Mad About What?

John Stott says “There is great need in the contemporary world for more Christian anger. We human beings compromise with sin in a way in which God never does . . . If God hates sin, His people should hate it too.” But as Christians, do we want to represent a loving yet just God with a scowl on our face and a clenched fist? Hardly! Our non-Christian culture sees enough of that as it is.

But do you hate what God hates? I mean, truly hate it? Not simply disapprove or dislike it. Then, that’s ok. Sin and evil and immorality and human cruelty ought to arouse our deepest anger. Hardness of heart ranks somewhere in there too. Several bible references are about that. But we need to remember the real source of our disdain, the ultimate object of our anger and hatred must be sin and the power it has to destroy the hearts that God yearns to liberate . . . . . and then occupy.

So, as we see the handiwork of our crafty enemy, look beyond the flesh and blood, the “skin.”

Ask Jesus to loan you His eyes of compassion that you might see how completely sin will ravage. And then get angry. We must strive in our anger to communicate in a way that says “You were made for so much more than this.”

Mark Carlson

If

If the pages of your bible were blank, how much difference would that have made to you today? Last week? This year?

Mark Carlson

Do Dis’ – Don’t Do Dat’

Got nailed again by my morning devotional reading. (Much credit here to Sarah Young with her rich devotional, Jesus Calling)  I claim no original thought here. I just regrettably identify with what Ms. Young is saying. The gist of it is, every day has its challenges and expectations. Some days more than others. So each day has the potential to be a training opportunity to learn to rely on God – from the start.

How do I cope with what lies ahead, especially if I know in advance what the main challenge is? I tend to mentally rehearse how I will handle it, explore the possible options and reactions, and craft my plan. Get it? How I will handle it (I’d underline the “I” if I thought you could see it.) I construct the situation as I see it and plan my response to it. Again, my response to it and how I see it. The scenario becomes mine instead of God’s.

Here I go again, relying on my resources, “wisdom” and experience to “work it out” instead of taking the situation moment by moment and relying on God’s Spirit to usher me through to His satisfaction. My mind is not fixed on His presence, but fixed on the situation. The result is independence, not dependence. I cringe when I realize I do dat’.  And I don’t know what to do a lot of the time – things are seldom as simple as they seem at face value.

God, teach me to wait for you to open the way before me and to trust that You know what You are doing. You’ve only told me to do dis’ 1,000 times in a 1,000 different ways. Reader, make me feel better. Tell me you do dat’ too.

Mark Carlson

3 – OPEN Prayer

Let me encourage you to consider praying daily what in a recent Decision magazine Ron Hutchcraft calls the “3 – Open Prayer”. See if God doesn’t use this to make a difference in your life and in others. Praying first Lord, OPEN a door. Show me a natural opportunity to talk to someone about the work of God in my life or how some circumstance has a spiritual parallel that is appropriate. Second, Lord, OPEN their heart – prepare that person for what I might share. And also open my heart and mind as to what you would like to say through me. Finally, Lord, OPEN my mouth. Then rely on Him, with no second guessing or fears, to do for you what He did for Moses as He gave Moses the words to speak.

Remember, you don’t have to talk anybody into giving their heart to Christ. You can’t! That’s totally God’s job. Your job, as the “glove” God’s hand will work through, is to give them the invitation to meet God by explaining what Jesus did on the cross for you . . and for them. God will take it from there. Relax.

Mark Carlson

No Spin Zone

Few people trust anyone these days. And for good reason. Either direct relationships or an indirect one (or more) has caused us hurt by lies, betrayal, or perhaps shattered expectations. Some of these hurts can leave us scarred for life, making it hard work to ever fully trust again. We become doubtful, suspect, even fearful – and with some justification.

The more intimate the relationship, the greater the need for trust. And the hurt goes deeper and lasts longer when these same relationships disappoint. It’s true, maybe we can’t fully compensate for the hurts others cause through their breach of trust. But as Christians, we can, we must be that safe haven, that truthful and trustworthy community. God expects us to be that to each other, as well as extending our arms to those who are bruised and outside the community of faith. We can be that relational “lighthouse” that draws others into safe waters.

We are told to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24)  Let’s also put on truth as Paul prescribed in Eph. 4:25. We’re flawed. That’s for sure. Imperfect .  . . without a doubt. But even so, we must be a people that others can trust. Where else is there to go? Are you really trustworthy?

Mark Carlson

Enter into Intimacy

God loves us and has so much more for each of us than we are currently experiencing.  In fact the Bible says that no eye has seen or ear heard or mind imagined all that God has for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Now, we might be tempted to think that this Scripture mainly refers to what’s in store for us in heaven, and certainly there is a final fulfillment of that promise there.  But the passage in 1 Corinthians 2 continues with Paul’s words, “but He [God] has revealed it to us by His Spirit.”

That means God can’t wait till heaven to bless our socks off.  He wants to do it now!

Last Sunday in the sermon we looked at four levels of intimacy or closeness to God.  The more we draw near to Him, the more He will draw near to us.  And the closer God comes, the more of those incredible 1 Corinthians 2:9 blessings we’ll experience!  But as God draws near to us, He always has work to do in us (some of which can be painful) so that we come to Him with clean hands and a pure heart.  As we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up (James 4:8-10).

So what level of intimacy do you find yourself with God today?  Are you keeping your distance from God out of fear (first level)?  Did you have some kind of childhood or youth experience with God…maybe praying a sinner’s prayer or going forward to the altar at a church meeting…and yet you’ve viewed the Christian life as too hard and gone back to “normal” (which is really abnormal) life (second level)?  Are you working hard for God, serving Him as Lord but still not having entered into God’s rest (third level)?  Or have you come to know Christ as Savior, Lord and Life, resting in knowing you are His safe and secure child, and seeking to walk in the good works that He has already laid out for you to do (fourth level)?

Wherever you find yourself today, I’ve got good news:  God loves you and has so much more for you than you are now experiencing!  What does it take to move closer and deeper and fuller into relationship with God?

First, it takes a holy dissatisfaction with the spiritual status quo.  Smugness and spiritual complacency have to go.  There must be a longing, a yearning to go deeper with God. 

Second, it takes a growing anticipation of what God wants to do in you and is doing in you and how He will bless your socks off as you seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.  For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Third, there must be a willingness to face whatever the Lord shows you is keeping you from walking in freedom and is keeping you from moving to the next level of intimacy with God.  This is why we are conducting the 40 Days of Freedom campaign.

Enter in…with all your heart.  You won’t be disappointed!

Rich Miller

 “What do you want me to do for you?”

If that isn’t a good question! Jesus asks this of a blind beggar in Luke 18:41. Really, Jesus. Wasn’t it obvious? The man’s blind! Probably begging because of that – employment prospects looking slim. I suppose I could run on the track that to a degree more than we would choose to admit, we are also blind and in need. But I won’t. I’ll ask this instead: Have you taken time to think through what you want God to do for you? Have you laid those desires and needs out before Him? Have you ever spoken the words audibly to see how they sound, even to your listening ears?

Do these things seem to be in accord with what God wants for you, so that He may bring them to pass? Psalm 37:4 speaks to this as it says “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That implies our desires for ourselves must match God’s desires for us. Perhaps we have some weeding out to do in our patch of wants and needs.

I think also there is something to us thinking through and being clear and precise in our petitions. Christ may change our thinking when we articulate our desires to Him. Our desires may suddenly sound ridiculous or petty or selfish to us. They might also be confirmed by God’s Spirit as we pray them aloud. Why not take Jesus up on this? Psalm 37 has some marvelous statements about what God wants to do for us. After all, He is asking.

Mark Carlson

What’s the Difference?

From the moment we take a “step” to identify our lives with the life and calling of Christ, we are to walk a path that is out of step with the world. Jesus tells us clearly “You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (JN 15:19). And again in John 17:16, Jesus, speaking of us, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”

How easy it is for us out of fear or familiarity to choose a “somewhat” parallel path to those of the world. We can stay perilously close, see the same sights, smell the same smells, and seemingly mirror the journey by acting much like those on the parallel track. It would appear we are heading in the same direction. It is human nature, human thinking that prompts us to want to fit in, be “winners” and not losers. But fit in where? C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce says “fame in this country (heaven) and fame on Earth are two quite different things.”

God considers us aliens and strangers in this world. “In it” to be sure, but not “of it.” Not being too comfortable. Not sensing a good “fit.” We should experience a certain awkwardness relating to the world’s “system.” We know God’s kingdom is “not of this world” (JN 18:30). Let’s make no mistake here, our loss of affection for things of this world and our newborn identification with “kingdom” are not an overnight transition. Breaking away may to some extent be a life long series of challenges. Hence our need for patience and God’s grace. It’s process.

We are in a constant struggle to reject and let go of what draws us to earthly passions and live counter-culturally to what is popular and passing away. We are not called as Christians to be chameleons, to blend in., but to stand out. And that can be scary at times.  The presence and purpose of God in us is that we will be different and make a noticeable difference by our existence. We cannot make a difference in the world by being the same. We must be different.

Mark Carlson