Courageous Faith

The Harvest

2020-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Harvest

Waiting for a harvest, talking about a harvest and thinking about a harvest are not ways to bring in a harvest!

Jesus viewed the people of his day as a crop of sorts, ready for spiritual harvest. In fact, the abundance and readiness of the crop for harvest was not in question. Finding people to get it done was (and is)!

The people following Jesus in Mathew 9:36 were, as many are today, distressed and downtrodden. The scripture records that recognizing this, Jesus felt compassion for them. His initial response was to turn to his followers and say: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." The people were literally ripe for spiritual harvest but there were very few people who knew what to do about it. Jesus went on to say, "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” But who are those workers?

"Waiting for a harvest, talking about a harvest and thinking about a harvest are not ways to bring in a harvest!"

The presence of distressed and downtrodden people signals that a harvest is ready. There is no shortage of distressed and downtrodden people in our world. To be more precise, at this moment in history, there is no shortage of people who are feeling that way who otherwise may not be! Fear and uncertainty are gripping the whole world and people are unsettled, introspective, seeking answers.

In John 4:35-38 Jesus told his team: “You think the harvest is still a ways off, but I’m telling you to lift your eyes up and look at the fields, they are ready now! The fields are white to harvest! There is an abundance of crops to be brought in right now!"

We church folk like to talk about revival and “outpouring of the Spirit.” We like to call out to the Lord to do something extraordinary in our world. But have we considered that the extraordinary may be waiting on us?

Jesus is telling us, his church, to lift our eyes and recognize that the harvest is sitting right there in front of us, ready. One thing for sure, as long as our eyes are fixed on ourselves -- our needs, our fears, our future -- we are not looking to the fields; we are not available as laborers to the Lord for His harvest. When we begin to look at the plight of humanity around us through Jesus' eyes, however, compassion moves us to ask for the laborers. We, ourselves, become ready laborers.

"We like to call out to the Lord to do something extraordinary in our world. But have we considered that the extraordinary may be waiting on us?"

Crops have a window of time that they must either be harvested or lost. We are living in a moment of harvest. People are open to answers for a time while the instability of their world is evident to them.

Asking creates the expectancy of receiving (Matt 7:7). If you are asking, you are marking yourself as available. If you dare to see the need, if you are moved with compassion, you are a harvester. Asking is acknowledgement of the need and willingness to be sent.

We have talked for decades about a great harvest of souls. While the church awaits a harvest, God is saying, “go get it!” Praying that the Lord will send laborers into the field is about the awakening of the church, not the readiness of the crop!

This morning I prayed that the Lord would “place me” where He wants me. It was really a surrender to His care. When I am concerned about my life and provision, my eyes are not lifted to the fields, I am not filled with God's compassion, I am unavailable for the harvest.

"Praying that the Lord will send laborers into the field is about the awakening of the church, not the readiness of the crop!"

Ironically, my existence and purpose -- the church's existence and purpose -- for being present in this hour is for the harvest. That is truly why we are all here. Everything else is simply a means to that end.

Back on Mission and Free from Fear

2020-03-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

The natural goal of fear is to promote self preservation - a fight or flight response. For a Christian, however, fear can take you from a place of faith and power to a place of anxiety and shut down the Mission of Jesus when people most need it.

So how do we address the waves of fear and despair that continue to billow from every direction? Recognize that in as much as I am fear-filled, my life is still my own.

It seems like many ministers are spending a lot of time telling their people how to apply their faith to "protect themselves" from the current "threat." In listening to this, it strikes me that the focus is placed on the individual and counterproductive. I don’t fault anyone for concern, but “faith” for self-preservation denies three important truths: 1) If I have given my life to Christ, it is no longer my life to worry about. 2) An inward-focused church is not a mission-focused church. 3. God's faith working by love within us is for others!

1) If I have given my life to Christ, it is no longer my life to worry about.

The Apostle Paul, facing imminent persecution and death while writing to others who also were, said: "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s." (Rom. 14:8) he saw no difference from life here and life in the presence of the Lord. He did not fear because he knew that his life was not limited to his mortal existence.

You may say, as my daughter did, "but I'm not worried about dying, I just don't want to get sick!" Valid. No one wants to be sick, hungry, uncomfortable. But the rule applies, if my life is not mine, then I have entrusted my care entirely to the only one who can truly take care of me...my Heavenly Father!

When the Apostle Peter wrote (1 Peter 5:7-9) about casting off your anxieties, he was talking about the entirety of your life, not just a momentary struggle. He also implies that getting rid of anxiety will clear, or "sober" your mind so that you are ready to stand against the adversary in faith!

One day Jesus challenged his team by asking, “Why take a thought about your lives?” (Matt 6:25-23) He went on to say that our Heavenly Father knows our needs before we ask. He was attempting to move them away from their focus on the distractions of life such as food, clothing, etc., and onto the mission.

If I truly believe that I belong to the Lord then I am free to stop worrying about my life; it is not my own! God is in control of my life and thinking about me neither changes God's perspective or my situation.

In as much as I am fear-filled, my life is still my own.

2) An inward-focused church is not a mission-focused church.

We, that is the Church, have a great opportunity -- if only for a moment -- to minister to a fear-filled world. I feel, however, that many of God's people are so focused on preserving their own lives that they are to paralyzed to reach out. Again, an inward-focused church is not a mission-focused church.

Maybe the current challenge is going to hang around for a long time. Maybe not. Regardless, there will be other times of great fear and chaos in the earth as there have always been. The point is that in those times, people are open to consider their mortality more than ever. If the church turns inward to focus on "self-preserving faith" every time a crisis happens, then hasn’t the proverbial salt lost its savor? What good is it then? (Matt 5:13-16)

Our mission -- proliferation of the Gospel -- has not changed nor has the focus of the Holy Spirit. It didn't change through Roman persecution, the black plague, countless wars, famines, diseases or even good times! It is the same today as Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)

An inward-focused church is not a mission-focused church.

3) God's faith working by love within us is for others!

The love of God is constantly reaching out to others. His love dwells in you by His Spirit. Instead of seeking the Lord for "faith" to protect yourself, try asking Him for faith to give yourself away. Ask how you can reduce fear, pain and suffering in someone else's life. Ask how you can be a blessing to someone else.

John the Apostle announced the cure to fear in his first letter to yet another persecuted church. He said that "perfect love drives out fear." (1 John 4:18-19) These people were fearing for their lives under terrible persecution. Yet John said that the realization of the love of God would free them from fear. When we are free from fear, we are free to take action!

There is one sure way to stay free from fear: get back to the mission and, through the love of God working in your heart, give yourself away. When I am no longer self-conscious, and when I am love conscious, I am no longer fear conscious.

It is possible that your are paralyzed by fear because your life is still your own. Maybe this is the day to recognize that and recommit your life to Christ -- to give it back to Him or even give it to Him for the first time.

Prayer: Lord, I recognize today that I am not in control of my life, nor have I ever really been! I desire today to give my life to you to use for your purposes. Show me a way to give myself away rather than seeking to preserve my life. To share your love while trusting you for my life here and after I depart from this life,. In Jesus name I pray.

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A Common Persuasion

2010-03-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Faith moves mountains; Jesus said so in Mark 11:22-24. If you take a look at the word “faith” in a New Testament dictionary you will find that at its root, possessing faith simply means being convinced or persuaded about something. In the context of Jesus’ statement, mountain-moving faith comes from being persuaded by God that He can do what he says He can do![a]

The Lord, by His Holy Spirit, is working to persuade hearts towards His desired outcomes for this region. As hearts are persuaded, people begin to agree with the Lord and one another. He instills a common and all encompassing vision and His vision is His strategy for the church. It is essential that every believer seek to be persuaded by the Lord and filled with His passion and purpose if we are going to see the mighty move of His Spirit here.

A move of God Is much more than and event, too. It constitutes a literal change in the spiritual landscape of a region! While an event concludes when the chairs are put away and the stage is taken down, the move of God is an ongoing work of His Spirit.

In Matt 21:33-41, Jesus spoke a parable about a conflict that arose between a land owner and a group of workers who leased some of his property. Even though Jesus was referring to the leaders of Israel, the parable provides an important admonition for the church today in response to being stewards of God’s work in the earth.

In the story, the land owner did everything necessary to prepare his property for success; he planted a vineyard, built a wall around it and put in a winepress and tower. The trouble started when the vinedressers decided they didn’t need to give the land owner his just proceeds from the harvest! Whatever their motive for declining to pay, the point here is that the owner required a return on His investment from those to whom He granted a stewardship.[b] God has granted His church a great stewardship of lives in this region. He is providing all the tools necessary to bring in a significant harvest. The Lord does not waste the outpouring of His Spirit; He will require a return on His investment.

The job of tending God’s stewardship is a big one. No single congregation can bring in the entire harvest alone — the Lord has recruited many “vinedressers.” Individual congregations cannot get into the rut of thinking they will reach everyone. They must shift the paradigm to believing that everyone will be reached, then do their part in support of the whole! That is why there are different churches and ministries with different strengths established here. It’s like the human body; each part has a purpose and function, all of which are essential to the efficient working of the whole.

God’s passion for souls goes beyond catechisms and doctrinal variations, and His vision is not confined to a particular congregation. If you are called by the name of Christ Jesus, i.e. a Christian, you are responsible to find out what the will of the Lord is, to be persuaded by God about His plans and purposes in this region. As the Apostle Paul stated, “… be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”[c]

Prayer

Lord, I recognize that you are doing a great work in this region; I pray that everyone be reached by your love. I submit my heart to you and place my plans at your feet. I desire to be persuaded by your Spirit and impassioned toward your vision and yours alone. And possessing mountain-moving faith as a result of your persuasion, I pray that I will be found faithful, doing my part as a diligent steward of your outpouring. I thank you for your wisdom and the grace to walk in courageous faith, In Jesus name.

[a] Mark 11:22-24, 1John 5:14-15

[b] Matt 21:41

[c] Eph 5:15-17 NAS

Agreement, Yes — But Who with Whom?

2010-01-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Amos 3:3 poses one of the most important questions in all of scripture: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (NKJV). The obvious and logical answer to the question is no, two cannot walk together unless they agree. In the context of walking with the Lord, however, the deeper question is who is supposed to agree with whom?

Everyone has desires; they are innate to the human condition. God, the creator of all life, understands the human condition. He also understands that what is innate to us is not necessarily beneficial to us. God, in His great love, seeks only the best for all of His creation. The problems in the world do not exist because of a complacent or passive God, but because of the willfulness of men — believer and unbeliever alike.

God says, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). God has taken action to save and bring His blessing to the world through Jesus. Man, however, has made the choice to walk independently of God’s blessed way.

In the context of walking with the Lord, the deeper question is who is supposed to agree with whom?

Furthermore, when we are not in agreement with God we often go the next step of trying to get Him to agree with our plans and ideas. We “lobby” God for His support of our ideas. This mindset is and indicator that we have either forgotten or rejected Christianity 101 as taught by the Lord Jesus:

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NASB)

Jesus said that saving causes loss and loss enables finding. It seems counter intuitive; the concept runs contrary to human instinct and logic. But isn’t that just like the Lord? Through the prophet Isaiah God said: “For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Is 29:14b).

According to Colossians 3:3, our real life is hidden or concealed in Jesus; it is unequivocally tied to Him. The key to unlocking that concealed life, according to the previous two verses in Colossians 3, is to be mentally disposed towards the things above, not the things that are on earth. The initial investment of our attention and energy should begin heavenward each day. Then, when our perspective is adjusted to agreeing with God’s perspective, we are propelled into the day fully equipped to address the challenges of life. This is the essence of losing your life; a conscientious decision to focus on the purposes of God rather than the purposes of self.

This is not to say that we become passive towards earthly responsibilities or use the “be heavenly minded” admonition to avoid earthly realities. To the contrary, God is fully aware of our life situations, our needs and our responsibilities. Jesus dealt with the realities of life yet remained perfectly submitted to His Father’s voice and direction. A relationship with the Lord and being heavenly minded equips and encourages the believer to courageously face the issues of life, not to avoid them.

“For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Is 29:14b)

Mankind was created to agree with the Lord but went his own way. Nevertheless, God said “Come, let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet I will make them white as snow” (Is 1:18). He will not agree with the world but calls the world to agree with Him. This is the essence of the Gospel message; can two walk together if they do not agree? If we are trying to live life as the world does, we cannot be in agreement with God. Even though God has made a way in Jesus for the people of the world to agree and to walk in the life He has provided, our testimony won’t convey that plan effectively until we are in agreement with Him and walking in His way.

Prayer:
Lord, I thank you today for the life you have provided me in Jesus. As I walk in agreement with you, I realize that your life will shine through me and bring blessing to others. Forgive me for seeking to save my life by living my own way. Today I acknowledge your Lordship and prefer your will over my own, in Jesus name.

Your Life -- One of the Greatest Feats of Engineering in History!

2010-01-04T15:47:00.000-08:00

I think engineering is a fascinating field. I’ve had the pleasure of working with engineers on a number of public works projects during my years in local government. From street construction and flood control, to water lines and sewers, I was always amazed at how the engineers would consider the variables surrounding a project, run the calculations and come up with a final design to build something that actually worked.

Engineers combine experience with industry standards to account for every foreseeable situation that could affect the construction process as well as the long-term use of whatever they are designing. Projects are always designed to withstand the maximum potential use of the finished product, such as the maximum weight that a bridge must bear at any given point.

While the focus of architecture is on aesthetics, functionality and other design elements, engineering brings “exactness” into the creative process. The engineer makes sure a building can withstand the forces of nature or that a car engine can operate properly under the harsh conditions of the combustion process. While aesthetic design is important to the eye, the underlying engineering determines if something will work and continue to work over time.

I began thinking about the engineering process as I was revisiting a familiar verse of scripture recently. Jeremiah 29:11 is a comforting word given to God’s people in the midst of their Babylonian captivity. The verse also talks about God as an engineer.

In it God says, “… I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”(NAS[i]). Many of us, like the Israelites who heard these words so long ago, have been encouraged by this verse. When you consider the fact that God is fully aware of His plans for us and that they are good, how can you be anything but encouraged? However, as they say in the infomercials, “but wait, there's more!”

I have imagined, thought through, calculated and drawn the plans for your future — and the plans are good!

My New American Standard version of the Bible places a footnote next to the opening phrase of the verse: “I know the plans that I have for you….” The footnote indicates a literal translation of “I know the plans that I am planning for you….” This subtle yet important expansion of the verse is very profound because it attaches direct action to God’s plans. The NAS Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon,[ii] indicates that when God refers to His plans for us He is primarily talking about His thoughts and intentions — the creative process. But when He is talking about His planning He is putting technical action to that process; He is talking about calculations and successful implementation of His plans. God’s plans are much more than good thoughts or desires; they are His carefully calculated will for His people!

As an Israelite in Babylon, you would have understood the Lord as saying something like this: “I have imagined, thought through, calculated and drawn the plans for your future — and the plans are good! I have engineered your future for blessing!”

What an exciting idea! What an exciting promise! Our God desires to be both the master architect and the engineer of our lives! He desires to bring beauty intolives filled with nothing but ashes (Is. 61:3); He desires to bring purpose into lives that are wasting away in the captivity of sin’s dominion. He engineers our time and events with the same authority and accuracy He used when He brought Israel out of their captivity exactly when and how He said He would. God has engineered a life of blessing and excellence for anyone who is willing to allow His masterful touch to form them and shape them into the image of His Dear Son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29).

Ephesians 2:10 proclaims that we are God’s workmanship; His masterpiece (AMP[iii]), engineered for the express purpose of doing good works which God planned in advance for us. To effectively engage the world, we must first recognize that God’s plans for us are calculated for blessing. Confident in this fact, we will possess the courageous faith necessary to do the works of God, to proclaim His love, and to shine His light in the midst of a lost generation.

Prayer:

Lord, I recognize today that you are the master engineer of my life. In your word you tell me that you are aware of your plans for me and that they are good. I desire to surrender my life fully to your design. Thank You for courageous faith that enables me to love the lost and to share your truths, for your glory, in Jesus name.

CourageousFaith.com -- “Engage the World.”

Contact: John@courageousfaith.com

[ii] Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. "The NAS Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon"