Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As you go – Pray

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” Romans 12:2 TPT

On November 3 our nation will officially cast their ballots for multiple individuals across the nation, for both national and state level offices. I have experienced lots of elections, both in the United States and overseas, and, unfortunately, as we become more secularized as a nation and world, the negativity and mudslinging increase.

Regardless of who you vote for, some will win, others lose. Results may drag on for days, weeks, or maybe months. One party or the other will probably contest the election. Commentators will analyze the results and give their “unbiased” opinions. Frustration and disappointment, or satisfaction and celebration, will be equally expressed across the nation.

We watch as our cities overflow with anger, hatred, violence and destruction. We have witnessed the worst of politics through the degrading of other’s characters and ideas. We were bombarded with accusations and half-truths. Yet our hope is not in the ugly events of the day but in Jesus Christ.

So, I ask the question as a Christ-follower:  “What do I do on November 4?”

My short answer: I will do what I did the day before and what I will do the day after, keep my eyes upon Jesus. I can’t control the outcome of the election but I can control my attitude. I can’t control the violence in the streets but I can be a refuge of peace for others. I can’t control the bitterness that comes out of others but I can control the words that flow from my soul.

On November 4 the world is going to need us to be springs of living water for them to drink from. Let the world see Christians, who may have disagreed on the election, still come together on Sunday to worship, pray and fellowship together. Let the world see us united in the One who gives us life.

On that day, as every day, let our life be lived as Romans 12 Christ-focused people. As followers of Christ we will focus on:

  • Love that is sincere, devoted to one another in love and honoring one another
  • Serving the Lord with spiritual fervor
  • Being joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer
  • Sharing with those in need and practicing hospitality
  • Blessing others even if they persecute us
  • Rejoicing with those rejoicing and mourning with those who mourn
  • Seeking to live in harmony with one another, not prideful, not conceited, not repaying evil for evil
  • Taking care to do right, living at peace and rejecting revenge
  • Overcoming evil with good

Living a Romans 12 lifestyle could have a transformative impact on a world that is in need of a drink from the cup of grace that only God offers.  However, it only happens as we stay in oneness with Jesus. As Oswald Chambers wrote, “Keep at the Source, guard well your belief in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow for other lives, no dryness and no deadness.”

“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.” Romans 12:1 TPT

God is great on November 4 – as He is forever!

Pastor Lynn

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” Deuteronomy 4:7

“We may discover that bringing spiritual power to bear upon needy places across the world through prayer may be our largest challenge in the years ahead.”

This challenge was issued by Baker James Cauthen, while serving as president of the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) at the March 1960 Board meeting. Fast forward 60 years and his words are as relevant today as they were in 1960. Dr. Cauthen challenged the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to accelerate the impact of international mission work “by an enlarged missionary staff, increased evangelistic efforts and the employment of intercessory prayer.”

Oswald Chambers wrote, several decades before Dr. Cauthen’s remarks, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, but prayer is the greater work because we can do nothing without God’s help and power. We are dependent on Him and the greater work of prayer is essential for advancing His kingdom, plans and purposes.”

Dr. Cauthen understood this principle and went on to say, “We have learned to organize for enlistment, evangelism, stewardship, and other important functions in our church life, but there remains a vast area of need in organizing the prayer potential of the millions of people who make up the churches.” If these words were true in 1960, they carry the same truth today. We have the best organizational methods possible. But do we undergird the methods with prayer to make them function? We have more evangelistic methods than at anytime in church history. But does our lack of prayer contribute to the growing number of Americans who hold no religious beliefs (better known as “nones”) every year?

Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 1 how he was overwhelmed, about to give up entirely as if under a death sentence. Paul and his team were facing incredible opposition in their mission work. Paul writes, “For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Cor 1:8)

Paul knew he couldn’t do it on his own. Through the church’s unleashed power of prayer, Paul was able to write, “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Cor 1:10-11)

Prayer is not one of the strategies employed to do missions, or to do church work, or to do life. Prayer is the very essence of all we do in life. Prayer sounds simple until we begin the hard work of actually praying.

Prayer is the power that penetrates the closed borders of nations for the gospel. Prayer is the power that encourages fellow believers found in the persecuted church of China to stay strong. Prayer is the power that prepares the heart of this lost world for the Gospel.

“it is because the harnessing of our prayer potential and the responsibility for larger evangelistic efforts on a world scale go hand in hand that the call to greater prayer support for missions is so imperative.” (Cauthen)

“…For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples” Isaiah 56:7 Prayer is not a luxury, it is essential. Prayer is not confined to a few “saints,” it should be the heartbeat of every Christ follower. Prayer is not a laundry list of wants but is used to connect our desires into the desires of God. Prayer awakens us to who we are in God’s family.

God is great

Pastor Lynn

 

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

 “But I know the loving God will redeem my soul, raising me up from the dark power of death, taking me as his bridal partner.” Psalm 49:15

In a couple of weeks our nation will select men and women who will become the leaders of this nation. Ballots will be marked out of heartfelt convictions, anger, party loyalty or fear as we give individuals positions of power and authority. Some will become leaders who use their power wisely. Others will abuse their stations.

However, Psalm 49 is a powerful reminder that what is important is not the wealth of the world, the power of the moment, or the influence of politics—all these things will eventually vanish. The only remaining reminders will be streets named after the dead and lifeless monuments where birds come to roost. The real riches of life are found in God. He reveals the wisdom that will live forever.

Frank Viola shares the story of a young French pastor conducting visits in the homes of his congregants. At one of the houses, the wife was away so he was able to talk only with the husband. Upon returning home, the wife blasted her husband with questions about the pastor.

“What did he say? “, she asked.

“He asked, “Does Christ live here?”, the husband replied. “He didn’t really ask me anything else. Just, “Does Christ live here?”

“Well, surely you told him that we are the church’s biggest supporters?” she replied.

“He didn’t ask that,” the husband repeated. “He only asked, “Does Christ live here?”

Her response was, “Well, you must have told him that we read our Bible and say our prayers every day?”

Once again, the husband replied, “He only asked, “Does Christ live here?”

“Well, did you tell him that we attend his services every Sunday and sit in the front?” the wife persisted.

“He didn’t ask about that. He only wanted to know, “Does Christ live here?”

The Psalmist reminds us “The brightest and best, along with the foolish and senseless, God sees that they all will die one day, leaving their houses and wealth to the others. Even though they name streets and lands after themselves, hoping to have their memory endure beyond the grave, legends in their own minds, their home address is now the cemetery! The honor of man is short-lived and fleeting. There is little difference between man and beast, for both will one day perish. Such is the path of foolish men and those who quote everything they say, for they are here today and gone tomorrow! (49:10-13 TPT)

History will record the results of the election. Commentators will talk endlessly about the results. Those who won will be elated. Those who lost will be deflated. Yet how quickly the results will vanish from the news. The next day will be another story, and the next day, another story ad infinitum. However, the real story that begs an answer is, “Does Christ live here?”

For this is the only question that God will someday ask of the rich, the powerful, the poor and the destitute: “Does Christ live here?”

 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“When I had nothing, desperate and defeated, I cried out to the Lord and he heard me, bringing his miracle—deliverance when I needed it most.” Psalm 34:6 (TPT)

“I begin to suspect that the world is divided not only into the happy and the unhappy, but into those who like happiness and those who, odd as it seems, really don’t.” Very poignant words written by C.S. Lewis to his brother Warren in 1940. Lewis’s words still seem to be accurate as it relates to the current state of happiness. According to a Harris poll, only one in three Americans say they’re “very happy.” “According to the 2019 World Happiness Report, negative feelings are rising around the world—and the United States is particularly hard-hit with an “epidemic of addictions.” The same report ranks the United States at only number 19 of “happiest countries” in the world.

I wonder how David would answer the “poll taker” if asked the question, “Are you happy?” I wonder if he would pause for a few minutes and think about his circumstances? I wonder if he would think about everything he has lost? David was probably at the lowest point of his life. A few months before he had been in the inner circle of King Saul, now he was hiding in a dark, cold cave of Adullam. He had been the subject of a hit musical, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” David had been forced to say farewell to his most trusted and caring friend, Jonathan, and was now being chased by professional assassins of Saul with one purpose, to kill him. He had to play the fool in front of King Achish so he could escape.  Are you happy, David?

I think David would look at the” poll taker” and, for his answer, gently begin singing the words of Psalm 34:

“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

David continues the song finally ending with the words, “The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.”

David never had the opportunity to celebrate the “International Day of Happiness” that the United Nations proclaimed for March 20 of each year. He wouldn’t fully comprehend how only one in three Americans could be happy. What David fully understood was that, regardless of the circumstances, the best recourse is to praise our way out of difficulties and into the light.

These thoughts came to my mind the other morning in my prayer time as I meditated on these verses:

When I find myself jealous of what others have — thank God for what I have.

When I find myself fearful — look to the God of all creation as my source of strength.

When I find myself overwhelmed — turn my load over to Jesus.

When I find myself worrying — trust God who feeds the sparrows.

When I find myself uncertain — let God, take the lead.

When I have unholy thoughts — give them to God to redeem.

“The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain, and he is always ready to restore the repentant one.” Psalm 34:10 (TPT)

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.” Proverbs 27:10

How could a small city such as Crosby, North Dakota make the national news headlines? There wasn’t a presidential debate in the city. There were not political protests or social unrest occurring on Main Street. Much to the dismay of everyone in town there was not a grand opening of a new Chik-fil-A!

No, what made the headlines were actions taken that showed what living as community is all about. Neighbors and friends coming together to help someone through a tragedy.

Lane Unhjem suffered a heart attack while working on his farm. Transferred from Crosby to Minot and finally to a Minneapolis’ ICU, the Unhjem family was facing a devasting loss of their livelihood. Without Lane there was no way the family would be able to get the crops harvested. That is until neighbors heard of their plight and came together for a “Harvest Bee.” Sixty farmers pulled onto the Unhjem’s farm piloting 11 combines, 11 semi-trucks with trailers, and several grain carts with tractors to begin harvesting the crops spread across Lane’s 1,000 acres farm. Seven hours later the crops were harvested and safely in the storage barns.

However, there were more headline making actions to come. The next week another group of farmers came together to haul in 714 large round hay bales that will provide the feed to get the cattle through the coming winter months. Meanwhile a “cooking bee” produced a month’s worth of meals that were put into the freezer for the family. Neighbor and friend Don Anderson shared that “the outpouring of support for Lane and his family is not surprising for those of us who live here. We have a long history of helping people in our community when they are faced with tragedy or hardship.”  He went on to say, “when friends band together to help you when you’re down, that’s something money can’t buy.”

Crosby, North Dakota is a great example of a Kenyan proverb that says, “In times of danger it is important that people act together.”  I understand the importance of neighbor helping neighbor having grown up in rural Oklahoma.  I grasp the depth of “better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away” after years of living in Africa. I hope that all of us understand the importance of being part of a loving church family as we follow the pattern of the early church in Acts 2 “they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”

Unleashed has been FBCPTC’s “harvest bee.” In August 2017 we pulled our “combines and tractors” into the field to get rid of an overwhelming debt. Week after week, all working together determined to finish this “harvest of debt.”  Together we have done what no one person could have done alone. Only as a focused, determined, church family have we been able to bring ourselves closer to being Unleashed. The field is almost cleared to allow us to focus more resources on other Kingdom purposes. We can do it!

“If you want to walk fast, walk alone;

If you want to walk far, walk with others.” (African proverb)

God is great,

Pastor Lynn Burton

 

 

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 2 Timothy 1:4-5

Three generations of believers making a difference; a godly grandmother, a loving mother, and a young man. Grandmother Lois and Mother Eunice poured into young Timothy’s spiritual life strengthening his walk with God. Timothy would become a close companion of Paul and a leader of the growing church. The influence of parents and grandparents can never be underestimated on the generations to follow.

A West Virginian grandmother felt a similar burden to publicly acknowledge the role of grandparents in the next generation. Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade became passionate about honoring seniors as she spent time with residents in nursing homes. Realizing the importance and impact on families, she began a campaign to establish Grandparents Day eventually witnessing President Jimmy Carter sign the proclamation on Aug 3, 1978. Part of the proclamation stated:

“Each American family is similarly shaped and guided by its forbears. Just as a nation learns and is strengthened by its history, so a family learns and is strengthened by its understanding of preceding generations. As Americans live longer, more and more families are enriched by their shared experiences with grandparents and great-grandparents.”

Mrs. McQuade, President Carter, and all grandparents fully understand the importance of providing a godly influence on the next generation. Some of the greatest societal impact you can have is praying, teaching, and modeling a Christ-centered life on the next generation. We can encourage our children and grandchildren as Paul did with these words; “For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

I am thankful that the first Sunday after Labor Day is officially designated Grandparents Day. However, it is the other 364 days of the year that will truly impact our children and children’s children to walk faithfully and steady for God. I find it hard to believe that I am old enough to be in the category of being a grandparent, yet I am. It is my prayer that I may influence my grandchildren through the same manner of godly influence that Lois and Eunice had on their Timothy.

I never knew my paternal grandparents, and my maternal grandfather only briefly, but I was blessed to have many years with my maternal grandmother. She was a woman of practical wisdom who made a difference in my life.

Together let us pray for our children, grandchildren and young children everywhere to walk in “a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”  On Grandparents Day I shared this prayer for my grandchildren:

Father, you have greatly blessed me as a father and now as a grandfather. I pray Lord for my grandchildren today that You would: –

Grant them tender hearts that seek You daily and are always open to know You.

Grant them discernment in an age of confusion, distortion and lies.

Grant them eyes to see a person’s heart first and not the color of skin, nationality, material things nor anything external.

Grant them ears to listen before their mouths speak.

Grant them a country to live in that doesn’t make you a motto, but a nation that places you first.

Grant them a passion to touch their world for You.

Grant them a tender soul that never grows hard or bitter because of the evil they see in this world.

Grant them courage when they must face difficulty, suffering or pain.

Grant them wisdom to use their skills, abilities and knowledge for Your glory.

Grant them joy that flows from being with You and use them to encourage others.

Grant them perseverance to run the race You have set before them.

Though they will lose the innocence of childhood, may they always look at life with faith, hope and love.

I know I can’t make their world easy, solve their problems or protect them forever, but I know I can pray for them.

Amen

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Dozens of cars hoping to find a quicker route around a crash in Denver last year found themselves in a muddy field, hopelessly stuck because they followed their GPS. After Google Maps suggested an alternative route that would take them off the interstate to bypass the crash. One lady, when interviewed, said, “My thought was, “Well there are all these cars in front of me so it must be OK. So, I just continued.” Upon seeing the road ahead quickly turn into a slick, muddy mess she explained, “That’s when I thought, ‘Oh this was a bad decision.’” There was no turning back once they were in the mud.

I had a similar situation in Kenya, but with a different outcome. Our family was going to attend a worship service in one of the Maasai villages outside of Nairobi.  I knew the road out to the church would be difficult if not dangerous. The difference was that I was following a person who had made the trip hundreds of times. He knew every turn, pothole and ditch going out to the village. It is amazing the difference when you are following someone who knows the way as it allows you to get to your destination.

The same scenario could be said of a lot of people spiritually. It is so often a struggle to decide the right way to go when in fact if I keep my eyes on Jesus, the way forward is less important than the destination. However, I have come to know that if I take my eyes off Jesus, what looks like the smoothest, most direct path of life ends up to be a treacherous road.

Staying focused on Jesus allows us to weather the storms of our lives. You may think that the best way forward may look great but you quickly realize it is the most dangerous way since you are following the wrong direction. As we wrap up another summer season that has been anything but usual, we may feel a little like the drivers in Denver, stuck in the mud.

Unfortunately, millions are out of work because of the pandemic, thousands of shops and business have closed their doors. The anxiety and stress of these days pour out onto the streets of our nation’s cities. Politics is dirtier than ever. Our churches have had to re-imagine how best to minister to people. Our schools have struggled to find new ways to educate our children.

Yet our hope is not in the ugly events of the day, but in Jesus. The road may be filled with obstacles but in Jesus we have a shepherd who guards his flock, a friend who understands our needs, and a Savior who has given us life.

Oswald Chambers, in one of his devotional thoughts, said, “A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is balked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficult. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river, which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.”

The traffic anchor for KMGH Denver said of the GPS induced wrong turn, “You are driving. Google Maps is not driving. Google Maps is not perfect. You need to know where you are going and, if it does not look like that’s where you should be going, turn around and try again.”

Good advice for drivers, but also a good reminder for us spiritually. The world has much to say about which road to take but turn around because it will take you where you don’t want to go. The way Jesus leads will bring us home safely.

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

 

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” Revelation 1:13-14

This summer has been filled with lots of interesting events. Among them have been the push to remove paintings and statues dating back centuries of the “white” Jesus. Unfortunately, the movement doesn’t have anything to do with being Biblically correct, it has all to do with the new “cancel culture” movement sweeping our nation.

Thankfully Jesus chose a time in history when his disciples couldn’t pull out their iPhones and snap a selfie with him. The Bible doesn’t say a lot about Jesus’ physical description. A very powerful description of Jesus is found in Revelation 1:13-14 written by his good friend John, but equally powerful is John’s follow up description of Jesus. “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18

We now live in a very ego-centric age that is totally self-absorbed with ourselves. We have at our finger -tips information about anything and everyone. We have access to more books, more pictures, more video clips than all the combined generations who lived before us. We are information statured but drowning in self-righteous indignation of the past. It does cause me to wonder how I would have depicted Jesus if I had been an artist living in a by-gone age without access to the internet, TV or modern printing capabilities; if I lived without the rich interrelationship of other cultures, ethic groups and languages; if I had never left my home town. Yet I wanted to share with my little world a reflection of the One I loved deeply, the one who had given me life. What would my Jesus look like on canvas? Somehow the finished piece would probably resemble the people in my world.

Connie and I have a fairly extensive collection of nativity sets from around the world. They are sets collected from the Maasai, Kikuyu, Shona, Tswana, Thai, European, Chilean, Peruvian, and countless other people groups. A most interesting feature common to each of them is that they picture Jesus looking just like them. As I take each set and unwrap each piece at Christmas I never get tired of marveling at the beauty and variety of the cultures of the world that call Jesus their Savior.

Billy Graham once shared a story from Cecil B. De Mille, a movie producer from an earlier era. Graham wrote that “Cecil B. DeMille once told me that his picture “The King of Kings” made during the silent-movie era, was seen by an estimated 800,000,000 people. I asked him why he did not reproduce “The King of Kings” with sound and color. He replied, “I will never be able to do it, because if I gave Jesus a southern accent, the northerners would not think of him as their Christ. If I gave him a foreign accent, the Americans and the British would not think of him as their Christ.” He said, “As it is, people of all nations, from every race, creed, clan, can accept him as their Christ.”

The writers of scripture didn’t concern themselves describing the physical qualities of Jesus, they solely focused on his character, his nature, his message to mankind. The problem comes when we expect every Jesus to look like us instead of us looking like Jesus.

We look like Jesus when we wash the feet of others who are struggling, broken and defeated.

We look like Jesus when we bring peace into the midst of conflict.

We look like Jesus when we take a loaf of bread to our neighbor.

We look like Jesus when we care for the sick and offer comfort to the dying.

We look like Jesus when we tuck our children into bed at night.

We look like Jesus when we share the love of Jesus with a lost world.

We look most like Jesus when we let Jesus take the brush from our hands, and he paints the picture of what He looks like for the world to see. A portrait where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

God is great,
Pastor Lynn Burton

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

While Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, some false teachers came from Judea to trouble the believers. They taught, “unless you are circumcised, as the law of Moses requires, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1

The battle for the truth that frees every man, woman and child continues to be fought just like it was in the first days of the early church.  There have been and continue to be those who teach a “Jesus is not enough” theology. They will agree that Jesus is important but there is always something missing that you need to do to be saved.

In this current page of history, the battle seems to grow more intense each day for the souls of each person. Just one in three adults believe salvation is only through Jesus Christ.  “New research shows that unlike past generations, who readily recognized the reality of sin and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ, American adults today increasingly adopt a “salvation-can-be-earned” perspective, with a plurality of adults believing that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things during their life, they will “earn” a place in Heaven.” (Cultural Research Center)

Luke shares an early account of a faith vs works debate in Actus 15. “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” (v5) Paul and Barnabas engaged in a heated exchange with this group of believers who taught a “works plus Jesus” salvation.

The ways of tradition and religious laws will always seek to place their heavy yoke of bondage on people. The same is true in our current generation. According to the 2020 American Worldview Inventory the report states that, “a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a works-oriented means to God’s acceptance. Even more shocking, however, is that huge proportions of people associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from embracing Jesus Christ as savior, and not from being or doing good, believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good.”

The study goes on to highlight some of the popular beliefs:

  • There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
  • Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
  • Right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
  • The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
  • People are basically good (69%)
  • The personal definition of success is not based on consistent obedience to God (79%)

Thankfully, God has consistently raised up teachers and leaders over the course of church history who could point people to the truth. They have stood, as Peter stood that day and recounted the truth of a “Jesus-only” salvation. “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (v10-11)

P.T. Forsyth wrote that we “do not tell people how they ought to feel towards Christ. That is useless. It is just what they ought that they cannot do. Preach a Christ that will make them feel as they ought.”  It is Jesus Christ that we proclaim. Frank Viola writes that “The apostolic message of Century One was so powerful that it brought Christ and His love to life before its hearers.”

Lord, I desire to see the power of Christ dramatically impacting the lives of people, culture, nation and world.  I pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed fully as the way of salvation.

 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn

Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” Acts 4:13

 

We do things more often than we think simply because something is a habit — formed out of repetition, necessity or observing others. As others observe your actions, they begin to copy those actions. Often, as I worked at my desk in Johannesburg, I would put my pencil behind my ear—a habit. A missionary dad asked his son one day why he was walking around the house with a pencil behind his ear.  His response was, “That’s what Uncle Lynn does.”

A habit, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior. An acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” Various studies come to different conclusions about how long it takes for an action to become a habit. In the 1950’s, Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s research showed that it requires “21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” Later research, from an intense study at University College London, determined “on average, it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic—66 days to be exact.”

It didn’t take long for the leaders of the church council to see the difference in Peter and John. Instead of cowering at the inquest, the council leaders were confronted by transformed men.  The council leaders realized they were different for one simple reason, they had spent time with Jesus. Jesus’ habits had become their habits. Jesus’ thoughts had become their thoughts. Jesus’ way had become their way. The years with Jesus had penetrated deep into these two disciples.

Today the world offers countless self-help books wanting to help you take an action and transform it into a habit. However, greater than the self-help books that focus on personal activities that become habits, and more important, is the inward change that comes when we spend time with Jesus.

Over the years I have found a habit that is most helpful in my spiritual life; keeping a journal. I doubt there will be many profound insights archived there, but I do hope that when my children and grandchildren someday read the pages of my journals they will know my heart. I want my journey to be one of hope, faith and prayer regardless of the circumstances. Yes, there will be entries of despair, failures and personal insights but through all the pages I want them to know that whatever the situation, God was my shelter and rock.

During these days when I may feel overwhelmed, uncertain and struggling it is important for me to capture my thoughts and prayers. Not to remember the hurt, but to know I came through it because of the time spent with Jesus. It is from these pages I can reflect on the hope, encouragement, joy and renewal to sustain me through anything.

An open heart, a quiet spirit and an open Bible allows time with Jesus that makes a difference. A lot of folks are missing out on some beautiful times. According to Life Way Research only, “A third of Americans who attend a Protestant church regularly (32%) say they read the Bible personally every day. Around a quarter (27%) say they read it a few times a week.”

This is my prayer for today:  “Lord, my desire is to know You, not what I can get from You, onlyYou. I will ask for things but let them always be with the desire to know You first and foremost. Never let ‘things’ be my prayer list but only that Your will be done. I want to be so in oneness with You that requests flow out of Your heart to my heart. I will never know the depth or the fullness of what You desire unless I am fully one with You.”

God is great,

Pastor Lynn