Strangers In A Strange Land

Have you ever felt like a stranger in a strange land? I am sure if you have been on a mission trip to a foreign land you might have experienced that type of feeling. Sometimes when I watch the national news I imagine myself living in some of the foreign countries they are reporting about. It would be quite different than living at home. Do you think a person that is unchurched and visits a church would feel like a stranger in a strange land? What do you think makes a person feel like a stranger in a strange land?

There are many reasons why we could feel like we are strangers in a strange land. We could be unfamiliar with the customs and living conditions of the new surroundings. There might be language barriers that prevent us from communicating. Maybe the dress code in this strange land is quite foreign to us. The laws and moral codes could be different than what we are accustomed to. The practicing religions could cause us to be very uncomfortable.

Why do you think the scriptures ask us no fewer than 36 times to love the stranger. Ex. 23:9 states, "You shall not oppress the stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt." You were strangers once, and were mistreated, therefore do not do to others what had been done to your forefathers. In Deut. 10: 17-19 the Bible says, "For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great and mighty, and the awesome God who.... befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."  

Why do you think God commands us to “love the stranger”? I believe feeling like a stranger is probably one of the most uncomfortable emotions a person wants to or has to endure. Just think about a time you personally felt like a stranger. Did you feel unaccepted? Did you feel uncomfortable? Did you feel threatened? Did you feel a little sick to your stomach? Did you feel unloved? I couldn't imagine any of us enjoying being a stranger if some of the above were symptoms of this label.

I know that people who attend church for the first time do feel like strangers in a strange land! All you have to do is ask them what they feel like; it will be eye opening and give you a better understanding about what it takes to be a missionary in the culture you live in. Take God’s word to heart and just love them. What does love look like in practical terms to that stranger in your church? And how does that love in your church make that stranger feel. If it’s God’s love they won’t feel like strangers in a strange land, but members of a family who feel right at home.

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

 In my prayer journal I pray twice a month that I would understand and experience the love of God so that I can love God more intimately and also His creation (His people). I believe it is every believer’s goal to learn how to love God and love people (the Greatest Commandment) with a greater understanding and internationalism. It is one of those mysteries that I have not yet mastered and continue to struggle with at times.

I spent last year studying the Torah as part of my quite time. On September 25th I was fascinated about the reading and as a result the pondering I did involving the love of God in my heart. Three times the Torah asks us to love: twice in Leviticus (19:18,34), we are commanded to love human beings; then, in Deuteronomy, our love is directed toward God. “Only after we have learned to love people can we come to love God.” ~ Chasidic

However, it seems to me that a man/woman cannot love God as he/she loves another human being. The love of God involves a holy fear or reverence (Deut. 6:13) which in my mind impossible to achieve toward another human being. Love expresses itself in that devoted and single minded loyalty which issues itself in wholehearted and obedient service to God. “The love of God without obedience is not love.” ~ G.E. Wright

Even more so will the lovers of God experience this constant obsession in their hearts, as we are bidden to love "with all our hearts and with all our souls.  As Solomon expressed allegorically "I am love sick" (Song of Songs 5:8); the entire Song of Songs is, in fact, an allegorical expression of this love.” ~ Mamonides I have to admit that I am not “love sick” with God near as often as I should be.

Of course, love cannot be commanded. No third party can command it or extort it. No third party can, but The One can. The commandment to love can only proceed from the mouth of the Lover. Only the Lover can and does say: love me! And He really does so. In His mouth the commandment to love is not a strange commandment; it is none other than the voice of love itself. “The love of the Lover has, in fact, no word to express itself other than the commandment." ~ F. Rosenzweig

While we were yet sinners Christ died of us. The ultimate expression of “Love” in the New Testament. It is my desire of all of us that we would fall more deeply in love with our Father this year. As we absorb His love into every single pore of our being it will be such a miraculous experience! The result from this experience will be for that love to leave every pore of our body and attach itself to our lost and dying world which will lead to an attraction to the Lover Himself.

How the Church Lost the Election!

You could have cut the silence with a knife on my Facebook account after the November election. That means I probably have too many Right Wing, Christian, Republican friends - I guess. It was amazing to me that there was more than enough blame to go around from everyone. Unfortunately, much of the blame didn't have a whole lot of  Biblical basis. My suggestion was unless we start praying more for our President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court, we won’t be the “United States of America”, but the “Divided States” (red and blue) of American. So why did we lose the election, presuming “we” to be the Christians of this country? And "losing" meaning we didn't elect a candidate who represent more Biblical views. 
  
Many have stated that Mitt Romney wasn't a strong enough presidential candidate. I believe that if God directs and controls the government (Romans 13:1-4) then the only way we can influence this process is through prayer. How much did the “Church” (we) pray about this whole election? How much were we encouraged to pray? Did any of us fast once a week during this election process? Did our churches hold twenty-four hour prayer vigils before the elections? Did we pray without ceasing on this matter? I know I could have prayed a lot more, shame on me! 
  
What contingency elected the president? From all the reports that I reviewed it was the combined Black, Hispanic, Asian, Millennial, and Women vote that turned the tide.
> Asian, Black, Hispanic: http://www.csmonitor.com
> Millennial: http://www.forbes.com 
> Women: http://www.politico.com 
How many Asian, Black and Hispanic people go to your church? In most churches I visit, these groups are either non-existent or in the extreme minority. Why aren't we reaching these people groups with the Gospel? Let’s look briefly at these groups in light of the “Church” making disciples. 

It is no secret that most Hispanic people tend to be largely Roman Catholic. Most of us know the Catholic Church, like most Protestant Churches, holds a position against abortion. So if Hispanics are following their faith this is a decisive issue. Hispanics also tend to stay away from candidates that are too extreme on immigration laws (more on both of these issues later). I recognize that our church planting efforts are woefully behind in the U.S. with all ethnic type church planting. We essentially aren't making many disciples in non-Caucasian people groups.
  

Where are the 19-28 year olds in our churches? (http://en.wikipedia.org) 
Most often they are in the minority, sometimes again the extreme minority. Let’s face it; most churches in American are white and graying out. We usually plant churches to try and reach this people group. However, too many of our church plants often times end up only as holy receptacles for reshuffling the deck of the saints. Here again the Church is not doing a very good job of making disciples in this people group.
  

Let’s turn to the Women vote. It seems most women want the freedom to choose life in the voting booth, even though polls tell us that people for and against abortion in this country are pretty even. Strategist for future elections have already said that the Republican Party is out of touch with the general populace and must not stay a white, suburban, rich represented party if it wants to win future elections. I don’t think this is the real issue.

  

As I have alluded to the “Church” lost the election - plain and simple. You are asking, “How?” The “Church” has failed to make disciples not only in the above mentioned people groups, but we are also seeing “Christians” who are in the “Church” not voting like they are Jesus’ disciples. I don’t believe any disciple of Christ could argue that abortion is right, or same sex marriage is right, or doing something illegal is right! The Biblical evidence in all three of these areas is indisputable. You can’t argue Biblically for abortion, same sex marriage, or doing something that is illegal. We have simply failed to make disciples. If you were a Disciple of Christ how could you vote for any candidate that opposed Biblical Truths? You can’t tell me if there weren't more Disciples of Christ in this country that what is happening in our country currently wouldn't be drastically different. You see, a disciple is suppose to be different than people that are not disciples. We have four years, “Church,” to get busy and make disciples!

Spiritual Fitness: Membership Special!

 I bet everyone knows which film won the Oscar for the Best Picture in 1981. That’s right! You remembered the film because you heard the famous music score in your mind, “Chariots of Fire.” The film is a classic. If you haven’t seen it, please do. The film is based on two runners in the 1924 Olympics. Eric Liddell (a Scottish Christian) who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrams (an English Jew) who runs to overcome prejudice.

For Eric Liddell it was all about God. In the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, he was forced to withdraw from the 100 meter race, his best event, because one of the qualifying heats was scheduled on a Sunday. Liddell kept the Sabbath holy; he would not run on Sunday.

His critics suggested that Liddell needed to change his approach to training if he really wanted to successfully compete at high levels. His response was brief and direct: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

He went on in this Olympics to win the bronze medal in the 200 meters and the gold in the 400 meters (pictured above) for Great Britain. After reaching the pinnacle of competitive running, Liddell left for China as a missionary, again simply to honor God. He would do this up until the day he died in a POW camp.

I Timothy 4:7-8 says, “Train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

I try to swim six days of the week because it is the only cardio exercise I can do that doesn't further irritate my spine. I also try and get to the gym three days a week to lift weights. Having the discipline to physically work out is easy for me because of my athletic and coaching background. I am amazed at how many people have the personal discipline to physically workout and measure their progress, but when it comes to spiritual exercising they can be pretty hap hazard about it. If you are disciplined about your physical training, consider being as disciplined with “godly training” in your life as well.

Adopt a spiritual training program. Get a trainer (mentor, accountability partner, or coach). Put a Bible reading program in place. Pray, fast, and journal your progress. What will you do to serve the community? What will you do to reach the lost? Will you get into a small group study to learn and develop relationships? How will you measure your progress to determine if you are becoming spiritually fit?
Let’s get in shape spiritually and physically!

Apply Duct Tape If Needed

“Wow, whose voice is that? It sounds so eloquent and convincing. This person really has many great strategies and a lot of good ideas. When he speaks it sounds like it is straight from the lips of God’s mouth. Why would he need to listen to anyone for advice or counsel, he seems so wise.” You just listened to the evil side of my conscience voicing his opinion about me. Isn’t he great? I could actually listen to him all day. Smile . . .

“Yes honey, yes dear, I agree whole heartedly with what you said, ‘What did you say?” I am sure none of you have ever been accused of selective listening by your wife? I have never heard of wives getting accused of this, but I have witnessed my wife doing this with me as well.

As most of you know I travel and speak all over the country in many different size churches, many different models of churches, and in many different geographical locations. However, there is one thing I have noticed about most of these churches including newly planted churches. We seem to be enamored with hearing ourselves speak and not listening much to what God has to say during our worship services. Could you imagine attending a worship service where all we did was be quick to listen and slow to speak?

 James 1:19-20 says, "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." Do we need to improve our listening skills? It's one of the least-used skills that people seem to practice. How can we learn to identify when we should stop talking and just relax and listen to the person speaking. We should learn how to accomplish this because the Bible also says that we should “be still and know that He is God.” God seems to be saying if we can’t stop talking and start to hear and recognize His voice we won’t even know that He is God.

Communication is made up of talking and listening, listening and talking. It is amazing to me that if I enter a conversation without an agenda or a determination to present my case or get in the last word and just listen how much I tend to learn what God is telling me through someone else. They say you can use duct tape for just about anything. Maybe a strip over God’s vocal cord creation would assist us in achieving our listening goal? I know from experience everyone has a story to tell if we would just listen. Our relationships with others and especially with God would improve drastically if we just applied some duct tape. Perhaps this is another usage for Wikipedia to consider? Do less talking and more listening today!

The Manna Mindset

Two months and fifteen days after God freed the Israelites from Egypt they arrived at the wilderness of Sin. They started to grumble about not having enough food to eat, so God sent manna. What would you expect from people in a wilderness called Sin (Numbers 16:1-8). Moses basically says that “you are not grumbling and complaining against us your leaders but against God and His guidance.” How could anyone forget what happened (God taking care of His people in miraculous ways) two and half months ago? Keith Green in his song “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foUH4No_SVU) gives us a reminder in a humorous way about how that happened. I know I never have a problem remembering what God continues to do for me, my family, or NPEA. I probably have never complained or grumbled against God about anything (accept the two months I yelled and screamed at Him about my spine), just like you. 

Manna, in the biblical view, is literally the bread of Heaven (Ps. 105:40), a gift of God. Manna was a reminder to the Israelites of God’s unceasing care. “Manna was not something that would be stored up and dispensed gradually, since God is accustomed always to give His gifts afresh” (Philo). “Manna was one of the ten wonders that God created when He fashioned the world. He brought it into being on the eve of the first Sabbath, at twilight”. (Mishnah) “God sent manna to teach Israel that man does not live by bread alone." (B.S. Childs) Find more on manna at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna.

What does modern day manna look like? How has God showed His compassion towards you after He heard your cry penetrate His ears at an overwhelming volume as your tears dropped to the earth and God felt them touch His palm, in the middle of your desert? Does your manna look like your cancer has gone into remission? Has your manna come in the form of a broken relationship that has been restored? Could be your manna comes in the form of your only meal of the day? Your manna might be your first new pair of used pants in over 6 months? I believe that in the rich and prosperous country we live in manna is too often viewed in very unrealistic terms.

I recently spoke at a church when a homeless man ventured into the service. Every city deals with homelessness. He was not clean, not shaven, didn’t smell great, and his name was Jim. He was invited to have a donut and a cup of coffee. The ladies even prepared some food for him. I talked briefly with him during the Meet & Greet time. He shared he had slept outside last night and a bunch of ants had bitten him. He said he was going through some legal difficulties to clear his name and that’s why he wasn’t working. He was offered a place to shower and shave after the service but went out the back door right after I finished speaking. I believe Jim needed some manna, but it seemed he might not want the version we were offering. Jim also put in perspective for me that maybe I never need manna at all, but I might have manna that others need.

The “manna mindset” (grumbling and complaining to God about what we don’t have) can be tempered or greatly reduced in our lives when we understand how blessed we really are. When God is gracious enough to remind us through people and events that manna is often times in greater demand by others it is our chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Manna could be an example of our care for others. Manna could be a gift from us to others. We have opportunities to give out manna daily and refresh someone’s spirit. We could also remind those we dispense manna to that it is the bread of life. God can transform our “manna mindset” into a gracious, honoring, applauding, hailing mind set. Let’s not worry about gathering manna but instead about giving it away!

Death by Inches

I recently read an article in the Fargo Forum (http://www.inforum.com) about a former mayor of Fargo, ND named Jon Lindgren. In the article he talked about how when he was mayor, “People came into my office and said, “God wants you to shut down the abortion clinic. God doesn’t want gays living in Fargo. God doesn’t want any stores open on Sunday.” So I thought, “That’s not my church. My church doesn't think that way.” I found out some people in my church thought that way.” Jon obviously felt that the people of his church would and should extend more grace to those that are lost in the world. But was this the love of Jesus that Jon had read about in his Bible? I wonder if this is what happens when we start to “edge off the path.”

 Most of us don’t start to “edge off the path” by taking 90 degree turns. If you look at your own life in the past when you were tempted to “edge off the path” wasn’t it more like 10-15 degree turns? Martin Luther once warned, “temptation was like hovering birds, and we should never let them begin to build a nest in our hair.” So how long does it take the birds to build that nest and we succumb to temptation and full blown sin sets in?

Jon Lindgren came to believe the Ten Commandments monument outside Fargo’s City Hall should come down. Later, he became a plaintiff in lawsuits trying to remove the monument because the First Amendment forbids “the establishment of religion.” The experience led Lindgren to stop practicing his Christian faith and to become an outspoken skeptic about the existence of God. Jon did a 360 degree turnaround in his life.

 Pastor Greg Laurie has fought temptation by envisioning Christ answering the door for him whenever temptation is knocking. We know the path God wants us to walk on. We know the life He wants us to live. We have to stop believing that we are immune from the small temptations that can lead us off track. It is often times easy to avoid the big pitfalls; however it is usually the small temptations that cause us to stumble. It kind of reminds me, as a former football coach, of a fourth-and-goal play on the 1 yard line. Your team is trailing on the scoreboard and this is the last play of the game. If you score you win! The defense holds and you don’t score. It is literally “death by inches.”

Proverbs 4:14-15 says, "Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers. Don't even think about it; don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving."  Don’t think about that temptation, turn away from it, and keep moving down the right path. Are you kidding me? Don’t think about temptation? It appears in your mind as fast as a top fuel dragster finishing the quarter mile, in a flash. So when temptation is there, we have to turn away from it like it’s a serial killer about to claim another victim. Keep moving down the right path, like you’re a sprinter in the 100 meter finals in this summer’s Olympics (http://www.olympic.org). As you can see I am a fan of the Olympics.

 There is other thing I would recommend if you want to overcome acedia in regards to temptation. It is to have a personal accountability partner that asks you the hard questions about your life. This has been a personal practice of mine for the last 25 years. It’s always true - God will make a way when there seems to be no way. He never allows us to be tempted without an escape route. We just have to see it and make a jail break from the prison of sin.