musings on life and leadership by randy and joleen willis.

Last week we talked about worship as a lifestyle (basically, our individual worship). Today, we want to talk about our worship as a community.

Let’s start with Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples in Acts 1.4 …
"Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2 tells the rest of that story where people from all parts of the world heard the Gospel proclaimed in their own native languages. You see, the worship of the Christ-followers had a missional purpose. It wasn’t about goosebumps or simply  having an ecstatic experience. It was about encountering God in such a way that impacts others! (Read Acts 2.1-4; 2.42-47)

So, who are the people God is calling us to reach?
Specifically, I want us to think about the generations of people in our local community. Here is one way of looking at recent and current generations …

• G.I. Generation (1901-1924)
• Silent Generation (1925-1942)
• Baby Boomers (1943-1960)
• Generation X (1961-1981)
• Millennial Generation (Generation Y) (1982-1991)
• Generation Z (2000s-?)

I like the way Leonard Sweet talks about the culture we find ourselves in. He talks about people falling into one of two categories: Immigrants or Natives. The dividing line, according to Leonard Sweet, is the onset of the personal computer. Natives in today’s culture are computer and Web savvy. Those who who are not computer literate are immigrants in today’s culture.

Interestingly, in my own lifetime (as a Gen-Xer), I’ve watched the progression of computers in the classroom. When I was a junior in high school (in the mid-80s) I remember a computer being placed in the chemistry classroom for the first time. No one (including the teacher) knew what to do with it!

Later when I was in seminary in the early 1990s, it was fairly uncommon to see a laptop in the classroom. Jump ahead now to January 2006 and compare that to the last class I had. There were 25 students and I think all but four were using laptops in the classroom! The world is changing before my very eyes!

So who’s responsibility is it to change?
In the past, (English) "immigrant missionaries" would often go to
"native cultures" with one of their goals being the "civilize" the
people — IOW, make them like us!

I believe we must be careful about this way of thinking. But whose
responsibility is it to adapt and adjust? Do we expect the "natives"
(in our community) to change and adapt to our worship/ministry? Well, I
believe we do. And I believe that’s wrong! That’s not being good
missionaries! Isn’t it the responsibility of the immigrant missionaries
(that’s us, for the most part) to make adjustments to our
worship/ministry/communication to effectively reach the native cultures
(the younger generations, for the most part), to communicate the Gospel
in language/images they can understand.

Is this difficult? Absolutely! It takes a great deal of love and spiritual maturity; it takes a missionary heart! It takes giving up and letting go of "our way" of doing things and the way we like things to be. Missionaries know that it’s not about them; it’s about the natives hearing and understanding the Gospel; it’s about missionaries embracing the natives so that they can become part of this amazing, ever-growing incredibly diverse community of Christ-followers called the Church!

I hope you will join me in growing a bigger missional heart!

I think Paul gives some great guidance and insight into the way we need to interact and relate to the people in our community. Read 1 Co 9.20-27, especially, "When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. … When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. … Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ …"

Bishop Middleton talks about "the seven characteristics of vital churches." She includes in that list  the category of "media," saying, "Worship which excites, inspires, and speaks the saving message of Jesus Christ using a variety of media and music." If we are going to reach the "natives" in the missionary setting God has placed us in today, we are going to have to learn a new language!

As we create a new church (among the Alexandria and Barree folks) here in the Juniata Valley, let’s create one whose worship gathering has a missional purpose, the purpose of reaching the people in our Valley who have no commitment to Jesus Christ! Let us create a worship experience that connects with youth and children, one that shares the Good News of Jesus Christ in language, images, and expressions that these emerging generations can relate to!

I want to leave with you some verses from the Psalms where the psalmist challenges the people to sing a "new song." Is it time for us to sing a new song, to find fresh expressions of worshiping God, expressions that will impact the people in our Valley much like it did on the day of Pentecost? When our worship has a missional focus, I believe it will have that same kind of impact, because I believe the same Holy Spirit who was active that day is still active in this day and in this time!

• He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the LORD. (Ps 40.3)
• Sing a new song to the LORD! Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! (Ps 96.1)
• Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. He has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. (Ps 98.1)
• I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. (Ps 144.9)
• Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. (Ps 149.1)

Today’s message was pretty short. We spent a little time discussing the implications of last Tuesday’s vote. We wanted to make sure everyone is clear about where we’re at and where we’re headed.

+++++

"I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus. I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it, when it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus."

Those are great words from Matt Redman’s song.

Worship > Lifestyle!
Worship is not just music; it’s not just what we do on Sunday morning. Worship is a living, breathing, waking, sleeping, 24/7 lifestyle!

"Worship him continually." (Ps 105.4)

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (NLT)

"It’s all about you, Jesus"
It’s not about what WE get out of it, but what GOD gets out of it!

"You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created." (Rev 4.11)

Rejoice (always be joyful)!
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again–rejoice!" (Philippians 4.4)

Keep on praying (pray without ceasing)!
Master the art of prayer!

Be thankful, no matter what!
"Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." (Eph 6.18)

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit!
“Yes, Lord, Yes” > I’ll say yes, Lord, yes, to your will and to your way. When your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I’ll agree, and my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.

Keep yourself pure!
"Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil."

Test everything to stay focused, to keep from worshiping the wrong things!

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this." (1 Thessalonians 5.23-24)

Luke 15.11-32

This is a team message with all four of the lay speakers of the Charge participating. Ruth: the prodigal (the younger son); Ken: the father; Jeff, the elder son; and Jay, the servant. I am bringing the conclusion and that is what follows.

Maybe you resonate with one of the four characters of this story presented today.

You may feel like the prodigal. You have turned away from God and you wonder how on earth he would take you back. Maybe you knowingly turned away – after serving him, some how you have distanced yourself from him and done things that you know he is not pleased with. Maybe you’ve never known him. And now you are aware that you are living your life apart from God. Some may think, “How can God ever forgive me of ???” “I can’t even forgive myself.” Or “My family won’t even forgive me.”

Or you may be like the elder son. You have been faithful to the church all your life. You have served, you have attended, you have tithed, but you look at others and see God blessing them and you just don’t feel blessed. You don’t feel like God even knows you exist.

Or maybe you are like the servant, a kind of bystander. You stand on the fringes of the church, not knowing if you want to be involved. Not understanding entirely who this God is and definitely not understanding his actions. How can he love people who hate him, who deceive him, who use him? How can he so easily forgive and embrace people who purposefully despise him and even squander the gifts that he has given them?

Truthfully, the Father of this story is a mystery to us all: to the prodigals and prodigals-come-home, to the responsible ones who never left home, and to the ones on the sideline who are full of questions. But the Father understands each of us. And he loves each of us. And the only way to gain an inkling of understanding him, is to enter into the mystery. To cry out, Lord have mercy, forgive me, forgive me of running away and wanting to live life my way; forgive me for being so responsible and in charge that I think I can do it on my own without relying on you; forgive me as I have peered in from the outside, questioning who you are, and questioning your actions in this world.

Lord, have mercy

Our God is like a Parent who loves his children equally. He loves not because of what we do. But he loves us because we are his. And he loves us even before we are adopted into his family. He loves us into relationship with him and then he calls us his sons and his daughters. Does God call you his son or daughter today? Do you want to be called his son or daughter? God is calling you into his family today. And God is calling all of us into the center of his love, a love that forgives, a love that plays no favorites, a love that need not be earned, a love that is freely given. Will you enter into the arms of a loving Father, a loving Mother? Remember you don’t have to make everything right in your life before you come to him; that’s what he does. Come to him today. He will come running to meet to you and to welcome you, and to embrace you.

Matthew 9.35-38
Matthew 10.1-8 (ff)

The Need
This is Super Bowl Sunday and as I have been out and about there are a lot of people out there suffering from Steeler-mania. The billboards sport the slogan, “Go Steelers!” People are dressed in their Steeler jerseys, from Emergency Room workers to little ole grannies in Sam’s Club.

It used to be we had three basic sports, football, baseball, and basketball. But the list has grown, especially with the addition of x-sports. These sports seek the x-treme. And each is more extreme than the last. Every experience must be more daring, more exciting, more dangerous, more extreme.

Jesus looked out over the people and he saw a people who were harassed and helpless, perhaps bothered or confused and exhausted; troubled and bewildered. They are sheep without a shepherd. The Bible and the church have used the description of those who are without Christ, as lost. The post-modern generation doesn’t like to be called lost. They don’t feel lost. And yet, they are just as Jesus describes them. They are on a quest to find meaning in life. Whether we are driven by the x-treme sport experience or by the pursuit of career, education, or financial gain, there is a spiritual need in our lives.

As Jesus sees the need, Matthew says he is “moved with pity” – a very strong word describing deep compassion. Jesus cannot in his physical body meet every need. And tells the disciples to pray for workers.

The Prayer – Help Wanted
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Jesus will not do the work alone. God wants to raise up others to work. God is at work and he is calling others to be a part of what he is doing.

The Answer
The exciting thing about this passage is that there is an immediate answer to that prayer. Looking at 10.1, those who pray the prayer, “send workers” become the answer to their own prayer. Jesus, in chapter 10, sends out the twelve disciples, giving them the authority to join in the work Jesus himself has been doing. The disciples become the answer to their own prayer.

And this prayer goes beyond the twelve disciples. As Matthew writes, he is calling the readers of his account to pray and become the answers to their prayer. The prayer was for the current readers in the first century church. The prayer for harvest hands is directed to and answered by the Church of every generation. Today, just as there continues to be a harvest, there continues to be a need for harvest hands. It is an invitation for the church today to be harvest hands. Will you be those hands?

God’s Harvest Field
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

We are called to be a part of what God is doing. We are called to join God. Too many times we decide we are going to do something for Christ and then we ask God to bless it. We decide and then we ask God to be a part of it. God is at work in our world and in our communities and in our church. Knowing that, the prayer becomes, let us be a part of what You are doing. Reveal what you are doing and allow us be a part of that.

Also, it is giving God the glory for whatever is accomplished. Knowing that it is not we ourselves who plan or will for something to happen – it is God. It is always God. If it is his fields, it is his work, and it he that accomplishes every good thing. And he must be glorified, praised and worshiped.

Everything we do as a church should be measured by the phrase: “his harvest field”. I, as your pastor, do not encourage you do things for my benefit. Your ad council does not do things for their own personal benefit.

Those of us who went to college or educational program are familiar with the phrase, “It will look good on my resume.” Sometimes people participated in certain activities to add a certain dimension to their resumes. Or the school required things in one’s program to make one more marketable upon graduation.

As a pastor, I don’t have a resume anymore. I don’t have an agenda. My only agenda is to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to be faithful to the call he has placed upon me as your pastor and spiritual leader. And I interpret that call as providing opportunities for you to become faithful followers: to provide opportunities for you to grow in your faith and to put your faith into action. Today God is calling workers. Jesus didn’t do it alone. Your pastor won’t do it alone. This is a call to the church, will you be the church, will you be harvest hands?

Answering the Call
Opportunities:
Faith Ministry Meeting next Tuesday, Feb 14.
Completing a Gifts Inventory.
WC/EV Ad Council.

If God is speaking to you about a ministry, speak to me. That’s a part of my job as pastor – to coordinate ministries, to have the body join you in the discernment process. The scripture today says that Jesus sent them out, giving them authority. Apostolic authority means the passing on of authority, the recognition of God’s call and the gifts and graces He has given. It means partnering together in support of various ministries through prayer, blessing, encouragement, guidance and accountability. This is part of what it means to be in community. The disciples were an extension of Jesus’ ministry. As others become involved in ministry, you become an extension of the ministry of this Church.

We live in such an independent society, where we make decisions, even decisions that impact the church community, on our own, independent of the body. And that should not be. And I don’t condemn anyone on this point; because I’ve been there, done that. And I’m still learning. I know this might be a different way of seeing the church and it will take time to grasp hold of the concept of true biblical community. But it is my desire for us to strive to be the body of Christ, to be the community that we are called to be. And today we start that journey by praying, “Lord of the harvest, send workers into your harvest fields.” Will you join me in that prayer? Will you be an answer to that prayer?

Today, we wrap up this series (“Let’s Conquer the Land!”) which leads up to our vote this Tuesday. As we wrap up the story, we want to learn from the critical mistakes made by the Israelites.

"You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." (Sam Levenson)

God’s Judgment
Numbers 14.26-45 begins with a message of God’s judgment on God’s people who have rebelled and rejected God’s call. God says, "How long will this wicked nation complain about me? I have heard everything the Israelites have been saying." (14.27)

Some other statements in God’s message stand out to me as well …

• "I will give you exactly what you wanted. You will die right here in the desert …" (14.28-29)
• "You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert." (14.35)
• "But I, the LORD, will let them enter the land you have rejected." (14.31)

Well, after the ten scouts who “incited rebellion” died as a result of their disobedience, the people felt guilty or scared, and they decide they had better go. But it was too late! Moses tells them, “You’re disobeying the LORD! Your plan won’t work, so don’t even try it. The LORD refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him." (14.41-43)

Well, this has been a great story for us to look at. But, personally, I’m hoping that our result will be different. I hope and pray that our response will be a courageous one, one that honors God!

God is doing a new thing!
“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43.18-19)

What is the “new thing” that God is doing among us? Do you see it?

The “scouts” (Exploratory Team) have reported to us that they believe God is calling us to unite and become one. Why? The scouts have reported that they believe we’re better together, and that we’ll have more resources. And that we’ll be better stewards!

Will this new direction involve risk? Absolutely! Will it require change? Definitely! But change and risk are always part of being the church!

Jesus had a couple interesting encounters with some would-be followers. They both said, “I will follow you, but …" (Luke 9.59-62)

Jesus says to one, "Come, be my disciple." The would-be disciple says, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." Jesus responds, "Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus invites another to follow. That person says, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." But again, Jesus responds, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."

Someone has said that there’s good reason that the windshield is larger than the rearview mirror. While we must occasionally glance at the rearview mirror, we must not focus on it. We must give attention to the future, where God is calling us!

Worship where?
One of the challenges we face in becoming one is letting go of our buildings. You know, buildings use to matter! In the Old Testament, religious life was centered around the Temple in Jerusalem.

But interestingly, even back then, Jesus had a conversation with “the woman at the well” (John 4), who talked about the right place to worship God. Jesus says, "Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem."

And on another occasion Jesus’ disciples are mesmerized by the Temple. They say, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Quite simply, buildings are tools for ministry. Nothing more.

Questions
Well, this decision will affect you, but it will also affect others. I want to leave you with a few questions to reflect on in the next two days …

>> What is God calling us to do?

>> How will this decision affect others?

>> What’s keeping us from becoming one?

>> How can we honor those who have gone before us?

Our History > Our Future: Appointments on the large Huntingdon circuit began in Petersburg about 1812 and in Alexandria about 1820. Over the years this large circuit gave birth to many smaller charges.

Giving birth is painful! (so I’m told!)

>> What are we giving birth to?

>> What will our legacy be? What will people 50 years from now say about 2006?
Because this *will* be part of our historical record! Will future generations say, “Wow! They demonstrated great courage!” Or, will they say, “Boy! They sure missed it!”

I remember the report of the Exploratory Team at last year’s charge conference where Karl told us that the team was unified in its belief that becoming one was in the best interests for our churches and our communities. In that meeting, Karl said we need to "Lead, follow, or, get out of the way!"

That’s where we’re at right now. And I want to leave you with my personal opinion (for whatever it’s worth).

I believe this is probably our last chance at becoming a missional church! I believe that “no" vote will be the beginning of the end!

But I also believe that there WILL be a missional church in the Valley! If not us, God will raise someone else up to do kingdom work. But it may very well be some of you! There will be a missional people in the Valley!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139.23-24)

The Disciple’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

Tonight was our “information sharing” meeting where our Exploratory Team (“scouts”) presented their report after months of prayer, discussion, and data gathering. Essentially, they are recommending that our three churches unite as one congregation.

The presentation came together at the last minute (though we’ve been working on it for a while). Our scouts did an excellent job leading, interacting, and responding to questions and comments, which were sometimes very negative. I am proud of them!

I will post one bit of our devotion from this evening. This was a litany that I wrote this morning that included a part for each team member to read, parts for all the scouts to read together, and parts for the congregation. You may notice that it flows out of the story that we have been encountering in recent weeks (or more accurately, the story that has been encountering us!).

Scouts – At your call, O God, we have gone ahead to check out the land that you are sending us to inhabit. Thank you for entrusting us with this task, and thank you for being with us throughout these many days.

Mary – And now, we return to share what we have discovered and what we believe God is calling us to do. We pray that God will give clear guidance as we share this report with our tribes and as we consider this recommendation in the next week.

Mary – Our tribes, while we indeed see the obstacles ahead of us, we also see God’s power at work and we believe that the Lord is with us. We can go and fulfill the task to which God is calling us!

Janet – Friends, just like our spiritual ancestors, Joshua and Caleb, the land we explored is a wonderful land! And if we obey the Lord, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us.

Jill – The land God is calling us to, is a rich and fruitful land, and God will give it to us! Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the obstacles. They are only helpless prey to us! The Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of anything!

Sam – Seven times — twice at the end of Moses’ leadership and five times at the beginning of Joshua’s leadership — they used the phrase, “Be strong and courageous!” Today, we believe that’s what God is saying to us: “Be strong and courageous!”

Joyce – Be strong and courageous as you seek God tonight and in the next week, asking that God’s will be done, and that God will bless you with clear discernment.

Denny – Be strong and courageous as you consider new ways of worshiping God and being engaged in ministry in our community. Be strong and courageous as you take the next faithful step!

Bonnie – Be strong and courageous as you draw closer to God, being more dependent on him than ever before. Be strong and courageous as you follow with reckless abandon wherever Jesus leads!

Scouts – Sisters and brothers — members of our tribes — we respectfully and humbly submit for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration what we believe God is calling us to be and do. We believe that God is calling us to be a community of authentic Christ-followers to transform this community by making disciples of Jesus Christ!

All – O God, as we sang last Sunday, “Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts. Let us not lift our souls to another … O God, let us be a generation that seeks — seeks your face, O God of Jacob!”

Gordie – And as another song says, “If you ask me to leap out of my boat on the crashing waves. If you ask me to go preach to a lost world that Jesus saves, I’ll go but I cannot go alone ’cause I know I’m nothing on my own. But the power of Christ in me makes me strong!”

Scouts – O God, we are aware of how helpless and powerless we are. But it is only in this state of helplessness and powerlessness that we sense the need to humble ourselves before you. God, in this sacred and scary moment, we yield ourselves fully for your use. Use us in ways that honor and please you most!

All – “Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.”

May God’s will be done, and may we hear and respond to God’s leading!

Numbers 14.1-25

I believe this passage speaks very clearly to where we’re at right now. The scouts presented their report, which led to plotting and inciting rebellion by those who wanted to force their way on others. The leaders speak, but then the people want to stone them.

God becomes angry with the people and wants to wipe them out. Moses intercedes for them and God says, essentially, "Okay, but …" God lets them live for now, but because of their rebellion they will not be permitted to enter the promised land.

I love the tremendous faith statement made by Joshua and Caleb …

Joshua & Caleb’s Speech
"The land we explored is a wonderful land! And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey, and he will give it to us! Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!" (14.7-9)

>>Be Humble
Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the people of Israel. Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. (14.5-6)

"The LORD is with us!"

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (2 Ch 7.14)

>>Be obedient
If we obey the LORD, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. So don’t rebel. (14.8-9, CEV)

>>Be Courageous
Don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them! (14.9)

But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites from above the Tabernacle. (14.10)

>>Be Different
But my servant Caleb is different from the others. He has remained loyal to me, and I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will receive their full share of that land. (14.24)

>>Be Careful
Then the ten scouts who had incited the rebellion against the LORD by spreading discouraging reports about the land were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive. (14.36-38)

Joshua lived a life of faithfulness to God. At the end of his journey, he challenged the people. Those same words could very well be our challenge today …

"So honor the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped …? Serve the LORD alone. But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served …? Or will it be the gods of the (people) in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24.14-15)

Matthew 13

Two weeks ago when I was with you we talked about "Our Mission: Saving Souls" and the image of the church as a life saving station. We talked about knowing who we are: sinners saved by God’s grace. Knowing what we are called to do: share the message of God’s saving grace with others. Training for our call: sharing our story with each other (and I invited you to share your story with someone, a family member or friend who is already a Christian, for practice.) Taking action! Sharing with others who need to hear.

Someone came to me after the service, their heart heavy for an unsaved loved one, a family member. One whom they have invited to church many times but the individual has not responded.

Today I’d like to share this passage as a guide for prayer, for ourselves and for others, for those who are saved and those who are not yet saved.

Let us begin by making the scripture that Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6 our prayer:

Lord God,
Open our eyes that we might see;
Open our ears that we might hear;
Open our hearts that we might understand. Amen.

The seed sown along the path
19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

First, we are to pray for understanding. If you read something and don’t understand it, it doesn’t stay with you. Therefore our opening prayer, "open eyes, ears and heart."

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4.4

This is spiritual warfare: Satan wants to keep the Word from being heard. He doesn’t want you to hear it today. Because if you truly hear the Word you will be changed, you will be growing, you will be making an impact on your world, and of course Satan does not want that.

We can never approach the Word for mere information, but transformation. God wants to transform our hearts.

Satan doesn’t want unbelievers to hear the Word, because he doesn’t want to loose his people. If someone doesn’t belong to God, they belong to Satan. There is no middle ground, no teetering on the fence. One either serves God or Satan.

Pray for God to break the hold of Satan. Pray for God to open blinded eyes, and deaf ears. Pray for God to soften hearts.

“The credibility of the Gospel depends on caring, loving believers willing to serve.” http://www.newlifeministries-nlm.org/online/prayer.htm

Know that your lifestyle speaks. Know that the actions of the church speaks. (acts of kindness, service to others) People do not have to be a member of this body to be helped or served by this body.

“Random acts of kindness aren’t enough.” (Lee Strobel)
Steve Sjogren, founder of Cincinnati Vineyard, speaks of how acts of kindness are spiritual warfare. They are unexpected and they catch people off-guard, their defenses are down and they are pleasantly surprised that someone would do something for them out of the goodness of their heart.

… God’s kindness leads you toward repentance Romans 2.4

The seed on rocky ground
20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

There is no depth. The challenge is to go deeper in God’s Word. New Christians must become firmly established in God’s Word. All Christians must continue to grow, to go deeper in God’s Word and in our relationship with Christ.

The seed among the thorns
22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

Worries, deceit of wealth, desires; in Luke’s account: worries, riches, pleasures. The cares of the world deter fruitfulness.

The root of the original Greek is "to be divided". Do you have a divided heart? Does something that doesn’t count for the kingdom distract you? or pull your focus away from Christ?

Definitions:
Cares: divided, distracted
Lure: deceit, illusion, to cheat
Desire: arises out of the condition of the soul
What cares, lures, desires pull you away from Christ.

The seed on good soil
23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Our hearts are balanced. We are willing to be what God created us to be. We embrace the word with obedience. What does a balanced heart look like in my life?
The word is heard, the word is accepted and the product is fruit. How is fruit developing in my life?

… humbly accept the word planted in you 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. or in the KJV,  22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only … James 1.21-22

Prayer
1. Survey our own souls.
Repentance and Confession
2. Prayer for those who do not yet know Christ.
Intercession

Fridays are half-days in the dmin program at Asbury. And today was very laidback. We began the day, as we did each day, with a time of devotion and worship in Fletcher Chapel. The worship time was a real highlight of the week’s experience!

After worship time, we talked about our final paper (due within the next couple of months), and we watched a video that’s in the process of being produced that talks about holiness in the context of hiking and backpacking up a high mountain in Colorado. The video featured Steve and some of his close friends making their way up to the summit.

Joleen and I left Asbury around noon and got home around 9:00 pm. It’s been a long week and a very long day. I’ll try to get some rest tonight, then spend the day tomorrow preparing for Sunday! And, needless to say, we are really looking forward to a day of rest on Monday, our day off!

It was a great week. The lectures and discussion were meaningful and stretching. Daily time spent in small groups was valuable. Shared meals with friends at area restaurants were nice. And I especially enjoyed and appreciated the international students that were in class with us, representing Nigeria, Ecuador, Nova Scotia/Canada as well as missionaries to South Africa and one on leave (who was in South or Central America, I believe). It’s always refreshing — as well as challenging — to spend time with friends and colleagues in such an intensive environment!

Well, I’m back on Sunday and we will continue with our series on Numbers 13-14, "Let’s Conquer the Land!" This Sunday, we’ll take a closer look at two important people of faith in this story — Joshua and Caleb. They were men of faith, courage, and integrity, even in the face of unfaithfulness and rebellion!

Wanted: Joshuas and Calebs!

Every class I’ve taken so far has been an excellent, growing and transforming experience. I’m grateful for that! Every class has been different, and complementary of one another. And all are somewhat tiring.

This class, though, with its heavy introspection and focus on sin (and holiness) has made this an even more tiring class. Not only have we been physically challenged, but we’ve also been emotionally and spiritually challenged as well. And that’s a good thing!

There’s too much to share at the end of each day, but I’ll post one quote here. One of the books we read for this class (which we talked about a little today) was Rebuilding Your Broken World by Gordon MacDonald. It’s a book that I think everyone should read, and I especially consider it required reading for every pastor!

As the title indicates, it’s a book about rebuilding one’s broken world. And whose world has not been broken?

Well, here’s a quote from page 161 …

“ … repentance is not a one-time act; it is actually a spiritual lifestyle. To live in a constant state of repentance is to acknowledge that the heart is always ready to drift into wrong directions and must constantly be jerked back to control. This is not a call to morbid introspection that is always on a sin search, putting ourselves down. But it is an honest recognition that the inward part of us is inclined toward rebellion and disobedience against our Maker. And it will always be that way until the end of time.”

I like that. Repentance is "a spiritual lifestyle." Humilty is required if we’re going to follow Jesus with reckless abandon!