Generosity

Over the last week, I have looked at a few Christian traits that seem to come to the forefront during the Christmas celebration. I have taken a look at the fight for joy, struggle for love, and the contention for peace. As those who love Jesus these are attributes that we must exhibit not only during the Christmas time but we must have them all year round. Today I want to take a few minutes to look at the battle for generosity. I would like to begin by highlighting 2 verse from the Bible about being generous.

1 Timothy 6:18
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

 Psalms 37:26
"They [righteous] are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed"

First, being generous is a command in the Bible, something that those who are righteous and godly will exhibit in their lives. That is an important truth to remember. Being generous and giving to others, not just during Christmas but all year long, is something that those who love Jesus can and should do.

But where does the generous spirit in our lives come from. This is the most important point from this post. We are to be generous because God, in Jesus, was generous to us first. Jesus loved us so much He gave us everything when we were His enemies. Jesus came as the baby, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, generously first for us so that we might have life. The generosity in our life must come from that fact. We are to be generous because God was generous and still is everyday for us. That is where the generosity must start.

Next, generosity must flow from us. Being generous is not something we do or an act we preform but it is something we are. Being a generous person is a state of being. Giving our treasure (money, possessions, stuff, even family), talents, and time are the ways and areas that we must pour out into others and more importantly pour into God's service. Being generous is a life that is continually building up the kingdom of God, by building up the person's life. Being generous is selfless and others focused with everything we are. Being generous is about being more and more like Jesus and being less and less like the world and the selfish culture of it. The culture will even tell you to do things for others because it can make us look good. That is the least generous idea out there.

Lastly I want to say that being generous is not easy, it is a battle and struggle. Being generous and pouring our all into others, even to the point of feeling it, takes hard work. Being generous is a fight against the sin nature and flesh. Too many times we wake up in the morning thinking about how much money we will make or the treasures we will gather in the day. Instead we should be waking in the morning thinking about how much more we can give away of what we have and who we are. This is a daily battle for our soul and our testimony.  Remember that the world will see Jesus and His generosity through our generous spirit. It is a battle that we must win to the glory of God.

So during this time of celebration of Jesus most generous gift, his birth and death, battle each day to be more generous in spirit and make it a battle that can be won all year round.

Peace? There is no Peace

Peace, it is a word tossed around during the Christmas season. "We need to find peace or discover it during this time of year", is what some might say. Others will state "peace is overrated and will never be had during this busy time". Some will shout "how can we have peace when there is war, famine, and world poverty". Peace, it is the controversial word that always comes up during the advent season. But I always go back and start first at what the Word of God says about something.

1 Timothy 2:1-2
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone...that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness"

Paul is urging us to live peaceful lives. So I would say, that a life full of peace should be had. We as Christians know that this side of eternity true peace will not be complete. There will always be wars, famine, poverty, and strife that stops peace because we live in a broken world full of sin, evil, and the work of Satan. But that should not stop us from living lives full of peace, which is connected to godliness and holiness. Ok, there is the ground work and starting point, we need to live lives of peace.

Peace just like joy, love, and generosity are states of being that must be fought for and battled to be kept in our lives. Peace does not come easy. Look at all the distractions, evils, and temptations that will keep us from experiencing true peace. But that is why we need to contend for peace and keeping it in our lives. The media, culture, world, and even ourselves will continually be telling us, peace in our lives cannot be grasped. But the Bible says it differently. Peace can be attained and even kept in our lives but not without a fight. The battle for peace is a battle that takes place each day. It is a war that is fought hour by hour and even minute by minute but it is a fight that we need to contend for as lovers of Jesus.

Look at this one verse from Timothy. Peace in our lives leads to godliness and holiness. These are 2 amazing things to have in our lives and descriptions to have of our character. Godliness and holiness are the most sought after and desired traits to have in one's life. Peace in our lives will truly have amazing results. As I have been pondering the idea of peace I started to think of a few people I know that seem to keep winning the battle for peace. Peace in our lives will show to others. Others will know we keep winning the war for peace and desire it in there lives also. Contend for peace, win the battle, keep it in life because it will have far reaching affects for the kingdom.

So winning the battle for peace is essential but comes with victories and failures. Here are a few things that I think will help in the contention for peace in our lives and Paul lays it right out for us in the verse above. First, a prayer life that's connected to God will grow and in effect bring peace in our lives. When we are continually taking what we are experiencing back to God and laying it at His feet to deal with, peace from that will come to replace some of the anxiety.

A life of thanksgiving is the second step in the contention for peace. When we are thankful to God for what He gives us we will forget the current struggle and distraction in our lives. When we are thankful for the blessings God graciously gives in Jesus everything else pales.

A third step in battling for peace, is saturate yourself in the Word of God. When we hear what God is telling us in His word, it will fill us with peace and draw us closer to His heart where true peace can be found.

A peaceful spirit and life of peace must be contended for. We must contend, fight, battle, and even struggle for the life and spirit of peace because others will know and we will show what the true reason for the celebration is in Christmas. When we daily win the war for peace others will desire to be more in love with Jesus just like we are. I pray that you will experience some of the peace of God during this time so others will know about the baby and why He truly came.

Love is in the Air

Last week, I wrote about the important quality of joy in our lives. This time of year is a very significant time to have joy, fight to keep it, and show it to others. Another quality as Christians we should have, especially this time of year, is love. We all want love. We want love from someone or from something in our lives and this time of year those feelings are compounded 1000 times. But we only need 1 love in our lives and the definition of it is defined in the one being who is truly love. Lets let the Bible explain what I mean.

Romans 5:8
BUT GOD demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I love this verse and I love the "But God". We were God's enemies and because of our sin we deserved and called for God's justified wrath poured out on us. But God sent His Son in the form of a human baby in a smelly barn with a crowd of animals in the small backwoods town of Bethlehem, to make us His sons rather than His enemies. God's love for us put Jesus in that barn screaming the birth of a new life. God's love for us had Jesus worshiped by the city outcasts, shepherds, on the first night He was born. God's love for us sent Jesus in the flesh to pee and poop on himself while learning how to walk. God's love for us sent Jesus to stub his toe and smash His finger with a hammer while helping Joseph. God's love for us is the reason Christmas is the time of celebration and joy. God's love for us is all that we need and that love is the definition of love, especially during this time of year. But that was not the end of God's love given. Look what Romans says a few verses earlier.

Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

God's love gave us the same love to share with others. During this time of celebration and advent, we struggle to find the love many times. We realize that as those who love Jesus we need to give God's love in us to others. Yet, this time of year, it can be a huge struggle. That is what this time of year is about. Finding our love and sharing God's love in us with others. We have been given the greatest gift ever on the tree. We need to give this same gift in love to others. This should be the time of year that others see our love more than ever. Do not let the struggle for love affect the showering of love to others. Be filled with the Spirit of joy and love, not just during this time but all the time. Shine that bright light to the lost who have no idea of God's love for them as they struggle to find the love they know they need

The Joy of Christmas

Joy- it is an important character trait or state of being. It seems that most people are either filled with joy during the celebration of Jesus' birth or they are lacking joy completely. So over the last week as I began to prepare for the advent of our Savior I began to formulate some actions that I can do to fight to keep this joy in my life. As lovers of Jesus and His witnesses to the world we need to continually be filled with joy. So a fight to keep it in our lives is paramount. Here are 8 thoughts we can put into practice first during this advent season and secondly all year round.

1-Joy is a gift. We need to realize that ultimately joy in our lives is a gift and blessing from God the Father. We cannot have joy in our lives if first Jesus did not come and die in our place. Then we need to realize that in reality that is all the joy we need to sustain us in this life, the joy in Jesus and His death for our freedom. But above all that God then gives us joy in our lives as a gift to carry us through all of life and its moments.

2- Joy is tied to faith. Where our faith in God goes so goes our joy. If we rest steadfastly in God and who He is and what he has done then joy will spring from deep within us.

3- Joy is connected to sin. I have come to realize that my level of joy is connected to the sin or level of sin in my life. If I am open to the prodding conviction of the Spirit in my life driving the sin out of my life, He will then allow and guide my level of joy to increase as the sin leaves my being. The more sin in my life and the more confessed and unrepentant sin in my life the less joy I will have.

4- Joy in the Bible. The more we read God's word and mediate on what it says to us the more joy we will have. The deeper I dive into what God is telling about Himself or the plans He has for me the more filled with joy I become. I realize the depth of His love from His words and how much He reveals to me drives the engine of joy.

5- Joy from Prayer. I find and I do not believe it is coincidental that the more I pour out to God the more He gives me joy. When we spend time in prayer to God the level of joy in our lives will increase. The longer we pray and the frequency of our prays will sustain us in the fight to keep our lives filled with joy. The level of joy in our lives goes up and down with the level of praying we do and the closeness we stay with God.

6- Joy in friends. When my level of joy is low and my tank of joy is empty I go to my close friends to get a fill up. When we find that the fight for joy is waning we need to find those in our lives who can fill us up with joy.

7- Joy in generosity. This one is very simple. When we think of others before our own self and when we pour our lives into others around us, especially those around us in need, our level and fight for joy will overflow. The opposite then is true- want to have less joy in your life? Then think only about yourself and be self focused.

8- Joy is sustained by health. This is an important one to remember and realize during this time of year as we eat a lot of food, party with family, and struggle to get exercise. The level of joy in our lives can be effected by the diet or amount of food we eat. It can be effected by the rest or lack of it we get. And joy can be effected by the exercise we take. Remember that a fit more healthy body will affect the mind and soul and then our joy in turn.

As lovers of Jesus we need to be filled with joy and during the advent season joy is a huge character trait we must be showing to others.

Choosing a Church

I was recently interacting with a friend about his life and church. During our time together he asked me a great question. My friend asked, "what are some factors I should consider, as my wife and I look for a new church". My friend and his family were feeling led by the Lord (for multiple reasons) to look for a new church family to join and begin worshiping with. I began to answer his questions by being honest and letting him know I have made some really stupid choices in my own life when considering a church to join. But I also let him know, I have begun to think through this question, in my own life of leading a church as Pastor. I gave him 10 factors, I thought were important to consider, when thinking about joining a church.

Here are the 10 factors I gave to my friend about finding a church match that fits, in no particular order

-Doctrinal stance. 
What are the key doctrines of the church? What does the church consider to be essential doctrines of the faith? What does the church believe about the Bible? What does the doctrine of the church say about God's grace and His process of saving people? Are there doctrines one can disagree with, yet join and serve in the church? Is the church as a whole doctrinally unified?

-Financial aspects
Does the church handle their money well? Does the church give 10% to missions? Does the church have serious debt and incur debt on a regular basis? How does the church handle giving? Who controls the budget at the church? How is the yearly budget process handled?

-Ministry Philosophy
How does the church view its Pastor? Is there good teaching from the Bible at the church? What roles do the leaders play at the church? Is the sermon a central part of the weekly worship service? Are there other Bible studies and small groups that can be join?

-The children
Is children's ministry important at the church? What is the church's philosophy in how to teach and grow children? Are the children involved in the worship of the church? Does the church reach local kids for Christ?

-Ecclesiology
What is the form of church government? How does the church handle the sacraments? What does the church believe about woman and formal/pastoral ministry? Does the church have church discipline? What does the church believe about church membership?

-Your Spouse
Will your spouse feel at home in the church? Will your spous's gifts be welcomed and used in the church? How does your spouse feel about the church? Are you and your spouse unified on your feelings about this church? What are your spouses concerns with the church?

-Missional Theology
How does the church reach the lost with the Gospel? What does the church feel is their main reason for existing? Does the church support foreign missionaries? Does the church support local missions? Does the church go on missions trips and get out into the world? What does the church do, individually, in making disciples? When was the last set of baptisms in the life of the church?

-Teens
Are there many teenagers in the church? What does the church do to reach teens for Christ? Does the church value its teens? Does the church  learn from its teens? What does the church do to help equip its teens for life? Does the church nurture its teens, as they go through the hardest stages of life?

-Location
How close are you to the church? Will you be close enough to the church to go daily and weekly for activities and meetings? Is the church a big part of your local community? Is the church reaching your local community with Christ? 

-Education/Equipping
How is this church going to equip me for ministry? How is this church going to equip my spouse for ministry? How is this church going to equip my kids for ministry? Will I see myself growing in my faith in the next 5 years becasue of this church? 

These are the 10 areas that should be thought through (at least as I told them to my friend), as one considers a new church. Some of these factors are non-negotiable. Other factors on this list might be negotiable. These are not the only areas that one must consider. But asking yourself many of these questions will help decide whether the church and the person are a match or not. So if your are ever considering a new church or thinking through the current church you go to, ask many of these questions and pray hard to God about the role your local church has in your life for God's glory.

Being Sick

I hate being sick. Whether it is the sore throat, the body ache, or the upset stomach, being sick is never fun. This is the time of year that sickness always seems to arrive also. As we get busy for the holidays. As we have plans made and people to meet. As we get last minute Christmas shopping and decorations done. Sickness always seems to hit the hardest around the holiday season. And unfortunately at the moment, I am sick with strep throat.

As I lay here on the couch, trying to not think about being sick, I am reminded that Christmas is the time of year, we celebrate the birth of God in the flesh. Christmas is the time of year, God's people reflect upon the arrival of baby Jesus. Christmas is the time of year that God's people remember the truth that a perfect holy God entered a sin filled world to redeem a people for Himself. Jesus birth means that God in the flesh entered a world full of sin and the effects of sin. And sickness is a result of sin in the world. I am sick right now, crashed on the couch, becasue sin has effected this world to fallenness.

That means Christmas is a time of year, we must think about the fact that God in the flesh, entered a world full of sin and felt the effects of sin. No, Jesus never sinned (even 1 time) while He was on the earth. But baby Jesus, teenage Jesus, and adult Jesus, all felt the effects of the sin filled world. That means Jesus would have gotten sick. That means Jesus would have had friends, as a child or as adults, die becasue of sickness. That means, at some point, Jesus was stuck in his bed with a sore throat, a body ache, or an upset stomach.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is our great high Priest. He intercedes to the Father for us becasue He can fully relate to us as humans. One of the ways Jesus can fully relate to us as humans, is Jesus got sick in His physical body. Jesus knows what it is like to have the flu. Jesus knows what it feels like to throw-up. Jesus understands the feeling of a body ache. Yet, Jesus in being sick in the body, never failed to bring His Father glory.

This gives us two important points. First, Jesus can fully relate to us, in knowing the feelings of being sick. Jesus as our high Priest and King knows the feeling of sickness. Jesus can relate and feel our pain when we pray to Him. Jesus will wipe away the tear of a sore throat or body hurt becasue He can relate. Jesus is the perfect man to interceded for us to the Father becasue He knows what it is like to be sick.

Second, this truth of Jesus being sick, means that we can and must still glorify God in our illness. Yes, we are sick and tired. Yes, we might lay in bed most of the day or sleep. Yes, we lack energy and feel anxious or depressed. But this is still the perfect time to bring God glory. Jesus was able to always glorify His Father, even when He was sick and in bed. That means we too can and must bring God glory, even when we are in bed and do not feel well.

So how are you comforted knowing Jesus got sick and how are you bringing God glory when you are down for the count with the stomach bug?