Drew Land's Blog

GOD HEALS DURBAN SURFER

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:01:00 +0000

“The doctor looked at my spine and couldn’t believe what he saw,” Bruce* told me just moments ago on the phone. Bruce was the surfer I met in the water last Monday.

I had come to the end of my surf session, so we only spoke about 10 minutes before we both caught a wave in. As we walked up the sand toward the public showers I said, “Nice to meet you, maybe I’ll see you again.”

He responded, “Not for awhile. On Wednesday I go in for major back surgery. I’m only 52, but it will be my fourth major surgery. The doctors have to put a prothesis between two slip disks (L3 and L4).” Basically, that’s a metal rod used to fuse the two disks back together.

Bruce told me on the phone tonight that he had this surgery done before elsewhere on his spine and later the prosthesis broke causing all sorts of pain and problems. So naturally on Monday he was nervous about his upcoming surgery.

Somewhere between showering and saying goodbye to Bruce, God dropped in my heart that I should pray for him. He had no idea that I was a pastor or even a Christian. So I plucked up the courage to say, “Hey Bruce, I’m a pastor. Can I pray for you?”

He got a bit apprehensive and responded, “Sure, I guess. But I’m not practicing.”

I said, “That’s okay, God’s still practicing.”

My wife, Megan, walked up at that moment and I introduced her to Bruce and told her we were going to pray.

Bruce began to weep as he shared briefly about some of the struggles he had been experiencing.

We put our surf boards down, bowed our heads and began to pray. Surfers were passing by, but it was as if we were the only ones on the boardwalk.

We first prayed for healing. And then we invited God to come and show Bruce how much he loved him and how he wants to give him purpose. Bruce kept weeping.

After we said goodbye, Bruce went home and told his wife about us and how something had happened. He didn’t know how to describe it. He called a Christian friend of his (Colin), with whom he works, and told him that a change had happened in his back and heart.

And then comes the really cool part.

On Wednesday, the neurosurgeon (one of the best in Durban), opened up Bruce’s back. He couldn’t believe what he saw. L3 and L4 were already perfectly fused together. He told Bruce later that he had never seen anything like it. He said, “No one could have done a more perfect job. I wish I had had a camera with me to video it.” The doctor contacted other surgeons in America to find out if it was possible for this to have happened naturally. He didn’t know what to say. Bruce’s previous MRI clearly showed the need for the surgery, but Bruce had been healed.

As the doctor told Bruce what happened he (and the physiotherapist that was present) started crying. He was amazed at God’s mercy. He told the doctor about “the couple who had prayed for him” and said it was a miracle from God. The doctor said it was a miracle of science. Bruce disagreed and said it a miracle of God.

It’s Friday night and I just got off the phone with Bruce. His last words to me were, “Drew, please come to my place as soon as you can and meet with my wife and me. I’ve got so much I want to talk about with you. So many questions.”

Now for the real healing...

Love,
Drew

*Bruce is not his real name, but since I’m just getting know him, I felt I didn’t want to risk offending him. Please pray for Bruce, his wife and his two grown sons.

You’re God’s Idea, So You’re Unique

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Perhaps you’ve heard the proverb; “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Do you know who first said it? God. Well, King Solomon actually. But since we know that the Bible is God-breathed, we know that it was His proverb first.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

So from this verse we know that as long as something is done or made or fashioned or thought of under the sun, then it’s not going to be that original. But what about things that were thought of outside of the sun… like… something thought of before the sun and world were ever created? Naturally, it would probably be considered unique.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4).

Obviously this verse is loaded with many significant meanings, but to prove my point, notice what it has to say about timing issues: before creation, you were thought of.

But the truth is that I don’t really have to convince you biblically that you’re unique. Just look at your thumbprint and it’s pretty obvious. There is no one just like you. Never was. Never will be. And for whatever purpose God created you, only you have that particular purpose. You are unique. One of a kind. Irreplaceable.

You are God’s idea. He obviously wants you. And he obviously has decided that he needs you too. And what he needs from you, is for you to be you – the person he created you to be in him. And the person that does what he’s called you to do.

You’re God’s Idea, So You’re Valuable

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:23:00 +0000

The most expensive painting ever sold was called, No. 5, 1948, painted by Jackson Pollock. In 2006 it was sold for 140 million dollars. Now think about that for a moment. A painting titled No. 5, 1948 sold for millions and millions of dollars. And if you saw the painting you’d be even more surprised. It’s literally a canvas of squiggly lines. To me it looks as plain as it sounds.

You’d expect it to have a more glamorous name. Maybe, “The Great Scribble” or “Chaos On Canvas” or “I’m Worth Millions Of Dollars Because I Was The First Of My Kind.” But No. 5? How did Pollock ever expect to sell something called No. 5? And that’s just the name. The art itself makes you wonder how it ever got a $140 million price tag. But obviously, someone knows a lot more about art than I do. And they know a lot more about Jackson Pollock than I do. Perhaps if I knew the artist and his skill a bit more, then I’d think the painting was valuable.

The reason we often question our value, is because we’ve undervalued our Creator. We are valuable because we are his and because he gives us value. Our direct connection with God makes us priceless. That’s the very reason he had to come down him self and purchase us, because nothing created was valuable enough to buy you and me. That’s how valuable we are to him.

“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Do you need to reassess your value in light of who it is that gives you value? Perhaps you need to defer to someone who knows a lot more about you than you and to someone who knows a lot more about the One who created you. Perhaps you need to let God have the final say on your worth.

When you went up for auction, the sale went to the highest bidder – the man who lifted his right hand, and then his left, had them nailed to a tree and paid the greatest price that’s ever been paid. Your name may be plain. You might feel as average as they come. But according to God, you’re to die for.

You’re God’s Idea, So You’re Not An Accident

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:12:00 +0000

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalms 139:13-16, NLT).

If those verses above didn’t take your breath away, then you either didn’t read them properly or you stopped breathing a long time ago. Do yourself a favor and read them again – slowly.

Think about the detail mentioned in those verses –

• He made the delicate parts. He wasn’t just interested in the meat and bones. He was there in the detail – shaping your eyeball and forming your sternocleidomastoids (if you don’t know what those are, don’t worry, God does).
• He watched you being form. Your parents might have a seen a sonogram or two, but God was there for every new development. He didn’t miss a minute of it. That’s how much he delighted in your arrival.
• And not only did he watch you, he kept a journal about it. Day 1: Wow! What a beautiful blob. Day 2: I think the blob just moved. This is gonna be an exciting nine months.

You might struggle with your identity, but you’ve got no room to think that you were an accident. In fact, if your parents didn’t plan you, then that should give you even more confidence in God – nothing was going to stand in the way of your existence.

God was there before you began. He was there through it all. And you can be sure, he’s there right now – where you’re sitting and reading this. Why don’t you tell him thanks?

You’re God’s Idea, So You’re His Masterpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:20:00 +0000

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).

Friends of ours recently bought us a BBC series called, Planet Earth. It has hours of the most amazing footage ever taken of our planet. I’m left speechless every time I watch it. But you know what amazes me more? How we can lift our eyes with admiration when we see the earth and drop them in disappointment when we look at ourselves.

Wasn’t the same artist who brushed the shade in the sky, the one who also swirled the colors in our eyes? Wasn’t the same sculptor who formed the mountains, the one who also shaped our frame? Wasn’t the same architect who sketched the bottom of the oceans, the same one who designed the intricacies of our senses? The earth bears his signature, but so do we. So how can we smile at one and frown at the other?

Of course, you might say the problem is that we’re fallen, tainted, no longer the beauty that God intended? True. That is (or was) our problem. (We’ll talk more about that later.) But for now, notice what it says in the Ephesians verse, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus.” If you’re in Christ, then not only did the Master put his mark on you when you were born, but he has revamped you completely, through Jesus, and put his seal of approval on you, through the Holy Spirit, for all time. You’re a masterpiece twice over. Not only do you bear his signature, but also he has taken up residence in your heart. If the BBC understood the significance of that then they’d do a series on every Christian on the planet. The earth bears God’s signature, but you bear his presence.

And God himself looks at you and says, “No that’s what I’m talkin’ about! That’s my best work yet!”

You Are God's Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Sun, 30 May 2010 09:13:00 +0000

“God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27, The Message).

Let’s get something straight. Adam didn’t ask to be created. Now, at first glance, that might appear to be an incidental point, but take a second look and you’ll see how foundational that observation is when thinking about your identity.

I once borrowed my friend's BMW. He obliged willingly, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it put him out a little. Now imagine if, before I had asked, I had awakened that morning with the BMW parked in my driveway and the keys in my post box. I would’ve driven his car with a lot more confidence and a lot less doubt.

When it comes to walking in the fullness of our identity in Christ, we all need a lot more confidence and a lot less doubt. Well, be encouraged. You didn’t ask God to be created; it was his idea. That’s got to count for something. You exist because God wanted you to exist. You are his idea.

Ponder that for a moment. How does that make you feel? How should it make you feel?

Now take it a step further. Look at your colleague sitting next to you or your boss across the hall or that guy who’s been getting on your nerves, and think about this: They, too, are God’s idea.

God never reveals a truth about who we are that he doesn’t want to use to help us grow in our love for him and our love for others. God wants you to be secure in your identity, but not just so you can be secure, but also so that you can fulfill your calling to love him and love others.

By the way, today, May 31, is my 13th wedding anniversary. Just want to say, "Happy Anniversary, Megan! I never thought it would be possible to say that 13 years on I would love you more, because I loved you so much the day I married you - but it's true - I love you more!"

Some Things Worth Doing

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:31:00 +0000

Is what we’re doing really worthy of our time, our energy, and our passion? Yesterday we said that the way God answers that question is to consider whether or not what we’re doing has Jesus as its foundation and whether or not it has an eternal quality about it. Consider some of the ways Jesus used his time.

“Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (Luke 5:16).

Here’s a suggestion for you. Set a regular time to meet with God by yourself. This doesn’t have to be a prescribed or rigid schedule. Time with God is the key, not counting the minutes (Exodus 8:9, Daniel 6:10).

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left” (Matthew 19:14-15).

Plan time to spend with your family. Put all your cares and concerns aside and intentionally focus on your family members (Ephesians 5:25-28). Why not have a ‘family night’ this week. Pile your kids in the living room, rent a DVD, make some popcorn and hold your kids in your arms while you watch a movie together.

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things” (Mark 6:34).

Get a bit of compassion in your own life. Familiarize yourself with what’s happening in the world. Set up a routine to regularly watch, read or listen to the news (Mark 12:14-17). Ask God to give you a concern and compassion for those who are suffering. Then ask God what you can do about it.

Success Is Not The Measure Of Good Work

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:29:00 +0000

"Sometimes failure is succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.”

Using a computer and four blank keyboards, and without looking at the screen, Michele Santelia (Italy) typed backwards 64 books (3,361,851 words, 19,549,382 characters) in their original languages including The Odyssey, Macbeth, The Vulgate Bible and the Guinness World Records Book 2002. Michele put together a 3,78 m (12 ft 4 in) high tower of the books typed. He completed typing backwards the volumes of the Dead Sea scrolls in Ancient Hebrew on 26 July 2007.

…now that’s called majoring on the minor. But Mr. Santelia is not the only one guilty of this.

If we look at what we do with our time, most of us wouldn’t say that we’re busy doing ‘useless’ or ‘pointless’ things. If we look at those things in isolation they look so important, but God never asks us to look at them in isolation. He wants us to assess all that we do the way that he does.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).

The key word in that passage is quality. And two questions that will reveal the quality of your busy work are: “Is Jesus the foundation of all that you do?” and “Does what you do have an eternal quality about it that will cause it to stand the test of fire?” Don’t just think about what you do on a Sunday; think about what you do on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And then ask yourself, “Would God be pleased with all that I do?”

Busyness Isn’t Bad If It’s Worthy Busyness

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:28:00 +0000

Luke 10:38-42: As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Let’s make an important observation about these famous verses. Jesus is not commenting on Martha’s busyness. His rebuke is directed at the reason for her busyness. She was passionate about the details of a good meal for Jesus; Mary was passionate about Jesus himself. Jesus isn’t telling her not to be busy. He’s saying she should get busy with the important things.

Take some time to come before Jesus. Bring some paper and a pen. Ask him to help you make a list of things that should be important in your life. Then ask him to give you some practical ways to help you prioritize those things.

Pointless Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:24:00 +0000

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b).

Last week I raised a lot of questions around this verse. I'd like to ask a few more before we start looking at some answers.

Most people want “life to the full”, but instead they settle for a “full life". The philosophers of this world encourage us to “seize the day”. But what if “the day” is rather trivial? What if our days are pretty pointless? Should we get passionate about days like that? Do you have days like that? Are most of your days like that? Here’s a self-examination for you to do.

Choose the answer that most accurately represents your normal behavior.

1. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time fixing my hair than watching, reading or listening to the news.
2. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time watching TV than having meaningful talks with my spouse or best friend.
3. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time in entertainment activities than pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
4. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time working on or around the house than just being with my family.
5. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time thinking about movies than thinking about God.
6. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time shopping for myself than being at church.
7. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time thinking about how much I can save than thinking about how much I can give.
8. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time browsing through shopping catalogues or reading glamour magazines than reading the Bible.
9. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time trying to get my needs met than trying to meet other people’s needs.
10. TRUE or FALSE - I spend more time and resources on improving my life than helping the poor or disadvantaged.

We tend to give our time to what we value. If you chose 'true' more times than 'false', then perhaps you’re prone to pointless passion. Is there something you can do to change that? If so, what?

Passionate About Life

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Thu, 13 May 2010 11:59:00 +0000

“Life is a highway, I want to ride it all night long.” If you listened to the radio at all in the 1990s you probably sang those words instead of read them. Even now you can probably hear the electric guitar jamming away in the background. Tom Cochrane coined the lyrics, and youngsters across the world listened to the song with a renewed commitment to live life to the full. I was one of them.

We’ve been persuaded throughout the centuries to buy into this philosophy. The Roman poet, Horace (65-8 BC), captured this theme when he used the now familiar phrase, carpe diem (seize the day). He meant, “live it up.” Since he first penned those words, the meaning of “day” has been reduced to a “moment.” We now understand that phrase to mean, “seize the moment” as in “be bold.” But Horace’s original motivation was to “live it up while you can.” He had pleasures in mind, not heroic accomplishments.

Modern philosophers are still echoing his words. One of those appeared on the big screen in 1986. In the John Hughes’ movie, Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, Ferris wittingly says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around you could miss it.” This phrase gave teenagers like myself license to skip as much high school as we could. But more than that, it once again gave us permission to add another layer of gluttony to our already all consuming pleasure-cake. Why settle for a lick of the spoon, when we can drown ourselves in the batter? Rock groups like Nirvana, whose name says it all, helped to smooth the way. We went from tapping our feet to the rhythm of the music to diving head first into the drums.

In some ways those mottos make sense. After all, aren’t we supposed to desire the abundant life? (John 10:10)

But then a verse springs to mind, and I’m left wondering if what the philosophers have taught us has any merit at all?

“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:20)?

Life To The Full

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:58:00 +0000

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b).

Jesus said those words. They’re pretty big words. The word, “full,” may only have four letters, but don’t be fooled; it’s loaded. What did Jesus mean by it? Is it a good thing? Is it worth having? Can Jesus be trusted to give it?

Over the next few days I’m going to fill this blog with questions about what “life to the full” really means. Try not to get discouraged; I’m not going to give many answers. At least, not at first. We need to spend some time thinking about what Jesus meant compared with how we often interpret the phrase “life to the full.” What the world means by “life to the full,” and what Jesus meant by this phrase are quite different.

Will you be able to know the difference? More importantly, will you be willing to live the difference? You might want to ask God to help you do both.

Perspective At The End Of A Gun

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:56:00 +0000

He pulled into my driveway. His windows were rolled down. It was dark. The streetlight was busted. He never saw it coming.

Within seconds a gun was at his temple. He panicked. “Take it! Take the car!” It happened so fast he found it hard to describe. Four guys stole his car, but by God’s grace he survived.

This happened at my home. Not in some other country, but where my children play.

I ran out of the house and found him crying with shock. When I offered my sympathy over the incident and over his car, he replied, “I don’t care about the car. I’m thankful to be alive. This sure puts things in perspective.”

God can use a tragedy, like this one that happened in front of my house, to give us a renewed perspective on life. But we don’t have to wait until someone puts a gun to our head to get the right perspective.

Life is short, but it’s packed with purpose. Do you know what your purpose is? Hopefully, if you’ve read my blog over the last couple of weeks, you’re beginning to see your purpose in light of God’s overall purpose on the earth. There’s no time to waste. Get busy with what he’s busying doing through his Spirit, his church and his ever-increasing kingdom.

Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).

Has Jesus’ Purpose Changed?

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:54:00 +0000

Famous last words:

• “Are you sure the power is off?”
• “He’s probably just hibernating.”
• “Hey, watch this!”
• “I’ve seen this done on TV.”
• “I do.”

A person’s last words tell it all. Consider a few of Jesus’ last words to his followers.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19).

What do you think Jesus was hoping to accomplish when he came to earth? Has Jesus’ purpose changed? What’s your role in his purpose? Are you actively a part of what he is doing in your community? What should you do about it?

Questions About Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:53:00 +0000

Which of these three do you spend more time developing?
• Your personal skills
• Your financial status
• Your personal walk with God

Which of these three do you spend more money on?
• Entertainment
• Comfortable accessories (i.e. furniture, latest gadget, fashion)
• Giving to the church, individuals, the poor and other ministries

Which of these three best describes your job?
• A source of income
• An enjoyable necessity
• A calling from God

Often the way we use our resources is a good indicator of what we value and of what we are living for.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” Matthew 6:19.

Reassess how you use your resources. Is it mostly to advance the kingdom of God in some way or to add comfort to your life? What might God want you to do differently?

Six Purposes For Every Christian

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:15:00 +0000

Bill Hybels, in his book Courageous Leadership, summed up in six short lines what I believe is our overarching purpose as believers. He wrote it about leaders, but I think it’s applicable to every Christian. “They must insist with pit bull determination that –

the gospel be preached
the lost be found,
the believers be equipped,
the poor be served,
the lonely be enfolded into community
and God gets the credit for it all.”

I was moved by these six provocations. They sum up the very existence of the church and our glorious purpose as children and followers of God. The dispensation of Christ’s identity, belonging and purpose to all of those who bear his name is undoubtedly God’s continual desire – and should certainly be ours. Is it yours?

Are any of those six directives missing from your life? Read them again. Ponder them. Search your heart and your actions. Are they there?

More On The Bigger Purposes Of God

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:14:00 +0000

God’s passionate about his glory – meaning his likeness, his power, his presence – basically more of him. He’s determined that it will fill the whole earth.

“Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen” (Psalm 72:19).

And the primary way God has promised to do that is through the extension of his kingdom through local churches. To advance his kingdom through the church by the power of the Holy Spirit is our prearranged mandate. Yet within that overarching purpose, God also relationally personalizes his call through our encounter with the Holy Spirit, the church and his kingdom. He gives personal vision, understanding, gifts and more - all of which will be discussed in more detail later.

Today, however, I’d ask you to consider what it would look like if God’s glory filled the whole earth? If that’s God’s intention, how do you think you need to respond?

First Discover Christ’s Ultimate Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:12:00 +0000

When we enter into the life of Christ, not only are we given his belonging, we are also commissioned with his purpose. Christ’s purpose becomes ours. It has been prearranged through our position in him. We are now his ambassadors, charged with facilitating his will to the world.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20a).

If we want to know our ultimate purpose, then we need to discover Christ’s ultimate purpose.

When I was 15, having just arrived from West Africa, where I grew up, to Texas, my family was looking for a new church to join. We had visited several and were now ready to choose between two. One was big with a well-established and dynamic youth group. Perfect for me and my three siblings. The other was new with fewer than 100 members and a youth group of three. My father gathered us together for the big decision. We went over the pros and cons of each church. Then he said, “It comes down to this. Do you kids want to attend a church or do you want to grow a church?” It was a profound moment in my life. We unanimously chose the latter. My siblings and I joined the other three kids in the youth and we started reaching out. The youth group grew to more than 100 teens during the four years we were there and is still thriving today.

Though I wouldn’t have understood what was happening then, I now realize the purpose God had planted in my heart: Christ wants to grow his church – therefore I want to grow his church. His purpose – my purpose. That’s a great starting point.

Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:09:00 +0000

Remember the analogy of a baseball fan and how it’s similar to fully participating with Jesus?

• Identity: Jesus fanatic!
• Belonging: I’m on HIS team!
• Purpose: Play well and win the game!

Let me start simply with this comment about the Christian’s pursuit of purpose: “To what are we called?” is a question that consumes many of us. I often hear that question, only in a more subjective way. “What is God calling me to?” Unfortunately, they begin with the subjective and spin their wheels in a puddle of self-centeredness. They’re focused on the wrong trinity – me, myself and I. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the most important. Can we agree on that? Discover God’s purpose and you’ll uncover yours.

If you were to compare the amount of time you’ve spent on thinking about purpose, would you say you’ve thought more about your purpose than God’s? Have you ever thought about starting with the bigger picture first, then putting your life into that, instead of starting with your life, then trying to fit God’s plans into your life. Think about that. Pray about that.

Belonging Questions – About The Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Choose one of three answers to the following questions:

I am confident that I belong to Jesus because:
A) I prayed to accept him as my Savior
B) His Spirit confirmed it in my heart when I was filled with the Holy Spirit
C) Both of the above

We are going to discuss in more detail the issues around the Spirit, the Church and the Kingdom Of God, but for now let me throw one question at you.

Have you been filled with the Spirit?

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:15-16).

Being filled with the Spirit does many things, but primarily it settles in our hearts that we truly belong to God. It takes theology and turns it into experience. Through Christ you're positionally secured. Through the Spirit you're relationally assured.

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, one of my favorite theologians, used to use this analogy - A child may be walking with her father. She knows he's her dad. But when that father reaches down and picks her up and gives her a massive hug, then she not only knows he's her dad, she feels it. (Paraphrase)

To walk with your father is one thing, to have his arms wrapped around you is an altogether more precious experience. That's what it's like when you're filled with the Spirit. Isn't that worth seeking? If you’re not sure what it means to be filled (or baptized) in the Spirit, then I encourage you to find out? It’s too important, especially in terms of knowing to whom you belong.

Our Sense Of Belonging Is Linked To Our Participation In The Spirit, The Church and The Kingdom Of God.

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:58:00 +0000

If we have entered into Jesus’ life, by believing in him and receiving his death on the cross as atonement for our sin, then we belong to all that Christ belongs to. We are on his team. We are in Christ.

We are sons of God because Jesus is the Son of God. We belong to the Father and the Holy Spirit because Jesus belongs to them. We belong to his church, because Jesus belongs to his church. We belong to the kingdom of God because Jesus belongs to the kingdom of God. And just as Jesus participates in those things, we too participate in those things – or should I say, we are meant to.

When we belong to Jesus we’re on his team. What he’s involved in becomes what we desire to be involved in. Mother Teresa of Calcutta who worked with the Missionaries of Charity her entire life, ministering to the poor in India said:

We did not come to be social workers but to belong to Jesus. Pray with Jesus, and Jesus will pray through you. All we do – our prayer, our work, our suffering – is for Jesus. Our life has no other reason or motivation. This is a point many people do not understand.

If you want to not only be theologically convinced that you belong to Christ, but you’d also like to be relationally assured, then you need to fully participate in the Spirit, the church and the kingdom of God.

As Jesus said, “On that day (when the Holy Spirit comes) you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20, parentheses added).

Our belonging is confirmed in our participation in Christ through his Spirit, his church and his kingdom. Tragically, often our feeling of belonging is frustrated by our lack of involvement with his Spirit, his church and his kingdom, although we seldom realize the connection. Again, these are three God-given entities that he’s ordained for our identity and his glory. Without all three, however, we will never fully engage with our belonging, let alone our purpose.

Belonging

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Pacing back and forth while in deep conversation on her cell phone, a lady heard some rustling in a nearby community waste bin. She slowly approached the bin to investigate, but the noise frightened her too much. She rang the police to report what she heard. When they arrived on the scene they rummaged through the refuse and discovered a newborn baby girl wrapped in a black garbage bag. The umbilical cord was still attached, which had been crudely cut with a sharp rock. They rushed the baby to the nearest hospital. Apart from a minor infection from exposure to the rubbish, she was in perfect health, miraculously saved by the mercy of God.

Four years later I met her on the beach in Kleinmond, South Africa. With long braids and the brightest of smiles she jumped from a small drop-off into the sand where I was standing.

“My name is Kerry!” she shouted with delight.

I thought, “What a beautiful little girl.”

Only later, after we had met the lady who adopted her, did we hear the dramatic story of how God saved her life.

Our Father saves those who have been forsaken.

“He sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6).

If you’re a believer, then that’s your story, if not, then it can be your story.

God rescues us from the rubbish dump of sin, and seats us with his Son. You're in the lap of God. His arms are wrapped permanently around you. His love is strong and unstoppable. You are his. You belong. No matter what. You belong.

Think about that. Do you believe it? Do you feel it? Ask God to help you do both.

What Makes A Jesus Fanatic?

noreply@blogger.com (Drew and Megan Land) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:48:00 +0000

Last week we used the analogy of a baseball fan and said, “Similarly there are three essentials to be fully participating with Jesus.”

• Identity: Jesus fanatic!
• Belonging: I’m on HIS team!
• Purpose: Play well and win the game!

We’re going to discuss belonging and purpose later, but for now let’s linger a bit longer on identity. What makes a Jesus fanatic?

Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

There’s a difference between comparing and considering. God’s not asking you to wish you were someone else, but he does encourage you to be inspired by others – especially those whose outcome of life is noteworthy.

Make a list of what you think those who are fanatical about Jesus would look like. You might want to consider people you know and respect or just think on Jesus or the heroes of faith. How would they spend their time, money and efforts?

From that list choose three things that you will begin to ask God to help you do.