In this post and this post I shared Tim Keller's thoughts on revival. Here are 5 things he said are common to any move of God that could be described as an "intensification" of the "ordinary" work of the Holy Spirit.
1. Extraordinary Prayer--Every revival has this in common. This corporate praying is kingdom-centered, repenting, and prevailing. It evidences people coming to a King with large petitions asking for God to do great things--extraordinary things.
2. Recovery of the Gospel--Edwards saw revival when he recovered "justification by faith alone." Keller made it clear that "the average person doesn't get the gospel." He challenged us to consider that most people don't get the gospel in "the slightest." When people realize the depth of grace--they come alive in new ways.
3. Transformed Formidable Leaders--Individuals catch on fire personally and become leaders. Every revival shows that leaders grasp the fullness of the gospel and have a new boldness.
4. Experience Meetings--This was a new idea for me. Keller said in almost every revival you have meeting "venues" where people have an opportunity to "process" what God is doing in their lives. Venues for talking through experiences matter in revival.
5. Creativity--In every revival you see some new revolutionary (and often initially scandalous) means of getting the gospel out. For Whitefield and Wesley it was outdoor preaching--stunning for the times. For the rival in NY City--it was a business man starting a prayer meeting in the middle of the day--unheard of and radical for the time.
"For Paul, this substitution, Christ bearing our penalty in our place, is the essence of the atonement. Certainly, he celebrates the cross as a victory over the forces of evil on our behalf (Col. 2:15) and as a motivating revelation of the love of God toward us (2 Cor 5:14-15), but if it had not been an event of penal substitution, it would not for him have been either of these. As Gal 2:20 declares, his life of responsive faith was wholly formed and driven by the knowledge that his Savior had revealed divine love to him by giving himself to die on the cross in order to save him." (J.I. Packer, In My Place Condemned He Stood)
In a previous post I shared Tim Keller's definition of revival as an "intensification of the ordinary operations of the work of the Spirit." More than (but not minimizing) supernatural manifestations (healings, gifts, miracles) the intensification is mostly characterized by an increase in conversions, conviction, personal assurance and awareness of God and can happen for a varied length of time.
Keller said that 3 things happen when you see this intensification or "revival." Regardless of time period or geography you will typically see...
1. Sleepy Christians wake up. Believers suddenly become aware of God's presence and power in a new way--new waters of faith spring from already regenerate hearts.
2. Nominal Christians get converted. Keller said you almost always hear of someone who "thought" they were a Christian suddenly realize they were not. This usually spills over into an even greater outpouring of God's Spirit. He said it's usually not the clergy or spiritual leaders that serve as catalysts for revival--but the stories of a few nominal Christians that come to life for the first time and give witness to it.
3. Unconverted get attracted. In revival the unconverted are attracted to what they see happening. They see past their objections to the church because of the undeniable life manifested in the body of Christ. They are attracted to the new and fresh witness of the church.
Bob Drews serves at MTW Japan. He and his family live near Ichihara City. He asks that God would hold back panic both among the Japanese and around the world.
"2 AM here, prepping a truck for run north with water, food, fuel. Pray for our drivers & team. Pray for the workers at plant & nuclear doesn't get worse. Pray there won't be panic, as the situation here in Chiba is fine, but panic seems to be spreading in the US & international press and it's affecting our ability to get the job done. And, yes, more aftershocks tonight. Still safe and working, but more and more inquiries about evacuating. We don't need that!"
I had a fascinating conversation with a man today on while visiting my parents in Burnet Texas.
A friend from their baptist church--we went to pick up a tiller from him so my mom can do some gardening. His name is Mr. Zimmerman and in a very short time I was able to hear some of his story that was stirring and amazing.
He is about 75 years old. While he showed us the ins and outs of his tiller--and jumped in and out of my dads pick up truck like a guy half his age--he told us how the Lord gave this property to he and his wife about 20 years ago.
Having raised 3 of their own he and his wife sensed the Lord leading them to "child care" ministry and worked for a couple years at a Buckner camp that has since shut down. At this facility they served as foster parents for many children.
They wanted to keep serving in this vital ministry and aquired property in Burnet (through the Lord moving on someone in the church) to continue this ministry. He said over these years they saw many children come through their home--about 75 total!
He didn't paint the scenario as glamorous. He mentioned one child threatened to stab them at one point. One mentally retarted boy came to them after severe physical abuse (being hung and whipped) that they felt very inadequate to care for. However, this has been rewarding as the Lord met them with every challenge and he has some boys that still call him dad.
"I've lived long enough to prove that Rom 8:28 is true."
I didn't ask Mr. Zimmerman this--but I don't think that he regrets laying his life down for these 75 kids over the years--nor do I think he's tempted to wonder if he made a difference--or spent his retirement well.
We prayed as couples and Josh and I went across the street to make some friends tonight. The party was still going strong. We were surprised by the immediate shouts of "neighbor!" when we stepped into the backyard. We had some great conversation with guys--at some points we had a sense that seeds were being sown. But after further reflection we both agreed that the most important thing we did tonight was simply be a presence of Christ to folks.
I will share a sound byte of Josh Jordan's conversation...
[Friend] "All religion is man-made."
[Josh] "If you believe there is a God you've got to believe that at least one religion is not man-made."
[Friend] agreeing...
[Josh] "Don't you think that if there is a good God that made you--living for Him would be the greatest thing?"
Josh went on to communicate that because we've been separated from God--Jesus died to help us be reconciled to Him. The conversations went in several directions--loops and spins--but in all we experienced God's help in building relationships and scattering seed.
Today I'm visiting a friend Josh Jordan in Seguin. It's about 8:30pm right now of a wonderful day of reconnecting and seeing the city as well as San Antonio.
Josh has some great neighbors.
At 9am his next door neighbor was already getting the grill ready while while our kids were playing on the swings. When we got back from San Antonio the music was going loud--but because they had been in Spanish--it wasn't a big deal. But by the time we decided to grill we were hearing Sir-Mix-a-Lot and 80's Salt-N-Peppa.
Nevertheless. His neighbor thanked us for our patience as they were celebrating a family birthday. He insisted through the fence that we come over and get some beans--finally walking over to the house and bringing us a plate to enjoy. He then said, "you need to come over. We're having good conversation."
Joey Zorina is a missionary in Japan. This is his account of the earthquake that is rocking Japan right now.
"We were praying fervently this morning, not knowing what that was for. I believe He had us prepared.
The North got the hardest hit. It is literally smashed by... both the earthquake and tsunami. We're safe & sound here in Nagoya. 8.9 magnitude quake shook Northern Japan. Tokyo had .5 or 6 experience. The aftershocks kept our apartment moving for a while. We felt dizzy because of the aftershock. It was pretty long even here. There are Tsunami warnings in Portuguese, Korean, English & Japanese in the T.V now. We live in the Aichi area. Tsunami of 2 metres high is expected along the coast. We should be safe since we're further up. I see houses burning right now because of gas leak in the areas hardest hit."
Pray for Joey and All Nations Fellowship that God will protect them in these days and empower them to glorify him through compassion and boldness in the days ahead.
I recently went with a friend to an Anglican church planting conference in Plano to hear Tim Keller speak. Not knowing exactly what his topic was going to be I was surprised by his topic being revival.
His message was "Marks of Revival and Spiritual Renewal"
He opened with a testimony of how he came out of the Jesus Movement of the 1970s and referenced the Asbury Revival of 1970. From there he gave a definition of revival and how he experienced revival in planting Redeemer from the start. Here's his definition. I will give his points in future posts.
What is revival? "Revival is an intensification of the ordinary operations of the work of the Holy Spirit."
In other words--all that the Spirit does in converting, convicting, reminding, assuring is intensified--and this intensifying of the Spirits work can happen over a long duration of time, a short time, a season of time--and even be given to a specific geographical location.
Keller experienced this intensifying work of the Spirit in the first 18 months of the church being planted in NY. For 18 months to 2 years they experienced an unusual number of people come to faith--around 200 people.
They have seen many come to faith since then as well--but not with the same degree of intensity. He likened this moment of revival to Spurgeon's ministry which in total saw many hundreds come to faith in Christ--but uniquely and intensely from the years 1857-60.
We were walking in down the streets of DC on an excursion day after a conference when it hit me.
It wasn't the first time I've considered it--but maybe the first time I ever mentioned it to my wife and as I shared the thought out loud the truth of it sunk deeper--even a bit surprising. My own voice convicting my calloused heart.
It happened as we were passing a homeless man who was sunken over--asleep in the middle of the day. I wish I could describe him but I don't remember details. I just remember the contrast of his sleeping sadness amidst the busyness of the streets. A breathing still frame lifted from a feature film.
I was reminded of the words of Christ, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits hissoul? Or what shall a man give in return forhissoul? (Matt. 16:26)."
Though we just spent hours looking at priceless works of art in the Smithsonian American Art Museum--and peeked at the 112 carat Hope Diamond--this man surpasses them all.
In fact--Jesus says take all that the world considers valuable--and throw in the world, the stars, the billions of galaxies, and all the unexplored treasures of the known creation and they don't hold up to this man sleeping on the sidewalk next to the trash.
Note the words, "the whole world" and "what shall a man give...?"
Answer? Nothing.
Why?
My best answer that convicted me even as I shared with my wife is that in the same way we place value on duration and uniqueness--Jesus places value on the duration of and uniqueness of a created soul.
The planets will wear out. The farthest star that burns light-years away will eventually burn out. The Hope Diamond will eventually turn to ash. But when the farthest light goes out--the nameless man's soul will keep going--eternal as ever. It will never cease to exist.
Our souls are eternal. Priceless. Meaningful. Significant. Never to go out once breathed into creation. This is true for the most unimpressive life--the most difficult person--the smelliest homeless man. This is true for you and me.
If we truly understood that--we would likely step out of the museums and stare at the man. We would muse over the significance of his soul--the everlasting nature of a something in the middle of everything that won't last a day in forever.
How much is the man worth who has trash blowing on him?
Most people have heard of D.L. Moody. He was used by God to lead hundreds to Christ through the course of his ministry in the late 19th century.
But have you heard of Edward Kimball?
Edward Kimball was the lay Sunday School teacher who lead D.L. Moody to Christ when Moody was an 18 year old shoe salesman in Boston.
Moody visited his Sunday School class and was won over to the middle-age man when he rescued him from the embarrassment of not being able to find the gospel of John (he was thumbing through the Old Testament).
Shortly after, Kimball "felt constrained to go call on Dwight Moody and inquire about the condition of his soul." Although Kimball felt the Lord leading him, he feared the encounter and was so absorbed with debating whether or not he should actually go talk to Moody that he past the store and had to circle back.
Mustering up the courage he decided to "have it over at once" and talk to Moody. While Moody was shelving shoes Kimball remembered "I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over...I made my plea, and I feel that it was really a weak one. I don't know just what the words I used...I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return."
How did it go? How did God use his weak presentation of the gospel?
Moody describes how this man's love was used to lead him to Christ:
"I recollect that my teacher came around behind the counter of the shop I was at work in, and put his hand upon my shoulder, and talked to me about Christ and my soul. I had not felt that I had a soul till then. I said to myself: 'this is a very strange thing. Here is a man who never saw me till lately, and he is weeping over my sins, and I never shed a tear for them.' But I understand it now, and know what it is to have a passion for men's souls and weep over their sins. I don't remember what he said, but I can feel the power of that man's hand on my shoulder tonight. It was not long after that I was brought into the Kingdom of God." (A Passion for Souls, Lyle Dorsett, pg. 47)
We just started a book on our pastoral team called "Taking Hold of God" by Joel Beeke. So far it is very good.
As I seek to live in a God-honoring way--I am all-too-often tempted to believe that prayer is an important part of the day--a needed focus of life--but not mission-critical.
I'm hoping to decrease this thought in my life.
One thing that jumped out at me in the first chapter is the statement, "for...Luther, the reformation was about how the church prays." He quotes Luther, "Prayer is a difficult matter and hard work. It is far more difficult than preaching the Word or performing other official duties in the church. When we are preaching we are more passive than active; God is speaking through us, and our teaching is His work. This is the reason why it is also very rare."
I find this to be very true in my life. I am often tempted to believe prayer is a duty disconnected to other very important things. Like a kid that wants to hurry up and eat so he can go play---the bigger work is often viewed outside--away from the quiet--dictated by my "list." I'm seeking a more robust prayer life (and seeking the seeking therein) to live in active trust upon a loving Father.
I was recently asked by someone on Facebook for a brief summary of what it means to be "born of the Spirit." Here is my response....
...the phrase "born of the Spirit" comes from John 3 when Nicodemus visits Jesus Christ and Jesus tells him that no one can see the kingdom unless he is "born again". 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus [1] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [2] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [3] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You [4] must be born again.’ 8 The wind [5] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus is basically saying that Nicodemus should know that the only way anyone is made "right" and "acceptable" to God is not by morality and by keeping the 10 commandments (since we've all broken them) but by receiving new life from Jesus himself.
1 Peter 1:3 says, "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
So, basically to be born again (or "born of the Spirit") means to be given new life from Jesus--a "living hope" in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us. It means that you have a living and loving relationship with Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
I recently finished reading Radical by David Platt. I have to say—I was greatly stirred by this challenge to consider the responsibility we have to a waiting world in need of the gospel. I went on to read a great review by Kevin DeYoung on this book—as well as David Platt’s humble reply. After reading the book, and their reviews here is what I came away with regarding this book.
1.The hard sayings of Jesus. The value of any book is not in the author’s thoughts but in the Bible—the source of all faith (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, Platt is wise to root radical living in the hard sayings of Jesus. He points to Jesus’ warnings to “take up your cross (Luke 9:23), “let the dead bury the dead (9:60),” “sell everything you have (Matt 7:11),” and compares this message of discipleship with the American easy-believism of “pray this prayer, sign this card, bow your head, and repeat after me (11).”
2.Staring hell in the face. One especially powerful part in the book is Platt’s illustration of a deacon from a church who shockingly admits, “David, I think it’s great you are going to those places. But if you ask me, I would just as soon God annihilate all those people and send them to hell (62).” He goes on to illustrate how close we are to believing this in our hearts when we do nothing to take the gospel to those with no access to it. We are no different when we turn our eyes from the needs of the unreached to hear the gospel. In reading this I realized that I simply don’t consider eternal suffering like Jesus and the apostle Paul did.
3.Demystifying the mission call. Let’s face it. When we think of the personal cost involved in sacrificing for an unreached people or leveraging our lives to sending people out—we tend to look away to the extraordinarily burdened or the extraordinarily gifted. We don’t assume that God would have ordinary people like us in mind when he commands, “make disciples of all nation.” Without denying that God uniquely calls individuals to unique places—Platt emphasizes that the burden for the unreached should be the burden of every believer and every church.
4.Real life examples.I appreciate that Platt uses examples from his own life but also from the church he serves at. He points to a number of people who have taken the “Radical” challenge and invested their time, talents, and resources to reaching people in creative ways with the gospel.
5. An emphasis on Christ's power in the church. This may be a personal one--but I appreciated how Platt walks through the book of Acts highlighting the power of the risen Christ for the church through the Holy Spirit. Several times in the book he reminds the reader that Christ lives "in" his people to empower them for the mission. This is a crushing blow to the American mentality that creativity, planning, leadership, and "pop" can do what only God can (and must) do in and through us.
My concerns since reading the book and the reviews…
1.The illustrations for what it means to live ‘radical’ can seem at times too narrow. I don’t think Platt intends for this. He does use several examples of people who have abandoned their original financial goals to serve in the inner city, do short-term trips overseas, and engage in orphan care, but a few more examples of those who live faithfully to make disciples and have no disposable income would be helpful. What about the family that struggles to make ends meet—who would love to go—or give more money—but simply can’t? Would they read the book and conclude that they aren’t radical? I think I know Platt’s answer but the illustrations seem to be from those who have means—and not the single mom, the two-job dad, the handicapped, or the elderly.
2.He doesn’t give enough illustrations for good uses of material blessings for the local church in America. In an effort to distance himself from the church-growth baptized American Dream Christianity, he doesn’t show what gospel-advancing things church property and building can do. Although he points to families in his church that are freeing up space in their homes for orphan care—there doesn’t seem to be examples of churches that have leveraged their buildings for radical discipleship. Maybe because there are so few! But the dearth can leave you with a sense that all churches are equal in motivation when it comes to building, and should be suspect when it comes to owning property.
3.This may lack a pastoral word. Obviously with a subtitle “Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream” we should expect a charge—a challenge. It is that! However, just like any challenging call to risk you need a pastoral word to be given to those who after hearing this needed word could feel overwhelmed by the needs of the world and can’t seem to riskenough to reach them. DeYoung mentions that this may simply be an over-emphasis on imperatives (we ought to) without a balance of the indicative (…because Christ has done). It can leave you thinking I need to do more—and less on what Christ has done. This can be seen when Platt gives strong statements like, “…the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves (7).” Yes and no. If by “message” we mean the message we send to the world, and if by “abandoning” we mean exercising true faith in Jesus alone based on what Christ has done—absolutely.The context makes this clear. But without a nuanced qualifying statement like “to the watching world…” we can miss the central message is what Christ has done—not what we do. DeYoung points this out and Platt responds to this concern very well. Again--I think the goal of this book is one on imperative--so it makes sense that it would be weighted that direction.
In closing I would recommend this book to every believer. You will be provoked, stirred, and motivated to make the making of disciples your ambition. When I finished reading it, I leaned over to my wife and said, “the biggest problem I have with this book is the title ‘Radical.’ You should put a line through it and write ‘Biblical.’”
However, I wouldn't recommend this book with equal weight to every believer. To those who feel cold to the lost and dying because they have fallen in love with the world I would say, read this instead of the Osteen-like dribble that keeps you chasing after the world. Let it be the spark that it is.
To those who love heroic challenges but struggle with faithfulness in small things (i.e. the the proverbial college student who wants to change the world but not pick up his clothes out of the bathroom) I'd say read this book alongside the very biographies that Platt mentions in the book. Read about the ongoing--daily--weekly sacrifices of those who have gone before us. You will discover that living radical involves the obscure, repetitious, unglamorous, and unknown moments of endurance that Platt doubtless has experienced in his personal journeys around the world.
If you haven't already planned something for Halloween think about this weekend as an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and serve your community by resisting the isolationism of suburbia.
Tom Stack, a friend from church recently stepped out of the comfort-zone and served his neighborhood in a mission-minded way. Here's his story...
"Our family has lived on this block for 8 years (come February), and we have been really bad about getting to really know anyone on the street. We "know" the folks on either side of us and across the street, but that's about it (and not very well at that). We just thought that there are others on the block like us, we need to fix that and get to better know who's on our street. And with the weather as nice as it's been, it was just the right thing to do.
So we printed out a little flyer that we handed out, door-to-door, talking to each of our neighbors, and inviting them all to join us out in front of our house last evening. We said, "we'll bring the dogs, you bring your appetite."
We had a number that brought cookies, homemade crab cakes, a plate of nachos (covered in been and cheese), a platter of sushi, and some corn on the cob to throw on the grill. We were out there from 6 to around 8:30. Everyone was standing around, talking, eating, and I think really enjoying the chance to meet for the first time or reconnect with their neighbors. My wife and I both were surprised to overhear so many introduce themselves to neighbors they've never met. (our subdivision has all the garages in the back, on an alley, and that makes a difference).
But we found out that one family has a daughter in 4th grade at the same school as our kids! The wife is a believer, but the husband, a great guy, is not. I had a chance to chat a lot with him last night - about where we grew up, what work we do, their decision to homeschool, etc. Also found out that two families (one was not able to make the gathering) on the block both attend a large Chinese church here in Plano. One of the couples is our next-door neighbor (I did not know they were believers). Sylvia had a good opportunity to speak with the wife, and found out that they were Christians, and are very curious to talk to Sylvia more about homeschooling (they have two little ones under 6).
All this to say we had a long overdue chance to reach out and make connections with our neighbors - and just be good neighbors. Showing them care and kindness, and an interest in them and their families. If the Lord leads us to openings to share Him and His Gospel with any of them as we build relationships with these neighbors, great! We'll take it! Hopefully, as the old song said, "they will see we are Christians by our love," and we'll stand out as a light, and as friends upon whom they can depend."
Yesterday Craig Cabaniss preached a message from Psalm 115 about the faithfulness of God in honor of our 5 year anniversary of a church plant.
His reference to the "steadfast love of God" (from the Hebrew word 'hesed') as the unique love of God in Christ Jesus made me think of a particular verse in Eph. 2 that has brought clarity and focus for me regarding God's love. It comes in verse 4.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us"
This verse is tucked between towering phrases of us being "children of wrath" (v. 3), and being "dead in our trespasses," followed by the momentous reality that we are "made alive together with Christ (v. 5)."
Those two realities: our being justifiably objects of God's wrath and the good news of being "alive," "saved," "raised," and "seated" in Him (v. 5-6) can demand such clarity in a day where they are being dismissed that you can miss why God would ever do such a thing in the first place.
Did you miss it?
Why does he do that with people who left to themselves could care less? Why does he raise the dead when "like the rest" they aren't looking to be alive to anything else but what the world offers?
Notice the reasons why God makes dead people live again:
1. "Being rich in mercy" Notice that God doesn't discover mercy. He doesn't go searching for it somewhere. There is no place outside of himself where a treasure trove of mercy exists that replenishes his supply. Rather--he IS merciful "being" rich in mercy--never "becoming" rich in mercy. God is not becoming merciful with time. He is mercy. Moreover--he's RICH in mercy. All mercy demonstrated in the world today find it's source in him alone.
2. ..."with which he loved us" Before we get to the middle part of the verse notice that God loves us. Don't move past that like you've heard that enough from TV evangelists and we need to get to something more objective and sturdy--and less emotional. There is no greater news than that God loves us. If God comes to us through a Christ that deeply hates us and rewards us with a heaven in which he exists irritated and distant from those He made alive we worship a God of deism. Holy and terrifying and logically distant--cold--and ultimately needy to serve him. Because he doesn't love those he redeems he lacks something they must provide through service. But God lacks nothing and loves freely the unlovely.
But how does He love us? Of what kind of love is this? Catch the middle phrase...
3. .."because of the great love.." Notice that Paul qualifies God's love with the phrase, "the great love." I believe Paul wants to separate in our minds the love that we operate from and the love that God operates from. God loves of a particular kind of love. A "great" love. This love is not a small love. A temporal love. A love you are familiar with. It's not a love that is similar to our love and finds it's reflection from us. It's a love that wholly and completely "other" and set apart. It comes from him in an overflowing and ultimately downward direction. We call this "grace."
John used language similar to Paul when he wrote...
"Seewhatkind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him (John 3:1)."
And what is this "kind" of love we are to behold? Where do we see it most clearly?
Let John Owen answer this question for us...
"[Jesus Christ is the] medium of all communication between God and us. In him we meet, in him we walk. All influences of love, kindness, mercy, from God to us, are through him; all our returns of love, delight, faith, obedience unto God, are all through him."
Look at Jesus Christ and you see the embodiment of God's love to us.
As a pastor it can sometimes feel like I go from one circle of Christians to another to another to another. I am reading Christian books, reading Christian tweets, thinking and talking about the church world all day long. I am aware of mega-churches in and near my city I respect and some of the things they're doing. I am aware of the church-planting movement I'm a part of and others around the country as well. So, given my default mindset--I can operate with some false assumptions about how people in the South have heard the gospel.
I was recently reminded of this on a trip to a sister church in Midland of the desperate state of the religious South to hear the gospel for the first time.
As we did a kind of prayer ministry around the homes of the church a person from my team and I found an open door to talk about Christ with a worker in his 20s.
He was a bright, intelligent, hard-working guy. He was easy to talk to--just "good-ole-boy" for those who enjoyed the Dukes growing up. I liked talking to him. His thoughts concerning religion went something like this.
"Hey I appreciate what you guys are doing...I'm a Christian too...I was saved and baptized as a kid. I don't really have any interest in going to a church--but I know I'll see St. Peter at the pearly gates when I die...I'm good."
Although our mission was to demonstrate the love of Christ through prayer and inviting people to a gospel-class a month away--he seemed open to talking.
"How do you know you'll go to heaven--how do you have confidence of that?"
"Because I'm a good person." [confidently]
He went on to explain that he had never murdered anybody--and that being a good person was all that you needed to be sure of eternal life.
"Why did Jesus die on the cross?"
"For our sins...." [confidently]
But how do you know that you're going to heaven?
"Because I'm a good person..." [confidently]
We asked him if someone can be good enough to earn their way to heaven--why he thought God would ever allow his Son to be killed for sins.
Although he did express that he had never considered that--his thoughts stayed fixed in dual objects in his mind. His hope being grounded in two religious activities. 1. He was a good person based on the moral standards of our time. 2. He did believe in Jesus and performed what was required as a child to know he'd go to heaven when he died.
For the majority of people who live next to us and drive past our churches--never forget the power of these two religious activities in our land. These are the greatest obstacles to overcome in the religious South.
1. I believe in Jesus (and performed a religious activity to prove it). 2. I'm a good person.
I was reminded even if for a moment--to forget the fact that their is a church on every corner in my city.
Forget the thought that people in my neighborhood must have heard the gospel by now--surely!
Forget my assumptions that someone's told them or that they know the gospel--and are just hardened to the truth.
Forget that they're probably on someone's prayer list--and someone must be praying fervently for them.
Rather--assume they've never heard.
Assume they have never heard the good news that a holy God created them in His image--fashioned them for his glory and sent His one and only Son to live, die and rise for them--because in their rejection of God as King could do absolutely nothing else to be redeemed, restored, and made alive again.
Assume no one has ever told them the real gospel. Assume that they've heard a message of religious activity and morality cloaked in Christian jargon.
Now let's go one step further on the mission and assume God sent us as missionary ambassadors to tell them the refreshing news they've never heard before. Assume we're called to live strategically, intentionally, and sacrificially so that they might be rescued from deep fried Southern religion.
Lord--send us out with urgency and desperation to the religious South and help us to lovingly and graciously demonstrate and declare that You rose from the dead to save us from our religion.
My wife and I just started looking for used cars. Since we're new to Craigslist we've discovered that there are a number of deceptive scams to "ship" very expensive vehicles sold ridiculously low cloaked by a story of urgency and sympathy.
This is the second car scam we've encountered. This conversation picks up where I've just asked for a phone number. Here is the response from "Anna" and my email back.
Hi again Rob,
Please understand that I just moved here and I don't yet have a phone. Until then please understand the situation and carry on with this by e-mail cause I don't have any other way yet. And again I'm truly sorry we can't talk over the phone. But please understand.
The car is located in Honolulu HI. Is already crated at the shipping company ready to be sent to any location anywhere in the world, like i told we will use eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection, so we can both be protected and insured. The price for the car is $3,000 with shipping included.
1. Buyer, seller reach an agreement (price and delivery conditions)
2. Buyer sends money to eBay.
3. eBay confirms to seller that the amount has been received.
4. Seller performs the required services (shipping, insurance).
5. Buyer accepts delivery and informs eBay about the acceptance.
6. eBay releases the money to seller.
As you can see, you will receive the car BEFORE any money is released to me. You will get the chance to inspect it, test drive it and everything you like while your money is still safely held in eBay's account. ONLY after you confirm to eBay that you agree with the vehicle, they will release the money to me.
If, for some reason, you disagree with the car (I assure you that is NOT going to happen since my 2006 Acura TL is in IMMACULATE condition inside and out) it will be shipped back to me on MY EXPENSE and eBay will send you your money back.
If you wish to proceed further, I will need your complete name and address so I can start the transaction with eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection Program.
Let me know if we can get the ball rolling.
Regards,
Anna Parker
no. thanks.
praying for you friend that you will turn from this sin and find new freedom and life in Jesus Christ.
We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23) but God came to us in Jesus Christ to set us free from sin. If you turn your life to him recognizing your sin and need of Him by faith--He will forgive you--and give you new life (Acts 3:19-20).
God will provide for your needs if you become His child--we are not all children of God by birth. But we become His children when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ by faith alone (John 1:12-13).
He can provide for your financial needs. But you must turn from this and trust in Him.
Friday before last I was in Garland having lunch with a guy new to the church. As I was driving off I was grateful for how the conversation went. It was almost exclusively about the gospel--and encouraging to talk about the grace of God.
So when my car died just 5 minutes down the road I was at peace. My mind was filled with thoughts of God's grace. Can you hear a Tomlin song in the background?
However, 3 hours later, and 3 mechanics in--my peace melted off my conscience and onto the pavement outside of Peachtree Food Mart to join the pools of sweat. Nobody could figure out the problem of my Nissan mystery machine.
Questions filled my mind.
"Am I going to get home?" "Will this be the end of my car?" "Can I afford another one?" "Can this be salvaged?""Am I going to get mugged?"
Long story short--the mobile guy discovered the non-fixable problem I had the the car towed and we are still praying about what to do with it. But one thing that did happen was an opportunity to share the gospel when I was at the end of my rope emotionally and physically tired.
One of the mechanics was a friend of the guy I met with. He called him and this man came to help. But he didn't just stay for 20 minutes in the 102 degree temperature, or 1 hour, but for over 3 hours!
At one point I was on the phone juggling calls with AAA, my wife, and another friend who works at a dealership and I looked over at him. There he sat--next to my defunct car--waiting patiently for me to see if I needed his help for anything else. He was an amazing example of compassion and generosity.
I was floored. As I asked him questions I learned that he was born in another country--and had a Christian upbringing--and some interest in church.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed--so after 3 hours in the sun--mostly of us silently starring down at the sea of gray under my hood--I thought it may be a good idea to share the gospel.
We talked about the peace of forgiveness through the death of Jesus--and new life through His resurrection. As I surrendered to the Spirit's desires--I found the words to say and sensed His power. I am convicted that it has been a while since I've stepped out in faith at an open door.
It was a great reminder not only that God uses inconveniences as open doors--but more than that for me. This reminded me that He will see to it that His message of reconciliation be shared with all people--and even when we're not actively going into the world--He will bring the world to us.
1.I love your joy. Your smile and your laugh is contagious—and you suffer from the same thing your Daddy does—the ability to smile at the most inappropriate times.
2.I love your mind. The way you can enter a whole world through your imagination. You love to pretend—and we love to watch you pretend (and spray the sound effects all over the living room).
3.I love your personality. You enjoy taking the smallest and most random part of a toy and focusing all your energy and enthusiasm on it for hours. Very strange—but very cool.
4.I love that you sing. I love hearing songs come out of you when your playing—and hearing you ask for music when we’re driving.
5.I love that you are mine and I get to enjoy you every day. I will never stop loving you Joel.
If you haven't already planned something for Halloween think about this weekend as an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and serve your community by resisting the isolationism of suburbia.