Posted in Daily Blog on May 04, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
1 John 2:18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
1 John 4:3 Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
2 John 1:7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
We portray the antichrist as a spectacular and mysterious individual who comes onto the scene like Satan incarnate. Authors sensationalize the antichrist; they predict that a political personality or a national/international leader is the "Antichrist". But in scripture, antichrists are those who deny Christ as the Son of God; who oppose the mission of Christ; who persecute, deceive or discourage followers of Christ; who disrupt the fellowship of Christ; who generate hatred. John writes that many antichrists had already come in his day. Rather than condemning some celebrity as the "Antichrist", it's more scriptural to look close by. The boyfriend who propositions his girlfriend to have sex, is an antichrist. The team mate that coaxes you to do weed or other drugs, is an antichrist. The man or woman who lures a married person into an extra-marital affair, is an antichrist. The bull-headed church member who stirs up discension in the Body, is an antichrist. The former buddy who tempts you, now born again, to return to your old lifestyle, is an antichrist. The one who ridicules a believer because of their faith in Christ, is an antichrist. John acknowledges that some of the antichrists "went out from us". So anyone could operate as an antichrist by tragically choosing to serve evil rather than good, darkness rather than light, indifference rather than love, prejudice rather than compassion, confusion rather than order. We must be certain that our faith in Christ is real and in everything we must be pro-Christ.
Posted in Daily Blog on April 29, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Calling and Career
Page 93--The Hole in Our Gospel--Richard Stearns
Often we are too busy pursuing our careers to discern our calling. There is a vast difference between career and calling. Read what John Ortberg says about it --"American society does not talk much about calling anymore. Career becomes the altar on which they sacrifice their lives. A calling, which is something I do for God, is replaced by a career, which threatens to become my god. A career is something I choose for myself; a calling is something I receive. A career is something I do for myself; a calling is something I do for God. A career promises status, money, or power; a calling generally promises difficulty and even some suffering--and the opportunity to be used by God. A career is about upward mobility; a calling generally leads to downward mobility." The demands of career and family make it difficult to hear God's call. God continues to call. He pursues. He opens doors inviting us to walk through them.
To Help You Ponder God's Call
Hebrews 3:1--Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
1. What is God's call for you? Not your career, but what does He want you to do for Him? How does He want to use you in the lives of others?
2. You've spent years and a lot of money to discover, pursue and advance in your career. What have you invested in order to embrace and obey God's calling?
3. Be as intentional about God's calling as you are about your career. Read books like, The Hole in Our Gospel. Study/read your Bible daily. Journal. Seize opportunities to serve.
4. Notice what brings you deep and sacrificial joy just because you did something not for yourself and not for gain, but in order to serve God in the lives of others.
5. Allow your heart to be pierced by needs and opportunities God brings to your attention.
6. See how His sufficiency will bring a miracle from your availability.
7. A career is about being able and proficient. A calling is about being obedient and surrendered. Every believer is called to serve.
PW
Posted in Daily Blog on April 28, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Romans 8:28--All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.
I hope I'm being more wise than glib, but the longer I live this Christian life, I'm more convinced that trials and difficulties are really not wasted; that they do not end with our pain and inconvenience, but bear fruit in us if we continue to love God and remain faithful to Him. He does use trials and difficulties to cleanse us, humble us, and develop us as His disciples. Honestly, I wish this were not true. I'd rather accept Christ and sail smoothly through my days until I blissfully arrive in Heaven. Of course, that is not the way. Most of the time I don't have a clue about the lesson God is teaching while I am enduring whatever it is. Usually, the experience passes before I see any benefit. Sometimes it takes a while for me to become humble enough to realize what God is up to.
John 12:24--I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Something has to die about me for God to bring something more Christlike to life in me. Something selfish has to die in me for the Holy Spirit to produce sacrifice, influence and community. This is a painful process which I usually resist, but when the kernel falls, many seeds sprout.
Posted in Daily Blog on April 28, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Isaiah 41
The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.
I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
This is a beautiful passage of scripture, and, unfortunately, that is all that I saw in it until yesterday. Tuesday morning, however, God gave me this word, not as romance, or even prophecy, but as command. He continues to use recent experiences in Haiti to convict and commission us.
Clearly, yesterday, God impressed Isaiah 41 on me as what we are to do. Reading The Hole in Our Gospel also sensitizes me to God's compassion for the poor and suffering here and around the world.
In Haiti, clean water was scarce. Latrines were few. Some tent cities use the same canal for toilet, washing and drinking. AIM (Marcio) and other missionaries provide water and assist in constructing sanitary facilities. In India, Chad and Leslie dig wells because villages have no clean water and disease is rampant. In Rwanda, Charles and Africa New Life dig wells because people are weakened to the point of death due to thirst.
God lays upon us that "the poor are searching for water and that their tongues are parched" to stir us to action. God assures us that He will not forget the poor, so neither should we.
God will "make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. He will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs". These are our marching orders straight from the mouth of God. We are to go to the poor and thirsty in the Name of Christ. God intends to use us to make springs flow in the dry, parched places.
I dismissed Isaiah 41 as symbolic, but through it, God calls us to the continually thirsty people of the world and He invites us to partner with missionaries who are there now. With whom does God want us to partner? Where does He want us go go next?
Posted in Daily Blog on April 23, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Careful or Courageous
Joshua 1:9— Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
- This morning, I overheard two neighbors conversing in the street. They talked a pretty long time and then when they were walking away from one another, one said to the other, “Be careful!” We offer that advice often.
- Rand, our son, is leading a trans-Texas bike-a-thon called, “Bike Out Hunger”. They are riding on roads and highways for miles daily. Morning, noon and night, I pray for God to keep him safe and every time we talk or text, I close with, “Be careful!” Of course, we want our loved ones out of harm’s way. We want them protected.
- But today when I overheard the neighbors, my first thought was that we always encourage people to “be careful”. Sounds like we’re insecure; like we’re afraid of something.
- I wonder why we don’t wave and yell, “Be strong and courageous.” That’s more Christ-like. Strong and courageous is what we are saved and called and sent to be; not careful, afraid, and risk-phobic. We won’t find that in Jesus’ vita.
- Nothing revolutionary or transformational is ever accomplished by people whose first agenda was to “be careful”. If we're obsessed with being careful, we act as if it’s all up to us. We behave as if God is not our leader, defender and provider. We seem to not trust God’s sovereignty and power and purpose. We act like we're in control or we’re doomed.
- Carefulness, as our first priority, clips our wings, silences our tongues and deflates our adventure. We should not be stupid or irresponsible, but in the Spirit of God, we should be “strong and courageous” trusting Him and going bravely where He leads and calls even when it looks risky to those who are weak of faith.
Posted in Daily Blog on April 23, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Trust is something we learn progressively throughout life. Seems like I'd be trust-filled by now, but not true. Through recent experiences God taught me to trust more. Trust is the opposite of control. If I'm a control-freak, I'm trust-weak. Trust and control are opposites. Trust says, "Let go and gratefully receive". Control says, "Hold tight because you never know who will betray or harm you." Trust in God only comes after we trust others. To paraphrase 1 John 4:20, "How can a person trust God whom he has not seen if he does not trust his neighbor who he has seen?" If we suspicion and doubt people around us, we are not likely to mount up huge trust of God. We may talk trust, but we won't trust. Our trust account is opened early in our lives by those who nurture us. If they prove trustworthy, we trust more easily. If, as we grew, trust-figures demonstrated that they trusted us, trust deposits were made for us to draw from throughout life. If neither of these are true, trusting God and trusting others is more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. The difficult requires discipline. We who are trust-challenged must practice the discipline of trust. Step back when we want to charge in. Remain silent when we want to speak. Pray when we want to advise. Read and meditate on scripture when we want to email or text. We don't have to declare trust bankruptcy. God is our benefactor of trust. He gives freely when we surrender our anxiety and submit our wills to Him. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
PW
Posted in Daily Blog on April 22, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
The responsibility of the church to teach boys how to be godly men is too often neglected. No one can instill this but other men. Many churches leave boys to figure it out on their own beyond what they hear in worship and learn in Sunday School. This is un-Christlike. Last night at the Men/Boy Campout, Jack's friend Pastor Mark, described a life-investment crisis. More than ever, boys wonder what it means to be a godly man. Not a wimp. Not a yes-man. Not a loser. Not a weakling. Not a reject. But a man. A man on adventure. A man taking risks. A man leading. A man having fun. A man who is admirable. A man changing the world. A man making disciples. Boys need men of Christian character they can consistently watch, follow, and emulate. Current culture is plagued with absentee and preoccupied dads who don't/can't mentor, discipline and encourage sons. So the church must seize the opportunity. I'm thankful that at South Run, men and boys are vitally connected and commissioned. Critics of the church conclude that church is only for women because in some places men have abdicated. The Jesus-church ignites, empowers and impassions men and women to love, live, lead, serve, make disciples and to valiantly rebel against evil, status-quo and injustice. Following Christ is active. He demands our all and more. The church today does not typically exhibit the bravery and muscle with which Jesus launched it. Jesus took on powers and won. Jesus took on lives and changed them. Jesus took on tradition and replaced it. Jesus took on religion and reclaimed it. Jesus took on outcasts and made them champions. Jesus took on champions and made them His. We've got to do the same or boys will become men don't know the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). PW
Posted in Daily Blog on April 22, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
From Page 82 of The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
I knew I had a stark choice to make: I could accept the astonishing truth and commit my life to following Jesus Christ--or I could turn my back on God, walk away from something I knew to be true, and spend the rest of my life living a lie. There was no partial step I could take. Either Jesus would be the most important truth in my life, governing all that I would ever do, or I would go it alone, doing everything my way. But Jesus did say: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"(John 14:6).
PW's Comments:
This is the reason that faith in Christ does not transform lives today and why Christians don't revolutionize culture. We're quasi-Christians. We believe enough to "save" us and to be blessed, but we retain the larger portion of ourselves, so we can be compatible with non-believing friends and with secular culture. The "way" in John 14:6 includes my way. I can't do faith or life my way. I have to do it as Christ commands and leads.
Posted in Daily Blog on April 21, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
We must study and discuss The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. I normally mark and highlight books as I read, but this one deserves more than usual. Stearns paraphrases Matthew 25:31-46 as follows: "I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thristy, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted to deport me. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved." Hits home doesn't it?
Posted in Daily Blog on April 17, 2010 by Wayne Jenkins
Remembering
This weekend reminds many of us of a painful loss. A year ago, Beth Bryan's quick battle with cancer ended. Mike, Andrew, William, Stephen, George and Carolyn lost a most precious part of their lives and they suddenly had to follow God's leadership into a "new normal". For a year now they have lived courageously although never apart from their pain and loss. I admire them. Many of us pray for them daily and constantly embrace them with the love of God, but this weekend, let's especially lift them up. For such a time as this, the church of God exists to support and encourage, to strengthen and to share, to discern and to move forward. I Corinthians 12:26-27 If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body rejoices, the whole body rejoices together. Together we are the body of Christ. Each one of us is part of it.
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