The Anti-Me Generation

People describe the folks in the 1980's as the "Me" generation. There was such a focus upon self, getting more stuff, driving the right car, etc. Though that hasn't totally gone away, there is a ideological backlash going on in our culture. Much of it is an extremely positive thing. People are more conscious about other people, cultures, ideas, etc. People are concerned about the environment and are not just acting like a bunch of mad consumers with no thought for the repercussions. Whether it is more recently because of the terrible economy or a product of this backlash I don't know, but people are driving more sensible cars. There are a lot of positive things about this.
There are also some negative things. In the grwoing awareness of global cultures, values and religions, people in our culture are afraid to make any right/wrong choices. I hear more and more people refusing a personal faith in Jesus because they have questions like, "what about the child on the Sarengeti who needs water?" "What about all the injustice?" Good questions, but wrong application. (Just finished a series called "Where is God When..." dealing with some of these tough issues). Because of this people are refusing personal commitment and making a choice because...someone might be offended by what I believe...what makes this truth right and the others wrong?...
Bottom line...while there are many positive things resulting from this ideological shift, there are some negative things as well. Faith by the very nature of what it is requires an element of self-centeredness. "What do I belive and why?" Yes, you are responsible for more than just yourself...but you are responsible for yourself. On the most foundational level we will be judged not for "what we do" but for "who we know." Did we place personal saving faith in Person of Jesus Christ as our Savior? Apart from that, your works, you attitudes your feelings about everything are irrelevant.

John 15:1-8 (TNIV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

To proclaim God's truth about Himself and our personal belief in Him and this truth is not bigotry, intolerance or arrogance. In fact it is one of the most servant-hearted things that we could do. After all if God is real, if Jesus really died for all, then ours is not simply one choice among many options. If you really are in relationship with Jesus Christ, then the only thing holding you back from sharing His truth really would be "me" centered.

Live the answer.

Functional Atheism

Just a quick thought for you.

How does your life differ from that of an atheists? Some might point to beliefs or perhaps (mistakenly) to some level of goodness. But really...how does your life truly differ?
I am convinced that many Christians are living lives that are in effect lives that are indistinguishable in any kind of meaningful way from an atheist. Is it simply our belief system that separates?
In our constant pursuit of safety and security, we stop living by faith. Have you been able to say any of these lately?

"I have followed God to this point, and if He doesn't come through, I'm dead."
"I believe God told me to do 'this,' and I have positioned myself to obey. If I'm wrong my family and I are in trouble."

Is your journey one of belief; or one of faith? Atheists have a belief system and they navigate life by it. Christians have a belief system, but many do not find the intersect point within their life. It is their "spiritual side." Really? What is that? You see faith takes what we believe and (hopefully) what the Living God is saying to us and steps out of the boat.

Live the distinction. Let people see Jesus in your life, they don't care about your beliefs.

Where is God When...?

We started a new series last week "Where is God when..." answering some of the tough questions that come up in people's faith journey.

Last week we looked at Where is God when I'm suffering? It is a horrible thing to feel alone when you are suffering through something in life. It can feel like God is distant at times when you need Him the most. listen, download or subscribe to our podcast through iTunes at our site www.westshorechurch.info/html/media.html

This weekend we are looking at "Where is God When...He's LATE!!??" Ever been looking to God for direction, only to feel like He is silent or that He is just saying "wait. trust Me." Meanwhile you have deadlines demanding your attention.

Come be a part of our service this weekend and get the full experience!

Blessings,

PE

Kingdom Leadership

You know what I am about to say may be the most important thing some leaders in the Kingdom will ever read, it also may be the most irrelevant and unwanted thing for them to read as well.

I have taught leadership in the Kingdom for over a decade. I have seen passionate young men and women raised up and equipped under my ministry. I have taught them all the principles I can about service, relevance, integrity, faithfulness, vision, etc. Like me most of them had the attitude of being willing to "Go anywhere and do anything for Jesus."

About four years ago now the Lord led me out of my place of full time pastoral ministry into an unexpected time of wilderness for a period of two years. I felt betrayed by God because He didn't meet my expectations of what should have been next for my life and that of my family. I was expecting "the next level", the Promised Land of ministry that I had fought and prayed for for so long. What I found was a barren wasteland where God seemed distant and His voice was silent. What do you do leader, when there is no one left to lead?

As I said I was willing to go anywhere and do anything for the Lord...except when He asked me to do nothing. Do nothing and just trust Him. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. Seasons came and went and still He was silent.

Slowly I began to see in His Word how this is actually a common experience in the people that God graciously decides to call to His service. We read the story of Abraham and just read verse to verse, chapter to chapter and it's no big deal. But what about for him? 25 years of waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. What would you do?

A few years back I discovered something. There is a pattern of priority that I see in Scripture. This is not a formula, because God is God and there will be exceptions, but I believe it is a strong Biblical principle.

First God calls you to Himself, then to His people, then to a task.
These principles are not independent of each other. They build on one another. God always primarily calls you into relationship with Himself, from that comes His direction to serve the Christians around you with humility where His character is formed. After that (and perhaps through that) comes calling and burden for something specific.

Our culture is a task-oriented culture and we are driven by ambition. Therefore people tend to skip to the last task. They immediately want to experience a calling, receive responsibility, etc.

I say this with all affection, but Leader you must remember that you are not special. You exist today because of an unbroken chain of faithfulness through the centuries of Christians who have followed the path that God laid out before them. Your circumstance is not special. There is no loop hole to catapult you ahead regarding the formation of Christ within you. If the great heroes of the faith had to experience wilderness times, times of testing, times of great trail and disillusionment...then so will you. You must put that in your leadership formula.

God calls you to live in the now with Him. His name is "I AM" He is sufficient for you right now. The future is in the sovereignty of His hands, and that is where it will always stay. Trust Him in the now. Trust in His goodness towards you. Trust that His thoughts for you are for good and not for evil. Don't let your dreams and expectations of God eclipse your view of His face. Your life is in His hands in the valley, just as surely as it was on the mountaintop.

God bless you!

Apply To You?

Matthew 24:4-8 (AMP) Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish].

Matthew 24:10-14 (AMP) And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, But he who endures to the end will be saved.
And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.

Christian Intolerance

There is a growing tide that I see emerging in our land. As our nation rebels against God in the name of enlightenment, there is a growing sentiment against Christianity and Christians in general. This is ironic, because it is mostly being done by the same people that are maligning Christianity as being intolerant. What's worse is that we have people feeling they can put God on trial when they don't even know Him or His words.

As I write this we are nearing Christmas. It is now considered almost rude or bigoted to wish someone a "Merry Christmas." We hear things like "well what if they don't celebrate Christmas" or "We shouldn't just assume that a person celebrates Christmas," etc. Really?? Wishing someone a Merry Christmas is now seen as closed-minded and intolerant of other beliefs? This is compassion that has been twisted into something misleading. Must we be forced to say "Happy Holidays" like we are an advertiser trying to appeal to the broadest base without possibly offending someone? Are people that fragile that a simple good-natured wish for a Merry Christmas is going to shatter their well-being?


As a result of this and other things, spirituality has become situated within "self" as we reshape God according to our cultural values.

For example, I heard the President (W) say in an interview that he thought the Muslims were worshiping the same God as the Christians do (though they don't know it and apparently we don't either). Now I think our president is a sincere Christian, but that does not make him an authority on the faith. What he is doing is common of people today who are shaping their faith and their view of God based upon a limited knowledge of God's Word mixed with our cultural values. Imagine if someone was formulating negative opinions about you without getting to know you and only by second or third hand knowledge...

Just recently in the elections we saw the attacks upon President Bush and Gov. Palin for their faith. They have been ridiculed and mocked by the so-called "enlightened" crowd. Granted each have their obvious flaws, but to be denigrated like that in large part due to their beliefs is the climate of the day

But what about the critics assertions that Christianity is intolerant? Is it intolerance for God to define who He is or how people may connect with Him? If there are many roads to God then (with respect) what kind of fool would Jesus have to be to die for the sins of the world if we could go to heaven by simply having good intentions and being sincere?

Is Christianity intolerant? Absolutely. We believe that as Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 (TNIV)). It is His claim about himself, we merely are communicators of this truth to others. Does that mean that we disrespect other religions? No. Does it mean there are no good things in other beliefs? Of course not! Does it mean that we treat someone who believes differently with disrespect? Absolutely not.

Here's the application moment; will Christians alter God's truth because it is becoming inconvenient and unpopular to those around them? Is it "our" truth to mold and shape as we see fit, or is it God's truth and therefore we are simple purveyors of it? Will we be able to stand with compassionate boldness against cries of intolerance and bigotry to humbly say that God has given a precious gift and great sacrifice to all of humanity in allowing His Son to die in our place. If any want freedom from the chains of sin; if any want to embrace God's gift of salvation from a purposeless, broken life as well as an escape from an eternity in Hell, then all they have to do is to humble themselves and believe.

Our continuing challenge in this culture will be navigating the path of relevance in ministry. We will most certainly change our ways of doing things in church. We will change our methodology in order to build a bridge for the gospel to connect with people where they are. However, we must not out of fear or arrogance start changing God's word. We must not sacrifice the truth of the way to salvation because it has become unpopular or inconvenient. Did the martyrs lay down their lives through the centuries so that we, as recipients of the unbroken chain of faithfulness, could say to our coworkers and those around us, "Well Jesus is my Lord, but whatever you believe is fine."

Luke 18:8 (TNIV) "...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)

Something New Is Here

There's something new in the air...can you feel it?
I can.
I can't explain it except to say that it's a God thing.
I sense it every time in worship or when I have the privilege of talking to someone about Jesus.
God is giving the gift of His presence as this world is going down.
People are sensing peace in the midst of their pain.
I know that as I continue to move in obedience by His grace toward the Lord that I will get to experience this.
This is why I am here
This is why we as a church as a body are here...for such a time as this.
In the midst of despair, God's people will know joy.
In the midst of lack, God's people will enjoy bounty.
In the midst of arrogance and hatred, God's people will know humility and brokenness.
God is raising up a people of faith. A people who boldly defy the things and people around them that say they should despair; that they should turn inward; that they should hoard.
It is for this moment that we are alive; to show His light and His goodness.
Worship, Pray, Read, Serve, Give, Obey and see what you thought was impossible come to pass.