FREEDOM! Many see Christian freedom as freedom from sin, death, law, and the need to earn God’s favor by works. However, Christian freedom is not just freedom “from” it is much more it is freedom “for”, freedom for doing what’s right.
When we were still caught in sin, we weren’t able to please God, no matter how hard we tried. But now, in Christ, we are free to do what God desires, even what His law requires.
Yet, we don’t do this to earn God’s favor, rather in an attitude we respond this way for the favor already given in Christ.
Here’s the good news of your freedom in a nutshell: You are now free to do the right thing.
You are free to live your life for God.
You are now free to live the best possible life there is.
In Christ you have freedom from and freedom for.
Paul is quite specific in Galatians about what our Christian freedom is for. Galatians 5:13-14 For you’ve been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one law: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Did you catch that? Don’t use your freedom for your sinful nature (“the flesh” in Greek). Rather use it “to serve one another in love.”
The English misses the shocking irony of the Greek, which literally reads, “You were called to freedom , so use your freedom by becoming slaves to each other in love.”
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Good News
What a powerful week July 13-20 has been. Two of our grandchildren although many miles apart, in two different households, on two different days had one wonderful thing in common.
They both gave their hearts to the Lord. Both young boys responded to the tugging of God on their tender young hearts. We are thrilled to see the Spirit of God working His wonderful grace in their lives.
To God be the glory!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
What part of GO don't you understand?
When Jesus came back from the dead, why didn't He go to Herod or Pilate and say, “I'm back!”
In fact why did He make himself known only to those who believed?
To the women at the sepulcher the angel said, “Go tell his disciples”. Mark 16:7
The disciples were bewildered. Jesus had died; their dreams had faded; their hopes had vanished. They didn't know what to think. Some had gone back to their old ways. They were trying to live on the memory of a dead Christ. But there was a message for bewildered church:
“Go tell His disciples that He is going on before you!” The message is simply Christ is risen!
We need a new experience of the living Christ.
Listen to the result, Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord,
Is He really in our buildings? He is if He is in us! And if He is in us let us never be content with leaving our gathering together as if we been to a funeral - instead may we as the disciples were when they saw Jesus, “be glad”. Jesus Christ - victorious conqueror!
“Go tell his disciples AND PETER.” Peter was a backslider and the Lord singled him out as though he were marked “special”. Jesus wished to restore Peter. Unfortunately, many congregations miss the fact that Jesus can fire up the lost with new love and zeal.
What a field day for the gossips who heard about Peter denying the Lord! Can't you imagine them whispering, “Have you heard the low down about Simon Peter?” Ever wonder why they call it the “Low” down? Let us be know for our desire to lift up - not tear down.
"How are you?" "Great, since the resurrection!"
Jesus only had one question for him, “do you love me?” Not, “Aren't you ashamed of yourself?” He only asked, “Do you love me?” The issue is Christ. “Do you love ME?”
"Go into all the world and make disciples". Jesus is the Center: “All power is given to me; Lo, I am with you always.” When Jesus spoke with Peter, He was the Center: “Do you love ME?” But there was also the circumference: “Feed my sheep.” In geometry we use a compass. One prong is stationary, fixed. With the other we scribe our circle. Folks, Christ is the fixed Center, the same yesterday, today and forever. From that Center we make the sweep of the whole world as our circumference. Once we admit to loving Jesus, He sends us out to feed His Sheep. “We've a story to tell to the nations”.
Our story is not centered about “a way of life” “our church” or even “Christianity”, it must be centered around Jesus.
“All things are mine: Come, Believe, Go.” That is the full Christian experience.
We are to let our light shine and that light is Christ. It is a glow, not a glare, and we do not shine it, we let it shine. Before you start thinking of how hard this is consider the fact that, the disciples did not have any special advantage over us! It wasn’t any easier for them to believe the miracles than it is for us. True, they were eyewitnesses, but being an eyewitness to an extraordinary event doesn’t make it any easier to believe.
But Jesus didn’t care about their doubts! He gave the Great Commission to every one of them, even the doubters. The doubting disciples loved Jesus and that is all that really mattered.
Even if your not a Bible whiz the Great Commission still applies to you. You don’t have to have it all figured out, simply trust and obey the Lord Jesus. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Hold your questions to the end. Right now your primary task is loyalty and obedience.”
Go ye therefore…… Before you imagine having to leave Osoyoos to do this understand that “Go” could mean next door or across the street. But make no mistake about it “Go” is an action word.
Mark 5:18-20 And when Jesus got to the boat, the man who had been possessed with the devil asked Jesus to take him with him. However, Jesus said, no, GO home to your friends and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you. Tell them how the Lord had compassion on you. And he WENT, and began to testify about the great things Jesus had done for him: and all the people marveled.
Commission: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts: charge: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another: a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another
In fact why did He make himself known only to those who believed?
To the women at the sepulcher the angel said, “Go tell his disciples”. Mark 16:7
The disciples were bewildered. Jesus had died; their dreams had faded; their hopes had vanished. They didn't know what to think. Some had gone back to their old ways. They were trying to live on the memory of a dead Christ. But there was a message for bewildered church:
“Go tell His disciples that He is going on before you!” The message is simply Christ is risen!
We need a new experience of the living Christ.
Listen to the result, Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord,
Is He really in our buildings? He is if He is in us! And if He is in us let us never be content with leaving our gathering together as if we been to a funeral - instead may we as the disciples were when they saw Jesus, “be glad”. Jesus Christ - victorious conqueror!
“Go tell his disciples AND PETER.” Peter was a backslider and the Lord singled him out as though he were marked “special”. Jesus wished to restore Peter. Unfortunately, many congregations miss the fact that Jesus can fire up the lost with new love and zeal.
What a field day for the gossips who heard about Peter denying the Lord! Can't you imagine them whispering, “Have you heard the low down about Simon Peter?” Ever wonder why they call it the “Low” down? Let us be know for our desire to lift up - not tear down.
"How are you?" "Great, since the resurrection!"
Jesus only had one question for him, “do you love me?” Not, “Aren't you ashamed of yourself?” He only asked, “Do you love me?” The issue is Christ. “Do you love ME?”
"Go into all the world and make disciples". Jesus is the Center: “All power is given to me; Lo, I am with you always.” When Jesus spoke with Peter, He was the Center: “Do you love ME?” But there was also the circumference: “Feed my sheep.” In geometry we use a compass. One prong is stationary, fixed. With the other we scribe our circle. Folks, Christ is the fixed Center, the same yesterday, today and forever. From that Center we make the sweep of the whole world as our circumference. Once we admit to loving Jesus, He sends us out to feed His Sheep. “We've a story to tell to the nations”.
Our story is not centered about “a way of life” “our church” or even “Christianity”, it must be centered around Jesus.
“All things are mine: Come, Believe, Go.” That is the full Christian experience.
We are to let our light shine and that light is Christ. It is a glow, not a glare, and we do not shine it, we let it shine. Before you start thinking of how hard this is consider the fact that, the disciples did not have any special advantage over us! It wasn’t any easier for them to believe the miracles than it is for us. True, they were eyewitnesses, but being an eyewitness to an extraordinary event doesn’t make it any easier to believe.
But Jesus didn’t care about their doubts! He gave the Great Commission to every one of them, even the doubters. The doubting disciples loved Jesus and that is all that really mattered.
Even if your not a Bible whiz the Great Commission still applies to you. You don’t have to have it all figured out, simply trust and obey the Lord Jesus. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Hold your questions to the end. Right now your primary task is loyalty and obedience.”
Go ye therefore…… Before you imagine having to leave Osoyoos to do this understand that “Go” could mean next door or across the street. But make no mistake about it “Go” is an action word.
Mark 5:18-20 And when Jesus got to the boat, the man who had been possessed with the devil asked Jesus to take him with him. However, Jesus said, no, GO home to your friends and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you. Tell them how the Lord had compassion on you. And he WENT, and began to testify about the great things Jesus had done for him: and all the people marveled.
Commission: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts: charge: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another: a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Got A Question For You....
What shall we do to recover the lost radiance of the Christian faith?
Strange thing about us Christians: we would not leave our faith for anything, but neither will we live it! We would not give it up, but neither do we give it out. "Man has never been willing to give up the next world for this or this world for the next."
Vance Havner said, "We are afraid not to give something to the cause of Christ: we are equally afraid to give it everything. And yet, if it is worth anything it is worth everything. Who will arise in all the babel of our confusion, the rattle of our empty worship, the whir of our religious wheels-within-wheels, and recapture the fervor of the first apostleship?"
We shall have a dull time of it until we either live our faith or take down our sign.
Strange thing about us Christians: we would not leave our faith for anything, but neither will we live it! We would not give it up, but neither do we give it out. "Man has never been willing to give up the next world for this or this world for the next."
Vance Havner said, "We are afraid not to give something to the cause of Christ: we are equally afraid to give it everything. And yet, if it is worth anything it is worth everything. Who will arise in all the babel of our confusion, the rattle of our empty worship, the whir of our religious wheels-within-wheels, and recapture the fervor of the first apostleship?"
We shall have a dull time of it until we either live our faith or take down our sign.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
JESUS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
What an interesting statement. Early this morning Paul Vieira's book “Jesus Has Left The Building” was recommended to me. I've only read the first chapter and already I have been challenged.
Many pastors have learned how to operate without dependency on the Holy Spirit. Tragically, you can learn to study without revelation, to preach without anointing, and to lead with words but not by example.
We need to once again become desperate in our dependency on Jesus.
I recently shared with our congregation that we must stop praying for God to bless what we are doing. Rather, we should pray that we are involved with what God is blessing!
Paul states, "there comes a time when believers should mature to a point where they are able to feed themselves and others in need. We know so much today. Why are so many Christians staying in infancy?"
Many pastors have learned how to operate without dependency on the Holy Spirit. Tragically, you can learn to study without revelation, to preach without anointing, and to lead with words but not by example.
We need to once again become desperate in our dependency on Jesus.
I recently shared with our congregation that we must stop praying for God to bless what we are doing. Rather, we should pray that we are involved with what God is blessing!
Paul states, "there comes a time when believers should mature to a point where they are able to feed themselves and others in need. We know so much today. Why are so many Christians staying in infancy?"
So often what we traditionally do in the church building is completely
irrelevant to the people in our culture, especially to the emerging generations.
There is a pressing question that drives my quest for an authentic expression of church for me: "If Christ were to send a letter His church, who would get it?"
Paul said, “It seems like Jesus' church was the gang that hung out with Him, and they gathered in a house, or by the sea, or in the desert, or wherever they happened to be. Jesus did not start a religion or an organization. He lived a lifestyle in the context of community and mission.”
The church Jesus started looks very different to what we call "church" today.
Church as we know it today looks extremely different from what it was in the beginning. But things are changing. Christianity, as we know it, is morphing and its appearance will be a reality that we haven’t seen in a long time, perhaps two thousand years.
I am ordering several copies of this book for our church library. Let me know if you want to borrow a copy. May God lead us by His Holy Spirit! Out of the building and into the streets!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
How Great Is Our God
THE SPLENDER OF THE KINGS, CLOTHED IN MAJESTY
LET ALL THE EARTH REJOICE,
LET ALL THE EARTH REJOICE,
ALL THE EARTH REJOICE
HE WRAPS HIMSELF IN LIGHT,
HE WRAPS HIMSELF IN LIGHT,
AND DARKNESS TRIES TO HIDE
AND TREMBLES AT HIS VOICE,
AND TREMBLES AT HIS VOICE,
TREMBLES AT HIS VOICE
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD,
SING WITH ME,
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD,
AND ALL WILL SEE HOW GREAT,
HOW GREAT, IS OUR GOD
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
July 1st Report
INCREDIBLE! It was so exciting to see the impact our small fellowship had on those who came to Osoyoos to celebrate Canada Day. The morning started off with a bang, when Keith arrived at the office at about 7:30. A young man came by asking for something to eat - Keith not only fed him physically but was able to share the gospel with him. What a day starter.
By 8:30 we had a number of us setting up the old Rambler stationwagon brought in by one of our new families. We set up our sandwich board depicting our church service, loaded the over 800 bottles of Miller Springs water (donated) and after donning our new "witness" t-shirts we even had time to pray.
Several of us then participated in the joint church service held at the bandshell. After hearing a bit of our testimonies several people approached us with prayer requests. One father said, "after hearing what God did for you, I know there is hope for my son." PTL
We then worked our way through the already growing crowded Main Street to the starting point of the parade. We located our group and prepared ourselves for the intense moments ahead. Although we were not sure of our reception we felt that God was going to bless it and we certainly didn't want to miss it..... It was overwhelming! People we very appreciative of the free water we were distributing. Our t-shirts looked great, the car was a definite attention getter - and we had a blast. We ran along the vehicle and dashed back and forth with bottles of cold water being readily and gratifully accepted. I heard people yelling - over here! we want water!
I thought later, wish they would call for the living water with the same enthusiasim. Our runners were exhausted but the thrill was incredible. What a "feel good" experience.
An hour later as we sat rehabing back at the office three fruit pickers stopped in to see if they could cook up their spagetti. After finding some sort of pots (empty coffee cans) we did cook up their lunch. They thanked us with a song and went on their way. What a day!
By 8:30 we had a number of us setting up the old Rambler stationwagon brought in by one of our new families. We set up our sandwich board depicting our church service, loaded the over 800 bottles of Miller Springs water (donated) and after donning our new "witness" t-shirts we even had time to pray.
Several of us then participated in the joint church service held at the bandshell. After hearing a bit of our testimonies several people approached us with prayer requests. One father said, "after hearing what God did for you, I know there is hope for my son." PTL
We then worked our way through the already growing crowded Main Street to the starting point of the parade. We located our group and prepared ourselves for the intense moments ahead. Although we were not sure of our reception we felt that God was going to bless it and we certainly didn't want to miss it..... It was overwhelming! People we very appreciative of the free water we were distributing. Our t-shirts looked great, the car was a definite attention getter - and we had a blast. We ran along the vehicle and dashed back and forth with bottles of cold water being readily and gratifully accepted. I heard people yelling - over here! we want water!
I thought later, wish they would call for the living water with the same enthusiasim. Our runners were exhausted but the thrill was incredible. What a "feel good" experience.
An hour later as we sat rehabing back at the office three fruit pickers stopped in to see if they could cook up their spagetti. After finding some sort of pots (empty coffee cans) we did cook up their lunch. They thanked us with a song and went on their way. What a day!
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