God is Speaking

Have you ever had a Scripture jump off the page right into your heart? I’m sure you have! In theological terms, we refer to those times as “Kairos” moments. A “now word” from God. A word in time. A word from the throne, a promise for whatever you’re experiencing at a precise moment in time. During this pandemic, I believe God wants to give a “now word” to keep His people in check.

Recently, Matthew 8:8 spoke powerfully to me: ”And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, ‘Lord my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fully tormented.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion said,, ‘Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.’”

“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such greater faith with anyone in Israel’....And the man was healed that very moment.” (Matthew 8:5-10, 13).

When God speaks, things happen! Four words invaded my spirit when I read this passage. I too marveled at the centurion’s faith -- “Just say the word…” My faith was elevated when I was reminded that God is still speaking today in the middle of this Coronavirus pandemic. Like you, I need all of heaven’s encouragement I can get!

“Just speak the word…” This same God, who spoke the worlds into existence during creation, still speaks today. His creative Word formed the sun, moon stars and everything else we see. In Genesis 1, we read nine times where “God spoke.” And every time He spoke, He formed something out of nothing.

I love what the centurion said: “Just speak the word…” He evidently had seen Jesus speak other miracles into being. The spoken word in that very moment healed the centurion’s servant! This same God wants to speak into our lives today.

You too may need healing. You may wonder how you’re going to fare financially. The needs are incredible at a time like this. I need the Lord to speak into the uncertainties of my life. I want to be like Samuel, who while being mentored by the High Priest, Eli, said, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

This is a world-wide pandemic.  I believe God is speaking to responsive hearts all over the earth. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered at creation, so God is hovering over the earth, waiting with great anticipation to speak to those who fear Him. The nations seem to be reeling under fear and great anxiety.  Governments remain uncertain regarding right decisions. But God is speaking. Daniel’s God is still on the throne of the universe. Daniel, an obscure man in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, was raised up to speak to the nations, and I believe God is still raising up accurate prophetic voices to guide today’s dilemma.  

But understand something.  You too can hear from God. He’s speaking to the world, to nations, to states, to communities, and TO YOU!  Just as Jesus commanded turbulent waters to calm, he desires to speak peace into our individual lives during this time of turbulence.  We have never navigated the present troubled waters -- no one has! We’re all in the same boat! And we need Jesus to speak peace. He spoke healing over the centurion’s servant and He spoke peace over the panicky disciples, and He wants to speak peace, provision, or whatever into your life today.  Ask Him!

Coupled with Matthew 8:8, the Lord alo spoke Isaiah 30:15 into my spirit.  This was a “now Word” for me, and I want to pass it along to you. “For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest,  you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength…” During Israel’s turbulent days, the prophet addressed the nation as a whole, but also directed his remarks to individuals. 

Pandemic storms may rage, but we as followers of Jesus Christ are promised peace in the midst of tumult.  He wants to give every believer -- that means YOU -- a “now Word,” one that will hold you steady during these uncertain times.

Our medical profession has asked us to practice social distancing.  When in groups less than ten, to practice the “six-feet rule.” Crowds of more than ten are strongly urged not to gather.  I can’t help but feel God is using these dynamics to draw us away from others into His presence. The Lord is asking for an audience of one!  God wants to give YOU a “now Word.” You need one! He’s still speaking and He has a message crafted specifically for you!  

I appreciate what our government is doing, and I pray earnestly for our President and the many other front-liners, so I beg you, don’t waste your time wasting time!

Use this interruption to get before the Lord .  Open His Word with a humble, searching heart. Like Isaiah suggested, “Seek repentance and rest.” You will be saved (from external stimuli) that threatens your peace.  Cultivate a daily quiet time with the Lord and place your trust in Him. He wants to keep you strong!

Listen intently and honestly as you search the Scriptures.  What is the Lord asking you to change in your life? Do you continue to harbor secret sins?   Have you grown complacent in your Christian life and service? What attitudes have you fostered that are counterproductive to your spiritual well being?  Are you angry? Is there someone you need to forgive? Do you struggle with sexual lust? The Lord wants to speak specifically to you! He will lovingly confront you, convict you, and by His grace show you a better way!  Isn’t He wonderful?

During this pandemic, I remain committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  I remain “confident of this one thing -- that “He who began a good work in me (over 49 years ago), will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). 

God is speaking.  Listen!  

The Little Things

Rosie reminded me the other day that little things pack a powerful punch in regards to the Christian life.  Those things seldom talked about that make someone’s day. 

Rosie is blind and spends most of her day either lying in bed or sitting in her wheelchair, taking in the sounds of familiar voices.  She is sweetness personified!  Jesus is her best friend and she is quick to talk about him to anyone who visits her.  Her infamous saying is, “God loves you and I love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

This 86 year-old victim of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a widow who was never blessed with children, so she poured her life into her husband and church work.  Boy, does she have stories to tell!

Because of swallowing problems, Rosie has been forced to eat her food pureed.  I refer to it as “grown up baby food.”  Each time I visit her, she mentions – several times – what she wouldn’t do for a piece of barbecued chicken.  Note to self:  “One day make her day!”

Recently, Rosie woke up experiencing severe melancholy.  Sadness captured her heart and she asked the Lord, “Do you really love me and are you really with me?  Lord, I need to know you haven’t left me.” 

Rosie then petitioned the Lord:  “If you really love me, then have someone bring me barbecued chicken today.” Tears flowed as the little woman prayed in earnest. 

While traveling mid-morning to visit Rosie, I had a lot on my mind, and barbecued chicken was not one of them.  However, as I turned west toward Rosie’s skilled living facility, the thought entered my mind:  “Buy Rosie some barbecued chicken.” The Lord made it easy for me too. Immediately to my right was a Kentucky Fried Chicken! 

Minutes later I found Rosie in the dining room preparing to eat her pureed food.  I said, “Rosie, it’s Chaplain Roger and guess what?  I brought you that barbecued chicken meal I promised you.”

Rosie began to cry and then her crying turned to joy.  She shouted for all in the room to hear:  “You DO LOVE ME,” she yelled.  That little lady cried, shouted and praised the Lord for five minutes before she settled down to eat her ”finger licking good” chicken tenders, smothered in barbecue sauce.   After telling me her story, I too rejoiced.  That day a mighty woman of God, who suffered a temporary lapse in faith, found renewed assurance of God’s love and concern for her through a barbecued chicken meal.

You see, sometimes God uses little things to speak to us and to impact us in huge ways.

A Culture of Honor, Part 4

In my last three blogs, I've been discussing a little man named Zacchaeus, and how Jesus Christ honored his personhood.

Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home – potentially for dinner. That home, located at the corner of Sad and Lonely Avenue, would take on a guest who would transform the little man’s life. Jesus invaded Zacchaeus’ space to “Seek and to save the lost” (verse 10). And He will do whatever it takes in your life to bring you to saving faith.

You see, Jesus showed this little man honor. He honored what was important to Zacchaeus. He crossed over the boundary of a hated and abused life and touched him deep inside where brokenness met eternity head on and offered a full and free salvation. Jesus said to him, “The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (verse 10). Zacchaeus accepted this truth by faith and made heaven his eventual home!

Saints, do you understand the power of honor. Of respect? Of loving people out of their sin? Giving them a reason to find something better? Oh, let’s become an honoring community!

Let’s learn how to honor people for WHO they are in the eyes of God, not WHAT they do. Let’s pull on their potential. Let’s find ways to honor their personhood when we can’t agree with their behavior.

How do we honor others? What does this wonderful story teach us about loving others and making them feel significant, regardless of their behavior? We honor one another:

1. When we respect every human being as an image bearer of God. For example, when we address a homeless person along the highway while asking for directions as, “Sir,” we honor him. Consider the following scenarios regarding honor:

When seeing a well-dressed man and addressing him with dignity, we see his eyes light up, we honor him. When we hold the door for those whose hands are full, when we brag on people who otherwise receive little attention, when we spend time with others who experience minimal interaction, and when we apart from flattery make people feel like they matter, we show honor. There are untold numbers of way we can demonstrate honor toward others in our daily life.

2. When we put other people before ourselves according to the attitude of Christ depicted in Philippians 2:3-9. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.”

3. When we recognize and celebrate one another’s unique gifts, personality and calling.

4. When we highly regard one another with our words, especially when we are not with them personally.

5. When we understand the challenges that others face and how the Lord is processing them toward maturity and their unique calling. Thank God there were those around me when I was a young, immature young man with a call of God on my life. They recognized the call and were willing to honor me.

6. When we defer to one another. Jealousy is the opposite of honor because it breeds insecurity and limits our ability to accept a person’s calling, ability and place in the kingdom of God.

7. When we recognize the true value of each person’s uniqueness and speak it to them and to others.

8. When we do all we can through our prayers, acts of kindness and teamwork to aid those around us to accomplish their calling in the kingdom.

9. When we use our gifts to serve others.

10. When we see wives respect their husband despite their shortcomings; and we see husbands love their wives and overlook their weaknesses and commit themselves to their spouses’ success.

11. When we trust a person’s word. Through this we give him honor and respect.

12. When we keep our word to a person. Not keeping our word or even showing up habitually late tells people, “You are not important to me.”

The Bible provides many examples of honorable people:

1. Joseph, when he did not divorce Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus: “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her. But after he had considered this, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matthew 1:19-20).

2. David, when he spared King Saul’s life: “This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10).

3. Joseph, when he refused to lie with Potiphar’s wife: “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9).

4. Job, when he refused to curse God and die: “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity?’ Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said’” (Job 2:9-10).

5. Jesus, who “died on the cross for the joy that was set before Him” of obeying His Father’s will” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Some reading this may boldly say, “Pastor Roger is going soft on sin.” Sadly, some of us have been taught to be watchdogs in the house of God. Watchdogs see their role to police the house, to make sure that holiness is enforced at the expense of making people feel unwanted and insignificant. Let me give you a theological term for such nonsense: HOGWASH! I’m absolutely convinced that when we reinstate honor, respect and individual significance back into culture and the church, we will see a revival of epic proportions. Coupled with prayer, honor will drive individuals to open their heart and discover new life in Christ, not because they were shamed or guilted, but because they discovered what a little man up a tree experienced over 20 centuries ago – unconditional acceptance and love.

A Culture of Honor, Part 3

The gospel should draw on the heartstrings of lost people, not beat them up with condemnation, guilt and shame. The gospel is good news, not bad news. Had Jesus not honored the much-hated tax collector, Zacchaeus, like He did; but continued to address him on the same course that the townspeople were accustomed to, Zacchaeus potentially would never have come to faith. His story is found in Luke 19

Note with me in verse 7 that the people were used to coming at Zacchaeus in a very dishonoring and self-righteous manner: “He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” His reputation preceded him, and his chances for reconciliation and a better life were minimized. The Spirit of God, by all indicators, was dealing with the heart and attitude of that little man, or he would not have been there in the first place.

Something inside the tax collector caused him to show up that day when he heard that Jesus was coming; and desperation for life change drove that little guy up a tree! What was going inside this wretched tax collector went way beyond natural curiosity. Jesus would testify later concerning Zacchaeus that “Today salvation has come to his house…” (verse 9). Something supernatural was pulling at his heartstrings. Jesus Christ honored the much-despised man. He honored him by informing the unsuspecting loner of his dinner plans. What’s so significant about the Master inviting Himself to dinner? The Son of God loved him for WHO he was, not WHAT he was! Jesus showed him honor!

Believe me, this little man probably lived in a gated community, or at least a gated parcel of property with high fences around his home. He probably lived on the outskirts of town, where human interaction would be minimized. Where the taunts and threats of angry people could not be heard.

We can well imagine that nights were spent alone, and every night represented a new eternity for the little man who had no friends and the friends he did have were fair-weather – hearts as crooked as his and ready to sell one another down the river if it meant more corrupt wealth. Rome certainly did not care about Zacchaeus. If he were murdered, there were always others to take his place. Zacchaeus was disposable and a human target.

His dimly lit home would only intensify the darkness of his already broken life. Zacchaeus would later testify that money fell short of a meaningful life: “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (verse 8).

The crowd that day directed a calculated slur against the Master when they said, “He has gone home to be the guest of a sinner” (verse 7). Comically, Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’ home for dinner! While this may be frowned upon in modern day life – viewed as socially inappropriate – the Master touched a heart-string that caused the little man to come alive on the inside. “You mean, you want to come to MY house tonight? MY house? You’re coming to MY house?” Jesus Christ, in a display of honor overlooked WHAT Zacchaeus did for a living to honor WHO he was! Jesus honored the man’s personhood. When someone honors us, we open our hearts to him.

In today’s church, if we will honor those God sends us, I’m convinced we will see more conversions to Christ than ever before. That’s why we at Hope Community continually stress servant leadership that places the needs of others over ours. People are frantically searching for significance. “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Do you know him today? Jesus Christ knows how to get your attention. He knows what pulls on your heartstring. He will address you at the point of what captures your heart’s attention and draw you toward saving faith. Jesus turns significance into salvation!

A Culture of Honor, Part 1

In Luke 19 we read about a little man by the name of Zacchaeus.  You’ve heard this story most of your Christian life and perhaps even sang about him:

“Zacchaeus was a wee little man,

and a wee little man was he.

He climbed up in a sycamore tree,

for the Lord he wanted to see.

And when the Savior passed that way,

He looked up in the tree and said,

‘Zacchaeus, you come down.

For I’m going to your house today!

For I’m going to your house today!’”

When we planted Hope Community Church, Lori and I committed to making this church an “honoring community.”  By this I mean we wanted to talk more about what we’re “for” as Christians more than what we’re “against.” It seems that in today’s church we talk more about what’s wrong than what’s right.  I’m not talking about sin; I’m talking about a lack of honor and respect in our culture that has I’m afraid, spilled over into churches.  We understand that man’s problems trace back to the issue of sin, which originated in the Garden of Eden.  Sin has taken a devastating toll on humanity.  Everywhere we look we see the terrible effects that sin plays on the stage of human history. The church must continue to pray and act upon the fact that men are far from God and need to find new life in Christ.  Our message must remain intact.  We are all sinners who need to get hooked up with the Savior – Jesus Christ.  This is non-negotiable.

However, the church often takes a negative approach when communicating earth’s most positive message!  We need to re-think our approach to this message.  We expect sinners to act like saints when their spiritual DNA dictates otherwise.  Evangelicals have been known to assume an attack mode on sin, and inadvertently struggle with “sinners versus their sin.”  We often make those outside our churches feel condemned and sadly even disdained because they either differ with our theology or they don’t act like we do.  Hidden away behind church doors are Christians who mix their message with self-righteous animosity.  Believe me, no one attends church services to be told how bad he is and to be raked over the coals of legalistic injustice. 

Yes, people need the Lord.  Yes, they need to be saved.  Yes, hell is a real place.  Yes, continued lifestyles of sin eventually face God’s righteous judgment.  But no one needs to be disrespected or dishonored in the process. No one needs to feel insignificant or devalued.  Jesus Christ still loves us regardless of our performance in the “sin department.”  That’s the good news we call “the gospel!”

I see an acceleration of dishonor and disrespect from the White House to our house! The church of Jesus must stem this tide if we ever hope to impact our culture, communities and children for Jesus.  If a child grows up continually hearing how bad he is, how he will amount to nothing and being slapped around, he will probably grow up and make good on these self-fulfilling prophecies.  

We desperately need to create a culture of honor, for when we create a culture of honor, and practice honor toward those around us, we will see the glory of God released in our churches.  This story about Zacchaeus demonstrates that a little man, who was despised by his community, came to faith in Christ after Jesus showed him honor.

Next week, I'll tell his story!