Scripture

So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:10-11

Observation

In some churches two conversions are needed. First is a conversion to Christ. The second is a conversion to the culture of that local church. There are sometimes written rules and always unwritten ones that define who is and who is not part of that church.

God has designed a way to offend churches to discover if their heart is his heart. The Lord offends churches by bringing the “Gentiles” in. It was a struggle 2000 years ago and it is a problem now. Since the church at Jerusalem, those in the church want to create church designed for their comfort. So behind our smiles and handshakes we give subtle messages about our hidden agenda and pile new Christians with extra club rules. How we process outsiders reveals our heart. If we sift them with the screen of our expectations we don’t have the heart of Jesus. But if we call them to follow Christ he will never leave them the same again.

Peter made it clear that there should only be on conversion necessary to come into a church–the call to follow Christ. That conversion is challenging enough. Some metro transport systems city buses that hydraulically lower themselves to curb level so passengers can climb on board without any step up. The local church should design its culture at the curb level of the society so people can easily get on board and then be taken where they have never gone before. This isn’t compromise, it is simply requiring no more of new Christians than what God does.

Application
The early church struggled with integrating the “Gentiles”. The problem persists to this day. A local church must constantly self-examine to see what extra turnstiles it has erected on the road to salvation that were not designated by the Lord. Let it start first in my own heart.

Prayer
Father, it’s surprising you let me into church, so let me never make it difficult for others. Keep the expectations of my own heart simple. For I know if I accept others Jesus will do the changing. Amen.

Scripture
But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. Revelation 2:4 & 6

Observation
I saw a newspaper once that advertised with bold headlines the word “ANTI” three times with three separate things they were against. I only remember abortion from the list they gave, but they were anti two other things as well. I thought it strange for a church to market itself by what it is against. Certainly it was not attractive.The church at Ephesus was a church that was known by what it stood against but not for whom it stood beside. Their love tank was dry, but their venom against their enemies was full to the brim.In every church Jesus is looking for enough love and hate to keep it going. Every church needs some hate in it. For love to be authentic there must be something that we hate because it is a threat to what we value most. Otherwise our love is tolerance and compromise. Some churches pride themselves in their ability to love, but in the process tolerate what Jesus hates. To love him we must dislike some things.

But a church filled with hate without authentic love is a spiteful thing. It’s interesting that the first and most memorable of the churches chastised by Jesus was not reprimanded because of false doctrine but because of their coldness. The atmosphere of love is so significant to Jesus that he is willing to downgrade even a mega-church like Ephesus if people are indifferent toward one another.

Application
Of all the things pastors need to develop and redevelop in their congregations is an authentic and inclusive acceptance of one another and devotion to one another’s need. Love matters most to Jesus because God is love. In the end our churches will not be judged by seamless transitions, lack of technical glitches or a sermon that finished in the alloted time, but by the way we treated each other in the process.

Prayer
Father, let your love envelop my heart. What is in me will be in the people that I serve. Give me a heart filled with love and just enough hate to make it authentic. Amen.

Leslie and I are holding our first grandson Gabe. He’s the son of our foster son Nelson and his wife Amy.

Scripture

In that day it will be said to Jerusalem :

“Do not be afraid, O Zion ;

Do not let your hands fall limp.

“The LORD your God is in your midst,

A victorious warrior

He will exult over you with joy,

He will be quiet in His love,

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:16-17

Observation

The time this little love note was sent from the Lord to Jerusalem was for the days when refugees took trembling steps back into the ruined city. The walls were broken down, the buildings were ashes, the people were afraid to live in the town. Throughout the books of Ezra and Nehemiah there is a sense that the people felt vulnerable, small and pathetic. What they were building was claptrap compared with the memories of the old days.

But God was in the center of their city and that made all of the difference. He was a warrior and a husband. He would defend the city as no walls ever could do. And he would nourish his trembling bride with love and joy. Though it was ruins, somehow God was more proud of this city than he had been of the days before the destruction.

I think the same happens in churches today. Sure there are some remarkable megachurches where it is possible to get a little sense of the grandeur of God’s plan. But most churches are ordinary operations of small groups of familiar people. Like refugees building with cindered stones we can feel that our efforts are not quite good enough

What happens when we start feeling this way? Our hands fall limp. Instead of grasping hold of the things God has put in front of the church to do, we hold them loosely and pursue them half-heartedly. We feel small and act in petty ways.

There are times that the church needs to be woken up to just who she is and who the Lord is. The refugees are a bride and the warrior is her husband. There is a song in the air and that is the sound of God singing. The only time in all of the Bible that God breaks into song is to encourage his people.

Application

There is a song being sung right now. Can you hear it? It is a song to give hope to the heart and strength to our hands. There are works that the Lord has placed in front of us to do. We are not to be afraid of our smallness, weakness or inadequacy. He is more than enough. After all of the seminars, DVDs and books I wonder if pastors think that the solution to the needs of the people of their city or town is for their church to become bigger. Instead you want to strengthen our hands to do the thing that is immediately in front of us. Between Nehemiah and Zerubabel the city was rebuilt through ordinary people.

Prayer

Father, there are times I sure feel small. Today is one of them. And I’m sure there are many churches and pastors that feel the same. But through little people you accomplish great things. And I believe you will do those things through all of us. I ask that you would give me words to speak that strengthen the grip of your people to master the works you have called them to do. For as we learned in the days of Nehemiah, if we will only build our section of the wall the entire project will be done. Arouse your church and let us act like God is in the middle of what we are doing. Let us work like cherished people. Amen.

As the saying goes: “Warning! I’m a Grandparent and I have pictures.” Here’s our grandson Gabe.