Burn Us Up: The Scorch of Surrender

I spent a good bit of time reading in Daniel chapter three this past week. I encourage you to stop right now and go read the passage before you finish this blog.

You may recall that it tells the story of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego and how they surrendered their lives to be burned rather than bow down before a false god. Wow! What a powerful call in the life of the believer for surrender!

Determining where the line between worldliness and godliness lay can be one of the single most difficult tasks of the Christian today. So much gray has been painted into the portrait of our walk as a believer. I want you to know spiritual maturity removes the gray areas and leaves crisp, clear lines for the follower of Christ.

In this biblical account, we can see that going the way of the world is always the path of least resistance, but in the long run, it is never the path which brings God the greatest glory.

We also see that just when we have made up our mind to do the right thing, to stand by the Word of God and stand by our convictions, there will always be someone there to point out how different we are, always someone there to bring charge, or to bring accusation against the child of God. Why do we feel as though we owe this world an explanation? “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter” (3:16).

These men were making a powerful statement of faith! Believers today are so afraid they’re going to be asked to share the Gospel with a stranger or knock on a door; however, more times than not, you are making a statement with your life without speaking a word! What is the life you live saying about the God or gods you serve?

It is extremely important to see that these men recognized that their fate was not in the hands of an earthly king, Nebuchadnezzar; rather their fate rested in the hands of the King of Kings! I am reminded of the passage of scripture found in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to kill both soul and body in hell.”

The enemy will always respond to righteousness with envy, with malice, and anger! Remember “…He that departs from evil makes himself a prey” (Isaiah 59:15).

The biblical account of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego is an awesome display of God’s righteousness at work both in the life of the faithful as well as in the life of the enemy. While God’s righteousness was being displayed in Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, it was also being displayed in those men dead on the ramp of the furnace, and it was also being displayed in the heart and eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar!

 
These men were bound up and cast into the fire all for doing what is right in the eyes of God. Remember these men the next time you face hardship, trial. The next time you’re facing the fire of tribulation, ask yourself the following questions: Are others seeing Christ through my tribulation? Is my attitude, my conduct, my behavior, my talk, my actions, my convictions displaying true faith and trust in God?

For Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, they had but one message… “Burn us up! Burn us up, King Nebuchadnezzar, but we will never worship a false god!”

Burned Up For Jesus

It has been years since I have heard anyone refer to another as “on fire.” Has our culture and church life, the understanding of spiritual things, changed so much that we are even ashamed to get excited about Jesus? I’m not talking about being charismatic or Pentecostal; in fact, I’m not speaking of behaviors that relate to external beliefs; rather, I’m speaking about the passion that rises up from deep within the soul of the believer. The one who has put his or her faith and trust in Jesus Christ and as a result of that relationship longs, or as I wrote last week, craves the Christ-life.

Fire is an amazing thing. Having served several years in the fire service and still being associated with it through a chaplaincy, I have had opportunities to see fire at work. Fire gives off heat; fire gives off light; fire causes expansion; fire burns. I truly get excited when I think about the character and nature of fire and how much the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has in common with it.

Ministries have even been built around the matter of “burn out.” There is an enormous difference between being burned out on Jesus and being burned up in Jesus. Simply put, burn out is when we rely on our own strength (which is limited). Being burned up is relying on the strength that is in Jesus Christ and never coming to a place of burnt out.

After this summer, I can now say that I think I know what it means to be right on the brink of burning out. It took some deep soul searching, prayer, and time alone with God to realize the areas of my life that were under my own power rather than the power of Jesus.

The Prophet Jeremiah found himself in a similar place, on the brink of burning out or burning up! Jeremiah 20 records his complaint vividly. I simply want to point out one nugget of truth we find in this passage that is key to our survival when in the midst of the fire. In verse 9, we read the well-known verse in which Jeremiah proclaims “But if I say I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.”

Here is a great truth for the moment; surviving burn out has little to do with the circumstances on the outside and much to do with the situation on the inside! Are we doing what we do because of Christ who lives in me or because I am trying to condition my life for results? Even though Jeremiah was frustrated, discouraged, confused, angry, and absolutely wanted to quit, he was compelled from the inside to persevere. Rather than burn out, he burned up for Jesus! In verse 11, Jeremiah proclaims with an emboldened heart, “But the Lord is with me like a dread champion…”

I pray that you will join me in striving to condition our hearts rather than condition the circumstances of our lives. I pray that we would live under the power of Jesus Christ rather than our own strength. I have embarked on a journey to do just this. I pray you would join me so that together we would never burn out but rather burn up for Jesus!

Cravings for Christ

Over the last year, setting a course to lose a sizable amount of weight has not always been fun or easy. However, it has been one of the most fruitful endeavors I have ever embarked on in my life. The fruit not only manifest itself in the obvious physical health but in the inward spiritual health as well. Prior to this journey I loved to indulge in Blue Bell ice-cream. In fact, I loved it and found myself craving it! I discovered, ashamedly, it was beyond my control. At times, the desire for Homemade Country Vanilla would well up from within and I had to have it. Soon into my healthier habits of eating, those cravings were gone and they were replaced with a new craving-a craving for health.


I wonder how many of us crave The Christ Life? At any given moment an overwhelming need wells up from deep within, an overwhelming passion, and it’s not for Blue Bell but rather it is to glorify God! It’s so powerful, much like the physical body under the influence of food, the spiritual man becomes influenced by the indwelling Jesus, who is working His way to the surface of our lives. To the onlooker this presents itself as a person with an intense craving for the things of God. It is such a craving for Christ that we disregard the physical, we ignore the counsel of men, and we throw caution to the wind. What if...you and I craved Christ like Blue Bell?


Pastor Barry

P.S. 80 pounds lost to date. Learn to change your cravings!

Depravity of Man & Freedom in Christ

The recent shooting in Colorado reminds us of the brevity of life; also, it is a tragic display of the depravity of the human soul. Humans are so peculiar in that, when tragedy strikes, we look for the cause yet never do we find ourselves returning to the root of the problem— our own sinful and depraved nature. It amazes me that in our efforts to be blameless before men, we are even willing to blame the tragic occurrences of life on inanimate objects, such as a gun, a car, etc.

Shifting blame and pointing fingers has been around since man first sinned in the garden. Remember Adam? He blamed Eve for his inability to be obedient to God (Gen. 3:12). What cannot be missed is the truth that Adam, regardless of Eve’s actions, had to answer to God for his own. The same is true for you and I. We may be able to avoid condemnation while we walk this earth, but one day we will be held accountable before God. Matthew 12:36 reminds us that “…every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”

As Believers, we should endeavor to live our lives with authenticity first before God. Only by giving Him the preeminence of our lives can we keep our relationships, to Christ, to man, and to sin in perspective. Only in authentic living do we find the humility to recognize, confess, and grow beyond pride and sin.

We cannot recognize the freedom and strength that is ours in Christ until we have realized the weakness of our own flesh. The Apostle Paul shared a tremendous truth with the church at Galatia that still serves us well today “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8).

What sin is there in our lives that we need to be honest about today?

The Bitter Sweet of Hope

 Last month I was blessed to have taken just short of a full month off. What a tremendous time! It wasn't to take a vacation, but rather to spend time with the Lord and simply refresh spiritually.During the course of my time off, I had opportunity to truly discover that my soul had become discontented in many areas of my life and ministry. What is frightening is how subtle it can happen to any of us regardless of the time and energy we are putting into ministry or the Word. What I found at the end of the day were two truths that, once realized, gave me the power to mature in Christ. First, any discontentment in our lives always leads back to a failure to trust God in a particular situation. Secondly, our blindness to the subtleness of discontentment may stem from our own unwillingness to deal with tender areas in our life.

While in Georgia on my sabbatical, I went out on the property to pick wild blackberries. I don’t often do this, but I want to share a note with you that I wrote in my journal that evening. I believe it will help you visualize the truths above.

Wednesday 6/20/2012: “Blackberries are a cruel beast, so beautiful, tasty and sweet yet so painful to pick from the bush. Dealing with our inner feelings, our insufficiencies and our attitudes, dealing with our sins can be much like that. At the end of the day, you have a bucket full of delicious berries, but it takes wading through the briars to get there. This week has been slow – I’m afraid it’s my own reluctance to deal with the briars.”

I am reminded of the Psalmist who sang “How sweet are your words to my mouth! From your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” Guard yourself against discontentment; learn to continually trust God! “God our Savior and….Christ Jesus our hope”

Pastor Barry

Walking Like Christ

As many of you know, I love to hunt. One of the most important aspects of hunting is scouting and being able to read the signs left by whatever game your hunting.

For example, a footprint is extremely important. It tells you what kind of animal it is; concerning a deer, it tells you whether it’s a male or female. A footprint can tell you which direction an animal is traveling; it can tell you their normal route. A footprint is an indication of the animal’s size and maturity.

What about our footprints? What do the footprints of our lives say to those who come behind us?

The psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 85:13 “Righteousness will go before Him and make His footsteps into a way.” He is speaking of the Lord. The Lord, in His righteousness, has created a pathway for His children to follow.

Psalms 119:33 says, “Establish my footsteps in your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” Here the psalmist is asking God to guard him against sin and to set the course of his life—his walk— in the Word of God.

I posed the question in last week’s post, “How do we walk like Christ and yet leave the footprints of men?”

The following is my point: How can we be these great spiritual Christians and yet the footprints— the signs left behind as we live our lives— look more like those of men and women of the world.

Again quoting the psalmist, Psalms17:5 says, “My steps have held fast to your paths, my feet have not slipped.” This ought to be the battle cry of our lives every single day! We must guard our walk!

Every believer should consider the parameters of his or her walk. The Word of God defines the parameter of our lives and walk as being distinguished by light and darkness. In Ephesians 5:6-14, the Apostle Paul reveals for us the fruit of walking in the light as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Consistently walking in the light requires real attentiveness to the things of God.

When considering the footprints we leave as God’s children, it is not just the parameters of our walk but it’s the purity of our walk that also matters. I John 1:7 tells us, “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking in purity insists that we walk like Christ walked. Not only this, but also identified in this passage is the need to be honest with ourselves about where we are walking. Essential to our Christian purity are two things. The first is the blood of Jesus; this is the real cleansing agent. The second is our confession— our recognition of our sinfulness and the purity that is ours in Christ alone.

When believers leave the footprints of Christ, when we guard the parameters of our lives and the purity of our walk, we can know the peace of walking with Jesus that so many “Christians” are desperate for.

When’s the last time you looked at the footprints you’re leaving behind?

Pastor Barry

The Footprints of Men

It’s that time of year when we begin to sum up the worth of the previous eleven months and sift them like wheat for anything of value. We ask the following question: what has been the fruit of my labors this past year? While I am quite confident that God has used me in the life of others this year and there is measurable fruit to be seen, I must be honest and tell you that I am struggling with some issues that will impact the future.

Of late it seems my mind is constantly full of thoughts concerning our church family and serious subject matter such as biblical parenting, godly prioritization of our lives, proportional giving, and developing leaders for the next generation; however, what I find to be almost consuming me is the subject of church and how we do it in America.

I am much afraid the church is doing nothing more than keeping people busy with “religious” stuff activities designed to build numbers and generate cash flow. I am concerned that we are forfeiting some of the most important things of our faith to make room on the calendar for programs and events.

My prayer as we head into 2012 is that God will grant me wisdom as to how we can become a people who live for Jesus as a result of what’s welling up on the inside rather than what we have been corralled into from the outside. I pray that we would find a way to deprogram our lives from traditional thinking and become relational ministers in every aspect of our lives, reshaping our thinking in regards to Bible study, worship and missions. I study the Bible because it is where I learn of God, not because I need to be ready for class. I worship because Jesus is living in me and I need to express to God my gratitude. I don’t go on a mission trip; I am continually on mission for Jesus Christ.

I have a great desire to see the physical church look less like the church of America and more like the synagogue we read about in the word. Rather than a place we gather for an hour or two and act spiritual, it becomes a hub for educating, equipping, engaging believers, and ultimately exalting God.

In addition to training ourselves to think differently, a greater struggle will be to mesh what we have begun in the pre-school and academy with this thinking. How do we meet the need for great academics and child care while not ushering people into the same busy lifestyle and mindset of the world?

My question is simply: how do we walk more like Christ and not have the footprint of men?

I pray you have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

In His Service,
Pastor Barry