Connecting Points

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Forgiveness

Today’s Text:  “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  (Isaiah 1:18)

The company of the discouraged is a very noble company. Not too long ago, the Hayden Planetarium in New York City issued an invitation to all those who were interested in applying to be a part of the crew on the first journey to another planet. Eighteen thousand people applied. They gave the applications to a panel of psychologists, who examined them thoroughly and came to the conclusion that in the vast majority of incidents, those who applied did so because they were discouraged with their lives here and hoped they could find a new life somewhere else.

People love to get invitations. It seems like we interpret them as a means of escape from the drudgery of our routine lives. But not all invitations are accepted.

I remember a time when the oldest of my grandchildren were still very young and afraid to climb up into the playhouse we have for them in the back yard. No matter how many times I would stand behind them and encourage them to “go to the top”, they just wouldn’t climb the ladder. Then it dawned on me to climb up first and invite them to come up to where I was. It worked! With my hand extended and a simple “Come on up here,” they climbed right up.

Isaiah reminds us of the invitation the Lord offers to anyone and everyone who wants to “come on up here.” Jesus invites us to come together with him and reason with Him so that we can be forgiven of our sins. The Hebrew word for “reason” has several meanings. It means,

• to prove – come together with God and let Him prove to you who He is and what He says
• decide – God always gives you the choice to believe or not
• judge – He wants everyone to know He is the ultimate Judge and will condemn all sin
• rebuke – He rebukes all sin and offers an alternative of righteousness
• correct – He will provide the power of His Holy Spirit to correct all our sin issues
• be right – He will make us right

The invitation God extends is for the forgiveness of sins and the removal of shame. That’s what Jesus paid for on the cross. Hebrews tells us that, in an act of enormous courage and defiance, Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2) and then adds, significantly, that he is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Incarnation, atonement, resurrection, and ascension—the going down and coming up of the Son of God—open the way not only for the forgiveness of our sins, but also for the lifting of our shame. For these are ingredients in the accepting grace of God and in the invitation to union with God’s Son. (Melvin D. Hugen and Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Books & Culture)

What a marvelous invitation from Jesus – the forgiveness of sins and the abolishment of shame. No matter how dark the stain of sin, the blood of Jesus Christ makes us white as snow.

For those who have already said yes to His invitation, there is still a responsibility. We are now the ones who stand at the cross with the resurrected Jesus and extend the invitation to others. We do not walk through life telling people to go to the cross: we walk with them and invite them to come with us to the cross. Today, and every day, become the living invitation others need to experience the grace of God. They are looking for what we have.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, May 10, 2010

 Today’s Topic:  Pure Worship

 Today’s Text: Hear the word of the LORD… “The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me?” says the LORD…When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:10-17)

 It was exciting to see. It was humbling to experience. Really humbling. It produced a level of thanks and praise in my heart I hadn’t experienced for a while. All the glory goes to God. I am amazed that I am included the Savior’s plan.

 Several months ago we made a decision at church to remove all the pews and put in chairs so we could increase our seating capacity. We went from being able to seat 250 in pews to around 280 in chairs, with some space for overflow. Yesterday we needed the overflow. Extra chairs were set up in the back. But there was a spirit of enthusiasm there that was far more significant than the number of people. Every part of the service engaged the congregation. Every song of worship drew our attention to the throne of God. The Word of God went forth with power and conviction and the Holy Spirit used it to change hearts. It was so very meaningful to me.

 Now set that experience up against what happens in far too many churches today. It’s not a new phenomenon. It’s thousands of years old. Isaiah wrote about it. Jesus spoke of it to the Samaritan woman at the well. It continues today in the sanctuaries of churches and in the hearts of people. It has many names – Formality, Tradition and Hypocrisy are the three that come to mind the quickest. But they all have one and only one cause – pride. It is pride that motivates us to enter into a worship service with the intention of trying to please God and earn His favor. It is pride that puts importance on tradition rather than truth. It is pride that elevates form over function. It is pride that puts on a weekly show that is contrary to the true condition of one’s heart. And God hates pride.

 I have just one simple connecting point today in the form of a question: Why do you go to church to worship?

 Read carefully what Isaiah wrote, and let the Holy Spirit move you to consider this…worship is a lifestyle of surrender and sacrifice. The Apostle Paul said, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

 I am thrilled that I worship in a church with people who live out their worship every day. I pray that more will continue to come and find the truth.

 Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Impacting Our World for Christ

Today’s Text: Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

I’ve had three days to think about what I wrote on Monday. Three days to see how well I do at impacting the world around me for Jesus. I’ve discovered it’s much easier than I thought, as long as I truly care enough and am compassionate enough to do it.

Monday evening and Tuesday were spent at our daughter’s house at the special invitation of our grandson. He didn’t want me to miss his spring music concert at school. I didn’t want to miss it either. My wife and I travelled the 3 hours (road construction delayed us) to Sun Prairie to see the kids. It was hard to leave all the work piled up on the “to do” lists that have become oversized since returning from Africa. But caring about people and impacting them with love is more important than any list of things I need to do for me. Acting on it impacts our world for Christ.

While there I stopped in a sporting goods store to pick up a stool to sit on while turkey hunting. My season started yesterday. I spent some time with the cashier as it wasn’t busy, and had the opportunity to say just one thing to him of any value. We talked about turkeys and calls and guns, but then the conversation got serious for just 20 seconds. He made a mistake on the cash register and had to start over. Under his breath he cursed and said “Jesus Christ”. I spoke gently and said, “Oh, I know Him. I have a personal relationship with Him? Do you know Him too?” He froze, and did not respond. He simply finished the transaction. Loving Jesus more than loving the praise of people impacts our world for Christ.

Wednesday morning arrived and the alarm scared me at 3 a.m.. I couldn’t find the button to shut it off. I quickly got dressed in my hunting clothes, ate a breakfast bar, and headed out for my son’s house to pick him up. By 4:45 we were sitting at the base of two trees in the woods waiting for the first sounds of turkeys. Shortly after light, Jason began striking the hen call. If there were any toms in the area they would let us know by gobbling. It was silent. For the next 75 minutes it was silent. We decided to move so we could find the turkeys. We weren’t comfortable staying in a place that didn’t lend itself to accomplishing our goal. So it is with our spiritual lives. If our goal is to impact our world for Christ, we must keep moving out into the world to find the people.

We parked the vehicle a little closer to the center of the property and started walking. Suddenly there was a tom sneaking across the field. We dove to the ground and avoided detection. I saw where he was headed and told Jason I would cut him off. I thought I could move that way unseen. I was wrong. He saw me and turned and ran the other way. I tried to stalk him but spooked him instead. He knew I wasn’t supposed to be there. The way I looked and behaved and moved gave me away. He didn’t want anything to do with me…just like a lot of unsaved people who may be spooked by the hypocrisy of my life when I look and behave and move like a sinner rather than the follower of Christ I have told them I am. Consistency impacts our world for Christ.

After the turkey flew, Jason struck the call again to see if there was another tom in the area. Way off in the distance to the west we heard a gobble. A turkey’s hearing is amazing. Every time Jason yelped with the call, that old tom would gobble. We decide to pursue him. We walked about 800 yards, using trees and thickets as cover, to a place we knew would be the perfect ambush location. We crawled on our bellies up to two trees and sat down. Jason started calling. I was so blessed that my son, who shot a huge tom last year, chose to spend his one available hunting day this year helping me get a turkey. What a servant heart he has. Serving others impacts our world for Christ.

As Jason Called, the gobbles got more distant-sounding. But that was only because he was two ridges away and had gone down between them. When he reached the top of the nearest ridge, we knew he was coming for us. Well, not really for us. He was searching for the hen that Jason’s calling was imitating. It took almost an hour, but suddenly, rising up over the edge of the hill in the field in front of us, was a nice tom turkey. He was on full alert, looking for the hen. Jason stopped calling. We both froze. But I froze in a prepared position with my gun raised and aimed right at him. He kept coming. Jason told me later he wondered how long I would wait before I shot. At 20 yards I fired, and the turkey fell.

Immediately Jason jumped up and shouted, “That was an amazing hunt.” Wait a minute, I shot the turkey. Yet to him it was an amazing hunt because he participated in harvesting a bird. You see, teamwork impacts our world for Christ. As does searching for the lost. As does calling them to Christ. As does being prepared and in a position to give them the Gospel when they come close…both barrels if necessary.

We have all been called to have the compassion of Christ for others. We have all been granted the heart of Jesus that cares for people and serves them. We have all been called to go and seek the lost. We have all been called to witness. We have all been charged by the King to make an impact on our world. It’s time to get started…I hear the alarm going off.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, May 03, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Impacting Our World for Christ

Today’s Text: Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

What a marvelous spring it has been, at least here in Wisconsin. It was the first time in over 100 years that we went through March without any snow. For the first time in 23 years the lilacs were blooming by May 1^st. The rhubarb in my garden is already full grown. Golf courses have been open since March. Very few people I speak with remember the winter. Spring flowers and rains have a way of erasing our memories. We love to watch everything be made new again.

Today we begin a study of the book of Isaiah. It is like springtime to me. After long prophecies about the impending judgment of God on a sinful society, the book closes with a glorious vision of the Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus reigns on the throne of Jerusalem. The splendor of that vision brings hope and joy to those who study it and believe it.

We will not take a lot of time going verse by verse through the book, but we will point out the highlights and significance of Isaiah’s prophecies and relate the relevance they have to our modern culture. I pray it will be meaningful for you.

Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet of Almighty God spanned the period from 740 B.C. until the last years of Hezekiah (687) or the early years of Manasseh (687-642). The prophet lived during the reigns of the Judean kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and perhaps the first years of Manasseh. He was contemporary with the last five kings of Israel: Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hosea. The tragic fall of Samaria to the Assyrian King Sargon II in 722 B.C. occurred during his ministry.

He was the son of Amoz, was born in Judah, no doubt in Jerusalem, about 760 B.C. He enjoyed a significant position in the contemporary society and had a close relationship with the reigning monarchs. His education is clearly evident in his superb writing that has gained him an eminence in Hebrew literature hardly surpassed by any other. He had a thorough grasp of political history and dared to voice unpopular minority views regarding the state and the economy. His knowledge of the religious heritage of Israel and his unique theological contributions inspire awe. He was alive to what was transpiring in the court, in the marketplace, in high society with its shallowness, and in the political frustrations of the nation.

Isaiah was about 20 years old when he had a vision of God’s glory and holiness, and was called by God to be a prophet (Isaiah 6). The elements in that vision forecast the major themes of his preaching, particularly the transcendent nature of God. God warned him that his ministry would meet with disappointment and meager results but also assured him that forgiveness would ever attend the penitent (Isa. 6:5-7; 1:19-20) and that the ultimate promises of God would be realized (Isa.6:13d).

So much for the historical background. Now, for today’s connecting point. Isaiah begins his book with an honest evaluation of what society was like in his day. It’s also very relevant to our day. But in the middle of this picture of a sin-sick society is an incredible statement of the grace and patience of God. Read verse nine of chapter one – Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

This is so simple, yet so profound and challenging. God’s incredible grace has provided a way for our culture to escape the judgment of its sin. That’s the simple part. The profound and challenging part is this – you and I are responsible for impacting our culture with the grace of God. In the midst of continued corruption and overt oppression stand God’s people as the lights of hope for a sin-sick society. You and I are here because God has chosen to place us here as His witnesses and to provide an escape for people from the coming judgment of sin.

Now the all-important application point – What kind of an impact for Christ are you having on your society?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Filled with Power

Today’s Text: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit)…Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power… Acts 6:5a and 8a 

Stephen’s faith was correctly placed in Jesus Christ. He had completely experienced God’s grace. He was overflowing with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And as a result, he was filled with God’s power.

My mind is filled with so much today that I am simply going to bullet point some truths for you so I don’t get wordy and long. Contemplate each statement and let the Holy Spirit teach you the lessons you can apply to your own life.

• Faith and grace must always be our focus ahead of power. Power produces pride if not held in the context of faith and grace.
• We must be in love with the God who gives power and not the power God gives. The love of power will quickly become an idol and set itself up against an honest knowledge of God.
• The Scriptures clearly describe the application of power to our lives. Don’t be confused by emotionalism or public displays of what appears to be supernatural abilities. These are the things the Scripture say are the working of the power of God in our lives.

1.  That we may experience Jesus Christ living in and through us.

Ephesians 3:16-17a  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,   so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

2.  To know the fullness of the love of God and be filled with Him.

Ephesians 3:17b-19  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,   may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,   and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

3.  To participate in the divine nature and escape evil desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.   Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

4.  To know we are secure in Christ.

1 Peter 1:5  Through faith we are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

5.  That we may stand up against any and all opposition and even suffer for Christ’s sake.

2 Timothy 1:7-8  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 

Philippians 3:10  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 

6.  That we may live by faith alone and bring glory to Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12  With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.   We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

7.   That we might patiently endure all things with thanksgiving and joy.

Colossians 1:11-12  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully   giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you  to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 

8.   That we may resist the power of sin.

Ephesians 6:10-11  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.   Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

9.   That we may be servants of the Gospel

Ephesians 3:7   I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 

10.  That we might bring glory to God even when we are weak.

2 Corinthians 12:9  But God said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

I challenge you to truly study these verses. It may be that you have been looking for the wrong evidence of God’s power at work in your life.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Filled with Grace

Today’s Text: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit)…Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power… Acts 6:5a and 8a 

“We cannot be filled without the very real experience of that with which we are filled.”

I have a favorite beverage I drink at supper. It is healthy, sugar free, and tastes great. It comes in a small packet filled with just enough powder to mix with a 16.9 ounce water bottle. I mix it in a tall glass. It changes the color of the water from being crystal clear to deep red. Most of the time, much to the frustration of my wife, a small amount of the powder falls on the countertop. It is almost invisible while dry. But when I wipe the counter with a wet paper towel, everything turns red – the paper towel, the counter top, and my fingers.

“We cannot be filled without the very real experience of that with which we are filled.”

Being filled with grace is only possible if we have truly experienced grace. Grace is defined as “unmerited favor.” Grace is an undeserved gift. Think deeply and clearly about this – it is a gift that is completely, irrefutably undeserved. There is absolutely nothing that makes it a reward for any action or value. It cannot be earned. Absolutely everything about the recipient is contrary to the very nature and character of the gift. Unless we understand that, and have experienced that, we cannot be filled with it, which means we have no such gift to give to others.

Recently a convict, who has just finished his term of penal servitude, applies for a job as a night watchman at a jewelry store. With all his heart he wishes to lead an honest life. He hides his past from the potential employer. He is hired. He has full access to the store through the quiet hours of the night when he has everything under his care and every opportunity to rob his employer. On the first evening, he meets one of his old companions, who questions him, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m the night watchman.”

“Over this jeweler’s shop?”

“Yes.”

“Does he know what you are?”

“No, keep quiet; if he knew, I should be dismissed.”

“Suppose I let it out that you are a returned convict!”

“Oh, please don’t; it would be my last day here, and I wish to be honest.”

“Well, you have to give me some money to keep quiet.”

“Very well, but don’t let anyone know.”

This man still has his job, but he lives in constant fear of being found out, because he does not know that his past can be forgiven.

Let’s change the story hypothetically. Let us suppose that instead of the employer hiring the man in ignorance of his character, he chose instead to go to the prison and visit the man in his cell. He then said to the convict prior to his release, “Now I know you—what you are, what you’ve done, every robbery you’ve committed, but I am about to give you a chance of becoming honest. I’ll trust you as my night watchman over my valuable goods.” When he is released from prison, the convict is faithful at his post. He meets an old companion who threatens to inform his employer about his past. The guard asks, “And what will you tell about me?”

“That you were the ringleader of thieves.”

“Yes, but my master knows all that; he knows me better than I know myself. Yet he forgave me of my past and gave me this post as a gift, and I intend to be faithful to him.

Of course, this silences his companion forever.

The real reason more grace isn’t seen in people’s lives is that they are still thinking about themselves from a position of pride and self-worth. Only when we become truly broken in spirit and recognize that we are totally and irrefutably empty of anything that demands God’s recognition will we experience true grace. Then, and only then, will Jesus Christ visit us in the prison of worthlessness and offer us the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the only Master who is “full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is gracious to you and me because He knows the truth about us, that we deserve nothing but hell. But through His grace heaven can be our share, if we personally and by faith appropriate His grace. And once we understand His grace, we too will be filled with grace towards others.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Filled with the Spirit

Today’s Text: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit)…Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power… Acts 6:5a and 8a 

The second thing that marked the life of Stephen was that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. For some reason many people in the Christian church today are avoiding the truth of this blessing from God. They have either decided to be content with a complacent form of Christianity, or they have so emotionalized their experiences that they bear fruit only for themselves. The truth is that from the moment of our salvation we have been given full access to the nature of God through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The problem is that we have not given the Holy Spirit full access to us.

Author A. W. Tozer said something very honest and convicting. It dug deep into my heart today, as I pray it will do to you. He said, Before we can be filled with the Spirit, the desire to be filled must be all-consuming. It must be for the time the biggest thing in the life, so acute, so intrusive as to crowd out everything else. The degree of fullness in any life accords perfectly with the intensity of true desire. We have as much of God as we actually want.

We have as much of God as we actually want. So many people claim to want to be completely committed to Christ, but aren’t. So many Christians think they desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but they aren’t. Far too many of us are in a state of denial about what we really want. We may get all emotional in church and shed a few tears, and honestly at that moment pray for a new sense of commitment and filling. But as soon as the car door slams and we head for dinner, the world invades our minds and we are once again captivated by new desires. We have as much of God as we actually want.

Suppose you had been house hunting in a development of new homes. Several are already filled with families, but some are empty. When you find an empty one you try to get in to see whether you like it or not. If the house was full, occupied by people, you wouldn’t dare try to get in. But an empty one is one that is available for occupancy, and you want to know if it’s right for you.

That’s exactly what Satan does. He looks for empty houses. He looks for unoccupied space. He will enter through any unguarded door or window and take up residence in any unoccupied room. He doesn’t care if it’s a closet. In fact, those are his favorite places because they are the least noticed and usually already hiding something. Satan is always house hunting, and he doesn’t politely knock. He assumes, and rightly so, that any unoccupied space is rightfully his. You may not understand this, but you have given him permission to be there unless you have already given permission for the Holy Spirit to be there.

Jesus told a parable about this in Luke 11:21-26.  “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

So many Christians are in a state of despair because they have allowed Satan continued access to their lives. They may not even know they are doing it. But unless we are intentionally and consistently inviting the Holy Spirit to control every nook and cranny of our hearts and minds, we are intentionally giving permission for Satan to have that space. We may be in denial about that, but that’s the truth. Any unoccupied space is our choice, and whether or not we intentionally send out an invitation, our choice to not let the Holy Spirit occupy it is a choice to let the enemy have it.

You see, we are naturally of the flesh, and therefore the Father of the flesh needs no special permission to invade our space. But as children of the heavenly Father, we have the privilege of inviting the Holy Spirit of God to fill every space of our hearts and minds. And when He does, Satan cannot enter. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. All the enemy can do is knock. He flees when we send Jesus to answer the door.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, April 26, 2010

Today’s Topic:  A Man of Faith

Today’s Text: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit)…Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power… Acts 6:5a and 8a 

Twenty-one and a half hours of flying tests one’s endurance and patience. But we made it home last Thursday and give all the glory and praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was with us – as He has promised – every step of the way. His Holy Spirit in us gave us clear direction for every ministry opportunity and was faithful to produce fruit as He ministered through us. It was an awesome three weeks of being in His presence and under His direct supervision. Why does it take a missions trip to remind us that this should be the norm for all of us? It is how we should be walking in the Spirit every day.

Over the next few days or weeks I will be sharing with you the lessons God taught me and the experiences He gave me during the time spent with our friends ministering to the people of Swaziland. But before I get into that, I must share with you what the Lord taught me upon my return.

On Saturday morning I came to the office to seek the Lord for what He wanted me to preach on the following day (yesterday) in church. The Holy Spirit reminded me of the story of Stephen in the book of Acts. It hit me very hard and I have taken it as my personal challenge for spiritual growth in my life. It encompasses much of what God showed me on the trip to Swaziland. Stephen’s life may have been short, but it was certainly full and fruitful. Let me tell you why.

There are four things that the Scriptures say were true of Stephen. I desire the same four things to be consistently true of me. Here’s the first one for today:

1. He was a man full of faith. He completely trusted his life into the hands of his Savior. He needed nothing else but his faith in Christ. Faith brings fullness of life. He didn’t need possessions to bring fullness to his life. He didn’t need prestige. He didn’t need pride and power. He simply trusted the trustworthy One. He sought the Kingdom of God first and God provided all else that he needed to accomplish the work of the Kingdom.

So many times we get distracted by the things of the world. They may even be good things, like family, friends, and career. But if the desire to serve as an ambassador of the King in His kingdom work isn’t our top priority, then we need to carefully evaluate where we have placed our faith. Stephen’s faith was fully in Christ alone, and these things proved it:

• He upheld the truth over traditions (Acts 6:10-15). He did not compromise for the sake of keeping people happy.
• He stood up to criticism (Acts 7:1-53) He boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus and the message of the Gospel.
• He was a sincere student of God’s word. (Acts 6:10)
• He accepted responsibility and served in the local church (Acts 6:1-6)
• He kept his focus on the eternal and not the things of this life. As the tempers flared and the tension increased, and Stephen began to feel physically threatened, he never turned his focus from his faith in Christ. He never tried to defend himself or protect himself. He simply focused on the glory of God – But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”  (Acts 7:55-56)
• He served his Savior no matter what the cost (Acts 7:54-60)

 I encourage you to read the story of Stephen and review the list I have given you of the marks of his faith. Then diligently pray and work to make the correct and lasting application to your life. The Scriptures say that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) It’s time we truly evaluate the condition of our faith and make sure that our lives are living proof that our faith is in Christ alone.

Pastor John

Dear Friends,

Pray for me and Denise as we travel to Swaziland, Africa beginning Monday, April 5th. We will return on Thursday, April 22nd. Until then, no blogging. But lots of ministry going to be taking place. Thanks for your prayers.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Today’s Topic:  Worship for the Right Reason

Today’s Text: 2 Peter 3:15 (NIV)  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…

                         Luke 19:41 (NIV)  As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it… 

This Sunday is a special day on the church calendar. We call it Palm Sunday, the day Jesus made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. But from the Savior’s perspective, it was excruciatingly hard. So hard it made Him weep.

Here was Jesus, the Messiah, who had come to rescue people from their sin, and they were celebrating His arrival into the capital city for the wrong reason. They had been healed from their diseases but had failed to look beyond their own superficial needs to the spiritual condition of their hearts. They had been fed bread and fish miraculously, but had failed to see their real need of spiritual food. They had heard the words of a King speaking about a kingdom, but failed to see the true spiritual kingdom of which He spoke. They wanted only their current political status revolutionized.

As the people swarmed around Him they began to praise Him. They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Jesus permitted it because it was the truth, even though the worshippers did not fully grasp the significance of their own words. When the “religious” leaders of His day asked Jesus to rebuke the people for speaking such things, He defended their worship by saying,     “I tell you if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

But the reality for Jesus was that His heart was breaking. How He longed for the people He came to save to worship Him for the right reason. As He came around the bend in the road so that the elevated view of the city of Jerusalem was visible, that reality broke His heart. He saw the city of the King being run by selfish and greedy leaders who had declared themselves the super-spiritual of their day. He saw His truth being twisted so that it did nothing more than build man’s own kingdom. He saw people living under the deception and in bondage to sin. He knew that even in this hour of His presentation to the people as their King that they would soon turn their backs on Him and demand His death. As a result, He wept.

Even as He wept, the Savior spoke, and the people once again failed to truly hear. He said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.   The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.   They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

The same attitude of those people that broke the heart of our Lord is still prevalent today. Yesterday I saw a bumper sticker that proves it. It was just two words – TRY JESUS! How sad. How heartbreaking. It may seem to you at first to be a good thing, but that is exactly my point. We have been deceived into believing that Jesus is just the latest thing to try to get us where we want to be. It is so self-centered, just like the people who were fed and healed. As long as Jesus meets our needs we will stick with Him. But we quickly jump off the wagon when a wheel breaks. That’s heartbreaking because it’s not what Jesus intended.

Jesus desires surrender, not trying. He weeps when we use Him for our benefit, and we will end up weeping as well. We will rejoice when we surrender. We will conquer only after we are conquered. We will only find the provisions to our felt needs when we first surrender our will to the Master and have our sin needs met in Christ. Salvation is not our attempt to find an answer to our needs; salvation is God’s gift of rescuing us from our sin. Salvation is not a self-help, five-step plan to recovery: salvation is the sacrifice of self and deliverance from self so that the life of Christ replaces ours.

May you worship the Messiah in truth this Easter season.

Pastor John