Heart Tracks - His Testimony

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19...."How can the Bible promise things that we never experience in real life? But are you willing to consider that the Bible is accurate and the Church has domesticated us to the point where we doubt our power?" Francis Chan

After pastoring for three decades plus, I think I came to have a pretty common view as to what constituted a "healthy church," not to mention what brought contentment to a pastor's heart. Some years ago I heard a young pastor bring his report to our district's annual convention. I remember him (proudly?) saying that his church was raising a lot of money and had "plenty of people." From his perspective, everything looked great. I don't say any of that in judgement. I've had the same attitude myself. Yet just a couple of years later, his picture changed. Underlying issues, problems, and yes, sins, rose to the surface, and suddenly, the finances shrunk along with the number of people. Not long after, he resigned. From pastor to people, we tend to see things in a fellowship as "good" when all is going well, and "bad" when they're not. That's human. Our problem is that we don't really understand what is truly good, and we're very reluctant to admit to the presence of that which is truly bad. We measure and evaluate with the same criteria as does the world. We see and live on the surface. We don't see what lies underneath, and equally, we don't know the power and life available to us from above.

In an age when pastors are trending more and more towards being CEO's, rather than shepherds of His people, it is easy to exist on the surface and fail to recognize the depth of the need around or within, or the power and ability of our God to meet that need. So the church, which is to be a testimony of His power and presence to the world, ends up looking very much like that world, and captive to the same disease of sin as it is. Broken marriages and families are just as prevalent in the church as in the world. Addiction to pornography, alcohol, and various drugs and stimulants grows at frightening rates. Depression, despair, hopelessness, all are regular experiences for too many of our people, including pastors and their mates. In short, we are more powerless than powerful. If we read and believe Ephesians 3, its plain that this is not God's purpose for His church and people. How could we be living so far from that purpose? How could we be so powerless when all the power of God Almighty has been placed before and in those who are His? Someone said that in light of all that Christ died and rose to give us, isn't it the greatest of scandals that we live as we do? In light of who He is, and who and what He created us, His church, His people to be, are we, as individuals, families, and fellowships, living out that scandal?

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 was that His people, His church, would be filled with "all the fullness of God." And there lies the problem, the scandal. We are filled with so much that is not Him at all. Ambition, greed, jealousy, lust, love of comfort, complacency, and.....self. We don't walk in His fullness but full of ourselves instead. The cost of this is showing everywhere. Yet it can change. It must change. It begins at His cross. We come to it with all that we are, and are not, and we nail all of it to that cross. In the Old Testament, offerings were placed on His altar, and the priests applied fire to the offering in order to consume them completely. At the cross, the same is to happen with the offering of ourselves. God's holy fire falls upon the offering of ourselves and consumes us. When that happens, we can say with Paul, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." All that is not Him is burnt up, and only He remains...in His fullness. We become who He made us to be. We now live in His power, and as overcomers. We face problems, we have problems, but we're captive to none of them. And we're no longer a scandal. We're His testimony, giving witness to His resurrection life. . Which do we want to be; a scandal or a testimony? Which is your life and mine?

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - Run To The Light

"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." Genesis 1:3

Have you ever meditated on the infinite power contained in God's words in Genesis 1? If we limit it to just the creation moment, I believe we're missing most of its meaning. It's a command, and a command that is spoken in time and across time and into eternity. One translation says that God hovered over the darkness and chaos, and into all of that He spoke these four words, "Let there be light." Darkness and chaos can mark our lives in so many ways and times. In the midst of it, He speaks to our hearts and those conditions with those almighty words; Let there be light!

Someone, or ones, have said that the people of God need to give witness to His life and light in a world where darkness and death get all the attention. Scripture says that we are to live in such a way that we are always ready and able to give others "the reason for our hope." We can only do this when we live and abide in His light and life. We live in a fallen world. Darkness and death wage and unceasing war upon us, never stopping their onslaught to take us captive and hold us to a lifestyle of fear, despair, hopelessness. They can never do that so long as we hear, and receive His words, "Let there be light!" When we do, all the power of darkness and death must yield to Him, to His light. Sheila Walsh said that any pain, wound, failure, and sin, brought into His light, loses all of its power over us. After the sin of Adam and Eve, they sought to hide from the Father. That's the tendency of our fallen flesh. Yet He came searching for them in His light and life. He always does. Our flesh impulse is to flee. His call is to run to the light. In which direction are you going?

Right now, your life may well seem to be nothing but darkness and chaos. If not, it most likely will be at some point. His heart desire for you, for us, is that we'll hear and receive His words for us in that place; Let there be light. When we do, darkness is crushed to the wall. So is the chaos that goes with it. Likely not the chaos going on around us, but the chaos that can be raging within us. With the receiving of His light there comes peace, hope, joy, assurance, and above all, His presence. Into the darkness and chaos He came and comes with His light and life. Will you receive Him into yours? Run to the light!

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - Footholds

"Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:32

Last week there was a great commemoration of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day as it is remembered in history. That great and terrible event set the stage for the winning of the war in Europe. The allies secured the beaches of Normandy, and from there, launched out to take first France, and then Germany, totally defeating Germany and her allies. It reflected a strategy used not only in Europe, but throughout the island war in the Pacific as well; secure a beachhead, and from there, move out and conquer all of that island or region. That same strategy is the one that the enemy, satan, uses against you and me. He establishes a foothold in our minds, and gradually moves out from that foothold until he has constructed a stronghold there that effects every part of our being; mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. That foothold is some lie, about God, the church, others, ourselves. A lie that he begins to convince us is the truth, and as he does so, he moves out from his foothold, his beachhead, until he has secured a place of power in our lives. We believe a lie, and in doing so, give him victory over us through that foothold that has become his stronghold.

This strategy of the enemy is an old but devastatingly effective one. It often begins in us at a very young age. Through the hurtful words and actions of others, even those who should love us most and best. These lies are then reinforced by institutions, peer groups, and our own thought life. They can be footholds that are openly destructive and meant to tear down, but they can also be subtle, and seem to flatter and build up, but end being just as destructive because they too are built upon a lie. They seek to convince that we are not good enough, or that we're better than everyone else. They begin with a foothold and spread out until they're a stronghold, and every part of our lives is affected and infected by them, most especially, our hearts.

Someone said that the true spiritual battle begins in the mind. Satan always looks to find fertile ground there, and all of us have some to offer him. When he "lands" there, he seeks to establish his foothold. When he's successful, he begins operations to move out and construct a stronghold in our minds that exercise strong influence, even outright control, of all of our lives. We've been "infected," and our need goes beyond the "band-aids" we too often employ. We need spiritual surgery. We need to have the lie(s) we have believed rooted out, eradicated, and replaced by Truth. His Truth. This is the only way for footholds that have turned to strongholds to fall.

How does this happen? We have to begin to soak in His Word. This goes beyond simple reading and memorization of it. It has to become real to us. In John 8, Jesus says we will "know the Truth." Know as in experience it. Know as having intimacy with it. He is Truth, and He is the Word incarnate. We listen to Him through His Word and His Spirit. The lies we have believed about ourselves, God, His people, the world, are replaced by His Truth about all of them. In the wilderness temptation, satan tried to tempt Jesus with twisting what God had said, mixing in a little truth with his great lies. Jesus did not argue with him. He just spoke the Truth of what His Father had spoken. A Truth He knew because of His deep intimacy with Him. He both knew and was the Truth. The devil never got a foothold in Him, but he most likely has in us. If so, Christ, in Himself and His Truth, has given us all we need to break that hold.

What are the lies, disguised as truth, that you've been believing? To what extent have they crippled you in your walk with Him, relationships with others, and view of yourself? How have they hindered your marriage, parenting, ministry? Here's the good news; whatever foothold/stronghold he has established, must fall to the known and realized truth of God. Going to Bible studies that talk about His word won't be enough. His Word must become alive to you, to me, to us all. No lie can stand in the presence of His Word because He is that Word, and in His presence, only Truth can reign. Does it reign today in you? Wherever the "infection" has taken root in you, let His healing Word invade it. Let His Word throw the enemy off of his beachhead, so that every foothold and stronghold falls. Know the Truth. Be set free. Today.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - The Gift

"Even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is light to You." Psalm 139:12
...."Worshiping God through the longest night changes who we are." Sheila Walsh

I recently read an account by a missionary who had joined with a group of believers in a nation where Christians are heavily persecuted. He said that in the midst of their worship, the power in the apartment building where they were meeting went out. The room went completely dark. He said that the people proceeded on with their singing, taking no notice at all of the sudden darkness. He said what immediately came to mind was what the response would have been had the same thing happened in his home church back in America; that everything would have stopped, no matter what part of the "worship" they were engaged in. Getting the power, the light back on, would have been the priority. We don't like the dark. We fear it. We fear losing all control there. We fear what it might contain. All we "see" is the dark, which means we see nothing at all....especially Him.

During the Revolutionary War, there was a term used for those soldiers who would only fight and serve during the summer months; "Sunshine Patriots," they were called. They avoided the campaigning of the dark, cold winter. They preferred the much easier conditions of the summer. As concerns our worship of the Father, how like them are we? Are we those who can only worship in the light? Do we know anything of what it is to worship Him in the dark? Darkness so thick that all sight is gone. All we have is the belief, the faith that He is there, with us, in us, and that though we can see nothing, He sees everything. Most especially, He sees us. As Psalm 139:12 reads, darkness and light are the same to Him. He sees everything clearly in both. And His power and presence are unhindered by either.

There is a condition that has come to be known as "the dark night of the soul." Everyone who professes to follow Him will come to it. That place, circumstance, spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally, where everything is darkness. All natural sight and light is gone. In that place He asks us to remain in and with Him, not just trusting Him, but worshiping Him there. We may be incapacitated, but He isn't. Our power is totally negated there, but His isn't. We are restricted and constricted, but He is not. He asks us, no, commands that we believe Him in this place. Believe Him....and worship Him. The impulse of our flesh will be to do what the missionary believed his home church would do in the power outage; find a way to get the "power back on," the "lights" working again. He commands that our impulse be, our desire be, to worship Him there. With joy and expectation, because, as Jesus Himself said, He is the Lord of the light and the darkness. Almighty in both. So we can rest in the darkness, and worship Him there too.

Walsh said that to worship Him while in the dark may be the greatest gift we can offer Him. We may have no visible reason to do so, but we do have a reason; God Himself. We worship Him because of who He is, and when we do, something wondrous happens; we see Him. In the dark, we give Him the gift of our worship. He gives us the gift of Himself. What greater gift could there be?

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - The Approach

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10
...."The great proof of life after death is life before death....The question is not whether we'll die, but whether we live?" Erwin McManus

There are two who approach our lives every moment of every day; the one labeled "the thief," and the One who is the Author of Life itself. Which are we receiving? Of which does our life give witness to?

It is not news that a great segment of the professing church does not walk in a manner greatly different from the world. The rate of divorce among believers is as high as that of the world. Indeed, it is showing signs of growing even higher. Our dependency upon prescribed, and often un-prescribed medications, mirrors that of the world. Our addiction to pornography and involvement in sexual sin looks much like the world as well. In our entertainment choices, we watch and enjoy the same kinds of "entertainment" as does the world. Movies, TV, and music that demean both men and women, and legitimizes the pursuit and gratification of pleasure and lust. And we, along with our marriages and families, are suffering the same ravages as does the world and culture around us. The church is meant to be a counter-culture to the world, but instead we've become a sub-culture of it. How can such be the life and witness of people who claim to follow a Savior who has conquered death and all its effects.....completely?

We live in a fallen world and none of us are immune to its "fruit." That world has a ruler, satan, and his hatred of humankind, and most especially, those who are the people of God, is unleashed against all every waking, and sleeping, moment. He is the thief, and his efforts to steal, kill, and destroy, are unending. The proof of that is seen everywhere. How can it be that there is more proof of that in Christ's church than there is of the abundant life Christ promises to give? The apostle Paul said that he had a two fold desire; to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and that those he ministered to would know that Christ and experience His power as well. Is Paul's desire being realized in your life, marriage, family, and ways? Is what Christ came to give you shown forth in your life witness, or does it more resemble the leavings of the thief?

Again, we live in a fallen world. Pain and loss are real, and we'll experience them. Christ doesn't keep us from that. He takes us through it. As McManus says, the faith journey doesn't get easier, we get stronger. A fallen world seeks to pull us into its mire. Christ seeks to raise us above it. How? It begins in one place only; His cross. At the cross, we die, and in Him, we then begin to live. Resurrection living. Paul said that at the cross he died to the interests of the world, and that the world's interest in him died as well. The words of that old hymn are as real and as powerful as ever. "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my sin rolled away." When we live the cross style life, the power of the thief is fully broken, and the fullness of the abundant life is made open to us.

As I said, there are two who approach us every day. One brings death, the other life, His Life. As they approach, which are we receiving?

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - Radical

"And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled His temple." I Kings 8:11....."Are we just good at getting people together once a week and maybe into a small group, or are we actually good at producing the types of people we read about in the New Testament?" Mike Breen...."We are too easily satisfied. We are content if a person leaves pleased. God wants them awed." Francis Chan

I have often asked myself the question over the course of my ministry life, "What would happen if, when the fellowship gathered together to worship, not one thing that I, we had planned, took place?" What would happen if the music and songs rehearsed and honed didn't get played? What would happen if the sermon I had painstakenly labored over, didn't get preached? What would happen if the people who came with a general sense of what to expect, had all those expectations blown apart, and God's glory so filled "the temple," that none could "perform their service?" Would our response be one of frustration that all our efforts had no chance to be "displayed?" Would we be feeling anxiety because things were going beyond the expected time of dismissal? How tempted would we be to try and take back control of a worship service taken over by the One we claim to have come together to worship?

The Scripture from I Kings 8 is part of a description of the King Solomon's dedication of the Temple built for the glory and worship of Almighty God. The priests of the Lord had gathered, each with a distinct form of service to be offered. The choir of singers had gathered, all with the intent to lift high their voices to Him. The people themselves had gathered, all with the expectation of seeing the long awaited Temple dedicated to Him, and the ensuing celebration that would be a part of it. Into all of it, His Spirit came. So powerfully did He come that everything that had been planned, and all the aspects of worship that was to be offered, weren't. His glory so filled His Temple that all anyone could do, ministers and worshipers, was to behold Him.....in awe and true worship.

I have often heard many, including myself say how we long for the present day church to be like the first century church. Great displays of His presence and power, not just when everyone came together, but in the day to day carrying out of their lives and witness. Do we really? Is that what we really want? Do we really want to be that immersed in Him? Do we really want our lives, and everything about them, including how we "do church," to be fully controlled by Him? Do we want people pleased, or filled with awe? The former has us in control. With the latter, only He has it. That's radical worship, and radical life. Do we want to be that radical?

These are questions for all of us to meditate on. Many are praying for an awakening. Do we have any concept of what takes places when Almighty God awakens His church? Do we have any idea of what an unleashed Holy Spirit in our midst will do? We don't really. That's what makes it all so scary. That's why its all so radical. Are we really desiring to be radical believers and worshipers of the King? Living in awe and amazement of our God, or just coming together to honor Him quietly for a few hours at most, then getting on with our lives for the rest of the week? We hear the term "radical" in describing the social and political structure of our culture. Might it not be past time for a radical move of God in His people? In you and in me?

Blessings,
Pastor O

Heart Tracks - Freefall

"Jesus answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " Matthew 4:4

I recently heard Elizabeth Hasselbeck relating on her preparing to make her first skydiving attempt. She said that one of the most important parts of the preparation is knowing who it was that "packed your parachute." That foundation of trust had to be there. There needed to be confidence in the skill and ability of the person who did the packing. She said that when you got into freefall, that time between jumping out of the plane and the pulling of the chord of the chute, you needed to know you could completely rely on the one who had packed it. What filled that chute bag which her very life depended on. She then connected that experience to the believers day to day living. What is that fills our life when we enter into our own "freefall" moments? Who is it that has "packed our chute," and is our trust in His ability and skill to the degree that we'll willingly risk our very lives on that skill, ability, and trustworthiness?

I remember a cartoon where one of the characters leaps out of a plane, pulls the chord on his parachute, and an anvil pops out. The anvil then drags him down to an unpleasant landing. It brings to me the question of when you and I are in our "freefall" moment, what comes out of our "chute bag", that which is the foundation of our faith life; an anvil or a parachute? Who have we relied upon to "pack our bag?" What is it that fills our hearts, minds, and consciousness? Is it His Life and His Word, or is it something else? Someone else? Anything else, self-sufficiency, religious philosophies, secular formulas, all will fail us. And all have their root in the value system of the enemy. All will be heavy anvils that plunge us to ruin.

We are living in a time when the philosophies of the world, the so called new age thinking, are increasingly finding their way into the teachings of the church. Disguised as sound doctrine, they are little more than what some have called "Christian magic." A great deal of emphasis is put upon what we can visualize in our minds and then see come about as reality. With God's help and approval of course. Many have bought into it, many more are being seduced by what has at its center, not Christ, but self. When the freefall moments of life come about, they find that those teachings and ideas are nothing more than anvils of destruction. Someone other than Him has "packed their parachute."

One thing is certain in this life; you will have that time when you enter into freefall. Likely many times. Here's something even more certain; when the time comes for you to leave this temporary realm and enter into eternity, who is it that you have relied upon to fill and define your life? Who packed your chute? Jesus Christ and His words and life, or that one who is everything Christ is not. Your answer defines where you'll spend eternity; with Him, or....totally without Him. One is eternal life, the other, eternal death.

Blessings,
Pastor O