Acts of Courage

I was recently listening to a message by Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, and something he said caught my attention.  Maybe you've heard something similar:

"When God speaks, often times His voice will call for an act of courage on our part."

I began thinking of the calls that God has placed on my me throughout my life...Follower of Christ, husband, father, pastor, missionary, friend, mentor, leader, and most recently the calling of grandfather (sorry, I couldn't resist bragging).

Then I went back and listed the courage that was needed at specific times under each one of those callings.

Frankly, I was amazed!  I found that I was much more brave than I thought!  At least in some things.  But I also was just as surprised to see how cowardly I was in others!  Regardless,  I now understand that in each calling there have been necessary acts of courage required.

I don't think there has been as much courage required of me in my life as there has been in the last couple of years.  You see, my life is experiencing a deeper burden for this world, for people who don't take their walk with Christ seriously, for those who are displaced and hurting because of other men's misdeeds and self-centered decision-making.  But with that burden, I'm realizing that it takes an unbelievable amount of courage to face those realities and do something about them.  Courage from me and courage from us as followers of Christ!

   

I'm not talking about riding out on a white horse and solving all of these issues; I'm talking about sacrificially doing SOMETHING in the name of Christ!

In Psalm 72:12-14 it says:
"He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.  He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them.  He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him."

How does God do these things?  You guessed it...he called YOU!  He called ME!  He called US to be Bridges of Life and Hope!  

God cares for the needy, the afflicted, and the weak because they are precious to him.  If God feels so strongly about these needy ones, and loves them so deeply, how can you and I ignore their plight, or the call?  If God has called us to be used as the "rescue" and "help" and those who "redeem" the lives that are precious to Him, then undoubtedly, many acts of courage are going to be necessary.

I guess it's time to evaluate...
How well are we doing with our calling?                                      

How courageous
are we?














Give us the courage necessary Lord to do your calling!
A Humble (Yet willing to be courageous) Servant!

Greg

How are we doing?

On his blog site, Todd Rhoades showed this cartoon under the title The Instructions of Jesus.  It got me thinking in terms of building Life Bridges through the instructions Jesus gives us as his followers.  

Every Wednesday night a group of about 15-20 people gather with me and my wife in our home.  We recently began this group, not for the reason of fellowship (although that takes place); not for the reason of Bible study (although much scripture is read); and not for the reason of planting a church.  

No, the reason we meet came out of a common desire to pray about being completely sold out to the instructions of God; about being THE Church in our world rather than just A church on a corner.  We agreed to come together without any predetermined mindsets, and simply look to God for how that played out in our personal lives, and our corporate lives as The Church!  

To be quite honest, it's been refreshing!  Because, as the cartoon by Mr. Hayward suggests, those of us in the western world, who call ourselves disciples (The Church), haven't exactly been the greatest witness to the instructions and teachings of Christ.  If you don't believe that, then just ask those who carefully watch us on a daily basis!  (Or read UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters by Kinnaman and Lyons.  They did)!  

With that said...this prayer group gets it!  They know when man works, man works.  But when man prays, God works.  And God is working!  In fact, in the church I serve, I have to say the vast majority of those who worship and serve along side each other, get it!  They are understanding that God instructs and equips them to be his witness to a world that is dying of hunger, disease, poverty, injustice, and ignorance of Christ.  I think they would do anything necessary to bring Christ to others in tangible and affective ways.  I think most would sacrifice and give of themselves so God is glorified in the world!  

So how would I answer the question: How Are We Doing?  Well, here at Central, I would give us an 7 on a scale of 10.  How is this new prayer team doing?  I would give them an 8.  We're doing some great things for the glory of God, beginning with prayer and praise!  However, we can't rest on that! We need to continuously check ourselves with the How Are We Doing question, and the question David Platt asks in his book Radical:

  

"How can we in the church best unleash 

the People of God 

in the Spirit of God 

with the Word of God 

for the Glory of God in the world?"

So, tell me:  How are you doing?  How is your fellowship of followers doing? How is the Western Church doing?  Maybe it's time that we all get on our knees without any agenda except to completely (and without reservations) obey the instructions of God!  It could be refreshing!

A Humble Servant!

Greg

Reflections on tomorrow (Literally)

Tomorrow something is going to take place in my life that has never happened to me before.  It's happened to millions of others, but not me.  It's brought joy to countless other men, but not to me.  Not yet.  But tomorrow it will.

In fact, that which is going to take place in my life TOMORROW is leaking a little bit of joy into my life TODAY; as I sit TODAY in anticipation of TOMORROW!

To be honest, it's not a leak, it's a flat out "Joy Flood" pouring into my life TODAY, in anticipation of TOMORROW!

OK, enough of the sappiness and mystery.  What is this event that has never happened to me before?  I'm going to be a grandpa for the first time.  (Sheesh--I have a hard time even writing that without getting something in my eye!  And yes, I AM too young to have a grandson!).

That's right, tomorrow, my son and my daughter-in-law are having a son (naturally, it's a first time for them too!) and I'm so excited for them, for both extended families, for our church family (although they're probably going to get tired hearing about it) and for our adopted families around the world.

The First-To-Be-Grandma, my wife, sent me an email today with an excerpt from a book that I'm going out to buy soon.  It was written in 2008 by Billy Crystal and beautifully illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles.  It's entitled I Already Know I Love You.  Here's just a portion:

I'm going to be your grandpa!

I have the biggest smile.

I've been waiting to meet you 

For such a long, long while. 

I have so much to tell you 

Before you slide into home plate.

I already know I love you 

As I sit right here and wait.

I'm waiting to show you everything, 

Hear your giggles and your sighs, 

See butterflies and monkeys 

And clowns who cross their eyes.

I want to hear your heart beat

As you lay up on my chest.

Bait you hook, fly your kite, 

help you study for a test. 

I'm waiting to play peek-a-boo

and sing you to a nap...

Then the story ends with this:

Get ready little sweet one, 

Your life will be just great. 

I'm going to be your grandpa, and

I can hardly wait!

I'm sorry...I need to stop...there's something in my eye!

A Humble Servant To My Family!
Greg

The Test/The Mission

Richard Bach...If you're old enough, you may recognize that name.  It belongs to the author of the popular, 1970 book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.


A story about a seagull who simply flew for the love of flying rather than flying to scavenge for food!  It was also the book that inspired the movie of the same title; which made Neil Diamond's song BE, a hit.

I'm not writing this blog about Richard Bach or his famous book (which I really liked, by the way).  Rather, I'm writing about a quote from Mr. Bach that recently caught my attention:

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished:  If you're still alive, it isn't."

Now, call me crazy, but if you're reading this, then my guess is that you are alive (some may argue that assumption, but let's just go with it for now).  That would mean, according to Richard Bach, that you, and I, still have a purpose (or mission) here on earth.  The question then, of course, is: For what?

I don't know if Mr. Bach was coming from a follower of Christ perspective or not, but allow me to reflect on it from my perspective, which is as a follower of Jesus.


In Genesis 18:18-19 God says this about Abraham (look closely and see if you can see the "mission" that you and I are to carry on--I've provided some hints):

"...Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the the world are going to find themselves blessed through him.  Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."

Did you see it?  Our mission (as long as we are still alive) is to be a blessing to the world; to train our children and future family to live out God's love and kindness (that means with words and actions); and, to give generously to those who are in need for health and the basics of life!  Especially those who are ravaged by poverty, war and disaster.  Why?  So God can complete what he promised Abraham-that all nations will be blessed!  We are an extension of God's blessing to Abraham!!!  It's the original Great Commission!

The Test: Are you alive?  If so, then you now know The Mission and you know that your part isn't finished!  Are you carrying out your mission of blessing the nations, or are your blessings only for yourself?  God and the nations are waiting to hear how you answer that question!

A Humble Servant,
Greg