A Picture is Worth 1000 Words!

There are people all around us who are in desperate need. Please watch this video and consider what part you would have in showing Christ's love to "the least of these".

Meet Freddie Wright...

Ready For Freddie

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Can it be that we really have the opportunity to do things for Jesus as we serve and help those marginalized by our society? How incredible is it to think that if I take the time to minister to or simply serve someone who is in need that I am doing that for Jesus. I think if we were to orient our lives to a more biblical perspective we would find ourselves less burdened by the needs of those around us and more encouraged by the opportunities.

Our spiritual community has made a commitment to doing things for "the least of these", since that is one way specifically that we know that we are doing something for Jesus. There are a lot of things that we do in "church" today that make me wonder who or what we are actually doing them for. However when we do something for those in deep need there seems to be no question that this is done unto Jesus.

With all of this said I must admit that it is still easy to walk by, overlook and forget about the many needs all around us. For this reason we have decided to be sure to at least do one large project each year that engages our whole community in this type of service. This year we will take two weekends to help a man that we have been introduced to through a great ministry here in Jacksonville called Builder's Care.

Last week I had the privilege of meeting Freddie, the man we will be helping. Freddie has cerebral palsy and spends much of his time in a wheel chair. He lives in the house that he grew up in here in Jacksonville which now is basically coming down around him. I can't tell you how humbling it was to stand in his living area looking up at the large hole in his ceiling where water had recently been running through and thinking, "I don't know many people who would live like this or let someone they love live like this". That thought was followed by "this is someone that Jesus loves and surely He doesn't want him to live like this."

There is no way in a brief post to explain what it was like to meet Freddie and to know that I am a part of a community of people who are going to be helping to make a life changing difference for him. I know there are people who will say things like "but what good is it to help someone physically if you aren't preaching the gospel to them?" I would begin by suggesting that these people ask Jesus that question, since He told us to do it. Secondly, I would be sure to remind them that there are many ways to preach the gospel and words do not always have to be the first part of the equation.

Freddie actually already knows and loves Jesus, which makes his situation all the more humbling. Here is a struggling brother in Christ living with holes in his roof, no AC, sewage backing up into his tub...need I go on? Nothing needed to be said to him in order for the gift of our service to evoke genuine praise from his heart to God. We haven't even done anything yet and I have seen first hand the fruit of our offering.

I believe the impact this project will have on us as a community can be as powerful as the impact it will have on Freddie. I hope and pray that it becomes a catalyst in each of our lives to make us more sensitive to the needs that are all around us, that we often overlook. I have begun to see this already in my own life and it is both exciting and very challenging.

There is nothing like being on mission with God, especially when you know that the things you are doing are pleasing to Him. To some that may sound arrogant but I am just referring to the biblical truth mentioned above "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."

Together, let's do more for Him...

(If you are interested in being involved in this project, it will be on Sat. June 14&21. Just check out www.jcjax.com for details)

Simple Reminder

In a world where so many people make so many claims and do so many things in the name of Jesus, I thought it would be wise for us to be reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John:

Galatians 1:1-8
Paul, an apostle-- sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.


May Christ always be the center of our lives, our ministries and our churches. May His Word, love and character be that by which we measure the fruit of all that would represent Him and bear His name.

Just a simple reminder...

Paul

Paul is a man who experiences joy even in the midst of deep suffering. He also is a man who asked God to take away his "thorn in the flesh" but God said His grace was sufficient for him. Paul is a real encouragement to me and he challenges me in my walk with God and the way I choose to live life. Paul is a man I met at Starbucks today...

Today I met some guys at Starbucks to talk about a few things, one of which was the current state of the church in America. As we were engaged in a lively discussion about where the American church is and where it is headed, we were interrupted a few times by an amen and a little encouragement from a guy sitting alone behind us. He was one of those guys you look at and you don't know what to think. Sitting alone, drinking his coffee and smoking a cigarette. Cowboy hat laid on the table revealing his bald head, complemented by his scraggly santa like beard. Anyhow, we had some brief interaction and then carried on our conversation for another half hour or so.

When we got up to leave I decided to go and introduce myself to the man sitting alone, his name was Paul. As I got close to him I noticed that his bald head revealed a large scar stretching from ear to ear over the top of his skull. I also noticed that on the front of his cowboy hat he had sketched three crosses, a large one in the middle and a smaller one on each side. He began by telling me that he heard us talking and that he agreed that God is everywhere waiting for people to come to Him. He said they called Jesus a wine bibber just because He went where the people who needed Him most hung out.

Then Paul started to tell me his story. How he retired from the Navy, became a truck driver and is now retired from that as well. However his recent retirement was not voluntary. He shared with me that about a year ago he started doing some strange things and his friends and family became concerned about him and urged him to go to the doctor, which he reluctantly did after some time. After a CT scan the doctor realized what was wrong, he had a tumor about half the size of my fist on his brain. In November of 2007 the doctors removed as much of the tumor as possible. He learned that untreated this type of cancer is usually fatal within three months.

Paul looked me in they eye and said "Most days I'm ok with it, today is one of those days". He went on to share that although he doesn't understand why, and he still has many questions, the Lord has given him a sense of peace through it all. He also said that they recently discovered that the tumor is growing again. I asked him if they could do any more surgery and he said that it depends on what direction it grows. "If it grows to one side they can go back in and trim some of it away. If it grows to the other side, it's up the Lord how long I have."

Paul got a little emotional as he talked but it was amazing to me the sense of peace that this man had. It was obvious that he had a real relationship with Christ, but he was the kind of guy that most Christians would walk by and not say a word to, let alone think that he might be a brother who they would one day spend eternity with.

I asked Paul about his relationship with God and he said "Do you have some time, let me buy you a cup of coffee." I didn't accept the coffee offer but I had some time, so I sat and listened to his story. He told me that his brother was a pastor and that he visited his church one time about twenty years ago and he has never been back. "Those are some of the most judgmental people I have ever met" he told me. Then he went on to share how in the course of conversation with a friend he expressed his faith in God, although he didn't attend church or know that much about Him. This friend gave him a Bible and said well if you believe in Him then you really should read this because it's His Word written to us. So Paul did just that. H read the Bible in about three months and one night about four AM alone in his truck, he cried out for Jesus to save him.

At some point in the conversation Paul asked me what I did and I told him that I was a pastor. I shared with him how we have this small community of believers who are just trying our best to love God and show that love to others. I told him that we want to experience a sense of connectedness with God and one another, kind of like family, to which Paul said "I'm still looking for mine". I invited him to come sometime and just check out the community of believers at Journey, to which he responded very positively. I hope Paul comes, I hope experiences the love of Christ and maybe he will find acceptance among brothers and sisters who can lift him up and encourage him in his journey.

I don't know how to explain what God did in me today during this brief encounter. I just know that He was there and through Paul, God revealed things to me about His love and His nature. Before I left Paul said to me "Can I pray for you?" I thought "that's the pastor's line" but I simply said, "please do and let me to pray for you as well". So we prayed for each other, wiped our eyes, shook hands and departed.

Paul has learned something about life that I have yet to learn. It seems that he understands on a deep level the words written by another Paul "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

God give me the faith of my brother Paul...

consumers

My last post was a response to what I experienced upon registration for the conference I attended this past week. What I walked into wasn't anything new or surprising but for some reason it made me think about how our consumer culture has impacted us as people of faith. In no way do I fault the people who sell these things, in fact I am quite sure that the vast majority have pure motives and are actually trying to help people. However, I had no idea how much this whole concept of consumerism and the church would impact me during this conference.

Consumers are people who are product driven, they buy what they feel will meet a perceived need. The question that has haunted me over the last week is; how much has this affected the church in America? Have Christians become "spiritual consumers" and has the church been reduced to a product that is to be consmed?

Indulge me for a minute here. Could this be why the attractional church model is the most popular way of structuring ministries? The attractional model focuses on the Sunday morning experience, trying to make it as appealing as possible to the masses, sparing no expense. I was talking to a friend the other day who is on staff at a church up north. He told me that their church was going to launch a second campus where the pastor would be beamed via video to preach the message. During the planning they talked about how all they had to do was to be sure the worship was top notch and they wouldn't have to worry because, and I quote, "we will be the best show in town".

Since when did church become a show? The answer to that question is harder than you might think because it's actually been a while now. If this is not the result of our consumer based society I don't know what is. With all honesty, can we find anything in the Scriptures that would remotely suggest that our main focus is to put on the best show in town? Don't get me wrong, I agree with excellence and we should pursue it in all we do, but how has this become the focus?

That's not all, it even affects us in more subtle ways. It's not just what some would call "seeker sensitive" churches that are affected by this. It seems that many people are driven by what church can do for them and how their needs can be met. Is the worship "annointed", how good is the preacher and are my kids happy? I am not saying that people shouldn't enjoy the church experience but should it really be like shopping for ice cream? Just find your favorite flavor and for that matter it may just be the flavor of the month.

When did church and the Kingdom of God become about us? Jesus seemed to always call his followers to lay down their lives and take up their cross. Maybe the reason it is so hard for people to find a church to their liking is the lack of willingness to engage in the mission of God.

Could it be that what is missing in the equation is you? Could it be that it is not that we need more gifted teachers and worship leaders, but rather people who are using their God given gifts and talents to be the "church" in everyday life. The hopeless, hungry, disillusioned and broken hearted people of this world ultimately do not need a place, they need a people. They need someone to show them the love of Christ and an organization cannot do that; only a person can.

Paul understood this when he wrote, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

No consumerism here. Paul says don't live for yourself, live for Him! Ultimately it's really not about us, it's about Christ and His Kingdom. I believe that if we really want to experience the fullness of what God has for us it will not be found in the next best thing the "church" has to offer, it will be discovered in the times when we lay down our lives and give ourselves away. This is the way of Christ and it is what the world so desperately needs...the church at its best.

what if?

Flyers, videos, people, posters, and display tables filled with books, piles and piles of books. Welcome to the world of church conferences. This week I am attending "Exponential" a conference that is geared toward church planting and new churches.

Upon registration I was given a the typical bag full of "stuff" that you receive at these sort of things. In that bag were two important items, my badge for the conference and the schedule of events for the next four days. Also in that bag were no less than 32 pieces of advertising from people trying to peddle their wares to the newest "up and coming" church leaders. I have to admit that some of this stuff is pretty slick. From the "Brown Cow" creative design flyer to ELI (emerging leadership initiative) whose flyer highlights a dude who looks like he could be straight out of the next power pop band and a cool girl with more ink than kinkos, both next to the line - "are you one of these leaders?"

Don't get me wrong, I know this is going to be a great conference and I believe that God is going to teach me things and speak to me while I am here, in fact that process has already begun. However, I do find myself asking questions like "how did the apostle Paul and others ever make it?" I mean, what did people do when they were trying to start churches before there were things like "Church in a box" (yes that was a real display I saw) and these great flyers that promise to show you how to increase attendance at your church if you will simply stop by their booth.

I don't know how Paul and Timothy did it. It must have been pretty tough to have nothing more than God's Word to guide them! Forgive my sarcasm but I do find it humourous to see so much being peddled, even at a conference like this. Then again, should we be surprised? We do live in a consumer based society and church leaders are the consumers and this stuff is apparently necessary to start the next best thing on the block.

What if we didn't need to be the next best thing? What if it didn't matter how cool we were? What if people were more important than processes and communities more important than cathedrals? What if all we had was Jesus? Would that be enough?

Just something to ponder...

Sheltered

In the last three days I have become keenly aware of my own sheltered existence and the impact this has had on me, my family and the church. It is so easy to be consumed with life as we know it, that we can literally be blinded to the plight of those in need all around us.

Even those of us who acknowledge our responsibility as Christ followers to love the "least of these" and be a part of God's plan to free the oppressed can fall into the trap of believing that this is something we do, more like a project, than who we are called to be in everyday life. It is one thing to talk about helping those in need but it is a whole other experience to immerse yourself in doing so.

Through a series of events, in the last three days I have had face to face conversations with individuals who are experiencing life in a way that I cannot even begin to imagine. One family tells of what it is like to flee their country in fear of being persecuted and killed because the name they carry is identified with people from the "south" and the government now sees them as a political threat. Imagine what it would be like to be arrested and then finding favor with someone who graciously sets you free and says "go down that road and keep going, don't turn to the left or to the right and whatever you do, don't come back here." That was ten years ago and they have never gone back.

Another family tells a different story. A story of homelessness and struggle. An experience just last night that is so horrific that it would render many of us literally incapacitated for weeks. One so painful and personal that I can't even write about it. However somehow they carry on, with their lives literally in two garbage bags and a back pack.

I feel humbled, convicted, ashamed, thankful, hopeful and determined.

Paul said in the book of Philippians "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me". As I have experienced these last few days I have come to believe that this is part of the reason that Christ has taken hold of me. That somehow, in some small way, I could be Christ's expression of love to people in need that He brings across my path. I find myself compelled to do so and I will encourage all who will listen to do the same.

We can't take the weight of the world upon us, but we can open our eyes to the world around us. When God brings real people into our lives with real needs and we have the ability to meet those needs, I believe we have some responsibility.

I am so thankful that I walk with people who are committed to helping in situations like this. It was the sensitivity of individuals who decided to stop rather than drive by, that brought these people into my life. I simply pray that more of us (including myself) will have a deeper sense of responsibility and sacrifice when it comes to the world around us.

Jesus help us to love as you do, unconditionally, expecting nothing in return.