It's one of those ideas that just seems to be sticking with me. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke from 2 Corinthians 12:7 - 10 about the aroma of brokenness (you can listen to the message on our website). At the time, I had a sense that if I just lingered in the Spirit's presence long enough and meditated on this passage, it could be life-changing. I told our church that I didn't want to move on from that place too quickly, so I could make sure that I "got it." A lot of the inspiration for that message came from Peter Scazzero's book, "The Emotionally Healthy Church." He's written a related book, "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality." I recommend both.
I guess it's because I'm in one of those seasons in life right now where everything is a lot of work. I can honestly say that there isn't one area where I am coasting. Life is good, make no mistake. I'm healthy, have a wonderful family and the depth of my love for Christ is deepening almost daily. I also pastor a great group of people. Really great. But everything, well, almost everything, is hard. God seems to be testing me, refining me and even fortifying me. Ruth and I have four daughters and they're entering the teen years. Our church is remodeling its building and I find my time easily taken up with "construction issues." My heart is, at times, bored and listless. I sometimes wonder if I'm making a difference. Retirement, though still about 20 years away, has popped up on the horizon. I wonder if I'm as far along as I should be. I sometimes feel like I disappoint God.
And so, there are significant areas of my life where I have some deep questions and even disquiet. And that really bothered me, until I spent some time with Paul and his thorn in the flesh. I know some people think they know what this thorn was, but I'm not sure we can say with certainty. When I look at the context, it could have been physical, moral or even emotional. And I think that vagueness on the part of God is intentional. The bottom line is that it was tormenting Paul and was a serious threat to him. But it was exactly that desperate situation that God used to keep Paul true to the cross and in love with Christ.
And that's the bottom line for me: My failures, frailties, questions, doubts, fears, sin and even sadness sometimes, can be (if I'll let them) God's gifts, personally given to me, to keep me in love with Jesus. I love Him so much.
God has given me the grace to keep everything in perspective and it's beautiful. But I am learning to embrace my thorns as gifts and as things to be treasured. As I allow myself to be broken, I am praying that the aroma of Jesus will fill the space around me.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thanking God for Entrepreneurs
OK, so we live and work in a town known for its government agencies, the Pentagon, embassies from around the world and lobbyists. But what about the entrepreneurs who have made our country great? During the July 4th weekend, I spoke to our church about the blessings that God has given to our nation. We prayed for and thanked God for all of the different types of careers represented in our DC area and the people who work so hard to make this country great. But I focused my attention this year on God's gift of the entrepreneur.
Often, the message of the church seems to be that entrepreneurs carry around an extra load of guilt and I'm not sure we really appreciate what a gift from God entrepreneurs are. To hear more of this message, check out the link on our home page under my picture, "listen to one of Rick's messages."
There are a couple of points I'd like to add to what I said. First, by creating capital, taking sizeable economic risks (so the rest of us don't have to), innovating, looking forward into the future, creating jobs (and blessing families), entrepreneurs are a significant force for growth and the greatness of our nation. Look, the Bible instructs us to tithe and give to the poor. And so there is a responsibility for business people to give to the church and to help those less fortunate. In fact, it's a strong mandate. But, even if a business gives nothing charitable, it is still a blessing to our nation because of the growth and opportunities it provides.
The parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:14ff offers a real life example of Jesus endorsing entrepreneurship. The servants who took risk, looked for the best return, and who reaped a reasonable profit were commended by Christ. True, the first and foremost implication of this parable is a spiritual one (we are to use the talents God has given to us and He expects a return on them). But, he uses an example from the business world and gives his approval by its example.
This was a unique sermon for me, but I really enjoyed preparing it and presenting it. I tried to present biblical principles as they relate to capitalism -- an imperfect system, but the best the world has ever seen. God works through capitalism and we see the blessings of God poured out, in part at least, through our economy based on Christian principles.
God bless America. America, bless God.
For more info on this kind of economic perspective, check out the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.
Often, the message of the church seems to be that entrepreneurs carry around an extra load of guilt and I'm not sure we really appreciate what a gift from God entrepreneurs are. To hear more of this message, check out the link on our home page under my picture, "listen to one of Rick's messages."
There are a couple of points I'd like to add to what I said. First, by creating capital, taking sizeable economic risks (so the rest of us don't have to), innovating, looking forward into the future, creating jobs (and blessing families), entrepreneurs are a significant force for growth and the greatness of our nation. Look, the Bible instructs us to tithe and give to the poor. And so there is a responsibility for business people to give to the church and to help those less fortunate. In fact, it's a strong mandate. But, even if a business gives nothing charitable, it is still a blessing to our nation because of the growth and opportunities it provides.
The parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:14ff offers a real life example of Jesus endorsing entrepreneurship. The servants who took risk, looked for the best return, and who reaped a reasonable profit were commended by Christ. True, the first and foremost implication of this parable is a spiritual one (we are to use the talents God has given to us and He expects a return on them). But, he uses an example from the business world and gives his approval by its example.
This was a unique sermon for me, but I really enjoyed preparing it and presenting it. I tried to present biblical principles as they relate to capitalism -- an imperfect system, but the best the world has ever seen. God works through capitalism and we see the blessings of God poured out, in part at least, through our economy based on Christian principles.
God bless America. America, bless God.
For more info on this kind of economic perspective, check out the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Jeremiah Wright and Speaking for God
How do we know when a man or woman is really speaking on behalf of God, particularly in what is known as "prophetic preaching?"
At the height of the Jeremiah Wright controversy, I used one of my Sunday messages from the book of Hosea to develop a framework that we can use to determine whether a man or woman is really speaking for God.
I'm not making a judgement on Jeremiah Wright. I don't know him, I'm not anointed by God to make some grand pronouncement as to his veracity, and I haven't take the time to read through the entirety of his sermons, nor analyze his FULL career. Nor am I commenting on Barak Obama. The point of this post isn't to analyze Wright, but to use the controversy as a springboard for educating us a bit about what it means to speak for God.
We DO need to know whether a person is speaking for God. It's easy to understand that Paris Hilton or Madonna doesn't speak for God. Duh! But what about someone who claims to speak for God? What about other faiths that claim to have a message from God?
So, here are a few of the framework points I shared with Calvary, to help us prayerfully analyze when a person is speaking for God or not . . .
There is a tradition of prophetic preaching both in biblical (Old and New Testaments) and American histories. Prophetic preaching is real and has a valuable contribution to make.
When I refer to "prophetic preaching," I'm not refering to foretelling, but forthtelling. Forthelling means that a person claims to have received a message from God that is to be delivered to a certain audience: "Thus saith the Lord."
In my mind, prophetic preaching can also be derived from the Biblical text and applied in a strong way to a cultural phenomenon, but the speaker IS claiming that this message has been given to him/her by God. And so, by God, that had better be the case. If a person claims to have a message from God, he or she had better be 100% certain that it is in fact from God. Otherwise, preach it as biblical truth, your interpretation of it and your application of it (which can be valid preaching) but be careful what is claimed.
We probably need more prophetic preaching in America -- there's a lot that's ungodly in this nation. But since the source of a prophetic message is God Himself, and not our own creation, then isn't the frequency and timing of these messages really up to God? WE might think we need more of this today, but apparently God doesn't, or He would be prompting more of it.
Just because a message gets shouted down by the media or by our culture, doesn't mean it isn't from God.
If a man or woman hears from God and delivers an authentic prophetic message, he or she should stick with it. Don't back down. In the recent past, there have been people who purported to speak for God, then backed down when the fire got hot. Did they really hear from God? If so, press on. If not, then in the future, keep YOUR THOUGHTS to yourself.
Prophetic messages originate with God, not from our own fears, prejudices, experiences, anger, etc. Our emotions may be used by God to hone or refine the message, but again, the message originates from the heart of God, not from the person and his/her experiences.
God can be harsh. He's not always full of love and mush. He is a loving God, but (check out Hosea, for instance!) the Bible has many harsh prophecies. But here's the thing: harsh prophecies are reserved for really, really sinful people or hypocrites. I think that many preachers who are just being "brutally honest" enjoy the brutality too much.
Bringing a judgment prophetic message, from God, can actually be quite patriotic.
Be a Christian first and American second.
Not all claims of God inspiration really are God-inspired.
Listen to purported messages from God with humilty. God may really be speaking through that man or woman.
Don't allow pride to blind us to what God might actually be saying.
Check any and all messages against the absolute eternal standard of the Bible. A message that contradicts the Bible or that misapplies God's word, is not from God. That sounds simple, but it's true. God isn't going to inspire someone to speak on His behalf and contradict His word already published in the Bible. It's said that anything we have ever emailed or put on the internet is recorded forever. God originated that concept. He doesn't change and His word (only the Bible) is there for all to see and with which to compare.
No prophetic preaching or word of prophecy adds to what is already in the Bible. It will simply expound or explain what God has previously said.
There are, of course, many more considerations, but this post is already too long. I think it can be very difficult to determine whether a prophetic message is really from God. But the fact is, God DOES speak through people and we need to listen with ears and hearts both protected and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
At the height of the Jeremiah Wright controversy, I used one of my Sunday messages from the book of Hosea to develop a framework that we can use to determine whether a man or woman is really speaking for God.
I'm not making a judgement on Jeremiah Wright. I don't know him, I'm not anointed by God to make some grand pronouncement as to his veracity, and I haven't take the time to read through the entirety of his sermons, nor analyze his FULL career. Nor am I commenting on Barak Obama. The point of this post isn't to analyze Wright, but to use the controversy as a springboard for educating us a bit about what it means to speak for God.
We DO need to know whether a person is speaking for God. It's easy to understand that Paris Hilton or Madonna doesn't speak for God. Duh! But what about someone who claims to speak for God? What about other faiths that claim to have a message from God?
So, here are a few of the framework points I shared with Calvary, to help us prayerfully analyze when a person is speaking for God or not . . .
There is a tradition of prophetic preaching both in biblical (Old and New Testaments) and American histories. Prophetic preaching is real and has a valuable contribution to make.
When I refer to "prophetic preaching," I'm not refering to foretelling, but forthtelling. Forthelling means that a person claims to have received a message from God that is to be delivered to a certain audience: "Thus saith the Lord."
In my mind, prophetic preaching can also be derived from the Biblical text and applied in a strong way to a cultural phenomenon, but the speaker IS claiming that this message has been given to him/her by God. And so, by God, that had better be the case. If a person claims to have a message from God, he or she had better be 100% certain that it is in fact from God. Otherwise, preach it as biblical truth, your interpretation of it and your application of it (which can be valid preaching) but be careful what is claimed.
We probably need more prophetic preaching in America -- there's a lot that's ungodly in this nation. But since the source of a prophetic message is God Himself, and not our own creation, then isn't the frequency and timing of these messages really up to God? WE might think we need more of this today, but apparently God doesn't, or He would be prompting more of it.
Just because a message gets shouted down by the media or by our culture, doesn't mean it isn't from God.
If a man or woman hears from God and delivers an authentic prophetic message, he or she should stick with it. Don't back down. In the recent past, there have been people who purported to speak for God, then backed down when the fire got hot. Did they really hear from God? If so, press on. If not, then in the future, keep YOUR THOUGHTS to yourself.
Prophetic messages originate with God, not from our own fears, prejudices, experiences, anger, etc. Our emotions may be used by God to hone or refine the message, but again, the message originates from the heart of God, not from the person and his/her experiences.
God can be harsh. He's not always full of love and mush. He is a loving God, but (check out Hosea, for instance!) the Bible has many harsh prophecies. But here's the thing: harsh prophecies are reserved for really, really sinful people or hypocrites. I think that many preachers who are just being "brutally honest" enjoy the brutality too much.
Bringing a judgment prophetic message, from God, can actually be quite patriotic.
Be a Christian first and American second.
Not all claims of God inspiration really are God-inspired.
Listen to purported messages from God with humilty. God may really be speaking through that man or woman.
Don't allow pride to blind us to what God might actually be saying.
Check any and all messages against the absolute eternal standard of the Bible. A message that contradicts the Bible or that misapplies God's word, is not from God. That sounds simple, but it's true. God isn't going to inspire someone to speak on His behalf and contradict His word already published in the Bible. It's said that anything we have ever emailed or put on the internet is recorded forever. God originated that concept. He doesn't change and His word (only the Bible) is there for all to see and with which to compare.
No prophetic preaching or word of prophecy adds to what is already in the Bible. It will simply expound or explain what God has previously said.
There are, of course, many more considerations, but this post is already too long. I think it can be very difficult to determine whether a prophetic message is really from God. But the fact is, God DOES speak through people and we need to listen with ears and hearts both protected and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Unity
I'm part of a pastors prayer group that meets every Wednesday morning. It's growing and there are now about 14 of us, representing that many different churches and denominations. It's a refreshing breath of fresh air for me that I begin anticipating on Mondays. We're all in the ministry together and we feel that we complete one another, not compete with one another. I can share professional ministry needs as well as personal prayer requests. I mean, it's unfortunate, but there just hasn't been this kind of unity in the Body of Christ very often. We feel that God has really gifted us and we intend to follow Christ's lead. There seems to be a new wind that God is blowing across the church and we're hoping that the future in America, at least, is one of Christians reaching out from their own buildings and across denominational lines to love and serve.
This morning's gathering was particularly rewarding. A number of us had quite serious requests and we could sense the love, concern and active prayer of others in the group. I guess people don't think about pastors needing pastoring, but we do need pastoring at times and this group in Arlington is exceptional. What a God-send.
We can also sense the prayer group strengthening the church in Arlington (that is, the body of Christ that meets in various churches in Arlington). There have been several Sunday mornings when, with permission, our church has prayed for another church. In fact, it's a common practice in a number of our churches. What a beautiful act of unity to have our church praying for the benefit of another church, sometimes just down the street.
We sense that this coming together of church leaders will result, somehow, in the coming together of the Body of Christ. Our annual Good Friday services are love-fests of worship and power. People like it when their spiritual leaders are committed to the Kingdom of God. We like it too.
What's the point of all of this? Jesus said, "They (the world) will know you are Christians by your love." By the grace of God, the church in Arlington is beginning to come together at the foot of the cross to love one another and to love God. It's really exciting.
This morning's gathering was particularly rewarding. A number of us had quite serious requests and we could sense the love, concern and active prayer of others in the group. I guess people don't think about pastors needing pastoring, but we do need pastoring at times and this group in Arlington is exceptional. What a God-send.
We can also sense the prayer group strengthening the church in Arlington (that is, the body of Christ that meets in various churches in Arlington). There have been several Sunday mornings when, with permission, our church has prayed for another church. In fact, it's a common practice in a number of our churches. What a beautiful act of unity to have our church praying for the benefit of another church, sometimes just down the street.
We sense that this coming together of church leaders will result, somehow, in the coming together of the Body of Christ. Our annual Good Friday services are love-fests of worship and power. People like it when their spiritual leaders are committed to the Kingdom of God. We like it too.
What's the point of all of this? Jesus said, "They (the world) will know you are Christians by your love." By the grace of God, the church in Arlington is beginning to come together at the foot of the cross to love one another and to love God. It's really exciting.
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