Mercy & Compassion

Ever hear somebody say something that just gets under your skin? Over the years I've heard Christian leaders say "I don't have the gift of compassion" and be okay with that fact. It bothered me when I first heard it, then it REALLY bothered me when I realized I felt like I could relate. 

SCREEEEECCCCHHHH! Put on the brakes here. I am in a position of leadership and I began to relate with another leader who remarked he has no compassion. And it bothered me. How could I represent the One of ALL compassion, if I could easily proclaim I had none? If you know me at all, you know I teach on leadership and my main mantra is: "You can't give what you ain't got!"

Time for some truth seeking.  I looked up the gifts of the Spirit in Corinthians and this is what I found:1. Word of Wisdom 2. Word of Knowledge 3. Faith 4. Gifts of Healing 5. Working of Miracles 6. Prophecy 7. Discerning of Spirits 8. Diverse (or different) kinds of Tongues 9. Interpretation of (different) Tongues

I don't see compassion among the list of Spiritual Gifts. Then I realized many leaders take an online test to 'determine their gifts' in the ministry - and the results could very well tell someone they do not have "the gift of compassion". And that could allow them to hide behind the test results (justification) and not have to take ownership of their lack of compassion.  

So I prayed about it.  Can it be true, compassion is a gift that some people get and others do not?  I've come to the conclusion that this is a false truth. 

Hospitality - that's a gift some have and some do not. Service, Helps, Ministry...the same thing. But being compassionate, merciful, and forgiving are not gifts, they are character traits we are to develop. If our desire is to be more like Christ - then we must cultivate these qualities. First and foremost by seeking to know Christ and then to emulate Him in all we do, that we may make Him known to others.  Am I the leading authority on how to do this - or a great example in daily life? By NO MEANS! If you look to me as the example, you'll be way off track and very disappointed.  Don't follow me, follow Him!

It's been said: Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery.  I admit it.  I have a problem. It's a heart  problem.  I am not (always) 
exhibiting the character traits of Christ.  
I am not 100% Christ-like. Not yet. Not any time soon. 

But every day I wake up and breathe a breath of God-given air - I know He's not done with me yet. And so I endeavor to know Him, that I may become more like Him. That I may be more merciful, more forgiving and yes, more compassionate toward others.  And in so doing, shine His light among the nations.

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden."

Matthew 5:14

Do everything quickly and cheerfully 

without bickering or second guessing.  
Go out into the world uncorrupted,
a breath of fresh air in this squalid & polluted society.

Provide people a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have

good cause to be proud of you on the day the Christ returns.

You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.

Philippians 2:14-16 MSGish

God Be Merciful To Me

The Impact of One

As you may know, I have been under the weather with what I 'affectionately' have deemed The Plague.  Many of you are suffering under this dreaded illness right now, and I am praying for you to get better soon.  It.Is.No.Fun.

So today, unbeknownst to the author, I am inviting Greg Laurie to be our guest blogger.  He offers a daily devotional at Harvest Ministries which I highly recommend.  Sign up to have it sent to your smart phone daily for encouragement and your own personal "aha" moments.  Without further ado (and because I need to blow my nose... again) I give you, Pastor Greg Laurie.

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

— Romans 12:4-5

When it comes to contemporary heroes of the Christian faith, we are familiar with names like Billy Graham. But what about Edward Kimble or Mordecai Ham?

Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. Edward shared the gospel with Dwight, and Dwight accepted Christ. It was 1858, and Dwight's last name was Moody. We know him as D. L. Moody, who was one of the greatest evangelists in history.

Years later when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide preaching ministry. On one occasion when Meyer was preaching, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and accepted Christ. He went out and began to share the gospel, and he employed a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.

When Billy Sunday preached the gospel in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn't be there, Sunday recommended a preacher named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and preached, but not many people responded to his invitation to accept Christ. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank, and we know him today as Billy Graham.

So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimble.

Every one of us can make a difference for the kingdom of God. What is He calling you to do?

When Worlds Collide

Hip Hop Jesus....

Blasphemous some might say.

Really?  Is our God not powerful enough to redeem anything; anyone?

If not, He's not a God worth following, worshipping, promoting.  If I ascribe to a god whom I can direct and control through my whims and will (called prayer) or one I can understand completely - it's not a god big enough to worship.

Check out this video.... then check your heart.  Do you not see the redeeming power of Christ in this man's life?  His is one life.  And he's reaching a generation through its music style.  

Click to meet LeCrae

Pray for success in reaching and redeeming those who feel lost in this generation.  Pray that God will use LeCrae and his music to bring back into the fold those whom God has appointed to know Him.

YOU can make a difference in the world of Hip Hop - by praying for a missionary on the ground in the midst of the war zone for the hearts and minds of today's youth.

30 Ways to Pray for Missionaries

Taken from On Mission magazine, Fall 2007 issue. Reprinted with the permission of On Mission magazine, North American Mission Board, SBC

1. Focus on God

Pray for missionaries to stay focused on God and His plans above all else.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you (Matthew 6:33).

2. Faithful Bible Study

Pray for missionaries to spend much time in the Word and ask God to give them discernment. 

Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

3. Confession and repentance

Pray for missionaries to regularly seek examination by God and to repent from any errors that have crept into their lives. 

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-24).

4. Humility

Pray for missionaries to have a spirit of humility and to willingly ask God for wisdom in carrying out their assignment.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

5. Purity

Pray for missionaries to be so renewed by God’s Word that no sin will have dominion over them.

Make my steps steady through Your promise; don’t let sin dominate me (Psalm 119:133)

6. Boldness

Pray for boldness in the missionaries when they share the gospel or preach.

Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19).

7. Rest

Ask God to help missionaries recognize their need for weekly rest away from ministry responsibilities.

He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while’ (Mark 6:31).

8. Guard the treasure

Pray for missionaries to stay focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ and not be distracted by issues of the day.

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:13-14).

9. Give glory to God

Ask God to empower missionaries to point people to Jesus and not seek undue recognition for themselves.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

10. Dependence on God

Pray for missionaries to model a life of dependence on God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and he will guide you on the right paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

11. Gracious speech

Ask God to give missionaries the grace to know how to respond to each person.

Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person (Colossians 4:6).

12. Spirit of unity

Pray for a spirit of unity as missionaries work together and with other ministry partners.

Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).

13. Resist temptation

Pray for missionaries to be quick to take the escape God provides when temptation sneaks up on them.

God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13b)

14. Retreat with God

Pray for missionaries to take personal prayer retreats to get their direction from Him.

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word…He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed (Isaiah 50:4).

15. Stand firm

Pray for missionaries to stand firm under affliction and to look forward to eternal glory.

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

16. Daily prayer

Ask God to help missionaries protect their time for prayer and personal mediation in God’s Word.

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry (Acts 6:4).

17. Devotion to God

Pray for missionaries to maintain their devotion to Christ.

But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

18. Hear God

Ask God to teach missionaries to hear His voice and follow Him.

The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice (John 10:4).

19. Boast in the Lord 

Pray for missionaries to be quick to give God the credit.

So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17).

20. Direction from God

Pray for missionaries to get their direction from the Lord only.

I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for [your] benefit, who leads you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48:17).

21. Peace

Pray for missionaries to give all their anxious thoughts to the God and rest in His peace.

Don’t worry about anything, but, in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

22. Prayer support

Pray for missionaries to enlist personal prayer support and ask God to call faithful intercessors to respond.

So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church (Acts 12:5).

23. Strong marriages

Pray for marriages of missionaries to be strong and healthy. Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

24. Eyes to see like Jesus

Ask God to give missionaries eyes to see as He sees and empower them to love the unlovely, the rejected, and the outcasts as Jesus did.

Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7b).

25. Express love

Pray for missionaries to model loving God completely and others as themselves.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30).

26. Hunger for God

Ask God to give missionaries a hunger and thirst for Him and for His word.

But solid food is for the mature- for those whose sense have been trained to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).

27. Persistence

Pray for endurance, stamina, and pacing for missionaries to insure long-term, fruitful ministry.

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

28. Team spirit

Ask God to build strong teams among missionaries working together so that He gets the glory.

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth... for we are God’s co-workers…(1 Corinthians 3:7-9).

29. Obedience

Pray for missionaries to love and obey God, and to be known for their dependability to obey regardless of outside pressure.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments (John 14:15).

30. Sacrifice of holy living

Ask God to empower missionaries to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

…I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…(Romans 12:1-2).

First Things First

I don't know about you, but some times I get overwhelmed. So much to do, so little time. We greet one another and ask "How are you?" and the reply is "BUSY!". That's a great response, if, in fact, we're also productive.  But have you noticed, being busy and active doesn't necessarily mean getting things done? Even having a TO DO list can seem more of a hindrance than the help it is meant to be.

Sooner or later we have to prioritize; do first things first. But which items can wait? I've heard it said that we can get so focused on the immediate that we oversee the important. We spend our day putting out fires and end up exhausted and unfulfilled.

That's what happened to the Hebrews who returned home to rebuild the temple. They began with zeal and purpose, but soon were overwhelmed with items on their TO DO list. Eventually they lost their vision and became indifferent to their first priority; existing to glorify the Lord (through the rebuilding of the temple) and to make Him the focus of daily life.

They began making excuses: "The job is to big." "We don't have enough (supplies, money, manpower) to do the job right." "No matter what we do, it won't be as grand as what it used to be, so why even try?"  The result was a tainted effort. They didn't give their full attention or best efforts into the rebuild project.  Instead, they focused on their own homes and ended up abandoning the very reason they had returned to Jerusalem.

Homes at that time were built of stone.  In Haggai 1:3 we can see that the people took time to panel the walls of their homes, which was a "royal" luxury seen in Babylon and intended for the temple of God. The prophet was there to remind them of their priorities and call them back to the important job at hand.

We all need reminding sooner or later. Have you ever had the 'perfect' day planner? Or how about the one that teaches you to prioritize using A B C and 1 2 3 to keep everything straight?  I color code mine based on where my efforts are being placed.  Home, Kids, Prayer, Work, Study, Ministry, Hobbies, etc.  At the end of the week I can see where I put the bulk of my efforts, and which area of my life has been pushed to the back burner based on the amount of color on the page. I'm ashamed to admit that often it's been my personal time with the Lord and my husband whose colors are waning on the pages.

With so much to do - how do we prioritize?  Well, a wise man once set me straight. I can hear his words echoing in my head:  "God, Family, Job, Ministry. In that order. Always.".

As a matter of fact, I started this blog post at 8am this morning and at 8:15 I got a text to meet my daughter-in-law and pick up my grandson for the day.  Oh.... I was just getting on a roll with the whole paneling thing the Hebrews were doing....

But my blog is Ministry, which springs from my time spent with the Lord earlier this morning.  And as I type this... the hubs is saying: "take a moment and have lunch with me". Roll or not - it's time to take a break to spend time with the ones I love.  Plus, you gotta eat, right?

So why these priorities, and why in that order 'always'?

Priority #1. God
THE God of the universe. The One who created everything from nothing* . God Almighty, ruler of heaven and earth. The God who numbers our days and allows our next breath. Yes, that God. As Christ-followers, we are to put Him first. Did I mention He's a jealous God and wants our whole heart, not a divided one?

Priority #2. Family
This is whom God has given us to share our lives. Parents, grandparents and siblings, later spouse children, grandchildren, if we are so blessed, to enrich our lives.  Yes, family comes next.  Next to Christ's life, surrendered for us, our family is our greatest gift from God.

Priority #3. Job
This is the work God has blessed us with in order to provide for our family.  He tells us to put our hand to the plow and work like He, alone, writes our paycheck!  In return we are given what we need to support the family and bless Him in return by being good stewards of all our blessings.

Priority #4. Ministry
We are told to 'go out into all the world and share the good news'.  Whether that is in a foreign country, our workplace, school or neighborhood - each of us has been charged with the ministry of the gospel. It might be working in a soup kitchen, volunteering for a local charity, mentoring a child or simply being kind to a person in need.

If we keep these four simple priorities in check, we can live our life in perfect balance. I heard Patsy Clairmont declare that she knows there is a perfect balance out there... she's seen it as she swings from one extreme to the other!

If we put our job in the number one slot, we become workaholics and neglect our family and we've put God in the back seat. Anytime we move the order around, something gets off kilter. If we work in ministry, it's possible to confuse the job you've been hired to do with the personal ministry you've been called to do. The biggest danger is thinking your ministry IS your God time.  I can tell you from experience, it is NOT.  Ministry is POURing out.  God time is being refilled, refreshed, renewed.  You can not continue to constantly pour out  - without spending time at the Source to be refilled.  Simply stated: You can't give, what you ain't got!

So - the next time you sit down to write a TO DO list, consider first your priority list. It makes it easier to say yes to the things that have eternal value, and no to the things that fill our time, but empty our souls.

But first, be concerned about His kingdom and what has His approval.
Then all of these things will be provided for you as well.  Matthew 6:33

* Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Hebrew word is bara.  Strong's Concordance #H1254
Always attributed to God creating something new and perfect, in some instances from nothing (ex nihilo)

Think About It - January 2

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says:

"Give careful thought to your ways"

Haggai 1:5, 1:7, 2:15, 2:18

According to yesterday's post, I am quite familiar with Haggai... or am I? While rereading the scripture this morning, I began a verse earlier and realized that God repeated Himself within the span of 2 verses.  He does it again in the next chapter.  What does is mean when He repeats Himself?

As a parent, I've often repeated instructions to my children. I even learned to get on their level, maintain eye contact and have them repeat the instructions back to me in their own words.  I found that asking for the behavior I wanted was better than asking them NOT to do a certain thing, because (according to child rearing experts) they focus on the last thing you say, whether it's positive or negative.  For example, I'd say "be safe" instead of "don't get hurt".  

So how is it, that I missed this crucial message in Haggai?  The book has only two chapters and the message is given FOUR times.  I suppose that's why scripture says "The word of God is living and active" Heb 4:12. We can read something new each time we approach Him through His word with the intent of learning, growing, abiding.

Haggai was the first prophet to serve God's people upon their return to Jerusalem from Babylon.  After 70 years in captivity they were excited to return and begin rebuilding the Temple. But after a short while, life happened.  Priorities shifted and the rebuilding of the Temple ('My house' Hag 1:9) took a back seat to everyday cares and worries.  Does that sound familiar?  

While we are not literally rebuilding THE temple... we are building up or wearing down our relationship with Him each day based on the decisions we make. Will I spend time in His word today, in order to know Him better?  Will I make decisions based on my knowledge of right and wrong according to His precepts? Will I begin my day with thankful prayer or will I forget to acknowledge Him?  Will I honor Him in thought, word and deed?  Will my reading, viewing and browsing choices lead me closer to Him today... or separate me from His presence?

I guess the question is this: Are you a (generic) Christian or are you a Christ-follower? Greg Laurie has said "All Christ-followers are Christians, but not all Christians are Christ-followers".  Once again, it is decision time. Which are you?  This is not a guilt trip... it's a question for you to ask yourself.  If you think "I'm okay with God", but you are addicted to something, are in the habit of viewing things which break His heart in the name of entertainment or treat the outside world better than you treat your family... 

You must decide for yourself - "is this the attitude or behavior of one who follows the example and teachings of Christ?"  If not, you have a decision to make.... and only YOU can make it.  I have to make the decision several times a day, and often I fail. But each day, each moment, each breath is a chance to start again.

Now, I may be repeating myself... but then, I'd be in good company.

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says:

"Give careful thought to your ways"

Haggai 1:5, 1:7, 2:15, 2:18

Drifting Away - January 1

One Life. 
365 Days. 
A world of difference. 
I can make a difference. 
So can you.
                             

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,
so that we do not drift way.   Hebrews 2:1

Drifting away… not an abrupt departure but a slow, often unnoticed change of course.  This Greek word, parareo, is only used once in scripture – in this very verse. Other English translations have been; to flow by, let slip away or to leak out slowly. 

Taking the message of this verse to heart, remembering what I had heard, I was reminded of a very familiar verse in Haggai. While Haggai might not be on the ‘top picks list’ of most Christ-followers, it’s a scripture which cut me to the quick over a decade ago.  So much so, that I printed out the verse in English and Danish and posted it to our fridge for over a year. Haggai 1:6-9 was my go to scripture during a time of financial, physical and familial abundance in our family.  I wanted to remember that all our ‘blessings’ were of no account, if we forgot to build His house. God’s house. The very One who had provided all our blessings.

Time went by. The ink, splashed by typical kitchen activities, began to run and eventually the piece of paper with the scripture was removed from the fridge.  But the message has been in my heart all along.  In your abundance, do not forget that God’s house comes first.

I don’t believe we ever really forgot that.  The past several years have been a desert time, physically, financially and emotionally… but never spiritually.  Through all the loss we have encountered, I have clung fast to the knowledge that we trust in God ALMIGHTY.  Why have we been incomeless for so long, people ask, why the God of all creation could just ‘give us a job’?  I don’t know. 

What I do know, is that He promised not to leave me or forsake me. (Deut 31:8).

I know His plans for me are for good and not for evil; to give me a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11). I’m aware that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and His riches will supply my every need. (Philippians 4:19). And more than anything, I know that His grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This year my goal is to “Grow up in Christ by putting down roots”.  In other words, get serious about my relationship with God and share what He his showing me with others, No.Holds.Barred.  Not to worry about what others ‘think of me’ when I share what God is doing in my life.  Not to hide my light under a bushel.  Not to worry about ‘outshining’ another.  No.  This is my time to shine.  It’s your time to shine, too.  If we all take up the challenge to…

“Let our light shine before men so they will see
our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

…we can push back the darkness which is closing in on our communities.

Individually we shine.

Together we are BRILLIANT!