Everyday Devos

A Blog Sabbatical

2009-06-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

As I wrote about a couple of days ago, our Elders are sending me on a sabbatical. Today is actually Day 1. I have many varied goals for this summer, but writing here is not one of them. Devouring God's Word is my intention, but I plan to give this blog a sabbatical.

One of the things I have been thinking about is a 'Media Fast.' How much media (TV, Internet, newspaper, etc.) to consume or not - and what would it be like to simply go without all of those things. How much time would be saved and energy allowed to give to other things? I've been thinking about that... so, no blogging this season.

To my one faithful reader, I love you Katie! If there are any others out there, I wouldn't know. If you are... I'll see you in the Fall.

Gospel Tension

2009-05-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Romans 10:13-15

There is this tension in Romans 9 and 10. I'm seeing it as a healthy tension. It reflects the mystery of God and the power of the Gospel. Yesterday I read these verses from Romans 9:

¹⁴What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵For he says to Moses,"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." ¹⁶It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

So here's the tension. God is Sovereign and will have compassion on whom He will have compassion AND it does not depend on people's desire or effort. In the next chapter Paul makes it equally clear that people can only hear and come to faith in Jesus when people preach/share the Gospel with them. People can't go unless they are sent. We all have a part in this Kingdom adventure. Our heart's desire and effort for Jesus matters. People can hear the good news, believe it and call on the Name of the Lord. Salvation happens.

No answers today. I'm wrestling with the tension and in awe of our great God!

Father, You are awesome and mighty! You can do whatever You want. Thank you for deciding to use me in building Your Kingdom this day. Wow, You are powerful if You can do that! I am weak and needy, yet you use me. Only You could do that! I worship You today.

Norkenzie's Sabbatical Policy

2009-05-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Elders at Norkenzie have encouraged me to take a sabbatical, and I am blessed. At the beginning of this year they said that if we could work out the details in the next 18 months, that would be good. It seems clear to me that God has orchestrated the events so that the sabbatical will be sooner rather than later.

Tim Miller, a Norkenzie native who was born, raised, baptized, married and ordained here, is available to preach for me this summer. I'm so glad! As I hope you'll experience, Tim has a preaching gift and has a great heart for the Lord. It's also significant to me that he can spend this time at his home church before heading off to the next ministry that God has planned for him. As I overheard this past Sunday, "This is going to be a great summer!"

I've been asked if this was a 'forced' sabbatical. Not at all. I'm blessed to be given the opportunity to 'get off the treadmill' for a season and get recharged a bit. There is a predictable drain in ministry and, after 20 years, I feel it. I'm grateful for the chance to have my cup filled up again!

I've been asked if I'm going to leave for another church. Are you kidding me?! I love our church! This sabbatical is intended to be a blessing to me, my family and the church family. If it were detrimental to any of us, we wouldn't be making this investment. Below is the Sabbatical Policy and, as you'll see, it's pretty clear that I'm not supposed to be looking for another job! (smile) The Johnstons' roots are pretty deep here. God could move us, of course, but our desire is to serve at Norkenzie for a long, long time.

Do you have a question? Email me.

From the Personnel Policy Handbook

Sabbatical Leave - a leave of absence for personal renewal and professional advancement. During or after the seventh year of service (and every seven years thereafter) the pastor is encouraged to take a sabbatical. Norkenzie Christian Church will provide up to 3 months of paid leave for the purpose of a sabbatical.

Pastors invest in people. The sabbatical is one way for Norkenzie Christian Church to invest in the pastor! For the pastor, a sabbatical is a season without the pressure to produce. Both the pastor and Norkenzie Christian Church will be the long-term beneficiaries of a successful sabbatical.

The expectations of the pastor are:

Plan ahead! What will you do on your sabbatical? Where will you go to accomplish the goals of the sabbatical? How will you finance your sabbatical?
Equip people to lead the ministry in your absence.
Provide a written plan to the Elders and Senior Pastor answering the questions from #1 and the schedule of #2, with dates and names of ministry leaders.
It is a strong expectation of Norkenzie Christian Church’s leadership that the pastor on sabbatical not entertain job offers from other church ministries during the sabbatical.
A written evaluation of the sabbatical will be due the first elders’ meeting following the sabbatical. The leadership will be interested to know if the sabbatical was successful in reaching its goals.

Sacrificial Love

2009-05-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

³¹What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:31-32

God loves me SO much that He didn't even stop short of giving up His own Son. Jesus died for me. He is a demonstration of God's love (Romans 5:8). So... if God will go to that length for me, will He take care of the rest?

It's a rhetorical question! "How will He not also graciously give us all things?" The answer is, He will! God will provide all that we need. Not want, of course... but what we need. What I need most is to be like Jesus.

Father, thank You for this great love! You are showing me how love is demonstrated in sacrifice. Help me love people this day...

A Constant Companion

2009-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Romans 7:21-24

Romans 6 and 7 are amazing chapters! Paul writes about the reality of grace and the reality of sin. Sin is even personified as being an entity.

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 6:14; 7:17, 20

Sin is a constant companion. Paul describes his own spiritual schizophrenia here in Romans 7, which is quite famous. (Every Bible student who has ever grappled with sin and addiction has resonated with Paul’s words in Romans 7.) For Paul the schizophrenia is not okay. Our struggle in the flesh with sin is horrible and ugly and deserving of judgment. Paul feels this to the extent of saying “What a wretched man I am!”

Paul’s the wretch. He’s the sinner. He’s the one who sins in the flesh. He’s the one with the propensity for evil. He’s the one who needs a Savior. “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

Can any of us deny this spiritual reality? We could, but then we wouldn’t be biblical. We are spiritual being created in the image of God who are housed in bodies of corrupted flesh. “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” The only way to avoid this is by not wanting to do good. Yikes! If you give yourself to sin and pursue nothing of God, understand, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We don’t want to go there.

If Paul could ‘fess up’ to this spiritual reality, I’m encouraged to do the same. I’m the wretch in need of a Savior too. I have a constant companion that is with me all the time.

What’s liberating about the Gospel is that this constant companion is mute and has no strength. Because of the cross of Jesus and the grace I’ve received, the companion is constant, but has been stripped of his power. He cannot speak into my life because I am dead to him. I am no longer his slave (read Romans 6). I am dead to sin but alive to Christ! (Romans 6:11) So, who can rescue me?

Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 7:25-8:2

Father, I worship You today. You alone have the power and love to save wretched people like me. Thank You! I choose to live this day in the reality of Your Gospel. I am alive because of You. Live through me this day…

Fresh Air!

2009-05-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:21-24

Reading Romans 1:18-3:20 you understand the gravity of sin and the difficult place that we are in. Romans 3:21ff is water to the soul! Fresh air! Hope.

God has given me righteousness by His grace through the blood of Jesus. As I receive today the redemption that Jesus has provided for me, I am righteous before God! I am able to approach Him now. I can relate to Him as my Father and I His son. What amazing grace.

All pretense fades away in the light of His grace.

Father, thank you…

The Lord Reigns

2009-05-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols—worship him, all you gods!
Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD.
For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

Psalm 97

The Lord reigns. He is the King of the universe. He is the Lord of all. He is the Master of all creation. He is the former President, the current President and the President-Elect. He rules. He’s on the throne. He calls the shots. He sets the course, determines the direction and decides when we’re finished. He’s the Boss, the Director, the CEO. The Lord God reigns…

Let the earth rejoice! Let the earth see and tremble. Let the heavens proclaim His righteousness and the peoples see His glory!

Worship Him! Hear, rejoice and be glad! The Lord Most High reigns over all the earth. He is exalted far above all others. Far, far above all gods.

The foundation of His reign is righteousness and justice. People suppress the truth of God by their wickedness. There is no excuse for this! God’s power and beautiful qualities have been made known. They are clearly seen through what He has made, but people exchanged all of that… all of who He is… all of His glory for lesser things. For evil things. God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts allowing them to live out the lies they embrace, but only for a time. Why? The Lord reigns!

Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world and the earth trembles. The mountains melt like wax before this great God! His wrath is being revealed against all the godlessness and wickedness of men. He rules in righteousness. He reigns in truth. The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice and the peoples be glad.

I praise You, Lord God, that Your righteousness and justice were satisfied toward me on the cross of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for removing my sin far from me so that I can be Your son and worship You freely in spirit and in truth. There is no God like You!

My Savior Lives!

2009-04-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

I Love Leaders!

2009-04-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for the many leaders at Norkenzie Christian Church. Without leaders nothing would get done. Leaders are people who see how things could or should be and then put their heart toward it. Through godly wisdom and loving other people, leaders are used by God to build His Kingdom.

[ADVERTISEMENT: Leadership Cafe, this Sunday from 6-8pm!]

Paul wrote to the church in Rome that those who are leaders in the church need to "lead with all diligence." (Romans 12:8) The idea is to lean into your leadership responsibility and get what God is calling you to do done. Don't coast, don't defer, don't figure that someone else will do it. If you are a leader, you need to lead!

One thing that every leader needs to do is to develop their leadership. There are some "natural born leaders" but even they need to grow as godly leaders. Honestly, people willing to develop their leadership in the church are rare, for a couple of reasons, I think.

Many leaders in the church don't think of themselves as leaders. When they begin to read a NorkenziE-Note like this they don't make it this far because they've already moved on thinking that this message doesn't apply to them. That's tragic! We need to change that and here's why: Norkenzie does ministry in Teams! If you're on a Ministry Team then your ideas and insight is not only allowed but also needed! We are much better together. Doing Ministry in Teams means that great ideas come from all of us.
Those who are leaders in the church seem too busy to develop their leadership. I certainly understand this. I have lived this! Even so, we must challenge the notion. We must take time to grow. If we do not become better as a leader, the church will suffer unnecessarily. Developing our leadership keeps us from growing stale. By being challenged to grow, we stay fresh! We remain inspired! It is too easy to do church in the "same old way." Creativity needs fuel to burn... and growing as a godly leader provides the fuel!

Our next Leadership Cafe is this Sunday night, 6-8pm. This is a great time for us to enjoy one another's company, have some fun and grow God's church together. If you are serving on any Ministry Team, or if you would like to, please come!

The thing about leaders is that if nobody says "Here's the BIG picture. Here is who we are and what we are trying to accomplish." then a leader will just begin to lead in the direction that seems to make the most sense to them at the time. That's usually not a big deal, but if you have 50 leaders leading in 50 different directions, you can imagine the frustration! One of the benefits of the Leadership Cafe is that we are reminded who we are and what we are about. Those 50 leaders can now pull together in the same direction. We call this "flying in formation" or being in "alignment." Leading together is a beautiful thing!

So, I love leaders! Leaders want to do stuff. Without them, nothing gets done. With them, the mission of the church is advanced and God receives great glory through our lives!

See you on Sunday!
Neil

One Verse

2009-04-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.

1 Samuel 25:1

Samuel was the greatest prophet that Israel had ever seen. He was used by God beginning when he was a young child. He anointed Saul the King over Israel. He anointed David the next King over Saul. Samuel had these two books of the Bible named after him. He was a mighty prophet o God, and yet when he died, there was one (1) verse written about it.

Yes, the nation of Israel mourned his death, but by verse 1b, the text has moved on.

Samuel, of course, is an eternal being like the rest of us. He was waiting for Israel’s Redeemer. When Jesus went and preached to those waiting, I’m sure Samuel was in that number and is now forever with his God. But when it comes to this life, regardless of what we’ve accomplished or accumulated, we all get one verse. One verse to acknowledge and celebrate (or not) our lives. One day that people will eulogize us. One season where we’ll be remembered, and then life goes on. The people on the earth keep living their lives and society continues to churn away.

In this same chapter in 1 Samuel is the story of Nabal. He was very wealthy and very wicked. The story is engaging, for sure. Even so, Nabal got a verse.

About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.

1 Samuel 25:38

What we need is a sober perspective on our lives. We’re in the ‘thick’ of living and things seem so critical and important – and certainly we need to live our lives well – but those who were in the thick of living 100 years ago… only 100 years ago… they are long gone.

How does this help me? Well, if it doesn’t depress me, it can lay perspective and priority over my life! My relationship with God is my most important pursuit simply because He is the One who will usher me into eternity after my ‘one verse’ is written. Jesus is the One who has my eternity in His hands. He is gracious and patient with me, but I cannot neglect my relationship with Him.

And because only ‘one verse’ will be written for all of us, my relationship with others takes priority. My life is to be used up for God’s glory and for leading others to the abundant, eternal life that Jesus offers. After their ‘one verse’ is written, what else will matter?

Are there any other pursuits more important than these two? None that I can see. Nothing else will matter when my last verse is written.

Lord Jesus, I live for You! Thank You for Your love and compassion for me. Thank You for saving me. My eternity is with You. Help me to live this day with that day in mind.

With A Word

2009-04-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

Matthew 8:16-17

With a single word Jesus drove out from people evil spirits that were possessing them. With just a word! When the two violent demon-possessed men in the Gadarenes encountered Jesus, they spoke many more words than Jesus did.

"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."

He said to them, "Go!"

Matthew 8:29-32

These evil spirits could only yield to the Son of God.

Jesus said ‘Quiet. Be still.’ and the raging storm became calm. With a single ‘Be healed’ the sick and lame were cured of their diseases. This God spoke and all of creation was made. He is Almighty and nothing is too difficult for Him. Nothing is impossible.

What word do I need Jesus to speak into my life? What single word…

Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening. Any word from You is a demonstration of Your love and grace because I do not deserve anything from You. Any good thing that comes from my life is a demonstration of Your power for I was a dead man who is now alive! Show Yourself strong and powerful through my life this day – all for Your glory.

Fruit Inspectors

2009-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Psalm 54:4

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 7:15-16

Matthew 7 is more famously known for verse 1 – “Do not judge or you too will be judged.” This verse is often memorized and processed back as, “Don’t judge me! Don’t you judge me!!”

It’s interesting that only a few verses later Jesus says to watch out for the false prophets. Be on your guard, pay attention… protect yourself from these false teachers. And how will you recognize them? Not by outward appearances because they’ll look just the same as everyone else. No, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing! You will recognize them, Jesus said, by their fruit.

As one of the ‘spiritual matriarchs’ in my life once said, “We are not to judge, but we do inspect fruit!” A good tree will produce good fruit. A bad tree will produce bad fruit. You will know a tree and the health of that tree by its fruit.

Lord Jesus, You are my help and the One who sustains me. Help me be the one who sees the plank in my own eye before the speck in someone else’s eye. Help me to discern those who would be ferocious wolves so that I can guard my life and my family against what they would seek to do. You are my God, the One who sustains me. You are my help and I honor You this day.

Sunday Reflections & Sanctuary Chairs

2009-04-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

He is risen!

What an amazing day of worship we had this past Sunday! I'll remember Easter 2009 for a quite a while, I know. It occurs to me that the early church began meeting together on Sundays because that was the day Jesus rose from the dead. For us who believe, every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday!

A BIG thanks to so many in the church family who loved and prepared and prayed our way to such a wonderful day. We were able to host many friends and guests who joined us because of your servant-hearted attitudes. In spite of the rain, there were many who parked at the Swim & Tennis Club. As a result, we had enough parking on our campus. The total attendance for both services was 607, so thank you for being like Jesus and loving all who came. We saw that on display in many ways!

The Leadership was excited to spring on the congregation our 'Easter Surprise.' How fun! The new Sanctuary Chairs were not rented just for Easter Sunday (a few thought that!), they were the result of a generous gift by one of our Norkenzie families. The Facilities Upgrade Team painted the walls of the Sanctuary last week. The Grounds Ministry Team poured hours into the exterior landscaping and our newly formed Facilities Ministry Team made the church building sparkle. Thank you everyone!

Sanctuary Chairs Project

The beauty and function of the Sanctuary Chairs is amazing! (Honestly, they are much better than I anticipated.) Now that half the Sanctuary has them, we would like finish the project! Would you like to be involved?

There are some significant improvements that come with the chairs:

Beauty
Comfort
Versatility
Improved Sound
Increased Capacity

Of course Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Comfort! There are already people who have dozed off in these chairs (kidding). The chairs are stackable. This means that the room is suddenly multi-purpose, giving us Versatility. We could roll round tables in there for a Sweetheart's Dinner or a Leadership Cafe if we wanted. We've already noticed Improved Sound in the Media Ministry. Our 'Quonset Hut' is a very difficult room for our sound tech volunteers. The chairs work like the acoustic panels on the back wall, which is very helpful! Finally, we will have Increased Capacity in our seating (from 240 to 265; a 10% increase). Some of our Ushers have already commented that it is very easy to see where available seats are located with the chairs. This will help them serve our guests who show up just a little bit late!

We have 134 chairs and need 134 more to finish the project. The cost for each chair is $62. Please consider 'sponsoring a chair' or a whole row of chairs. I'm thinking about sponsoring one for each of my children (Wait a minute... what am I thinking!? I'm going to need some help with that...). Maybe you want to sponsor a chair for that person you are praying for to receive Christ. That is beautiful and is the reason we exist...

Wouldn't it be great to finish the project this summer? Absolutely! Please call or email Darrell Ulm (485-8564, darrell@norkenzie.net) if you would like to participate.

Have a great Tuesday!
Neil

p.s. If you are interesting in having one of the out-going pews, you may for a donation of any size to the Sanctuary Chairs Project. We are moving them as quickly as possible, so call or email Darrell soon.

NorkenziE-Note: Easter Weekend!

2009-04-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody!

Here's a few things to remember this weekend:

It's Good Friday! If you venture out today, turn your headlights on to honor the One who is the Light of the world! He died for us... let's live for Him!

Let's make room for our friends who visit us on Sunday. You can do this by coming early; parking with me down at the Swim & Tennis Club and walking the block; sitting 'up & in' for worship (leaving the back and outside seats for our guests) OR sitting in the overflow seating in the Fireside Room.

You are officially on the Welcome Center Team this Sunday. Greet new people and make them feel welcomed!

Would you also pray, pray, pray? As we celebrate this Resurrection Sunday there will be people who are looking for Hope. Pray that they find Jesus this Easter!

Without question, you are the best church family a guy could have! Thanks for all that you do to advance the Kingdom of Heaven through our church. I'll tell you this, the church building and grounds have never looked so good! For all of those who have poured hours into our campus this Spring, thank you. I believe that people will be inspired and Jesus glorified through your service for Him.

He's the Risen Lord!! He deserves all praise from us!

Have a blessed and reflective Good Friday and I'll see you on Sunday morning!

Gratefully,
Neil

p.s. Don't forget to invite somebody. Even if you think they'll say 'no,' don't say their 'no' for them! You never know how God is working in their life. If the Lord puts someone on your mind and heart, ask them to join you for Easter Services this Sunday!

Out From Behind The Baggage

2009-04-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

6 The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

1 Samuel 10

The way a person can be changed is if God does it. If God touches them by the power of His Spirit, they can become altogether different. This happened to Saul. He was changed to the point where people noticed and questioned it.

When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Samuel 10:11

This change can be dramatic, but it must be embraced by the person. Knowing the story of Saul’s life, we wonder if that happened. Fear can keep us from God’s best for us. Even though God was touching and changing Saul so that he could become Israel’s king, Saul’s fear worked against God’s plan for him.

So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

1 Samuel 10:22

God’s Spirit is powerful to change the human heart… my heart! But sometimes I’m hiding among the baggage. I can be uncertain about God’s plan. I can be fearful about how I am being led. I can be like Peter who, instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus, began looking at the waves around him (Matthew 14:25-30). Because of fear he began to sink. ‘Lord save me!’ became his cry, and Jesus did. He is powerful to save!

However the Spirit is working to touch and change my heart, I want to embrace that fully – regardless of the potential outcomes. Regardless of the circumstances… regardless of my fear, I receive the work of the Spirit in my life.

Spirit, change me this day. Touch my heart and make me like Jesus. I know that You have the best in mind for me, so I come out from hiding and I trust You. I embrace everything that you choose to do in my life. Be glorified through me this day.

A Holy Reminder

2009-04-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hello on this Maundy Thursday!

Maundy Thursday is what we call this day on Passion Week. It's the day when Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples in the large upper room (Matthew 26:17-30). This was when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, a memorial feast that we celebrate every Sunday! He washed the disciples feet (John 13) and told Judas to go do what he was about to do quickly. All the disciples, especially Peter, said that they would lay down their life for Him. To Peter Jesus said, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" Before the next morning dawned, Peter did exactly that.

Jesus would, on this Thursday night, agonize in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked His Father to take this 'cup' away from Him. But although He did not want to die, He would do the Father's will, not His own. Soon after, in the darkness of night, Jesus was arrested. In the early morning he was put on trial and condemned. By Noon Jesus was hanging on the cross. Darkness enveloped the land. Around 3pm on Friday Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died. A death He didn't deserve. The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous.

Jesus was buried in a tomb, carved out of rock. He was wrapped in linens and place inside. A large stone covered the opening of the tomb. Armed soldiers guarded the entrance. The Son of God was dead...

But there's more to the story...

And we're going to celebrate!

Invite your friends, family and neighbors to worship with you at Norkenzie. We'll celebrate together this Resurrection Sunday at 9am or 11am! (Yes, Children's Ministry will be happening!)

Neil

The 411 - Ministry Teams

2009-04-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Q. Why do we emphasize ministering in teams?
It’s true! At Norkenzie Christian Church we have a Ministry Team approach to fulfilling our mission as a church family. There are reasons for this.

Biblical Reasons

The Bible describes the church as the family of God and the Body of Christ. These are powerful images that communicate the fact that we are all interconnected. We need each other. Paul wrote in Romans 12:

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Romans 12:4-5

God created us with a need for community. In the church it is more than a nice option, we actually belong to one another. I need your gifts and you need mine if we’re going to fully be the Body of Christ and represent Jesus to our community.

This past Saturday I read a well known Christian leader’s ‘tweet’ on Twitter that said: “Tmrw message: If I, as pastor, do for you what God has called you to do, I fail at my task, you fail at yours, & the mission of God suffers.”

What he said well (in 140 characters or less!) was the biblical principle found in Ephesians 4, which says:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

It’s true that not all of us are Elders or Pastors or Teachers, but all of us ARE Ministers. We all have ‘works of service’ that God has called and equipped us to do! I liked the tweet! It was challenging to me. If I do other people’s ministries then I’m not doing my ministry, I’m stealing the joy of service from others and none of it gets done very well. The mission does suffer.

So, we work in Teams! As people grow in their relationship with Jesus and discover more of the gifts and talents that He has given them, they join with others in accomplishing greater goals through the church than any of us could do alone! We are a part of the Body of Christ, working together to strengthen the Body and give testimony to our community about the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Practical Reasons

If you were given the task of teaching 120 children about Jesus, could you do it on your own? Hahahaha… we laugh at the thought! How could I teach 120 children of varying ages about anything? This is a very practical reason for Ministry Teams. We cannot do much of anything on our own. We need each other!

What’s more, in Ministry Teams good ideas can become even better! I’ve seen it hundreds of times. A good idea is thrown out to the Team and then creative juices begin to flow! One idea leads to another. One ‘what if’ prompts another ‘what if’ and before long the initial good idea has become a GREAT idea! This doesn’t happen much when you are by yourself. You need a group of people who care about that ministry. There’s a word for this. It’s called “synergy.” Synergy only happens when we work together! And good ideas become great.

What about Committees?

Committees are fine - we just don’t have committees! The main distinction I make between a committee and a Ministry Team is this: While both committees and Ministry Teams have meetings and make decisions, committees decide who is going to be recruited to do what they’ve decided to do, while Ministry Teams are the one who are going to do what they’ve decided. What’s great about this is that the people who are actually doing the ministry are the ones leading and making decisions about the ministry.

In our church we are all under the spiritual leadership of our Elders. For many years these men have consistently empowered our Ministry Teams to do the work of ministry. Our Elders faithfully do the work they’ve been called to do in shepherding, encouraging and guiding the church family. And guess what!? They work as a Team!

Ministry Teams – a beautiful thing in the Kingdom of Heaven and at Norkenzie!

Opportunity & Opposition - A Correlation

2009-03-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

1 Corinthians 16:8-9

Great opportunities are most often accompanied by great opposition. When there is the ripe chance for effective work in the Kingdom, there will be those who oppose you. This correlation does not seem so good, but maybe it’s by God’s design. Maybe each brings the other. Maybe something very good comes from opposition.

When things flow without opposition less happens with excellence. This is counter-intuitive to me because I would think that more would happen if there were no obstacles… no hurdles to jump… no people problems to work through. Smooth sailing is nice, but you don’t get very far. What you need is some wind! With wind in your sails… now we’re moving! But with wind comes choppy seas. The result? We’re making progress, but we’re feeling a little nauseous along the way.

Opposition can also bring beautiful results. How crazy is that? With opposition we are forced to think through what we’re doing and why. The progress comes from a clearer focus and more intentionality – neither of which come when the sailing is smooth. Clarity never comes when we’re too busy enjoying the vistas. A carefree life rarely will walk through the doors of great opportunity for the work of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I wonder how many times I have approached the door of opportunity, saw its potential, but stepped away because of the opposition? If I mistake the opposition as God leading me away from the opportunity, how tragic!

If I can understand what Paul was saying to the church in Corinth… if I can understand the correlation between opportunity and opposition, I will be a more effective servant for Jesus. If I can prayerfully discern His will for me, obediently follow Him where He leads and then EXPECT and work through opposition, great results will be achieved and Jesus will be glorified through my life!

There’s a clear application for the local church too. We’ve been given a grand mission field. The fields are white unto the harvest (John 4:34-38)! There are open doors for effective ministry. Let’s not mistake opposition as the indicator of a wrong choice. It’s probably the right choice and the opposition is going to make us better.

Lord Jesus, I ask that You fill me with the courage to confront and tackle the things that oppose me. Give me the grace and the heart to be like You as I lead myself, my family and your church this day. All for Your glory!

Listening & Obedience

2009-03-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.

Joshua 3:7

Joshua was already seen as Israel’s leader. In chapter 1 the men answered him, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses” (Joshua 1:16-17).

God was about to do this very thing – show the people of Israel that He was with Joshua just as He was with Moses. Through this miracle in chapter 3 God would exalt Joshua in the eyes of the people.

It is God who exalts a man, not the man himself. God told Joshua that He would do it. What was Joshua’s responsibility? More than just receive it, he was to listen to God and speak to the people what he was told.

Listening. Obedience. These are vital characteristics of any man who would aspire to lead God’s people. People must know that their leader has heard from God and is doing what He has said. God will exalt a person, but not without their listening and obedience.

Father, continue to lead me where You want me to lead others. My family… my church… they need to know that I am listening and obeying You. Lead me this day is my prayer.

Delighted!

2009-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24

Trust in the Lord… Delight yourself in the Lord… Commit your way to the Lord… and He will do this:

He will give you the desires of your heart
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn and your good cause like the sun at noon!

My chief goal – my main purpose in life is to be a delight to God by delighting myself in Him. The rest is just the details. And when I stumble, I will not fall because the Lord keeps me from falling.

The strength and ability to do this comes from God. His great promises provide the power. I think of what He said to Joshua (1:5-9):

5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Life is hard often. The enemies of God are many, but He has promised to never leave me. He’s promised to keep me from falling. I have been given His Word and His Spirit dwells with me. I have the mind of Christ! (1 Cor. 2:16)

So be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be discouraged! For God is with me wherever I go.

Father, thank You for the promises of Your Word. Thank You for the strength You provide through Your Spirit. I believe what You have said and I place my hope in You.

Toward God

2009-03-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:9-16

Turning to the Lord with all your heart and soul is not too difficult. It is not beyond your reach! It’s not in heaven or across the sea. Being in vibrant connection with the Lord is as near as your breath. It’s in your heart. You can do this! You can obey God!

Sometimes I am deluded to think that obeying God is just too hard. That I can’t quite do it. Yes I can! Where I go wrong is trying to obey Him in my own strength. My heart will fail, it’s true. So what am I to do? Moses told the Israelites to ‘turn to the Lord.’ Look in His direction with all of your heart and soul… and in all of your brokenness. This will mean life!

Lord God, I look to You today, the Giver and Sustainer of life. Thank You for loving me and pursuing me in Christ. Thank You for being as close as my breath! I turn in your direction today. May my life be pleasing to You today.

On Vacation

2009-03-07T14:30:00.001-08:00

You can see what the Johnston Family is up to over at www.thejohnstonranch.net.

Vacation time is a great time to do devos, but you've got to be intentional and figure it out!

I'm a 'schedule guy' so it is hard, very hard, when I'm out of my routine... But it's good for me.

How about you?

[NorkenziE-Note] Men, Mexico & Mickey Mouse

2009-02-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!

What a great weekend is approaching! We have 77 of our men headed to Grove Christian Camp for our Men's Retreat. Click HERE to see the schedule and directions to Grove.

Sunday is our Mexico Sunday. Our Mexico Mission Team will be leading the worship services and hosting the 'Mexico Lunch' right after the 11am service. If you come at 9am, but sure to return around 12:15pm and support our Team. The mission trip is March 19-28th, so the time is getting close. Let's thoroughly support our young people with our prayers and generosity as they serve Christ over Spring Break in Mexico. You can follow their trip at the Norkenzie Mexico Mission blog.

For my family, Katie's 13th birthday is on Saturday and we'll be traveling to Disneyland for her Kids Wish Network trip. We're all very excited with this 'once in a lifetime' trip! If you want to follow our time in California you can go to our family blog or my Facebook Profile page. I'll be posting along the way...

Have a great day!
Neil

A List Of Names

2009-02-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

Numbers 1:4-5

God gave Moses the list of names of those men from each tribe who were to help him and Aaron take the census of Israel. God knew their names…

God knows my name. He knows the task He wants me to accomplish. I am not unknown to Him… He knows my name!

The personal relationship that I have with God through Jesus Christ is just that – personal. He knew my name before I did! He has now, because of Christ, written my name down in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27).

Lord God – thank You for creating me and loving me and redeeming me in Christ. I want to know You more today! Teach me new things about who You are.

Above and Beyond

2009-02-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Psalm 13:1, 6

From the dismay of verse 1 to the worship of verse 6, how does David get there?

In Psalm 13:1-4 David has sorrow, is wrestling with his own thoughts and experiencing his enemies have victory over him. He’s calling out – ‘God, where are You? Why have You forgotten me?’

Circumstances of life can bring all of these emotions – and more! David does what I must do, raise my eyes above and beyond my circumstances to the God I know loves me. The transitional phrase is in verse 5: “But I trust…”

David can say that the Lord has been good to him because He has! Looking above and beyond our circumstances to the One who has saved us changes us. We begin to feel like singing! Our hearts rejoice in the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

My life is defined by this good news. Regardless of circumstances… regardless of my sin or the sin of others, I will rejoice in God’s salvation and will sing because He has been good to me!

Father, put a new song in my heart today. Receive glory through me as I rejoice in You.