Every Day with Jesus in 2011

As a congregation, our theme for 2011 will be "Every Day with Jesus." As I prayed and asked the Lord to give us direction for the year ahead, He brought this phrase to my mind. In the course of daily ministry, I find that many of the challenges people encounter would be much easier to handle if they sought to focus on Jesus more each day. But what does that look like in "every day life?"

In the busy-ness of our lives, we often lose focus on our relationship with God. We often focus on other relationships, our jobs, our homes, our hobbies, or ourselves independent of our relationship with God. Yet God is at work in every area and relationship of our lives, each day. But we must begin to seek to find Him at work in each of these areas, every day.

A monk from the 17th century named Brother Lawrence was someone who sought to do just that. He said, "We should fix ourselves firmly in the presence of God by conversing all the time with Him... We should put life into our faith... We should give ourselves utterly to God in pure abandonment, in temporal and spiritual matters alike, and find contentment in the doing of His will, whether He takes us through sufferings or consolations." He also said that he "was happy to pick up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking Him alone, purely, and nothing else, not even His gifts."

Jesus' remarks in John 15 are instructive here. In speaking about our relationship with Him, He says, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5) The fruit of which Jesus speaks are things that are in line with the will of God, things which please Him and make Him known in the world. Brother Lawrence understood that when he did things simply out of love for God, he found his faith strengthened and that he grew much closer in his relationship with God.

But he was a monk, you say. It was easy for him to be so devoted to God for that was his sole (and soul) preoccupation. But he struggled with it just as you and I do. He had regular "every day living" tasks to perform that were boring and not fulfilling by nature, just as you and I do. In reading the short book about him, "The Practice of the Presence of God", however, you find that it was in the menial day-to-day chores that he learned how to make this abundant life with God a reality. You and I can do the same.

"A little perseverance," he said, "was needed at first to form the habit of conversing all the time with God and referring all actions to Him. However, after a little care one felt stirred by His love without any trouble... We ought to act very simply with God, speaking familiarly with Him, and asking Him for help in situations as they arise." He trained himself to do everything for the love of God, whether it was a task he enjoyed or not, and he prayed constantly for the the grace to do his work. As he did so, God was faithful to help him and sustain him in his work.

God will do the same for us! Jesus said, "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me" (John 15:4). I do not believe that in choosing the words "remain in Me" Jesus means an occasional prayer and attending worship when it is convenient for you. I think Brother Lawrence had a better understanding of what Jesus meant by "remaining in Him." It is an every moment, every hour, every day thing. And as he discovered, there is extraordinary joy to be gained as we “remain in God” all the time.

It would be wonderful if there was a switch we could turn or a simple prayer we could pray to cause us to remain in Him the way we might like to do. But it takes God's help as we work to submit each moment, each task, each conversation, and each day to Him. This work requires submission and discipline, with which God promises to empower us. But more than that, it requires a love for God that creates within us a desire to remain in Him.

It is difficult to fully love something or someone with whom we spend little time. A famous preacher once said that Love is spelled TIME. If we want to love God more, we must spend time with Him, time in conversation (prayer), in meditation (pondering God and His works), in His Word (reading the Bible for devotions and for study), in fellowship with His people (allowing others to be used by God to bless you and you doing the same for them), and time in worship (giving God the praise and adoration He alone is due). All of these can be done in the course of our daily lives, if we love God enough to make time for them.

Take a moment and think of the things that are a part of your daily life now. How many of them were added at one point in the past because you made time in your schedule for them? We are good at making time for the things we really desire, and really good at creating reasons to put off doing things we don't. In order for our relationships with God to be more than they are now, we must make more time for Him each day in 2011.

Hence our theme for the year - "Every Day with Jesus." Is this a lofty goal? Admittedly it is. Is there a more noble goal for our congregation? I believe there is not at this time. In order to fulfill our mission of "Building Committed Followers of Jesus" as a congregation, we must first be a congregation of "committed followers of Jesus." We must seek God's help to be more like Brother Lawrence and to live every day performing every deed for the love of God.

Can we do it? With God's help, Jesus tells us that it is possible. Will we desire to do it? That will be up for us to decide. Since the things of this life are temporary, we should prepare for 2011 by asking God to give us His perspective on our lives and to draw us deeper into relationship with Him as we seek to live "Every Day with Jesus." As we do, I know He will.

Your fellow traveler on the journey following Jesus,

Pastor Tim

October 2009 - Putting Feet to Our Faith

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16

The Apostle Paul wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago to encourage his young protégé Timothy. Do you really believe this applies to you, too? Try reading the verse again, only replace the word sinners with your name. Ask the Holy Spirit to cause this passage to open your mind and your heart to the truth of this Scripture. Go ahead, read it several more times using your own name until it resonates deep within your soul.

Hopefully, these verses convict us of two things. First, that we are sinners by nature, and that we would be condemned by God apart from Christ. We should be dead because of our sin, our rebellion against God and our constant desire to have our own way in life.

Second, however, it should reaffirm for us that in God’s wonderful grace and mercy He has redeemed us through His Son Jesus’ death and resurrection. In response to this extraordinary act of mercy from God, we should be stepping out and telling others about the amazing thing God has done for us. He has saved us from certain death and eternal punishment for our sin!

This unbelievable free gift is something to be celebrated and shared with others! Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887) put it this way, “If you want your neighbor to know what Christ will do for him, let the neighbor see what Christ has done for you.”

Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and talked to someone about your faith, telling them about our church or about Jesus and they immediately shut you down? “I have my own belief,” they say, or something like that.

A great preacher, Oswald Chambers (1874–1917) once said, “We preach to men as if they were conscious they were dying sinners, they are not; they are having a good time.” He was speaking at the turn of the last century. It is amazing how little people have changed in 100 years!

People do not know there are eternal consequences for their choices unless they are told. They also will not know there is a Savior, one who offers forgiveness and mercy, unless they are told.

Whose job is it to tell them, to warn them of the coming time of judgment? It is ours! Those of us who know we are sinful and have accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness and profess faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord. It is our job, yours and mine.

You may think this is too difficult or that you are not equipped for the task. Oswald Chambers reminds us, ”People say that it is so hard to bring Jesus Christ and present Him before the lives of men today. Of course it is, it is so hard that it is impossible except by the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost.”

Stop and pray right now. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit and to give you His heart for those who have not accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness through Christ. Ask Him to give you the words you need to communicate His love and the hope you have in Jesus with someone who needs to hear that message today. Will you? Are you willing to be God’s example like the Apostle Paul was? It will change your life for the better! Try it today! Put feet to your faith!

Your fellow traveler following Christ,

Pastor Tim