Get In The Game!

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:16-20

You know, turning fifty is an amazing time in your life.  Many people become afraid of what the future holds as their life may have fallen short of what they expected.  Others find purpose and spend time focusing on the next chapter in their life.  I believe that I would fall more toward the latter having been blessed by what God has done in my life.  If you are like me, you realize that while there is much to be grateful for what He has done, He is not done with us yet.  I realized as much yesterday as I felt Him tugging at my soul.  A friend sent me a link to an article about Millennials, and it was titled, “12 Reasons Millennials Are OVER Church.” (see http://tosavealife.com/faith/12-reasons-millennials-church/) 

As faithful Christians, this is OUR problem.  It does not matter if we are in our early twenties or retired, we are officially in crisis.  How much so?  The stats are telling.  Only 1 of 5 Millennials attend church regularly.  Almost 60% of Millennials raised in church drop out.  More than 1 in 3 Millennials are anti-church.  We are not saying neutral here.  We are saying firmly against it!  It was as if God punched me in the face, and said, “So Kent, what are you going to do?”  While there is much that I have wanted to do over the next part of my life, looking deeply into this article made it clear what my calling would be.  As a pastor once told me, we can’t just be in the huddle every Sunday and not play in the game Monday through Saturday.  As this election should have taught everyone, the time to act is now.

There is a reason God asks of us to make disciples of all men and women.  We are His voice for those who cannot hear any voice.  An entire generation hangs in the balance on what we decide to do.  Yes, God can do anything, and here’s the funny thing.  What does God moving have to do with our obligation to serve Him?  You see, we often look to God to handle things when the reality is, God chose us.  We are both responsible and accountable.  It’s easy to pass this off on others, but the reality is when God asks, we are to respond as humble and obedient servants.

God wants us to be engaged in the battle for souls.  We are not just responsible for ourselves for as Rick Warren so perfectly stated, “It’s not about you.”  We are often caught up into our circumstances, and as such, get distracted from the big picture.  When we are in crisis mode, we need to respond pronto!  Along those lines, we must acknowledge that an entire generation is in crisis, and God calls on us to respond.  Are you going to ignore the warning signs anymore?  How will you get involved?  My prayer is that we do as God called on us to do and get in the game!  Amen!

No Never Alone

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:19-10

While there is so much going on in the world today, I want to speak of something more personal as it has relevancy to much of what is going on.  This past weekend, I lost a friend, and while all indications was that he was a believer, I could not help but feel the sadness of a life gone too soon.  It also brought me to realize one of the worldly devices that is creating greater stress in the world.  It is called loneliness.  I listen to experts, and see the data that points to a declining church and that people feel a disconnect with it.  With that disconnect, there is this empty space where loneliness takes its place.  It is not easy for me to ignore because I have such a connection with an awesome God, but many will say I just need to worry about myself.  But I can’t.  So I ask myself how can I not feel suffering when others feel they have no one to turn to.  What can I do to be accountable to making God’s presence in the world more known?

There is a reason Jesus commissioned us to teach others of God.  Many will disagree, but I believe much of what has gone awry in the world deals directly with the void of God in those places.  People who are alone are much more susceptible to evil, violence, and deception.  Our job as followers of Christ is to stay connected not only with God but also those who do not know of Him.  They are the ones who need to know of a God who loves them deeply, and must realize that whether they don’t have someone or do but sense no one cares about them, God is always watching, listening, loving, and protecting them.  There is no depth of loneliness or despair that God cannot touch, heal, and make one feel anew!

God is the only answer to save others.  The world is a ruthless tool of the devil for as 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  Armed with the truth, we have joy everlasting through Jesus Christ.  We have been given true victory, and with it, we know He is with us always for God has said. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Anyone who knows this will never ever be alone.  Who do you know that may be feeling alone?  Who in pain needs a reminder of God’s faithful promises?  My prayer is that when others feel abandoned, we are able to sing to them the old spiritual hymnal, ‘No Never Alone.’  Amen.

The Inner Voice

Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Matthew 10:17-20+

For years, I never had an exercise routine.  Sure, there were times that I would start doing it for a few weeks and maybe even a month, but ultimately, it would not last.  Even health concerns raised by my doctor had not fully gotten me on board.  However when I started not feeling as well as I thought I should, I tried one more time.  This time, I measured my success focusing on overall wellbeing and not exercising.  When I did not feel up to it, this inner voice would say, “Ok, Kent.  You have to get out tomorrow and do it so you will feel better!”  That subtle change in the message made a wealth of difference.  In month number three, so far so good (someone check on me in June  J).

Witnessing for God is about trusting the Holy Spirit within you.  My pastor is passionate about winning others to Christ, and he is very good at it.  While I am passionate about winning others to Christ, I still need a lot of work at it.  Yet even though I struggle at and am not comfortable with doing it, I am not absolved from trying.  By trying, I realized I am not good at being direct (i.e. Do you know who Christ is?).  God did wire me to ask really good questions leading to others self-discovery (Why are you here with me today?  Why aren’t you happy?  What’s missing from this picture?  Could I share what I know with you?).  Your message and approach will be very different from mine and many others.  However you must trust the Holy Spirit within you (some might call it lending a voice to it) to be able to truly witness for it.

God did not give us gifts to let them stay idle.  He gave them for His glory such that each are to be used to as Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)  Let go of your fears and trust God to guide you where you need to go with others.  What is the Holy Spirit within you saying?  Who do you know that is waiting to hear God from you?  My prayer is that we share with others by submitting to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit within us.  Amen.