The Family God Uses, Tom and Kim Blackaby

From the author of The Man God Uses comes another practical, challenging, and inspiring book. The Family God Uses takes a thorough examination of how God has used the family throughout time as recorded in the Bible and applies what is learned to today’s family. Drawing on their own family as contemporary material, Tom and Kim Blackaby share insight into the way God wants and chooses to uses families.

They begin, well, at the beginning. God’s design for the family is evident in the first family of Adam and Eve and then through the Old Testament. In an easy-to-read style the reader walks away with a good foundational knowledge of the Bible stories and application into the family. Using families did not end there. Jesus re-establishes the prominence of family by inspiring the writers of the New Testament to use such language to describe the church. In a fascinating way, the reader is introduced to the choice of God to use families as metaphors for the church and as building blocks for the church. The family structure is central to the growth and development of the Christian community. The second half of the book describes how families today can become families that God uses. Through motivating passages, the reader is encouraged to engage in practical, meaningful activities.

The Family God Uses provides positive Biblical insight, encouraging application and practical reflection opportunities. If you want to know why God chooses families and how He’s choosing them now this is a must read.

Give Thanks!

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the LORD.
Search for the LORD and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Psalm 105:1-5

Someone once said that possibly the two most powerful words are thank you. The apostle Paul, being well-acquainted with Psalm 105 as a Pharisee, was very generous with saying thank you. As you know, Paul traveled quite a bit starting churches throughout the Middle East. In every one of his letters that he writes to these churches once he is gone he tells them he thanks God for them. He thanks God for their faith, strength, outreach, and more. He thanks God for the people and the church whether it was a positive or a negative experience. Paul had learned that gratitude is critical to a stable and growing faith. He needed to be thankful to God for every occasion because in every occasion God has a plan.

Thanking God for the good things in life is easy: salvation, family, health, friends, good times, etc. Thanking God for the bad things in life is not easy, but necessary. Have you thanked God for the furloughs? Have you thanked God that the month is longer than the paycheck? Have you thanked God for the difficult child, wayward teen, failing grade, loveless marriage, roof damage, wrecked car, bad hair days, your teenage daughter’s pregnancy, or bullies?

I am not saying we should be happy about any of these items nor am I making light of the very strong emotions some would cause. What I am saying is we should find ways to be thankful, even in the difficult moments of our lives. What can I learn from this situation? How can God receive glory in my trial? How can my faith deepen through this difficulty? In the good, see things God’s way. In the bad, see things God’s way. Be thankful in all things.

Set Apart, by Jennifer Kennedy Dean

Set Apart, A Review

Who wants to be blessed? Who wants pure unadulterated joy? Did you know you were designed for both? These are questions that author Jennifer Kennedy Dean answers in her new study called Set Apart. This 6-week study explores how the Beatitudes and Lord’s Prayer can set us apart for God’s power and our true happiness. Through exploration and identification of Old Testament covenant principles and practices, Jennifer Kennedy Dean prepares you for the reality of God’s design as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Each portion of Jesus’ teaching is explained with a wonderful balance of exposition and application.

Too many people wander through life without knowing for what they were designed. It is critical for everyone to know how they were wired and for what reason. In Set Apart, the answers become clear. The life we were meant to live, and have, after salvation is revealed through the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. We were set apart for something special. This 6-week study will help you identify how to receive the power of the Spirit of God for your life today!

Choose life. Choose joy. Become set apart through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

“Become a New Hope Book Review Blogger. Visit www.newhopepublishers.com for more information.”

Trees

I have learned a few things in the years of living in Oklahoma. I grew up in TN, so trees were everywhere. When we arrived in Oklahoma 13 years ago, I noticed a distinct lack of trees. As I learned more about Oklahoma, the heat and droughts come often. The grass burns and trees wither. Yet, there is a place where trees do not wither: river and creek banks. Here, we find long curving lines of trees that live. Actually, they thrive. Not only do they thrive, but everything around that tree thrives because of the food, shelter, and relief it brings to all who come near.

The Bible tells us that those who trust in the Lord and have made Him their hope and confidence are like those trees.

7 "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

I want to be around that kind of person. Those whose trust is in the Lord have reconciled their life, actions, and eternity with the life, actions, and love Jesus Christ. He has become their hope. I need hope these days, don’t you? With the increasing financial concerns in our families and in our churches, hope is a high commodity. Jeremiah told the people they would be blessed if the Lord was there hope. This hope is precipitated by our trust in the life and activity of Jesus Christ. Our trust, or belief, brings hope. Those who have this trust and hope are fun to be around because they have joy. Just being around them lightens your load. The way they trust. The hope that oozes out of their attitude, tone, and posture can cause you to forget about the trouble briefly. He has become their confidence. Trusting in God allows us to walk tall in the face of discouragement, stand strong in the face of fear and the enemy. These people have trouble. These people have difficulty. However, their trust is not in themselves or anyone else. Their trust is in the Lord. Those who are around that kind of person thrive because of what they provide. They are like trees that are not bothered by the heat of the moment or long months of difficult circumstances. They provide the food, shelter, and relief others need.

I want to be that kind of person who, because of being close to Jesus, becomes help and hope for my family, friends, and future. Don’t you? I must place my trust in the Lord. Whether in good or bad I must trust in the Lord. With my past sin, my present situation, and future sentence I trust in the Lord and not myself. In Shade for the Children, Steve Camp writes,

“Shade for the children, a shelter from the storm. To be a place where they can grow. In the ways of the Lord. To train up my child, to live a pure and godly life. Through the struggles and fears, Dreams and tears of every day, to be shade for the children.”

I watch our people as they come in and out of church with emptiness in their souls. How many people do we interact with everyday who simply need a little spiritual fruit, shelter from their storm, and relief from their journey?

May we trust in the Lord making Him our hope and confidence so that those around us may benefit.

Oh God, may my trust be in You today. Bless me with hope and confidence. I want to be like a tree planted by a river. Make me that tree today. Let me feed the hungry soul, protect others from the brutal winds of life, and relieve them from life’s burdens. Amen.

Beyond Belief to Love

Isn't it beyond belief that God would condescend to our needs? He had, and has, every right to demand holiness. He had given the law, the priests, the leadership, the sacrifices, etc. Humanity had all it needed to understand and maintain the unique relationship with God. But sin changes lives. The law became god. The priests became political. The leadership became lazy. The sacrifices became scheduled more than spiritual. God had no logical reason to come to us. He had created. He had fed and clothed them. He had protected them. He had fought for them. He had forgiven them. He had warned them.

Why should God do more? It is beyond belief…to love.

I love the book, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney.

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. "Guess how much I love you," he said. "Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go. Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love you this much," he said. Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. "I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare. "I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare. That is very high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet. "I love you all the way to my toe!" he said. "And I love you all that way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head. "I love you as high as I can hop!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down. "But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare- and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above. That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare. "I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare. That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think anymore. Then he looked beyond the thornbushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be farther than the sky. "I love you right up to the moon," he said, and closed his eyes. "Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far." Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night. Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon- and back."

We can’t account for love. It is hard for us to understand, right? We write people off. We have irreconcilable differences. We denounce. We divorce. We destroy. We abandon. We hate. We leave. God loves.

At just the right moment, God stepped in with love. A love that says…

It doesn’t matter where you have been because my love is greater. It doesn’t matter what you have done because my love can forgive you. Not to believe the lies you’ve been told because this love is forever.

This is beyond belief, right? Isn’t He way up there? Aren’t we left to natural law and physics? Though God may be silent He is not absent. Though you may not have answers God still does.

The Jews had gotten it just the way they wanted. They had it all figured out. But they were not happy and God knew it. At just the right moment, God stepped in with love. It all began with a man by the name of John. This is not the John who wrote this book, he comes later. No, it began with John the Baptizer. He was loud and raucous. The Pharisees even came all the way out of there security of the temple to examine what was happening. He preached a message of repentance and expectation. He was preparing the way for the light.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,*7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1.6-9

This light is Jesus. He leads us out of our dark places. He leads us beyond our dark memories, our dark side. For those who believe and accept him, he gave the right to become children of God!

What? How can he do that? Who gave him the right? This is unbelievable! There’s the problem. Somehow in the back of our minds we have this judge and jury that examines the claims of people. If it seems unbelievable, then it must be. After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t. Right?

So the writer, John, is telling us that Jesus is the son of God. He is the light for our darkness. He is the promise for our problem. He is the strength for our weariness. He is the wisdom for our ignorance. He is the light. John is telling us, right up front, that He was sent by God to give away the family jewels.

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

John 1.12-13

For those who believe him and accept him, they receive the right to be children of God.

How fantastic? God’s design for the family is that it would be child-centered, not child-controlled. God, through Jesus, is offering us the opportunity to be at the center of His attention, His love, His home.

Do you realize what this means? By believing the claims of Jesus and accepting his activity on the cross as sufficient for you, then everything can be different…better.

That horrible home life can be exchanged for a home with God.

That difficult upbringing can be exchanged for the loving leadership of God.

The beating, the abuse can be traded in for a new home, new life, a new moment.

That is beyond belief! That is love!

I'll Have the Elephant

How do you eat an elephant?

This is a very good question for us today. Too often we try to accomplish too much in short amounts of time. If I remember correctly, the tortoise won the race going slow and steady. Our conventions hand out awards every year that, I believe, promote detrimental movements. I am sure these churches who win these awards are good churches filled with good people. It is the machine that is our problem. We want the exciting. We want the growth. We want big churches, budgets, and salaries. We want to grow faster than the Pentecostals and be earlier than the Methodists. All the while we become distracted from our primary goal: make disciples. This is not a quick, large group process. We as Christ-followers are all capable of making disciples through relationships and long-term strategies.

We must understand that the process is not quick. Jesus took three years to develop his disciples and they still all ran off in times of difficulty. Let us not stress out over similar issues. It will take a while for a person to adjust habits, change patterns, and develop new thoughts about God. Here are two thoughts:

First, a church must have a long-range plan of what a committed Christ-follower is to be. This long-range view extends out 10-20 years. What kind of disciple are we going to make? What is the most God-honoring way to develop others? What types of teaching styles and learning styles will be offered? What levels of development will we offer? How much doctrine? Theology? Missions? Hands-On?

Second, the church process should encourage disciple making opportunities. One church began a new approach to development. The process begins with worship. As people attend worship contact is made with the encouragement to move into a Small Group/Sunday School class. Out of these classes movement into further development and service is stressed. Several development opportunities on Sunday evenings as well as several opportunities for service on Wednesday nights. In this way faith is fed and exercised. Every Sunday School class is encouraged to do ministry that impacts the community [Power Up Your World]. Through impact the church and classes find potential members for their class, but more importantly begin to earn the right to be heard on spiritual matters.

How do you eat an elephant? You do so one bite at a time. Disciple-making takes time. Pick out a small group and begin to assist transformation. As they transform they will change the lives of those around them. Soon their fringe friends find themselves in worship and the cycle continues.

It's a Process!

"6-week old baby runs Boston Marathon"
"2-yr old allowed driving test for license"
"Toddler surprise medal winner at national track event"

If you were to read these headlines two things would happen almost instantly. First, you would smile or laugh. Second you would assume they came from a National Enquirer or Star. Either way, you would immediately believe these statements to be false.

Why?

Everyone knows that people of that age cannot accomplish those feats! They very well could accomplish them later in life, but not right now. There is a process of development that must take place first. The very things you take for granted today are a result of a forgotten series of events. A baby must learn to roll over, which strengthens muscles. Next we will sit up and begin to pull up. Once we have strengthened our stomach and arm muscles our legs must gain strength and balance before walking can occur.

Once that starts, look out!

Though our spiritual life has many similarities, we often by-pass crucial stages of development for more exciting moments. As adults, especially, we try to shrink the process. Because of intellectual and physical acumen we believe ourselves to be past all that childish learning. However, without the basics we set ourselves up for misunderstanding, malnutrition, and disaster. There is a reason why Jesus said we should come with a child-like faith. He also said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Both statements speak to the issue of skipping stages having negative impact.

Most churches today are plateaued or declining for a number of reasons:

1. No outreach plan
2. Poor door-greeter mission/ministry
3. Too many lost people leading the church
4. Too many immature placed in mature roles

Now, some might take offense to the third and fourth statements. Bear with me. Over the past 30+ years of my relationship with God, I have noticed that we have shortened the gospel presentation down to "ABC: Admit, Believe, Commit". We call for decisions more than we do converts. We beg and plead for people to just ABC and never tell them the life-changing, transformative gospel message. Because of this we have churches full of members who made a decision but were never converted. These poor souls are attending, ushering, serving, teaching out of themselves and have no presence of the Spirit of God because of our irresponsibility with the Gospel.

The fourth statement is too often true. When a person makes a true confession and conversion, we fastpass them to the next level. We tell them to attend everything and something good will happen. There is no strategy to this line of thinking. There is no plan. Did Jesus come to Earth with the hope of something good happening? No. He came with a well-thought out plan and so it should be in our churches. If a church has a transformed life they often don't know what to do with him except tell him to keep showing up. The mandate is very clear. We are to make disciples.

Jesus took three years to make his disciples and they changed the planet. How long is your plan? Jesus took 12 people and shaped their behavior and thinking. Are you alone trying to change the whole church? I believe we need to review the plan of Jesus don't you? I believe we need to pattern our development after how Jesus did it, don't you?

Development is a process. Do you have one?

Hired Hand

There once was a hired hand, a good hired hand. The old farmer found him in town one day looking for work. After a short discussion and several cups of coffee the hand was employed. He gathered his things and jumped into the truck of the old farmer. As they drove out of town with windows rolled down the farmer expressed a few more rules to the employment. He had already told him about the hours being from sun up to sun down and sometimes longer. He had already expressed that the wages were room and board and some spending money. As they turn from one dusty road to another the farmer pointed to the farm. There was a nice house and barn, several implements, and fields of grain for what seemed like miles. The old farmer stopped the truck and just short of the driveway and looked right into the eyes of the hand and told the hand one more thing. He said that once they crossed through the gate there was no turning back. The hand was so excited to have this job he never noticed the other farm across the road. He was so excited he did not care that he had to put on an ankle brace much like a cattle tag. No one had ever shown any interest in him until this old farmer came along. Why would he ever want to leave?

The next morning he woke early anxious for the day to begin. He dressed and went downstairs only to find nothing for him. The kitchen was dark and musty. The refrigerator was empty. He noticed a note on the table…chores. The list seemed endless and he found no tools to repair what he was asked to repair. The old farmer passed through and grinned at the hand with a sly grin. Day after day the hand worked hard but there was no joy in the labor, but what could he do? The ankle brace couldn’t be removed and if he ever walked outside of the fence the shock was so great he fell nearly unconscious.

Was there any hope?

One day the hand was working the fence line by the road when he heard someone hollering from across the road. A man was standing there waving at him with a smile on his face and twinkle in his eye. The hand seemed drawn to him but knew not why.

“How ya doin’?” he asked.

The hand replied that he was fine, though he and the man knew it was a lie.

“How’s the old man treating you? Gettin’ fed? Gettin’ paid?”

The hand looked down and kept right on working. He had not been getting fed very well and was not getting paid as promised. In fact, everything was horrible but there was no way to leave. He desperately wanted to jump right over the fence and run over to the man but could not because of the ankle brace. He had tried to just step outside of the gate one day and felt a jolt so bad he fell down. He tried to get it off but could find no way. In his excitement of all that was promised he didn’t care, but now he did. With no hope he gave a nod to the man and kept working.

“He told you there was no leaving. Once you crossed through the gate there was no turning back. He has not told you the truth. You have a choice. You are only bound to him as long as you want to be.“

The hired hand looked down…

“…even that can be taken of.” The man called for his son and sent him across the road. He told the hand that his son would remove the problem. The hand refused immediately. He couldn’t let that happen. He would figure out a way to get the brace off and cross the road.

But there was no way. What kind of person would he be to let the man’s son take the hit? How could he?

“There is no other way. He is the only one who knows how to remove the problem. Will you let him?”

The hand was confused. He couldn’t stand being with the old farmer any longer. The more he talked to this man the better he felt, the stronger he felt, the happier he felt. Yet, he was trapped. He wanted to be there but didn’t know if he could let the boy get hurt. The pain he felt inside was so overwhelming and the hope that was being offered felt so completely honest and pure he decided to trust the man. He looked down at the boy and agreed.

The boy reached down and as he skillfully released the shackle he took the shock and jolt that was far beyond his ability to handle. The boy lay motionless. The hand stood there mortified. He looked at the man and questioned how he could have done that to his own son.

“I know what you have been going through. I wanted to help. There was no other way. Trust me. Walk across this road and stay with me. Work my farm where the kitchen is clean and the fridge is full. We feast every evening after a long days work. You will rest in a comfortable bed. You will have everything you have always wanted.”

The hand crossed the road. He was saddened by what just happened to the boy but with each step he took there was a release of the burden of his past. Each step felt lighter and more free. As the man welcomed the hand onto the farm the old farmer came blazing up in the truck screaming obscenities at them both. He could not contain the rage and anger. When he looked over and saw the boy lying on the ground he smiled that same sly grin. He laughed cruelly and drove off.

As the dust settled the hand turned and began walking to the house when he felt something in his hand. He looked down to see the boy holding his hand and walking with him. Bewildered he looked at the father.

“His life for yours was the deal made long ago with that old farmer. He never said I couldn’t call my son back home. Let’s get you cleaned up. We have a new set of clothes for you and supper smells like its ready.”

The Climb

Have you ever been hiking? I mean, really hiking? Gone up a mountain hiking?

I haven’t done much of it myself but when I did it was worth the effort. Les and I had gone mountain lake fishing in Colorado in mid-September. The snow had begun to gather on the peaks. We were driving around looking for this one lake we wanted to fish and found the trailhead. We parked and gathered our packs and began the 2 mile hike. Along the way we began to question whether this was a good idea. We couldn’t see this lake. How did we know if it would be there? No one was around to tell us for certain the presence of the lake. The map told us it was there and there were signs all around but could we know for sure?

At 11,000 feet we were out of breath and stopped to drink some water. We looked at each other and knew we had to keep going. There really never was a question, but our bodies and our feelings wanted to express opposition. At around 12,000 feet we had no clue how far we had come. We still saw no sign of the lake. Everything ached and we were out of breath. But we knew we had to continue.

Our desire to see the lake and to do what we had come to do was stronger than the desire to quit. We came to what we hoped was a final surge uphill. As we crested the hill what lied before us was absolutely breath-taking! It was at that moment I realized the camera was back at the truck. While I cannot show you what it looked like, I can tell you how wonderful, peaceful, beautiful, and exilherating it was to be there. I guess you will have to climb it yourself to feel that way too.

So it is in the life of a believer and the church. God is calling us to climb the mountain with Him. The only way we will experience the fullness of His blessing and beauty is to follow and reach the journey’s end. Today we stand at the trailhead. Many churches are gearing up for the new church year, late summer/early fall revivals and conferences, and renewed consistency in the people. Every year we stand here. God calls. Will we follow? To make it to the top we must work hard, make concessions, and commit. As the church grows as a family of believers that are spiritually thriving and impacting the culture we do so as God would desire. Like seeing the landscape at the top of the mountain, we shall see the fruit of labor come in the form of increased attendance, increased spiritual development, and increased impact on the community.

What goals do you have? What is the challenge God has laid before you? For us that day it was a 2-mile hike up a mountain. It was difficult to do but the result was worth it all! I have never returned, though I often consider going back. The picture is forever etched in my mind's eye. God is challenging us in the church today to come back to Him. God did everything necessary to get us in the relationship and now it is time we do our part. We must climb out of our pleasure-driven lifestyles and humbly crawl into the presence of God. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices. Without this sacrifice on our part we will never experience the exhileration and rush of God's presence.

I must climb. We must climb. The church must climb out of yesterday and look toward tomorrow. The air may seem thin and our chests will pound as certain changes take place; looking outward more than inward, service and sacrifice more than selfish desires. We will not be disappointed at the summit.

Today we stand at the trailhead. Let us climb.

Live Well, Learn Much, Love Often

There are three simple things that God wants us to do as church family. God wants us to live well as a family. God wants us to learn much as we develop spiritually. God wants us to love often in ministry and service.

We begin living well as a family of believers as we experience God through worship. Gathering together is a beautiful opportunity for us to know each other better in light of God’s presence. Families get together rarely, usually around holidays, special events, or deaths. We have the opportunity to gather together one time a week! Let’s enhance those moments by getting to know one another and worship God together. In a multi-generational setting we have the opportunity to experience different perspectives. Learning from one another is integral in a family’s development.

Living well as a family deepens as we enjoy small group studies. In these small groups you are with people in a similar life stage. Just like those family reunions and gatherings where you see different sets of cousins sitting in groups. Each defined usually by age because every time they would gather that group would play together and eat together at the kid’s table. As they grew and the next set of kids came on the scene they took the kid’s table and the others found somewhere else to sit. Family development happens as we enable ourselves to live better through small group studies. These moments are well-suited to develop relationships in a relaxed but biblical setting.

A family lives well as it works together. We can live well as a church family by serving together. When the pressure is on we see each other without our masks. In this level of family we can finally love each other for who we really are. We can be real and authentic. There are times when having the entire family involved in a project can slow things down a bit but the bonds that are formed are worth it all.

The church family is a great way to live well, learn much, and love often.

When is your next family gathering?

Daddy, Daddy

When a child walks with a parent and comes to an anxious moment he will often turn and raise up his arms to be picked up. We often forget that feeling of being small and defenseless. A child feels scared because they cannot handle the situation around them and will seek safety in the arms of a parent. In turn, the parent smiles and tries to reassure him that all is well, but in some moments nothing will pacify until he is in the arms of mom or dad.

To the parent the anxiety may seem out of sorts and without merit. We can see the bigger picture. We can see above the knees and hips of the surrounding crowd. We can see the greater distance because of our vantage point. We see that all will be ok. Bu the child cannot see what we see and does not know what we know. They do not have the experience we have.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. [John 1:12-13]

When the bible calls us children we should not take offense, but rather take notice. Our physical age is irrelevant. Our experience and wisdom lacks the perspective of the parent. We often become confused about life. We become anxious. We try, then, to figure it all out. We try to make plans. We ignore the obvious. We scramble around frightened and confused. All the while, God stands there with an empty hand. We removed our hand trying to fix our lives. If we would turn and raise our hands we would find ourselves in the grip of God’s grace. He sees the bigger picture. He has the vision and wisdom. He has the ability.

May we stop believing the lie that we can handle our lives, or that we should because of our physical age. We are called children of God for a reason. Never in scripture does it tell us that we are on our own after a certain time or age. Take your concerns to God through prayer. Listen for His response through the reading of scripture. Be patient and wait for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

It will come. Be patient.

We Are Family

According to the Bible [Romans 8:15,23; 9:4] we are the adopted children of God. This makes us joint heirs with Jesus Christ [Romans 8:17; Gal 3:29]. We have, by faith, been brought into a unique family situation. When you take into consideration the context we actually have taken precedence over Jesus in that while God the Father sacrificed His one and only Son, He WILL NOT ever do that to us. God would never forsake the relational contract of adoption. Once we are in the family we can never be out of the family.

All of us in the Church and local church are siblings by faith. We are all joint heirs with Christ as the children of God. Do you remember Sister Sledge back in 1979? They sang a song that is helpful in this regard. They sang about family. They sang about commitment. They sang about love. What if we were like that with each other?

We are family
I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up everybody and sing

Everyone can see we're together
As we walk on by
(FLY!) and we fly just like birds of a feather
I won't tell no lie
(ALL!) all of the people around us they say
Can they be that close
Just let me state for the record
We're giving love in a family dose

Living life is fun and we've just begun
To get our share of the world's delights
(HIGH!) high hopes we have for the future
And our goal's in sight
(WE!) no we don't get depressed
Here's what we call our golden rule
Have faith in you and the things you do
You won't go wrong
This is our family Jewel

What if we exemplified these kinds of feelings toward each other? Is not the local church an opportunity to get used to eternity? As family, we are to be committed to each other. Intellectually we know this fact. However, in practice we often fail miserably. We have become distracted with the here and now which is baseball, tourneys, water sports, family events, etc. Putting Summer aside, we have become committed to everything EXCEPT the church family. Which brings us to one of two disturbing points. Either we have sold a short-cut gospel to raise numbers, baptisms, and accolades or much of our so-called family is not family at all. They are outsiders trying to be insiders.

After Matthew got up from the collections table and followed Jesus he brought Him to his house for a party for introductions. The Pharisees, who were on the outside, could not understand. Those who were on the inside, though, were receiving a wonderful evening of the presence of Jesus. The blessing is reserved for those on the inside. No one else can quite grasp the concept.

We are called to be family. Let's start loving like it. Let's start committing like it.

Unleashing God

Have you ever watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?



It is amazing to watch how these dogs stand so still while the handlers primp and prep them for the upcoming show. The dogs will jump through hoops, run up and down ramps, through obstacles, and more at the command of the handler. Later they will be walked, on a leash, by the handler and obey every command, receiving treats for good behavior. The dogs by this time probably do not know any better but is that what they were designed to do?

What of they were unleashed? What if they were freed to do what they were created to do? There might be more pleasure and enjoyment in our life.

Too many people treat God like those dogs by putting Him on a leash and leading Him around. It is expected that God would obey every one of our commands. We give praise when He obeys, possibly treating Him with a tithe or ministry project. We become frustrated when He does not do what we command. We tell Him when to come, when to bless, when to curse, when to provide, when to be excessive, when to stay, when to leave.

What would happen if we unleashed God? What if we freed Him to do what He wants to do?

We are not the handlers we are being taught that we are. We are to be followers of God not leaders of Him. If God were unleashed power and majesty would once again reign supreme. If God were unleashed the church would become relevant in an ever-changing culture. If God were unleashed churches would be reaching, evangelizing, growing, changing the very face of their community instead of plateauing and shrinking.

If God were unleashed...

If God were simply unleashed...

Everything would be better.

Unleash God in your life today!