Blog Archives

Taking A Different Direction

3/24/2013

A group of volunteer leaders and I went down to a youth seminar at Cincinnati Christian University this past week. This was a powerful experience, opening our eyes to how big the challenge and how deep the need is to reach this generation. An overall message that I took from this is that all-too-often we direct too much of our energy to areas that don’t have a meaningful impact on people. Having said that, this will be the last “article” that I will write for the newsletter and focus on things in the church that require more time.

For example, our youth program is experiencing a revitalization. Thanks to volunteers who are willing to work with our high school age and also our middle school kids, we’re seeing a significant change in another area of the church. We want our kids to know, love and serve Jesus Christ, and this is a whole-group effort. Our thinking is shifting from the idea of hiring a youth minister to considering how our church can truly love and mentor the kids we love –together. Would you consider “adopting” one of our middle schoolers or high schoolers? You would make an incredible impact on this generation if you would consider “adopting” a kid in our church. If we could get five families to “adopt” one kid (5 to 1) and love that kids every time you see them as if it were your own kid, could you imagine the impact that we could make on this generation? This is just one of the many thoughts that we took back from the seminar. And while we have many new ideas, it’s going to require a lot of prayer and effort to implement them.

Our focus is changing from being a program-oriented church to becoming a prayer-oriented church. And for this, we can give praise to God. We cannot continue to do “business as usual” and expect amazing blessing to come from heaven. We have to confess our desperate need for Christ and admit that we are not making an impact when we are the center of our efforts. But when Christ is the one that we plea to for help, we can expect amazing, lasting results. It’s time to get very serious and commit ourselves to what really matters for the Kingdom. In a very simplistic way, we understand the core of our existence as a community of prayer. If we can commit ourselves to this labor of prayer under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, then everything else, all planning and teaching, will be the supernatural result of God’s work among us. The power lies in seeking. Seek first. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. And everything else… will follow. So, stop. Just stop the routine. Stop the “well-oiled machine” and imagine a different reality for our church, where we see God working (not us exhausted trying to do God’s job) and many lives fundamentally changed. This may require rearranging some priorities or considering some things that we haven’t considered. But if Jesus says, “Follow me,” all a disciple can do… is follow.

Seeking Him first,

George

0 Comments

No Confidence In The Flesh

3/17/2013

0 Comments

“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith,” [Philippians 3:4-9]

“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak,” [Matthew 26:40-41]

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me,” [Psalm 51:11-12]

            I've always heard that “almost” doesn't count –except with horseshoes and hand grenades. But when it comes to eternity, almost certainly won’t cut it. I truly believe that the more we learn, the more we become in awe of Almighty God and realize just how little we know, proving the old proverb, “The more you learn, the less you know.” Solomon kind of summed up his search for meaning by saying that the best you can do in this life is:

1)    Acknowledge that God created you –and He created you to search for Him in eternity.

2)    Live a good, honest life, seeking to please God

He was also the man who said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Put no confidence in your greatness and humbly accept that all that you are and all that you have are a gift from God. We like to boast of all that we can do –but God esteems our might by how much we acknowledge His Might. As Paul said, “I consider everything [I have accomplished] a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things…” Jesus shared a marvelous paradox with us: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

      Mary understood this. Mary was Martha and Lazarus’ sister. Overcome by the goodness and mercy that Jesus had shown, she broke open a very expensive type of perfume and poured it on Jesus. At that point, she lost all sense of her stature as a member of a rich family. She knelt down on the floor, poured the perfume over his feet –a very humble act, but she didn't even bother to fetch a towel –she wiped his feet with her hair. In a moment of complete humility, she honored Jesus by saying, “I put no confidence in my own life… I put all of my confidence in you…” When people in the room argued over how foolish it was that Mary wasted such expensive perfume by pouring it over Jesus’ feet, Jesus took that moment to life her above her onlookers and said, “She understands. And she will use this perfume for my burial.”

      If only all of Jerusalem had the feeling that Mary had at that moment! She knew that Jesus was really so much more than anything this world has to offer –and she didn't care what people thought of her. She was willing to stoop down very low –she wasn't going to miss this perfect moment to express how deeply she loved him. Her gratitude had firm control of her –grace had captured her heart. And there wasn't anything that she would want to hold back from Jesus –not even a very expensive gift. Jesus didn't need expensive gifts, but He treasured the gift behind the gift –a willing heart that wasn't ashamed to express how truly great this man is. She couldn't help herself… grace got hold of her.

      Life just isn't life until Jesus enters. And where Jesus is… that’s where life really happens! And now we can approach the throne of the King of kings, the throne of grace, with great confidence, because our King knows us very well. He has hurt like we have hurt –in fact, more so. He has been tested like we have been tested –in fact, more so. He has suffered, He has been spit upon, He has been tortured more horrendously than most of us ever will be. And He died a horrific death. But for Him, it was all worth it. He loved us too much to put too much confidence in His own flesh. What He might have wanted didn't matter. He considered it too important to save us to be selfish. He died for us. But by humbling Himself to death on a cross He gave us everlasting life. And He’s not ashamed to call us “friend,” “brother/sister,” or “beloved.” And He loves it when we want to talk to Him.

Pray with confidence,

George

0 Comments

Law Vs. Grace

3/10/2013

0 Comments

“Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise,” [Galatians 3:23-29, NIV]

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster,” [Galatians 3:24-25, KJV]

“So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now faith that is come, we are no longer under a tutor,” [Galatians 3:24-25]

      The nature of law is to divide. Black and white, good and bad, and right and wrong are all defined by law. The interpretation of law can only be clearly defined by God. God is completely Good and is forever unchanging –and His very Nature is Good, therefore He is the only qualified Person to determine right and wrong. When man makes laws, there is always be a tendency to make more and more laws so long as the interpretation of law is determined by man instead of God. Interpretations of right and wrong change when man makes good and evil relative to events of the day. The Scriptures clearly state: “We know that law is good if one uses it properly. We know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious…” [1 Timothy 1:8-9]. Ideally, Christians should never need external laws, because they have God’s Nature within them; laws are made for lawbreakers. But the purpose of God’s Law in the Old was to divide. He gave His Law because people had wandered so far from His Truth that He needed to explain to them the difference between holiness (His Nature) and sinfulness (the nature of a fallen world). Romans 3:20 says: “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” God’s Law explains the Nature of God to fallen, sinful people. And God did this to help us, that we might come to the realize that we have no hope of avoiding God’s Just Judgment –unless there is a possibility to appeal to the mercy of God. So people who realize their own capacity to sin put their hope in faith that God will be merciful because they hate their own fleshly nature and desire to please God –even if they are helpless to do so. The Law was given to teach us that we desperately need God’s help; we need grace –which only God Himself can provide.

      In Galatians, chapter 3, verses 24 and 25, we are told that the Law of God was given to “supervise” us until we could reach maturity by grace through faith. The KJV uses the word “schoolmaster” while the NIV says “supervision” but the actual word is “Paidagogos” which means “child leader.” The Greeks and Romans would often choose a trustworthy male slave who was charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of upper class boys in a household. The slave would be a tutor, guardian and guide for these boys. They were usually not even allowed to step out of the house without the guardian until the boys reached adulthood. Now that this grace has come, all Christians are no longer under the supervision of Law. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And we no longer need to divide the world into black and white and fear God’s condemnation. Rather, we are free from Law and are charged to lead others into His marvelous grace. And grace does not disappoint us; it empowers us to be good by God’s Spirit. This is not to say that there is no longer a right and a wrong –it means that we are no longer part of the wrong and we are being transformed continually into the right. The very Nature of God is changing our nature to be like His. And He delights in His children who love the Nature of His grace.

      And as we approach God’s throne, our new nature seeks to bring God’s Light into the dark places of this world –that others might experience the amazing freedom of God’s grace. Pray for grace to prevail in the lives of those around you so that others would not remain condemned but find the wonderful grace that sets captive free. When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

Pray with confidence,

George

0 Comments

Repentance

3/3/2013

0 Comments

   “Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,” [Luke 5:31-32]

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism,” [Romans 2:1-11]

   “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

            When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

            Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” [Acts 2:36-38]

   A word that has generally fallen out of usage in the English language is “penitent.” A penitent person is someone who is in the habit of seeking God’s forgiveness and is sensitive to a need for personal repentance. A well-known evangelist recently observed that the majority of preaching in recent years has lacked the teaching of repentance. Without repentance, there can be no change and our prayers become ineffective.

            I love to read about the forefathers of the United States. Contrary to recent teaching that our forefathers were secularists (those who try to remove all vestiges of religion –akin to atheism), the majority of our forefathers were indeed Christian and sought the blessings of God on all of their endeavors. Up until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, presidents, justices and representatives called on the American people to ask God’s forgiveness. They understood that our nation cannot receive the favor of heaven without first confessing sins and asking forgiveness; this was an axiom (generally understood fact).

            On a personal level, we cannot expect our prayers to be effective unless we first confess that we are sinners, we have sinned and that we are in great need of the Lord’s help. However, as many recovery-oriented services tell us: We first have to acknowledge that we have a problem. And Jesus has told us that if we intend to seek God’s favor and forgiveness, then we first need to forgive others. But it’s a two-way street: We cannot forgive others very well unless we know that we also are in great need of forgiveness.

            The world has become comfortable with personal sin while condemning the sins of others. People who are comfortable with sin become blind to their need for God’s help. And our nation and our communities have become blind to the need for God’s favor. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who brings conviction –which leads to repentance. But the Spirit will not bring conviction unless God’s people see the desperate state of the world around them and are willing to invest time in prayer to ensure it happens. And repentance is a change in perception –that God is right and sin is abhorrent (disgusting). Repentance brings us close to God while pride and acceptance of human understanding drives God away from us.

            Jesus can only help the sick –those who know that they need a doctor. We follow Jesus, which means that we see what He sees: Sin, all sin, is deadly and makes us sick. The only path to recovery is through humility –acknowledging that we are wrong and God is Right. Then seeking God’s forgiveness while forgiving others who have wronged us because we are all guilty. I hear many people attacking the President in recent days. But how many are praying for him? We are all sinners, as Romans says, “There is no one righteous, not even one.”   This is what the Word of God says. That means that I am a sinner and I need a lot of help from God. But the day that I start to believe that I’m “better than others” or “much better than I used to be” a deadly pride can creep in. The truth is, I still need a Savior. I haven’t gained my “get out of hell free card” so that I can coast through the rest of life, thinking that I’m righteous. No, I’m made righteous by Jesus –and without Him, I’ll be destroyed. There is no one righteous –no, not even one. If I remember this and if I live with this wisdom, then it is much easier to be humble enough to ask for forgiveness and for the forgiveness of others. I don’t deserve to be forgiven, but I’m counting on God’s character (His mercy, His grace and His love) to save me from myself. And God is counting on me to forgive like He does. But I won’t be doing this very well and I won’t be seeking forgiveness unless I am in a constant state of repentance: I must be penitent. But my confidence and ability to repent is not strong because of how “religious” I am; as the Scriptures say, “It’s God’s kindness that leads to repentance.” We wouldn’t change our mind about sinfulness or seek God’s forgiveness if we believed that He doesn’t have the power to help us –but He does! It’s His kindness that inspires a desire to change –with the help of the Spirit of God. He is Merciful, abounding in love, slow to anger, just and good… “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” [2 Peter 3:9].

            Sinners need a Savior. Our world is comfortable with sin. The wages of sin is death –eternal death. Sin separates. God is merciful. Sin is taken away by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If we confess our sins and acknowledge God as Savior, He is faithful to save us. Isn’t it time to repent, on behalf of ourselves (none are perfect), on behalf of our church (no church is perfect), on behalf of our nation (no nation is perfect) and on behalf of the world (the world is not perfect) because God is Mighty to save? (God is Perfect) and ask for His Light to reveal darkness and heal us all?

Pray with confidence,

George

0 Comments

Kouts Christian Church

Taking A Different Direction

No Confidence In The Flesh

Law Vs. Grace

Repentance

Author

Archives