Keep Sharing, and Sharing, and Sharing – Until Jesus Comes

• Christ
• The Gospel of salvation through faith in Christ
• Word of God, the Bible, Scripture
• Wisdom
• Experiences
• Expertise, knowhow
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Talents
• Time
• Prayer
• Presence, being there
• Money
• Possessions, things I own
• Resources
• Connections, my network
• Strength
• Ears, my ability to listen
• Love, faith, and hope
• Insight
• Spiritual gifts
• Joy
• Encouragement
• A helping hand
• …

All of the above can be shared, should be shared, are given to us to be shared, and are meant to be part of a Christian’s lifestyle, “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (1 Timothy 6:18-19 NASB), was an instruction and command Paul told Timothy to teach to the church, especially to those who were rich in this world. It is also the example and instruction of Jesus, who after authorizing and empowering His disciples, sent them out and said, “Freely you received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8 NASB).

“SHARE” has been our 2023 theme for the past 365 days, and hopefully you and I have gotten better at it. That’s actually one of the main reasons why we started doing yearly themes because if we focus on and practice something for 365 days in a row, we are bound to get better at it, and, hopefully, develop a lifelong habit.

So, did you grow in your “sharing” this past year? If so, how? If not, why not? Did you get better at sharing with people with whom didn’t use to share? Did you start sharing things you weren’t used to sharing or weren’t willing to share? And, just because we are moving on to another theme doesn’t mean God’s command for us to be generous, willing, and ready sharers no longer deserves attention.

Living in a hoarding, consumer, and self-fulfillment society, a lifestyle of sharing takes effort, discipline, prayer, encouragement, and lots of practice. So count it a blessing every time God gives you an opportunity to share, every time to get to dip into the pot of resources God has given and equipped you with. It is the only way to store up “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Whenever I share the things God has given me and wants me to share I “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18), bring glory and praise to God (Matthew 5:16), and experience the truth that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Finally, it is amazing how doing the right thing keeps us from doing the wrong thing, and it is possible to share the wrong thing. The truth is, we are always sharing something, but if we are interested in doing God’s will and making our world and the lives of others better, we have to be committed to sharing all the good things God has blessed us with.

So, keep sharing, and sharing, and sharing – Until Jesus Comes.

            To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

You – Unique, Gifted, Made to Serve

He lived on Arbolada Drive, less than half a mile from the church. In his working life, he’d been a plumber since high school. He and his wife hadn’t had time to figure out retirement before cancer took her. That’s when he took an art class to help him with his grief, and he discovered he was incredibly talented, gifted, when it came to painting. His instructor told him she’d never seen anything like it.

The older sister loved basketball so much you never saw her without a basketball, and she was good, very good. But her two years younger sister had the gift. During one practice we needed another player and I asked her to step in, and wow! She had the instincts, movement, hands, eye for the open spaces, the anticipation of what came next. She had the talent, the gift, in a way I had never seen in a sixth grader.

He went on a mission trip to Central America. He signed up to be the cook, but he ended up spending very little time behind the stove. The first night the local missionary asked him to share his salvation testimony. Being fluent in Spanish he didn’t need a translator, and people responded, so much so, that while the others worked on the building project, the local missionary and pastor took him to various places to share the Gospel of Christ and his personal story with it. The organizer said it was the most fruitful and amazing mission he’d ever been part of.

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” 1 Peter 4:10 (NASB)

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly”
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT2).

One of the things I love about the children God has blessed Susie and me with is how unique they are. Each one is unique, regardless of how many Venn diagram overlaps. Their personality, giftedness, passions, skills, and even quirks have expanded and continue to bless our family. The same is true about my spiritual family, our church. Each one of us is both created in God’s image, who is both unique and very talented, and each one of us is a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) through the power of the Holy Spirit, who uniquely gifts us spiritually as well.

However, both our uniqueness and our talents, gifts, and skills are not meant to shine the spotlight on ourselves, “to each one is given the manifestation, gift/s, of the Spirit for the common good” 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NASB, italics mine).

Maybe you are like the plumber, you have yet to discover your gifts and talents. But don’t miss that he already had a lifetime of plumber skills and know-how he could have used for the common good and the glory of God.

Maybe you are like the younger sister, everybody can see your giftedness, but you are unaware of it. Maybe you are intuitive with people, maybe you have a knack for explaining things, maybe you are extremely good at making people feel better, or …, and everybody else notices it.

Maybe you are like the cook, selling yourself short, and God is trying to put you into situations because He knows both what He put in you and how to best use you. Maybe you need to sign up for one thing to discover another.

No matter what, it definitely is time to discover, unfold, volunteer, and use all of your skills, talents, giftedness, and uniqueness for the benefit of others, Jesus’ church, and the glory of God.

         

   To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

Unbelievably Rich! Sharing What Our World Needs Most – part 1

You can’t be generous with what you don’t have, but you can be generous with what you do have, even if what you have is very little (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Every Christian, however, whether financially rich or poor, is blessed with an abundance of spiritual resources meant to be shared, let’s take a closer look at a few of them:

• The Holy Spirit

The greatest spiritual resource of every Christian is the Holy Spirit. He is the source of a believer’s power, divine guidance, wisdom, truth, and an abundance of spiritual gifts enriching our lives immeasurably, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB). The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within every Christian, “the Spirit of truth, … He abides with you and will be in you” John 14:17 (NASB). You have to let this truth grab you, God in all of His riches, wisdom, goodness, and power,  resides within us through Christ. This enables us to live an extraordinarily generous life, able to continuously share from the inexhaustible reservoir of the Holy Spirit.

• Love

One thing every believer is never poor in is love, “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:5 (NASB). There certainly have been times when I have felt like I didn’t have another drop of love to give (maybe you’ve been there too) but the truth of the matter is I have never quite run out of love because I continually experience the love God, and He has connected my life to the eternal well of His love. I do not have to fear that God’s love toward me will run dry, that I will run out of love to share, or that lavishly spreading His love is a mistake.

• Joy

Jesus,“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” John 15:11 (NASB). The most obvious question is, What is Jesus’ joy, and how is it different from how we generally think of joy? We learn to think of joy as highlights, moments, sprinkled throughout life, and if we are lucky to have the means we can run around and drench ourselves running under our own sprinkler. I am fairly certain that, although the emotion is similar, this is not the joy Jesus was talking about. Think about food for a minute. Just having food is a joy, a blessing. But what about when you come home and the first thing greeting you is a wave of the aroma of your favorite food – instant joy! Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” John 4:34 (NASB). Jesus’ daily and continual joy came from doing God’s will, doing what God wanted Him to do. His greatest joy was what made His Heavenly Father most happy. No running through your own joy sprinkler, that hose gets kinked way too easily. The best and never-ending joy in life comes when we live Jesus’ joy and share it.

• Peace

Jesus, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” John 14:27a (NASB). Peace is hard to come by and even more difficult to maintain, yet all of us yearn for lasting peace. Like with joy, Jesus contrasts the true and lasting peace He gives with the fickle, elusive, easily broken or revoked peace our world offers. Today’s truce too often is quickly followed by open fire. True and lasting peace can never be found apart from having peace with God first, and the only way to have peace with God is through Jesus Christ, “He Himself is our peace” Ephesians 2:14a (NASB). If you are a believer in Christ you have experienced that peace, but it wasn’t just meant for our moment of salvation, it is meant to accompany us and flow from us everywhere and all the time.

Christian brothers and sisters, do the people around you get to benefit from the fullness of the Holy Spirit within you, and the riches of love, joy, and peace that are yours in abundance? Are the people God is bringing into your life singing praises to God because of your generosity, your ready sharing of the love, joy, and peace of Christ? Are you the living evidence of spiritual riches by living a Holy Spirit-directed and empowered life? May it be so!

To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

Chocolate Chip Cookie Theology of Sharing

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NASB)

33, that’s the number of chocolate chip cookies I baked early this morning. Before backing this latest batch the number of chocolate chip cookies in our house was 0. Zero cookies meant there was none for me and none for me to share. Now, I no longer have a zero-cookie problem, but I do have to decide what to do with the thirty-three. Actually, the number is down to thirty-two because I already ate a taster, a quality control sacrifice.

No one needs 33 cookies for themselves, although, they do keep rather nicely in the freezer. So, what to do? I could call you, make another pot of coffee and we could shoot the breeze while we dunk a cookie or two in our coffee. This would leave me with 28, which is still too many for just one person, especially one who is trying to get back in shape and lose a few pounds.

“Hmm?”

Well, since you didn’t come over, I bagged up 18 in three Ziplock bags to share with three people I have on my mind. You’re right, that still leaves 10, which in my mind, is a legitimate number for an emergency chocolate chip cookie fund, and, I don’t want to be unprepared in case you do stop by.

“What’s my point? You sound hangry. Are you down to zero cookies too?”

The point. You can only share what you have. You can’t share what you don’t have but what you do have you can share, if you want to. God’s opinion/will on the subject is clear, share, generously share what you have. Especially if you are rich because when you are rich you have more than enough, more cookies than you need. And, share now, because cookies get stale, “after all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content”1 Timothy 6:7-8 (NLT2).

“Is God really going to check on what we did with our cookies?” Check out Matthew 25:14-46 for the answer.

“How many cookies did I bake this morning?” and, “How many do I have left?” I see you have kept track of my chocolate chip cookie inventory. But what about your sharing inventory? The truth is you didn’t wake up empty-handed this morning, with nothing to share. Broke, maybe. Out of cookies, possibly. But not empty-handed. This is especially true for every Christian because God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:3 (ESV).

So, do a sharing inventory. Make a list of everything God has given you, everything you have right now that you can share. Start with yourself – your presence, hands, time, … Include your stuff – your things, money, property, … Don’t forget about your abilities – your skills, talents, education, know-how, giftedness, … Make sure you don’t miss your capabilities – to love, care, encourage, being kind and merciful, bless, … Don’t leave out faith treasures – the Gospel, the Bible, Prayer, life-with-Jesus stories, …

Now that you peeked into your cookie jar, share, generously share, and keep on sharing, there will be more in it tomorrow.

To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

My Christmas Tree Preaching to You and Me about Church

“Did it just get darker in here?”

“It did.”

“Dad, I think a bunch of your Christmas Tree lights went out.”

“NOooo! Don’t tell me that.”

“It just did it again.”

And that’s what you call the Christmas Tree gut punch. Two days before I had spent an hour and a half fixing those *#&#^@*! lights. Do you know how hard it is to fix the lights on a fully decorated Christmas Tree, especially down at the bottom? And since this is an older model the sockets on each of the lights are different from newer strands, which means you can’t just raid a strand of lights. No, you have to take the tree’s burned-out bulbs out of each socket, take the donor strand’s lights out of their sockets, and then put each one of them back into a socket that fits the tree. Never mind the fused bulbs which are dispersed throughout the tree. It is also impossible to take a strand out of this tree because each one is carefully woven into the darn thing.

Someone suggested forgetting about the burned-out lights and adding a whole new strand. Really! How do think this brilliant idea sounded in the mind of someone who was born in the land (Germany, where things are supposed to be done right or not at all) that produced the Christmas carol “O Tannenbaum” (O Christmas Tree)? “Not so well.” I am glad you understand.

I started to get work, but my fingers were still too sore from the last fix. Thus, our Christmas tree with its missing lights finished the season early. I took it down, put it in its cardboard box, and determined to postpone fixing it till next Christmas, oh joy. Maybe what I really need is a tree with LED lights.

That’s a lot of fuss about a Christmas tree, which is a nice and even meaningful tradition but isn’t even in the Bible. What we do find in the Bible is the Church, the Ecclesia, the special assembly and community Jesus loves and brought to life by giving His life, “Jesus loved the church and gave His life for her” Ephesians 5:25. In many ways each church is like the lights on a Christmas Tree, many individual lights designed and made to shine together.

One light on my tree decided one day, “There are 250 lights on that tree, so if I no longer participate it won’t make a difference. No one will even notice.” Dark s/he went. Little did s/he realize that now all the other lights had to carry more of the power load, each one had to burn a little brighter than it was designed for, became more vulnerable to burning out.

After a while, five more bulbs decided to ditch their strand as well. Before checking out they made sure to let the rest know that they still believed in Jesus, still prayed, and still read their Bibles. They kind of smiled and shrugged when another light pointed out that the Bible actually says,“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of Jesus’ return is drawing near” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT2, italics mine).

Then there was a fuss with the lights that faced the wall who only wanted to shine with those who agreed with their politics. However, the outage at bottom of my tree was caused because the lower lights felt like it was time for them to get a spot at the top. I wish all of them had remembered, “We have all been baptized into one body (Jesus’ church) by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body (the church). We are many parts (lights) of one body (tree), and we all belong to each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:13b, Romans 12:4-5 (NLT2, parentheses mine).

Just in case you are tempted to think I have gone too far with this Christmas Tree light analogy listen to Jesus instructing His disciples collectively, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT2).

The Christian life is a communal life. We are meant to shine together, to worship together, to pray together, to learn and grow together, to serve together, to hurt and laugh together, to share the Jesus-life and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit together, to be Jesus’ fellowship of lights together.

Join, reengage with, recommit to, celebrate, Jesus’ Church, Jesus’ community of lights.

            Let’s shine together to the glory of God. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

SHARE – The 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Challenge

SHARE

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NASB)

They, my son and two grandsons, were panning for gold down at the creek behind our house. When I checked on how things were going, the six-year-old was busy marking his claim, which had already produced, “Six flakes, Opa.” Yes, a rock boundary was going up around his 4×4 foot spot, along with clear, loud, and repeated instructions, “EVERYBODY! No one is allowed to step on and dig in this spot. UNDERSTAND!” I understood alright, but I also didn’t have the heart or courage to inform him that he was prospecting on MY property, and it’s just not wise for a sixty-year-old to argue with a six-year-old. I think that boy needs to start memorizing the scripture above.

Raise your hand if you are rich or if you wouldn’t mind being rich, finding the motherlode next to my grandson’s claim. If your hand went up, or if it was twitching but you kept it down because you’re trying to be humble, then you might want to memorize and learn to practice 1 Timothy 6:17-19 as well. Of course, it is never enough to merely memorize some of God’s instructions and commands for living, we also need to grasp and do them. Did you notice:

1. The dangers of riches/wealth.

• It can make you conceited, proud, arrogant, haughty. All of these impact generosity and sharing negatively.
• It tends to make you self-reliant instead of relying on God.
• It can make you forget to give God both credit and thanks.

2. The possibilities of riches/wealth.

• It creates opportunities to do good to others.
• It enables generosity, a lifestyle of sharing
• It can be converted and invested into an eternal portfolio.

So, how do God’s instructions and commands figure into your wealth management and investment strategy? What I am hoping is that you will sign up with me for a yearlong pursuit of living out 1 Timothy 6:17-19, a 365-day challenge of growing in doing good, growing richer in good works, expanding our generosity, and developing daily sharing readiness.

Let’s begin with two daily practices:

1.  Every morning recite 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed (NASB).

2. Every morning pray 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Father in Heaven, please help me not cave to the temptations that come with wealth: pride, arrogance, conceit, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, forgetting to give you credit and thanks, and that my security and hope are found only in you.

Please help me recognize and engage with today’s opportunities to do good, to use my riches to be rich in good works. I asked for Your help Lord to maintain an attitude of generosity all day long, to be in the grip of a ready-to-share-what-I-have spirit.

Father, I want to be a wise investor of all you have given and entrusted to me: my money, possessions, time, skills, know-how, knowledge, experience, gifts, and spiritual wisdom. Please help me to finish today with some heavenly profit, with You being pleased with my growth in generosity and sharing. (Feel free to write your own 1 Timothy 6:17-19 prayer)

Amen.

To God be all glory throughout 2023. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

Our Newest Church Leaders – roles, part 2

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT2)

We discovered, actually, we have been introduced to a new role in church.

Even a casual reading of the New Testament makes it clear that every follower of Christ should be an active, growing, present, involved, and serving member of a local church. Everyone has a part, a function, a role in the body of Christ (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4:10, Hebrews 10:24-25). When you think of roles in church, what comes to your mind? Maybe a few of the following came to your mind: Pastor, Deacon/ness, Board member, Treasurer, Ministry member or leader (such as Children, Youth, FoodBasket, Prayer, Youth, Worship, Multi-Media, GriefShare, Missions, Maintenance, Cleaning Crew, Kitchen, …), Small group member or leader, Usher. Or maybe you thought in terms of being a helper, encourager, giver, …

The new role we have been introduced to is offering-leader. Who would you give that role to? I didn’t even know this role existed until a few weeks ago. I had no idea how much the church could be blessed by it or what a difference it could make. Others have noticed as well; some have suggested we need to have offering-leaders as a regular part of our services. So tell me, who would you pick for this?

Because we were ignorant of this role we didn’t pick anybody. But if we had, we probably would have picked someone responsible, someone dignified, someone with a track record when it comes to giving and offerings. However, due to us being in the dark as to offering-leaders I think they are themselves a gift straight from the hands of the Holy Spirit. Now the thing is this, there is already a great spirit of giving and generosity in our church, but it seems there is another level -an attitude of giving we are being introduced to by our new offering-leaders.

Maggie and Alice are four-year-old twins with smiles that can make your day. A few weeks ago, their Mom, trying to teach them, dispatched them down the aisle of “Big Church,” to drop their offering into the plate in front of the stage. There they came, smiling, dancing, waving their dollar bills, dropping their offering into the plate with sheer joy, pleasure, and a God-honoring attitude that fits bringing an offering to God. Now other children are joining in, they are forming an offering brigade dancing to the front of the sanctuary led by Maggie and Alice. A few adults are starting to catch on, following the example of our new offering-leaders. It is hard to resist that kind of unencumberdness, purity of heart, and joy.

These two are making a difference, not just with the other kids, but in the whole church. Never mind what all the adults do, what the preacher has cooked up, it is worth coming just to be part of an offering led by Alice and Maggie and the children’s offering brigade.

What’s the point? We all have roles, in life, in our families, our community, and in church. It doesn’t matter if you are four, fourteen, forty, or approaching triple digits, we can bless, inspire, encourage, contribute, be an example, and bring glory to God by embracing our roles with hearts of abandon like Maggie and Alice, our offering-leaders.

            To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

P.S. If you don’t want to wait till next Sunday, can’t come to the next service, or you just want to practice, go to our church website ldpbaptistchurch.com, click on “giving,” and follow the instructions. But before you do your final click- do a dance, smile with joy, and punch the key in the way you picture Alice and Maggie would do it.

Read Full Post »

Learning to Love Like Christ – Diaper Changes and Potty Training

My favorite daughter and her husband are trying to potty train their oldest son. You would think a kid would jump at the idea of being liberated from soggy diapers and carrying around their stink. It certainly is a “Hallelujah!” moment for the parents when diapers are a thing of the past, not to mention the money you save. But super rare are the kids like my brother Andi, who at age one watched his two-years-older brother, Michael, do his business in the toilet and thought, “That is the most brilliant and sanitary thing I have ever seen,” and decided right there and then to follow suit and ditch his cloth diapers, and did.

Maybe that is the problem, we have made diapers too comfortable, too moisture-wicking. More likely, since potty training has always been an issue, it has to do with gaining control and having grown used to doing something a certain way. And, in some ways it is easier to run around like our chickens doing their thing wherever and whenever the urge strikes, regardless of the mess it makes. Which is one very major reason there are no chickens in our house.

Children are not the only ones making messes. In fact, adults seem to make a lot more, a lot bigger, and a lot more expensive ones. Just perusing the news this morning confirmed this, it seems our society and world needs one gigantic diaper change, and it certainly is not potty trained. It’s one thing for a two-year-old to be potty trained, it is quite another for adults to gain control of their potty mouths, stinky attitudes, steaming tempers, greedy dispositions, hateful discharges, diapered apathy, foul self-centeredness, and malodorous love.

God, through the Apostle Paul, confronted the Corinthian believers’ immaturity. They were running around singing about how Christ cleaned them up, telling everyone how big they were, while their diapers were hanging down to their knees and you could smell them a mile away. They confused giftedness with spiritual maturity. Of course, we know better, if giftedness equals character and spiritual maturity there would be very few scandals and messes in the entertainment industry, sports, universities, politics, and churches. The Corinthian church looked and smelled more like a chicken yard than a people changed by Christ, God’s loving family.

“Love never fails (ends). But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (NIV, parenthesis mine).

The most gifted child still needs to be potty trained, and character trained. The cute little poo-pooh of the newborn baby loses its cuteness rather quickly. The Corinthians, like every Christian, like everyone who calls God their Father, needed to be potty trained, grow up, become disciplined and practiced about faith, hope, and especially love.

Christlike maturity is more than the occasional or weekly diaper change, it is being potty trained to practice faith, hope, and love. Check two things in your life right now. First, your diaper, the messes you created, the things you are getting all bent out of shape over, what puffs up you and your pride. Second, how much does faith, hope, and love figure in how you go about life, determine your values, interact with people, deal with messes, set your priorities, and make your plans and decisions. I can assure you, the smell or lack thereof will tell.  

To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

Being Committed to Spiritual Growth – Part 2, Your Core-Sample

I’ve cut down and sawed up a tree or two over the years. Doing so, I often stopped, especially with large trees, to count the growth rings in order to find out how old that tree was. Dendrochronologist (those who study tree rings) can tell all kinds of things from their examination of tree rings, like climate patterns, rainfall, archeological dates, etc.

I’ve cut myself a time or two, and I’ve watched doctors cut on me more than a time or two, and I never saw a single growth ring. A dendrochronologist would be very frustrated after taking a core-sample of Hans. However, I am alive, as are you (otherwise you would be reading this pastor’s note) and we can be examined whether we are growing people, as to what is growing in our lives.

God has designed us to grow every bit as much as trees. In fact, He delights in growth, especially our personal growth, our spiritual growth. But unlike our physical growth, personal and spiritual growth are not automatic, they don’t just happen, they have to be fostered, embraced, pursued, and be deliberately engaged in. No guaranteed yearly adding of growth rings as long as we are breathing.

Since we are not designed to add growth rings, what are we supposed to grow in? Add year after year? What is God looking for when he examines our growth?

• Growth in faith, 2 Peter 1:1-9.
• Growth in character, James 1:2-4.
• Growth in love, Philippians 1:9-11.
• Growth in wisdom, James 3:13-18.
• Growth in using our minds, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 13:11.
• Growth in using our abilities, skills, talents, and spiritual gifts, 1 Peter 4:10.
• Growth in generosity, 2 Corinthians 9:7.
• Growth in holiness, 1 Peter 1:15-16.
• Growth in the use of our tongue, James 3:1-12, Ephesians 4:29.
• Growth in discernment, Hebrews 5:11-14.
• Growth in thinking and reasoning from a biblical perspective, Acts 17:2.
• Growth in servanthood, Mark 10:45, Galatians 5:13.
• Growth in virtue, 2 Peter 5:5.
• Growth in our passion for and dedication to the kingdom of Christ/God, Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 5:14.
• Growth in prayer, Luke 11:1-13.
• Growth in our handling, understanding, accurately interpreting, and faithfully applying of the Bible (God’s written word), 2 Timothy 2:15.
• Growth in our contribution to the Jesus’s church, our communities, and society, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, Acts 9:36.
• Growth in our understanding of and application of justice, Proverbs 21:3, 15, 28:5.
• Growth in developing godly, Christlike attitudes, Philippians 2:1:1-11, .
• Growth in the use of our time, Ephesians 5:15-16.
• Growth in handling and resolving conflicts, Matthew 18:15-18, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
• Growth in shedding bad habits and replacing them with good habits, Ephesians 4:17-24.
• Growth in breaking generational patterns of sin, Daniel 9:16.
• Growth in courage, standing up for what is right, just, and good, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 11:32-38.
• Growth in endurance, perseverance, and grit, Romans 5:1-5.
• Growth in understanding, hating, and handling evil, Romans 12:9-21.
• Growth in knowing God’s ways, God’s revealed purposes, and God’s life-principles.
• Growth in handling frustration, bitterness, and anger without sinning, James 1:19-20.
• Growth in forgiveness and asking for forgiveness, Ephesians 4:29-32, Matthew 6:9-14.
• Growth in our imaginations, dreams, and aspirations, Acts 2:14-18.
• Growth in hearing and processing criticism, Proverbs 9:8, 19:25.
• Growth in gratitude, joy, and worship, Psalm 84:2, Philippians 4:6-8.
• Growth in immediately responding to Spirit of God, the Word of God, the commandments of God, Acts 16:6-10.
• Growth in reshaping our lives according to what God calls blessed, Matthew 5:1-16.
• Growth in selflessness, Luke 9:23-35.
• Growth in humility, Colossian 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5-6 .
• Growth in yielding the power and authority of God, Titus 2:15.
• Growth in introducing and incorporating Christ and the Gospel, everywhere, in everything, and to everyone Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 1;8, 16.
• Growth in producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:16-25.
• Growth in knowing God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit ever deeper, 1 Peter 3:18, Philippians 3:7-11, Exodus 3:18.

I am not a dendrochronologist, but I am a pastor, a minister of Christ, and I confidently tell you, certify, that all of the above are true. So, get after it, pursue all God wants you to grow in year after year. Live in such a way that in the day of judgment your life’s core-sample will reveal such beauty and Christlikeness that the angels will stand in awe and shout, “Hallelujah, Glory to God!”

To God be all glory. Love you, and let’s grow together, Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »

Contributors – That’s What After Easter People Are

Susie and I have four children who born to us and a handful more God put into our home for some time of their lives, and now we also count five grandchildren as our own. It is amazing how different they all are, how their personalities, abilities, physiques, talents, and passions differ right out of the gate. From day one they contributed to the family, became participants in the routines, expanded and enriched the mix, impacted everyone else, and contributed to the life of our family.

When someone gives their life to Christ, is saved by repenting of their sin and placing their faith in Christ, believes in and follows Jesus, they are spiritually born again through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7). They become a child of God (John 1:12-13) and as such part of His family and are placed in the body of Christ, His church, just like a newborn is into his family (“… we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:13b NLT), and are meant to contribute to the life, vitality, and love of that family from day one.

Every single Christian is uniquely shaped and gifted by the Spirit of God to contribute to the life of God’s family, to the body of Christ, His church, “A spiritual gift, a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, is given to each of us for the common good” 1 Corinthians 12:7). God the Holy Spirit gives to every believer capabilities and abilities that are specifically meant to benefit the church, the family of God.

Both a family and a church are meant to be something beautiful, a blessed experience, something that enriches our lives immeasurably. This, however, is entirely dependent on how many members are committed, care deeply, and bring to the table the full inventory of all God has blessed them to be and enabled them to contribute. Things begin to break down when someone decides to behave badly, or decides to that they don’t really need these other people, or run from sorting out conflict the right way, or withhold from the rest what God has handed to them to contribute.

Many families have a person who is the glue of the crew. Someone who cares more and is more deeply invested than the rest, for whom the welfare of the family is paramount, whose full commitment is to the common good. When it comes to both family and the church, After Easter People embrace being part of the glue of the crew, they contribute their all for the benefit of all, they know God has both gifted and assigned them to this, and they understand God wants them to be part of something really beautiful and glorious. “Christ loves the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. Ephesians 5:25-27 (MSG)

Sign me up! Pastor Hans

Read Full Post »