How's the plan coming?

After I finished my message last week I got to thinking that some of you may have wanted to throw everything I said out the window. Those of you who are retired and do just about whatever you want whenever you want maybe were thinking that this doesn't apply to me. I'm living in my golden years and my plans are beginning to wind down. Sometimes as the scripture teaches that "our thoughts are not His thoughts neither are our ways His ways." (Isa. 55:8) In other words I would encourage you to give God another chance to work in your life. Our destination may be secured but we don't always know the direction that life will take us as we move toward that destination, heaven.

For those of us middle aged folks we too need to realize that God isn't finished with us yet either. What new journey will He lead us down, what new path will He carve out for us. What new challenges will He place in our path that will spur us on to do more for the kingdom of God than we might not of done otherwise.

Finally for all you young adults just beginning your family and career I would encourage you to step out in faith to do something great for the Kingdom of God. Like what you ask? I'm glad you did. Like going on a missions trip to a place far away from what's familiar and easy and comfortable. Why you ask? Because it is there that God is doing a marvelous work among people that He has chosen from before the foundations of the earth were laid to know Him personally just like you do. The country they come from is immaterial. The color of their skin doesn't matter. The language they may speak is a language that God speaks and communicates in very well. They need His word as much as we needed God's Word at the outset of our country in the 1600's when the pilgrims first came to America. Thy need the Holy Spirit to move in revival power just as He did in the 1800's and 1900's all across this land and in Ireland and Scotland and England and all across Europe. And they need to hear the song "Just As I Am" as much as we did the day we responded to the Holy Spirit's wooing our heart to Jesus our Savior and sometimes even today we need to hear that song to remind us that He's still there for us, wooing us, pursuing us. Why? Because He has a plan for us and desires that we follow that plan for the sake of His Kingdom.

So...how goes the planning session?

Okay, I know I said alot about Stephen this morning. But his legacy stays with us to this day. It is a reminder of what kind of legacy he left for the church and what kind of legacy he has left for us. Remember I spoke about the crucible that existed in the early church? It is the crucible of life that we deal with. It is this life that we are changed by our experiences both good and bad. I often hear people in the world say, "Life Sucks"! I suppose that it depends on your point of view. There are some pretty wicked, awful things that can happen to us, things that are our fault and things that are not. Whenever life hands us lemons, do we make lemonade? We cannot, no matter how hard we try, avoid the pitfalls of life. It will suck sometimes. We lose our jobs, we offend our friends, we make stupid financial decisions, we say things that we later regret, we get mad at the people of our church, family members die. You name it and it can happen to us. How do we respond to it? How did Stephen respond to the members of the Sanhedrin? He continued to talk about the man from Nazareth, Jesus. As a matter of fact he couldn't stop talking about Him and it ultimately led to his death. But his death was not in vain. As a matter of proof that his testimony mattered and that people were listening, those so called religious leaders of the day said that he had the face of an angel. So I ask you once again, can others tell that we have been with our Heavenly Father?

Did you reach one yet?

This is just a checkup, for my own comfort I suppose. I wanted to refresh your memory about each of us reaching one person for Christ. So, how's it going? I have meet some interesting people and have started to build a relationship with them. I'm waiting for Holy Spirit to open the door for me. I believe that he will! At first sharing our faith seems so scary and sometimes even foreign to us. It's one of the things that God saved us for, to lead others into the Kingdom of God. Don't get impatient if things don't go exactly as you planned. It may be that God has other plans, but never underestimate the Holy Spirit and what he can do through us. It is a great feeling as well as a sense of accomplishment to know that God wants to use us to introduce others to the King of Kings. It's humbling to know that a King desires to use me, just a lowly human who is seen through extraordinary eyes. So have you started that relationship yet? If so, work as if everything depends on you and pray as if everything depends on Jesus, because it does.

I love you all and know that you can do it with His help.

Giving it all up?

For the last several weeks I have been taking us through the book of Acts. On several occassions Luke, the writer of Acts, makes mention of how many who were endowed with lands and wealth would take the time to sell their land and give the proceeds to the church so that those without could be provided for. Along this line I said that we should not allow our possessions to control us, rather we should control our possessions. Now granted we are living in a materialistic world and the temptation is great to acquire land, nice houses, newer cars and money in the bank. But at what cost? Many allow family and friend relationships to flounder or go by the wayside in order that we might be able to acheive our financial goals without considering the ultimate cost. Which is, loss of family and friend relationships, health, ability to care for others which by the way, for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ is more of a command rather than a choice. Anyway, my rambling on isn't intended to make anyone feel guilty or morose, or intended to generate any bad vibes. I simply am trying to help open our eyes and hearts to the importance of obedience when it comes to our possessions.

I stumbled across a small booklet the other day called "The Radical Question". It is really a summation of the full book by the same name. His premise is in asking the question, "What is Jesus worth to you?" Rather than me try to explain it's content I have provided you with a copy at the church free of charge. I guarantee that after reading it you will either a, think the author is full of hot air or b, allow yourself to consider what Jesus really is worth to you. Happy reading.