Outreach to Neighbors

Please take the time to read the GROWing Point each week. Full of reminders, strategies, and resource options. I want these weekly letters to be a just a small way among others that I can love on you, support you, pray for you, and inspire you.

What is up Next?

1. Survey Reminder: http://bit.ly/leader-survey. Please complete this survey if you haven’t already done so. Will help me provide direction and support for our GROW ministry leaders.
2. Life Verse Sharing: If you haven’t already done so, please add your Life Verse to this collection board. I know that many might be uncomfortable with technology, but this is really simple and easy to use. How encouraging it will be to read what verses impact us? Not only will it edify us, but we can learn from one other. I have already added mine from Micah 6:8. Now it is your turn: http://wallwisher.com/wall/life-verse
3. Outreach and Ministry: There are two opportunities this summer for outreach and ministry: VBS (July 8-13) and Church-wide Home Mission’s Week. As a group, please plan to designate these two weeks as ministry opportunities that you can do together. Many of your group members may be individually plugged it (which is fantastic), but what if as a group you adopted a ministry/outreach project together for the Home Missions Week or how about the entire group signing up as Crew Leaders for one age group for VBS. Great way to minister, connect, grow, and worship together. Check out the Sign-up Genius here to see what projects are available for the entire group: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E044CAEAF2BAB9-churchwide. Please plan this time.
4. Discipleship Groups: For the Wednesday D-groups, there are three dates to plan for: July 4, July 11, July 18.  For July 4, you will not meet as a group, but perhaps think about connecting together as a social. What about if the entire group makes plans to come to the church-wide pic-nic on July 1 to fellowship together? July 11 is VBS—use that night to minister as discussed above; July 18, the group can decide to meet that night to study the next session if not already plugged into an outreach activity that night or later in the week. Many of the Home mission week activities are later that week, so as a group decided how to proceed. Don’t cancel the session per se, unless the group is collectively serving together later that week. Or you can met that Wednesday and also serve later that week. Purely at the discretion of the group. But please, plan that time to minister.

GROWing POINT:
 

Have you ever thought about the neighbors around you? The demonstration we saw at church on Sunday really hit home for me. We sometimes live in our comfortable bubble, don’t we? We sometimes forget the difficulties people right next store face: marriage struggles, addictions to substances or pornography, loneliness, separation from Christ (most importantly). How do we reach out to our neighbors? As a former English teacher, I have to disagree with Robert Frost: Fences don’t make good neighbors. We have to cross the street, build relationships, demonstrate love and kindness. Here are some ideas:

1.  Host a block party on July 4 or Labor Day (invite Sunday School group to join).
2.  Invite your neighbors over for theme night dinner (Mexican, Italian, Low Carb…not really)
3. Game night (Pictionary, LIFE, etc.)
4. Build Your Own Ice Cream Sundae (build your own pizza)
5. Picnic at the neighborhood park
6. Meat and Greet (pull out your grills, B.Y.O. meat)
7. Movie Night outside (or in)
8. Garage Sale in the neighborhood
9. Progressive Dinner on the block
10. Neighbor-wide yard work/clean up

These ideas and more are located in this article by Mark Howell: http://www.markhowelllive.com/top-10-ways-to-get-to-know-your-neighbors-this-summer/. Read his Top 5 Family Friendly “Invite the Block” Activities. Love the Redneck Pool Party idea. Too funny.

Here are some other great ideas on How to be a People Reaching Group? http://www.churchleaders.com/smallgroups/small-group-how-tos/138300-how-to-be-a-people-reaching-group.html

New Resources for Group Life

Explore all Resources here: http://bit.ly/group-resources. Listed below is the category under which these resources are catalogued.

(Take a short break from the standard Lifeway curriculum, begin a new semester, or provide a study focus for Affinity Groups that meet off campus)

Becoming a Disciple: Discovering God’s Will. From Serendipity. 7 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook (Explores the states of discipleship). For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued under Spiritual Growth

Mark 9-16: Jesus, the Final Days. From Serendipity. 13 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook (Part of the Understanding the Savior Series). For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued  under Books of the Bible

Living by Grace: A Study of Freedom in Christ based on Galatians. From Serendipity. 13 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook (Part of the Understanding the Savior Series). For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued under Books of the Bible

Come Home to the Heart of God: Building Life on the Seven Pillars of God's Kingdom Family. Tom Elliff. 7 Weeks, Discussion Driven with Member Workbook. For TEENS to ADULTS. Catalogued under The Church

I love you all,

In Christ,

Don

Suit Up

I saw this photograph in my Facebook feed this morning and it was a powerful reminder of God’s word to Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, in 2 Chronicles 20:17. These words from our Lord are refreshing, encouraging, comforting, yet challenging.

Let’s establish some context. Second Chronicles 20 records a vast, approaching army comprising the Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites, all enemies of God and the people of Israel. Verse 3 says that Jehoshaphat was “alarmed”—that seems justified. Here we have a threat, an approaching danger, where the children of Israel are vastly outnumbered. What would our response be? But what did Jehoshaphat do? He inquired of God. He sought God’s face.

We face similar circumstances. What “armies” consume our attention? Stress at work to meet deadlines, a rebellious child, illness (our own or a family member), caring for an aging parent, loss of a job, inability to pay bills, mounds of school work, marital problems, busyness. The list goes on. These “armies” loom large, and often consume our attention and force us to thinking from a worldly perspective. They can cause us to feel frustrated, disappointed, empty, helpless.

Let’s look closely at the prayer of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 29:6-12. What lessons we can learn from his words? He first recognized, where all prayers should start, the sovereignty of God: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” He is our Lord, our God. Here we see God, on the throne. Isn’t it awesome (which by the way, is a word we should only reserve for God) that He is control, that He is God, and we are not?

Secondly, he affirms that no matter the situation, the Israelites will stand in His presence. How comforting, how reassuring, how challenging. They won’t run, seek cover, blame, or wallow in self-pity. They will stand firm in His presence. When we are connected to our Lord in prayer, not only do we acknowledge His sovereignty, we don’t have to go very far to be in His presence. He is all around. His glory fills His temple.

Thirdly, Jehoshaphat releases control, recognizes his weakness, and focuses all attention on the Lord: “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Cling to our weakness and rest in His strength. Eyes on Him, eyes on His Grace and Mercy, and loving care, not on the impending “army”, whatever that struggle may be.

I just simply love the Lord’s response in vv. 15-17:

¹⁵ He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

Did you catch what the Lord said? “Do not fear, do not be discouraged, you do not have to fight this battle, I own it, I will be with you.” Now, the Lord doesn’t say, “Jehoshaphat, you and the Israelites go an sit on the sidelines and let me take care of this for you. Watch what I have in my playbook and you will be amazed. When I am finished, you will never have to deal with this type of situation again. You have my word, as Owner, Coach, and Player.” No, what did he say? Look at vv. 16-17. He instructed Jehoshaphat and his men to “suit up.” Our battles are the Lords, but we are not mere observers. We are participants, actively trusting in Him that what he promises He will bring to completion. We need to take our positions willingly and without fear, stand firm with resolve and courage, and watch God’s deliverance. He may never deliver us from the “battle” but He will most definitely deliver us through it. But not if we are on the sidelines away from the action. Let’s hold true to what Paul writes, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can don the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-18) daily to overcome. It is only through “suiting up” that we will find strength and rest in Christ’s might power (Ephesians 6:10).

Finally, notice Jehoshaphat and all of Judah’s response to the Lord’s words, the ONLY appropriate response. Just like Job before him (Job 1:20-21), Jehoshaphat and Judah fell down and worshipped the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (2 Chronicles 20:18-21), They praised him, gave thanks to Him, honored Him for His holiness and goodness. What is our response? “Suit up” and worship.

The Peace of God

Image: http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/oneconway/JOHN14-27.gif

Last night in our small group we studied the 7th Beatitude of Matt. 5:3-10: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be sons of God.” In my studies last week and this week, I have been thinking a lot about what being a peacemaker means and for that matter what “peace” means as it relates to my walk with God and what Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God.” Living in peace, walking in His peace, experiencing His peace, imitating His peace. I do know that before we can experience the peace of God, we must be at peace with God. Initial peace takes place when we acknowledge our sins, believe that Jesus died in our place on the cross, and that we surrender our life to Him in faith. That is making peace with God. That I get, and that I understand.

But, what about the peace of God. Just as Christ’s righteousness is given to us the moment we place our life in His hands, His peace is given to me and you at the same time. And then the life-long process of the peace of God begins—it is an internal, inner peace that comes with a life of sanctification, of growth, of imitating Him. Jesus states in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus is our peace; His peace is dramatically different than the peace the world has to offer (which frankly is no peace at all). Here is how the world views peace? It’s a physical fulfillment to meet emotional or spiritual emptiness—drinking, drug, sex, companionship, money, etc—it is about control, controlling circumstances, controlling other people, controlling things and other people’s things; it is this control they feel will bring them peace. Listen to these profound words of Ray Stedman:

When a worldling is disturbed and upset and troubled he tries to do one of three things. He first tries to change the circumstances, because his peace comes from peaceful circumstances. He can be at peace only when everything is peaceful around him. And so he tries desperately to change the circumstances. But they cannot always be changed. So if he cannot change them he tries to forget them and run away -- go on vacation, go home to mother, take a drug, or get drunk. That forgetfulness is the world's way of finding a degree of peace. If he cannot do that then the third thing he tries is to blame his difficulty on somebody else. It is everybody's fault but his. Thus the worldling seeks peace, but he never finds it that way. So Jesus says, "I'm not going to give you peace that way. Not as the world gives, give I unto you." How does He give it, then? He gives it from within. He gives it as you feed upon His affection and His power. As you reckon His promises to be true and turn the job over to Him and leave it in His hands, then you will have peace."

Can you relate? I certainly know that I do. Remember it is about control. I try to control circumstances. I even blame circumstances. I rationalize: If I can just make it to point X, all will be better. All the while I fail to give it to Jesus; I fail to surrender it all to Him. Often, when I give it (whatever that “it” is), I take it back. No wonder I sometimes struggle with the “peace of God.”

Do you know that there are several thieves that steal your peace and my peace? Here is one: Anxious thoughts. Paul writes in Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The meaning of the word “anxiety” comes from the Greek word merimna which means “to divide, or draw in different directions” which in the original gives the picture of being pulled apart. The Latin word “anxious” for anxiety means to “to choke or strangle.” Isn’t that what anxious and worrisome thoughts do to us? They choke and steal life, remove joy. We struggle with the peace of Christ because we have the wrong kind of thinking, thinking that pulls us a part, that divides us, that strangles us. We are oftentimes walking “civil wars.” The peace of God through His Son can join us together, which incidentally is what the word peace means in the original Greek (Eirene: binding or joining together what is broken or divided)

So, what is the right kind of thinking to counter the wrong thinking ? Read v. 8 of Philippians 4: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. In addition, go back to v. 6: but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In everything? What does that mean? All, everything, the whole enchilada, the whole lot, the whole caboodle, the whole ball of wax. We take everything before the thrown of the Almighty. Look at the word “prayer.” I am fascinated by its original meaning. The word comes from the Greek word, proseuche, which means to look at the Character of God, at God as He is, His names, His attributes. That brings a fresh understanding for me regarding prayer. Focus on Him. Examine the Names of God. One of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, The Lord is Our Peace. Another name, El Elyon, God is Most High or God is Sovereign Over All. Peace is about control; it is about His control, and putting our worries and anxious thoughts the controlling and sovereign hands of the almighty.

In v. 6 when it refers to making our requests know to Him it carries the idea of adoration, devotion, and worship. So, whenever we find ourselves worrying, letting our mind wonder and pull us in all different directions, we ought to get alone with Jehovah Shalom, think on divine things, think on His character, focus on his majesty and greatness.

The following video paints a beautiful picture of the peace of God, the depth of Love that Christ has for us to lead us, to sustain us, to carry us, to give us His peace.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

The One Minute Sermon . . . well, 1:42 Sermon

This is awesome. You have got to listen to Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

Lessons Learned from the Call of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Last week I spent time studying 1 Kings 19:19-21 not only personally but with my Sunday School classmates as we work through Ray Pritchard's study of Elijah, Fire and Rain.

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" 21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him. (NASB)

In the previous chapter, we left Elijah who not only received a new vision of God who came in the gentle whisper but a new commission from God, calling Elisha to not only share in Elijah's burdens of ministry but to eventually succeed him as prophet. Again we see the loving hand of a merciful God as he brings to Elijah a companion, a fellow sufferer for the Lord, a committed follow of God's call. There are several lessons that I gleaned this week as I studied the the call of Elisha.

Lesson #1: Need Others. Have you ever heard people say, "they don't need others, they don't need to attend corporate worship, they can worship anywhere"? I know I have. As a believer, I need fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship is Koinonia. I am not talking about just getting together and enjoying a "potluck" or doing a family activity with other families. It runs much deeper than that.

A Pastor was visiting a member who had begun to miss a lot of church. As they sat near the man's open fireplace, the Pastor tried to encourage the man to get back in church and in the fellowship of other believers. The wayward member responded by saying, "Preacher, I don't need to go to church, I can do just as well here at home by myself." Without saying a word, the Pastor picked up a pair of tongs and removed one cherry red coal from the midst of the fire. He laid this coal by itself on the hearth. Neither man said a word as the coal turned from a bright cherry red to a dull gray in just a few minutes. I need my brothers and sisters in Christ, just as this illustration demonstrates. Without the fiery, hot passion for Christ, I can easily turn into dull gray ash, lethargic, apathetic, and ineffective. God knows this and in His mercy has provided me will several opportunities to experience koinonia: Sunday School, small groups, accountability partner, etc.

Koinonia is to encourage, to edify, to lift up, to share and carry burdens to walk alongside. A powerful example of what koinonia should look like can be found in a study of the phrase “one another” in the Bible. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another, honor one another, live in harmony with one another, accept one another, serve one another in love, be kind and compassionate to one another, admonish one another, encourage one another, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, offer hospitality, and love one another. I love how the NASB translates the chapter’s concluding statement: “Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.” The word ministered means "to attend to, to contribute to, to serve". God called Elisha to follow, to minister to, to attend to, to serve Elijah so His greater purposes could be fulfilled. That is God's desire for me and for you.

Lesson # 2: Do t he ordinary well. I have always wondered why I haven't experienced a dramatic calling like Paul--the Damascus Road experience, the blinding light, stop-you-in-your-tracks encounter with the living God; or being ripped out of the throws of some kind of addiction. These are all dramatic encounters. God can and still does work in the dramatic, but by and large, God works in the ordinary. Right? He didn't show up in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake. He showed up in the gentle whisper. What was Elisha doing when Elijah called him? (v. 19). He was plowing the field, doing the routine of life. I have often struggled with the routine. God, there has to be more than this.

Ray Pritchard says that "99% of life is ordinary. It is the same old stuff day after day. You get up in the morning, take a shower, put on your clothes, eat breakfast, get the kids ready for school, go to work, hope the kids are okay, come back from work dead tired, read the paper, watch TV, try to be nice, eat supper, play with the kids, flop into bed dead tired, get up the next morning, and then do it all over again. That is the way life is." Have you ever felt that way? Exhausted? Feeling empty because of the mundane? Losing ground because of the routine? I know I have. So what is the answer? Pritchard tells us that we "begin doing what you already know to be the will of God in [our] present situation." I keep reminding myself that it is to be the kind of man God wants me to be: humble, patient, loving, righteous, gentle, meek, contrite. In short, to demonstrate the fruits of the spirit, to walk in the spirit, not in the flesh.

God works in the ordinary as we learn from Elisha's call, so we have to do the ordinary well. Remember when Moses was called? (tending Jethro's sheep). David? (tending family sheep). Nehemiah? (working as cup-bearer for the King). Peter? (Casting fishing nets). Matthew? (tending to the affairs of the tax office). The common, the ordinary, the routine, right? Colossians 3:17, 23 reads, "17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks through Him to God the Father. . . . 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." Do the ordinary well.

Lesson #3: Accept the Cloak. I made a crazy connection here in this scripture. Have you ever heard the phrase, "pass the mantle?" At the end of verse 19, we see Elijah doing just that, "passing the mantle" (the NIV translates it "cloak"). It is clear that Elisha would understand this ceremonial gesture. In essence, Elijah was passing the torch, the baton. Giving Elisha the clear call from God, that he would be the prophets successor. Elisha could have easily thrown off the cloak and said "No way--you have got to be kidding me; you are E-L-I-J-A-H, the mountain man from Gilead, God's man who defeated all those Baal Prophets, I have not the strength to do what you do. Besides, I have a family to think about; I must tend to the obligations of a son, plowing the field, taking care of my father's inheritance. It isn't going to be easy to leave all this wealth; its comfortable and familiar. Thanks, but no thanks." That could have been real easy for him to say, to be tempted by the world's pull, and the satisfaction that comes from the familiar. My cloak of ministry has been teaching and bible study. I not only accepted that cloak almost 8 years ago but there have been numerous of times where I have wanted to throw that cloak off and let someone else worry about it (that sounds like a Juniper Tree moment--for thoughts here refer to last week's post). But with acceptance comes commitment, comes choice and responsibility.

On April 21st, in the year 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die.

That is commitment. Accepting the cloak is just like that: we may not know what lies ahead--but as a believer, we know that trials, temptations, as well as blessings and promises lie ahead--but we have a choice to make: to retreat and live a life of disobedience or go forward and live a life as conquerors, for Paul says, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). I tell you the truth, I would rather plod forward, than be swallowed up by the empty ocean. Elisha accepted the cloak. Elisha was aware of the consequences of following Elijah but willingly made the choice in spite of those fears and challenges.

Lesson #4: Be Humble. In order to lead with Christ, I must follow humbly. To be a servant of Christ, I must place the needs of others before my own. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." Elisha was thinking of the feelings and needs of his parents in 1 Kings 19:20.

When Christ says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth" (Matt. 5:5), He is referring to the gentle spirit--which comes from the word praos, basically meaning mild or soft. It was used of colts or other animals whose naturally wild spirits were broken by a trainer so that they could useful work. We are the wild spirits as a result of our sinfulness and therefore in need of "breaking" in order to be used by God. A meek person, a humble person is a broke person. A meek person trusts God and knows that whatever transpires is filtered through the loving fingers of his heavenly Father. A meek person humbly submits to God's will not his will. And so meekness is a willingness to accept whatever comes as allowed by the sovereign, all loving God. This is Elisha. The committed follower of Christ must be humble.

Lesson #5: Say Good-bye and Separate. This really is the high cost of following Christ. Notice Elijah’s response to Elisha's request to go and say good-by to his parents: “Go back again, for what have I done to you.” Meaning, “What claim do I have on you?” In essence, Elisha is free to stay or go, but the choice is his to make. Elijah instructed Elisha to go, but to keep in mind the solemn call of God and not to allow any earthly affection to detain his obedience. Luke 14:26 declares: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." It is very important to read scripture in multiple translations so I encourage you to do so with this verse. According to this verse, a committed follow of Christ will essentially "hate" everything in comparison to Him; everything is secondary. Of course, He doesn't mean that we should hate our family for that would be contrary to His word, but nothing should serve as master but Him.

When I first read Elisha's response, I thought: "This really isn't any different than the responses of the would-be followers of Christ in Luke 9:59-62." Oh, but there is. In Luke, these would-be followers were saying in essence, “Let me go home and stay with my father until he dies. When he is gone, then I will follow you.” Take care of his father was nothing more than an excuse cloaked in piety. Elisha simply wishes to say good-bye to his parents and then will gladly follow. God hates wishy-washiness. God is not a fan of ambivalence. He doesn’t care for fence-sitters. He isn’t pleased by people who can’t quite make up their minds, who are forever weighing their options, who can never settle on a course of action. God isn’t calling us to act rashly, without any thought to the consequences. God wants His children to follow Him with joyful abandon, without regret, without looking back (remember the 600 committed men who defeated the Aztec empire?). Elisha was that man.

Lesson #6: Burn the Plow. Notice what Elisha did? He burned the plow and slaughtered the oxen. What a symbolic act. In essence, Elisha was saying that nothing is more important than following God's call. In was ALL in, totally sold-out to this ministry. When Jesus calls us to be disciples, he calls us to make a lifelong, irrevocable, absolute commitment--to count the cost. Isn't that the message of Luke 14:26-33? It is about carrying my cross, dieing to self, being totally surrender, a heart unequivocally committed to Him, counting the cost. He wants us to determine in our hearts, once and for all, that when we follow Him, and that there will be no turning back. The words of John 6:66-68 speak to this: "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'

Notice that Elisha’s burning of the plow takes on deep significance in light of Jesus’s words in Luke 9:62: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Read Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the cost; Paul burned his plows. Why? So that he may know Him, His righteousness, His sufferings. What plows do I need to burn? Certainly the plow of earthly wealth must be secondary; the plow of comfort; the plow of "I-would-rather-be-doing-something-else"; the plow of apathy; the plow of pride, thinking of myself more highly than I ought; and any other plow that hinders my call.

Lesson #7: Take the Hard Road. Watch this clip from A League of their Own, where Dotty, the star catcher, struggles with her decision to leave baseball and return home. Watch until 8:40.

Notice Jimmy's response: "It is the hard that makes it great." Ray Pritchard says that there "will be hard days, bad days, sad days, discouraging days, confusing days, angry days, frustrating days, boring days, upsetting days, discombobulating days and then there will be some really bad days." But the hard is what makes it great. When we read Luke 9:23-24, we recognize that it is hard to follow Christ, to not shrink back (as Hebrews 10:38-39 says), to not look back, to not retreat, for we are dieing to self, putting aside all of our wants and wishes, our longings and comforts. But it is good to do so. Why? We are rightly related with Christ, saved through that loss, we are in His presence, we know that nothing passes to us except through the loving fingers of God, we are being perfected day by day. Remember the narrow road, the difficult road, the hard road leads to life and few enter it; whereas the broad road leads to destruction and many find it (Matt. 7:13-14). Elisha counted the costs and chose God and servanthood. Quite fitting when we discover what his names means: "God is my salvation." Way to look forward and commit Elisha. I only pray for God's strength and discernment to live life with that example.

From the Mountain-Top to the Valley: Guarding Against Cultivating a Juniper Tree

I have been studying the life of Elijah for the past few weeks and I can tell you I have received on numerous occasions a freshness of God's Word. Sometimes I think when I read scripture, I do so with staleness, reading it just so I can check it off my never-ending "To Do List." Does anyone else feel that way? But I have to say, immersing in Elijah again has brought about a sense of refreshment, newness, and vitality. This past week has given me such encouragement has I read, studied and applied the words of 1 Kings 19. If you are not familiar with this portion in the life of Elijah, I encourage you to read it and pray through it. God will give you as He did me a new vision of Himself.

What a mountain-top experience Elijah encountered in 1 Kings 18. He called fire and rain down from Heaven; he stood tow-to-tow with the prophets of Baal. In short, Elijah claimed victory in the name of God. God's holiness, righteousness, justice was evident that day. At the end of chapter 18, Elijah continues "running" (pun intended) on God's power.

But now comes chapter 19. How can Elijah who just demonstrated the awesome power of the living God to hundreds of idolaters, now be in what John Bunyan calls the "slough (swamp) of despond"? From the mountain-top to the valley. This chapter shows Elijah at his lowest moment, a man who is physically exhausted, mentally strained and spiritually our to touch. Listen to his words: "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, 'It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.'" I know I have felt like this before. Well, I have never wanted to die or have the Lord take my life, but I often find myself taxed because of the ministry God has called me to, thinking to myself, "Is it worth. How do I find time to study and prepare? It takes time and drains me mentally" Even as I write these words, I am thinking, "wow, now that sounds like self-pity." That is exactly where Elijah finds himself, and where I have found myself, and perhaps where you find yourself.

Notice that Elijah is sitting under a Juniper Tree; "sitting under a Juniper Tree" became a common English phrase which meant "to show anger toward God, to feel like a failure, to be discouraged, to want to call it quits." Moses sat under his own Juniper Tree, metaphorically speaking in Numbers 11:10-15. Jonah too sat under his own Juniper Tree in Jonah 4:1-4. There have been times that I have sat under my Juniper Tree? Are there times that you have sat under yours? Yours might be now. I am thankful that currently I am not cultivating my Juniper Tree, but at the same time I must be thankful for when those moments come in my life. If I stay there, I am not performing the task that God has called me to? If I stay there, I will eventually let a complaining, petty spirit control my attitude. If I stay there, I continue to walk by sight and not by faith. If I stay there, I am walking disobediently and thinking of self.

I love what Matthew Henry says, "Wherever God’s children are, as they are still upon their Father’s ground, so they are still under their Father’s eye and care. They may lose themselves in a wilderness, but God has not lost them." That is AWESOME. The passage in 1 Kings 19 teaches me how tenderly and patiently God deals with His children. God constantly has His eyes on us, but I often take my eyes off Him. When I do, I lose focus; I then focus on the wrong priorities. Despite all of Elijah's weaknesses and my weaknesses, God still sustains; God still shows His power to transform; God still gives a new vision of Himself. Sometimes that is what I need. In my estimation, God often is too small; I put him in a box and won't allow Him to work; or I shelve Him and pull Him out only when I need Him.

Despite his flaws, Elijah was still sensitive to God's gentle whisper and acted obediently to who God wanted Him to be and what He wanted Him to do. The Juniper Trees my grow in my life and I may continue to cultivate them, but this must only be for a season rather than gain permanence in my life. Instead, I need to live like the Psalmist writes in Psalm 16:7-8:

7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

It is obvious that Elijah was worn out in the service of God. He was messed up, depressed, discouraged, stressed-out, burned out, mentally fried, physically drained, and spiritually out of sorts. I am reassured that this mountain man from Gilead is just like me (and you) at times, as James notes in 5:17. Even though I my get worn out, I can always be encouraged that God will meet me at my lowest point as He did Elijah. God is good, ALL of the time.

Walking in the Truth; Notes and Reflections from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and secondly, for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

What if you were to realize at the end of your life that there really is no God and Christianity is a myth? Would living the Christian life have been worth it? Absolutely, positively, tee-totally, 100% emphatic "YES"--but it might not be for the reasons one might think. Listen to how Paul answers this question. Read the words of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Paul gives 6 disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1). Preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14), 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14), 3) all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15), 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17), 5) all former believers would have perished (v. 18), and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v. 19). Why would he say that the Christian life without the resurrection is the most pitiful of all lives? Listen to the words of Dr. John Piper from his book, Desiring God: "The Christian life for Paul was not the so called good life of prosperity and ease [the tenets falsely preached in the "health, wealth, and prosperity gospel"--a contemporary view that attempts to erode the very truths preached by Christ]. Paul's belief in God and his confidence in resurrection and his hope in eternal fellowship with Christ did not produce a life of comfort and ease that would have been satisfying even without resurrection. What his hope produced was a life of chosen suffering", freely (255). Come again? Paul freely chose to suffer for the sake of Christ. 1 Cor. 4:10-13 and 2 Cor. 11:23-28 recount the extent of his sufferings: brutally treated, hungry, thirsty, without clothing, homeless, slandered, severely flogged, imprisoned, encountered numerous dangerous situations. Notice Paul's response to such affliction, a response he admonishes in the Roman believers Romans 12:9-13 reads 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Focus on v. 12. What did Paul teach through words and lifestyle about suffering? Rejoicing in hope, perseverance, devotion to prayer. For Paul, his life was not measured by physical comforts and pleasures in life; the Christian life for Paul was a life of chosen sacrifice that he might gain the joy of fellowship with Christ in the age to come (Piper)

Read 1 Cor. 15:30-32: 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." In other words, what does the resurrection matter? If there were no resurrection, not only would we be the most pitiful people on the planet but we might as well just throw caution to the wind, live it, for the only thing worth living for is eating, drinking, and dieing. How bleak. What was the path Paul chose daily? To die to self (v. 31). Does that sound vaguely familiar? Hope so, for it is the pinnacle of discipleship. Matthew 16:24-25, Psalm 51:17, Luke 9:23.

There were reasons Paul embraced suffering. Oswald Chambers writes in Christian Discipline: "Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified. By these signs we know the widespread heritage of suffering." Paul’s first reason for embracing suffering, for choosing the cross, for choosing a daily death: Obedience to his calling. Dr. Piper writes, "The suffering that comes is part of the price of living where you are in obedience to the call of God . . . .And it is 'chosen'--that is, we willingly take the path of obedience where the suffering befalls us, and we do not murmur against God" (256-257) Read Philippians 1:27-30:

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

See verse 29? Do you regard suffering as gift or a curse?
Are theses reasons for Suffering a gift or a curse?

1. To test the strength of our faith
2. To humble us
3. To wean us from our reliance on worldly things
4. To call us to eternal and heavenly hope
5. To reveal what we really love
6. To teach us to value God’s blessings
7. To develop enduring strength for greater usefulness
8. To enable us to better help others through their trials
   

A gift, with out a doubt. Read this reflection from Aelxander Solzhenitsyn:

It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts. . . .This is why I turn back to the years of my imprisonment and say, sometimes to the astonishment of those about me: 'Bless you, prison! I . . . have served enough time there. I nourished my soul there, and I say without hesitation: 'Bless you, prison, for having been in my life.' (qtd. in Piper, Desiring God 263-264)

Suffering is the confirmation of a believer’s intimate relationship with Christ. Take a few moments to read the following scriptures: Luke 9:23-23, 1 Corinthians 15:31, John 15:20, Luke 10:3, Luke 21:16-17, Acts 14:22. 1 Thess. 3:3, and 2 Timothy 3:12. Reflect on the following: How does God’s Word confirm this relationship? 1 Thess. 3:1-4 reads: 1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

How can we accept suffering more easily when we know it is our destiny? Suffering is a part of faithful Christian living. God uses suffering to wean us from self-reliance to God-reliance (2 Cor. 1:8-9). Dr. Piper concurs when he states, "This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in self and the world" (265). Malcolm Muggeridge, a Christian Journalist who died in 1991, said this about suffering:

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on my experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful, with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. In other words, if it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of some drug or other medical mumbo jumbo . . . the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal or trivial to be endurable. This of course is what the cross signifies, and it is the cross more than anything else, that has called me inexorably to Christ. (qtd in Piper, Desiring God 265-266).

On a wall in his bedroom Charles Spurgeon had a plaque with Isaiah 48:10 on it: "'I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.' 'It is no mean thing to be chosen of God,'" he wrote. "'God's choice makes chosen men choice men...We are chosen, not in the palace, but in the furnace. In the furnace, beauty is marred, fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is consumed; yet here eternal love reveals its secrets, and declares its choice.'" (qtd. in Warren Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers 223).

There is a difference between suffering from normal life trials and choosing to suffer for the cause of Christ. Both Paul and Dr. Piper are specifically referring to suffering because of being openly Christian in risky situations. How might any suffering tempt us to doubt and disobey God? When we suffer we question, often with self-pity. We doubt God's goodness often when we suffer for we see people around us who don't know the Lord, yet seem to be living the good life. If that is our focus, then we have lost site of the resurrection; we simply view life like the false teachers of the "prosperity gospel." How can I be comforted today? What must I do to live a good life? These are the wrong questions. Christ calls us to more than that, much more. Dr. Piper poignantly states, "God is calling us to live for the sake of Christ and to do that through suffering. Christ chose suffering; it didn't just happen to Him. He chose it as a way to create and perfect the church. Now He calls us to choose suffering. That is, He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him on the Calvary road and deny ourselves and make sacrifices for the sake of ministering to the church and presenting His sufferings to the world" (286). We are to be the Bible to a lost world; we need to be Jesus to the world, to our neighbors, our co-workers, our family, our friends.

Take some time to carefully read James 5:7-12. This scripture warrants mentioning because of what it teaches and commands. James gives four commands to his readers--the brothers, believers--Be patient, strengthen your heart (stand firm), don’t complain, and don’t swear. (For the sake of this blog and these reflective notes from Sunday School, we will not spend any time on the latter.)

1. Be patient (v. 7, 8). The word patient comes from two words in the Gk: makros (long, far) and thumos (anger), which we get our word “long-tempered” or “long-suffering” This is a different word then the one translated in James 1:3-4, which refers to patiently enduring trying circumstances; makrothumeo refers to patiently enduring trying and difficult people.
   
   Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. George Matheson wrote, "'We commonly associate patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the patience that can run. To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks. It is a Christ-like thing! The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street.' To wait is hard, to do it with 'good courage' is harder! (Sermon Illustrations, http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/patience.htm. Accessed May 29, 2010).
   
   
2. Strengthen Your Heart (v. 8--the NIV uses “stand firm,” the NKJV uses ‘establish your hearts”, the Message reads, “Stay steady and strong.”--the original Gk word, sterizo,--meaning to “make fast,” “to establish,” or “to confirm”. Notice that James mentions in vv 7-8 the Lord’s coming--both in association with patience and strengthening our hearts. So sterizo derives from the root word meaning to “cause to stand” or “to prop up.” What does this mean? James urges those ready to collapse under the weight of persecution to “prop themselves up” with the hope of the savior’s return, for this hope motivates us to live godly lives, spotless and blameless (2 Peter 3:14)
   
   Have you ever heard of the “50:20” principle? This rocks, by the way. One way to strengthen our heart in times of persecution is to apply this principle, taken from Gen. 50:20: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. What does this principle do? Rather than looking at ourselves, or others, or the circumstance, the 50:20 principle enables us to focus on God; we are freed to see God as the teacher and the other person as a tool for making us into the people He intended us to be.
   
   
3. Do not complain (v. 9): Why do people complain? James speaks of the adversity which comes from insult, persecution, abuse at the hands of others. Those who choose complaining as their lifestyle will spend their lifetime in the wilderness--empty, joyless, emotionless, cheerless, not experience the blessings God has given us. The result of spiritual poverty. What should be our response, instead? Trust and embrace His grace as sufficient. Notice the two illustrations James gives to help us resist the grudging spirit, and thus show patience under persecution?
   
   The prophets: To establish context, read Hebrews 11:32ff. What encouragement do we receive by their example? They honored God, stood firm and trusted, never cast blame or bore a grudge or complained; they were persecuted because they spoke in the name of the Lord; did not fear insult or rejection; they were in the will of God yet still suffered, Is it not comforting to know that “The will of God will never lead you where the Grace of God cannot keep you.” They suffered and endured so that their lives might back up their message. They suffered, and through their suffering they evangelized
   
   Job: Job was a righteous man, yet he suffered. Satan predicted that Job would turn impatient and deny God, yet he endured. In Job’s case, what was the end result of the Lord? To reveal himself as full of compassion and mercy--verse 11--isn’t that awesome? Isn’t this the end result of all saints who suffer (whether through circumstances or persecution)? Suffering is designed to spotlight God’s grace, for God was glorified and Job was purified--if there is nothing to endure, we cannot learn endurance.
   
   Notice v. 11a again--God’s blessing does not come to people who do great things but to people who endure. Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10,
   
   7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
   

Whether we have chosen the suffering or it’s just part of life, we can choose to accept the path God has put us on and praise and trust Him anyway. When we do so, we magnify Christ as our superior satisfaction. Listen to what Dr. Piper says, "Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of His people. God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering He experienced so that when we proclaim the Cross as the way to life, people will see the marks of the Cross in us and feel the love the Cross from us" (269-270). Romanian Pastor Josef Tson provides clarity: “I am an extension of Jesus Christ. When I was beaten in Romania, He suff ered in my body. It is not my suffering: I only had the honor to share His sufferings" (The Theology of Martyrdom 4). Piper continues, "Christ’s suffering is for propitiation (Propitiation is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ by which He appeases the wrath of God and conciliates Him who would otherwise be offended by our sin and would demand that we pay the penalty for it); our suffering is for propagation" 278). Here is how Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:10-12: 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Here again is another quote by Pastor Tson germane to the premise that the "life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body:"

I had a man in an important position whom I baptized come to me and ask, ‘Now what shall I do? They will convene three or four thousand people to expose me and mock me. They will give me five minutes to defend myself. How should I do it?’

'Brother', I told him, 'defending yourself is the only thing you shouldn’t do. This is your unique chance to tell them who you were before, and what Jesus made of you; who Jesus is, and what He is for you now.'

His face shone and he said, ‘Brother Josef, I know what I am going to do.’ And he did it well – so well that afterwards he was severely demoted. He lost almost half of his salary. But he kept coming to me after that saying, ‘Brother Josef, you know I cannot walk in the factory now without someone coming up to me. Wherever I go, somebody pulls me in a corner, looks around to see that nobody sees him talking to me, and then whispers, ‘Give me the address of your church, or ‘Tell me more about Jesus, or ‘Do you have a Bible for me?’

Every kind of suffering can become a ministry for other people’s salvation.'”

And finally, as we close, read the words of Brother Andrew who heads a ministry called the Open Doors,

There is not one door in the world closed where you want to witness for Jesus . . . . Show me a closed door and I will tell you how you can get in. I won't, however, promise you a way to get out . . . .

Jesus didn't say, 'Go if the doors are open,' because they weren't. He didn't say, 'Go if you have an invitation or a red carpet treatment.' He said, 'Go,' because people need his Word . . . .

We need a new approach to missions--an aggressive, experimental, evangelical, no-holds-barred approach . . .a pioneering spirit . . . .

I'm afraid we'll have to go through a deep valley of need and threatening situations, blood baths; but we will get there.

God will take away what hinders us if we mean business. If we say, 'Lord, at any cost . . .'--and people should never pray that unless they truly want God to take them at their word--he will answer. Which is scary. But we have to go through the process. This is how it has worked in the Bible for the last two thousand years.

So we face potentially hard times, and we have to go through that . . . . We play church and we play Christianity. And we aren't even aware we are lukewarm . . . .We should have to pay a price for our faith. Read 2 timothy 3:12: 'Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.' The church has been much purified in countries where there was a lot of pressure . . . .All I can say is to be ready. (qtd. in Piper, Desiring God 286-287).

Thank you Brother Andrew for these wonderful yet sobering thoughts. In your affliction, who can you show Jesus to today. Evangelize through your suffering.