September 6, 2010

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." John 3:1-2

Okay, I kept my word for three days but this morning I couldn't sleep and neither could the dog. So I was up early and Barbara slept in and I had some extra time. I can only read so many articles about the VT-BSU game tonight and I feel my mind slipping into preparation mode so I'll go with it.

Jesus was given little credit by the religious elite of His day. He didn't honor their rules and He was drawing huge crowds to listen to His teachings that were not kosher. They had a good thing going and now this upstart Galilean was threatening to expose them and explode their religious stranglehold on the Jewish people.

But in every corrupt organization there are a few honest, albeit, misguided souls. John mentions one such fellow by the name of Nicodemus.

Nicodemas watched and listened to his guys while he was watching and listening to this Jesus person and he was noticing a big difference in what He said, how He said and what happened after He said it. He knew what his guys had going but he couldn't figure out what was in it for this young teacher. The more he watched this Teacher the harder it was to discredit him. The more lives that changed and the more miraculous healings and demonic deliveries he heard about the more difficult it was to discount this Radical Rabbi.

This Jesus seemed to teach with an unusual authority and lived with such an obvious integrity that Nicodemus knew he needed to get a closer look. So, under the cover of night he arranged a face to face with this Teacher. He had to know if this Guy was for real. I imagine there was a part of him that hoped He was and a part that wanted Him to be like every other preacher.

Well, as this passage reveals, Nicodemus went to Jesus, interviewed Him and found Him to be the real deal. He would never be the same!

If you are a member of the FredWes family or a regular visitor to the website and this blog, you know that we have designated this coming Sunday as "Back to Church" Sunday with the goal of getting someof our un-churched non-believing friends to come and check us out. We are doing this because we believe there are a whole bunch of Nicodemus-types around out Fredericksburg - Spotsylvania area. You are supposed to be inviting them for "Back to Church". They are honest people weighed down with life tired of the phoniness of religion and looking for some real answers. Like Nicodemus, if they could only find Jesus they would be transformed.

So, we know there are plenty of Nicodemus' out there. The question is, "How many 'Jesus-types' are there?" Do your non-believing friends see a positive difference in you? Does the love and grace of Jesus radiate from your life? Have they seen enough of Him in you that they will be curious to come and check us out?

Invite them and find out!

September 5, 2010

Day three of borrowed devotionals. This one from Pastor Greg Laurie:

What Breaks God's Heart

"Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." —Luke 19:41-42

As Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city, and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing.

Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem? Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these fickle people who were crying out, "Hosanna!" would soon be shouting, "Crucify Him!" He knew that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas, would betray Him. He knew that another disciple, Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40 years, He saw the destruction that would come upon the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and his Roman legions.

Jesus also wept because His ministry was almost over. Time was short. He had healed their sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had been rejected. John 1:11 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." And so He wept. This broke His heart, and it still does.

Unbelief and rejection breaks God's heart, because He knows the consequences. But when the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting to gain admittance. He has given us the ability to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing, He knows the repercussions that will follow—in this life and the one to come. And His heart is broken.

September 4, 2010

Here is a thought from the late and great Adrian Rogers:

The Secret of Life

"And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me." John 16:8-9

What would you think of someone who gave you the secret of life? Do you think you might instantly call him your best friend? You bet! That's what the Holy Spirit did for you.
The Holy Spirit gave you the secret to, not only life, but eternal life! He convicted you of your sin. He drew you to Christ (John 6:44).
Don't get the idea that anybody can simply come of his own will and his own volition to Jesus Christ. No one could come; no one would come except by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has given you the secret of life. And He has drawn you there Himself! That's some best friend, wouldn't you say?
Don't keep quiet about your Best Friend today. He wants to be known and He's given you the privilege to be His messenger. Share Him with those you care about today

September 3, 2010

To keep a promise to Barbara to truly take a vacation, I am doing no original writing for these four days. So, I will default to Max Lucado (not a bad default) from his book "Fearless".



"I am going away" ( John 14:28).


Imagine their shock when they heard Jesus say those words. He spoke them on the night of the Passover celebration, Thursday evening, in the Upper Room. Christ and his friends had just enjoyed a calm dinner in the midst of a chaotic week. They had reason for optimism: Jesus' popularity was soaring. Opportunities were increasing. In three short years the crowds had lifted Christ to their shoulders . . . he was the hope of the common man.
And now this? Jesus said, "I am going away." The announcement stunned them. When Jesus explained, "You know the way to where I am going," Thomas, with no small dose of exasperation, replied, "No, we don't know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" ( John 14:4-5 NLT).
On the eve of his death, Jesus gave his followers this promise: "When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:26-27 NLT).
As a departing teacher might introduce the classroom to her replacement, so Jesus introduces us to the Holy Spirit. And what a ringing endorsement he gives. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit his "representative."
The Spirit comes in the name of Christ, with equal authority and identical power. Earlier in the evening Jesus had said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (John 14:16 NIV).
Jesus' promise: allos—"another one just like the first one." And who is the first one? Jesus himself. Hence, the assurance Jesus gives to the disciples is this: "I am going away. You are entering a new season, a different chapter. Much will be different, but one thing remains constant: my presence. You will enjoy the presence of ‘another Counselor.' "
Can you see how the disciples needed this encouragement? It's Thursday night before the crucifixion. By Friday's sunrise they will abandon Jesus. The breakfast hour will find them hiding in corners and crevices. At 9 a.m. Roman soldiers will nail Christ to a cross. By this time tomorrow he will be dead and buried. Their world is about to be flipped on its head. And Jesus wants them to know: they'll never face the future without his help.
Nor will you. You have a travel companion. When you place your faith in Christ, Christ places his Spirit before, behind, and within you. Not a strange spirit, but the same Spirit: the parakletos. Everything Jesus did for his followers, his Spirit does for you. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches. Jesus healed; the Spirit heals. Jesus comforted; his Spirit comforts. As Jesus sends you into new seasons, he sends his Counselor to go with you.
God treats you the way one mother treated her young son, Timmy. She didn't like the thought of Timmy walking to his first-grade class unaccompanied. But he was too grown-up to be seen with his mother. "Besides," he explained, "I can walk with a friend." So she did her best to stay calm, quoting the Twenty-third Psalm to him every morning: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . . "
One day she came up with an idea. She asked a neighbor to follow Timmy to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, lest he notice her. The neighbor was happy to oblige. She took her toddler on morning walks anyway.
After several days Timmy's little friend noticed the lady and the child."Do you know who that woman is who follows us to school?""Sure," Timmy answered. "That's Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy.""Who?""My mom reads about them every day in the Twenty-third Psalm. She says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life.' Guess I'll have to get used to them."
You will too. God never sends you out alone. Are you on the eve of change? Do you find yourself looking into a new chapter? Is the foliage of your world showing signs of a new season? Heaven's message for you is clear: when everything else changes, God's presence never does. You journey in the company of the Holy Spirit, who "will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you" (John 14:26 NLT).

September 2, 2010

"Every day they continued to meet together......." Acts 2:46a

In a recent post I talked about the importance of doing small things well. Small things done well over time make a big difference. The tendency is to value the spectacular events and the exciting efforts. But unless someone is paying attention to the details nothing lasting will result from the big things.

Today I want to talk about the value of one particular small thing - the importance of showing up!

Just showing up almost sounds too abvious to mention. But it was one of the things that the Church in Jerusalem did best. They were consistent in their Christian disciplines. Consistency equates to commitment. Not much happens without commitment.

Cal Ripken is a cinch for the Hall of Fame because he developed the discipline of showing up. His career statistics are borderline for Hall of Famers. On the basis of his stats he would have been considered for Cooperstown, but the fact that he played in a record-setting 2,632 consecutive games make his selection a no-brainer. Ripken shattered the record of a previous Hall of Famer, Lou Gehrig by almost games!

I think of Betty Darling. Betty was a tiny little lady from the hills and hollows of West Virginia who was extremely shy - but amazingly faithful. Betty worked in the nursery at Heritage Wesleyan Church, one of the largest churches in our denomination. She was there when the church ran 25 people and she only had one infant to care for. She was still there when the church topped 2,000 and had more babies in the nursery than they used to have people in the church. Betty was so shy she had trouble looking you in the eye. She would slip into the nursery and out the back door. But you could count on one thing - if Sunday came, Betty would be there.

For nearly 30 years she cared for several generations of little ones. There are young men in ministry that Betty rocked and burped. She is now in God's Hall of Fame, otherwise known as Heaven. By the way, the church now runs 3,000+ because of a lot of faithful people like Betty who just show up on a regular basis.

Can I remind you that God promised that "where two or three people are gathered together, I am in their midst"?

In otherwords, God promises that if we show up He will!

Commitment trumps talent every time. Don't discount the value of just showing up. Showing up is far more powerful than showing off. Obviously, the real deal is when talented people show up!

Churches don't happen without people who are committed to showing up and doing their best. How committed are you? How good are you at showing up?

September 1, 2010

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." Acts 2:46-47

One of the beautiful things about the Early Church is the way they did life together. Together they knew God and together they grew as people. That is what church is. It is how God envisioned the Church - His people loving Him and loving each other at the same time - together!

There is amazing strength and power in that dynamic.

I saw it happen today at the funeral of Robert Kilmer. I saw it last night at his visitation.

People who love God and who love each other (many years for some of them) came together at a time of need. They came to comfort the family though their own hearts were heavy with the loss. They came to cry together as the heaviness overcame them. They came to chat about the memories of a life well lived and generously shared. They came to celebrate the promises of God's Word that assure them Bob, while gone from among them, has never been more alive! Some came to carry in casseroles, and cakes and brew the coffee. In short, they came to care!

Why did they do that? How have they come to care so much? By doing life together in Christ. By getting to know God together and growing in Him together.

Life is too important to do it alone. Faith is too intangible to try it alone. God is too good to enjoy in isolation. He created us to know Him and to grow in Him - together!

I am excited by the way the FredWes family is beginning to do life together. Your story matters to us. Your struggles are our struggles. Your joy is our celebration and your victories are our successes. That is church! This is my vision.

Come do life with us and we do life with Him!

August 31, 2010

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

I am getting ready to head out to Williamsburg to lead a meeting of pastors. Following a quick lunch I will head back to Fredericksburg to change clothes and travel to Staunton for a funeral visitation. On the round-trip to Williamsburg I will enjoy the company of Pastor Colin. When I get to Staunton I will do my best to comfort the Tippeys and Loura's grieving family.

Tomorrow I will head back to Staunton to attend the funeral.

Our faith is a sharing faith. Our faith is meant to be lived in close communion with Christ and with followers of Christ. Just as God put us in family units he places His people in families called local churches.

The power of the Early Church was how well they did life together. Their commitment to Christ was demonstrated in how they cared for one another. In fact, they did life together so well that others wanted in. Lonely people wanted in. Lost people wanted in. And people were getting saved on a daily basis.

I have been blessed to be part of a fellowship like that. It is good! Real good! I long to be used by God to develop a fellowship like that at FredWes. No, it isn't easy and it doesn't happen quickly. But it can happen and - I believe it is beginning to happen!

Will you help me? Will you chase God in your own spiritual life? Will you share life with those God has placed you with in our local church? Will you begin today? Will you pray for Rich and Loura and her family?

I am so thankful I get to do life with you! I look forward to God adding lonely people and lost people to our fellowship because of the way we love God together and the way we love each other!