I wish I cried more...

I don't cry enough...

I'm not meaning crying over "spilled milk"; but crying because my heart is breaking, my soul is longing, and my spirit is distressed.

Psalm 119:136 says: "My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep Your law."

I love that David was so distressed that people did not obey God that he wept for them!

Too often instead of weeping over people's disobedience to God, I apathetically shrug and think "what can I do?"

Instead of being distressed over the captivity of peoples' minds to Satan--I am tempted to react with arguments and condemnation, in order to "prove them wrong".

I want to cry more!  I want to weep and cry out to God over the lost of this world!  I want to see Truth and Justice reign over what now lays broken and ruined!

We all need to cry more, we need to pray more, we need to love more...

Start with this question:  (answer it in a comment below if you feel so led)

What in this world distresses you or breaks your heart the most these days?  
 -Will you commit to cry out to God for this thing/people?  Will you seek to love them?  Will you ask God to break your heart even more--so that His love and grace overflows through you?

A Faith Supplement...

Are you ever astonished at how little faith in Jesus seems to effect people who claim to have it?

Are you ever astonished at how little your OWN life is effected by faith in Jesus?

If so perhaps you need to "supplement your faith..."  (2 Peter 1:5)

Peter lists the following characteristics as those that we ought to supplement our faith with--reflect on these and ask yourself the follow questions:

Virtue: speaks to our behaviour--virtuous behavior is that which is morally excellent.  For a Christian they are behaviours that reflect "faith, hope and love" as they are found ultimately in Christ.  Does your faith in Christ produce behaviour that reflects Him?

Knowledge: This is more than just knowing facts--but knowing Christ and his ways in a deeper way.  To grow in knowledge, regardless of the field, takes discipline and work.  Are you pursuing to know Christ and His ways more?

Self-Control: If pursuing Christ requires discipline, then surely self-control will be one of those disciplines!  Self-Control is actually "Spirit-Control"--not to follow the ways of the flesh, but rather the ways of the Spirit.   Who controls your "self"---the flesh or the Spirit?

Steadfastness: Simply put this means to be "fixed" on something or someone.  Hebrews 12:2 tells us to "fix our eyes on Jesus..."  because he is the Author and Perfecter (finisher) of our faith!  Who or what are you fixed on--what holds your gaze these days?

Godliness:  The Greek word for godliness literally means "worship well".  Worshiping well requires a God-ward focus in ALL that we do.  Have you considered that every aspect of your life is to be an act and attitude of worship toward God--do you live accordingly?

Brotherly Affection:  In a healthy sibling relationship, siblings stand together and would do most anything to care for each other.  This is basically the idea of this kind of love that Peter speaks of.  How are your caring for people around you--specifically those who are less fortunate than yourself?

Love: More specifically the love of Christ--a love that goes beyond all human expectations!  A selfless and self-giving love.  When is the last time that you have loved simply to bless another with what Christ has given you?

After this list Peter says:
...IF these qualities are yours and ever increasing they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Are these qualities yours?  Are they ever increasing?
May the blessings of Christ be yours and multiply His blessings in and through you to others!

Reflection for Leaders

Anyone is welcome to read and use the following post--but it is specifically directed to those called by God to lead His people--this comes from my own devotional reflection on these passages...I'd encourage you to treat this as a devotional reading and take time to reflect. 

"...they (leaders) are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give account.  Let them do this with joy..." (Hebrews 13:17b)

When I read this passage in my devotions the other morning I had just finished reading Ezekiel 33.  Particularly Ezekiel 33:1-9 is relevant to my reflection on this verse (you may want to go read it now).

Ezekiel is told that he is a watchman with the responsibility to speak whatever it is that God tells him to speak.  The consequences of NOT speaking and warning in accord with how God leads has haunting and devastating consequences for the prophet.  As one called to teach and preach and lead others, these verses have always weighed very heavily on me.  Any who is called to lead God's people (whether it is in full-time paid ministry, or "lay" leadership) knows at least something of the weight I speak of I am sure.

It is with this weight and responsibility in mind that one should walk through this reflection:

"...keep watch over their souls..."

Even at my best I cannot accomplish this task!  This is no task for the natural abilities or wisdom of man!  What is is more valuable than a soul?? (Jesus said: what good is it if we gain the whole word yet lose our soul?) What can one given the task of "keeping watch over souls" say or do other than to fling oneself more fully into the arms of the Holy Spirit?  What hope is there except that the Holy Spirit do this work through us.  Dear Father, send your Spirit, give us eyes to see and discern the naturally indiscernible!  

"...those who will give account..."

How can one not tremble at the thought?  For not one is perfect...far from it!  How can any of us lead how we ought to?  ("...those who teach will be judged more strictly..." Js 3:1)
Father be merciful on your servants!  Forgive us for the times when You said to speak and we stayed silent; or when you called for gentleness, but instead we were harsh!  Surely, Your mercies are new every morning!  For this we rejoice, and we press on for He who called us is faithful!

"...do this with JOY..."

Got that?  Serve with JOY.  Lead with JOY.  Teach and correct with JOY.  When you are tired and worn out; continue in JOY!
Father I confess that many times I have served simply out of duty...even with bitterness.  I have complained too often, and rejoiced to little.  Again Lord have mercy!  Restore to me the JOY of my salvation and the calling I have received in Christ!

If God has called you to lead, you have received an amazing privilege, but one that comes with a weight and responsibility that is beyond anything else I have experienced--watch over the souls entrusted to your care, be diligent to serve and lead well, and may you always be filled with the Joy of the Lord!

Perfect Community is always Imperfect

Today a friend asked me, "What is community supposed to look like?"

A simple question right?  But it made me pause and reflect...

Part of me wanted to give the "idealistic community" view--the kind of community where everyone is in perfect unity all the time, and there is overflowing joy, and never any tension or hurt!  A community where everyone has "arrived"!  But then it struck me--that's a load of _________. (fill in the blank)  Who has ever experienced THAT kind of community here on earth?

Now, in some ways I long for that kind of community; and yet the more I live in community with others the more I realize that surely that kind of community will NOT be seen in this life.  And I actually think that's a good thing!

It's a good thing because if that kind of community existed I would be disqualified!  And don't kid yourself, so would you!

It doesn't take much honest self-reflection to realize that I can be a bit of a bugger sometimes.  Just tonight I had some close friends over and I know I wasn't the best host--I was "off" and a bit grumpy.  I'd tell you I had a long day, but that's just an excuse and a good friend has told me: "that any excuse no matter how valid only weakens the character!"  So no excuses...(Thanks to my friends who still love me and put up with me!)

So what's the point?  The point is we need to embrace the imperfectness of the perfect community.  In doing so we will embrace others just like us who too often feel like they struggle alone with their imperfections.  People on a journey...We are all in progress...sometimes further along, sometimes further behind.

I think the Church has often gotten mixed up about what the "perfect community" should look like.  The problem comes with a misunderstanding of timing.  Because the Church IS called to be perfect and the Bride of Christ without spot or blemish.  But we forget that this will be an ongoing process throughout History and only fully accomplished when Jesus comes for His Bride.

For the time being, the church community cannot be perfect or else none of us can be a part of it--but it does need to be a place of love, gentleness, patience and humility and Truth as we together grow towards the goal of perfect unity in Jesus.  We are all a people in progress.

The moment that the church community becomes too perfect to embrace the imperfect person is the moment we have truly lost the plot.

"I did not come for the righteous, but for the sinner."  --Jesus (Mark 2:17)

I just may be a heretic!

I still clearly remember the plea of my Theology professor when he told us to be very very careful about ever calling someone a Heretic!  I have taken that plea to heart, and remain cautious with my use of this very strong and hurtful word.  Not to say that heresy should not be addressed, or even that one who is clearly heretical should not be labelled such---all I am saying is let's be really careful.

Over the last number of years I've been called a heretic--sometimes straight to my face, sometimes behind my back and other times it's been simply slyly implied.  The thing that I find mind-boggling is for what I have been called a heretic.

Once it was because I quoted an author that someone thought was a heretic.  Simply quoting this author caused the person to walk out of a sermon before he ever heard what I had to say about the quote.  He later stormed back to the building and confronted another pastor (not me to my face) and told him that I was a heretic.  Let me just say--it's not a nice feeling.

More recently, it was implied that I held heretical views because I refused to call a practice called "Lectio Divina" heresy, and thus all who practice and teach it heretics.  (Now let me be clear,  I understand that Lectio Divina has been abused, and obviously is a bit controversial to many).  Yet, to call people heretics over it?  Hmmmmm...perhaps we are using the word too loosely?

I have friends who follow Jesus and love Him dearly who hold some different views on biblical issues than I do.  I disagree with them...sometimes very strongly.  Sometimes these disagreements can cause heated debates to occur.  Many times, these debates don't resolve the difference--and discussion continues to this day.  I have no problem with that.  Dialogue about our different views is healthy.  Labeling one as a heretic in such a case is not helpful.

Now I have other friends who claim a faith of sorts--some who even would label it a Christian faith of some kind.  Yet, they do not believe in fundamental Christian Doctrine of which is clear in Scripture and to which the Church has held and affirmed in our Creeds.  They have heretical views, and thus as one who claim the Christian faith as their own, are heretics.  I have no issue with the word being applied in such a case--when it is clear and undeniably a heretical belief.  But let it be proved by Scripture and not mere opinion.  Let us be very wary of using the label heretic to describe any "disagreement" of theology or doctrine we may have with another Christian.  (And let me be clear as well---I still dearly love these friends, though I think their views are heretical!)

It's no wonder, many in the world just shake their head at the Church and want no part.

"But if you bite and devour one another take care that you are not consumed by one another." (Gal 5:15)