Posted by David on April 16, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
Our “comfort zone” is the area in which we feel comfortable. It has boundaries. We cross a boundary when we “feel” uncomfortable. Anything that or anyone who makes us uncomfortable violates our comfort zone. Anything making us uncomfortable is resisted.
Comfort zones do not declare good or bad, measure right or wrong, or define the “God approved” or “God condemned.” Comfort zones protect personal comfort. They vary radically. What is comfortable to one is uncomfortable to another. Comfort zones more likely involve personal preferences than God’s teachings.
Can comfort zones include standards, practices, convictions, or behaviors that are ungodly? Certainly! When a Christian is comfortable with something ungodly, does his or her comfort make it innocent or good? No! A classic objective of Satan’s deceit is to make us comfortable with evil. We perceive no danger or threat from the comfortable.
Can comfort zones exclude standards, practices, convictions, or behaviors that are godly? Certainly! When a Christian is uncomfortable with something godly, does his or her discomfort make it evil? No! Another classic objective of Satan’s deceit is to make us uncomfortable with the godly. The deceit: “If I find it uncomfortable, God cannot like it!” We are less likely to open our hearts and minds to God if that openness creates personal discomfort. When Satan makes us uncomfortable with an avenue to greater spirituality, we close our hearts to God.
Many crises in Christ’s body incorporate the “theology of personal comfort zones” in their foundation. We individually assume that “my” comfort zone is “God’s” comfort zone. We assume if “I don’t like it,” God does not like it. We assume “my comfort zone came from God.” Therefore, “I” impose “my” comfort zone on other Christians as “God’s truth.” “I” transform “my” conscience’s reactions [that must be respected] into God’s will.
No one’s comfort zone dictates God’s methods or comfort level. No Christian would passively allow a group to unjustly execute his or her son, regardless of how much good the death could achieve. No Christian would demand that a preacher marry a prostitute in order to be a living parable to the congregation (Hosea).
Our objective: do not allow “my” comfort to restrict God’s work and purposes. Our objective: allow God to change us so that our comfort zones will include everything that comes from God and expresses itself in Jesus Christ.
The question never is, “Am I comfortable?” The question always is, “Am I growing into the image of Christ?” Spiritual growth specializes in violating comfort zones. Godliness makes us uncomfortable. Evil, not godliness, places a premium on comfort.
Posted by David on April 9, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
Reasons for anticipating life in heaven are too many to list. Even if we collectively pool our reasons, those reasons would quadruple when we live with God in His environment.
May I share a valued anticipation? When I was a young preacher, I anticipated this happening in the church on earth. After a lifetime working for and with Christians, I now understand it cannot happen on earth. The combination of humanity, ignorance, and evil prevents this anticipation from becoming an earthly reality.
I anticipate the time when not one person saved by God through Christ will be troubled by another person saved in Christ. I anticipate the time when we will not stare at each other’s weakness; criticize each other’s faults; doubt each other’s motives; feel threatened by each other; judge each other on the basis of past mistakes; fear love and respect; use negative emotions to justify poor interaction; and determine the faithfulness of others on the basis of their reaction to “my” preferences.
The power of God is incredible. Paul said it exceeds human imagination (Ephesians 3:20,21). Yet, our powerful, capable God watches as His children neglect His purposes. What God did and does in Jesus Christ can change a life, a marriage, a family, a congregation, a community, a nation, and a world. That fundamentally was God’s purpose when He sent His Son to unleash His incredible power and reveal how much He loves all people.
The living God is here. His power is available. The Savior is in place. Forgiveness is perfect. Mercy is more than adequate. Grace exists without limit.
But the Christian is not converted.
But those enslaved by evil are not saved.
But the church is self-absorbed by reactionary Christians.
But the community is held captive by destructive behavior.
But the nation moves in godless directions.
But the world does not know it has a Savior.
This is not written to be crude, but to illustrate a truth. A good friend once said, “The church is too absorbed in staring at its own navel.” The self-absorption of reactionary hearts and minds cannot achieve God’s eternal purposes in an evil world.
Why will wonderful harmony exist in God’s environment? For these reasons. All eyes will be on (1) the incredible God of mercy who saved us and (2) the incredible Lamb of God who died for us. Every saved person will be humbly awed by the unimaginable grace necessary to save him or her. We will be so filled with the praise of God that there will be no room for criticism of anyone or anything. Lord come quickly!
Posted by David on April 2, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
Recently at a workshop I heard Danny Simms quote an ancient theologian. The quote: “If you pick the things out of the gospel that you do not like and reject them, it is not the gospel you believe in. It is yourself.”
What Christian dares make himself or herself bigger than God? than Jesus Christ? than the Holy Spirit? What Christian declares himself or herself wiser than divine inspiration or more knowledgeable than divine revelation? What Christian presumes to correct God, to inform Jesus that He made a mistake, or to tell the Spirit that He is unnecessary?
What Christian would do that? The Christian who legislates things that God never legislated. The Christian who stresses things that Jesus never stressed. The Christian who seeks to be God’s temple while he or she refuses to let the Spirit live in him or her. The Christian who “reasons away” a teaching from God, an emphasis from Jesus, or a work of the Spirit. The Christian who uses human logic to rearrange God’s priorities. The Christian who is offended by things that do not offend God. The Christian who approves of things that insult God.
In short, every Christian does that. Each time we study the Bible to evaluate God’s teachings rather than to understand them, we do that. Each time we study the Bible to judge others rather than to examine ourselves, we do that. Each time we reject a clear emphasis from God because it disturbs us, we do that. In some circumstance and situation, each of us uses our judgment to ignore God’s clearly revealed desire. When we do that, we place our faith in ourselves instead of God.
“God does not want me to show mercy to people like that!” He will. “God does not want me to forgive that person!” He will. “God does not want me to be kind to those people!” He is. “God does not want me to return good for evil when that happens!” He did and does. “If their repentance sickens me, heaven surely does not rejoice!” Oh, but it does! Each time a person repents, the success ratio of the cross increases.
God does not look at anything the way we do. He never has. Our challenge is to look at everything as God does. We need spiritual glasses. Even when we wear them, we struggle to have “eyes” of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.
I thank God for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They show me the good news. They permit me to see my Savior in human form. They reveal to me what God accomplished in Jesus’ death and resurrection. They inform me of the assurance of my hope.
We do not need the “gospel according to us.” When I rely on the “gospel according to me,” I spiritually fail. When I rely on the gospel according to Jesus, I spiritually succeed.
Posted by David on March 26, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
In the 1960’s I preached for a university congregation in Florida. John F. Kennedy ran for the Presidency. He was the first Catholic to run for President, and it was a dirty campaign that incorporated a lot of religious prejudice.
In the congregation was a professor who supported Kennedy and was deeply offended by the religious prejudice. One day he and I had a private conversation. He reacted against the common “slippery slope” argument that, if Kennedy were President, the Pope would control America.
I was not “into” politics and never knowingly used “preaching” to pursue political objectives. He said, “You would do the same thing, wouldn’t you? If you had the power to make everyone do what you think is right, you would make them do it, wouldn’t you?”
His question shocked me. I could not comprehend that any Christian seriously held that perspective. I managed only a simple “no.” I was quite young (from my today’s perspective!). I did not know a Christian could endorse a perspective of forced obedience. Forced obedience is faithless obedience.
Forced obedience (in any form) is not conversion. Conversion is based on three things. (1) It is based on the astounding realization that the resurrected Jesus is God’s son [faith]. (2) It is based on a personal desire to redirect life [repentance]. (3) It is based on the personal determination to let Jesus teach you how to live life [commitment]. The combination of that realization, that desire, and that commitment expresses itself in the rebirth of baptism.
The problems we witness in the church astound us. Long ago Christians “bought” the assumption that being “the church” eliminated problems of every kind. I do not know how that assumption was created and empowered. Being “the church” in the first century did not eliminate the problems of their day.
Why are there so many problems among Christians today? Why do we find virtually every problem in our culture among those who have been baptized into Christ? Why? There are many reasons. Among them is this one: too many who were baptized were never converted.
One objective of our adult Sunday morning Bible classes is to convert the baptized to Jesus who is the Christ. Please begin or advance your conversion by studying with us.
Posted by David on March 19, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
“My work” is thought provoking. I work for God with people. No two weeks are alike. God constantly increases my insights, and persons are never alike. Combining the work of our unique God with the needs of unique people makes each week unique.
Last week cancer claimed Stan Spainhour’s physical body. His friends would tell us quickly that cancer never claimed Stan’s life. He refused to allow cancer to take charge of his life. His faith and his attitude in the last fourteen months were a challenge and inspiration. Though he was very sick, he refused to stop being Stan.
Last week I was privileged to be with those who loved him in Fort Smith. I was privileged to be with those who loved him in Witchita Falls, Texas. Even after death, Stan provided me the time and opportunity for reflection from an unusual perspective.
In my reflection an obvious truth stood out. If you do not have love, you do not have anything. The abundance of love makes a person wealthy. “Things” cannot make a person wealthy. We leave “things” behind. We take love with us.
Love’s wealth is unique. You must have love to have love’s wealth. You cannot buy love. You cannot force love to exist. You cannot demand love. You cannot “fake” having love. You cannot borrow love. The only way to have love is to give love. The more love that you share the more love that you receive.
As unique as love’s wealth is, people know it exists. People are starved for love! They prize love’s wealth! When they do not have love and its wealth [and many do not!], people go to unusual extremes to find and possess them. Do you doubt that? If you don’t have love, what would you give for it? If you have it, for what would you sell it?
The greatest gift you can give is love. The greatest power you have to alter life is found in your power to love. The greatest treasure you will leave behind is your love. Nothing contains the power or the influence of love. And every person has the ability to love!
While love is this earth’s greatest power, it is also this earth’s most neglected reality. Why should that surprise us? Love is from God, and this world neglects everything that comes from God. Do you want to increase love in your life? Get closer to God.
Now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Posted by David on March 12, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
There are many things I wish about me. I wish that I was not so hard-headed. God has an awful hard time leading me. Sometimes I am so “dense” that I forget what He taught me in the past–over, and over, and over again.
I wish that I was not so forgetful. God, I deeply apologize for making it necessary to reteach me the same lesson–over and over and over again. When my children were at home, they frustrated me because they forgot lessons already learned. God must get terribly frustrated with me!
I wish I more readily trusted the lessons God taught me. I deeply value some of the most difficult experiences in my life: being forced by the authorities to cease work as a missionary; experiencing the trauma of reverse culture shock; having close friends become determined opponents. While I never want to endure them again, God used each experience to teach me powerful lessons. Yet, in “crunch times,” I find it so difficult to trust those valued lessons. In “crunch times,” feelings overwhelm understanding.
We live in an incredibly complex society. We live in the shadows of overwhelming cultural wickedness. We stagger through the devastation of weak and failed relationships. We witness and experience so many heartaches and so much suffering.
Our country uses “cosmetics” to distort reality. Each day America “puts on its face” to create a glamorous appearance. It skillfully uses the “cosmetics” of pleasure, fantasy, and escapism to convince us that it knows the secret to “the good life.” But America’s “good life” reduces relationships to rubble piles. “The good life” is ultra selfish.
Life is so complicated! It is so deceptive! It is so demanding! Culture’s deceitful “makeup face” is devastating. Its deceptions create suffering, betrayal, and misery. The innocent are deceived before they are old enough to gain understanding.
Often the needs of the devastated overwhelm us. Those whose hearts wish to share the real hope of a compassionate Savior see the needs and despair. At that moment caring hearts are the most vulnerable to Satan’s discouragement.
At that moment we must trust a truth as old as mankind, as old as earthly evil. Those in despair must learn to trust this truth. Those with caring hearts must continue to trust this truth. What truth? “We can’t. God can.” The solution will not be found by our playing God. The solution is not found in our brilliance, wisdom, and perceptions. The solution is found by learning how to let God be God in our lives and relationships.
Perhaps life’s most critical lessons are learned from two simple realizations. “I can’t. God can.” From those two realizations we understand what God knew from the first sin: we need a Savior. In all matters of salvation, “We can’t. God can.”
Posted by David on March 5, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
Paul received a report about the Christians at Colossae. He heard about their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for Christians. When he wrote them, he included this prayer: “… That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding …” (Colossians 1:9). What would be the result of spiritual wisdom and understanding? They would live in a manner worthy of the Lord.
The Christians of Galatia astounded Paul. They exchanged the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection for a fake message masquerading as good news. Paul verified that the true good news was based on God’s accomplishments through Jesus Christ.
Many Galatian Christians were victimized by the teachings that discarded the importance of Jesus Christ. Many left Christ to follow the new fake good news. Paul’s instruction: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
“You who are spiritual” can be translated “the spiritual ones.” Paul wanted the spiritual ones to restore Christians who were caught violating God’s teachings in Christ. The Christian spiritual ones were to rescue the Christian victims who discarded Christ.
Why? The spiritual ones understood God’s will. They understood that God’s purposes were fulfilled in the flesh and blood struggles against the evil realities of everyday life. God sent Jesus to rescue people captured by evil. Christ died to rescue the hopelessly trapped. The extent of the person’s wickedness was no barrier to God’s forgiveness. God can forgive any person who chooses to redirect life and enter Christ.
The spiritual ones understand their mission by understanding Jesus’ mission. Jesus restored in the spirit of gentleness. The spiritual ones seek to restore in the spirit of gentleness. Just as Jesus bore our burdens on the cross, the spiritual ones seek to bear one another’s burdens. The spiritual ones realize that they are temptable rescuers. They do not rescue in an attitude of judgmental arrogance. They rescue in a spirit of humble compassion.
The mission of the church is to call people to closeness with God. How close? Close enough to be the spiritual ones. When the church merely calls people to be religious, its message becomes a fake gospel, and its altered purpose will not bring people close to God.
Posted by David on February 27, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
A hunting lion roars. Hungry and eager to eat, it prowls looking for prey. Only by killing prey can it satisfy its appetite. Peter compared the devil to a lion (1 Peter 5:8). People are the devil’s prey. He eats us! The man or woman who is convinced that the devil wants “to help me” is totally deceived. The devil “helps them” become his meal!
This image declared the devil is dangerously aggressive. He is also known as the prince (or ruler) of demons (Matthew 9:34; 12:24). He rules the kingdom of darkness just as Jesus Christ rules the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 6:12). When a person places himself or herself in Christ and makes the resurrected Jesus his or her Lord, that person removes himself or herself from the devil’s rule.
He despises that! The devil hates God! The devil hates Jesus Christ! God through Jesus’ resurrection destroyed the devil’s controlling power (Hebrews 2:14,15). The devil has only one means of hurting God and Jesus Christ. He cannot hurt them, but he can hurt those who belong to God. The man or woman who chooses to leave the devil’s rule and places himself or herself under God’s rule infuriates the devil. The decision to become a Christian or to recommit oneself as a Christian stirs the devil’s anger. His anger springs from his hatred. Enraged, he strikes back in every available way.
February 6 Ada Roose was baptized into Christ. This lady in her mid-80s came to the church building on her own initiative. Ada is Enid Means’ sister. Long ago she learned the meaning and significance of baptism. She came on an unusual evening. We were worshipping in the Family Life Center. She waited patiently until she met someone and explained why she came. With gentle assistance she made it up the stairs to the baptistry to enter Christ’s death and become a part of his resurrection.
Sunday morning Travis McDonald asked for our prayers. He wants to increase his godly influence in his new home. Naomi Greene recommitted herself to God’s rule and the Christian life. David Gates brought his weariness, looking for help and strength in his decision to redirect his life.
The devil was infuriated! The angels in heaven rejoiced! The infuriated prince of darkness is acting as the roaring lion. He will exploit every weakness and utilize every opportunity to oppose and hurt us in every way that he can.
In his hatred of God, he opposes us. The staff shares a common conviction. When the devil is extremely active, God’s work through us is hurting his kingdom. He creates problems for us when we hurt his purposes. God through us is hurting his purposes!
Commit and remember. Commit: help each other. The devil needs no help to cause problems. Remember: greater is Christ in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Posted by David on February 20, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
We belong to the God who renews. All of God’s interaction with humanity has the goal of renewal. Evil invaded God’s perfect creation. It received a place in this physical world by human invitation. The humans issued that invitation because they were deceived. The deceit caused them to regard God as their enemy and evil as their friend.
Satan’s deception destroyed the open, life-sustaining relationship between God and humanity. It also destroyed the relationship that blessed and nurtured marriage.
The moment that evil destroyed God-designed relationships, God committed Himself to renewal. It was humanity’s mistake, not God’s. Humanity was deceived, not God. It was humanity that doubted God, but it was God who committed Himself to renewal. God wanted the relationship between Him and people renewed. God wanted the relationships between people renewed.
God refused to abandon His commitment to renewal. As He struggled with deceived humanity, He traveled a long, twisting, frustrating road. God’s intent was frequently challenged and rejected by the human wills of faithless people. If people had trusted God, His power could have produced renewal in a brief time. However, it took God a long time to make renewal a reality. Distrustful people opposed God as He pursued the restoration of relationship. Deceived people were suspicious of the purposes and desires of God. Suspicious people saw God (not evil) as the problem.
God’s investment was enormous. The final payment of that investment was the blood of His own son. When two goals were accomplished fact, the renewal of the God/human relationship became reality. The two goals: (1) the perfect atonement for all human evil and (2) the defeat of death through resurrection. The reality: anyone who wanted relationship with God could enter that relationship. Relationship with God is a continuing state for the person (1) who accepts Jesus’ atonement and (2) who trusts resurrection.
From Jesus’ resurrection to the end of this world, one type of person gladly accepts this opportunity for relationship with God. Who? The person who wants God to create in him or her a clean heart, who wants God to renew in him or her a steadfast spirit.
I sense the spirit of renewal at West-Ark! May we renew our relationship with God and each other! May we hunger for clean hearts and renewed spirits!
Posted by David on February 13, 2000 under Bulletin Articles
On Sunday, February 13, we will dedicate our new Family Life Center. We are grateful to have it. We are thankful that it will meet needs as it serves God’s purposes. As repeatedly emphasized, the Family Life Center is a tool. To the degree that we use it wisely to advance God’s work and purposes, it is a good tool.
What are the overall objectives in our use of the Family Life Center?
Family focuses on one objective. (1) We want to build closeness among the sons and daughters of God. (2) We want to encourage and strengthen family units in the congregation. (3) We want to strengthen our bonds with sister congregations in the extended family of God.
Life focuses on a second objective. We want to strengthen the spiritual bond between (a) the individual and God and (b) the congregation and God. We want Christians to relate all aspects of their lives to God. Hopefully, as we bring friends and neighbors to the Center they will be touched by our “whole life” relationship with God. We want to be people who belong to God, and we want to behave like people who belong to God.
Center focuses on a third objective. Some say Christians are very wasteful in building buildings. Typically, Christians spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct buildings to be used four to six hours a week. Often fifty percent of the members use it less than two hours a week. No business or organization can be that extravagant.
We use our building constantly. We should! In the New Testament, the Jewish synagogue was the center for Jewish life in a community. It was a place for prayer, for study, for learning the news, for association, for building ties, for maintaining the sense of community. Jewish travelers were welcomed and helped. In the Jewish community, it was “the place” to go.
We want the Center to become a place that strengthens us as God’s community. May it attract friends, neighbors, and strangers because it overflows with Jesus’ abundant life!
The plans for dedication Sunday:
- An open house will begin at 4 p.m. We want you to tour the Center and the Annex to see both the new construction and the renovations.
- A fellowship meal in the new facilities will begin at 4:45 p.m.
- Just before 6 p.m. we will place the tables in storage and arrange the chairs together. At 6 p.m. the evening assembly will be held in the Center. We will dedicate it to God’s purposes with singing and prayer.
Make your plans to be part of a special moment in the life, fellowship, and worship of this congregation!
