Weepers and Reapers

The Church has a reason for existing and taking up space on this planet. It’s purpose and thus task is to “seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10).

There are two things believers can do right now but will not be able to do when they arrive in Heaven. Sin and evangelize. Guess which one God wants individual Christians to do while still here on Earth!

In spite of these two FACTS churches are dying at a tremendous rate throughout North America. Every month hundreds of churches are closing their doors permanently. What often began with a bang and in the fires of revival - after living in the ashes for years - dies without a wimper and no one even notices or cares.

Erwin McManus states, “The real tragedy is not that churches are dying but that churches have lost their reason to live!”

We need to dial back into our cause again. We need to grasp that the Church was founded by Jesus and that He is still the Head of the Church. And, the task we have been called to do - The Great Commission - is still the same today as it was when He first spoke it just before ascending into Heaven (Matthew 28:18-20).

And never doubt that darkness wants to keep us contained in the land of irrelevancy where we are busy doing what doesn’t work, where it doesn’t matter anyway.

We need to see a shift take place soon. We have to make a shift from just accomodating weekly Christian programs to empowering an army of believers to take their place and harvest in mainstream society. The chief goal of this hour must be to produce Christians who are not living for the next thrill, but are looking to take the next piece of enemy territory!

We need believers who are willing to be weepers and reapers. To have such a heavy burden for the lost that they will weep before the throne of grace on behalf of lost souls going to hell. And, will then stand tall and move into the spiritual darkness and share “the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) and thus reap the harvest. These are the men and women, young and old that Jesus spoke about when He stated that the harvest is ripe and ready but that the laborers were few (Matthew 9:37). Time to be weepers and reapers.

Time to grab hold of our reason for living once again!

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The Facts of Life for the 21st-Century

It is interesting to listen to what people talk about when they are out with friends having a coffee together at the local coffee shop. I was sitting yesterday for several hours in a coffee shop - a planned wait so I had my laptop and internet connecting system in place so I could be working. However, people were coming and going all around me and I managed to hear tidbits of various conversations. Here were some of my thoughts while I sat there and worked and listened…

1> The rules have changed
People are making up their own rules when it comes to family life, relationships at work, moral and ethical issues, and what they believe about God, the Lord Jesus and the local church. It has become “every man doing what is right in their own eyes” and believing whatever they are comfortable with. There are no “standards” any longer and so anything and everything goes. “Tolerance” is the key word and “entertainment” is a major goal. “Holidays” are something people see as a right and so demand to have. “Loyalty” and “commitment” are things of the past as now it is every person for themselves and you better not get in their way.

2> Life is faster
Not always better but obviously life is moving faster for most people. For me personally I something think I am simply moving slower due to age and so it only appears that life is moving at a faster clip … But, in general, life is being lived in the fast lane and people are working longer hours and often more than one job to enable their chosen lifestyle. It seems as if people are trying to squeeze more in to the time they have available and so are living at breakneck speed. However, this has, in my opinion, led to a shallow life lived on the surface without much meaningful interaction between people and little of any value happening in individuals. Life is remaining unexamined and so the quality goes down faster than the quantity of life being squeezed into the given time space increases.

3> Change is accelerating
This is a no brainer. The fact that I was sitting in a coffee shop working on a laptop no bigger than a good size book and connected to the internet when not in a Wi-Fi area speaks volumes regarding the rapid rate of change. I was having coffee later in the day with one of my daughters - a different coffee shop - and we were talking about the speed of change and how much her children now take for granted things that were not even dreamed of 30 years ago… And, as I think about the work that I do for the Lord and the way it is now being done compared to 25 years ago… change is accelerating and amazing. And, it is not always adding to the quality of life we are experiencing.

4> Expectations are higher
More is expected of us than ever before. Companies are expecting more of their employees as they downsize. People are expecting more and better from places they shop and churches they attend. People, in general, want to give less (commitment, loyalty, involvement, money) but are demanding more for their less. People expect more from others than they are willing to give themselves. They live with a double standard in many areas of their life and daily behaviors. This is putting extreme pressure on many who are in the service industry, politics and various levels of government, company owners and those in full-time ministry.

5> The culture is in moral decay
This one is obvious. Just watch television for an hour. Life seems to have little value. People are being shot nightly on the streets of the cities. Drug dealers control many areas of the inner cities and many districts of some nations. Movies are going down the toilet as are many of the stars - Mel Gibson being a current example. Most movies are not worth the time it takes to watch them. Listen to what the teenagers are talking about at their local hangout. Take note of how many of the younger generation are now living an openly gay lifestyle.

In the midst of these signs that we are in trouble I would say that Christians and Christian leaders need to realize a number of things…

1> You are a limited resource
And as a limited resource recognize that you cannot do everything and meet every need that is out there crying for attention. As a limited resource you need to know what it is that the Lord is calling you to do, how He wants you to do it, and where, and then focus on that and not spread yourself too thin. You need time to recharge and this may mean retreating from the fast lane and finding solitude and silence on a regular basis so that when you re-enter the regular flow of daily traffic you are ready for whatever opportunities come your way. But, you are not God’s answer to everyone’s problems or issues - Jesus is!

2> Leadership is a draining experience
In the 21st century Christian leadership is more dreaining than ever before. This is partly because of the decaying nature of the society in which we live, partly the result of the changing nature of the challenges that leaders are faced with today, and partly due to the higher expectations placed on those who dare to be a leader in this “demand more and give less” culture. What use to work when it came to leading people and building churches no longer works. Today we are not sure what works anymore when it comes to the changing face of the Christian sub-culture. People are not getting saved and so the size of the organizations are slowly shrinking and yet we are expected to o more even when we have less to work with. Very draining at the best of times.

3> More is not the answer
We live in a society where we assume that more is better. We want more money, more credit, more entertainment, more holidays, more food, more vehicles, more “home” (so thus bigger and better places to live)… And for Christian leaders we need to be careful not to get caught up in this ‘more’ mentality or “begger is better” approach to life. More prayer, more programs, more services, more people, more outreach, more… More is not the answer. Jesus is! And often He would have us live with less, do less, be involved in fewer things, and accumulate less. “Less is better” is soon to be the directing influence for believers.

4> There is hope
And finally there is hope. Jesus is our hope. If we live without hope in the future we live without power in the present. So, as Christian leaders we need to maintain a high level of hope. People can change when they know Jesus. The Church will reach the world with the Gospel because Jesus said we would. He is building His Church and knows what He is doing and se we can have hope because “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and His purposes.”

So I am having this bottle of Diet Pepsi at the coffee shop yesterday as I waited and, as a people watcher, I enjoyed my time thinking, watching, observing and listening (and yes - working as well). Interesting to see how others spend their mornings… And, I walked away thankful that I am a believer in the resurrected Jesus and thus can see life differently than others and live life with eternity in view and thus live with a purpose that goes beyond daily life. I walked away with an added burden and resolve for those who live without the Lord and so live without hope and with little to look forward to except another day tomorrow - maybe!

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What They See Should Be Who You Are

As believers in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are called to bear witness to Him in thought, word and deed. Our lifestyle - the way we live, what we purchase with our money, how we invest (or waste) our time, who we hang around with, what we do for entertainment - should all speak of our loyalty to Jesus Christ and the fact that we are a follower or disciple of His. We are to be living testimonies of His grace and His goodness. And, our words, our attitude toward others and our actions should be telling others the night-and-day difference that Jesus has made (and is making) in our lives (1 Peter 2:9 The Message).

There are some basic core beliefs of the Christian faith. This summer I have been preaching weekly on “The Basics” (these sermons are posted on-line and are free to listen to. As well, the written text is also available for download). The list of basic beliefs keeps growing so the series will not end when the summer weather does. But, it has been fun to revisit some of the basic beliefs and to share them in a simple way so that they are understood and can be applied instantly. I have discovered that many Christians do not know what it is they are suppose to believe nor how to apply the things they do believe to their lifestyle. These basic beliefs are suppose to be foundational to our lives. But they can’t be if we don’t know them - really know them deep in our hearts as well as understand them mentally. Afterall, it is upon these foundational, basic truths that we are to build and consciously design a lifestyle that speaks to and reveals our beliefs and the Savior we follow.

From these core basic beliefs we then determine our personal core values - what it is that we, as an individual follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, hold to be foundational to our personal life. What is it that we are doing with the core basic beliefs of the faith? How are we applying them to our own personal lives? They have to be more than a philosophy of life. They have to be more than something held at arms length that we pay lip service to. They have to be more than a comfortable thing to trust when we are approaching the end of our lives (eternal fire insurance). What we believe as Christians must help to determine and shape the way we are going to live our lives and what we are hoping to accomplish with our short time on Earth.

Most believers that I relate to could not tell you their ‘core values’ or the building blocks upon which they are building their lives. They have not internalized the basic beliefs of the faith. Some - dare I say most - could not even tell you the basic core beliefs of the faith they claim to follow. I don’t blame the followers. I think it is the direct result of too much pop theology from the pulpit mixed with self-help psychology. The Church is in sad shape.

When a believer knows the basic beliefs of the faith and have allowed them to form the foundation of their daily life - creating their own personal core values based upon what the Bible-believer knows to be truth - their core values then help them to form life principles. A life principle is the actual way that they are going to live their lives which of course then determines what others see and hear.

A personal example of a “life principle” that I live by is what I call “My LAF Principle”. This means that one of the guiding life principles of my daily life is that I “Love,” “Accept,” and “Forgive” people all of the time. I try to express love towards everyone - the love of God that I have personally experienced. I love them by the way I act, talk, and respond. I accept them just as they are. I do not judge them. I do not form a preconceived idea of how they are going to react or respond. I don’t judge how they look or dress. I simply accept them as Jesus would (unconditionally). Afterall, that is how Jesus accepted me. And, I determine ahead of time and on a daily basis to forgive anyone who hurts me or offends me - a decision and not a feeling. I do this even when they don’t deserve it. Did I deserve to be forgiven? Absolutely not! So, I live my life based on three life principles that determine what others see in me and hear from me. Of course, there are many other life principles by which I form my lifestyle. This is simply one of many.

When all of this comes together - and it must for the believer - then we live a life of integrity. People should be able to look at how we live our lives and what we are doing in our lives and recognize and know that we are believers…. our words, attitudes and actions should line up with our core values which are based on the foundational truths we have determined to personally embrace. Of course, all of this must, for the Christian, be rooted in the essential, non-negotiable, doctrines of the Christian faith. Our basic beliefs.

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I Just Witnessed a Drug Deal

I was sitting tonight in my side yard with a fire going in the fire pit. It is totally fenced in and so a private place on a nice night to read and not be disturbed. I’m well into my second cup of coffee and enjoying the book I’m reading on prophetic evangelism when a small car with a bad muffler comes and parks by the fence. I recognize the car as one I saw about ten days ago on a similar evening - same time, same station, same driver (around 35, leather jacket, cell phone, and although he always gets out of the car immediately - he never does cross the street).

So, I looked up - you can see between the fence boards and see what is going on if you want to. It was a repeat of ten days ago. He gets out of the car, calls someone, waits a minute and then greets the young fellow from across the street (his parents own the house and are farmers who have this house as a second home in the city). He comes out as he did the last time. However, because tonight it is still 25 C and thus warm he is without his shirt. He’s a young fella I have spoken to once or twice (not more than two times as I seldom see him or his siblings around the house or yards as they apparently only come to the house when they have to cut the grass, water the yards or hold a loug party on Friday nights). He is not your typical neighborhood teen to early twenties - he has a shaved head with a mohawk streak of hair down the center, a large gage ring in his nose and smaller gage ones in his ears (total maybe 12). He has numerous tattoos over various spots on his neck and face and lower arms - and tonight it became evident that he has others on his chest, back and shoulders, along with other piercings. Tight, low-rise bluejeans and bare feet. His friends are similar (from what I remember of the last party as it spilled over into the street).

He does exactly what he did the last time this car parked in the same spot. He came out of the house, crossed the street, and sat in the car talking… two cigarettes each were smoked as they talked. I don’t pay much attention as I really don’t care and just want some quiet to read. However, this time I believe the Lord has me look up and I see them looking down towards their laps and it is obvious something is passed back and forth. Then the young man reaches into his jeans and takes out some money. It is really obvious what he is doing because he is stretching his body almost straight out in the passenger seat of this relatively small car as his jeans are so tight he is having trouble getting his hand into his pocket to remove the money he is looking for. He settles back in and it dawns on me that I am watching a young man buy drugs. His business - not my concern.

However, I am reading a book on prophetic evangelism - a good book actually. And I hear the Lord say … “this is one young man I want for My Kingdom and I will arrange a time and place for you to talk to him and I have been preparing His heart to hear what you will tell him. I will reveal things to you about his life and his activities that will show him that I sent you and he will respond in a positive way to the Gospel and, in time, during your second conversation with him, he will ask you to pray with him and for him. He will have an encounter with Me after that and on your third visit he will ask you to help him to come to know the Jesus you have talked to him about.” I sat is stunned silence. I am still seriously amazed and a little overwhlemed. In spite of how often I have spoken to people about Jesus by “reading their mail” or moving prophetically I have never had the Lord tell me such detail ahead of my encounters. I normally just stop people I don’t know and go by faith as I open my mouth. This is different.

He got out of the car and as he is doing so and the dealer is just driving away - so he is standing on the sidewalk waiting for the car to pull away from the curb - two clean-cut Mormons in long-sleeve white dress shirts, thin black ties and perfectly pressed black dress pants come walking around the corner and pass right by him as he stands there. They didn’t stop to witness to him or even acknowledge he existed. Maybe they were embarrassed by his looks and dress code or lack thereof.

It is going to be fun watching as the Lord arranges for me to speak to this young man. I witness to lots of young people this age - and even some who are as radical in lifestyle as he is - fellows like this who skateboard where I walk my dog and who frequent the coffee shops and Dairy Queen where I have my appointments with people. I often go early to read for a while - or simply to talk to the youth who are sitting there with their friends. So, I am really looking forward to talking to my neighbor in the near future and watching what God will do. It’s much easier when God arranges the appointments for you.

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