I’m Henry Neufeld, owner of Energion Publications, and I want to welcome you to Under Christ’s Archy.
To find out more about what will be happening on this site, please read the home page. Writers will be gathering here and introducing themselves over the next few days.
I won’t be writing here except for this introduction, but I’m excited about the folks who have said ‘yes’ to the call to provide practical suggestions and resources for those who want to put the rule of Christ first—above all other archys!
We get this question frequently from readers of The Jesus Paradigm by David Alan Black. The easiest answer is to link to his essay with the same title.
(The following post is cross-posted from CPR – FIERCE CHRISTIAN LIVING, and was written by Renee Crosby. Renee is author of Energion title Soup Kitchen for the Soul. The post is copyright and is used here by permission.)
That is a picture of a home in my neighborhood in Denver, CO. where an eviction notice was executed May 10, 2011. Ever really thought about what oppression is? Well, the Webster definition of oppression is listed as, “Unjust or cruel exercise of authority of power.” But have you ever really wondered what oppression looks like? Well the above picture is worth a thousand words. One key word comes to my mind, oppression.
I offer my opinion on a relevant and sensitive topic regarding the state of our afflictions. These afflictions are part of our American culture and trends that require us to take a stand and take action. I am reminded of the quote we used to use in typing class in high school, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” Forget about the government aiding the people of our country. We need to rise up as the people of this country and aid the government. So what exactly am I rambling about? That picture is the picture of a person’s former home, now under eviction- executed. This picture is not staged. It is real. If that isn’t an unjust or cruel exercise of authority of power, I don’t know what is.
OK, so your counterpoint on the topic may be that they deserved it, they defaulted on their loan. Or, they had plenty of time to get their things out for they knew it was coming. All I’m asking is for a moment to put that aside, especially if you have never been close to anyone who has gone through this process. If you have never known anyone to go through this, let me paint a picture of their lives. As a culmination of people I have met along the way, a summary of their story and their state of economy might look something like this; a single mom with at least one child, no spousal support, no job, or a job, but with the cost of day care, not making enough to make ends meet. I have met people who have lost both parents and fallen into depression, lost jobs, and can’t function because of their illness, and can’t obtain adequate resources for even medicine. I have met a couple that work in construction and one broke her ankle, so they both are now homeless as they cannot maintain a residence with one income.
These are just everyday people struggling to make ends meet. Upon eviction, many often secure smaller housing, or secure shelter housing in which they have to place belongings in storage. They often live precariously with another family or extended family till they get back on their feet, again, placing belongings in storage. Or, they become homeless, living in a hotel, again, with no place to put any belongings. These families are challenged in securing food, heat, hot water and other basic necessities. Their choices center on paying for a truck rental, gas, and storage rental or buying basic needs like food. The choices center on taking time off of work to move their own belongings because they can’t pay movers. Many have only part time jobs that offer no benefits of paid days off from work. So, the end result is they either leave their belongings in the evicted house, or put some or all of their things in storage.
So, what exactly is my issue with this cruel use of power when executing eviction notices of emptying the house of all belongings? Let’s be clear here, it is shameful, strips all dignity, humiliates, degrades, pours salt on wounds, kicks them when they are down, embarrasses, and oppresses. It also is a safety issue for the neighborhood and children playing. It is also a property value issue for the neighborhoods vying for new buyers or renters. NO ONE deserves this kind of treatment. No one should be so stripped of their dignity. No one should have to have this happen in their neighborhood. No parent should be at risk of a child getting hurt or injured from curiosity playing in a mound of belongings. It is unethical. It is not a liberal or conservative problem. It’s a social justice problem. It has to be stopped.
We have to rise up and take action now because this epidemic of evictions is not even close to being over. “Data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that about 3.7 million properties are in this seriously delinquent stage.” This stage refers to home loans that are in foreclosure, pending some action like loan modifications, short sales and possibly other disposition alternatives. That is only the current properties on a list that may well end up in eviction. That doesn’t include the mass numbers of evictions already executed since the mortgage crash, and future homes entering the foreclosure process. And, I might add these figures don’t capture the number of people who don’t own homes, but rent and have been evicted or will be evicted in the near future.
However, the up side of the story about this oppressive action is that we can do something about it! I was always taught that if you identify a problem, also offer a solution. So, what do we do? I believe there are many transitional solutions to alleviate the problem that can be done, such as one sheriff in Hamilton, OH is doing. It is reported that he ordered deputies to ignore eviction orders when people have nowhere else to live. Or find support money to locally fund vouchers for assisting with truck rentals, gas and storage units. But in the long-term, the solution perhaps is to push for a law to forbid such oppressive action. The law might even look like stating that all processing evictions must safely and responsibly remove belongings by securing items in a dumpster. That seems reasonable to me. Or, perhaps the belongings could stay in the facility until a new owner is secured, and the new owners are somehow compensated for the cost of removing the belonging (again safely and responsibly removing).
FIERCE topic- well that goes without saying. But how about some FIERCE action? I implore you, please don’t just read this and do nothing. But, you ask, “What can you do?” Well, right now like me, you can raise awareness of this issue and talk about it. Share this article. I will be contacting the Metro Organizations for People, the Denver Homeless Coalition and others to see how I can help change this. When I get some activity on a resolution, I will let you know, and hope the media will as well.
Be FIERCE ya’ll. Be FIERCE. Help pass the blog on…email friends, “like on facebook.
(Today’s post is from Pastor D. Kevin Brown. Pastor Brown is author of the book Rite of Passage, forthcoming from Energion Publications. He blogs at, you guessed it, D Kevin Brown’s Blog.)
Last year in the association in which the church I pastor is a member, there was reported 200 people baptized with total receipts of almost $8 million. Do you know what that tells me? That tells me we as an association spent almost $40,000 per person to get them baptized and brought to Jesus. This is well above the per capita family income of a typical family in our county! That’s an amazing statistic! If you think we spent $40,000 on evangelism and missions per person to reach them, you would be mistaken. We spend our money tithing to ourselves. We spend money on our “fun.” Most churches (and ours is no different and we’re working on it), spend as much money on literature, supplies and utilities as we do on missions. God help us for our misplaced priorities!
The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
It’s up to us, the Church, to start reaching this nation again. I read recently in the NC Baptist “Connect” magazine that a church that has been around for 10-15 years or more gains nearly 80% of their new members by transfer growth (that’s swapping members), while a church that is a new church plant will gain nearly 60-80% of their new members from folks that have never attended church anywhere and are most likely lost. Why? Because the older churches get lazy!
You see, we have to pay off our buildings, in which we see less than a couple handfuls of people saved each year. We have to pay for our buses and our vans, as they cart us to and fro from activity to activity that reaches few if any with the gospel. We must pay for our burgeoning staffs (because the lay people don’t want to do much of anything anymore.) It seems we’d rather pay to have it done than get our hands dirty. It’s almost like people are saying: “Don’t try this at home—let the professionals do it, because it may be dangerous for our health.”
We continue to fund a myriad of programs (of which, many are so ineffective for reaching people with the gospel that we’re afraid to ask why we still have them), yet we hang on to these sacred cows because we’re afraid of a little blood just so we can keep the flock happy. And all the while, the new church plant is nimble enough and may I say hungry enough to “seek and save that which is lost,” because they “don’t know any better.” They aren’t burdened down yet with all the stuff that a “good” church is supposed to have.
We are involved in a war—a war for the hearts, souls, and minds of our children and our families. The Church in the last 50 years has failed to transmit its religious heritage to the next generation. Sermons, in many of our churches across America, are now more “therapeutic” than instructional; our worship services have become grounded more in what we “feel” than in what we think and know about Scripture.
Why is it that the Church, by and large, no longer represents the power of the “action” of God in the world?” I’ll tell you why. Because we have compromised the gospel. The Church has quit training and evangelizing. The church is literally dying a slow death in America; that is imperceptible to most, but nonetheless is happening simply because we are not reproducing ourselves. Church attendance continues to drop in America and we’re down now to around 30% of Americans attending services on a given Sunday. You see, the goal of Christianity must be to advance God’s kingdom on earth. Let me be very clear. The purpose of the Church is to be God’s “missionary people” in the world. We are to be adding to the flock…not just fattening those that are already in the flock, those who are already safe and sound.
Isn’t it time to seriously look at all of our programs and ministries and ask if they are effective and if they’re not…then, let’s pull out the butcher knife. I am firmly convinced there is no partnership in Christ without partnership in missions. Are we mission-minded? Is it really our TOP priority or just “one” of many priorities in our churches?
Oh have we forgotten our mission? If we are going to be relevant to this “lost and dying” world, we are going to have to remember what our purpose is and what our mission is to be. We’ve got to care about and love what Jesus loved. What did He love? Not a “what,” but a “who.” People, people, people! He said, “I have come to seek and to save that which is lost.” That’s our mission! As congregations, we must intentionally live as God’s missionary people. It’s only then that the church will emerge to become what Christ created it to be and it’s only then that we will truly be salt and light and see dramatic changes within the cultural fabric of our churches and thus, this nation. The purpose of the body of Christ is to make Jesus visible to the world Monday through Saturday…not just to ourselves on Sunday. Are we on mission at our jobs in our schools on the ball fields and dance studios? You don’t have to be a preacher or missionary to be in the “ministry.” We are all ambassadors of the Gospel…remember?
But, if we’re going to be on mission then we must overcome a significant hurdle. What is that? The great American Dream? Has the Church in this nation become like the church of Laodicea. Rev. 3:17 shows us this type of church: “We are rich, having acquired great wealth and are in need of nothing? But we don’t realize that we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Jesus called that church lukewarm and it makes Him sick to His stomach to the point of vomiting. Is that what He sees when He looks at us? Oh, please forgive us Lord!
You know when you boil it down; it all comes down to priorities doesn’t it? We must remember who we are and what we are to be about as the Church. After all, aren’t we the body of Christ? We must remember we are to be His hands and feet. The Apostle Paul tells us so in Ephesians 3:11-12:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
So, it’s my job as a pastor to equip. Right? That’s what we just read…yet…churches expect the pastors to do everything in many cases. And do you know what else? People like me, (pastors and preachers), have made things this way. We’ve spoiled our people. Think about it. The average pastor puts in around 15-20 hours a week in message preparation. He gets paid on average a salary of around $45,000 a year, (I’m estimating here), and there are somewhere around 310,000 churches in the U.S. Add all that up, and you’ll see that every week American churches invest right at $140 million in preaching. That’s a major investment, and what’s the return on that investment? Church attendance is on the decline. The percentage of people claiming to know Christ is plummeting, and the moral fiber of our culture is ripping apart. Can’t we see that we’re missing the boat as Christians and as churches?
Preaching alone is good, but it won’t save the masses. We must personally be ambassadors for Christ as we daily “take up our crosses and follow Jesus and bear fruit for Him.” We must be paramedics with the Gospel (take it to them), not just ambulances (trying to get them to a building). Once we lead them to Jesus, we must disciple them. But, discipling is hard. It’s time-consuming and not easy because we have to roll up our sleeves and invest in other’s lives.
So, will we do it? Will we do the hard things and make our churches mission-minded? Will we brandish the knife and slaughter some sacred cows and stop tithing to ourselves? Will we become more concerned about what is happening outside the walls of our churches instead of paying for our own comforts inside those walls? I pray we will. And I pray that missions will once again become our top priority just as it was our Savior’s.
(Energion author Nick May (Megabelt) posted the following on Facebook, and it is reproduced here with his permission. For his Facebook friends, the post is here.)
Several years ago, I learned about something called “The Word on the Street” which is a take on the Bible whose modernized terms make The Message read like T.S. Elliot. This is how the author, Rob Lacey, tells the story of Peter walking on water (in beautiful, scripturally appropriate italics): Sometime, three maybe four in the morning, Jesus walks out to them across the waves. Freaked out, they scream, “Ghost!” as one man. Before they’ve time to scream again Jesus shouts, “Whoa! Don’t panic! It’s me.” “If it’s you, Boss,” shouts Pete. “give me a go?!” “Come on, then,” says Jesus. So Pete swings his leg over the boat and tests out the water – and his foot doesn’t go under! The other leg joins it. It takes his weight. Seconds later he’s walking across the lake towards Jesus – on the water! He’s doing fine till a face full of wind slaps him back to normality. He freezes, loses focus and starts going under, screaming, “Grab me, Jesus!” Jesus does and holds Pete there saying, “Chicken! Why’d you bottle it?”
Lacey refers to his own rendition of the story as a paraphrase–saying on the back cover, “This is not THE Bible.” I can appreciate that (though I think it’s a bit of a cop-out). Whereas Lacey takes all kinds of liberties with chopping things up, cutting things out and mixing things around, he never attempts to do anything it shouldn’t by claiming it is something it isn’t. Listen, it’s okay if you were thinking, “Dang, it’s too bad the Bible can’t speak to me the way a friend would at a urinal.” That’s a normal reaction to experiencing something simple; however, despite the striking resemblance the story bares to it’s more widely accepted translations, you’re probably still a little apprehensive about some of the language. What if a chunk of divinity got left out when Lacey switched some of the adverbs around?! Give me a break. If it’s root words you’re worried about, get a Strong’s Concordance or a Greek & Hebrew Bible and go nuts just like you have to do with all the other translations which don’t include any words ending in the suffix, -os.
I’m sure I’m just now joining a debate that’s nearly a decade old, and this isn’t me arguing for The Word on the Street’s inclusion into The Family Christian Bookstore’s Biblical canon (not yet anyway). I just have a hard time believing that a translation like The Message deserves to be treated any differently than ones like the NIV or NASV did when they first came on the scene. It both sickens and comforts me to think there are probably still those who believe the New International Version is merely a paraphrase of the almighty King James Version–commissioned under and named for King James I who was a real tool (in case my holiness audience didn’t know). There’s not an inch of me that believes I’m only getting an abbreviated dose of inspiration when I read The Message. The story is what it is. We’re all kidding ourselves if we think anything we read that doesn’t come in a scroll is anywhere close to accurate. That doesn’t worry me. The Council of Nicaea worries me. If Rob Lacey decided to ever write a Street version that didn’t leave anything out or include personal commentary, I’d read that thing like it was infallible too, and I wouldn’t apologize for it.
My musical friends always rag me for not accepting the gospel of Jack White. They say the guy is worthy of being counted among the ranks of guitar greats despite his age and length of time spent in the sphere. I say different. I say old Jacko hasn’t paid his dues, and therefore, doesn’t deserve to be showered with praise and glory just yet (regardless of his undeniable skill)–sharing DVD features with dudes like Kieth Richards and “The Edge” (that pompous tool). It’s this way of thinking that leads people to believe that a translation like The Message hasn’t earned it’s place amongst the pews. Anyone still go to a church with pews? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Sorry for the outdated imagery. It hasn’t paid it’s dues yet, so it doesn’t deserve to be counted with the rest, right?. It’s like that pocket New Testament Message came dribbling along back in ’93 or whenever, and all the other Bibles were like, “Woah there, LeBron! Not so fast. We know you’re a star, but we’re still going to bench you for a few seasons, just so you know your place.”
I think we’re all just being a little too nice and a little too respectful of some elusive crowd of traditionalists that we abdicated from a long time ago. Jesus spoke in simple terms–teaching through the vehicles of farming and fishing because of the application value. I don’t think there’s a diagram that shows acceptable Bibles and unacceptable Bibles. It’s more like a gradual time-line where the difference is never the content but the context. It would be one thing if Rob Bell came out with a version where Mary wasn’t a virgin or eternal Hell wasn’t a circumstance…oh wait.
(This question was brought to me recently, and I asked Energion author Elgin Hushbeck, Jr. to write a short response. Elgin is author of Evidence for the Bible, Christianity and Secularism, and Preserving Democracy. — Henry Neufeld)
Some Christians believe that Baptism is necessary for one to be saved. Supporters point to Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned” (ISV). Here, they claim, Jesus commands that we be baptized. As one supporter put it,
How much clearer must we have it said by the Lord Himself than this… Why would Jesus tell His disciples to baptize if it were not necessary? Don’t you think that if the Lord had intended baptism to be optional that He would not have made such a strict command out of it here.
The problem, however, is that it could have been clearer. Notice that only belief is mentioned in both parts of statement. Thus to be clearer Mark could have written the second half as “but whoever doesn’t believe or is not baptized will be condemned.” That would have been very clear. It would also be clearer if baptism was consistently mentioned as a requirement for salvation, but it isn’t. There are many passages which discuss what must be done to be saved that do not mention baptism.
When Jesus was directly asked in John 6:28-9, “‘What must we do to perform the actions of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the action of God: to believe in the one whom he has sent’” (ISV). If baptism were required, why didn’t he mention it? If baptism were required for salvation, how could Paul say that Christ did not send him to baptize (1 Cor 1:17)?
But there is a deeper issue here, one that goes to the core of how we are saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting” (ISV).
Salvation is God’s work in us. We can accept it or we can reject it, but we cannot earn it. The real problem with saying that baptism, or any other work, is required for salvation is that it means that Christ’s death on the Cross is insufficient; that something else is needed. It would hold, contrary to Ephesians 2:8-9, that salvation is not completely a gift but something that must be earned, at least in part, as the result of the action of being baptized. One can believe that baptism is necessary, or one can believe Ephesians 2:8-9. It is not possible to hold both and remain consistent.
Does this mean that we don’t need to be baptized? As the supporter above asked, “Why would Jesus tell His disciples to baptize if it were not necessary?” Jesus commanded a lot of things. If took all of them as requirements for salvation, we truly would be putting ourselves back under the law. Fundamentally this confuses what is important with what is required.
But if they are not required for salvation, why do we follow them? John 14:21-24 lays this out. As verse 23 says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” We are not baptized to be saved. We do not avoid sin to be saved. We do not serve others to be saved. If we do any of this to earn salvation, our works will be as filthy rags. Rather, we should do all of this and more, out of love. We serve our Lord and Savior because we love him. A gift offered to earn something will be judged based on it merit, a gift offered in love, will be judge based on the love in which it was offered.
I have a painted rock sitting on my desk. It has sat there for over two decades now. It is not some expensive piece of abstract art. And for many people, it is just a rock with sort of face on it. But for me it is very valuable. This is because it was given to me by my daughter, and it was given in love.
That is how God looks at our works as well. Not for their intrinsic merit, but for the love in which they are offered.
by Herold Weiss
It would seem that in the gospel accounts of the crucifixion a scene is missing. None of them tells us that when the disciples saw Jesus being crucified, one of them (we would think that it should have been Peter) said, “Everything is going ahead according to plan. Let’s go home and wait for Sunday.” On the contrary, all the gospels tell us that at the crucifixion the disciples were all disoriented, and that on Sunday, confronted with the fact that Jesus was alive, they were greatly surprised. We have been left to choose from among unsavory explanations. Either the disciples were really dumb and did not get what Jesus was plainly telling them all along, or the presentation of the life of Jesus as a pre-established march to the cross is the product of theological reflection. Mark’s Gospel is obviously aware of the problem and goes out of its way to paint the disciples as really dumb. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which were written using Mark as a source, take pains to make the disciples look a bit more attractive.
Undoubtedly, for the early disciples who went out to proclaim the salvation brought about by the cross and the resurrection, the crucifixion was very problematic from a public relations standpoint. Paul admits it was a curse to the Jews and nonsensical to the Greeks.
In Christian theological reflection, however, it was essential to the salvation of humankind. It had been determined before the foundation of the world. When Jesus was born, he was destined to die on a cross. We have all seen marvelous paintings from the Renaissance onward of the Madonna and Child with baby John the Baptist beside them holding a miniature cross for Jesus’ benefit. In other words, it had been preordained that Jesus would die on a cross. In the gospels Jesus says, “It is necessary that the Son of Man” or “The Son of Man must suffer many things . . . and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Philosophically, things may be classified as either contingent or necessary. What made the death of Christ on the cross necessary? Was there no other way for the Almighty to save humanity? I would think that if God is Almighty God could have saved the world in thousands of other ways. Some would argue that all things in this world are contingent on other things.
What made the cross of Christ necessary, it would seem, was theological reflection on the fact that the Risen One had died on a cross. For the first disciples to understand this unforeseeable, disqualifying, horrendous, dishonorable death as part of the life of the Risen Lord was to conceive it as willed by an Almighty God who knows and controls everything in the universe. For Jesus’ contemporaries it would have been impossible to worship a God in whose universe the agent of salvation suffers crucifixion against God’s will. For the disciples the Roman execution needed to be imagined theologically. In this process conflicting metaphors became useful. His cross was a sacrifice, the ransom payment, the down payment, the lifting up of the serpent in the desert, the glorification (talk about an oxymoron!), the harrowing of hell, etc. All this made perfect sense to ancients who lived in a traditional culture where security was dependent on things being set firmly on what God wills.
For us moderns, or post-moderns, however, this is not very comforting. We find it difficult to worship a God who is not just, and in our vision of justice the freedom of individuals is essential to our humanity. This means that a Jesus who lacks freedom is not quite a human being. If he was born with everything predetermined –born to die on a cross– we find him rather less than a full human confronted with the pressure of making choices facing an open future. To face a closed future in which the only way out is a cross is not just. It dehumanizes the person required to live under such conditions. While for Jesus’ contemporaries the human ideal was to live life as it had been fated, the Stoics would say “according to nature,” for us it is to exercise freedom. For them freedom was limited to specific relationships. For us freedom is an inalienable right. We find it hard to think of Jesus without it. Did Jesus go through life having to make only one choice which, once he made it correctly, left him in a state of static perfection? Did he not have to go through the normal human stages of development facing the choices appropriate to them? Did he end up on a cross because it had been determined from before the foundation of the world that he must? Or because, on account of the choices he made as a full human, he developed a character and determined for himself the highest standard of integrity? How these questions are answered depends on whether one thinks of them historically or theologically. Thinking theologically, like the evangelists do in their gospels, the answers to these questions are not necessarily historically precise. But here we are not in search of an explanation. What we wish for is understanding of the ways of God, and that can be obtained only imaginatively, creatively, metaphorically. That is what is really marvelous about the cross. The cross is the ultimate symbol because no one is tempted to think that it accomplished our salvation on account of its actuality (unless, of course, you are Mel Gibson). As a Roman execution it was just one more historical event. As the death that was determined before the foundation of the world, it destroyed the power of death over humanity for the believers of the first century. For those of us who think that Jesus used his freedom to discover his vocation and to chose his future, because otherwise he would not have been a human like us, his crucifixion confronts us with the need to reformulate creatively, imaginatively and metaphorically the meaning of this most central of symbols. (Herold Weiss is author of Energion title Finding My Way in Christianity: Recollections of a Journey.)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.
I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.
Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.
My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments.
Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.
I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end. Psalm 105-112 (NLT) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
It’s the time of the year that gift-giving has become the media headline and an obsession of most breathing persons. We have taken over the job of Santa Claus and have made lists that we are checking twice, three times… oh, admit it! We have lost count as to how much we check our lists and try to figure a way for our limited funds to cover the wishes of the recipients. Many of us struggle to learn, and in turn teach our children, the true meaning of Christmas. We desire to focus on the Gift of Jesus the Messiah and be the givers that Jesus taught us to be. How do we change? How do we truthfully teach our children? Here is a truth: Nothing of good and lasting change will come without a price. So what am I willing to spend to make a change? I believe there are Three Steps. Simple but not necessarily easy. Step One:Bible Study. Simple. Too simple, you say? If you are not giving at least 30 minutes to Bible study every day, then do not knock what you haven’t tried!
Think about how many people are “members” of your church. How many attend 3 out of 4 Sabbaths/month? How many also attend Sunday School or a weekly small group? If attending a class, does the class require some reading/study outside the 30 minute class or is the teacher spoon-feeding the members what he/she believes?
There are no shortcuts to Bible study. That is why “they” call it study. Unlike some of the subjects I had to devote my time in school, the time I spend reading the words that God gave are relevant to my life and I do use them every day. Every time I read passages in my study time, I come away with some “nugget” that teaches me, encourages me, or just makes me thinkabout what I believe. This simple first step has had a profound effect on my life. God has used it to speak to me. 1 Peter was the anchor that I held during a divorce. Luke 22 and John 14-16 began my healing after my son died. 1 Corinthians 13 is among several passages that speak into my marriage today. Step Two: Words to Action. If I had a manual to teach me how to paint my house but never did what the manual told me, my house would still be the same brown color it is now. Studying the Bible is the first step; putting God’s words into action is the second step.
It takes God’s Word and His Spirit to direct me in the path that He has for me. God has a purpose and a plan for me to fulfill that purpose. He has and will continue to gift me for that purpose. I remember when God opened the door for me to be a part of His mission to Hungary. Yes, the country in Eastern Europe. That country had never come into my plan for my life! And the opening was about doing a children’s camp, much like a Vacation Bible School that are a common occurrence in the summer here in the States. I was flabbergasted! I have never done a children’s Sunday School class. I have done children’s musicals but I was always very clear – I teach the music, someone else organizes and keeps control of all the little ones! I was panicked at the idea of leading a team to a foreign country I knew little about and do two two-week camps! Finally, in my prayers that quiet voice of the Holy Spirit got through to me and said, “I did not ask you to do it all, Jody! I just asked you to organize the team and make it happen.” Sure enough, God already had a woman picked out with teaching giftings to work with children. And she knew others and we knew some more and before you know it we had about 15 people to come in two waves to do the camps. We were just God’s instruments to empower the others. God just needs willing, obedient hearts. Step Three: Fellowship. We are not islands. God tells us we are His Body, each a part with a function and made to work together. He teaches us that as we grow in Him we produce fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. We need the fruit in order to work together as He wants us to do – in unity.
I am not going to lie or sugar-coat this step. I have found it difficult to connect with a fellowship. I am not looking for a “perfect” fellowship because then I could not be a part of it! I am looking for a group of people who want to reach out and welcome those who do not know Jesus. A fellowship that will then nurture (disciple) those new to faith in Jesus no matter their “station” in the world and challenge me to grow in my faith in Jesus. I look for worship that isn’t started with an “order” that cannot be flexible or stopped by a clock. I haven’t found that fellowship. Today, at this moment, I am wondering if God isn’t asking me to “infect” the fellowship of which I am a part. It seems I have been a part of that struggle for a very long time. But not as long as Jesus has! If I am His disciple, His ambassador in this world, can I do no less?
And so I come back to giving. Jesus is showing me how to give in ways that do not cost money. I may not see this side of heaven what my giving may mean in the Kingdom. God is asking for willing and obedient hearts. The rest is His to direct and complete.
As we go to church on Christmas Eve and sing Silent Night let us take a moment and bow our heads and ask God, “What would you like me to giveYou, my King?” If my ears are truly open, I have a feeling that the answer will be quick. Listen.
This song by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant is worth a listen. Sung by Amy Grant, I Need a Silent Night
I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.John 15: 11-15 (The Message)
The above scripture carries one phrase that jumps out where friends are concerned: Put your life on the line for your friends. What a blessing it is to have real friends who actually put actions to those words. I pray that I can be that kind of friend as well.
Several years ago, through a series of miraculous circumstances, I became involved with an incredible group of people in Atlanta. We had just lost my husband of 18 years and were far from home, unable to receive comfort from family and friends of old. God used this new group, and especially its leader, to change my life in ways that I know will be impacting me until I reach my real home in Heaven. Drew Sewell, Founder of Impact, far left, overseeing Impact site set-up and still carrying on company business, May 2010
The first time that I ever spoke to Drew Sewell was on the telephone. My husband, Victor, had mistakenly ended up at his plastics company, looking for another company where he had an interview. When Victor left in order to be on time for his appointment, Drew called our home phone number immediately to see if he was coming back because he wanted to offer him a better job. He said, “I don’t know where you are in your faith, ma’am, but I don’t think he was here by accident.” We both know now that it was no accident. Drew held up his end and had the Maintenance Supervisor interview Victor. He was hired that week. Victor worked there for 2 days, became ill, and died 3 months later. We were all in shock, and at that time, could not understand why our meeting had taken place at all. Through Victor’s illness, there were phone calls and hospitals visits, and one time even a check, from this man whom we had only known a few weeks. He attended the funeral and brought with him another person who became very important to me as well. She even drove to Florida for Victor’s second memorial service. The stories of God’s love through them are countless during this time. That was the first embodiment of John 15:12.
Over the next year, Drew and several people from his company, continued to stay in contact with me as they had done during his illness. The care, concern, emails, calls, and actions that he and others shared during Victor’s illness and afterwards shone like a bright light, one that I knew was coming from the heart of God. It drew me like a magnet to them and to something called Impact that they began talking about almost a year later. Impact site, Atlanta, GAImpact is an all-day event that happens in one of the darkest places in Atlanta, GA. People are offered a meal, music, prayer, and all kinds of resources that they may need while they are living in less than desirable conditions. Through one person’s obedience to a God-given call, the love of God for a hurting people draws together businesses, churches, government agencies, and countless individuals to bring about change wherever these events are set up. The main offerings at these events are just the love of God and a hand-up in a time of need. They come at first for the “stuff” that we give away, but they end up staying with us all day because we want them to stay. We show them that desire by loving on them, accepting them just as they are, and offering them the Hope that is inside of us. It’s a Light that they are drawn to and are letting get brighter in their own lives as they see more of Jesus in those around them. Sharing the love he has been given, Drew welcomes guests and volunteers, May 2010
Working at these events since 2007, we have seen so many miracles. There is no other word, truly. But the thing that has changed me the most is watching Drew. It is hard to think of a person who serves so many so selflessly. He gives of his time by going out to the streets and talking with and loving on the most unlovable people. They actually stink, and yet there he is, hugging them and hanging out with them–a big business man who could easily just take another route home. Seeing his actions, feeling compassion for them in my own heart but not knowing what to do, I just began to follow his lead. After awhile, the stink didn’t bother me either! It became clear that the act of loving them was changing them, from the inside out, and I was hooked, too. Driving out there on that street, we wave at people and stop and talk to them by name–they are a part of our lives now. There is no separation between us because it is love that is there now and love that has leveled the playing field.
He selflessly gives of his money in the most creative ways. Before they closed down the two most popular restaurants, I used to watch him drive up and buy “feasts” as I called them–enough food for 5-10 people. He would just hand them over to one of the leaders on the street and a small group would come running up. They were respectful, appreciative, and generous with what they had been given. They, too, were following Drew’s example in the way that they could, even if it was only in passing out a meal that they had been given. Again, following his lead, even though I don’t have his money, I began sharing a meal at Wendy’s or buying someone a soda or even toilet paper. Doing so has created a new heart within me. Honestly, I can’t even go into the store anymore without thinking “Do I really need this? What if I were on the street, would this even really matter?”
Seeing a person like Drew with so much money but who lives like a regular person and gives away what I know he gives away–well, let’s just say that that’s where my prayer to be blessed with money came from. It won’t be for me, Lord, because giving it away is so much fun!! This past May, the Lord gifted me with a rather large windfall that I was able to use in this way. I say this, not to say anything about me, but to pass on what a blessing it was to just give away what He gave me. All my needs had been met, and seriously, what “stuff” did I really need? It was the best “spending spree” I ever went on, the most fun I had ever had paying my tithe because I actually saw where it went and results, with a lesson that I will never forget, thanks to Drew’s selfless example. That windfall hasn’t repeated itself, but there have been other times when a lesser windfall found its way onto the streets or into the home of a resident or two. See, it’s not the amount that matters—it’s the heart and the desire to give what you may not want to give for fear you won’t have what you “need.” Whether it’s $70 or your last 53 cents—God watches the heart of the giver. That’s what watching Drew serve others has taught me. Across the street from the site, Drew, right, invites area residents to join us for services, May 2010
Many times, I hear Drew say “there but for the grace of God, go I” and know in my own heart that without God’s grace and mercy, I, too, would be on that street–that’s a fact for another story. People all around us are walking the streets—even in their own hearts, if not in the natural. Watching Drew love and serve every person the same has changed my life forever. I see the difference that he makes in people’s lives, whether they walk the streets, the halls of his company, or meet him the way that I did. His example has influenced me in ways that I am still only learning–ministry, business, and life–God has used this man in a mighty way, and I am privileged to call him friend and brother. A group of guests receiving prayer at Impact
Last year, when I moved back to Atlanta, a door opened for me to become more involved with Impact on a full-time basis. One of the most important tasks that I believe God has given me through this opportunity to work with Drew is to help share the message of John 15:12, which is Drew’s vision for Impact. Drew’s example might be what we share, but he is only following the example of Jesus–and that is the real message. We may not be preachers, but we are called to deliver a message that we pray is now, and will forever, change the hearts of the Body of Christ. As we talk to others in all walks of life about assisting us with Impact, it is within us to move them to do only what Jesus asks us to do every day of our lives—put your life on the line for your friends. Whether it’s at an event or just driving down the street today, hurting people need to see Him in their lives through His example in our lives. And after all, isn’t that where the rubber meets the road?
by Herold Weiss
Step One: Bible Study. Simple. Too simple, you say? If you are not giving at least 30 minutes to Bible study every day, then do not knock what you haven’t tried!
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