church

Staying Salty

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“For everyone will be tested with fire. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other” (Mark 9:49-50, NLT).

I learned something new today. I had always wondered how salt could cease to be salt by losing its flavor? Maybe it goes bad? Gets stale? I had never really understood what that meant, especially in the context of believers as salt and light to our culture.

But my teacher explained that salt loses its flavor when it gets mixed with other things like sand. Basically, salt is no longer effective as salt when it is compromised and corrupted.

I think in the same way, the Church loses its status as salt when in trying to reach the culture, it becomes too much like the culture and loses its own identity. When the Church waters down the gospel or eliminates parts of Scripture that it deems offensive, then the salt becomes less salty.

Finally, the Church gets to the point where the message is no longer distinguishable from any self-help guru or quasi-New Age teacher. There is no actual gospel or Bible left in its teaching but human wisdom dressed up in spiritual clothing and marketed as Christianity.

The problem is that the Church too often has had the goal of being successful rather than faithful. We focus on numbers rather than growth. That leads to compromised convictions and doctrines, or basically what the Bible would call speaking what people want to hear instead of what they need to hear. That also leads to easy believe-ism where there is no repentance required and no sin to be repented from.

I heard a pastor say once that the world doesn’t hate Christians because we’re different but because we’re not different enough. If we look and act and speak just like those we’re trying to reach with the gospel, what good is our gospel message? If we have the same message that the world is sending out about love being about what you feel and tolerating anything and everything, then we cease to become the Church and forfeit our very right to exist in the first place.

The true gospel starts off with the bad news that all of us have sinned and that the wages or the results of that sin are eternal separation from God in a literal place called Hell. The good news is that God took on human flesh in the form of a Savior, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect, sinless life that we could never live and died on the cross in our place. He died and rose again three days later and offers salvation to anyone who places their faith in Him as Savior and Lord, truly repenting of their sins and committing the rest of their lives to Him.

Lord, revive Your Church. Forgive us for not preaching and teaching the whole gospel for the whole person. Raise up faithful men and women who will not be ashamed to proclaim the name of Jesus and the true gospel. Help us not be a place where people can be comfortable in their sin but convicted and changed by the power of the Spirit to become sons and daughters of the living God. Amen.

Lessons from 1 Peter

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“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (1 Peter 4:12-13, The Message).

At my church, we’ve been going through the book of 1 Peter, written to believers who were living in exile away from their home and undergoing all sorts of suffering and persecution. That seems to fit the current situation for many Christians all around the world, especially in places like Asia, Africa, and Middle East. Those believers’ lives are in very real danger.

But even in this country, it’s becoming more and more difficult and dangerous to identify as a believer in Christ. If you believe the Bible and hold to your convictions, you’re more and more likely to be called any number of names from bigot to fascist to transphobic and homophobic. More and more, the possibility is real you could lose your job and your reputation. But the heavenly reward is so much better than anything you might lose down here.

We often forget that we’re strangers and pilgrims in this world. Heaven is our true home. Our allegiance is to a King and a kingdom above any flag or country or political party. I think we’d be a lot more effective as a Church if we remembered that little fact more often. We won’t effect any kind of eternal change through politics and power but through the cross and through servanthood.

There’s a fair amount of suffering and hardships that come with being a faithful follower of Christ, but it always serves a purpose. God is refining and remaking us to look like Jesus. Every trial and tribulation serves a purpose of removing anything that isn’t of God until what’s left is like pure silver and pure gold.

The end result is that God gets glory and we’re the better for it. And many people are drawn to the hope that we hold in the midst of it all and they find Jesus in the process. That’s what I call a win-win.

Prone to Wander: A Prayer for Prodigals and Deconstructers

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“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above” (Robert Robinson).

I read where Robert Robinson, author of the famous hymn “Come, Thou Found of Every Blessing”, actually walked away from his faith for a while but eventually returned. I don’t know any details. I know that God’s power to restore and redeem His own children is amazing and never failing.

My prayer is for those who have altogether left the true faith or have watered it down to make it humanly palatable. I pray you come back. I pray that you will know that the God who made you is the same God who loves you. He is the same God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as revealed in the Old Testament. He is the same God as the God who became incarnate in Jesus in the New Testament. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Truly, we are the ones who are prone to wander. We’re the ones who will drift into error and heresy if we forget our first love or quit striving for Christlikeness and settle into complacency and compromise. It’s easier to let go of our convictions for the sake of so-called peace and fitting in. It’s so much easier when we’re liked and when all people speak well of us. But Jesus said woe to those when everybody praises you and says nice things about you.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus said much that made people quit following Him. He said some hard truths that people didn’t like because what they heard made them uncomfortable and challenged them to change. He preached love toward those who were the least but He also emphasized repentance because the Kingdom of God was at hand. He told the woman that He didn’t condemn her but also to go and sin no more.

Lord, I’m praying that those who have fallen away will come back to true faith. I’m praying for some who were never Yours but who thought they were and even did amazing things in Your name though You said that You never knew them. May they truly embrace Your gospel of grace and find forgiveness and salvation in You. May they know not my truth or their truth but Your truth because You are the Truth, the Life, and the Way.

Restore Your truth to churches and denominations that have lost their way. Redeem them to places where Your Word is taught and Your gospel is preached. Revive Your Church, Lord, so that we can again be the ones who bear Your name well and share Your love faithfully until everyone has heard. Amen.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

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I’m dusting of a favorite quote of mine and bringing it back for an encore performance. This was reportedly found among the possessions of a young pastor in Zimbabwe after he was martyred for his faith. This is proof positive that those who live and die in Christ leave behind a legacy that will live on until eternity. May it be the prayer and the anthem of your faith going forward as you strive to be among the fellowship of those who are unashamed to bear the name of Christ:

“I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power. My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

Prayer Walking

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For the second time, my church did a prayer walk around our neighborhood. It wasn’t as organized as the last time due to the daylight getting low and us wanting to get as much time actually praying as possible. I ended up prayer walking by myself around a couple of blocks before it got too dark.

Still, there is something powerful about a good prayer walk. It helps me to visualize what I’m praying for. So we were given a guide to help us pray for our neighbors as we covered the surrounding streets and blocks around the church building.

I believe God impressed on my mind the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19. I read somewhere that even though he ended up becoming a follower of Christ and giving away half of his possessions, history remembers him as a wee little man, no thanks in part to the Sunday School song we all used to sing back in the day.

But as I prayed, I felt let to pray that just as Zacchaeus sought out Jesus and invited Him to his house, so these people would want to know more of this Jesus and invite Him into their own homes and lives. I prayed that just as salvation came to Zaccheus’ home, so it would come to each of these homes.

I know prayer works. I also know that God answers some prayers by prompting us to acts of obedience outside of praying. Sometimes, God leads us through prayer to speak out and to act. Sometimes, we end up being the answer to our own prayer as we obey what God is telling us to do in response to what we’ve prayed.

In this case, I’m praying that the result of tonight will be a multitude of gospel conversations and the neighbors being curious about our church across the street. I’m praying that we can be a beacon on a hill that shines out the glory of God for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

It can feel like what we’re praying for seems impossible and hopeless. But then we see that God still answers by changing people’s hearts and lives and transforming families. Just ask Zacchaeus.

An Unglamorous Life

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“Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will” (St. Ignatius).

I think sometimes the Church needs less rock stars and more foot washers. We need less leadership conferences and more servant mentality. We need to remember that the most important people in any body of believers aren’t necessarily the ones on stage or in the spotlight but behind the scenes and behind the stage on their knees in prayer.

The Church only functions well when every single person does his or her part and doesn’t sit in a pew as a spectator but is serving out of the overflow of God’s generosity through his or her giftings and passions. You are unique and have a calling to the local body that only you can do. And it’s not to take up space on Sunday or to be a statistic so the church can pat itself on the back for having impressive numbers every Sunday.

It’s as much about cleaning toilets as delivering sermons. It’s about making people feel welcome as they walk though the church doors, but also cultivating an atmosphere of worship that goes beyond praise and singing to every aspect of ministry and service. A true church has an attendance that varies from 10 to 10,000 but will always have an audience of One, because everything is for the glory of God and the lifting up of the name of Jesus.

I’m thankful to serve in a local church where so many are committed to serving and sacrificing so that people can learn about and grow to love Jesus. I’m thankful for a pastor who doesn’t lord it over his people but has a servant’s heart and a humble spirit. I’m thankful that every week God shows up not only in the amazing music but also in the preaching of the word and the prayers of God’s people. Kids are learning to worship by seeing their parents worship, because as much as children have to find their own faith at some point, it’s better caught than taught.

Lord, help us to serve sacrificially and live surrendered, remembering You chose to leave Your privilege to become human and take on the role of a servant who was obedient to the point of death, all for love of us. May we never forget that ultimately the only one we have to please at the end of the day is You and You alone. Amen.

Praying for My Pastor

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Just to clarify, I go to a multi-campus church and my campus pastor is Aaron Bryant. The senior pastor of the main campus, Brentwood Baptist Church, is Jay Strother. Recently, Jay announced to all the campuses that he has been diagnosed with an cancerous abdominal tumor.

I normally don’t post things like this, but I believe that this is a time when God’s people should rally to pray for one of their own. This is when we step up for a man of God who has faithfully served the Church for over 20 years.

I’m praying and believing in faith for complete healing. I believe that God can remove every trace of the tumor, either through the capable hands of physicians or through miraculous means.

I’m praying that this sickness won’t end in death but it will be a glorious opportunity for the gospel to go forth as people see God’s hand in this.

I’m praying that God will strengthen Jay and his family through this time of testing and that he will come out stronger on the other side.

I’m praying that there will be people in heaven, including doctors and nurses and many others, thanks to Jay’s testimony of how he will use this trial as a means of communicating the gospel of Christ through both words and actions. They will see a peace about him and want to know where that peace comes from and where to find it.

I believe God is able to to immeasurably more than we can ask or think. I believe that whatever the outcome the Kingdom of God will continue to increase in Middle Tennessee and throughout the world.

I ultimately believe that either way is a win-win because to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Thank you, Jay, for your leadership and your pastor’s heart for your people. I and many others will be faithfully praying for you throughout this season and waiting to hear what amazing things God will do in and through you.

Comfortable Chairs or Carrying Crosses

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“What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs? What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? Would His Word still be enough for his people to come together?” (David Platt)

“Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message” (A.W. Tozer).

I’m a fan of comfortable chairs. I’m all for having working A/C in the summer and heating in the winter. But sometimes, I forget that people around the world are worshipping their Creator in caves or out in the open field. Some are in hiding because it’s illegal to be a believer where they live.

Maybe one day in America, churches won’t have the comforts and conveniences we’ve all grown used to and take for granted. Perhaps even down the road the churches could lose their tax exempt status. What then?

Will the Word of God be enough? When there’s no electricity to power the pyrotechnics and professional sound and production, will it be enough to praise God with our voices? Will people still show up if it’s someone in front of them reading God’s Word without flashy graphics or screens?

None of these things are wrong or bad in and of themselves, but I think we err when we make them the end rather than the means to proclaiming the gospel and leading the lost to find salvation in Jesus alone. Too many people to to churches to be entertain and fed rather than to worship and to serve. It’s more of a “what can I get out of it” mentality rather than one of “how can I serve the people inside and outside of these walls.”

I truly hope that we become a people of worship, but that doesn’t start when we walk through the sanctuary doors at 9 am or a 10:30 am on a Sunday. It starts when we pick up our Bibles on a Monday. When we share the gospel with a friend on Tuesday. When we work hard and don’t bend the rules on a Wednesday. The amount of worship we experience on Sunday stems from how well we worship throughout the week.

May God bless your churches and services tomorrow. I’m praying that God moves in each and every place. I’m also hoping that we don’t have to lose our comfortable buildings to find out what true worship looks like. God, please revive Your people so that we can be about Your business more than our comfort. Amen.

Ever Giving Lord

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“Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed. He is a sun ever-shining; He is manna always falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from his smitten side; the rain of his grace is always dropping; the river of his bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of his love is constantly overflowing” (Charles Spurgeon).

I remember a famous writer once said that you can never outgive God. I’ve never forgotten those words in all the years since I first read them. I’m finding them to be more and more true the older I get.

That’s the way God works. You go to serve in a homeless ministry or in a greeting capacity at a local church and end up getting way more blessed in return. It helps to remember that absolutely everything we own and all of our abilities we use to give were first gifts from God. We can never give anything back to God or to anyone else that God didn’t give to us first.

Sometimes, I think the only thing we offer God that’s ours is us. Our surrender. Our willingness. Our obedience. But even those are responses to the overflow of God’s love toward us, like us offering God a thimble of love from the ocean He washes over us.

But God is ever merciful and ever giving. He never ceases to give and bless and overwhelm His people with good things. They may not always look like blessings at first glance, but those with eyes of faith know.

Thank You, Lord, for every single blessing and gift — especially the small ones that I take for granted every day. I could never in a billion years come close to paying back or matching Your gifts to me. May I be a conduit for Your blessings to flow through me to others so that they can know You and know the joy of Your blessings. Amen.

A Prayer for Sunday

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“Lord, look with great grace, we pray, upon the slaves of sin that are present here this morning; break their chains. Save this people. We know there are some in this congregation who are currently “poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness” (Acts 8:23). Move, divine Spirit, over this audience, and fetch out from among us those who do not know God, that they may know themselves and their God this day. Make this to be a profitable, soul-winning Sunday, one of the high days on which heaven’s bells shall ring out more sweetly than ever, because many and many a prodigal child has come back to the Father’s house to make the Father glad.
Amen” (Charles Spurgeon).

I usually try to pray every Sunday for my church. I typically pray that God would make our hearts good soil for God’s word to go deep and produce a harvest. I also pray that if there’s anyone sitting in the rows during the service that doesn’t have a saving faith in Jesus that they would come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.

I’m not typing all that to humble brag. I’m simply being obedient. Who knows? Maybe God would have saved someone anyway, but I know the Bible says that we have not because we ask not (to put it in super King James English).

Are you praying for your church? Are you praying for God to move in your services? With all the talent in most churches, it can be so easy to preplan and program every service down to the second and leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move. We can run an entire Sunday off of our own agendas and abilities and charisma and not even be aware that God was not present because we never invited Him in.

It’s always a good idea to pray for lost people to come to Christ in your church services. It’s never wrong to pray for reconciliation of families and marriages, for the calling of people to the ministry and missions, for God to bring revival to your church, your city, and the world.

Lord, move in every place where we assemble to worship. Don’t let us get by on our strength alone but bring us to the place where we’re dependent on You for anything good that happens this Sunday. Speak, Lord, for Your servants are listening.