As We Prepare To Start 2017

 

As we prepare to start 2017, let me offer Isaiah‬ ‭40:28-31‬;

Do you not know? 

Have you not heard? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

If we go forth in our own strength, we will fail, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hope is in heaven, we will be carried above all difficulties, and able to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.

As we prepare to start 2017, let us commit to placing our hope in God and being strengthened in Him and by Him. 

Made Stronger In Their Presence

I have gone to Spring Arbor, Michigan this week to participate in "Equipping for Excellence" and conference for the leadership of the Free Methodist Church. Sharing in fellowship and friendship with the various pastors and leaders at this conference has been wonderful, the leadership development instruction has been great, and the breakout group that I participated in this afternoon was been insightful. However, the portion of the conference that I have enjoyed the most so far has been the worship services.

It has been nice to listen to our Bishops bring teaching and insight from the Scripture. Likewise, the musical worship team has been inspirational and has led our group into the presence of the Almighty God in a new and powerful way during each service. The Spirit of God has been moving through this group of Pastors and leaders in a way that is transnational and life-changing. 

I am not a great singer, music has never been a gift of mine. I am unable to play any musical instrument and I often struggle to carry a tune. However this does not keep me from worshiping. This afternoon - as we praised God in song - I found myself positioned between two of my close friends and fellow pastors - Adam Strauser and Matt Schutter - both are excellent singers - I could listen to either one of them sing for hours. And, as I stood between these two friends , a thought occurred to me; "I am made stronger, I am made better because I am with them". Their presence, their support, and their voices, enabled me to stay on key and to sing in a more powerful way.

And, just as their presence made me stronger in song, the presence of Godly men and women - Godly friends and Godly influences in our lives - make us stronger and make us better because we are with them. As Proverbs 13:20 states "Walk with the wise and become wise".

I should add that both of these friends mentioned above are also very Godly men who support me in my spiritual walk and hold me accountable in various ways. I am thankful for close friends that help to support and guide me through their love, actions, presence, and even their voice.  

Psalm 121 - God Is

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121)

Let us remember that when we are facing the dark days that this world brings our way, that God is still on the throne; He is our help in times of hardship, He is our comfort in times of doubt, He is security in times of uncertainty, He is our power in times of exhaustion, He is our refuge in times of trouble, He is our light in times of darkness, He is our strength in times of weakness. 

Let us remember to lift our eyes to The Lord, on His mighty and powerful throne, that He and He alone is our help.  

Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost Sunday, a special day in the life of The Church. It was on Pentecost Sunday (40 days after Jesus' resurrection, and 10 days after His ascension) that the Holy Spirit of God came to rest on and in believers. The account of this day can be read about in Acts 2:1-4 (and 5-41);

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The men that were gathered int he upper room on the day of Pentecost were gathered, waiting and praying. We see that throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament, powerful things happened when believers gathered together to pray. As Rev. Jim Cybala says, "when God's people pray things happen". And, on this particular Sunday, some 2,000 years ago, when God's people prayed His Spirit moved upon them. But, these men weren't simply praying for their needs or for themselves, these men were praying for God's Spirit to move. 

In order to better grasp this, it is important that we look back to Acts 1, to Jesus last words on this earth, and to His direct instructions to His disciples. 

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

The men that were gathered in the upper room on this particular Sunday were waiting just as Jesus had told them to. And, as these men waited, they prayed. They were praying for this gift that Jesus had promised to them as He spoke His final words. They were praying for the baptism of  the Holy Spirit that Jesus had told them about. And, they were praying for the power (more literally the strength or the ability) to carry out the mission and the ministry that Jesus had called them to. 

On this Pentecost Sunday we, as faithful believers, need to pray as well. We need to pray that this gift that Christ has promised us would be made real to us. We need to pray that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would come over us. And, we need to pray for the power (the strength and the ability) to carry out our mission and Christ's ministry would be granted to us.

Without the Holy Spirit nothing makes sense. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit we do not have the gifts to carry out the ministry of Jesus. Without the power of the holy Spirit we do not have the power to achieve the mission of Christ. And without prayer we will not be given any of these!

Trikes, Bikes, and Jesus

Years ago I remember the joy (and frustration) of taking our oldest daughter out to teach her to ride a tricycle. Until these early moments of training with my daughter, I never realized just how much strength and skill went into riding a trike. First comes the strength to push the pedals to keep the trike moving forward, then comes the strength to take off from a dead stop, then comes the strength and ability to steer the trike, and finally, the coordination to take off from a dead stop, propel the trike forward, keep the trike moving forward consistently, steer the trike and keep it on a smooth path, and watch for dangers around you.   

Well, our daughter has learned how to ride the tricycle, she has moved on to a bike with training wheels and very soon we will be removing the training wheels from her bike. It has been great to watch her grow in strength, coordination, and balance as she has mastered the skills of bike riding

Robert Tuttle wrote that the "Christian walk is much like riding a bicycle; we are either moving forward or falling off". There is a great deal of truth to this statement. God calls us to so much more than simply sitting still and getting by.

What if we, as Christians were happy with sitting still and just getting by? Well, it would be much like a person that learned how to ride a trike and decided to stay on the trike for the rest of their lives, relying on this small, three-wheeled vehicle for all of their transportation needs. Can you imagine a bunch of grown men and women riding tricycles to and from work on a daily basis? Quite a comical sight, you must admit.

And, if you have ever taught someone to ride a tricycle or a bicycle, or if you have ever tried to teach yourself, you understand how much time, patience, training, and concentration it requires. Likewise, you understand that it comes with its share of bumps, bruises, and scrapes and that it requires some level of risk taking and discomfort.

It is the same with the Christian journey. Many come to Jesus Christ, accepting His call to repentance and the love, joy, and hope that He brings to their lives. But, Christ call His followers to continue to  "strict training" in His ways (1 Corinthians 9). Likewise, Christ calls His followers to be disciplined (Hebrews 12) and to endure the bumps, bruises, and scrapes that come with following Him. Then, many of Christ's followers are called to a level of risk and discomfort, called to follow the will of Jesus and give up everything for Him (Acts 15).

You see, standing still is not an option, you are either moving forward or your falling down. You will not get anywhere by simply getting on the bike if you are not willing to ride it. And riding takes training, patience, and endurance. But the destination is well worth the training and the ride.

A Reminder: Lead Me

Sometimes we need a reminder. A reminder to give up our selfish ambitions. A reminder that others are counting on us. And a reminder to lead.

This song, "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real is a wonderful reminder. It reminds husbands of their first ministry, their duty to honor, love, and lead their wives. It reminds fathers that they are to committed to their children and their families, even when it's easier not to be. And it reminds us all that when things of this life seem to over burden us, our Father in heaven grants us the strength and ability to lead in spite of the evil in this world. 

Lead Me by Sanctus Real

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Psalm 23

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful reminder of who our God is and all the strength, comfort, encouragement, shelter, rest, love, mercy, discipline, forgiveness, guidance, grace, and hope that He gives to our lives.

The danger in a Psalm such as this, one that we become overly familiar with, is that we allow it to become common to us, and thus, it loses meaning in our lives and of our God.

I invite you to read the following Scripture, the 23rd Psalm, pausing to reflect on the words used and the meaning of these words. A journal entry prayer written by King David;

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."