Little Nuggets to Ponder

I have recently been hearing these thought provoking little sayings or bits of knowledge that I have written down to consider. Let me share them with you and then you can think about them, too.

Regarding LOVE:

Action changes our thinking.

Motion results in emotion.

I found this to be an interesting bit of truth. We say that love is an action not an emotion. So if we do not have a love in our heart for someone than what do we do to change that? Do we just keep on "not loving" them? Or do we do something to change our thinking? I was challenged to action – to begin to say loving and kind things and do loving, selfless acts for someone that I do not love. If I do, I think that it may begin to change my thinking toward them. By doing this – it takes my eyes off of myself and forces me to look at others and see intentional ways to love or be loving toward them. When I do – I have to begin thinking about them and just by the act of thinking about them it will change how I think.

The second phrase above makes me realize that by the simple phrase "not loving someone" – I am trying to make hate sound less bad. If there is an absence of love then the options are limited as to what fills that void. If I just don't care – is that acceptable in the eyes of God? If I don't care, do I hate? I feel like - If I am not willing to love someone then I am disobedient to God. If I am not willing to love someone than that void must be filled with some feeling – it really can't just be apathy, can it?

Motion – moving in a direction away from something and toward something else. There has to be a goal. There has to be something that we move toward. LOVE – not the emotion – but the manner of life. Choosing to move in the direction of love says that I am going to act out lovingly toward those around me – regardless of the emotion involved and the feelings.

What did Jesus say?

Luke 6:27-36

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, {28} bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. {29} If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. {30} Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. {31} Do to others as you would have them do to you. {32} "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. {33} And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. {34} And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. {35} But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. {36} Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Matthew 5:44

"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Action?

Pray for them – ask God to give you a love for those you do not love.

Be kind to them – look for ways.

Treat them how you would treat those that you easily love.

Do it with no expectation in return except to see your thinking changed and your emotions replaced with the "motion of love". Eventually the emotional connection will follow.

6 Benefits of Sunday School for Big People

In July of this year, while I was on vacation, one of our elders taught the morning message regarding "Why ABF's?" First of all what is an ABF? ABF is an acronym that stands for Adult Bible Fellowship – which in its simplest terms is Sunday School for Big People. As Rich Smith shared his heart about the way to connect with people he made it clear that there are many ways for us to do this but one of the most convenient ones for families is the Sunday morning Adult Bible Fellowship classes. Some of our other small group possibilities are: XII:X groups (based on Romans 12:10 – be devoted to one another), G-force ( a men's discipleship group that meets every Thursday morning at the church), Golden Gracers ( a Wednesday morning group of people age 50 or more) and ministry groups that serve together in our church.

As I listened to this message I was struck by the clear benefits of why you should be a part of this opportunity. Here are those six benefits:

1. They provide a critical structure for teaching God's Word in a deeper manner. The teaching that we get on Sunday from 10:30 to noon is not sufficient to promote our spiritual growth. We need the interactive environment of learning together.
   
2. They can gear a Bible teaching to a specific group. In this smaller group setting of similar stage of life, gender, like interests, etc. you can be more specific in the teaching and practical application for that group.
   
3. They help train new leaders in our church. Rich shared that he had served in many ways in our church but was scared when asked to teach an ABF. When he did it caused him to grow even more spiritually since he had to study deeper in order to accurately teach.
   
4. This is the "Next Step" in connecting to people. In this smaller group environment we have a chance to know people more intimately than we can in a worship service setting and to learn more about the Word of God because it is a safer environment to open up and ask questions.
   
5. It is convenient – you are already committed to be out for the morning to come to church and you only have to come one hour early. We are all busy – work, school and extra-curricular things. But this is a way to grow deeper in a setting that you are already committed to planning into your schedule. Additionally, while you are learning, so are your children (if you have them) and this is critical in today's world. Our kids need to learn the Bible safely and accurately from teachers we love and trust.
   
6. They give us opportunity to care for each other like we should. You get to know people and spend time with them and understand their needs then take the time to care for them. Write a note, give them a call, make a meal when they are in need, visit them in the hospital or at home. It is easier to volunteer to meet the needs of people that you know.
   

This was a great message and it gave us several ways for us to get involved in an ABF and make them successful. Would you consider making that extra step of commitment this week to join an ABF? If you have missed that Sunday or forgot what Rich taught – can I encourage you to go to our website and listen to it again? www.ogbc.net or http://www.sermon.net/rss/ogbc (the date was 7.25.2010)

Count Your Blessings…

I read through my journal this morning. This one that I am on goes back to October 2009. It documents some of my thoughts about a decision that our church leadership team made that deeply wounded our church family. (a bad call that we are still recovering from) It has a series of prayers written out to God that reminded me of how our confidence should come from God and not from our own strength or skill. ( an AH HA moment for our leaders as we recognized how God had worked) As I read through all of my thoughts during that time and even some of my prayers and thoughts early this year and throughout the summer – I was reminded how inadequate I am but how blessed I am. (But I have learned to trust Him more and more)

I have so much to be thankful for – my inadequacies are not of chief concern! I have been blessed with a great family that loves each other. I have been blessed with extended family that is generous and kind and loving and we enjoy getting together! I have been blessed with countless friends and church family that constantly lift me up in prayer and seek to encourage me and my family.

I have been blessed with health (more or less) throughout my family. I have seen God provide our physical needs at just the right time in amazing ways. Of course I am inadequate! We all are! God designs us to be dependent upon Him and if we never recognize our faults, shortcomings or needs than we will never be humble enough to understand how to depend upon Him. I am learning continually about how truly blessed I am to be allowed to speak to the God of the universe and to realize that He enjoys my humble ramblings to Him.

I am blessed to be included as His child and there is never a better place to be.

Loosen Up

This short little four part series help us see the need to a broken heart before God. Step one towards "If It Ain't Broken Than Fix It" was the willingness to destroy our self-will. Step two was to stop being self-reliant, self-confidant and independent. This last step is one that only God can perform for us but we have to be willing to ask.

Scripture is full of illustrations about seed planting. Even Jesus used the illustration of the planting of the seed of the gospel and how it would respond based on the place it landed when sown. In fact, that is a critical part of reaping what you sow…paying attention to the soil in which something is planted. More so, we need to pay attention to the condition of the soil in which something is planted! The principle of reaping what you sow is nothing new:

Galatians 6:7-9 tells us "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. {8} The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. {9} Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

According to this verse – what we sow is exactly what we will reap. Seed choice is critical when it comes to wanting to reap a great harvest of good fruit! We have to sow the proper seeds. Hosea prophesied to Israel about something similar:

In Hosea 10:12-13 we see this principle: "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. {13} But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,"

When you want a good harvest that represents Godly traits and character – you must sow into your life seeds that will produce that as a harvest. Careful seed choice is important. But I want to tell you something equally as important – sow into soil that is prepared to receive what is sown! You can see this instruction by Hosea when he says "break up your unplowed ground".

Isn't it true that if the ground or soil is hard then the seed will fall there and never sprout roots that dig deep and grow. The seed will fail. Principle Three for "If It Ain't Broken Than Fix It" is to ask God to till up the soil of your heart. We need to ask God to give us an attitude (the softened soil of our heart) that will welcome the seed truths of righteousness, holiness, love, grace, mercy, truth and other Godly character traits that produce the right kinds of fruit. It is my pray and commitment to ask God to continually plow through my heart and break up the clods of hardened earth that are there. I want Him to remove the pockets of pride, self-will and self- confidence that exist and break through so that when new and fresh seed from the Word of God is planted in my heart it takes root, grows and produces fruit in my life that will honor God.

If It Ain't Broken – then Fix It. Get broken before God and live broken before God.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Use God as a Crutch

This short little four part series helps us see the need to a broken heart before God. Step one towards "If It Ain't Broken Than Fix It" was the willingness to destroy our self-will. Deciding that I will obey God over my own will – every time without question is a step toward becoming broken before God. Step two is even worse!

We live in this world of self-help and self-confidence books, seminars, conferences and motivational speakers. We have been told since before Billy Joel came out with his 1978 hit single "My Life" that we do not need to rely on anyone or anything else. In fact, the chorus was:

I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright, I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home,

I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life, Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone.

Then it ends repeating a constant refrain:

Keep it to yourself, it's my life

Even the phrase "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" is an indication of a self made man who did it all without the help of anyone else and overcame his dire circumstances all on his own strength.

I met this principle a number of months back when I felt as though I could not make a decision for direction for Osceola Grace with any sort of confidence. It was then that 2 Corinthians 12:10 became very real to me.

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

I was feeling weak and I felt like I was being attacked and criticized on every front (and often behind my back J). Life was difficult and discouraging. Then I read this verse and all of the surrounding passage. I began to realize that I relied much on my own intelligence, wisdom, leadership skills and self confidence.

As God stripped that away, he replaced it with something so much greater:

2 Corinthians 3:4-5 told me "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. {5} Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God."

I shared with someone that I had no confidence in myself left and they patted my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, you'll get it back." Because of how God was working in me – I realized that I didn't want SELF-confidence back. What I needed and wanted was "GOD-confidence". This is all that is will work. That word "competent" means "sufficiency, security or adequacy".

Step Two: Stop being self-reliant, self-confidant and independent.

Ask God to remove, demolish and dismantle your self-confidence. That is scary but it is SO freeing when you realize that it will make you weak. It will make you vulnerable. It will make you question every "next step". BUT… it will cause you to rely on the only One that can sustain you, the only One who can give you strength, the only One that supplies the competence and security that never fails!

Replace your worthless SELF-confidence with the only worthy "confidence" that comes through total reliance on the grace and sufficiency of God Almighty! What better "crutch" to support and sustain us than the one who holds it all together anyway!

Break the Unbreakable

Part two this short little four part series help us see our individual need for broken heart before God. Part One was the ntroduction "If It Ain't Broken Than Fix It". Follow along as we look at three steps toward brokenness before God.

Psalms 51:16-17 "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. {17} The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

I recently watched a documentary on the wild horses on the plains of the west that are being rounded up and placed in pens because there are so many growing herds of wild horses that there is not enough vegetation to sustain them. Sad as that is, it was even worse to see where they were kept. Wild horses kept in small pens where they ran in circles desiring to be free to roam wherever they pleased. It made me remember the stories I have seen of the breaking of wild stallions into manageable horses that can be ridden. It takes time to properly break a horse's free will to trust the rider. There are two ways it can be done – the cowboy can forcefully break the will of the horse or the cowboy can spend time caring, caressing, coercing and patiently building trust between horse and rider.

In the former, the horse fears the rider and punishment for not conforming. In the latter, the horse builds positive feelings of trust and security to be taught and trained by the one whom he has grown to trust.

In that same way – so often we see God as this eternal being that desires to break our spirit and will to forcibly, through fear, bring us to obedience. However, I want to submit that when we see God in this way, we begin to behave as though our actions are the primary means of pleasing God. NOT SO! God is more interested in our heart, will and devotion to Him rather than the outward actions. Oh wait, though – don't misunderstand: the outward actions come but they come as a result of proper motives – from a heart that is in a right place of security and trust in the hands of an Almighty God.

As Psalm 51 indicates – the real pleasure for God comes in a broken spirit and heart. Not one that He has to break but one that is presented to Him willingly broken. Step ONE of fixing something that is not broken: Destroy your self will.

Stop saying "I can't" or "I won't". Take Isaiah's approach in Isaiah 6:8 after he saw God and knew that he was ruined as a result of seeing the holy God. When the seraphim touched his lips with a coal and made him clean God spoke to him… "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Look at Isaiah's response:

No stubbornness

No self-will

No anger or frustration.

Simple submission to what God wanted. Immediate obedience regardless of what he wanted.

What have you read or heard from the Word of God recently? Did you let it change you? Did you obey it without question?

What has the spirit been prompting you to do lately? Have you submitted? Have you responded with obedience regardless of your will?

We can destroy our own will as we choose to immediately obey the will of God as we see it and as the Spirit prompts us. Ask God to help pulverize and demolish your own will and replace it with obedience to His will!

If It Ain’t Broken then Fix It

Isaiah 66:2 says "Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

In the last few months, I have come to realize that I am not "all that". I am not really sure that I ever thought that I was "all that" in a conscious sort of way but I have learned through a series of circumstances and spiritual growth opportunities that God has a special place in His heart for those who willingly choose humility before Him. As I have read and searched the Word of God, I find more and more verses that indicate that God does not have any desire for the "self confident" believer. What He desires and whom He chooses to use are those that humbly come to Him recognizing their worth and value come only through God and not through any of their own accomplishments.

What is so cool is that suddenly this takes the pressure off! I now realize that, while I am valued as a creature in the image of God, my good traits and my bad traits are not what make me! My mistakes do not ruin my and my "spectacular" (and rare) good choices do not make me!

The word "esteem" above in Isaiah means "to look intently upon" or "to regard with pleasure". WOW! God will intently look upon some men. God regards some men with pleasure!

Who? What does it take to get God's attention? Not great exploits. Not engaging and practical sermons. Not exceptional leadership skills. Not great parenting skills. Not generous giving practices. Nor is it my horrible sin. Or my despicable past. Or my shamefulness in ongoing wrong choices. Or my constant doubt or faithlessness.

What gets God's attention and brings great pleasure to Him are the character traits of a contrite heart and humble spirit. Contrite – "broken, crushed, pulverized". Humble – "to be poor, needy".

God receives amazing pleasure when He sees a willingly broken person. A person that He can "reshape and mold" as He desires in order to create something that He alone will use for His glory alone.

You know how some people say "if it ain't broke then don't fix it" – Well, I firmly believe that a greater principle is at work here in admitting that if I am not broken then I need to fix it before God chooses to through His power.

God looks upon those who are broken and humbled before Him with great pleasure! What does that look like? There are three things that I want to share with you this week that characterize a broken believer. Stay tuned and ask God to begin breaking through to you.

Help for Haiti

I have had many people ask about how we can help those in Haiti right now...
There several things that we can do -
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First, pray - I know many of you already are but we certainly cannot under estimate the power of simply pleading with God on behalf of the people of Haiti and the rescue and relief workers. God loves to hear our hearts and when we feel the most helpless in OUR ability to DO SOMETHING - that is when we are in a right place to realize that God is acting as we ask.
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Second, I would love to send a team to Haiti very soon - I contacted Samaritan's Purse - a relief organization led by Franklin Graham - and I am waiting to hear back. Right now the biggest needs are oriented around food, water and medical personnel. Soon they will be organizing and scheduling teams to clear and rebuild. I hope to be able to send a team and be a part of this effort.
How can you be a part of this?

1. Give through OGBC mark the line on your envelope "Haiti" and help with expenses.
2. From the Samaritan's Purse Website:
   Anyone interested in volunteering when we start our rebuilding work can submit their information by clicking the button to the right and filling out the form. We will send out an e-mail when we are ready to accept applications. In the meantime, prospective volunteers can make sure their passport and shot records are up to date.

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Third, let me know if you want to go. I have no idea of the cost at this time but i know that we will have to foot the bill ourselves - I hope that as a church we will be able to get 10 -12 people to go and that the rest of our church family will pray and financially support us as we do this.
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Last, you can give money now to help with the supply needs - Click here to give through Samaritan's Purse
One more thing - Our Student Ministry, Driven, financially supports a 15 yr old orphan from Haiti through Compassion INternational and so please begin praying specifically for Edzer. We have supported him for a number of years and hear regularly from him and how he is growing. We do not know if he is safe or not after all of this - please pray for God to watch over him and for how we can help.