Nameless Servants

Have you ever considered the thought that most of the people who are presently serving Christ are unknown to us? In the same way, many hundreds of thousands (most likely millions) over the ages have served the Lord faithfully without any special recognition. These are those who have served in obscurity and their claim to fame is just not being known.

Usually, it is very easy for people to remember the names of the popular Christians who are well known in media and among the popular church circles. People often gravitate to one of their "camps" and begin to identify with their teachings in some manner or other. Most of the time the teachings of these popular Christians are well intentioned, but if their followers carry out their passion of following too far, it can tend to cause divisions in the body of Christ, and that never has a good result for any of us.

We know that the popular, well known Christians do good works in their own ways, but in this talk, I want to focus on a group of believers that are just as important.....if not maybe a little more so... in some ways.

The point of my subject is to remind us of those many believers who, down through the ages, have faithfully served God without any recognition. Their names and faces are unknown to us, and they have left no permanent remembrance of themselves that we can see. Being known only as people who lived and died in a time prior to us being on this earth, we can't visualize their faces. We know no title that we can attach to their names or even where their graves are today. They are the heroes whose lives and ministries overshadow the ones that capture our popular attention today.

Let's spend a few minutes thinking about some of these people.....

• ·         What were the names of the first guys that carried the ark of the covenant on their shoulders? We know that they were Levites, but what else do we know about them? Were they married? Did they have kids? Does anyone know what made them sad or happy? And yet, they served the Lord faithfully by bearing the ark on their shoulders. It did not matter if the weather was good or bad, if they were sick or had a headache, or even if they were tired or not. They were faithful at performing what God had appointed them to do whether anyone knew them or not.
• ·         What about the ones who cured the skins for the Tabernacle when it was being built? How did they learn to trap? What was each one's favorite color? What were their names? Were they old or young? Men or women? We can't answer these questions about their lives, but we do know that they spent their time serving the Almighty God carrying out the awesome tasks that He had given them. Popularity and fame did not accompany them.

Now, let us go on forward a few years.......

• ·         Can you name any of the people who cut down the trees in order to get the lumber used to build the first Temple? Is there any record of their ages or accomplishments during their lifetimes?
• ·         What about those ladies who provided the meals for the workers that were building the Temple? Were they married or single? What was their favorite dish? Was their hair black or brown? Did their eyes light up when they thought about the Temple being built and how that they were helping? Their faithfulness helped to bring about the first permanent place to worship God, but we are at a loss to name them.

Let's try a subject that is a little more up to date.....

• ·         What was the name of the person that led Billy Graham to Christ?

    Some of you may know that. It was an evangelist named Mordecai Ham, but

    having that answer leads us on to another question.

    Who was it that led Mordecai Ham to Christ? I really don't know the answer to

    that one, but even if I did, that generates another question to consider: who

    was it that led  the one to Christ, that led the one to Christ, who then lead 

    Mordecai Ham to Christ, who  eventually led Billy Graham to Christ? Do you 

    get the picture?

Please, I'm not trying to be silly, but I am trying to drive home the point of this talk.

There are many, many, many people, whose names we do not know, who have served Christ faithfully down through the ages.

Even today, many live for Christ in the same way.

They have not written books, produced television shows, blogged on the internet, or spoken at huge conferences, but the Lord still uses them magnificently in the kingdom of God. Many have powerful ministries in prayer and seeking God, but still few people know them. Some have seen God performing great miracles and bringing about powerful revivals, and others have experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power and blessing. They may be godly mothers or fathers, friends to those who are in need, or powerful preachers in obscure, out-of-the-way places. The point is, they all know how to follow God with sincerity and faithfulness as much as any who are in the limelight. Some of these people meet at gathering places that are no more than basements, barns, or chicken houses. Some of them meet in fear and secrecy. However, those meetings are full of believers that carry out the work of the kingdom of God in order to spread the gospel to those around. ...........Nameless wonders.

In the past, we have read about Christians who died in prisons after persecution. Some died in the undeveloped areas of early Europe or America, after having lived a life of faithfulness to Christ and sharing Him with those whom they came into contact. I don't have their names, nor do I know anyone else who does except God, and He never forgets.

Others died after having lived a normal life, pointing their children to Christ, and faithfully allowing Christ to live through them in their daily walk. They did the wonderful work of helping to build the kingdom of God, then they passed on and were forgotten by the world.

Today, we easily recognize names like Louie Giglio, John MacArthur, and Chuck Swindoll (I do believe that these are good men with very worthy ministries), but do you know the names of the thousands who pray and give that their ministries may continue? They are all part of that special "Nameless Servants Brigade".

It is very common that we people, on the general scale of things, tend to pay more attention to the most obvious famous ones among us while forgetting those who may be the "hidden treasures" that the Lord has placed around us. The Lord, however, appears to take a different approach. He actually dedicates a special portion of the Scripture specifically to those who were not named.

Hebrews 11:35-39 NLT

35  .........But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.

36  Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.

37  Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, [some were tested,] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.

38  They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39  All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith ..........

These people who are named… but not named….. are very important to the Lord, and their anonymity may be one of the most precious gifts that they have.

I believe the Scripture gives some indication to us how important these nameless people are to carrying out the Lord's plan on the Earth.

Consider these Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 NLT

12  The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14  Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15  If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16  And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body?

17  If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18  But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it.

19  How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21  The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

22  In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23  And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24  while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25  This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26  If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27  All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.

Look back at verse 22. Three most important phrases are there.

weakest

least important

the most necessary

Now get the point of what is being taught here. Those who appear to be the weakest and least important to the body of Christ are the most necessary ones to be in place.

Where are you serving the Lord?

Is it in a hidden, unglamorous, obscure place?

You may be doing a service for the Lord of which very few are aware, but keep up the good work! I believe that the Lord needs many more of us doing that. The rewards you will receive will be great and eternal!

Are you presenting Christ to only a few people as compared to the opportunities that some other Christians may have to present Him? Who cares? Faithful service is really the goal.

Wherever you are serving is extremely important in the Body of Christ!

Hey! You are extremely important  to the body of Christ!

You really are, you know......so much more than what you fully understand.........

Remember this -- even a cricket can make a thunderstorm a little louder. It may be imperceptible to humans, but God can hear it..........and He is the one who really matters after all.

Humbly submitted,

His servant

xxx

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Making Jesus Known

Recently, as I was reading in the Bible, I came across a particularly intriguing prayer. This prayer was prayed the night before Jesus was crucified, and it was prayed by Jesus Himself.

As the Lord develops His prayer for the disciples following Him at that moment, He mentions all the tender, loving things that one would expect Jesus to say if we imagined Him praying for us today. However, there is one aspect of this prayer that specifically addresses believers in every age.

The thought that Jesus puts forth as He prays will directly bear on all believers and their effectiveness in the kingdom of God from that time forward.....

Look at the words of Jesus in this part of His prayer:

John 17:20-23

20  "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21  that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

22  I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one:

23  I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.

Oneness and unity is expressed several times as Jesus prays His prayer for us. The importance of this should not be underestimated. He knows what we will desperately need in order to carry out His plan for us in the Kingdom of God, and this is a vital part of it.

Check out these phrases mentioned in His prayer:

John 17:20-23

20  "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21  that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

22  I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one:

23  I am in them and You are in Me.

May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.

Jesus desire for the believer's oneness is being powerfully expressed in this prayer.

The Lord repeated this idea of oneness many times as He was praying for those yet to believe the gospel. Apparently, something in this concept is very important in order to make us effective in our approach of presenting Christ to the lost world.

One reason Jesus emphasizes His desire several times in this prayer is that He knows the important results that will come from His children being one. He reveals it to us in this passage of Scripture as we read further.

Look at these two phrases:

-- so that the world may believe that You have sent Me

-- that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.

What a powerful thought!

In order for the lost world to effectively recognize that Jesus was sent from God, His children have to work together in unity and oneness.

The images expressed in Jesus' prayer moves my mind to think about the beginning of the first church in the book of Acts. Let's look in on the disciples at the time right before the new church was birthed.

Acts 2:1

1  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

We must be careful not to discount the phrase "all together in one place" as it is used here. The Greek definition of "all together" is important.

          homothumadón;--- unanimous, of one mind, one and the same temperament.     With one mind, with unanimous consent, in one accord, all together

The Holy Spirit is carefully describing the condition of the believers as the beginning of the church was imminent (about to happen at any moment). That event came while the believers were in oneness with each other and that is very significant.

Jesus was starting His church in the state of how He wanted it to function normally. In order to fulfill the plan that God had for those believers, they would have to operate in unity.

Hints of oneness surrounding this new church are expressed over and over as we look at the following statements of Scripture found in Acts chapter 2:

Vs 2  .....filled the whole house where they were sitting

Vs 3  ..... came to rest on each of them

Vs 4  ......All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

Vs 4  .....and (understood "all") began to speak in other languages...

Vs 44 .... All the believers were together ....

Vs 46 .... Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple...

Vs 46 .... they were taking their meals together ....

See how the new believers acted!

The spirit of oneness seemed to hover over all that they were doing. This is exactly how Jesus had prayed that they would be!

The differences they may have had otherwise, had no adverse effect on their oneness in Christ.

At this point of their existence, let's take a look at believers acting the way Jesus had prayed for them to and what it produced:

Vs 41 ..... So then, those who had received His word were baptized.....

Vs 42  They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the

           fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Vs 43  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous

           signs were done by the apostles.

Vs 44  All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Vs 45  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Vs 47 .... praising God....

Vs 47 .... having favor with all the people....

Vs 47 .... the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being   saved.

Awesome things were happening among the believers!!!!

Isn't this all so great? .....the blessings? ......the power? .....the reputation before the lost world?  Almost any church existing today would deeply desire to have these things actively working in their congregation, but many are content without them.

I am convinced that when we believers act like the new church that Jesus started, then we can also expect God to bless us similar to the way that He did those new believers.

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What a simple church growth plan...... believers being filled with the Holy Spirit and acting in oneness........

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It really is easy for me (or any of us, for that matter) to sit on the sidelines with our smug, religious smiles and feel that we are the only ones that really "get it". But the truth is, do we really?  Many of us have some knowledge of the idea of oneness, but putting it into action seems to bring up conflicts within our carefully constructed religious walls. Those conflicts can become concrete barriers between us and the blessings of God unless we are willing to break them down. (It really doesn't matter whether your church is contemporary or traditional, we all have a tendency to build our own religious walls.)

Consider these hindrances to oneness in the body of Christ:

--Older traditional mindsets conflicting with newer contemporary thinkers.

--Denominational centered Christians.

--Prideful "I know more than you know" kind of Christians.

--Selfish centered ministries.

--Ministry "machines" operated by flesh-guided minds.

..... You get the idea.

--Some believers even carry the attitude of "You all can be one with me if you like, but I will never lower my standards to be one with you".

Satan has done a marvelous job of screwing up the oneness that God's children should have. It is no wonder that the world laughs at the Jesus we present to them.

This explains a lot of things to me. I now better understand why most of the world ridicules Christians and denies that Jesus is anyone special.

The division of Christians greatly hinders the effectiveness of the church.

For the lost world to grasp the knowledge that God sent Jesus to this world, we have to express the oneness that Jesus prayed for us to have.

The hardest part of getting to this oneness is unlearning our religious ways. Religion has taught us that if someone does not agree with our views on the Scripture, then we need to separate ourselves from them and condemn their "doctrinal errors".

What if -- just what if -- we decided to use the 1st church's basis of oneness and fellowship?

I believe that that is found in the following verses:

Acts 2:40-41

40  And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"

41  So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

They were believers in Christ. This is their whole basis of oneness and fellowship!

Look at this:

Acts 2:44

44  And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

You see -- and I say this with the greatest love for the Scripture -- those Bible passages where we usually part ways with our brothers and sisters in Christ were not even written at the time the new church was started. In fact, none of the New Testament was given by the Holy Spirit to its writers yet.

Let me remind you of something that may shock some people. At one time, there were no Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Churches of Christ, Churches of God, Christian Churches, Catholics, Episcopalians, or Lutherans yet! (Just to let you know, John the Baptist had nothing to do with today's denominational term.)

In fact, how weird would it have been at the birth of the new church for someone to have said," Hey everyone, let's all divide up, call ourselves by different names, believe different things, and be against each other." And yet, this is standard operating procedure with many churches today.

All that the world had at the birth of the new church were true believers in Christ. They existed and operated in the state of oneness with each other just like Jesus had prayed for them to do.

Jesus filled them up with the Holy Spirit, and that small group changed the world.

Sometimes we struggle to change our neighborhood or city and feel powerless and defeated.

No wonder...........

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There is a way for believers to operate in oneness, but we have to be willing to love our brothers and sisters in Christ unconditionally. We have to be willing to step down from being the judge of others and acknowledge our own weaknesses and fallibility.

When we do that, we then can begin to love other believers with the love that Jesus has for us all. We then can accept our brothers and sisters solely on the basis that they have received Christ as Savior just as we have. We would not place any religious "hoops" for them to jump through, no standards to attain, no rules to strictly keep, and no religious requirements to meet in order for us to be one with them. All they would have to know is Christ as Savior, then, we, in God's love, could be at one with them and they with us.

When the body of Christ lives in this oneness, then what Jesus said about Himself will come true:

John 17:23

..... May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.

Maybe we will then be able to impact the world just as the new church did.

Humbly submitted,

Dan

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Blank Pages

While driving to work this morning and meditating on the subject of this blog, a warm tear trickled down my cheek. As I brushed it away, another one replaced it. My soul was crying out with this thought: whatever it means to be a "blank page" for the Lord to write on--- I want that in my life so very much........

You see, last week I was called out at midnight to see a family in need. While I was struggling to get awake and, at the same time, driving to where they lived, the Lord impressed me with the thought of compiling a talk on how we can become a blank page for Him to write upon. I'm not sure that I really understood what that meant, but I intended to proceed that idea and learn what I could.

I began by meditating on what being a blank page is. I quickly came to the realization that what I needed to do was pray over the whole matter, then allow the Lord to bring the blank page concept into my own life. So, I began to take it for a test drive in the things that I did daily.

Here are some things that I discovered.

Every day all of us have tasks to carry out that are already written within our lives just because of who we are.

Mine looks something like this:

I am a husband.

I am father.

I am a chaplain.

I am a friend.

I am a witness.

I am a coworker.

I am a spiritual caregiver.

I am a counselor.

I am an employee.

I am a believer in Christ.

I am a team member.

I am a citizen.

And, arguably, there are many other things I could add to this list.

So, then, since this is all true, how could I possibly be a blank page? How could any of us be so?

This is the solution that I discovered for me.

I'm not sure that I did everything just exactly right, but I began to pray over those things that the Lord had already allowed to be written into my life.

I asked the Lord to let me become a blank page for Him to write upon in all of the areas in which I function as a person.

Let me illustrate what I am mean.

When I am at work, I want the Lord to be free to write on my blank page the kind of attitude that I should have toward others. If I have already written one in because I dislike or distrust someone, then I'm not being a blank page for the Lord to write upon. Get the picture?

Check out this other example also.

I may have an appointment to meet with a friend and do some counseling. I know the reason I'm going....... I know the time that I'm going..... I also know the subject that we will discuss. But, I can ask the Lord to feed into my heart and mind the things that I need to say to help this friend. I can ask the Holy Spirit to guide my words and thoughts in order to address the issues in a very positive way. I can ask the Lord to help me be the blank page for Him to write upon so that I can help this person.

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Right now, as I am writing this, I'm using a piece of blank paper – no lines, no color, nothing. As this page is getting filled up with my writing, I notice that there is less room for anyone else to write on the page. It is becoming filled up with my own thoughts flowing through the pen which I am holding.

My life can get much like this page...all filled up with my own scribbling which sometimes is hard for even me to read.

Way too many times it is like that.....

Please understand this .......if I fill up my life's page with all my own stuff, then, where is there room for the Lord to write anything on it? No wonder I miss His will sometimes. Especially when there is no room for Him to write because I have everything so filled in with the me, me ,me words.....

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Asking the Lord to help us abandon ourselves is the key to setting aside the lines of selfish clutter within our lives.

In 1875, a Quaker named Hannah Whithall Smith wrote a wonderful book called The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. In that book she encouraged the readers to pray this prayer:

"Here, Lord, I abandon myself to Thee. I have tried in every way I could think of to manage myself, and to make myself what I know I ought to be, but have always failed. Now I give it up to Thee. Do Thou take entire possession of me. Work in me all the good pleasure of Thy will. Mold and fashion me into such a vessel as seemeth good to Thee. I leave myself in Thy hands, and I believe Thou wilt, according to Thy promise, make me into a vessel unto Thy own honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

This prayer sounds as if Ms. Smith wanted to forsake her own stuff and become a blank page for God to write on.

I do believe that this concept has Deep Roots in the Scripture also. Just consider the following passages of Scripture.

Luke 22:41-42

41  And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,

42  saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

John 17:4

4  "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

John 4:34

34  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

John 14:31

31  but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.

Jesus' life was directed around the constant goal of accomplishing the will of His Father.......so should ours be too.

However, in order for the Lord to write His plans into our lives, we first have to abandon our own selfish plans.

If the pages of our lives are too full, where does God write?

Here's a suggestion:

Come before the Lord with an honest heart. Ask Him to clear out the meaningless scribble on the pages of your life. And then, present Him with your blank page and ask Him to write upon it.

I believe that you will really enjoy what you see.

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You are more special than you know.

You are God's child.

You really can do this.

Sincerely and humbly submitted,

Dan

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Roots - - - Healthy Or Harmful?

Definition:

Roots – the fundamental cause, basis, or essence of something, or the source from which something derives

Healthy roots are essential to the plants and trees in nature in order for them to grow and produce their fruit or flowers. In this same way, the roots that we have in our lives determine that which is produced from within us.

Our attitudes, judgments, evaluations of life, and general dispositions all come from different roots that have been planted in our lives.

Commonly we refer to our ancestors as our "roots". The information that we learn concerning them intrigue us very much, and they can make us very proud or embarrassed.

For the believer, however, his roots go deep into the Word of God. The solidness of these roots depends on God's ability to carry out what He has promised in the Scriptures. We know that His abilities have never diminished, and so then, these roots are powerfully planted and will never pass away.

As we consider the complexity of our existence on this earth, discovering the roots of the problems in our lives will affect very much the outcome as we try to fix our brokenness. Sometimes the fix is easy, but most of the time it's really difficult.

When we talk about the word "roots", its application is wide-ranging. We use it when talking about our hair, our problems, plants, thoughts, ideas, and philosophies. It's not uncommon that someone may ask you, ".....where are your roots"? What they really want to know is where you grew up and what has influenced your life.

The Bible also expresses many different thoughts about the use of the word "roots". Just consider these verses:

Deuteronomy 29:18 NIV

18  Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

Proverbs 12:3 NLT

3  Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.

Proverbs 12:12 NIV

12  The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.

Isaiah 11:10 NIV

10  In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

 Romans 11:16 NIV

16  If the part of the dough offered as first-fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

 1 Timothy 6:10 NIV

10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Hebrews 12:15 NIV

15  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

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Before I can advance further in this talk, you will need to be clear on the premise that I am teaching. Most of the time what we call "problems" are not really the problem at all, they are only the symptoms of a much deeper problem. When we confuse symptoms with the real problem, we are leading ourselves into an endless circle of managing difficulties that spring up and plague us. This causes us to be powerless to find a fix concerning anything really troubling us.

It is important to examine the roots within us when there are symptoms that show problems are present. This is a significant concept that is easily missed when we are dealing with reality in this world.

Having been a preacher/pastor/spiritual counselor for over 30 years has allowed me to log quite a few hours attempting to help others deal with their own issues. Most of the people who came to me wanted their symptoms fixed. They never thought that the anger, guilt, or whatever else they were dealing with had a deeper root from where it sprang. They were not concerned about getting to the root of the problem. In fact, I'm quite sure that they were not distinguishing any differences between the two.

Until we know the difference between the two, roots and symptoms, we will not adequately be able to approach fixing the deep problems of our lives.

Examples:

•   If a husband and wife have been bickering and fighting, they might perceive this as the problem in their marriage. This is not the real problem at all. Their fighting is just a symptom of something deeper. Maybe it is carnality, self-centeredness, or another problem yet to be discovered. The things that usually cause the problem in their lives generally come from having a wrong spiritual understanding of their relationship to Christ. This is more likely the root of the problem.

• Ø          Pornography and lust may be identified as a person's problems, however, these are still    just symptoms of a much deeper problem. The root problem may be the love of fleshly, carnal ways, or simply refusing to set one's mind on things above as the Scripture tells us. It also could be that this person has never been regenerated in Christ. He may still be a slave to sin.

When we as friends, counselors, pastors, or professionals try to help others by treating their symptoms only, we are relegating ourselves to be a "problem manager". Many counselors find themselves in a role like that. Wouldn't it be smarter to discover the real problem and then work on that instead?

I was talking to a friend once who brought up the subject of "anger management".

During our discussion I said to him, " Instead of managing your anger, wouldn't it be better to get rid of it altogether?"

The answer certainly sounds obvious, but it's not at all an easy fix. Praying, seeking God's plan, surrendering our lives, asking for the Holy Spirit's intervention and empowerment, claiming God's promises, abandoning ourselves,........ all of these things come into play when we try to fix the root of our problems.

And when the fix does come, it may have to be applied anew every single day of our lives.

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A very controversial book that I enjoyed reading in the last few years is called The Shack. I know that the book is just a fictional story and is not trying to teach any doctrine. However, many applications of Scripture appear to be in its pages.

One part of the book that I really enjoyed was when the one representing the Holy Spirit is having the main character help him clean out a garden.

Here is that part of the book:

    Obviously the short break, which had been for Mack's sake, was over......... Sarayu thrust a hand shovel at Mack, picking up the rake.


"To prepare this ground, we must dig up the roots.............It is hard work, but well worth it. If the roots are not here, then they cannot do what comes naturally and harm the seed we will plant." 

   "Okay," Mack grunted as they both got down on their knees along the freshly cleared plot. Sarayu was somehow able to reach deep underground and find the ends of the roots, bringing them effortlessly to the surface. She left the shorter ones for Mack, who used the hand shovel to dig under and pull them up. Then they shook the dirt from the roots  and threw them into one of the piles that Mack had earlier raked together.

                                   .........................................................................

She turned to him." MacKenzie, you are such a delight! Thank you for all your hard work!"


 "I didn't do all that much, really," he said apologetically." I mean, look at this mess." His gaze moved over the garden that surrounded them." But it really is beautiful, and full of you, Sarayu. Even though it seems like lots  of work still needs to be done, I feel strangely at home and comfortable here."

The two looked at each other and grinned.  


Sarayu stepped toward him until she had invaded his personal space."And well you should, MacKenzie, because this garden is your soul. This mess is you!"

(How often do I resemble that last remark!)

The indication of the story here is that we need to rip up the bad roots of harmful things in our lives. I know that this is a fictional book, but the concept of not allowing the roots of sinful and hurtful things to remain in our lives is also backed up by Scripture.

Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT

21  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him,

22  throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

23  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

24  Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.

Our "former way of life" consists of the roots that need to be dug up and thrown away.

As we willingly allow the Holy Spirit in us to take hold and develop our minds, emotions, and faith in Him, this will happen. Righteousness and holiness will be produced through us by Jesus living His life out through us.

It is also important to understand that in order to get rid of some problems rooted deep within us, we have to begin by managing the symptoms. People who are lying, stealing, or being violent toward others, need to stop those unhealthy actions while they go forward toward discovering the root problem and fixing it.

Have you ever asked why so many drug rehabilitation places have their clients relapse over and over again? Most of the time those facilities will treat drug abuse as the problem to be conquered, they do not recognize that it is just a symptom. Usually, once they have the symptom under control for a short period of time, the patient is then released. Sadly he or she usually falls back into the same old routine of drug abuse because the root of the problem is still there. An appropriate remedy has not yet been discovered or applied.

We have something so much better than that to treat the roots of our problems. We have an authority to go to in order to discover the solution to whatever ails us.

If I am angry, I can go to the Lord and ask him to show me where my anger comes from.

If I am depressed, I can ask the Lord and trust Him to lead me in the ways to discover the roots of my depression. The Lord may use a counselor, or book, or sermon, but He will use something or someone to help me.

Even if we have to use medicines to control our symptoms for a while, we must still be pursuing the root cause of our problems if we want to truly be free of them.

..... Do you want to be free from dangerous, damaging roots in your life? Get with a Christian mentor or counselor and pursue where the roots are coming from.

And please, don't refuse to get medical help if you need it.

Just remember, the greatest help that we can possibly have comes first from the Lord:

Colossians 2:20 NLT

20  You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world.........

Romans 6:22 NLT

22  But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

John 8:36 NLT

36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Being made free from the destructive, unhealthy roots will develop you in such a way so that the healthy roots can grow and make you into what God plans for you to be.

Your marriage.

Your relationships.

Your whole life.......

... sprouting up from the roots that God places within you.

With love, and humbly submitted,

Dan

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On Purpose Acts Of Kindness

A few years ago, there was a movie made that was called Evan Almighty. This movie was a funny take-off from the Biblical story of Noah and the ark and actually reinforced the idea of always obeying God. The events of the story took place in Washington, D.C. and dealt with the life of a new congressman named Evan. He was elected and then sent there to represent the people from his state. The move, the family adjustments, and the excitement of being elected to office was a big change to his life, but he was coping with it all.... that is, until "God" showed up.

God (whose part was played by Morgan Freeman) came to Evan and told him to build an ark just like Noah did. Through a series of very funny and "God" controlled events, the ark eventually gets built and winds up providing the means of safety for the area people who experience a flood from a broken dam. God's plans proved to be the best for everyone in order to survive the danger.

At one point in the movie, God takes Evan aside and writes the letters A R K on the ground. Then, during their conversation, He illustrates that the letters stand for Acts of Random Kindness.  The point was made, and it was a good ending to an enjoyable family movie.

Normally, we use the phrase arraigned a little differently than the movie did. We will say random acts of kindness when talking about the concept of spontaneously doing good for others.

This is a really good idea to follow as we live our lives daily. Can you imagine? People just randomly doing kind things for others......this would radically change the face of Christianity before the world!

As I thought about this concept, it suddenly dawned on me that in doing acts of kindness toward others, my attitude would be a vital factor in the whole process.

Let me explain.

One of the biggest pet peeves that I have is when people leave shopping carts out in a store parking lot. They usually block all sorts of paths and parking places and wind up making me so frustrated and angry! Then one day I decided to do something about it. From then on, when I would go shopping, I parked my car and would....very much on purpose.... find a buggy (or sometimes two) in the parking lot and push them into the store as I walked. I felt a certain self-righteousness as I did it, and honestly, thought that I was acting much better than those people who were so inconsiderate to others (meaning me) by leaving their carts scattered everywhere.

What I was doing may have been helping others, but my attitude was one of self-righteousness and anger. My attitude would have cleared a whole room full of skunks.........

The random act of kindness that I attempted was anything but.......

Later on, (as God was continuing His work within me) I began to realize that what I was doing by moving the shopping carts really could be a blessing to someone who would come that way later. I saw that the Lord could use me to bless someone who may never know that I did anything at all to help them today.

I kind of liked that.....

My attitude changed as I talked to the Lord about it, and the parking lot changed from being a source of frustration to a serious place of opportunity to show kindness.

I even began picking up nails or screws that I would see on the parking lot thinking of the lady with a van full of kids who might now avoid having a flat tire. I could envision someone in a great hurry on important business not being delayed, or maybe a little old lady not having to face the fear and trouble of a flat.

I began to find joy when the random act of kindness began to be a ministry within me. God was using me to bless others who I probably would never meet and who would never know about it!

We need to remember this when doing our acts of kindness:

Attitude matters.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Now let me tell you about Tammy and Becky.

On this particular morning, after leaving the house, I was trying to determine where I might stop for some quick breakfast, and while I was at it, spend a few minutes writing this blog. After considering my choices, I decided to stop at a Chick-fil-A close to my house.

Walking up to the counter, I scanned the menu and ordered one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches. As the cashier (whose name was Becky) rang up my order, I reached for my wallet and discovered that I had not picked it up before leaving home.

This was one of those awkward, embarrassing moments that everyone experiences at some time or other.

Red faced, I began to speak to Becky as she was trying to fill my order and explain my situation to her. She reacted very kindly and said to me, "Don't worry about it. I will give you the ticket, and you can drop by later today to pay it." If you have ever found yourself in a similar situation, you can imagine not only my great appreciation for how Becky brought ease to the situation, but also for the fact that she trusted me to return.

Then, it was time for Tammy to come into this picture.

I'm not sure how long she had been observing my awkward situation, but the Lord had presented her with an opportunity to display kindness to someone she had never met. She, on purpose, stepped forward and generously said, "I have a solution for this, I would like to pay for his breakfast."

I was blown away and blessed by the kind act of this lady!

I tried, but there were not enough words to express my gratefulness to her.

As I sat eating my meal, working on my blog, and contemplating all of this, I began to understand that the events of my life this morning all were orchestrated by the Lord to give this opportunity to Tammy so that she could show a beautiful act of kindness to someone.

Just think of all the events that had to come about in perfect order:

-- the time that I got up this morning

-- the time that I left home

-- the forgetting of my wallet

-- showing up at that Chick-fil-A the time of the morning I did

(I had several choices of where I could have gone for breakfast!)

-- also, the events in Tammy's life were coordinated so that she would be standing at the counter the same time I was during my awkward situation.

I gathered some insight from this....

Not only does the Lord want us to show kindness to others, but He, on purpose, provides us with opportunities to do so all the time. He orders the daily events of our lives to bring us into places and situations that give us the privilege to represent Him by our kind actions. When we are living in "alert mode", it is easier to see the opportunities provided for us so that we may allow those kind acts to flow from us into the lives of others.

Tammy and Becky were alert today, and God used them to do something kind to someone in need.

-------------------------------------------------------

Another dimension of this concept of doing kind acts was opened to me as I talked with my wife the other day.

While she had been out shopping, the Lord had used her to do a random act of kindness to someone. Afterwards, she shared with me the event and expressed that the Lord had spoken to her heart about it. The thought that the Lord gave her was this..... Why do random acts of kindness have to be so random? For a believer, shouldn't these acts just be a normal way of life for us?

Absolutely beautiful!!!!   (the thought and my wife, of course.)

I love what she said!

Christians being kind as a way of life!!

This made me think:

Way too much of my life is spent being all about me.

v     My thoughts

v     My goals

v     My plans

v     My job

v     My family

v     My education

v     My church

v     My ministry

v     My bills

v     My car

v     My vacation

v     My stuff

v     My needs

v     My wants

v     Bla...bla...bla...

If I wrote a diary of all the events in my life for one day, what percent of it would be encompassed with the above ideas?

Only the brave should try it....we may not like what we would find.....

-----------------------------------

Jesus organized His life around others and His acts of kindness were not random but on purpose. Should not our lives shoot for the same goal?

The Scripture expresses it so well to us all:

          Matthew 7:12 NLT

          12  "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is

           taught in the law and the prophets.

          Colossians 3:12 NLT

          12  Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with

          tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

          Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

          31  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil  

         behavior.

          32  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God

          through Christ has forgiven you.

Our obedience to these simple statements would revolutionize the church within and be a catalyst that the Holy Spirit could use to revolutionize the world also. What a wonderful idea.

------Just imagine..... all Christians doing kind things to others all the time......wow!-------

The early church had an awesome testimony by the things that they were doing for others, and many came to Christ because of it.

          Acts 2:43-47 NLT

          43  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous

          signs and wonders.

          44  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

          45  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

          46  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and

          shared their meals with great joy and generosity--

          47  all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the 

          Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Performing acts of kindness is a wonderful personal ministry that the Lord gives to each of us, and honestly, it's not hard to be kind if we really want to be. We can start with showing kindness to our spouses, children, and friends. It will then begin to flow out to others.......

 We just need to be alert to the Holy Spirit's leadership and be ready to serve the Lord as He places the opportunities in front of us.

Check this out:

          Matthew 25:35-40 NLT

          35  For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a 

          stranger, and you invited Me into your home.

          36  I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison,

          and you visited Me.'

          37  "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed 

          You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink?

          38  Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing?

          39  When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?'

          40  "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of

           these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!'

How's your kindness ministry going?

Humbly Submitted,

Dan

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