The Purpose of Community

I am always inspired by people like Paul; people who proclaim and sustain hope. You see, there are times when I tend to see the glass as half empty, rather than half full. I tend to be the kind of person who can focus on what is not working rather than on celebrating what is; I guess it is the engineer in me. At times, there is a part of me that can become cynical and switched off to hope. When that happens, I aspirer to pray harder for others and my problems seem to gradually get smaller.


Community is not just a sum of individual parts; there is a synergy grounded in patterns of relationships and interactions that are all connected and affect each other. How people interact in one part of the body certainly has a ripple affect to other parts whether we know it or not; something like these gears and how they interact.


To be a healthy community, a healthy body, Paul says the gifts of all parts are needed. And each part needs to respect and value the gifts that are not their own. Just because an eye thinks that seeing is the most important thing because that is all it knows and has ever done, does not mean that the body does not need ears to listen, hands to heal, a heart to offer compassion, a mouth to speak truth, a mind to see the bigger picture. One part cannot pretend that it is more important, or less important. When that happens it divides. The word in Greek means literally “tears to pieces.”


Paul reminds them that they are better together. Paul asks the Corinthians to orient their differing gifts in unity. They are not asked to eliminate differences but to coming together and interact, to recognize their interdependence and cooperate so that they can be the body of Christ as a community.


We can’t talk about a living body, without talking about health and maintaining health. I know that keeping my body healthy entails paying attention to the mind, body, spirit connection. When my mind is caught in negative critical patterns of thinking, it drains my spirit and my body energy. When I am not attending to my spiritual well-being, I find my mind moving into those very negative, critical patterns which in turn affect my body. We also need to think about how we are affecting our family, our community, and our work place. You know from experience that some patterns and interactions help to create health and wholeness for all the parts and for the system as a whole; and some interactions encourage disease, disintegration and dysfunction.

• I think we all could strengthen our attitude of gratitude since it is such a key marker in health. What if we appreciated and thanked people for what they do in community instead of looking for what missing or not done according to our expectations?
• What if we each offered our gifts to build up the whole community and its mission of being the body of Christ?
• What if we were to pay close attention to the information loops in our community...the way information is carried from one part to another. What if we all worked to keep these loops healthy and information flowing freely amongst them, building one another up in trust?
• What if we made sure that each person felt connected with the loop of communications that allowed spiritual grow by sharing our gifts to others without the fear of rejection.

It does not mean that there will not be conflict or troubles in a healthy community. That is part of dealing with diversity and growth, and change. But a healthy community is one that does not run away from, but actively and responsively address or heal its disturbances, and grow through them.

BE THE EYES, FEET, AND HANDS OF CHRIST

Christ has no body now on Earth but yours...no hands but yours,no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which is to view Christ's compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless people now.
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a

Finding God's Will

Are you wrestling with a career decision, not sure which path to take? Are you wondering which direction the Lord desires you to go? If so, you are not alone! Many Christians struggle with making career decisions at various points in their lives. As Christians, we desire to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. We want to do His will in all aspects of our lives. We long to make the "right" decision--the choice that proves to be good for us and that is the one we believe God would have us make. So what can we do to make wise career decisions that are within the will of God for our lives? Although the Bible is not a manual on career planning and decision making, it does teach some important principles that can assist you in becoming a wise decision maker.

• Our first priority in life must always be to develop an increasingly intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In our society, we are concerned with accomplishments: what we do, how we perform, what we produce, how busy we are, etc. We may judge the fruitfulness of a pastor's ministry, for example, by the size of his or her church, the number of books written, tapes produced, the presence of a television ministry, etc. Yet Jesus said that all of this doesn't matter unless the person is intimately connected to Him: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:5-6). There are some warning signs - does your job require you to act in unethical or immoral way such as not revealing certain information about a product or service to a prospective customer? Does your work require you--or seduce you--to spend so much time at work that you have little time for anything else including your friends and family, your quiet times with the Lord, church, etc.? Does it tempt you to become prideful, greedy, manipulative, etc.? In other words, is your work leading you away from Christ rather than leading you toward becoming more Christ-like? If so, you would be right in questioning whether this is a career path the Lord would have you to pursue. As Jesus says, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Mt. 16:26).
• God has created you with the aptitude for particular skills and abilities, and with the inclination toward particular interests. Your design is the most important factor to consider in making career decisions. You are God's handiwork. He created your inmost being, and knit you together in your mother's womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14). You have been given work-related gifts that have been chosen specifically for you (Romans 12:6-8). God desires for you to use the gifts He has given you. Working out of your design will bring you satisfaction, will bless and enable you to serve others effectively, and will bring glory to your Designer. To make good career decisions you must have a thorough knowledge of your personality, skills and abilities, interests and values. Without this knowledge, you are not fully equipped to make good career decisions.
• Being a Christian does not exempt us from the responsibility to become wise decision makers. Therefore, it is your responsibility to use your God-given mind to learn how to make good career decisions. Learning how to make decisions is a part of developing wisdom and maturity, both of which God desires for us. The book of Proverbs is full of admonitions about the importance of gaining wisdom to live a life that is pleasing to God. The proverbs are given to us "for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life..." (Prov. 1:1-3). God desires for us to have not only spiritual maturity and wisdom but also wisdom that relates to making decisions in this life.
• Living out God's will for your career and life will require that you take risks. Learning to take risks is an essential part of following God and living out His will for our lives. Without risks, a person's life becomes a process of digging an ever-deeper rut in which he or she stagnates and cuts himself or herself off from all that God intends life to be. As Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We know that, as God's sons and daughters, we have already won in this life--we are victors! God calls us to live courageously--to take risks in order to use our gifts and bring salt and light to this hurting world. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain! "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)

Moving forward is not easy, take my word for it. I have been searching through Scripture for the past several years; searching and searching to ensure how long to stay within my present season of work and when to move on. God gives us seasons of life; each season has a specific purpose and calling.

I believe seeking wise counsel is primary for any seasonal change...that is scriptual. The more I read, the more I get confused...each writer has a little different slant to the situation, but what comes through the overall concept is...placing God first in everything and just let Him work out the details. If you place Him first...He will not allow you to make the wrong decision.

So as you walk forward...walk softly and don't carry a big stick. Allow God to speak so you can listen. If you are stomping around making lots of noise, you will not hear Him. Don't be a heavy foot person stomping through life.

The Perfect Storm

The decline of America should be obvious to any rationally thinking American. The explosion of crime, gang warfare and drive-by shootings in our cities; the disintegration of the American family, with proliferating divorce, infidelity, child abuse, single parent families, and teenage rebellion; the explosion of drug usage (the highest in the world); abortion on demand that kills millions of babies in their mother’s womb in the name of progress; the rampant spread of promiscuity, pornography, homosexuality, and sexually transmitted diseases; the dummying down of American children in the public school system; high taxation; the ignoring of our Constitution; exploding governmental controls over every aspect of the American peoples' lives; and gross immorality and corruption at the highest levels of the U.S. government are all irrefutable evidence of a country whose culture, morality, traditions, and spiritual life are in a free fall.

Our Lord allows storms to come into our lives for a variety of reasons. For unbelievers, some storms are sent to force them to cry out to God for salvation (i.e. September 11, 2001). In the case of believers, God some times will use a storm for correction, to bring back to His side as a parent would a child. Judgment can take on many forms; massive earthquakes, storms, floods, and fires (i.e., accelerating physical disasters); the removal of our financial prosperity; the proliferation of deadly diseases and plagues (i.e., consider AIDS, Hanta Virus, the flesh-eating virus or bacteria, or the Gulf War Syndrome); increasing oppression of the people and their freedoms by an all-powerful, collectivist government; the ascendancy of wicked, evil leaders who reject our traditional values, morality, history and culture; and eventually via attack by foreign powers (whether a New World [UN] Army, a reborn Russian and world Communist movement (including China), by radical Islam, or some combination of these groups). Is it just possible that these events are not just happening by coincidence, but are warnings from God? Americans are now either practicing or tolerating lifestyles which the Bible clearly states will remove God's blessings and bring the wrath of God. God has warned in the Bible that He will destroy any nation which openly practices fornication, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion and the shedding of the blood of innocent children including abortion and partial birth abortion.

The Perfect Storm -- When our country was in the grip of the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, all of us where reminded how easily certain conditions bring us close to a total melt down. Certainly each of us can and do experience minor "storms" at different levels; the loss of a job, a loved one, a break-up, moving, health issues and other traumatic transitions can "knock you off balance" and make you feel that everything in life is coming apart. But when you combine several issues together; we see how quickly society breaks down.

Certainly our elections in 2008 can set the stage for more things to come; therefore, choose wisely. On the surface, things may look like they are improving, but remember, what is stated in a campaign doesn’t necessary come forward into policy.

The President of the United States sent a letter of congratulations for the Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration, 1998 at Disney World. In the letter the President stated: Our ideals and our history hold that the rights guaranteed us as Americans are inalienable. They are embedded in our Constitution and amplified over time by our courts and legislature, and I am bound by oath of office and the burden of history to reaffirm them... And we stand to lose when any person is denied or forced out of a job because of sexual orientation.

God's judgment is not a popular topic among most people, even among most Christians. The Church in America today shares in the responsibility for the decline in this once great land. Americans have become fat, dumb, lazy, apathetic, and complacent, in part due to being spoiled by 50 years of nearly uninterrupted prosperity since the end of World War II. Many can no longer discern the difference between good and evil, nor do they in any way take a stand against evil. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13: Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.

There is a Perfect Storm looming on the not to distance horizon that will make our present situation look like a social hiccup; a storm that will make us all wonder how, where, and why did we allow our country (not to mention the world) get this way. We need to be ready for it; turn your hearts toward Him!

Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor

Many assume that the weather merely obey the laws of science. But mariners have always known that there is another power at work. "They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed."

Psalm 107:29

There are also metaphorical storms in our daily life. When those planes flew into the towers in Manhattan, many in the United States and Canada felt the impact of the storm. Right now in Pakistan Christians are facing a vicious storm of persecution. There are storms that can hit our place of work, and suddenly all is in confusion. Some of you are facing financial storms, and there seems no hope of paying the bills. There are also medical storms that engulf us and our family. All is going well, and then suddenly cancer or a heart attack hits us or our loved ones. Some of the toughest storms are when a family is being torn apart and is in danger of breaking up by the force of the wind.


We all need to know how to weather the storms of life. Christian faith is about much more than just surviving shipwreck. It's about believing, with confidence, that whatever and wherever our journey takes us, Jesus will always remain at the helm.


Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6