Too Valuable Not to Be Used

A few weeks ago, I preached on “too valuable not to be used.” I had a second message prepared but have not been able to preach it. Today, I am putting it into a blog format.

God’s Kingdom increase is dependent on our willingness to provide additional time towards this cause. We do not know why He set it up this way, but He commissioned every believer to carry the Gospel. I don’t know about you, but I have always struggled with sharing my faith with others. Oh, there are moments and situations where it is easy, but it isn’t easy in most cases.

The closer that we move to the return of Christ, the more imperative it is for us to make ourselves available to be used. Time is running out. This fact calls us to set aside the frivolous pursuits of life and work together to build God’s kingdom. I’m sure each of you struggles as I do.

God has given each of us a story, testimony. No one can deny what God has done for us. We must press into the scripture we so often quote, “we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.”

I Peter 2:5-9 “5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.[a] Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,[b]
    chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
    will never be disgraced.” [c]

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.[d] But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.” [e]

8 And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
    the rock that makes them fall.” [f]

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[g] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Here you will see that we are all living stones and priests. This is where we will focus today. You are a living stone, a priest, and too valuable not to be used. Every one of us has a part to play in the growth of the Kingdom and this local body. If you solely leave it to full-time ministers, there may be growth, but it will be slow and inconsistent. When every one of us comes to a fresh realization that God wants to use us, we step into that, like the early church, we will see explosive growth. Let’s look more closely at our text.

Verse 5 indicates that we as living stones are cut to fit our perfect spot in the Kingdom. This is not random; this is intentional. God takes us and the gifts that He has given us, coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and He places us where He wants us. You are too valuable not to be used.

Verse 6 reminds us that we, living stones, are built on the Cornerstone Christ Jesus. Is 28:16 is quoted here, “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.” Both of these verses refer to the stone being in Zion or Jerusalem. This must be a reference to the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord in that city. This brings us salvation, and in this city, the cornerstone was laid down. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, He is living, and so are we. We are living stones, active in the work of the Kingdom of God. You are too valuable not to be used.

Verse 7 states that to the living stones, Jesus is precious. One interpretation of the original Greek indicates that we are honored because He has made us living stones in His temple. For those who reject Him, He is tossed aside like an unwanted stone. They see no value in Him or His sacrifice.

Verse 8 alludes to Is 8:14, where it says, “He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah, he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare.” Because they reject Him, they will not find salvation. This has occurred since the time we walked and worshiped in the physical temple. The religious leaders rejected Him. They denied His deity, though the prophets clearly said that He would come. This speaks of disobedience and unbelief. We are not called to save people, but to show them how to be a disciple. It is up to them to accept or reject Christ the Cornerstone.

Verse 9 moves us from the structure of the spiritual temple to the fact that we also serve as a kingdom of priests. All of us have a role to play in the construction and for His service. You are too valuable not to be used. Peter states here that we are chosen…that is not by accident. We are royal…we are part of the King’s family. We are holy…set apart for the work of God. We are special…not common. For this, we praise Him. This kingdom of priests do as the OT priests did; we serve Him, sacrifice for Him, and worship Him. This priesthood is made up of every believer. Oh, if the modern church could grasp the impact of this.

We are part of His temple; we are His priests; this results in Kingdom growth. There must be preparation for us to effectively serve as priests. We cannot usher others into the presence of God if we have not been there ourselves. It is time for us to rise in the name of our God and the power of the Spirit. It is time we take our rightful places in the Kingdom, setting aside distractions. It’s time to shut off the voice of the enemy and recognize our position in Christ.

You are called to be a priest.

You have a role to play.

You are too valuable not to be used.

You need to examine your life.

Ask yourself, where do I spend my time?

Where do I spend my money?

What distractions keep me from being used?

What lies have I believed that tell me I am not usable?

You are a priest of the Most High God…start acting like it.

Do your part.

When each of us fills our spot in the temple and works God’s priest, the Kingdom grows. Just think what would happen here, in this part of Christ’s body, if each of us would invite one person to church every week. What we began living like Jesus lived rather than how the world lives. Those around us would see a change in our language, our attitude, and our priorities. Each of these will impact those around us. What if God has called us to be a royal participant in his work rather than a common observer of His work? God has called you. It’s time to step up. You are too valuable not to be used.

Betrayed

September 21, 1780, changed the way American’s think and speak. At the height of the Revolutionary War, the commander of West Point met with British Major John Andre. This clandestine meeting was to discuss the turnover of America’s Military school to the British. This would be a decisive blow against the fledgling republic. Fortunately, the plot was discovered, and action was taken for the preservation of this institution.

Here we are 200+ years later, still referring to this day. You may not recognize the date, but you have heard someone called a Benedict Arnold. General Washington trusted Arnold and now pursued him because of his treason. Betrayal is hard. It is hurtful, and by both definition and nature, we are most affected when the betrayal is someone close to us. We all have our “Benedict Arnold.”

Fortunately for the US and Gen Washington, a gifted and loyal leader was waiting in the wings. General Nathanael Greene served his country with honor and distinction. His actions in the southern US helped bring about the monumental surrender of British General Cornwallis’s army at Yorktown on October 19, 1781.

A few weeks ago, our family vacationed in the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Now, as a history guy, I loved all of them. But there was something about standing on the hill above the York River where the towering monument to this British surrender stands. From that spot, you can look out over the Chesapeake Bay and imagine its waters teeming with ships, men, and the fog of gun powder.

The betrayal of our nation and General Washington put into place a series of events that brought about the war’s end. As a result, an independent nation arose from the ashes—a strong nation devoted to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No one can look back through the eyes of time and see what could have been had Arnold not committed treason. We can see the result.

Washington and the nation must have felt profound betrayal and dealt with bitter feelings and hatred towards Arnold. However, we must consider this; if Arnold had continued as he was, would the war have been won? If it was won, would it have ended when it did? The most likely answer is not.

Betrayal is always painful, but God has a way of taking our painful situations and making good come from them. In your life, dealing with your betrayals, you have a choice. You can fixate on the hurt or move on with your life. Can you imagine the dire effect if Washington sat at his desk and sulked for the next few years? We find this question ridiculous but is that not what we do in our personal lives.

The Word of God tells us that we have been set free by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. (John 8:36) Yet, we place ourselves in servitude to those that harm us because we live with unforgiveness and refuse to move on. Yes, you have been hurt. Yes, you will be hurt again. That is human nature. Our hurt or offense does not rob God of His power to heal, set free, and bring good from a terrible situation.

I would ask you today, from what betrayal does God want to set you free? Just as important is the question, will you let Him? More betrayals will come, but what you do with them can change.

Out of Focus

Recently I have noticed my eyes moving out of focus. I look across a room, and it seems fuzzy. If I blink, they move back into focus. I am sure that this is a function of age or my negligence of wearing my glasses as often as I should. Whatever the reason, it is a funny feeling to see fuzzy when you know it should be clear. Our life of faith can be that way, except here, like actual eye issues, the progression usually is slow. We lose a little sight every few months or years, until one day we need bifocals.

I encourage everyone to read on, but I specifically want to address pastors and ministry leaders. I have now served in full-time ministry for 22 years: one year as a College/Worship Pastor, thirteen years as a Youth/Worship Pastor, and now eight years as a Lead Pastor. During these years, it is easy for things to lose their focus. Our calendar often drives our lives. Busyness is a way of life for us. That is not all bad. I would always rather be busy and accomplishing something than having little to do.

The longer we serve in ministry and perhaps the busier we are, the more likely we lose focus. We fall into a natural trap of building our churches rather than Christ’s Kingdom. I want to give you five things that shift our focus and then a few ways to correct or prevent it.

  1. Focus on others rather than Christ.

Every minister falls into the trap of comparing their work and results to someone else’s. Comparing is natural and easy to do, but it is very dangerous. When we compare ourselves to others, we are not looking at apples to apples but apples to oranges. The history of our place of ministry, its culture, and vision all contribute to how ministry is accomplished. If we are not careful, we will move toward envy. As the saying goes, the grass is not always greener. 

2. Focus on numbers rather than souls.

We all take attendance for obvious reasons. Yes, we all want our churches to grow, but we must remember that it is more important to see the Kingdom of God grow. I frequently state that I am less concerned if new followers of Christ join our church through our outreaches than I am about growing the Kingdom. I think we have to be careful not to put the cart before the horse here. God will help our churches grow, but we have to keep things in the correct order. Seek His Kingdom!

3. Focus on finances rather than faith.

Contrary to popular belief, most churches are not sitting on mounds of cash. Many are lucky to have a reserve at all. Churches are not run like a business. We do not have a profit margin based on the sale of goods or services. We are totally dependent on the generosity of those that attend. As such, it is easy to hold onto cash rather than living by faith. I once read a statement of David Wilkerson in which he described money in the church as a river flowing through our hands. As we all say a collective, “Let it flow, Lord!” 🙂

4. Focus on failings rather than God’s faithfulness.

They say that one of two things will cause a pastor to leave the ministry, pride or discouragement. These manifest themselves in different ways but have the same effect. I have to be honest. We are in a time of planting and growing our church. I sometimes deal with the fear that people will see it is not as healthy as it appears or that I am not as capable as I appear. At that moment, it will all collapse. I remind myself, it’s not my church; it’s God’s. It’s not simply about my ability but God’s faithfulness. He will build His Church!

5. Focus on foes rather than friends.

Serving in the Kingdom of God, in any facet, is spiritual warfare. There will always be detractors. There will always be those that fight against what you are building. Read Ezra and Nehemiah here. It is easy to focus on those that come against you, even if it is only one. Even if 300 stand with you. We must focus on the support God has given us. Elijah thought he was alone, but God had a remnant. I guarantee He has provided one for you too.

I am writing this partially out of support for you, my hurting friends. Over the past few years, God saw fit to bring many hurting pastors into my life. I love ministering to them and bringing them encouragement. So that brings us to a few things you can do to prevent the loss of focus.

  1. Be in the Word Daily. Seems obvious, but busyness can sometimes overtake us.
  2. Have a friend in the ministry with whom you can have open and honest discussions.
  3. Make integrity a priority. Find an accountability partner you trust and guard your mind. Put a filter on your phone and computer. Guard your attitude. Find someone you can go to and someone that can come to you.
  4. Expect the enemy to attack. He will!
  5. Build rest into your daily schedule. We are more susceptible to offense, temptation, and sin when we are tired.
  6. Eat well and exercise. If you don’t take care of yourself, you become sluggish and tired…reread #5 here.
  7. Wherever you serve the King, remember it’s all about Jesus, not about you! Repeat…repeat…repeat…rinse and repeat…repeat one more time.

These simple things help us to keep our focus on Christ. I pray that if you are walking through a season of pride or discouragement that God will place a trusted friend in your path. I am thankful for those God has placed in mine and am always honored when He allows me to be in someone else’s.

If you read this and are not in ministry, these principles apply to every believer. We all walk through the same valleys and up the same mountains. We even trudge through the same seemingly forsaken plateaus. UGH! Remember God is for you, not against you. He loved you enough to save you and trusted you enough to call you.

DON’T LOSE YOUR FOCUS!

The “Big Blah”

Have you ever been questioned because of a belief you hold? Of course, you have. All of us experience this on an ongoing basis.  We are questioned for our faith, politics, the color of the car we choose to buy, and pretty much every other decision in this life. For some, decisions are based on feeling; for others, science, and still others, faith. Science and faith seemingly conflict a lot these days. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am accused of not following science in one area and by following it another I am denounced. Let me run down a few areas this has occurred.

Global Warming: where others see man’s effect, I see God’s design. I do not deny the earth is getting hotter, only the reason for it. Another area is gender. We are told to follow the science on every issue but gender. Now whether you agree with me or not, I believe you have a right to be whatever you choose to be, from a legal standpoint. However, that does not change your DNA…science, if you will. If you cut yourself at a crime scene, your DNA will show that you are male or female. Science cannot show transgender. So, I acknowledge you have a right to be non-binary if you choose to be, but science will always show the gender of your birth…this could be an extensive blog, maybe another day.

The Big Bang Theory has always perplexed me. I do understand the premise, but according to the laws of nature, it does not make sense. I call this “The Big Blah.” I do so after discovering that “follow the science” is only followed when it advances a person’s opinion. This, of course, is counterproductive to the nature of science which is to prove something factual within nature, in this case. I have often said it takes more faith to believe in evolution, the Big Bang, than it does to believe in God.

Let me explain what I mean by this. We know that scientifically everything has a beginning. By definition, the Big Bang theory seeks to explain that beginning for our world. The problem lies in the theory. Over millions of years, gasses in space mixed and formed what we know to be earth and the planetary system through a big bang reaction. That is the beginning of our universe and every other one, for that matter.  I will admit that though I disagree with this approach, this aspect of the theory theoretically makes sense. What does not is the origin of the gases.

Where did the gases come from that caused the big bang? Were they eternally there, leading to the belief that everything in this life does not have a beginning? Alternatively, perhaps something else in nature caused the gases, which caused the big bang. What caused the “something else” that caused the gases that caused the big bang. This is a merry-go-round that would never stop. Eventually, something or someone had to have created the first thing that sparked the chain reaction.

What if I choose to argue that the universe is eternal but ever-changing? Fundamentally, if it is ever-changing, there is an end. If there is an end, then there must be a beginning. Stars die and stars are born, etc. This still does not address the causation of material being in our universe. I am not trying to prove God created in this blog, though I believe He did. At the foundation of that question is the summation that led to the “bang.”

I will readily admit that an astrophysicist somewhere will denounce me as an uneducated Christian zealot that understands nothing of the real world. So, I ask of them, will you stop hiding behind your degree and your egotism and answer the simple question, “where did the original elements come from.” What I have found is that they cannot. Thus “The Big Blah.” When we follow science, we are led to a beginning of everything, which means there is also an end. That blog, my friends, is for another day. 

The King James Controversy

Over the past few years, the controversy surrounding only using the KJV has grown into a full battle within the Church world. First, let me state, we have much more significant battles to fight…mainly the devil and not each other. Let me also state that I have no problem with those who choose to use the KJV exclusively. I believe it is a matter of preference. Let me further state, by way of transparency, that I study, preach and teach from many translations/versions, including NLT, NIV, KJV, NKJV, TPT, The Message, and the NASB.

My frustration stems from the fundamental lack of understanding that most Christians have regarding the KJV’s origins. So I will begin with a bit of background. There were only the Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation, and the Vulgate, a Latin translation in ancient times. After the Great Schism of the Catholic Church in 1054, the church split between east and west. If we put this into modern terms, we went from having a Catholic Church to a Roman Catholic (West) and an Orthodox Church (East).  The west using the Vulgate or Latin translation, and the east using the Septuagint or Greek translation….this is a general statement. Other translations within the Orthodox Church came along as the church spread into Armenia, Russia, and other places. 

Jumping ahead to the Reformation of 1517, the Roman Catholic Church controlled Europe spiritually and politically. There is a quote historians use, “Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Such is the case with the Roman Catholic Church.  Martin Luther, a Catholic Priest, felt that His faith was missing something and he saw a need to deal with corruption in the church. Leading him to post his 95 theses on the Wittenberg door. This act began the reformation and the Protestant movement.

With this came many practical challenges, including the lack of translations in the vernacular of the ordinary person.  Luther immediately, if not beforehand, began a translation of the Bible into German. Others followed in their native tongue. The reformation came to England in 1531 following the denial of the Pope to grant an annulment to King Henry VIII. Thus the Church of England was born.  Here again, there was no translation in the ordinary person’s language, in this case, English.

At the same time as the establishing of the Church of England, reformation took hold in other areas such as Switzerland. Shortly after, William Tyndale and others translated early English versions, most notably the Coverdale Bible and the Matthew Bible. The Geneva Bible came about under the direction of John Calvin and was translated by English scholars living in Geneva. Large portions of this translation borrowed from the earlier versions.

Following the death of Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I, her cousin James I (James IV of Scotland) ascended to the throne.  King James felt that there was still a need for a Bible mass-produced within England. So in 1604, he put together a group of scholars working in England to develop the King James Version. It should be noted that this version was written in Old English, and no modern English speaker could read it.

Over the next several years, the translation was completed and mass-produced for the Church of England. Some may wonder how it became more dominant than the Geneva Bible. Essentially by an edict of the King, who was also the legal head of the Church. A KJV Bible was ordered to be placed in every Anglican (Church of England) Church. Thus, over time, the KJV became the Bible of the people.

Here we need to address a few questions that KJV-only proponents commonly raise. First, they say it is the only authoritative Word of God. To say this is both ignorant and arrogant. I mean this, no one in France uses the KJV, nor does anyone in any other place in the world that is not English-speaking. So essentially, they say that only English speakers have the “real” Word.

Second, as much as we would like to think of this Bible translated into English, I refer back to my previous statement; it was translated into Old English, a foreign language to you and me. So you are not reading the original. You are reading a translation or version of the original.

Third, many of the men involved in this translation were not Godly men…please understand that this does not negate the fact that it is an accurate translation, but it does bring into question the KJV only motivation. King James was an evil King…morally. I am a descendant of this King; unfortunately, his daughter was born to a scullery maid or someone, not his wife.  Many historians believe that King James was also a bisexual. There are many reasons for this belief. Sir Walter Raleigh stated, “King Elizabeth has been succeeded by Queen James.” Again, I reiterate that the King was immoral does not mean that the KJV is not a correct translation. The King only commissioned it.

When you translate the most remarkable book of Poems ever complied, who would you use but the greatest Poet? It is long believed that William Shakespeare was the one that translated the book of Psalms. He possibly even signed his name in Psalm 46, where verse 3 uses the word “shake” and verse 9 uses the word “spear.” If this is indeed the case, the person that translated the Psalms was a womanizing crossdresser. Again, this does not make the Psalms an inaccurate translation, but it could question some of the Spiritual verbiage used.  When an ungodly man translates a Godly text, what is the result? It may be an accurate translation that MAY lack spiritual insight.

Fourth, the purpose of the KJV was to put a readable translation into the hands of each Parish in the English-speaking world. It was to be in the language of the people. We no longer speak in King James English. Maintaining that we must study the Word of God in a dialect that is no longer understandable is asinine. For people to fall in love with the God of the Bible, they must understand its truths. Language changes, even in my lifetime. Even more so over the past 500 years.

By looking at the history of the KJV Bible, the argument can be made against the KJV as the only viable translation. I stand on my previous statement if you prefer the KJV use it, but do not belittle the other versions. At least until you study where it came from and how translations come about. Our modern translations are based on the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. They do not go to the KJV and modernize the language. They go to the original. As in the NIV or the NKJV, Versions are language modernizations of older texts; the NKJV is based on the KJV and the NIV off of the International Version.

In the end, all of our modern translations are very accurate. In 1947 the Great Isaiah scroll was discovered near the Dead Sea. As they compared this scroll with our modern versions, very few differences were found. The majority of these were minor tenses or punctuation. This scroll probably predates Christ, so it shows that God preserves His Word despite years, man, or anything else.

Our knowledge of ancient Hebrew and Greek has improved with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient text and artifacts. So, where the KJV may use one correct word, the NIV may use another word that is also correct but clearer. Just a note here many scholars and universities use the NASB and consider it to be the most accurate translation available. Some versions translate phrase for phrase. The NASB is word for word, making it longer and wordier as Hebrew does not always translate word for word.

Finally, I want to look at one of the main arguments against modern translations, the NIV in particular. Many KJV advocates do not like the NIV because it adds or leaves out verses. On careful examination and further study, the NIV will notate all places where this occurs, in most with an explanation.  When the NIV was translated, scholars looked at the prevalence of these verses in ancient texts. Meaning, if a verse did not appear in the most ancient text, it was placed as a footnote but not in the main text. In the same way, if a verse or word was left out of the KJV but appeared in most copies of the ancient text, the word was added with a footnote.

In the end, this is a matter of preference. The Word of God is the word of God, whether you pick up a copy of the La Bible du Semeur in France, the KJV in England, an NIV in America, or a Chinese Union Version in China. God’s word is accurate. He, the God of the Bible, declared:

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (NIV)

Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. (NLT)

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (KJV)

Edited and updated from a blog I wrote in 2014.

Bibliography

Evans, Craig, The Dead Sea Scrolls, B&H Publishing, 2010

Gonzalez, Justo L., The Story of Christianity Volume 2, Harper Collins, 1985.

Wilson, Daniel, The People’s Bible, Lion Hudson, 2010.

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=925

http://www.biblegateway.com/

http://biblehub.com/matthew/24-35.htm

http://www.en.wikipedia.org (used for date verification only)

A Two-Sided Coin

2020…there, I have already said enough to make you groan and sigh—what a year of profound challenges and opportunities. Let me recap for you in case you have forgotten. We survived one of the most contentious political seasons in the US since Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Many cities erupted in race riots following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, here in our city, George Floyd in Minneapolis, and a few others across the nation. I forget what the other issue was…oh wait; I think there may have been a WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC.

Wow, we survived. Honestly, we not only survived, but God stayed faithful to His words, “I will build My Church.” Wherever there are great challenges, there are great opportunities. Are you getting this, or should I type that again? “Wherever there are great challenges, there are great opportunities.” Now say it in the back row. Anyone upfront not getting it yet.

Certainly, we have come a long way since a year ago. I have not had to wear a mask very much in the past two weeks. What a great feeling…makes you want to dance on the ceiling…I digress. While I wish I could say we have worked through all the challenges at hand. We have not. Instead, there is a new challenge. A challenge to the Church. Remember, yes, I am doing it again, “Wherever there are great challenges, there are great opportunities.” You may have guessed it. I am referring to the debate on vaccination.

And you thought Trump vs. Biden was heated. This topic is what I call “a two-sided faith.” One group believes that if you do not take the vaccine, you harm all those around you. That is not a very Christian thing to do. The other group believes you should trust in God’s protection, and there is no real need to take this new vaccine, especially since we do not know the long-term effects yet. I think this is a great place to interject “a two-sided faith.”

Think with me for a moment. What if both of these groups believed in placing their faith in God? Wait, they do. So, which is correct. They both are. I have to admit to you; this has been a struggle in my mind. Do I take the shot or not take it? What about when I have to walk into a cancer ward and visit a vulnerable patient? I certainly need it. What if I react to the vaccine? I certainly do not want it. How can I best show my faith to an unbelieving world?

Maybe, just maybe, both sides are correct. If I choose to take the vaccine, can I not believe God to protect me from adverse effects. (Insert your favorite conspiracy theory here.) If I choose not to take the vaccine, can I not believe God to protect me and those around me from the virus. We need to step back, breathe, and acknowledge that both sides of this issue can display profound faith in God.

“A two-sided faith” shows us that both sides can be correct, and both sides can be making their decision by faith. Most importantly, we cannot allow this or anything else to bring disunity to the body of Christ. We cannot allow the enemy to place upon us a reason for the unbelieving world to discredit us. We must show our faith in every action and not question those who come to a different conclusion than my own. It is simply “a two-sided faith.”

Of Cod and Catfish

As the US expanded from East to West, many hurdles were faced. Not the least of which was the shipment of food from one cost to another while keeping it fresh and the price as low as possible. Many people have shared this account through the years. I am adding an abbreviated version to make sure we are on the same page.

The fishing industry in the eastern United States wanted to provide fresh Cod to the West. First, they tried shipping frozen fillets, but that resulted in a loss of taste. Second, they shipped live fish via trains, but that also resulted in a loss of taste. In addition, the fish was mushy. Are you hungry yet? There is nothing like mushy fish. Finally, some brilliant person wondered what would happen if they introduced the natural enemy of Cod, Catfish, into the tank as they were shipped.

This was tried and to great results. You see, the Catfish in the tank caused the Cod to remain active and vigilant on the long trip from one coast to the other. Now the fish was fresh, had a wonderful flavor, and the texture was good. All it took was a little tension in the tank. I call this “Holy Tension.” As a follower of Jesus Christ, I live a life between spiritual victory and spiritual attack…tension, prosperity and persecution…tension; peace and stress…tension.

Most of the time, our natural human reaction is to avoid tension. We do not like being in arguments. At least most people do not. However, I have met a few that shall remain nameless. We always want to have God’s favor and blessing. I would submit to you that the presence of tension does not mean you are living outside of God’s favor but is a tool God uses to strengthen you spiritually. I think we learn more about God in the valley than we ever do on the mountain top. This Holy Tension strengthens us. This is true of our natural body as well as our spiritual bodies. It is the tension of weights that builds muscle.

 With all of my heart, I believe that we are standing at the precipice of the greatest revival that has ever occurred. This will not be a single nation, denomination, or people, but a worldwide revival that touches every tribe, nation, tongue and denomination. This revival will transform the Church and the world. We will move in power and miracles as the early church did. There will be instantaneous healing, deliverance, and restoration. Most importantly, there will be salvations in numbers we have never seen. I believe the Spirit is calling the Church to get ready. I also believe that this will parallel the greatest persecution the Church has ever endured. This is the Holy Tension.

For some reason, the enemy of our souls has not figured out that the greater the persecution, the greater Christ’s Church grows. Think through history with me. During seasons of intense Roman persecution, the Church grew exponentially. In modern times, the largest Christian Church is underground in communist China. How can this happen under a regime that does not even allow free expression of worship and is, by definition, an atheist government? There is Holy Tension.

Like Codfish, when tension is absent, the believer becomes comfortable and lazy. Introduce tension, and suddenly we rise to the occasion and push back with everything within us. This, in turn, strengthens our faith and causes us to take a stand and share our faith like never before. I believe God is calling His Church to prepare for great blessing while, at the same time, great persecution. We must prepare for Holy Tension. We must be like the Cod with the Catfish.

Both is the Right Answer

What is your Biblical hermeneutic? Some of you are scratching your head. Maybe you do not know what yours is or that you even have one. Everyone approaches Scripture from a specific point of view. This could be your culture, your theological upbringing, your race, your gender, or anything else that makes you, you. The word hermeneutic is defined as our interpretation of any written text, especially pertaining to the Bible.

I was raised in the Assemblies of God (AG), a theologically conservative Spirit-filled (Pentecostal) fellowship. As such, one aspect of my Biblical hermeneutic sees the Holy Spirit’s power and effect throughout Scripture…Genesis to Revelation. That is the natural outcome of my upbringing, faith practice, and theological training. How we approach Scripture is significant. It is also essential to let Scripture speak for itself. In others words, I cannot read into it what is not there.

The AG is a missions sending movement. We always have been and always will be. While some may wonder why we place such a strong emphasis on missions, others feel that we over-emphasize mission to the detriment of the local church. I would argue that is not possible. A mission-centric hermeneutic is proper and accurate to the Biblical text. We should see missions from Genesis to Revelation.

Some of you are already taking issue with me, but let me explain. The message of the Gospel can be found in many places. We look to Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20, and others. These verses expressly command us to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Again, some might say, “well, that is New Testament. You cannot find that in the Old Testament.” I would argue that you can. God has always focused on the nations, which is another way of saying missions.

Abram and Sari were changed to Abraham and Sarah because God says they would be the father and mother of many nations or multitudes. Genesis 22:18 states, “And through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” (NLT) Those who are followers of Christ understand this to be directly related to His work on the cross. Christ was a descendent of Abraham.

You see, for me, you cannot separate missions from the Word or God. As such, you cannot separate it from the life of the believer. The Bible is full of missionary references from beginning to end. Every follower of Christ is left with a question; will I send or will I go? Those are the only options, right? At least most people think so. In a real sense, we can and should fulfill both options. We can give and work to send others overseas, and we are called to go to our neighbor.

It is easy to fall into the trap of fulfilling one’s duty because we wrote a check of donated via text. Does this action release us from the imperative to “go and make disciples”? If I send $100 per month to a missionary in the Philippines, am I no longer expected to tell my neighbor about Jesus? Certainly not. Most understand missions in the context of overseas. While that is a vital part of the Biblical mandate, we must also realize that those around us also need Jesus. Think of the church in Macedonia. As poor as they were, they invested in the missionary work of Paul.

Again, I refer to Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem (your city), throughout Judea (your state), in Samaria (your nation/region), and to the ends of the earth (your world).” (parenthesis mine)

Every believer has a part to play in sharing the wonderful message of Jesus Christ. We all have the responsibility to go and send. Perhaps the modern Church has missed this. One does not automatically release me from the other. Some of my close friends serve in missions all over the world. I have yet to meet one of them that, while serving overseas, does not financially give so that others might also go. They are quite literally going and sending. This fact stands before you. When you approach Scripture through the honest lens of missions, a missions hermeneutic, you will have to ask yourself this question; will I go, send, or both? Both is always the correct answer.

For further reading of this topic:

Brogden, Dick, Missionary God, Missionary Bible (Abide, 2020).

Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God (IVP, 2006).

Edward Smither, Christian Mission: A Concise Global History (Lexham, 2019).

Mike Barnett, ed. Discovering the Mission of God (IVP, 2012).

William Larkin and Joel Williams, eds. Mission in the New Testament (Orbis, 1998).

First Things First

Normally I do not post two blogs in a week. Nor do I post a transcript of my message (sermon), but this week I feel compelled to do so. This was a “fire in my bones” message that I believe God is speaking to the Church. It is time to put first things first.

Today’s message is one of repentance and a challenge to each of us to set a solid foundation for the work of the Spirit in our lives. I have titled this message First Things First. All too often, we get the cart before the horse. Because we do not keep things in the correct order, we find ourselves missing God; we miss hearing His voice and often miss His will for our lives.

My text today is from the book of Haggai, but I want us to approach this in context. Haggai, Ezra, and Nehemiah were contemporaries. They lived during and after the 70 years of Judah’s captivity. When King Cyrus of Medo-Persia permitted them to rebuild the city, these three men wrote of it. Ezra and Nehemiah wrote the account, and Haggai prophesied a strong message from the Lord.

  • Read Haggai 1:3-11, “Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.” NLT

Whenever God calls you to accomplish His work, the enemy will come against it. In the scenario of the rebuilding of the temple, we see two distinct lines of attack. Ezra deals with external issues, spiritual warfare. Haggai deals with internal issues, selfishness, worldliness, and apathy.

We see in this account that the people of Judah were more concerned with their own comfort than the restoration of God’s house. They did not keep First Things First. I see three things in this story:

  • First, they focused on their past rather than their future.
    • Second, they feared their enemy more than they trusted God.
    • Third, they were more connected to the world than to God.

Each of these is an enemy of what the Spirit wants to accomplish in and through you. Many of you are ahead of me in seeing the connection to us, but I will lay it out as clearly as possible. As people of God, we are spending more time building our kingdom rather than God’s. Our priorities are wrong. We want to live for ourselves and then ask God why things are not going easier for us.

  • Prophetic Word the Lord gave me on 3/16/2021 (We do not hold at the same level as Scripture)

“The Lord says, I will begin to strip away those that have prostituted themselves with the gods of this earth. I will pull back the curtain that hides their sin. They will be revealed for all to see. Many within the Church seek to hide their sin, not from the shame of doing it, but because there is no remorse. They believe there is nothing wrong with their actions. They have traded my truth for filth and lies. In this day, I am sifting out those that defile my body so that my Spirit might move in freedom among those who serve me. The world will always sin, but My Church must strive for holiness. To those that live pure lives, I will give a greater portion of my power and presence.” 

Usually, I would deal with each verse as we come to them; today, I want to approach things differently. Verse 8 is the theme of Haggai’s prophecies, “Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.”

This is an interesting statement if we compare it to Ezra 3:7 “Then the people hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa, for King Cyrus had given permission for this.”

What happened to all this wood that was to supply the rebuilding of the temple? Either they used it to build their own homes, or they let it sit and rot. Today, we are busy building our wealth but not giving to God. We seek power, but not the power of the Spirit. We seek position, but not our position in God. We seek reputation, but not as holy people.

Israel and Judah both rejected God by serving the idols of surrounding nations, thus 70 years in captivity. When Judah returned, they did not turn back to those false gods; they served themselves. When everything else is our priority, we suffer spiritually. Dr. Wiersbe states, “It doesn’t take long for zeal to cool and God’s people to grow apathetic, especially when opposition began an ominous growl that soon became a roar.”

Think of Jesus parable of the sower; one type sprang up quick but did not last. Building our lives rather than God’s Kingdom shows that we have much faith in ourselves and little in God. Our spiritual renewal as individuals, as families, and as a church community begins with putting back where He belongs; First Things First.  Jesus wants to be first in your life, not second, and not co-first. He alone is at the center of your life.

We often make excuses; we are too busy to help others, we cannot afford to tithe or give to missions, we are waiting on the right moment, on and on we go. Here me church, in this COVID era, we must know when caution stops and fear begins. We must not let the enemy distract us from rebuilding the temple. Matt 6:33 reminds us, “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Too many Christians have believed the lie that tithing is an Old Testament principle. As a result, their life is more difficult that it needs to be, at least in the area of finance. When we are obedient to give to God our best, our first-fruits, he promises to destroy the devourer for us. God promises to bless us more than we can ask of imagine. Now, know that this is not a math formula, I give a $1 and God gives me $10. This is a life style of trust and obedience. If you continually have the same financial issues over and over, my guess is, you are not tithing.

Again, Dr. Wiersbe states, “Local churches can’t expand their budgets for world evangelism because money isn’t there, and yet many church members don’t believe Matt 6:33 and put God first in their giving. Measured by Third World standards, Christians in the Western world are living in luxury, yet their giving is low and their debts are high because their wealth is being used for things that really don’t matter.” (Be Heroic by Warren Wiersbe, 1997, David C Cook Publishers, pg 75-76.)

Are we building our kingdom or God’s? In verse 5, Haggai challenges us…

  • NLT “Look at what’s happened to you?”
    • KJV “Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.”
    • NIV “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.”

They spent 70 years in captivity, and when they came out, they repeated the same pattern. God is honored when we obey, and He is glorified when we sacrifice. Today, the house of God is not so much physical as it is spiritual, yet we try with all our might to build a physical house which in turn hurts us spiritually. Often when God speaks, we ignore Him, but here in Haggai, the people of Judah responded.

Read verses 12-13 with me, “Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”

God is with you, says the Lord! First Things First, build His kingdom. In so doing, you will set a firm foundation for the Spirit to move in your life and your situation.

The Danger of Being a Dreamer

Those who know me well know that I am a dreamer. The Bible says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (emphasis mine).  This is a perplexing verse for me. I have big dreams. Sometimes huge dreams.

This is a wonderful and beneficial trait for a Pastor. I, like most of you, never doubt that God can do things. Where I struggle is will He? Or perhaps even more of a challenge is when He will? I frequently identify with Joseph, the son of Jacob. He was a dreamer. I do not know about you, but I would imagine he dreamed of the day the jail would be opened and he could walk out free. He probably daydreamed about that every single moment of every single day for seven years.

See, the danger of being a dreamer is not the dream itself but holding onto the dream until it is fulfilled. As I stated, the greatest challenge for a dreamer is not if it will happen, but when. Dreamers recognize that God is certainly capable of doing whatever He wants – when He wants – in whatever way He wants – without our permission. Some of you may be thinking, “wow, I wish I could dream like that.” Well, there is a cost to being a dreamer.

Dreamers have to be willing to deal with frequent disappointment when things do not pan out as we had hoped or when we had hoped. Again, Joseph knew what God spoke to him, and yet he sat in prison falsely accused of rape. You know there were days that the dream was dead only to be resurrected the next day in a moment of strength. Often, I experience this on a moment-by-moment basis. I will be the first to admit. It can be exhausting.

Let me try to explain a little how this works for me. If you have ever read “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” you will understand. It begins with a dream. Let us say I dream God is going to pay off our church building mortgage. This is not just an arbitrary example; this is an absolute dream for me. For ease of reading, I transition to a bullet point format:

              Moment 1 – Yes, God, what an incredible dream you have given me.

              Moment 2 – Yes, God, you are able.

              Moment 3 – I know you are able but are you willing to do this?

              Moment 4 – I think you are willing, but when will you do it?

              Moment 5 – Lord, are you ever going to do it?

              Moment 6 – Maybe I heard God wrong.

              Moment 7 – But, I know you are able and willing.

              Moment 8 – Lord, I know that you are going to do it.

              Moment 9 – Yes, God, what an incredible dream you have given me.

Now, rinse and repeat! Matt 21:21-22 “Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (emphasis mine). Ouch, I think I doubt a lot. I would guess this is a normal human reaction.

Joseph must have doubted, as all of us would, sitting in a damp Egyptian jail. However, Joseph received the answer to his dream. He saw it fulfilled. His faith, though challenged, stood. Today, many of you are wavering in your God-given dreams. You may even read the above scripture and think, “I am not receiving because of doubt.” Pull yourself up. Remember who made you a dreamer. Recognize that dreams have cycles. Ultimately you cannot make it happen; only God can. When you realize that, your faith will grow, and you can stand in the promise of your dream.

Next time, think of all the answered dreams in scripture and let that build your faith. Your mind may still be like the preverbal Cookie-Mouse scenario, but you are infinitely able to stand in your dream. How, because God is with you! Yes, there is a danger to being a dreamer, but in the end, the challenges pale in comparison to the reward of a dream fulfilled.