Mountain Climbers: A parable.

  Once upon a time, in a community
  just like yours, there was a
  mountaineering club.

 Their goal was threefold:

1) To get more people
interested in climbing
mountains and in joining
the club.

2) To train those people up to be great  climbers

3) To send them out on expeditions to climb uncharted mountain ranges all
over the world.

The club was started by a man who had climbed Whitney, Kilamangaro, and
all throughout the Himalayans.

Every week the group met together with excitement. They talked about the
history of mountain climbing, the most important tools, new explorations around
the world. They sponsored special events in the community like Easter Egg hunts
and Halloween parties to draw people into their group.
Everybody in the club was impressed with the founder’s achievements. 
Some of them had climbed similiar ranges as well.

Every week they talked about climbing mountains.
Every meeting was about climbing mountains.
In fact, every meeting ended with the founder saying these words:
“Let’s go out there and climb a mountain”.

The funny thing was that for as much as the group was assembled to
generate interest, equip the people to climb and send out expeditions –
they rarely did more than just talk about it.

There were lots of reasons for this.
Some of the members in the club had families.
(And everybody knows it’s not wise to climb mountains
when you have a family).

Other members were too active in their businesses to take time
off for expeditions.

Still others were plain scared of mountains and didn’t really feel
comfortable in the outdoors.

Some members made it their mission to recruit others to climb
mountains and join the club. But the prospective recruits never materialized
(because who would take  advice about mountain climbing from someone who
wouldn’t actually do it themselves).

Week in and week out, they talked, planned and worked themselves up into
a frenzy about the importance, the glory, and the wonderful nature of
mountain climbing.

But they rarely, if ever, did it.

That, in a nutshell, is the church.

my life is ruined

 

     O God, you are my God,
     earnestly I seek you;
     my soul thirsts for you,

     my body longs for you,
     in a dry and weary land
     where there is no water.

     I have seen you in the
     sanctuary and beheld
     your power and your 
     glory.

     Because your love is
     better than life my 
     lips will glorify you.  
    Psalm 63:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten summers ago, I was a camp counselor in Iowa at Pine Lake Christian Camp.
Although I almost drowned in a canoeing trip that year — it was a great summer.

It was my formal introduction to humidity, fireflies, the Midwest,
lots of nice people — and acres and acres of sweet corn.

The corn in Iowa is bigger, juicier, sweeter and just plain better than corn
anywhere else.  And it’s pretty much ruined my opinion of corn anywhere else.

Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

When you have really tasted of the Lord and experienced the life that is
found in Him  — it ruins everything else.

As it says in Psalm 63– His love is “better than life”.

I love my wife.
My daughter.
Traveling and exploring.
Taking photos.
Cooking (and more importantly, Eating!).
And to an extent, working.

But I’ve tasted of the Lord, and He is far better than all those things.

And I have to confess –it’s ruined my life.
Not in a negative way at all.
Quite on the contrary – it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

Because when you’ve tasted the goodness of God –
you are free from the hold of life.

I still love my wife.
My daughter.
Traveling, photography etc.

But it’s doesn’t hold me.

Take every gift and every dream from me –
and give me Jesus.

Because His love –
it’s better than life.

May our lives be ruined
in the presence of the Lord.

There’s no better way.

if your gonna be great

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many
for Me to give the Midianites into their hands,
lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying,
‘My own hand has saved me.  – Judges 7:2

 

Here is a principle that you can take to the bank:

If you are going to be great in God’s kingdom –
He first must bring you to an understanding of your own weakness.

The problem is — alot of us don’t think we are weak at all.
We’ve been around the block enough times to know our
strengths and skills — and we begin to trust in them.

But if our strength and skills accomplish great things –
Our wicked hearts will take the glory from God every time.

Often times — the road to greatness leads through
miles of suffering.

Because as we suffer hardship — we learn to cling
to Jesus in a way we wouldn’t otherwise.

When I cling to Jesus and am forced to rely
on His strength — my heart can’t take the glory.

If you are going to be great in God’s kingdom — first let him bring you to weakness.

 

 ”My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

directed steps

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. 
Proverbs 16:9

Have you ever had a plan?
A dream?
A vision?
A desire of your heart?

Most of us do.

 We get in the car sometimes, and my daughter Gemma has a plan
of where she thinks we should go.

But she isn’t the driver.

Sometimes we make it to the pet store, ice cream parlor or
wherever else her little heart was desiring to go.

But often times — we go somewhere else.
Sometimes errands.
Sometimes an unexpected, surprising and wonderful
place.

Because I know more than my daughter.
I have been more places.

And I know what she will truly love and enjoy.
I know what is best for her.

And so, her little heart may make plans
or think that she understands my plans.

But we get in the car and I lead her to a different place.

Sometimes, we need to give up.
Not dreaming — but control.

We need to take those dreams,
thoughts, plans — even things we thought
God promised and say –

“I give up — do Your will.
not mine.”

Rich Mullins wrote a song called “Cry the Name”.

“I lay every dream I’ve ever dreamt
To burn in the fire He lights

I cry the Name of the One who loves me
The Name of the One on whom I call
‘Til it roars like thunder
Rolling down these canyon walls”

We need to change our tune.

Rather than “give me”
or “take me there” or
“do this” –

the only word that must be on our lips is “Jesus!”.

Where He is leading is infinetely better.
In HIS presence is fullness of joy.

And ultimately – life isn’t about
plans, dreams, stuff — it’s about Him.

He is the one who loves me.
And when His name is roaring in my ears -
I won’t care where He leads me as long
as I am with Him.

living in the overflow

 

I am the vine, you are the branches;
 he who abides in Me and I in him,
 he bears much fruit, for apart
 from Me you can do nothing.
 John 15: 5

 ”He who believes in Me, as the Scripture
has said, out of his heart will flow rivers
of living water.”  John 7:38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 How do we bear fruit as Christians? 

It has nothing to do with striving.
It have everything to do with abiding.

Mistakenly, some will think that
we have to work to bear fruit.
We have to strive to cut off everything
that is fleshly.
To prune ourselves.

It’s not bad.
It’s natural to think that we have to try
harder.

But there is an easier way.

In this same passage from John 15 –
Jesus says

“you are clean by the Word
which I have spoken to you.”

It’s his Word that cleanses us.

 

 

 

Abiding with Christ is simple:

It just means that you spend
your days with the goal
of loving Jesus and spending
time with him.

If I am abiding in Christ
Fruit naturally appears.

It’s just that simple.

And if I do anything noteworthy;
If any ministry happens;
If I am becoming more like
Christ and sin is dissapating —
it’s simply an overflow of
that abiding relationship
with Jesus.

The Word has made me clean.
And Jesus produces fruit
in my life.

It’s not:
“Go out there, get it together
and start bearing some fruit –
because of what I have done for you.”

That’s works –
and it just won’t work.

Abide.
Make the goal of your life
to love Jesus –
and there WILL BE fruit.

 

 

 

It’s a beautiful, freeing thing
when we realize, it’s all grace;

I don’t have to do anything.
Just love Jesus with all
my heart and make Him
my focus — and His life overflows
into the world and relationships
around me.

Amen!

go!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

“Every Christian is either a missionary
or an imposter.” 

- Charles Spurgeon

I was reading this afternoon about a
church mission trip in a foreign city
this past week.

The group did all sorts of great stuff –
taking time to talk to people on the
street, getting to know store owners
and business people.

They prayed wherever they went and
met together to study, worship and
pray some more in the evenings.

Question: Why would a group of people do this?

Answer:  Because they are on a missions trip in a foreign city.

Why do we (typically) only do this on missions trips in foreign cities?

Yeah, we will occasionally do something in our own communities.
But walk the city and pray?
Get intentional about the people in our own neighborhood?
Join soccer clubs, the PTA, go to parks, shopping malls and
restaurants — backed by prayer, armed with the gospel
and on vigilent mission to see the kingdom of God advanced?

Probably not.

So why shell out $2000 to do it in a place you can barely speak the language?
I’m not advocating less mission trips.
I’m advocating more.

John Wesley said: “The whole world is my parish”.

The most neglected part of the world is the part you and I live in.

It doesn’t matter if there are tons of churches and Christians where you live.
Until every ounce of your community is saturated with Jesus–
the work isn’t finished yet.

Let’s go on a mission trip this week.

Here.

Now.

Even if where you live doesn’t seem so special.
It’s special to God.

Let’s walk the streets prayerfully.
Let’s arm ourselves with the gospel.
Let’s spend time with Jesus so that we will
have something to say.
Let’s be intentional and on mission.

We are either missionaries, or imposters,
but we can’t be both.

Convenience versus Compassion

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was
moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep
not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34

Jesus was moved with and operated in compassion.
That was his mode.

This unfortunately is in opposition to the way that you and I operate.

So often compassion doesn’t motivate us — convenience does.

Let me explain.

My daughter — as cute as she is, is a sinner.
And that sin manifests itself in her little life quite often.

I like order.
Good behavior.
Quiet.
Peace.

And as long as I get those things — I’m content.

But the problem is me.
I can be completely indifferent to my daughter’s need for salvation
 as long as she behaves and doesn’t bother me too much.

Christians — its very easy to be satisifed with good behavior
and order. 

We can be satisfied with good men
and good society and good government
but be passion-less for the kingdom of God.

Because as long as there is order and other
people’s sin doesn’t inconvenience me or
affect me — I’m content with that.

If my neighbors were criminals
 I might start praying for them
(so that they would get saved and
I could stop worrying).

But as long as they don’t bother me-
it’s really easy to be content with that.

That’s not compassion –
it’s convenience.

That’s the American way -
You can have your liberty as long as
it doesn’t bother me.

But unfortunately, it’s vastly different from the
Savior who came to seek and to save
that which was lost.

We are guilty as the church of
wanting a “Christian” society and
“Christian” children because it’s
orderly, pleasant, easy and we can
do our own thing without being bothered
or burdened.

If the world is lost and it’s hurting us –
we might have to pray.
We might have to evangelize.
We might have to get involved.

And that’s just not convenient.

If our children are lost and wayward
and getting into trouble and we are hurting –
we might have to pray.
We might have to ask others to pray.
We might have to get involved.

And unfortunately, that’s just not convenient.

Oh Lord — forgive our selfishness
and give us a heart that beats 
to the desperate rhythm of
the gospel.

Solomon’s temple

 

 

 

…so all the work that King Solomon had
done for the house of the
Lord was finished…
…and it came to pass that when the
priests came out of the holy place,
that the cloud filled the house of the Lord…

…then Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
I have surely built You an exalted house.
And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

- I Kings 7:51; 8:10-13

 

 

This was the crowning achievement of  the world’s wisest, richest
most successful king:  Building a house for God.

God never asked for a house (I Ch 17:4).
But David, and later Solomon, were determined that He should have one.

 The whole idea is a bit ridiculous.

God made you — and you are going to make a house for him?
Can the ocean be contained in a paper cup?

Yes — you can fill your cup up with the water of the ocean -
but you never can contain it.

It will not be contained.
It will not be tamed.

Neither will God.

The thing that is wonderful though is this:
God blessed Solomon — even in his
ridiculous effort.

It’s a bit like when my daughter makes me
a mud cake:

“Ooh. Delicious. Thank you.”
I say — delighted in her, not the cake.

Ultimately God’s plan was so much
better than Solomon’s.

God would not be contained in a temple -
but in human hearts.

And his fullest expression would not be
a mysterious cloud –But a man — Jesus.

What’s the big idea?

We do ridiculous things in the name of the
Lord — and go to great lengths to make
sure we have done these things “right”.

But we can’t contain Him.

And so often — the way that we think
we have God pegged, is so inferior
to what He actually wants to do
or will do anyways.

But He loves us just the same.

And in His goodness, kindness
and grace says:

“Ooh. Delicious. Thank you.”

God is infinite.
And He loves infinitely.

O praise the One
who paid my debt
And raised this Life
Up from the Dead.
Our glorious infinite God!

Praise the Father.
Praise the Son.
Praise the Spirit -
Three in One.

quote:

“I saw Him and I sought Him,
I had Him and I wanted Him”.

Unknown -
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret  (pg 21)

suggestions

For I have not shunned to declare to you
the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:27
                                ———
This verse along with many others in the New Testament sets
the standard for Biblical, New Testament preaching.   

Simply put — sermons are not suggestions.

This is a word specifically to pastors and those who teach the Word.

We don’t suggest truth.
We declare it.

We have a solid tradition in the New Testament of this:

- Jesus did it. (Heb 2:12)
- Paul did it (Acts 20,  I Cor 15:1) and
- John did it (I John 1:3)

We present the truth to people confidently in the authority and the
power of the Holy Spirit and it impacts people’s lives.

When we fail to declare  truth  — the real suggestion
we make is that truth is only that — a suggestion.

We error fellow pastors, when we tell people they have the option
to follow Jesus and somehow obtain this higher plane of Christianity.

There is only one standard.
There are not super-Christians and than the ordinary ones who don’t
need to bother to obey and follow Jesus.

When we merely suggest — we may suggest people right into hell.
Because we have given them the false assurance that
truth, and responding to it, is optional.

When do we merely make suggestions?
When something is our opinion.

It’s ok to have an opinion and suggest it to others.
But truth must be declared.

And if it is going to be declared — we must be careful, to pray
and study the Word and to have done our homework
and been on our knees before we declare it.

But nevertheless — we must declare it.
Not in our intellectual might.
Or emotional zeal.

But by the ignited passion and force of the
Holy Spirit.

I urge you my brothers…
Preach the Word.