This is a blog post from my friend Kevin Connell at http://www.hiimkevin.com/
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A few days ago I was reading Romans and came across a verse I’ve read many times. This time it wouldn’t let me go.
For I have a great sense of OBLIGATION to people in BOTH the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated AND uneducated alike. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving EVERYONE who believes…” (Romans 1:14,16 – NLT)
No matter whom you come across today, in light of the gospel, you’re obligated to them.
Obligated.
Why don’t we have a sense of obligation like Paul did?
· Maybe we see ourselves as better than them. (Paul’s perspective was different. He labeled himself as the worst of sinners.)
· Maybe we are ashamed of the Gospel
· Maybe we’d rather serve them than verbally share with them (see Romans 10:14)
· Maybe we are fearful or lazy
· Maybe we don’t believe it really does have the power to change lives
Maybe you believed it a long time ago, but have since then lost your passion about it. If we don’t believe it, why should anyone else? We don’t need to pray for an opportunity today, we need to pray for boldness, conviction, and a broken heart for those who don’t know God.
It’s not an option, it’s an obligation.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Have you ever prayed for your great-grandchildren?
This is a story that really inspires me. There are a lot of people who are similar to the way I am. I want to do tremendos things for the Kingdom. I want to be a part of a "movement of God." But sometimes I spend so much "doing" things that I forget to set time aside to discuss things over with my Creator. If you are that way too then I hope this story inspires you as well.
In Point Man, Steve Farrar tells the story of George McCluskey. When McCluskey married and started a family, he decided to invest one hour a day in prayer, because he wanted his kids to follow Christ. After a time, he expanded his prayers to include his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every day between 11 a.m. and noon, he prayed for the next three generations.
As the years went by, his two daughters committed their lives to Christ and married men who went into full-time ministry. The two couples produced four girls and one boy. Each of the girls married a minister, and the boy became a pastor. The first two children born to this generation were both boys. Upon graduation from high school, the two cousins chose the same college and became roommates. During their sophomore year, one boy decided to go into the ministry. The other didn't. He undoubtedly felt some pressure to continue the family legacy, but he chose instead to pursue his interest in psychology. He earned his doctorate and eventually wrote books for parents that became bestsellers.
He started a radio program heard on more than a thousand stations each day. The man's name was James Dobson. "Through his prayers, George McCluskey affected far more than one family."
So I will ask the question again, "When was the last time you prayed for your great-grandchildren?"
In Point Man, Steve Farrar tells the story of George McCluskey. When McCluskey married and started a family, he decided to invest one hour a day in prayer, because he wanted his kids to follow Christ. After a time, he expanded his prayers to include his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every day between 11 a.m. and noon, he prayed for the next three generations.
As the years went by, his two daughters committed their lives to Christ and married men who went into full-time ministry. The two couples produced four girls and one boy. Each of the girls married a minister, and the boy became a pastor. The first two children born to this generation were both boys. Upon graduation from high school, the two cousins chose the same college and became roommates. During their sophomore year, one boy decided to go into the ministry. The other didn't. He undoubtedly felt some pressure to continue the family legacy, but he chose instead to pursue his interest in psychology. He earned his doctorate and eventually wrote books for parents that became bestsellers.
He started a radio program heard on more than a thousand stations each day. The man's name was James Dobson. "Through his prayers, George McCluskey affected far more than one family."
So I will ask the question again, "When was the last time you prayed for your great-grandchildren?"
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter is not over!
It was on Feb. 27, 1991, at the height of Desert Storm, that Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. It stated that her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private 1st Class, had stepped on a mine in Kuwait & was dead.
Ruth Dillow later wrote, "I can’t begin to describe my grief & shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I wept. For 3 days I expressed anger & loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me, to no avail because the loss was too great."
But 3 days after she received that message, the telephone rang. The voice on the other end said, "Mom, it’s me. I’m alive." Ruth Dillow said, "I couldn’t believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice, & he really was alive." The message was all a mistake!
She said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels, because my son whom I had thought was dead, was really alive. I’m sure none of you can even begin to understand how I felt."
Perhaps not, but some who walked the pages of the New Testament would have understood how she felt because they experienced the same emotions themselves. One day they watched their best friend & teacher being nailed to a cross. They witnessed His pain as He cried out, "I thirst!" & "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"
They listened as finally He bowed His head & said, "It is finished!" & "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." They watched as His body was taken from the cross & buried. All their hopes & dreams were buried with Him.
Friday & all day Saturday they mourned, until finally, on "the first day of the week, early in the morning," the scripture says, some women made their way along the path that led to His tomb, wondering who would roll away the stone for them.
But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. And an angel there told them, "You’re looking in the wrong place. You’re looking for Jesus among the dead. He is not dead. He is alive. He is risen, even as He said!"
"He is risen!" That is what we celebrated yesterday morning. When all the evidence is in we’re convinced that Jesus is alive. He is risen from the dead, & what a difference His resurrection has made! Let's not stop celebrating just because yesterday is over. I am sure Ruth Dillow celebrated for more than a day.
Ruth Dillow later wrote, "I can’t begin to describe my grief & shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I wept. For 3 days I expressed anger & loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me, to no avail because the loss was too great."
But 3 days after she received that message, the telephone rang. The voice on the other end said, "Mom, it’s me. I’m alive." Ruth Dillow said, "I couldn’t believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice, & he really was alive." The message was all a mistake!
She said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels, because my son whom I had thought was dead, was really alive. I’m sure none of you can even begin to understand how I felt."
Perhaps not, but some who walked the pages of the New Testament would have understood how she felt because they experienced the same emotions themselves. One day they watched their best friend & teacher being nailed to a cross. They witnessed His pain as He cried out, "I thirst!" & "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"
They listened as finally He bowed His head & said, "It is finished!" & "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." They watched as His body was taken from the cross & buried. All their hopes & dreams were buried with Him.
Friday & all day Saturday they mourned, until finally, on "the first day of the week, early in the morning," the scripture says, some women made their way along the path that led to His tomb, wondering who would roll away the stone for them.
But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. And an angel there told them, "You’re looking in the wrong place. You’re looking for Jesus among the dead. He is not dead. He is alive. He is risen, even as He said!"
"He is risen!" That is what we celebrated yesterday morning. When all the evidence is in we’re convinced that Jesus is alive. He is risen from the dead, & what a difference His resurrection has made! Let's not stop celebrating just because yesterday is over. I am sure Ruth Dillow celebrated for more than a day.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Are You Giving Your Best to the King?
There is a legend about an ancient village in Spain. The villagers learned that the king would pay a visit! In a thousand years, a king had never come to that village. Excitement grew! "We must throw a big celebration," The villagers all agreed. But, it was a poor village, and there weren’t many resources. Someone came up with a classic idea. Since many of the villagers made their own wines, the idea was for everyone in the village bring a large cup of their choice wine to the town square, “We’ll pour it into a large vat and offer it to the king for his pleasure! When the king draws wine to drink, it will be the very best he’s ever tasted!”
The day before the king’s arrival, hundreds of people lined up to make their offering to the honored guest. They climbed a small stairway, and poured their gift through a small opening at the top. Finally, the vat was full! The King arrived, was escorted to the square, given a silver cup and was told to draw some wine, which represented the best the villagers had.
He placed the cup under the spigot, turned the handle, and then drank the wine, but it was nothing more than water. You see every villager reasoned, "I’ll withhold my best wine and substitute water, what with so many cups of wine in the vat, the king will never know the difference!" The problem was, everyone thought the same thing, and the king was greatly dishonored.
So the question today is this... are you giving your best to King Jesus. This is a week of rememberance for all that Jesus did for us. He gave us EVERYTHING! We should do the same.
The day before the king’s arrival, hundreds of people lined up to make their offering to the honored guest. They climbed a small stairway, and poured their gift through a small opening at the top. Finally, the vat was full! The King arrived, was escorted to the square, given a silver cup and was told to draw some wine, which represented the best the villagers had.
He placed the cup under the spigot, turned the handle, and then drank the wine, but it was nothing more than water. You see every villager reasoned, "I’ll withhold my best wine and substitute water, what with so many cups of wine in the vat, the king will never know the difference!" The problem was, everyone thought the same thing, and the king was greatly dishonored.
So the question today is this... are you giving your best to King Jesus. This is a week of rememberance for all that Jesus did for us. He gave us EVERYTHING! We should do the same.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Big But.
Today I think of the book of Revelation. And I think of chapter 2. John the apostle is speaking to the church of Ephesus. And John goes through a lot of good things about this church. They must have been feeling pretty good about themselves. Listen to this Revelation 2:1-3.
1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Right so this is like when a guy is asking out a girl, and she says well Jehtro you’re a nice guy and your very sweet, my parents love you…. And he holds his breath because he knows what’s coming next. BUT…. Well quite frankly I am in love with a biker named Spike. And this is what the church of Ephesus was bracing for. I know you do some great things and you hate evil… but… and then here comes the “but” in verse 4.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
They lost their first love. What a sad commentary on the church. So how did this happen and how long did it take? Well luckily we have some history on that as well. Ephesus was one of the first churches established after Jesus’ ascension. It was a booming town right on the Mediterranean Sea. And you don’t have to go very far back in your Bibles to find that they didn’t always use to be this way. Listen to what is said about them in Eph 1:15-16.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
This certainly doesn’t sound like the same church does it? Most smart people have these two texts dated about 30 years apart from one another. So in 30 years this church went from being described as having faith in the Lord to losing their first love? I think there are a lot of churches like this. They have lost their first loves. Do you know why this is? Because WE have lost our first love. Take some time today to reunite with your your Savior.
1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Right so this is like when a guy is asking out a girl, and she says well Jehtro you’re a nice guy and your very sweet, my parents love you…. And he holds his breath because he knows what’s coming next. BUT…. Well quite frankly I am in love with a biker named Spike. And this is what the church of Ephesus was bracing for. I know you do some great things and you hate evil… but… and then here comes the “but” in verse 4.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
They lost their first love. What a sad commentary on the church. So how did this happen and how long did it take? Well luckily we have some history on that as well. Ephesus was one of the first churches established after Jesus’ ascension. It was a booming town right on the Mediterranean Sea. And you don’t have to go very far back in your Bibles to find that they didn’t always use to be this way. Listen to what is said about them in Eph 1:15-16.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
This certainly doesn’t sound like the same church does it? Most smart people have these two texts dated about 30 years apart from one another. So in 30 years this church went from being described as having faith in the Lord to losing their first love? I think there are a lot of churches like this. They have lost their first loves. Do you know why this is? Because WE have lost our first love. Take some time today to reunite with your your Savior.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
What would you do for twenty dollars?
Let me ask you this question, what would you do for $20? I have done some really stupid things when offered $20 and I am certain that some of you may have as well. I believe also that if I asked people in this room to attempt something for $20 that they would do it.
So people are willing to do a whole lot for $20, but let me ask you this… what would you do for a penny? Twenty bucks is a lot, but in our culture, a penny is almost seen as worthless. You can’t even buy a gumball with a penny!
I think we often look at people in that same way. We see some people as twenty-dollar bills—the ones who have it all together—and we would do anything to be accepted by them. Then we see other people as ten-dollar bills, fives, ones, quarters, dimes, nickels, and even some as pennies. Let me ask you, have you ever looked at people that way? You might not admit it out loud, but I bet there are some people you treat like pennies—like they are not worth your time.
It’s crazy, but Jesus came into a world full of twenties, tens, fives, ones, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. In Jesus’ time, there were people called the Pharisees, and they were the very definition of twenty-dollar bills. The Pharisees had it all together, and everybody went out of their way to impress them. There were also pennies back then, too. They were the outcasts of society, the people everybody went out of their way to avoid. If there was ever someone who could come down to this earth as a crisp hundred-dollar bill, it would have to be the Son of God. Now, listen to the crazy thing—check out Philippians 2.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8
Do you get this? Jesus came to Earth not as a hundred-dollar bill but as a penny, and a scuffed-up penny at that! When He did this, He completely changed all the rules. Now there are really only two kinds of people: Those who know they are pennies, and those who are pennies but think that they are twenty-dollar bills. I know you are thinking, “You're calling all of us 'pennies'—that isn't very encouraging.” Well, the fact is we are pennies. We all mess up, we’re limited, we’re stubborn, we get sick, we die. Set us up beside the Eternal Creator of the universe, the Holy of Holies, the Almighty, the One who holds the stars in His hand, and you have to agree—we’re pretty much pennies! But think about this for a second: The God of the universe says you are worth His only Son dying on the cross for you! Wow! So here’s the deal: If a perfect God is willing to go out of His way to love us and reach out to us, even though we’re pennies, how can we ever look at another person and think we are too good for them, or they are not worth our time?
So people are willing to do a whole lot for $20, but let me ask you this… what would you do for a penny? Twenty bucks is a lot, but in our culture, a penny is almost seen as worthless. You can’t even buy a gumball with a penny!
I think we often look at people in that same way. We see some people as twenty-dollar bills—the ones who have it all together—and we would do anything to be accepted by them. Then we see other people as ten-dollar bills, fives, ones, quarters, dimes, nickels, and even some as pennies. Let me ask you, have you ever looked at people that way? You might not admit it out loud, but I bet there are some people you treat like pennies—like they are not worth your time.
It’s crazy, but Jesus came into a world full of twenties, tens, fives, ones, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. In Jesus’ time, there were people called the Pharisees, and they were the very definition of twenty-dollar bills. The Pharisees had it all together, and everybody went out of their way to impress them. There were also pennies back then, too. They were the outcasts of society, the people everybody went out of their way to avoid. If there was ever someone who could come down to this earth as a crisp hundred-dollar bill, it would have to be the Son of God. Now, listen to the crazy thing—check out Philippians 2.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8
Do you get this? Jesus came to Earth not as a hundred-dollar bill but as a penny, and a scuffed-up penny at that! When He did this, He completely changed all the rules. Now there are really only two kinds of people: Those who know they are pennies, and those who are pennies but think that they are twenty-dollar bills. I know you are thinking, “You're calling all of us 'pennies'—that isn't very encouraging.” Well, the fact is we are pennies. We all mess up, we’re limited, we’re stubborn, we get sick, we die. Set us up beside the Eternal Creator of the universe, the Holy of Holies, the Almighty, the One who holds the stars in His hand, and you have to agree—we’re pretty much pennies! But think about this for a second: The God of the universe says you are worth His only Son dying on the cross for you! Wow! So here’s the deal: If a perfect God is willing to go out of His way to love us and reach out to us, even though we’re pennies, how can we ever look at another person and think we are too good for them, or they are not worth our time?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Father Knows Best
Mark 12:28-30
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The man who asked this question, “What is the greatest commandment” I bet had a lot of possible answers in mind. I bet he was thinking “Do not murder” would be the greatest commandment. Or maybe “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain” would be the greatest commandment. However Jesus went a completely different direction. He said to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength.
I think that there is a problem with some people… a misconception maybe. The misconception is this, I think there are a lot of people who view God as a dictator, as a mean, vindictive Zeus-like character up in the clouds throwing lightning bolts down at all of the puny humans who do wrong. That is an unfortunate way to view God.
People really dislike being unjustly classified and I think that sometimes we unjustly classify God in a negative way. That is really sad and really unfair. I don’t think that you will ever truly appreciate your relationship with God if you view Him in such a narrow way. The way that Jesus teaches us to view God is as a loving father who cares about our every concern. As you all should know sometimes a father has to discipline his son regardless of how much they love their child. That is how we should view God, not as a hateful, dictator but as a loving father.
Jesus gives you an example in His life of how we should relate to God. In the book of Mark 14:35-36 Jesus was going to be handed over to be crucified and He went to the garden of Gethsemene to pray. This was His prayer. 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba", Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Jesus cried out to God by saying “Abba Father” That doesn’t translate very well to English but basically it is a very personal way to refer to your father. It’s like calling Him “daddy” and that is the relationship with God that Jesus teaches us to have.
I believe that the word daddy however still doesn’t describe the word Abba very well. I want to take it a little bit deeper than just “daddy.” Can you remember when you were three or four and you were physically very small and couldn’t do a lot of things. Do you remember how big and strong your father looked those days. Your dad was like Superman and he was stronger than anyone or anything and so when you were in trouble you cried out to your daddy. Your father took care of what the problem was and then you crawled into his arms and it felt as though you were safe and secure because you were in your father’s arms. That is the word picture that goes along with the term “Abba” and that is how God wants you to view Him.
I hope that today if you are struggling, that you will run into the arms of your Heavenly Father and let "Abba" make everything right.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The man who asked this question, “What is the greatest commandment” I bet had a lot of possible answers in mind. I bet he was thinking “Do not murder” would be the greatest commandment. Or maybe “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain” would be the greatest commandment. However Jesus went a completely different direction. He said to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength.
I think that there is a problem with some people… a misconception maybe. The misconception is this, I think there are a lot of people who view God as a dictator, as a mean, vindictive Zeus-like character up in the clouds throwing lightning bolts down at all of the puny humans who do wrong. That is an unfortunate way to view God.
People really dislike being unjustly classified and I think that sometimes we unjustly classify God in a negative way. That is really sad and really unfair. I don’t think that you will ever truly appreciate your relationship with God if you view Him in such a narrow way. The way that Jesus teaches us to view God is as a loving father who cares about our every concern. As you all should know sometimes a father has to discipline his son regardless of how much they love their child. That is how we should view God, not as a hateful, dictator but as a loving father.
Jesus gives you an example in His life of how we should relate to God. In the book of Mark 14:35-36 Jesus was going to be handed over to be crucified and He went to the garden of Gethsemene to pray. This was His prayer. 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba", Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Jesus cried out to God by saying “Abba Father” That doesn’t translate very well to English but basically it is a very personal way to refer to your father. It’s like calling Him “daddy” and that is the relationship with God that Jesus teaches us to have.
I believe that the word daddy however still doesn’t describe the word Abba very well. I want to take it a little bit deeper than just “daddy.” Can you remember when you were three or four and you were physically very small and couldn’t do a lot of things. Do you remember how big and strong your father looked those days. Your dad was like Superman and he was stronger than anyone or anything and so when you were in trouble you cried out to your daddy. Your father took care of what the problem was and then you crawled into his arms and it felt as though you were safe and secure because you were in your father’s arms. That is the word picture that goes along with the term “Abba” and that is how God wants you to view Him.
I hope that today if you are struggling, that you will run into the arms of your Heavenly Father and let "Abba" make everything right.
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