From Ordinary to Extraordinary

In the Christian faith, many people form ideal images of what kind of people are capable of being used of God. You do not have to read your Bible for long to see that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

The opening chapters of the book of Exodus tell the story of the birth and calling of Moses. Before we get into that, what thoughts come to mind when you think of Moses? Hero of the faith? Leader of the people of Israel? Holy man? All of those would be true, but there was much more to Moses.

Exodus 2 tells of Moses' birth. Joseph has died at this point, and the Pharaoh in power at the time, did not look favorably on the Hebrews. They were multiplying too fast and had become a threat. So he ordered that all of the Hebrew boys be killed at birth. When Moses was born, his mother hid him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she put him in a basket in the water in the reeds of the river. By the providence of God, Pharaoh's daughter found him when she came to bathe at the river. She had compassion on him, recognizing him as the child of a Hebrew woman. Ironically, she called for a nurse for the baby, and it was Moses' mother.

Then we fast forward to adulthood for Moses. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The Pharaoh heard about this, and wanted to kill Moses. So Moses fled to the land of Midian. He subsequently married Zipporah. Moses, who would become a hero of the faith, a leader of God's people, a holy man, started out as a killer, who had to flee for his own life.

Moses was tending Jethro's flock when an Angel of the Lord appeared to him (Exodus 3). He stood before a bush that was burning, but was not being consumed. God called out to Him from the midst of the bush, "Moses, Moses! Do not draw near this place, Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Moses was rightly afraid and hid his face.

God had seen the oppression of His people in Egypt and was preparing to deliver them. He told Moses He would send him before the Pharaoh in order to deliver the people.

Moses began to object. He said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" God promised His presence with him. Moses asked, "What about when I go to the children of Israel and I say, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said, "I AM WHO I AM . . . I AM has sent me to you."

The questioning continued from Moses (Exodus 4). He said, "but suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, 'The Lord has not appeared to you.'" God gave Moses miraculous signs to validate his message.

Then Moses said, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now, therefore go."

Moses continued, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." The Lord told him He would give him Aaron to speak and to help him. So Moses went. God ultimately delivered His people from the bondage in Egypt through the miraculous Red Sea crossing.

God gave Moses the Law, and Moses led the people toward the Promised Land. Because of their disobedience to God, the generation that came out of Egypt had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness and were not permitted to enter the land. The Scripture gives an account of Moses' own disobedience when God told him to speak to a rock at Kadesh and it would yield water for the people. Moses decided to do it his way, and struck the rock instead. The Lord referred to it as unbelief (Numbers 20:12) and Moses was restricted from entering the Promised Land.

So, let's review. Moses killed a man. Then God called him to lead the Hebrews out of bondage. Moses gave every excuse in the book, for which God had an answer for each one. Moses went and did as he was told. God gave Moses the Law and allowed him to see His glory. Then along the way, Moses decided to do it his way, and disobeyed. There were consequences and Moses died only seeing the Promised Land. God buried him. Moses is included in the great Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. That is amazing.

Are you ordinary? I know I am. God can use you to do extraordinary things. Stop making excuses and go do what He is calling you to do.

A Memorial Day Reflection

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the freedoms that we enjoy in the United States. They have come at a heavy cost. Many have sacrificially laid down their lives for these freedoms. Though we have many challenges in this nation, we remain the most blessed people on earth.

The blessings we have come from the hand of Almighty God. He is the one who grants ultimate freedom in Jesus. We must make the most of the physical freedoms and bountiful blessings that we have to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel.

John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Downward Spiral of Darkness

Focal Passage- Romans 1:18-32

Listen to Sermon Here

* God makes Himself known. (Revelation)

* The truth about God is suppressed. (Unbelief)

* An exchange is made. (Idolatry)

* God delivers people over. (Consequences)

* Immorality becomes pervasive. (Infection)

* Immorality is celebrated. (Multiplication)

* God's just sentence is rendered. (Judgment)

Many people are caught up in a downward spiral of darkness that will lead them to an eternity without God.

It doesn't have to be this way.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is the answer!

Would they miss us?

Jacob Atchley, Church Planter of The Church at Martinsburg wrote a compelling article entitled "Would They Miss Us?" for inthepanhandle, an online publication in West Virginia. Jacob rightly observes that there are many churches.

Then he asks this question: "Would there be a significant difference to the quality of life in Berkeley County residents (where his church plant is located) if all the faith communities were gone?"

What about your area? Would they miss us? This is a challenging question. I have on occasion, asked people if they knew where our church is located. Bear in mind that we are at the top of a hill, on one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area. I have asked this question within sight of the church, and received "no" for an answer. Many of us are not even on the radar screen of lost people.

Jacob writes that there is a significant difference between being a museum and a movement. God has called us to be a movement!

The Presence of God is the Difference

Everyone wants to be successful. Those of us who serve God desire to be successful in the things of God. So we work, plan, strategize, and hope for the best. There is nothing wrong with working, and planning, and strategizing. If we are not careful however, God will be left out of the plans. Even worse, we can actually generate some "success" pragmatically but actually be a failure in God's eyes.

Genesis 37 and following give the account of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob. The Bible says his father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him for it and could not speak peaceably to him (37:4). Joseph had a dream, that he would rule over his brothers, and he told them so, and they hated him even more. Of course the dream was a word from God of what was to come but the brothers did not see it that way.

Joseph was subsequently sold to Ishmaelite traders, who in turn sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt. This was according to the sovereignty of God because the land of Canaan would undergo a severe famine. But the land of Egypt would be prepared for it because of Joseph, and his following the leading of God. He went to Egypt as a slave, and was exalted to a position of authority, all by the power of God.

Several verses in chapter 39 are insightful regarding the importance of the presence of God in Joseph's life:

v2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man.

v3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Even when Joseph was imprisoned falsely, after refusing to sin against God and sleep with Potiphar's wife, the Bible says in v21 The Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

v23 The Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Eventually he was set over all the land of Egypt. He would be able to provide for his brothers who had sold him into slavery by the providence of God.

What was the key to success? Was it Joseph's good looks? Was it his abilities? Was it his clever strategies? No, the key was that the Lord was with him, so he was successful and prospered. That which God prospers and makes successful brings glory to Him and He gets the credit for it.

My prayer is that the Lord would be with me, and that I would be successful and prosper because I am living out His will for my life. I hope that is your prayer as well.

What is your Isaac?

Genesis 22:1-3 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he answered. "Take your son," He said, "your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." So early in the morning Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about."

God called Abram in Genesis 12 and promised that He would make of him a great nation, and that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. On faith, Abram left Haran at 75 years of age, and on faith followed God.

At first glance, it would seem that a man who left his home, and followed God would have taken the ultimate step of faith. But God had more for him. God called Abraham to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, in full obedience to God. Abraham was obedient in following God, trusting Him all the way. This is clearly a foreshadowing of what was to come in Jesus, the Messiah. There are several lessons we can learn from this.

* When God calls us to follow Him, He expects full surrender.

Is there any area of your life in which you are holding back on God? What is God calling you to surrender? What is your Isaac, that would represent a full surrender to God if you were to lay it on the altar and completely trust God?

* Ultimately, everything in our lives belongs to God.

Do you believe that? Is your faith strong enough for it to be tested? Isaac said to his father, "the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." God always provides.

*Our walk must back up our talk.

Abraham obediently built the altar, and arranged the wood. He placed Isaac on it, on top of the wood. He took out his knife. In a most dramatic moment, the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and told him not to lay a hand on the boy and God provided a ram in the thicket for the sacrifice, sparing the boy. He said, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not witheld your only son from me." Is there enough evidence in your life to demonstrate that you truly fear God? Abraham said God would provide the sacrifice and then he stepped out on faith believing that he would. His obedience demonstrated the sincerity of his faith.

*There are great blessings to lay hold of when we trust God.

The Lord said because Abraham had trusted Him, that he would bless him, and multiply his offspring, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Are you receiving all that God has for you? Or are you missing out because you don't trust God enough?

This has been a recurring thought in my devotional life as of late. What is my Isaac? Are there areas in which I am holding back on God? The Bible says that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Are you believing God?

The Value of Words

Words matter. We are living in the information age, and there is no shortage of words. We are overwhelmed with them in fact. With all of these words coming at us from different directions, it would be easy to forget that words have value. They mean something.

God values words in that He has revealed Himself through the written Word of the Bible and the Living Word, Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 17:27-28 He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

I have always been a quiet person, which is rather ironic since my calling from God is to preach. I am perfectly content to not speak. Yet I have been particularly convicted lately of how significant words are and our use of them.

God is teaching me to:

*Listen to hear and understand what others are trying to communicate, rather than listening in order to formulate my response.

*Refrain from speaking unless I have something valuable to contribute.

*Speak with conviction and clarity, but also with compassion under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

*Purposefully speak encouragement to others.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

God Delivered Them Over: Homosexuality

Focal Passage- Romans 1:24-32

Listen to the Message Here

God has a clear plan for human sexuality. There is male and female. God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman. Any sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage is sin.

1) What does the Word of God say about homosexuality?

2) What does the culture say about homosexuality?

3) What should the response of the church be to homosexuality?

Life without God is chaos.

Life with God is glorious.

Taking the Good News to the Marketplace

Listen to Message Here

Focal verse-

Mark 16:15 Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

*It is important to thoroughly understand and believe the Good News:

- So you will know God by repenting of your sins and embracing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

- So you will comprehend the love of God and His purpose for you living life for His glory.

- So you can communicate the Good News compassionately, clearly, and in a compelling way.

When was the last time you were asked the reason for the hope that is in you?

When was the last time you gave someone the Word of God?

Only 2-4% (depending on the study) of professing believers in Christ have ever led another person to faith in Christ. Very few ever even attempt to. Some never seriously consider it. Something is drastically wrong with that.

*I believe there are several reasons why:

- Lack of faith- not enough knowledge/confidence in what you believe to share it with others.

- Fear of being rejected.

- Disobedience to the command of Christ.

*Due to the disobedience of people, the church has attempted several methods to motivate people to share the Good News:

- Program method- FAITH, EE, CWT, etc.

- Guilt method- Wear people down until they share.

- Become like the culture method- if you can't beat them, join them.

- Separate from the culture method- we don't want to become like the culture, so we hide from it.

What is the problem with all of these? None of them work. We need to equip people to share their faith, but we must take a different approach.

An additional problem is that there has been a false dichotomy in the church between clergy and laity. The mindset of many churches is we will hire a pastor to get the job done. The pastor is a servant, but not a hireling. This is a faulty concept. It does not matter if you are an Engineer, Professor, Doctor, School Teacher, Nurse, Secretary, or Technician. We all have the responsibility to be salt and light and take the Gospel to the culture, to the marketplace.

*So, what do we do with Mark 16:15?

1) Evaluate your relationship with God.

Mt 22:37-39 Love for God leads to Love for your Neighbor

I am convinced this is where the breakdown is. We repeatedly emphasize the Great Commission but we cannot accomplish it without the Great Commandment.

Prayer- Word- Personal Holiness

2) Consider your circle of influence.

Who do you know that doesn't know Jesus?

How did Jesus do ministry? He did ministry among the people.

We must engage people where they are.

We tend to measure our effectiveness by how many people come to church. So we emphasize "come to church." The public worship of God is certainly significant (Hebrews 10:25).

We must begin to evaluate our effectiveness not only by how many people come to church, but by how many people are living as the church.

Concentric circles of influence- Family, Neighborhood, Vocation, World

What do you know about the spiritual condition of the people in your circle of influence? This is where many are paralyzed because they know nothing.

3) Connect with the people around you.

Ask God to help you see people not as a project for the church, or even as the target of a Gospel presentation. Ask God to help you see people as people for whom Christ died. See them as people created in the image of God, in need of reconciliation with their Creator.

Can you name 3 people in your circle of influence, and tell me what their spiritual condition is?

What have you done to engage those people with the Good News?

Every believer is a missionary.

Build bridges so you can get to know people. We have lost the ability to talk to people about ideas/worldviews.

How can I connect and take the Good News to the marketplace?

4) Pray for the power of God.

Romans 1:16-17

Prayer:

- Expresses faith.

- Provides wisdom and discernment.

- Releases the burden from you as you trust God.

- Opens up doors of opportunity.

5) Communicate the Good News.

Tell it, trust God with the results.

Pray, use the Bible, be clear, ask questions, utilize your church.

Challenge:

-Identify 3 people who need to hear the Good News.

-Begin to pray for those people.

-Communicate the Good News.

God's Wrath

Scripture Passage- Romans 1:18-25

Sermon Listen to Message Here

Romans is the "Good News for Life." The Good News is that God can be known, we can be forgiven of our sins, and we can live eternally with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul steps forward in this passage, to the front of the court of God, like a prosecuting journey to lay out his case.

*God has made Himself known.

*People willfully reject God.

*God's wrath is revealed.

We proclaim the good news because it is good news that God sets sinners free!

The Value of a Godly Woman

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. She rewards him wtih good, not evil, all the days of her life. v27ff She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her. v30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

Godly women have a profound impact on this world. They have the opportunity to impact the present generation, but also the generations to follow. I am thankful for my mother, and for my wife.

Happy Mother's Day!

Pray Constantly

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray constantly.

Today is the 58th observance of the National Day of Prayer. Prayer meetings are being held all over the nation. I appreciate those who mobilized this movement, and have continued to promote it in order to magnify the importance of prayer.

The Scripture admonishes us to pray constantly, or pray without ceasing. The phrase "our prayers go out to you" is often heard in the secular media. I have never really understood what that means. I think it just sounds kind, so people say it, and it makes them seem spiritual.

I can tell you who my prayers go out to. My prayers go out to God. The only reason He receives and answers them is because I approach Him in the name of Jesus, who is my righteousness.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens- Jesus the Son of God- let us hold fast to the confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

It is a great privilege to come before the throne of God. He is Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all the universe, and He hears me, and answers according to His perfect will.

There has been a bit of a dust-up the past couple of days because President Obama refused to publicly participate in the National Day of Prayer. Who can really be surprised at this? This is the man who has done all he can to set back the pro-life movement in this country. This is the man who answered the question, when does life begin, by saying "that's above my pay grade." This is the man who has surrounded himself with the most liberal administration that has ever existed. So I am not surprised at all.

However, I will be obedient to Scripture- I Timothy 2:1-4 I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So I pray that those in authority over us would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

I hope you pray constantly in your walk with God. If you don't, now is a good time to start.

Nailed to the Cross

Colossians 2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us, he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Apart from Christ, we are dead in our sins. We are debtors to God. The law of God reveals His holiness. We are incapable of living up to the law of God, or measuring up to His holiness. Yet God, who is rich in grace and mercy, makes us alive with Christ.

When we come to Him in repentance and faith, God forgives us all our sins, cancelling the written code, nailing it to the cross. Not only that, He has been victorious over the enemy, triumphing by the power of cross.

This is an amazing work of God. It is a humbling work of God because there is nothing we can do to earn or merit it.

Almighty God, thank you for grace. Thank you for making me alive in Christ, when I was dead and hopeless in my sins. Empower me by your Spirit to live in light of what you have done for me, for your glory!

What I Love About AWANA

On Sunday night at CLBC we celebrated what God has done in our AWANA Ministry over the past year. Under the leadership of Jerry Lowe, and all of the supporting leaders, this ministry has grown steadily over the past several years.

AWANA is an acronym that stands for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed", from 2 Timothy 2:15. My home church had a very strong AWANA Ministry during my years there. I had opportunity to serve as a commander of that group and God used that, along with other ministry opportunities I was involved in, to solidify my call to ministry. I also served on the South Florida AWANA Ministry Advisory Board.

I had opportunity to travel to Chicago a number of years ago and meet Mr. Art Rohrheim. Mr. Rohrheim is the co-founder of AWANA. AWANA is now in more than 17,000 churches and 100 countries worldwide. I still have a miniature globe of the world that he gave me along with a couple of international coins. When I graduated from Liberty University with a doctorate, Mr. Rohrheim was being recognized and awarded an honorary doctorate for his work with AWANA. I made my way through the crowd at graduation and told him how much I appreciated the impact he had on my life by his example.

I love AWANA for three reasons:

1) AWANA is all about the Gospel. The motto of AWANA is to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and to train them to serve Him.

2) AWANA is all about the Word of God. There is a clear focus on getting the Word of God into the hearts and minds of the children, believing that God's Word will not return void.

3) AWANA is all about children and families. Jesus ministered to children and He cared about them while He walked this earth. Now, He intercedes on their behalf. We can often reach families for Christ through their children.

So I am thankful for the good year that our AWANA Club had and I pray God continues to bless and prosper this ministry.

The Good News of God

Series in Romans- "The Good News for Life"

Focal Passage- Romans 1:1-17

Listen to Sermon Here

*The Good News of God was promised long ago. vv1-2

Gospel= Good News. It is good news that God can be known, we can be forgiven, we can live eternally. The Gospel (I Corinthians 15:3-4) is the sum total of saving truth about Jesus communicated to man.

*The Good News of God is powerful to save. vv16-17

These two verses are the most important verses in the entire letter. They simply state our need for salvation, God's provision for salvation, and the means by which we receive salvation.

*The Good News of God is to be proclaimed among the nations. v5, v16

It is the heart of God that the nations hear the Good News. Jesus said, the good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.

We have the riches of Christ. As we journey through the letter to the church at Rome, we are going to uncover the Good News for Life!

Swine Flu and Missions

We kicked off our 2009 mission focus in Jamaica the week after Easter. Our next international effort was to be in Mexico the latter part of May. The past couple of weeks have been interesting. I heard the news about the swine flu last week with the epicenter located in Mexico. The Mexico work was going to include medical clinics (not a great idea in a flu outbreak) and Backyard Bible club work. With school closed and other public gatherings at a standstill, things were not looking good. I made a joint decision with the doctor in Mexico that we were to be working with that we would not make the trip. Today, news was released that the International Mission Board has restricted travel to and from Mexico also.

Personally, I don't worry about much of anything. I think the media has gone absolutely mad over this, and blown things WAY out of proportion (I could still be wrong, but I hope not). When compared to regular seasonal flu, this outbreak has been minimal so far. I went to East Asia when the Avian Flu was supposed to end the world, and it didn't. But logistically, the work in Mexico would not have been possible.

I tried to find a place for our team to go the same week. I quickly started to feel like the Apostle Paul, when he wrote that the Holy Spirit would not permit him to go to Bithynia. I encountered closed door after closed door.

I decided to contact USAir. If you travel much at all, you know what a quagmire dealing with an airline can be. We were able to cancel our tickets and retain a credit to be used in the future, to the same country. USAir has been advertising that they are waiving the change fees to Mexico. What the good Lord giveth, the fine print taketh away.

Due to the fact that the second leg of our trip is on an Air Mexico, USAir said they would have to charge us $150 per ticket. I discovered that Air Mexico was charging a $37 change fee. I said to the USAir representative, "let me get this straight. USAir is waiving the fee, but is not waiving the fee because Air Mexico has a change fee. I said, but Air Mexico is charging $37 and you are telling me you are charging $150 instead?" Completely logical, right? I have an email into Customer Service to hopefully get a resolution for when we rebook not to have to pay the $150.

We are tentatively considering early August to follow through with our trip to Mexico. For now, I am viewing this as a lesson in patience and faith. I know God has a plan for our folks who committed to do this work. I am praying all of this passes soon.