Stay focused on the mission!

I found this today over on Jerry Scott's blog

"Guard against majoring on minors! If the Devil cannot tempt us with gross sin, he will settle for making us totally ineffective in the Lord's work by getting us sidetracked into personal crusades that reflect our narrow prejudices over the clear teaching of the Word of God. Causes worthy of intense debate are few! But, we manage to debate and divide the Body of Christ about so many things! "

I see so much of this in the blogosphere. People getting on a pastor's blog and posting comments about how wrong he is, how he doesn't preach enough on hell/sin/repentence/fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorite-topic. Or because someone doesn't like a method a church uses to bring people in, they are accused of being apostate and giving people a watered-down gospel.

I have to ask myself: Is the number of people these crusaders "save from error" greater than the number of people they totally turn off to Christ's message by their attitudes? Yes, if someone is presenting a watered-down gospel, they will have to give an account to the Master on judgement day. But I think those that drive people away from the message of Christ because of failing to temper their zeal for orthodoxy with Christ-like love will also have to answer for those souls who would have listened to the salvation message if the bad attitudes hadn't turned them off.

I'm not going to waste my time quibbling over minutae. Blatant heresy or cult beliefs? Yes, I'll confront them. But our mission is to go into all the world and make disciples. It's not being the Spanish Inquisition.

9:33   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

Missions on the back doorstep
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Sunday night about 10:30, as the last missionary (who had been preaching at two churches in southwest Arkansas and had the furthest drive back to Little Rock after her last service) and the two ladies from Centro Cristiano Hispano who accompanied her on her road trip arrived, a 22-year-old Mexican young man was waiting out on the church parking lot. He smelled of alcohol, and the ladies were a little frightened. They quickly came inside the church and told us about the man outside. Pastor Molina asked me to go out and talk to him.

This young man, Roberto, was obvoiusly hurting. He talked about how he had a good job and earned good money ($14/hr, not bad for a 22-year-old with no college). But he himself said it didn't matter how much money he had if all he did was blow it on booze. All the money in the world couldn't cover up the pain of being separated from his son (the young man's wife left him and took their son with her because of his constant drunkenness). His wife had filed domestic abuse charges against him, he had been in the county jail a couple of days, and was out pending a court hearing.

Earlier Sunday evening, while driving after he had downed a few, he was stopped by a police officer. The officer could tell he smelled of booze. Roberto had told him of the domestic abuse hearing, and the officer, instead of taking him in and impounding his truck, had mercy on him and told him to go home. He didn't want Roberto to have another charge against him that could hurt him in the hearing.

Roberto went home and cleaned up, but didn't stay there. He drove again, this time to meet some friends who were supposed to go with him to a dance at a club. Or it may have been to a wedding or quinceañera party -- Roberto just said they were supposed to go together to "el baile - the dance". Could have been a club or a party. When he got to the meeting place a few blocks from our church, his friends never showed up.

After waiting for them a while, he came to the church parking lot. He said he knew there was a Christian church here, and maybe someone here could help him. I told him how it wasn't coincidence that he came to our door. A policeman that should have arrested him for DUI let him off. His friends stood him up. Then he shows up on our back doorstep at 10:30. Everyone is usually gone from the church by 9:30, or 10:00 at the latest. We're only still here because of the meeting with the missionaries (see Monday, Sept. 17th's post, "God is Full of Surprises"). God had worked out all the details to set Roberto up for an encounter with Him.

Roberto went on and on about how money couldn't buy happiness, how he hated how his drinking had cost him his family, how he wanted to change, to give his little boy an example to follow, a real man to look up to. Yes, he was drunk and rambling, but his ramblings were the outpouring of the pain in his heart. One thing about drunks, is they tell you the truth. And Roberto wasn't trying to cover up his failures at all. He knew he was wrong, and he really wanted to change.

Around 11:00, Oscar, the husband of my wife's cousin and guitarist for our worhip team, arrived to pick up his wife (Selene was one of the ladies traveling with the missionary that had been in SW Ark.). Oscar helped me talk with Roberto, talking about how we can't just know about God, that we have to know Him personally and have a relationship with him. Several times Roberto just broke down. Oscar and I would hug him and pray in Spanish and in the Spirit over him.

Finally after about an hour, Roberto was more lucid and starting to speak more clearly. He repeated a prayer, asking Jesus to save and change him. We gave him a Bible, told him to read the Evangelio de San Juan (Gospel of John), and gave him the service schedule for the church. I got his phone number and gave him mine, telling him to call me if he needs to talk. I'm also going to give him a call and remind him to come back to church next Sunday for the service, and to see how he's doing.

We had spent the past few weeks preparing for this big weekend. We had spent the last 3 days raising money to support missionaries. And we got to wrap up the missions convention by DOING missions on the back steps of the church, sharing the love of Christ with a young man who was tired of living life on his own terms and ready to make a change.

7:42   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

God is full of surprises
Category: Religion and Philosophy

This past weekend was the area missions convention for the Central/Southern area of the Arkansas section of the A/G Gulf Latin District. The Hispanic churches from Little Rock, North Little Rock, Hope, El Dorado, Cabot, Batesville, Hot Springs, and Conway all participated.

Several churches had banquets on Friday night, with missionaries speaking. All the churches came together on Saturday at 2:00 for a missions "fair" in Little Rock at Southwest Community Church (thanks to Pastor Brent Atkinson for letting us use their facilities -- none of the Hispanic chruches has a facility large enough to handle all these groups coming together). We had games for the kids, and food booths, with the guest missionaries setting up their info tables among the food tents.

In food, soda, and game ticket sales, over $900 came in during the outdoor fair. At 5:00, we moved inside for a worship service and to listen to Dr. Doyle Jones talk about missions. There was an awesome altar time, and many people received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. The offering that was received for missions in that service was $4000.

On Sunday morning, Robert and Myrna Kemple, construction missionaries to Honduras, were our guests at Centro Cristiano Hispano. They brought a simple message that helped people see how God can use everyone's skills and abilities to further the Kingdom, even if we're not all pulpit preachers. Sunday night, David Hartmann, missionary to Albania, challenged us to do battle in prayer to reach our city and around the world.

Sunday night after service, all the missionaries that had been with us over the weekend met back at CCH for us to get feedback from them on how to improve our convention, and for us to give a report on everything that had come in during the 3 days.  (I missed most of the meeting, as I was outside with my wife's cousin Oscar witnessing to a Mexican young man that showed up at 10:30 p.m. -- I'll tell that story in my next entry.)

As an area, the churches had a combined goal of raising $14,000 for missions over the weekend. After deducting some expenses for the banquets and other incidentals, there was $20,000 that had been raised. Each of our guest missionaries, and the Arkansas Hispanic Church Planting Fund, each received $4,000.

Never underestimate what God can do through a people that will get rid of self-imposed limits and go all-out to advance the Kingdom.

Currently reading:
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars
By Mark Batterson
Release date: 16 October, 2006

4:54   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

Just Do It
Current mood:  chipper
Category: Religion and Philosophy

On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD's temple had not yet been laid. Ezra 3:6 (NIV)

The people didn't wait for the temple to be rebuilt to start offering sacrifices again. How many times have I waited until conditions were better, or until I belt more prepared, before being willing to do what God has called me to do? Yes, planning and preparation are important to insure that things get done the best way possible, but too many times the "paralysis of analysis" sets in. If I wait for conditions to be perfect, I'll never start. Sometimes I have to take the resources, tools, and experience I have, take some advice from Nike, and "JUST DO IT!!"

Currently watching:
Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete First Season
Release date: 03 May, 2005

1:14   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

A change of attitude, not just action

Ephesians 4:28

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Thursday night in the men's group at CCH, we were reading several passages about attitudes. Even though this verse on the surface seems to talk about actions, if we look at it closely we see the attitudes behind the actions.

Before coming to Christ, it was all about me. Gimme, gimme, gimme. And if you don't give me what I want, I'll take it from you by hook or by crook.

Now, with Christ living in me and His Spirit controlling my life, it's not about how much I can get, but how much I can give to help others. Now, instead of sitting on my duff and expecting others to provide for me, I'm going to work, not just to provide for myself, but to be able to give generously to others.

When our motives change, our actions follow.

My pastor at NLR First Assembly preached a great message about attitudes related to our money theis past Sunday. You can download the MP3 here

4:03   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

It’s the Principle of the Thing
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Standing on principle isn't always easy. Sometimes it's inconvenient. In Nehemiah 10:31, the people make a apromise to God that at first glance will make life more difficult. "When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts."

This was a point in history where Israel had been carried off into captivity in the Babylonian and Persian empires, and a remnant had started to return to the Promised Land. Many other peoples also now inhabited the land of Judah, having moved in when the armies of Israel had been defeated. These other peoples didn't observe the Sabbath as required by the law God gave Moses. They had no qualms about working on Saturday, bringing their goods to market in the streets of Jerusalem.

These other peoples were selling things the Israelites needed. Grain, fruits, vegetables, tools, textiles, furniture, pottery. It would be easier in the short term to buy from the foreign sellers on the Sabbath, while they're in town, than to wait until another day and have to travel to a nearby village to seek out the vendor at his home or shop.

Sometimes I'm presented with the opportunity to acquire or do something good, but to take advantage of that opportunity as presented to me would violate principles of God's Word. Maybe there's a discount on something I need for the house, but to qualify for the discount I would have to lie on the purchase paperwork. It would be easier and more convenient to lie and save the money, but if I want God's long-term blessings more than a short-term financial savings, I have to live by principle over practicality.

The easy way isn't always the best way. Standing on principle may cost me short-term, but it makes me stronger in the long run.

Currently listening:
Adoration: The Worship Album
By Newsboys
Release date: 08 April, 2003

5:24   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

Balance is the key
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Nehemiah 9:3: They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.

Nehemías 9:3: y asumieron así su responsabilidad. Durante tres horas leyeron el libro de la *ley del Señor su Dios, y en las tres horas siguientes^[a] le confesaron sus pecados y lo adoraron.

It's so easy to get out of balance. With all the great praise and worship music available these days, it's tempting to let listening to worhip music take the place of studying God's Word. I almost cringe when I hear someone say, "We had a wonderful service. The music was so anointed, the pastor didn't even get to preach." All worship and no Word leads to just an emotional experience, and it's easy for our emotions to play tricks on us. We need sound study of the Bible to keep us from following after the latest "feel-good" fad to hit the church world.

Then there's the other extreme of lots of Bible study and intellectual understanding, without the relational aspect of spending time worshipping God. This can lead to a dry, legalistic religion, instead of the relationship God desires to have with each one of His children.

In this passage, we see an equal emphasis on study of God's law, and time spent worsipping Him. Studying the Bible, our guidebook for living, shows us what is right and wrong, and what we're supposed to do. It provides the doctrinal foundation for our Christian service.

Then our time of communion with the Father through prayer, repentance, and worship lets us enter into God's presence, where we can find the strength we need to face the trials of life and carry out the work God called us to through His Word.

May I live every day both in God's Word and in His presence. It's not an either/or situation. A healthy Christian walk is both/and.

4:50   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment

Getting this vehicle in gear

I've got a couple of friends who are heading home to Mexico to attend Bible college. At a going-away dinner last night, they were setting up MySpace pages so we could keep up with what's happening in their lives as they study for the ministry. I decided to set up a page as well. I've been meaning to start blogging on my studio web site (www.foxrunimages.com) but haven't gotten the feature added to my site yet, so I decided to jump in and do it here.

Currently listening:
Wherever You Are
By Third Day
Release date: 01 November, 2005

6:02   -  0 Comments  -  0 Kudos  - Add Comment