One more moment of wondering

This is a video of Ed Dobson. While his statements are about his life as a pastor; I wonder if it is not just as true of the body of Christ in general; ie the congregation.  We get so busy with the business of the work of the ministry that we forget to do the ministry in the community in which God has planted us.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn#/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn

Just wondering

^1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
⁴"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
^5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.   John 15:1-8 (The Message)

As I read this I wonder if there is a reason for the majority of churches in the United States not growing.  Especially, the first eight verses.  Just a thought.

Fank and Ernest nails it.

Saw this in todays paper; just thought it was worth a repost for those who missed it.

Marriage and Sex

Here is another video that is a must watch  thanks K Love on there facebook page.

God knows more than you think he knows!

Psalm 139 New Century Version (NCV)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, you have examined me and know all about me.
² You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them.
³ You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do.
⁴ Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it.
⁵ You are all around me—in front and in back— and have put your hand on me.
⁶ Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand.
⁷ Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.
⁹ If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea,
¹⁰ even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me.
¹¹ I could say, "The darkness will hide me.  Let the light around me turn into night."
¹² But even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is as light as the day; darkness and light are the same to you.
¹³ You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother's body.
¹⁴ I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.  What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
¹⁵ You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, ¹⁶ you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me
were written in your book before I was one day old.
¹⁷ God, your thoughts are precious to me. They are so many!
¹⁸ If I could count them, they would be more than all the grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
¹⁹ God, I wish you would kill the wicked! Get away from me, you murderers!
²⁰ They say evil things about you. Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
²¹ Lord, I hate those who hate you; I hate those who rise up against you.

 ²² I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies.
²³ God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.

I have read this verse a number of times; never really saw waht I was shown during men's Bible Study.  The discussion that night showed me another way this passage canbe used.  It can be used as a way of pointing out to people that God already knows what you hve done. Not just us in the church but even not-yet-christians.  Those who say God cn't love me becasue I am TOO BAD A PERSON for God to love.  If they are willing to believe the Bible then Romans 5:8 (NCV)  "But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners." points out that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, at odds with God, and the Psalm 139 points out that knew EVERYTHING about us and the person we are speaking with WHEN CHRIST DIED FOR US!

To me the is the GREAT NEWS of the GOD NEWS!  God was willing to die for us knowing everything about us!!

Seeking GOD

Hebrews 11:6c (New Living Translation) [GOD] rewards those who sincerely [diligently] seek [God].

So, my  question is just how sincerely, diligently, do we seek God both as individuals and as a body?  The word sincerely, means "without wax".  It was used to tell the buyer that a carving had not had places repaired or cracks find with wax mixed with stone dust.  So are should be with a mindset of really seeking God not just paying lip service to the idea.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diligently?show=0&t=1326916591 defines this way : "characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking".   I think of a Bloodhound on a scent.  I have heard of Bloodhounds running the pads of their paws raw refusing to give up on a scent.  Do we seek God in a way that would make us "bleed"?

Just wondering?   Again no wandering involved!

GOD Cares for you!

Isaiah 43:1-7 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

¹The Lord created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what the Lord says:

Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
²When you go through the sea, I am with you.
When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
and the flames will not harm you.
³I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
⁴Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
I will exchange others for you.
Nations will be the price I pay for your life.
⁵Do not be afraid, because I am with you.
I will bring your descendants from the east
and gather you from the west.
⁶I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not keep them.”
Bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
⁷Bring everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.

As I read this passage preparing for a Men's Bible Study I was impressed by the idea of how we are precious, honored and loved by God.  This in turn got me to thinking that those who yet to know God through Jesus are also precious, loved, and honored by God.  This lead me to think about who we God's children do not honor, love and find precious those who yet to know our Papa, our Abba, Baba, our Daddy, our Father.  We are God's children and God's Ambassadors; shouldn't we love, honor and find precious those he finds precious; who He loves and who He honors?

Just wondering!! No wandering involved!

This is a great video! thanks to the friend who posted on facebook

A question asked

As we began the men's group at church last night we started discussing the what the body needed to do as a way of ministry.  One of the questions asked was why we as a church/as individuals did not do the outreach we ought to do.

We came up with a number of reasons from fear of rejection; being told no; lack of training (or maybe that should be no paying attention to the training we have had) and I even suggested that we just did not want to; God might call us to do outreach to a person but we simply said NO! to God's Holy Spirit.

As my mind tends to do, I am the old man and I do wonder, my brain continued to turn the question over; as it did so a couple of old sermon illustration came to mind.  Both you will see below; (Thank God for the Internet search engine!).

 

"The Parable Of The Lifesaving Station"

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew. Some of the new members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they redecorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club. Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of lifesaving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the lifesaving activities personally. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, some had skin of a different color, some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal pattern of the club. But some members insisted that lifesaving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. They did. As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another lifesaving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but now most of the people drown!-- Taken from Personal Evangelism 101, by Brent Hunter

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower

by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

I see a few of things from the lifesaving station.  First, we have stopped seeing the need to reach a dieing world.  Second, we enjoy the safety and comfort of the station (the church building) Third, is those who still see the need must continue the work either in a new place or inspite of the majority and (while not in the story blame God for this) not blame or condemn the majority for their lack of commitment.  It is not our job as the people seeing the need to a) force the others in the church to se the need and b) force the others to do outreach.  Those who see the need, WE must go out and reach "rescue" the needy and dieing world!

The Starfish story spoke to me in the area of some feeling overwhelmed by the great need.  People get overwhelmed by the great number of unreached folks they see and get the attitude of "what does it matter we can not reach them all!"  Yet like the starfish thrower; we need to pick up the one near us and throw it back!  We need, we must reach the person/people we can and allow God to figure out how to reach the person/people we can not reach.

Surprizing what one question does!!!

Advent past and Advent future

At the first Advent the message of the angels to the shepherds was;
Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  ¹¹The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  ¹²And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:9b - 12 New Living Translation)

And Jesus spoke these word to the eleven and to us as we await the second advent;
 ¹⁸Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28:18 - 20 (NLT)  & Acts 1:8 (NLT)

Let us do these things until He comes!!

Struggle

I find myself struggling to see the forest for the trees!  I am wondering (without much wandering) why people say they want to body to grow but do not do much to bring that growth about.  To me that is like saying I want a child and then not spending time with you spouse or doing the paper work (and funding) to adopt! 

I see the church being willing to reach out to Samaria and the ends of the earth; at least funding the out reach to these places. Judea again if I can pay some one to do it OK!  Now Jerusalem, where we should be doing the out reach on a daily basis and helping our fellow missionaries reach folks well does God really want me to do that?  Yes, Virginia God does and God may desire that you go instead of another who is aware of the need but for whatever reason is not equipped to meet that need or maybe you (or another) are the ones God desires to meet the need!  I think the idea of a team approach to most out reach is a wise idea!  I also think that at times a person who is outside the team may see a need that the outreach team can meet.  Also  a team member may see the need and not be the one to meet the need for many reasons; none of which has to do with giftedness of said team member.  I see the need for a team as many fold; the first is then it is the church doing the outreach not one individual.  I am not sure how to put this into words; but here I go in an attempt to try; there is  person or family with the need.  This person/family has no relationship to the church except the one member of the church who is aware of the need.  If the person/family with the need receives ministry from the person (church member)who is aware of their need ; what is the person/family with the need going to think?  I know what I would think ---  thank you "john" for meeting my need; I am happy YOU CARED ENOUGH to help in my time of need!  Now, had some other(s) of the church gone to the person/family (especially if a number does so/had done so) would that not reflect more on the church caring than just the one person who is aware of the need --- even if both said that it was a church base ministry? 

The need I speak of was a death in a family that is not part of the church except that a child in the family comes to the children's ministry programing.  I think that we lost an opportunity because some felt that the person who was already connected to the family through bring the child who is a nieghbor to the person's grandchild should have just taken care of the need.  While I am sure that the person could have done so; we the body of Christ had an opportunity to show the love of Jesus to a family in stress and grief and that just might have brought a person/family into the kingdom; forget they may have come into the church and enriched it as well!!  [rant off]

Have an Attitude 2

I wonder what would happen if the organized church had this attitude;

You’re welcome just as you are.

Your thoughts are welcome. Your doubts are welcome.

We’re all in this together.

The first one I think most churches (i.e. mainline churches) feel they have this attitude.  I am not quite sure that this is true.  Yes, we are willing for new people to come and be part of the gathering; we may even be willing for them to join but at some point they need to look like the rest of the ducks!  We want the wood ducks to become mallard ducks; those new comers need to assimilate and look like us, talk like us and especially worship just like us!!

I happen to be part of a denomination of which some one said "You can worship Buddha; as long as you say 'Jesus is Lord'!"  Well that may be true in some of our churches but I  can tell you it is not true in all of them.  If you want a good church fight just bring up the idea that a persons baptism is not an issue.  To join the church of which I am a member you are to be immersed (I think that the constitution reads that it has to be a baptist baptism but we ignore the baptist part as long as you have been held under the water.)  We especially have an issue if you doubt certain teachings of the baptist doctrine!

I do think that the idea of we are all in this together is done well; we are willing to do ministry with the other churches in the community; the building is used for a weekly community dinner.

Now for the last part of this statement "God is here, ready to connect with you in a fresh way."  All God's people would say "YES!  AMEN!" to the part up to the comma; God is here!  "Connect in a FRESH WAY!?!" "Wait a second here buddy!!"  Fresh way means we may have to do things we are not comfortable with!  I might have to do something that I am not comfortable doing!!

I do think this is the attitude we need for the mainline churches, our churches, to grow.  I think that the body of Christ need to move out of their comfort zone and do ministry in this attitude.  The minimum we must do is support ministries within and without the four walls of the church that have this attitude!  Here it is in it fullness

You’re welcome just as you are.

Your thoughts are welcome. Your doubts are welcome.

We’re all in this together.

God is here, ready to connect with you in a fresh way.

This is a sign inside Lifetree Cafes or Lifetree's site

Forgetting and straining

Philippians 3:13b (NCV)  Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,  

As I was looking for something else the other day this verse came up on my search.  Forgetting the past; has a lot of things in it for us.  There are the failures of the past.  We need to remember the lessons learned from past failures yet we need to forget the disappointment of the failures that  hold us back from doing what God calls us to do.  We need to forget the hurts, the put downs, the people's comments and the differences of opinion that will hold us back from the calling God has for us.  There are a number of thing that will hold us back; keep us from our full calling that we need to put behind us as we learn to live a missional life.  That is what Paul is speaking to here; those things that make us wonder if we are GOOD ENOUGH for God to use.  Paul says forget the past and look ahead.  Think about Paul's life before he came to Jesus!  He had been killing the Church; the Followers of Christ!  I am sure that there were those, at least during his early ministry year, who remembered Saul/Paul and just could not forgive him for his past.  I am also sure that Satan reminded Paul daily (if not more) of what here had done!  We all have those nagging thoughts!  For Paul I bet that at least one of Satan's attacks was "Why would they want to listen and believe a guy who killed Christians?"  Or, "They can't trust you!  You killed (had killed) people like them!"  Also Satan could use Paul's past against those he was ministering to with things like "Can you trust him?  He might just be claiming this to get in to you movement so he can arrest you too!"  We, like Paul, need to forget our past and look ahead.

Speaking of looking ahead that is what Paul said he was doing "straining toward what is ahead".  In fact Paul was doing a bit more than looking ahead; he "straining toward" it.  To me that is a head down going no matter what attitude!  Paul is going for that which he desires to reach " the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above."  Paul had a goal "the life above".  I also think he had a goal of reaching people for the cause of Christ!  We too need to have both goals; "the life above" and reaching as many people with the Hope and Love of Jesus as we can before we die!  Look at Paul; he did not let getting locked up stop him.  In fact I think he looked at the guards as a captive audience!  Think about it Paul at one point in his ministry had a new person to witness to chained to him every four or so hours and where could that guard go?  I hope that Jesus does not have to give any of us that kind of audience for us to reach people for Christ!  We need to be about reaching people 24/7/385!

Join me in the rest of 2011 and in 2012 to be people reachers for Jesus!!  Forgetting out failures to do so in the past; forgetting the stuff that would keep us for being people reachers and straining toward the prize of seeing people come to know Jesus and seeing them join us in living for Jesus for the rest our our eternal life!!

We have a HOPE!!

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18 (New Living Translation) ¹³And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.  ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. ¹⁵We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.  ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.  ¹⁷Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.  ¹⁸So encourage each other with these words. 

The above passage is one that I have used for years as I did funerals; especially for believers funerals.  I see it as a comfort for the family, both blood and Spirit.  I would comment about the fact that Paul does not tell us not to grieve but that we are to grieve as a people of hope.  That hope is the knowledge that we will see the loved one when we see Jesus face to Face.

When I returned from a vision committee meeting Sunday I began to think on the vision statement we had arrived on; "Bringing the HOPE and LOVE OF JESUS to [insert city's name here] and the world.  This passage and how I and many pastors use it struck me.  If we have a hope that changes how we grieve, should not that same hope change how we live? 

I see the "sermon" starting with the passage as usual but then putting a missional twist on the passage, which I have only done at one funeral (and only backhandedly at that).  That twist would be if we have a hope which changes our grieving and we believe in that hope of Jesus then should we not be sharing that hope with others.  Meaning, are we not obligated by that hope to tell people that Jesus want to have a relationship with them?  Should we not tell them that Jesus want to know them and lead them so that at some point with when the person dies and go to heaven or when we meet Jesus in the air; that person will  also get to meet Jesus as well? 

It has been funny (not in the Ha ha concept) that in the last couple of weeks I have been able to get a word in about knowing where I will go.  On both occasions a person said something about my going to Hell.  I responded with "No thanks, I have reservation for the other place!"  Both people just looked at me and laughed but knew what I meant.

We have a hope!  Why not share it with the hopeless?!?

Can't We Just Get Along?

Ephesians 4:31 - 5: 2  (TMSG) ³¹Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.  ³²Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.  ¹Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.  ²Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Copyright © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)


When I read this part of the passage "Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you" as part of a devotional from the Church at which I am a member; I asked myself (and I may have said it out loud) "Is this possible?  To forgive in this way.  All the time?"  The Wednesday November 16th, I ask the men's group as we looked at the devotions  of the November 6th through 13th; those same questions.  I said that I felt it was nearly impossible!  While yes Philippians 4:13 does make it clear I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH  CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME; I also know that most of us are not living that verse out daily like we ought!

Having looked at the verse before the one I reacted to does help me a bit.  If we were to follow the words in verse 31; others would need to do a whole lot less forgiving like God forgave us!! If the rest of the church would also engage in the Don't and Nevers; we need to do less forgiving like God forgive us!

What would my church or your church look like if we Simply followed verse 31 & 31 above?  Paul is asking a lot there but then Paul goes and tells us "We should watch God and then DO what GOD DOES!!  Other versions say to imitate God like children.  As a father I know the good and the bad of a child's imitating my behavior; and we will not go there today!!  We have all had the experience of one of the teachers at the school where my mother was a paraeducator.  The teacher  chose to speak to the parent of a child who could color his sentences with words that an elementary age child should not know let allow speak.  When it was point out that Johnny could make a sailor blush; the parent was reported to have colored their remark equally as well!  Unlike this parent; God shows us how to speak, to make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk;  to be gentle with one another, sensitive and to forgive one another quickly and thoroughly!  God is the prefect parent and shows us the way to perfection as His children!  I echo Paul's statement in Philippians 3:12

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. (New Living Translation)

Here is the challenge.  Look at God's behavior toward you in Christ and then behave that way toward those around you!  I will guarantee that we will bless a lot of people we meet!!

Do you want to know God's Will?

1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18 (NLT) ¹⁶Always be joyful.  ¹⁷Never stop praying.  ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 
Here is God's will for those who belong to Jesus the Christ.  We are to be always Joyful; always Prayerful and always Thankful.

Always joyful; this is a hard one for me.  I do not like mornings!  I work the opening in Fast Food business (we open at 6a.m.!).  Some people say "Good Morning" at they come to the Drive Through window; about half the time my responce is "Well it is morning!"  I sometimes say "Morning" as I reach out to take their payment.  Some folks look t me weird, some of it is me I am a bit weird but I think some hear the word "good" without me saying it and wonder, like I do, "just how good is it!"  I usually respond to the look with say something like "I did not place a value judgement on it!"  God has shown me and is still working on me that I need to be joyful always!!

Always Prayerful, sometimes we think of prayer as when we "talk" to God.  You know "Here's Bread, Here's Meat!  Good Lord let's eat!  Amen!"  Prayer really is a conversation we have with God.  If one is having a conversation both people in said conversation take turns speaking.  Therefore being Always Prayerful, involves our speaking to God but it also involves our listening to God speak to us.  That may be as we drive the car to work; as we sit listening to others speak in a meeting or gathering; it may be sitting in the  deer woods,  like a friend of mine taught me;(miss those times with that friend!!) or taking a walking to shed unwant pounds.  The thing is we must listen as well as talk.  I once heard some one say we needed to listen twice as much as we spoke because we have ONE MOUTH and TWO EARS.  While as a person drawn to public speaking (or in this case public writting) I am not sure I buy that idea; I do know that we, the followers of Jesus, need to do more listening at times than we actually do!!  Again, remember that a preacher speaks as much to the preacher (sometimes more) than the preacher does to the congregation!

Always Thankful, I have written on this on Novemeber 23, so I will says that I like how  the Message says it "1 Thessalonians 5:18 (TMSG) ¹⁸thank God no matter what happens." Again easier said than done!!

Do you want God's Will?  BE Always joyful, Always Prayerful and  Always Thankful!

Question WE Need to Ask Ourselves

While Wax aims these question at Pastors, I would like to propose that any person claiming the name Christian needs to ask the same question as we look to share Jesus with the mission field to which God through Christ has called us!  His title is a link back to his article

11 Questions Pastors Should Ask Themselves

Asking good questions will make you a better preacher -- and a better hearer -- of God's Word.

By Trevin Wax, Oct 10, 2011

Good questions prod us toward greater effectiveness in fulfilling our calling. Here are some probing questions I've found helpful in pastoral ministry, separated into the categories of Preaching and Church Mission.

About Preaching

1. How can I show the congregation how this passage or topic fits into the grand narrative of Scripture?

This question reminds me to connect the dots of the Bible's storyline, so that the people in our congregation see application in light of the great story of God's redemption.

2. As I preach from the Old Testament, is there anything in my sermon that a faithful Jew could not affirm?

This question reminds me to consider whether I am approaching the Old Testament from a distinctly Christian perspective. It increases my desire to show the congregation how the gospel is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.

3. As I preach from the New Testament, is there anything in my sermon that a Mormon could not affirm?

This question reminds me to examine whether or not my admonitions are rooted in the gospel or in morality. It points me toward Christ as Savior, not just Christ as example and helper.

4. Am I addressing this topic or cultural issue from a distinctly Christian point of view?

This question challenges both conservative and liberal talking points and forces me back to the gospel of grace as the message that makes Christian preaching unique.

5. What is there in me/us (preacher and congregation) that will rebel against the truth of this text and how can I move us beyond that rebellion?

This question reminds me that God's Word must capture my heart and affections before I can properly proclaim it to the congregation. It also helps me to look for obstacles that would keep us from obedience.

6. How does the truth I am proclaiming equip Christ's church to be on mission for the kingdom of God?

This question helps me look past doctrine for doctrine's sake, and causes me to focus on missional application of biblical truth.

About the Mission of the Church

7. If our church were to cease to exist, would anyone in the community be affected? Would anyone mourn the loss?

This question challenges a view of the church that exists only for itself and its members. It forces us to ask hard questions regarding our impact as a body of believers in the world God has placed us.

8. What would the result be if everyone in our church shared the gospel as often as I do?

This question challenges me in regards to personal evangelism. Am I asking church members to do something I myself am not doing regularly? Am I modeling evangelistic faithfulness?

9. What are the unique needs of our community that our church members could address as part of providing a platform for proclaiming the gospel?

This question challenges me to see community engagement as an opportunity to build a platform upon which to present the gospel faithfully. It also causes me to look for the ways God has gifted individuals in our churches to faithfully represent Christ in areas of need.

10. Are the programs and activities of our church the best way to spend our time, money, and energy to spread the gospel locally and globally?

This question challenges us to look at our programs and ask difficult questions related to our church's mission. We shouldn't be satisfied with relying on the good things we do if those good things do not aid us in fulfilling our primary calling: to fulfill the Great Commission.

11. Am I focused primarily on training people to bring the lost to church, where I will present the gospel? Or am I focused on equipping people to share the gospel throughout the week in their workplace, neighborhood, and schools?

This question challenges us to see evangelism as a life-long exercise, and not merely an event-driven practice done by professionals.

What about you? What questions do you ask yourself regularly as you seek to faithfully fulfill your calling?

The Whoevers of the World

John 3:15 - 17 (NKJV) ¹⁵that whoever believes in [the Son of Man] should ^£not perish but have eternal life.  ¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

There are three things I see in this passage.  Two are actually the same; the idea of WHOEVER Believes.  Jesus twice states that WHOEVER believes will not perish but have eternal life.  So, who are the WHOEVER Jesus refers to?  My old Websters New Collegiate Dictionary says this about whoever "what ever person : no matter who". 

http://dictionary.reference.com/ defines WHOEVER AS;

who·ev·er

   /huˈɛvər/ Show Spelled[hoo-ev-er] Show IPA

pronoun; possessive whos·ev·er; objective whom·ev·er.

1. whatever person; anyone that: Whoever did it should be proud. Ask whoever is there. Tell it to whomever you like.

2.  no matter who: I won't do it, whoever asks.

3.  who? what person? (used to express astonishment, disbelief, disdain, etc.): Whoever is that? Whoever told you such a thing?

So from this I would say that WHOEVER is ANYONE WHO BELIEVES!  So; to whom is our mission?  ANY ONE!  WHOMEVER!

This idea most have been important to Jesus in that Jesus uses the phrase twice in His speaking with Nicodemus and answering Nicodemus' questions.  Therefore if we are followers of Jesus Christ the WHOEVERS must be important to us.

The third thing I see is that God loved the world, the WHOEVERS, so much that God was willing to give up God's only Son for them to have eternal life.  So, God loves the WHOEVERS; should not those who say we follow God and God's Only Son Jesus be willing to love the whoevers also?  God and Jesus did not define those whom they loved; why should we?  Do not hear me saying that I have this concept of loving the WHOEVERS down or that I am doing the loving of the WHOEVERS in my mission field perfectly; I am not doing it perfectly if at all; but with God's power and the Holy Spirit help I will and we can love the WHOEVERS!

The Harvest is Ready!!

Luke 10:1 - 9 (NKJV) ¹After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  ²Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  ³Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  ⁴Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  ⁵But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  ⁶And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  ⁷And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.  ⁸Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  ⁹And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 


As I look at this passage I see Jesus giving wise counsel to the 70 and to us.  People need to feel loved and cared for by us before they will allow us to minister to them. There are things in this  passage that we as a missional people need to do in order to minister to a lost world.  The four things below that end in "lost" were shared with me a number of years ago; by whom I do not remember and for that I am sorry in that I would like to give them credit but as a preacher once told me when I said I might just "steal" his sermon and not give him credit "Give God the credit; it wasn't mine in the first place!"

1. Bless those who are lost.  Jesus says to " first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ While we may not always be dealing with people who do not know Jesus this practice would still be a wise one.  If the house/person to whom we speak is a brother or sister in Christ then we have blessed a member ofthe family with God's peace and that person may just be in need of that.  If not we have begun the process of bringing a BIGGER blessing to this persons life.
2. Fellowship with the lost.  At this point you are going "WHAT?"  Jesus says "remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give."  Not only are we to eat and drink what they set before us (O Boy?!?) but we are to live with them!!  I wonder; what that would look like?  Does that mean; going to the places your co-workers go after work?  Going to bars and clubs?  I do not know remember this blog is called "Old Man's Wonderings" for a reason!!
3. Meet the needs of the lost.  Jesus says that NOW we are ready to start what we call ministry (I think Jesus would say we started at point one but again I think a bit out of the box!) Jesus says "heal the sick there [in  that city]".  I think that feeding the hungry there; clothing the unclothed there; helping the addicted there; would fit here are well
4. Proclaim the GOOD NEWS WITH the lost.  ". . .say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’".  We may simply say that the reason we have done what we have done is because we love Jesus and Jesus loves them and desire to have a relationship [a friendship] with them.  We might even get a chance to tell them that Jesus is the one in control of our lives and that they could allow Jesus to be in control of their life as well.

There is another thing I see though; most of the church [the Body of Christ] are in the barn [the church building].  How does one cut the harvest when one stays in the barn?

I encourage us to get our sickle sharp and then get out of the barn and go cut the harvest; because as Jesus said "The harvest truly is great . . ."

An atheist gives words of wisdom to us Missional folks!!

This is a good video on how we ought to handle ourselves as missional people.
Penn of "Penn and Teller" make a great point; while I am not in agreement with him on God; his word will make us think about what we do and what we should/need to do.  Thanks to Casey's Critical Thinking for blogging this video.