1st Letter of Clement-"Greater things have yet to come..."

I was reading the 1st letter of Clement today as a study of the 2nd generation of church fathers and it struck me how the present day church faces many of the same challenges that the church of Clement's time faced. By the time Clement entered the scene in the Third century, the church had already become embroiled in meaningless arguments and had largely fallen away from the spirit of Christ's teachings and works that characterized the church in the Book of Acts. They had become dogmatic, regimented and territorial. In fact, the Acts generation was dying off as Clement spoke up in these two epistles that bear his name.

Although they are not considered to be inspired, I was struck by a key phrase that stuck out to me as I read. Throughout the letter he describes "lowliness of mind" as a prerequisite to getting the church back on track. It seems to be a way of life that gives others the benefit of the doubt and refuses to draw unnecessary lines of distinction between people with different beliefs and manners, customs and traditions. It always assumes the best and never takes record of wrongs...sound familiar? 1 Corinthians 13..., anyone...?

I believe that "lowliness of mind" is a starting place for revolution in the church, and I have the goal in my sights. May God once again resurrect the Acts generation in our time and may Christ's love be the underpinnings for the greatest move of God the world has seen yet. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

"God, I am asking you to reveal what it means to be meek and lowly of mind in this generation and raise up everyday leaders who exhibit this characteristic as a general rule. You can start with me if You want to..."

Greater things have yet to come. Greater things are still to be done...

jeremiah

ACTS 10- God's Justice...

So, Cori and I were reading Acts 10 this morning and we have some things that stand out to us in regards to how the church should operate in the world today. With unemployment at an all-time high and people everywhere struggling to keep afloat in life, the church has an opportunity like no other to extend God's justice to those who hurt most. The bottom line is that we are living in the perfect age to begin a new kind of Christian crusade that will give rather than take, heal instead of destroy.

Looking at Cornelius in this story, we see:

• He was already praying and taking care of those in need around him (God's justice)
  
• These daily habits in his life attracted God's attention and favor
• God knew that he would be obedient to the word God had for him
• God used this man's obedience to open the door for the Gospel to come to a whole new group of people

What can we, as a church, learn from this passage? Cori and I believe that we need to restore the understanding of "works" in the church today. You see, in our urgency to be defined by grace, we have had a tendency to sweep works under the rug. When Jesus shares the story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, he makes it clear that the only thing that separates the two groups of people is what they did (and didn't) do.

Of course, I do not want to downplay the role of grace and salvation, but I think that we have lost touch with the theology of works in relation to grace. Let's become a church that is known for it's works of mercy, compassion and justice....a church that attracts God's attention, every day.

The craziest weekend...ever!!!

I am glad that I survived...the craziest weekend ever! Between surgery, family life, new responsibilities and careful coordination of several tasks and volunteers, I feel like I have been stretched to the ultimate limit...but I've been here before.

Cori's surgery was a success and I thank God for her. She is the most beautiful woman in the world and she has taken the firmest of steps to live in a healthy way. Much love, Cori!!!

I also thank God that He loves me enough to make me grow and challenge the status quo in my life. I may have nearly exhausted myself this weekend, but I must remember that my strength comes from the Lord and that He is pleased when I am not ok with staying the same.

So...as I look to this weekend I realize that if I am stretching my faith for great things, I must sacrifice myself greatly! Therefore, I can say truthfully that I hope this coming weekend will stretch me even more!

I had to share this short read by Craig Groeschel...All credit for the material goes to him, just please read it!!!

jeremiah

Undivided: the Real You Must Be Whole

By Craig Groeschel

We were young, we had babies crawling everywhere, and we were considering buying a state-of-the-art baby swing for our backyard swing set. Deterred by the exorbitatnt price for a glorified piece of plastic, we had put it on hold.

Then one day in a neighborhood garage sale, there it was! Between an Arthur Ashe wooden tennis racket and an eight-inch ceramic dolphin, we saw the very swing we’d been eyeing in the kids’ megastore catalog. God had provided – for just $30!

Although I would have gladly paid $50 for the slightly used answer to our prayers, my negotiation mode kicked in. I offered the owner $15, and it was on. Back and forth we went. Then I pulled my ace. I humbly explained that I was the pastor of a small church. “Could you find it in your heart to give me a break?” I asked politely. “I only have $20, and this swing would be perfect for my children.”

She softened and agreed. Feeling triumphant, I opened my wallet. The only bill I had was a hundred.

Busted.

INTEGRAL INTEGRITY
Why does integrity seem like such a complicated issue? Why do we even have to talk about it? It almost seems like it should go without saying: If you want to fully follow Christ, then integrity is not optional. It’s mandatory. (Even for – perhaps especially for – pastors negotiating for a plastic garage-sale swing.)

As ministers, we’re often vulnerable to integrity lapses during two times: in our greatest successes and in our greatest trials. When God is blessing your ministry, it’s tempting to think you’re above the rules. And when you’re struggling, it’s easy to rationalize sin. Although a minister may never verbally acknowledge or consciously admit to one of these temptations, they’re there:

They just don’t understand what I’m going through …
This is the only vice I have …
This helps me disconnect …
I can’t be perfect …
No one knows about this anyway …
God is still using me …

As with all sin, these thoughts are rooted in self-centeredness rather than in God-centeredness. It’s easy to justify ourselves: I’ve earned _____. The truth is, we’ve all sinned, so all we’ve “earned” are death, hell, and the grave.

What is integrity anyway, and why does it matter? By definition, integrity is a “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.” Easy enough. If we follow Christ, we can maintain integrity by living the standards in God’s Word. But stopping with the first definition sells integrity short. Further examination reveals this meaning: “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.”

It matters because if you lack integrity, not only are you impaired in doing ministry to your fullest potential, but you’re also not complete. Your ministry can’t fire on all cylinders. Your intimacy with God is lacking. You struggle to hear His voice. You’ve hindered His blessings. And you’re breaking His heart.

There’s no wiggle room here. Some ministers almost seem to think they can fake integrity: if no one knows about my sin, then it doesn’t count – does it? Consider several other words that don’t mean exactly the same thing, but are directly related to integrity: Authenticity. Opennes. Decency. Honor. Incorruptibility. Principle. Sincerity. Soundness. Virtue. Wholeness. Honesty.

Here’s a useful exercise to test whether you demonstrate a standard of integrity. Describe yourself aloud using the list of qualities above: “Craig has integrity. Craig is authentic. Craig exhibits openness …” (But use your own name. It’s just creepy when you say it with mine.) As you say these, are they true? If it feels like lying at any point, then you’ve got some things to address. Maybe you look wonderful to everyone around you. But are you really just a whitewashed tomb?

ADVANCING INTEGRITY
If integrity is so critical to fulfilling our role in spreading the gospel, then why is it occasionally lacking in ministry? First, it’s because we have an enemy – simple as that. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

If someone’s just skating through life, “believing” in God, but not really actively participating “on the front lines,” they’re no threat to the enemy. However, when you engage, when you’re personally vested in advancing God’s kingdom, when you’re “all in,” guess what? There’s a big target on your back, with your head raised up above the crowd. Keep your guard up, or you’re never going to last.

Second, you can’t do it alone. Read that again: You can’t do it alone. Verse 9 clues us in: “Resist him, standing firm in the faith …” And why? “Because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (emphasis mine). We can’t find integrity without each other – so we can’t go it alone.

That’s why one of our enemy’s most effective weapons is divide and conquer. And we’re often vulnerable to this line of attack. Why? As ministers, we’ve often been let down or burned in relationships. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we often become more cautious, more distant, more isolated.

We should never keep a life in Christ to ourselves. We urge the people we lead to participate in community. We encourage them again and again to get into small groups with other Christ followers. We must practice what we preach. We must open our hearts and invite others in. If we don’t, we’ll always be vulnerable.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV)

INTENTIONAL INTEGRITY
These things are probably obvious. I get it, Craig. Integrity’s important. But how do you DO it? I’m glad you asked.

Accountability is crucial. A minister or spiritual leader without accountability is begging for spiritual attack, and always more vulnerable to integrity breaches.

If you’re going to be the real deal, then take bold action. You can’t eliminate temptation from your life. But you can make it harder for it to reach you. With strong accountability, you can make spiritual or moral failure much harder to find.

I try to place significant barriers between me and temptation. Build walls distancing you from sin – not from people. Nehemiah surrounded himself with warrior-masons and rebuilt the city walls, and they simultaneously watched each other’s backs.

Our leaders have agreed on a few practical policies that both protect me from temptation and set a good example for others:

• I never travel out of town overnight alone.
• I have zero access to the church’s finances.
• I’m never alone with a woman besides my wife.
• Two other people review all my Internet activity.
• All outside ministry invitations are reviewed by others.
• Leaders ensure I take enough time off to rest.

When I talk one-on-one to our staff members about integrity, I’ll say, “Tell me, out loud: what are the three most vulnerable areas in your life?” Sharing these aloud with a trusted advisor or counselor is a critical first step toward success. Willingness to expose your most vulnerable points brings you closer to defeating them.

Zig Ziglar says to share your “give-up” goals with everybody. Here are some examples: “I’m going to quit …

… criticizing other ministries.”
… watching inappropriate shows for a quick escape.”
… comparing our church to the one down the road.”
… letting my finances spin out of control.”
… relying on sleeping pills at night and coffee in the morning.”
… holding bitterness against those who let me down.”

Share every goal with your spouse. Review my earlier list of integrity-related qualities. You cannot live true integrity if you’re willing to keep secrets from your spouse.

Sharing (or confession) has two components: Confess to God, who faithfully forgives. Confess to each other to receive healing. Doing only half yields only half the results.

You may even make another step of confession. Invite a trusted Christian counselor into your journey. Several years ago, I swallowed my pride and invited a professional to help me overcome some nagging challenges. Do whatever it takes.

I’ll leave you with some deliberate questions for reflection that have helped me:

• Am I more like Christ today than I was a year ago?
• Am I wholly surrendered?
• Am I carrying a sinful secret that needs to be confessed?
• What am I afraid of someone finding out?
• Does anyone know me? The real me?

Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, an evangelical Christian multi-site church with multiple locations in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas that feature live satellite video services. Craig is married with six children and lives in Oklahoma.

Dependence on the Holy Spirit

My day today begins with a simple prayer to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. I have to depend on His ability today, not mine. I am asking Jesus to fill me again with the power from Heaven that keeps my heart from following after sin. Instead, I choose to be led by the desire to do God's will in every situation He brings me to today.

He will improve my effectiveness as a father, minister and follower of Christ. It is His power, not mine. Come and fill me again Holy Spirit!

Handling stress

Jesus life and ministry was filled with moments of intense, stressful circumstances and adversity. However, He always managed to stay cooler than Obama at an NRA convention. I often wonder why I can't manuever through stress in the same manner. Jesus seems to breeze through crowds of angry opponents and death threats like a hot knife through butter. I think that Jesus' perspective on things made Him view life and it's circumstances with a confidence that comes from knowing their outcome has eternal ramifications. Plus, He is God...

I am not God...but I have the ability to ask Him for help when I face tough spots in my life. Since I agreed to do His will in starting a new church, I have been subjected to some severe stress like I have never experienced before, but I am finding that it is easier to be cool-headed and steady in the midst of these rough patches. I am more than a conqueror...and so are you! Don't lose your head over the stress of life. Stay close to the Father and let Him tell you what He thinks about the turbulence in your life. His perspective is perfect.

Making myself a priority...

I have been working through some of Nelson Searcy's material on creating a one year personal growth plan and I have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning my current modus operandi. I am generally (not always) a selfless person by nature, but there is a problem with that. I often place so much importance on taking care of others, that I forget to take care of myself.

In other words, I feel God speaking to me to get very intentional in challenging myself to greater goals of righteousness, personal accountability and ministry effectiveness every 365 days. Within that time, I will make rest, personal growth and leadership goals that will stretch me to be a radically more influential individual in the Kingdom.

I have already begun this process on a smaller scale with the 6x6 coaching and I can feel the joy of the Holy Spirit as I have asked Him for the grace to stretch those goals out over a greater period of time. During the space of time from Sept. 2009 to the end of Aug. 2010, I will set some very clear and measurable goals for my daily, weekly and monthly investment of time to get me where Jesus wants me. I realize that the investment of time is the most valuable investment I can make for my personal and spiritual growth.

It is my belief that a life is wasted minute by minute so I am resolved to trim the wasted time out of my week. I will also learn how to keep control of my calendar so that I am not tossed around by every need that pops up in the course of a day. Stay tuned, I'll keep everyone updated...