Author: daltonjenkins

The Challenge of Easter: The Gethsemane Challenge

daltonjenkins

Acts 10:38-41 & Matthew 26: 36-46

Have you ever had to perform a task that was very challenging? This task tested your will power, you were not sure that you could accomplish the steps but you determined that you would pursue the task no matter how difficult it might get. I remembered accepting the task of leading a team of 4 families to plant our current church. The magnitude of the task overpowered me, just after I signed the lease for the new worship site.

The weight of the responsibilities seemed to multiple. How am I going to do this? What if it fails? Those were some of the questions that came to mind. But in that moment of feeling powerless the Holy Spirit whispered to me that He is in charge and He will give me what is necessary to perform the task. My requirement was to remind in prayer and be faithful to the task.

This Easter season I want to focus on the challenges that Easter had on Jesus and how we can embrace the challenges that this God of Easter is calling us into.

For many of us Easter has become a ritual. We look forward to fasting through Lent, worshipping on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We have often focused our thoughts and worship around the Resurrection Morning. This truly is the focus and it is the resurrection that has sealed our hope of eternal life in Christ. But I want to take you a little deeper past the resurrection because indeed there was a struggle before the resurrection. The challenges to get to the resurrection were many but Jesus faced them and was victorious because He determined to do the will of God the Father.

Every challenge is manageable when viewed through the will of God. So, what is the challenge or challenges that God has placed at your feet? Accept it and fulfill the will of God.

Luke documented this in Acts 10:38-42, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.  And we are witnesses of all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on he third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.  And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.”

Our Christian walk is filled with challenges. We are always endeavoring to accomplish something. Let us look at the Gethsemane Challenge and see what truths can be applied to our everyday Christian walk.

Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem marked the final moments in His journey to Calvary. It is in the last moments leading up to fulfilling your task that the burden gets extremely heavy. The days following the triumphant entry Jesus gave may hints as to his intending purpose. His ultimately challenge was to do his father’s will. In the garden of prayer documented in Matthew 26:39, Jesus cried, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Here again, Jesus demonstrated that His purpose was to fulfill the will of God the Father. On the cross, He declared that it is finished, indicating that his mission was accomplished. The ultimate mission was to become the substitution for you and I.

Jesus was not afraid to die but I believe that the humanity of Jesus was on display in this passage. He knew of the pain of isolation. He would be isolated from his close friends and most of all, His father. This was going to be happening at the time of his greatest need. The weight of the sins of the world and the separation from his father was too much to bear. In thinking about this hour Jesus found a way to deal with the pain that he was experiencing. He found a way to always realign himself with the will of the Father. Here are six (6) things Jesus did in His effort to realign with the Father’s will.

1. Jesus found a place where he could meet God – verse 36

The verse tells us that Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane; Jesus found a place that was symbolic and meaningful but at the same time provided Him some isolation. It is important that as we continue in our journey that we find meeting places. These are places that we can pour out our heart to God. Places were we could be real with God. These are places that you will not be judged and looked down on. Jesus found a place call Gethsemane, a place of submission versus resistance. As with every aspects of Jesus ministry the significance of this place cannot be overemphasized. The meaning of Gethsemane is “oil press”. “At the Mount of Olives was a private garden which Jesus often had used as a retreat (John 18:2). Gethsemane means “oil press,” a significant name in the light of our Lord’s agony in that Garden.”[1] Your meeting place will provide room for you to be pressed into pure oil.

2. Jesus met his challenges with prayer – verse 36-39

The verse continues to say that Jesus told his disciples to “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”[2] Jesus wanted some personal time with His Father. As demonstrated throughout Jesus’ ministry, prayer was a key ingredient in his ministry. It was so pronounced that when He asked his disciples for what they wanted him to teach them they said teach us to pray. Prayer is a key ingredient in our Christian walk. We cannot face our daily challenges without prayer. We must get in the habit of praying for everything no matter how insignificant. Develop a prayer list and watch God answer those prayers. Everywhere Jesus went and no matter what he was going to do He always makes time to pray. He began his ministry with 40 days of prayer and fasting.

3. Jesus had people around him during his challenge – verse 37

Verse 37 indicated that Jesus had people around Him that He could share His burdens with. The scripture states, “And He took with Him Peter and kthe two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.”[3] In the middle of our challenges we should find people that can help us pray. Sometimes they might fall asleep during the intercession but the fact that they have come to your Gethsemane is important. Not everyone can be with you at your Gethsemane. This is a place pressing. It the pure oil is going to come out of your soul you will undergo a pressing. If you could see past the pressing and see the end you will cry out press me Lord.

Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. These three have seen Jesus up close and personal. They have witnessed His glorification on the mount of transfiguration; they have had intimate discloser of Jesus ministry. And now at the time of the ultimate fulfillment they were the ones that Jesus took with Him. Not everyone that is around you can witness your moments of challenge. These challenges sometimes push you towards the point of giving up. Therefore, you must take care as to who you share your struggles with, because it can have lasting impact for both you and the hearer.

4. Jesus shared His burden or challenge with His friends – verse 38

Once you have Identified trusted intercessors do not be afraid to allow them to help you bear your burden. In verse 38 Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”[4] Oh how we all need to have people in our lives that can hear and bear our burdens. Jesus found this in Peter, James and John. Leading up to this moment there was a sense that something was on Jesus’ mind. And now he was revealing it to His friends. Jesus recognized that His time remaining with His disciples was limited and He realized that they did not fully understand His purpose. It was here in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus was going to fully reveal the struggles He is facing.

When facing ones own mortality you can understand the pain but when you have to face your mortality in place of others imagine the pain you will experience. I believe that Jesus was at this point, the weight of what He was about to undergo was heavy and He needed time with His father to walk through this part of the journey. When we are at our point of ultimate challenge as we turn to others for comfort and consolation we should turn to God first, who alone can help us accomplish the task. As we form these small groups I pray that lasting and meaningful relationships will develop. We need others to stay and watch with us. There is strength in numbers. Do not think you can fight the battle by yourself.

5. Jesus separated himself to be alone with God the Father – verse 38- 39

In verse 39 the Bible stated, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and mprayed, saying, n“O My Father, if it is possible, olet this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, pnot as I will, but as You will.”[5] Even in the company of his closest disciples Jesus still needed a more personal time with his Father. He went a little further and prostrated before God. The sense of insufficiency must have overcame him. He recognized that He needed His Father to help Him through the next level. You and I must not think we can fulfill God’s plan without God’s help. It is sometimes perplexing to see Christians claiming to be doing God’s will but pursuing it on their own terms. There is no greater help that that which comes from God. The Psalmist echoes this by stating in Psa. 121:2, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Oh how we can learn from this example, Jesus found a place and the time to be alone with God the Father. At the moment of deepest testing He found comfort in the presence of God the Father.

6. Jesus submitted to His father’s will – verse 39-46

Imagine knowing that you have ultimate power to counter any challenge. You have full knowledge of the severity of the task or challenge and you know with just one word you can stop it. You even know, that those you are going through this process to help do not even know they need help and even when they know they will turn their backs on you. How would you react? The pressure was great but Jesus submitted to the will of the father.

We too should learn to submit to the will of the Father. Even if we determine that it is not worth the effort we should still submit to the will of the father. Three times Jesus prayed if it is possible, olet this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, pnot as I will, but as You will. That should be our constant cry; Lord, I which this too will pass, I wish I do not have to do this and Lord please pass on me this time never-the-less whatever you want, Lord your will be done. In the end Jesus was able to face his challenge he said to his disciples in Matthew 26, “Behold, the hour 9is at hand, and the Son of Man is being sbetrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” [6] He face is destiny with a resolve; no matter what I will face I will go forward in the power of the Lord. You and I can learn from Jesus’ challenge and move forward and face your destiny.

As we face the challenges of our various situations let us imitate Jesus’ behavior. We can apply these 6 principles to any challenge that we are facing. I pray that you will allow the Easter Challenge to realign you to the will of God. For this realignment to occur you must:

  1. Find a place where you could meet God – verse 36
  2. You must meet your challenges with prayer – verse 36-39
  3. You should have people around you during your challenge – verse 37
  4. You should share your burden or challenges with your intercessory friends – verse 38
  5. You should separate yourself in order to be alone with God the Father – verse 38- 39
  6. Once you are alone with God submitted to His will – verse 39-46

This Easter will you face your challenge with a resolve like Jesus had one that said I would do what God’s will is for my life.

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996), Mt 26:31.

[2] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 26:36.

k Matt. 4:21; 17:1; Mark 5:37

[3] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 26:37.

[4] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 26:38.

m Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; [Heb. 5:7–9]

n John 12:27

o Matt. 20:22

p Ps. 40:8; Is. 50:5; John 5:30; 6:38; Phil. 2:8

[5] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 26:39.

o Matt. 20:22

p Ps. 40:8; Is. 50:5; John 5:30; 6:38; Phil. 2:8

9 has drawn near

s Matt. 17:22, 23; 20:18, 19

[6] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 26:39–46.

Speaking into the Next Generation (1 Samuel 3: 1-21)

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The church is faced with a challenge, this challenge will determine the kind of church that we will have in the future.  The ability to speak into the next generation is crucial and the challenge we face.  It is hinged on the relationship between the “now” generation and the “next” generation as demonstrated between Eli and Samuel.

It is even more crucial in this transition because the current generation is facing serious challenges and they are living in a fast pace informational time.  We call them the Millennials those 35 and younger.  The most important group in this generation is grouped between 18-35.  As David Kinnaman, and Aly Hawkins said in the book, You lost me, “The story –the great struggle-of this emerging generation is learning how to live faithfully in a new context, to be in the world but not of the world.”[1]  This generation he contends, is about doing their faith not just hearing their faith or doctrine; it is about faith in action.  The important thing that the older generation must accept is a new mind as Kinnaman, Hawkins stated, “Christian community needs a new mind to pass on the faith to this culture and future generation”.[2]  We can still speak into the next generation; the door is not yet closed.

So here is the challenges; how can the now generation speak into the next generation?  Are the Millinnaials willing to hear from their predecessors?  We turn to the Bible for answers to these questions.  I will tell you the story of a boy that became a man and had a tremendous impact on the course of history.  This was possible because he had a relationship with is parents and guardians.   In the book of Samuel we find a man, a prophet and a priest selecting and anointing the first and second kings of Israel.  David the second king of Israel became the symbolic forefather of Jesus Christ.  To this day, David remains the greatest leader in all the history of Israel.  His life was ministered and poured into by this little boy that became a man, a prophet and a priest.

How did this happened?

Let us step back into time into the 1st & 2nd chapters of Samuel.  The parents of Samuel were God-fearing parents (Elkanah & Hannah).  They practiced their faith, in particularly Hannah, Samuel’s mother.  Her faith in God was unshaken even when Eli, the priest, in charge of the temple worship did not understand or recognized her earnest prayer.  She kept on praying and interceding year after of year.  Her request was her simply request, Lord I need a child and if you give me this child I will give him back to you.

Parents and guardians must practice what they preach and teach.  They must remember their vow to God.  Their fulfillment of this vow or pledge will have an impact on the next generation.  When Hannah’s prayer was answered she remembered her vow and brought little Samuel back to the priest, Eli, so he could raise him in the service to God.   We should not hold back our service to God through the church because leaders are not living right; we are serving God not the leaders.

Let us concentrate on the 3rd chapter of 1 Samuel.  The church has been witnessing a mass exodus from its pews of those between 18-35 years old.  The transition between the now and next generation, as we will see in Samuel’s life, was crucial.  The relationship between those in charge and those that will be in charge is critical.  Understanding this relationship, I believe, will help us to be more effective in the ministries of the church.  Bridging this gap is fundamental to speaking into the next generation.  Let us focus on the two main characters in this chapter, chapter 3, Samuel and Eli.  The next generation must listen (hear and do); they must pay close attention to what is being transmitted (hear) and they must follow these Godly instructions carefully (do).

The now generation is represented by Eli.  Here are four (4) things that the Eli Generation should consider as they endeavor to speak into the lives of the Samuels’Generation.

  1. The Eli Generation must not cover up the bad behaviors of their children, (1 Samuel 1:3 & 3:11-14).  Eli knew of the bad behaviors of his children and did not corrected them.  He allowed them to defile the temple and God was not pleased with this behavior.  One might wonder what it would be like if those two boys were mentored properly by Eli.  Here we see that Eli was no able to effectively minister into the lives of Hophni and Phinehas.  Parents and leaders should not cover up the bad behaviors of your children.  Some parents sacrifice the ability to directly speak into the future of their children for the opportunity to be liked.  This is a lie from the pit of hell.  You are only damaging your children’s future.  Parents if you see and know of bad behaviors speak up do not keep quiet.  God will hold you accountable for your inactions.  In verse 13 and 14 God spoke to Samuel about what he was going to do to Eli and his family because of his sin of inaction.  Parents you have a responsibility to speak into the next generation do not avocate your responsibility.
  2. The Eli Generation should recognize that there is always a second chance, (verse 1-3).  1 Samuel 1:1, samuel said that, “The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.”[3]  If you have messed up in the past by not speaking into the lives of some of your children you still have a second chance.  Even if you are old and have began to loose some of your strength as long as you have life you can speak into the lives of the next generation.  The caution here is that inaction or turning a blind eye can cause spiritual decline.  Even thought Eli had failed at speaking into the lives of his sons the Bible said that Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli.   Samuel provided another opportunity for Eli to speak into the lives of the next generation.  As leaders of the church we must allow room for the younger generation to minister unto God.  Recognize the opportunity we have been presented with to speak into the lives of the next generation.  We can walk along side them and help them to serve God.
  3. The Eli Generation should be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Samuel generation, (verse 4-10).  This is a crucial time in the lives of the next generation.  It requires the older generation to accept the changing of the guard.  We have to understand that God is at work and his grand plan has you and I working at different time and place.  We have to recognize when it is time to past the baton to the next generation.  The fact that Eli a man of God, old, and seasoned could not understand the call of God on Samuel’s life, not one time but twice, is a serous revelation.  Leaders and parents we must prepare our lives in order to hear and discern when God is leading and calling the next generation.  It might be that what God has hidden from you He is now ready to reveal it to the youths.  Jesus said in Luke 10:21, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”  We have a glorious opportunity to help the Samuel Generation discern the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  We who are familiar with the voice of God must make it our duty to help others discern the voice of God in their lives.
  4. The Eli Generation should Recognize God’s call on the person’s life, (verse 9-10).  As the Holy Spirit is speaking there is a call of appointment on that life.  Our responsibility is to help the next generation discern the call of God on their lives.  We have little time and it is imperative that we waste no time in helping the next generation answer the call of God on their lives.  What is God leading them into is the question to answer?  Help them discern the call of God on their lives.  Samuel sought and received the instructions because he “did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”[4]  After two times of failure Eli was able to discern that it was God that was calling Samuel.  His instructions were clearer go and lie down and if you hear the call again this time answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”[5]  What a joy to know that you have walked beside a Samuel and help them discern the call of God on their lives and see them live out such call.  This is one of the most important responsibilities of the Eli Generatiuon.

Samuel represents the next generation.  Here are four (4) things that the Samuel generation should consider as they endeavor to walk into their calling and take over leadership of the church.

  1. The Samuel Generation must Serve faithfully in the church, (verse 1), regardless of the failures of the now generation.  While Eli was busy covering up for his boys, Samuel was serving in the temple.  He must have seen what Hophni and Phinehas were doing but he did not succumb to that presser.  The Bible said he ministered unto the Lord before Eli.  It is key as you serve to recognize that you are serving God first and that those in authority are second.  Therefore it does not matter what those in authority are doing.  Even if they are sinning you should not give up on your service unto God.  God might be calling you to reveal to you his plan for the future.    He has a work for you to do.  There are lives awaiting your prophetic words.  The anointing you carry is for a greater impact on history.  It is often sad to hear of people leaving the church because they were offended by what others did.  They gave up their relationship with God because of others.  Do not let anyone or anything stop you from serving and from walking into your calling.  Young people, Samuel, you have a responsibility to prepare yourself for the future.  Do not stop serving God regardless of who is not working and doing the right thing.  Your life has been ordained for this time so that the Glory of God will be seen.
  2.  The Samuel Generation should seek counsel from the older generation, (verse 4-10).  You have a glorious opportunity to get counsel from those that have past your way before.  Do not despised the older generation because they might not readily accept your way of doing church.  Seek their counsel because they too had to deal with similar issues like you are now facing.  The Bible said in 1 Samuel 3 verse 7, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”[6]  As much as you have been serving in the church there are certain things you have not yet learn.  Do not think that because you are more educated and fluent in the technology of the time that you do not have time for the older more mature generation.  The issues you face has embedded in them certain principles that are evident in every generation.  Those Elis that have past where you are can speak with more authority because of their experiences.  The wise man Solomon can teach us a few things on this matter.  Even the Apostle Paul in his instruction to Timothy and the Early Church admonished them to develop a relationship between the older and younger generations (Titus 2 & 1Timothy 3).  You might be serving but you might not have full understood of discerning the call of God.  Let those that are mature in the Lord help you discern the call of God on your life.  It is even more imperative to be able to discern God’s call in this generation.  So many false prophets are risen up and are confusing and clouding the voice of God.  Samuel you need the tutelage of the Eli generation.  Making the distinction between the voice of God and that of the world is crucial therefore seek the advice of those that are mature in the Lord.  Do not turn your back on the adults because you are aware of their past.  Listen to the wisdom and learn from it.
  3. Samuel should always Recognized your potential.  Wrapped up in all of us is a level of potential to do Gods’ work.  As you serve in the church you will begin to understand and discern what are the gifts that God has given to you.  Do not allow external sources that you do not have control of control you and limit your potential.  There are Saul and David to be anointed.  There are many people waiting to hear from you what God has to say.  There are many lives that you will impact.  You are a bungle of potentiality.  People will fail, leaders will fail, friends will fail, families will fail and your finances will fail but for heavens’ sake you must keep going on walk into your calling.  You can do all things, through Christ who strengthen you, (Philippians. 4:13)
  4. The Samuel Generation must be honest and speak, as God will let you.  No matter how harsh the truth, the truth must be spoken.  God is preparing you to be bold.  Eli was able to lead Samuel into identifying the voice of God and to ultimately speak the truth regardless of the circumstances.  It was this training that allowed Samuel to become such an effective leader.  The time you live in will witness an avalanche of people that will want you to compromise by offering position, money and prestige.  They will want you to not correct them but to stand with them knowing quite well that your very presence will signify your endorsement of their behaviors. When it was time to face the great king Saul and to look him in the eyes and tell him the harsh truth about his demise, Samuel did not relent.  I cannot help but think that the morning after Samuel’s revelation and Eli’s willingness to hear from the young boy helped developed his character.  Samuel, understand that God has put you in place to clean up the mess of the Eli Generation.  He is not looking for a compromiser like Eli; he is looking for a truth teller.  Samuel you have seen first hand what happens to those that fail in their responsibilities and now you can learn from those experiences without going through them yourself.

I conclude with these two reminders.  In order for the Eli Generation to impact and speak into the lives of the Samuel Generation it is imperative that they develop a relationship.  The common thread in this story was that there was a relationship between the older graying priest and the younger boy; the now and the next generation.  Samuel could feel okay with approaching Eli with questions and Eli was able to speak into his situation.  It was that relationship that allows Samuel to follow the instructions of Eli.  Both generations must make it a priority to develop a relationship between them. Dallas Willard, author of Knowing Christ Today, said “we must connect spiritual wisdom with real-world knowledge and teach through experience, reason and authority if we are going to pass on the values and principles to the next generation”.  While there is an effort to classify groups of people around birth year I believe that what we should be focusing on are the principles that can impact any generational transition. Kinnaman, Hawkins said in their book, You lost me, All is not lost, they said, the ‘Millennaials’ (Samuels) are looking more to historical forms of their faith and the younger generation needs the older generations to help them identify the voices of God like Eli and Samuel.  It is about helping fewer people go deeper in their faith rather than mass evangelism.

[1] David Kinnaman, and Aly Hawkins. You lost me: why young Christians are leaving church– and rethinking faith. Grand Rapids, Mich.: BakerBooks, 2011, Kindle location 128.

[2] Kinnaman, Hawkins. You lost me, Location 3432. 

[3] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2002), 1 Sa 3:1–3.

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Sa 3:7.

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Sa 3:9.

[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Sa 3:7.

Kingdom People Living By Kingdom Principles – Part 3

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Part 3

As the Church develops a comprehensive and practical understanding of missions, this will propel Christians to act out their missional call.  For example, this message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ transforms not only Cornelius, but his entire family, and Peter as well, as stated in Acts 10.  God was the underlying connection between Peter and Cornelius.  God is both sending the seeker, Cornelius, and preparing the messenger, Peter the missionary, the disciple.  This circle of missions is the thrust of the project; it begins with the call of the Church and then the commissioning of the church.  As the Church carries the gospel to the world the Church is being transformed and then is re-commissioned.

Refocusing the mindset and view of missions requires change.  In order to foster a new paradigm we must deal with the issue of change within the Church with regards to the understanding of missions.  How does understanding the theology of change contributed to this process?  Theology of change refers to the understanding of all aspects of change and the philosophy that is buried in this word “change”.  We have to consider several aspects of change but will maintain as the foundation, what I term, the Circle of Missions.  This involves looking at the community where the work of missions is carried out, the congregation where training is done and the core (people) that is doing the work of missions.   Change is the agent that gets one from one quadrant to the next, form community to the core.

While there are many stories of individuals throughout Church history that have demonstrated a holistic approach to missions; our time is not void of individuals that are continuing this process.  These individuals are demonstrating in practical ways the Biblical understanding of missions and the Kingdom of God.  They are from different backgrounds and operate in different parts of our culture but are stirred by the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s mission.  Lives are being transformed and the Kingdom is expanding.  The application of Biblical missions will result in transformation, growth, and will bring glory to the name of God.

The Church must take the lead in being holistic in its approach to mission.  Fulfilling the call of mission requires the Church to approach this call from a holistic point of view.  The Church has done an excellent job in preparing people for the afterlife; but one of the areas in which we are lagging behind is preparing the church for end of life experiences and even traumatic experiences.  In order to address these issues adequately there has to be a deliberate effort taken to look at the religious structures and spiritual practices at work in the context of the community the church is ministering.  I believe issues of death and dying, euthanasia and Advance Directives as discussed by Dr. Martha Jacobs[1] in her book a Clergy Guide To End Of Life Issues is important as it relates to missions.

[1] For an informed discussion on end of life issues and information to assist the pastor in educating the church read Martha A Jacobs book, Clergy Guide to End-Of-Life Issues, (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2010), 17.

Kingdom People Living by Kingdom Principles – Part 2

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As we deal with the issue of living out the missional call  the Church has to effectively deal with the attitudes of the congregation to be more “holistic” in their approach to missions, while being theologically consistent with the Biblical mandates. It will require an understanding of the theology as it relates to missions: Church, world and Kingdom of God, this is call the holistic approach.  There are several themes that are illustrated in the Bible relating to different aspects of missions that can be seen throughout Church history as documented by Henry Chadwick in his book The Early Church.[1]  Two of these themes are the understanding of the main object of mission and the structures involved.  Jan A. B. Jongeneel also defines these in his book, Philosophy, Science, And Theology of Mission in the 19th And 20th Centuries.[2]  We have to have a solid theological foundation that rest on the gospel message dealing with the Great Commandment, Commission and Compassion.[3]

It is therefore helpful to explore some of the definitions that are used to define missions, since these definitions are somewhat slanted to the theological view of the authors; it is pertinent for anyone or group that is embarking on the journey of being missional to posit a working definition that will follow them throughout their journey.  One cannot define missions without defining the Kingdom of God.  As we seek to clearly articulate this meaning it will be helpful to consider these meanings as they relate to eschatology (study of end times) and the ecclesiasticalogy (study of the church).  Entrance into the Kingdom of God is clearly defined in scriptures; what is its meaning within this context of your journey?  Of a fact, the full gospel message is about is about Restoration is the focus of the new era; Gabe Lyons in his book The next Christians spoke about telling the full gospel story, God’s story: creation, fall, redemption, restoration and ultimately consummation.[4]

Church History is a hidden treasure of practical and demonstrative information relating to missions and the Church’s understanding and application of missions.  The early Church took the commission very seriously because they believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime; armed with this conviction they wanted to take the gospel message to the entire world as they knew it.  The foundation of the early Church was about advancing the Kingdom of God by spreading the gospel message.  Throughout Church history there were many who benefited from the advancement of the gospel and they were sometimes willing supporters because of other reasons apart from the gospel.  What they found were that people were converted into the Kingdom of God and living a life that was admirable and these new converts became responsible citizens, workers, neighbors, and employees.

In the first 100 years we saw the purely Jewish Christian Church developed into the majority Gentile Church.  It was the Apostles’ commitment to the Great Commission empowered by the Holy Spirit that led to the spread of Christianity during this time.  They were also obeying the Great Commandment and demonstrating Compassion but the foundation of their missional quest was the Gospel Message.  Later, The Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church took up a similar thrust and once again missions were at the forefront of their endeavors.  The birth of Protestantism came from a desire to become more like the Christ of the Bible.  They originally were not actively involved in missions because of their efforts to codify their doctrines during the reformation.  On the other hand, the benefits of their sound doctrines and the codification of these doctrines was the catalyst for the future generations of Protestantism who were now adequately armed.  Their desire for missions as their focus, led to the spread of the Gospel everywhere they went.  While the effect of their actions was originally felt in the west and the subsequent colonies, it later spread throughout the rest of the world, literally.  Historically missions had at its core the gospel message; everything was done to advance the gospel.

We more forward to the Great revivals and the birth of Pentecostalism where these periods were marked by the desire to be like the Christ of the Bible and those involved in these movements participated in missions, as they perceived it with emphasis on the gospel.   There is an ongoing struggle for those who are seeking to be true to Jesus’ command to present a holistic missional approach to the gospel.  As the Church grew, some sections were more tilted towards just the commission, others were more tilted towards compassion and still others were more focused on the commandments.  However, there is a consistent theme that undergirds all of the generations throughout Church history and that is missions’ main purpose is to bring the gospel message to all those who have not yet received it.  These missionaries would travel to foreign countries and suffer great feats determined to see the natives transformed and accept the message they brought.  They were holistic in their approaches; focusing on the Great Commandment, Commission, and Compassion.  The holistic approach to missions is necessary to fulfill the call of God on our lives.

[1] For a more detail information on this subject read Henry Chadwick book, The Early Church (The Penguin History of the Church), (Revised ed. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics), 1993), 13-20.

[2] Jan A. B Jongeneel, Philosophy, Science, and Theology of Mission in  the 19th And 20th Centuries: A Missiological Encyclopedia: The Philosophy And Science Of Mission (Studies in the Intercultural History of Christianity), (2nd Rev ed. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2002), 88-93.

[3] See Ed Stetzer’s post at  http://www.edstetzer.com/2012/03/monday-is-for-missiology-credo.html for a look at some efforts to define missions.

[4] Gabe Lyons, The next Christians: the good news about the end of Christian America. New York: Doubleday Religion, 2010.

Book Review – David Kinnaman, and Aly Hawkins. You lost me

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David Kinnaman, and Aly Hawkins. You lost me: why young Christians are leaving church– and rethinking faith. Grand Rapids, Mich.: BakerBooks, 2011.

This is a must read for Senior Pastors, Youth Pastors and anyone that works with youths.  You Lost Me is a frank look at the reality of the church and the relationship with the Millennials or Mosaics (youths under 35)[1], particularly those who are 18 to 35.  These youths were basically born between the 80s to now. This is an inside look at the struggles of the next generations of Christians.  Kinnaman and Hawkins stated, “The story –the great struggle-of this emerging generation is learning how to live faithfully in a new context, to be in the world but not of the world.”[2] This generation they contends, is about doing their faith not just hearing their faith or doctrine; it is about faith in action.

Here is the new paradigm, discipleship is not about mass production but it is about relationship, it is about building disciples one person at a time.  Kinnaman and Hawkins identify three kinds of young Christian dropouts; “NOMADS are those youths that walked away from church engagements but still consider themselves Christians, PRODIGALS are those youths that have lost their faith and are describing themselves as no longer Christians, and EXILES are those youths that are still invested in their Christian faith but feel struck between their culture and the church.”[3]He challenges the church to rethink its approach to disciple making focusing on building relationships, vocation (calling) and to help the ‘Mosaic’ value wisdom over information.

There is an abundant of information but little ‘know how’ to wisely apply this knowledge.  Kinnaman and Hawkins also posited that the church is facing a shift or major shifts regardless of our age or generation.  They continued to talk about the fast-pace changes that are being led by the fast-pace and volume of information that is present and available by a click of the mouse.  The next generation, they argued, is living in a new and fast technological, social and spiritual reality; three words, access, alienation and authority can characterize this reality.  Access involves this digital age, downloadable books, direct TV, Internet, tablets and PDAs.  Alienation includes the breakdown of the family with absent fathers, the transition to adulthood by the Millennials, and skepticism of institution and Authority surrounds the changing spiritual narrative in North America.

Social media has shown a different view regarding authority.  They do not think music downloads and file sharing over the Internet is wrong as long as you are not profiting from it.  The influence of the Bible is still to be decided, many are trying to sort between what they are told in the mass media and what the church is teaching. They have not yet separated their values from the Busters’ generation.  The Busters are still deciding the role of Christianity on the culture.  Kinnaman and Hawkins said, “the digital revolution, endemic social change, and shifting narrative of faith in our culture have deeply affected the cognitive and emotional process of “encoding” faith.  Many Millennials are seeking authority outside of the conventional Christian forms.

All is not lost, they said, the ‘Millennaials’ are looking more to historical forms of their faith and the younger generation needs the older generations to help them identify the voices of God like Eli and Samuel.  It is about helping fewer people go deeper in their faith rather than mass evangelism.  They quoted Dallas Willard, author of Knowing Christ Today, that “we must connect spiritual wisdom with real-world knowledge and teach through experience, reason and authority if we are going to pass on the values and principles to the next generation”.  These principles can be applied in all areas of our time, sexual relations, job, family and social environments.  Kinnaman and Hawkins posited that sexuality is a major point of contention in the new environment. The good news, they concluded, is that the Millinnaials are open to the historical values of our Christian faith.  The important thing that the older generation must accept is a new mind as Kinnaman and Hawkins stated, “Christian community needs a new mind to pass on the faith to this culture and future generation”.[4]  We can still speak into the next generation; the door is not yet closed.

[1] Here is the generational division as describe by Kinnaman and Hawkins; Millennials (18-27), Busters (28-46)(Gen Y), Boomers (47-65), Elders (66+).

[2] David Kinnaman, and Aly Hawkins. You lost me: why young Christians are leaving church– and rethinking faith. Grand Rapids, Mich.: BakerBooks, 2011, Kindle location 128.

[3] Kinnaman, Hawkins. You lost me, Location 325.

[4] Kinnaman, Hawkins. You lost me, Location 3432. 

Kingdom People Living By Kingdom Principles – Part 1 of 7

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Reflection of Missions

The challenge to be truly missional requires that persons consider themselves to be disciples, and begin to engage their communities in their everyday life, to be incarnate.  This has posed a challenge to the church and seeks to answer the question: how will missions and being missional in the 21st century be any different from the Colonial Periods? The challenges that seem to be facing the local churches are similar to those which face the North American Churches.[1] Some of these challenges are diversity of the harvest, an increasingly large harvest, lack of harvesters, lack of focus in the Church, a dying Church and an unclear presentation of the Gospel. In the Book of Luke chapter 10 verse 2 it reads, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  This was Jesus’ view of the many souls that were not saved.  This picture is true today of the North American Church and begs the question “Has the Church lost its focus of the Great Commission?”  Many churches are declining, and even dying, while the ‘unchurched’ population is increasing.  Ed Stetzer and Mike Dobson state that three denominations – Assemblies of God, Nazarene, and Southern Baptists – all reported a decline in their membership.[2]  While many churches in these denominations are growing the greater portion is declining.

We do not have to travel miles and overseas to some foreign country to locate the mission field.  Right here, literally in our backyards, the world has come to us, as Sadiri Joy Tira, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization senior associate for Diasporas, said, “The world has become borderless.”[3]   The next challenge that Jesus identified was that the laborers are few (Luke 10:2).  Many churches lack disciples or self-feeders (Christ-centered persons) that are harvesters.  According to Ed Stetzer and Mike Dobson in the book entitled Come Back Churches, 70 to 80 percent (70-80%) of North American Churches are in decline and 3,500 to 4,000 U.S. churches close their doors every year.   To be truly missional requires a holistic approach that includes the Great Commandment, Great Commission and the Great Compassion, this I call “The Circle of Mission”.  It is about ministering to the total person and requires an investment into person’s lives of our time and our finance.

[1] In their book Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, Geiger, Eric, and Thom S. Rainer, researched and present a clear and detail picture of the North American Church community.  The book is published by Kiev Russia: B&H Publishing Group, 2006.

[2] Mike Dodson,  and Ed Stetzer in their Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can, Too evaluated 300 churches that were declining and undertook a process that led to their turn around.  The book is published in New York by B&H Books, 2007.

 [3] Sadiri Joy Tira, “Evangelism vs. Missions” Christianity Today, July 2010.

Book Review – R. Albert Mohler – Culture shift

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R. Albert Mohler – Culture shift: engaging current issues with timeless truth. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Multnomah Books, 2008.

I just recently finish reading this book and here is my recap.

This is a must read for every Christian leader. Dr Mohler laid out a path in which the Christian culture can interface with the secular culture. He argues the point that there is no truly secular space in this debate. Any discussion on morality and justice has to flow from a point outside of our own conscience. The church has to understand, as Augustine argues in his book, The City of God Against Pagans, that there are two cities that are constantly dialoguing. These two cities are the City of God and the City of Man.

The City of God is eternal and has as its core purpose the Glory of God. On the other hand the City of Man is “filled with mixed passions, allegiances, and compromised principles”.[1] He identified three secular arguments for the eradication of religious discourse from the public square and reasoned why those arguments have no standing. He said that the idea of secularism is based on the argument that the culture ought to be established purely on secular terms. He called this the ‘oughtness’.

In the book Dr. Mohler referenced Robert Reich former secretary of labor under the Clinton administration because his argument is for a separation of religion and government. He highlighted Robert Audi, professor of philosophy at the University of Nebraska, for advancing the argument for a pure secular space in public policy and Kathleen Sullivan professor of law for advocating a religious liberty, as so far as it is consistent with the establishment of a secular, moral order.

These points of views form the basis of secular resistance to religious engagement in Public Square. These points of views, he argues have no standing. There are no truly secular states. Secularism denies the existence of God because as Dr. Mohler said, “if God did not exist, that would bring immediate demands upon society-obligations and prohibitions that society would not be able to simply ignore without admitting that it is only tacitly or operationally secular.” Any question regarding life and death, human identity, existence and meaning of the universe has to consider the possibility of the existence of God. There are no truly secular arguments. He continues, “Anyone who wants to make an argument about anything beyond procedure will have to deal with questions of meaning, morality and value. These are areas that are larger than any human frame of reference”.[2]

Dr. Mohler posited that the myth of secular motivation is exposed by the argument that, “ A human being can never know what he would believe if he were not motivated by what centrally motivates him.” You will not know yourself to a level that you separate yourself for your motivations. How can we depend on the arbitrator of rules and laws to make the right and just law if they are to ignore everything and believe there is no other motivation than ultimately ones own existence? The judge or the politician should ignore his religious and non-religious worldview and make decisions in an abstract way.

With this understand Dr. Mohler then suggested five theses for dealing with Christian morality and public law. The first point is that liberal democracy must allow all participants in the debate to speak, within the context of the constitution, wither it is offensive or not. Those that are deciding and overseeing public policies and laws must declare their convictional basis. There must be limits on secular and religious discourse. For example the state should not be sponsoring and setting up one religion over another or should one mayor/governor institute a law outside of the legislative process. There must be room for comingling of secular and religious arguments, motivations and outcomes. The rights of all citizens must be recognized. This type of environment assumes a certain level of risk of offense by defending and allowing free speech. He concluded the book by looking at different spaces in public discourse and suggested ways the church can positively interact with secularism.

[1] R. Albert Mohler, Culture shift: engaging current issues with timeless truth. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Multnomah Books, 2008, Kindle location 101.

[2] Mohler, Culture shift, Kindle location 217

A Higher Call to Love

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The fundamental principle of our Christian calling is LOVE.  This love is one that brings us into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savor.  This is not an abstract love rather it is a practical love.  To truly love, we have to first experience the love of God.  This now holds us to a higher level of our calling.  This is greater that our consciences and motivations.  Since as Dr. Mohler stated that one would not know oneself to a level that you separate yourself from our motivations. This idea says that the judge or the politician cannot ignore his religious and non-religious worldview and make decisions in an abstract way.  John laid it out this out in 1 John 3:20 & 21, “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.”  Therefore, the call of love is greater than our own desire.  This call has to respond to the demand of God to love God and our neighbors.

It is this higher calling that requires us to love.  This love is demonstrated in our daily acts, loving God by keeping his commandments.  Jesus said that the greatest commandment is this, Matt. 22:37-39, Jesus replied, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we truly love God then our actions are filled with obedience, our lives are free from willful sinning and, we love our neighbors. I trust we can truly live up to this standard of living.  Love is the foundation of our faith.  Can we find someone in our community to truly love?

It is this love that will allow us to fulfill the Great Commission and practically demonstrate the Great Compassion.

Speaking truth into this world

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We have a dichotomy (mutually opposing views) between the World system and the Christian Church system.  These two are mutually exclusive; they are governed my different sets of principles.  We should not be surprise that the value systems of these two worlds are different.  The Church must not feel slighted when the world does not agrees with its values.  In John 4:4, John said, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than dhe who is in the world. eThey are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and fthe world hears them.”  The last part of the verse caught my attention.  John told us that the world system is understood and accepted by the world.  As such, the Christian worldview is antithetical to the world and its views.

What then is our posture or role in this dialog?  We are to speak truth into the world systems even if it is not popular.  We should be the counter balance to the world systems.  When we are given the opportunity to speak into the lives of others we must not shy away from declaring the truth.  Our current generation has moved to a point ignoring difference. The idea of relativity and no losers has begun to silence the voices of truth and conscience.  Therefore, when the Church speaks out on an issue and declares what is truth it is branded as hateful and intolerant.  Some in the church would be willing not upset the “apple cart” so as to be included in the “in crowd”.  We cannot be silent because the truth is not always popular.

The challenges to all those that represent the truth of the Christian worldview are to speak truth even when it is not popular.  You might not get the most likes on Facebook or have the most followers on Twitter but you must still speak the truth.  I have come to the understanding that John refers to in 1 John 4:6 that because, “we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.”  Therefore, when those that support the world system do not provide us with a platform we should not be amazed by such actions because we are faced with a dichotomy.  We cannot make up the rules since God is the one we please as J.C. Ryle stated, “Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who has a heaven for everybody, but a hell for none. Such a God is an idol of your own.”

We, the church, must live out the principles of the Bible in our everyday life.  It is through our principled living that we will have the authority to speak truth into this world system.  I am reminded of Ezekiel, in chapter 33:7, warning to the watchman on the tower. “Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.”  The Church is the watchman for this world and we must speak truth as God directs us not as the world wishes.   Let us speak truth into this world.

d John 14:30; 16:11

e John 3:31

f John 15:19; 17:14


A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

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In the heat of politics we often do not stop and give credit to the other person.  I came across a picture of the Obamas and thought, what contribution is the president making to families particularly African American families.  We are often bombarded with the statistics of broken families, single parents, deadbeat dads, and the list keeps growing, that it seem to say the importance of the church and the family is lost.   It would seem that men do not care for their families any more.  While I am not endorsing the president’s policies, I just wondered what are the pictures of him and his family conveying to us?

While we do not know all that happens between the president and his family, it is good not to hear about any secret affairs, or past sexual misconducts.  It is refreshing to hear of his involvement in his daughters’ lives.  It is good to see him on vacation with his family.  It is good to hear him talking about his daughters’ future plans.  It is good to see him taking his wife to various celebrations and dates.  It is truly refreshing to see the president and his family going to church.  We need to highlight more role models like the president.  Politics aside, what is this picture saying?  And what can this picture say?

We have been bombarded with images that do not reflect positively on the family.  These pictures are the first to make it on the front pages of the newspapers and headline the news reports.  Why haven’t there been a real discussion on the contributions of the family and the church on our culture and what the future would look like if we keep devaluing these pillars?

We always hear of those that are devoicing but rarely those who have celebrated many years of marriage.   It is sad that the good things are blacklisted and the bad is embraced.

I am deliberately ignoring everything else about the president and in the spirit of Black History month focusing on what a picture can do and say, a picture or pictures of the first family.  A picture is worth a thousand words, rings true in this situation.  Not just this one still picture, but also, all the pictures of the president with his family.  What doses a picture of a happy African American family says?  What are young boys learning from these pictures of the president and his family?  Who is willing to lay politics aside and give credit where credit is due?

As we celebrate Black History month we should remind ourselves of the importance that the family and the church played in the lives of our forefathers.  Weather they were in slavery or free men, the family and the church were the core components that kept them alive and hopeful.  The posterity of their legacy rested on these pillars.  If we continue to devalue these two pillars of our culture then the future is not bright, our posterity is in question.

Let us begin today to place first things first.  Children should be a product of a married relationship (I am conscious that there are circumstances that may cause this to not always be true, resulting in single parent families), a woman and a man.  But whatever is your situation; stand up to your responsibilities.

Young men stop having kids out of wedlock.  Accept your responsibilities and stop relying on the courts to direct you how to take care of your responsibilities.  Young women stop settling and expect more from the man that wants to be intimate with you.

Those that are trying and doing the right thing by owning up to your responsibilities, those that are not sleeping around with whomever, those that are preserving the value of the family and those that are striving for excellence, you are not alone.  I implore you to keep doing the right thing.

I pray that politics do not hide the impact that the Obamas could have on the family especially African Americans families.  Politics aside, Mr. President thanks for modeling the family.