We usually measure the quality of our life through the inverse proportion of difficulties. In other words, when we are not facing problems then we are doing well. Now, I'm not one to welcome difficulties into my life because they are, by definition, difficult. But God has this way to turning everything we think is one way in this age upside down.
One place he does that is through the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:
10 "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, I am strong."
The word "content" means "to think well of, approve, take pleasure in, be willing."
Why should I think well of something that brings me pain? The key is at the beginning of the verse and at the end. "For the sake of Christ" - Jesus was content to suffer for our sins and told us that we would also suffer, but that we could take heart because He killed death and overcame our greatest enemy. We should be willing to suffer for Him because He suffered for us.
Secondly, at the end of the verse it says "when I am weak, I am strong." How is that possible? When we are weak then we must reach out to God for strength, and trusting and relying on Him more is better because it opens up channels for us to become more like Him.
Jesus "endured the cross, despising the shame," why? "For the joy set before Him." (Hebrews 12:2). The joy set before you is the peace and healing and eternal abundant life of Jesus flowing in and through you. You can, like Jesus, "despise" (which means "to think against") the shame and weakness while looking forward to what He is doing.
Things are terrible - isn't that awesome? God is at work and His work is good.
Pastor Tom
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
It Doesn't Matter Where You Are, Only Who You Are
A lot of times we think that in order to do God's will, we must ask "where do you want me to be" and then go there. Though, of course, we always want to be where God wants us, I am starting to thing the "where" isn't as important after all.
I've been really interested in the life of Paul lately. I guess it partly stems from teaching through the book of Acts and seeing Paul struggle and realize that even the struggle was God's plan to spread the gospel.
So then along comes this little section in 2 Corinthians 2:12 - 14 "When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."
Paul had an opportunity "in the Lord" to minister but didn't feel right about it so he left. What he then rejoices in is that, no matter where he is, he is a representative of Jesus Christ.
Even if things don't work right or feel right where you are and you do or go somewhere else, it doesn't mean you've failed. What matters is that you "smell" like Jesus wherever you go and whatever you do.
Sometimes I think God just wants to spread the fragrance around.
Pastor Tom
I've been really interested in the life of Paul lately. I guess it partly stems from teaching through the book of Acts and seeing Paul struggle and realize that even the struggle was God's plan to spread the gospel.
So then along comes this little section in 2 Corinthians 2:12 - 14 "When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."
Paul had an opportunity "in the Lord" to minister but didn't feel right about it so he left. What he then rejoices in is that, no matter where he is, he is a representative of Jesus Christ.
Even if things don't work right or feel right where you are and you do or go somewhere else, it doesn't mean you've failed. What matters is that you "smell" like Jesus wherever you go and whatever you do.
Sometimes I think God just wants to spread the fragrance around.
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Who Is It For?
I've been reading 1 Corinthians lately. For those of you who study the Scriptures, you know that the Corinthian church was probably one of Paul's most difficult ministries. They lived in a very "cool" city and were highly influenced by the culture around them. This included the influence of idol worship.
Paul had a lot of correcting to do in regards to their behavior and we should keep that in mind when reading it. One section where I think we get confused is chapters 12-14. On the surface it appears to be about spiritual gifts. I remember as a young Christian really looking intently at this section and wondering what my spiritual gifts were and wanting to have really important ones.
In reality I don't think Paul set out to write a treatise or "how to" manual on spiritual gifts. He was correcting am incorrect perception about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts.
Just one verse really popped out at me today, 1 Corinthians 12:7 "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
Paul goes on to talk about all the gifts and how they should operate and it struck me that 1) our mission on this earth is not to see who has the most important gift but to see the gospel of Jesus spread as far as possible. 2) The more we can build up our brothers and sisters, encourage them in this work, and encourage others to seek the Lord the more we fulfill that verse.
So instead of seeking gifts as some supernatural goose bumps kind of experience, we should look for God to empower us each and every day so that in all and every way we can assist in the work of bringing his love and the power of his salvation to those around us.
The gifts aren't for us at all, it turns out, and that's okay.
Pastor Tom
Paul had a lot of correcting to do in regards to their behavior and we should keep that in mind when reading it. One section where I think we get confused is chapters 12-14. On the surface it appears to be about spiritual gifts. I remember as a young Christian really looking intently at this section and wondering what my spiritual gifts were and wanting to have really important ones.
In reality I don't think Paul set out to write a treatise or "how to" manual on spiritual gifts. He was correcting am incorrect perception about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts.
Just one verse really popped out at me today, 1 Corinthians 12:7 "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
Paul goes on to talk about all the gifts and how they should operate and it struck me that 1) our mission on this earth is not to see who has the most important gift but to see the gospel of Jesus spread as far as possible. 2) The more we can build up our brothers and sisters, encourage them in this work, and encourage others to seek the Lord the more we fulfill that verse.
So instead of seeking gifts as some supernatural goose bumps kind of experience, we should look for God to empower us each and every day so that in all and every way we can assist in the work of bringing his love and the power of his salvation to those around us.
The gifts aren't for us at all, it turns out, and that's okay.
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Finding God's Pefect Will
I've heard a lot of Christians express a desire to find God's "perfect" will in a situation. They use Romans 12:2 as their text: "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
They say that there is one way that God has designed for us to act or one decision that is "perfect" with all others being less then perfect. It describes following God like going down a railroad track. If you don't hear God right and get off the track even a little bit, you are no longer following God's perfect will.
I would like to challenge that, based on the exact verse most people quote.
Look at the beginning of that verse. It says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
First of all, I think we put God in a box if we think he has only one agenda and if we don't get on the same page then we are missing that agenda and God is displeased with us. A pastor once said "if God can't use our mistakes he wouldn't have anything to work with."
Even the Apostle Paul wasn't perfect. He tried to go places and God told him "no." He tried again and God told him "no" again.
God is bigger than your inability to hear him right the first time.
The real key to understanding this verse is to focus on the first part first, that is that we are in the process of being renovated. "Don't think like the world anymore," Paul says, "but be transformed." We need a thinking transplant. And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit does.
The more you enjoy your relationship with God, read and study his word, pray, fellowship, and walk with him through trials - learning to trust him more than yourself - the more you will start thinking like him and that's when you start being able to "test" and "approve" of what God would do in your shoes.
Pastor Tom
They say that there is one way that God has designed for us to act or one decision that is "perfect" with all others being less then perfect. It describes following God like going down a railroad track. If you don't hear God right and get off the track even a little bit, you are no longer following God's perfect will.
I would like to challenge that, based on the exact verse most people quote.
Look at the beginning of that verse. It says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
First of all, I think we put God in a box if we think he has only one agenda and if we don't get on the same page then we are missing that agenda and God is displeased with us. A pastor once said "if God can't use our mistakes he wouldn't have anything to work with."
Even the Apostle Paul wasn't perfect. He tried to go places and God told him "no." He tried again and God told him "no" again.
God is bigger than your inability to hear him right the first time.
The real key to understanding this verse is to focus on the first part first, that is that we are in the process of being renovated. "Don't think like the world anymore," Paul says, "but be transformed." We need a thinking transplant. And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit does.
The more you enjoy your relationship with God, read and study his word, pray, fellowship, and walk with him through trials - learning to trust him more than yourself - the more you will start thinking like him and that's when you start being able to "test" and "approve" of what God would do in your shoes.
Pastor Tom
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Fear and Comfort
Fear and comfort seem very different, don't they? If you are fearful you are not comfortable, and if you are comfortable you are not feeling fear.
I was struck by a verse from the book of Acts today that actually combines the two. You find it in Acts 9:31, after Saul of Tarsus had returned to Jerusalem following his conversion to Jesus Christ.
31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."
How can both fear and comfort exist at the same time? The "fear of the Lord" is a concept introduced in several places in Scripture. We like to say it means "awe" or "respect." In reality the Greek word does mean "fear." It's the same word where we get our word "phobia."
So we are to be afraid of God, and that's how the church will grow? Well, sort of. We should fear God because of how good and pure He is. He is so much better than we could ever imagine, and our world is so much blacker than we would like to admit. We should fear the holiness of God breaking out amongst an impure world because I guarantee you, the world would lose.
The good news is that through Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of us, coming alongside to help (that's what comfort means). The Spirit is busy transforming us into the very character of the Holy God we fear from the inside out.
We can have the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit as we grow into His image.
Pastor Tom
I was struck by a verse from the book of Acts today that actually combines the two. You find it in Acts 9:31, after Saul of Tarsus had returned to Jerusalem following his conversion to Jesus Christ.
31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."
How can both fear and comfort exist at the same time? The "fear of the Lord" is a concept introduced in several places in Scripture. We like to say it means "awe" or "respect." In reality the Greek word does mean "fear." It's the same word where we get our word "phobia."
So we are to be afraid of God, and that's how the church will grow? Well, sort of. We should fear God because of how good and pure He is. He is so much better than we could ever imagine, and our world is so much blacker than we would like to admit. We should fear the holiness of God breaking out amongst an impure world because I guarantee you, the world would lose.
The good news is that through Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of us, coming alongside to help (that's what comfort means). The Spirit is busy transforming us into the very character of the Holy God we fear from the inside out.
We can have the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit as we grow into His image.
Pastor Tom
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