Changing God

We must not yield to the popular temptation of changing the glory of God!  The God of the Scriptures is the holy, all-powerful God.  The Scriptures also teach us that He is a Spirit, and that He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth [John 4:24].  Romans 1:23 says, “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.” [Romans 1:23]

Man, as God

Man, Glorified in Christ

Experience?

“It remains true that any form of spiritual warfare will inevitably single out leaders who by their role present obvious targets.” This is one of many insightful statements made by J. Oswald Sanders in his book entitled, Spiritual Leadership.

This book was a gift to me from a local pastor. It has been helpful, and should be read by those holding any office of serving in any leadership role within their local assembly.

Sanders compellingly presents Biblical truth and examples of what a spiritual leader is to be. From qualities to tests of leadership, Sanders draws out lessons for every leader.

One final quote: ''A vision without a task makes a visionary. A task without a vision is drudgery. A vision with a task makes a missionary.“

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The value of God’s glory is inestimably greater than the value of our petty differences.  This is the incapsulated message of I Corinthians chapter one.  The frivolous disputes were evidence that flesh [man] had become a focal point.

As believers, we must know that our salvation is of the LORD.  He gave us Wisdom in Christ.  He gave to us Righteousness in Christ.  This is all of the grace of God, and the method of communicating His grace is the foolishness of PREACHING.

We must learn to continually live in light of His presence (v. 29), so that we would see the futility of our own human efforts, in light of His grace, and that He alone is to be glorified.

When the famed Baptist preacher came to this verse Spurgeon said, “God’s worst is better than the devil’s best.”  Psalm 84:10 says, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

What an amazing verse nestled within an amazing chapter.  How I wish that all God’s children would simply take time to read this chapter!  It would bring peace to the hurting ones and hope for those who have reached the place of intense, uncontrollable weeping!

In observation of the writer note:

1. His Devotion is clearly evident. – “my God“

2. His Desire is clearly expressed. – “I had rather be a doorkeeper…“

3. His Decision is clearly established. – “than to dwell in the tents of wickedness…“

The real key to the greatness of this chapter though is NOT the writer, but it is the God of the song writer.  The God represented here is worthy of devotion, desire, and decision. This means that the God we serve is worthy of self-denying, cross-bearing, sacrificial service. The unbelieving world consider their gods to be worthy of sacrifice; but the servants of the true, living God often do not esteem Him worthy of such devotion.

In terms of application consider:

1. Self-denial means the eradication of selfish wants.

• Convenience does not motivate the willingness to serve.
• Comfort does not master the willingness to sacrifice.

Contentment is the reality for the doorkeeper who sees the worthiness of the Savior.

2. Cross-bearing means the willful decision that leads to act of absolute surrender.

• A cross-bearer has a disposition that is humble.
• A cross-bearer has a daily work that is hard.

Cross-bearing is bearable as we see the worthiness of the One we follow.  As ironic as this sounds, cross-bearing is the willful surrender of self-will!

3. Sacrificial service is service that actually costs you something.

• There is the cost of temporal pleasure. – “…tents of wickedness…“
• There is the cost of temporal popularity. – a beggar on the threshold

Is the LORD God of Heaven worthy of door-keeping [as a beggar on the threshold] service?  The answer is YES.  Does your life show His matchless worth?  Do your words express the unsearchable, inexhaustible worth of Christ?

     Without question, the blog entry that I will highlight was the best one I have read in the last year.  This particular post will serve as only a conduit for an article I recently read.  The post was a lesson taught by one of the missionaries out of GBC in Middletown, Ohio.  Yes, it is my opinion that “The Centrality of the Local Church in Missions” was the best because of several reasons which I will share in this entry.

1.  The assessment given in the article is accurate.

2.  The reasoning behind the disconnect is clearly articulated in the article:

3.  ”Why we need the church so desperately in mission’s endeavors” is also covered.

     If you are looking for a way to still take handwritten notes but also use the technology of your iPad, this post may be a help to you.  There is one app that has met the needs I have and has made my processes more efficient.  This app combines handwriting with today’s technology.  Every person who has an iPad for ministry should consider using Noteshelf as their journaling application.

     The iPad has revolutionized the way I organize my study life.  One “con” to using an iPad is that it was and is extremely difficult getting used to NOT handwriting notes.  This challenge was taken care of when I began using Noteshelf.  Noteshelf exports to Evernote, where I am able to view, search, and organize all of my study notes for a particular passage.  Here are the top ten reasons I chose Noteshelf for journaling and exporting into Evernote:

Ten Reasons I Choose Noteshelf for Journaling into Evernote

     Whether you are taking sermon notes or taking notes from your personal Bible study, Noteshelf has been a great iPad application that has allowed me to use the preferred method of handwriting.

     The goal of these technology posts is to help those who are in ministry find ways to make their processes more efficient.  If the technology is not helping you accomplish the work for the LORD, then why have it?

     Is there one particular application that has helped you in ministry work?

Helpful Links:

     What will make God respond to you?  If you knew the answer to this question, would you actually take advantage of the opportunity to exercise it?  Now, I realize that from a selfish standpoint, all of us think that we could get what we want, and the answer to this question would be the key to unlocking the genie in the bottle.  Fortunate for us, God is NOT a Genie in a bottle.  Regardless, what will make God respond?  Humble faith is the single act that will make God to respond.

     Matthew 15:21 – 28 has the details of an event that took place during the ministry of Jesus Christ.  As Christ was traveling, a non-Jewish woman approached Christ on behalf of her ill daughter.  See Christ’s response to the woman, “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”  At this time, Jesus Christ had come to preach the Kingdom of Heaven to the Jewish people.  In spite of this statement made by Christ, this woman responded in such a way that caused God, in flesh, to stop and answer her petition.  It was more than what the woman said, it was about what she genuinely believed.  The woman said, “…Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  Here are two thoughts about what we see in this event:

An individual’s view of Christ will determine their view of self.

     You will be a humble person when you recognize Christ for Who He is [as the only One Who can satisfy your deepest need].  This woman agreed with what Christ said about her.  How could she?  She could because the thread, though not stated, that characterized this woman was HUMILITY.  She was humble!  Her goal was not to gain status or notoriety.  She understood that she had a need and only ONE Person could satisfy that need; and that Person is Jesus Christ.

Humility and faith are inextricably bound together.

     In order to exercise faith in Someone else’s ability, we must admit that they are capable of doing something we cannot do.  A proud, self-sufficient individual has no reason to exercise faith; but the LORD will always respond to those who humbly approach Him in faith.

     The helpless, humble cry of a person who is full of faith is irresistible to the LORD.  This is what will cause Him to respond, “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”  This is true as it relates to the reception of eternal life as well as help for daily living.

     The praying person is the person who has been in the proximity of the Savior.  Have you heard what He has for you from His Word today?  His Word is how we learn about Who He is.  It is this daily experience that allows us to see Him for Who He is, thus seeing us for who we are.  We are all prone to serve SELF when we have not been in the presence of the SAVIOR.  Spend time with Him today.  We will not exercise faith until we have been humbled by an encounter with the Savior.  This encounter is experienced when we quietly get alone with His Word.

Is there humility that produces faith in your life, or is there pride that produces faithlessness?

     Without fail, every effective preacher that I have met has a certain method of organizing their research.  There are many means available today, and there are many methods that preachers employ in their study life; but one thing that has greatly helped me is the ability to search the research!  

     Let me explain by using this recent experience.  Pumpkins are everywhere during the harvest time of year.  About one year ago, I was invited to speak at a youth event.  During the course of this event, there was an activity where the students had to dig through a hollowed out pumpkin.  Inside of this hollowed out pumpkin, the workers had added chicken noodle soup, pumpkin seeds and various other forms of slop.  The teens had to dig through the slop and find coins that had been dropped into the pumpkin.  Needless to say, it was difficult; and it was a mess.  After much digging through slop, one team did manage to win by finding all of the money in their pumpkin.

     Many leaders do a lot of research, but then they have to go through all of the research again so that they can organize the lesson or sermon to preach.  Evernote has helped me to be able to do a lot of research, organize the research immediately, and be able to easily and effectively search the research later.  For example, in preparation for a lesson, I may look into ten different resources.  As I am going through the study, I can highlight text, take snapshots and immediately drop the shot into Evernote.

     Once this is completely done, I can come back to that research note, perform a search [by word, date, tag, phrase], and easily find words, phrases, or whole notes that contain data pertinent to the lesson I am creating.  Yes, photos and PDF’s become searchable documents within Evernote [Premium Users].  Oh, one of the best parts is that even my handwritten notes become searchable! More on that in a later post.

1.  Inability to easily recall stored information makes the information useless.

2.  Easily recalling information allows one to quickly create a compilation of notes with a common theme.

3.  Search-ability allows you to have a one-stop shop for a lot of past study [many resources in one].

     Either learn to use the technology or get rid of it.  Today’s technology can help you to become more efficient, or it can simply become some kind of a time-waster.  Keeping organized, searchable notes from all various sources can be a great help in your study life.

What technology has helped you to become more efficient in your Bible study?

The Kenwood Towne Center in Cincinnati, Ohio is an experience in itself.  This mall is hustling and bustling today with busy shoppers trying to buy last minute gifts.  Sitting here, thousands have passed by me.  I wonder if they will forget?  Will you forget?  At Christmas time, it is important that we do NOT forget Christ amidst all of the kindred and the stuff!

Mountain Dew is green, highly potent drink that is my wife’s beverage of choice. On a regular basis, Catrina will text me and ask me to stop on the way home to purchase for her a soothing, bubbly cup of Mountain Dew from the fountain at a local convenience store. One of the worst feelings I have is when I walk in the house only THEN to remember that I forgot to get her favorite drink on the way home. As it relates to Christmas, many come to the end of the holiday, only THEN to remember Jesus Christ. Don’t let that happen to you this year!

Joseph and Mary had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover. The Word of God says that Jesus was twelve, and this journey was their custom. Upon the end of the days, they began their journey back home. It was then that the Word of God says this in Luke 2:44, “But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.”

Of all things or people, they had left Jesus Christ back at the Temple. There were plenty of people; and, I’m certain there was plenty of stuff on this journey back, but there was no Jesus. Here are a couple of thoughts:

1. Busy times lead to forgetful minds!

2. Customs can lead to carelessness!

3. Assumption is no excuse for absentmindedness!

Be purposeful in making sure that Christ is the Person for whom you live on December 25. Make sure He is the preeminent One. Allow nothing to become an idol in your life, including busyness.

So, will you remember Christ? What specifically will you enact in your life so that you will not forget Him?

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