November 19, 2015

“And David said, ‘What have I now done? Is there no cause? He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.” I Samuel 17:29-30

David was minding his business doing what his father Jesse had asked him to do – bring a supply of homemade goodies to his brothers on the front lines of the battle against the ferocious Philistines. But when he got there he discovered to his deep disappointment the Army of God was not minding their business. They were cowering in fear while the Philistine Giant boldly blasphemed their God.

That’s an example of what can happen when you lose sight of your cause. It’s very sad isn’t it?

Goliath had a cause and he was committed to it. Because he was clear on his cause and clearly committed to his cause he was winning the day!

The one who is most committed to his cause has the best chance to succeed. If he is willing to devote all the focus and energy and resources of his life to his cause he has a distinct advantage over the uncommitted or marginally committed.

I am convinced that courage flows out of commitment to a cause.

“But Brad,” you’re thinking, “Goliath was twice as big as any of them! What could they do?”

When you are truly committed to a cause you will find a way or you will die trying. Had the soldiers stood a hundred strong, taken him on one at a time eventually they would have worn him out! He could have beaten any of them but he couldn’t have beaten all of them!

David couldn’t match Goliath’s size or strength but he certainly could match his courage because he was more committed to his God cause than Goliath was committed to his!

Perhaps the most powerful lesson that comes from the story of David versus Goliath is this: when two people equally committed to their causes confront each other the best cause wins!

David’s victory over Goliath routed the Philistines and rallied the Israelites because he proved their God was greater than all other gods!

Evil seems to be winning the day in which we live. Giants of Islam and anti-Christian philosophies are on the march primarily because they seem to be more committed to their causes than the people of God.

It’s time for some courageous Christians to stand against the giants and for the cause of Christ. I know this for sure, when your commitment and my commitment equals the commitment of the anti-faith people I believe our cause will prevail!

Courage arises when you commit to a cause that is worth living for or dying for. Courage comes when you believe your cause is greater than any other cause on earth.

David believed it and he was right! Goliath doubted it and he is dead!

Could you use some courage?

What do you believe?

What are you committed to!

Is it worth living for?

Is it worth dying for?

November 18, 2015

“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” I Samuel 17:28

I have identified four factors that build courage:

1) God’s Credentials – He is the Creator Who spoke the universe into existence from nothing.

2) God’s Character – He is still the same God today that Created the universe with His word.

3) God’s Calling – The God Who can do everything can so something through me.

4) God’s Cause – Courage rises from the conviction God’s cause is worth fighting for.

Young David the shepherd boy was sent by his father, Jesse, to bring provisions to his three brothers who were soldiers in the Army of God. What he found when he arrived was not what he had expected. David was expecting to see a fighting force but instead he saw a frightened force.

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Every day for 40 days, Goliath the massive Philistine had stepped forward to challenge the army of Israel and curse their God and for 40 days they cowered in fear.

An army that has forgotten what it is fighting for is not worth much. Goliath found it amusing and David found it annoying.

David was confident in God’s credentials. He saw a Giant God but they saw a godless giant.

David was confident in God’s character. He knew God was as powerful and present as ever but they doubted their God.

David was confident God had called him. He had killed a lion and he had killed a bear with his own hands. The only call they could hear was Goliath’s taunts.

David was zealous for the cause of God. I will be writing about the three great causes that David was compelled to fight for. The army of God was compelled by their fears.

What David found upon arriving at the battle front only increased his zeal. When he pressed the issue with his brothers he was rebuked by them. That is when he questioned their courage and resolve with his question, “Is there not a cause?”

Just like an army without a compelling cause is worthless, so is a local church. And so is a follower of Christ.

Your world is filled with giants. Are you confronting them or cowering from them?

Let me ask you, “What is the compelling cause that drives your life?”

Is that cause worth living for?

Is your cause worth fighting for?

Are you willing to die for your cause?

Those are defining questions that demand and deserve serious consideration.

An army without a cause to fight for should not engage the battle. Armies are called together to fight.

A church without a cause is going to drift and decay.

And a Christian without a cause will have little impact.

November 17, 2015

^"Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord." Psalm 27:14 (Amplified Bible)

This one summary verse captures the essence of being free from fear - have faith in the Lord! When life doesn't make sense and you are tempted to fear just wait courageously. Yes, that's right - just wait!

In thinking of this I wonder if one of the reasons so many Christians struggle with fearfulness is because so many struggle with waiting on the Lord. Could that be?

Waiting seems so passive. You want to do something active and make something happen. While there are times that is necessary, waiting on the Lord is not one of the them. While you are waiting you are praying to God and hoping in Him. And you are watching to see how He will work.

When you wait on God you are saying, "I trust in you, Father and I have placed my hopes in you. I know you are at work in this circumstance and I will wait to see what you are doing and let You show me what I need to do."

Does that make sense?

Another way to say it is, "Waiting on the Lord conquers fear."

Let's talk about why that is:

One thing that causes fear is the need for control. The truth is, life is beyond your ability to control it. It is too complex and too unpredictable for any mortal to control it. So, feeling a need to be in control while knowing that there are things beyond your control is frightening!

But as you patiently wait upon God you are, in effect, saying to Him, "God I know I am not in control of my life so I will allow you to be in control and I will watch to see what You do!" That will relieve your fear.

Another common cause of fear is a lack of confidence. When you do not have confidence in yourself you feel powerless and overwhelmed by life, which induces fear. A lack of confidence causes you to doubt your ability to be successful and contributes to the fear of failure.

By waiting on the Lord you say to Him, "I am placing my confidence in You! I trust You to do what is best for me and enable me to do what You want me to do."

That confession of faith in God removes fear!

One more common cause of fear is a lack of courage. When you feel afraid to speak up or take a stand for yourself, for others, or for your beliefs you live in fear of others who seem more courageous.

Often a lack of courage is really a lack of commitment. Fully committed people have strong convictions and those convictions inspire courage. Courage arises from true convictions and faith in those convictions overcomes the fear of not defending them.

For example, a conviction that freedom is worth defending is what gives a man the courage to become a soldier and go into battle. He isn't courageous by nature, but he is committed to remaining free.

Waiting on the Lord demonstrates the courage of your convictions. Believing that He will do what His Word says He will do gives you courage to overcome your fears!

Do you often struggle with fear?

Is fear the dominant emotion of your life?

Does fear keep you from realizing your dreams?

Could your fear be a result of control issues? 

Could it be a lack of confidence or do you lack courage?

Take it to the Lord and wait before Him.

November 15, 2015

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey."  Matthew 25:14-15

Let's review this part of the story:

The master, before he left on a long trip called his servants to leave them in charge of his fortune. He divided it up in an uneven way giving one servant five bags, another servant two bags and a third servant one.

Frankly, that sounds sort of unfair. Now, granted when you have eight bags and three servants the math gets a little tricky. But fairness would dictate that he divide them three, three and two.

But he didn't. In this parable the master represents God, so does this mean God is unfair?

Fairness has become an important value in our culture. It was a big issue in the recent Presidential campaigns. The Democrats promise to make outcomes more fair while the Republicans promised to make opportunities more fair.

Think of how much money and man hours and energy and legislation is invested in the attempts to make our society a fairer place.

There are a number of great truths in this well-known parable and among them is that God isn't nearly as concerned about fairness as we are.

Brad, are you saying God is unfair? No, I am not. I am saying to God fairness isn't as important as it is to us. God is beyond fairness - He is just and He is righteous which means that when all is said and done He will make everything perfectly fair.

Lest you unfairly accuse God of being unfair, consider several facts in this story:

1) The master owned all the gold so it his right to do whatever he wants with it. It would be unfair of you to tell him what to do with his gold!

2) He owned the servants, too! It was their duty to serve him by doing what he told them to do. A master had all the rights and his servants had all the responsibility.

3) The master wanted to increase his wealth not just preserve it. Who doesn't want to increase his wealth? You do! I do!

Considering that and factoring how the story ended, this master could have had a greater increase had he given all the gold to the five-talent servant. Think about it. The one with five got five more and the one with two got two more and plus the one equaled 14 bags of gold. But if he had given all eight to the one servant and he doubled it that would have added up to 16!

So, in fact, his attempt to be fair with his servants may have cost him some profit.

Like the master in the parable God is not unfair but He is more concerned with fruitfulness than He is with fairness. You should be too!

I think it is fair to say that we would all be better off if we worried more about fruitfulness and less about fairness. Thus saith the parable!

November 14, 2015

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

One other significant social impact Wesleyans had in the 19th Century was in the matter of women's rights. The first convention held in the United States, for the rights of women, was held in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Seneca Falls, New York. In 1848, "women's rights" was not the radical feminism of today. If there was "political correctness" back then, it would be against women's rights not for them. These issues were "basic human rights for women," including the the right to vote, and in some states, the right to hold property in their own names. It also involved the right to ministry. The first woman ordained to the Christian ministry in the United States was named Antionette Brown. Her ordination sermon was preached by a Wesleyan - Luther Lee.

Wesleyan Methodists were also the first denomination in America to give an equal vote to the laity in church conferences. It was a consistent application of a principle - the rights of slaves, the rights of women and the rights of laity.

What is a Wesleyan?

A Wesleyan is one who believes in being right with God and honoring the God-given rights of others. We always have and we always will!

November 13, 2015

"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness........" Matthew 6:33

When young courageous, firebrand pastor, Adam Crooks was finally forced to leave North Carolina in 1851 because of his arrest and conviction on the charge of distributing a tract on the Ten Commandments (No First Amendment for Wesleyans) one of his laymen picked up the cause and the Underground Railroad continued to run through Freedom's Hill Wesleyan Methodist Church!

Wesleyans preached the very unpopular message that slavery was "man stealing" and was a direct violation of the Eighth Commandment.

Micajah McPherson was the brave layman who carried forward the anti-slavery efforts of Freedom's Hill Church. McPherson knew what it meant to count the cost of discipleship. He was caught by a lynch mob and hanged from a dogwood tree on his own property because of his commitment to Wesleyan principles of freedom (Loving people to life!). The mob returned later and cut him down because they needed the rope "to hang another Wesleyan".

What they didn't realize in their haste was - McPherson was still alive! His wife nursed him back to health and he lived to the ripe old age of 85!

Why am I sharing these stories?

I am reminding you of your heritage as a Wesleyan because so many people ask, "What is a Wesleyan?" and you need to know who we are!

I am reminding you of your heritage because you may sometimes wonder what can one little church belonging to an obscure Denomination in a small town do to make a difference? According to our history - quite a bit!

I am reminding you of your heritage because you have inherited a rich legacy that MUST be passed on to the next generation of Wesleyans at FredWes! When I cast the vision of raising up a new generation of believers who are more passionate and committed than we are this is part of what I mean!

I am reminding you of your heritage because any vision of future ministry must connect a proud and productive past to a preferable future!

I promise to be an Adam Crooks if you promise to be a Micajah McPherson.

November 12, 2015

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

The brave young Wesleyan Pastor, Adam Crooks, came to North Carolina to build the Kingdom, and he began by building a meetinghouse near the town of Snow Camp in Alamance County. It was named Freedom’s Hill because it stood for freedom for the slave and the sinner alike. The congregation started the building soon after Crooks arrived in late October 1847. The church was dedicated in March of 1848.

It was a simple building 27’ X 36’, erected on a foundation of fieldstones. The hand-hewn pews were constructed with pegs, not nails, and the church had no heat source at first. The windows were only shutters. Simple as it was, it must have seemed like a cathedral to those new Wesleyans who had  campus of Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC. It has been restored to its original condition and is used for occasional weddings, classes and frequent prayer gatherings.)

Almost immediately, the Freedom’s Hill congregation began to operate a station on the Underground Railroad. Of course, that “railroad” had no tracks or trains but was a network of safe houses all the way from captivity to freedom for escaping slaves. Routes to Ohio, Indiana, and New York were well established, with a major Southern terminus of the historic pipeline being the Piedmont area of North Carolina, where Freedom’s Hill was located.

Slaves were hidden under hay in a “friendly barn”, sometimes in a false-bottom wagon, or a hollow tree.

One such hollow tree, less than a mile from Freedom’s Hill Church, was used by two congregations – the Wesleyans and the Cane Creek Friends (Quaker) Meeting – to hide slaves during the daylight hours and to help them escape at night.

Other Wesleyans were active in the Underground Railroad, too. For example, Laura Smith Haviland was a Wesleyan Methodist from Michigan, who worked closely with Levi Coffin, the “Father of the Underground Railroad.” Her home was the first “station” of the Underground Railroad in Michigan, and she has been honored with a statue in her hometown of Adrian, Michigan. She worked among African-American refugees in Kansas and the town of Haviland, Kansas is named in her honor. To us she is a hero, but in the title of her autobiography, she saw it simply as “A Woman’s Life Work”.

Why am I sharing all this history? Because when someone asks, “What’s a Wesleyan?” you will be able to tell them we are one of the main reasons slavery no longer exists in America. Because you need to know the heritage of the movement to which you belong! It is a great heritage but the next chapter of our movement is being written and through FredWes, you and I have are part of that story! If a tiny church like Freedom’s Hill can impact the moral conscience of a nation why can’t FredWes?