In the Right Place

When I share with others some of my life experiences, people often ask me, "What are you doing in Delaware?" Believe it or not, there was once an old country song written where the singer asks himself that very question. The fact is, many of us dream about being somewhere else. Those dreams are often fueled by a lack of excitement and passion in our lives. Maybe we think "If I could just be in (fill in the blank), life we be so much better". We somehow believe that the burdens and stresses of life that weigh us down would just disappear in we changed our address.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17 that through one man God made every nation that we should inhabit the whole earth and he determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us (v.26-27). This passage reminds us that God determines the time we have here on earth. It suggests there is action and effort required to finding our way; along with some uncertainty as to the outcome. It also suggests that some will try to find God on their own terms and not be successful. But what it also says is that God is very near to us and not hard to find if we truly seek Him and not our own personal agendas. He is always present--in places of beauty and splendor, in the harshest slums, even in Newark, Delaware!

We forfeit so much peace and purpose in our lives when we focus on where we wish we were rather than rejoicing in where God has placed us to impact His Kingdom. Take a few moment and think about the blessings in your life that wouldn't be possible if you weren't exactly in the place you are right now. Mine are too numerous to mention here. Now take inventory of the difficulties and struggles that you are facing; especially those that are the result of your current location, and lift them up to the One who wants us to seek and find him.

You Must Do This

Every one of us has things we must do. Our lists are often extensive, sometimes exhausting, occasionally frustrating and too often unpleasant. These never ending to-do lists often drive us to seek relief in any way possible and can certainly set us up for failure and unplanned consequences. The last thing we often want is one more thing to do.

There is however a "one more thing" that is absolutely critical for all believers in the person of Jesus Christ. Yet unlike our dreaded to-do list, this one more thing will actually bring us freedom like nothing else we can do. This one more thing is called forgiveness. Forgiveness is God's key to freedom. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you already know the freedom from having to pay the penalty for your sins. But that's just the beginning of what forgiveness does for us.

Forgiving others, even when they don't deserve it, frees us from the bondage of bitterness. Charles Stanley once said that bitterness is a poison we concoct for someone else and wind up drinking ourselves. Is it any wonder that when Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive his brother up to seven times, he responded that he should forgive seven times seventy (Matthew 18:21-22)? From the cross, Our Savior interceded on behalf of those who were scorning and mocking him by praying "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). To those who have wronged us, we must do exactly the same.

I can speak from personal experience as to the power of forgiving others; especially to those who did nothing to try and reconcile. They don't deserve forgiveness just like I don't deserve to be forgiven for my sins. But Jesus did it anyway. We are never more like Him than when we extend mercy and grace to others. To the undeserving. Just like us. You must do this.

What I Want

Take a few minutes sometime and listen to what people say in normal, casual conversation. You likely won't have to wait long before an unfulfilled desire gets mentioned. It could be going on vacation, a new electronic gadget, a new clothing or jewelry item, a new toy (kids and adults apply here!), a new car and the list goes on. Face it, we all have things we want--most of which we probably don't really need--but we want it anyway.

Not all of our wants fall into the category of sin, but the desire to have things we aren't supposed to have goes all the way back to the original sin in the Garden. God commanded Adam and Eve to enjoy and eat from every tree in the Garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). We then see that Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Eve and both she and Adam ate from the forbidden tree (3:1-6). The enemy challenged the validity of God's command (v.1), he replaced God truth with his own lie (v.4), he made Eve believe that God was withholding something great from her (v.5) and he made the forbidden tree seem more appealing than the multitude of trees God provided (v.6). Yes, the enemy's schemes haven't changed much, have they?

The fall of man and the introduction of sin into God's prefect creation came as the result of man's desiring something they were forbidden to have. And just as the devastation of the original sin has plagued mankind for thousands of years, our misguided desires, our "what I wants", have the same potential to wreak havoc in our lives. The moment we begin to believe the enemy's lie that our Heavenly Father is withholding his best from us, that He doesn't want us to have things we really want and that his cheap substitute is better than God's provision is the moment we slide down a slippery slope.

We must remain sober and vigilant because our enemy is prowling and seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Don't let it be you! Stay grounded in God's Word and remind yourself daily that God is working all things for your good (Romans 8:28) and that Jesus himself is our advocate to the Father (1 John 2:1). Make sure the "what I wants" in your life are in harmony with what the Lord wants for you as well.

For I Am Sure

The world is certainly filled with uncertainty. Much of the anxiety and stress that we suffer comes from our inability to control situations, influence outcomes and confidently see the future. We take great pleasure in those rare occasions when we actually can be sure of how something will turn out. Let's face it, we'd all like a little confidence booster every now and then.

Notice the pure confidence and certainty in the words of the Apostle Paul when he speaks of the future that awaits him--the same future that awaits all who claim the blood of Christ--For I am sure that neither life nor death, nor angles nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Never in the history of mankind has a more confident and secure statement ever been made.

Life events, physical death, spiritual beings, people in power, current and future circumstances all have the power to alter our lives. Yet none of them has the power to alter our eternal destiny. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is able to defeat the power of God's love which adopts us into his family. Forever.

It is no surprise that Paul claimed to boast in nothing but the power of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:17, Galatians 6:14). His confidence; the confidence that says For I am sure, is the same confidence that we as God's men can take with us each and every day in our spiritual walk as we seek to serve Him and follow his will.

Intentional Relational Discipleship

Men's Night 2819 last Friday was a great night for the men of Ogletown and their friends. We had a great dinner and time of fellowship. Then we had a time of praise and worship; along with speakers who focused on the importance of discipleship. Intentional relational discipleship.

I shared with our men that Jesus gave a simple call--come and follow (Matthew 4:19) to the men He chose to be his disciples. These men responded without hesitation and followed him and were with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry. Then Jesus gave his final command, found in Matthew 28:19, for his disciples to go and make disciples. Another simple instruction that we don't need to complicate. Al Demers later shared with us the need to be persistent in reaching out to disciple others. He shared that in order for us to disciple others, we need to be disciples--followers of Jesus Christ--who love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). Pastor Curtis closed the evening by challenging each of us to reach out and get together with another man with the purpose of building a discipling relationship.

Everything we shared at Men's Night was geared to this idea of intentional relational discipleship. Jesus had a purpose in calling his disciples--he was intentional. He lived life with them--he was relational. He taught them and poured into their lives to help them grow in godly wisdom and character--he discipled them. Jesus is still calling his men to do the exact same thing today. Come and follow Him. Go and make disciples who will also follow him. Are you ready?

The One Anothers

I am positively thrilled that our church is putting specific focus on discipleship. Not because discipleship was lacking or non-existent, but rather it is a reflection of how the early New Testament church grew and flourished. Just as God created us for relationship, our Savior built his church through the caring relationships of fellow believers. Our upcoming Men's Night worship event (this Friday night, 6 p.m. at OEX) is going to focus on discipleship---why is it so important and vital to the spiritual growth of every believer.

The apostle Paul, arguably the greatest disciple maker in Scripture, identified a variety of keys to what Pastor Curtis calls intentional, relational discipleship. Throughout his letters and others in the New Testament, you'll find many "One Anothers". Twenty-three to be exact. Here's a sampling: love one another (John 15:12, Romans 12:10), welcome one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25), teach one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), motivate one another (Hebrews 10:24), bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2), confess your sins to one another (James 5:16) and have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).

What the one anothers clearly show us is that discipleship is all about building relationships. It's all about strengthening others in the body of Christ. It's all about taking action and doing things beyond ourselves. It's all about demonstrating a willingness to come and follow Jesus and then to go and make others who will also come and follow Him.

Jesus himself tells us the key qualifier to be a disciple of Him: By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). The one anothers can't happen without a love that comes from the Father and is then manifested through his people. Love for one another. Love that comes from the One who is love (1 John 4:7). Love that comes from an overflow of the love the Father pours out on us. For one another.