luke 15 we are most familiar with the prodigal son. You know who I’m talking about – the youngest. He was a young punk, spoiled brat kind of kid who wanted his inheritance early. He was granted his request by a loving father. Then off he went to spread his wings and sow his wild oats. You know the story – he comes to his senses and decides to go home. His father greets him at the end of the driveway with open arms. He is forgiven and the father throws a huge mega party for the kid. The story doesn’t end here. We would like it to but it doesn’t. Grace, mercy and forgiveness are not what this story is all about.
There is another son we should be concerned about. The oldest. He doesn’t “cotton” up to the idea of grace, mercy and forgiveness as quick as the dad does. Ooops! More dirty laundry to air – right out of the pages of holy writ! He cops a bad attitude with the dad and doesn’t even attend the party. The father goes out to him also – not to extend grace and mercy – but to plead with him to come in and enjoy the home-coming of the youngest son. The oldest doesn’t want anything to do with it. Arrogance, anger, envy and pride at its best.
I am looking at these two sons as that which represents generational differences in the church. While I won’t go in to the detail my message did this past Sunday (listen to it on-line at victoryhil.org) I will make some points about it. I am deeply burdened for two groups of young people. First the 18 – 25 year olds who are leaving their churches but not necessarily their faith. Second, those “kids” who have been raised in the church, left the church, grew up, got married and have never come back to the church. I’m grieved and broken-hearted over these two groups. I think all of us should be somewhat concerned about them. Somewhere along the line we took the word essential out of our teaching the importance of church to our congregations. Church to far too many people is nothing more than an option in relationship to what to do on any given Sunday. Do we go to a ball game or go to church? Do we go to the lake or do we go to church? Church has lost its priority to too many believers and we have succeeding generations that are taking this lack of essentiality to a new level. Faith is important to them but not a place to express their faith in communal action.
I think the older son represents that generation of boomers and busters and older. Here’s why:
The unique thing about this parable is that the father says to the oldest son – “All that I have is yours.” He didn’t get that part. He all the resources he ever needed at his finger tips. He could have had the same opportunity the youngest had. He was like Martha banging pots and pans and wanting to know where Mary is and threw up the fact that she was working so why wasn’t Mary. He could have seriously played a part in the parable about the employer and wages. You know, the one where servants are hired for a days pay. Some show up early and work all day long. Some show up an hour before quitting time and are paid the same wages (Matthew 20). Somebody got ticked off about this idea! Bottom line is that there is a generation out there that can cop attitudes about the culture of the young potential believers. I hope our churches will not cop the same attitude the oldest son did in this parable.
I ask you this question: Who was the worse prodigal? The young son who spent his inheritance on wild living? The oldest who was consumed with envy, jealousy and anger over how the Father treats his wild young buck brother? The youngest who wasted his inheritance or the older who wasted an opportunity to serve the Father in compliance with grace, mercy and forgiveness?
I think we have a new approach here to this parable. Consider it. Think about it. I trust we all take advantage of the Father’s willingness to celebrate forgiveness for a generation of potential believers who will not do church the way we have always done church. Time for Nexus Church!
I can’t imagine how victimized Armando Galarraga felt. I don’t think anyone can imagine how he felt. But then again I can’t imagine how umpire Jim Joyce felt either. I don’t think anyone can imagine how he felt. The Detroit Tigers was playing the Cleveland Indians. It was the ninth inning and Galarraga was facing his 27th batter – Jason Donald. Donald hit a grounder just wide of first base and Miguel Cabrera fielded the ball to Galarraga at first base. The catch was made and Donald was at least a step and a half off the bag. Umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe when it was obvious to everyone in attendance he was out. This was a call and a moment in history that would not be reversed. No way. It ain’t gonna happen. The call stands. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig won’t reverse the call. It is what it is. A perfect game was stolen not only from history but from the hands of the pitcher who would have been the 21st pitcher in history to accomplish the “perfect” game and the first Detroit Tiger to do the same. The perfect game will be remembered but not how either Galarraga or Joyce would want it remembered. It will be recorded in MLB history but not the way we would want it be recorded. Dirty rotten shame but hey, mistakes happen. This proves that games like this are dependent humans and all humans hold the capacity for error. The problem with human error is that not all mistakes will get a second chance or an opportunity to correct mistakes. I’m glad grace is on our side because it’s obvious that grace doesn’t belong to the MLB.
History has recorded multiple accounts of human error. Yeah you know all about it don’t you? Ninth inning, you’re on calling the “game” and you blow it. You make a huge mistake. You call a shot that is a major error. You missed it. You just made the worst decision, the worst choice you could have ever made. You need a second chance. You need a break. You need forgiveness. You need this mistake erased from the records. You don’t want it remembered at all much less remembered as a mistake. Only God can forgive and erase the sin of our past. Only He can erase the “bad” calls we can make from time to time.
Jonah. Simon Peter. Moses. Tim Teague. You and countless others could be listed here. We could list qualifiers for a second chance forever. But there is one striking difference in us and Jim Joyce. He wasn’t given a second chance to change a bad call, a bad choice. We have been given a second chance by grace. Romans 5.20 declares that where sin…bad calls in life, mistakes and errors are made grace is found in an abundant supply. Grace is given for mistakes. Undeserved grace. Unmerited favor. Given by God Himself to you and I. Mistakes, bad calls…we all make them. Again, the difference in you and I is that our human error can be forgiven. This is the most awesome facts of history.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Confession for you and I for sin is much different from Jim Joyce’s. Jim confessed his error but he wasn’t granted a second chance. He will live with his error the rest of his life…and so will those his mistake made. Ours can be forgiven. It starts with confession. It also ends with confession. Thanks for grace.
May 30, 2010 Vacation Break
I am sitting at the Pine Mountain State Park Lodge in Kentucky. It is one of my favorite places to go to relax. We’re here with Brad, Chantielle, Arthur and Virginia (Kim’s parents). Came over this morning and spent some time visiting family I haven’t seen in some time. Had a chance to see some of the old home places and visit the cemetary’s where Kim’s grandparents and great grandparents are buried. I have had an awesome time just visiting and relaxing with family. Seeing the old homestead place just brought back a lot of memories. Very good memories I might add.
I joined the Hensley clan by virtue of becoming Kim’s husband. This is an awesome family that I have grown to love and appreciate. I lost my grandparents on my side early and so taking on Kim’s grandparents as “mine” meant a great deal to me. I remember both granddaddy and grandmother and the Godly lives they lived. I remember the mega family meals we used to have a the home place. I remember grandmother getting up extremely early and banging pots and pans. Breakfast, lunch and dinner almost all back to back. No sooner than one meal was finished and the kitchen was clean…they would start another one. Sitting on the front porch drinking iced tea and waving at virtually everyone who drove by was a favorite past time. I thought I had found heaven on earth. Godly people who modeled serving Christ relatively easy.
I remember that at grandmothers one Thanksgiving we were gathered in the house. We were going around the room, at grandmother’s request, sharing something we were thankful for. Before long the Holy Spirit settled into the room and we were having a camp meeting service! It was in that meeting I first experienced the Holy Spirit using me in one of the nine gifts of the Spirit. It was an awesome life changing experience I will never forget. It was over thirty years ago and this family is still going on loving Jesus and most of all loving one another.
I remember granddaddy sharing testimonies as he sat in his Lazy Boy recliner. He would tremble in the presence of God. The anointing was so powerful in the room. If you didn’t know Jesus – you couldn’t blame this family.
Driving away from the Hensley home place today brought challenge to me. As I sat and listened to grand daddy Hensley I was reminded of my dad’s father. Oscar Teague was his name. A self-educated man for the most part he couldn’t read anything proper but the Bible. He was a finish carpenter by vocation. I remember grand daddy praying. I remember grand daddy quoting scripture. I remember that he too would tremble in the presence of the Lord. I remember sitting on the front porch of their home in Johnson City, TN. I remember eating at the oversized kitchen table. I remember so much about grand daddy. Grandmother passed when I was very young but I remember grand daddy well.
The challenge? Several things crossed my mind. First, I want my children and my children’s children to “see” the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life as we did both sets grandparents. I also want my two son’s to know that their dad loves God and that there is nothing “sissy” about demonstrating the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. My dad’s dad was a strong man. Kim’s grand daddy was a strong man. There was nothing passive about either one of these men and they left a legacy of manhood. The legacy? Don’t be afraid to demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Trembling under the anointing is a good thing.
Paul the apostle was transparent when he wrote to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 2.4 and mentioned his life “demonstrating” the work and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Real men aren’t afraid of the Holy Spirit. Real men aren’t afraid to let others see how the Holy Spirit moves them. Real men aren’t afraid to let the Holy Spirit “demonstrate” Himself through them – even to the point of them trembling physically. Real men….absolutely real men.
I want my family, my son’s and their families to know that their father was not afraid to show forth the anointing of the Holy Spirit in his life. For too long we have seen men take a back seat to expressing themselves in worship, praise and simply letting the Holy Spirit demonstrate Himself through them. I can’t for the life of me figure out why except that we have created a culture of anti-feminism to the degree that men are inhibited in their spiritual lives.
I want my son’s to know that there is an anointing in the Holy Spirit. I want them to know…like I knew of my dad’s dad and my father in law’s dad – that the Holy Spirit is alive and well. I want them to know by watching me that the Holy Spirit will demonstrate Himself through us – and its OK to let it happen. It takes a man to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. It takes mere passivity to deny Him the opportunity. In the kingdom there is no room for passive Christian men. Absolutely no room at all. Man up guys and let the Holy Spirit demonstrate Himself in your lives on a daily basis.
By the way…thanks to grand daddy Teague and grand daddy Hensley for the example. Your life impacted mine and many, many more. To God be the glory. Thanks for being Godly men. Thanks for being aggressive men of God. I can only pray I will pass it on.
They call it the “purple pill.” Nexium. It dissipates heart burn, acid indigestion over a 24 hour period of time. It works wonders…trust me. Heart burn is a literal pain in the chest. It is uncomfortable and to a lot of people it can come across as a heart attack because there are similarities in the symptoms.
I wonder what the two Emmaus road disciples felt like after spending some time with the resurrected Lord? They said of the experience, “Our hearts were burning with in us!” (Luke 24.32). Heart burn! There is a good side to it after all. I just wonder how many of the Lord’s believers understand what real spiritual heart burn is? Are we really hungry for more of Jesus? Are we really thirsty for more of Him?
I mentioned this on Wednesday night in my class. I know I was spewing off some shepherd frustration…but it felt good anyway. There are times I struggle to understand the body of Christ. We say we’re hungry but we don’t come to the table. We say we’re thirsty but we won’t volunteer at the well to help bring water up. We describe our heart condition with one set of words and then live out our life with another. I get confused and if it weren’t for Father God being perfect I’m confident He would be a little confused with us also. We speak with our heads and fail to engage that dialogue with our hearts.
Kim and I have been fasting and praying for a spiritual breakthrough at VH. I want to see our congregation show signs of hunger. I am desirous to see men and women make their way to the altar to express their hearts before the Lord. Ahhhhhh! That may be the key. The altar! Can it be that simple? Are we afraid of the altar? Has the altar become a place for sinners to go and those who need deliverance to reside? If so then we have missed an opportunity to express ourselves before the Lord.
The root meaning of the word altar means “to sacrifice; offer or kill.” What about going to the altar to offer praise? What about going to the altar to offer a “sacrifice of praise” to the Lord? Are we that inhibited in our worship that we can’t publicly demonstrate a sacrifice to the Lord?
Romans 12.1 teaches us that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord. In the Old Testament an animal body was used as a sacrifice for the atonement of sin and or paying homage to Jehovah for His goodness. Our bodies then become a living sacrifice through the New Covenant as a sacrifice of praise. Our sins have been atoned through the final sacrifice of Christ. Our very life is an act of praise to the Lord. All that we do with our body is an act of praise to the Father.
In Jewish theory the body of a dead animal offered for sacrifice could not be offered again. Death made sure of it. Once offered it was over. Another animal would be chosen and another sacrifice made. But we, as living sacrifices, are a perpetual sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Death equals inactivity. The term “living” is indicative of a lively sacrifice. Our “life” becomes an ongoing, active, engaged, lively, mobile, ecstatic and joy filled sacrifice. We are to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
With this in mind…are we all that? Does our heart burn within us? Are we like the bush of Moses? Does our heart burn within us but never burns up because we are a living sacrifice? Are we on fire? We can’t burn up – we are a perpetual sacrifice. Oh I know there are those who speak of “burning out” but even I have a hard a time with that terminology. When we are on fire inwardly – we can neither burn up or burn out. Seriously. Burn out sometimes is merely a cop-out in disguise. When our energy and strength comes from Him can we really burn out or burn up? A balanced stewardship of one’s life may help us better manage our time and stress levels but that’s another lesson for another time.
Heart burn. I would to God that we could experience spiritual heart burn. The kind that pushes us toward the altar as a living sacrifice of praise. Living. Life filled. Not dead, cold, lifeless and motionless. Living sacrifices that offer excitement and demonstration of praise and worship. I hear from time to time that we need the “good ol’ days” when people shouted, ran the isles and in uninhibited fashion praised God. I don’t want the good ol’ days. I want the fresh new day of God’s Spirit breathing into my spirit man. I don’t want yesterday. I want today. I don’t want to look at yesterdays sacrifice on the altar. I want to lift my hands and worship Him today. I want to express life and not death to Him. I think when Father looks at the earth He sees enough death – both spiritually and physically. I would like to think that He is really looking for a sacrifice of praise. As a matter of fact…I think Jesus mentioned that Father is looking for people to worship Him like that (John 4.23-24). If Father is seeking for people to worship Him in spirit and truth then I would like to think we can oblige Him. Oh! My goodness! Is that…really…is that a tinge of heart burn I’m beginning to feel? What about you?
May 24, 2010
Acts 1:8 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Jesus laid down a strategic pattern for taking the world for His Father. Start in Jerusalem and work your way to the uttermost part of the earth. Just because the New Testament church was empowered by the Holy Spirit – didn’t mean that they should by-pass process. Process is that which is planned. We hear a lot about the spontaneous work and movement of the Holy Spirit in worship services. I absolutely believe in the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit. I wouldn’t even think about entering into a worship service and not allowing the Holy Spirit His freedom. But we don’t exempt process to gain progress.
Process defined is “a systematic series of actions directed to some end; a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite pattern.” Process. The church cannot do without it. No matter if you represent a Pentecostal or charismatic church or a non-charismatic church – you cannot sidestep process. Jesus Himself introduced process to the church.
Taking the world for Christ is established to the letter of process by definition. The “systematic series of actions directed toward some end” is the witnessing of the church that is directed toward expanding the kingdom. Jesus established the systematic approach – start at Jerusalem, expand to Judea and Samaria and the proceed to the outer most parts of the world. The amazing thing about this process is this is exactly how the church expanded the kingdom.
Acts 8:1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Yes, the church spread out just like Jesus said it would. Mind you it happened by persecution but the systematic approach was followed. God is a God of destiny. Your destiny has already been established by God. He has an “end” for you to arrive at. He also has established your going and coming. Your steps are ordered of the Lord. There is a series of actions that point toward your destined end.
Although God has established our future as He did the church’s – we still have a responsibility to choose accepting it or not. I don’t know about you but I really want to learn to trust God with my future. Learning to lean on Him every day is a challenge when it comes to that part of my life I can neither see or know yet. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow. The lyrics of this old song still speak to me today. Trusting God and moving forward. Knowing strategic process points toward progress is a must for us individually and congregationally.
One thing about the New Testament church. Although they knew the power of the Holy Spirit they didn’t sidestep their responsibility in planning and structuring their services and plans for growth. They learned early that if they did their part – He would do his. We cannot exempt ourselves from process unless we want to annihilate progress. We need one to create the other. Process creates progress.
Pastortimteague's Blog 