Prophet for hire: part 1

But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more.”

Numbers 22:18

 

The story of Balaam is an interesting one, and not just because of the part of the story where his donkey speaks to him. It is a crucial story because it is clear that regardless of his past practices, Balaam 1) knows he has heard from the true God on this matter, and 2) claims some level of commitment to being faithful to God’s Word. This is seen in his statement that he cannot say “less or more” than what God has given to him. It is seen in his claim that to “the LORD my God.”

 

But Balaam is a study in decline. His firm resolve that no amount of money could persuade him to curse Israel if this was not God’s command begins to wilt in the repeated offers from Balak. Eventually he caves in, at least to meet with this rich patron who believes Balaam has the power to curse an entire nation. But even then, God has a bigger plan at work. The reluctant “prophet for hire” will still be used to get Balak’s attention and to witness to the greatness of what God is doing with His people Israel.

 

Balaam, however, would eventually be undone by these slow accommodations to greed.  He is known in future generations as a false prophet who loved to gain from wrongdoing (2 Peter 2:15). He would eventually die under the later conquest of Canaan because his advice to Balak resulted in Israel falling to prostitution and idolatry.

 

The lesson of Balaam is that little choices can lead to major slides from truth and from commitment to God. Balaam was a pagan oracle who had a brief dramatic encounter with the true God, only to fall away into materialistic greed and be judged by God. He serves forever as a warning to be true to God’s message, no matter what tempts us away.

 

Technorati Tags: Religion,Discipleship,Christianity

God as inheritance and portion

And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.”

Numbers 18:20

 

God made it clear to Aaron and his descendents that the priestly duties of service to Him were a unique blessing and privilege. God blesses Aaron and his family with this birthright. Other Israelites might get land and houses in the Promised Land. The priests and Levites would get God Himself as their inheritance.

 

This chapter contains details for the support of the priests and of worship of Yahweh. All the tithes and offerings that came in would be collected by the priests. From that, 90% was available to support the priestly class. The top 10% was offered by the priests as their tithe (a tithe of the tithes) before the Lord. The rest was used to provide for all the priests and Levites and their families who guarded and served in the worship of the Lord. When God told Aaron He would be his portion, He backed it up with real support from the nation of Israel. God would provide for His servants. He would use His people to do this.

 

It interests me how much those involved in such ministry would need to trust God. They were forbidden from having any other means of support. When times were hard, they had to see God provide quite literally through His people. And the bulk of the budget for operating the sacrificial system was labor. 90% of the received gifts went to provide for priests, Levites, and their families. A lot of people were dependent upon God being their portion and inheritance!

 

Technorati Tags: Christianity,Discipleship,Ministry,Religion

Manly worship.

According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 4:49

 

This unique census of the three major clans of families among the Levites was meant to establish roles and responsibilities for those who would minister to Israel’s camp at the tabernacle. These were men who would work hard in the worship of the Lord and in obedience to His commands. Over 8500 of them were recruited from this census to assist in the daily activities of sacrifice and worship.

 

The text breaks down their duties into two main divisions of their ministry: serving or carrying. Serving meant just that. They assisted the priests in the physical tasks at the sacrificial altar. They made sure all the needed implements and essentials of the worship of God were available at the tabernacle. They were also charged with the proper “set-up” and “tear-down” of the tabernacle during those times when the camp of Israel was on the move. Both of these main tasks required muscle, co-ordination, and willing service. I imagine some burly guys who could get their hands dirty without crying about it.

 

Really, worship is not glamorous. We have turned it into a light show with artists and rock stars. But the Kohathites show us something better. Worship is sometimes simply about getting a job done for the glory of God. It requires hard work, sweat, and the biggest need at the moment is a task that requires a sacrifice of time and effort. Every church needs Kohathites! The ministry of the gospel is carried by those willing to serve unseen and to be rewarded by the motivation that God is pleased with their hard work.

 

A life of worship will realize that worship has very little to do with singing on a Sunday, taking notes during a sermon, or clapping or raising hands in an emotional chorus with the congregation. These may be good as part of the bigger picture of worship. But worship is different. It is about a life that will carry what God says to pick up and carry and that will serve where God says He wants us to serve. Worship is obedient work for the glory of God.

 

Technorati Tags: Religion,Christianity,Discipleship

Worship as a national pastime

Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:6-7

 

Under a theocracy, worship was a different experience. Numbers shows us this. There were two main duties for the Levites as detailed in this section of the Book of Numbers. They were first charged with guarding the tabernacle and its immediate perimeter from intruders. no “unauthorized personnel”  were allowed in places reserved for the priests and the Levites. Their second major duty was to transport the tabernacle and its furnishings whenever the camp of Israel moved in the wilderness.

 

God entrusts His worship and honor into the hands of these men. They were considered His possessions. They were the “firstborn” redeemed from among the nation to God’s service under Old Testament Law. In fact, the rest of chapter three details the census of Levite clans, as well as a general tallying up of all the males in Israel who were the firstborn in their families. A special tax was then raised from this group that helped pay the expenses necessary for the Levites to labor exclusively in the service of the Lord in His tabernacle. There were more firstborn males than total Levite males and this was offset by this unique “redemption” tax. It honored God whether it was a life of service or a financial gift of service.

 

I am at a loss for any direct application discussion for this text. The ministry piece is always a springboard, but I’ll steer clear of it for now. God wants people in His service today, but certainly not in the mandatory way these Levites served. Redemption is a concept in play here, but the New Testament concept of salvific redemption should not be read into this text. And I cannot see a direct tie to giving either, since this special assessment was really a kind of tax under the theocratic rule of God in Israel. Probably the safest, simplest concept to apply here in this passage is this one: the worship of God is a serious matter worth investing lives and fortunes in service to Him.

 

Technorati Tags: Christianity,Religion,Discipleship

fellow workers for the truth

For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

3 John 7-8

Here, in one of the shortest books of the Bible, a case is made for the support of gospel workers. These early evangelists and what we might call missionaries were called by God to move into new regions to proclaim the truth of the gospel. We can look to the ministry of the apostle Paul for more detail.  He appears to not have been alone in this type of gospel work.

John makes several things clear about this kind of gospel work. First, they have “gone out”. They left familiar territory, home, and home church and went somewhere else for the express purpose of proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Secondly, they were called. The phrase “for the sake of the name” makes it clear that God is the high purpose behind all their efforts. This is not just a career choice, nor is it a two week travel chance sanctioned as a holy vacation. They were answering the leading of God by going forward with the gospel and were doing so at great risk, leaving everything behind, including financial means in a subsistence culture.

Thirdly, they were self-supporting and relied on believers for gifts of support and hospitality. They did not take funds from those not yet believers (that is what the phrase “accepting nothing from the Gentiles” is all about). John urges and commend Gaius as he continues in his hospitality and support of these efforts. The church was obligated to assist these who had dedicated themselves to the gospel message.

Finally, John saw their work as supporting the broad work of the apostles as well. He joins their ministry with his ministry by calling them “fellow workers”. Those who respond to God’s call to take the gospel to new people groups are doing the work that Jesus Himself gave the apostles to do in the Great Commissions (Matthew 28:19-20). We still actively persist in this today. And support of this kind of gospel work is still the call of the individual believer.

Technorati Tags: Truth,Christianity,Ministry

Privileged

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Luke 10:23-24

These words from Jesus served notice to His disciples that they were a unique generation. They were getting something in relationship with Him that many others in Israel had longed for. And Jesus was the big blessing that so many wanted to see and they were with constantly.

These words were directed to His disciples after they had completed an intense round of service. Luke details the assignment: Seventy-two followers of Jesus were commissioned by Him to go ahead of Him into the towns and villages in pairs to do His work. They preached the kingdom, healed the sick, and trusted in God to provide for them from village to village. And these itinerate preachers returned with remarkable stories of spiritual victory (Luke 10:17). Jesus rejoices with them and reminds them of the real things to rejoice over in their relationship with the Father (Luke 10:20).

There is a beautiful prayer in Luke 10:21-22 that proceeds the blessing of the disciples. In this prayer, Jesus praises the Father for His sovereign choice of these simple men (He calls them “little children”) to do the work of the kingdom. These “little children” had been given profound revelation! And they had experienced the same sort of results in their preaching of the gospel that Jesus Himself had experienced. They were becoming like their teacher. That was the goal of discipleship (see Luke 6:40).

And the privileges continue. Today, I am part of a generation of Christians who are called to proclaim the gospel with just as much authority and clarity as these disciples had. And lives are changed by Jesus today. Spiritual victories are wrought by the hand of God. The kingdom of God advances in the lives of people who come to Christ and become His followers. And the privilege of doing this work is beyond description. It is eternal. It is focused on the glory of Almighty God and the loving atoning work of His Son on the cross. It has power over death itself because of the resurrection of Christ. It shakes down the foundations of the gates of hell and sets captives free from the chains of sin. I can think of nothing more important, or more potent than this.

Technorati Tags: Luke,Jesus,Ministry

Ministry responses can send mixed messages.

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

Luke 4:31-32

What makes this wild acceptance in Capernaum so amazing is the context in which the story is told. In just a few verse back (Luke 4:28-31) the synagogue in Jesus’ home town of Nazareth had tried unsuccessfully to publicly execute Him for His teaching there. He was rejected at home and accepted in Capernaum.

Jesus had announced His mission to the people who knew Him best on earth, His friends, family, and neighbors. He read Isaiah’s prophecy (see Luke 4:18-19) and announced that God had brought it to fruition right then and there with Himself. The crowd had doubtless heard Jesus before. He was thirty years old. He had faithfully attended Sabbath with these people since a child. It was probably not the first time He had been called upon to do the reading from the sacred scrolls. In fact, their first response was to remark on his gracious words (Luke 4:22). But Jesus went on to illustrate from the scriptures how the legitimate prophets had been rejected by the very people God had sent them to proclaim His message to, and He would be no different. That is when the atmosphere in the room went from cordial to out of control. I love how when they drove him to the edge of the hill at Nazareth intent on tossing him down and stoning Him, He simply, calmly passed through their midst and left them standing there in a rage.

Luke’s gospel has the authentication of Jesus' message take place after the Capernaum synagogue acknowledged His authority. It is at that point that demonic confrontation is met with rebuke and healing. And the people cannot get over His authority (Luke 4:32; Luke 4:36; Luke 4:42) so much so that they are the antithesis of Nazareth. Jesus’ hometown wanted Him to leave… permanently. These people wanted to keep Him from leaving altogether (Luke 4:42).

If Jesus received such a wild mix of receptions to His ministry, what should I expect today? Many reject Him, some as violently as His own home town did. Others can’t get enough and just want more and more of the gospel, of the teaching of the Word, of the work of the Holy Spirit, and of the joy of the Lord that attends all these things. Jesus revealed Himself to both groups of people, but stayed where the He was received as Lord and Christ. 

Technorati Tags: Luke,Ministry

a holy priesthood

You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

Leviticus 21:8

Aaron, his sons, and the generations of Levites that would serve the Lord in sacrificial service were uniquely called and set apart by God to God’s service. All of Leviticus 21 contains specific instruction for the life details of sanctification that were called upon by those in God’s service in this way. The list is long. The reason is stated in this one verse: “for I, the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy”.

I extrapolate a simple principle to think through this morning: God deserves to be served for Who He is. And because the defining characteristic of God is His holiness, and that is what He desires to achieve in us, it would follow that those who serve Him must concentrate on recognizing His holiness. They should be the first to be set apart to Him. They should be willing to be His completely. Holiness is not so much about haircuts or clothing styles as it is about the character of God coming through the person of the servant set apart to Him.

God sanctifies me (and really all Christians) to His service. He has set His seal upon us in the form of His Holy Spirit Who resides within us. He has equipped up with gifts and a calling to share the gospel with our lives. We are called a “peculiar” people, and in a sense we are all to live out the holy calling as Christ’s ambassadors. Could there be any more important task?

Technorati Tags: Leviticus,Holiness,Service,Ministry

Consecration

And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Leviticus 8:12

You choose to use me

a man who by nature is unholy

set apart now for Your glory

and certainly I am unworthy

 

But You choose to set apart

my life, my hands, my heart

so that I can do my part

to proclaim how great You are

 

Israel saw the oil drip down

from Aaron’s beard to the ground

and understood how profound

divine consecration turned a life around

 

No oil drips from my head

Your Spirit saturates my soul instead

and as I yield to what You have said

You seal and sanctify what You have led

 

Undeniably this is always a mystery

in a heavenly, daily, real life calling to be holy

set apart to live the gospel story

of redemption, salvation, and Your glory

 

Technorati Tags: Leviticus,Consecration,Holiness,Ministry

Not by might or power

  Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts”

Zechariah 4:6

I am a man.

I am impressed with strength.

I’d put me some serious muscle to a task

and we’ll get ‘er done!

Build a machine

or a system, juice it up

with all the horsepower we can add

and we’ll have some fun.

Might and power have a place…

just not always in God’s work.

I worship God,

Who chose the weak to confound the strong.

He chose the foolish to outfox the smart.

His Spirit is the real story..

And with His Spirit

at work in the world, a power comes

with quiet energy, displays of wonder, mysterious ways

bring God glory.

Technorati Tags: Zechariah,Holy Spirit,Ministry

Into His Arms

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

Mark 9:36-37

This warm teaching moment came after an embarrassing argument among the disciples. They had been fighting amongst themselves over who was the greatest among them (Mark 9:33-34). They had yet to learn humble service. While Jesus was transfigured, nine of the disciples had been in a power struggle with a young man possessed by a demon. (Mark 9:14-29) All they physical symptoms of epilepsy marked this young man except for the weird spiritual feature of having seizures at dangerous moments (thrown into fire or water according to his father’s report to Jesus). The demon was destroying this young man. The disciples were powerless to deal with this spiritual issue, even though they had been commissioned by Jesus to do His work, including dealing with demons, and had seen success in the past (Mark 6:13). They were not as strong as they thought they were.

Jesus settles there “greatness” argument with two lines of careful thought. First, he appeals to servanthood. They must be the servants of all, including each other. They had failed to cast out the demon earlier because they had failed to humbly pray. They had missed His message, which led to His second personal lesson for them. They must see no person as too small, ignoring no one. He took up a small child to illustrate this point, and I smile as I read it. Seeing Jesus hug a child to Him tells me the kind of man He was. Children respond to warm and loving people. And Jesus was this and more. He embraced people and loved them because God loves all people that He has made. The disciples were going to learn that lesson.

The other part of the object lesson had to do with the consequences of loving people. When we really do so, we are like Jesus and we receive Him, because His love is right there with that person that we have chosen to see and treat as loved by God. And to receive that person is to receive Jesus. To receive Jesus is to receive the Father. We grow closer to God by serving others. That is the point. When I take a person into my arms, I am taken into the arms of Jesus.

Technorati Tags: Mark,Ministry,Servanthood

Comfort takes a back seat.

And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:32-34

I live in a culture where comfort is king. Last year, while shopping for furniture for our family room, I was amazed at the wide variety of easy chairs that are available. It isn’t about a simple recliner any more. Now you can purchase them large enough to sleep in. No joke. And you can get a matched set built together as a sofa or loveseat. And in the ultimate coach potato experience, there are electric recliners (you push a button to recline or sit up, even raise yourself out of the chair) that are equipped with drink holders AND a mini-fridge. We Americans like to take our ease.

Now there is nothing wrong with taking a break. Jesus models that for us in this passage where He encourages His disciples to come with him on a boat to get away from the press of ministry. But the idea did not last. As soon as they got in the boat, the crowds figured out the plan and ran around the lake to greet them at their destination. They wanted a short vacation. They got a boat ride. This seemed unfair, like booking a Caribbean cruise and only getting to the airport.

I find Jesus’ response to this situation interesting. I know if someone had blown my vacation plans, I’d be upset. I’d be tempted to unload on them like a celebrity at a papparazzi photographer! But Jesus responded with compassion. He saw their spiritual need and immediately responded to it. Comfort was a secondary concern, and somehow, just getting the boat ride was going to be enough.

I find this instructive. I had a busy week last week between pastoral ministry and teaching at Calvary Seminary. And this coming week has a full ministry slate as well. For a two week period I will be working on my days off. And by the time the calendar shows me a break it will be three weeks until one full day off arrives. I will need a few boat rides with Jesus to get me through! And I know He will provide them.

Technorati Tags: Mark,Discipleship,Ministry

God’s Craftsmen

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.

Exodus 31:2-5

God chose Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:6) to be the main artisans in charge of building the tabernacle and its furnishings according to God’s blueprint given to Moses. They were gifted by Him specifically for this purpose. They were filled with God’s Spirit for the task. Beyond that, there where certain natural gifts that come into play: ability, knowledge, intelligence. artistic design, metallurgic skill, wood-carving, jewelry, and general craftsmanship. These were hard-working men with skills that God called and used.

How many times have we really considered that God needs these kinds of skills for His worship and work? We tend to focus on theological training, personal charisma, or business acumen. But God needs good-hearted people who will work hard. He needs people He can fill with His Spirit and use for His purposes. And that is really it.

God called Moses to lead the people. But Moses could not build the tabernacle. For that task He wanted Bezalel and Oholiab. They were the men that God could use. They were the men who would build the tabernacle where Israel would sacrifice to God. And the result would be a place where God’s presence would visibly rest in the camp. It took more than Moses and Aaron to bring the worship of God to the tabernacle. It took hard-working craftsmen and builders. God wants calloused hands to worship Him.

Technorati Tags: Exodus,Ministry,Service

Consecrated

You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.

Exodus 30:30

Serving God is a holy task,

Consuming fire around His throne.

No selfish concern could I ask

to beg off His service for my own.

When priests in the wilderness were called

holy oil on their heads and robes

showed Whom they served enthralled

in commitment pure of soul.

And consecrated now are those

who follow Christ into their days

with gospel orders pure and bold

anointed by the Spirit in all His ways

Technorati Tags: Exodus,ministry

Set apart to serve

For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.

Exodus 28:40-41

This entire chapter in Exodus goes into great detail about the attire for the high priest and the priests who would serve under him. There was a huge symbolism to what the high priest wore. Some of the symbols were meant to draw attention to God, others were to draw attention to the people of Israel. This dual symbolism visually defined the role of the priest as mediator between God and Man.

What I notice from these two verses has to do with what God expected. He expected Moses and the nation to set these mean apart through three things: anointing them, ordaining them, and consecrating them. Each has a slightly different meaning. The way they were anointed with oil symbolism God’s calling and power upon them. They received as a special call and designation from God that was being recognized in the ceremonial anointing with oil. They were ordained which really emphasizes the calling of God upon them. This let the nation know that God had a special, unique purpose for the priests and the work of the tabernacle. Not everyone was to do it, but only those specifically called by Him and ordained by the people. And finally they were to be consecrated. The hugely detailed levitical laws would ensure that the priests would be set apart with a different lifestyle. They were uniquely priests to God. They were consecrated to His work and worship alone.

And all these three means of setting apart the priests emphasized their task: to serve God. There would always be a place among the Israelites were God was being worshiped, served, and exalted as Holy as Israel humbled themselves before Him. Sin would be atoned. Grace would be extended. All of this came about because God called a select group, and the nation responded with recognition and provision for that call, so that those set apart to serve God could do so to the joy and delight of God and man.

Technorati Tags: Exodus,Aaronic Priesthood,Ministry

Generational Impact

And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

Exodus 13:14

God was leading a generation of slaves to become a new nation in a new land. And His plans involved much more than just the present generation. God wanted them to pass on a vibrant faith to another generation, and He used the mechanism of tradition and practice to instill in Israel the generational memory of the Exodus.

First God gives Israel the instruction on the Feast of Unleavened Bread to remember the swiftness of the Passover and deliverance. And Exodus 13:8 informs them to do this so that the next generation will know what God did for these former slaves. Then God instructs the people to offer to Him the firstborn of every livestock, and to redeem the firstborn child with a lamb, instituting a commitment to redemption, a remembrance of the more difficult aspects of the Passover, and teaching a strong commitment to having a life dedicated to the Lord.

God was interested in more than one generation. He always loves the world. I believe and know this. That is why the span of the Bible covers thousands of years of history. That is why it is still a living message for us today. The truth of God’s love for this present generation is shown in the availability of the gospel and Jesus’ mandate to His followers to proclaim the gospel in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) until the end of the age.

I am committed to this. My biggest passion in ministry right now is to develop the relationships and hand over ministry to the next generation of believers. I want to see the local church thrive. I want to see the teaching of God’s Word thrive. I want to see the gospel go forward. I want to see a new generation of 20-somethings and 30-somethings reach the world with the gospel. I want my kids to have a vibrant faith. I am convinced that this is the most vital, practical, and wisest use of my time and energy right now. I want to preach and minister the gospel in a way that involves myself in where the next generation is going with God’s leadership. I want them to know, appreciate and pass on the truth that God has always had a strong hand to deliver His people!

Technorati Tags: Exodus,generations,ministry

Natural Metaphors for Ministry

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matthew 10:16

By the use of these natural metaphors, Jesus gets the attention of His disciples as they go into the villages and towns of Israel to preach the message of the kingdom. They would be entering dangerous territory. They were sheep going out in the midst of wolves. This meant that they knew the real danger of persecution, rejection, and the difficulties associated with preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the people around them. They were counter-culture. And as they watched the Jewish leadership work against their Master, so would their work be opposed.

The reality was dangerous, but the second metaphor drives home the attitudes and strategies that were to mark the lives of Jesus' men. They were to be wise and cunning in how they proceded. In fact, all of chapter ten provides the framework for how to deal with rejection, what to preach, how to give it up for discipleship, and what would conquer fear. This would require an appropriate amount of discerning wisdom and intellectual prowess, personified by the metaphor of the cunning serpent that knew when to hide and when to strike.

But the moral requirements were high as well. They were to be as innocent as doves. A dove was the simplest animal offering allowed under the law. The dove was gentle, peaceable, a symbol of all that was innocent and non-threatening. And that was also the driving motive behind the work of the kingdom. They had the truth. It was liberating. It was pure and holy and right. And the pure innocence of the message ought to come forth in their lives as well.

The balance of wisdom and the pure ring of innocent truth should still mark the ministry of the gospel today. In many ways it is the challenge of our culture that respects the cunning of the serpent and eschews the innocence of the dove. And the wolves will tear into both! More than ever, Jesus' words have profound impact for the spread of the Christian message.

Technorati Tags: Jesus,ministry

Helpless & Harassed: Beyond Physical Poverty

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Matthew 9:36-38

Jesus had compassion on people. He saw their need. What sheds light on the condition of these people is found in the context of this statement. It was not a physical poverty alone that overwhelmed the heart of Christ. It was the spiritual poverty of these people. He had healed them and preached the kingdom to them, only to have the religious leaders among them sharply disagree and even work against Him. That is why the crowds were "harassed and helpless". Their spiritual leaders were the ones harassing them and trying to lead them away. They had no shepherd.

But Jesus used this observation to drive a call to ministry home to His disciples. He urged His men to earnestly pray to the Lord to send "laborers" out into the harvest of such hurting, ripe souls. These people were ready for good news. They were oppressed by legalism and false religion. And they had found the Messiah, the Savior Who could bring them a new life.

What follows IMMEDIATELY in chapter 10 is the commissioning of the twelve to do just that. Jesus is using the clear observation of the overwhelming spiritual need of His world to urge the disciples to action. And we need the same kind of mindset today. Not just for foreign missions, but for the entire world of humanity.

I see people who are harassed and helpless, even within the culture of the evangelical church. They come to me hungry, never having been fed a meal from the Word of God. They have existed on formulaic feel-good success-oriented motivational speeches. And they are anemic. They have been shown a church that is more consumeristic than a shopping mall, and struggle with really caring for others. They have been coddled, spoiled, and spoon-fed. And they are harassed and helpless sheep without a shepherd. And that is WITHIN the church! The spiritual poverty outside the church is beyond poverty now. And Christ is calling His followers to address it.

O Lord of the Harvest,
Send me. Here I am. I am ready to go into the harvest. I am ready to work among spiritually starving people. I need to have Your compassionate tears to fall on my soul and compel me as You were compelled in the cities and villages of Galilee so long ago.
Amen

Technorati Tags: Jesus,Poverty,Ministry

A good website for helping organize your life.

I need structure to get things done. Part of it has to do with the wide plethora of ministry responsibilities that fall into my oversight: Counseling, Discipleship Classes, Discipleship Mentoring relationships, Small Groups Ministry, as well as various pastoral responsibilities that change daily as people have need. I have found Matt Perman's site helpful for organization: www.whatsbestnext.com

This post was particularly helpful on Daily Routines.