LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE – Page 10 – Revival in Christ's Church

Time-Tested Principles

How God Makes Men

Patrick Morley

When that moment of crisis arrives and men must make a decision that directs the course of the rest of their lives, will they make that decision on raw emotion or on deep-rooted principles? Men of God are shaped by Him in a variety of ways. Some, or all, of the principles that God uses may apply to you as Patrick Morley writes in How God Makes Men.

As you read the familiar biblical stories of the way in which God has shaped men through history you are sure to see yourself in at least one or two scenarios. Take Job, for example. Casual Bible readers will recognize the story of suffering but might fail to glean the purpose in that suffering. Morley takes men deeper into God’s purpose in Job to show that while it might appear that he suffered for no good reason, there existed a higher purpose to it. Might there be similar purpose in your life.

All of the men that Morley highlights are familiar and their stories well known. He isn’t providing biographical sketches, rather, he is directing our attention to the ways in which God worked in their lives. In doing so, he opens your eyes to the possibility that God might be working in much the same way in yours.

I’m grateful to Multnomah Books who provided this copy for review.

The Hidden Image of God

Taking advantage of a glorious winter day, with no wind and the snow having recently melted away, I returned to the hibernating yard to perform a bit of touch up. Leaves missed in the autumn raking gathered along the edges of the grass in intermittent piles, blending with the straw-colored lawn. As the rake clawed the leaves away, a beautiful sight was revealed; the grass protected by leaves from the cold and wind and the low winter sun was as green as deepest summer.

In each person lies the beauty of the image of God, the imago dei. Under perfect conditions it would be on display for all to see. Many people, however, hide it beneath protective layers, or worse, the muck and mire of the world. Receiving the gospel gift sets in motion the first stirring of the outer layers as the image within begins to be revealed. First one layer and then another, as the old is shaken off (Col 3:9). The gospel work continues to remove the covering, conforming the person to the likeness of their Archetype.

Unexpected Gifts

As the Christmas story is retold to ears already familiar with the plot the words can pass without note. The baby, born to a young Mary, is lovingly cradled while Joseph somberly watches, considering the reality of the angel’s promise before him. Silent night, candlelight, the journey home in the cool of the night.

In the midst of the familiar lie unexpected gifts. Joys that we unwrap with special care, not immediately sensing a purpose or application of the gift, but knowing that somehow, someway life changes in the receipt of this present. So it is with the Savior born as an infant.

Faith is required to envision this helpless, vulnerable babe as the Savior of the world. Instead of arriving on angelic wings, a chariot pulled by flaming stallions trailed by legions of armor-clad angels, the hope of all humankind, the Prince of Peace arrives as a baby asleep in an animal trough to be chased by kings, to grow and help His parents to understand who He is; to lead all of God’s people back to their Father.

This growing faith is a gift. We must come to know and learn how to trust in God’s ways since they are often foreign to us. Through Jesus we come to see the Father’s attributes in a way that we can identify with in our feeble human state. Our faith grows and we grow with it. Unexpectedly.

Defining Real Winners

The Real Win by Colt McCoy and Matt Carter

McCoy and Carter save the most important idea for the very last chapter of their book “The Real Win”. In a chapter entitled ‘What You Leave Behind’ the two men’s men finally answer the why question that men will want addressed when called to live as fully devoted followers of Christ. Men will sacrifice and die on a hill far away from home when they have something to believe in and value, but today’s church often fails to give them that reason. When the reader finally turns to the last few pages of the text he reads about the importance of thinking about the end, about the legacy that a man will leave with those he has led and influenced.

“The Real Win” is a call to Christian men to rethink their manhood in light of the word of God. The priorities of God for men of faith differ significantly from the messages that are received from the culture. Winning, for example, is often defined in the world in terms of money, power, authority and accumulation. The Bible, on the other hand, speaks of success in terms of obedience, servanthood and trusting in the providence of an unseen God. Men who follow the biblical proscription will stand out in the world, different as they are.

The authors have balanced the book well, giving the reader an insight into both their successes and failures as men. Rather than showing themselves as supermen who have lived perfectly in the face of the world’s challenges, both Quarterback and Pastor reflect upon the less glorious moments of their lives and what they learned from those experiences. Every page will not resonate with every man and there are some questionable standards espoused. Pastor Carter, as an example, says that he will not hire anyone into a ministry position unless they have wept openly upon reading the Scriptures. This position doesn’t take into account any God-given differences in personality, expression or reception and makes the reader suspect that might be similar legalism buried in the rest of his writing.

The book is a valuable contribution to the efforts to men to live their faith. Reading and talking about their faith is one thing, putting hands and feet and commitment to their stated beliefs is the greater challenge. We pray that men will heed the call.

I’m grateful to Multnomah Books who provided this copy for review.

Plastic Donuts

Getting to Harvest

Air conditioning, SUVs and tract homes insulate people from the cycles of the seasons in the city and suburbs. There is a vague awareness of sport changeovers and the need to drive differently, but no longer is the course of life determined by the movement of life from one cycle to another. The All-Wheel-Drive system makes travel possible in both the oppressive heat of the summer and all but the most dangerous of blizzards. People become little masters of their little universes.

Life in a rural context is much more tightly bound to the turn of the seasons. If it is an agricultural area, the change of seasons signals a shift in ones labors. In other areas, the change may bring isolation due to an inability to travel safely or a lack of work altogether. The cyclical nature of life is not so easily avoided, even in the seat of a well-equipped pickup truck.

Ministering to people requires an understanding of these cycles and all that they bring. Some cycles will be downtime, a maintenance cycle in which church attendance will be regular and discipleship more readily engaged. Spring brings a flurry of activity and a measure of apprehension. Will conditions be favorable? Am I too early or too late? Once the final degree of this cycle has been counted, all hearts turn toward the harvest.

The success or the failure of one’s labors is measured in the final turn of the year. Excitement and apprehension once again make themselves the chief emotions. Many will be out of touch for weeks at a time as the fields are cleared and product shipped to market. One by one, people will sense a cycle of rest coming upon them. Life will slow and as the implements are stored, a fleeting thought will be given to next year.

If we can just make it to harvest…maybe next season will be better…

To minister to your rural parish is to operate within these mindsets. Hopeful but cautious and generally unwilling to look beyond the cycle’s objective, your congregants may not apprehend a long-range vision. In their minds they must make it to the ‘harvest’ before launching into the next season. The potential for conflict exists if the leader fails to consider this perspective in presenting and planning ministry that spans more than one cycle of life.

Back to the Beginning

Insourcing by Randy Pope

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all men.” John 1:4

Discipleship in recent Christian practice has taken an intellectual bent, focused as it is largely on communicating head-knowledge. This is valuable but rarely results in transformation when not paired with an equal measure of heart-knowledge. When the two disciplines are aligned the exercise becomes the pouring of one life into another. In a secular context, the apprenticeship enables an experienced craftsman to share the process and philosophy of one’s craft with another, coaching and guiding the apprentice to attain to the same level of arts. Jesus modeled the same thing throughout His ministry, pouring His life into a group of men who would one day lead His Church.

Pastor Randy Pope has given us a volume of encouragement entitled INsourcing. Less a manual than it is a memoir, INsourcing details the philosophy underlying the practice of Perimeter Church called Life On Life Missional Discipleship. Pope and his leadership team designed and implemented a way of living the Christian life together that engages both the head and heart to produce disciples prepared to engage the Mission of Christ’s Church.

Pastor Pope doesn’t advocate for his program as though it is the only model to be emulated. Rather, he encourages the reader to examine their own context and to develop a methodical process which fits them best. Emphasizing the tortoise-like pace of true discipleship, Pope’s most valuable contribution is the permission it gives the leader reading the book to take the long view in gaining a vision for what could be.

Readers looking for a plan or a new model should look elsewhere. Leaders seeking an apprenticeship will find INsourcing valuable as God places a vision for their particular context before them. While the vignettes of the small groups are a bit idealized, they provide a powerful parallel to the abstract ideas presented through the surrounding chapters. Closing the book you will be convinced that LOLMD will produce something that no program can do, real disciples of Jesus Christ.

I’m grateful to Zondervan who provided this copy for review.

Far from the City

Far from the bustle and concrete byways of the city lies a place of mystery to many people. Though geographically this place dwarfs the footprint of the cities, suburbs and exurbs, its inhabitants are but a fraction of their population. This place is known by many names, some derogatory and insulting, some more indicative of the labors that take place there…

The countryside, hinterlands, sticks, farm country,yokeldom and hickdom, the tall corn…

Those who live in this area by choice or calling are similarly caricatured. They are simple, unsophisticated, a bit rough around the edges and lacking the panache and polish of the urban and suburban brothers and sisters. Their tastes tend toward gingham, heavily laden plates, trucks and events involving livestock.

Of course, none of these are true and all of them are true.

People are people regardless of their proximity to the urban core. They live, love, sin and repent. They are theologically complex and in some cases, artless. Some have a desire to know the Shalom, the peace of a life lived in God, The Peace and others choose their own path to peace.

It is in this rural context to which I’ve been called to minister. The challenges are unique and complex despite the stereotypes and little in my formal training prepared me to engage this culture. Yet minister I do because these are God’s people and I love them. To be their shepherd is a privilege that I do not take lightly. They have taught me much and from their ovine counterparts that I pass each day I am enlightened.

Much is made of those with sufficient fortitude attempt a ministry in the inner city as though this is the ultimate ministry field, filled with dangers and challenges unmatched in any other ministry field. We rightly admire those whom God has called into these stations but we should also avoid denigrating those who God has placed in the suburbs as well. The tract home holds its share of unique problems as well.

God calls some of us into the countryside to minister. We worship with top-notch musicians and deeply spiritual people whose prayers move your soul. We preach with all the fervor and sophistication of our urban cohort. We marry and we bury and we equip His people to minister on their own. We are not here because we were unable to make it elsewhere or because we are running away from something, we are here because we are obedient to God’s calling upon our lives.

We are here because we love God’s people and His people are here.

Tie the Knot Tighter

Bound Together by Chris Brauns

“Our culture idolizes the free-floating, unhindered, and isolated hero cut off from any formal responsibilities. But the Lone Ranger is a lie. Isolated heroes like Jack Reacher do not exist.” Though we may make noises that insist that the culture at large does not affect the Church, this too is a falsehood. This meme of individuality and a disconnection from one another has permeated the pews, and because it has, Christians suffer a great loss. Recovering the idea that we are inextricably bound together for good and bad is the purpose of Pastor Brauns’ excellent book, Bound Together.

Rooting the foundation in the oft-misunderstood recesses of the doctrine of Original Sin, Brauns establishes the nature of our binding, what he names the Principle of the Rope. Though we were not individually responsible for Adam’s failure, we were corporately tainted by his actions, resulting in the same nature and guilt. The positive antidote to the Fall is found in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice benefiting the World, not just you or me.

The book is theologically challenging without descending into seminary speak. The reader will linger in some chapters, especially early on, as the foreign idea of being tied to one another comes set. Building on this baseline, Pastor Brauns’ then applies this corporate notion to our individual lives in a series of chapters that help the reader understand the implications the binding brings to day to day life. Whether it is read all the way through or approached one topic at a time, Bound Together is book [and concept] badly needed in Christ’s people today.

I’m grateful to Zondervan who provided this copy for review.

The god of You

gods at war

by Kyle Idleman

Turning the final pages of ‘gods at war’ prompts the question in your mind, why do I come last? As in, why has Idleman waited until the final few pages to expose the root cause of my ongoing skirmishes with all of the other gods of this world? The answer that he provides brings all of the other enemies into perspective; the god of self is the field officer directing the rest of the pantheon. We are our own worst enemy.

Pastor Idleman turns over no new soil in this book. A quick scan of the table of contents will reveal the walls that you have scaled over and over in your life. Some you have overcome and others, well they continue to sneak up on you when you least expect it. The cohesiveness of these gods is stunning. They are bound together like few other things in this world, and making them more difficult to address is the glue that binds; they all start out as something good that we in our self-centeredness turn bad. It is here that Idleman shines. He absolutely refuses to allow us to point at anything other than our love for self as the reason for this good-bad confusion.

Though it doesn’t stand with ‘Not a Fan’, ‘gods at war’ is a good read and would serve well in a study group. Men will be especially receptive to Idleman’s style and approach as he often portrays himself as having to battle the same false dieties.