Sunday Night Reflections

Monday Edition

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped with the fine folk of Dade City Christian Church Sunday.
• Do you focus on your thorn or do you focus on grace. Check out this section of scripture to discover the answer.
• A genuine community of believers, Keith S. is doing a wonderful job.
• Don did a great job teaching on the unpopular subject of Hell. I kept the outline - will put it in my files for a rainy day!
• The day was capped off with an Andrew Peterson Concert - GOOD STUFF!
• Two friends are hurting today - ministry is tough!
• Question, is Galatians 6:1 a command or a suggestion? Just asking.
• There are a bunch of students on campus today, a bunch!
• Did you know September 1 is just a few days away?
• College Football is Here, College Football is Here!
• Something to Chew On; Our destiny is determined, not by what we possess, but by what possesses us. ~ John Maxwell

Who will they become?

This week, Florida Christian College welcomed over 130+ new students to begin a new school year. The quiet campus of summer has been transformed into a hub of activity as these students begin a new chapter in their life. As I watch these young men and women fill the halls of the Chapman Center, I cannot help but wonder, Who these young people will become? Who will rise to the top of the class? Who will become proficient in preaching, church planting, biblical studies, cross culture work or anotehr field we have not thought of as of yet.?

This is truly an exciting time at FCC, there is a great deal of activity and anticipation for what the next year will bring. I am looking forward to seeing what God will do with this class of life changers. Who will they become? I do not know, but I do know this, the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9. God is watching over this new student body and he is searching for those who are fully committed to Him. When he finds them, they will become all God has intended for them. Welcome class of 2015, God is ready to do some amazing things in your life! I hope you are ready as well.

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Saw the baptismal waters stir once again today at First Christian Church Kissimmee, this never gets old!
• Jim preached on the greatest of these; LOVE
• This had to be one of the most practical sermons I have heard on love in a long time!
• When it comes right down to it love is a decision! 
• Will you decide to love today?
• I am excited to see what is happening in the churches led by Florida Christian College alumni.
• What are you doing today that will make an impact on on the lives of others? 
• Have you read the book of Ruth lately? Some powerful lessons on commitment and courage.
• Have you decided to love today? After all it is a decision.
• I cannot wait to hear about the recent missions trip to Cambodia. 
• Students move back to Florida Christian College this week - this will be one busy week!
• Once again I am seeing God in the details of life and it is amazing.
• Something to Chew on; Rough waters are the truer test of of leadership. In calm water ever ship has a good captain. ~ Swedish proverb

Face to Face, Part 4

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend Exodus 33:11 

Continuing our thoughts regarding intimacy with God. We must be aware of our own witness as we draw others to God.

In verse 8 we are told, whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses entered into the tent to worship, the people stood in reverence of God and they watched the actions of their leader Moses.

Why watch Moses?

For approximately 200 years the children of Israel, were isolated from God, though they prayed for deliverance from their captors, they were in a foreign land surrounded by foreign gods. Yet, when Moses arrives on the scene, they saw something different in his life. He was a deliverer and a leader sent from the one true God. Not only did he deliver the people out of Egypt, he showed them how to worship God.

While Moses was a reluctant leader, he understood his role was to point people to God.

As God’s people, one of our unique responsibilities is to draw people to Christ. This can only happen if we have a relationship with Christ.

Moses had a relationship with God and the people noticed it. If we are going to have an intimate relationship with God people will notice us. One of the reasons most Christians are not effective in leading their friends to Christ, is that they have not been drawn to Christ themselves. We draw on Christ for salvation, but do we make him our Lord?

The question of Lordship is a frontline issue for all believers

To Moses, God was more than a deliverer; he was his captain, his provider, his guide, his comforter, his everything. That was evidence by his life, so that when he went to the place of worship, no one was confused about what was happening – Moses was drawing people to God.

How do we draw people to God today?

With our Priorities – what is important to you?

With our Choices – what drives your decision-making?

Imagine for a moment the number of people who are watching you – they want to know is Christianity true? And they discover pretty quickly by your priorities and your choices. Moses was willing to be an example and it was noticed that was a friend of God.

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped with First Christian of Kissimmee today, today was youth Sunday.
• Chris did a wonderful job with the topic of Hope.
• Youth Band did an excellent job as well.
• I was touched by the work the student ministry did in Haiti a few weeks back, the kids will never be the same after an experience like that one.
• Tonight Jim taught on the topic of peace. The world has tried to manufacture peace for years, but they have never turned to the Prince of Peace, thus the world is not satisfied.
• Tonight's worship team did an excellent job preparing us for his message.
• I had an extremely busy week last week, I will wrap up my thoughts on Intimacy with God this week; I promise.
• Florida Christian College is offering an Leadership/Elder's conference in September, If you are a church leader you need to be a part of this two day event. 
• Visited an Apple store today; There is a reason why they are now the # 1 company in the world.
• Something to Chew on; Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time leading yourself ~ your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers. Dee Hock, Founder and CEO Emeritus, Visa

Face to Face, Part 3

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend Exodus 33:11 

If are going to have a face to face relationship with God we must be willing to pay a price for such intimacy. Yesterday I talked about the price tag of solitude or the willingness to be alone with God. Today I want us to look at the second price tag.

PRICE TAG #2, WE MUST BE WILLING TO SEEK GOD INDIVIDUALLY.

Exodus 33:7 reads, “anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.”

The focus of this verse is the idea of personal involvement. Coming to the Lord was not reserved just for the priests or for leaders – anyone means just that; anyone could (and still can) approach the Lord.

One of the great mysteries of life is the fact that God desires to have a relationship with us.

After all…

• He is his infinite, we are finite.
• He is unlimited in scope; we are limited by time and space.
• He is eternal, we are but a vapor.

And yet God desires a personal relationship with each one of us.

The Bible is the story of God trying to have a relationship with us – it began in the garden and continues all the way to the cross – His desire to have a relationship with us does not cease.

Though He longs for a relationship, he will not violate our free will to force such a relationship – WE MUST MAKE A CHOICE.

The decision to love God is done via individual choice; we can not force others respond to God, nor can others have a relationship with God though us, it is each person’s decision.

Understand it would be very easy for God to command us to love him. However, this would violate our freewill. God desires for us to love him freely without compulsion. As parents, know we cannot command our children to love us, we can teach them to love, we can demonstrate love, but it is up to our children to respond to our love. So it is with God, He can demonstrate His love for us, He can give us examples of love – yet only when we chose to love Him can we find fulfillment in Him.

Seeking God is to be our primary focus in this life. The most important question you can ask in life is what is my purpose? Why am I here? What on earth am I here for? But it’s not about you. If you want to know why you were put on this planet you’ve got to look at God, not yourself. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your life’s purpose. It’s the wrong starting point.  Colossians 1:16 “For everything – absolutely everything – above and below, visible and invisible everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.” You were made by God, and you were made for God. Until you figure that out life will not make sense. You were not put on this earth for your own satisfaction. You were not put on this earth for your own fulfillment. You were not put on this earth for your own happiness. God made you for His purposes. When we seek God we can be assured that our search will not turn up empty. But it comes down to a personal decision. That personal decision is the price tag we must be willing to pay for intimacy with God. When we seek God with all of our heart we will see him “FACE TO FACE AS A FRIEND.”

Face to Face, Part 2

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11

If we are going to have an intimate relationship with God we must be willing to pay the price. Unfortunately, many of are not willing to pay the price. In Exodus 33 we discover one man who was willing to pay the price, his name was Moses. In verses 7-11 of the 33^rd chapter of Exodus he demonstrates the willingness to pay the price. In fact he was willing to make 4 sacrifices to have a relationship with God. Over the next few days we will give attention to each one.

PRICE TAG #1 WE MUST BE WILLING TO SEPARATE OURSELVES REGULARLY

Exodus 33:7 tells us Moses pitched his tent outside the camp. Moses understood to hear the voice of God one must be away from the crowd. If we are going to have an intimate relationship with God there are times we must withdraw from the crowd to hear God’s voice.

Why withdraw from the crowd?

• The crowd has a distracting atmosphere.
• The crowd has a way of calling us away from what is truly important.

Jesus understood the price tag of solitude...

Mark 6 reminds us after He feed the 5,000; He withdrew to pray.

Luke 4 states; before he chose the 12 disciples, He withdrew to pray.

In Luke 23 Jesus and his disciples traveled to a garden, yet with the cross on his mind, He withdrew from the 12 to pray to the Father.

To have a relationship with God, a “FACE TO FACE” relationship means solitude. We must make it a priority to get away from the busyness of the day and spend time in His word. At times solitude with God will be costly. It will cut into our free time and will mean altering our lifestyle – but the PAYOFF is rewarding; for we will know God FACE TO FACE AS A FRIEND.

Face to Face, Part 1

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Exodus 33:11

How does one have an intimate relationship with God like the one mentioned in Exodus 33:11? How does one know God on a personal basis as a friend? This is an important topic for anyone who seeks to know God; for how one view’s God will determine the type of relationship they will have with God. Think about it;

·         If you view of God as one who is distant, living far away from us – you cannot image a deep relationship with Him – This was one of problems the Pharisees had with Jesus, they could not imagine anyone calling God Father. The Pharisees vision of God was much like that of of Isaiah 6, God was high and lifted up, not close and intimate. So when Jesus called God his father they were great disturbed by his so called relationship with God.

·         If you view God as a cosmic cop out to destroy your fun – you can never imagine a close relationship with Him, instead you live your life in frustrated rebellion. Instead of striving for holiness, your mantra is “how close can I get to sin, without crossing the line?”

·         If you view God as merciless, wrathful being, you will live in fear of Him, believing he will curse you if you step out of line.

·         If you view God as the great equalizer, dispensing “karma” upon you and your friends, you will find yourself reading into coincidences, hardships and good fortune as some kind of sign from God as he balances the scales of life.

·         However, if you view God in the way the Bible reveals him, you will want to run to Him; for this is the God who desperately wants a relationship with you.

As we look to have an intimate relationship with God, I believe we must dispel some of the myths out there, about what it means to know God.

1.   The Knowledge Myth

The more scripture and more religious information I have learned the more I must know God. PROBLEM – the Pharisees, they knew more facts about God then anyone yet Jesus called them hypocrites and vipers. Knowledge alone is not enough to have a relationship with God.

2.   The Emotional Myth

I feel close to God, therefore I must know God, PROBLEM – Our emotions can be triggered by mood, music and circumstances, we cannot always trust our emotional responses as a gauge for knowing God.

    3. The Works Myth

    I do many GOOD DEEDS – therefore I must be in love with God,   PROBLEM – doing good deeds is based on a works mentality; what is the standard for our works? Can the standard ever be met?

    4. The Positional Myth

I am a Christian; therefore I must be close to God. PROBLEM – Intimacy does not just happen, one is not close to God just because they are in a church any more than one becomes a car simply by sleeping in a garage.

When we put away the myths of intimacy, we are ready to understand what it means to have a deep relationship with God. Continued tomorrow

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Worshiped with the First Christian Church of Inverness family today, good people and a good spirit, John is doing a wonderful job leading this church.
• Not only did I preach, I also taught a Sunday school lesson on the topic of intimacy with God.
• What does an intimate relationship with God look like today? Check out this verse to find out. 
• Listen there is a price to be paid to have an intimate relationship with God. I will talk about the price tag tomorrow in my blog.
• Inverness looks like one of the most peaceful places to live in Florida - really reminded me of Old Florida, you know before the theme parks arrived.
• One of their members is 99 years old and she still cleans off the tables and washes the table cloths at her nursing home - Way to go Sarah! May we all have that kind of energy when we are 99!
• 14 people from Florida Christian College are on a missions trip in Cambodia for the next two weeks, you can read about their adventures here.  
• Students return in 2 weeks - there sure is a lot of excitement at Florida Christian College. 
• Something to chew on; We preachers are truth tellers. It's what we do. We shine the light of God's truth into darkness, illuminating broken and sinful situations with God's Word so that those who hear will, we hope, be drawn into the warm light of his love. ~ Clark Cothern, Leadership Journal

Security

Today I had an interesting experience at a local bank which reminded me of the security we have in God. The missions team of Florida Christian College is preparing for a trip to Cambodia next week to help with the Rapha House in that region. In preparing for the trip, our staff had to go to the local bank and make a sizable withdraw of cash to be used for some of the expenses of the trip. I will not share with you the amount but suffice to say it was a rather LARGE amount of cash. 

To receive the cash we had to show ID, share our social security number and tell our occupation. 20 minutes later the teller called us to a side door and gave us the funds, in get this; a brown paper bag, stapled at the top. It was kind of comical if you think about it, we were walking out the door of the bank with a very large amount of money and our only security was a brown paper bag and two staples! As we returned to the car we began to laugh about the situation. Anyone could have grabbed that bag from the two of us and had a fantastic shopping spree at Best Buy. Now I know the reason they put it in a brown paper bag was so it would not draw attention to it, but I thought it was funny that we were walking around with such a large sum of money with no security, but a couple staples.

Unfortunately, people are walking through life with very little security as well. They live as if they are going to live forever, with no thought about how they spend eternity. For Christ followers our security is found in Christ. In the book of John, Jesus told his followers of the security he provides. Look at some of these references.

• John 6:48-58
• John 10:1-15
• John 11:25-26
• John 15:1-5

As you can see from reading these verses, Jesus offers us real security and it is far better than a couple of staples and paper bag.

  

If I knew then... Part 3

Continuing my thoughts regarding lessons I have learned in 30 years of ministry...

Be dilegent about who is on your team, John Maxwell will tell you those closest to you will determine your success. If you are a senior minister over seeing a staff of others, it is vital that you have the right people close to you. I have to admit sometimes I have not made the wisest choices when it comes to choosing people to be a part of a team I am leading. More times then not I have been guilty of the "sin of Samuel" when it came to choosing people to join our staff. Too often we look at the outward apperance of a particular person and think this is the one. Now 30 years later I find it is essential we do not get caught up in the sin of Samuel rather we must be dilegent in finding the right person to come along side of us. With that in mind allow me to share a few tips, that I wish I knew then, when it comes to hiring staff.

• Bathe the process in prayer. Too often we ask our friends or contacts, "who is out there" as if there is someone who would be the perfect fit for us. Now lets be honest who knows your church better than God? Our freinds may know something about our church, usually it what we have told them. yet God knows our needs even before we ask Him. Pray for the candidates, pray for the process, pray for the church to be open to the new staff member. Prayer is the foundation for choosing the right staff to be a part of your team.
• Be patient. Sometimes we hurry the process. We move ahead because of pressure from others, a pressing need or a sense we want to move on to something else. If we have bathed the process in prayer we should rest in the assurance that God's timing is the best timing. Patience will be rewarded; impatience often leads to making poor choices when it comes to adding staff.
• Listen to what others are saying and then some. I believe we must do due diligence in checking references, but remember the references are going to put the best spin on something, that is why they are on their friend's resume. When checking references be willing to dig a little deeper. Ask the reference for others you can speak with about the candidate. More than once I have been burned by accepting a recommendation from a reference when I should have dug a little deeper. When it comes to listening to what others are saying, LISTEN TO THEM. I have witnessed people receive a poor recommendation regarding a potential staff member and the leader still hire the person, believing he could change them - what a mistake?
• Look beyond the skills and look at the person's character. John Maxwell says he would have spiritual men lead his church rather than smart men, I would have to agree. I would rather have a person on staff whose character is strong rather than a person who is multi-talented, you can learn skills, but character cannot be taught - it is an inside job. Character flaws show up when you least expect it, and often times the results are devastating.