A Vision From God

Posted on by
jude-beck-0V_wq6o0a98-unsplash

Vision. If there ever were a year to talk about vision and to develop a better vision for life, it’s now. Every year for that matter is a good time to take an inventory of how we did and how we are doing and how we think we are going to do for the future. I’m not big on numerology, but I gathered several “20/20” verses from the Bible, to help me focus in on a few key areas of life that the Lord can help me see more clearly in. This idea came from a very dear pastor friend in Moldova named Pavel, who sent me a “20/20” verse on New Year’s Eve. I pray the Lord encourages you as it did me. Read and be encouraged in 2020 to have a better, God-sized, Spirit-filled, Word of God infused vision for your life! 

20 Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear him and will not sin.” Exodus 20:20 

Just after God gave Moses the 10 Commandments, God’s purpose for Israel, and for all who are a part of the covenant through faith, is to experience the presence of Yahweh. Moses’ reassuring words, that God wanted to test the nation, was to see what was in their hearts, so that they may not sin against Him. The ultimate reality is that the law reveals the true nature of our hearts, that we do sin against God, and need a righteousness not our own to fix our hearts. God provided the fulfilment of the Law through Jesus Christ. We still obey the moral code of the 10 Commandments, as both Jesus and Paul emphasized in their teachings, but are not bound by the ceremonial or civil law given to the Israelites at that time. Don’t be afraid…fear him. Going from a human fear to a godly fear of the awesomeness of God and his judgement for sin. God loves us. We need to have a clear vision of what His presence brings to our lives: A holy fear to live before a holy God. FEAR GOD, DON’T SIN.

20 Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.  Numbers 20:20 

The nation of Israel was sent to go along “The King’s Highway” which was not exactly a straight and flat highway. The path was filled with curves and hills, and was far from water and sustenance. God was showing Israel that they truly needed the Lord and he would provide all their needs, no matter what they faced along the journey. A journey, which would have taken 11 days, took 40 years because of Israel’s disobedience. Yet God was a presence to them even in the midst of their facing the music. We need to see clearly, after just coming through Christmas, that God is present with us. Immanuel means “God with us.”  I think of Psalm 46, He is our “ever present help in times of trouble.” May you see clearly that God is present with you, even in the middle of the struggle. KNOW GOD IS HERE

20 In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lordyour God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 2 Chronicles 20:20 

When problems come our way, big problems, uncertainty creates doubt and fear. We often say, I don’t know what to do!” That’s when we understand that dependence on our ability seems futile. What should we do? We should do as King Jehoshaphat did with the nation of Israel, and seek God for help. This verse is a result of doing just that. A word from the Lord motivated his people to have faith. You can read the rest of the story in chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles. How do we hear from God? By seeking truth from his Word, the Bible. It is God’s love letter to us. I encourage you to start out 2020 by doing just that, reading the Bible more than you did last year. Not only are we to read His truth, we are to believe in the truth. King Jehoshaphat exhorted Israel to believe in the Lord. The same holds true for us. We must believe. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) The Word is ultimately revealed through faith in Jesus Christ, the Living Word. There are many reading plans out there. Here is one you can read. YouVersion also has many plans you can read. Get into God’s Word, so that it might get in to you. We need to have a clear vision of what seeking God in faith means for our lives.  HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, AS REVEALED IN GOD’S WORD.

20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. John 20:20 

The resurrection of Christ is a game-changer. Scholars and skeptics all agree on the historicity of Jesus Christ, however some differ on their belief in the resurrection. The resurrection is a fact of Christianity. Without the resurrection, nothing in Christianity could stand. How could 12 regular guys (the disciples of Jesus)  give their lives (most were martyred) for a lie? How could the church with it’s humble start now have a global reach and be represented by millions and  millions of followers? I can say simply, the resurrection has changed my life. I’m not a perfect person, but I strive to live a holy life before God through the power of the Holy Spirit in me. Examine the Scriptures without bias. Start reading the book of John. Ask God to reveal his truth to you. And respond from what you find. Seek a trusted friend or pastor to talk to. If there is anything you “see” in 2020, I pray you have a clear vision to see the risen Jesus! Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself. BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

20 You know that I did not avoid proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching you publicly and from house to house. Acts 20:20 

People need to hear the truth of the gospel. Gospel means “good news.” And Paul here was declaring that profitable message. We just finished Christmas, and the Christmas story in Luke gives an account of the Angel of the Lord proclaiming “good news to all people.” The Apostle Paul was proclaiming the good news of the Resurrected Jesus! My prayer is that 2020 will be filled with gospel conversations in my life and in the lives of those who are passionate about seeing people hear the good news. Jesus commanded us to “Go” and make disciples of all nations. I pray that we become better at following Jesus, and sharing the gospel. There are risks in sharing the gospel. But knowing the reward of a person escaping separation from God eternally through responding to, and believing the good news that their sins can be forgiven and they can enjoy a full life now makes such risk worth it at any cost. If you want to know the story of the good news of Jesus, you can see it here.  May we clearly see the need to proclaim the good news of Jesus! SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS

Making Sense of Tragedy & Suffering

Posted on by

Suffering leads us to ask for a cause. If we know the cause, it somehow makes it more acceptable or easier to embrace the fact that the suffering took place.  I have high cholesterol because I eat too much fatty food. I’m overweight because I don’t exercise enough.

But what about tragedy or suffering inflicted on innocent people who were perfectly healthy that became suddenly sick, or people who were innocent bystanders who encountered extremely evil violence at the hands of individuals not so well understood or known or explained?  As a pastor I grapple with walking with people in my church through suffering of all kinds. The answers should never be easily handed down platitudes. Those words seem as hard as the floor they land on right in front of the person I may attempt to assuage.

Rather, pointing to the redemptive work of Christ on the cross is our best and greatest answer for suffering.  The cross provides a glimpse into the love of a Savior who wants to redeem us from sin and evil. With a constant 24 hour news cycle, and a nose in the phone world, we are living in different times. The world has changed.   Response to tragedy can now be live streamed and instantly accessible, even if inaccurate or short sighted. People can have sound-byte answers to any question they ask in an instant.

One news article points to the incredible number of mass shootings over the past 2 or 3 years. What gets lost in the reporting are all the lives wrecked, devastated and forever marred by the loss of a loved one. A father gone. No longer able to come home or provide for his family. A child gone. No longer able to go through the normal routines of life and growing up.  This is the face of suffering and tragedy.

My heart grieves for all the lives lost. Even now, “thoughts and prayers” are ridiculed as meaningless phrases that carry no action or provide real resolution to tragedy. But real thought put into the price paid by the suffering, prayers for relief of the grieving, prayers for the redemption of those who are far from God and commit heinous crimes, and prayers for God to redeem our society and bring it back to a nation who once feared Almighty God is perhaps the only greatest remedy available to us.

The recent tragedies in El Paso Texas and Dayton Ohio which spanned only half a day between the two prove that evil, racism, and hatred of mankind is still alive and kicking. As reasons for the tragedies continue to unfold we must look to our Creator more than ourselves for answers. What occurred was evil. But even out of evil God can still and does work—in spite of it.  The cross was evil man putting down a holy God. But the grave could not hold God’s Son. The power of the resurrection provides us all hope beyond any suffering this life can bring. As families grieve, as America grieves at yet another senseless shooting, I pray we look to God through Jesus Christ for comfort, for redemption, for forgiveness, and yes, for spiritual revival in our land.

Jesus said,  I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33). May we walk with those in deep pain whenever we have the chance. May we seek to be redemptive with our words as others experience unthinkable pain and loss. Pain in this life is real, but there is also a Savior who has overcome. We must trust God through the dark times of life, and we must pray to a Savior who is there with us, right in the middle of our pain. Why does tragedy and suffering happen? There are no easy answers this side of Heaven. Sin, a broken world…but that doesn’t present a package with a nice little bow on top as the complete answer to suffering. We must trust in a God who’s understanding is beyond ours, whose love is vastly greater than ours, and who’s ability to redeem us is far reaching. May we echo Job when he cried out even in the midst of great loss and suffering, “But I know that my Redeemer lives,,and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh.  I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me. (Job 19:25–27)

 

 

Keep God’s Mission as Your Mission

Posted on by

MoldovaHirvobatOne of the last words of Jesus to a fledgling, ragtag group of disciples, was a message of power and revolution. A power not of this world, but a power with authority from God the Father. Because of the authority bestowed to Jesus, flowing from God the Father, the disciples would be able to go forth and share with others the words of Jesus. They could have shared his words on their own to little effect. When coupled with the power of the Spirit of God through the supernatural Word of God, lives would change, God’s church would grow, and the world would change.

 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”        Matthew 28:18-20

The world is still changing. One life at a time. Through the power of the gospel and the obedience of those who keep God’s mission their own.

I just returned from an amazing journey partnering with four churches stateside and 2 churches in Moldova, all for the purpose of building God’s kingdom through making disciples. I love returning every year to Filadelfia Church. God always does a new work each time. Lives were changed, hearts were won to Christ, and people became more dedicated than ever to the mission of God. After the journey home, I was finding myself thinking fondly and missing my dear friends in Moldova and reflecting on all the wonderful things we shared together as a body of faith. It’s always a joy to lead and come alongside others to see that together we can be a part of God’s great mission he has given the church. It is my prayer that God provides a way to return soon with others who share that passion and mission. I’m happy to be home, among cherished family and friends, a great community, and a wonderful church, but there is a longing to return. I wanted to do more, wanted to give more time, to share more truth. The task remains the same at home or in Moldova.

I write this as an encouragement to anyone wondering if what they’re doing matters to God. We go through seasons of spiritual mountains and valleys. Jesus knew the disciples would face trouble. In fact he even said that some may mistakenly think that killing a follower of Jesus would be doing God a favor. (John 16:2) No matter what they faced, Jesus knew that the power of His gospel would change lives.  The task? To go and make followers of Jesus from all people groups, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus promised them and every follower, that he would be WITH us. We have the power of the Spirit, the purpose of the mission, and the presence of Jesus.  Be faithful where you are. Have faith also to know that God can use you to speak to the nations about him. Missions is local. Missions is global. Missions is personal. Let God’s mission be your mission.

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,”  Hebrews 12:1

7 Reasons Why You Need to go on a Short-Term Mission Trip.

Posted on by

IMG_89331. God commands us to make disciples of all nations.

Most in the church agree it is their responsibility to build God’s kingdom by making disciples. This is based on Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 to go make disciples of ALL nations. The command is simple enough: Go make disciples of all nations. If you’re thinking about going on a mission trip, obedience is the first place to start. Obedience is not optional. Obedience is costly. If we are not obeying God’s command, we are disobeying it. Simple, right? If most can’t go on a short-term mission trip, are they being disobedient to God’s command to go? Read on.

2. Short term missions experiences edify other believers the team partners with on the field.

When a mission team goes into the field to partner with another church for a week or two of ministry, that church is blessed in so many ways. The local community gets a boost by fresh faces who are passionate about sharing Jesus alongside familiar faces who labor daily to build the kingdom. The ministry in the field is encouraged by the love and sacrifice a mission team makes to in going and serving.  The local church may get some “goodies” or creature comforts that simply warm the heart or put a smile on their face. We ultimately don’t go for ourselves. We go to serve King Jesus and the local church in its cultural context. There are many decisions made for Christ that the local church will be excited to follow up on as a result of the mission team’s work.

3. Many career missionaries received the call to missions from going on a short-term mission trip.

I have many friends from seminary and college who are active in the mission field, or who have had long times of service on the mission field as a direct result of them going on a short-term mission trip. Short term mission trips plant seeds of faith in those who go and those seeds grow into a burning passion to impact a local people group through a longer-term relationship that short term missions simply cannot provide.

4. Your faith will be strengthened in ways you never imagined.

As believers, getting away from what makes us comfortable can be unnerving, but also faith building. Raising funds for a trip is hard. Not everyone has the resources to go on a short-term mission trip, so enlisting others help in seeing why God is calling you to go on a mission trip is imperative. Trusting God to provide requires faith. When God provides even more so than we expected materially, spiritually, relationally or otherwise, we are emboldened to carry out the task for which He has called us to. When we see people respond to the gospel in which we share faithfully, we are thrilled to be a part of the worldwide work of God to redeem man from sin. We are simply the messengers. God does the work, and a great work He is doing!

5. Other believers will be encouraged to continue the work God has called them to by your faithfulness to go.

Churches in other cultures do things differently in many respects than we do in here in the states. But we also share many commonalities. Pastors can oftentimes be discouraged while serving their church. When a mission team comes to partner alongside what the church is already doing, it provides confirmation of the work of God to many in the local congregation. The task is hard. No matter where a believer is, sharing Jesus doesn’t come naturally to most. When an energized group joins the local church, that same passion to share can oftentimes be contagious. It can also happen the other way around. The missions team can also learn from the people they have come to serve and serve alongside.

6. Someone may make the choice to go simply because you are going also.

Many things are taken into consideration when going on a short-term mission trip. Things like vacation days, time away from family and home, a schedule that is put on hold and so on If one person can make the leap of faith when juggling these issues, others may join them. Others are encouraged by such demonstrations of faith. Your gong on a mission trip just may be the impetus someone needs to go also.

7. Your church will learn to trust God more through sacrificial giving to missions

I’ve seen churches give tens of thousands of dollars to send teams to go on mission trips. I’ve also seen churches give those same amounts to missions in general to support the work of long term career missionaries. If a church can raise funds to send a team abroad to partner with a local church, a missions priority is established not in word only but in deed. The money is oftentimes in the forefront of people’s minds, but God is the one who provides. We must not forget that fact in our giving sacrificially to missions.

My question to you now is, will you go?

Aim Carefully

Posted on by

arrow

We are so proud of our son. My wife and I are proud of who he is, how he is living his life, and where he is going in life. That pride is simply the crescendo in a symphony of years of building into our son the values we hold so dear. We are not done building, but much has been done. We are so blessed and humbled that our son has “turned out” the way he has. It is not an accident, nor was he left to his own choices and devices. We have guided him over the years of his life. I write this to encourage other parents in their desire to raise their kids to “do the right thing.” Our son is far from perfect and I often wonder, Is this the kid we raised?” More than behavior, our aim has and will continue to be teaching our son to love God and others through the lens of a biblical worldview.

Our aim is not for him to win trophies, though he has. (He’s on the archery team at school.) Our aim is not for him to make good grades, though he has. Our aim is not for him to be well mannered, though he is. Our aim is the present and the future impact he will have on the people God brings into his path.

An appropriate lesson comes from the bow and arrow, taken from a post by Family Life here. It mentions the parts of the arrow as a model for child rearing, and it’s appropriate. The shaft of the arrow, should be straight to provide proper function for the other parts of the arrow. It relates to identity. A child’s identity should be founded on his value in Christ as an image-bearer of God and what Christ has done to redeem him from sin. An unhealthy, selfish focus can be destructive to one’s path and impact. In our age of consumerism and materialism, an utter dependence on God is the remedy. The feathers, or fletching, help guide the arrow straight and represent character development. The ultimate standard is God’s revelation to us found in his Word. Responding to authority and struggle best with character can only come from discernment of right and wrong. The Bible is the lens from which we respond to struggle and pain. The arrow has a nock, from which it is pulled back. The arrow derives it’s power from being connected to God and others. Relationships matter. I’ve always said, rules without relationship equal rebellion, and rules without reinforcement equal chaos. We teach our children to interact with others. Our children learn to love and be loved through seeing us do the same. The arrow also has a point, just like the child’s life. The points and purposes of our children are many, but the greatest is what they leave behind. Legacy begins at birth, in the hands of the parents.  What impact will they have? What impact are they having.

A case in point. A teacher begins a discussion about different faiths in history class, and one of the students asks a question about God and the existence of evil. Our son raises his hand, gently gives several points describing the infinite nature of God, our brokenness, and God’s purpose in it all. Later, several students who claimed to be either agnostic or atheist came up to our son after class and were really encouraged and stirred by his words. That is what an arrow does. It creates impact. Be mindful of this verse in Psalm 127:4, “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, are the children of one’s youth.” Let’s cultivate our kids to be arrows that fly long and straight, with great impact.

 

A December to Remember

Posted on by

3-wise-menA December to Remember.

A December to Remember. That’s a cheesy title of which I actually used once in a message I confess. If you’ve used it too, it’s ok. We all make mistakes, right? Chunk that one into the bin of recycled ideas that almost work. The real reason we remember December (still corny) is the Incarnation of Christ. It’s the focus on why and how and when God came into our world as a man, God in the flesh. John 1:14 reminds us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Put simply, Jesus, was born of a virgin who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that he might fully be a man yet still completely divine and live as we have, yet without sin, to become sin and take the punishment we deserve for that sin and then die a horrible death and be raised to life by the power of God to defeat death so that such forgiveness and eternal life now becomes available to all who call upon his name and receive the gift of faith by the grace of God.

The Incarnation is the reason we remember Jesus at Christmas time, and hopefully more than just Christmas time. God in the flesh. A gift we did not deserve, expect, or even imagine. That’s a December to remember.

Pray for Our Police, Pray for Our Nation

Posted on by

policeblueAs the news continues to pour in about the tragedy in Dallas of the police being shot and killed, I’m saddened by the state of our nation. Quite simply, our nation is not the same it was morally 5, 10, or 15 years ago. Please join me in praying for the officers and their families who have been forever impacted by this tragedy. Pray for America, that we as a nation will wake up from the spiritual blindness that has moved us further and further away from pursuing all that is holy. Our officers swear an oath to serve and protect us. They put their lives on the line every day for the safety so many take for granted, or even shun.

There needs to be more than hashtag activism and armchair commentary. We must begin a concerted effort to return to God as a nation. That begins with me. I ask myself how can I lead the way in such a huge task? It took us a long time to get to where we are, it will take some time to get back to where we need to be. As a pastor, I’m committed to leading our church and community in prayer for the families in Dallas. We will begin praying at the start of our services for the next several weeks, asking God to bring a spiritual awakening to our country and our community. Again, I ask you to join us in prayer for a spiritual awakening in America. I pray that awakening begins with you and I.

A Bus, A Dream, A Mission.

Posted on by

churchbus

Few can argue with the need for transportation within youth ministry. It’s a staple of ministries large and small. Either a church car pools, rents vans, or if they have the means, takes their own bus or van. Many years ago a vision was birthed to reach the students of Wilmington at a church with a newly hired youth pastor. With lots of creative fundraising and looking, a bus was found at an auction site. The bus had a diesel engine, but the listing said gas and we walked away with TWO buses at great deals. These were prison buses, used to transport prisoners.

Imagine two beige prison buses, driving back to Wilmington, and pulling into the church parking lot. For one season the youth pastor (me) tortured the youth group with orange t-shirts—riding in a beige bus! Never saw too many wear those shirts. (!) We were able to give one bus away to a young youth ministry in the next county.

Even cooler, there happened to be a guy at our church that used to paint buses! We taped the bus up, and we painted it the beautiful Teal colors you see now, in honor of our local UNCW Seahawks. We placed custom seats in it. The old seats had scratched etchings I’m not sure how cuffed-up prisoners could manage to write on the backs of the seats. We put a custom sound system in it. It was a youth ministry’s dream bus, or so we thought. It was God’s bus. It was our bus.

The memories students created with that bus are amazing. Many can tell you stories of riding to assist families hit by Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, MS, riding to snow covered mountains on treacherous winding mountain roads for unforgettable winter retreats, going to DNOW Conferences, Christian Music Concerts, Theme Parks, Caroling to Shut-Ins, or just a local trip to the beach to refresh tourists with a bottle of water and a conversation about Jesus.

All these memories were possible by God and by volunteers who gave of their blood, sweat and tears (and even a torn plantaris muscle) to get those crazy teenagers a little closer to Jesus (some quicker than others!) My drivers are the greatest in the world. They love Jesus, and they love students. All have contributed much to God’s purposes fulfilled in the lives of these students.

We are officially selling the bus. Going to miss this. In a way it’s transformational. This bus went from transporting captives as far as the law goes, to transporting those who were once captive to sin, and now set free in Jesus. Fittingly, the bus is being sold to an up and coming youth ministry a county away. Excited for them. They will rock that Bus for the kingdom! The legacy of the Green Bus will continue! I’m so glad such a resource was used and will continue to be used to point people to Jesus.

Celebrate and Reflect

Posted on by

happynewyear
As 2015 loses the label of a “new year” after 365 days, we come to 2016 with much anticipation as to what is next. Will the Carolina Panthers win the Superbowl? Will Carolina beat State? (Ok I just had to take a jab at that) On a more serious note, Will there be war? Will there be peace? What about tragedy and triumph? Where will you or I be spiritually a year from now? Who will have changed for the better because of what you or I chose to do or not do?

One of the greatest things we can do at the beginning of a new year is to celebrate and reflect. We can celebrate all the good and wonderful things that were accomplished in the previous year. Reflect on the trials, struggles and hurt that could make us stronger or weaken our resolve, depending on our response.

More importantly, we can celebrate the fact that our purpose, rooted in eternity and affirmed by the fact that we are all a part of God’s creation, can move us to humbly thank God for his gift to the world, himself, in the flesh, in the person and divine nature of Jesus Christ. Despite our sinfulness, Christ paved the way for all who would repent of their sin and believe in his name to become a new creation. Jesus gives us the ultimate reboot, the ultimate restart in life.

So as we reflect, we thank God for a good year, no matter the struggle or the pain. God has seen us through it. That’s the point. He’ll continue to do so. That’s our hope, grounded in the unshakeable faith in a God who desires that we see our lives as becoming more obedient to get rid of the selfish desires that face us constantly, and die to self, take up our cross and follow Jesus. As John 3:30 states, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” Happy New Year!