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Ash Wednesday and the Gospel

February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today is Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of the season of Lent. This is the season where millions of Christians observe a season of reflection leading up to Easter. It is a season to examine ourselves, our sin and our mortality, and because of those things our need for a savior that can do something about those things. You can find more about both here.

In years past I have given up something that is a pleasure to me like chocolate or shrimp or chocolate covered shrimp, mmmm! I have not abstained from those things to show my love to God or to try and earn extra “heavenly attention.” I am not trying to receive anything or obtain special blessings. I simply want to focus on my need for Christ and Christ Himself more intently. Those that observe this season find it helpful to do so. Others don’t find the time to be all that helpful to them and they would rather focus on other rhythms in their spiritual walk. These observances are not sacraments and we are not commanded by the authority of scripture to participate. Either way I wonder if this season leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday would be a great time for us to reflect deeply on our faith and our desire for Christ.

About this time over 2000 years ago Jesus was fully involved in ministry and He was heading to the cross. He knows what almost no one around Him knows, that He is about to lay His life down for the world. He was healing and preaching and He was about to give up all He was to become our sin, to become our unrighteousness so that we would become His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21) What was getting ready to happen to Him was horrible, it’s terrible. Our reaction in shock is to look away. But what if we don’t? What if we don’t fear the pain and tragedy of this season so that we can know the full weight of the glory that comes next? What if we deal with our sin and our mortality and the life to come.

In this season don’t look away from what Jesus did and don’t look away from your sin, look at it and repent of it. Look to the transforming work of the Gospel to redeem our brokenness.Even if we don’t know how to believe God, let’s cry out to God “help my unbelief!” What area of our lives do we need to find repentance in? Let us turn to the transforming work of the Gospel and believe God’s promises for our lives.

Let’s embrace the cross and the tomb over the next 40 days and their endless implications in our lives. We should embrace them because we know what is coming. Joseph Campbell once said “the treasure you seek is in the cave you fear to enter.” Go to the cross and look at what price your sin had, enter the tomb and sit on the slab where the God of the universe lay dead for you. It can have a saving effect on us.

 

 

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Know Your Role – Spiritual Gifts

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Following up on a series we are doing (find that here), I want to share with you a couple thoughts about spiritual gifts.

1.) The Apostle Paul almost assumed that Christians would know their spiritual gifts.

Because of this assumption he spent more time convincing us of the purpose of spiritual gifts. He assaulted the heart attitudes that cause us to think wrongly about them. Paul builds throughout his letters to the Corinthians and the church at Ephesus that gifts are about love, community and mission.

2.)The reason the early churches knew their spiritual gifts was because community, discipleship and mission flourished in the 1st century church.

The early church was a community of missionaries that at it’s center was the gospel creating transformation, growth and discipleship. The first century church standing in the historical wake of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ found themselves squarely connected to the story of God. At one point Paul said “there were 500 people that were around when Jesus was walking around after he was raised from the dead go ask them.” (1 Cor. 15:6) They had a deep connection to the gospel and had joined God’s mission. Gifts were worked out in the context of community while on mission with these early disciples and witnesses.

Awaken!

The same should be true for us today. Despite the fact we are separated by so many years in history from the work of Christ we must join in the same way to God’s mission. Those early witnesses made other disciples that in turn made others until that long chain of disciples reached our generation.We have to work harder to see that connection but it exists by the grace of God and power of the Holy Spirit. God worked through men and women in every generation to bring people to faith. He worked through diverse gifts with all different kinds of different mixtures of gifts. These men and women worked out their gifts as they were raised up into maturity as God used them to do the same. Generation after generation Christians in community on God’s mission have worked out how they are called and gifted by God. Will you? Don’t let this question graze you and think to yourself “I have heard about spiritual gifts before.” The perfecter of our faith longs and desires to awaken our hearts to know Him more and to discover who we are in greater ways. Don’t let this season be just another spiritual gift study. Let the awesome gospel penetrate us more deeply than ever before and remove the blinders of normalcy. Awake my soul! Psalm 57:8

Do you know how God has made you? Pray with me this week that God would show you and awaken us to the gifts He has given the body.

image taken from Wikipedia

Filed Under: Missional Living, Pastors Blog, The Avenue Church, Women's Discipleship Tagged With: , , , ,

New Year’s Resolutions or Not?

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Whoever decided to put Christmas right before the New Year was brilliant! (Read about why Christmas is in December here) If you are like me then you begin to look forward to Christmas and then when it is over you kind of have a “thud” in your stomach. The kind I used to get as a kid on Sunday evenings when I knew school was coming the next day. The build up over Christmas leaves in a blink of an eye. Then comes the New Year. New Year’s time is the time of the year when we receive built in motivation to set and accomplish goals. For no distinguishable reasons we all of the sudden get energy to do all the things we know we should have already been doing throughout the previous year. Many people will even wait until January 1st to put into practice the things they are thinking about all December. For instance they will finish off a bunch of Christmas snacks just so they can start a diet, sleep in late rather than exercise so that on January 1st they are without regrets. It is really an interesting phenomenon.

No Resolutions!

Many people, about 50% don’t do resolutions.  (New Year’s Resolutions started with the Babylonians who resolved to return any farming equipment they borrowed during the year to their rightful owners by the first day of the New Year) The reason I have heard the most for not making resolutions is that making a resolution has no extra power in it. They don’t want to declare something only to not accomplish the goal and feel the guilt or disappointment of it. People that don’t make resolutions just take the determination they feel and do rather than talking about doing.  They feel they will be more likely to succeed if the determination they find is rooted inside them deeply rather than an artificial time on the calendar. Others feel that declaring their intentions by making a resolution helps them sell out and provides the accountability to accomplish their goal.

A Bad Fortune

While dining at my favorite Asian restaurant this year my fortune cookie said “the past is the best predictor of the future.” I was a little disturbed by my fortune cookie and when I don’t like the fortune I don’t eat the cookie as a sign of disagreement. The problem wasn’t that it wasn’t true, because I knew that it was. (80- 90% of resolutions fail) You are not more likely to do on January 1st (and continue to do it), what you have not been able to accomplish in the previous 12 months. My problem was that the statement represented a lack of hope. I know that statistically and philosophically the fortune was true.  Niccolo Machiavelli said  “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” While Machiavelli was probably talking about someone taking over a position in government or employment and getting rid of what is broken and installing new things, I do think that the same idea is true for the renovations we desire to make in our lives this time of year. It is hard and uncertain to make changes in life.

The Better Predictor

Whether you are a resolution maker or not, and whether or not your past best predicts your future one truth stands out to me in this season. We find it in 1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. This is the source of all the hope and determination you and I will ever need this year. This verse says to me, “I don’t care about last year, this year you will have my grace, this year I have called you to an eternal, everlasting awesome communion with Me, this year I will give you the desire to be transformed in the Gospel and by the Holy Spirit to restore what was broken in 2011 (and before), this year I will confirm in you my calling, this year you will know my love, this year you will be strengthened like never before, this year I will establish you as Mine more than you would ever dream or imagine.”

Is the past a better predictor of the future? Generally that is true from a statistical stand point. Brokenness gives birth to brokenness, and this world is broken. But it is only true until it is not. When Jesus Christ was sent into the world to rescue us from our own lost failings, what was once true is now not true under the shadow of the cross. We’ve been rescued from that reality. Having faith in Jesus Christ means that we can have hope that last year was last year and we have a greater future with God. That hope gives birth to desire and because of the work of Christ on the cross we can accomplish all things through Him. (Phil. 4:13)  Resolutions or No Resolutions I pray that your resolve is alive and well and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 2012!

A New Year’s Prayer

Father,  I want more of you this year. More of Jesus and less of me. A few less pounds, to be a better husband, father , friend, ambassador and pastor would also be great. But Lord God help me to have true hope this year rooted in faith in Jesus Christ. Not hope that I can just become a better person through self willed determination. God give me true hope with true power to transform me. You have the only power on earth that gives sight to the blind, heals sickness and disease, transforms hearts from darkness to light and raises dead condemned children to glory. Father may your blessings flow like never before in 2012 but God more than that I want to be found in you, this year, like never before.

In your wonderful name Jesus, Amen

 

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Cleaning Out Your Junk Drawer Isn’t Easy

December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last Sunday I gave a sermon about using Advent as a time to assess the junk in our “spiritual” junk drawers. As we approach Christmas, Jesus, the God-Man, 100 percent God and 100 percent man, is the only one who can heal the junk in our lives and remove the junk from our junk drawers.

What is challenging however is figuring out how to go assess the junk in our lives and find restoration. Like much of our spiritual lives, there is no “one-size-fits-all” formula. But there are some principles we can pursue.

Identify Your “Junk”

The junk in your spiritual junk drawer might be different from someone else’s, but you have to identify it. Do you struggle with pride, anger, past hurts, jealousy, doubt, fear, self-esteem, lust, etc.? There are countless things we struggle with, endless things we shove in the proverbial junk drawer. Identifying those things which pull us farther away from Christ is paramount.

Turn and Run

If you know the areas of your life that don’t align with the will of God and His promises, you have to actually want to find healing. As odd as it sounds, we might know we are spiritually sick, but we don’t want to get healthy or do the things which could lead to health. In 2 Samuel 12:2-13, we read the account of David who is faced with the gravity of his sin and repents of it before God and Nathan. The principle and act of repentance is key. Putting down the desires of our corrupt heart, turning around and running in the direction of the will of God is a must. Through the work of the God-Man and the power of the Holy Spirit, as a follower of Christ you have everything you need to find health (2 Peter 1:3).

Don’t Go At It Alone

Discovering the junk in your spiritual junk drawer and repenting of it are great principles to pursue. But finding restoration cannot be a solo effort. That’s why discipleship is something we as your pastors are so passionate about. Moses had Aaron and Hur, David had Nathan, Jesus had the twelve and Paul had Timothy and Barnabas. We must live life on life with intentionality, accountability, encouragement, guidance, support, etc. Discipleship is woven throughout God’s plan. If Christians don’t have those relationships in their lives, I believe it’s incredibly difficult to experience lasting spiritual growth and even more difficult to find restoration from the junk in our drawers.

Additionally if “your stuff” warrants the care of a professional – get help. From Christian counselors to other mental health proffesionals – there is nothing wrong with getting help. I’ve had the opportunity to experience this type of care in my own life and it has been incredibly helpful. Paired with Christian discipleship relationships – it has allowed me to get to a place of health I could never have gotten to on my own.

Make Time for Solitude

Solitude isn’t just being still before the Lord. It can be unplugging and disconnecting from the worries and responsibilities of your life and plugging into what the Lord desires you to hear. Do you ever just sit and listen to God? Often hear nothing? Even though Psalm 46:10 and a host of others tell us to be still before the Lord it can be frustrating. Like other spiritual disciplines, it takes time to develop. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, even though He was the God-Man, we see Him pray all the time. Even in the moments leading up to his betrayal, His desire to pray and spend time with the Father was of incredible importance. We would be wise to include similar disciplines in our own life as we navigate the junk in our drawers. Listening to worship music, praying, meditation, journaling and yes…silence can all provide much needed solitude.

Ensure Your Spiritual Diet Includes God’s Word

Although often stated and maybe even assumed, it’s worth mentioning because we often read everything else but Scripture. The Bible is God’s word to us. From Genesis to Revelation, it is all His inspired word. Reading the Bible consistently will provide direction and correction amidst the challenges of life (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16)

As you continue down the path in pursuit of spiritual growth and health keep in mind it is a lifelong process. Change takes time and depending on the junk in your drawer, it might take a long time. The great news is as a Christ follower you have everything you need. Lean on those within your Life Group and those within your community, your family the Avenue.

I believe God has much in store for us this coming year. May we be a people who know Him more, rely on Him more and follow Him more every day.

Filed Under: Advent, Pastors Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Advent- Responding to Hope

December 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many stories in scripture introduce to us a person that plays a small roll in the story and then as quickly as they come they are gone from the text. Simeon and Anna are two individuals that come and then vanish from the text completely. But although their part in the story does not continue to be told it does go on. Just as we may not be playing a role in the story of Christmas in Luke, however we are part of God’s story. We are part of His redemptive plan. He has come to bring us back to Himself and He will come again to bring it to completion.

When I look at the faith of Simeon and Anna I am encouraged. So many times in scripture and in life people make horrible decisions. Much of the time on this planet we do not believe God, and His promises. The situation they found themselves in was a nation that is not just expecting but longing for a messiah like a past due pregnant mother longs to give birth for relief. They were ready!

Anna was ready, she believed and played a tiny but significant role in the story as a herald of the messiah’s coming. She believed! Oh how I would see God where He is.

It’s difficult to imagine how Simeon dealt with the rising anticipation, we do know that he held fast to the promise. When the Spirit pressed, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26), Simeon was not passive but sprung into action:
And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” LUKE 2:27-32

Oh, that  you and I would wait this well, that we – this season – would rise in agreement,
hold our breath, and let out a hopeful cry!

Are you like Simeon and Anna? Do you find hope in the promises of God?

Individual or Family Devotion:

Read Isaiah 9:1-7

In this passage the Prophet Isaiah speaks about the Savior Whom had been promised, the One for Whom the people of God were waiting.

Ask everyone if they understood the passage or if there are any words that they do not understand?

Who are the people who walked in darkness?

What is the great light that they see?

Why are these people so excited?

In verses 4-7 there are many promises made about this messiah. What are some of them?

How do you think the children of Israel felt about this promise?

Ask each person if they are waiting for God to answer any prayers? What does this time of waiting like? How sweet will it be when God does answer them?

 

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Advent: Expectations

December 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

What is advent?

Advent officially begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, however we had Chili Bowl and were still getting over our Thanksgiving activities. So this year we decided to hold off a week. But we have begun recognizing the season of Advent. Advent which means “coming” or “arrival” is the time of year in which Christians from many different denominations and theologies celebrate the coming of Christ, and the accomplishment of God’s promises in Christ. We also look at the past faithfulness of God and that causes us to be even more eager in our anticipation of Christ’s return. For more on what Advent is check out Jeff’s post here “Happy Advent Season”

Advent Traditions

There are many different ways in which to celebrate Advent. Traditions range from opening a new window each day on a Chocolate Advent Calendar to weekly lighting a Advent Candle Wreath. In whatever tradition you might observe the point of each is to intensify the observation of the season both by frequently thinking of the meaning of Advent and to have a growing expectancy to the moment in which we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ.

Observing Advent This Week.

Sunday the sermon was about raising our expectations for Advent. We talked about a few characters (Mary, Shepherds, Wise Men, Herrod) that had their expectations dashed because of what God wanted to accomplish through them. (click here to listen to that message) Please take some time to use this post as a devotional for your family or to get together with a friend over coffee. I want so badly for us to get all the God has for us in this season. Will you join me?

1.)This week have you found some time to observe Advent? If so in what ways were you able to escape the busyness of the Christmas Season?

2.)Think about and jot some things down that you place your expectations in? What happens when those expectations get dashed?

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world – C.S. Lewis

3.)If you expect created things to be a source of joy for you. What do you think it will take for you to exchange those things for the real source Jesus Christ who is able to give you not only true joy but to meet every need that you have.

4.)When we see every one of God’s promises come true it boosts our confidence that Jesus will be faithful and true to our in our own lives. How can we remember God’s faithfulness to us? How should we celebrate that?

If you have kids reading the story of Christmas in Luke 2:1-20 is a great idea. Be sure if you read this with your children to ask them if there was anything confusing about the passage. I also like to emphasize how many things God had to put in place to make this story happen and He did this because He loves us so much that He wanted to show us His love by sending Jesus to earth to live a completely obedient life and die in our place so that we would not have the consequences of our sins held against us.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

Filed Under: Advent, Pastors Blog

“Hi, i’m one of the Pastors here”

November 19, 2011 By 2 Comments

I have long waited for the day that I can say, “Hi , I am one of the pastors here at The Avenue.” I’ve longed for the opportunity to introduce myself as “one of the pastors.” You might wonder, “Why would Orion want to share his role?”

Well, it isn’t because I am overworked and need help (although getting a hand in some areas will be nice.)

Nor is it because it looks more legit on the website.

It is because I want Christ’s bride (the church) to look just like God wants her to look. And I am certain that God’s Word teaches that there should be multiple Elders/Pastors in the church. (Acts 15:6, Acts 20, Titus1:5, 1 Peter 5)

Growth for The Avenue

I’m beyond excited for our church. Raising up another pastor/elder means growth is happening. It means that everyone in our church can look to God’s evidence in our new pastor/elder and know that if God uses him – he can use you too! Recognizing an elder in the church serves as a litmus test for what God is up to among our people. It’s a great way for me to see that God is definitely on the move, and not only growing our leadership – but growing our church, too.

Sometimes growth hurts a bit – just like those pains you used to get in your legs as a kid that prevented sleep or play. Yet with any growing pains come a sweet reward, like when your legs were finally long enough to dunk a basketball (less than 1% of 7 billion people can dunk)… or reach the petals of your first car. I have no doubt God is on the move, and maturing us, growing us, in many different ways.

God Makes Pastors.

Last week I spoke about Christ being in us. John 15:5 says “…Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” I have said it before, but it is worth repeating: “We don’t make pastors, we simply recognize who God has made to be an overseer.” As we abide in Him and are obedient to His leading, we see blessings and growth. And my friends, that is the source of my joy today.

This Sunday, we will be setting in a man who is of high quality and character. I am honored to serve with Danny Burns. Lest I puff him up too much, Danny is nothing without Christ. He would be the first to tell you that. Danny is a man after God’s own heart. He holds an open hand toward the right things, so that God can change them as He chooses; and He closes his hand tightly over the essential doctrines of scripture. Danny is humble, thoughtful, and wise beyond his years. He models faith in his work, life and family (as pastor/elders are called to do.) As our team has worked with Danny more and more over the past several months, we’ve been excited.

Although we are a team, Danny and I will continue to serve God and the church in the way that God has gifted us. Similar to how a marriage partnership works – she does some stuff, he does others, and then together you knock out a few tasks. The same will work among our pastor/elders. Danny and I may share some roles, and in other ways we will have distinct roles. We will constantly be communicating our roles to the church. Danny will continue to be on staff at Fellowship of Christian Athletes where he is also serving in ministry. I will continue giving my full attention and time to leading The Avenue. Danny and I would love your prayers as we (as under shepherds) follow our Chief Shepherd.

Filed Under: Avenue Church Updates, Pastors Blog, The Avenue Church Tagged With: , , ,

God’s Adoption – 7 Similarities

November 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

God-adoption-the-avenue-independence-churchBelow are seven similarities between what God did in adoption and what happens in a Christian adoption today. This post is mostly adapted from a adoption seminar given by John Piper you can find that audio here.

1.      Adoption was costly for God and is costly for us.

Christ came to redeem us at a high cost to himself. It is also costly to undergo adoption here on earth. It is costly in money, time and emotion to complete and adoption. God understands that cost because he paid the highest cost to adopt us, the life of His son.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

2. Adoption involves the legal status of the child for God and for us.

There were legal realities God had to deal with. His own justice and law demanded that we be punished and excluded from his presence for our sins. Righteousness was required and punishment demanded. God had to satisfy his justice and his law in order to adopt sinners into his family. This he did by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

It’s also worth mentioning that the legal status of being adopted precedes the feelings of sonship. Which is something that happens overtime as we get use to our new family. I remember the movie Shawshank Redemption and one fellow that got out of prison couldn’t adjust to his new status as free. He was a prisoner so long that although he was legally free his mind was still in prison and he couldn’t get past that. The same is true in being set free through being adopted in Christ. We don’t need only to be legally adopted we need God’s Spirit!

3. Adoption (was blessed and) is blessed with God’s pouring out a Spirit of sonship.

Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6)

You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:15-16)

It is amazing that God doesn’t just adopt us in a legal and practical way but that there is also a spiritual and emotive adoption that He also accomplishes, by His Spirit. So God doesn’t leave us to be adopted into His family in a technical way so that we feel we are strangers in His family but that He pours His Spirit into our hearts and we cry Abba! Father!

It is interesting that Paul uses these two words in several passages. Why do we see “Abba” (Aramaic) then “Father” (Greek)? It is a strange combination of similar words from different languages.

The answer must be that this was the way Jesus spoke to his Father, In Mark 14:36, Jesus is in Gethsemane and prays, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In spite of the fact that virtually no one in Jewish culture referred to God with this endearing word abba. It stunned the disciples because God had always been a Father but he had not yet been close enough to them to refer to them as “Daddy”, which is what “abba” surely meant to them. Therefore, in adopting us, God gives us the very Spirit of his Son and grants us to feel the affections of belonging to the very family of God.

Likewise by His mercy, God works to awaken affections in adopted children for their parents that are far more than legal outcomes. They are deeply personal and spiritual bonds. Adopted children do not check their adoption papers to see, feel and believe their adoption. But God’s Spirit works in this new family to turn the hearts of these adoptive children to their parents and their parents hearts to their children.

Praise God that he gave us both legal standing as his children and the very Spirit of his Son so that we find ourselves saying from a heart of deep conviction, “Abba, Father.”

4. Adoption brings us the rights to the Fathers inheritance.

One of the things I have heard that adoption agencies and courts try to make certain potential adoptive parents understand the permanency and the concreteness of an adoption. We are co-heirs with Christ in the same way an adoptive child becomes a legal and equal co-heir with their other siblings. This is part of the finished work of Christ on the cross, Christ’s blood secures this covenant.

Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:6-7)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17)

5. Adoption is always seriously planned

He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)

Just like Christian parents don’t just half heartedly adopt children, our adoption into God’s family was not plan B. God knew and purposed a creation with the ability to fall and sin and a creation that would need redemption. Before He created He knew that you would become His adopted son or daughter. Therefore adoption is not just a quick fix to rescue us but something that is included in God’s manifest wisdom and plans for us.

In our lives, there is something uniquely precious about having children by birth. That is a good plan. There is also something different, but also uniquely precious, with adopting children. Each has its own uniqueness. Your choice to adopt children may be sequentially second. But does not have to be secondary. It is as preciously significant as having children by birth. God is able to make adoption an A+ plan in our lives.

6. Adoption often pulls people from bad situations.

We . . . were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:3)

Many adoptions happen because of difficult situations with birth parents. When God adopted us He did not find us as irrisistablly cute babies all perfect and desirable. He found us ugly and evil and rebellious. We were not attractive. We were not easy children to deal with. We were “children of wrath.”

These are the ones God pursued in adoption. Therefore, all of God’s adoptions crossed a greater moral and cultural divide than any of our adoptions could. The distance between what we are, and what God is, is infinitely greater than the distance between us and a child we might adopt.

7. Adoption means we suffer now and experience glory later.

The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:22-23)

Wait aren’t we already adopted? Why does Paul say that we are “waiting for our adoption”? We are already adopted. When Christ died for us, the price was paid, and when we trust him, we are legally and permanently in his family. But God’s purpose for adoption is not to leave any of his children in a state of groaning and suffering. He raised Jesus from the dead with a new body, and he promises that part of our adoption will be a new resurrection body with no more disabilities and no more groaning. Therefore, what we wait for is the full experience of our adoption—the resurrection of our bodies.

There is much groaning in the path of adoption on the way to full salvation. But the outcome is glorious. It is worth it all. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

What adoption is teaching me:

God’s image is an adopter of lost children, orphaned, helpless children.(which is what we all are)

I believe we should do what we can and what we are called to in order to reflect that image in this world.

There are few other causes in this world that have the potential to shape us and the world around us more profoundly than to see Orphan’s adopted, brokenness redeemed and the Gospel come to life in hopeless situations.

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Churchwide Fast Day!

October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Good Morning Avenue!

This morning we are kicking off Mission: Ignition with a day of fasting. As we have mentioned the past several weeks fasting can look different for everyone. You may be doing a total food fast, or a partial fast of some kind. Maybe you chose to fast from TV. Whatever the case may be what is not different is the purpose of a fast.

Fasting is more about making yourself completely available to God than it is about not eating. Fasting is more about setting very important thing(eating and nourishment) aside to say “I need God alone, and I will seek Him with my whole heart today!” Fasting is a powerful rhythm that God has given us and called us to. Consider the following passage….

Matthew 6:16-18

And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face 18 so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Notice that this passage says “whenever you fast” as if it is expected of the believer that this is a normal rhythm in our lives. Also the instruction of this passages clearly teaches that this is something that we do between us and the Father. It is not about impressing people and having them know when we are doing it. As we are doing a corporate fast I think that it is expected and okay that folks know, but we still need to question any motive to exalt ourselves. This verse says if that is what you are after then you have received your reward. Finally this passage talks about a reward. What! We get a reward? So can we expect to get a heavenly loot when we fast? Consider this answer from Desiring God you can read the rest of the article by clicking on the here.

“No, the best place to find out the reward of our fasting is to look here in the Sermon on the Mount. For example, the prayer that Jesus just taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9–13 begins with three main longings: that God’s name be hallowed or revered, that his kingdom come, that his will be done on earth the way it’s done in heaven. That is the main reward God gives for our fasting.”

Please don’t hear me wrong it’s not wrong to give yourself to devoted prayer and fasting for specific issues and desires. God hears our prayers and loves to answer His children. But Jesus models a heart bent toward God and shows us what our primary motivations should be in our seeking of Him.

Today consider spending some time with God when you normally would be eating. Prayer, journal, worship or just meditate on scripture. Yes the hunger pains will come and go today but the time you dedicate to prayer and hearing from the Lord will definitely be worth it. You may even  find that you ask yourself “why don’t I do this more often?”

 

Feel free to comment on this post and share your thoughts and experiences with us!

 

 

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Husbands & Wives

October 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It is Sunday night, Amy and the kids have gone to bed and I have been trying to watch a football game. It’s just the kind of football that I love (compelling story lines, hard hits and great defense). But still something in my stomach is turning this evening. I am praying and asking God “what is this burden that I feel for husbands and wives?” I have a deep desire to see men and women transformed in every area by the great Gospel of Jesus Christ! Marriage is one area that has so much strife and conflict and it is also such a delight to see God redeem the brokenness of our marriages relationships.

Talking about marriage and the roles and responsibilities that God established for us is not easy. I realize that even the discussion can be like ripping the bandage off an old wound. Also, when we hear the powerful truth of scripture, God comes in and rearranges things in our hearts. Sometimes He comes to deliver us from old thoughts and patterns that do not glorify Him and that rob us of our joy.

If you are being stirred in your heart about your relationships and specifically your marriage then I want to encourage you to find shelter in the love of God right now. God loves you deeply. He is for you. He is preparing your heart to be perfected. We are all broken, fallen people. So each of our marriages falls short of the ideal. Even the most healthy marriages amongst us have selfishness, pride and anger in them. At the point we admit that we are like everyone else, at the point we admit we need God badly, then we are in a great place for God to move. The question is will we trust Him and run to Him?

Isaiah 41:10  fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Respond:

  • Get with a brother or sister to share what is happening in your heart, you will be thankful you did.
  • Communicate with your spouse, your love for them and desire to grow your marriage.
  • Take new steps towards growth, books, devotional times, prayer, counseling whatever it takes!
  • Give me a call or shoot me an email. Let me pray with you, for you and walk with you. I am here for you anything, anytime!

 

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