"...not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only..." - Philippians 4:15
Paul planted dozens of Churches in his short ministry and he traveled around visiting them until the day of his death. If there was anyone who knew all about the latest and best innovations of the 1st century Church it was the Apostle Paul and he a special compliment to pay the Philippian Church. He said they were the only one that was being generous with their resources...
We want to be that kind of Church! We want to be the kind of church that has abundance and can be generous on every occasion. We want to be the kind of church where what seems impossible with men becomes possible through God. We want to be the type of Church where even our enemies look and say, "That must be God!" We want to be the kind of Church that can bless back! But our Church is not some abstract idea it is made up of people; it is made up of you and me. So if we want our church to be all these things then we have to be all these things.
Are you ready to believe God for the impossible in your own life? Are you ready to take the challenges that have been thrown in your direction and turn them into tools? Are you ready to commit to give so that we can bless back?
Jesus' Church will be victorious because His spirit will continue to live inside of the people who build it. Are you going to get in on the ground level of the move of God that will sweep our city?
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
COMMIT TO GOD'S WORK...
"When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." - Nehemiah 6:16
All of us have made alliances with people. We have picked our favorite sports teams, bands, political figures, movies etc... Every time we chose one side over the other - Bears vs. Colts; Democrat vs. Republican - we not only make new friends, we make new enemies.
When Nehemiah approached the Babylonian King about going back to Jerusalem to rebuild his hometown, he must have known that he was going to be making some enemies, but he didn't let that slow him down. He knew that ultimately he was not aligning himself with anyone but God. At the beginning of the project there may not have been many people who saw Nehemiah's real ally but by the end of the project it became undeniably clear - even to Nehemiah's enemies - that he had allied himself with God.
God is moving all around us, have you committed to join in with His work? Are you acting as a connector to the power of Christ in people's lives?
All of us have made alliances with people. We have picked our favorite sports teams, bands, political figures, movies etc... Every time we chose one side over the other - Bears vs. Colts; Democrat vs. Republican - we not only make new friends, we make new enemies.
When Nehemiah approached the Babylonian King about going back to Jerusalem to rebuild his hometown, he must have known that he was going to be making some enemies, but he didn't let that slow him down. He knew that ultimately he was not aligning himself with anyone but God. At the beginning of the project there may not have been many people who saw Nehemiah's real ally but by the end of the project it became undeniably clear - even to Nehemiah's enemies - that he had allied himself with God.
God is moving all around us, have you committed to join in with His work? Are you acting as a connector to the power of Christ in people's lives?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
COMMIT TO GOD'S PURPOSE...
"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and left..." - Isaiah 54:2-3a
God has not called us to be satisfied with our little postage stamp sized plot of ground in our safe little suburb communities. His purpose for our lives includes much more that just getting by. Throughout the entire Bible God is challenging His people to move and be stretched. He told Abraham - an old man - that he would be the father of a nation; He made Moses - a stuttering murderer - into a leader who could stand up to the most powerful ruler of His time; He told a little shepherd boy named David - the smallest boy in his family - that he would be king; and, He told Mary - a young virgin - that she was going to give birth to the savior of the world.
You might read a passage like Isaiah 54 and think that it is intended for bigger people but the 'biggest' people in the Scripture usually had the most humble beginnings. Commit yourself to God's purpose for your life and then buckle in...you just might find yourself on the ride of your life!
God has not called us to be satisfied with our little postage stamp sized plot of ground in our safe little suburb communities. His purpose for our lives includes much more that just getting by. Throughout the entire Bible God is challenging His people to move and be stretched. He told Abraham - an old man - that he would be the father of a nation; He made Moses - a stuttering murderer - into a leader who could stand up to the most powerful ruler of His time; He told a little shepherd boy named David - the smallest boy in his family - that he would be king; and, He told Mary - a young virgin - that she was going to give birth to the savior of the world.
You might read a passage like Isaiah 54 and think that it is intended for bigger people but the 'biggest' people in the Scripture usually had the most humble beginnings. Commit yourself to God's purpose for your life and then buckle in...you just might find yourself on the ride of your life!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
COMMIT TO YOUR CALLING...
"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose..." - Romans 8:28
A lot of us make the mistake of living our lives with an exit strategy. We jump into a job or a relationship with a detailed plan of how we can get out when things don't work out. The problem is that sometimes life places us in situations we didn't plan for.
After parachuting into Normandy on D-Day in June 1944, Joseph Beyrle was captured by the Germans. American troops found his dog tags on another body on Utah beach, presumably a Nazi spy. After being moved through seven Nazi prison camps, Beyrle was tortured and interrogated. On his third attempt, he finally escaped. After running for a day, he realized that his best chance for survival was to find the Soviets, the only U.S. Ally fighting in the area. He found the Soviets and earned their trust by using his demolition skills to blow up trees that were hindering the advance of their tanks. He was injured after three weeks and sent to Moscow where he was finally able to convince the doctor to take his finger prints, proving that he was who he said he was.
No matter what comes against us in life we know that all things work together for the good. God has already promised us that He's got our back and He is working behind the scenes to make the outcome of all things work toward the good. All we have to do is keep fighting. Beryle had plenty of opportunities to feel like there was no hope, but by pushing ahead and staying focused on the vision that drove him, he was ultimately sent home. When God sets a direction in our life we can't afford to hold onto an exit strategy. We have to commit to our calling and trust that God will make a way when things get difficult.
A lot of us make the mistake of living our lives with an exit strategy. We jump into a job or a relationship with a detailed plan of how we can get out when things don't work out. The problem is that sometimes life places us in situations we didn't plan for.
After parachuting into Normandy on D-Day in June 1944, Joseph Beyrle was captured by the Germans. American troops found his dog tags on another body on Utah beach, presumably a Nazi spy. After being moved through seven Nazi prison camps, Beyrle was tortured and interrogated. On his third attempt, he finally escaped. After running for a day, he realized that his best chance for survival was to find the Soviets, the only U.S. Ally fighting in the area. He found the Soviets and earned their trust by using his demolition skills to blow up trees that were hindering the advance of their tanks. He was injured after three weeks and sent to Moscow where he was finally able to convince the doctor to take his finger prints, proving that he was who he said he was.
No matter what comes against us in life we know that all things work together for the good. God has already promised us that He's got our back and He is working behind the scenes to make the outcome of all things work toward the good. All we have to do is keep fighting. Beryle had plenty of opportunities to feel like there was no hope, but by pushing ahead and staying focused on the vision that drove him, he was ultimately sent home. When God sets a direction in our life we can't afford to hold onto an exit strategy. We have to commit to our calling and trust that God will make a way when things get difficult.
Monday, June 13, 2011
WORTHY COMMITMENTS...
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith..." - 2 Timothy 4:7
Young Ray Kroc tried his hand at many things but eventually settled down to become a salesman. He initially sold paper cups. Opportunity knocked when he had a chance meeting with the inventor of the five-spindle multimixer, Earl Prince. Ray Kroc convinced Earl to give him exclusive marketing rights for the mixer and successfully sold it all over the country for the next decade and a half. One of Ray's largest customers was a California based burger joint run by the McDonald brothers. Ray saw a tremendous potential in the finely tuned process of the McDonald's restaurant so he convinced the brothers to make him their exclusive agent. In 1954 Kroc opened his own McDonald's drive-in and officially launched the McDonalds Corporation. More than half a century later there is hardly a person on the planet that would not recognize the famed golden arches.
What are you committed to? When Paul wrote the words found in 2 Timothy 4:7, he was writing at the end of a life of absolute commitment. He was admonishing Timothy, his predecessor, to continue the fight. Ray Kroc was a wildly successful businessman, who has made an indelible imprint on the business community, but at the end of the day, his company sells mediocre hamburgers. The Christian life on the other hand, is centered on Jesus Christ! The savior of all mankind! Isn't He worthy of our complete and total commitment
Young Ray Kroc tried his hand at many things but eventually settled down to become a salesman. He initially sold paper cups. Opportunity knocked when he had a chance meeting with the inventor of the five-spindle multimixer, Earl Prince. Ray Kroc convinced Earl to give him exclusive marketing rights for the mixer and successfully sold it all over the country for the next decade and a half. One of Ray's largest customers was a California based burger joint run by the McDonald brothers. Ray saw a tremendous potential in the finely tuned process of the McDonald's restaurant so he convinced the brothers to make him their exclusive agent. In 1954 Kroc opened his own McDonald's drive-in and officially launched the McDonalds Corporation. More than half a century later there is hardly a person on the planet that would not recognize the famed golden arches.
What are you committed to? When Paul wrote the words found in 2 Timothy 4:7, he was writing at the end of a life of absolute commitment. He was admonishing Timothy, his predecessor, to continue the fight. Ray Kroc was a wildly successful businessman, who has made an indelible imprint on the business community, but at the end of the day, his company sells mediocre hamburgers. The Christian life on the other hand, is centered on Jesus Christ! The savior of all mankind! Isn't He worthy of our complete and total commitment
Friday, June 10, 2011
REVOLUTIONARY RESULTS...
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20
Many of us have had experience on sports teams. There always seems to be two types of athletes who excel. There are those who just have natural talent. They are able to learn the skills faster, master the technique better and handle the ball with greater skill; they just seem to be good at it! Then there are the ones who don't have the best ball handling skills at first, or don't win the 2 mile run in the first week of practice, but through hard work and diligence earn their spot on the starting lineup. Both of these athletes - the naturally gifted and the hard worker - excel and are usually considered good athletes. But how does someone become a great athlete?
In Ephesians 3:20 Paul is not just reminding us how incredible God is. He is pointing us in the direction of experiencing revolutionary results in our lives. Paul is not saying that God is going to do immeasurably more than all He already planned to do; he is saying that God will do more than we ask. This assumes that we're asking for something. Once we've asked for it, the results are not going to drop out of the sky, but are going to come through Christ's power that is already in us. In other words, it is going to take both incredible faith and hard work to create revolutionary results.
For many of us being good at what we do is a high goal. We work hard to earn that promotion. We read books on healthy sleep habits to learn how to be better parents. We focus our time around our strengths, so that we can excel and end up on the starting lineup. But for many of us, we stop just short of what it takes to experience revolutionary results! Because, of course, what makes a great athlete is natural ability combined with a great work ethic. In our spiritual lives God is calling us to bring our best questions and all the power available to us and it is that offering that He will bless and turn into immeasurably more.
Many of us have had experience on sports teams. There always seems to be two types of athletes who excel. There are those who just have natural talent. They are able to learn the skills faster, master the technique better and handle the ball with greater skill; they just seem to be good at it! Then there are the ones who don't have the best ball handling skills at first, or don't win the 2 mile run in the first week of practice, but through hard work and diligence earn their spot on the starting lineup. Both of these athletes - the naturally gifted and the hard worker - excel and are usually considered good athletes. But how does someone become a great athlete?
In Ephesians 3:20 Paul is not just reminding us how incredible God is. He is pointing us in the direction of experiencing revolutionary results in our lives. Paul is not saying that God is going to do immeasurably more than all He already planned to do; he is saying that God will do more than we ask. This assumes that we're asking for something. Once we've asked for it, the results are not going to drop out of the sky, but are going to come through Christ's power that is already in us. In other words, it is going to take both incredible faith and hard work to create revolutionary results.
For many of us being good at what we do is a high goal. We work hard to earn that promotion. We read books on healthy sleep habits to learn how to be better parents. We focus our time around our strengths, so that we can excel and end up on the starting lineup. But for many of us, we stop just short of what it takes to experience revolutionary results! Because, of course, what makes a great athlete is natural ability combined with a great work ethic. In our spiritual lives God is calling us to bring our best questions and all the power available to us and it is that offering that He will bless and turn into immeasurably more.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
REVOLUTIONARY GENEROSITY...
"She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." - Mark 14:3b
Read the story about a woman who committed herself to revolutionary generosity found in Mark 14:3-9. "She could have sold the jar for a year's wages and used the money for the poor," they said. They were right! There were a lot of things that she could have done with a gift of that size. Instead, she poured it all out on Jesus' head. She gave it all to Jesus in a moment of revolutionary generosity.
This woman's act should catch our attention. It should cause us to wrestle with the question, "How much is too much?" The men in the room were shocked by the woman's gift not only because of its value, but because of the apparent lack of practical benefit. Jesus had to set them straight by reminding them that if He is the recipient of the gift, no value is too great.
Read the story about a woman who committed herself to revolutionary generosity found in Mark 14:3-9. "She could have sold the jar for a year's wages and used the money for the poor," they said. They were right! There were a lot of things that she could have done with a gift of that size. Instead, she poured it all out on Jesus' head. She gave it all to Jesus in a moment of revolutionary generosity.
This woman's act should catch our attention. It should cause us to wrestle with the question, "How much is too much?" The men in the room were shocked by the woman's gift not only because of its value, but because of the apparent lack of practical benefit. Jesus had to set them straight by reminding them that if He is the recipient of the gift, no value is too great.
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