Believers worth believing

Ephesians 3: 14-19
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Paul was in awe of God’s plan of salvation that united Jews and Gentiles. God’s wisdom in forming the plan and carrying it out to perfection made Paul stand in awe of God. To think that God would reach out to all of mankind to bring salvation through Christ caused him to rejoice in spite of his imprisonment. God’s plan is now being revealed through his Church. We are now in the age of the church and it is through it that God reveals his wisdom to the world and all of the demonic forces are watching as the church becomes everything God has destined it to be. We are part of God’s plan to bring all things under control under the headship of Christ who is the head of the Church that is destined to be his bride.
Being a part of a church is critical to our fulfilling God’s plan. We live in a time when people substitute being a part of a local body of believers with many different things. You have access to a lot of things on the internet, television, radio and even in parachurch organizations yet none of these can replace being a part of a local body of believers which is part of the church universal. The church is composed of all who have been called out of the world and have joined themselves to Christ. When we speak of the church we have to keep in mind the church universal or Catholic Church and we need to keep in mind the local church. Paul’s letter was to the church, the local church in Ephesus, a specific body of believers that he had spent quite a bit of time with instructing them in the Word of God. I want to encourage you to be an active part of a local body of believers. For some of you it may be difficult with all of the responsibilities you may carry within your mission and work or the temporariness of your status here but it is important to tie in with a local group as much as you can. Your participation in the church is important and vital. You have a place and a role in it because you are a member of it.
People today emphasize being “spiritual” yet do not link it with being part of the church. Perhaps they have bad memories of an abusive leader in the church or have had other experiences that have turned them away. A survey that I read in “Serious Times” newsletter, of young people’s attitude toward Christianity has revealed some information that is not good yet needs to be given attention so that corrections can be made where needed.
How People View the Church
91% anti-homosexual
87% judgmental
85% hypocritical
78% old fashioned
75% too involved in politics
72% out of touch with reality
70% insensitive to others
68% boring
64% not accepting of other faiths
61% confusing
It is a sad day when this is the image of the church in many people’s minds. Paul did not view the church as such. He saw it as a family united in both heaven and earth. He saw it as a dynamic force on the earth reflecting all that Jesus is and filled with God’s love.
The church is a family.
The family is the basic structure that holds society together. God created the family and the church is his family. We may not all have a good image of a healthy family, many people have grown up in dysfunctional families and they do not have a healthy concept of what the family should be like when it is functioning as God intended it. When I think of a healthy family I think of a family that is marked by love for each member, support, forgiveness, kindness, discipline, boundaries that protect and provide guidance, encouragement and grace. You can probably add many more traits of a healthy family to this list but the idea is that the church should be a family that exemplifies everything good in life based in God. Life without God, apart from his family should be viewed as abnormal not optional or unwanted.
Paul prayed for some specific things for the church. Like Paul, we too need to be praying for the church and its individual members. The prayer he prays in these verses can be a model prayer for each of us as we pray for each other.
The first is that it would be strengthened with might through the Spirit in the inner man according to the riches of God’s glory. God has unlimited resources available to us. He give us what we need according to his riches which is different that “out of his riches.” The Believer’s Bible Commentary explains this with the following:
Preachers often point out that there is a difference between the expressions “out of the riches” and according to the riches. A wealthy person might give a trifling amount; it would be out of his riches, but not in proportion to them! Paul asks that God will give strength according to the riches of His perfections. Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints get ready for a deluge! Why should we ask so little of so great a King? When someone asked a tremendous favor of Napoleon it was immediately granted because, said Napoleon, “He honored me by the magnitude of his request.”
Our inner man is the part of us that connects with God, our spiritual nature that has been made alive through the new birth. Our inner man draws strength from God when we feed him the proper spiritual diet. Our inner life or life of devotion is critical to our receiving strength. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that “those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
The word “wait” has a meaning of attending to someone, much like a waiter who takes care of you when you are at a restaurant. When we wait upon the Lord we are attending to him, serving him, listening to what he wants us to do and responding to please him. It is in our service to Him that we gain strength. Sometime the Lord just has us be still, to rest, to come away for a season to be renewed. The analogy of the eagle being renewed is one that has many applications to our lives.
Eagles enjoy the longest life expectancy among bird species They can live up to 70 years In order to survive, they have to make a critical decision at the age of 40 When eagles turn 40, their claws weaken Their beaks are growing long & curved almost touching their chest Their wings are heavier due to thick & long feathers. They have 2 Choices：•Dying•Or undergoing a painful transformation They have to fly to the top Build their home there And REST 150 days of perseverance & steadfastness... They have to hit their beaks against the rock till they fall off. And wait patiently for the new beaks to grow. They will use their new beaks to pull out their nails With their newly grown nails, they will then clean off their old feathers . 5 months later, the eagles will fly again with their new feathers . They renew their strength for another 30 years!
Waiting on the Lord to do his renewal work in us is often very difficult. We want to be in the thick of things, busy doing things for the Lord but he wants us to find time each day and perhaps for some of you this is the season of rest and renewal where you are just soaking in the Lord and allowing him to minister to you. Treasure these seasons that the Lord gives you because they will build the strength you need for the next leg of the journey. When I went through my DTS it was a time of just resting in the Lord, soaking up the teaching, spending personal time each day with him and just receiving from Him. It was an awesome time for me and I enjoyed having this time set apart.
Treasure as well your time with the Lord each day. Make him the priority of your day, set aside time to pray, seek Him in His word, meditate on his word, listen to his voice, quiet your heart before him. He will renew your strength in your inner man and you will be able to carry out the work in his strength.
The second thing Paul prayed for was “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith”. Christ wants to invade and take control of every area of our life. There is a little booklet called, “My heart, Christ’s home” by Robert Munger, that takes you on a journey of your home to see if Christ really dwells in every room. It is by faith that we receive Christ into our heart and invite him to take control over every area of our life. Many of us struggle to release certain areas that we like to control because we think that we will miss out on something if we relinquish it to Christ. We are really not in control of that area of our life, it is really controlling us. Anyone other than Christ being in control is a slave driver type master. Our desire to control or be controlled by habits only places us in more bondage. The devil is deceptive and he wants us to think we are in control but the truth is just the opposite. Christ comes to set us free from ourselves, our selfishness, our desire to rule over ourselves and other people. When we finally give up and give over control, he can take charge and bring about a freedom that we have never experienced. Is Christ in control of my thoughts, my use of time, my money, my eating, my recreation, my relationships, my work, my family etc.? It is easy for us to recognize people who are out of control but often difficult for us to see areas in our own lives that are out of control. We look at a drug addict or alcoholic and see that they are being controlled by a chemical. But what about the person who idles away time behind a computer screen or spends excess time talking on the phone, or works too much, or never finds time to be with other people? We could add many more things to this list. These are all choices they have made and reflect that Christ is not the Lord of every area of their life. The problem is that they are really missing out on God’s best for them, they are settling for something less and often times very destructive, instead of giving Christ complete control and allowing him to bring balance and wholeness into their life.
At times we need to ask people to be very honest with us and tell us what areas of our life they perceive that Christ is not in control but we are still maintaining control or being controlled by a habit. Sometimes we need someone to intervene and tell us the truth before we self destruct or bring other people down with us. Most of us are aware of the killings that happened at Ft. Hood recently. The man who did the killing had some major issues going on in his life. Perhaps others noticed some changes taking place but no one intervened and he committed some horrendous shootings. The base commander was interviewed after the shootings and he made a comment that the soldiers needed to refer people who were experiencing stress and anxiety so they could receive help. Intervention is needed to at least give people an opportunity to see that they need help. As believers we need to watch out for one another and when we see things that are not in order or out of the control of Christ we need to intervene in prayer, confrontation and rehabilitation in love. Christ wants to set us free from every controlling influence that is destructive in our lives. He is the Liberator and he uses people to help set people free. He wants to dwell, take up residency and control of every area of our heart.
Love in Action is a ministry that helps people who are struggling with sexual and relational issues. They understand that without Christ and people being Christ to others transformation will not take place. The following is taken from their website and describes how they do ministry which to me is an example for us as well.
“At LIA we want to help men and women experience a safe Christian environment where they can let down the masks they have had to wear in front of the world and even in front of the church; where they can share honestly and openly what is going on inside them without fear of reprisal. In such an environment the trust develops that God uses as the foundation for healing of deep emotional and relational brokenness. It is our privilege to walk alongside these courageous men and woman as they submit their pain and brokenness to the Lord.

What can we do in the face of so much pain? Often, as LIA counselor David Jones says, we must simply “sit beside it.”2 We must be willing to enter into someone’s pain and experience it along with them. If we could only claim human powers, then this exercise would be truly futile. But as Christians we know that God uses us to be “Jesus with skin on” to each other, and Jesus Himself is the ultimate expert in “sitting beside pain.” When He did it 2000 years ago, the results changed the course of history and made salvation possible. When He does it today through his Body on earth, the results continue to transform lives and bring lasting change to hopeless situations.”
 
Paul’s final prayer was that the believers would be rooted and grounded in love and have understanding of the fullness of Christ’s love. When God’s love is in us we are radically changed. The more we understand the height, width, depth and length of God’s love for us the greater is our capacity to love like he loves. We love based on knowledge and the more we know about God and his love the more we are capable of being filled with his love. It is like we are a container that is expandable base on our knowledge. The more knowledge we have of God’s love the greater our container becomes. As we experience God’s love in greater measure we are able to take that love in us and live it out. We love because he first loved us. His love gives us the capacity and ability to love others. John said we cannot say we love God and hate our brother. God’s love does not work that way. “ The life of love is a life of kindness, selflessness, brokenness and meekness. It is Christ finding expression in the believer.” BBC This life of love is lived among other believers who also help us in our understanding of God’s love. We need each other and if we are open we can learn more about God’s love through others. I will always remember Brother John who was Catholic monk who worked at the base I was stationed at in Germany. He was such a gentle and humble person who truly loved people. I had never met anyone like him in my life and his love for God and people made a huge impression on my life. He had a greater capacity to love because he had experienced the love of God in a greater way than I had. He had a more intimate relationship with the Lord and it was evidenced by his love for others. If we try to give meaning to the dimensions of Christ’s love we can think of it in these terms:
Width —The world (John 3:16)
Length —Forever (1 Cor. 13:8)
Depth —Even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8)
Height —Heaven (1 John 3:1–2)
Love for Christ will be reflected in our love for the world and our desire to see people come to Christ to experience his love. I read a story from a book written by E. Stanley Jones who was a missionary to India for over 50 years and preached the gospel in many nations. It is a story of love in action.
“There was a woman in Africa who came to Christ, and she felt that she wanted to do something for Jesus. But she was blind and seventy years of age and therefore her contributions did not seem to be very promising. She was uneducated, but she came to the missionary with her French Bible and said, “Would you mind underscoring John 3:16 in my Bible in red?” The missionary was very intrigued to see what she was going to do. She took the French Bible and sat in front of a boys’ school in the afternoon. When school was dismissed she called these boys and said, “Boys, come here please. Do you know French?” Very proudly they said that they did. Then she said “Please read to me this passage underscored in my Bible.” And they did. The she would ask, “What does this mean to you boys?” They said , “We don’t know.” Then she said, “I’ll tell you what it means to me.” And she told the story of the Gospel. Twenty-four young men became pastors or assistant pastors due to the work of this blind beggar. She was so transformed that people called her “Madame.”
The Love of Christ in it fullness in us brings transformation and produces love for people which is demonstrated in a variety of ways as was exemplified by this blind beggar. Love only becomes meaningful when it is expressed in action. We live in a culture that struggles with understanding what true love is and how it is expressed appropriately. Most of what we see as love is only selfishness and manipulation of someone to get a need met. Christ is our model of love and as we understand his love for us and allow his love to transform us we become the Church that will have a tremendous impact on the world. The church must be a community in which true love is expressed if it is going to make a difference in people’s lives. Jesus said to his disciples before his crucifixion, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
The challenge before us tonight is to be the Church that God wants us to be. To be strengthened with his power by waiting upon him, serving him, spending time with him on a daily basis to allow him to renew us. The church should be full of people who are under the complete control of Christ in every area of our lives and reach out to people who are struggling with areas that are out of control. Finally the church should be noted for its love of Christ that is expressed in actions toward others.
As we close the service tonight, let’s form small groups with the people next to you and pray for one another and any needs that you have whether they come out of what we talked about tonight or anything else that you need prayer.
As we pray let’s believe that God will do what Paul wrote at the close of this chapter.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

However....

 When someone uses the word "however" what comes to your mind?

Do you think of something unexpected happening?

Do you think of something that should not have happened but did?

Do you think of a bad decision that was made that had negative consequences?

Do you think of something beneficial happening or something that was a surprise?

Throughout the Scriptures the word "however" is used to indicate a variety of things happening, good, bad, unexpected, surprising, shocking and consequential. 

However: Departure from the faith

³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. ³⁹ But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your  enemies.” ⁴⁰ However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals.

The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Ki 17:38–40). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Israel was taken captive by Assyria yet even in their captivity they did not return to the Lord but completely disobeyed and defied his covenant.

The served the pagan gods, offering sacrifices and even their own children to the gods of the other nations.  They turned their back on God and as a result he turned away from them because of their unrepentant hearts and lack of response to the prophetic warnings he had issued.

Statistics I have read regarding Christian students in universities who leave the faith are startling.

Decline in Student Spirituality (Summit Ministries) http://www.summit.org/resources/essays/students-abandoning-the-faith/

When it comes to the spiritual life of teenagers, the statistics are not very encouraging. According to a recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the number of students who frequently attend religious services drops by 23 percent after three years in college.[1] The research also confirms that 36 percent rated their spirituality lower after three years in college.

Another study, the "College Student Survey," asked students to indicate their current religious commitment. Comparing the responses of freshmen who checked the "born again" category with the answers they gave four years later, we find that on some campuses as high as 59 percent no longer describe themselves as "born again."[2] That’s a fallout rate of almost two-thirds!

Recently, the Barna Group reported on the spiritual involvement of twenty-somethings. The findings: only 20 percent of students who were highly churched as teens remained spiritually active by age 29.[3]

The reality of the departure of so many is related to the level understanding of Christianity and personal relationship they had before and during their university education.  When you know God for who is truly is and experience his love in your daily life, there is nothing that can compare to it.  If your faith in God is not grounded firmly in the Truth of the Word of God you can fall away just as the Israelis did and serve your own man made gods. For too many students their relationship with God is based on emotions, how they feel about God and how God makes them feel.  When adversity or challenges arise their emotions make decisions rather than their knowledge of the truth.  Our relationship with God has to be based on unshakable knowledge of the truth that will carry us through times of difficulty.  You must know what you believe and why you believe it.  Your worldview, how you view everything in life, must be based on the Truth of God’s Word.  Christianity is not just spirituality, it involves every aspect of life.  There is no Spiritual/Secular divide.  Being a believer is not always easy, comfortable or a feel good experience.  God does place demands on us that are always for our good.

However: accommodation and incomplete obedience

When Israel was sent into the Promised Land, they were given instructions to completely destroy the people dwelling there because of the corruption of their sinful practices. God waiting over 400 years before he released Israel from their bondage in Egypt in part to allow time for the nations dwelling in the Promised Land to repent or reach the level of sinfulness that demanded judgment to fall on them.  Israel was to carry out God's judgment on the nations and eliminate them from the land.

HOWEVER the tribes did not do what they were commanded to do.

however, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Jdg 1:27). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

It was not just the tribe of Mannaseh but the tribes of Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali who did not eliminate them.  They chose to make them subject to them and make them do forced labor.  Their decision seemed to make life easier for them but in the end it had a very negative effect because the people intermarried and began to serve the gods of these heathen nations.  They compromised their beliefs which led to including their religious practices of offering sacrifices to their gods and then led to completely abandoning God to worship the false gods of these nations.

The Canaanites were determined to live in the land, they were not going to roll over or give up quickly.  It was going to take effort on the part of the tribes to conquer them, but God had promised to be with them and give them the victory.  He would not have commanded them to do it if he was not going to make it possible for them to do it.

In our own lives we are faced with the same "however" when we make choices to not completely obey what God has called us to do.  We would rather accommodate than annihilate destructive habits, thoughts or relationships in our lives.  We give up, then give in, then give over rather than fight against until we gain the victory.

Often we struggle with a besetting sin, a sin that has taken deep root in our lives perhaps from our past life before we came to Christ.  We find ourselves falling into this sin too often and we reach the point where we allow it to be a part of our life when it should be eliminated. 

Many struggle with forbidden relationships with the same sex and the opposite sex. 

I see this happening in the confusion of gender identity in our culture.  The world wants complete freedom to be whatever sexual orientation you want to be, heterosexual, homosexual, transsexual, bisexual etc.  Whatever gender you choose to be should be accepted and no one should be able to say one is better than the other.  This attitude has had great impact on the culture and it is leading many to a life of bondage and deception.  Several main line denominations have now given approval to same sex marriages.

If we truly believe that God created male and female and that any other deviation from this is a distortion of the truth then we must fight to hold on to the standards God has set.  The easiest thing to do is to accept and accommodate sexual practices instead of fighting for the truth.  People still need to be treated with respect and love but it does not mean that we have to agree with what is happening. Because of sin there is great corruption in the mind of man.  There certainly is disorientation in the thoughts of fallen man but that does not mean that we should give up fighting against practices that are clearly defined as wrong by the Scriptures.

Gender is not something we choose, it is wired into our DNA.  Studies of babies that were born without complete male genitalia who were raised as females have produced results that clearly defy the idea gender is a choice.  John Hopkins University conducted a follow up study of a man whose sexual identity was changed shortly after he was born. "Brenda" was operated on to make him look female and went through treatments to change his physical makeup.

Even with the injection of female hormones, the absence of male hormones coming from testicles, and being raised as a female, Brenda did not turn out as Brenda. In the early 1990’s, a team of researchers caught up with the boy who had been turned into a girl to see how “she” was doing.

 They found that “she” was no longer Brenda. “She” was now David – working in a slaughterhouse, married to a woman, and the adoptive father of three children.

 At the age of 14, Brenda decided to start living as a male, and at 15, was told that was indeed what “she” had been born as. She then announced that “she” had always felt like a male and wanted to become one again.  Brenda was given a mastectomy, male hormones, and constructed genitalia.

 When researchers dug further, they found that the first time Brenda had been put in a dress, he pulled it off.

 When given a jump rope, he wanted to tie people up with it or whip them with it.

 At nine, he bought a toy machine gun when he was supposed to buy an umbrella.

 His toy sewing machine went untouched because he preferred to build forts and play with dump-trucks.

 He was never interested in make-up, but instead wanted to shave with his father.

 On a trip to New York, he found himself attracted to the Rockettes.

 He even felt the urge to urinate standing up.

 From this, researchers at Johns Hopkins felt they should go back and study other children who had undergone similar operations; boys who, for whatever reason, were born without full male organs, had then been fully castrated, and raised as girls. Of the twenty-five they were able to locate, ranging in age from five to 16, every single one exhibited the rough-and-tumble play more characteristic of boys than girls.  (James White: Church and Culture)

Once we abandon the Word of God as Truth and walk in disobedience and defiance of it, we find ourselves living lives of confusion, degradation and disorientation.  We must defend the truth and continue to live in obedience to it. Our culture rejects truth and is paying a severe price.  The city council of Houston recently voted that transgender people can enter whatever bathroom they want depending on what sex they are identifying with that day.  Where is the privacy of the 99% of people who are not transgender?

We should never put a question mark where God has placed a period.

When man is determined to have his way and is not opposed or confronted with the truth of God's standard of righteousness, the downhill slide will happen very quickly.

However: Conformity to the world

Another "however" in the OT came from God through the prophet Samuel.  The Israelites wanted a king to rule over them and lead them into battle like the neighboring nations.  This was not God's plan and he warned the people what the consequences would be if they had their king.

⁹ Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Sa 8:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

It would be very costly for the people to have a king and God clearly stated the burdens that would be placed upon them if they chose to be ruled by a king.  The reality of the burden was clearly evident in the reign of Solomon.  The taxation placed upon the people was more than they could bear and when Solomon died, the people begged his son, Rehoboam, to lighten the burden that had been placed on them. 

The 'however' warning was not heeded and the consequences of the decision were just as God had told them. 

Israel wanted to be like the nations around them.  They wanted to be like the world, allow people to rule over them rather than God.  It speaks of the power of worldly influences in our lives.

The ways of the world are a constant pull on us to keep us from living according to what God has deemed best for our lives.  Our desire to blend in, be like others, be accepted, popular, possess what others have are strong forces that will pull us away from God's best for our lives. Our identity must be based on our relationship with God, how God sees us and how we see God. 

He is our Father who loves us and desires only the best for our lives.  Anything the world has to offer is not going to bring satisfaction. Bigger, better, faster, more convenient, less hassle are all attractions that can consume our lives and cause us to go after the things of the world rather than pursue the pathway God has placed before us.

We find ourselves saying God's way is okay for some, but we prefer to be like everyone else.  We are not to be a part of the world's system. 

 ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Jn 2:15–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

God has called us to be a people separated from the world.  We are called to be priest who represent God to man and man to God.  We are in the world to be salt and light by choosing God's ways over the world's way. 

Taking a stand for purity, simplicity and humility are God's antidote for the ways of the world.  We are called to respond in the opposite spirit of the world and not conform to its standards.

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.^[1]

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;^[2]

Paul gave more instructions about responding in the opposite spirit

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.^[3]

We must examine ourselves to determine if our values, beliefs and behaviors are in alignment with the Word of God or with the ways of the world.  It boils down to who we will allow to rule over our lives.  Who is on the throne of our lives?  Whose lordship are we subjecting ourselves to each day? Are we following God's will or our own?

The consequences of choosing the world over God's ways always lead to bondage, dissatisfaction, guilt, depression and an ineffective witness to the world.

However: God's patience and merciful intervention

The 'howevers" are not all negative and one person who was very grateful for his 'however' was Paul.  Prior to his conversion experience, Paul was the primary persecutor of the early church.  His behavior was blinded by his ignorance of the knowledge of the truth.  When he looked back on his life he labeled himself as the "chief (foremost) of all sinners."  He was continually grateful for God's patience and merciful intervention in his life.

¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶ However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Ti 1:12–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

His life before becoming a Christ follower Paul was a "Go Getter and a Go Getem" person.  He was very zealous in his beliefs but very wrong in what he believed.  His solution was for those who opposed his beliefs was beatings, murder and imprisonment.  His B.C. life is an example of God’s patience with him. Patience is the restraint God imposes on himself. Paul was doing a lot of damage to the early church and God restrained himself from taking him out and showed mercy to him by getting his attention and sending Ananias to help him after he was confronted by Jesus.

If God could be merciful to him, the chief of sinners, he could be merciful to others.  No one was beyond the reach of God's mercy, grace and forgiveness.  It is a great encouragement to everyone to know that God is so patient.  He withholds his judgment that we so deserve in order to give us time to repent and be reconciled to him.  He would be justified in condemning us yet he continues to work with us, to show us his goodness and kindness that was demonstrated in Christ in order that we will believe in him and choose his ways.

Paul was grateful for the call to ministry he received in spite of his background.  God did not hold it against him and restrict him from what he could do in his kingdom work.  God took the chief sinner and made him the chief apostle.  This was all part of the "however" Paul experienced in his life.  God is not limited by our past life or our perceived inabilities.  He takes the foolish to confound the wise, the uneducated to silence the learned, the humble to exalt over the proud, and the poor to teach the rich.

All who come to Christ have a testimony of God's mercy in their lives.  Often when we are distributing Bibles and we find a believer in Christ, I ask the person, "What was your life like before you met Christ?"  Many recount how horrible their life was, the pain they experienced because of their sins and the misery they suffered.  They are so grateful to not be living the life before they met Christ.  One man we talked to has been transformed by the power of God's Word.  He only had NT and he said he reads has been reading it each day for the past three years. His life as well as the life of his family have been radically changed.  Whenever he has problems he goes to the Word and finds out what it says about his situation and what he should do.  I have never met a person who was so thrilled about reading the Bible and so thankful for the changes Christ has made in his life.

The change Christ has made in our lives is a great tool in our witness to others.  People want to hear about the difference Christ has made in your life.  Many are living miserable lives and are seeking for answers.  I met a man while doing Soul Patrol one night who told me he had been asking himself for the past 2 weeks, how he could change his life.  He was miserable and had been running with friends who were not doing what was right.  He was seeking for answers and for help to change his life.  I had the opportunity to share what God had done in my life to bring changes and how he could have the same experience by giving his life to Christ and allowing him to make him a new creation. I prayed for him and he was impacted in a profound way.

Some people who have grown up in the church and have had a godly upbringing feel that they have no testimony to share with others.  The greatest testimony is God's preserving power, how he has kept you from experiencing evil that has devastating effects on our lives.  Prevention is better than having to be cured.  I would much rather never get cancer than have to go through the treatments to cure it.  Living in sin and suffering its effects only bring regret for the past.  We regret the wasted time, energy and negative effects of our sins and we wish we would have never experienced them.  The scars and bad memories of the past life are things we wish we did not have to deal with.

However: No Orphans

The final "however" was a statement Jesus made to his disciple as he was preparing them for his departure.

¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 16:13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The disciples had not really understood completely Jesus' statements about his coming death and resurrection.  The thought of him not being with them was very disconcerting.  They had grown to love him, rely upon him, marvel at his teachings and miracles he performed.  He was young, how could he be talking about his life coming to an end?  How could anyone replace him?

Jesus brought these words of promise to them of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who would be performing the very same things Jesus had done for them.  The Spirit who had been with them would later be in them to guide them, teach them, work miracles through them and communicate the Father's wisdom and plans to them.

We have this same Spirit in us to work in and through us to carry out the plan of God.  The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives sets us apart from the world.  We have something, someone working in us supernaturally that that the lost do not have.  We have access all the gifts of the Spirit and we have the Spirit working in us to produce fruit that can only come through him.  The Holy Spirit communicates the mind and thoughts of God to us.  He speaks to us and imparts God's wisdom.  How blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

When the disciples received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost they were filled with power to be witnesses to the Jewish nation and the Gentile world.  They experienced God's power to heal, deliver, raise from the dead, fearlessly proclaim the gospel in face of great opposition, be transported from one area to another instantly, be given visions to guide them and many other supernatural things that propelled them in their ministry. 

Necessary to carry out the work of the Gospel

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.                  Acts 4.31

The same Spirit that filled the early believers and empowered them to be strong witnesses has been given to us.  We need to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit to be bold witness for Jesus.

Sharing the gospel is our privilege and work of the ministry.  When we are filled with the Spirit, he flows out of us to touch people’s lives when we share the gospel.  As you share the gospel you will sense the Holy Spirit working in you to give you the words to say and the way to say them.

Necessary for Supernatural Ministry

We have residing within us this same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead,

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8.11

The gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today.  1 Corinthians 12 lists the supernatural gifts of the Spirit that God will use in our lives. Study them, know them and ask God to use them in your life to minister to others. 

Necessary for guidance

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.   Acts 16:6,7

The Holy Spirit is our internal guidance system.  Everyone who is born from above has the Holy Spirit in them to guide.  The Spirit can speak to us in a variety of ways to communicate what we should do.  Learning to wait upon him and recognize his leading is something we all need and we will grow in as we practice listening and obeying. 

Necessary to produce the character of Christ in us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23

Our character must be conformed to Christ’s and the Holy Spirit is at work in us to make us like him.  As we study the Word and apply it to our lives a transforming work of the Holy Spirit takes place.  The Holy Spirit exchanges our old selfish nature with the nature of Christ.  It is a process over time but it will happen as we yield our wills to the mind of the Spirit.  What we do flows out of who we are.

However: Experiencing the Unexpected or Miraculous

The "however" also comes when God does something no one expected to happen.

Paul after being shipwrecked on the island of Malta while in transit to Rome was bitten by a snake that jumped out of the fire.  It evidently was a poisonous snake recognized by the islanders who expected the worst.

28 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. ² And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. ³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴ So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” ⁵ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. (Ac 28:1–6).

What an incredible testimony to all the people of the power of God at work in the life of Paul.

When the odds are against us and the circumstances seem overbearing the God of the "however" shows up and changes the situation.

Another testimony I heard while distributing bibles came from a family whose daughter had crossed eyes.  She was scheduled for surgery to correct them and the family gathered for prayer at the time the operation was to take place.  When the doctor examined her, he stated that she did not need the operation, her eyes were healed!

Many of you have testimonies of God's miraculous provision for your needs.  You were down to nothing or almost nothing in the account and God showed up through the gift of another person he moved upon to give to meet the need.  Or an unexpected gift arrived that was exactly what you needed. 

I received an email from the base leader of YWAM Chennai in which she told of a miraculous answer to prayer.

"God did some amazing things on the outreach since it is summer out here our teams worked a lot with the VBS's all over.  They had amazing times.  They reached over 3000 children.  One of the slums where the team worked over the summer doing a VBS with good Shepherd church saw a real transformation in the children a 9th grader girl witnessed her neighbor commit suicide while the neighbors were deciding what to tell the police she slipped inside the house and prayed to Jesus to heal him and the guy started breathing they took him to hospital and he was well.  The girl who was a H shared this as a testimony about how Jesus answered prayer. "

When we look to him and depend upon him, he will always have the final say.  His intervention in our lives at times at the last moment can stretch our faith but also strengthen it as we see him come through to meet our need.

However: integrity and trust

Another encouraging "however" is found in the story of the men who were in charge of the money for the reconstruction of the temple during Josiah's reign.

³ Now it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the Lord, saying: ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. ⁵ And let them deliver it into the hand of those doing the work, who are the overseers in the house of the Lord; let them give it to those who are in the house of the Lord doing the work, to repair the damages of the house—⁶ to carpenters and builders and masons—and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. ⁷ However there need be no accounting made with them of the money delivered into their hand, because they deal faithfully.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Ki 22:3–7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

 No accounting was necessary because of the integrity of the workers.  They did not have to wonder if the money was going to be misspent or stolen.  It is a far cry from what we witness today among many workers from people of high positions, men and women in ministry down to the common laborer. 

Guatemala like many nations has a history of corruption among elected and appointed officials. Many have used their position and access to money for their own benefit as well as the benefit of family members and friend.  The mayor of Antigua is serving a 7 year prison term for stealing 25,000,000 Quetzales ($3 million) for overpaying for the purchase of goods and services from family members and receiving a kick back from them. It is not only the business world and government that have been guilty of greediness.

I recently read of a pastor in Korea who had a huge church was convicted of embezzling 15 million dollars from the church that went to the benefit of his son. It brings shame and disappointment and discouragement to those who have faithfully given money because they trust the leaders to have integrity.  It also leaves a horrible testimony to non-believers who now have more reason to not want to associate with Christians.

How we handle other people's money or possessions is a true test of our character.  One of the highest rated character traits of anyone in leadership is integrity.  Integrity welcomes accountability because there is nothing to hide.  Accountability is needed in our present day because of the greed of man but those who walk in integrity never have to worry about the inspectors finding errors in the accounting.  In a world that looks for easy money, dishonest money and bogus accounting, we need to be known as the same kind of people that Josiah could count on in handling the money entrusted to them to do what was expected of them.  God will honor those who are faithful and wise stewards of his resources.  I think all of us look forward to the day when he will say "Well done, good and faithful servant..." Matthew 25.21

Our lives are shaped by the However moments we experience.  Some of these experiences result in negative, regretful things happening in our lives that do not draw us near to God or others.  We have to learn from these experiences as well as the experiences of others to avoid them or never repeat them.

But the However experiences can also be a testimony of God’s gracious work in our lives in bring salvation, giving us His Holy Spirit with all the benefits of his indwelling, We are able to experience his supernatural power to protect us as well as flow through us to see miraculous things happen.  He is at work in us to make us more like the character of Jesus[BA1]  and people who are marked by integrity and trust.

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^[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 5:38–42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 5:43–45). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[3] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro 12:17–21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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 [BA1]

June Newsletter

Good things are happening in Guatemala through the ministry of Youth With A Mission. If you would like to read the June Newsletter follow this Link.

Inseparable Love

⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 (Romans 8:38–39).

I just returned from being away for almost a month visiting my family, churches and individual who have been supporting me as well as the YWAM Antigua base.  It was a different trip for me than what I had expected but it was also very good.

My mom had just been released from the hospital after being very sick from an intestinal infection and then having congestive heart failure.  When she was home she was very weak and there were several times when I thought she was going to die.  On the days I was not traveling to churches and individuals I was at my mom's home caring for her as she could not do much of anything on her own. She has congestive heart failure so water accumulates around her lungs and heart and it will eventually lead to her death.  There is no timeline as to when but she is 92 years old and is ready to move on to her final destination with Jesus.  I am so thankful that death cannot separate us from the love of God.  There is great comfort in that for those who are in Christ Jesus.

While I was home my brother's father-in-law died expectantly from a heart attack.  His heart stopped beating in the ambulance and they were able to revive him.  A surgery was schedule the next day but he was not well enough to endure it and died before it could be done.  He was a believer in Christ and has gone on with the Lord.

Also while I was gone Florecita our cook for many years lost her father.  I know it was hard for her and her family.  She took care of her dad and had a special love for him.  He too was a believer and is now in the presence of the Lord.

Death is inevitable for all of us and the passing of loved ones is never easy but it is great comfort knowing that nothing will ever separate from the love of God.  Only believers in Christ have this assurance and this takes away some of the pain we feel when life ends for those we love.

This past week I was in Honduras for a YWAM meeting and met the base director from Siguatepeque.  She lost her husband who died of an infection he contracted in his lungs while getting cancer treatment in a hospital in Mexico.  She is young, in her mid-30's with 5 children to raise and a base to direct.  I do not know how she does it, but God has given her grace and support to be able to continue the work of the ministry she and her husband started. She gave testimony that when her husband died something came over her, like a power or anointing that gave her strength that she could not explain.  I was as though God's love was poured out upon her and his presence was evident in a special way. 

Nothing can separate us from the love of God.  In the time we need his love and assurance the most, he comes through.

I cannot imagine what it is like for someone who is not in Christ who is facing death.  The fear of death and the uncertainty of the future would be difficult to face.

Those who are in Christ have the promise of his abiding eternal love to always be with us.  Jesus experienced the love of his father and he knew that his death would not separate him eternally from him.  Jesus knew where he had come from and he knew where he was going. 

¹⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. (Jn 8:14)

Whatever would happen to him while he walked on earth would not change his identity nor his destiny.  It is the same for each of us.  We can live with this confidence and assurance that gives us liberty and freedom to do whatever God has called us to do.  Paul writes in the preceding verses,

 "³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:35-37)

Paul faced all of these things but he did not see himself as a victim but a conqueror.  These things do not have the power to separate us from God.  They may take our lives but it does not affect our identity or our destiny. God’s love is our security and our victory. It is this love that moves the heart of the lost toward him and it is especially true in the conversion of many Muslims.

I was able to read a couple of books that were about Muslims who have come to Christ.  It is estimated that 25% of the Muslims who have become believers have had visions and dreams of Jesus.  In many of these experiences Jesus appears to them and confirms his love for them.  The Muslim god Allah is not known as a god of love by his followers.  The concept of a loving God is foreign to them and when he appears to them there is an overwhelming sense of love that they experience.

One of the books I recommend to you is entitled, "Seeking Allah, finding Jesus."  It is the true story of Nabeel Queresh who was a devote Muslim converted to Christ.  He was raised Muslim and was indoctrinated from his youth to oppose Christianity.  While in the university he met a Christian who began a friendship with him.  Through his friendship he was challenged to investigate both his beliefs about Christianity and Islam.  Nabeel had 3 visions from the Lord that shook his faith when he understood what they meant.  Over several years of questioning and investigating he came to the conclusion that the truth was found in Jesus, not in Mohammed.  Yet knowing the truth it was still difficult for him to make the decision to reject Islam which would also mean rejection by his parents who were devote Muslims.  He literally went through a time of mourning thinking of how his decision would affect his parents.  But the day came when he saw clearly from the Lord that he needed to make the decision.

"As soon as I entered the apartment, I went straight to the bookcase and retrieved my old Quran and my study Bible.  I sat down on the couch and opened the Quran first.  I flipped through the pages, looking for verses of comfort, at first carefully reading each page for the subject matter, then more quickly thumbing through the index, then frantically flipping from page to page, hoping for something, anything, that would comfort me.

There was nothing there for me.  It depicted a god of conditional concern, one who would not love me if I did not perform to my utmost in pleasing him, one who seemed to take joy in sending his enemies into the hellfire.  It did not speak to the broken nature of man, let alone directly to the broken man in need of God's love.  It was a book of laws, written for the seventh century.

Looking for a living word, I put the Quran down and picked up the Bible.

I had never read the Bible for personal guidance before.  I did not even know where to start.  I figured the New Testament would be a good place, so I opened to the beginning of Matthew.  Within minutes I found these words: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  The words were like a current sent through my dead heart, electrifying it once more. This is what I was looking for.  It was as if God had written these words in the Bible two thousand years prior specifically with me in mind.

Nabeel came to realize that he needed to deny himself and take up his cross and follow Jesus. It was not about him but all about following Jesus.  He writes, "How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as he died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?  This not about me.  It is about Him and His love for his children.

Nabeel had experienced the love of God and nothing could separate him from His love.

Another book by Tom Doyle entitled, "Dreams and Visions is Jesus awakening the Muslim World" recounts testimonies of Muslims from different parts of the world who have met Jesus. One story is about a lady named Jamilla.

Jamilla had several visits with Jesus in her sleep. She had encountered Christians in the medical clinic whom she confided her dreams.  In one dream she said Jesus appeared to her and told her that the people in the clinic loved her because he loved her.  She felt his arms around her as an expression of his love for her.  She said, "I felt his love, and I didn't want Him to leave."    The love of Jesus as well as the love of Christians toward Muslims is the number one reason Muslims come to faith in Christ. "In surveys of Muslim-background believers, the love they see between believers and the love offered to them topped the list of reasons they became Jesus followers. It's not just the dream thing.  Whether reaching out to a Muslim or a Jew, love makes the crucial difference."

The intense and personal love of Jesus is a sustaining factor for those who are experiencing persecution and execution because of their belief in the Truth found only in Jesus.  Truth combined with love is a powerful combination that empowers people to endure great hardships for the cause of Christ.

Christ's love displayed and demonstrated through our lives paves the way for people to receive the truth.  The visions and dreams that Muslims have are not sufficient in most cases to bring salvation.  The message of the gospel must still be explained to them.

Josh McDowell in an article entitled "Visions and Dreams" quotes the following story.

"In one African Muslim country, a young man violently tore up a Bible tract and threatened the life of the Every Home For Christ worker going door-to-door with the literature, Dick Eastman of Colorado Springs-based EHFC told NIRR.  The next afternoon as the worker sat in his home, he was shocked to see the man knock at his door.  "I must have another booklet,” the Muslim told him.  He explained that the previous night two hands awakened him, and when he turned on the light and asked who was there, a voice said, "You have torn up the truth. " the voice instructed him to acquire another booklet, directing him to the EFHC worker's home, the young man said.  There, the Muslim read the booklet and became a believer.  He has since been expelled from is wealthy family, lives with EHFC's Africa director, and is preparing for ministry to Muslims."

Love and truth are our greatest weapons in winning the lost to Christ whether they are Muslims or followers of any other religion.

The inseparable love of Christ in us and the love of Christ for the lost, must be the compelling forces to share the truth of the gospel. 

Nothing can separate us from His love so we can move forward in boldness in our demonstration of love and proclamation of the truth. Separation anxiety is a condition we never have to face as believers.  Humans and animals can experience this.  I did not realize this was possible with animals but a friend of mine told me of the problem they discovered with their dog when they left her in the car by herself.  When they returned the windows were fogged over from her panting and the whole interior of the car was covered with saliva from her panting.  Children also are subject to this when they are insecure or have been abandoned.  We will never have to experience this with God, his love will never cause us to feel separated from him.

We have the security of his love and the security of our identity and our destiny.  We know where we have come from, we know what the Truth is and we know where we are going.  We are wrapped in arms of love to carry us through every situation we may face.

Rest in this love, be reassured in this love and be motivated by this love each day in our service to Christ.