A few years ago, the National Director of the Vineyard Churches, Bert Wagoner passionately called for the Vineyard to become "A community of hope for a despairing world." That phase has stuck in my heart. Yesterday, some friends of mine and I were talking about hope. What does it mean to be a "community of hope"?
Reggie Hovenga, one of the pastors of our church related a teaching his Small Group had done on what it would take to become a healthy, enabling and loving body of believers. The first aspect that was discussed in becoming an authentic community of faith was honesty. We live in a very disguised and hidden culture riddled with deception. We are often times afraid to be honest for fear of the judgment we might incur. It is hard to find people who will really be honest about their feelings, thoughts and behaviors. But without honesty, authentic and trusting relationships cannot be formed. Even in our relationship with God, honesty is so necessary. Dishonesty in our relationship with God can only lead to dead, cold religion. Honesty with God leads to fervent and effective prayer and a peace filled walk with God.
Second, Reggie talked about obedience. As a Christian community, obedience is mandatory. How can we announce Jesus as King unless we are willing to be wholeheartedly obedient to His word and will? A true Christian community assists it's members in maintaining an obedient posture before God. The Holy Spirit has been given to us who believe to empower us to live obedient lives.
Reggie then spoke of patience. That in order for us to be able to grow in our relationship with God, we must learn to be patient with each other and patient with ourselves. We are all in process. No one has hit the pinnacle of the Christian life. As God is patient with us, we must learn to be patient with Him in waiting for the fulfillment of His promises. I'm grateful that patience is listed as one of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 6.
Finally, Reggie talked about being a people filled with expectation. We are to filled with an expectation of God redeeming each and every situation in life and bringing them into harmony with His will. We are to live filled with an expectation of His great and wonderful promises coming to fruition. We are called to live our lives with an expectation of the powerful presence of the Spirit to move among us and radically transform our lives, an expectation of good rather than bad.
Honesty, obedience, patience and expectation. These seem to be core components of what launchs a people into becoming a "community of hope for a despairing world".
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Prediction from Rev. Franklin Graham
I was struck by this article. In the 40 years I have walked with the Lord, I have watched this post-Christian era develop. I believe we are entering a marvelously powerful and challenging time for the church. Please read the following article.
The Rev. Franklin Graham says just mentioning the name Jesus Christ in the public square is increasingly frowned upon and warns: "The spirit of anti-Christ is everywhere."
The Samaritan’s Purse founder and son of beloved evangelist Dr. Billy Graham voiced his dismay at the rapid secularization of society
during a Tuesday chapel service at John Brown University, a private Christian university based in Siloam Springs, Ark.
Graham, who was banned from a Pentagon national day of Prayer event last year for expressing his opinions about Islam, told students: “Even in our government today, you can't pray to Jesus in many public meetings. You can pray to God or a god. You can mention Buddha or the name of Muhammad -- but you can't pray to Jesus Christ.”
The president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association criticized the recent memorial service for the Tucson shooting victims.
Unlike the memorials held after the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, he said, the Tucson program did not include an official prayer or mention of God. Graham noted gratefully, however, that President Barack Obama did quote scripture from the biblical book of Job.
The one religious dedication on the program came from a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, who delivered a peroration that among other things called out to “"Father Sky, where we get our masculine energy" and "Mother Earth, where we get our feminine energy.”
Earlier this week, Graham penned an op-ed in the Washington Times saying it was “a shame” that the University of Arizona had failed to put God anywhere on its program.
“How sad,” the Graham op-ed stated. “Father Sky and Mother Earth can do nothing to comfort Capt. Mark Kelly, who had been at the bedside of his wife, Rep. Giffords, wondering if she'd ever leave her bed. Or Mary Stoddard, who was only alive because her husband sacrificed his life by shielding her with his body. Or the family, classmates, teammates and friends of little Christina, whose life was snuffed out before she could play another season of Little League.”
Graham told the university students what was missing from the memorial: “There was no call for God to put His loving arms around those who were hurting,” said Graham. "Why did they leave him out? They scoff at the name of Jesus Christ."
Graham predicted the persecution of Christians will get worse in coming years, and he encouraged students to use the new media and the Internet to spread the gospel.
Dan's summation:
The church of Jesus Christ was birthed in an environment similar to the one we live in today and revival burned for centuries. If there was ever a time for God's people to rise up in a deep devotion to King Jesus, it is now. Prayer must become not just a simple Christian discipline but a necessity in our lives.
The Rev. Franklin Graham says just mentioning the name Jesus Christ in the public square is increasingly frowned upon and warns: "The spirit of anti-Christ is everywhere."
The Samaritan’s Purse founder and son of beloved evangelist Dr. Billy Graham voiced his dismay at the rapid secularization of society
during a Tuesday chapel service at John Brown University, a private Christian university based in Siloam Springs, Ark.Graham, who was banned from a Pentagon national day of Prayer event last year for expressing his opinions about Islam, told students: “Even in our government today, you can't pray to Jesus in many public meetings. You can pray to God or a god. You can mention Buddha or the name of Muhammad -- but you can't pray to Jesus Christ.”
The president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association criticized the recent memorial service for the Tucson shooting victims.
Unlike the memorials held after the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, he said, the Tucson program did not include an official prayer or mention of God. Graham noted gratefully, however, that President Barack Obama did quote scripture from the biblical book of Job.
The one religious dedication on the program came from a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, who delivered a peroration that among other things called out to “"Father Sky, where we get our masculine energy" and "Mother Earth, where we get our feminine energy.”
Earlier this week, Graham penned an op-ed in the Washington Times saying it was “a shame” that the University of Arizona had failed to put God anywhere on its program.
“How sad,” the Graham op-ed stated. “Father Sky and Mother Earth can do nothing to comfort Capt. Mark Kelly, who had been at the bedside of his wife, Rep. Giffords, wondering if she'd ever leave her bed. Or Mary Stoddard, who was only alive because her husband sacrificed his life by shielding her with his body. Or the family, classmates, teammates and friends of little Christina, whose life was snuffed out before she could play another season of Little League.”
Graham told the university students what was missing from the memorial: “There was no call for God to put His loving arms around those who were hurting,” said Graham. "Why did they leave him out? They scoff at the name of Jesus Christ."
Graham predicted the persecution of Christians will get worse in coming years, and he encouraged students to use the new media and the Internet to spread the gospel.
Dan's summation:
The church of Jesus Christ was birthed in an environment similar to the one we live in today and revival burned for centuries. If there was ever a time for God's people to rise up in a deep devotion to King Jesus, it is now. Prayer must become not just a simple Christian discipline but a necessity in our lives.
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