Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be open to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be open.

NEVER I repeat NEVER take this scripture out of context.  God is not offering free genie wishes here.  It seems like we are so apt to tell God what we want and expect it to be given.  With that mindset, you will only be discouraged, defeated and done with God. 

Ask; have you ever stopped to think that God already knows your needs.  He already has in His hand what he wants you to have? All you have to do is ask for it.  "Dear LORD, I want to receive what you have for me." 

Seek;  This isn't a game of hide and seek.  Life can be distracting with all the hurts and hardships we face. In the  midst of our trials we tend to quit looking for God because we think He has left us.  The truth is, He is right there with us.  We have just allowed our struggles to blind us.  Seek Him daily, you will find him.

Knock;  God is not home sleeping.  And He certainly isn't hidden behind a closed door.  What He is saying is this; pursue a personal relationship with me.  Come join me, I will let you in.

Robbing Quality from the LORD

Stating the obvious; people desire relationships.  Do not most people want to be liked, acknowledged, recognized and even respected?  We seek relationships at home, at school, work, church, and even more so on social media.  We may even find ourselves justifying our value by the number of so called friends or followers we have.  We count our tweets, re-tweets, favored tweets, likes, re-shares, followers, friends, favored’s, and so on.  We are so focused on quantity and being quantified, that we have neglected quality. 

Society has come to this place where we have robbed relationships of quality.  Without quality, what you have is nothing more than superficial, non-dependable, unreliable, broken connections.   You may think you have gained the world in popularity by counting numbers, but in fact you have robbed your soul of one of its greatest desires.  We want to be connected to others.  Friends will unfriend, followers will quit following, re-tweets will be forgotten, favoreds will be filled away, pretty much all the quantity and quantifying will amount to nothing more than empty shallow meaningless numbers. 

Have you ever been in a crowd and yet still felt totally alone?  I have.  In robbing ourselves and cheating others of quality communication, we have created gatherings of two, three, and even mass multitudes of physical and digital congregations of lonely people.    

Although people will come and go in life, there is one who will never leave you or forsake you, He wants to be your friend forever and He will always favor you.  His name is Jesus.  He desires your friendship, following, favoring, re-tweets, re-shares and so much more.  He gave everything just so He could become a friend of yours.  He desires quality. 

Have you robbed yourself of the greatest relationship this world has ever known?  Have you chosen not to have Jesus Christ as your friend?  Even worse, are you a Christian who is robbing your savior of quality communication? Have you chosen to rob the one who gave it all so that you could follow Him?

This may be a stretch for some, but here it is.  In Matthew chapter 21 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling, He overturned all the tables and ran them all off.   He was angered because the temple was being dishonored for monetary gain.  Right after, Jesus said “My house will be called a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of robbers.”  In 1 Corinthians 6:19 we are told that our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit.  Now, if our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit and Jesus himself said in Mathew 21 that His temple is a house of prayer, then are we not robbing Jesus Christ of a quality relationship if we choose not to communicate with Him? 

I cannot help but believe that we are obviously called to a quality relationship with Jesus Christ.  In order to have quality we must communicate and interact intentionally, purposefully, and routinely.   If not, then you are forming nothing more than an empty religious gathering.  Although you may call yourself a Christian, attend church regularly and even share your religion, you will still feel lonely.  Quality, that is what makes it all real.  I challenge you to make your relationship with Christ all about quality each and every day. 

 

 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

The Effects of God's Will on His Youth Ministry

After discovering God's will for His people and the church I quickly changed what I was doing. No longer was I trying to entertain teens with games and then sneaking in a quick devotion. I began to incorporate intentional fellowship, encourage meaningful worship, and devotions became sermons focusing on discipleship and evangelism. I also encourage missions work organized and impromptu. When I changed my focus to God's will, everything changed. My brother in faith, Randy, was so right when he advised me; "Do what God says to do."


It takes time and serious prayer applying God's will to youth. It is constantly evolving each and every day. Anyway, the overhead laminate film projector did not seem to matter anymore. It became cool to project the lyrics on a wall with a plastic sheet and play contemporary worship music over the sound system. Instead of sounding like bad karaoke, the youth were singing as to please The Lord. The quick devotions became 20-30 minute sermons. Every week I faithfully pray and seek what God has willed for that weeks sermon.


After several months of the same old routine with 9-12 youth, God began to move. The more I found myself surrendering to His will, the more youth He was drawing in to our youth services. Literally it seemed like overnight that we went from an average attendance of 9-12 to 20-25 teenagers. God was obviously blessing "His" youth ministry in our small town. Most people may think 20-25 teenagers is really not that impressive. Maybe it is not for most towns, but for our town it is. What impresses me the most is the number of youth who continue to come every Wednesday night and worship the Lord in a way that is not the norm for today's youth ministry.


Since May of 2009, God has taken the network of 12 students that I had been blessed to minister to and multiplied it now to an average attendance of 40-50. Through it all, God has truly blessed me by allowing me to network and build relationships with nearly 100 teenagers in our area.


Now forget about the 12, 40, 50, and 100. My real point is not numbers, numbers mean absolutely nothing if all a ministry does is entertain teenagers. What I really want to draw attention to is the faithfulness of the youth to worship in the way God has called us to worship Him. I find it fascinating how God reaches youth and keeps their attention so unconventionally compared to what we think is needed. I have seen teenagers grow spiritually in ways I never imagined. I have also seen students turn from sinful lifestyles that most people would have written off as a lost cause.


When we are within God's will and His plan, He moves. We should never think that our plan is greater than His. We simply do not have in mind the things of God nor could we ever dictate or plan His heart's desire. We simply must come before Him in obedience to His will and submit. We must seek His desire and earnestly serve in such a way as to please Him alone if we are to truly be an ambassador for Christ.

I want to encourage you to apply God's will to your daily life. You will discover blessings beyond measure. I assure you, there is no greater place than to be in the midst of The LORDS will. What I shared in my last post as God's will is this; repentance, following Him, fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. I certainly have not arrived so to speak and neither has the youth group I have been blessed to minister to. My life and His ministry are constantly and continually evolving and hopefully will continue to do so until The Lord brings me home! I never want to come to the place where I think "I have arrived."


The picture is the most recent I have of the Flippin FBC YOUTH Group! A least some of them from from 2012.


Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God's Will for His People and His Church:

As I was seeking God’s will for His church, I did so with extreme sincerity. Over a period of several months, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into God’s word more than ever before. I also found my relationship with Christ maturing exponentially. By exponentially, I mean significantly deeper and with greater sincerity than ever before. The more the relationship grew, the stronger the desire, hunger and thirst I had for Christ became. All the while I was asking the BIG question; “What is God’s will for my life and for His church?” I think most want the answer to that question.


I quickly discovered, God was not about to give me a road map of His will for my life. Like everyone else, wanted a clear concise picture of how I was going to get from point A to point B. I believed if I had a map, so to speak, then I could easily obey God’s will. Sounds simple right? Wrong, spiritual obedience requires faith. Where is faith if life is spelled out by a road map? There is none. Faith is believing in what is not seen.


As I faithfully searched for the answers to my BIG questions, I found certain desires naturally surfacing. They way I worshipped became sincere and so much more than music. Worship was no longer about what pleased me, but how my life and song blessed God. I developed and increasing hunger to know and learn more about the Holy Bible and how it applied to my life. I no longer was satisfied with who and where I was. I wanted to grow and mature in my faith and character. Being around other Christians became more important and necessary to me. Missions work became more important to me and leading others to Christ became a daily passion.


Without becoming all theological, here is what God revealed to me through His word and through His Holy Spirit. Christianity is not about a specific plan or road map. God's will for our lives simply begins with this; repenting from our sinful self in order to follow Him. When Christ comes knocking on the door of your life, He reveals to you the gravity of your sin and the separation it creates between you and Him. If you are sincerely convicted by your sinful life, then you will desire change.


In order to open that so called door, you must repent. Not become perfect and sinless, but turn away from your sinful desires and nature. It is dying to a self directed life and surrendering to a Christ directed life. Paul said it best "I no long live, but Christ lives in me." In this way, your sinful self no longer directs your life, Christ does. Through this, you literally follow Him.


In repenting from sin by dying to self and following God's will by living in Christ; that is when those seemingly natural desires and passions emerged with in me. I am certain it is the work of the Holy Spirit within me. Gods will for our lives is not about a road map, it is about becoming what He has called us to be. As we become more like Christ, then we discover God's direction. At times He may give very precise instructions. Predominantly His will is that we trust Him in fulfilling the great commission in and through us no matter where you are in life. In our homes, at work, at school, during leisure, when ever and where ever God's greatest commission and will for our lives is making disciples (Matthew 28:19)


In short, God's will for our lives is to repent, follow Him, become a part of His body of believers and make disciples. In and through this process certain themes or practices emerge that are God's will for His people and for His Church. Here they are: Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.


Ironically, after God revealed to me His desire and will for me and for our youth group, I came across a book called “The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. Written by Doug Fields.” I purchased the book and began to read it. Initially I expected to find what everyone else was doing. I expected to learn how to entertain teenagers most effectively and get them in through the church doors. To my surprise, God affirmed everything He had already placed upon my heart.


In The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry book, Doug outlines the purpose of the Church in these scriptures:


Matthew 28:19-20 therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


Matthew 22:37 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.


Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.


Evangelism, that is what making disciples is all about. We are to go out and reach people for Christ, leading them to salvation through repentance and entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Fellowship, thats the product of baptism. when someone is baptized they are symbolizing the fact that they have given their life to Christ. When you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the family of Christ. As a family, we must fellowship in order to strengthen our relationships and build one another up. We are called to be a body, not divided individuals.


Discipleship, is teaching others how to obey the word of God. It is also learning how to obey the word of God.


Worship, is all about loving The Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Worship permeates every aspect of our expression. It effects our song, speech, character, obedience, works, discipline, habits, ethics, morals, values....


Missions, is loving your neighbor as yourself. It is about doing things for others. Maybe it's your neighbor next door, or maybe it's your neighbor on the other side of the world. Missions is being the hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus in this world.


So what is God's will for my life and for His Church? It certainly is not a road map although there will be times when God will give very specific direction. God's will first and foremost is that we repent and follow Him. Jesus himself said "unless you repent, you to will perish." (Luke 13:3,5) Repeatedly Jesus Christ is quoted throughout the gospels saying "Follow me." In following Him, He certainly wills our lives and His church to be centered around five specific areas. Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Think about how the life of Jesus Christ clearly defined, expressed and set the example for all these areas?

In my personal testimony I experienced, if your life is truly in Christ and you align your life around these areas, you will no longer find yourself searching for the answers to God's will, you will find your life guided in God's will. You no longer are consumed about tomorrow, next week, or next year because you know God will lead guide and direct you each and every moment of each and every day. What I have discovered is that knowing God's will is directly related to the degree of my obedience and dependence on Him.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God Does Not Call the Qualified, He Qualifies the Called

I spent the next several months after the youth mission trip to Mobile Alabama debating with God.  He was calling me to youth ministry and I was trying to convince Him that I was the wrong guy.  I promise I had more excuses that Moses’ ever dreamed of having.  At times, I would think to myself; “I can do this.  All I need to do is be more like this youth pastor or that youth pastor.”  I was always looking at the ministries of other pastors trying to figure out how I could mimic their gifts, talents, abilities, and methods.  However, I would always come to the same conclusion; I cannot be that person.  Then I would say to God "see I told you so."

Sunday February 14, 2010 is the day it all came to a head between God and I.  I was sitting in the front pew of the church waiting for the morning services to start.  Everything seemed routine and normal; there was nothing out of the ordinary.  All of the sudden I began to hear in an audible voice "Are you, or are you not going to surrender to ministry?"  I know it was not an audible voice that others could hear, neither was it an audible voice I heard in my own ears.  It was however an audible voice I could hear coming from within my soul.  I cannot explain it, but I just know it was audible and it came from my heart not my head.  I tried to tune the voice out and ignore it, but I could not. 

Worship music started and I began to sing.  The louder I sang the louder the voice inside my soul spoke.  Again I tried ignoring it, but I could not.  My heart began to pound in my chest and my voice began to quiver as I was singing.  It got so bad I could not sing any more.  When I could no longer sing and all I could do was listen, the music began to fade. Then, God said something different.  I heard this; "The answer is either yes or no.  If yes, I will do great things in and through you.  If no, I will be finished with you and I will ask no more."  Immediately tears began to stream from my eyes and I said "yes!" 

After saying "yes!" to God, I walked over to our pastor Brother Steve.  The worship music was still playing but that did not stop me.  I told him I was surrendering my life to ministry.  Brother Steve smiled, patted me on the back and said, "It's about time."  At the end of the service, I went before the church and made my profession of commitment to ministry public.  I never felt so excited about my faith before than like I did that day.  God was not looking at my qualifications all He wanted from me was a simple yes.   Yes meant that I would surrender all my trust upon Him.  He would do the qualifying for His calling on my life. 

The excuses I had were all about me and not about what God could do.  Ministry should never ever be about the pastor or leader; it should always be about God.   God created us in His image and we try to recreate God in our image when we try to justify God by our qualifications.  How sinfully wrong we are in this thought process.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Therefore any ministry built apart from God’s qualifying abilities is a failed ministry.  May I go as far as saying that any ministry built apart from the qualifications of the living God amount to nothing more than idolatry. 

The picture is CHAGY the Clown ministering and sharing the gospel with some kids in Nicaragua.  If you know anything about clowns, they can act pretty foolish.  CHAGY is one of the most God qualified evangelists I know.  

I Corinthians 1:25-31 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!