Unpopular Words

Over the years I have discovered a few very unpopular word. One of those words is so unpopular that I think many people would like to have it entirely removed from the English language, at least so far as it applies to them. It’s fine for this word to apply to others, but please, oh please, don’t ever attempt to apply this word to them!

Can you guess what that word is?

It’s the word “serve”.

I’ve been wondering why it is about that word that is so terribly offensive to some people, and I’ve come up with an idea. So, since this is the place where I publish my thoughts I thought I’d share this one with the world as well.

It seems that for everything beautiful God gave us the devil has come along with a counterfeit or a corruption of that item of beauty. God is love and tells us to acting lovingly, so the devil comes along and corrupts our concept of what love is and causes us to act selfishly. Jesus came to give life in abundance and Satan comes along to kill and destroy.

I think that is what Satan has done with the word “serve”. We have taken that entire concept that can bring us such joy and fulfillment and turned it around so that it seems beneath us and something we pay people to do. We almost associate it with things like cleaning the sewer. (Come to think of it, that may not be a bad way to think of it.)

But if we have a problem with the concept of serving we need to take a second look at Mark 10:45 where Jesus said “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

But wait! What is the word “even” there for? What is the significance of that word? Is Jesus really saying that all of us are to serve, and that if He, the Son of God, came to serve then we should be even more willing to serve? Reading it carefully we see that the message is exactly that.

So, why is it that so many church leaders act as though they have been given the right to stop serving? Sadly, it almost seems that some ministers believe that serving is something you graduate from when you become a paid staff person.

And here is where Satan has corrupted their thinking. Instead of serving they get the idea that serving is now beneath them, and what where they once had  a servant heart now they have become arrogant and want to rule and tell others what to do. Where does that kind of arrogance come from? It is very clear that it never came from Jesus! Well, if it didn’t come from Jesus then where does it come from? There can only be one answer to that question. Jesus told the parable of the enemy who got into a good field and planted thorns in the field of good wheat. That is what happened to those who now want to rule instead of serve. Satan has gotten into the good field and planted thorns, and the pure ground and the pure seed is now corrupted.

So watch out! Be on your guard! If you have a servant heart today be very careful that the enemy does not get in and destroy it. Look around you and see what that type of arrogance has done to others. They used to be nice people, but now nobody can stand them. It’s not surprising people can’t stand them because the truth is they don’t even like themselves.

So take care of yourself and don’t join them. Keep a humble heart and serve just like Jesus served and may our Lord grow your ministry and give you a great harvest.

Until next time,

Jim

What Grieves God’s Heart?

Have you ever tried to reason with someone and point out to them that their actions are wrong, and in the process of the conversation had that person tell you that the only person they are hurting is themselves, so you have no right to tell them anything? I have. Did you have an adequate answer for that person? At first I didn’t, but since then God gave me some insights into His Word which really brings a different perspective to that statement.

Why was it that God destroyed the earth in the days of Noah? Think about it. Genesis 6:5-8 reads, “⁵ Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

What was it that caused God to destroy mankind? It was not because their actions were continually evil, but because the thoughts of man’s heart were continually evil. The scriptures tell us over and over again that if we allow sinful thoughts to linger in our minds then God will not listen to our prayers, and Jesus said that the pure in heart would be blessed because they would see God.

Don’t ever let the devil convince you that it’s okay to think about sin just so long as you don’t actually do it. God destroyed the earth because the thoughts of man were continually evil. If you allow sinful thoughts into your mind then God’s Holy Spirit will not be at home there and you will not enjoy being led by Him or having your life filled with His power.

How do you get victory of your thoughts? Memorize God’s Word and meditate on God’s Word. That is secret one to victorious living. Only when you allow God’s truth to fill your mind does His pure truth transform your life. Try it! Get the Navigators Topical Memory System and following the plan of memorizing two verses per week. It will change your life! That’s not my promise but God’s promise.

Soon I’ll be sharing with you secret number two. It’s powerful and life changing!

Keeping Our Focus

Take a moment to read the Bible account of Peter walking on water. It’s found in Matthew 14:25-33.

What was it that caused Peter to lose his focus and forget all about Jesus’ command?

Think about this with me:

1. Peter knows that all it takes for him to walk on water is for the Lord Jesus to give the command. He makes that statement in verse 28.

2. Peter is a fisherman who is used to the water.

3. Peter has undoubtedly faced storms on the water many times.

4. Peter knows how to swim. (John 21:7.)

5. Peter is literally terrified at what he sees and screams out for Jesus to save him.

What was it that scared Peter to the very core of his being?

Look at verse 30. Peter saw the wind. Now when you and I read that we automatically think he saw the effects of the wind, like the waves. But waves were an everyday thing to Peter. Waves would not have scared a bold fisherman like Peter. But you and I both know a person can’t see the wind. True, but then we can’t walk on water either.

Something supernatural happened in order for Peter to walk on water. And something supernatural happened for Peter to see the wind. Now Peter was ready for the first supernatural event, the walking on water part. But when God allowed him to see more than what he expected it rattled that poor fisherman all the way to his core and he totally lost focus on Jesus.

Sometimes when we ask God for something He gives us more than we ask for. And sometimes when that happens we, like Peter, totally lose our focus and take our eyes off of Jesus.

What are you asking God for? What would your reaction be if God were to give you something way beyond what you are asking for? Would you keep you focus on the Master?

Feed Them a Feast!

I once heard a well known pastor say that it is a sin for a preacher to bore people with the greatest message ever told, that being that Jesus paid the price for our sin. I agreed with him then, and now, having reflected on it for over two years, I agree with that statement even more.

I got to thinking about how the people Jesus taught loved to listen to Him. In Matthew 15:32-38 Jesus said that the multitude had been with Him three days and were now hungry. Imagine what it must have been like to have a crowd of four thousand men, plus women and children, listening to message after message for three days. Think about what that must have been like. When kids get hungry they keep on asking their parents for food. Can’t you just see the little kids tugging at their dad’s and mom’s sleeves saying, “I’m hungry!” and their parents telling them, “Hush. I’m listening to the Teacher.”

The people were absolutely glued to Jesus. His message was not simply truth, but it was entertaining as well as life changing.

So I’ve been thinking; how do we make our messages entertaining as well as life changing? So people focus so much on being entertaining that they lose the life changing aspect. Others focus so much on being Biblical accuracy that they bore people half to death. Still others are so focused on life change that they lose the people right at the start of their message.

The Sunday following 9/11 churches were filled to capacity with people, many of them hurting, scared, and searching for answers. I would venture to say that many of those people really had no idea what they were hoping to find, other than they were hoping to find something that would give them hope in the midst of the despair they felt. Sadly, many of those people apparently did not find what they were searching for, because in only a few short weeks the average church attendance was back to pre 9/11 numbers.

What happened? People were searching for answers, they came to the right place, but we bored them with our version of what they needed to hear. As a result they left, feeling we had nothing to offer them, when in reality the message of Jesus is the only thing that will satisfy them. How did we miss our target so badly? How did we fail so miserably? Perhaps the real question is, “How did we fail our Lord so badly?”

1. Is my message good news? If we are preaching the gospel (gospel means “good news”) then our message must be good news.

2. If my message does not sound like good news to the listener then it’s not good news. I’m not preaching to me! I’m not my audience! My listeners must hear what I am saying and must be convinced that what I am saying is good news for them. Otherwise I’ve lost the very person I’m trying to reach. We must learn to think like fishermen. Fishermen use bait the fish like to eat, not what they like to eat. Many fishermen use worms, but I have yet to see a fisherman eat those worms themselves.

3. We must use words, terms, stories, and illustrations which are understandable and attractive to those we are trying to reach. Many preachers are still using words and illustrations that are older than they are. Society has changed and our culture has changed. Jesus used words, terms, and illustrations which captured the interest of His audience. We must do the same if we are going to teach like the Master Teacher and present life-changing truth is an interesting way.

4. Ephesians 4:29 tells us to speak only according to the need of the moment. Do we teach what we want to teach, or do we teach according to the need of the moment? Do we spend time alone with God to learn from Him what He wants us to tell His people? Many preachers are more concerned with what the people think of their message than they are about what God thinks of their message. Many preachers will take a message prepared by another man for another church, spend a few hours to make the message sound like them, and then will preach a message totally unsuited for their crowd. I sincerely pray that you will never be so sloppy that you feed God’s people leftovers.

So next time you prepare to preach or teach, do what Jesus did and feed them a feast they will never forget!

Reflecting

As I think back over the past few weeks I still find it hard to take it all in. God worked out so many unexpected things that I am left with my mind whirling and wondering what the outcome might be.
1. God allowed me to have two men, David and John, join me on this mission trip.
2. The day we arrived in Kaju Keji I joined Len (Dr. Renfer) and Pastor Edward to go see the Commissioner of Kaju Keji. After Pastor Edward explained what we were doing, and the Commissioner gave his consent to our work, Pastor Edward asked me to pray. I thanked God for the Commissioner, asked God to bless the county of Kaju Keji with peace, and prayed for God’s blessing on the commissioner. When I finished the commissioner thanked me for praying for him. He seemed genuinely grateful for my praying for him. I only wish I had asked if I could return to share with him the message we were going to be sharing throughout the week with the people of Kaju Keji.
3. I led our outreach team consisting of John and Christy to the village of Mekinda where we did hut to hut evangelism. I don't have an exact count but I would guess we shared the gospel with well over 130 people during our time there. I also taught at the local church (under 3 mango trees) on church membership and baptism (twice), and had the opportunity to share the gospel message with a group of people who had gathered for a memorial service for a family member who had died a month earlier in Juba.
4. I shared with my driver, Abraham, how God is leading me to help church leaders develop the next generation of leaders. I showed him the multiplication diagram and he got excited about it and told me that he had that in his mind and would take that with him in his ministry of making disciples.
5. On Sunday afternoon, February 7^th, I went with Pastor Edward to pray for a new clinic that is about to open. When I get there I discovered that not only was I praying but that I was also the speaker. “Be ready always to give a reason for the hope that is in you”. So, I ask God for a word from Him for this time and He gave me Psalm 1. God is good! I have once again experienced His leading as I have called out to Him.
6. One Monday the medical clinic when to the village where I was doing evangelism. The doctors saw 252 people. Then we had a time of praise before leaving.
7. Tuesday the team left and I began teaching at the seminary. I taught the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of our salvation. I also shared with them many of the lessons God has given me over the years and answered a bunch of their questions as best I could.
8. I was able to help Seed Effect by removing viruses from a computer and from 3 memory devices.
9. I have spent time with Christy and it is really a joy to see how she is growing and how God is using her to impact people for His kingdom.
10. I have experienced ministering in Africa and sense that God really wants me to focus on South America where I know the culture and the language. As I think on this it seems that God has shaped me from my childhood for ministry in the Latin culture. The passion to pour my life into the people of Central and South America has not diminished in the slightest. Perhaps it is even sharper as I see how clearly God has molded me over the years.
11. On Sunday I preached live on the local radio station and had Pastor Edward interpret for me. As I prepared for this I asked the seminary class to help me craft the message. I asked them to help me think like a lost person of Kaju Keji. I told them that I needed them to help me understand the culture and the people, that if I was to be as interesting as Jesus was that I needed to know what the people think and what they are concerned about. It turned into a great time of teaching, perhaps the best of the week, as I told them our duty is to make the gospel presentation so interesting that people will stop what they are doing to listen. I’ll write more about this in a future posting.
For all of you who have been praying, please know that you had a vital part in all of this. Thank you for praying. God prepared the way, and it was because of your prayers. Without you I would not be here!
For the Glory of Jesus!
Jim