Category: Discipleship

Show & Tell

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Maybe it is especially so here in America, but so often, when talking to others about what they believe God has called them to; it is usually something grandiose. Perhaps it is our culture, but it seems we all have illusions of grandeur, some type of ministry involving a large international stage, CD’s, fortune and fame- all for Jesus of course. Yet when Paul was writing what were among his last words to Timothy, he simply told him, “… and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (II Timothy 2:2)

In a success driven culture in which even the church has adopted the “if it aint big it aint God” mentality, it would seem that we have forgotten that perhaps the greatest thing we can hope to do is to simply teach others what it means to follow Jesus. You know, Timothy was Paul’s protégée, and you would think as the “heir apparent” he was being groomed to be the next big thing. But, when you read the letters Paul wrote to young Timothy, you find that over and over again, his resounding admonition to Timothy was, “Just teach them the truth!” (Oh, there’s also the bit about enduring hardship and suffering as well.) Sadly, we spend so much time dreaming of that “big ministry” God has called us to that we neglect teaching the people we spend time with each week what it means to truly walk with the Lord. We tell the Lord, “Give me nations!” And he asks, “What about the people I’ve already given you? Will you make them my disciples?”

Here’s the deal: Abide in Jesus, learn what it means to walk with him, and then; teach others what you’ve learned.

“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.”

Disillusioned: The Jesus Drug

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Why do people use drugs? Well, you’ll get a lot of different answers to that question, but the bottom line is that people who use drugs, for whatever reason, find that their every day life is not satisfactory; therefore, there is a need for something more. It may sound crazy, but there are countless Jesus Drug addicts among us today. The Jesus Drug, just like illicit drugs, comes in a variety of forms, tailor made to suit the varying personalities of the addict. As with the abuse of narcotics, the Jesus Drug promises a never-ending high, enhanced self-esteem, and a host of other empty promises just as long as you continue to use it. Be careful though, it’s easy to get hooked, and you can get a fix on about any corner.

Jesus Drug addicts (like all addicts) come in all shapes and sizes. There are the Mystical Addicts who are hooked on that next “deep experience” with Jesus. There are the Prophetic Addicts that see Jesus as a means by which they will be lifted up to some kind of mind-reading, avenger like character. Then you have your Political Jesus Junkies, hooked on taking the country back for Jesus. Down the street, lives the Postmodern Jesus Drug addict, unsure of anything accept the fact that it is everyone else who is addicted. Then there are the I Hate the Organized Church addicts, high off of the twisted euphoria of bitterness. There are the Traditional Jesus Drug addicts still mainlining the religiosity of days gone by, hooked on form without substance. We mustn’t forget the Intellectual Jesus Drug addict, numbed to any form of emotion, ingesting his daily dose of dead religion.   I could go on, but you get the picture. When you talk to Jesus Drug addicts they rarely talk about anything (including Jesus) other than their drug of choice. They are disillusioned with their relationship with Jesus, and have come to the conclusion that there must be something more. Perhaps it is the fact that they never have truly understood what knowing Jesus is all about, or perhaps the religion being offered by your typical institutional church has failed to deliver, but whatever the cause; the Jesus Drug addicts are continuously chasing the next self-affirming spiritual high and selling their souls to get it.

Ask an addict and he’ll tell you that it’s not the getting high part that’s the problem; it’s the coming down. Many within the church today are experiencing withdrawal from the Jesus Drug, and like all addicts, the crash is leaving them confused and wondering what to do. They know that something is wrong. The Jesus Drug has failed to deliver the intimacy with Christ they craved when they first came to the Lord.  As a former addict myself, I can tell you that the first step is honesty. If you begin to sense in your heart that you may be a Jesus Drug addict, come clean. The fact that you are aware that there is a problem means that God’s Spirit is at work. Yeah, your pride will be hurt, but that is exactly what has to be crushed because it is the belief that somehow you deserve a little more that led to your being an addict in the first place.

Can I ask you something? Are you in love with Jesus or simply hooked on the Jesus Drug? Has your addiction to the Jesus Drug reduced your relationship with Christ to merely something that makes you feel better about yourself?  God has provided an awesome one step program for the Jesus Drug addict, and it is the Cross of Jesus. We go to the cross believing that God will not reject the broken and contrite heart that has been crushed and torn apart by addiction to the Jesus Drug. We go to the cross and confess that we have seen Jesus as a means of healing our broken egos and fixing our low self-esteem instead of acknowledging him as Lord. Frankly, the only cure for the Jesus Drug addict is Jesus himself. Come, taste and see that the Lord is good, and he is all you truly need.

The Best Kept Secret Regarding Worship: Bible Study

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Did you know that the Rabbis view the study of the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) as the highest form of worship? One early Rabbi said, “When two sit together and exchange words of Torah, then the divine presence dwells among them.” That sounds vaguely familiar doesn’t it? Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” Yeah, the Rabbis say that when you pray, you are talking to God, but when you study Torah, God is talking to you. Isn’t it strange, so many of us claim that we never hear God speaking to us when He has provided a book with about 774, 746 of His words that will speak to us as often as we will read them?

When it comes to worship, we place so much emphasis on relevance, worship music, worship style, and whatever else you can think of, but it seems we have overlooked the very important fact that Bible study itself is worship. You’ll hear it said in our churches, “Well, we’ve had a wonderful time in worship today; now let’s turn to the Word.” (Insert wrong answer buzzer sound effect.) No, studying the Word is worship!

After God had delivered the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt, they traveled in the desert for a long time. As they made their way, God told them how he was to be worshiped. He had laws for this, ceremonies for that, different sacrifices and feasts, and at the center of it all was the Shema. Check out Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

“Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Can you see the application in this for us 21st century Gentile Christians?  Can you see the relationship between loving God, and God’s Word? The Israelites were to give prominence to God’s word in their lives, and so are we. In fact, if we are not interacting with the Word, if we are not spending time studying the Word; our worship is incomplete.  Just read Psalms119, and you’ll get a clear picture of how the study of God’s word was looked upon as worship. I know it’s unpopular to tell Christians that they must do something. I know we don’t like to hear that we must study. After all, that sounds so Pharisaical. We have reduced worship to merely being entertained, getting’ my praise on, and all of that kind of thing. The truth is that part of our worship is studying God’s word. The reason that deception and apathy are rampant in the churches of America today is due largely to the fact that we have failed to teach our people that the study of God’s word is every bit a part of worship as prayer and singing songs! So what, Shema, Shema you say. That’s that Old Testament legalistic stuff; we’re under the new covenant brother. It’s all about grace and mercy, and we don’t have to do anything.

Jesus himself said that man lives by every word that God speaks (Matthew 4:4). Jesus even said it is those who hear his words and do them that are truly his family (Luke 8:21). How are we to hear and do today? It is in worship, studying his Word. We are exhorted to study God’s word knowing that the scriptures were breathed out by God as he used men to write them down. It is in our worship time of studying the Word that we are made complete and equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16, 17). In his encounters with the Jews of his day, Jesus didn’t condemn them for the emphasis they placed on the scriptures; he rebuked them for failing to understand that it was the scriptures they claimed to love so much that testified of him. This brings me to my next point. Our worship through studying the Bible is to lead us into a living encounter with Jesus. You know, maybe we need to reexamine our definition of “Bible study.”

For so many Christians, Bible study has been reduced to the time they come to church, get situated in their seats, and listen to someone else tell them what the Bible means. I think somehow we’ve missed something. Glance back up at the scripture we looked at in Deuteronomy 6, notice how it speaks of Bible study in an organic way. It was discussed as they were together, as they moved, as they went about living. It was not a static experience; it was a living thing they experienced together. Yes there were teachers, scribes whose job it was to teach the Torah, and we have been given Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers to teach and equip us as well. However, the normal Christian experience is not to come to church, plug in and get the latest download. We are to spend time in personal worship, personal study of the Word, but we are to interact together, experiencing God’s Word together. As we do this, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus, and we become built up and encouraged in the Lord. Remember the words of Paul found in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” And again, in his words to the Corinthians, “What then, brothers, when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (I Corinthians 14:26). Our time spent in personal worship, in personal Bible study is to be that which the Holy Spirit later uses to minister to our brothers and sisters when we come together.

In II Timothy, we find Paul at the time immediately preceding his death. He would soon be beheaded; it was only a matter of weeks or perhaps months. He was in a Roman prison and writing what was to be among his final words, he said to Timothy, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” (II Timothy 4:13).  We don’t know for sure which books, which parchments he was referring to, but I wonder if maybe he desired to have portions of the scripture with him. Maybe there was an old copy of the Septuagint (Greek translation of Old Testament) he wanted to have with him. Knowing how the Jews (especially a man like Paul) viewed Torah study, I wonder if perhaps being in that prison, that old beat up body of his made it difficult to bow, to kneel, and maybe he figured, “I’ll offer you my worship by studying your word Lord.” Maybe, I don’t know.

Yes, we must worship through prayer, in singing, and in countless other expressions the Spirit may birth in our hearts, but let’s not forget that the study of God’s word is every bit as much a part of worship as those things are. Hear me friends, there is going to be ever increasing deception as this age draws to a close. Be complete in your worship. Spend time in God’s word, and as you do; you will encounter the risen Lord.

The Roots of the Emergent Church Movement (Full Documentary)

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

As I said in Postmodern Reflections (part 1) : The evolution of society from modernity into postmodernity has produced reverberations within the church that indeed may prove to be eschatologically significant. Throughout its history the church has faced many heresies. Counsels have been convened for the purpose of discerning truth and setting forth orthodoxy. But, how does the church minister to a culture that insists there are no absolute truths to be discerned. What is the response of the church to be to ones who can say that while God has indeed acted uniquely in the person of Christ, he is also present and active in other belief systems as well? As the church finds its very institutional foundations shaken to the core, its evangelical practices touted as archaic, and the very message of the cross held in contempt; the Emergent Church has risen to the forefront. Adopting a postmodern philosophy, the Emergent movement has reduced the gospel of the Kingdom to a call for community, social-justice, and political activism. The Jesus of the postmodern emergent “Christian” is nothing more than a community organizer intent on assisting men in living together in mutual inclusion as they discover the validity of their respective cultural context belief systems and the God who is at work within them.

With that being said (again), I came across this documentary and wanted to pass it along. This is a full length documentary entitled “The Roots of the Emergent Church Movement,” and I truly believe it will greatly benefit you. It is my prayer that you will take the time to prayerfully watch this film, and search the scriptures for yourself to see if these things be so.

 

Birds: Another Lesson from Nicky the Cat

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

My cat (Nicky) is a highly trained, professional killer. It makes no difference to him what type of critter it is, squirrels, birds, moles, it doesn’t matter; he stalks them and he kills them. And, he really likes it! There’s only one thing he seems to enjoy as much as he does being an agent of death, and that’s “love time with Daddy.” He will sit, lay, whatever, in my arms as long as I’ll let him.

Earlier this morning we were spending some time together on the back deck. He was sprawled out in my lap like some kind of feline rag doll, when all of a sudden, this bird lands on the handrail about ten feet from us. Nicky immediately notices him, but does little more than lift his head a bit. Well, the bird begins to hop along the handrail, slowly getting closer and closer to us. He finally stops about four feet from us, and I’m thinking that I’m getting ready to feel claws enter my legs, because Nick is going to spring from my lap and “help” his fellow creature on into the next life.

I could feel Nicky tense slightly as the bird sat there looking all around like birds do with that jerky head twitch thing they’ve got going. I gave Nicky a gentle squeeze, but made no attempt to restrict his movements. The bird gave one final head twitch and flew up onto the branch of a nearby tree, having no idea of how close he had been to his demise. That’s when the Spirit whispered in my heart.

In the Bible, birds are often used as a metaphor for evil. Jesus used birds in the parable of The Sower (Mark 4) to illustrate how the devil can come, swoop down, and snatch the seed of the gospel that has been sown into people’s lives. In Revelation 18:2 unclean birds are used to illustrate the spiritual disposition of “Babylon.” I thought about the bird Nicky & I saw today. I thought of how Nicky had chose to stay with me instead of trying to catch the bird, and it dawned on me that the safest place for us to be when “the birds” come into our lives is in the love of God.

We all have temptations and distractions that come our way, but as we abide in the love of God, our intimacy with him is that which captivates us, causing us to resist chasing after “the birds,” and to prefer the fellowship of the Lord over the fleeting desires we so often chase. As with Nicky and “critter killing,” you & I are highly trained professional sinners, and we like it! The only solution is “love time with DADDY.”

As we come to the Father, through the cross and shed blood of Jesus, we become new creations in Christ. The Spirit of God begins to change us, making us into the image of Jesus who continuously stayed in the Father’s love. As we abide in Jesus, obeying him, and surrendering our lives to him on a daily basis; we began to understand that chasing after “the birds” can in no way compare to the love of God poured out in our hearts by his Spirit. So, what’ll it be; that measly little bird over there on that handrail, or DADDY’s love?

A Father’s Life: Follow Me As I Follow Jesus

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Hey guys, are you living your life in such a way that you can confidently exhort your children (both physical and spiritual) to follow you? As  fathers, our lives are to be lived in such a way that our children can imitate us. Our children are to see us as we continually turn from sin and towards God. When we fall, they observe how we repent. When we are on the mountain top, we teach them how to walk humbly. We are to show them that in every circumstance we seek the face of the Lord. They should “catch” us praying and observe our lifestyle of worship. They are to see that our relationships with others are lived out based on the truth of God’s word. Our children are to see “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” as the fruit born out of a genuine intimacy with Jesus. Heavy duty, huh?

Listen, perfect sinlessness is not the criteria here. I don’t think we’ll ever  be perfect while in the flesh, but that doesn’t excuse us from living a life worth imitating. Maybe there’s a dad reading this, and you feel like you have absolutely blown it as a father. Maybe you have. Perhaps you are estranged from your children, and it seems like there is no hope. Don’t believe it for a moment. There is hope in Jesus.

I can tell you that there was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have advised anyone, much less my children, to imitate me. Because of my sin, my children were hurt deeply. I put them in situations that no father should expose his children to. One of my daughters was so upset and hurt by what I had become (and rightfully so) that she withdrew from me. But God gives more grace!! Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. Hallelujah!!

When Jesus saved me, when I was truly born again by the Spirit of God; I began to pray about the relationships between me and my girls. It hurt deeply, but the Lord made me to understand how my sin had truly affected my children. Although I understood that there are indeed consequences to our sin, I began to humbly cry out for my girls, and ask God to bring healing and reconciliation into our relationships. And guess what, He did.

It’s not too late guys. You can be that father who lives life in such a way that you can say to your children, “Follow me; this is how it’s done.” You can be the father that shows his children (both physical & spiritual) what it means to walk with Jesus. The first step though is coming to Jesus and surrendering your own life to him. Jesus can and will restore the broken relationships we leave in the wake of our own sinful lives, but we have to come and first be healed ourselves. Our children need to see fathers who are surrendered to Jesus. We fathers are to be a living example to our children of what it means to walk with the Lord. Really, we ought not have to do a whole bunch of preaching. Our message is our life. “Follow me as I follow Jesus.”

Morgan Freeman & New Age Theology

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

This just in: Morgan Freeman says that he is God. The first thing that may go through your mind is, “Oh my goodness, he must have gone crazy!” Not necessarily. To be honest, this is a typical New Age concept. In fact, according to New Age thought or Cosmic Humanism as it is referred to by some; you, me, and everything else are God as well. I don’t know how much you’ve looked into New Age Theology, but I thought with Mr. Freeman’s latest “revelation,” now might be a good time to share with you a little of what I’ve discovered.

I was sharing with a New Ager once, and I told him that I agreed with a lot of what he said, but that I had to go with Jesus’ words when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except through me.” I went on to share with this man that Jesus is God come in the flesh. Without batting an eye, he responded, “Well yeah, we all are.”

If you are about the business of being a disciple of Jesus, you will no doubt come into contact with New Age(ism) in one form or another. I put together the following outline that will give you the skinny on New Age(ism)/ Cosmic Humanism. I pray this helps you to be better equipped to share the gospel with people caught up in this deception

            New Age Theology and the Church

                Whereas Christianity portrays God as sovereign creator of all that is, holy and entirely separate from all else, New Age theology is founded upon the idea that each individual as well as all of creation is in fact God. Although various elements of New Age thought has integrated itself into the modern church, the astute student of the word recognizes that such integration is to be avoided in that New Age theology is not compatible with orthodox Christianity.

I. New Age theology (Cosmic Humanism) forms the foundation for all other aspects of its worldview.[1]

A. “The New Age movement differs from Christianity, Islam, and the secular worldviews in that it embraces neither theism nor atheism”.[2]

B. “Cosmic Humanism begins by denying the preeminence of any purported special revelation over any other.”[3]

C. “Cosmic Humanists believe that the Bible is no more the word of God than is the Qur’an, or the teachings of Confucius. New Age advocate David Spangler says, ‘We can take all the scriptures, and all the teachings, and all the tablets, and all the laws, and all the marshmallows and have a jolly good bonfire and marshmallow roast, because that is all they are worth.’”[4].

D. Christianity views the Bible as God’s revelation to man, as that which is “inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (II Tim. 3:16, 17)

II. New Age theology sees Jesus as just an example of the potential of all men.

A. In that the Cosmic Humanist views the Bible as just another book, the significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is nullified.[5]

B. “The Cosmic Humanist sees Christ’s life as important only in the sense that it showed humanity to be capable of achieving perfection, even godhood.”[6]

1. The significance of incarnation and resurrection is not that Jesus was a human like us but rather that we are gods like him—or at least have the potential to be.[7]

2. The New Age theologian to postulates that “The Son of God . . . is not Jesus but our combined Christ consciousness.[8]

3. Jesus is looked on as one of a select company, having achieved Christ consciousness. Every person is encouraged to acquire this same level of consciousness.[9]

C. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ was not just an example of a self-actualized man who had reached his full potential, but rather God himself clothed in flesh, crucified, dead, and resurrected.

1. John 1:1-3 teaches Jesus is God.

2. Colossians 1: 15, 16 teaches Jesus is both God and creator.

3. Romans 1:4 teaches that Christ is risen from the dead and proclaimed as the Son of God.

III. The core of New Age theology is that, “I am God.”[10]

A. According to New Age theology each of us has access to a supraconscious, creative, integrative, self-organizing, intuitive mind whose capabilities are apparently unlimited; this is the part of our consciousness that constitutes our God-likeness.[11]

B. According to New Age theology, sooner or later every human being will feel a call from the cosmos to ascend to godhood.[12]

C. “The Cosmic Humanist grants each individual the power of determining reality by creating or co-creating truth.”[13]

1. “Special revelation need not exist in books or in any other form outside of us, because each of us has our own special revelation in our higher consciousness, our own ability to get in touch with the part of us that is God.”[14]

2. “Inner soul-searching becomes the only significant means of discovering truth.”[15]

D. Christianity teaches that man is not God, but rather a creation of the one true God, who cannot by reason of his own faculties, comprehend God, much less be God.

1. Psalms 139: 13-16 reveals that man is a creation of God.

2. Genesis 1 teaches that man is a creation of God.

3. Isaiah 55:8, 9 teaches that God’s ways and thoughts are not comparable to man’s.

IV. New Age Theology consists of an “all is one consciousness.”

A. “It is important to understand that the belief that every individual is God and God is every individual is tied inextricably to the concept of consciousness.”[16]

1. “Because New Age theology has this “all is one” mentality, Cosmic Humanists necessarily believe that humanity can become attuned to all the powers of its godhood by achieving unity of consciousness.”[17]

2. New Age theology adheres to the “godlikeness within us; the perfect love, the perfect wisdom, the perfect understanding, the perfect intelligence, and when we do that, we create back to that old, that essential oneness which is consciousness.”[18]

B. According to New Age theology, “only the unity of all can bring the well-being of all.”[19]

C. The Bible teaches that God has dealt harshly in the past when man has attempted to assert his “godliness” through unity, and that only in Christ can men be truly united.

1. Genesis 11 tells of God’s reaction to a unified humanity’s attempt at godhood.

2. Galatians 3:28 speaks of the unity, the “oneness” we have in Christ.

V. New Age theology espouses the idea of reincarnation.[20]

A. The Bible, in Hebrews 9:27 teaches that once a man dies, then comes judgment.

B. II Samuel 12:23 implies that those who deny will not return in this life.

VI. New Age Theology is pantheistic in that it asserts that everything is God.

A. Pantheism is the very foundation of New Age theology.[21]

B. “Humanists worship the creation and the creator at the same time. For them, there is no difference.”[22]

C. New Age theology asserts that since we cannot “delineate between God and ourselves, how can we be certain that we can delineate between other living or dead things and God? Indeed, if all is one, perhaps everything that exists is God.”[23]

D. The Bible teaches that God is holy and entirely separate from his creation.

1. Romans 1:20 teaches that God’s attributes can be seen in his creation, but by definition he remains distinct from it.

2. Numbers 23:19 clearly says that God is not man, and therefore, man cannot be God.

3. Romans chapter one condemns the worship of creation.

Perhaps to summarize New Age theology, one could say,” every person and all reality is God, and therefore that any “truth” our inner self discovers is God’s truth. If we fail to realize our godhood in this lifetime, never fear! We’ll soon have another incarnation and another chance to achieve Christ consciousness. Ultimately, every person will achieve godhood, and total unity will be restored.”[24] By contrast, Christianity asserts that man along with everything else that has been created, both seen and unseen, has been created through and for Jesus .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“New Age Theology,” All About Worldview. http://www.allaboutworldview.org/new- age-theology.htm,

            1. “New Age Theology,” All About Worldview. http://www.allaboutworldview.org/new-age-theology.htm, (accessed October 21, 2011).

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14. Ibid.

15. Ibid.

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

21. Ibid.

22. Ibid.

23. Ibid.

24. Ibid.

Log Jam

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Did you know that you, yes you, were created so that God might be glorified in your life? God wants to take the good, the bad, and the ugly, transform you through your faith in Jesus, and then put you on display so that the people in your life will come face to face with the living God. Have you ever thought of this, that there are people who will never get to know Jesus if they don’t get introduced to him by you?

Starting in the Old Testament, go through the Bible and search out the scriptures that speak of God’s purpose in using his people to reveal himself to the world. Even the past that you so desperately try to forget about can be used by God as a tool for his glory. Look, we’ve all sinned, we’ve all terribly missed the mark of God’s holiness, but he has made a way for us to experience his forgiveness and restoration. And, he wants to use this process in your life as an object lesson, giving others something tangible to see, so that they too can come and experience his love. Someone out there needs to know what you’ve been through and how Jesus saved and is saving you. They need to hear it from you, and see Him in you! Somebody is waiting for you to allow God to use you for some “show & tell.”

You know what a lumberjack is right (google it)?  Huge numbers of trees are harvested and processed into forestry products by logging companies. Lumberjacks  are the guys that cut down those trees. One way they get this massive number of trees from one spot to another, is by floating all these logs down the river. Well, occasionally a log  gets turned askew and stops the flow, creating a log-jam. So, you got this one log (a “key-log”) that is keeping the rest of the logs from reaching their destination. Did you know that you are a “key-log” in someone’s life, and they are waiting for you to get “straightened out” so that they can get to Jesus? It’s not some “professional” preacher or evangelist that holds the key to saving your family and friends- it’s you. You are the key.

It all starts with you giving your life to Jesus. He invites us to come, turn away from our sin, and put our trust in him. He is the One who can get you “straightened out” so that all those behind you, caught up in the “log-jam,” can experience what it means to truly be alive in Him.

Jacob: Worshiping God, Reflecting on the Past

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

I was reading the story of Jacob as he was approaching death, and it provoked a couple of thoughts about worship I wanted to share with you. At the risk of being perceived as reading too much into a certain passage,  it seems to me that here, in this story, Jacob  reflected on the past, considered the present, and pondered the future,  and he was moved to worship. First, let’s go back.

“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” (Hebrews 11:21) We find this story originally told in Genesis 47, and I think it captures Jacob at his finest moment. Here is an old man who truly has lived a full life. He has seen and experienced so much, and now, at the end of it all, he worships.

I’m sure that Jacob, there bowing over his staff, remembered how it had all begun. He must have thought about how he had cheated his older brother out of the blessing that rightfully fell upon the eldest. He had had to flee for his life to his Uncle Laban’s house. And in Laban he had found someone as conniving as himself. Jacob had been cheated and manipulated by Laban, but he remembers now how God had been with him even then.  Jacob had only vowed to serve God if God would do certain things for him, and now, bowing over his staff, here at the end of his life, he recalled that God had been faithful beyond his wildest dreams.

Jacob remembers how he had wrestled all night with that mysterious “man” who dislocated his hip, giving him that limp that he walked with for the rest of his life. That “man” had blessed him and changed his name to Israel. It seemed so long ago now. Jacob recalls the fear he experienced when going back to meet his older brother Esau after so many years had passed. Then, there had been the rape of his daughter Dinah, and the subsequent murder of the rapist (along with the rest of the men of the city) by his sons Simeon and Levi. He remembers the death of his beloved Rachel for whom he had worked so hard.

Jacob had truly seen it all, and now here, at the end of his life, he can see how God had worked in it all, and he worships the Lord. Reflecting on the past, Jacob was moved to worship.

I don’t know what has happened to you in the past. Like Jacob, like all of us, there has probably been a mixture of love and pain. I’m sure there have been things done to you, things you’ve done to yourself,and pain you’ve brought to others. Can I tell you something? If you will let him, Jesus will give you the faith and love that will produce in you the ability to see your past in such a way that will actually cause you to worship the Lord. Jesus can bring you to a place, where you realize that the pain and suffering, all you have experienced in the past, was not meant to destroy you. It sounds crazy, I know, but in Christ; you will come to the place where you don’t deny the past, the pain, the hurt, the lies, etc…instead, you (like Jacob) will see that through it all God was bringing you to a place of intimacy with himself. Not only that, you will be able to glorify God as you encourage someone else who is going through circumstances similar to what you have experienced.  And, you will worship.

Leaves

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

I remember I hadn’t been in Christ that long, and I was riding up to the mountains with a group of people. It was fall, the leaves were changing, and I remember being totally overwhelmed by the beauty all around me. I must have really gone on about the leaves because I remember someone saying, “Yeah, and guess what; they do this every year.” They didn’t understand that I had been so caught up in my life, my sin, and all that goes along with it; I had been too busy to appreciate “little things” like the changing of the seasons. Jesus had saved me, I had been truly born again by the Spirit, and everything seemed new. Everything was new. My friends made fun of me a little because to them it was just another fall, and leaves have been changing like that for millennia. “Kyle, it’s only that you’re just now noticing it.”

So often we become caught up with things and think that it’s something new when in reality, that’s the way it has always been. So many of us in the church today are enamored with “new” things like, being authentic, community, relational discipleship, and (add your own catch phrase). To be honest, this is how it always has been. Perhaps I should say instead, this is how it has always been to the true disciple of Christ. True Christianity has always been about being authentic. True Christianity has always been about being in community with other believers (it’s called the body of Christ). True Christianity has always been about making disciples. Could it be that we have simply been so caught up in the business of religion, building personal kingdoms, and big “look at me” ministries that we have failed to notice what it means to be a real Christian?

This “church business” we are so addicted to is over folks. We have made religion our priority instead of Jesus. “The times, they are a changing.”  There is a danger though that the “new boss is the same as the old boss.” What do I mean? Well, if we make authenticity, community, relational discipleship, and (add your own catch phrase) our priorities; it’ll end up being the same old thing just with a different hat. The priority of the Christian has always been Jesus. Everything flows out of our intimacy with him. We don’t concentrate on things. We concentrate on Jesus, and as we abide in him; we bear much fruit.