Tag Archive - Ministry

He is still alive!

April 28, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

It is the Thursday after Easter, but Jesus is still risen. Jesus is alive. The hope of Easter is not a truth to be lived out on one day of the year, but everyday!

On Easter Sunday I shared that for a resurrection to take place there must first be a death. Without Good Friday there is no Easter Sunday. If we are going to live the new life that Jesus has called us to live we must first die to self. Jesus says, “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25 The path to the resurrection goes through the cross.

I fear at the end of our lives, many of us may regret the things we are striving for today. We are not going to wish we had spent more time at work, on the golf course, or watching tv. We are not going to wish we had a bigger house, a nicer car, or took more extravagant vacations. In the end we will not wish we had got more, but we will wish we had given more.

There are so many people in life going through the motions. They are not living a fulfilled life. They live one paycheck to next and one crisis to the next. The exclamation point at the end of their life will be that they lived and died and not much else. Maybe that is where you are today.

If that is the case you need to know that the resurrection is not limited to an event that took place some 2000 years ago. The resurrection is not just something for you when you die and leave this world. The miracle of the resurrection is for us to take hold of today. It is that we might live a new life. That we might do more than just get by, but that we would live for Jesus. I pray this will be the exclamation point at the end of my life – not that I lived and died, but that I lived for Jesus.

Jesus calls us to follow him. Unfortunately, too many of us are chasing after our dreams and desires that we don’t have the time or the energy to follow Jesus. We are doing what we think is best. However, Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Our dreams and desires are not going to take us very far. It is not until we can give up our dreams and desires for Jesus’ dreams and desires that we will take hold of the full and abundant life to which Jesus has called us to (see John 10:10). This is what it means to die to self. It is stepping aside to put Jesus in charge.

I am naive enough to believe with the help of the Holy Spirit that trading my life for the mission of Jesus will change the world. Are you naive enough to believe that with me? If so, I want to invite you to join me at Lord of Life on the five Sundays during month of May as we take a deeper look at what it means to follow Jesus. I can say that these are some of the most challenging messages I have ever prepared. It will be a message series to challenge our status quo. It may make us uncomfortable and stretch us. Following Jesus is never easy. The cost is great. We may give up everything, but we will gain everything.

Lent

February 23, 2011 in Weekly Email with 0 Comments

The Church season of Lent is just around the corner. Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, is March 9. Lord of Life will host a special worship service on that night at 7pm. On that night we practice the imposition of ashes when the sign of the cross is made upon the forehead of the worshippers in ashes. The significance of this action goes back to the Old Testament when God’s people would put on sackcloth and ashes when they were confronted with the significance of their sins. It was a symbolic act of repentance and sorrow. On this night we also come humbly before our Lord asking for forgiveness for our sins and that he would change our hearts.

Lent is a tradition that has been observed from the earliest times of the church. It is a season of reflection and repentance. It is a time to contemplate the tremendous sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. Many churches will avoid using the word Hallelujah during this time, until the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Music in general tends to be more reflective and less celebratory. The color purple is often used which is a color of royalty. Jesus comes as our king, but he does not wear a crown of gold, rather a crown of thorns.

It is also a practice of many Christians to give something up during Lent. This practice is derived from the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting is not a discipline that is often practiced in our American culture. The thought of depriving ourselves of anything is not something that many find attractive. The message we hear is that you can have it all. You deserve it. Don’t miss out. Don’t settle for anything less than the best.

However, if truth be told, fasting is not as much about depriving ourselves of anything as much as it is about discovering true riches. It is making a choice to set aside earthly treasure for heavenly treasure. Fasting is not about giving up food for the sake of giving up food, but that you might concentrate more on feasting upon God’s daily bread, the Word of God.

We must guard against making fasting to be a self-serving and gratifying practice. It is not about showing myself or others how spiritual I am. Jesus warns against this in the Sermon on the Mount. The main purpose is not that I better understand or appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus. Giving up chocolate or television for 40 days is not going to help us to begin to come even close to grasping the cost he paid.

So why should I fast then?

  1. To remove any distraction that might get in the way of my relationship with Jesus. Jesus says, “if your hand causes you to sin, then cut it off.” Of course we know that Jesus is using hyperbole to make a point here, but the point is well received. What in your life is interfering with your intimacy with God? Is there anything that is potentially becoming your God and that you rely upon and trust more than him. Then you need to purge it from your life. By removing the distractions in your life, you are then able to hear him better.

  2. To cultivate generosity. The more you trust and rely upon him over and above the things of this world, the more room you will have for generosity. The reason we are not a more generous people is that we have convinced ourselves that we need our food, our money, and our time. We are convinced we “need” these things and cannot do without them. The tighter we hold on to them the harder it is for us to let go. Fasting works to challenge us not hold on too tightly to the things of this world. It challenges us to let them go, and hold tightly on the one from whom all those blessings flow.

Personally, during the season of Lent, it is my plan to fast on Wednesdays. I plan on taking the extra time during lunch to use it for prayer and study of the Bible. I can also take the money that I would have spent on lunch and contribute that to the work of God’s kingdom. If you also plan to give something up during Lent, I would encourage you to also consider how you can use that effort to better hear from God and to advance his kingdom. It’s not really about what you give up, but what you give away.

On Membership (Part 2)

February 17, 2011 in Posts, Weekly Email with 3 Comments

We continue from last week our discussion of church membership. I received several emails in reply to last week’s message. I very much appreciate your thoughts and encourage you to keep sending them. But one thing additional thing I would encourage you to do is submit your reply by hitting the comments link in this message. By doing so you will be able to share your thoughts with more than just me, but will be able to share your insights with anyone who might happen upon my blog.

When we think of church membership from a worldly viewpoint, there are really only two benefits. In our church constitution, membership gives you the right to vote at one of our voters’ meetings and qualifies you to hold elective office. Other than that, there is not much that church membership affords you from the world’s perspective. On the surface, it would not hold much interest for me to join a church. Voters’ meetings are not the most exciting events to attend and holding elected office in the church is not a position many aspire to.

But that is the world’s perspective. When a person seeks to join a church, the question of how it benefits me becomes a mute point. The point in of becoming a member is not about how it will benefit me, but is about fulfilling my purpose and my calling. If there is is a benefit, the benefit is being in the position God wants me to be.

This is what I was created for. I was created to be a part of something that is bigger than myself. I was created to do kingdom of God work. We were not created to live out our faith in isolation of others, but to join together. There are many commands in the Scripture that are impossible fulfill without a commitment to a local Christian community of faith.

Here are just a few examples:

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:26

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:2-6

So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12

Another important part of being a church member is being afforded spiritual protection. What we miss in our English Bible translations is many of God’s promises to his people are spoken with “you” in the plural sense. In other words these promises are not given to individual Christians, but to the church.

Think about Romans 8. It says here that in all things “we” are more than conquerors. It does not say I am more than a conquerer. It does not say you are more than a conqueror. It was “we” are more than conquerors. In other words I am not more than a conqueror when I stand alone. It is only when we stand together that nothing that will separate “us” from the love of God.

Do you see where I am going? While God’s does give promises to us as individuals, his fuller promises are found within the community. This is why membership is important. So in the end, maybe there are more benefits than just being able to vote and hold office, but they are not worldly benefits. They are kingdom benefits.

On Membership (Part 1)

February 10, 2011 in Weekly Email with 2 Comments

As I prepare for the next New Member Orientation on March 13 I have been thinking about what it means to be a member of Lord of Life, or of any church for that matter. Over the next couple of weeks I would like to share with you some of these thoughts as you potentially consider participating in the New Member Orientation or give consideration to the covenant you have already made when you became a member of the church.

One thing I must start of by making clear, the purpose of the church is not to make members. When Jesus gave the great commission he did not say go make members of every nation. He said go and make disciples.

With that said, membership plays an important role in the process of making disciples. Membership is a covenant that individuals enter into together with each other. It is a commitment to work together, to support one another, and to suffer for the sake of Jesus’ kingdom side by side. It is much like a marriage commitment. The church is not perfect in the same way you are not perfect. Each has its faults and blemishes, but we are called to practice grace.

Membership is about being part of the body as described in 1 Corinthians 12. There is no one part of the body that is more important than the other. The hand cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you.” The foot cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” All are equal in importance. Some parts do more of the thinking. Other parts do more of the lifting. But each part is needed if the body is to function effectively. When one part of the body hurts, all parts suffer. When one part celebrates, all parts are filled with joy.

Part of the implication in this is that when I fail, we fail. When we fail, I fail. When I win, we win. When we win, I win. We are in this together. I am part of the church, so when I am critical towards the church or another member in the church, I am critical towards myself. In much the same way that when the “me” becomes “we” in marriage, the “me” becomes “we” when I become part of the church.

The church in America (Lord of Life included) has too much of an us and them mentality. It is sad we see so much divorce in regards to church membership. Often the same problems that affect our marriages are the same problems that affect the commitments we made when we entered into the covenant relationship with the church. There is too much “me” and not enough “we.” In much the same way we move from spouse to spouse, we move church to church, and we see a shift away from “commitment” to what makes us happy.

It is not the way God intended it to be. He did not intend for us to go to church, but to be the church. He has called us to be the church in action. We share the burden and the responsibility of bringing God’s kingdom to earth. This is God’s church. This is our church. Being a member is not about the church making me a better Christian, but about me helping the church better fulfill the great commission and the great commandment. It is not an easy thing to do. There are days when it is difficult to bear with one another in love. There will be times we feel let down and disappointed. There may be times when we are hurt and our hearts are broken. That’s where trust and faith come in to know that God is bigger than anything we face. That’s when we practice forgiveness following the example Jesus gave on the cross. More than anything else, that is when God gives me the opportunity to step forward to stand in the gap and show what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

What would Jesus do in a blizzard?

February 1, 2011 in Weekly Email with 3 Comments

The big news around here is the big blizzard. Everyone is talking about it. It is going to snow and snow a lot. Everything is cancelled. Schools are closed and events have been called off at Lord of Life. It will be a day to snuggle around the fire place and sip hot chocolate. And don’t forget the shoveling. There will be plenty of that, unless of course you have a broken foot.

It got me to thinking, “what would Jesus do in blizzard?” Of course Jesus lived in an environment that was almost tropical. There were no blizzards in Galilee. But nevertheless, it is fun to speculate.

I seem to remember Jesus said something about loving your neighbor. It is times like these when we can practice that love. There are plenty of opportunities to serve others when the snow begins to fly. Seek to be that blessing we are called to be. There are driveways and sidewalks to be shoveled, cars to be dug out and pushed. In times when we often live in isolation of our neighbors, this is one of those opportune times to build those bridges and to connect with them. There are no doubt neighbors in your neighborhood with special needs and would appreciate the extra bit of help with all this snow.

Along with connecting with our neighbors, it is an opportunity to connect with our families. Many of us will have a day at home tomorrow with the kids. Families are often running here and there and everywhere. I know at Lord of Life we had a whole bunch of activities scheduled. But for many of us we will be at home with no place to go. What a great opportunity to spend time with our spouses and our children and to build those relationships. As inconvenient as the snowstorm may be, there can be some hidden blessings. Make sure to give God thanks for the downtime along with the extra time to spend with family. Use this storm as an opportunity to create some memories that will last for years to come.

In the end we don’t need to speculate what Jesus would do in a blizzard. We get to see what he does. We recognize that we are his hands and we are his feet. As the church we get to be Jesus for others. We represent him as his people. The church building may be closed tomorrow, but the church will scattered all over the Fox Valley. Let’s be the blessing and represent the Savior wherever we may be in a way that would make him proud.

A 2011 Preview

December 23, 2010 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Here are two new message series we have coming up during January and February at Lord of Life. In January we will take a look at the “Greatest Sermon Ever.” It is the Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew 7-9.

The second message series which will begin in February is called “A Family Miracle.” This series will be focused on marriages and families. Many families are going through a rough time right now and can use some hope and healing. We will look to speak God’s Word into the home.

Wrap up and Ramp up

December 22, 2010 in Weekly Email with 1 Comment

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? Luke 14:28

The year of 2010 is about to come to a close. It has been some year. No doubt it has been a year filled with both joys and sorrows along with setbacks and breakthroughs.

The end of the year is an opportune time to sit back and to review the past year and to plan for the year ahead. It is good opportunity to ask yourself some tough questions about where you have been, where you are going, and where the Lord might be leading you. I would encourage to take some time to do this during your daily devotions sometime in the next week for a year end wrap up and a new year ramp up. Here are some questions you might consider asking yourself. This list is by no means a comprehensive list.

Ask yourself about your relationship with the Lord. Have I grown closer or further away from the Lord during this past year? Why? What spiritual discipline are I going to seek to grow in this year? Prayer? Scripture memorization? Journaling? Worship? Serving? And what is my specific plan to grow in that discipline?

Ask yourself about your finances. Are there any debts I am carrying? Do I have a plan to pay that debt off in the next year? Are there any unnecessary expenses I can trim from my budget to simply my life and give me opportunity better serve my Lord?

Ask yourself about your relationships. Is there anyone I need to ask forgiveness from? Is there anyone I need to forgive? How is my marriage? Is there more I can do to better encourage my spouse? Do I have a plan to help enrich my marriage? Have I scheduled vacation time away from work to focus on my family?

Ask yourself about your physical fitness. How much do I weigh? Am I ok with that? What can I do to get where I need to be? Am I getting adequate exercise? How can I make my physical fitness more of a priority?

Ask what is in your hand. When Moses encountered the Lord at the burning bush, Moses doubted his ability and his calling. God then asked Moses a question. The question was: “what is that in your hand?” It was a shepherds staff. God would use that staff to accomplish great things through Moses. You also have special gifts which God has put in your life. Ask what has God given me as a special skill or talent? How might I better use that gift for his glory and kingdom purposes? Is there some new ability I might strive to learn or master in the next year? Maybe it is playing a musical instrument. Maybe it is sewing. Maybe it is photography. Maybe it is writing. Maybe it is wood-working.

Then set your goals and write out our plan. Winston Churchill is credited with saying: Failing to plan is planning to fail. Many of us have our bucket list of “someday” items. But if we never plan, that someday will never come.

I do want to offer you a word of caution. Don’t try to do it all at once. Many of us over-estimate what we can do in the short term, but under-estimate what we can do over a longer period of time. We will often bite off more than we can chew and give up in frustration after a short time. You might have several different areas in your life in which you are hoping to be a better steward. Don’t try to take them all at once. Focus on one or two. Maybe this year you want to focus on finances and spiritual disciplines. Work on mastering those two areas of your life before you move on to focusing in other areas.

Finally, recognize that unless the Lord builds the house, it builders labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1) It is important we do it God’s way and not our way. If we do it our way, our plans are destined to fail. But if we do it God’s way and trust in his supply we cannot go wrong. So let’s make 2011 to be a year all for Him!

I Can’t Do This

December 7, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I have been amazed watching our daughter grow. When it comes to learning, she soaks things up like a sponge. Watching her begin to learn to read is such a miracle right before our eyes.

But then I will see her question herself and her ability. There are times when I know she has the ability, but not the confidence. I know she can sound out the letters, but she thinks it is too hard and she gives up.

Things don’t change much when we get older. There are may times in life we reach that point and we say to ourselves, “I can’t do this.” We question our ability. We end up stuck at a dead end with seemingly no way out.

When we get in this situation, we have a number of possible of responses. The first is to continue to do what we have been doing. Of course, we know this is the definition of insanity. Doing what we have been doing is what got us into this place originally. There is no reason to expect different results.

A second response is to give up. It is to quit. It is to just lie down and die and accept our fate. We leave behind our dreams, our hopes, and our affection for others.

A third response is to escape. We might do this by turning to drugs or alcohol. Others might drown themselves in excessive work or playing around on the internet. We simply try to run away. There are several mechanisms available to help us escape, but the reality is none of them offer us true freedom from the circumstances we find ourselves in.

We have been told that we can do anything we want if we put our mind to it. This is a dangerous lie we have been led to believe. We all have our limitations. As frustrating and potentially depressing as it is to reach those limitations, it is a good place to be. Yes, you heard me right. It is a good place to be! Why you ask?

When you reach the point where you say, “I can’t do this,” you come to grips with the fact that you are not God. We like to put ourselves in the place of God, that there is nothing that I cannot accomplish. But to reach your limitations is recognize your mortality. There was only one Superman and he went by the name Jesus.

After you realize you are not God, you will recognize your need for God. Think about this. If there was nothing you could not do, what need would you have for God? The answer is none! Do you see the danger with this? Without recognizing our need for God there is the danger we will leave God on the outside looking in.

But once you recognize your need for God, you will start to seek him. There are so many promises in the Scriptures about what happens when you seek him. The most famous of these promises are found in the Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus says, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Later he says, “Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). In another place in the Scriptures, it says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).

When we open the pages of the Scriptures, when we come to receive the Sacrament, and when we get on our knees to pray to the Most High God we begin to see God show up in amazing ways. We see him take us to new heights and to greater service.

If you have come to the end of your ability, you might be in no greater place because you are now left to rely on God’s ability. No, you can’t do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. But you can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength. It’s time to stop taking matters into our own hands and putting them into his.

Twins Baptism

September 27, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

What a wonderful privilege I have had to baptize all three of my children. Here is a picture from yesterday of Thomas being baptized.


IMG_0773.jpg

A Note from Colorado

July 28, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Below is printed an email received from Gene Burton in response to the recent Youth Mission Trip to Colorado. This is a really great read.

Dear Friends,

image003.jpg Thank you for your prayers for the park ministry outreach in Greeley. It was a wonderful week and we saw the Lord working in hearts!

The 24 people who came from Lord of Life Church did an excellent ministry. They were well prepared and were willing to serve in many ways.

It was the hottest week this summer and even set a record, but we heard no complaints from any of them. Two days they went out knocking on doors, inviting people to come to KidsGames 2010. We believe these personal invitations were an important factor in bringing out people.

The actual outreach took place in a park surrounded by a large Hispanic population. The flyers included “Parents Welcome,” and there were mothers who came and sat around while their children participated. That provided an opportunity for some of the adults to talk with them, sharing Christ on a one-to-one basis and offering prayers for them. We also invited them to attend Iglesia Biblica de Greeley (Greeley Bible Church), the church plant that our two missionaries partner with. Anna, a woman who came every day with her four daughters, showed interest in attending. Pray for each of these contacts made. We were impressed with how many of the ministry group were bold in sharing Christ with teens who stood on the outskirts watching what went on.

Mike and Joe are two men around 20 years old who came to the park and were interested in hearing more. They are both high school drop-outs, have no jobs, but are seeking meaning in life. They have gone twice to church with the other two missionaries. They have asked for a Bible study with us. Pray for the Lord to work in their lives.image004.jpg

One night at the park there was some gang activity, making all of us aware of the need for the gospel to change hearts. The Lord protected during this incident through a Hispanic Christian man who was concerned for us and warned us about it.

The ministry group also was willing to help us with manual labor around our house by removing some trees and stumps in preparation for us to put in a yard. They saved us countless hours of labor to free us up for the ministry! During the time the group was here, we also had three our grandchildren here. The group ministered to them in kind ways, including them in the program. They loved the experience! Although life was hectic with so many people in our home, it was so encouraging to us. We loved having them here!

Thanks for your prayers! God answered in wonderful ways!

Working together for Him,

Gene Burton

The Ethnos Commission

    The Church Development Division of

    Better Life Ministries

    P.O. Box 1852

    Arvada, CO 80001

Page 1 of 212»