The Dilemma of Relationships vs. Geography

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.   PSALM 24:1-2

When we believe this to be true, why is it that we still impose human territories on what belongs to the Lord?  

There are a variety of ways to create boundaries between what is the Lord's and how we identify what is ours...

Countries - States - Counties - Parishes - Zip Codes

Personal Possessions - Businesses - Government

As a mission developer in a metropolitan area, I am watching a dilemma unfold... 

We're in a generation where people travel long distances from the places they live to where they work, play and worship.  The challenge often is that the great majority of a person's relationships are not near the church where they worship, sometimes traveling more than 10, 20, 30, and sometimes 60 minutes!  

History has shown that the best way to reach new people is to plant new churches, but... 

What does that say to the established churches?  How can we begin to reconcile the framework of geographical boundaries that fit the patterns and lifestyles of former generations?  Generations before were not as mobile as we are today.  

 Foremost, stay focused on the most important matter -  eternity! 

As followers of Jesus, we must be constantly reminded that the division of territory
is not based in possessions or geographical boundary, but in spiritual kingdoms.  

Paul reminds us:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  

EPHESIANS 6:12

Congregations and the members in them are in the midst of this dilemma.

Where is our mission field?  

Around the church building? 

 In the neighborhoods where people live?  

In the places where people work?  

In the groups where people play and volunteer?
How much do I invest if they won't come to my church?

As followers of Jesus, 

we are called to sow seeds of faith
into the lives of people, wherever they are

and trust the Lord to bring the harvest,
knowing that HE will connect them to a community of faith
where they can grow and become seed planters in His kingdom.

When the nurturing of faith comes through a genuine caring relationship,
it is most likely that a person will want to be where you are.

I hear the words of St. Paul coming through loud and clear as I write this morning.  I can imagine that he is hot, delivering these words with every bit of conviction and passion that one senses in his writing:

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.  For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  1 CORINTHIANS 3:4-11

Our role is to each be about our assigned tasks and 

give ALL the glory to the Lord for any harvest that is reaped.  

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  1 CHRONICLES 29:11 

Jump in and share your thoughts! 

Moved to Compassion

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan today, I  am struck by the motivation of the Samaritan, and wonder...

What moves someone beyond fear, indifference, or judgment...  to compassion?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  LUKE 10:25-37 




Compassion is a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Compassion seems to suggest that someone can relate to the distress of another to such a degree that their motivation to help comes from
...having come through a similar situation
...knowing someone first hand who has endured something similar
...having developed an understanding that enables someone to relate to the distress of another

The hard circumstances your life, where the Lord has served
you most significantly, these are what the Lord can use most
powerfully as you serve others in His name.

Burdens shared are cut in half

Joy shared is doubled

We can't always solve another person's burdens, however, when we can authentically identify and relate in compassion, helping where we are able, and being with someone in the midst of it, somehow it becomes more bearable.  

Consider the hard places where the Lord has met you personally...  

Who is He calling you to meet with compassion?

Start Where You Are

Tennis legend Arthur Ashe once said:

"To achieve greatness, 

start where you are, 

use what you have, 

and do what you can."

These are good words when it comes to living in a rhythm of mission, Jesus style.  We're never going to know as much or do it as well as Jesus did, yet living in such a way that others are able to catch glimpses of God's goodness and love is what he calls his children to do.  

Start where you are
The last words that Jesus spoke to his disciples before being taken up to heaven were about beginning their mission without him.  He told them to not leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came, then he said:

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes  on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ACTS 1:8

The disciples walked back to Jerusalem and waited.  Jerusalem was their starting point.  So...wherever you are, that is your starting point!

Use what you have
I am reminded of Gideon (Judges 6), where an angel of the Lord appeared and told Gideon that "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."  The Lord was now calling Gideon to leadership and said:

Go in the strength that you have and save Israel... 

Gideon replied: My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.

The Lord answered, "I will be with you and you...

When doing the work of the Lord, we are never to be working solely in our own strength.  He calls us to use what we have, knowing that He will be with us. 

Do what you can
Do you ever feel inadequate or unprepared to do the work of the Lord?  We're just called to do what we can to show kindness to others in such a way that it opens the door for the message of the Gospel to be shared.  

...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.  

MATTHEW 25:40

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share.

1TIMOTHY 6:18

As the gospel takes root in a person's heart, the hope is that it will have the same transforming effect so that they too will be people who are able to:

Start where you are - - Use what you have - - Do what you can

Faith is a Matter of Trust

Where lies the secret strength of faith?

This question was part of my devotional reading for today from "Morning and Evening" by Charles H. Spurgeon.  He goes on to write: 

"It lies in the food it feeds on; for faith studies what the promise is - an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of the great heart of God; and faith says, 'My God could not have given this promise, except from love and grace; therefore it is quite certain his Word will be fulfilled.'  Then faith thinketh, 'Who gave this promise?'  It considers not so much its greatness, as, 'Who is the author of it?'  

In fact, this is the primary work that God has given to people.  

Jesus said: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  JOHN 6:29

...but more than that, it is to believe God.  

 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  ROMANS 4:3 

The ultimate temptation is not to cause us to do wrong,
it is to cause us to disbelieve the Lord and
to cause us to not trust Him.  

The value in knowing the Lord, knowing His Word, knowing His faithfulness throughout all generations, is to believe Him.  This is not merely believing in Him, in the possibility that He will do what He says.  It is BELIEVING Him and knowing that what He has promised will certainly be done in the fullness of time.  

When we look at life from an eternal perspective, we gain a clearer understanding of how the Lord works.  Whenever tempted to think that the Lord is not responding to a particular situation satisfactorily, I try to broaden my view to see what He is working out for eternity.  Just because I cannot "see" what is happening in any particular circumstance, does not mean that He has ceased to be faithful.  My view is so limited!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  HEBREWS 11:1

Hebrews 11 gives examples of many ancients who have been commended for their faith.

Where are you trusting God when you cannot see what He is doing?  

Set Apart for Sacred Use

www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

Over and over again, I return to John 17... my favorite chapter in the Gospels. As Jesus is praying to the Father on that final day, he is very clear about the meaning eternal life.

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  JOHN 17:3

Then he prays for those who will carry his message into all the world.  These words are timeless, spoken about the disciples at that time, and spoken for us at this time who are carrying the message.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.  JOHN 17:17-19

Have you imagined your life as set apart for sacred use?  

This is what Jesus is praying for his disciples then, and now!  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  The instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God.  As we read it, hear it, take it in and apply it...  Jesus goes on to pray:  

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message

JOHN 17:20

God's work of sanctification is not only for us, but for those whose lives we will impact with the grace that God is working in and through us.  The Lord is calling us to bear fruit that will last for eternity!

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other.  John 15:15-17

Take in God's Word every day!

Not only will it be a blessing in your life,

but also in the lives of others you touch with God's love.

A Call for Peer Tutors!

The walk of discipleship could be compared to a Peer Tutor, where one student, who is still in the process of learning, is able to assist another student in gaining the skills for which the Peer Tutor has already become proficient.  

I'm not a trained teacher, however, I've been helping to train adults in Christian churches to reach out to the people around them for many years.  This week, I had an illustration come to mind that I believe applies to address the challenges.

Here's the gap...

One level of learning is being able to answer questions in the multiple choice section.  The question is posed and several possible answers are provided.  The student knows enough to be able to identify and select the correct answer. 

Another level of learning is being able to write an essay on a particular subject.  The text focuses on a topic to inform a reader on ideas, concepts and information in such a way that the topic can be understood.  






Yet another step is for the student to serve as a peer tutor.  The students are all being taught by the same teacher, however the peer tutor has become proficient enough in the material to assist others in gaining a better understanding of what the teacher has already taught.



As a disciple...

• Do you know the information just well enough to provide the multiple choice answer?
• Have you formulated your understanding in such a way that you could provide a compelling essay that would help someone else understand the precious gift that the Lord Himself wants every person to receive?
• Are you proficient enough in some areas as a disciple of Jesus where you could become a peer tutor and spend some time with others so that they receive and grow in the gifts that they Lord has for them?

Mission, Jesus style calls for everyone who has been taught by
the Master Teacher, Jesus, to be His disciple (a peer tutor).

• A disciple makes continual progress in their own learning 
• A disciple seeks to become as proficient as their teacher
• A disciple is then asked to become a peer tutor for other disciples 
• Jesus' disciples always point people to their teacher

After the resurrection, the Scripture reads:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  MATTHEW 28:16-20

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  JOHN 8:31

My prayer is that you are one who is worshiping,

holding to Jesus' teaching and making disciples.

Become a Peer Tutor for others!

The Story of the Orange

An orange is a delicious citrus fruit.  When ripe, the outside and the inside are a beautiful color that is appealing to the eye.  

Regardless of the way you explore and examine the orange, it is always an orange!  To look at the skin, it looks like an orange!



Peeled and left whole, it is still an orange.


Even sliced open, exposing the flesh inside, it's still an orange.

And especially when squeezed,
what comes out is consistently orange juice!

It's an orange through and through!

In "The Celtic Way of Evangelism" George Hunter III states:
"They reached one "barbarian" population after another by welcoming seekers, who were looking for "the authentic sign," into the close fellowship of their monastic communities, where seekers closely observed how the Christians lived, day after day. As seekers spent time with a Celtic Christian community, they typically found themselves believing what the Christians taught. Indeed, the Celtic Christians undoubtedly discovered the presence of seekers observing them for for "the authentic sign" provided an additional incentive for living faithful lives."  

As a follower of Jesus who wants people to know Him, what do they see in me?  

How will they know that I am authentic?  

Do the insides match what's visible outside?

When a person is squeezed, whatever is truly inside comes gushing out!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.  JAMES 1:22-25

God's desire is for his love to permeate us through and through.  It blesses the one who receives it SO THAT they can also bless others in such a way that they can receive it too! 

Hunter proposes that people's inquiries about Christianity often take one of the three specific forms:

1. Some people wonder whether Christians really believe what they say
2. Some people do not doubt the Christians believe it,; they wonder whether we live by it
3. Some people do not doubt either - they wonder whether it makes much difference.

People are looking at how followers of Jesus
embody what we profess to believe  

When a person is growing in the ways of God, and embodying His likeness with increasing measure, it becomes incredibly compelling to the people around them that God is who He says He is.  The teachers of the law were always trying to catch Jesus with his words.  On one occasion they came to him and said:
Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Mark 12:14  

Instead of finding accusations against him, they were amazed.   

Paul writes: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

My prayer is that when people look at the followers of Jesus,
this is what they find!