A friend of mine wrote me recently and compared our spiritual lives to gardening. Our spirits need care and nourishment -- the care and feeding you get when you go to church and hear the Word proclaimed, and also the care and nurture of our own spiritual practices each day and week.
The problem is we often neglect to care for our spiritual life. Just as a garden needs weeding and fertilizer, so do our spiritual lives. Too often we become lazy in our faith. The result is lost passion and commitment, while the weeds of self and sin thrive. Too often, we get little out of church. God seems far away, and spiritual life becomes stagnant- overlooked in the midst of all the other activities we squeeze into our lives.
II Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” According to this verse, the way out of our struggle is moving towards God through personal revival. What exactly is revival? As one pastor put it, revival is: “coming to life again. It’s when we go from indifference to making a difference. It’s when we move from being comfortably numb to being passionately committed. It’s when we move from an appetite for the world and self to an appetite for God.”
May we increase our passion for God, because if we have that passion revived, everything else in our spiritual life will automatically fall into place. Spiritual disciplines of scripture reading, memorization and prayer move from being something we need to do and become times of joy when we don’t want to stop.
It can take some effort to develop good spiritual habits. But it can be done! Characteristics that take place when revival comes are: a deepened spiritual hunger, intense fervent prayer that is enjoyable not required, repentance, reckless abandonment and surrender to God, a fresh fullness of the Holy Spirit, spontaneous evangelism and soul winning, restored relationships, a spirit of thanksgiving and joy, increased hunger for God’s Word, and a desire to put God/church before entertainment.
Just like any living thing, without proper care our spirits wilt. If you and I are smart, we will not neglect our faith. Daily, we will fall on our knees, confess our sin and seek God. Then, He showers down upon us fresh Holy Spirit power. Power that changes lives, restores relationships, brings healing, breaks strongholds, and enables us to live as God intends…passionate and purposeful. May God immerse us in His power so that we may be matches for His holy fire.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
CHURCH IS GOOD MEDICINE!
WHY SHOULD YOU COME TO CHURCH ON A REGULAR BASIS? BECAUSE YOU WILL BURN IN HELL IF YOU DON’T COME! The late great Presbyterian evangelist Billy Sunday once made this statement to see if the hundreds of people in his congregation were listening to him. There is no scriptural evidence that staying away from church will exactly send you to hell, but there is much evidence that you are on the wrong path if you forsake assembling with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Hebrews 10:25 declares: “Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhort and encourage one another in the faith.”
When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9). But I John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians. Wherever Christians are within range of each other in the New Testament, they meet. Every time the apostle Paul comes to a town in the book of Acts where there are no Christians, he wins a few converts and immediately organizes them into a small group - a little church. Acts 20:7 reveals the practice of the early church: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them."
For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life. It still is an important part of God's plan. We must be together as a church to carry out God’s mission. Coming to church Honors God, Strengthens You, and Brings Fellowship. And there are two things for the Christian that cannot happen when you live in isolation from the church:
1. USE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. And verse 7 states unmistakably that these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister that should be used for the common good! I Peter 4:10 commands us to use spiritual gifts to help each other.
2. MUTUAL MINISTRY - The church is pictured as a body in I Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. I Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you." Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today. The New Testament is full of "one another" commands -- over 100 of them. We are to comfort one another (I Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), confess and pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more.
When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9). But I John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians. Wherever Christians are within range of each other in the New Testament, they meet. Every time the apostle Paul comes to a town in the book of Acts where there are no Christians, he wins a few converts and immediately organizes them into a small group - a little church. Acts 20:7 reveals the practice of the early church: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them."
For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life. It still is an important part of God's plan. We must be together as a church to carry out God’s mission. Coming to church Honors God, Strengthens You, and Brings Fellowship. And there are two things for the Christian that cannot happen when you live in isolation from the church:
1. USE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. And verse 7 states unmistakably that these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister that should be used for the common good! I Peter 4:10 commands us to use spiritual gifts to help each other.
2. MUTUAL MINISTRY - The church is pictured as a body in I Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. I Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you." Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today. The New Testament is full of "one another" commands -- over 100 of them. We are to comfort one another (I Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), confess and pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
The Future of the Church
Youth ministry is an extemely important assignment for the local church. It is where leaders for the church's future are formed. Youth Fellowship needs to be fun and exciting. Youth should be challenged to grow and to learn to work with others. The youth fellowship needs to be a place where youth feel comfortable, accepted and cared about. It should be a time for youth to explore their spiritual nature, so that youth learn about themselves, about others, and about God.
This year we are seeking our church to be a purpose driven church and our youth fellowship to also reflect this powerful theme. Inspired by the writings of Dr. Rick Warren and Doug Fields, we will look at what we do through the five New Testament purposes of the church, as given by Jesus Christ Himself. The five purposes are taken directly from the Great Commandments in Mt 22:37-40, and the Great Commission in Mt 28:18-20.
The Five Purposes are:
1. Worship – “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mt 22:37). Learning to worship God with our whole lives, not just in youth group, but with all our gifts and talents.
2. Ministry – “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:39). Friendship and service, singing, acting, skits and trips. Making Jesus our Lord in life.
3. Evangelism – “go therefore and make disciples” (Mt 28:19). Sharing God’s blessings and letting others in on the Good News of Jesus Christ.
4. Fellowship – “baptizing them” (Mt 28:19), identification with the Christian community, learning to live well - “What Would Jesus Would Do?” Having clean fun and good times! Games and challenges, good food and discussion.
5. Discipleship – “teaching them to obey all that I command you” (Mt 28:20). Becoming people of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) and ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) We make disciples by being good servants and friends.
We hope to accomplish great things for youth, for the church and for the community, bringing glory to God. We are dedicated to the nurture, care and support of our youth, who are part of the future of the Christian church.
This year we are seeking our church to be a purpose driven church and our youth fellowship to also reflect this powerful theme. Inspired by the writings of Dr. Rick Warren and Doug Fields, we will look at what we do through the five New Testament purposes of the church, as given by Jesus Christ Himself. The five purposes are taken directly from the Great Commandments in Mt 22:37-40, and the Great Commission in Mt 28:18-20.
The Five Purposes are:
1. Worship – “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mt 22:37). Learning to worship God with our whole lives, not just in youth group, but with all our gifts and talents.
2. Ministry – “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:39). Friendship and service, singing, acting, skits and trips. Making Jesus our Lord in life.
3. Evangelism – “go therefore and make disciples” (Mt 28:19). Sharing God’s blessings and letting others in on the Good News of Jesus Christ.
4. Fellowship – “baptizing them” (Mt 28:19), identification with the Christian community, learning to live well - “What Would Jesus Would Do?” Having clean fun and good times! Games and challenges, good food and discussion.
5. Discipleship – “teaching them to obey all that I command you” (Mt 28:20). Becoming people of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) and ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) We make disciples by being good servants and friends.
We hope to accomplish great things for youth, for the church and for the community, bringing glory to God. We are dedicated to the nurture, care and support of our youth, who are part of the future of the Christian church.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)