What I Read in 2021

In 2021, I read 29 good books.  I don’t think I have enjoyed reading as much as I have these past few years.  My reading is layered.  Some books I read hard copies of, others through Kindle, and others I listen to on Audible.  Some of the books I read through all three mediums so I can enjoy the stories more, dig in and retain the messages, points, principles, and journal what I am learning/receiving.   

I don’t have the Bible on my list because the Bible is not a book I merely read.  It is more like food that I consume every day.  As I digest the Spirit, Person, and message of Christ in the Word, they become a part of the fabric of my being.  Each day my prayer is to be transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Christ and to express Him in my life and to those He has given me to love and serve.  I probably read through the entire Bible a few times in a year.  The last year I have been focused on the finding and becoming more acquainted with every mention of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  

Here is a list of the books I read in 2021 organized by author along with a few comments about each:  

Marylyn Robinson 

  • Gilead – one of the best books I read all year.  Robinson is a great story teller and writer.  Her characters are relatable and nuanced.  She is masterful in taking you through a complex set of circumstances, relationships and emotions that are both painful and joyful.  She also unexpectedly and with great humility addresses deep theological questions as they unfold in the lives of this people.  
  • Home –  I was so hooked on the characters in Gilead and their stories that I could not help myself and ordered all the other books that followed in the series (there are four).  This one allows you to see what unfolded in Gilead from Glory Boughton’s perspective.  Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets, and the passing of the generations, about love, grace, faith, disappointment and dying.   Painful sweet, poignant ending.  
  • Lila (in progress) – I only just started this third book in the series (so far, there are four).  The novel focuses on the courtship and marriage of Lila and Pastor John Ames (the main character in Gilead) as well as the backstory of Lila’s transient past and her complex attachments.

Frank Viola 

  • Insurgence – Recovering the Gospel of the Kingdom- I re-read this book, highlighted multiple passages, and I have been slowly digesting its message and considering the practical application to my life in Christ.  Understanding the gospel of the Kingdom without an agenda driven by a particular denominational view point or political objective was refreshing.  However, I think what is sticking with me most about this book is the message that I am a citizen of another county rule by one King, the Lord Jesus Christ.   Praying through the application of this message as I try to understand what it means to be an ambassador of this Kingdom to the community, State, and earthly country where God has placed me.  

Eugene Peterson 

Pastor Eugene Peterson and his son Pastor Eric Peterson are extraordinary men.  Their views on Pastor ministry resonate with me deeply.  Both men have given me a vision of Pastoral ministry that I aspire to live out in the work I do as a Pastor and Lawyer.   Eugene Peterson writing is exquisite and multifaceted like a fine gem stone.  His love of words and His insights are thought provoking and inspiring.  I have enjoyed every minute I have spent with him in his books this past year.   It has been an Emmaus road experience reading his books where I often find myself saying, “Was not my heart burning within me while He was talking with me on the road and opening the Scriptures to me?”

  • Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers – I can summarize this book much better that the summary on Amazon.  I read it once and will read it again with my highlighter in hand and journal open later this next year.  “The fourth volume in Peterson’s best-selling “conversations” in spiritual theology. Just as God used words both to create the world and to give us commandments, we too use words for many different purposes. In fact, we use the same language to talk to each other and to talk to God. Can our everyday speech, then, be just as important as the words and prayers we hear from the pulpit? Eugene Peterson unequivocally says “Yes!” Peterson’s Tell It Slant explores how Jesus used language, particularly in his parables and prayers. His was not a direct language of information or instruction but an indirect, oblique language requiring a participating imagination — “slant” language. Tell It Slant beautifully points to Jesus’ engaging, relational way of speaking as a model for us today.” 
  • Eat this Book – this book was so encouraging because it affirmed my approach to reading scripture, to consume like food rather than to read like a statute book or book of disjointed stories.  For me, the chief revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ.  He is holds the entire narrative of the Bible together from Genesis to Revelation.  Here is a summary from Amazon,”Eat This Book challenges us to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God’s revelation, and to live them as we read them. With warmth and wisdom Peterson offers greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on spiritual reading. In these pages he draws readers into a fascinating conversation on the nature of language, the ancient practice of lectio divina, and the role of Scripture translations; included here is the “inside story” behind Peterson’s own popular Bible translation, The Message.”
  • This Hallelujah Banquet: How the End of What We Were Reveals Who We Can Be – given the pandemic and political turmoil of our day, I have been thinking a lot about the book of Revelation and what it means for today.  There is so much speculation and commentary on the book of Revelation that it is hard to discern fact from fantasy.  My goal has been to see and hear from Jesus directly in this part of the Bible and what it means for today.  Peterson’s work more than any other has influenced my understanding.  Peterson’s book connected me to the pastoral heart of the Apostle John as he ministers to the churches under His care while in exile on the Island of Patmos.  Understanding Revelation from the perspective of a Pastor ministering to people in churches who are struggling in their faith and facing adversities has opened up this mysterious book of the Bible to me in new and refreshing ways.  The prophesy and imagery make a lot more sense to me as a Pastor trying to minister to people who are struggling in their faith during times of uncertainty and great turmoil.  I plan on sharing messages from Revelation this year that I hope will bring people into the safety and security only found in Christ.   
  • Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology – having the Pastor of Pastors walk through the Bible with you was a real treat.  I will need to re/read this book next year to truly benefit from what was imparted.  This is a good summary of the book,”Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life.”  
  • Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ – for anyone interested in knowing what it means to live by the life of Jesus Christ, this book is essential.  Profound and practical, this book has been helped me understand and live in the resurrected life of Jesus.  This also is a great commentary on the book of Ephesians, which is probably my favorite Pauline letter.  
  • The Pastor: A Memoir – if I could recommend one book to a person on what it means to be a Pastor, I would recommend this book.  In my view, Eugene Peterson is the embodiment of what a Pastor is and should be.  He reminds me a lot of Pastor Mark Evans in his tone, temperament, and focus on the patient work of relationship building with the people he has been given to love and serve.  “In The Pastor, author Eugene Peterson, translator of the multimillion-selling The Message, tells the story of how he started Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland and his gradual discovery of what it really means to be a pastor. Steering away from abstractions, Peterson challenges conventional wisdom regarding church marketing, mega pastors, and the church’s too-cozy relationship to American glitz and consumerism to present a simple, faith-based description of what being a minister means today. In the end, Peterson discovers that being a pastor boils down to “paying attention and calling attention to ‘what is going on now’ between men and women, with each other and with God.”
  • A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message (by Winn Collier)- this book was not written by Peterson, but by an authorized biographer who really does a great job of capturing who Eugene Peterson was and why his ministry and example are so important to those of us who care deeply about healthy pastoral ministry.  This book should be read side by side with Peterson’s book the Pastor a Memoir if you are really serious about getting to know him.  I never met Eugene Peterson, but I feel like I spent a summer at his home in Montana with him after reading almost all of his books and this point any biography by Mr. Collier.

Eric Peterson 

  • Letters to Young Pastor – this book is so very precious.  I am grateful to Eugene Peterson’s son, Eric, for publishing these letters for us all the benefit from.  Almost every letter ends with some expression of love from a dad to his son that really resonated with me.  Warning:  If you listen to this book on Audible, the last two minutes will completely wreck you.  Be prepared for a good cry.  
  • Letters to a Young Congregation: while Pastor Eric has his own voice, you can hear echoes of his dad reverberate through each of his letters to his congregation.  Pastor Eric is a great example of a pastor loves each person on his congregations and that comes through in each letter. 
  • Wade in the Water – The most complete and inspiring exposition on baptism I have read by an evangelical.  Eric Peterson is a Pastor who has anchored His ministry in His baptismal identity. We are the beneficiaries of all God has done to sign, seal, and deliver Pastor Eric as he throughly expounds on the vital role baptism plays in our Christian identity. He mixes scholarly analysis with vivid story telling to capture the imagination of the reader concerning the life giving waters of baptism. This work will be a fundamental resource to how I think about baptism in my life and in my ministry as a lawyer and pastor going forward. Although I have never met or spoken with Pastor Eric, I feel a kinship with him through His work and as a member of the family of saints who have been gathered together as one in and through the baptismal waters of the Kingdom of God established on earth. I highly recommend this book.

John Eldridge 

  • Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You– this book was a hard book for me to read and listen to, but caused some things to stir in me as I continue to heal from the wounds I sustained as a young person.   Some wounds take a lifetime to heal, but the process of healing brings unexpected joys in life if you don’t let the pain consume you.  It was one of those books that I originally jumped into, caused me to meditate on deep things in me I don’t necessarily understand, and then set aside due to life and other things crowding me out, and then picked up again. Anyway, chapter 3 on boyhood really wrecked me.  It touched on the theme of being valued (using slightly different language “beloved son”).   Our Father is used this book to express to me how much he really loves me.  This message is sometimes hard to receive and believe even after 30 + years walking with Him in Christ by His Spirit.  Sometimes I think I have to do more to earn His love, when all He wants is for me to receive His love and enjoy Him as God and Father. 
  • Walking With God: Talk to Him, Hear From Him, Really (in progress) – this book uses stories and practical examples to show and teach what an intimate relationship with God looks like day to day.  Very practical guidance on how to walk and talk with God. 

Brian Zhand

  • Postcards from Babylon: The Church In American Exile – this book serves as a prophetic rebuke of Christian nationalism.  Eye opening. Provocative.  Challenging to many sacred cows in “cultural Christianity.”  I appreciate the courage and love Pastor Brian Zhand demonstrates in writing this book.  Here is a good summary of what to expect when you read:  “The original gospel proclamation that the Lord of the nations was a crucified Galilean raised from the dead and that salvation was found in vowing allegiance to Jesus of Nazareth unleashed a shock wave that turned the Roman Empire upside down. Early Christianity was subversive and dangerous—dangerous for Christians and a threat to the keepers of the old order. Most of all Christianity was countercultural. But what about contemporary American Christianity? Is it the countercultural way of Jesus or merely a religious endorsement of Americanism? In this provocative book, Brian Zahnd challenges the reader to see and embrace a daring Jesus-centered Christianity that can again turn the world upside down.”
  • The Unvarnished Jesus: A Lenten Journey – this book gave me a new appreciation for lent.  “The Unvarnished Jesus is a forty-six day Lenten journey taking the reader from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday on a quest to encounter Jesus in a new and startling way. These forty-six daily meditations on the life and ministry of Jesus drawn from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are a spiritual solvent to help remove the layers of lacquer comprised of political and cultural assumptions that prevent us from seeing just how challenging and compelling Jesus of Nazareth really is. The Unvarnished Jesus is a forty-six day project to restore the incomparable image of Christ.”

Ken Boa

  • A Journal of Sacred Readings (in progress) – For readers seeking to deepen their quiet times, these lessons in lectio divina provide a complete, direct path to the face of God. Lectio divina-the art of sacred reading-has brought many throughout the ages to an intimate relationship with God. These journals now make the process accessible to today’s readers in a practical, hands-on way. Each journal comes complete with in-depth instructions and plenty of journaling room. The daily sessions include Scripture and questions to guide readers through each step of lectio divina. Through these journals, readers will deepen their times with God as they study the sacred Scriptures and historic creeds of the faith.
  • Handbook to Leadership: Leadership in the Image of God (in progress) – Handbook to Leadership has four parts: 1) 52-Week Leadership Guide, 2) Topical Leadership Guide, 3) Leadership Character Studies, and 4) Books of the Bible Leadership Guide.  This provides a great in-depth study of leadership from a biblical point of view. 

Various authors 

  • Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference– Bestselling author Timothy Keller and legal scholar John Inazu bring together a thrilling range of artists, thinkers, and leaders to provide a guide to faithful living in a pluralistic, fractured world.  How can Christians today interact with those around them in a way that shows respect to those whose beliefs are radically different but that also remains faithful to the gospel? Timothy Keller and John Inazu bring together illuminating stories–their own and from others–to answer this vital question. Uncommon Ground gathers an array of perspectives from people thinking deeply and working daily to live with humility, patience, and tolerance in our time. Contributors include: Lecrae,Tish Harrison Warren, Kristen Deede Johnson, Claude Richard Alexander, Shirley Hoogstra, Sara Groves, Rudy Carrasco, Trillia Newbell, Tom Lin, Warren Kinghorn each Providing varied and enlightening approaches to reaching faithfully across deep and often painful differences, Uncommon Ground shows us how to live with confidence, joy, and hope in a complex and fragmented age.
  • The Loneliness Epidemic: Why So Many of Us Feel Alone–and How Leaders Can Respond by Susan Mettes (in progress)- What makes people lonely? And how can Christian communities better minister to the lonely? In The Loneliness Epidemic, behavioral scientist and researcher Susan Mettes explores those questions and more. Guided by current research from Barna Group, Mettes illustrates the profound physical, emotional, and social toll of loneliness in the United States. Surprisingly, her research shows that it is not the oldest Americans but the youngest adults who are loneliest and that social media can actually play a positive role in alleviating loneliness. Mettes highlights the role that belonging, friendship, closeness, and expectations play in preventing it. She also offers meaningful ways the church can minister to lonely people, going far beyond simplistic solutions–like helping them meet new people–to addressing their inner lives and the God who understands them.  With practical and highly applicable tips, this book is an invaluable tool for anyone–ministry leaders, parents, friends–trying to help someone who feels alone. Readers will emerge better able to deal with their own loneliness and to help alleviate the loneliness of others. Foreword by Barna Group president David Kinnaman.
  • Catherine Wheels (in progress)  by Leif Peterson – I am currently reading this book.  Here is a description: “Thomas’s carefully built life has been shattered. Everywhere he turns, he finds tragedy. After being left at the altar, he retreats to a remote castle in the mountains of Northwest Montana to live with an old college friend dying of lupus. But their painfully peaceful seclusion is ripped apart by the news that Thomas’s brother, an Episcopal priest, has killed himself–and his sister-in-law is abandoning her seven-year-old daughter, Catherine, into Thomas’s care. After her unexpected arrival into this grim corner of the world, Catherine slowly breaches the isolation and penetrates the self-absorption. Like the prayer wheel on the wall of a nearby convent, Catherine gently but surely pulls the various dying people around her into the robust company of the loving and living. Catherine Wheels is a lyrical novel of hope and redemption, the honest story of men and women who have had all the zest for life knocked out of them–damaged souls who are slowly brought back to health by a little girl who knows something the rest of them either never knew or had forgotten: something about prayer, love, and sacrifice.”
  • Gentle and Lowly by David Ortlund – I love books that reveal the heart of Jesus for you and I.  This is a great book.  Christians can easily feel that Jesus is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. They know what Christ has done for them―but who is he? How does he feel about his people amid all their sins and failures? In Matthew 11, Jesus describes himself as “gentle and lowly in heart,” longing for his people to find rest in him. This book reflects on his words, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of Christ’s affections for sinners and encouraging believers as they journey, weary and faltering, toward heaven.
  • The Jesus Person Promise Book (in progress) – I am going through all 800 promises and highlighting them in a Bible to give as a gift to Adeline when she graduates later this year.  800 promises from the Word of God with biblical answers to almost every spiritual and personal problem encountered today. The promises are categorized to speak to specific situations for quick reference. Find hope and the knowledge of God’s abundant grace through reading God’s promises, one after another. Your faith will be strengthened and your soul encouraged.
  • Offer Yourselves to God: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Paul’s Epistles (in progress) – this book was a gift Kim and I from Jeff Greenman, President of Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia when we visited back in October. Renowned New Testament scholar Gordon Fee explores the meaning of Christian witness and service in every area of life. Focusing on the implications of every Christian’s calling to belong to Christ, Fee reframes our contemporary quest for a more seamless, integrated faith. His careful examination of the context and message of Paul’s letters sheds light on how a Christian identity is lived out in home, workplace, and church. 
  • The Descent of the Dove (in progress) by Charles White – The Descent of the Dove” is an unconventional study of the Church as governed by the activity of the Holy Spirit in history. It the most significant of Williams’ theological writings.  
  • Introduction to the History of Christianity (in progress) – Tim Dowley’s masterful one-volume survey of church history has an updated design and new content, particularly in the section covering most recent Christian history. The inviting full-color format includes many new images and updated maps, while maintaining many of the features that made the second edition a popular volume for the classroom. Dowley has assembled a global cast of respected scholars to write the full story of the rise of the Christian faith and to provide a rounded picture of the worldwide development of Christianity. The volume has been praised as accurate, scholarly, and balanced. Its writers are committed to Christianity but also to the unhindered pursuit of truth that does not avoid the darker aspects of the varied story of Christianity. The accessible text is supported by detailed timelines, maps, profiles of key figures in Christianity, colorful images, and a complete glossary. Each section includes questions for discussion.
  • Lead Like Christ: Reflecting The Qualities and Character of Christ in Your Ministry– AW Tozer – As a Christian, does your leadership approach look any different from that of those who don’t follow Christ? Throughout the Bible, God shows us what leadership looks in His kingdom, and sometimes it can seem upside-down. The first shall be last. The master shall be the servant. But how can we apply these counterintuitive truths in our world today? Rather than focusing on the nuts and bolts of management, Lead like Christ uses the book of Titus to take a close look at what biblical leadership entails. Using Paul’s instructions to his young ministry partner as a guide, Tozer takes us through themes of grace, servanthood, spiritual boldness, and humility toward the Word of God. This foundation will lead to powerful, long-lasting change in both your own leadership role today as well as in God’s eternal kingdom.

Devotionals, Blogs, Podcasts, web community 

In addition to the foregoing books, I also read or listen to content on the following blogs, podcasts and online communities: 

Magazines

  • Christian History Magazine: Christian History is a magazine on the history of Christianity. It was established by Ken Curtis in 1982 and published by the Christian History Institute. It began as a series of resource guides designed to supplement films about major figures in the history of the church, transitioning from an “occasional” publication to a quarterly magazine in 1984.[1] In 1989, it was sold to Christianity Today International, which changed the name of the magazine to Christian History & Biography in 2004. In 2008 publication ceased after issue 99. Christian History Institute reclaimed custody of the title and revived the publication in 2011.

  • CRUX, a journal of Christian thought and opinion, seeks to expound the basic tenets of the Christian faith and to demonstrate that Christian truth is relevant to the whole of life. Its particular concern is to relate the teachings of Scripture to a broad spectrum of academic, social and professional areas of interest, to integrate them and to apply the insights gained to corporate and personal Christian life and witness.

  • Christian Science Monitor Weekly Magazine –  National and International news- “The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization that helps you see news events as starting points for constructive conversations. We seek to cut through the froth of the political spin cycle to underlying truths and values. We want to be so focused on progress that together we can provide a credible and constructive counter-narrative to the hopelessness-, anger-, and fear-inducing brand of discourse that is so pervasive in the news. We’re committed to the following three things: We will challenge conventional thinking. As forces from politics to social media try to break us into competing tribes—political, racial, or economic – together we’ll rethink the question “Who is my neighbor?” We will listen to you. We need you to hold us accountable – to keep us honest and grounded. To inspire us with what inspires you. Together, we can build a community of people who ask more from news. We will change how you see news. News must be accurate and trustworthy, but facts alone can miss the whole story—the story of us. We are much better than much of today’s news portrays us to be. We will have the courage to look into both the best and the worst in us – and not to blame, but to demand better.”

  • The Nevada Independent – local news – The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and 

RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE

man and woman holding hands walking on seashore during sunrise

Photo by Ibrahim Asad on Pexels.com

The goal of this message is to exhort you to fall in love with Jesus again.  Over the past couple of years, I have had the privilege of delivering this message to several groups of believers.  I come away from each gathering of believers encouraged by the deep desire many have to love Jesus with their whole mind, body, heart, and soul.  I pray this message will encourage you as well and cause you to forsake all other loves and return to your first love, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of God has to say through this message . . .

‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, “These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. (Rev. 2:1-5)

Just like the Church in Ephesus, today’s church – in Northern Nevada and beyond – has left her first love.

I think the Spirit of God is yearning to kindle and to rekindle a love for Jesus Christ, His son, but I am afraid that in the practice of our faith that we have quenched the spirit’s learning and we have substituted our love for Jesus for “things.”

What things?

Think about this for a minute. What things are suffocating your love for Jesus Christ?

You know, life is so full of things, isn’t it, so many things.  Things that steal the affection of our heart and grab the attention of our mind.  Now, I am not just talking about the obvious things that we call sin, although certainly sin and our sin nature war against the Spirit of God within us for our love.  I am talking about the many things that we allow to engage our minds and hearts in which are not obviously evil in and of themselves, but they become evil because they crowd our heart and choke out the love that we once had for Jesus Christ.

Things.

“What things?” you may be asking again.

Well, let me focus on what the lead scripture for this post says, and then you can inquire of the Lord on your own to understand what things may be stealing your love for Christ.

The scripture that we started this message with says the following:

“I know your works . . .”

(Things! FYI- He is talking to a church. So that must mean church works.)

“Your labor . . .”

(Things!)

“Your patience . . .”

(things!)

“Your stand against evil of all kinds.  . . .”

(things!)

“Your love for truth and distaste for those who are false.  …”

(things!)

“Your commitment to your calling, your persistence to see the work get done. … ”

(things!)

“You have labored in my name.  …”

(things!)

“Your commitment to your calling.  …”

(things!)

“Your persistence to see that work get done.  …”

(Things, things, things!)

You can do your things if you want. Go ahead and do them. God’s not going to get in your way if you’re so determined to have these things become your identity. Go for it! Those things may fulfill you, but you won’t have Him. You’ll have a form of something you think looks like Him, but you won’t have the power that comes from His love.  And really, when you boil it all down, all the listed things listed in the passage we are considering in this post, all these things are idols when they supplant our first love.

Friends, I’m not saying that the things we do aren’t good and important.  I’m saying that even Spirit led things can become idols. You see what I’m saying? They become our identity.

Now, listen, because I have worked with and contributed to several ministries over the years that were Holy Spirit inspired and produced good work.  These ministries made a lasting difference in the lives of people.  However, somewhere in the earnestness of serving, the people in these ministries lost their love for Jesus Christ and for one another.  I would submit to you that it would be better to quit your ministry than lose your love for our Lord.

And at some point in your life you may need to be willing at any time to lay down your ministry and fall in love with Him again. I mean really fall in love with Him.  And there’s no dishonor bringing the ministry to a close in exchange for falling in love with Jesus again.  You haven’t failed if you are make that choice. If you’re listening to the Holy Spirit in your ministry, there are going to be seasons when you’re functioning and there are going to be seasons when He’s not going to have you functioning. And you need to be okay with Him leading you along that path in life from time to time.

Let’s clear something up right now: You’re not God. Right? The fate of the human race does not rest on what you do or don’t do.  Rather, it rests with our Lord.   While you have a part in His plans and purposes, He’s not a God that’s got an agenda with respect to you as His beloved.

You’re not a means to an end. Right?  He loves you and certainly He wants to work in and through you, but He’s more concerned about you than this thing you are doing in His name.  He’ll get that done. Really, He will.  He’ll produce his fruit in you, but you have to listen. You have to be willing to lay down your life. You have to be willing to be pruned by Him so that you can truly be fruitful.

Ministry really is, I think, the most seductive idol.  The many amazing things we do in the name of Christ, but without love for Him.  Ministry is a jealous mistress, isn’t she?  Calling you away from your love for Him.  Spending time in scripture preparing for the next message without taking time to connect with the God in the scriptures who simply wants you.  She’s calling you all the time, “Come on. Do this. It makes you feel good.”

Really being intimate with Jesus Christ can sometimes be difficult because you go before Him and sometimes He’s silent. Right? And sometimes it’s an insecure feeling. You come before the living God and maybe in your heart you’re doubting. Does this Lord that I serve really love me? But you’re afraid to even admit such doubt. So you just say what you always say in prayer. “Oh, God, you’re good. You’re holy,” but sometimes you’re not willing to say, “God, I just need you” or, “God, I’m pissed off at you. I’m not really happy with where my life is at right now,” or, “God, I need you to set my heart and mind right.”

Some people say fake it till you make it and, you know, for some that may work.

I say never fake it.

Never fake it.

You know, if something’s going on, be real. Be real with Him.

David was real before God in his prayers and in his worship. Any time in the Psalms will expose you to the raw and real emotions of a man after God’s heart.  God is after that type of authenticity from you and I.

Not to long ago, I had a friend put his arm around me and he said, “You
know, sometimes God will come alongside of you, just put His arm around you, and share His heart with you. And He wants you to share your heart with Him and He listens. He listens to what you have to say to Him
intently, like a father to a son.”

selective focus photography of child s hand on person s palm

Photo by Juan Pablo Arenas on Pexels.com

So let’s go back to the lead scripture:

“But I have this against you . . . You have left your first love . . .”

There are four important messages Jesus is communicating in this passage that relate back to important things he said during His ministry when He walked the earth.    

(1) To know me, is to love me. I don’t know you! “22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt. 7:22-23.

  • The Message Bible puts it this way, “‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit.”

(2) You are so busy, but you have not chosen the good part that is me!! And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42.

  • Fall in love with me – that is the “good part” and that will not be taken from you.

(3) You have embraced a form of Godliness – things that may look and feel like love for me, but are not. In so doing, you deny the power of my authentic love working in and through you.

  • “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Tim 3:1-5.

(4) You are committed to your calling, but you do not love me.

  • Remember: Peter was called to be the Rock.
  • With this mind, Peter announced to the Lord that, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matt. 26:33-35
  • You all know the story. Peter failed. Thank God he failed!
  • But, Jesus restored him by asking him one simple question three times:
    • “Do you love me?”

HEAD OVER HEALS IN LOVE

silhouette of people

Photo by luizclas on Pexels.com

How many of you have ever fallen “head-over-heals” in love? What did that love make you feel like? How did that love change your thinking? How did that love effect your behavior?  Could you go a moment in your day with out considering your loved one –without desiring her? What was it like to be separated from the one you loved?  Could you carry on a conversation without mentioning the one you love at least once?

CONSIDER THIS: GOD IS HEAD OVER HEALS IN LOVE WITH YOU MAN OF GOD (John 3:16 “FOR GOD “SO” LOVED THE WORLD . . . THAT HE GAVE US HIS SON”)

YOU ARE PRECIOUS TO HIM

  • CONSIDER THE TREASURE (MATT. 13:44);
  • CONSIDER THE PEARL (MATT. 13:46)
  • CONSIDER THE ONE LOST SHEEP OR THE LOST COIN (LUKE 15)
  • CONSIDER THE PRODIGAL

Jesus longs for us to return His love to Him and become head over heals in love with him.

I don’t know about you, men, but I am at a place in my walk with our Lord were I want to fall in love with Jesus again.  His love for me has wrecked me to the point where I can not think of anything more than him.  I now desire to be overcome with passion for Him. I want to know Him intimately.  I want this love to transform me in every way so that I can become the embodiment of his love and passion for humanity.  I want love for Him to change my thinking, behavior and my feelings.

Best-selling Christian Book author, Frank Viola, made this important observation, “God is not so much about fixing things that have gone wrong in our lives as He is about finding us in our brokenness and giving us Christ. When Christ is not central and supreme in our lives, everything shifts out of orbit and moves out of kilter. So for Christians, our first task is to know Jesus. And, out of that knowing, we will come to love Him, adore Him, proclaim Him, and Manifest Him.”

I have communicated this desire to Him through a simple prayer as I read His word, “Lord, I want to fall in love with you. Show me something about who you are that will cause me to swoon in my spirit and transform my mind and heart. Reveal something about who you are that will cause me to cry with joy and love like you love.”  I think the Apostle Paul prayed something similar. See Phil 3:7-11.

In response to this kind of prayer, God often reveals special attributes about who He is and who you are in Him.  For example, no matter what I am studying – faith, hope, love, wisdom, truth, – – – all I can see is Christ. It is as if each word, each concept, each phrase in the bible reveals some aspect of Him.

  • Faith – the substance = the person of Christ
  • Hope – found only in Christ – he is the hope of our salvation!
  • Love – is defined by Christ and what he did and what he does in and through us
  • Truth – he is the truth
  • Life – he is the life. There is no other life.

This is the Foundation to all we are: Christ. Nothing More. Nothing Less. See 1 Cor. 3:1-12 [read][emphasis “no other foundation can be laid other than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.”]

Unfortunately, many of us have made the gospel about so many things – things other the Christ.

We have made the gospel synonymous with the church we go to and the way we pray and worship. Who cares what church you go to? If you are not in love with Jesus Christ, it really does not matter. Who cares if you pray loudly “with authority” or you pray quietly “with conviction” if you are not in love with Jesus Christ, it does not really matter.

We have made the gospel synonymous with the Pastor we listen to at church.  Who cares who your Pastor is? Is your Pastor worthy of the love Christ himself demands from you?!! He is a jealous God and he will not share is thrown of Grace with another – even our Pastors.

We have made the gospel synonymous with a program, a spiritual truth, a value, a gift, a cause, etc.

It is all too possible to emphasize the church we go to, or the prayers we pray and the way we pray them, or a person we follow, or a spiritual truth, value, or a spiritual gift, or to promote a cause or develop a program, yet miss Christ, who is Himself the embodiment and incarnation of all these things.

What is Christianity?

o  It is Christ. Nothing More. Nothing Less.

o  Not an idea. Not a philosophy.

o  Not morality, values, social ethics or a world view or a political party

“Christianity is the good news that love, beauty, truth and goodness are found in a PERSON.” – Frank Viola

  • Our individual and collective experience is [or should be] founded on and experienced by connection to that person.
  • Conversion is more than a change of direction – conversion is a change in connection.

Jesus is being replaced by justice, moral codes, values based teaching and leadership principles.  Go into a Christian book store and consider all the book titles about “me” and “my” and “us” and compare them to the number of books about Jesus.

“Who do you say that I am?”

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(L) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(M) 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(N) 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(O) but by my Father in heaven.(P) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b](Q) and on this rock I will build my church,(R) and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(S) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.”(T) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(U) that he was the Messiah.

Think for a moment about the importance of this question.  Every generation since Christ’s ascension has been presented with this question to answer.

o  Unfortunately, who do you say that I am? Is no longer the only question.

  • What are you doing to build the kingdom?
  • What are you doing for social justice?
  • In what causes are you engaged?
  • What bible study do you attend?
  • What are you doing to evangelize the word?
  • To whom are you accountable?
  • What is your gift?
  • What kind of leader are you?

However, again, Jesus only asked one question . . . who do you say that I am?

Jesus does not want leadership or justice from us.  He wants use to know him and to love him.  Unfortunately, we can not properly love Him if we haven’t caught sight of how incredibly glorious he is!  Jesus Himself said that when He is lifted up, he will draw all people to Himself.  Because we don’t trust Jesus to do what he says he will do or believe that he is who he says he is, or have not caught a glimpse of His infinite glory, we sit at drawing boards and draw up programs and methods and strategies that we hope might bring people to Christ.  But Jesus could not have been more clear: if we lift him up, he will draw people to himself.

Our mission is simply to lift Him up.  Whenever this happens, the rest will take of itself.

Christ is all. Loving Him is our calling

How do we rekindle this first love?

  • FIRST, REVELATION 2:5 SAYS:
    • REPENT
    • RETURN TO THE WORK OF LOVING CHRIST THE WAY YOU DID WHEN YOU FIRST BELIEVED!!
  • SECOND, Colossians Chapter 3 OUTLINES WHAT “HEAD OVER HEALS LOVE FOR CHRIST LOOKS LIKE.”
    • v. 1 – remember – you have been raised with Christ. You have His life residing in your body. Your life is not your own. You have been bought with a price. You are the pearl of great worth!!  v. 2 – Set your affection on treasure, that is the prize, your special place, in heaven – which is found in Jesus Christ (don’t look for things).
    • v. 3 – Accept the fact that you are now dead – you have no affection for anything or anyone – only Christ Jesus. Your life is not inextricably linked to His. He is the vine and you are His branches. (John 15)
    • v. 4 – Stand in anticipation – YOUR BRIDEGROOM IS COMING SOON. Be ready!!! The wedding is about to begin and the bride is going to be called to the bridegroom.
    • v. 5 to 7 – Wage war against the sin that is trying to steal your heart away from Jesus. KILL IT! Do not harbor sin or give it any quarter!!
    • v. 8 to 11 – Love your brothers. Put away the attitudes and actions that destroy relationships. Part of putting on the “new self” is understanding that the “new self” includes the other members of the body.  Look to the right and to the left the next time you go to church. What will you see? PART OF YOUR NEW SELF.  Your new self shares in a sense the communal aspect of the trinity (we are made in God’s image and likeness)
    • v. 12 – Put on Christ (Like Iron Man – except the super powers you will be given to save the world in your suit are: compassionate hearts; kindness; humility; meekness; patience; forbearance; forgiveness; and LOVE.

LOVE – HERE WE ARE. BACK TO WHERE WE BEGAN, “BUT I HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU, YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE. YOU HAVE LEFT ME. I AM AT THE ALTER AND YOU ARE NO WHERE TO BE FOUND MY BRIDE.”

wedding venue

Photo by Douglas Gianini on Pexels.com

Application Questions: One Anothering One Another

What does it look like to love one another in the way that Jesus described?

What are some practical thing that God might have you do to demonstrate your love for one another?

What prevents you or makes it difficult for you to love one another?

How can we change or Sunday morning gatherings to help our community of believers love one another as Jesus commanded?

Write out a prayer to our Lord asking him to express His love through you to one another. Start with thanksgiving for the love He has shown you. Ask for His strength, wisdom and direction on how to love in the way He has called you to love.

One Anothering One Another

A Time of Reflection

Last Sunday, rather than deliver a message, I broke the gathering up into groups to reflect on several questions that came out of the message I had delivered the week before, including” Why are we at church on Sunday morning?” and, “If this was our last 52 weeks on earth and we only had 52 Sunday together, what would those Sundays look like?” among others. Here are some of the answers that came from each small group discussion:

I should note, one group did not answer any of the questions. Instead, they focused on each other. They spent the time getting to know one another and finding out how they could pray for and support one another. This was a great result and helped underscore an important message.

Whether the questions were answered or not, one message came through loud and clear: we need to make more time for loving one another during our Sunday morning gatherings.

Worship is vital. Receiving a biblical message is appreciated and necessary. Clearly, no church service should pass without praying. However, the cry of the heart of God as expressed through the people who attended our gathering last Sunday is that we make time to connect with one another in meaningful and substantive ways.

What we do and why we do what we do? 

The most important purpose of “ministry” – whatever the ministry – is to express Jesus Christ. Christ is all. Anything less than Christ is a waste of time.  In our church, we work to:

  • Express Christ to one another in our families
  • Express Christ to one another in the church
  • Express Christ to those he has given us as friends, coworkers, in the community and/or wherever he sends us to whoever he sends us.  

We don’t want to build an organization as much as we want to see an organism grow.  

We believe God created men and women to live in community.  Stated another way, the natural habitat of the life of Christ within us is within the community of saints sharing that life with one another.   If you take a fish out of water, the fish will die. If you take a polar bear out of its habitat, the polar bear will stop reproducing.  If you take a palm tree out of its natural habitat, the palm tree will not thrive. 

Likewise, if you take a person who has the life of Jesus Christ out of community, the Christian will not not reproduce Christ in others, will not thrive, and eventually die.

A church building is not the habitat of a believer.   The community of saints within the building is the habitat for the life of Christ in a believer. to be sure, church buildings can facilitate various aspects of community life. We can celebrate and love God together through worship. We can pray for one another. We can give to the ministries operating out of the building and see love and life multiple through our giving. We can be equipped by the Pastor through preaching and teaching.

However, if the beginning and the end of our life in Christ is coming to a building once or twice a week, singing a song, and listening to a message, we are not likely to grow, reproduce and thrive in Christ.  Why? Community is more than a one or two hour meeting were we passively participate and listen. Community is a commitment to relationships.  

Learning and living the ministry of “One another – ing”

“One another” is two words in English, but it’s only one word in Greek: ἀλλήλων (ah-LAY-loan).  It’s used in 100 times in 94 New Testament verses. 47 of those verses give instructions to the church, and 60% of those instructions come from Paul. When you examine these verses, a few more common themes show up.

Unity. One third of the one-another commands deal with the unity of the church. For example:

  • Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)
  • Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6:43)
  • Be of the same mind with one another (Ro 12:16, 15:5)
  • Accept one another (Ro 15:7)
  • Wait for one another before beginning the Eucharist (1 Co 11:33)
  • Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another (Ga 5:15)
  • Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Ga 5:26).
  • Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ep 4:2)
  • Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ep 4:32)
  • Bear with and forgive one another (Co 3:13)
  • Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (1 Th 5:15)
  • Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4:11, 5:9)
  • Confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

Love. One third of them instruct Christians to love one another. For example:

  • Love one another (Jn 13:34, 15:12, 17; Ro 13:8; 1 Th 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pe 1:22; 1 Jn 3:11, 4:7, 11; 2 Jn 5)
  • Through love, serve one another (Ga 5:13)
  • Tolerate one another in love (Ep 4:2)
  • Greet one another with a kiss of love (1 Pe 5:14)
  • Be devoted to one another in love (Ro 12:10)

Humility. About 15% stress an attitude of humility and deference among believers.

  • Give preference to one another in honor (Ro 12:10)
  • Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
  • Serve one another (Ga 5:13)
  • Wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14)
  • Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Ro 12:16)
  • Be subject to one another (Ep 5:21)
  • Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

Outside of those three categories, here are the rest of the one another texts:

  • Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Ro 14:13)
  • Greet one another with a kiss (Ro 16:16; 1 Co 16:20; 2 Co 13:12)
  • Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy (1 Co 7:5)
  • Bear one another’s burdens (Ga 6:2)
  • Speak truth to one another (Ep 4:25)
  • Don’t lie to one another (Co 3:9)
  • Comfort one another concerning the resurrection (1 Th 4:18)
  • Encourage and build up one another (1 Th 5:11)
  • Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (He 10:24)
  • Pray for one another (Jas 5:16)
  • Be hospitable to one another (1 Pe 4:9)

The “one another” exhortations are behaviors we may do out of an overflow of our relationship with Jesus, but they are not things that we do solely unto Jesus. Other people must be involved in order to fulfill them. Many of one anothering activities be taught by the church in the Sunday pulpit, but few of them are lived out by believers within the context of most church programming.

“The primary activity of the church was one-anothering one another.” – Andy Stanley

Take a moment and run that through your filter of Biblical knowledge… Consider the veracity of that statement and then consider how intentional we can be at strategies that don’t include this primary activity. We can be intentional about getting people stationed at posts, plugged into programs and delivering curriculum but where are we intentional about one-anothering?

“When everyone is sitting in rows…you can’t do any one anothers.” – Andy Stanley

If the majority of the church’s focus is herding people into rows we will not have an abundance of opportunities to “be the church.” When we’re intentional about guiding the church towards Biblical community we create more space for the one anothers. It’s so much easier to do one-anothering in circles than rows.

“By this all men will know . . .”

John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 

What is the “this” that Jesus is speaking about?

Not by the way we preach.

Not by the way we worship.

Not by the way we evangelize.

Not by our apologetics.  

Not by feeding the poor or our other charities.

Not by our church programs.

Not by our tithes and offerings.

Not by our victories and successes.  

There are a lot of things we substitute for the “this,” but He did not include anything else other than, “love one another.”

1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.”

1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

2 John 1:5, “And now I urge you, dear one–not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning–that we love one another.”

1 John 4:7-10 , “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Therefore, in accordance with the clear direction we have received as a gathering of people who love Jesus Christ and desire to grow in our love for one another, over the coming weeks we are going to be making time in our Sunday morning gatherings to “one another” one another. This may look different from week to week, but it will be a integral part of what we do when we get together on Sunday mornings.

Heart of Worship

In ministry, sometimes it is good to push the reset button and ask ourselves, “Why do we do what we do together?” The way I have asked that question of our gathering of believers recently is, “If this was our last Sunday church service together, how would we spend it?” I wonder what would we do and how what we did together would impact our lives now and beyond the grave?


These questions arose out of a message I delivered two weeks ago titled, “Terminal.” (Click here to read message)


Well known worship leader, Matt Redman, explained that he confronted similar questions in his ministry. He explained that sometimes it is good to press the pause button on what we do in worship and refocus. To do this, he explained in an interview, sometimes we need to fire the band, strip away all the props, instruments and routine, and bring the hearts and voices of the people together and consider what we can bring to God that will bring Him joy.


Later, with this revelation, he wrote a song to give voice to the heart cry of every believer to love God authentically, which included the following lyrics:


“When the music fades

All is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

Something that’s of worth

That will bless your heart ...”


I am sure many of you have listened to this song. Perhaps you have even sung it at your church? I have too, but until the last few weeks, I had never considered the practical implications of applying the message behind the words to our gathering together on Sunday mornings.


So, the last few weeks, we have stripped everything down to the basics and created an intimate environment where a few people have been asked to pray during the week,”Lord, what song can I bring to share with my friends at church that will bring you joy?”


From this prayer, they have each brought one song. Sometimes the song is accompanied with an instrument, sometimes not. The focus is on loving the Lord during the period of time we call, “Worship,” and give Him something he values beyond all things: you and I. If He sent His son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to die so that we might be His, it is safe to say that worship should be focused on giving all of who we are to Him.


The songs we sing together are a means to that end, not the end we are seeking together. Wouldn’t it be horrific if we sang a great song together, but failed to give God the gift of ourselves? This would be like a bride going to her wedding, giving her vows at the service, and then leaving having never given her life and heart to the bridegroom.


Stated another way, we don’t come to church to give God a song, we come to give God ourselves as an offering to Him, which we know by faith brings Him joy. He lovingly longs to receive us! In so much as a song helps us bring the offering of our life to Him and express to our Lord our love for Him, the song has served the ultimate purpose for which it was brought. Indeed, “It is all about you Jesus, it is all about you,” as the chorus to the Matt Redman song declares.


I pray as we gather again this Sunday (and every Sunday) that we will continue to give Him our lives as a gift, through song, through prayer, through the sharing of the Word of God, and through the way that we love one another and those He gives us to love.

“Terminal” Application Questions and Exercises

Every week, I will present questions and exercises for contemplation and application of the weekly message. Here are this weeks questions and exercises:

(1) Read the blog post, “Terminal” and fill in the blanks:

 FAITH DEFINED: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________. Hebrews 11:1

o “The substance” = “__________________________________”

_________________ is the “_________________” of faith. Compare Hebrews 1:3.

 So, faith properly understood is defined as follows: “__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.”

o “The evidence” = The evidence of our relationship with Christ is what scripture in Hebrews 11 calls “____________________.”

(2) Hypothetical: You’ve got about a year to live. No more. No less. Now, ask yourself these questions: 

  • How would this diagnosis affect your vision of life? 
  • How would it affect your view of your roles on earth? (friend, parent, daughter, son) 
  • How would it affect the way you invest your money and time? 

(3) On a separate piece of pare or in your journal, take inventory of your relationships, responsibilities and resources.

(4) Pray about what a terminal diagnosis means for your relationships, responsibilities and resources.

(5) How does a Christ-centered vision for the life we have been given impact what we do when we come together on Sunday morning?

(6) Why are you in this church community on Sunday Morning?

(7) If we only have one year to live, how does that impact how we spend Sunday mornings together.

(8) If we only had 52 Sundays together, no more and no less, what would those Sundays look like?

(9) What would we do in our fellowship together on Sundays that would bring joy to our Lord?

(10) What would we do in our fellowship together on Sundays that would encourage, edify, and support one another?

(11) How would our fellowship together on Sundays impact the way we love our Lord, love one another, and all those he gives us to love and serve each week?

(12) How would the gathering we have on Sunday morning impact the rest of your week?

“Terminal”

Last Sunday morning marked the first morning that I stepped into the leadership role for the Sunday morning service at Word of Life Church.  I have been an Associate Pastor at Word of Life with Senior Pastor Cesar Minera and Pastor Otto Kelly the past few years.  During this time, I have shared life with the Pastors and the diverse community of people we have the blessed opportunity to love and serve.    My primary role has been to work with the leadership team to plan ministry activities, to set priorities for the ministry, lead and organize our life groups, and deliver a message every four to six weeks.

This year, due to Pastor Otto and Joy taking a sabbatical, my role has expanded to lead the Sunday morning services.  I am excited to see what God is going to do with our little gathering of believers over the coming year as we seek to bring Him joy, encourage, edify and support one another, and love one another and all those He gives us to love and serve each week.

My blog has been dormant the last few years due to the fact that I could never seem to make time to write and post.  Now, I will be blogging at least weekly as way to make the messages I deliver from Sunday to Sunday available to those interested in digging deeper into what is spoken about and/or who want to share the messages delivered with friends and family.

In this blog post, I am providing you with the message I delivered last Sunday titled “Terminal.”  I don’t know how many Pastors begin their tenure with a congregation by reminding everyone in attendance they are going to die, but that is exactly what I did.  “The message I have to deliver today is that we are all going to die,” I stated as a matter of fact with confidence and clarity.  Rarely, in all the messages I have given, have I ever uttered something that I was so absolutely certain about and that I knew no one could dispute.  However, the mystery of how this truth might be applied to such things as why we gather on Sunday morning and what we should be doing when we gather was more compelling than the simple, but profound, statement concerning our mortality.

I.   We Are All Terminal

We are all terminal.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed.  Everyone will face death one day.  For some, death will come at a day and hour not expected, while others will receive the terminal diagnosis and have to take stock on how to live their remaining days.

The bible says in Job 14:1-2:

Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble. They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.

Likewise, the Psalmist in Ps. 90:12, prays:

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Numbering our days and understanding that our mortal lives have a beginning and an end is a sobering practice that is a powerful tool in helping us gain perspective on what is important and what is not in this life.  Indeed, understanding the terminal diagnosis that we all have been given I believe is the key to discerning between what I want to do that is “good” versus what is “God” and His will for my life.   So many people struggle with what they should be doing with their lives and the will of God related thereto because they live under the assumption that they have a indefinite amount of time on this planet to figure it out; however, the reality is that tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone and that today, while it is still called today, is all the time we have to live life as it is now and not as we hope it would be.

Psalm 39:4-6 puts it this way:

4 Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. 6 Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.

In 1 Peter Chapter 1, the Apostle Peter reminds us of what the prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 40:6:

As for man, his days are like grass–he blooms like a flower of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

II.  The Bridge Between What Is Finite And What Is Eternal Is “Faith.”

As a church, we have recently been rethinking what faith is and what faith is not.  In summary, we have concluded that faith is not merely defined by “belief.”  Rather, faith is defined by a “person” – Jesus Christ – and everything that flows out of and from our relationship with Him.

Let’s briefly examine Hebrews 11:1 together:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Let’s focus for a moment on the term “substance.”  In greek, the word used in this passage is “hypostasis” (See Strong’s G5287).   Most versions of the bible translate this greek word in this verse as “assurance” or “confidence” or conviction” or “substance.”   However, the greek word can also be translated as “person.”  For example, in Hebrews 1:3 “hypostasis” is translated as follows:

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person (G5287) and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high

The implication from this translation of “hypostasis” is that Christ Jesus himself is the “substance” of our faith.  Therefore, “faith” properly understood should be defined as follows:

Now faith is the “person” we hope for or in, and the evidence of this person working in and through our lives.”

The evidence of our relationship with God is what scripture in Hebrews 11 calls “by faith” or “with faith.”  There is no faith without this divine relationship.  You can believe God, but not have faith. Belief alone does not result in faith.  Belief that flows from relationship with God results in faith.  You can do good things, but not have faith. However, everything we do that flows from our relationship with Christ is called “faith” or “by faith” or “with faith.”

Every example of faith we are given in Hebrews Chapter 11 involves a person who had a relationship with God and through this relationship something happened in their lives which the scripture calls “faith.”

  • For with faith the elders obtained a good testimony.”
  • By faith, Abel . . .
  • By faith, Enoch . . .
  • By faith, Noah . . .
  • By faith, Abraham . . .

Each of these people are witnesses concerning God’s will and desire to have a relationship with us.  Each of these witnesses provide us with a unique insight into the results of our relationship with God.   [We will be taking a closer look at these witnesses and what they have to teach us about “faith” over the coming weeks]

HOWEVER, IN THIS MESSAGE, I WANT TO FOCUS ON HOW FAITH CHANGES OUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND WHAT WE DO WITH THE TIME WE HAVE WHILE WE ARE “FLESH.”

III.  Finish Well 

Our relationship with Christ, which we call faith, will always lead us to “number our days” with anticipation that, although we must all one day die, we will also live.  (John 11:25)    We know from our relationship with Christ that while we live in this earthly tent,  as the Apostle Paul called our body, we have been given His life, we bear His image, and are given the authority to proclaim His Kingdom; however, we are living for so much more than what this life and what this world in which we live have to offer.

Consider Hebrews 11:13-16:

13 All these died in faith [they died in Christ while in relationship with Him], without receiving the promises [that come from our relationship with Him], only having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own.

15 And if they had been thinking of that country from which they departed [as their true home], they would have had [a continuing] opportunity to return.

16 But the truth is that they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. For that reason God is not ashamed [of them or] to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

After reflecting on this passage, let’s consider the following hypothetical (adapted from Ken Boa’s “Re-writing Your Broken Story”):

  • Suppose you go in for a routine physical examination and you’re told by your doctor that you have an illness that is not palpable or evident to you but that will be terminal.
  • You’ve got about a year (or maybe less) to live. You go to two other physicians, and they confirm the diagnosis.
  • There won’t be any really obvious effects until the disease reaches its final stages, but you will surely die within a year.
  • Now, ask yourself these questions:
  1. How would this diagnosis affect your vision of life?
  2. How would it affect your view of your roles on earth? (friend, parent, daughter, son)
  3. How would it affect the way you invest your money and time?
  • Clearly, such a realization that we have so little time could have a huge impact on us.  But understand this: the degree to which it would alter your present perspective and practice is the degree to which your current view of life and the biblical view of life diverge.  The distance between your current view of life and the biblical view of life is the degree to which you would expect this announcement to have changed your whole perspective and practice in the world.  Your vision of life ought to be the same, whether you have one day or thirty years to live.
  • None of us know that we have even a year. We can’t presume on the future. We can’t control one day.
  • And so we ought to treasure the opportunities of the present by enhancing the roles we play by serving other people and investing our money and time wisely and well, viewing our service to the people in our lives as service to Christ himself.
  • Only two things will last forever: God’s Word and people.  We would be wise to invest one into the other, making sure that the remaining days of our stay on this planet have optimal impact and lasting consequences on the lives of other people, leveraging the wealth of this world for eternal gain.  That is living from an eternal perspective; that is investing in our eternal future.”

I have prayed and thought a lot about my own personal answers to the foregoing questions.   In considering the questions presented by our terminal condition, I responded to my Lord in a conversation about these questions by stating that I would like to live the remainder of my days, however many those days may be, with the conviction that I want to finish this life well.  This means that with all that I am and all that I have been given I am asking God to lead me and guide me to my last day having cared for and completed everything He gave me in a way that pleases Him, brings Him honor, and gives Him glory.

The Apostle Paul expressed it this way to Timothy:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.…

2 Tim. 6-8.

In Acts 20:24, he repeats this conviction by stating, “But I consider my life of no value to myself, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus–the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

The Apostle Paul also exhorts you and I in the same way:

  • 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.”
  • 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.”

IV.  Sunday Morning Gatherings

Take a personal inventory of your relationships, responsibilities and resources.  Consider for yourself what a terminal diagnosis means for your relationships, responsibilities and resources.  As you pray through and consider how the Holy Spirit of our Lord may lead you and guide you in these last days of your life, please consider, “How does a Christ-centered vision for the life we have been given impact what we do when we come together on Sunday morning?”

Again, if we only have one year to live, how does that impact how we spend Sunday mornings together.

If we only had 52 Sundays together, no more and no less, what would those Sundays look like?

What would we do in our fellowship together on Sundays that would bring joy to our Lord?

What would we do in our fellowship together on Sundays that would encourage, edify, and support one another?

How would our fellowship together on Sundays impact the way we love our Lord, love one another, and all those he gives us to love and serve each week?

I have been given the privilege and the responsibility to lead this gathering of Christ followers every Sunday as we come together in fellowship with our Lord. I NEED YOUR HELP TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS CONCERNING OUR TIME TOGETHER ON SUNDAY MORNINGS.  I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE.

In response to this message, some of you may determine that you should not be here for one reason or another.  That is to say, if you only had a year to live, you would not spend Sunday mornings with us.  THAT IS OKAY.  You have freedom to reach that conclusion.

For everyone else, let’s pray-fully, “number our days” together and gain wisdom as to what our time together will hold.