Have you heard the saying “if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger?   It is similar to the saying “No pain No gain”.   Well believe it or not, that is actually a very Biblical principle.  God uses the difficult times, the pains and the suffering to build us up but just as importantly to help others and to do ministry,    This is exactly what James, the brother of the Lord says, in the first chapter of James, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Jesus never said, "I have come that you should be happy." Actually, God is much more interested in making your life holy than He is in making you happy.    Happiness is fleeting; holiness has eternal value.   No pain, no gain is particularly relevent in building character.  We shouldn't expect that we can avoid pain and suffering as it is inevitable.   Embracing hardship and allowing God to use it to build us up and advance Godly purposes in our life makes us "mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4)

The Power of Intentionality

According to Ken Keis, President and founder of “Living on Purpose, ” a Canadian consulting resource group,  95% to 97% of all people live their lives on autopilot . . . he claims that the vast majority, nearly all of us, don't consciously even think about most of the things we do each day.  

This gets to the heart of my teaching on the power of intentionality.   While intentionality is a central concept in philosophy, it is also central to living a life of faith.  We learn this primarily from what we know about God.  God was intentional in sending Jesus.  The bible says it was because of His love for mankind that He sent His Son.   Jesus was so intentional in going to the cross at Calvary that the Bible says he “set his face towards Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).  In more modern translations it says Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (New International Version)

Living an intentional life is all about living a life on purpose, not by happenstance.

There are three keys to learning how to live intentional.  In understanding these three keys, any individual will discover the power of intentionality

Key #1 – Remember that you were created for a purpose:

The very first chapter of Pastor Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life” says clearly that “It’s not about you”.  These are actually the very first words in his book.   He goes on to tell us that there are actually five purposes that each man, each woman have that are all given by God.   These purposes include Purpose #3 (to become like Christ) and purpose #4 (To serve God).

These two purposes alone can provide a day’s worth of intentionality, every day. 

Key #2 -  Strive to have more impact on the culture around you than the culture has on you.  

Culture can be defined as including 1) Language, 2) Symbols, 3) Borders and 4) Values.   As we travel internationally, we quickly can see the differences in culture as soon as we go through customs and immigration and are greeted by the border agent who speaks a unique language.  The country has it’s own unique symbols and often the values vary greatly from country to country or from region or group.    When my kids were young, they often wanted to go places, have friends or attend activities that their mother and I felt were not beneficially.  I remember telling my daughter that she could go and participate anywhere when she had more impact on the people and places than they had on her. 

Key #3 – Know and live your mission. 

Each of us has been given not only a mission but also many missions over our lifetime.  Often, these missions are but for a season.   A young mother, for example, has no greater mission than the care and nurturing of her children.  This mission takes priority over all others but lasts but for a season.  It is the mission where we focus our time and our energy.   We learn quickly that all else either aids in the development of the mission or is a distraction. A life of intentionality identifies each, embraces the one and dismisses the other.

Our present missions may be the greatest key in living a life of intentionality.   Mission intentionality goes beyond what we are doing or even how we may be doing it and answers the question why.   When we know why we (teach, preach, lead, buy, sell, visit, fish, bowl, swim, love, help, create, direct, manage, etc.) we have the key to the power of intentionality.   In this, we not only live a life of intentionality but also find our purpose and our passion.

So that the world may know

       

Since the very beginning, we have tried to divide what Jesus said should be one. In his Gospel, John recorded Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here is how Jesus prayed for us just hours before His arrest and His going to the cross:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20–23)

Jesus prayed that we would be one or, in other words, united. Unity, or being one, is actually a big topic in the New Testament. Jesus prayed for it three times; the apostle Paul spoke about it often.

For years I have met people who still considered themselves spiritual, still believed in something, but were either no longer attending a worship service or Catholic mass or were not involved with other people on the basis of their faith.

The largest group of Christians in the United States is Roman Catholic. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 31 percent of Americans, or one in three, were raised as Roman Catholic. However, Pew Research also found that one third of all people raised Roman Catholic no longer consider themselves Catholic,i meaning that approximately 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics, many of them still wandering without finding another church home or returning to the Catholic Church.

This is unfortunate and a failure of the institution part of the church. All too often we have embraced our denominations, our cultures, and our traditions and mistakenly thought these were the basis of our faith.   Church culture, traditions and church leaders including the Apostles are imperfect and a poor substitute for true faith.

         The apostle Peter, of course, is an easy target if we are looking for an apostle who seemed imperfect. People who are quick to judge Peter are often far from perfect themselves. Peter was a great leader, but he was rash, quick to judge, and too confident in his flesh. Peter denied Christ three times; however, Christ restored him.

          A few years later, the apostle Paul met the apostle Peter in Antioch and had to call him a hypocrite:

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. (Gal. 2:11–13)

          Paul was not trying to cause a division in the church. Note that Paul didn’t talk about Cephas (Peter) behind his back but “opposed him to his face.” Paul directed his discipline not only at Peter but also to those who continued to think of the world as consisting of two contrasting groups: Jews or Gentiles. This Jewish thinking was similar to the Greek thinking of “Greek or Barbarian” or even today’s “Catholic or Protestant.”

          It's time we get beyond our divisions and embrace the true wonder of our faith.

From an excerpt from the book, "Roaming Catholics: ending the wandering to embrace the wonder" available on Amazon and your local Christian Bookstore


       

Primary Prayer

I have a good friend that was ‘exploring’ Christianity. She previously had been involved in Eastern mysticism, had explored reincarnation but was now embracing Jesus and was interested in this faith we call Christianity.  When she told me she was gong to a weekend Christian retreat I was excited for her.  

However, when she returned the people at the retreat had messed with her mind, as she no longer knew how to pray. They were so emphatic in what she could do, what she couldn’t do, how she was to pray in faith, how she was to pray in Jesus name, how she was to pray and not doubt….that it took months for the rest of us to get her back to the child-like faith that she had demonstrated before the retreat.  While these were all good individual teachings, God is bigger than these limitations. 

I mention this because it is with some caution that I offer the suggestion that we should be praying ‘Primary’ prayers.  By primary prayers, I’m not referring to elementary or childish prayers but instead a primary prayer is a prayer that aligns the petitioner with the will of God the Father

Why is this important?

It’s critical that we pray according to the will of the Father. While this is sometimes difficult to discern it is taught in the Bible: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:5)

How then can we pray according to the Father's will?  How do we do this?

1) Entrust yourself to God’s loving authority

Jesus believed this and taught this: "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38, NIV)   Knowing that God is sovereign in our lives and that He knows what is best for us, provides us with the opportunity to pray in a manner that it is ‘not my will but yours’ Lord.

2) Focus on God’s Priorities

Jesus said we were not to worry, not to be anxious about life “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33).  So much of our prayers are based on worry and fear,  but we are not to be anxious. Therefore our prayer life needs to be focused on God’s promises for us, His plan for our lives and the lives of those that we care for and pray for as well.

3) Follow the pattern of Jesus

With all that in mind, how can we avoid the frustration that commonly accompanies our prayers? I believe the answer lies in understanding the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come, 

Thy will be done, 

On earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, 

As we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from evil.

The Lord’s Prayer is a ‘Primary Prayer.’   It identifies that it is God that provides, it is He who gives purpose in our lives.   In our primary prayers, it is we that need to change; we should not be trying to change God.  We pray in a manner that aligns us, and reminds us, with what we know is God’s will for our lives.

Perhaps an example is needed.  A primary prayer is about God's plan and provision, a secondary prayer is about an immediate outcome we want from God.  We are often asked to pray for people that are in need of a job. Rather than praying that John, or Jane, or Rebecca gets the job at ABC company, thank God for his provision (our daily bread); pray that your friends will have clarity of thought, that they will be guided into the position that is right for them. Pray that they will be able to provide for their family, that their children will be blessed by the provision and even the abundance that is provided by God.  Call to mind the scripture that says, “ I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).

In Romans 12:2, Paul says, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  A primary prayer for ourselves and friends would be the same; that we would be transformed by the renewing of our minds...that we would know the perfect will of God.

Educated beyond their own intelligence

The university I attended for business school had a very large and obviously popular Early Education Major for undergraduates and a popular MS program in Early Childhood Education as well.  

The philosophy of what some may call ‘modern’ or ‘progressive’ early childhood education was apparent to many of us.   Many of the Early Education Majors became fully indoctrinated into this philosophy and were convinced of some of these modern educational ideals.  For example they believed and taught that competition was harmful to child development, or that saying ‘no’ somehow wounded the little tyke’s spirit, and that all toys should all be ‘unisex’.

One of my friends that already had children remarked that some of these students and graduates had become ‘educated beyond their own intelligence’.  As a first-time dad a few years later I learned that there were indeed many competing philosophies in child rearing. Some worked, some did not.  Many were just the ‘new thing’ that typically had disappointing results.

Religion can often be similar.  First of all, Christianity isn’t supposed to be a religion but a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  However, there are a lot of opportunities for philosophy to become a guide in our spiritual practices and just like the disappointing results that can be consequences of bad child development philosophies, the same is true with many philosophies that are called Christian.

In Colossians 2:8 the Apostle Paul warned us, “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.” (HCSB)

Notice that in the above warning Paul combines philosophy, deceit and human tradition.  The Apostle Paul was the one that told us that the truths of the Bible can only be ‘spiritual discerned’ (1 Cor. 2:14) so we have to be careful adding to what God starts off with His Holy Spirit and taking it to its illogical extreme.

One of the trends I’ve seen in the church today is that which has a theological term called, “antinomianism”.    The word antinomianism is combination of two Greek words, anti meaning ‘against’ and nomos meaning ‘law’ or Against Law or Lawlessness.

Because grace is such a major topic in the New Testament many struggle with the Christian’s obligation to adhere to moral law.  Antinomianism is found when the Biblical teaching of “Grace” is taken to an unbiblical extreme.  

In many ways antinomianism is the opposite of legalism.    While I abhor legalism in the Church and I am quick to quote that, “Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:2 HCSB), I also teach that Christ fulfilled the law --He did not do away with it.   

The great command that Jesus taught was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

The Bible teaches that we to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us; we are to be truthful in all of our dealings; we are to be honest, we are not to lie, we are not to covet, we are to not murder.  Further, we are to forgive “as we have been forgiven” The Ten Commandments highlight these as well as other aspects of the moral code.  These are not just mere suggestions for Christians that are covered under God’s grace.

This can be confusing for many as indeed there are many Old Testament Laws that seem to be not applicable.  Many of these laws were ceremonial laws designed to point the nation of Israel to Christ or they were civil laws for the nation that were appropriate for the times.   Christianity’s focus is on the Kingdom of God.  While we live on this earth, both for our own sake as well as the sake of others, Christ taught us to live a life of integrity, virtue, and of love for our neighbor. 

While Jesus Christ accepts us into His Kingdom “just the way we are” he doesn’t expect us to stay there.   One of the ways of looking at this is that we trust fully in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary as well as the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

Becoming a Christian is as easy as accepting a free gift.  God’s gift of salvation is said to be to ‘everyone’ and ‘whosoever will’.    At the same time, Jesus continually challenged the Jewish people that knew the law to go beyond what was minimally required and live a life that was exemplary.

We have to be careful to make sure that our moral standards and objectives don’t become absolute moral imperatives, nor can we require that these moral imperatives are fully met before God's grace is extended.  That is legalism.   In the same way, we need to make sure that the grace that has been freely given doesn’t become a license for sin.   Christian maturity is the process that accepts the Grace and rejoices in being reconciled while at the same time understanding that this is the beginning of a journey that demonstrates that we become more and more like Jesus and less and less like our old self.

Almost Perfect

‘Mature’ is one of those words that has a lot of different meanings depending on the context.   For example, while teaching at Florida Atlantic University I was asked to speak to the “Mature Student Association” and found out that the university defined ‘mature’ as over twenty-five.

Here in Florida we have a number of ‘Mature Residential Communities’ that feature swimming pools, athletic facilities, gated entrances and people that are all 55+ years old.

Sometimes a television show will come on with a warning, “Recommended for mature audiences”.  This typically means it is a movie that the spiritual mature probably have learned to avoid.

In the Bible maturity is considering something altogether different.  It really has nothing to do with age.  The writer of the New Testament Epistle entitled “To The Hebrews” wrote:

"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment," (Heb. 6:1-2).

What I find interesting about these elementary teachings is that for many of us they aren’t elementary at all but things that theologians and even entire denominations have argued about for years.    Historically we know that the early church that received this letter called “To the Hebrews” also had questions with regard to some of these doctrinal  issues.  This leads us to the conclusion that being spiritually mature is not about having doctrinal certainty.

However what I find even more interesting is this encouragement to go on to ‘maturity’.  This word in the original Greek is teleiotes, which can be better translated as ‘perfection’.  Here is another example of the same word, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect (teleiotes) it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6)

So we are being told to become---perfect!  Likely you don’t consider yourself perfect.   While we may not be perfect, we all need to grow.   One of the ways to look at this is to look at what happens when we don’t grow spiritually.  

Perhaps you can relate to these common characteristics of the spiritually immature:

1. The spiritually immature is focused on themselves rather than others.  We all can relate.  These people believe prayer is their connection to their own lottery; they ask God to get them out of trouble and fix the problems that they themselves have created.   When they select a church its all about the church meeting their needs.
   
   
   
   
2. The spiritually immature is trying to hold on to the ‘old self’.  As a pastor I often end up talking with people that are still struggling with the old self. In Galatians Chapter 5 it mentions some or these struggles, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”
   
   
   
   
3. The spiritually immature compares and measures themselves according to people rather than Christ.  While the Apostle Paul was able to say, “I urge you to imitate me” (1 Cor 4) for most of us we need to encourage others to look to “Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2)

So, we may be able to spot the immature, but how do we go onto maturity, or better yet, “perfection”?  

Here are three nature steps:

1. Know God.  This includes the practice of prayer and worship and the knowledge of God’s Grace. 
   
2. Know His Word. The Bible says we need to study to be approved (2 Tim 2:5), and we are to keep God’s word in our heart (Psalm 119:11)
   
3. Know His Family.  We all need to be under some authority.  The same book of Hebrews says that we shouldn’t “forsake the assembling of yourselves (Hebrews 10:25), and then Acts 2:42 we see just how committed we can be: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers".

I have found that just as it takes years for us to grow to adulthood the journey to spiritual maturity often takes years as well.   The Bible often refers to mature Christians as fruit.   Fruit, like people, only becomes reproductive when it ripens….it takes time. 

However, like fruit, we don’t want to get too ripe, perhaps you’ve met some Christians that have matured but are a little too ripe…..ripe fruit is rotten and stinks.