Jesus on the Go

Reading the Gospel of Mark reveals the many movements of Jesus in His ministry.  It shows just how mobile Jesus made His earthly ministry.  He kept things moving.  He managed to minister while on the move.

The woman with an issue of blood occurred while Jesus was on the move.  Jesus healing the deaf and mute man in Decapolis happened while He was moving from one place to another.  Much of what Jesus does in the Gospel of Mark shows us that ministry can be mobilized to reach people here and there.

Yes, the Lord does demonstrate how it can work outside of the church.  He shows us how we can serve others with our gifts and abilities as we come and go on this earth.  We see the Lord at work, serving men, woemn and children and meeting needs as He goes about His daily business.

Search through the Gospel of Mark and discover how to minister to others outside of the sanctuary.  See how we can do more outside of the church building to share with others and lead them to Christ.  Read it and see for yourself that the Lord wants us working.  In other words, He wants us serving.

This week we continue in Mark chapter 8 and see a blind man healed, Peter confessing Jesus to be the Christ, and Jesus predicting His own death at the hands of those who will reject Him.  Complete our latest pop-up quiz on Mark today.

Assigned by the Almighty

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

- Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV)

Our assignments come from the Almighty.  He can set us apart for the work that He alone calls us to do in His name and for His sake.  He can single us out and call us out "for the special work"  that He has for us to do (v. 2, New Living Translation).  Even when there are other teachers, preachers, evangelists and prophets in the vicinity, He can still call for us to be separated from everyone else.

Such a calling is a heavy responsibility.  It requires us to act on it once we have accepted it. 

Look at Paul and Barnabas.  Look at the work that they did immediately folowing being set apart for this assignment of "special work." They took action with their assignment.  They had all of the confirmation that they needed to go.  They had gone through all of the preparations that you could imagine necessary, not possible.  Fasting, praying and the laying on of hands were all part of what took place prior to sending them out.

Imagine what you would do if and when the Lord calls you out.  Try to picture your response to the Lord picking you out for "special work." Go on and respond with some action.

On Fire or on Fumes

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. - Proverbs 24:10 (KJV)



We need to be on fire and remain on fire in the work of this ministry.  When we lose our fire, we burn out and begin to flame out as we eventually end up running on fumes.  That should not be the case for us since we have the Helper, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, with us to help us and guide us.  Yet, we still experience such times.
We need to see how our downcast countenance can impact others, especially when we stand before the congregation or sit at the board table.  We need to understand that we have to do more than simple show up and serve.  We need to be mindful of our affect as we serve the Lord day by day.

Let us not look for a reward here on this earth.  The pay will never match up to the sacrifice.  The benefit package will never equate to the blessings that you have to bestow upon others and to witness with your own eyes.  You will never get the kudos or respect that you deserve, but you have a reward awaiting you in heaven that is great and bountiful.  Just hold on and don't get weary and worn out.
 
"Set a man on fire and people will come from miles to watch him burn." -John Wesley.

A Brotherhood of Burdens

Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfil the law of Christ.
-Galatians 6:2 (KJV)

Christians are to bear one another's burdens.  It is the way of Christ.  That's what He did, right? Remember WWJD? Was that just a fad? Or, did you really take that to heart?

Bear ye one another's burdens. . .

Wow! That's heavy.  Literally, it is heavy due to what it really means.  We are to carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters.  We are to feel their pain.  That means that we should empathize with others.  We are not called to simply stand off to the side and sympathize with them, feeling bad for them and going on. 

God wants us to live with the burdens of others as if they are our own.  If your brother suffers from addiction, you should live with it.  Even if you have never indulged, you are to suffer with your brother and sister as well as seek a remedy as if it were your own life in a shambles.  The same goes for homelessness, adultery, selfishness, greed and other things.  We need to share with our brothers and sisters.

Let's be Christlike about it.  He went out of His way for us.  He suffered for our sakes.

Analyzing the Church's Commitment to the Its Calling

“Don’t ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

- Howard Thurman (Christian clergyman, author, and activist)

Analyze where the Christian church stands today.  Take an honest look at the standing of one of the most treasured institutions of society.  Make an earnest appraisal of the modern church.  See where the church stands today.

For far too long, in the eyes of many, the church has remained in isolation.  In the opinion of some, the church has appeared inactive, almost docile, dormant and dulled, if not deadened.  Others have said that the church has simply dwindled into a state of sheer ineffectiveness.

George Barna has studied and evaluated the church for years.  Henry Blackaby has shared some insights and findings as well.  John Maxwell has offered multiple volumes on Christian leadership.  Rick Warren weighed in with The Purpose Driven Church.  There is no shortage of Christian perspectives of what the church is not and where the church has fallen short.

Don't disregard the Reformation or the Great Awakening.  Don't toss aside the Progressives or the Abolitionists.  Do not forsake the social activism of Prohibition and the Salvation Army, YMCA, and YWCA.  Don't forget how Christians fought Darwinism and the teaching of evolutionism in the U.S. school system.  Forget not Azusa Street and the likes of Oral Roberts or Billy Graham.  Do not frown upon the church's role in the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war protests, and the pro-life debates.  Consider all of the church's storied past.

Recall that the church has been called to be more than a building.  The church has a calling as the body of Christ.  Look at Luis Palau, Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship, and the countless missionaries and ministries that exist today.  See how many are fed, clothed, sheltered and ministered to through street ministries and storefronts alike.  See the church playing an active role in society.

Do not grapple with public opinion.  Do not spend hour upon hour debating with the church's critics.  Stand proudly and boldly to be counted among the many who diligently serve the Lord by doing all that they can with what little they have for "the least of these."



Develop Difference Makers

 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. - Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)

The Great Commission gives us the disciple-making formula.  We have been referencing it for years.  We have used it for our mantra in evangelizing the entire world, putting much of our focus on the going and baptizing with regards to all nations and unto the end of the world. 

What about the teaching part?

. . . and teach all nations. . .
. . . Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. . .

Our discipleship process should make a difference.  It should make a difference in the people who are discipled by us.  It should make a difference in them as they become fishers of men.  It should make a difference in them to the point where they make a difference in the world around them.  We, as the body of Christ, are to develop difference makers.

Get ideas and insights on how to develop difference makers:

• Outreach Magazine
• Urban Ministry
• Life Church
• Relevant  Magazine

We need today's Christian to be able to sort through the muck and the mire.  We need Christians who will know what is truth and what is false, calling out the false prophets and standing for the truth.  We need Christians who are not blinded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, MTV and other fantasies.  We need people who will stand upright as the world goes astray, working in this ministry of reconciliation.  We need Christians to serve as Christ's army.

Read the likes of J.C. Ryle, Francis Chan, Oswald Chambers, Watchman Nee, William Wilberforce, and William Carey.  Try to get a hold of the works of Hudson Taylor, Richard Allen, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Al Sharpton.  Look into men like William Tyndale, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and John Bunyan.  Let the words of these men sink into your heart, mind and soul.  See how they made a difference.  See how others taught and trained them.  See how you can develop others to make a difference.

Pointed Prayer

It's Wednesday night.  You can see them coming into the sanctuary.  They have been beaten down and broken down by the business of the day.  The boss didn't understand.  The kids aren't listening.  The neighbors don't care.  You're the shepherd of the house of God and this worn-out flock.  What do you do?

Offer that lengthy sermon that God laid on your heart late last night? How about that solo that Sister Moore promised to sing once she recovered from tonsillitis? Maybe you can ask Brother Deacon to read the church's treasury report and just ask for an offering, then send them on their way.

"Short prayers are long enough," C.H. Spurgeon said.

That sounds right on time.  Inspire them as they sit and listen to you call on God for their sakes.  Lift their spirits with a brief calling upon the Almighty.  Share in prayer.

Don't drag it out.  Don't drag it on.  Just say a short prayer.

Lead into it with an anecdote or a summation of what a hectic day may have entailed for some of your congregants.  Start with a story, then say a short prayer.  Send them home lifted up by your prayer and encouraged to know that the man of God is in prayer for them, not just looking for their tithes and offerings or volunteer time.

By the way, that lengthy sermon may have been meant more for you and your own edification than a bunch of busy people who came to church in the middle of week.

8But you must defend

those who are helpless

and have no hope.

9Be fair and give justice

to the poor and homeless

- Proverbs 31:8-9 (CEV)

We all should question ourselves.  We must answer for what we do and we fail to do.

I love the opening chapter of The Street Lawyer by John Grisham, I love the line of questioning by one of D.C.'s homeless brothers to a room of high-priced attorneys whom he has taken hostage of in their office:

1. How much money did you make last year?
2. How much money did you give to charity (to the poor and the needy) last year?

Doesn't that make sense to you? Do the math.  #1 may outweigh #2, but there needs to be some actual figures for each one of those.  For instance, if #1 for you is $100,000 and #2 is $10,000, then you have given 10% of your income to charity.  No matter if you gave to the animal shelter, the rescue mission or the youth ceneter, that money went towards people doing good works.
 

It reminds me of an old school Hollywood flick called Boys Town.  I saw it before Ted Turner started touching up the old black and white movies, but even after it has been remastered, it still has an old school flavor to it.  Spencer Tracy plays an inner city priest who watches over a flock of unwanted urban youth, offering them compassion and hope despite poverty and the dire conditions of the city life.  It reminds me of Sleepers.  The one where Dinero plays the priest who is smoking either Pall Malls or Lucky Strikes.  He plays the part where he offers an alibi for the kids-turned-adults who murder an abusive juvenile detention center guard.  That was "Sleepers," not "Boys Town."  They're not the same movie or even the same type of movie, but they have similar characters.  They have the guy- whether he's a priest or not- who looks out for the youth of the community beyond their spiritual needs and offers a role model or father figure for them to look up to and see working within the community. 

Every community needs both groups of people.  Each community needs someone who will give some part of what they have to help others and those who serve to help others.  It's philanthropy.  We need more people giving towards good causes.  We need people to offer a helping hand by being a role model or a father figure, even a big brother or big sister.  Plenty of kids desire to have someone show them some love and appreciation.  The elderly want that, too.  The disabled want it just like everyone else does.

Be a voice for others.  Be a helping hand for others.  Make a difference with what God has given to you.

Doing as He Says

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’

and do not do what I say?

- Luke 6:46 (NIV)

You shall observe My judgments and keep

My ordinances, to walk in them:

I am the LORD your God.
- Leviticus 18:4 (NKJV)



When accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we also accept Him as Lord.  We embrace His sacrifice for our salvation.  We accept His suffering for our sins.  Yet, we stumble when it comes to His lordship over our lives.
 

In Leviticus 18, God addresses His people through Moses the man of God, affirming His relationship with the people by stating repetitively: I am the LORD your God.  The phrase repeats throughout the divine dialogue between God and His people.  God states it through Moses and establishes His relationship with His people based on His decrees and statutes given in the wilderness.

 

Read Psalm 145:13. It speaks of God's "everlasting kingdom." Nathan shared the words of God with David in 2 Samuel 7.  God promised David: And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever (2 Samuel 7:16, KJV).
 
Let us fast forward to Jesus walking the earth as the Son of David.  He came as the Messiah and the Christ, "the Anointed One." The Savior would reign and rule as Lord forever.  His kingdom would extend beyond Jewish bloodlines like He shared through His prophets.  He came and sacrificed Himself for us.  He kept His promise to redeem us.  He offers the sinner in us all reconciliation.  He lives as our Lord.
 

Look at how we handle Him ruling over us as Lord.  We cry out to Him, expecting Him to offer us healing and help.  Yet, we must regard Him as Lord.  We must serve as His loyal subjects, for He is the King.  Those who serve the King do as He says.  They do each and every act according to His commandments in true submission.

 

If He is your Lord, do as He says.  Leave your ego out of it.  Keep your faith as your focus.  Do just as He says.  He is Lord.  Submit to Him.  Do as He says.

 
He is your Lord.
 
Do what He says for you to do.
 
Do just what the Lord says.

Do Some Good

"Do good with what you have or it will do you no good." - William Penn

You need to be able to do some good for others.  That should be a given.  The believer is to serve as a blessing.

Who was the last person whom you blessed?

I am talking about folks beyond you immediately family or even your extended family.  I mean people who do not go to your church or work on the same floor as you.  Who? I am talking about people who could not pay back the blessing.  I am talking about people who are in no position to even think about giving you anything except a kind word like "Thank you" or "god bless you."

Do some good.  Hook up with some others and do some good.  Show the world your faith by doing some good works.  Don't let this summer go by without reaching out and helping out someone else who is in need.  Start right where you are today.

In Your Own Words

 Meeting people where they are does not mean leaving them there

It is plastered on nearly everything that Life Path puts out there.  It is a mantra that is designed to keep us operating on a mission rather than remaining meaningless.  It is our vow to remain meaningful and missional while making a difference.  It is at the core of Life Path's mission and existence.

I was recently forced to revisit my whole venture into ministry and social services.  I question the notion that the two are not the same.  If we are engaged in true ministry, we will perform some sort of social service to assist those around us get what they need to go further and grow to become more and more of who God has destined them to become in this life.  I truly have a problem seeing a difference from where I stand today.

Nevertheless, after searching my soul and looking deeper and deeper into what I have been called to do, I realize that I have to work further to maintain this mantra as a check-in to start and end my day.

• Have I met people where they are?
• Have left people where I met them?
• Could I do more or better?

In ministry, I must ask these questions.  At work, I must ask these questions.  I must ask these questions of every faith-based effort that I engage in daily.  I must ask these same questions of every community-based venture that I am involved in daily.  I have to ask it of myself as work in a nonprofit setting.  I must ask these same questions of myself as I work on for-profit models that will support the youth work that I plan to offer the youth within my community.

It is reflected in my work.  It is reflected in my writing.  It is reflected in the ministry and service that I aim to offer beyond anything that I have done so far.  Join me in the journey.

Don't forget to help us help youth! http://200club.chipin.com/200-club-youth-sponsors

From Eden to Egypt- Day 10

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"-Genesis 4:9 (NASB)

Am I my brother's keeper?

 

It is an age-old question.  Ever since this early sibling rivalry, the question has loomed among mankind. Some have only asked it.  Others have crafted sermons based upon it.  Many have built ministries based on it, too.  It has at least crossed our minds at one time or another, possibly pricking our hearts in some cases.

We ask it without truly seeking out the revealed answer that occurs in the very same verse where it initially appears.  We ask it without recognizing that the question that prompts us asking such a question provides the very rationale that we need to truly understand the Lord's desire for us.

"Where is Abel your brother?" 

 

It is the Lord who asks this of Cain.   It is not Adam or Eve seeking to find out what has happened to Abel.  It is the Lord who asks about Cain's brother.  The Lord's question about Abel, Cain's brother, supersedes and precedes Cain asking if he is his brother's keeper.  The question that comes from the Most High is over greater importance.

Let us seek to uphold our Christian responsibility by answering the Lord's inquiry about our brother or sister.  Let it never be the case that we are resistant or reluctant to help our brother or sister in need when we have the means to help him or her.  How pleasing are we to the Lord when we cannot even answer about our care and concern for our own brother or sister? May we never shame the very name of Christ by our negligence for the calling to live up to His name as Christians.

The Found Prophet

14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:

“I was no prophet,

Nor was I a son of a prophet,

But I was a sheepbreeder

And a tender of sycamore fruit.

15 Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock,

And the Lord said to me,

‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

- Amos 7:14-15 (NKJV)

Amos' defense of himself in response to Amaziah's accusations of him let us know that Amos was "no prophet" and certainly not "a son of prophet."  Among the prophets of the Old Testament, we discover that Amos was not of a priestly lineage like Jeremiah or Isaiah.  Amos was a "herdsman" who "followed the flock."  In fact, it is Amos' claim that God found him as he "followed the flock" as "sheepbreeder."
 
The Lord will seek us out in order to get us sparked.  He will seek us out to get us started.  He will seek us out to show us or send us, even to summon us.  He initiates something within us that causes us to respond to His call upon our lives.
 
Once we have been found by the Lord, we begin to start. . .

• Seeking the Lord
• Serving the Lord
• Satisfying the Lord

Think hard about it.  When did God call you? Where did He find you?

God expects a response to His call. He waits on the weary soul that has been beckoned. He awaits a change to come over the one who has been summoned.

Did you start seeking Him? Did you start serving Him? Did you start satisfying God?

Respond to God bidding you.  He sought you out for a purpose. Don't resist or rebel.

Learning While Leading

"A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of the external situation."

- A.W. Tozer

Run-ins can lead to your ruin.
Conflicts can combat your consecration.
Divisions can diabolically divide your direction.
Problems can plague your position.

What we have to do is learn how to lead while leading.  Christendom is no exception.  The way we select and choose our leaders can also impact and influence how we support and strengthen them in leadership.  A warm body can lead to a live target.  We should not charge someone with leading the way, and then dig in our heels with conflicts, challenges and confrontations that object to where they are leading us and bully them by stating and reiterating who put them in position and can put them in their place.

Moses learned while leading. Imagine if there had been a written job description detailing the opposition and objections that he would have faced.  He would have offered more than the limited excuses he shared before the burning bush about not going back to Egypt.

Look at David when the men who were unwanted but willing came to join him.  He could have turned them away, relating his turmoil of being a hunted man by his father-in-law and boss, the king of Israel, but he didn't. King David had led sheep, so he learned how to lead these men and how to lead as king later. He learned more and more while leading them.

Our Christian leaders learn while serving.  Studying will help them.  Prayer will focus them.  Fasting and meditation will concentrate them.  Serving will help them to lead.