April 27, 2012

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  Luke 10:1-2

Good news!

There is a harvest to be had! It is out there! It is ripe! It is ready!

What does it take to have a harvest?

First, there must be good soil. Wherever there is good soil that has been prepared there is the possibility for a harvest!

Second, there must be seed sown. Everytime good seed is sown onto good soil there can be a harvest!

Third, there must be sunlight shined on the seed and the soil. Or, in this instance, SONlight must shine on it! Anywhere that the light of the Son shines on the good soil and the sown seed there is the possibility of a harvest!

Finally, there must be servants to bring in the harvest! Someone must go out and reap the harvest for the Kingdom. The ripe and ready grain does not bring itself into the storehouse. It waits for the laborer to bring it in!

This is great news for the discouraged congregation that hasn't been growing. There is a harvest to be had!

For the pastor who is about to give up because his church is plateaued. There is a harvest to be had!

The only thing needed to bring in the harvest is laborers! Jesus gives the plan for the harvest - GO! Yes, you! And the second thing is while you are heading into the harvest - PRAY! Ask God to raise up more laborers!

Will you go! Will you sow seed as you go? Will you shine the light of God's love as you go? Will you bring in the harvest that God has prepared?

There IS a harvest to be had!

April 26, 2012

"The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

"At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."  Luke 10:17; 21

You would think Christians should have the market cornered on joy wouldn't you?

How could you be in possession of what Christians say they have and NOT have joy?

Do you have joy? Are you experiencing joy at the moment?

We see joy expressed in these verses above. First, the disciples came back from their short-term mission trip filled with joy!

Also, we see a joyful Jesus in the other verse.

What was the source of their joy? I have some ideas but before I share those let's define some terms to assure we have the same understanding.

How do I define joy?

Joy is when I connect with God through Christ, in the way I was created to be connected with Him. Joy is oneness with Him!

How do you get joy?

When you reconnect with God by repenting of all sin that has caused you to become disconnected from Him you receive joy. Connecting with God through faith allows His Spirit to fill up the empty spot in your spirit. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit so if you do not have the Spirit you can't have joy.

How do you keep joy?

Obviously, you remain connected with God and live in obedience to His Holy Spirit! Joy is the product of a personal relationship with God. Disobedience is sin and sin breaks relationship with God, robbing your joy. Joy is the product of proper daily decisions and continual devotion to God.

Do you know joy?

Are you living in joy?

Have you lost your joy?

Why would you be content to live without joy?

What is keeping you from having your joy restored?

April 25, 2012

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.  “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.’"  Luke 10:1-9

For the 40 years I have been privileged to serve in pastoral ministry I have read many books and attended many seminars and been exposed to many different plans or strategies of discipleship. Discipleship IS the deal for those of us who claim the Name of Jesus. But it was never meant to be a program or a strategy, it is intended to be a lifestyle. It is what He expects us to do!

In this encounter between Jesus and His disciples He demonstrates the model for making disciples. I invite you to pay close attention to how Jesus changed these followers into disciples.

First, Jesus did ministry and they watched. He preached the gospel and declared the Kingdom, healing the sick, delivering the captives, casting out demons, and doing miracles. While they were impressed and amazed, it often seemed like they really didn't grasp the significance of Who He is and what He came to do. But He ministered in power and authority and they watcher.

Second, Jesus did ministry and they helped. When He fed the five thousand He had them find the loaves and fishes. Then He had them help organize the crowd and hand out the food. Finally, He asked them to gather up the leftovers. He did ministry and they helped.

Third, Jesus sent them to do ministry and He watched. They discovered that when they went in His Name declaring His Kingdom healing happened and deliverance happened and salvations happened! Not only did they change lives but their lives were changed in the process!

Fourth, Jesus celebrated with them when they returned from their mission trip with stories galore! When His Kingdom came the kingdom of darkness fell!

Finally, as Jesus prepared to ascend into Heaven following His death and resurrection, He commanded these disciples whom He had disciples to go and make more disciples. In other words, they were to do ministry while others watched. Then they were to to ministry together. After that they were to let the others minister while they watched and then all of them would celebrate together!

Disciples disciple! It is what they do! It is how they live. It is why they live!

Who are you discipling? Who is discipling you? Are you spending your life or investing it?

April 24, 2012

 ^"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town."  Luke 10:1-12

During this season of the church schedule we are tackling the topic of "What can I expect from God?" One of the foundational truths of the study is, "Your expectations of God arise from your experience with God." The second truth that is a corollary of the first is, "Your experience with God comes out of your encounters with God."

Those truths are illustrated in this encounter that Jesus had with His disciples - all 70 of them! Wanting to expand their expectation of Him, Jesus sent them out to get some experience encountering people in His Name and His authority.

Over the next few days we will see how that worked out for them. And we will analyse why that is and what it means for you.

I think one of the indicators that your spiritual experience with God is weak is when your "expector expires". In otherwords, you stop expecting big things from God and start noticing big problems around you. You allow your problems to get between you and God. You allow your problems to outgrow your faith. A telltale sign is when you find fear rising up where faith used to be.

What do you do when your "expector expires"? What happens when your experience with Him grows old and cold?

You come to Christ, like these followers did, and seek a fresh encounter with Him. You get a fresh look at Him. You get a fresh listen to Him. You let Him restore His love in you. And you lay down your complaints and pick up His cross. You stop stewing and start serving. You forget your problems and go serve other's needs.

A fresh encounter with Christ gives you new experiences with Him and raises your expectations of Him!

Could you be ready for a fresh encounter?

April 23, 2012

"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. " Psalm 24:1-2

Happy 47th Anniversary!

How did you celebrate?

Celebrate what?

You must be kidding! Yesterday was EARTH DAY!

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment held on April 22. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Earth Day is in spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. The United Nations celebrates Earth Day each year on the spring equinox, which is often 20 March. This is a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. The United Nations first celebrated Earth Day on the spring equinox in 1971. This was also the first time ever that the United Nations celebrated Earth Day. The first Earth Day on the spring equinox was also in 1970.

So, Earth Day is a celebration of the earth and it's environment, right?

Then, it would seem logical to honor God, the Creator of the earth on Earth Day! Who better to focus on than Him? Right?

Not!

Why? Because Earth Day is the creation of godless people with an anti-God, anti-capitalistic agenda. Granted, not everyone involved with Earth Day or who may celebrate it are like these people. But a thorough study of the origins, purpose, guiding prinicples and implementation of Earth Day will reveal that there is a definite social and political agenda that drives the movement. If you don't believe me, do the research yourself. These are the people pushing the global warming theories that have been largely discredited. How about getting the 48 hour weather forecasts more accurate before predicting entire climate changes in coming decades?

In my lifetime, there has been dire warnings of global cooling. Then there was panic about global warming. Neither of those have happened. Now they have morphed it into "global climate change". How much credibility do you want to give to a movement that has changed its fundamental premise three times in less than half a century?

Twenty years ago a wise friend of mine told me that the environmentalist movement was the new home of the communist/socialist types. I thought he was a little paranoid or conspiratorial and laughed him off. But time has given credence to his point of view. Again, some study and observation will make it clear to you who the movers and promoters of this movement are.

Pastor Brad, are you saying there is no climate change?

I am not prepared to say that climate changes don't happen, but I am saying that we have only been keeping climate records for a little more than a century. How can you make accurate assumptions or predictions based on limited data over a 100 year span of the ancient planet? And, if it is proven that there is climate change how can we prove that it is man caused?

This all sounds very speculative and quite pessimistic. It sounds like something people with no Godly faith or hope might worry about. It also sounds like a scare tactic that could be used by people who are trying to gain control over your behavior and your emotions.

To me it sounds a whole lot easier and more encouraging to just believe that there is a Creator and that He is intimately involved in our world today. He made it, He sustains it, and He will protect it until He makes a new heaven and a new earth. If you REALLY want to celebrate Earth Day, celebrate God - the Creator of Earth because "the earth is His and everything that is in it...."

Don't buy into the hoax! Buy into HIM!

April 22, 2012

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Why are my sins important to anyone else - unless I happen to sin against them? James seems to indicate that my sins could be a problem to you and and yours to me because the church is a body - The Body of Christ!

I guess the first question to ask is, "What is the Church?"

As I mentioned, the church is the Body of Christ, but the name for the Church in Scripture is "eklessia". It literally means "called out". The Church is the Body of the "called out ones".

Called out from what? Called out to what?

Good questions!

Being the Body of Christ you can easily reason that the Church would be called out from sin. Don't you think that is reasonable? So, if you are called out from sin and you continue to sin how does that impact the Body? If I continue to sin or if I sin against you, doesn't that impact the Body?

Being the Body of Christ you can also logically assume that we are called out to God. I mean, who is it that would call us out of the world other than God? So, if the Church is called out from sin and to God, how do you think sin affects that?

Being the Body of Christ we are called together. You are called out and I am called out and together we are the Church. So, if we are called out together how does sin impact that relationship? If I sin against you doesn't that create some stress or tension in our relationship? Of course. And vice versa.

Think about what sin does. Sin separates us from God. How can that be good for the Church that is called out by God for God?

Sin also complicates. Once Adam and Eve sinned their lives got immediately complicated. Sin harms relationships, impairs judgment, stirs up guilt and alienates us from God. How does complicating life enhance the Church? It doesn't!

Just those two problems caused by sin are damaging enough to the Church to make the case that sin needs to be dealt with within the Church if the Church is to fulfill its mission as the Body of Christ called out of the world.

James prescribes drastic action to deal with sin. Confess them to each other and prayer for each other. When you know what my sins are and I know what your sins are then I can pray specifically for God to strengthen you. I can also do something else significant, I can hold you accountable. You can hold me accountable. We will each know how seriously the other is dealing with our sins. Transparency and accountability are effective weapons against sin in the church. If I am intentionally standing against my sin and you are standing with me against my sin, doesn't it make sense that I will be stronger in resisting sin?

Sin prospers in the darkness but whithers in the sunlight (Sonlight) of truth. James says expose it to the light of truth and shine the searchlight of accountability on it and you will be healed! When you are healed and I am healed guess what happens to the Church? Health!

So, why wouldn't you want to do that? There is a direct connection between holiness and church health! The holier a church becomes the healthier it grows. What church wouldn't  want that?

April 21, 2012

 ^"He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:"  Psalm 103:7

Moses was one of the greatest men of God ever to walk the planet. That comes as no surprise to anyone who has ever read the Bible even casually.

If you want to know what to expect from God there is no better case study that Moses. He knew what to expect from God because of how well he knew God!

One of the great themes of this series on what to expect from God is this "your expectations of God will arise from your experience with God." 

I don' think that point is even debatable.

But it does raise the question, "How did Moses experience God?"

His experience with God began from an encounter with God through a burning bush.

Burning bushes were not uncommon in the searing desert heat, but this bush burned - and burned - and burned - and burned - and never was consumed. That caught Moses' attention and when he drew near to investigate it God spoke to him from that bush and placed a call on Moses' life.

From the moment Moses reluctantly accepted God's call he entered into a personal spiritual experience that changed his life and caused his life to change the world!

So, Moses became a mighty man of God because of an initimate personal faith experience with the Living God. That experience began with a personal encounter with God. And out of that personal spiritual experience with God arose his history changing expectations of God in delivering His people and developing them into a nation.

Our 2012 world is in desperate need of godly men and women who know exactly what to expect from a Holy, Loving and Mighty God! But that won't happen without modern day believers who are experiencing God in a powerful personal spiritual relationship. Like Moses, they need to know God's ways and not just His deeds.

But, that level of spiritual experience won't happen without some personal transforming encounters with God! That is the pressing need of our day!

Have you had a life-changing encounter with the Living God through Jesus Christ?

Have you followed that encounter with a personal daily spiritual experience with God through Christ? Are you experiencing His Word daily? Are you aware of His presence daily? Are you walking in obedience daily? Are you hearing His voice through prayer and study of the Word? Is there spiritual fruit produced in your life on a daily basis?

If you cannot honestly answer these questions in the affirmative, are you willing to seek a fresh encounter with God?