Nourished or Malnourished?

I've been trying to lose a few pounds over the past few weeks… Man! It sure is a lot more fun putting the weight on than taking it off! I’m getting used to going to bed with my stomach growling. At first, I felt like I was going to ‘die’ from being undernourished (yeah right!). I’d step on the scales every day, only to be disappointed with NO WEIGHT LOSS. All I could see that I was accomplishing was torturing myself. Of course, the only way to drop the pounds is to cut the number of calories you eat to less than what you burn during a day. After you drop the weight it's important to rebalance your diet though, otherwise your health will suffer.
A man named Joe Griffith once wrote: “If a tree is given minimal nourishment, it will live, but it will not grow. If nourishment is given over and beyond what is needed for life, the tree will live and grow upward, downward and outward. But if a tree is given nourishment over and beyond what is needed to support life, needed for growth, and more, it will produce fruit. Fruit is the overflow, a surplus of excess nourishment."
That’s truth for us humans too – both in a physical as well as in a spiritual sense. Just like you have to feed your stomach to stay healthy physically, you have to feed your soul to stay spiritually healthy. What feeds your soul? I’m talking about where you get your spiritual nourishment. Do you think you are properly fed simply by attending a worship service? Do you feel spiritually nourished only when you meet in your small group or adult Bible class? Is your soul fed only when you are giving and ministering to others? A healthy Christian is one that has a well-rounded spiritual diet. I believe it was Rick Warren who said that church growth is the result of proper nourishment. If people are being spiritually nourished the church will be healthy and experience growth. Sometimes, however, we get the wrong idea about what spiritual nourishment is all about. It has nothing to do with putting on a slick presentation or being entertaining. It’s not about a particular worship style or a denomination either – none of those things can feed the soul. Spiritual nourishment is more about genuine relationships – both with God and with one another. It’s about worship that is truthful and spiritual, and sound Biblical teaching that challenges us to grow in our faith walk with the Lord. If the only time you experience worship or fellowship is when you attend a congregational worship service, you may be spiritually starving or at a minimum spiritually malnourished. And the problem is most likely not the fault of the church. A believer who is spending time with God daily, studying the Word, serving others thru ministry, praying and experiencing private worship, will be healthier and grow by leaps and bounds over the believer who just attends church on Sunday. And when the church has a group of believers who are personally connected to the Lord on a daily basis, there’s no way you can keep it from growing and becoming stronger in the Lord. When a dynamic group of believers are experiencing the abundant Christian life in the church, the excitement will spread spiritual health all thru the congregation. I encourage you to pursue the spiritual food your soul needs in order to be spiritually nourished. Get involved in ministry; get involved in personal prayer and Bible study; get into a small group; attend corporate worship; connect with other believers in every possible way. Then you’ll have access to a balanced diet of the right kinds of spiritual food for your soul. Remember the tree. The more nourishment it gets the more productive it becomes. That principle is also true in our daily lives as well as in our family of faith.

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The Ego Isn't A Body Part

I have heard that when Adolf Hitler was alive, he would only select generals and aides that were shorter in stature than he. Adolf was rather short, and he did not want anyone towering over him. That was also true when it came to accomplishments and leadership ability – he wanted no one to tower over him in those areas either. Therefore, most of his generals and closest advisors were short and if they excelled in any way, they didn’t seek the spotlight or they didn’t last very long... literally. He had what is called a Napoleon complex.
Saddam Hussein had some of those same tendencies. He wouldn’t even allow his generals to disagree with his plans and tactics. On one occasion, he called his top generals into a meeting to discuss a military operation he wanted to pursue. One of his highest officers disagreed with his plan. Shortly after his disagreement, he was shot dead by his nephew, Saddam. As it turned out, the uncle was right.
Many times in the corporate world, as well as in the ministry world, we hesitate in surrounding ourselves with talent. The reason is mostly because of our own insecurities. We’re afraid someone will steal the show… someone might make us look like we’re not as competent as we once appeared. The best leaders aren’t afraid of those things however. They understand that they’re only as good as the team they have put together. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have the opportunity of putting together your own team, don’t settle for second best. Find the very brightest and best members you can afford and bring them on board. And never be afraid to celebrate their accomplishments. Give them recognition; let them stand in the spotlight for a while when appropriate. God gives us all various gifts and talents. He then puts us where we are to be teamed up with those who can shore up our weaknesses and benefit from our strengths. We are all a part of the body of Christ and there are no unimportant parts. Paul said it best in his first letter to the church at Corinth: “Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) Never forget that Christ is the head and there is no room for over inflated egos – I don’t think the ego is a part of the body. Always keep in mind that everything we do is for God’s glory, not our own. So, work together according to the position to which you have been called… and deflect the accolades to where they belong…

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Sharing The Love Of Christ

Over the past few months, God has greatly reminded me of the desperate need for the church to be more involved in evangelism. I’m not sure about you, but when I look around our city it’s almost like a new cult is springing up every month. People are hungry for some sort of hope beyond their current circumstances and as a result they easily latch on to beliefs that will eventually leave them empty and still searching. Unfortunately, the purveyors of untruth are out sharing those of us who have discovered the Truth. As Christians, we have the greatest news – Christ is still offering forgiveness, hope, acceptance and eternal life to all who will receive His offer of salvation. We haven’t done such a good job at sharing that news with the seekers around us over the years. We’ve either taken an approach that’s too easy or one that’s too hard. Someone once said that when an egg is ready to hatch, you can help break open the egg by hitting it with a hammer or putting it in a warm environment and patiently waiting for nature to take its course. Obviously, the hammer approach won’t work – you might break open the egg, but you’ll most likely kill the chick in the process. The best approach is patience and a warm environment. We create an environment like that for unbelievers by forming relationships of trust and love, remembering what it was like when we were unsaved and reaching out to connect with them at every opportunity with the good news of hope and forgiveness in Christ. And don’t think you can’t do that… I read an article this week about a 9 year old that did. God used him to not only share his faith, but to also be the catalyst for the prayers of a group of coworkers to be answered… In the 2005 July/August issue of Today’s Christian, Tina Blessit writes how her 9 year old son Austin was undergoing surgery to have his tonsils removed. She writes, “Before the surgery, an anesthesiologist came in to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that "frog hat." When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, "Hey, wait." The doctor turned. "Yeah, buddy, what do you need?" "Do you go to church?" "No," the doctor admitted. "I know I probably should, but I don't." Austin then asked, "Well, are you saved?" Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: "Nope. But after talking to you, maybe it's something I should consider." Pleased with his response, Austin answered, "Well you should, 'cause Jesus is great!"
"I'm sure he is, little guy," the doctor said, and quickly made his exit. When Austin's surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to me. He told me the surgery went well, then said, "Mrs. Blessit, I don't usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did."
He then related the story to her about how Austin’s questions. Just before he was put to sleep for the surgery, Austin insisted that he be allowed to pray. He then prayed… "Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen."
The doctor admitted that this had touched him. "I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well," he explained. "He didn't even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! Mrs. Blessit, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have." A few minutes later, a nurse came to take me to post-op. She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. "There's something you should know," she said. "Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time. After your son's surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin's prayer. He said, 'Well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, too.'"
Don’t think you are inadequate to make a difference in the life of another person. Never underestimate the ability of the Holy Spirit to use you far beyond your ability or even your knowledge. Simply make yourself available and keep your eyes open for opportunities to build friendships with the unbelievers you meet; continually lift them up in prayer; and expect God to intervene and provide opportunities for you to share the story of your faith… The Bible tells us that “It’s not His will that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.” And don’t be afraid that you won’t be able to share when the time comes. Jesus said, “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matt. 10:19-20
If you look around and see that you’re surrounded by unbelievers and maybe even some who are hostile to the Christian faith, REJOICE, DON'T RUN AWAY! God has put you there for a purpose. He wants to speak thru you to those folks. He has a purpose for their lives and He wants you to communicate it to them. Make yourself available to be used by God to reveal His message of hope on every occasion. And don’t sweat it… He’ll get the job done.

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Soul Rest

I was reading thru my stack of sermon illustrations the other day when I ran across this one… “In Minnesota’s Mall of America, a store has opened that rents cubicles where worn and weary shoppers can take a nap. For 70 cents a minute, customers can curl up in spots themed as Asian Mist, Deep Space, and Tropical Isle. The center is aptly named MinneNAPolis – lol – and is owned by PowerNap Sleep Centers of Boca Raton, Florida. If you visit their website, you’ll read, “Escape the pressures of the real world into the pleasures of an ideal one." "It's not just napping. Some guests will want to listen to music, put their feet up, watch the water trickling in the beautiful stone waterfall, breathe in the positive-ionization-filtered air, enjoy the full-body massager, and just take an enjoyable escape from the fast-paced lifestyle."” I think I’ll call and see if they will offer a franchise to our church! I know a few people in our faith family who could benefit from a place like that!
I grew up in a rural farming community with cow pastures, woods and a cool creek running thru the fields behind our house. As young boys, my brothers and I would often go to that creek, pile up rocks, sticks, and whatever else we could find to build a pool where we could cool off from the summer heat. There was one part of the creek where a 2 or 3 foot waterfall spilled down a rocky, shaded bank into the edge of the woods. I used to love to lie down in the creek and put my head under that waterfall – nothing was more refreshing! Under that cool fresh water, I not only found relief from the hot sun, but the noise of the waterfall drowned out all the distractions around me as well. It was almost like I was lost in a wonderland of bliss, without a care in the world.
In the hurry and scurry world in which we live, it’s easy for the din of troubles, the rush of deadlines, and the stress of the workplace to cause us to be overwhelmed at times. We all need to find a waterfall like I had back then to take us away from the noise and to provide refreshment for our souls. Maybe for you, that place is a walk in the woods or a dip in your favorite swimming hole. It could be as simple as climbing up to the top of a mountain, far above the sound of the freeway, where your cell phone won’t work and no one can interrupt you. Regardless of where that place may be, it’s important to have one. When you go there, ask the sweet Holy Spirit to flood over your soul like fresh water, drowning out the noise of you life and the hurry, scurry world around you. Tune your heart to the still, small voice of the Lord, and allow Him to speak peace to your soul. If you will, you’ll experience what I call “soul rest”. The kind of rest Jesus spoke of when He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matt. 11:28-29 (NKJV)

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