2013

Three days into 2013 and I'm excited, expectant, and grateful for where God has led me and for where He is going to lead me. For many of you, the last year was a time of joy or pain. We all have different experiences, different memories, and different emotions that went along with 2012. They have shaped or molded us into the person we are right now. Pastor Channock Banet said it perfectly this past weekend at Cornerstone Church. As he was recapping 2012, with the joys and pains that went along with it, he said, "Let's not let the memorial of 2012 become a monument that we camp under." That's a pretty awesome statement, yet a serious warning! Regardless of what you experienced this past year, it can keep you from growing and enjoying what God has for you right now. Whether it was a great year or the worst year of your life, you have a choice. You can either set up shop in the joyful or painful memories of 2012, living captive to moments; or you can take whatever circumstances you experienced and use them as motivation or momentum to carry out what God wants to do in and through you this year!

With God's amazing grace and love, we are capable of making a huge impact for the Gospel. God's grace covers you but it then produces faith. Faith requires responsibility and your responsibility is to live like Jesus lived (1 John 2:6). Not under shame or the feeling that you have to earn God's grace through obedience. But under the realization that God is in fact proud of you, loves you, and can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). When your focus is Jesus, sin is diminished. As a pastor once said, "I want to be known as someone who walks out of the Bible, not out of the Bible belt." 2013 is going to be a year of breakthrough and Jesus is going to get all the glory.

The Critic!

The longer I'm in ministry, the more aware I have become of critics. Critics in church, outside of church, in business, in politics, in life, online, in person, etc etc. People who have ideas on how to do "ministry" or life better, so they think. Things that we do that we shouldn't. Things we don't do that we should. Things that may or may not have been said. People having advice that may or may not be productive or necessary. People being offended. People that hate Christians...the list goes on. This occurs in every ministry, business, or area of life. Everywhere you turn, there is a critic.

As I've talked to Pastor's about the criticism they've received or have noticed how they've reacted to criticism, I find a common denominator. It doesn't matter that there are 100 people encouraging you for helping them in their relationship with God. It always seems to be that one person that offers their criticism that discourages you or plants the seed of doubt, anger, or frustration in your soul. It's hard to ignore because that one person can easily rattle your brain. You want to defend yourself or feel like you have a great response for your critic. So you respond, maybe even appropriately. But the fact remains. They are a critic. They always will be a critic, whether they know you personally or not.

Here's the facts. If you are doing any kind of ministry, in the church world or not; if you are doing any kind of good deed for someone else, there is always going to be some kind of criticism. Why you may ask? It's because we live in a fallen world with imperfect people. Satan hates what you are doing. My dad use to always say, "If you don't have any opposition in any form, you probably aren't doing Kingdom work." That is because we have a very real opponent who will do whatever he can to discourage or distract you from doing what God has called you to do. Gene Edwards puts it this way, "There is no kingdom without discord. Even God had his critics in heaven, you know." Wow! We forget that Satan is a constant gnat; a fallen angel. He is your biggest critic and he will work through anyone at any time, even the closest people around you. Remember, we are in a spiritual battle, not a flesh and blood battle. The opposition knows you better than you know yourself. With that in mind, keep plowing fields. Keep focusing on Jesus. Keep praising God because the critics never stop!

Angel Of Light

Last night I taught my students on the subject of being fearless. Satan's goal is to destroy us but he doesn't want us to realize our power in Christ. When it comes to spiritual warfare, especially for teenagers, it's easy to put the devil into one of two categories. We either fear him and put an emphasis on his 'power' or we completely ignore the existence of his reality.

Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the full armor of God. What that really means is knowing and memorizing Scripture. But have you ever noticed the 'armor' described in this passage? It protects the 'soldier' from head to toe but it only covers the front. It leaves the 'soldiers' back completely exposed. In war, this was the case to discourage any warrior from fleeing the battle. If one fled, they most likely would be killed because nothing protected their backside. Armor was meant to face your opponent head on! The same is true in Christianity. God gives us the power of His Word and when we put it to heart we can stand our ground, standing firm in the Lord, facing Satan head on! The moment we turn and flee in fear is the moment he defeats us. Be encouraged, God has given you the ability to face your opponent head on. Stand firm! Isaiah 7:9 says, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all!"

In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Satan is called the angel of light. That is a crazy thought. Satan literally will disguise himself as an angel of light. His lies won't always seem like lies because they sound good, tolerant, and politically correct but just because they sound nice, doesn't make them true. Lecrae says it this way, "A wolf is no less a wolf because he's dressed in sheepskin and the devil is no less the devil because he's dressed as an angel."

But here's how you see right through Satan. Knowing Scripture! Are you the type of person who believes everything you hear because it sounds good? Or do you seek and memorize what the Bible actually says? When you let the Word of God manifest in your heart, it changes the way you view life. It changes the way you view people. It changes the way you view Satan!

All Have Sinned

If there is a message that I want to get out more than anything else, it would be a message of grace through the love of Jesus Christ. I believe that there are many people today who don't fully understand the amazing reality of grace. They feel condemned, unworthy, and lost. They are overpowered by guilt, discouragement, and shame. It doesn't help that all people, including Christians, are hypocrites to some degree. No one has their life together but we all like to front like we do. Maybe if we look happy, dress well, and speak Christianese, no one will ask us the tough questions and everyone will assume we are the 'perfect Christian or family'. I don't know why we like to fool each other, even in our walks with Christ. The more open you are about your brokenness, the more useful you are for the Kingdom of God. Remember, it is impossible to reach broken people if you yourself have not been broken.

When you hear of the Romans Road way of evangelism the first verse that comes to mind is Romans 3:23. I would assume that all Christians know this verse. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This is true. Most people believe that 'Christians' are supposed to be perfect and therefore are just a bunch of hypocrites. But that's the problem, no one is perfect. That is why we need Jesus, daily. See, we all know Romans 3:23 but I'd be curious to know how many of us know Romans 3:24? I think it is wrong to quote 3:23 without quoting 3:24! Verse 23 says again, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Verse 24 continues that thought and says, "AND ALL are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Pretty much we all suck, Christians included. But we all have grace given to us freely because of what Jesus did. And without knowing Jesus, it is impossible to know grace...it is impossible to be free!

Tullian Tchividjian explains grace this way, "The operation of God's grace on our behalf doesn't imply any lessening of his demands. God has always and will always demand perfect obedience. But his grace is experienced when we realize that those demands for perfection for each of us have already been met by our Savior, Jesus. Jesus fulfilled all of God's conditions on our behalf. Christianity is the only faith system where God BOTH makes the demands AND meets them." Wow. Take a moment to marinate in that. The point is, it's all about grace. Our obedience should not be a result of fear or guilt rather, we obey from the secure basis of grace. Your obedience then becomes the natural overflow of your love for Christ.

Thankful

In a year that has been the most crazy and inconsistent for me, I have a lot to be thankful for. First perspective, I'm alive and healthy. I have supportive and loving parents, who I miss greatly, but I'm thankful for the time we get to have together. Each year my brothers leave a bigger impact on my life and I'm thankful for the kind of men they are.

However, this blog post I want to focus on where God has me right now. I can honestly say for the first time in 2 years that I am content with where God has me. I'm not wondering about what's going to happen next in my life or where God is going to lead me or how this season is going to set me up for the next great adventure. God has truly blessed me by putting some incredible people in my life. I am blown away by the generosity, the genuine love, and the amount of fun I am having doing ministry with the people of Cornerstone Church. I'm excited for what God is going to do in and through us this year. I'm excited for the people who are going to hear Jesus. I'm excited for the people who are going to be blessed through our generosity. I'm excited to see a small church in southern Indiana blow up the nations for the Gospel of Christ. I'm thankful and expectant. I'm ready, are you?

On Our Face

The book of Ezekiel has been rocking me lately. As I shared last week about the impossible mission he was given, I find many lessons that we can learn. It is also encouraging to note that he went through many of the emotional roller-coasters that we go through today. This post however is about a moment he had in the presence of the Lord. In the first chapter, verses 26-28, we see this encounter. I hope it challenges you as much as it did me. It says, "Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I (Ezekiel) saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."

First things first, God sits on a throne. This is a throne of glory, a throne of grace, a throne of triumph, a throne of government, and a throne of judgment. He is King, Holy, and Sovereign! He reigns over all. All while sitting. God is not standing, pacing, or worrying about the mistakes going on in mankind. He is sitting, in charge, reigning with His feet up on the ottoman (Hebrews 1:13). In this picture from Ezekiel, the Lord is surrounded by a rainbow, which is the symbol of His covenant, representing God's mercy and love to His people. We need to stop thinking that God is upset at us. He is a good God, a loving God, and deeply cares about you. His mercy and grace covers you at all times. There is nothing you can do that can separate that (Romans 8)! Maybe you need to just dwell on that this morning...

But what I want to focus on today is this...What Ezekiel the prophet of God saw was only to prepare him for what he was to hear! It was only when he fell on his face that he heard the voice of God. God delights in teaching those who humble themselves before Him. When was the last time you fell on your face in worship? In praise? In prayer? Or in love over the simple fact that He shed His blood for you?

When Discouragement Hits The Fan

Discouragement is something that I believe everyone battles, especially believers. I have pointed out before that the devil works in four ways. Through pride, fear, shame, and discouragement. There is nothing that will satisfy the devil more than when we face discouragement. If we let it, it will affect our walk with God, our ministry, our friendships, our families, and the way we evangelize. When you get down in the dumps, it's easy to not want to do anything that will impact anyone for the Gospel of Christ. This is the place where the devil wants us most! Ineffective for the Kingdom of God because we are disappointed about something or our expectations were not met. We then walk around feeling sorry for ourselves as if we have the power to 'save' anyone anyways. News Flash: the only way someone finds Jesus is if Jesus softens their heart to hearing His message. Our only responsibility is to live like we know Jesus and preach His good news of the Cross. That's it! Everything else will fall into place. Sometimes we just need to realize that we are not the heros; we are only the messengers. Simply mail-men constantly being chased and harassed by the devils dogs. Discouragement is common, but sometimes you just need to kick it in the teeth and remind yourself that you are a child of the King!

I have been studying Ezekiel lately and the Lord has given me a new perspective and appreciation for the ministry that many of us get to be apart of now. In the first 3 chapters God told Ezekiel to go back to the Israelites and preach His Word because they were acting rebellious. He warned Ezekiel to not rebel like them or be afraid but to stand firm and continue to preach whether they listen or not. God then tells him, by the way, the people of Israel will not listen to you for they are hardened and obstinate.  At the end of chapter 2 after he had received the mission from the Lord, it says that Ezekiel went in bitterness and in the anger of his spirit; he sat near the Kebar River for 7 days deeply distressed and overwhelmed! 

Imagine being given that ministry job. God tells Ezekiel to go and preach boldly but he won't see anyone convert, no repentance, no heart change...nothing. Ezekiel is not going to see anything positive. You don't blame him for getting bitter and angry. You understand the discouragement he must have faced. Of course he is going to be overwhelmed and distressed. He's literally doing mission impossible. But that's not the point. God told him to go and he obeyed!

We don't save anyone. Our only mission is to be obedient to God. I thank God that I actually get to see the fruit of His Word. Maybe you are in a season in your church where it seems like nothing is progressing. The fact is, your situation isn't as bad as it seems. You will see life change in the name of Jesus. Are you willing to obey Him? Are you willing to keep going, keep living, keep preaching the name of Jesus? If so, you've already won because Jesus has already won!