Set Your mind on things above

Well Church, I am proud to report that we have made it through the most unbelievably snowy season Siloam Springs has seen in a while. I like to refer to the last few weeks as Snowpocalypse 2011 because it really wrecked our lives for a few weeks. Our routines were scattered, our jobs and schools were shut down, and we were forced to stay in our homes. The snow totally changed the way that we live. What I found to be even more amazing than the amount of snow is that when there is snow on the ground it seems like that is all people think about. No matter what you are doing on your snow day everything you think about or do centers around the snow, because it has changed the way you do everything. We almost become obsessed with this earthly phenomenon.

Obviously arranging your life around the snow is really not a terrible thing, it is a necessity, but it got me thinking about how much time we spend focused on things that are of this world and less time thinking about heavenly things. In Colossians 3: 2 it says this “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.“ The snow is a perfect example of this. Like when it snows we are often consumed by what is going on around us on earth that we forget that our true calling as Christians is to put these distractions behind us and focus on God. Maybe the snow (things of this world) in your life is your is your job, your pursuit of earthly comfort, your children’s sports teams, your status in the community, whatever it is if there is snow that is consuming your life it is keeping you from your only purpose in life, which is to keep you mind focused on heavenly things.

If we are not prepared to clear these things from our lives, like real snow they are just going to continue to build up until our lives are being crushed under their tremendous weight paralyzing us from truly living. Don’t become crushed under the weight of the snow in your life get out there and shovel your way back to God’s plan for your life. Set your heart on the things of God not on things of this world.

Those who do the greatest things in this life are most concerned with the next

-C.S. Lewis

God's Love

Do you ever have that one verse that when you read it you are blown away? At the risk of making it super overdramatic, time seems to stop as the verse penetrates right to the core of who you are. You think to yourself, how have I never caught this. Or if you are like me you think, why is this not already part of who I am? I recently experiences this type of journey and thought process for myself through the reading of 2 Corinthians 5: 13-15.

Paul writes: “If we are out of our minds, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right minds, it is for you. For Christ love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

This is the type of passage that immediately speaks to who we should be as Christians. However, the context of this verse gives us a glimpse into what it will really take to live as a Christ follower. When Paul actually traveled to Corinth he was able to start a great work and we see in his first writing to them that problems arose after he left. After he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians false prophets showed up and sought to destroy the ministry of Paul by saying that he was out of his mind and that he was crazy. They touted him as an outcast of society. When Paul decides to address this in 2 Cor. 5: 13 he shows that he has no problem being different or an outcast.

Paul’s love for Christ is so great so compelling that he begs the people to see him as crazy, as different. He puts aside everything he is to see that God shines through him. Can we say that about our lives? Are we ready to allow the full love of Christ to shine through us? Are you ready to be called crazy?

Inside Looking Out

Growing up in Church I always noticed that everyone that went to my church was just like me. Of course they were not exactly like me. But to be honest most of them came from the same type of family, had the same type of social status and similar experiences, they were just older, younger or a different sex. Odds are that you too went to a church that was full of people that were just like you.

I really didn’t notice because that was just my life, that was just how my church was. It was later that I realized that almost every church is like that. So as I began to ponder this phenomenon, and I instantly jumped to making excuses, because God forbid that there is something wrong with my church. I once heard this excuse and ignorantly agreed, “Our Church will only reach a certain demographic, we can reach out but ultimately we will only reach middle class white America.” Looking back I cannot believe how closed-minded and non-Christian this thought is. Or an even worse mindset is “This is our church and those type of people will come in and mess up our building and steal things.” I know that this seems silly and you think that no one would say this but I have heard it.

The Church has sadly become one of the most exclusive clubs in America. We require membership to get special privileges, we are leery of outsiders, and we exclude people we are not comfortable having around. This type of thinking is missing the point of what churches are about. We should care more about the people that may mess things up, or cause discomfort than those people who have made the church their home. This was the example of Christ.

In his book Messy Spirituality Mike Yaconelli says this: “According to his critics Jesus “did God” all wrong. He went to the wrong places, said the wrong things, and worst of all just let anyone into the kingdom. Jesus scandalized an intimidating, elitist, country-club religion by opening membership in the spiritual life to those who had been denied it. What made people furious was Jesus “irresponsible” habit of throwing open the doors of his love to the whosoever’s, the just anyone’s and the not-a-chancers like you and me.”

Isn’t it time to start upsetting the right people by allowing those who are different and not the status quo into our churches? Isn’t it time to spend valuable time and resources reaching the people in our community that are poor, a different race, crazy, notorious sinners? Isn’t it time to invite these people into our churches instead of making our churches an elitist group that is untouchable? I write this not as abash of the church but as a plea for change in the way that we perceive our church bodies. In everything we should remember that we are the light to the whole world not just to a world full of people like us.

Interesting questions

One of the greatest joys of my job is when students ask questions. Sometimes they require some research. On Sunday a student asked me about Luke 16 and I really had to go back and study the passage because admittedly it can be pretty confusing. Here is the response that I gave him.

____________________

Man, your questions about Luke 16 and the Shrewd Manager on Sunday morning were great. After reviewing the passage for a brief moment on Sunday I was intrigued. To be honest I have read the story of the Shrewd Manager before but many times the end of the chapter (Luke 16:10-15) is so amazing and convicting that we pass by the story that is a little confusing.

The secret to understanding this passage is identifying that Jesus tells a story of the corruption use of wealth to inspire his disciples (and us today) to use their money in a way that grows the future kingdom. It was common practice in that day for wealthy people to have a person who managed their money. This allowed the rich person to evade the paperwork but still keep tabs on their cash. Also, it was the job of the Manager to use the rich persons money to make more money. Sort of like a modern day financial planner/accountant.

The wealthy man discovers that his funds were being wasted and decided to fire the manager. This is seen as an unwise decision because it ended up costing the rich man even more. Cleverly, the manager looks out for his own future by reducing the debts owed to his master and indebting the debtors to the manager making them friends that he could use in a future time of need.

Here is where things get a little difficult. Verse 8 says that the rich man commended the manager because he acted shrewdly. The Rich man is not commending the manager for doing an unjust thing, but the rich man realizes that he has been outwitted and he his applauding the cunning of the manager. By applauding the managers criminal heart the rich man is showing that he to has evil tendencies.

Jesus shows the application of this story in verses 16:8-13. In the same way that the Manager used money to make worldly friends, we should use material things for future spiritual benefit (Verse 9). We are to use our wealth in a way that leads people to Christ and we will see the fruits of this wisely spent money in heaven (Welcomed into eternal dwellings v.9). He gives a second application in verses 10-12 saying that those who use their money wisely and can be trusted with earthly wealth will be trusted with spiritual wealth, a.k.a true wealth. Then from this he gives one more application by saying that it is impossible to serve both God and money.

So the short answer to your question is that God uses a story about the improper use of money to show us how we are to use our wealth for the good of the kingdom. Sorry this is so long. If you have any more questions let me know.

______________________

Finances are one of the greatest detriments to living a live totally sacrificed to God. We should evaluate everything that we do with our finances.

In Christ,

You are who you hang with

Growing up in a family that lived and breathed youth ministry I heard this saying probably a thousand times.  Whenever one of my dad’s students started hanging with people who were less than questionable, one or both of my parents would utter, “You are who you hang with.”  As sick as I am of this saying, I am learning how applicable it is more every day.  All my life I have tried to surround myself with people who have the same beliefs and morals that I hold.  This has not really been that hard.  My friends have generally been dubbed “the good kids” and this has been the case for as long as I have known them.  But recently I have seen some of them make bad decisions as to the type of people they surround themselves with.  This has consequently led them down a path that is not honoring God. 

            I am reminded of Daniel.  Long before he was thrown in the lions din he surrounded himself with some pretty godly people. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were three of Daniels best friends.  It was through surrounding himself with people who shared the same morals that gave him the support to stand up for what was right.  These four young men were able to rely on each other and stand up for their faith on numerous occasions. 

            This is not to say that everyone that you consider a friend has to be someone who is of high moral standards.  However, it is important that your closest confidants are people who you can rely on to do the right thing.  Also, if you find yourself doing things around certain people, that compromise your faith, you need to seriously reconsider the time that you do spend with those people.

            By surrounding ourselves with people who love and honor God we will be more likely to do so ourselves.  Because my parents are right “you are who you hang with.” 

 

In Christ,

Nick       

How Great is our God

I recently watched a Louis Giglio sermon on the Internet that truly changed my life. The sermon was titled “how great is our God.”  In the sermon Louie shows the depth and complexity of space.  He gives size comparisons and really shows how small our planet is.  His major focus in the sermon is to show us how mighty and awesome our God is.  This thought left me breathless.  Here I am a 23 year old Seminary student, with 6 years of formal theological education, and I have been a Christian 16 years and I am once again blown away by the God that I serve.  What left me almost in tears was the fact that the God who created the universe with billions of stars, and massive planets, cares for me more than any of that. 

            With this being said it is my hope that you take a few seconds every day to take a step back and think about how great and mighty our God is.  Psalms 19:1-4 says this “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,” God is continually showing us through his creation who he is.  No matter what you are facing today, no matter how insurmountable the task seems, take a step back and look at how great our God is and rely on him. 

 Here is the Link to Louie's sermon... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKMw1ndl-EY&feature=related

In Christ,

Nick

What is next?

Everyone has different fears but there is one thing that we all seem to be afraid of, uncertainty.  So many time we get to a point in our lives when we have no clue what the next step is, our lives could go in a hundred different directions.  While reading Genesis I came across the story of Joseph.  His life was riddled with uncertainty about the future.  He went from being his father’s favorite, to a slave, then prisoner, and then was elevated to basically rule over one of the most powerful countries in the world.  I am at a point in my life where I have no idea what is about to happen.  I may be going into a period of hard time like Joseph’s slavery and imprisonment, or a time of joy such as his ruling of Egypt.  Either way I can take comfort in the fact that God does know the next step in my life.   We may have to go through some hardships but in the end we will be blessed. 

In Christ,

Nick