Weeping!

Jeremiah 31: 9        NKJV

⁹ They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters...

I spoke to a dear old Pastor friend yesterday, whose been in ministry for over 50 years. He’s now 78 years old.

Dr. Ralph Rice and his wife Marianna have literally crisscrossed the globe to bring the hope of the Gospel to many.

As expected, Dr. Rice and I talked about many things. Family...the condition of the church...the waywardness of the world.

He still speaks lovingly about a lap top computer our church purchased for him many years ago.

But one thing that not only brought him to tears, brought him to a place of weeping uncontrollably.

I told him about the 25 people who entered the waters of baptism on Sunday, as a display of obedience to Jesus.

Our family have known the Rice’s since our last Sunday morning, at the church we came from when we first traveled to Winneconne.

For over 14 years we have enjoyed a deep friendship and common bond.

He’s the guy I can go to, to confess my many shortcomings in ministry, and yet he still loves me so.

When our conversation came to an end, he prayed for me and my family, like he always does.

He dearly prayed for Debbie, and Jake, Ashley, Carter & Maycn...and the baby on the way...and then he directed his attention to his friend, Benjamin.

As he went to the finish, he prayed for the people of our church, and the testimony of the faithful who entered the water on Sunday.

As he did, he cried like a little boy, but they were not tears of sadness, but they were wonderful crocodile tears of great joy.

I wonder if the church has forgotten to weep with joy? I wonder what makes any of us cry anymore?

Dr. Rice (“Mr. Enthusiasm”) knows, that as time becomes shorter and shorter, events like Sunday’s baptism service, should give us every reason to praise God with our tears...

Parting ways!

Acts 15: 39   NIV

³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.

When we consider people leaving churches to go to another, that sometimes sends out shock waves.

And yet I believe people can have disagreements in the church, without even sinning.

Paul and Barnabas must have had a real donnybrook (a big heated argument)

But they went separate ways, and the Gospel still went out.

Over my course of years of preaching and teaching the Gospel, I have had a few disagreements with folks.

Some I have had without sinning, and yet others I would love a mulligan on.

I’ve literally met scores of people whom I have had wonderful fellowship with over time, that I no longer have relationships with.

Some have gone their separate ways to share the Gospel of love, and others have just gone away angry and upset.

My Dad used to say to me... “Boy, don’t go away mad...just go away!!”

May Dad was a wise man.

On Sunday, our church baptized 25 people. Talk about an exciting time!! Am I boasting? Just in the power of Jesus to overcome.

And even as there’s disagreement in the church sometimes, the Gospel of love and peace still goes out. Most times even in spite of me, I must confess.

The church of Jesus Christ can certainly maintain unity, without there being any bitterness...

Forward Focus!

Luke 9: 62

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Throughout the course of my limited time in ministry, I’ve found that people are often captivated by the past.

The past can be filled with either warm memories, or many memories that we’d just as soon forget.

Since Jesus is coming again, and instead of considering the things of the past, I suspect Jesus would want us to be forward thinkers.

Yet so many people can’t let go of the past.

Jesus was saying that if we focus on the physical things, we’ll be very disappointed.

He even said that if we do that, we’re not even fit for the Kingdom of God.

That sounds like very harsh language, doesn’t it?

And yet I’ve discovered, that I don’t know, what I don’t know.

Jesus wants our forward focus to be on the spiritual things of the age to come.

His Kingdom will have no end, so maybe we should focus on that? Maybe Jesus is worth more, than considering what’s behind?

The physical brings with it visions of grandeur for the moment, but there is no lasting satisfaction.

Are you constantly looking in the rear view mirror?

If you know anything about farming at all, plowing with your head looking backward, well, the result will show up at harvest time.

Have you put your hand to the plow? Then start this new week looking toward the spiritual harvest of the future.

You’ll probably be very disappointed one day, if you don’t...

Care-frontation

Ephesians 4: 15      NKJV

¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ...

The word, “confrontation” brings with it a number of negative emotions.

It may be because of the modern English definition; “oppose, or challenge each other in an angry way” (Miriam Webster Dictionary)

Speaking the right words are important.

A Pastor friends, Mom, uses a nicer, softer word, for confrontation: “CARE-FRONTATION”

What’s the goal in CARE-FRONTATION? That the two might become more mature in their faith walk with Jesus.

“GROW UP!!” - Maybe that’s why we’re supposed to speak the truth in love?

Many years ago, my wife Debbie had a very dear friend and co-worker, who had a problem.

She knew this person had a severe drinking problem, and when they called to talk to her on the phone, she asked the right questions...and spoke the right words.

“Where are you now?” “Are you driving?” “Have you been drinking?”

They answered all of her questions, and also affirmed her worst fears.

This person was driving near a local elementary school during the time children were just getting out.

The most... “CARE-FRONTING” thing she could do, was call the police...and she did.

Later, this person thanked Debbie for... “care-fronting” as much as she did. This person has been sober now for over 31 years.

Speaking the truth in love, benefits all kinds of people....the speaker...the listener...and in this case...the innocent school children too...

Confrontation

Matthew 18: 15      NKJV

¹⁵ “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

Jesus presented a pattern for confronting those who have fallen into blatant sin.

I’m not sure this is the step we should take if someone forgets to genuflect when they come into church.

Our church in the last 24 months, have learned that confrontation isn’t a bad thing, although there still are some moderate skeptics.

Most would rather go to the dentist, than confront anyone who has fallen into sin.

So if you saw someone sprinkling Decon on their Cornflakes, would you warn them?

Would there be any sense of urgency on your part to open your mouth?

Or would you like so many in the church, pat them on the back while the poison went down the hatch?

Sadly, that’s where most people are when they consider confronting a brother or sister in Christ who has fallen.

The modern day evangelist, “Ray Comfort”, says this:

“Friendship evangelism never warns people of any pending danger...”

So friends never allow friends or family to go to Hell? What if a person’s sin unchecked, leads that person to such a place?

How would you feel if you had the chance to personally see that person’s eternal outcome?

“I don’t want to ruffle any feathers...I mean, it’s almost Christmas...right?!?”

Are you the type of person that puts off, what you know you must do?

If Jesus put these words in the Bible, then it must have been for very good reason...

Be Wise!

Proverbs 1: 5

⁵ A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels...

Throughout the course of the summer, a number of people from our church went through a revealing sort of experience.

We willfully submitted (most of us were willing J) to giving up total control by being blindfolded.

The general pretense was to consider what it would be like to hear the voice of God, and to be directed by it.

Following the experience...one of a few revelations were discovered;

1 1)    That many people do not hear the voice of God, and don’t give up control to God...

2 2) That people don’t take direction from God on a regular basis...

3 3) That the voice they may be hearing, isn’t God’s voice at all...

4 4)    Or that the experiment had no lasting impact...

I have to admit, I’m still struck by what I miss when I’m trying to do things in my own power.

If you’ve went through the experiment, has the luster faded away by now? Did it have any impact? Was there a good reason why you didn’t participate?

Why is listening to God’s voice such an important skill set in the life of a follower of Jesus?

It helps us mature...it helps us keep on the straight and narrow...it leads us to good decisions...it gives opportunity to gain excellent things.

Listening to God’s voice shows that we are a respecter of His holiness and deep wisdom.

Maybe there are some things in this world that we listen too much to...rather than that still, small, powerful voice of God...

Grudge holder

Proverbs 19: 11

¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

The quote of the day in the news cycle this morning is this; “It takes more than few hours, to cover up a year’s worth of insults!”

That may be true in our world, but not in God’s...and no...I am not trying to politicize a spiritual problem.

One of the persistent problems in the church today, is the problem of holding onto grudges.

Holding onto an offense, is in direct contradiction to the holy scriptures.

I have people when I see them even today, who would rather run me over, than offer a half hearted welcome.

I have decided that they have a huge problem, but I can’t be too prideful to consider that the same bug might bite me.

If we are willing to carry an offense, it means that we have not understood forgiveness.

A person that is totally unloving and unforgiving by nature, they’re salvation should be strongly questioned.

Bearing a bad spirit leads people to all sorts of dark places.

Holding on to those dark places, will bring a spirit of disunity to a church.

For the benefit of the church, that person should strongly consider moving on, or fall to their knees in repentance.

The closeness in a family or in a church can be severely compromised, with this sort of jesting going on.

If you saw this spirit being manifested in your church, would you have the wherewithal to address it?

Let’s be safe to say, there’s no room for bitterness in the life of a follower of Jesus.

An ill willed feeling will keep people from worship, and if left uncorrected, it will lead the person back to whom that spirit comes from in the first place.

Bad blood in the sanctuary, keeps the power of the blood of Jesus, totally at bay...