Focusing on the Future

Another Christmas gone, another year gone by, what lies ahead?  I’m no prophet nor am I a prognosticator, but we can have a vision of where God wants us to go in 2014.  We can look toward to the future, with dread, or we can look forward in faith, trusting and believing that God will do great and mighty things in our church if we will just be obedient to what He shows us. 

I have to wonder in the church in America today hasn’t lost her focus.  Are the things we focus on the things that are dear to God’s heart.  Let me share a few things that are on my heart and I think His for the coming year.

1.     We need to focus on people more than programs.  Reaching people and ministering to them is all about relationships.  I understand and realize that programs can be used to build relationships, but when the program becomes more important than the people; when we fret more over the program not going well than we do the people that are missing, it is doomed for failure and death.  Bob Mayfield, who is the Sunday School, Small Group, and Discipleship specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, made this statement, “You are in trouble when the people that attend your church’s outreach ministry are more concerned about lack of participation by church members than their concern for the lost and unchurched.”  This could be said about any program in our church.  We need to get our focus back on what Jesus called us to, that is, being burdened for people (see Matthew 9:35-38)!

2.     We need to focus more on the substance of our worship than on the style of our worship.  Songs and singing that honor Jesus are really what blesses the heart of God.  Jesus said they that worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  God’s word doesn’t give us all the details of how His children worshipped Him, just that they did with songs and hymns and spiritual songs making melody in their heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).  We need to do likewise.

3.     We need to focus more on our prayers than on our petitions.  Are what we think of as prayers nothing more than our wish lists (petitions) to God?  Prayer includes petitions, but it is more than giving God our lists of wants and desires.  It is praising, thanking, and having a personal conversation with the Creator of the Universe.  The last time I checked having a conservation meant to enter into a two way communication with someone.  That is, talking and listening.  And when it comes to having a conversation with God I don’t know about you, but speaking for myself I probably need to do a whole lot more listening than telling.  Maybe we need to be more like the publican who stood and prayed, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner’, or the apostle Paul who asked, “Lord, what would you have me to do”. 

Let’s get back to what God has called us to be, a church focused on people, praise, and one that seeks His face in prayer.  He might just do something miraculous in us.  I’m ready for a few ‘God Moments’ aren’t you?

Whatever Happened to the Carpenter?

It’s a cold, clear, spring evening in 40 A.D.  On a hillside outside Bethlehem, a group of shepherds warm themselves around a flickering campfire as the night settles in.  Having discussed the hardships of the day, their conversation turns to the prophecies in the Scriptures concerning the coming Messiah.

 Many ideas, interpretations, and thoughts are shared until someone asks, “Whatever happened to that carpenter from Nazareth that everyone thought was the Messiah?”  All is quiet until one man states, “I will tell you what I know, if you want to hear.”  Quickly they agree, “Yes, tell us about the Carpenter.”

Slowly he begins.  “It’s a sad story really.  Jesus, as was his name, had inherited his father’s carpentry business.  But one day he just left the carpentry business with no explanation.

“Some folks thought he was going into the wine business, because he had made some wine for a wedding that everyone said was the best they had ever tasted.  Word was his wine brought great joy.

“Tried the fishing business next.  Did quite well.  Though he never threw a net himself, he sure seemed to know where the fish were.  But no sooner had he started until he began speaking with his partners about becoming fishers of men, whatever that meant.

“After that he became a physician.  People said he healed all manner of disease.  Said he never carried any potions, medicines, herbs, or anything.  Sometimes he just touched them.  Sometimes he just gave the word and they were healed.

“They said he didn’t even need to be around the person; he could speak and they were healed.  Rumor was that one woman touched his garment and was made well.  Others said they actually saw him raise the dead to life.

“He started talking strangely about this time.  Spoke about being a shepherd though he never had any sheep.  Closest thing to a flock he ever had was that little group that followed him everywhere he went.  He told them about going to Jerusalem to die for his sheep.  It’s really sad because it seems he actually believed that.

“Went to Jerusalem and began confronting the religious leaders.  Caused a near riot one day when he began overturning the moneychangers tables while shouting about his father’s house being a house of prayer.

“End result was that the priests had him arrested and condemned to death.  It’s ironic that what he had said about himself came true.  It was a sad day when they crucified him, for many believed he really was the Messiah.”

Whatever happened to the Carpenter?  Some people say he’s still opening blind eyes, bringing joy to hearts, raising the dead, and healing those who would only let Him.