The Great Disconnect

All you have to do is hang around a church long enough and you’ll see people come to Jesus, be really excited, get involved serving the Lord, and then after a while they begin to fizzle out in their passion for the Lord and His mission. They become discouraged, discontent, and ultimately disconnected.

At Open Arms Community Church we’ve been doing a series of messages on “Growing Closer To God”. Last weekend we addressed the role of prayer, the week before that the role of Bible reading, and this coming week the role of Community.

Whether out of emotions or just plain laziness, we can watch “the great disconnect” slowly begin to take place in the life of a Christian. It’s not an overnight thing. It’s like the song by Casting Crowns called “Slow Fade”. We don’t fall away from Jesus in a day. It takes time and little backward steps, small compromises here and there, and the next thing you know we don’t feel or hear Jesus anymore, we don’t have the passion and compassion we used to have. The love has grown cold toward the Lord, my church family, and the lost.

How does it happen?

As I mentioned it could be emotional. I may have some negative feelings (offense, depression, unmet expectations, etc) that cause me to become focused on me and how I feel and less on the Lord and what He thinks and says.

It could also be busyness. I may be so overloaded and busy in my schedule that I just “don’t have the time” to read my Bible, pray, or go to cell group or church, or even if I have the time, I’m so worn out I “don’t feel like” going today. Then today turns into next week, next month, and pretty soon, not at all.

It may also be laziness. I don’t have the desire and self-discipline to get out and do. This has a lot to do with an indifferent attitude toward the things of God (a lack of the Fear of the Lord). We don’t value the things of God as of first importance. We would say that they’re important to us, but by our actions we see that doing what is easy and self-gratifying is more important.

There are three areas where “the great disconnect” can start and if not dealt with it will take over all three.

First, time with God in his Word (reading our Bible). If we become slack in connecting with God in his Word then we will be spiritually malnourished. Jesus said, “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4). If we are not feeding on God’s word faithfully you can easily understand the negative effect; go try to function every day, doing all you do, with just one meal a day (or week) for a year. It won’t happen. This is one area of “the great disconnect”.

Second, time with God in prayer. As the Word of God (Bible) is food for our spirit, prayer is like breath or water to the body. The Bible uses symbols of air and water for the Holy Spirit. What happens if our body/flesh doesn’t get air or water? Spiritually speaking the same result takes place to our spirit/relationship with God if we do not spend time in prayer (which is simply communication/conversation with God… a breathing/drinking in of His presence and power in our life). You can see how without this area being strong and healthy, without drinking/breathing in enough we will suffer weakness, disorientation, and even death.

Third, time with God’s people (Community). Community, sharing life together, is no easy thing. It’s hard. People let us down, hurt our feelings, demand time and resources from us. People are weird and do things differently. Community is tough, but it is where God teaches us, stretches us, and molds us beyond our self. We learn to see things we didn’t see before, and even things we’ve seen before we learn to see differently. We learn to love differences, we learn to forgive and be patient, we learn to think of others and sacrifice to bless and help others. There is so much that Community accomplishes in us.

When my son, Mike, had a broken leg the doctor told us that after a certain point in the process of healing he would need to start walking on the leg while it was still in the cast. The doctor said that this would strengthen the bone because of the pressure. That’s kind of what Community is like. It puts pressure on us (broken people) to help us heal properly, healthy, and strong. God doesn’t want us to just get a little bit of healing. He wants us to be functional.

Lastly, fourth, is time in God’s work/mission (ministry/mission). Unless we’re serving the Lord we’re serving ourselves. Unless we’re involved serving the Lord we will loose our passion and compassion. We may feel pity toward people and their circumstances, but we will not be inclined to get involved in helping and being part of the solution.

Let’s face it ministry/mission is not easy. It’s hard work, it’s difficult, it’s sometimes painful, it’s inconvenient, and it regularly costs something, but it’s here that God helps us experience life to the full, life beyond me. It’s hear that I find true life, a life worth living. It’s in these hard and difficult places that I grow and am stretched and become so much more than I ever would just living for me/self. There is something about giving of my time, energy, talent, and money that changes me, grows me, in a way that nothing else will.

You can’t separate any one of these components. They are all important.

What is the fruit of “the great disconnect”?

Usually people who become disconnected from God, His mission, and His people become discouraged, disgruntled/bitter/critical, cynical, self-absorbed, skewed in perception and perspective, and begin to get so disoriented to God that they have a hard time finding their way back if they ever do at all. They often end up laying all blame on others (the church people, the church leadership, all Christians, etc.) and rarely ever take any kind of personal responsibility for their condition and thus are rarely inclined to take the necessary steps and make the necessary changes and sacrifices to restore themselves into right relationship. The fault is always everyone else. The weird thing here is the lack of common sense… how come it’s the people that do/give the least that scream the most? And it’s those who have the most that give the least?

We begin to fall prey to satan’s strategies to get us to be so consumed with ourselves that we miss all that God wants to do in and through us, thus widening the gap.

Remember, satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1Peter 5). I learned some time ago that lions can’t distinguish the individual parts of a group/herd, so they will stalk a heard keeping their eye on the blob (herd) and watch for an individual animal to become separated/disconnected from the group, and then they will attack that single animal rather than the whole herd.

Change starts with a single step. We have a gracious, merciful, and compassionate loving heavenly Father who is very forgiving and runs after us with open arms. God wants us to see our condition and what got us there and make the changes to walk right with Him.

It will not be an overnight fix, but it can start now, with a simple prayer and decision.

If we stick it out, our testimony will be one that can be used to encourage others who have fell prey to “the great disconnect”.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/986696/the_great_disconnect.html?cat=34

Love Of The Truth

At Open Arms Community Church we’ve been going through a series called “Growing Closer To God”. Last weekend we discussed the topic of how studying God’s Word (the Bible) grows us closer to God.

We saw many warnings in the scripture about deceiving spirits at work in our world and deceptive teachings that will come. We also saw the antidote for the rampant deception in our world, a love of/for the truth.

When we use that phrase “love of/for the truth” we are to understand first that this has always been God’s expectation, that what we do in pursuing Him and obeying Him would be motivated by a loving relationship not religious duty. That’s the first and greatest command, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”.

We are also to understand that true love compels us to pursue. If we really “love” then we feel compelled. Whether you say, “I love my wife” or “I love ice cream”. Either way you feel compelled by that affection/affinity to pursue them.

You have to wonder what many Christians have in this Christian Faith, relationship or religion, because so many seem so unmotivated in pursuing God (reading His Word, obeying His Word, spending time with Him in prayer, and spending time with fellow saints).

So many seem to “Believe” in God/Jesus and do the obligatory “church attendance” (sometimes), but seem to resent the imposition that Jesus and His commands make on their lifestyle. They seem to have thought that following Jesus would simply be adding a little bit of religious duty to their pre-existing lifestyle, but Jesus tells us He came to give a whole new way of life (not just a few religious habits), so we should understand that there will not just be a few changes to our way of life, but a completely different way of life.

In following Jesus we may stay at the same place of work, but we may not. We may stay in the same geography, but we may not. God has a way of taking those who follow Him and changing their life drastically.

Why do some seem to have these powerful life changing experiences for life long and others not? Why do some seem so easily moved off coarse, but others are more stable and stay on track? The answer is simpler than we think.

In 2Thessalonians 2:1-10 we find God warning us that as the clock of earths existence winds down there will be an increase of deception. Spirits and spiritual teachers will come try to teach things that sound, feel, smell, and seem good, right, and true, but in fact are wrong, dangerous, and destructive.

God tells us in these verses that the people being deceived and ruined by the deception will go from bad to worse simply because of one thing… they did not love the truth. As we reject or just take lightly the truth, the easier we swallow satan’s lies and the harder it can be come to swallow God’s word.

That is the second thing we need to learn from this phrase “love of/for the truth”.

Jesus tells us His “word is truth”, that His word is “flawless and eternal”, and that those who “hear it and do what it says” are blessed, but those who “hear it and do not do what it says” fall under a lack of blessing, a curse, even destruction”. (Matthew 7)

The availability of God’s Word, especially to us in America and those with regular internet access, makes this truth all the more convicting and us all the more accountable/responsible to God for how seriously and diligently we pursue God and His truth.

God is at work in our world. He is moving and doing awesome things, but so is the devil, and unfortunately to many Christians are buying satan’s lies and living a less than Christian life; A life of which I do not know for sure the final outcome.


So, what do we do?

First, 2Timothy 2:15 tells us to “do your best to show yourself approved” or “diligently study to show yourself approved” by God in “rightly handling the word of truth”. Do we “rightly handle” the word? Not only are we to handle it “rightly” by understanding it accurately, but we’re also to handle it “rightly” by actually handling it, using it, not letting it sit on our shelf or the back of our toilet collecting dust.

Second, as we feed on this Word of Truth we will fulfill God’s command to “grow in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.” 2Peter 3:18

Thirdly, we must understand that there will be things in the Bible we don’t understand at first, but the more we read it and the more we live it, the more we will understand, but even after decades of following Jesus and studying the word of God, there is much we still don’t fully understand, so what do we do.

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us the knowledge that is hidden belongs to God (that is His business), but the knowledge that is revealed (understood by men) is given to us so that we may do what it says, in other words OBEY IT.

If we do these things we will be blessed and are true disciples/followers of Jesus. If we do not do these things we are easy prey for satan and his minions, we are going to experience less than God’s best in life, and we may not be authentic disciples/followers of Jesus (we may fall into the category of simply believing in God, but still on our way to hell with satan who also believes in God. James 2).

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/967870/love_of_the_truth.html?cat=34

Religion or Relationship?

Roughly 98% of the people in the world believe in God. While most people believe in God many struggle with the question: Which religion is right? The answer is none of them. In order to accurately understand this statement we must define religion.

Religion is simply manmade rules, standards, traditions, and rituals.

What bearing do any of these have on our relationship with God (Yes, Relationship)?

No matter what “religion” you subscribe to they all have a few common beliefs. God is real, he created the universe and everything in it, there is a right and wrong, and there are blessings and curses to be experienced, and there is an eternity in the balance for each person.

While some religions have described God as being somewhat disconnected from humanity and it’s plight, Jesus taught a very different view.

Jesus taught that God cares for people and that He created people for a purpose, that purpose was not servitude out of religious duty, it was not to make church goers, it was not to make slaves, it was to make children. Jesus taught that God made people to be his children, His objects of deep love and affection, and that He (God) desires a relationship with His creation.

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment of all was to “love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV). The point of this is two fold… 1) Love is the issue! We’re to have a loving relationship with God and this relationship isn’t just a religious hobby, it’s our life. We live for it with our entire being. 2) This relationship is then the motivating factor in all our life decisions. This gives us guidance in how to live.

Like any relationship, because we love and care about the person and what they think it alters our behavior and way of life so we can live in harmony with them and experience the relationship at it’s best. This is how it works with God.

Does this mean all religion is bad? Not at all!

It is written, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27 NIV)

So, religion, as previously defined, that encourages addressing causes of social justice and personal purity/morality is seen as good and acceptable. Religion then is nothing more than a tool to help people in their relationship with God and their pursuit of being the person God made them to be.

So, which religion is “right”? The answer is none of them. If you follow the teachings of Jesus He taught relationship with God through His (Jesus’) sacrificial work and this relationships was the motivating factor for spirituality and morality. Everything else is just tools.

What do you do with tools? Use them when they work. Put them in the box when they don’t. If they’re broke throw them away. Common sense!

Religion isn't especially bad or wrong or right, it's just a tool. Devotion to religion isn't bad, or wrong, or right it just can't supercede or take the place of your relationship/commitment to God.

When Religion helps you live out the truths of God's word, grow in your relationship with God, and become the person God made you to be then use it, but when it becomes God in your life, or becomes dead lifeless rituals, or becomes as authoritative as the Bible in your life then it's time to reevaluate and perhaps move on to a different tool.

Are We At War?

Depending on the circles we run in we may hear a lot or a little about spiritual warfare, but the Bible talks about it very directly and gives numerous examples of real life spiritual warfare.

Here are a few references for Spiritual Warfare:

Ephesians 6:10-18

1Peter 5:8

Colossians 2:13-15

1Timothy 6:12

1John 4:4

Romans 8:35-39

Here are a few examples of Spiritual Warfare:

Luke 13:10-17

Mark 9:14-32

The Entire Book of Acts

2Corinthians 11:23-12:10

We sometimes loose sight of the unseen/supernatural/spiritual world and all it’s effect on the seen/natural world.

Often circumstances and everyday living can become so routine that we forget that this natural world is just a scratch on the surface of what life is all about and that there is another side of life/creation that is even more real and more important in the big picture.

Within this unseen world exists an unseen (supernatural) enemy who takes our destruction seriously.

The Bible gives us good news about our fight against this enemy, but we do have to fight.

The Bible also warns that not taking this war seriously or giving up will have serious negative consequences.

The question, “Are we at war?” is not about weather or not we are in a war, but rather are we engaging in it properly, or are we ending up passive victims.

Jesus said, “…The GATES of hell will not prevail against the church.” (Matthew 18) It’s important to note he said “GATES” because it points to the offensive posture the church (God’s People) is supposed to have and be in.

Think about it. Gates! What is a Gate? It’s a kind of door. Is there anything scary or destructive about a door? No! Do doors chase people around and hurt them? Do people have signs at the edge of their property saying, “Beware of door/gate!”? Are doors/gates buying guns and assaulting people?

When Jesus referenced the gates of hell he was pointing out the fact that we (the church) would be assaulting hell, not hell assaulting us. He was pointing out that we (the church) would be taking the offensive, putting Hell on the defense, driving it back to it’s headquarters. He was pointing to the fact that the church is a mobile thing, not a building settled on a plot of ground. There is no mention by Jesus of the “gates of the church”.

In life (in this world and western culture as we know it) the opposite seems true, so I ask… Are we at war? Are we taking the offensive in our life (in our personal life, our home, our family, our work, our neighborhood, and so on)? Are we hitting back when the devil does blindside/surprise attack us?

Too many Christians lie down and play dead. They think being passive and doing nothing will make the bad guy go away. NOT SO! This bad guy and his brothers-in-arms are hell-bent on your total destruction in the most miserable way possible, and they intend to enjoy every second of it.

For others they start the good fight well, but after a while they get weary and tired and end up not taking any offense against the enemy and when he attacks they try to defend a little, but eventually yield to just taking the hits and trying to role with the punches or bombs (whichever the case may be), but the bottom line is in the end they give up, they quit, and thus live out the rest of their life in misery (a prince/princess living as a prisoner/slave) constantly being assaulted in every area of life by a ruthless, merciless, tyrannical captor (2Timothy 2:20-26)

The fight is not always easy and it is one that requires time, energy, thought, and so much more, but it’s a fight that God promises we will win. That’s what makes it a “good” fight (1Timothy 6:12).

I used to fight a lot as a kid. The only fights I ever considered a “good fight” was the ones that I won.

You can do it! God made you a victor, a winner! He made you to kick devil butt and take no prisoners! He made you to be a liberator to set other captives free. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! You are more than a conqueror! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

Be the hero God made you to be! Put on the full armor of God! Fight the good fight! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfecter (meaning he not only wrote the book, but lived it out proving that it works) of our faith, and never, never, never quit/give up!

Pray, strategize, implement! Let the church yell a war cry that makes the demons tremble and let’s start fighting!