Is One Small Letter Enough?

By Tawna Wilkinson

The other day as I was reading in Ephesians, the thought struck me that this small letter was the only written information the burgeoning church in Ephesus had. One little scroll of truth was to be passed among the believers directing their journey in their new life with Christ. It wasn’t that I had never been told this, but the “ah-hah” caused me to stop and ponder.

One small letter, containing small prayers, tiny phrases and praises of truth, written by an imprisoned individual, guided by a still small Voice. And with that scant information individuals and families, as well as the church itself, flourished and grew. In fact, one source credits the Ephesians church with playing “a significant role in the spread of early Christianity.”

But to complicate, during that time, the city of Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the world; a huge metropolitan civilization in western Asia Minor teeming with multiple religions, politics and commerce. And to better appreciate the power in all “the small”, Ephesus was also the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Artemision – the worship temple of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Interesting. One small Holy Spirit inspired scroll, written from a prison cell, sent to a remnant of new believers enveloped in an imposing pagan metropolis. And by allowing a snippet of truth to permeate them, this tiny band of believers greatly assisted in the increase of the gospel Jesus Christ.

I wonder what would happen if a remnant of believers in a not-so-big-mountain-town in southwestern Colorado allowed the same small letter, with the same small prayers, tiny phrases and praises of truth to infiltrate their lives. Would that be enough for the eternal Holy Spirit to affect great change in and through them?

What Is The Church?

It is more than a building of bricks and mortar;
    Much more than a gathering of people with similar interests.
        It is not a stagnant pool of ideas;
            Nor is it a wasteland void of intelligence.

The Church is a living organism.  
          In constant change while remaining rooted on one solid foundation:
   

Jesus Christ 

  










Just as Christ was hated, so people hate the church.

It is seen as an organized group of hypocritical, weak-minded, non-thinkers who use religion as a crutch to mystically explain the galaxy and justify the outcome of their existence.


While sitting in service on a recent Sunday morning, I began to look at those around me --

I saw the Brave - 
    Who have recently lost a baby
          And still are serving children in the nursery.

I saw the Strong -
     Who have seen marriages crumble
          And take time to feed a young widow.

I saw Professionals - 
     Who gave up careers to share Jesus
          And love people more than comfort.

I saw the Aged - 
     With achy bodies and facing the twilight of life
          And greet others with a smile and hug and words to encourage.

I saw hurting women, doubting men, struggling teens, questioning husbands, tired moms, weary travelers and seeking students.

I was surrounded by the broken, the struggling and the lost.    
There was sin and illness and pain;  anger issues, workaholics and recovering addicts.

And it was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed.

The church is not a refuge for the perfect from a fallen world.

It is a sanctuary for the struggling, striving, growing, forgiven followers of Christ.

It is a way-station for the weary travelers on life's road.

It is an emergency ward for those who are wounded both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

It is a school for those yearning to walk closer with God.

It is a place where Truth is tempered with Grace and Mercy.

Where hands are held and tears are shed and joys are shared.

Yes, the church is  full of hypocrites and sinners.

     But so much more ------

It is HOPE !

The Church is not perfect because it is filled with people.

People battling the hurt of a fallen world.

Imperfect people who need the HOPE of Jesus Christ.

May we be brave to be perfectly imperfect and love those around us with Christ's perfect love.  May we serve those in our community - at work, our neighbors and in our church.

How can you show Christ's love to the Church?

How can you serve those in the Church?

Messy Stalls Equal Life

By Jill Palmer

Just when you think God couldn't speak to you in a more hilarious way ... 

BAM. He speaks through poo. 

Poop, waste, manure. Yep. He spoke a word to me through this very delicate subject.

I was going through another rough day/week/month/experience. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I was going through when He spoke this but I know it was during a prayer time with the staff of our church and I was asking God about the messes. The messes in my own life, in my family, in my church. Messes in general just seemed to be popping up everywhere and He spoke so clearly to me and gave me hope and peace in the midst.

My conversation with Him went something like this:

God, why are there so many struggles and messes? What are we supposed to do about them? How can we avoid them? It stinks! 

Imagine a farm filled with animals. Do you see the mess?

Ew. Yes. Lots of animals. Lots of mess.

How do you suppose you can avoid the mess?

Well...you can't unless you stop feeding them. If you stop feeding them they'll stop pooping. Then there will be no mess to clean up.

And what happens if you stop feeding the animals?

They die.

Yes. They'll die. Messes are a part of life and messes are an indicator of life. Every living thing that I have created makes a mess. Everything has waste. If you stop feeding yourself, your family or your church, the truth is there will be no more messes but they will also die. To avoid mess means to avoid life and that's not why I have put you here. You can embrace the mess and see it as a sign that someone is being fed and is growing or you can fear it and avoid it. Life is happening and I am excited about that. Your job is help clean up the mess and continue to feed those around you with the Truth I have placed in your heart. 

Not too long after God and I had our little "chat," I was told about a Proverb that talked about this very thing. And not too long after that, I ran across it while I was doing my devotions. God really can speak through anything! And I love that He spoke to me and then confirmed it in His Word. My Spirit soared and laughed as I read these words:

Life in general is messy. Life in a community, a herd, a church - whatever you want to call it - is messy. Mess comes as people grow and learn new ways of relating to others. Mess comes as old wounds get reopened and we respond. Mess comes when we learn to be vulnerable and navigate safe new places and people. Messes just happen.

Poop happens.

And it's okay. As the Proverb says, without oxen the stable is clean, but the ox is needed for a large harvest. The people and the poo/mess they/we bring (mine very much included!) is necessary for life and growth and a large harvest.

I'm choosing to embrace the mess, yes even embrace the poo and the messy stalls. As God has so gently shared with me, it equals life, and life in Christ is what I desire for myself and others.

How do you respond to the mess in your life? Can you see it as a sign of life instead? How has God spoken to you in an unusual way?

Take Home Your Treasure

By Esther Belin

An image came to me one Sunday at the close of a worship service. The image came with such an overwhelming emotion of melancholy. God’s presence was so heavy; there was an overflow it. The message was packed with God’s goodness – we were fed well that day! The image that came to me was gold nuggets – a treasure of them. They were the overflow of His blessing and He wanted us (His church) to gather them up and take them home. Yet, I was so grieved, numb with a wave of melancholy. 

Why?

It seemed like no one else saw the treasure – that no one was taking home the gold nuggets placed right in front and beside them. 

I was so weighed down because of this word: melancholy – that I later did a quick word study.

I had known melancholy to simply mean a state of sadness or being lonely.  However, the root origin is Greek and the literal meaning is black bile.  According to the ancient Greek pathology, a person was diagnosed with melancholy when they exhibited a wide range of symptoms (from irregular digestion, enlarged liver/spleen to nervous exhaustion or the feeling of something being stuck in the throat) which was believed to be caused by an excess of black bile in the body.

That day in church I definitely felt a deep congestion like the feeling of something being stuck in my throat.

I knew at that moment God was grieving over us. He was grieving because there are remnants of a dead and lukewarm church – and consequently we cannot see or do not care to pick up and take home the treasure. Now sisters I say this with no condemnation because I lived in this state for many years (and I always justified it because of my circumstances which indeed were oppressive).

Rather, we need to take heart that our compassionate and sovereign Lord and Savior is unfailing. He will show up every time his people are gathered. Yet, do we enter the house of the Lord with expectation? Do we really believe that God wants to satisfy our souls “with the richest of foods”? (Ps. 63:5).

The table is set. The menu is perfect. God invites us personally to feast. 

And we do every week. (I thank Jesus that our pastors use their anointing to enrich the Kingdom.)

The meal is nourishing and filling. The company is encouraging, funny and like-minded. We feast on God’s word every week at church. Yes, the church in general does a great job of feeding the people. However, weekly meals are not enough to keep us nourished and filled.

God’s presence is enough but if we don’t constantly seek Him, we will be continually undernourished and empty (and in such a famished, needy state).  God wants to bless us. He wants us to take those gold nuggets home. He expects us to take the gold nuggets home so during the week we can experience more of His presence by studying his character. Only God prepares such a grand feast where he expects us to take a doggie bag home.

How can we be the light and salt of the world if we haven’t learned how to nourish ourselves on God’s word outside of weekly church experiences?

How do we create a desire to meditate on God’s word – day and night (Ps. 1:2)?

There is no universal formula, but there are universal factors.  Basically, it is a lifestyle, it is an attitude, it is a pattern.

Here is a pattern I use: Posture, Praise, Prayer, Pruning

Below are some verses that correlate to each factor in my pattern (there are so many more). 

Posture: Ps. 119:130, Ps. 37:23-24, Ps. 38:9, Ps. 40:6, Ps. 14:2, Ps. 37:4-8, Ps. 42:1-2, Ps. 46:10

Praise: Ps. 16:11, Ps. 113:3, Ps. 34:19, Ps. 19:7-8, Ps. 46:1-3, Ps. 47:7, Ps. 92:1-2, Ps. 107:9, Ps. 150:6

Prayer: Ps. 26:2, Ps. 34:4, Ps. 119:11, Ps. 51:12, Ps. 55:22, Ps. 43:3, Ps. 61:1-3, Ps. 90:16-17, Ps. 130:5-6, Ps. 141:1-4

Pruning: Ps. 51:6-7, Ps. 94:12, Ps. 119:36-37, Ps. 119:103-104, Ps. 139:1-3, John 15:1-2

The book of Psalms has been comforting and mysterious to me.  I am drawn to the mystery behind the psalms and the psalmist.  I want to know the character of God and the Psalms are a wonderful way to experience God’s majesty, mystery, love, grace, and mercy.

Dear readers, I leave this verse for you to feast on, as it has been essential to fine-tuning my posture of daily meditating on God’s word.

Isaiah 50:4

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

It is a practice.  Not perfect, but possible. 

Are You Doing or Supporting?

As a pastor’s wife, mom and a leader of a ministry, I’m sometimes overwhelmed by the many assignments and visions God gives me for the future.  How do I see it accomplished?  I certainly don’t have the many gifts required to teach, train, encourage, serve, cook, bless, create, organize, listen, watch and complete these assignments. 

I wonder if Moses felt the same way after God spoke to him about the Israelites.  As I’ve been reading through Exodus I’ve been struck by the many specific instructions the Lord gave Moses about the tabernacle, the priest’s robes, the Ark of the Covenant and more.  So many details!

How could Moses possibly accomplish all that God was instructing him to do?  I mean he’s just a shepherd.  Sure he grew up in the palace surround by incredible craftsmanship and beauty but he spent much of his life shepherding.  How is he to do the intricate work required for making these things?

Thankfully we have a God who thinks about such things!  Here’s what He did:

Exodus 31:1-7 "Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.” "(Exodus 31:1-11 NLT)

Wow.  You mean He places His Spirit in His people to accomplish it all?

Most definitely!  He knew Moses couldn’t do everything He was telling him to, so He told Moses whom He had lined up for those jobs.  Bezalel and Oholiab and the gifted craftsman weren’t just random people wandering in the desert; they were given the Spirit of God who gave them “wisdom, ability and expertise in all kinds of crafts.”  I love how God has orchestrated this!

He still does this today!  There is no such thing as a random person wandering around the River Church or the Body of Christ.  God has given us His Spirit to accomplish absolutely everything He has put in the hearts of His people.  We’ve been given the “wisdom, ability and expertise” necessary. 

What happened to the people who weren’t Bezalel and Oholiab or the gifted craftsman?  Amazingly God thought of that too.

Exodus 36:1-7 "some were called to work on the temple and some brought gifts and offerings for those who work on the temple"

If they weren’t doing, they were supporting.  I believe this is true of each and every one of us.  There will be times of doing and there will be times of supporting.  Our responsibility is to know what God is assigning to us and then being obedient to it.  If we are in waiting then we are supporting those who are doing right now. Notice He doesn't mention spectating...

So are you doing or supporting or spectating?

Throwback Thursday --- Why Church?

----originally published in 2011----

I get asked that question often. Not everyday but a couple times a year I think. That's often, I think, for a question like that. The conversation comes around to why do we need to go to church? What's the point?

As someone who loves going to church, being a part of a church, serving at a church, giving to a church and whose husband is employed by the church, I love answering this question. Cause I love my church! But I know I can't answer it like that for someone who doesn't.

Our last small group had this same discussion. Why go to church? I also recently talked with a good friend who asked what church was supposed to look like and what did God design church for.

After discussing this many times and sharing thoughts and scripture I think I'd answer it this way:

Because God created the church and the church body for His glory. At church is where we can corporately experience and share His glory. At church is where His glory is multiplied exponentially.

Does this mean God can't be glorified outside the church? No. Not at all. But I believe there is something special and unique about the way God uses a church and the people in it (if they allow Him to!).

Here's what I mean. In Matthew 14 Jesus and His disciples found themselves on a hill teaching 5000 men (and most likely women and children but only the number of men was recorded). It came time for them to eat. The disciples didn't know how everyone was going to be fed. The only food they were able to come up with was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Not enough at all to feed 5000 men (probably 10,000 people!). But Jesus knew what to do.

He took what they had and multiplied it exponentially and everyone was fed with 12 baskets of food left over!

I believe He does that at church. He takes what we have, what we give Him - our time, our talent, our money, our worship - and multiplies it exponentially. It overflows and blesses the city around us and our world.

Here's what I mean. When we use our talents for Him as part of a church body of believers He increases it. Mark, for example, has a great voice. A talent God gave Him. He could use it at home, use it in the car, use it in a park but it's greatest use is at church as He leads people in our congregation to worship! That doesn't mean God can't use that talent anywhere else, He most certainly can, but people are impacted by the worship He leads and it spills over into lives throughout the week. Touching way more people than Mark could do alone. Make sense?

Another example: Our pastor is going to be teaching a pastor's conference in Uganda in a couple weeks. They want to have 800 pastors attend this conference but they have to raise funds in order to rent the building, feed them etc...It's going to cost only $10 per pastor! That's crazy! Nothing in the US cost $10! So if I have $10 and I decide to, on my own, send it to Africa in hopes of helping a local pastor, how much affect do you think it will have? Not much. But if I give my $10 to my church for this conference it will pay for a pastor to attend and then go back to his local church and affect hundreds of people for Christ. My money goes further when God multiplies it through my church. Does that mean don't give if it isn't through a church? No. It just means God takes what we give at church and multiplies it exponentially.

I also think church is where we can be encouraged, challenged, taught, refreshed, supported, sharpened, prayed for, loved, blessed, and poured into. Church is my family of choice. I truly would be lost without these people God has brought into my life to do life alongside me and my family.

Many people will attend church out of obligation or guilt or habit. Many people will attend a church and think "what are they going to do for me?". Many people will attend church and hate it because it feels so empty and it doesn't fill them. Many people will question why even go to church.

I challenge everyone to think - What can I do for people at my church? What can I give to others? How can I bring God glory in my local church body?
What talent or gift has God given me to bring Him glory? I'm pretty sure if we look to help others instead of ourselves we'd enjoy church a whole lot more!

I think there's a place for each person in a church and that the church just isn't the same without each piece. When we can come together in unity, God can do incredible things and He will be glorified. He will multiply our small gifts!