A True Harvester

Mat 9:37  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
Mat 9:38  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

We have known Paul and Virginia Nurmi for 24 years. They are wonderful people and tremendous friends. But more than that, they are true harvesters for the Lord.

Paul labors tirelessly as a Director for Youth for Christ International. It is not unusual, as it is this week, for him to have been in San Diego for a several days, then fly to Raleigh Durham, then fly to France, all in the name of Christ helping others set up youth ministries and encouraging workers.

Virginia is currently involved in a group called ELI – Equipping Leaders Internationally.  This ministry’s focus is on AIDS prevention in countries like Haiti. She is also involved in governmental policies regarding abstinence and of all things, in years past, Creation v Evolution in the schools. She too travels extensively.

I stand in amazement and truly honor their work and marvel at how they give of themselves week after week after week.  God must be very pleased with these dedicated servants.

We have supported their work financially for years. It matters not what our circumstances are, we always support them along with others. There even came a time when I sold my favorite – and I do mean favorite sports car, so that we could continue to support them instead of making the car payment.  That says nothing about me, but everything about how valuable we believe their work is.

We are headed out this morning to meet with Paul in Raleigh for a brief visit. It is something we have looked forward to for over a month. We are genuinely excited.

Supporting “private” workers for the Lord is important. Yes I know that our churches often support missions and missionaries. However, finding a work you believe in and supporting it and the people who labor as a part of it, is valuable and humbling. It is amazing what some people do and the sacrifices they make to carry the love of Christ to those who do not know him.  They are indeed true harvesters.

Cannibalism and Blood Rituals

John chapter 6 must certainly be the most incredible chapter in all of the New Testament. When Jesus starts speaking of eating his flesh and drinking his blood (v.54) he undoubtedly set the hearers back on their heels. How could anyone say such things and be sane? It was a certain case of pushing the edge of the envelope both for what Jesus said and what he meant.

Segments such as this make me wonder why we send new believers to the Gospel of John to get their feet wet in reading scripture. What we read here is nothing short of amazing. In fact, it causes many who were “disciples” of Christ to turn away. They just could not fathom his words or come to terms with their meaning (v.66).

What is equally amazing about these verses is they clearly outline what is involved in coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pare away the talk of eating flesh and drinking blood and it becomes evident that saving faith in Christ involves at least three things.

1) A specific invitation of the Father. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (v.44a).

2) A hearing and understanding of scripture (v. 45). In the context it was the writings of the Old Testament, but today it also involves the good news proclaimed in the New Testament. As Paul said, How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching (a.k.a. telling them)?   (Romans 10:14)

3) A commitment or conscious decision to trust in Jesus Christ. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed AND come to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69).

There is no question that Jesus was not speaking of cannibalism and blood rituals when he was referring to “feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood.”  There is more to it than that. In the same manner, hearing,  even knowing certain scripture or walking down an isle or praying a specific prayer does not make one a Christian. There, by necessity, is more.

Ready for the Impossible

JOHN 5:1-17
When was the last time you employed a phrase like, “That’s amazing!”, or “That is incredible!”, or “That is impossible!?” Often when I verbalize such astonishment, when I think about the incident, it really was not that terrific. It simply seemed so at the time. That may say something about how easily impressed I am in the moment.

In the Gospel of John, there is an incident when Jesus encounters a man that has been infirm for 38 years. Not just a few months, or a couple of years, but 38 years this man has laid prone waiting for someone to help him. Waiting to make his way into the supposed healing waters of the pool at Bethesda. Then, out of nowhere, comes a man who asks a question that seems incredulous to the invalid – “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man does not say, “Yes”, or “What the heck do you think?” or “Absolutely, why do you think I am here!” He offers a reason for his continued state. He is helpless and no one will help him.

Whether the man’s response rang with tone of sarcasm or was sincere, Jesus said to the man, “Get up, take your bed, and walk.” (v.8) And at once the man was healed and he took up his bed and walked. (v.9) Now that is impossible. Even asking the question of the man seemed impossible. For 38 years he had been prone, unable to walk. Now within a matter of seconds, he is up and walking.

The scripture does not tell us that the invalid had a saving faith encounter with the Christ that day. We cannot even infer that from verse 14. He was simply and miraculously healed. Taken from a state of helplessness to one of simply ability – the ability to do something he had not been able or willing to do for 38 years.

There is more to the story of course. Nevertheless, the intent of Jesus’ initial encounter may simply be a story that says, when we are most helpless and dependent on someone or something other than ourselves, is when God can step in and do the impossible if we will let Him.

I think about by own life and how I seem to be incapacitated by my own circumstances. Hamstrung and helpless by situations that seem impossible. Often times it is my own fear that brings the debilitation, other times it is purely a lack of faith. I find myself waiting for help from others or different circumstances, when in reality what I need is God’s amazing power of possibility.

Father, I am indeed helpless. May that helplessness bring me to a greater dependence on You.

Preach it Brother!

What is the mark of good preaching? How does one determine whether God’s word is being dealt with honestly and openly in a manner worthy of Christ?

In one of the churches we visited in our exploration for a new church home, the pastor was quite distinct. He was truly what one might call an expository preacher. In another church, the pastor actually stated in his sermon that morning, that he was an expository preacher.  Others were a mix of exposition and topical. A few were good teachers others were not.

For me, God’s word is preached when it pricks my heart. When the pastor, as an instrument of God, exposes God’s word in such a way that it hits me between the eyes and say’s, “He is talking to you MacD!” When that happened at our new church home, I knew I was where I belonged.

Is my Pastor a great Bible teacher, not yet? Is he a student of the Word, absolutely? Is his preaching “deep”, as some would describe it, not really? Is it accurate – absolutely? Can his effectiveness be measured by the number of “Amens” on a Sunday morning? No. But none of that matters. What matters is that God is using him to speak to me about what it means to be a follower of Christ. That is what matters. That is a GOOD thing!

Evangelism

I am not sure whether it is my increase in age or ignorance, but I find the word evangelism somewhat challenging.  There was a time in my life when I did “evangelism” as a Youth Minister, Music Minister, and Senior Minister. Those memories are hard to look back on and find value. Not because people did not come to Christ, they did, rather I am never quite certain what happened with them after they came to Christ. Which to me is vitally important.

In this past week’s Sunday School lesson, the focus was on evangelism. The biblical story that was used was the story in John of the woman at the well. It is probably the quintessential story about relational evangelism.  Often when the term evangelism is used it centers around a rather enthusiastic, but benign sharing of the gospel in order to make certain that people know where they are going when they die. In the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the emphasis was on how she was gong to live now that she has encountered the Messiah.

Outside my study window, I was watching some black birds. A couple of them landed on the grass and begin eating. Before long, another landed, then another, then another. It became apparent that the others were coming because the original ones had found food. Or, one of the original ones was telling the others, “Hey there is food here, come and eat!” In my mind that is what evangelism is all about. People who have found the food of life sharing that discovery with others. “Hey, I have found food.” After all, who cannot identify with food?

For Jesus and the woman at the well, the initial focus was on water and thirst. That initiated the conversation that eventually lead to her belief and going to tell her friends and others, “Come and see a man who told me all that I ever did.” (John 4:29) And they came.

Relating to people where they “live” is what makes “good news” good news. Being equipped to relate is what maturing in Christ is all about. Knowing who feeds our soul and quenches our thirst for life, is what we share.