Facing Trials

In Joshua chapter 6 we see Joshua and Israelites before the city of Jericho. The Lord spoke to Joshua and said He had already given the city to them. Joshua relays the message to the people, saying to take the Ark of the covenant and an armed guard and to march around the city wall one time in silence. They did this for six straight days. On the seventh day they were commanded to shout for the city was theirs. What we need to see is that Joshua never told them it would take six days and on the seventh they would win. If he had told them this, if he had told them the results ahead of time, they would have believed it was of their works. 

The reason we face battles and don't know when it will end is so that we will put our faith completely in God. Sometimes the longevity of a battle is to strengthen or grow our faith. If on the first day I started working out I saw ripped abs, I would probably quit working out. Endurance strengthens our faith. Faith is what wins the battle. Greater is He who is within me, then he who is in the world. Be encouraged! As David did, strength and your self in the Lord in the midst of adversity and battle. 

Look back at the beginning of Joshua chapter 6. God spoke to Joshua and past tense. Before they ever took their first steps around Jericho, the battle had already been won! What ever you are facing today, know that it is in God's hands! Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Have faith, strengthen your faith, and face your battle head on knowing it's in His hands.

JWL

The Nature of a Calling and the Rise of a New Ministerial Generation

In 1994 I felt a calling to ministry. This was not something I took in lightly. As a matter of fact, I didn't really want it. My father was a pastor and I knew the challenges and victories he had throughout. I knew how the politics of church worked even as a teenager. Facing such trials was not what I had in mind to deal with. However, the calling on my life was so strong I knew it was useless not to surrender. 

 

So I gave in. 

 

I gave in knowing that there were men that my father called "friend" who I could look up to and count on to guide my path. Those men plus my dad were the ones I was counting on. I preached my first message with confidence and with my father's affirming eye watching on. I knew life would be different from now on. As a soldier of the cross, I knew Satan had a target on my back wanting me to fail. 

 

I do not regret my calling to ministry or any step I have taken along the way. The good and the bad are learning curves leading to more opportunities. I am ever so thankful for the wise counsel that has been placed before me to guide me through the mine-field of ministry. My father showed me the personal side of ministry. I saw how it affected our family and how the long hours can hurt a home. I saw how he took it personal and wanted to see everyone find peace in Christ. It was trying to balance the strong desire to be faithful to God's will with the responsibility of having a young family. I also watched my family fall apart because of stress from both sides. Sometimes you learn what not to do. My mother left and a few years later my father had a stroke. 

 

I have never fully stopped playing music from the time I was a teenager, which is a ministry in so many ways. However, my first real ministry position was as a bi-vocational youth pastor. My senior pastor was Dr. Tom Stokes and he gave me so many opportunities to learn from so many viewpoints of ministry. When those opportunities arose, I saw it as a gold mine. I listened to his wisdom then, and greatly value his opinion to this very day. I usually do not make any major life decisions without discussing it with Bro. Tom. 

 

I served under Pastor Steve James whose ability in the pulpit was masterful. He preached with power, structure, and authority, all the while showing compassion and communicating to each person the goodness of the gospel as if speaking to the largest of congregations one person at a time. I learned about sermon preparation and how to handle the ebb and flow of a message. Along the way I learned the importance of hospital visitation, sitting and talking with senior adults, listening to what is important to youth, the joy of playing kickball with children, and the tender moments of prayer when a family has experienced hurt, brokenness, or loss. 

 

All in all I could not be nearly as effective as a minister of the gospel without those who paved the way before me. I opened my ears and left my ego at the door. I had no right to an ego. Sure, I had done some things in the music business, but in straight forward pastoral ministry I had to submit to the authority of those who had the experience. Even today, 22 years after that first sermon, I still hold the utmost respect for those pastors, those men who stood behind the sacred desk.

 

It astounds me today to see young people today with such a lack of respect for those who paved the way. This doesn't apply to every young minister, but the ones who feel they are "holier" or have a greater "authority" than other ministers. Ministry is NOT a choice, it's a life calling. Ezekiel 33 explains exactly my convictions toward being in ministry. It is not about reinventing the wheel, but about taking the gospel to a lost and dying world. The greatest commandment is to LOVE! Love means taking Jesus' last words and taking the gospel into all of the world in hopes that salvation becomes a reality. What does it take? Listening to those who have the experience. Allow them to mentor and fill your spirit with inspiration and guidance. So many young "preachers" want to pave their own way, reinvent the wheel, or do it better than it was done before. This is not a race. It is not a competition. It is a journey that we are all on together. 

 

Young person holding your Bible, a few words of wisdom. Slow down. You are not holier than anyone else. It is not that kind of a contest. it's not even a contest. Quit making it into one. What you are doing requires a life calling that only comes from the Lord, not a decision you made while asked to speak at your church or an event where you thought, "well, that was pretty easy."When you realize this is a calling, then take the time to listen to those who have been in your shoes and not only walked a few miles, but helped make a way through transitions and heartaches. Open your heart and mind to a solid, Bible-minded, grounded pastor to mentor you. Not a loose cannon who throws around principles instead of biblical insight. Not a person who bases all of their "ministry" on feelings instead a Bible truths. This is no time for playing around with selfish fulfillment, especially when there are lost souls at stake. A mentor is someone with wisdom they can pass down for the greater good of the kingdom of God. Anyone less is most likely going to fail the objective. Stop, bow your head in prayer, and seek wisdom from those who have been there before... seek Jesus' face in every matter.

Failure Is Not An Option

"For with God nothing will be impossible." - Luke 1:37

It is a difficult thing, this idea of being a minister of the gospel. I'm not going to lie, I've been persecuted, called names, attacked spiritually and physically, had things said about my family, and been shut out. Don't get me wrong, I've been blessed beyond measure and if nothing good ever came to me in this world, I have salvation through Jesus' shed blood on the cross of Calvary, so I am blessed! But this idea of serving in ministry has had rough roads! 

What I have had to remember is it is not about me, my name, or my honor! I have had to get me out of the way so that God can be glorified! I have failed miserably at times but the grace extended to me through Christ is exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ever ask for. It is completely IMPOSSIBLE for me to succeed on my own. I am mud, a jar of clay, that God has called out. That calling is the key to all success. God called me, to use me, for His glory and His fame! Therefore, I have to get out of the way and let God have complete control. With me, it is IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish any of the goals laid before me. 

BUT WITH GOD... Not me, because I am fallible, not any other name, but at the name of Jesus... Mountains will move, walls will crumble, chains will fall away, and healing takes place! WITH GOD, NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE!

Change your course! Stop looking for ways to make a name for yourself! Start looking for ways to put the cross in front of you! Stop looking for ways to promote how great you are and start singing How Great God Is! When you do this, opportunities to serve will arise by divine appointment! You will point others to the cross of Jesus and never take credit for the work done because you now realize it is the blood of Jesus and not your own blood! He took your place! Serve Him gladly with a joyful heart because you cannot fail if your serve sincerely focused on Christ! Fear no challenge, because you know without a doubt that with God, nothing will be impossible!

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

 In this modern day and age, people wear cross pendants, get cross tattoos, and use cross artwork as a show of faith. In Jesus’ day, the cross had an all too different meaning. The cross, or crucifix, was a symbol of torture, punishment, and even death. The Greeks did not like the practice of crucifixion, however there were a few documented crucifixions around 479 BC, in the midst of Greek rule. The Romans rather indulged in such behavior. On the outskirts of town would be crosses holding the bodies of thieves and criminals, shown like a billboard to deter rebelliousness and criminal activity from the city. A bloody beating would take place until unrecognizable, then large nails would be driven through the wrists and ankle area to allow great pain as the person suffered and died from suffocation, heart failure, or bleed out. Those criminals who were crucified typically deserved their punishment because they had done something so egregious.

Keep this image in mind when reading Matthew 16:24, as the disciples listen in closely about what they would need to do to truly follow after the Christ. With anticipation, they lean in to hear His voice reveal what was necessary. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The faces of his disciples are now facing the ground. Many are in shock as the image of the bloody, gory mess outside of the city comes to mind. Many get up and leave, never to follow Him again. The ones that stayed were still in shock.

Before we can even look at the cross in this biblical context, look at Jesus’ very first word… “IF”.

Go to a theme park and you will find some massive rollercoasters. They are for the thrill seekers, the ones who like the tilts, spins, loops, and mostly the speed. To ride these rides costs a price and a sacrifice of time and effort to stand in the line. It is long and boring, but once the ride happens, you are glad you did! “IF” you want the ride, you must do these things. For so many, they look at Christianity and say they would like the benefits of it. It looks beautiful and is appealing in the end, However, the cost is too high. So they do not fully follow, but are on the outskirts of the group. Maybe they listen when Jesus passes by, but it is too much to give everything and follow Him. Jesus says “IF” you want this adventure of following after Him, you MUST deny yourself, or your nature which is sinful and selfish. You must take up your cross, which is to bear the coming crucifixion and the name of Christ to the point of even death and follow Jesus to the ends of the world.

The human nature is a hungry beast that we feed to keep quiet. When we deny those things, that beast within starves. The weaker that beast gets, the more focused on Christ we can be. So what does it mean to deny ourselves? It means to stop giving into the things in life that stimulate the sinful nature. It means to let go of the desire to control others, or to have more than they do. It means to let go of the pop culture imagery that draws us in to feeding those impulses. It means to stop listening to music that makes selfish ambitions seem like a normal and natural thing. It means you must break away from those people and relationships that drag you down and defeat you. Stop gossiping, criticizing, cursing, lying, stealing, and acting selfish in any way, form, or fashion! 

So you deny yourself of those things, now you ask, “What’s Left?” For many people who live unhealthy lives, they do not realize it until they diet and exercise and finally see how good they really can feel. It is not an easy turn, but one they set their mind on and choose to do. It is difficult, but spiritually we need to do the same thing! Saying no is sometimes hard to do when we consider the person asking is a friend. Still, we must do what is best and say “no” to ourselves in our sinful natures. Then, we must say “no” to the external things in life that cause harm or harmful results. We must learn to say “yes” to Jesus Christ and the life He calls for us to live by faith. 

Think about this, the Roman Empire saw the cross as a huge form of punishment and destruction, reserved for the most evil of criminals. Here we are nearly 2,000 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The idea of “take up your cross” must have been crazy talk for the disciples to hear, as they did not know what lie ahead. Jesus knew what was coming. In the garden he prayed to let this bitter cup, this horrible act of brutality, pass from Him, but if it was  the Father’s will, then so be it.

That is what it means for us today. No matter what happens, no matter what it calls for, we are to obey God at all costs whatever He may ask of us. It is a humbling and beautiful act of submission to the calling of “follow me” given to us by the Savior. It is not a partial surrender, but a total submission to His will and His ways. It would be awkward to sing on Sunday mornings “I Surrender Some”. Christ is calling us to spiritually die to ourselves and in that death, truly live for Him. Don’t say it is too difficult. Phil. 4:13 tells us that we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength. So begin right now.

 

Areas of my life I need to let go of and nail to the cross… 

Areas of my life God is calling me to be obedient to Him with...

Reach the World

The Bible tells us in Matthew 28 to reach out to the ends of the earth... AND I WANT TO! I want to reach out to the ends of the earth! I want to minister to people I have never met before, as well as people right down the street. If you have read any of my blogs, please e-mail me at pastorjlaw@gmail.com. Let me know what you think, introduce yourself/where you are in the world, and let me know if there is some way I can pray for you. I am no one special, just a simple servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me hear from YOU!

Blessings,
Pastor Jamie Lawrence

No Greater Love

I love ministry. It's that simple. I love ministry.

For me ministry happens between Sundays. It's that time of the week when you get to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. It's more than simple decisions to get a little here, or maybe give a little there. It's about pouring your heart out 100% until the last drop is poured out.

Think about what Christ has done for us. He died on the cross, pouring out his life that we might be saved. He went all in for us. He gave until it hurt, even unto death. The sad truth in many churches today is we give until it's comfortable. We give until it looks good. We give until our statistics are acceptable. There's just one question and it keeps coming back to me... As a Christian, knowing that one day you will stand face-to-face with your maker, what will you say to him when he asks you what you did for the least of these?

Did you follow his example and pour out your heart completely? Did you give as he gave all on the cross? We have our catchy slogans, but do we truly put God first, others second, and ourselves third? If we truly live in Christ, the cycle of discipleship and missions would be clear in every church, and something everyone in the church would be excited to be part of. More people would be saved and more people willing to be the hands and feet of Christ.

It's all about heart condition. Is the joy of the Lord so full in your heart that it overflows every time you open your Bible, or every time you tell someone the Gospel story, for every time you got your hands dirty in missions?

The big word here is love. Love is a verb, an action word. It is something you do. You love God, love others, then love self. This is what God has called us to... to love. It is active and not passive. I'm tired of passive church. It's time to be active, ready and willing to be the church! That means truly reading the Bible to understand it. That means working for the Lord to serve others who are in need physically, spiritually, or otherwise. That means sharing the good news of Jesus Christ unashamedly, whole-heartedly, and with a sincere conviction so that lives are impacted and changed for the cause of Christ!

Church, we are as much to blame for the condition the world is in as anyone. Once we accept our part in that, then it's time to do something about it. Live as if today was your last and you could almost see Jesus on the horizon! Then you will glorify God... Then you will see change in others' lives... Then you will find true fulfillment in your own life! No more living in the shadows, no longer shallow, and never again spiritually hollow! Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13.

I love ministry... Because He first loved me!

John 9:1-4

Translation

Jesus passed by a man who was blind his entire life. The disciples asked Jesus about this man’s blindness, and whether it was his sin or his parents’ sin that caused his situation. Jesus directly says it is neither his parents nor this man who sinned. This man’s blindness is so that God’s power can be displayed in and through him. We must do God’s work while there is time, because our time is short.

Exegetical Issues

The Greek translations of particular words give this passage a more defined explanation. Verse 2 asks who “sinned” (hamartano – to miss the mark, and so not share in the prize).

Jesus explained the man’s blindness was so that God’s works might be “displayed” (phaneroo – to make apparent, manifest, or show forth) in him.

Verse 4 holds two words that need defining.

Looking at the various English translations of the New International Version, New American Standard Bible, the King James Version, Today’s New International Version, and the Holman Christian Standard, there is a distinctly close alignment between the translations. There is, however, one unique translation difference found in the King James Version. Verse 4 states in the KJV that “I (Jesus) must do the works of Him that sent me.” The other translations use the word “we” instead of “I” in this passage. The difference is in the idea of who does the work. In the King James Version the work can only be done by Jesus. The word “work” is the Greek word “ergazomai,” meaning to toil or be engaged in would not mean a spiritual work, but the work of the people of God. In this context, “we” would make the best translation.

Historical Context

John, the son of Zebedee, was held by the early church fathers to be the author of this text. Though as of recent some scholars feel that there is no way that John could have been the author, their evidence is speculative and inconsistent at best. There are no substantial reasons to stray from the thoughts of the original church fathers that John the beloved was the author of this scripture.

A unique part of this scripture is the generational sin idea given by none other than the disciples. Could it be that the sins of the man’s parents were enough to permeate the life of the son? This generational sin or curse idea comes from the scripture found in Exodus 34:7 and Numbers 14:18. In essence, this teaching is more of a crutch for the person sinning rather than a real excuse that can be blamed on the parents. Within this particular situation, Jesus personally dispelled the rumors of generational sins. Still, it is an old thought that has carried on through time and can be somewhat evident even today.

Literary Analysis

The concept John is portraying is one of positive attitude and the power and glory of God. It is about the divinity of God and the pre-existence of Jesus. More specifically within this text, John is showing how God will be glorified in everything, even our personal tragedies. The scriptures states that no matter the situation, God created all things for the glory of Himself.

The point of the passage is to simply portray God as the ultimate deliverer and in any situation, whether humanity sees it as good or not. This particular healing made a statement to the Israelites and all who read these passages.

Application

For the reader today, there is a definite message. First we are not bound to the lives of our parents or previous generations. With the power of Christ, we can overcome any generational issues. The other part is that God is going to be glorified through all of life. Looking at modern life such as alcoholism, addictions, etc. can all be beat through Christ.

This passage also draws readers to the urgency of the message of Christ. It is essential to spread the gospel message while there is time. The time is now because there is no promise of a tomorrow. The idea of night coming where “no one can work” is a call to the urgency. The lax in the modern society is one that overlooks such messages from the mouth of the Messiah. It is Christ who is calling all mankind out to step up and share the news while there is time.

The greatest theological problem addressed is the generational sins ideology presented in the second verse. 

Bibliography

Elwell, W. A., & Yarbrough, R. W. (2005). Encountering the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Enns, P. (1989). the Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago: Moody Press.

Zodhiates, S. (Ed.). (1990). Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.