I have an announcement to share before beginning this posting. We are moving this blog to NoblePurpose Ministries’ homepage. Find this blog at http://www.noblepurposeministries/blog. WordPress has been a wonderful host for the past two years. We appreciate the service they provide by hosting a forum for people to share their thoughts. This move was solely based on a decision to consolidate the various aspects of NoblePurpose Ministries into a single site. As our capabilities advanced, we were about to make this move. The blog at the NoblePurpose Ministries homepage still uses WordPress’ format, another great service which we appreciate them for. So. in the next few months this blog will move and we will continue to share the thoughts of various Christian leaders, but from our new location. Thanks. Dan

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I am convinced that the greatest reason for Christians who fail to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ is that we lose our focus and become distracted by all of the things around us. As life happens around us, we sacrifice the only thing that will sustain our joy. We fail to study the Word of God, we stop praying, we don’t spend any time in His presence, we only think about God when we are “suppose to,” like coming to church. We wonder why we are not growing? What is the barrier that we can’t overcome?

The second mile is the place where barriers are overcome and records are broken. We look at all of the record holders. Guiness Book of World Records presents all kinds of strange barriers that people have overcome. But there is another kind of barrier that we cannot overcome by our strength or abilities. The only way to win over this barrier is to surrender to the One who promises to carry us through it.

One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 40:31,
“Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”

Jesus said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:41. We have heard the explanations of Roman law allowing Roman soldiers to demand someone to carry their load. But we miss the point of Jesus words by looking at the technicalities. He message is simple – find joy in going beyond what is demanded. Jesus is saying “Come. Join me in the second mile.”

We can walk with many good people on the first mile. We walk with confidence that we can do good things. We do what we think is right while we walk the first mile. However, In the second mile, we realize that faith is not a one time decision to complete, check off the list and get on with life. It is making your plans and asking God to bless them. He is not some rabbit’s foot that you keep in your pocket. He is the Almighty God, sovereign, holy, and perfect. He is the only one deserving of honor and worship. And God wants to have a personal relationship with me??? and you??? Wow!

Another reason that we grow tired of Christian living is that we depend on ourselves to fix the problems. We are not patiently watching God work. That is because the story of faith is found in the Second Mile. In the second mile we enter eternity. Do you realize that eternity is not something that we are waiting for? It isn’t the next period which comes after Jesus’ return for His disciples. Jesus prayed to His Father, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” In the second mile we know God and Jesus.

In the second mile we find surrender. This is a hard lesson for me. I have been scarred by our western culture which encourages us to multi-task. I am very good at multi-tasking. I can work on six different major projects simultaneously. I am a good time manager and keep a calendar of my wife’s birthday, our anniversary, birthdates of my children, special events. etc. We are taught, and I’m afraid that we teach our children, to compartment our lives – this area is my work life, this is my social life, this is the place of my family life, and here we have is my Christian life.

However, we surrender all of these areas in the second mile. This is the place Jesus invites us to join Him in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Here Jesus tells us how to join Him for the second mile. Notice that we have three instructions here –Come, Take, and Learn. These are the steps of relationship building. No compartments, no hidden motives, no selfish agendas, just surrender and freedom. Sounds strange, doesn’t it. However, test it and see if it’s true.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

I recall growing up in rural Alabama. I was the youngest of six boys in our family. My daddy and momma decided to stop trying for a daughter after I was born. I don’t know if that was because they saw me and were afraid to keep trying, or they just couldn’t afford to have more mouths to feed. Anyway, while we were poor in comparison to the material world, we were rich in love for one another and love for God.

Growing up in the country with a house full of boys, we learned to hunt and fish, play baseball (we nearly had our own team), and appreciation for God’s natural world. One of the things that I remember was how we would build rabbit traps. First we made a wooden box with wire mesh covering one end. A wooden sliding door was placed at the other end. That door was designed to drop through a slot cut in the top of the box near the opened end. We also cut a small round hole in the top of the box toward the back. We tied a small string from a small peg which held the sliding door in the raised position and ran the string to a stick which we stuck through the hole and into the box. Grass was placed inside on the floor of the box along with carrots and lettuce around the stick, which held the sliding door in a raised and ready position. The box was placed near the grassy fields that surrounded our house. With the door raised and locked, carrots and lettuce bait placed around the stick trigger, and the box interior camouflaged with fresh grass – the trap was set. It didn’t take long for the unsuspecting rabbit to come along, peer into the comfortable bed, see the savory treats, and recognize the familiar field through the other end of the box. The rabbit soon began chewing on the carrots, bumping the stick, releasing the trap door, and joining us for dinner (though not the way the rabbit probably had intended).

I share this memory to illustrate Paul’s words to the Galatians in chapter 5, verse 11 or his letter to them. The King James Version translates this verse to read, “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.” I am sure that you are wondering how my childhood trapping experience relates to Paul’s challenge with the Galatians. Recently, I have heard discussions which have taken Paul’s phrase “the offence of the cross” out of the context of his letter in order to say that the Gospel of Christ is an offensive message to unbelievers. My understanding of the proponents of this position is that the receptiveness of the Gospel message is some sort of litmus test that reveals God’s chosen elect from the lost. Somehow, according to their theology and use of this scripture, the lost will be offended by Christ sacrifice rather than compelled to accept the loving redemption of God. One posting stated, “The Gospel is not palatable to the perishing. But, to the living, those who have been raised from their spiritual death, it is life.” This leaves me wondering, how does one ever get from the perishing camp and into the living camp? I believe the answer remains in the compelling message of God’s love described in the Bible.

The problem with a doctrine which defaults to the offensiveness of the Gospel is its inconsistency with other scripture, such as the words of Jesus in John 3:16. The idea of the offense of the Gospel may be caused by the modern understanding of the term translated in 1604 as ‘offence.’ The original Greek word which Paul used (no Paul didn’t carry a KJV Bible in the hip pocket of his tunic) was skandalon, which is translated as “trap stick.” The idea was the same as the stick in the rabbit box that triggered the trap door. First Century Galatians would have been familiar with the skandalon “trap stick” used in animal traps. Therefore, the New American Standard Bible provides better understanding as the text is translated, “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.” [emphasis added] From the Greek skandalon we get our English word “scandal”

Paul’s message to the Galatians was totally different than what some have taken the old English word “offence.” Paul was acknowledging that the cross must be considered scandalous by Jewish religious leaders who placed their faith in practice of the Law. Jewish leaders in the first century viewed the cross as part of a trap that would lead to the demise of their traditions and positions of authority over others. However, Christ had fulfilled the Spirit of the Law and those leaders remained trapped in their disbelief. Paul continued to be persecuted because his message centered on a crucified Savior, which was scandalous to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.

The word for “trap stick” was used repeatedly in the scripture;

Mark 6:3 states; “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

Mark 4:16 & 17 “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”

Jesus said, “…It is impossible that no offenses should come…,” (Luke 17:1 NKJV). So we know that there will always be a temptation to fall into this sin. Jesus also said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:10 – 13 NKJV).

As I studied the application of this word, I became convicted of my own sin and personal weakness. I read various articles about “the Spirit of Offense” I realized how easily I allow myself to be offended. This is a testimony to my self-centeredness. God began to reveal to me how I had responded to the habit of offense by cutting off relationships with friends and even family members. I have prayed for God’s forgiveness and His strength to overcome this sin. I didn’t realize being offended was a trap the enemy used to prevent me from being who I am in Christ.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

Today I planned to surprise my wife by completing some household chores. She is attending a workshop in Kansas and visiting friends. So, I got up and began washing all the windows in our home. Really washing them. I took them out of the frames and washed outside and inside. Then I washed the window frames. We have patio doors downstairs and upstairs. I took a toothbrush and the vacuum cleaner to clean the grime from the tracks before washing the glass in the doors (yep, inside and out). I learned several things. It’s nearly impossible to put those removable screens back in the window frames. We have a lot of windows in our house. And washing windows is not easy!

I started with zeal and the intent to have this job down, before I mowed the lawn and made lunch. Guess what! After cleaning six windows and one set of doors it was 3 pm. I stopped to eat lunch and that was enough. Our air conditioner isn’t working and it got hot inside. My back ached. My interest waned. I lost the desire to finish the job (although I did mow the lawn and I plan to finish the windows tomorrow). What happened? The fog and friction of life intervened and I failed to accomplish what I intended to achieve. Friction wears on all of our abilities; physical, mental, and spiritual. The inability to know everything that is happening or is going to happen contributes weariness. We are forced to guess what is around the corner or over the hill. We plan for an unknown tomorrow. Life’s daily pressures, unplanned interruptions, unknowns of the future, the urgent but unimportant accumulate and wear on our ability to be effective. Left unchecked, fog and friction can be much more devastating than a few dirty windows. It can derail our walk with the LORD.

Fog and friction are very real things that impact us. However, we do not have to give up because we feel like the weight of the world is on us. The moving parts of your car engine are bathed in oil to reduce the natural law of friction. We study these concepts in strategic education in order to learn how to overcome friction in our lives.

Paul understood the effects of friction in our lives. He often used the analogy of a race and encouraged Christians to prepare and persevere. Paul gives us tips on how to win. In Hebrews 12, he draws a picture of victory for us. First, Paul described a crowd of supporters to cheer us on. In that crowd, we see God Himself as our Father. Jesus is there too. We know that Jesus has completed the race before and tore down all of the obstacles so that we can make it. There are the Apostles and Christians who have received their crowns are now waiting for us to join them. Running with us are our brothers and sisters in Christ, our teammates shouting encouragement. As we run, we must remain vigilant to avoid pot holes and trash that can trip us. However, we have been training, we know the game plan, and our eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author of our faith.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

This writing is taken from a Spiritual Foundation’s class assignment that I recently completed. I apologize for any confusing references. The assignment is in response to Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s essay Life Together reprinted in Richard Foster and James Smith’s Devotional Classics.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of the existence of Christian community in and through Jesus Christ. A key aspect of that community is its interaction and communication within itself. Christian writers often discuss communications in terms of evangelism, but edification is another important (though oft times ignored) facet of communications. Communications within the community may be taken for granted as something that we know just happens. However, the writer of Hebrews suggested a more deliberate approach when he wrote “and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…”[1] We should take time to purposefully consider how to share Christ’s good news to other members of our community as a means of encouraging one another to continue to run the good race.

The infrequent nature of Christians purposely encouraging Christians is suggested, perhaps unintentionally, in the reflection questions that we were asked to consider in this reading. Reflect on the assignment again, “Describe a time when God used someone else to speak to you.” The tone of the statement suggests that one must think back through one’s personal experience and search for an example. However, this should be such a natural part of our community’s environment that it would be difficult think of anytime that God had not spoken to me through another. As we tune our hearing to the sound of the Shepherd’s voice, I believe that we will recognize that God is speaking to us through others.

Personally, I have been blessed over the past few years by God working on my life to cause me to desire to hear His voice. My wife introduce me to Kay Arthur’s book Lord I Want to Know You, a devotional study on the names of God. God spoke to me through my wife and Kay, and reassured that He is God of every situation that I will ever encounter. He renewed my thirst for knowing Him more deeply. What followed was the opportunity that God delivered to grow my relationship to Him. I received an e-mail advertisement for seminary studies and enrolled in a Spiritual Formations class. The first assignment was to work through Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God. Once again, God revealed the importance of His Word, prayer, people and circumstance. Henry explained how God speaks through those things to reveal Himself, share His purpose and show His will to His children. God continues to communicate through people during our conversations, through letters and messages, and through newsletters and books. Should we shut ourselves off from community, we would miss a major avenue to hear the voice of God. However, through community we experience His great love by loving one another. In The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis described a lady spirit who reflected the Father’s love through Christ to the community around her. He wrote “Every beast and bird that came near her had its place in her love. In her they became themselves. And now the abundance of life she has in Christ from the Father flows over into them.”[2]

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

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[1] Hebrews 10:24, (NIV).

[2] C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, (San Francisco: Harper, 1946), 120.

I rose early Saturday morning to see the sunrise at the Camp where we had attended a Christian Retreat. I enjoy getting an early start on the day and someone had recommended the lake as a particularly good spot to witness the breaking of a new day. So, I woke up at 4:30 and gathered my gear, went to the bath house and washed up. After stowing my things in the car, I walked out to the pier in the center of the lake and began looking at the horizon. I knew that sunrise was more than an hour away, but that was fine with me. The sky was filled with stars and the outlines of trees could be seen around the lake’s edge. I prayed and thanked God for His blessings, mercy, patience, and grace. I have experienced each in abundance throughout my life. Most were taken for granted, but He blessed me anyway. Standing on the pier, my inner spirit reassured me that I would see something spectacular in the sunrise. I anxiously waited for show that God would unveil through His nature.

As I looked at the stars, light could be seen through the trees. I stared for a long time, but the light did not grow any brighter. Then I realized that this was not the sunrise, but lights from the distant town. I was looking in the wrong direction. The light was coming from the North, not the East. I thought how easily we become disoriented. We look with anticipation at false hope and if we do not realize it, the real thing will come and we could miss seeing its dawning. I turned and looked to the East, but sunrise was still an hour away.

As I looked at the eastern shore of the lake, two large trees stood out from the others. I didn’t notice the fog that seemed to be growing from the water all around the pier. Eventually, I glanced around and was engulfed by fog. God’s nature was giving me another lesson. Life’s fog creeps up on us gradually and if we lose our focus on the true goal, we become disoriented and overwhelmed by the fog and friction of life. However, Jesus told us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the light of the world. If we focus on Him we will not become disoriented. Peter walked on the water as long as he looked at Jesus. Only when he looked at the waves around him did he begin to sink.

When I looked back at the trees on the eastern bank there appeared to be a hole cut through the fog and the sky was clear. However, it was not yet time for sunrise. I had been standing out on the pier for well over an hour and old injuries in my back began to ache, mosquitoes began to bite my neck, and my patience started to wear thin. I thought about leaving to find a cup of coffee. However, my inner voice once again asked if I was going to let my body cause me to miss the show that my God had prepared. I thought about Dallas Willard’s discussion on spiritual formation. He wrote how our fallen nature gives priority to the desires of the body, while our minds and wills conform to securing physical pleasures. However, as we yield to God’s Holy Spirit our beings are transformed to seek spiritual pleasure in accordance with God’s desires. Our physical bodies are subordinated to selfless vessels that work to satisfy God’s purpose rather than self-centered fleshly desires. So I stayed on the pier, looking through the hole in the fog to the eastern sky and waited for sunrise.

I have seen beautiful sunrises while flying across the Atlantic Ocean traveling toward Europe. I have seen the sun rise over the Pacific horizon from the beaches in Hawaii. I have seen spectacular sunrises across the plains of Texas. I stared with wonder anticipating the coming sunrise on this Saturday morning. Then I heard a fish jump in the lake. Crickets were chirping in the fields. I began to hear the frogs croaking and the birds began to sing as they woke up for another day. I began to smell the water and the fresh scent in the air. I felt the cool breeze. Suddenly the sky just became light. The clouds of the morning sky obscured the Sun as it rose over the eastern horizon. The bright ball of light and the colors of the morning sky would not be revealed this morning. The sky just lit up like indirect lighting in a room. I was greatly blessed.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

I rose early Saturday morning to see the sunrise at a camp where we had attended a Christian Retreat. I enjoy getting an early start on the day and someone had recommended the lake as a particularly good spot to witness the breaking of a new day. So, I woke up at 4:30 and gathered my gear, went to the bath house and washed up. After stowing my things in the car, I walked out to the pier in the center of the lake and began looking at the horizon. I knew that sunrise was more than an hour away, but that was fine with me. The sky was filled with stars and the outlines of trees could be seen around the lake’s edge. I prayed and thanked God for His blessings, mercy, patience, and grace. I have experienced each in abundance throughout my life. Most were taken for granted, but He blessed me anyway. Standing on the pier, my inner spirit reassured me that I would see something spectacular in the sunrise. I anxiously waited for show that God would unveil through His nature.

As I looked at the stars, light could be seen through the trees. I stared for a long time, but the light did not grow any brighter. Then I realized that this was not the sunrise, but lights from the distant town. I was looking in the wrong direction. The light was coming from the North, not the East. I thought how easily we become disoriented. We look with anticipation at false hope and if we do not realize it, the real thing will come and we could miss seeing its dawning. I turned and looked to the East, but sunrise was still an hour away.

As I looked at the eastern shore of the lake, two large trees stood out from the others. I didn’t notice the fog that seemed to be growing from the water all around the pier. Eventually, I glanced around and was engulfed by fog. God’s nature was giving me another lesson. Life’s fog creeps up on us gradually and if we lose our focus on the true goal, we become disoriented and overwhelmed by the fog and friction of life. However, Jesus told us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the light of the world. If we focus on Him we will not become disoriented. Peter walked on the water as long as he looked at Jesus. Only when he looked at the waves around him did he begin to sink.

When I looked back at the trees on the eastern bank there appeared to be a hole cut through the fog and the sky was clear. However, it was not yet time for sunrise. I had been standing out on the pier for well over an hour and old injuries in my back began to ache, mosquitoes began to bite my neck, and my patience started to wear thin. I thought about leaving to find a cup of coffee. However, my inner voice once again asked if I was going to let my body cause me to miss the show that my God had prepared. I thought about Dallas Willard’s discussion on spiritual formation. He wrote how our fallen nature gives priority to the desires of the body, while our minds and wills conform to securing physical pleasures. However, as we yield to God’s Holy Spirit our beings are transformed to seek spiritual pleasure in accordance with God’s desires. Our physical bodies are subordinated to selfless vessels that work to satisfy God’s purpose rather than self-centered fleshly desires. So I stayed on the pier, looking through the hole in the fog to the eastern sky and waited for sunrise.

I have seen beautiful sunrises while flying across the Atlantic Ocean traveling toward Europe. I have seen the sun rise over the Pacific horizon from the beaches in Hawaii. I have seen spectacular sunrises across the plains of Texas. I stared with wonder anticipating the coming sunrise on this Saturday morning. Then I heard a fish jump in the lake. Crickets were chirping in the fields. I began to hear the frogs croaking and the birds began to sing as they woke up for another day. I began to smell the water and the fresh scent in the air. I felt the cool breeze. Suddenly the sky just became light. The clouds of the morning sky obscured the Sun as it rose over the eastern horizon. The bright ball of light and the colors of the morning sky would not be revealed this morning. The sky just lit up like indirect lighting in a room.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

Reflecting on the seven deadly sins described by John of the Cross, it was easy to recognize the attribute spiritual pride or greed in the lives of friends or acquaintances. I thought of the childhood friend that had grown so rigid in the dogma of his religious tradition that he could not accept fellowship from anyone whose worship tradition varied in any aspect than what he was accustomed with. No consideration was given to their personal relationship with God, only the exterior manner of collective worship in a church service setting. I thought of loved ones who seemed to have lost their faith completely because they had not received the public recognition for their acts of devotion to God. Therefore, they angrily rejected the personal recognition of a loving God.

However, the focus of my study was not to consider the affects of these sins in others, but which sin is my greatest challenge. I needed the call to look deeper into my own being and see what lays there in the dark corners of my soul. This analysis forces these things to the surface and the light of God’s Holy Spirit removes these remnants of the old man, so that he can replace them with his attributes. While the surgery is uncomfortable, like John pointed out, God leads the soul into the dark night to quite the flesh, silence the fears, and draw me into relationship with him.

So after prayerful inventory of my life, I realized that while struggling with many of these weaknesses the third sin of spiritual luxury is the root of many of my sinful tendencies. John cited this sin as the source for all other sins. When I consider the blessings that I have been given it became clear that by taking God’s gifts for granted, actually expecting him to bless me with abundant comforts of life, I am tempted to reverse the roles in our relationship. I begin to feel that I should be served by God, rather than acknowledging the Sovereign God of all as worthy of all my service. Even in my practice of religious disciplines of prayer and meditation on Holy Scripture, I would drift into darker thoughts of using God’s word to prove my thoughts about the right way to act, to think or to believe.

Even in my concept of submission I never really submitted to His authority, but sought God’s approval of my plans. After all, I had received recognition for my leadership abilities. My potential had been recognized by senior leaders who had promoted me and assigned me to senior leadership positions. I had been given authority over many other people. I had risen in rank and position in the greatest army of the world’s sole superpower. I really had not experienced anything but the greatest luxuries this world had to offer. However, where was God in all of these luxuries? In the quite still voice that he sometimes whispers to his children, God shook my world of self fulfillment. He did not strip me of wealth and power through some calamity or series of irreversible failures. He simply introduced me to himself. My wife introduced me to a book by Kay Arthur that described the wonderful attributes of God through the various names he declared himself to the ancient nation of Israel. I was convicted that God is sovereign and he controls the events in this life and the life to come. My luxuries were not the result of my efforts, but his loving kindness. The scriptures were not provided to prove my beliefs, but to shed light from his wisdom into my ignorance. The artificiality of my prayers and study did not satisfy his desire for my life; he wants all of my life. Robert Clinton, in his book The Making of a Leader, presented four reasons for truly submitting to God’s will.

1. He brought me here. It is by his will I am in this place. In that fact I will rest.

2. He will keep me here in his love and give me the grace to behave as his child.

3. Then he will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons he intends for me to learn.

4. In his good time, he will bring me out again – how and when he knows.

Now the tenets of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 make sense. The poor in spirit, the meek, the humble they are truly blessed because they gain their sustenance from the endless supply of living water from the true and living God who is El Shaddai – the all sufficient one.

In Him,
Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

Recently, my daughter shared an insight from Helen Keller’s essay, The Day Language Came Into My Life. My daughter’s conclusion was without words, life has no structure. Concepts that cannot be express cannot be understood. Helen wrote the following about her discovery and life changing character of words,

“Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten-a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. The living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!”

This morning I was sitting on the back deck of our house for my daily time of visiting with God. My Bible reading had brought me to Ezekiel 33 where God had warned His prophet of the responsibility of a watchman to be alert and warn the people of approaching danger. The watchman is responsible for the warning, but not the results of his warning. If the people did not act when they had been warned, then they were responsible for the results. However, if the watchman was negligent of his duty and failed to warn the people, then God would hold the watchman accountable. God told Ezekiel that he had been made a watchman for Israel. Their response was not his responsibility, but proclaiming God’s message was his duty.

After my Bible study, I read a selection from Jonathan Edwards’ Engagement of the Heart. In Edwards’ article, he presented the power of true religion is its affection evidenced in the life of the disciple. Through true religion the heart is transformed into holy fear of God and recognition of His holiness. That fear is expressed in hope, love, desire, joy, etc. Just as Dallas Willard described the ineffectiveness of “nondiscipleship” Edwards wrote, “The kind of religion that God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless “woulding” – those weak inclinations that lack convictions – that raise us but a little above indifference. God, in his word, greatly insists that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit…” Edwards call to true religion is a far cry from modern social club invitations. Our message should call all to their need for God’s love. His invitation is come as you are, but leave as Christ’s disciple.

As if these readings were not enough, God continued to reveal the nature of His love that I need to reflect as His own child. As I sat and was surrounded by God’s nature, I heard the sound of geese. Soon four geese flew overhead. However, they were not in the usual ‘V’ formation. They flew three abreast and one in the lead. The leader made his honking call to the others, but more constant than I had noticed in the past. The three trailing geese flew very close to one another. So close that their wing tips appeared to be striking one another. The center goose flew a bit awkwardly, with his head down. The others flew with their necks stretched forward and eyes fixed on the leader. It occurred to me that the center goose was blind and the others were helping him find the nearby lake. Even in nature, we see God’s love. The geese exemplified that agape nature of God that desired the good of their mate. Likewise, with the gentleness described by Paul in 2 Timothy 2: 24-26, we must come alongside these in need of help.

Finally, as I closed my visit with God in prayer, I thought of Romans 12: 12-15. I came in to look up the scripture and it was as if He was driving His message into the depths of my heart. Paul wrote, “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die’ but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” What a glorious calling we have to share!

In Him,

Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.com

Last week, I attended a leadership summit organized by the Willow Creek Association. It was an excellent experience. The list of motivating speakers included General Colin Powell, John Ortberg, Marcus Buckingham, Floyd Flake, Carly Fiorina, Harvard Professor Michael Porter, Filmmaker Richard Curtis, former President Jimmy Carter, and of course Bill Hybels. Attendees were entertained and inspired, but mostly challenged by these leaders. While I didn’t fully agree with some of the speakers, I was blessed by the message from each one.

Dr. Porter spoke on one of my favorite topics – strategic planning. Yes, I understand that you probably do not have the same level of fascination that I do concerning this subject. However, I have been involved in strategic planning for 15 years (out of a 32 year military career). And yes, I should probably listen to my wife and get a life. The fact remains that I believe this is a valuable subject. Anyway, my point is that Dr. Porter is a world renown expert on strategic planning

I didn’t fully agree with Dr. Porter on every point. Our differences probably were due to his approach which viewed the church as purely an organization to address the depravities of society (poverty, disease, injustice, etc.) and not the depravities of the soul. However, his observations were insightful and useful to Christian leaders. Let me share a couple of poignant take-aways that I gained from his address.

First, Dr. Porter said that he had analyzed the programs of several churches as he prepared for this conference. What he found was astonishing energies and commitment of local churches to address needs of the congregation, communities, and the world. The spirit of volunteerism and the unselfish contribution of money impressed this man who works with nations to build strategies to address their social ills. He said the many efforts that he observed were very impressive, but their results were not very effective. Then he asked this audience of Christian leaders, “how do you do well to do good?” Rephrased, our strategic challenge is how to do good – well. Pause and consider this question. Reflect on you own church. Look at the programs your congregation manages. The question is not, which causes are better than the others. They are all good causes. However, we tend to think more is better and spread our resources too thin. The results are that nothing is really effective.

Finally, I came away convinced that we must include God in our goal setting process. The way we do good well is by focusing on where God is leading us. Dr. Henry Blackaby suggests that God reveals Himself, His purpose and His ways through 4 avenues; Bible, prayer, church, and circumstances.

Christian leaders must be prayer warriors. Communications is a two-way street. Prayer is an untapped power source for too many Christians. We let our schedules get in the way. The great hairballs of life become counterfeit priorities and we sacrifice what is really important. God wants to commune with His people. Prayer provides strength to the one who prayers. I relish the picture given in Revelations where our prayers are of such value to God that He stores them in golden bowls and entrusts them in the safekeeping of the elders in heaven (Revelations 5:8). I have changed the way that I pray. I realize that I am actually entering my words into the throne room of God. I praise Him and lay my concerns out for His consideration. I then mentally turn them over to Him. His plans and timing are perfect. He will do what He has purposed and He has purposed to love even me. What a relief! Then I pause and try to clear my mind for His gentle whispers, His nudging. Prayer provides me what is promised in Isaiah 40. As I wait for God, my strength is renewed.

In Him,

Dan

www.noblepurposeministries.org

I hope this is not taken as criticism of Christian laborers seeking to encourage people to join in worship to our God.  My purpose is to provoke reflection and dialogue on the best approach to glorify God with the dignity and honor owed to Him.  There are many who, with the most honorable intentions, are working diligently to reach lost souls.  We have visited several churches during the past few weeks.  They have several things in common.  They were all church plants, emphasized casual dress and contemporary approach to worship, and they were filled with warm and caring people.  So, what is the criticism?   

I fear that in our quest to make outsiders feel comfortable in worship we may compromise a couple of important areas of responsibility.  I offer that the first area of compromise may be the fundamental purpose of our worship.  Worship is given to God’s glory and His honor.  It is good to be inviting to visitors and guests who come to worship, but the purpose is not to entertain them at the expense of honoring the Creator and Redeemer.  While dress and appearance should not be a prerequisite for entering the house of worship, there should be a consideration of appropriateness.  Should we dress better to go to a civil court of law than we dress to go to worship the Judge of all?  We can be warm and welcoming to all and acknowledge that we are entering into God’s presence.  For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I will be in their midst…Matthew 18:20 

Have we lost the purpose of the service itself?  Are we gathered to honor God, or to be entertained?  Again, I approach this topic with caution and meekness.  I have been emotionally stirred during worship, convicted of my sinful condition and of God’s great love.  During a gifted solo performance, I have been cut to the heart by the mental images of Jesus redeeming sacrifice for me.  Like in many things, it is when we honor God that we are blessed.  However, the focus of our worship should be His glory.  When for the sake of being “contemporary” we have bands and singers who sing songs that do not encourage congregational singing, who perform for us rather than leading us in praise to the Father, we are in danger of supplanting our desire to enjoy the performance rather than praising our God and our risen Savior.  I am reminded of James exhortation for us to “be doers of the Word, and not only hearers…” James 1:22 

Second, by stressing the casual contemporary worship as a means of seeking to bring the lost to Christ we compromise the fundamentals of the great commission.  Jesus told His disciples to “Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the  Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all  things, whatever I commanded you.” Matthew 28:19  Our responsibility to evangelize is to bring others face to face with God.  We engage in evangelism in our daily living and not just by inviting others to church services.  Evangelism is the product of our personal spiritual transformation and maturity.  I was encouraged by Charles Colson’s words in his book about the role of the church entitled The Body.  Colson wrote, “We cannot give what we do not have.  We cannot impart values we do not hold.  We cannot do until we are.  To be the church – our highest calling – depends on understanding the very character of the body of Christ on earth.  Only then can we understand what it means to live as the people of God, serving God in today’s world.”  My personal observation and conclusion is that we are so focused on reaching out to the “unchurched” and entertaining them that we have lost focus on reaching toward God’s hands and introducing human strangers to their loving Father.  

In Him,

Dan 

www.noblepurposeministries.org