Too Much is Never Enough

"...(N)ot of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

Lots of people like to point out that we are no longer under the law of Moses. That we are not held to the requirements of obedience and adherence to the demands of legalism is a point of great emphasis for the Christian community. I am grateful that the Grace and Mercy of Jesus has fulfilled the Law on my behalf and I can boldly approach the throne of Grace. However (you knew that was coming), I think that we shortchange ourselves and God Almighty by misapplying that Truth.

The Law, from a Jewish perspective, was intended to put limitations on the recompense for sin. Before the Law, there were no boundaries. If someone stole your camel, you could go and destroy his entire family and there was nothing to appeal to. Along came the Mosaic ordinance and it was stated "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". That meant that your punishment should fit the crime. Further instituted in the Law were provisions of sacrifice for sin. Now if you stole a camel, there was a certain penalty to be paid. The most egregious acts were given a more severe sentence than a minor offence.

Now comes Jesus, preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God in a new and profound way. His emphasis was not on the Law and its punitive aspects, but rather on the idea behind the Law that we should love God enough not to sin, and that should someone falter, there should be enough love for that individual to make the penalty equitable. He spoke of His words as "Spirit and Life". He came to not only give an insight into God's love for humanity, but also to provide a means to a higher level of understanding the relationship humanity should share with God.

Now it was not the limitations of the Law that should govern our hearts, but the possibilities of the Spirit! Not a poverty mindset of "If I do this bad thing, I will have to pay this price", but rather a Child-of-the-King mentality of "With God all things are possible".

Following the Spirit is actually a lot more demanding than following the Law. It means that you are no longer reading a writ for guidance, but that you are now seeking God continually to bestow His will upon you. The letter kills. Not because its requirements are evil, but because it doesn't give the power to fulfill itself. The Spirit gives life because it means you have partaken of that heavenly gift in order to not only avoid sin, but to fulfill the ultimate purposes of the Law's intent: A fuller, deeper relationship with our Creator.

A Giving Revival

"Justice will not be served until those that are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." - Benjamin Franklin




The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Japan have reminded me of just how powerful of a force human compassion can be. After Hurricane Katrina, Billions of dollars were sent in for the care and reconstruction of those that were affected. Every month pledges are fulfilled from around the world to help provide food, education and medical supplies to starving children and families in Africa. And yet, there is such a disparity between the American church and the American family, that each and every day there is a far greater need that remains under-served and unrecognized. I am thinking about the spiritual devastation that has wreaked havoc upon our society. 


Telethons are held to entice the viewing public to give for physical needs that are evident. But the church sits idly by and watches the very neighbors and community they live in get destroyed by sin and darkness. All the while I hear statements like, "All that preacher wants is my money" and "I wish that they wouldn't talk about giving so much". I have even heard people tell me they can't afford to tithe because they have to take care of themselves first. Apparently, their cable television, internet games and two car payments are much more important than supporting the work that not only cares for their family but also is reaching for their drug-addicted next-door-neighbors. There's nothing wrong with having nice things, but at what cost do we acquire them?


The love of money is truly the root of all evil. Until the church sees money as a tool for revival and not a blessing for consumption by our flesh, there will be starving souls that die of malnutrition. We, as people of God's Purpose, ought to be as outraged by the death of one sinner who has not heard the gospel of Grace and repentance through Jesus Name as we are when we see pictures of children with bloated stomaches. Every soul who enters eternity without the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be baptized in Jesus Name should send us weeping to our knees asking God for more time to reach the lost. Every spending decision we make must be seasoned with the question "Does this money have a higher purpose?"


Revival is a function of giving. "Some give by going, others go by giving" is the old mantra. But the American church is so spoiled by our decadence that we hardly know what sacrificial giving is. Lord, give us a heart for revival! Give us an outrage for the dying lost sinner. Instead of being outraged by his sin, let us be outraged by our own complacency. Instead of spending money on bigger conferences to benefit the church, let us put those resources into bigger social programs that give us an opportunity to share God's message with unredeemed. Sin abounds, but let our Grace much more abound!


2 Corinthians 9:15 calls it an unspeakable gift. The context of that chapter shows us that the gift is a result of giving. The gift is God's glory through the work supported by giving saints. That work produces thanks and longing by the people for the ministry of the Gospel. Tell me giving is overrated and I'll show you where in Scripture there is a direct link between the church's liberal giving and revival in their community.


MAY GOD GRANT US THE HEART FOR REVIVAL TO THE POINT THAT WE GIVE LIBERALLY


Amen.

the Line - What you talkin' 'bout, Jesus - final installment

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

- Jesus

To me, this verse has taken on such new meaning over the past year or so. I have fought against the abuse of authority and pastoral preeminence very strongly. However, I have come to the conclusion that while my intentions and mission were proper, my end result was off kilter. While establishing one truth (the spiritual authority of each believer), I neglected another (Authority flows through submission to those already established). I have been reluctant to take a position of authority in my own ministry because I didn't want to be guilty of egoism and self-exaltation. But my position as a pastor dictates that I be placed in that relational authority (albeit temporarily) until the proper principles can be understood and practiced by an individual on their own. In other words, my calling has a responsibility to becoming a father figure to those seeking a deeper relationship with God.

The Book of Galatians tells us that when we are young, we differ nothing from a slave. But when we become mature, we are masters of all. Read that message again. Paul isn't giving a carte blanche license to do anything we want. He is telling them that just obeying rules without a purpose is legalism and dead religion. But the Law is good and righteous. So what is the principle at hand? That we should follow after the Spirit of Christ. What made Christ so unique? It wasn't the miracles. It wasn't the just the doctrine. It was that He was and is the Word incarnate. Or, to put it another way, He was 100% obedient to the Spirit and Word of God.

This is the entire problem, in a nutshell: Most of us want power without perimeters. We want to see the influence of God outwardly without the influence of God inwardly. Standards of dress and conduct can be arbitrary. They can be inconsistent from one pastor to the next. But on the bottom rung of the ladder, there must be a principle of submission to authority in our lives, no matter what the particulars may be. When we give ourselves an authority, other than ourselves, we become submissive for the singular purpose of becoming more like Jesus. It is a fast of will that most never take part in. I am ready to join that fast. I hope that others will realize, as I have, that giving up the carnal for the sake of the spiritual is a good thing.

What is required is of less import than the reasons we do them. We are not made righteous by our actions, but our actions do display our heart's condition. I want to prove to myself that Jesus is Lord of my life. If that means obeying them that have the rule over me, then I believe that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. So bring on the pain, it's what makes us champions in the end!