The Labor

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you, but I could wish to be with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.” Galatians 4:19-20

Paul’s relationship with these Galatian Christians was intense and intimate. He was not a distant, spiritual guru sending them pleasant platitudes fit for an embroidered throw pillow or a bumper sticker. He was a fully engaged father who was willing to risk all he had invested in them by getting in their faces and correcting them. Separated from them, he interceded for them.

Paul was not interested in being a pen pal to his children. They were his responsibility, and though he was penned up in prison, the tone of his letter roared with disapproval over their behavior. He did not turn a blind eye to it. He reminded them that they were adopted sons of God. In one sense of the word Paul said they were birthed by him, a product of his labor.

As Dana and I were driving to the hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, anticipating the birth of our first child, she made a profound statement. Thirty-five years later, I remember it like it was yesterday. She said, “I have come to a point, where I finally realize I am in the middle something that I can’t back out of.”

I didn’t try to correct Dana about ending a sentence with a preposition. It just didn’t seem wise at the time. My wife just looks little. She had a lot on her mind. But I digress.

What took place after we arrived at St. Francis hospital gave a whole new meaning to the concept of “pulling an all-nighter.” Giving birth to a child is a labor of love that only a mother can understand. Those who stand beside a woman in the Labor Room, know it is aptly named.  To be sure, giving birth is a labor of love, but make no mistake about it. It is hard work.

Paul had invested a great deal in the birth of the Galatian Church. His labor of love did not end at their birth. It was the beginning of a life long labor of prayer for him, and a life long learning process for them. “I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” Galatians 4:19

The labor of giving birth pales in comparison to the amount of time, treasure, angst, energy, trauma and drama that parents invest in raising children. Contemporary culture does not value true parenting, so it is plagued by a multitude of “baby daddies.” Making a baby and raising a child are two different things.

In the same vein, planting a church is hard work, but developing healthy Christians takes a lifetime.  Paul was up for the task. Those who bring children into the world or start new churches soon find out that the hardest work of their lives takes place after the Labor Room, not in it.

Note to self: Pray for healthy churches, not just for more of them.

Contemporary culture elevates a player to rock start status. Making babies without having any responsibility for raising them is not punished, but rewarded. Paul never yielded his parental rights. He reinforced them. His communication with his children was marked by relentless intercession for them. He was not a player. He was a pray-er. Real men always are.

Those who think prayer is women’s work need to man up, by praying for and with their children. Prayer gives a man a whole new appreciation for hard work. Women do it well. Men need to do it better. Read Paul’s testimony about praying for his children and take it to heart.  He played no favorites. He prayed for them all.

“I do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16

“…we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”  Colossians 1:9

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,..” Philippians 1:9

“…we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling…” 2 Thessalonians 1:11

“I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:27-28

“Praying until…” is the mark of an intercessor. Prayer warriors do not look at the clock to determine if they are finished praying. They look at the face of Jesus, and pray for others until they see His resemblance in them.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Question

“Does He who provides you with The Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of The Law or by hearing with faith?” Galatians 3:5

Paul’s question is one for the ages. It is a timeless inquiry that must be heard and answered by anyone at any time in history desiring to move beyond an introduction to Jesus, and into intimacy with Him.

Paul’s rhetorical question, must not go begging. “Hearing with faith” is the correct answer. Those who begin their journey of faith by hearing with faith must keep on listening to the voice of The Spirit. The clearest word from the Spirit comes from “taking up The Sword of The Spirit which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

The dilemma of most church leaders and their congregations is not laziness, but misguided energy. The church, ancient or contemporary, has always been in need of the miracle-working power of The Spirit of Christ. It is not a self-improvement society, but a self-crucifixion community. Believers put their faith in what they hear from The Word of God, not what they hear from conventional wisdom.

Note to self: Don’t forget the nails!

At any time in history, the church has produced no small amount of energy generated by the flesh in the pulpits and the pews. Today the contemporary church provides plenty of crowd-pleasing programs, and well -crafted purpose statements, but little power. The problem with the programs comes from leading people to spend more time in the work of the Lord, without inspiring people to spend their time with the Lord of the work. The life-changing power of the Spirit flows into the church, one faith-filled believer at a time.  The language of the Spirit is prayer, and those who desire intimacy with Jesus will learn to pray or they will live without The Spirit’s power.

Paul was intolerant of any whiff of the flesh in the church. Trusting The Law to improve on what God’s grace had finished would not happen on his watch.  The contemporary church must be no less diligent, and should take a page out of Paul’s prayer book.

The Galatians had begun to substitute self-improvement for the blood bought grace of God, purchased by the crucified Christ, and the miracle-working, life-changing power provided by The Spirit. They had not heard anything close to this kind of message from Paul, and he would have none of it fill the ears and bewitch the minds of the early church.  He wanted to know, “…who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” Gal. 3:1

Paul did not believe The Law was not evil. He knew it was a gift of God, and it had a purpose. The Law established the standard for anyone desiring to enter into worship with Holy God, perfection.

Jesus had unleashed his greatest scorn on those who sought to use their public obedience to The Law as a sign of their private holiness. They were not guilty of ignoring The Law. They were just guilty of falling short of God’s standard of perfection. Jesus knew they were not perfect, just pious posers.  He had a name for them? “Whited sepulchers.”

The greatest miracle Jesus ever performed was the transformation of a guilty sinner into a believing saint. His standards have never changed. Since the earliest days of His public ministry in Nazareth, Jesus has always marveled at those who are amazed that He can do a great work of healing, but refuse to receive His greatest work, forgiving.

“And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.” Mark 6: 5-6

Paul’s challenging question to the early church must not be ignored, by anyone interested in greater intimacy with Jesus. Hearing the Word of God requires a faith response, not a renewed effort of the flesh.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Romans 9:17

The Spirit of The Risen Christ must be welcomed into any conversation with the Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of The Father. The Spirit interprets even the slightest whisper of prayer to Jesus. Jesus intercedes on behalf of His followers, with The Father. Those seeking answers to prayer will be provided with God’s direction, protection and correction.

Intimacy with Jesus cannot be described. His Presence must be experienced. Prayer is the key to entering into The Presence of Jesus. Praying in The Spirit involves interceding for others and hearing and obeying God’s Word. Praying improves a prayer warrior’s hearing and obeying.

Prayer is not a vital sign of a person’s passion for self-improvement. Prayer must never become just another expression of the flesh posing as piety. Prayer is an admission of one’s helplessness. Those who become prayerful, discover The Helper is helpful, The Son is available, and The Father is able. The prayerless remain prideful.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Nails

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no long I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2: 20-21

Paul saved his greatest wrath for toxic additives to the grace of God. He expressed his strongest confrontation to anyone who tried to improve on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Christ alone is the solitary substitute for being made right with God.  Anything less is cheap grace. Anything more is counterfeit grace.

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘…how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Galatians 2:14

Paul told Peter that he was not “straightforward about the truth of the gospel.” He refused to let Peter, regardless of his reputation, get away with pleasing the crowd, by diluting the crucifixion. By the time Paul made his case, in writing, he exclaims, “May it never be!” v. 17

The passion of this powerful Greek expression is not fully expressed in the English language.  It may be the closest Scriptural evidence of Paul coming to the point of cussing mad, or spitting cotton. He was riled up, and bringing the hammer down on a pillar of the church for attempting to weaken the power of The Cross. Why?

For Paul The Cross was not just a belief in an historic event, that took place at one point in time.  It was a personal expression of his living faith. He daily identified with his own death on The Cross, all the time.

Paul embraced the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on The Cross for his salvation, by personally identifying with Christ’s death, once and for all. The love of God was released to Paul, when he put his personal faith in the death of Christ, as the only way to be made right with Holy God.

Paul’s life of faith in Christ was revealed in him, by yielding his rights to God, and dying to them. He not only identified with the death of Christ on The Cross for him, Paul nailed his personal pride, prejudices and preferences to the cross every day. He said,  “I die daily.”  I Corinthians 15:31

The point of The Cross is death. The process of The Cross is death. The point and the process are essential to a life of faith in Christ. Identifying with Christ’s death on The Cross personally, and dying to self on The Cross daily are essential. They are two sides of the same coin, or parallel tracks that lead to the same destination. Never devalue one or derail the other.

Receiving Jesus as Savior involves yielding to Jesus as Lord. To do less gives no evidence of salvation, only impersonation. Identifying with Christ’s death on The Cross as a point in time without dying daily to one’s own selfish will, way and wisdom misses the point, and dismisses the process.

“I have been crucified with Christ: and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” v. 20

The crucified life releases the Christ life. Salvation begins with identifying with Christ’s death on The Cross. The life of Christ is released and revealed by continuing to identify with Him.  Daily and moment-by-moment, death to self is expressed by yielding, and dying to personal rights. The Christ life will not be shared with the self-life. Those who elevate their self-life over the Christ-life can expect the shelf-life. Paul guarded against it.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” I Corinthians 9:27 The Message

My wife, Dana often reminds me, “Dead men have no rights.” She is so right. Dead men cannot be hurt, offended, mocked, disappointed, discouraged, or disheartened, and they have no need to defend themselves. It is too late for that. They are already dead. There is no angst, anger, trauma and drama generated by walking by a coffin and calling the corpse, “Stupid.” What may have been true about that person, when they were alive, simply has no impact after that person is dead.

Note to self: Even dogs can be taught to respond to the command, “Play dead!”  You would be a wise man to, “Pray dead!” Stay dead until Jesus releases His life in you.  

The grace of God is poured out on The Cross in order to justify or make a person right in the eyes of God. God’s grace is not only available to makes a person right with Him, but also able to keep a person right with Him. No man made set of rules, regulations or rigid requirements can do that.

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” v. 21

Paul knew that identifying with, and embracing Christ’s death on The Cross was essential for a person to be made right with God. A lost person becomes a saved person by coming to the point in life when they know they must die in order to be made right with God. They must humbly accept Jesus as their substitute, and substitute no other.

The crucifixion of Christ was the prelude to The Resurrection of Christ. Death to self precedes personal revival. A person must come to the end of self-will and self-rule to be made right with God, and live under His authority.

God’s grace is released at the point of death, and through the process of death.  It is not enough to die. There must be new life.“Christ lives in me…and I live by faith in the Son of God.”  

Living by faith in the Son of God means dying to one’s own will, and no longer trusting man-made wit and wisdom as a way to be made right God or to stay right with God.  Death to self precedes life in Christ.  

Prayer provides the nails that keep a believer’s self-life on The Cross. When you come to The Cross, don’t just pray there. Stay there. Don’t forget the nails.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Poor

“They only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10

The persecuted church is a global fellowship of suffering.  The membership of this body of believers is widening with every step that the forces of evil take. Pray for those who are on the front lines resisting the relentless effort of evil focused on snuffing out the light of The Gospel, in an ever-darkening world.

Chinese Christians are having crosses removed from their buildings and their meeting places are being destroyed. Syrian Christians are being murdered by Islamic militants. During the greatest U.S. military presence in Iraq, virtually all the Christian churches were destroyed. Nigerian Christians are burned alive, in their houses of worship, by the soldiers of Islamic warlords. This is the tip of the spear of an all out assault on Christians and Jews that has been promised by Islamic imams for years. It should come as no surprise, and it must no longer be ignored.

The earliest sign of Christian unity was a concern for the poor. This was not a vital sign of an early form of liberalism. It was a heart-felt response to the pain of those who were part of the same body, The Body of Christ. Jewish believers, and Gentile converts were part of the same Body. When one part of The Body was in pain, the other parts of The Body felt it.

It is virtually impossible for a believer to be a member of The Body of Christ, without feeling the pain and responding to the needs of a fellow believer. Extending the right hand of Christian fellowship to The Poor should reveal a hand filled with more than platitudes.

The heart and the hands of a believer should be over-flowing with generosity. This kind of concern and genuine generosity is not the result of a ravenous system of government taxation, or mushy, compassionate conservatism. It is the by-product of a vital relationship with Jesus Christ, and it flows from the heart of the living God.

A tight-fisted, stingy Christian reveals a hardened heart.  Only a fool believes the grace of God is an excuse for becoming a self-absorbed, stingy skinflint who prays for more while ignoring the poor.

While serving as a pastor on the east side of Fort Worth, I discovered the median income of the families surrounding our church was $8,000.00 per household. In 1960 this had been a great deal of money. By 1990 the foolish fiscal polices of a series of federal administrations had made sure that it was not.

People from corrupt countries in Central America had crossed the porous borders of the nation and made their way to our doorstep. The demographics of our community became 90% Hispanic with breath-taking speed. Our new neighbors were wonderful people with pressing needs, but a typical Southern Baptist church was not one of them.

Responding to those needs, our church launched a Crisis Pregnancy Center, Clothing Closet, Food Pantry, ESL Language Center, Adopt-A-School, Coats for Kids, Mission Fort Worth: Disaster Relief. Efforts included purchasing winter coats for 900 children, and roofing hundreds of homes following a disastrous hailstorm.  This effort didn’t change the community but it changed me. That may be the key point of compassion.

As the new arrivals continued to press in, established local residents retreated to the suburbs. The culture clash between the remaining residents turned into a running battle for turf between The Crips, The Bloods and The Latin Kings. They turned tagging into an art form, and anything that didn’t move became a canvass for gang graffiti.

Gunfire and drive-by shootings became commonplace. One took place before a Saturday morning wedding, right outside the front doors of the church. The wedding party arrived moments after a bullet-riddled car crashed into a telephone pole. The father of the bride, observing the suspects being handcuffed and taken into custody, said, “I wouldn’t go outside if I were you.” I responded, “I don’t have a choice. I live here.”  Good times.

During this period of time, I read, “The Tragedy of American Compassion,” by Marvin Olasky. Geoffrey Prewett’s review is a great summary of this must read book, “Today ‘compassion’ generally means “giving a handout,” yet Olasky shows that it originally meant “suffering with.” Originally helping the poor meant spending time teaching them skills and spending painstaking time developing character.” This book profoundly impacted my perspective towards and passion for The Poor.

The early church leaders had a concern for The Poor, but it was not a call to blindly throw their meager resources at a problem or substitute social justice for life-change. Casting all the money they had into the four winds, and hoping for the best was not compassion. It never has been.

Being concerned for The Poor will always mean investing in them. This means taking the time to suffer with them, not just throw money at them. It also means expressing tough love that determines who are worthy of concern and those who are not.

Paul’s was concerned for those who were poor because of the consequences of their choices. They had identified with Christ, and His church, and they were paying a high price for it.  If The Poor were Gentiles, this meant many lost their jobs. If The Poor were Jews, they lost their families and the support of the local synagogue. Lack of concern was considered by Paul and the leaders of the early church to be a poor testimony of the compassion of Christ. It would be shameful to call people to Him, and not be concerned enough to suffer with them.

Culture change is a result of character change, one life at a time. Only God has the capacity to make it happen. Beware of liberalism or conservatism posing as compassion, in the church or from the government. Neither one has the power, nor the inclination to change character. Their interest in giving to the needs of the poor is based on a corrupt strategy that is focused on buying loyalty, not changing character. Big difference.

The motivation of the church’s concern for The Poor is both corporate and personal.  Identifying with the pain of the smallest part of the body is a reality of Body Life. The slightest part of the body can bring the greatest pain to the rest of the body. Real pain requires genuine relief, not the appearance of it.   When you hear, “I feel your pain,” check your wallet.

Note to self: Hit your little toe on the bedpost, and you will feel a flash of pain that quickly renews your genuine concern for your poor toe. This only works, EVERY TIME.

The Poor are worth of concern not because they are poor, but because they are part of The Body of Christ. Those who have come to a state of poverty due to the relentless persecution of their faith in Christ are especially worthy of the compassion of the rest of The Body.  This is not social justice. It is Body Life.

In the wake of the corruption, chaos and confusion that comes with the disintegration of governments and regime changes, sending financial aid to the persecuted may be impossible. It does not mean nothing can be done to invest in them. Intercession is an investment in The Poor that cannot be impeded or diverted. It is a priceless commodity of the church.

Praying in the Spirit, in its purest form, is marked by intercession for others. This kind of prayer is a personal investment in those who are suffering. It involves giving people time, not just money. Those who are short on time know how valuable it is. Those short on compassion would be wise to invest their prayers in The Poor, not just their money.

Prayer cannot be hijacked or stolen by the forces of evil. Intercession has the power to intimidate the enemy and to encourage the persecuted, by inviting Jesus to take the field.

The Poor of the persecuted church have problems money can’t solve. The Poor who believe they are the darlings of a culture of entitlement need a change of character. Money can’t buy it.  Concern for The Poor is guided by a passion for prayer and the wisdom of God. Invest in others. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Story

“That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.” Galatians 1:23-24 (KJV)

Paul’s story was HIS story. This is the only story that makes a difference in a person’s life. Real life-change comes from God. His call turns a person, a church, a community, and a country around. God does it one life at a time for His honor and glory, through His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Prior to Saul’s encounter with The Lord on the Road to Damascus, his mission in life was to destroy the church. After The Risen Christ transformed Saul, The Destroyer into Paul, The Apostle, his mission in life changed radically. It was so radical that it was unbelievable. Many of the early believers were not prepared to receive it.

Note to self: When you are most fearful is when you must be most prayerful. God’s greatest gifts can be missed when you are breathless with fear. They will be received when you are faithful in prayer. Prayer prepares you to empty your hands and open your arms to receive the gift of His Presence.

Paul’s conversion was met by aversion. The huddled, fearful early Christian converts had been persecuted and hounded from their homes by Saul’s death squads. They had heard of his murderous reputation, and were not easily convinced of his claims of being a changed man. They demanded fruit.

One of God’s greatest faith-building exercises for the local church is the change only He can make in people. His call upon their lives is not an invitation to attend church, but a commission to lead it.  God wraps up some of His greatest gifts in some pretty scary packaging, and Paul was the poster boy for this principle. In every generation the church must prayerfully prepare to be surprised by God’s amazing grace.

Three years after his conversion, Paul was still being held at arm’s length. The leaders, and the local members of the church, remained skeptical. Paul wisely maintained intimate communication with Jesus, in spite of his rejection by men. The results were stunning.

“And they glorified God in me.” v. 24

“A man who is intimate with God is not intimidated by men.” Leonard Ravenhill (English evangelist & protégé of Samuel Chadwick)

Paul’s one great purpose in life was to glorify God. He was focused on making a difference, not in making a name for himself. Big difference.

When Paul began his ministry to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish Roman world became his mission field. He reached out to men who were inclined to name their sons after a reigning king or a powerful emperor. Two thousand years later, men may call their dogs, Nero, but they name their sons, Paul. Big difference, indeed.

A little over a hundred years after the Puritans were blown off course, and landed on the windswept sands of Cape Cod, the people of the American colonies had drifted away from intimate companionship with Jesus.  Up and down the eastern seaboard, from Savannah to Boston, there was a great need for a Spiritual Awakening. Only God can send a prolonged movement of His Spirit that will saturate a community or a country with His Presence.

People prayed for what they didn’t deserve, and God sent what they didn’t expect. Rev. Jonathan Edwards of Northampton, Massachusetts described this First Great Awakening as a “surprising work of God.” It always is. Pray for Awakening, but be prepared to be surprised. God seldom uses the same means, the same men, and the same methods to provide it.

Those who prayed for a movement of God received The Awakening. Those who didn’t pray for it rejected it. Prayerless people have an uncanny capacity to stiff -arm a gift from God. Holding onto what they have, they miss out on what God wants to give.

Prayer is a two-sided coin stamped by intimacy with God, and marked by intercession for others. Pauls’ rejection by man only led him to greater intimacy with God. When he returned from the backside of the desert of Arabia, Paul was recognized and received as a man under the influence of God. Man’s hands had rejected him, but God had put His handprints all over him.

“Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.” Don Miller

Prayer softens a person’s heart to be molded in the image of God, and infuses a person with the courage needed to carry out the mission of God, for the glory of God. Paul never lost his passion for personal intimacy with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Paul’s turn around astounded everyone around him. His story was HIS story. HIS STORY makes history one life at a time. It is a personal Great Awakening, and sustained by a life of prayer.

“Praying in The Spirit” takes the focus away from oneself and invests in intercession for others. Paul did. The results were,  “They glorified God in me.” Expect no more. Invest no less. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Called

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred no with flesh and blood;” Galatians 1:15-16

Paul’s call to preach came from the highest authority. It always does. The concept of a call from God to preach the gospel should never be watered down to a career choice or a covetous stepping-stone to a higher pay-grade.

Schools of this nation were once served by people described as Vocational Guidance Counselors. Their title revealed the prevailing wisdom of the day. Vocational is rooted in the same Latin word, “vocare.” It means to call. Secular school systems were not stripped of Scripture, but guided by it, to an understanding that a call existed upon each child’s life.

“Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6

Based upon this Scriptural principle, it was understood that children were born with a leaning towards the Creator’s sense of direction. Counselors were enlisted to guide them to it. They were not hired to squeeze round pegs into square holes, but to help children discover their gifts and aptitudes for the very thing they were brought into this world to do.  Paul believed God’s call on his life began before his birth. This may sound a bit unusual, and even a little unbelievable, but IT IS NOT!

I grew up in a home that regularly elevated the call of God. My father received the call of God to be saved, and to preach on the same day. I received this call at the age of eight. I remember Dad counseling many young men with this statement. “If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out.” It was sound advice, then and it has stood the test of time. Fortunately, some took it, and stayed out of the ministry. Sadly, some didn’t and strayed away from it. Praying provides a preacher with staying power, and protects a preacher from straying from the source of power, Jesus.

I have witnessed a steady parade of former preachers discard The Call like a used shirt, and take up another team jersey, as if they are free agents. The called are not merely seekers of a career path, considering their options. They are bond-servants of Christ. The called, go and stay, until the Master frees them. They are not runaway slaves hiding from His will. They are fully devoted followers of His will.

When my family moved to New York, I was ten years old. My new friends at Main Street School in Farmingdale, asked me, “Whutchoudoin’ in New Yowuk?” I easily responded, “My Dad was called here.” Their response was an inquisitive, and boisterous, “HOO CAWLED HIM?”  This was the first of my many encounters with cross-cultural communication. They had never heard of such a thing. What made a great deal of sense to me was very difficult to explain to them. It still is. But I digress.

Paul said God called him, “that I might preach him to the heathen.” It was God’s call, not Paul’s. God doesn’t always call those who appear to be the most qualified. God seems to enjoy calling those who others have already disqualified. When Paul first showed up to preach, he didn’t draw a crowd. He cleared the room. The called often do not appear like a gift, until they are received. This is God’s learning curve, and one of His favorite faith-building exercises.

Note to self: Never doubt God’s ability to use your availability. Never trust your ability. Your availability trumps your ability, EVERY TIME.

Recently, I have encountered several staff members who actively pursued a position, and aggressively sought the removal of their pastor, in order to win a promotion. They had chafed under the limitations of being a member of the staff, and coveted becoming the pastor of the church.  This never ends well.

People who are were never willing to be under authority, won’t be any better at being in authority. Jesus pour His favors upon the UNDER dog, not the ALPHA dog. Stop barking orders. Start praying.

Over coffee, I asked a former minister of music who had become a recently dismissed pastor, “What made you think you were ever called to preach?”  He replied, “I was already in the ministry, and preaching didn’t look that hard. Besides, that’s where the money was.” He had seen the job opening and grabbed at a promotion. He hadn’t received the call from God to do it, and it affected his devotion to God in it. You can’t make this stuff up.

The Call of Paul was personal. It cannot be duplicated, but it can be replicated. Paul’s call was a command, an order from The Master. He was a bond-slave, and under the authority and jurisdiction of The Lord, Jesus Christ, from the moment The Risen Lord confronted him on the Road to Damascus.

There is a close resemblance between Paul’s call and those who are called to preach. They are not being invited to make a decision. They are being commanded to follow an order. Preachers either respond to the call or they stray from their Master. The way they come on is the way they go on. Preachers will either pray and obey, or they will delay and stray.

Preachers are not called to preach their own opinion, their doubts, conventional wisdom, political correctness, or review their favorite author’s new book. They are messengers. The word used for preaching describes the delivering of good news, or glad tidings. Angels did it at the birth of Christ. God-called, Spirit-filled preachers have done it since Pentecost.

The Called have only one mission in life, preaching the good news of salvation, offered through Jesus.  They are called and convinced that the Good News will never get any better. The called don’t apologize. They evangelize. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

“Christians are either missionaries or they are imposters.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Servant

“If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

In the 1990’s a surge of leadership books began to flood the Christian market. The best thing that came out of this was the term “servant leadership.”

Still, the emPHAsis too often was put on the wrong syl-LA-byl.  In a culture that admires personal freedom and raises celebrities and political leaders to cult status, bond-servant has always been a tough sale.

Paul’s warning to the Galatian church serves as a flashing light on the dashboard of the contemporary church. Apparently the urge to lead others, by pleasing followers has been around a very long time.

Note to self: STOP IT! Anytime you lose the sound of sandaled footsteps walking next to you, and allow the voice of those behind you to drown out the still small voice of the Spirit of Christ, you are heading down a dead end street, or taking followers over a cliff.  STOP. LOOK. LISTEN to Jesus.

Bond-servant is derived from the Greek word to tie, or to bind. In some cases it is used to describe a captured person, enslaved and held in a servile condition, subject an owners authority. The tie between the authority figure creates a servile condition, held by an unbreakable bond.

In the Christian experience, this bond is not inflicted upon a person, but it inspires a devotion within the heart of the one who has been captured. The Blue Letter Bible Commentary offers this insight. Bond-Servant: devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

There is a phrase in an old hymn that once graced the life of the church, “Blessed be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love.” It was a gentle reminder to the fellowship of the local church that they were not held together by man-made cement created by like-minded people. They were not bonded together against their will, but shared a love between one another that flowed from the heart of their Father. They may become friends, along the way, but they start the journey of faith, as family.

Ron Dunn, master story-teller, Bible teacher and preacher went to Heaven in July of 2001. He is still sorely missed. One of his greatest contributions to the Body of Christ was his message, “Chained to the Chariot.” He instilled in his listeners the unbreakable bond, and the inevitable blessing that comes to those who recognize that coming to Jesus means being bonded to Jesus.

On a personal note, Ron forever forged in my mind the understanding of the huge difference between being IN authority, and being UNDER authority. Thanks, Ron. I miss you, my friend.

The bond-servant is captured by the love of the Master, but is fully devoted to Christ. The servant is securely bonded to the Master, but willingly yields to His jurisdiction and authority.

Paul called upon the early church to wear their servile condition as a bond-servant, as a badge of honor, not eternal punishment. Paul was captured by Christ’s love, and chained to His chariot. He refused to be disturbed by men, or to distort the gospel message. He was willingly and fully devoted to Jesus, and preached the good news of the gospel of Christ to those captured by sin.

There are times, in the life of any bond-servant, that the hand of God feels like the thumb of God.  Paul’s imprisonment produced The Prison Epistles. His letter to the Galatians was penned during his imprisonment, and serves as a reminder that what looks like bad situation can be used by God to create something redemptive.

It matters very little that Paul was under house arrest, and not confined under a Roman jail. His freedom was limited to the length of his chain, and he was handcuffed to the arm of a Roman guard. He was not free to go where he wanted to go or leave when he felt he had waited long enough.

Decisions have consequences. Paul had sought the authority and jurisdiction of Caesar to settle his case. He went to Rome, and ended up in God’s Waiting Room. Rather than resent the delay, Paul embraced it. He was chained to the chariot, and made his peace with it.  Like the old camp song said, “Where-ever He leads I’ll go.”

The truth is a bond-servant is going to go where-ever God leads, willingly or not. The will of God is not limited by the will of man. He disciplines those He loves. Sons or servants, it makes no difference. The Father’s guiding hand sometimes feels like a thumb of discipline, in the midst of a crisis.

FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” Hebrews 12:6

Paul prayed his way to a willing spirit to follow God’s will, and so did Jesus. There is a pattern here. Don’t miss it.  If you are in God’s Waiting Room, or feel like you are under His thumb, stop squirming for wiggle room. Don’t waste your time looking at old magazines or talking to the person next to you about the bad hand you have been dealt. Double down on prayer and enjoy the wait. The best is yet to come. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Accursed

“…there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accurse! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!  For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. ” Galatians 1:7-10

Paul had no patience with, and placed no trust in those who promoted a new and improved gospel. Within his life-time Paul had seen the believers in the Galatian church influenced by those who were leading them away from the truth of the gospel, by telling them that following Jesus was not enough. They were buying the lie that keeping The Law was the new standard by which they must be reconciled with God.

Note to self: Avoid any influence in your life and ministry that tries to dilute the power of The Blood of Jesus, and attempts to infuse new power to save you by adding ANYTHING to The Savior’s finished work on The Cross. The Gospel is Good News because Salvation comes from God, through The Lord, Jesus Christ + nothing. Make no substitutes for, and accept no additives to Jesus.

The strength of the church is based upon the purity of The Gospel. The Gospel has life-giving power because it flows from the heart of God, through the blood of Jesus. His death on The Cross was a substitution for man’s sin, and a sacrifice required by the character of God.

God won’t fellowship with sin. His holiness requires that the separation that sin brings between His holiness and man’s sinful condition, be dealt with once and for all.  Jesus did this at the cross. Those who personally identify with His death, and humbly accept His sacrifice for their sin are saved from the consequences of sin, and reconciled with the holiness of God.

There is no better news than The Good News.  Preachers offering any new and improved gospel, slowly poison the people in the pews. If they drink the Kool-Aid, they will eventually discover that any new and improved gospel is not better, only bitter.

The curse of the contemporary church is the constant pressure to be on “the right side of history.” The ever-shifting sands of cultural norms, conventional wisdom, and political correctness erode the substance of The Gospel and weaken the spines of preachers.

When a preacher becomes more interested in being hip, than being right, he loses his backbone. Preaching for the approval of man, and losing the favor of God leads the church bus down a dead end street, and kicks The Gospel to the curb. This only happens, EVERY TIME.

Paul would have none of it. People are not reconciled with Holy God, by seeking the favor of man, keeping more rules, going to church, or cleaning up their act. They are made right with God, by recognizing they deserved to die for their sin, and identifying with the death of Jesus on The Cross, as the only way their sins can be forgiven.

Adding anything else to the finished work of Christ turns a preacher into a freelance reporter, not a bond-servant of Christ. Paul saved his harshest language, and most withering rebuke for these false preachers. Twice he said they were accursed.

Transliterated directly from Greek to English, the word is “anathema.” Translated it refers to a person, animal or thing doomed for destruction, or held up before the congregation to be the recipient of the direst of consequences. It paints a powerful word picture of God’s disdain for those who dilute the blood poured out at His Sons’ sacrifice.

The death of Jesus on The Cross for man’s sin was never a suggested alternative to being right with God.  It has always been the only option, and the main headline. Preachers are not called by God to be rogue reporters who reinvent the news. They are called as His evangelists to present The Good News of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Preachers who attempt to improve the message, to seek the favor of man, only weaken the message, and find they lose their right standing with God.  Reading God’s Word, and praying for His direction, protection and correction prepare a preacher to be an evangelist, and keep him from becoming an apologist. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Apostle

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, …” Galatians 1:1

The Apostle Paul was chosen by The Lord, Jesus Christ to be the replacement of Judas Iscariot when He encountered Saul on the Road to Damascus. After Saul was blinded by The Lord’s Presence, he was led by his traveling companions to the home of a fearful follower of Christ. There he received hospitality and the trembling hand of Christian fellowship. Over time Paul emerged as God’s voice to the Gentiles, and His chosen evangelist to preach the mystery of The Gospel.

Today the contemporary church confuses being The Apostle, with being apostolic. Some have chosen to lay claim to the title, but lack the street creds to hold onto it. There is danger in assuming the mantle of Apostle, without biblical credentials.

There is a difference between having power and being in charge. The passion to lead must reveal a hunger to be under authority, not a craven desire to be in authority. The former is revealed when a leader becomes a servant kneeling at The Cross. The latter is revealed by a leader claiming a title and seeking to sit on the top of the mountain.

This was Peter’s mistake prior to Pentecost. Gathered in the Upper Room with fearful followers of Jesus, Peter turned a prayer meeting into a business meeting. His purpose was to lead The Eleven to choose The Twelfth Man. He was compelled to replace Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. In Peter’s mind there was a vacancy that needed to be filled. He was a man on a mission, but it was his mission.

Peter suffered from a chronic problem that affects natural leaders. He mistook his good idea for God’s idea. There is a big difference between The Natural and The Super-natural.

The Commission given to His followers by The Risen Lord was a vision for global evangelism, and discipleship. They were to pray until The Father delivered The Promise to them. In the middle of the prayer meeting, Peter became convinced that the completion of the mission was only possible, if they rounded out the remaining eleven apostles with a replacement.

Peter’s logic appeared to be based on his correct assessment of the impossibility of completing the mission.  He incorrectly assumed it could be accomplished by selecting just one more man. He had researched the problem, added up the facts, arrived at a solution, and missed the right answer. He had offered up a good idea, and postponed God’s idea. He told them to PRAY!

Remember, Jesus had commanded His followers to tarry, or wait in Jerusalem until The Promise of The Father was delivered to them. The Promise was The Spirit of The Risen Christ, dwelling in them. God’s idea was for The Spirit, not man, to empower every believer to carry out The Mission. Peter’s idea was to find the man of the hour. God’s idea was for the church to receive The Spirit of power.

To summarize, without intending to criticize, Peter’s idea was to select one man. God’s idea was for each person to receive The Spirit. There is a stark contrast between the record of the selected “apostle” and the works of The Holy Spirit. Don’t take my word for it. Read the book of Acts, and see whose name appears more often. The Spirit of God wins this contest, hands down. When the timing was right, Paul was selected by God’s hand, The Lord’s Presence, and empowered by The Spirit’s fullness to be The Apostle.

Note to self: Never underestimate your capacity to come up with a good idea. Never substitute physical action for biblical accuracy.  Don’t let your good idea lead you to miss the mark of God’s idea.

Some believe the office of The Apostle has been re-instated, and then want others to believe their own name happens to be at the top of the list. Surprise! Unless they have seen The Risen Christ face to face, and been commissioned by Him, they don’t meet the biblical credentials.

The Promise of The Father is The Spirit of The Risen Christ. Don’t settle for any substitute. Never assume a good idea is God’s idea. Read The Word. Be filled with The Spirit. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Amen

“Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever, Amen.” Galatians 1:3-6

Popular music has the capacity to hit a nerve and release clear evidence of a spiritual nature within the heart that cries out for God. Unfortunately, a spiritual experience does not necessarily lead to an encounter with The Author of Salvation, Jesus Christ.

This is the counterfeit nature of music that often passes for worship, but leaves the seeker in a state of spiritual bankruptcy. Still, powerful lyrics and the driving rhythm of a song often reveal a heart with a God-made, and a God-shaped vacuum that only Jesus can fill.

One of my all-time favorite words in the world is “Amen.” As a child, it always served as the trigger that was pulled at the end of a service that would set me free, and launch me out the door of the church with a new surge of FREEEEEDOM.

In my teenage years, this simple word was put to music in a Gospel song that became a national phenomenon. The featured soloist, simply repeated “Amen” over and over again, as a choral group responded with a series of refrains. It ended with a crescendo that caught the attention of millions of radio listeners, believers and non-believers alike.

If interested, Google, “The Amen Song” and you will discover, "Amen" was a song popularized by The Impressions. The song was written by Jester Hairston, for the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field (1963). Curtis Mayfield said ‘I'd gone to see 'Lilies of The Field,' and the song in it, 'Amen,' was very inspiring for me as was the movie.’

The song went to number one on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart for three weeks and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1964.[ A new version was released by The Impressions in 1969 under the title "Amen (1970)", reaching #44 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart in January 1970.”

“Amen” shows up often in Scripture to bring closure to a powerful prayer, or to precede a prophetic statement. For instance, John’s Gospel employs it no less than 25 times in this manner. When repeated back to back, “Amen. Amen.” It meant, most assuredly. When Amen closed a prayer, often those hearing it would repeat it as a personal and corporate, “So be it.”

“The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence.”  The Blue Letter Bible Commentary

In Paul’s prayerful and graceful greeting, “Amen” is a reminder that what has preceded it requires a response to it. Paul’s letter was not a source of interesting information for the early church, nor was it for their temporary inspiration.  He was sending them a manual of instruction.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians challenged them, from the outset, to put their listening ears on, and to take what he was writing into their hearts, and to own it.  It still challenges us today.

Believers are receivers of The Word of God. They are not just listeners to and students of The Word. They are not nit-picking bibliophile constantly learning but never coming to the knowledge of The Truth. They are not navel gazing lint-pickers sitting, and soaking, enjoying or critiquing the efforts of a hired wordsmith.

To be rescued, snatched out of “this present evil age,” is not a change of location, but a change of heart. It is a turnaround, and a transformation of a culture, one heart at a time. This gathering of transformed people becomes a church that gives off a striking aroma in a world of corruption like a gardenia in a garbage can. This kind of creation does not blend in with the culture of “this present evil age.” It lives to serve a Risen Savior, and extends His hand into the culture, to pull people out of it, not to slap them down for being corrupted by it.

Paul’s uses the word, “Amen” not so much to bring closure, but to bring exposure. His words expose the motive of every believer, individually, and the church corporately. Each must respond to the condition of “this present evil age” and own their part of the mission of The Lord, Jesus Christ, reaching out to those caught in its undertow.

The church must be filled with First Responders, who race to the cry of the lost. Too often it becomes a gathering of people who have secured their place on the lifeboat, and then spend the rest of their lives turning it into a cruise ship. Big difference.

Pray for the insight to see the difference, and for the courage to make a difference, before it too late for a drowning man to be saved and a dying church to be revived. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!