What's Your Vision

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Do you have a vision?  

What are you passionate about?  

What is your all-consuming desire?

What do “feel” deep in your heart that God has called and gifted you to do?

(Yes, when your vision is truly of God, you will “feel” it.")

Habakkuk 2:2

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it."

                                                           

Habakkuk 2:3 

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,  It will not tarry."

..... “it will surely come.”  

God will not only reveal our destiny, if we are listening and obeying Him, but God will also open doors, provide resources and give you opportunities to fulfill your vision.  Actually, as our Pastor reminded us this morning, God doesn't really open doors.....He "is" The Door.  (John 10:9)  Once God gets your attention and you “find” your God-given purpose, understand that you will not always get things right.  But, when we are in line with Christ, He has already given us the power to overcome obstacles. Isn't this encouraging?  Should you ever find yourself off track, make the corrections, redirect and get back on the track and “follow it”.

                                                            

Philippians 3:13-14

The above scripture in Habakkuk 2:2 said to "write the vision and make it plain….that he may run who reads it.” 

Run?   Yes – this means to take decisive action.  Write the vision and understand it, then make an action plan.

Did you write your vision down? 

Are you reading and re-reading it on a every day?

When you wrote down your vision, did you indicate the reason you wanted to "fulfill" it?  

Talk about your vision often.  Stay in prayer!  God may even add to it and you will notice the momentum being generated. 

                                                       

“Following” your vision requires consistent prayer, reading God’s Word, personal discipline, energy and resources.  Remain focused and avoid distractions. 

Be encouraged! 

Stop listening to voices that discourage you.  Will yielding to the call of God upon your life always be easy?  Absolutely not.  However, it will always be a blessing to others and have eternal rewards.  

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and [finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

John 12:24

" Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

 God is not finished with you!

                            

What’s God’s plan for you?

Continue to Seek Him 

and then Submit to His guidance.

Write the vision in a clear and specific way.

Make a plan to achieve it, then humbly and patiently- wait in faith, "believing" for it to come to pass. 

                                                                                            

Proverbs 29:18  says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish!" Another version says, "When the people have no vision, they run aimlessly!" 

                                          

Life Lessons From A Boat

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Life Lessons From A Boat

We learn many things on a boat - names of various pieces of hardware, how to tie knots, nautical terms etc. We also learn and continue to learn beyond the physical boundaries of the boat.....lessons that flow over to everyday life.
                                                      

Boating teaches us how to deal with unexpected situations and to operate in a constantly changing environment. Learning to confidently and competently handle unknowns on the water makes it easier to handle unexpected changes in our daily lives.
(Sometimes, the unexpected will change your life.)
                                                         

Boating also teaches patience. With boating, your patience is constantly being tested....from poor boat ramp etiquette to frustrating boat repairs and, of course, the discourteous individuals and the "No Wake Zone".  
                                                       

There are certainly many more lessons we have learned and many more to learn. 

But, for now we'll just soak up the sun (or watch a sunset), slow down, meander and float our worries away!
                                                        

Evangelism and Discipleship

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Evangelism and Discipleship

                                                                               

Disclaimer.....No - I'm not being critical.  
But, sharing some disturbing observations......
#1 - Is it just me ........or does it seem that Christians and churches have become a little too focused on "you come" to us instead of "we go"?
#2 - "political correctness" has entered the ranks of the believers.  Christians are backing away from sharing the truth of the gospel for fear they will "offend" others.  Unlike the examples of Jesus on this earth, they aren't getting out, into their local neighborhoods and communities to befriend or mingle with the non-Christian.  "It's more comfortable."
                                                                             

For "my own" personal spiritual growth and maturity, the quest is in full swing for more knowledge and understanding about discipleship as well as encouragement and studies about evangelism.  Discipleship literally means "the state of learning".  
Christian discipleship simply means to follow and learn from Jesus.
Sadly, I am encountering the Christians of today/the Church seemingly to preoccupied with their own "needs" and desires rather than reaching outside of their homes or brick and mortar buildings (their comfort zones) to reach the lost souls as was commanded by Jesus.  Whether "The Great Commission" existed or not, wouldn't the very fact that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us, be enough, that we "wanted" to share this exciting and life changing news with everyone we encountered?  Have we lost our first love?  
Instead, personal activities, meetings and programs fill their calendars, as they become apathetic with no sense of urgency regarding the lostness of humanity without Christ.  
The emphasis appears to be more about connecting with each other or patting each others back for volunteering during Vacation Bible School.  Again, I'm not saying these things are wrong or not needed.  But, the emphasis should be about "going" and "sharing" the Gospel message......as Christ taught us.  He did not say, "When you have time, or when it's convenient".

Let's examine what Jesus has to say.....
First of all, did you know that Jesus commanded us to "make disciples", not "be disciples"?
Nowhere in the Scripture did Jesus tell us to go and make converts.  
Matthew 28:18-20

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Jesus told His disciples to baptize (convert)  AND "teach others" to observe all things that He had commanded.  (The Greek word for "teach" in this passage is the translated "disciple".)  Disciples are followers of Christ.  In other words, Jesus told His disciples to teach their disciples everything that He first taught them.  
I am so thankful that Jesus is thorough!  He goes further and explains what is involved in making disciples: "baptizing them and teaching them".  
When we share the Good News (evangelism is rooted in the Greek word euaggelion, meaning good news) and we ask people to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, we need to "teach" them that this is a total commitment of one's life to the Lord. We need to let them know that they are becoming (a continual progress) a disciple of Jesus. 

What is a disciple?  The standard definition of disciple is someone who adheres to the teachings of another....a follower or a learner.  Applied to Jesus, a disciple is someone who learns from Him - to live like Him in every single way.                           

In the Gospel of John we have a helpful picture of what it's like to be a disciple of Jesus.
Jesus says to His disciples (John 20:21 and John 17:18) "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you".   Jesus's disciples are on a mission.

The Great Commission is an "outward" movement. 

We can not stay in our comfort zones! 

We need to get the focus off of ourselves 

and place it on Christ and others.

So, it makes sense then that "making disciples" involves evangelism.  Again, when Jesus talks about baptizing them, He is talking about conversions.  He's talking about being God's instruments in bringing people from the place of unbelief to surrendering their lives.  It is the beginning of the discipleship process.  Evangelism is the foundation!
The follow-up, is teaching.  It is taking someone who has placed their trust in Jesus and leading them in whole life modeling, how to walk in obedience to all that Jesus commanded, all leading to growth and spiritual maturity....a life-long process.  We do not graduate until we get to Heaven.  


 SUMMARY........

Every Christian should be helping unbelievers become believers by showing them Christ; that is, making a disciple. 

                                                       

Every Christian should be helping other believers grow to more and more maturity; that is, making a disciple. 

Every Christian should be seeking to get help for themselves from other disciples to keep on growing and maturing; that is, our discipleship. 

A disciple of Jesus makes disciples of Jesus. 

If you want to be a God-pleaser, share the gospel. 

You may die doing it, but what an honor to pay such a price!

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Parable Of The Cracked Pot

The Parable Of The Cracked Pot

                                  

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck.  One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked.  The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.  Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.  "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."  "Why?" asked the bearer.  "What are you ashamed of?"  "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.  Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

                                                                         

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.  But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers on on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?  That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.  I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.  For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.  Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of  us has our own unique flaws.  We're all cracked pots.  But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace His table.  In God's great economy, nothing goes to waster.

Do not be afraid or ashamed of your flaws.  Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty.  Know that in our weakness we find strength.

                                                                     

Salt and Light

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Salt and Light

Urgent! - 

We are the light and the salt, and when we lose our ability to shed light and the salt loses its taste!

Actually, Jesus said we become good for nothing, meaning our goodness becomes useless.

Matthew 5:13

Being salt and light is not optional. 

Jesus did not say you can be...or you have the potential to be...He said you are!

Everyone who has trusted Christ for salvation and is born again is the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Jesus did not say you are the honey or sweetener of the world. 

Instead, Christ-like believers may aggravate wounds like salt in a cut; be an irritant.  Why"  Because the world in which we live is decaying and rotting.  It is in need of a preservative! 

In the ancient world, salt has two primary functions. The first was a preservative. Salt was rubbed into meat to slow down decay. 

Preserving food was very important in a society that didn’t have refrigerators. Salt was also used the same way we use it...... to add flavor and zest.

So, yes, we should see ourselves as flavoring agents! 
It is part of our identity. 
Jesus begins Matthew 5:13 with “you” and you alone are the salt of the earth. This is our function and role to society—to preserve and flavor.  Jesus wanted His disciples to give flavor and zest to the world through His teaching; to preserve the truth as He proclaimed it to the world; to make the world thirst for more. He is describing the influence He wants His followers to have in this world.  

**When salt is contaminated it becomes corrosive and poisonous. Contaminated salt cannot even be used for fertilizer on the field, so it has to be thrown on the road. If we allow disobedience, carelessness, discontent, and indifference to rule our lives, we can become contaminated salt and lose our saltiness. 

                                                              

                                     

Thought I'd share this illustration of the salt shaker – "Here we are inside the church (inside the salt shaker). We love each other, support each other, encourage each other, and serve alongside each other. Inside the salt shaker, it’s really salty. If you like salt, there’s no better place than in the salt shaker. As more and more people come, we’ve been filling the salt shaker with more and more salt in here.
As long as the salt is still in the salt shaker, what good is it? What happens to salt that stays in the salt shaker a long time? It gets crusty. We enjoy being cozy with other grains of salt. We enjoy the safety of being in the salt shaker. We can talk and study and read books about the adventures other salt had when they dared to get out of the salt shaker, but as long as we’re comfy in the salt shaker, we’re having no influence on the culture and the community around us and we’re not fulfilling our purpose."

Friends, we are to shake our salt out into our communities!  Our world desperately needs the transforming power that only the Gospel message provides.
For salt to have influence and for light to have effect, both have to be let out. For the body of believers to have its effect, Christians cannot be bottled up in themselves or remain in the four corners of the church, but must be out and about in the community and in the world!
           
                                                                         

The light of the world is only needed if the world is dark, blind, and in need of illumination. Being the light of the world means for Christians, spreading everywhere the light that comes from on high. It means fighting darkness due to evil, often caused by ignorance, prejudice and selfishness. The purpose of light at night is to help you see. That’s why nobody puts a bowl over a light at night; it defeats the purpose. As "light" we are to illuminate, make visible, make a difference.  It is important, however to not that it is not our light, but the reflection of Jesus Christ that people will see in and through us.  

Shining is not optional for light. It is a key feature of light. 

Jesus concludes with “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Verse 16) 

"In Philippians 2:15, the apostle Paul says, "Believers, you are to shine as light in the world". 
The Greek word used here is very similar to the word for the beacon that a lighthouse emits. 
The beacon is bright and unmistakable in its purpose. It warns of danger and directs to safe harbor. 
It provides hope for those who have lost hope. 
Everyday we are surrounded by people in the darkness, separated from the God who loves them. 
God uses His children, like beacons from a lighthouse, to show the way to Him."

A final note.... salt and light are most effective when they do not call attention to themselves. Just as in well seasoned food, the salt is not noticeable, and in a properly lit room, the lamps are not the focus of attention, so a follower of Jesus Christ good deeds do not redound to themselves.......but lead others to glorify God.

                                                                         

"Keep us, O God, from all pettiness.

Let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.

Let us be done with fault-finding

and leave off all self-seeking.

May we put away all pretense

and meet each other face to face,

without self pity and without prejudice.

May we never be hasty in judgment,

and always be generous.

Let us always take time for all things,

and make us to grow calm, serene and gentle.

Teach us to put into action our better impulses,

to be straightforward and unafraid.

Grant that we may realize

that it is the little things of life that create differences,

that in the big things of life,

we are as one.

And, O Lord God,

let us not forget to be kind!"

Amen.

Mary Stewart 

"Written in 1904 as a prayer for the day by Mary Stewart, a high school principal in Longmont, Colorado, and a member of women's clubs of town and country.  "I called it a 'Collect for Club Women' because I felt that women working together, with wide interests in large ends, which was a new thing under the sun and that, perhaps they had need for a special petition and meditation of their own"

I've Learned......

What have you learned this week?

                                                           

I've learned that...
life is like a roll of toilet paper.  The closer it gets to the end,
the faster it goes.

I've learned that...
that no matter how serious and bogged down your life becomes,
everyone - yes, everyone needs a friend or someone with whom they can act silly with.
                                                         

I have also learned that...
the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than myself.

Lastly, I have learned that...
it is those tiny and small daily events/happenings that make life so spectacular and wonderful.