Christ First

Sunday's sermon on "Keeping Christ First at Your Job" in the current series in Colossians was informative and convicting. It reminded us that God's design for the workplace is not for businesses to be separated from God and morality.  Separation from God is actually the root cause of the symptoms of the ills we often see.

From Colossians 3:22-24, the characteristics of the Christ-first employee is one:

• who consistently listens and follows instructions
• who is still industrious, even when the boss is not looking
• whose quality of work reflects that he is working for God
• whose attitude is shaped by relationship with God
• whose deepest motivation is not money but eternal reward
• who sees Jesus as his ultimate boss

And from Colossians 3:25-4:1, the characteristics of the Christ-first employer is one:

• who treats everyone with dignity and without favoritism
• who gladly pays his employees what is right and fair
• who understands that he answers to God for how he conducts his business and cares for the employees

Acts 4:1-31

Despite being thrown into jail, put on trial before the Sanhedrin, and ordered to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, Peter and John were able to continue to speak the word of God boldly and effectively.  The Church grew to about 5,000, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they PRAYED.

What a contrast to when Peter denied Christ.  What now gave him the boldness to be able to say to the same Jewish religious leaders who crucified the Messiah, "'Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'"?   Clearly the Holy Spirit empowered him; but, this also shows how God can use what may be our greatest failures, to develop us into bold and effective witnesses for HIM.  I see Peter as having grown from the denial experience, restored by Christ, and now a strong leader in the Early Church.

This gives me encouragement, that at times when I have failed, I may learn and grow; and then trust that God can use those experiences to develop me in ways that may not have happened otherwise.  And, when Peter spoke before the Sanhedrin, "they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus"  (Acts 4:13b).   I would love for that to be said of me, in that I would reflect my Lord so much that others would recognize I "had been with Jesus."

Parenting

Though this Sunday's sermon on Parenting was not very personally relevant to me, it was filled with good advice and information worth noting:

• There should be a balance between liberal and authoritative parenting
• Doing everything right does not guarantee an ideal outcome, for even God as the only perfect parent had rebellious children (Isaiah 1:2)
• A mother's love anchors a child's emotions and a father's acceptance anchors a child's identity
• God has placed the ultimate responsibility for spiritual leadership in the family on fathers, not on mothers nor spoiled demanding children (Colossians 3:21)
• Ways parents can embitter their children:   overprotection (not allowing creativity, shows distrust), showing favoritism, put-downs (undercuts child's worth), unrealistic goals (results in depression for never being able to achieve or receive approval), no affection (sets them up for anyone else who comes along and "says the right thing"), no boundaries (results in insecure person due to mishandled freedom), and neglect (children don't raise themselves)
• Two things that will cause rebellion:  indulgence and harshness; And two things to counteract the extremes:  training and instruction (thru encouragement; when they fail, don't leave them there but help them pick themselves up)

Overall, there are five stages to a child's life associated with answers to life's questions:

1. Infancy:  Hold me...Am I loved enough?
2. Childhood:  Tell me....Do I know enough about the world around me?
3. Adolescence:  Show me....Have I seen enough good exampels to avoid disaster and make wise decisions?
4. Young Adulthood:  Release me...Am I equipped and confident enough to make it in the real world?
5. Adulthood:  Advise me....Am I humble enough to seek wisdom when life doesn't make sense?   (NOTE:  This is different from the "Tell me" stage)

Cupid's Arrow

It may be the influence of the bombardment from images and promotions related to the upcoming Valentine's Day, or merely just the resulting effect of something that's been brewing in the background for awhile; but for whatever reasons, I find myself possibly having been nicked by Cupid's Arrow.  It's been such a long time since I've been anywhere near Cupid's target that I even wonder if maybe I just got in the way of a passing arrow.  Since this experience is an uncommon one for me, I do feel out of my element and unsure of how to proceed.  Hence, my doubts about whether or not the arrow even found its intended target.

So, until I am sure, I do not plan on doing anything really in response.   I did talk it over with a friend of mine, and I'm basically in a wait-and-see open-to-it mode.

This person and I actually have interests in common - music, traveling, cooking, and church.  He is kind, trustworthy, reliable, unassuming, complimentary, and talented.  Though, I always hoped that I would know when I met THE ONE; at this moment it is all indeterminate and indistinguishable to me.   However, by now, I am very familiar with sitting in God's Waiting Room until He reveals His Plan and Will to me clearly.  I am in prayer and will patiently wait, listen, and watch for His leading.

Strategic vs Tactical

In work-related circumstances, I've frequently come across the terms:

• Strategic - the "what and why", looking at the big picture, mission, purpose
• Tactical - the "how", dealing with hands-on details

Both are important, and good leaders find a balance between the two - being able to step back and get the overall perspective; but also being able to understand and be aware of the details.

Luke 1:38

"'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' "(Luke 1:38a)

Mary had just received the wondrous and yet fearful news that she would give birth to the Son of God.  We can only imagine what went through her mind and what her heart felt, but, she was recorded as essentially saying that she would accept whatever God has planned for her.

That is a worthy example to follow - that no matter what we are faced with in life, even the difficult or seemingly "impossible" challenges, we submit to the Lord's leading.

Promise Notebook

In an Insight for Living video, Chuck Swindoll talked about how his mom used to put together Promise Notebooks for others, by writing in them promises from the Word of God, decorating them (e.g. with pictures and drawings).  What a great idea for a personalized and encouraging gift for others, that will also point them to God and His Promises.

Acts 3

Peter healed "in the name of Jesus Christ" and then proceeded to use the opportunity to speak to the astonished crowd about WHO Christ is, with references to some of His names:  Servant, Holy and Righteous One, Author of Life, and Prophet.  Essentially, "it is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that ...completely heal[s]."  Once again, he urged the listeners to "Repent and turn to God."

It was interesting, that Peter's message seemed to flow logically and reasonably, right up to the point where he drew to a conclusion starting in vs 19 calling for repentance.   Then, in vs 20-26, it seemed, in his fervor to appeal to his audience to turn to God, he drew on whatever came to mind - reminder of the Second Coming and the devastating result of not following ("be completely cut off"), Christ's fulfillment of prophecy, the Covenant (Moses - Law, Abraham - blessing, Christ - grace), and God's promises and blessing if they turn from their "wicked ways".

We can learn much about presenting the message of salvation from Peter's example - his understanding of his audience, his knowledge of Scripture and of WHO Christ is, his clear message of how to be saved, always being ready to see opportunities and open doors, and pointing out personal responsibility for sin and the need for a Savior, because complete healing comes only through Christ.

Selection Committee Meeting

Today was my first Selection Committee meeting after being confirmed by the congregation.  We chose a new chair, the non-voting alternate, and the secretary.  I am humbled by the responsibility of being allowed to be part of this process; and recognize the importance of being in prayer.

I believe that this will be a good experience for me; and God is showing me that He has prepared me and has developed within me abilities that may be useful for this role.   I have also learned much about leadership since God first pointed me in this direction; and this gives me a better perspective on my spiritual life.  This selection committee role seems to signal the opening of a new "chapter" in leadership for me....

Thorns

"Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. "  (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10)

I don't know whether my thorn was given to me to keep me humble; but, I have certainly learned that His grace is sufficient.  Accompanied with the thorn, I do "hear" messages from the enemy that "torment me"; and I have to remind myself to look to the Truth.

But, the part of the passage that stood out most today, was that I should delight in my hardships and difficulties; because His power is made perfect in my weakness.  For when I am weak, He does give me strength.  Also, it helps me to endure, being reminded that He is the One who wore a crown of thorns for me.

Acts 2 Part 2

"And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  (Acts 2:47b)

Peter finished off his sermon, talking about Christ's Resurrection, Ascension, and Glorification, all as a fulfillment of prophecy in Scripture.  He told the crowd what they needed to do to be saved - "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  (vs 38b); and 3,000 accepted.

 The early church grew daily, under the model summarized in vs 42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."   I often refer back to this "model" to see how my class is doing in the basic areas of teaching, fellowship, and prayer.  I do emphasize teaching and try to incorporate prayer for each other every time we meet; but, just this last weekend, when our class had our New Year's potluck get-together, it was clear how beneficial fellowship time outside of class was.  I could see that people were able to get to know each other better to develop closer bonds; and to enjoy their time together.

In the passage, there are two specific times identified where the Church grew:  first after hearing the message of truth and the other when devoted to the Church model.   I liked what Chuck Swindoll said in "The Church Awakening" which seems to summarize this well - "the church needs biblical truth taught correctly and clearly....and lived out in authenticity."

Community Group Series

We started our Community Group series last night.   I wasn't sure how it would go; since it was mainly the book that inspired me and I think it's difficult to capture all the great information from the book into a few short videos, study questions, and Scripture references.   However, the study seemed to go well, since we had good discussion and there was good feedback.  

We did emphasize the need to address the whole person, both physical and spiritual, when spreading the gospel, as is consistent with Christ's ministry particularly illustrated from the Luke 4 reference to the Isaiah passage.  In the discussions, most of us also agreed that there is probably more that we can each do to meet what God expects of us.  And, there are blessings we receive when we do personally reach out to the needy.  We talked about meeting needs right where we are, not necessarily having to go to faraway places like Africa; and ensuring that we "do something, even if we cannot do everything".

Acts 2 Part 1

The day of Pentecost came, and the awaited Promise of the Holy Spirit came in audio (like wind) and visual (tongues of fire) manifestation.   The apostles began "declaring the wonders of God" in various native tongues.  And Peter was empowered to deliver a sermon to the crowd, quoting Scripture (Joel and Psalm), giving the gospel message (Incarnation, Affirmation, Crucifixion, Resurrection), proclaiming Christ as the Messiah, and urging them to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. 

My prayer is that, in my life, I may allow the Holy Spirit to fill me and empower me to effectively do His Work.

Selection Committee

My selection committee interview was last night.  Ever since I was nominated, I considered it an honor and I understood the seriousness of the responsibility.  I've been praying about it; and if selected, I feel that I would be capable of executing the role, with prayer and guidance from the Lord.

So far, this process has been a little of a "stretching" experience.   Whether or not I am selected, I think it has been good to go through the process and learn a little more about myself.   I recognize that God has been at work in my life; and has prepared me to be a disciplined reliable member with good knowledge of Scripture, character & integrity, and a consistent walk.  However, I can still learn to improve more in my communication and social skills; and overcoming "shyness".

May God continue to be at work in my life; and may He grant wisdom to the current committee in this selection process.

And, I just got a call saying that I have been chosen to be part of the selection committee.  They were to select two people out of eleven; and I am humbled that I was one of the two.

Off and Running

Well, the New Year just started; but I'm already off and running.  I look at what I have in store for me just this week alone, and my cup is already full - Bible Study prep, Community Group, selection committee interview, and class potluck; on top of the normal responsibilities, like work. 

I need to remember to keep my focus on Jesus, while running with endurance the race that is set before me.  May I run faithfully, and not do anything to be disqualified for the prize.  Most of all, may I run for His Glory.

New Year Day '11

The New Year is here; and 2010 ended nicely and relatively quietly.   I spent the day with one of my closest friends - we walked the beach (I never knew it was about 6 miles round trip down the walkway from Sunset to Huntington); and then went to Downtown Disney to see the fireworks.

I remember a few years ago trying to get into that area to view fireworks, and it was so crowded that we couldn't even get near the parking lot.  Disney "solved" the problem by charging $20 for parking, which also leaves parking spaces open for those with reservations to the restaurants which offer validation.  It was funny - we prayed for a parking spot thinking that it would be overly crowded; and God actually answered the request, though in a little unexpected way.  Still, I'm glad that we were able to catch the fireworks.  There were also supposed to be musical acts throughout the Downtown Disney area; but, most of them played for only about an hour and put on CDs - likely because it was so cold.

So, today, we plan to watch the Rose Parade, pray for the New Year, and see some movies.  More "nice and quiet".  We started by watching "Facing the Giants", which we think would be a good tradition to begin.

I am once again in anticipation of what God will do this coming year.  I know that I will be leading a series in my Community Group; going to the Journeys of Paul tour, studying through the Book of Acts, and continuing to read "The Church Awakening".   There are still areas that I am praying about....we'll see how God guides me in these areas...