Grains of Sand

Google images It’s always fascinated why there are a number of times in the Gospels when Jesus tells people NOT to speak about Him. I can understand Him rebuking the demons and telling them to keep their “insider” information to themselves—after all, that message would be bound to be twisted into some aberration of the truth and is a perfect example of the importance to “consider the source.” But there were times when Jesus healed people and then told them not to say anything (Matthew 9:30) about what had happened to them. You'd think He's wanted those He healed and helped to shout it from the rooftops. Here in Matthew 13 the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables (13:10). It appears that they thought He was making things more difficult for His hearers by telling stories that then had to be interpreted. These were plain-spoken men. But the Lord’s answer was even more mystifying. We are urged to be “seeker-friendly,” to make things as easy as possible for those who h...

Last night I had a meeting with our ladies’ committee. We were planning a couple of upcoming events for the women of our church and the community. It’s a lot of work and if I had to do it myself…well, I probably wouldn’t. Our combined gifts and personalities make the improbable possible. Put them to work! In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law confronts Moses about trying to do everything by himself. The issue wasn’t so much the workload that Moses was carrying but the responsibility that he had assumed that wasn’t his. People came to Moses to “ seek God’s will ” and to have Moses settle their disputes (18:15, 16, NIV). Jethro then gave his son-in-law some good advice: “ You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform ” (18:19, 20, NIV). The primary task of a spiritual leader is not to make decisions FOR people, but to teach them how to make good ...

Reading: Acts 6, 7 They needed someone to look after the local food bank. It might seem a little odd in this age of discovering “spiritual gifts” and finding one’s “sweet spot” to see that the early church leaders didn’t take an inventory of the likes and dislikes of the people they chose for the task of looking after the needs of the widows in the congregation. There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with taking an inventory of a potential candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, but sometimes we miss the best by deferring to the good when we judge who can fill a vacancy in the church. The leaders of the church in Acts may have checked out whether Philip or Stephen, or any of the others (Acts 6:5) actually liked handing out food to the needy, but they looked for other qualities first. “ Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3, NIV). One of those selected, Stephen is described as “a man full of faith and of the Hol...

Reading: Zechariah 5-8 You probably don’t expect tips on church growth to be found in the writings of the minor prophets. After all, what do they know about modern outreach methods. The answer to that: They probably know a whole lot more than we do. Take these chapters from Zechariah as an example. God is assuring His people through the prophet that their future is bright. Using the current high priest, Joshua, as His living illustration, the Almighty graphically portrays not only the future of Israel, but gives them a glimpse of the coming Messiah who will be both Priest and King forever. Through this coming Priest and King many from all nations will be gathered to grow His church in the world. That’s basically Zechariah 6. In chapter 7, God speaks to Zechariah in response to a question from some of the people of Bethel. They wondered if it was worth it to continue their practice of mourning and fasting. It’s kind of a “duh” moment when the Lord comes back with his answer. He...

The Strategically Small Church Brandon J. O’Brien Bethany House 2010 168 pages At last, someone who understands that the small church isn’t necessarily dead or dying; that, at the risk of being branded for using and abusing a cliché, “good things DO sometimes come in small packages.” Brandon O’Brien presents a solid case for that self-aware, self-confident small church that recognizes the advantages of its size and is not intimidated by the mega-church mystique. This book is balm to the soul of the majority of pastors who have come away from conferences led by their mega-church brothers, feeling like failures even when souls are coming to Christ and lives are being changed as a result of their ministries. As O’Brien says: “ Mega-churches (regular attendance over 2000) make up less than one half of one percent of churches in America…we have allowed the ministry experience of 6 percent of pastors to become the standard by which the remaining 94 percent of us judge ourselves ” (p...

What pastor would have the nerve to tell his people that if they wanted to cruise through the Christian experience, they should go and join the church down the street? Apparently there is at least one, and his church is full of people who are working their passage rather than sitting on the deck basking in the sun. As I began reading in Ezra yesterday I was reminded that if the church were a vessel, it would be freighter not a cruise ship. The Lord has moved the King of Persia's heart to allow some of the captive Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. Notice the telling little phrase: " Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem " —Ezra 1:5, NIV. Anyone could have gone, but only those whose hearts God had moved would have volunteered for the "blood, sweat, and tears" involved in reparation of the disaster that had been left b...