Month: October 2014

The Phenomenal Potential of Planting

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oak-acorns oaktreeslookingupNot long ago I was cleaning our pickup truck when I found an acorn in the otherwise empty bed.  Since I couldn’t remember parking under any trees, I wondered how it got there.  I started to throw it out, but for some reason dropped it in my pocket instead.

As I emptied my pockets at the end of the day, out came my lowly acorn; and the reason I couldn’t throw it away.  What at first seemed small and insignificant, actually has great potential!  Given enough time and reasonable conditions, that tiny acorn could produce a vast forest of majestic oak trees!  And since there are lots of beautiful oak trees around here, we intend to plant this one where there aren’t many.  We will carry it 1,500 miles west to the often tree-less soil where I grew up.

I’m convinced God put that acorn in my truck for a reason.  In fact I even carry it in my pocket from time to time as a reminder.  That acorn has become symbolic of the life-changing Gospel seed we carry.  While Jesus may have become ordinary to us, His seed can still produce extraordinary results when planted in reasonable conditions!

Knowing this to be true, we intend to carry the Gospel to Colorado to plant a vibrant, new church where there are remarkably few.  In contrast to its scenic vistas, Colorado’s spiritual landscape is largely barren.  We have found many people there who are thirsty for hope, purpose, and peace.  Sadly, the spiritual oasis they see in the distance often ends up being a mirage.  But with God’s help, and with your partnership, we intend to change that!

There are some important ways that you can partner with us in beautifying the spiritual landscape of Colorado.  First, we need people who will pray for us.  Church planting is a supernatural task that requires supernatural enablement.   Second, we need people who will invest financial support in our ministry.  Since time is short, we want to be able to focus our time and energy on reaching the unreached multitudes.  Lastly, we need people who will go with us to Colorado to help us make disciples of Jesus who will eventually become our new church!

If you would like to know more about what we are doing, and how you can be involved with us, we encourage you to visit our website: www.makelovegrow.co or if you prefer, give us a call.  We pray God will lead you to partner with us in planting a new, vibrant church in Northeastern Colorado!

A Chinese proverb has wisely noted, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.  The next best time is now.”  So, whether planting a tree or a church, now is the time to plant!  And just like one tree can produce a phenomenal forest, with a touch from God just one church can produce a landscape that is blooming with verdant, new churches!

What Can We Know?

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Hope series cover

One hundred and seventy years ago today marks the day that came to be known to many as “The Great Disappointment.”

William Miller was a well-known Baptist preacher and student of Bible prophecy.  After years of research, he concluded that Christ would return sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.  When that time period passed, further study convinced him and another preacher that the wrong Jewish calendar had been used and a new date was proposed, October 22, 1844.

The support for this prediction was compelling enough that up to 100,000 followers gathered in groups to await Christ’s return on that day.  When midnight passed without Christ’s return, most of the followers gave up their hopes and left; some even gave up their faith.

Fast forward one hundred and forty years or so.   Edgar C. Whisenant, a former NASA engineer and student of Bible prophecy predicted that the Rapture would occur sometime between September 11 and September 13, 1988.  His books, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988” and “On Borrowed Time” were very popular and hundreds of thousands of them were published and distributed.

Whisenant was so convinced of his research that he was quoted as saying, “Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong…” and “If… I could gamble with my life, I would stake my life on [my predictions].”

Since many of my Christian friends were convinced of his compelling arguments and conclusion, I too read “88 Reasons.”  While his research was flawed,  at least many complacent Christians began to witness and give as never before!

When his prediction failed to come to pass, Whisenant wrote more books with revised predictions for the Rapture specifying dates in 1989, 1993, 1994, and even as late as 1997.  Not surprisingly, his subsequent books received little attention.

Sadly, predictions like these are common.  It’s been well documented that those who will not learn from history will be condemned to repeat it.  Additionally, many well meaning Bible students over the years have made the error of focusing on certain scripture passages while ignoring or minimizing “the whole counsel of God.”

For instance, Jesus himself made it crystal clear in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but My Father only.”  Nevertheless, in verses 32-35 Jesus also warns that we can know “the season” of His return!  Therefore, His subsequent warning to “keep watch” for His return are especially relevant in light of the many Bible prophecies that continue to be fulfilled!

While the sincere predictions of Bible students like Miller and Whisenant never materialized, we would be remiss to miss another clear warning in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

What we can know for sure boils down to this; each passing day brings us one day closer to Christ’s return.  Be ready!

Why A Shepherd?

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psalm-23-1-the-lord-is-my-shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd…  So begins one of the most loved, and best known passages in all of the Bible.  True to the saying, “it takes one to know one,” Psalm 23 was written about 3,000 years ago by a shepherd who later became a king, David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem.

After David’s bold opening declaration, he makes three statements expressing his complete trust in the LORD as his shepherd.  “I shall not want” summarizes David’s confidence in the LORD’s ability to provide for his every need.  “I will fear no evil” demonstrates his trust in the LORD to protect him, even in the darkest days of his life.  “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever,” articulates David’s faith that even in death, his Shepherd will care for him throughout eternity!

This beautiful psalm not only talks about David’s Shepherd, it talks to his Shepherd as well!  In verses 2-3, David talks about all his Shepherd does for him and why.  In verse 4 the pronouns shift from “He” to “You” and David now speaks to his Shepherd in a written prayer.  David’s confidence in facing death is in his Shepherd’s presence and protection.  In verse 5 he speaks affectionately of the LORD’s gracious provisions, even in the presence of his enemies.  Finally, in verse 6 David concludes his thoughts by speaking about his Shepherd’s care “all the days of my life” and then even after his days come to an end and “forever” begins.

This poignant psalm is rich with word pictures!  It starts with a Shepherd, and his flock of sheep, one of whom is King David himself.  It pictures them lying down in green pastures and drinking from still waters.  It paints sheep following the Shepherd on paths of righteousness and through the valley of the shadow of death.  It draws comfort from a shepherd’s rod and his staff.  It portrays a bountiful banquet table prepared in the presence of enemies.  It visualizes the blessedness of an anointed head and a cup running over.  It concludes with the (obviously magnificent) house of the LORD in heaven.

This psalm is so rich I have assigned aspiring preachers the task of writing multiple messages from this psalm, each one focusing on a unique truth, promise, principle, viewpoint, illustration or challenge contained within it.  Though they would often complain about my assignment, invariably these students of God’s Word would fall deeper in love with Psalm 23 with each new message they wrote.

In my earlier years I wondered how a psalm with six verses and a little over one hundred words could be so special to so many people.  But over the last twenty years I have studied it, memorized it, preached it and have recited it in so many difficult occasions, and in countless places.  Its ability to move me and so many others is no longer mysterious!  After all, like King David, we too are sheep in desperate need of a trustworthy Shepherd!

Cheer Up!

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Jesus-Passion-of-the-Christ-Jim-Caveziel-Smile-1024x768

The day started out like every other day he could remember.  As soon as he felt the warm rays of the sun strike his face, he pulled himself up from his makeshift bed on the side of the road.  Thankfully, it hadn’t rained during the night and the temperatures were still manageable this time of the year.  Of course, this good fortune would change all too soon.

He shook the dust off his motley robe, took his cup and placed his last two coins in it.  “Alms for the poor?” he constantly pleaded, as he rattled the coins in his cup.

Thankfully, an occasional passerby would reward his begging with another small coin.  Maybe he would have enough by day’s end to buy some stale bread to temporarily appease the constant gnawing in his stomach.

He couldn’t help that he was poor, as no one would hire him to work.  After all, what kind of work could a blind man do?  It appeared painfully obvious to him and everyone else that his life’s work would amount to nothing but begging.

While hope was normally a thought that rarely crossed his mind, he had recently heard some amazing stories of sick people being healed, cripples walking, deaf hearing, and yes, even blind people seeing!  Not surprisingly, hope was not only crossing his mind these days, hope was blazing a major pathway through it!  Could this be the day he received infinitely more than a few coins; his sight, his life?

His dreams were interrupted when he heard a large crowd coming his way.  His curiosity piqued, he stopped begging for alms, and started begging for information.  Thankfully, a passerby had  mercy on him and responded, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  Could it be true that Hope was within reach?  But how could he speak to Him since He was surrounded by such a large crowd?

He had no recourse but to shout above the noise of the crowd, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Unfortunately, some within the crowd heard him and rebuked him for his outburst and demanded he be quiet.  But they didn’t understand that this, no He, was his only hope for sight; for life!  So he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Hope heard and Hope stopped!  Those who had just chided him for his annoying shouts, now encouraged him, “Cheer up!  He’s calling you!”  Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, jumped to his feet and felt his way to Hope.

He sensed His presence even before he heard His question, “What do you want me to do for you?”  They were unfamiliar words to him, yet more exhilarating than anyone could possibly imagine!  Trembling, knowing the audacity it took for a beggar to ask such a thing of a King, the words spilled out anyway, “I want to see.”

“Go,” He simply said, “your faith has healed you.”  Immediately, he saw Hope, and his life reborn!