An Unprecedented Oppurtunity

I have been particularly interested in all of the financial crises that is going on. Not only was I a financial representative for the company, Nationwide Insurance and Financial Services, but I also feel the pain of rising gas prices with every fill up. Living on the road in an economy such as the one in which we live is very eye opening. Questions rise on everyones minds such as, What is going to happen in the financial markets? What is going to happen with the upcoming election? How is all of this mess going to affect me individually?

We are living in some extremely serious times which has everyones attention. This crises has moved beyond the elite of Washington and it has quickly filtered from Wall Street to Main Street. I have been traveling to churches of all sizes and I have seen how this crises has affected our churches. I believe with all of my heart that it is time for the church to arise and be the voice of reason in the mess that we find ourselves in. What concerns me is that our tendancy will be to react to the crises as opposed to lead during the crises. We can spend all of our time talking about how difficult times are, or we can understand that there has never been a better day for the church. I have had a few people tell me that this must be a horrible time to be a missionary in the midst of all of these crises going on and my answer to that is that there has never been a better time to be a missionary and a church planter. People are so hungry for answers to lifes questions. For so long people have had things that have been consistent in their lives and now in just a few short months what they have relied on for years is now gone. They are looking for something constant that they can build their lives on!

A scripture comes to mind as we face unprecdented times. 2 Corinthians 8:2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.KJV We find that in a moment of crises the Macedonian church was defined. Their was hardship and deep financial issues, yet out of the crises that the Macedonian church was facing, generosity was produced. I believe that the crises that we are facing now will define the church. Their is a tendancy, because of the fear of the unknown, to hold onto our resources and cautiously go into maintenance mode, but I do not believe that is a biblical pattern. If there has ever been an hour for the church to prove their reliance upon the Word of God and on giving, then this is it. I pray that this crises finds the church on their knees in prayer more, and more willing to let go of our tendancy to control and realize that what we need is to release God's resources.

I refuse to look at this hour as a depressing moment that will bring the church's mission to a halt, but I rather believe that we are in a defining moment of unprecedented oppurtunity that will position the church for endtime harvest! God, give us passionate men and women that understand that today is the greatest hour for the church.

Connections

I have been thinking a lot recently about how interconnected people are in this world. It seems on my travels acrossed the country that although the world is large in so many ways, it is getting smaller. There is a thought that we are only a few people removed from anyone else in the world and I tend to agree with this thought. One interesting part of the human psyche is our desire to be connected in one form or another to others. Over the last few months I have become a part of the world of facebook. It is amazing how connected each of us are when we begin to use these connections to link up with others that we never dreamed possible. A prevalent thought that rings in our minds so frequently is, " If I just knew the right people, then I would get my break." I have learned the power of networking and I realize that in many aspects of life the power of who you know is vitally important to success. Something that I have asked myself while thinking about networking and connections is are we out of balance in our thinking? It seems that many of us are consumed with Who we know, rather than Who Knows us. Though this seems similar, it is drastically different. Paul proclaimed, that I may know him.... Yet in Jeremiah 1:5 God said, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. KJV I would argue that life is not as much about our pursuit of knowing others, as much as it is about our pursuit of Him who knows us! Before God formed us, He Knew Us! What a powerful thought. Therefore, it is my connection to Him that opens up the door to the nations. It is God that ordains us as a prophet to the nations, not others. Our connection to Him, is the ticket to purpose in this life.

Observations along Interstate 94

This morning my family and I left the Detroit Metro Area to head out to the Northwest side of Chicago in McHenry County. I received the news this last Thursday evening that my grandfather, who pastors a church in McHenry, passed away. While on our way to Chicago we traveled Interstate 94 headed west to Chicago. I wouldn't say that their is anything exceptionally exciting about I94 except for the fact that it gives you a lot of time to think. When I think about the life of my grandfather, Nolan Hilderbrand, a lot of thoughts come to my mind. When someone passess away you always think of a few things that characterize that individual which always seems to stand out in your mind. So, because of that, I would like to share a few things that have stood out in my mind about my grandfather.

Faithful - If there is anything that I can say it is that my grandfather had an understanding of what commitment actually means. He has been married to my grandmother for 50 some years and has always been a faithful husband and provider for her. He lived in Chicago, working to support his family and the Lord called him to pastor a small church in McHenry, IL just outside of Chicago. He has faithfully served this wonderful congregation through the joyful times, as well as the painful times, yet he has never given up on what he felt God had called for him to do. In the day that we live when over 50% of marriages end in divorce, I can honestly say that my grandfather was an example of what being a faithful husband is.

Informed - One thing that anybody that knew my grandfather would say is that he was the most informed man on any situation you could imagine. He liked to dig for information and was very unimpressed with the flashiness and glitz, but he would dig to find out any information that he could on any situation. If you needed advice on a situation, he always had information that made you wonder, Where did he hear that from? I think this curiosity that he had is probably the same gene that I received that displays itself as a thirst for knowledge. The day that we quit learning is the day that we start falling behind. It is so easy to stick with what is comfortable to us, but there has to be a constant push to strive to grow to be all that we can be. It is not so that we can boast in how wonderful we are, but when we quit growing and learning, we lose the ability to serve others to our maximum potential! Growing and hungering for knowledge is therefore less about us and our desires, but it is more about others!

Godly - My grandfather was a man that desired God. As I already mentioned, he was not into the instant gratification that has unfortunately worked it's way into the church world as well as the secular. He realized that there was something to be said about being consistent and diligent. He studiously would retreat to his study at the house to prepare for his messages, always desiring to bring something much deeper than personality to the pulpit, but he desired to bring the Word with him. I am honored to have had Nolan Hilderbrand as my grandfather and I pray that the lessons that he exampled with his life will spill over into the lives of those that have had the privilege to know him.

All of these observations should make us think about our own lives. As much as we do not like to think about it, death will happen to us all. For the Bible tells us, there is a time and season for all things. What will be said about me when I die? How can I begin to live out what I want to be known for today? I have learned something in life and that is, you must take the time today to be what you want to become. You will never be known for what you desire to be, but you will be known for what you are? What have you done today that will make an eternal impact? In this world that we live it is so easy to be caught up in the temporal that we forget the eternal. I challenge you to do something today that you have been wanting to do, but have put it off due to a numerous host of excuses. Pick up the phone and call. Send that email. Say the kind word to your spouse. Hug your children one more time. Take the time to go on that date with your spouse.

Life Without Power

This last week I have been witness to the effects of Hurricane Ike while in the state of Ohio. On sunday afternoon of this last week a powerful windstorm blew through the state at an unprecedented 80-90 mph. This destructive force uprooted trees, ripped vinyl siding off of homes, and stripped shingles off of roofs. One of the most profound things that this storm did was that it knocked the power out on almost half of the state of Ohio.

On Monday morning of this last week I desired a cup of coffee before I took on the day. The only problem is that there was no power because it had been knocked out by the windstorm. I knew immediately that this storm affected more than just the electricity in Columbus, but it affected the physche of everyone's mind. I went to McDonald's and waited in line for almost an hour for my cup of coffee. People had lost their patience and tempers immediately began to flare. I realized instantly how routine plays such a profound role in our mindset. Electricity affects so many obvious things in our lives, but the interesting thing is the unseen hidden things that we take for granted that electricity affects.

I am somewhat rambling today, because this has been an interesting week needless to say. Things are finally getting back to normal again as electricity is coming on one house at a time. I can't help but think of all that we take for granted when we live under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as being the comforter. The amount of peace that we have when we live under the power of God's presence is easily taken for granted. When I even briefly consider trying to live without the power of God's presence I could never imagine what life would be like. God's presence affects every aspect of my life, from the way that I treat relationships, my work philosophy, my stewardship. The easiest way to describe life without His presence would be to live life by going through the motions. Their is a substance that His presence gives to life that makes life worth living! Today, encourage yourself to not take his Presence for granted, but appreciate what He allows us to experience!

Element's of a Christ Follower

I read a book by Jentezen Franklin on Fasting that truly inspired me in a forceful way. Whenever you can read a book on fasting that will inspire you it automatically becomes a treasure to hold on to. I want to share a simple thought out of the book which impacted me and add a few thoughts of my own to it.

In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus was speaking to his followers and unapologeticly began to list three things that he assumed every Christ follower would be doing.

1. Matthew 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms.... The first assumption that Jesus made was that his followers would be givers. There is nothing that I know that will release the power of God on something like giving. For the church to become what God wants them to be it is going to have to move into a dimension of releasing the resources that God has blessed us with. Notice who gave us the resources to begin with, God! If he has given them to us, then truly He can provide in times of need. I have heard a lot about the thought that possibly we are at a saturation point of giving in the church, but I do not believe that is true. I believe that people will give if they believe in the cause! Resources always follow vision, they do not precede it. Instead of focusing on saturation levels, lets focus on a greater vision! The assumption of Christ was that if you truly wanted to be a follower, you were going to be a giver! The call of God has always been to take up the cross and follow him. It is impossible to pick up a cross without first releasing things in your life! I have learned that the more I give, whether financially, or with my life, the greater the anointing that I walk in, for it becomes an issue of surrender.

2. Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest... It was understood that those who followed Christ would understand the value of prayer. Prayer is the language of the soul. Prayer is nothing more than talking to God. How can we call ourselves followers of Him, without having a relationship with Him? How can we have a relationship with Him if we do not communicate with Him? We must be sensitive to the voice of the spirit if we are going to lead in the 21st century. The only way that the church will be viable in the world that we live in is if we are filled with spiritual potential and unction! We must be led by the Spirit. The way to be led by the Spirit is to spend time in His presence! When we spend time in His presence, His voice becomes very clear!

3. Mathew 6:16 Moreover, when ye fast.... Christ understood that there were certain things that could only be broken by the disicipline of fasting. Jesus exclaimed, This kind cometh out by much prayer and fasting! The disicpline of fasting is in many respects a lost art in our day and age. We live in such a consumeristic mentality that everything revolves around what we want and what makes us feel good. When we learn the discipline of fasting, we are acting out the prayer that John made when he said, more of you and less of me. Spiritual Authority flows through the discipline of fasting. The voice of God is much clearer when we have spent time fasting! Their are deeper dimensions that we can walk in when we learn to value those things that He valued!

Solomon spoke of the strength of a three fold cord not easily being broken. I believe when we couple the three elements that I have spoken of, giving, praying, and fasting, it will create a cord in the believer's life that will not easily be broken down. It will bind a church together that will make it a force that must be dealt with!

The Placebo Effect

I was listening to a popular medical radio program the other day when someone called in asking a question about Diet Pills and whether or not they really work. The doctor responded with a chuckle as he began to explain some fascinating research. I can not remember the exact research results that he gave, and I have not done a lot of research myself on this topic, but I can remember the main points which I will share with you.

The first thing he mentioned is that many of the diet pills that are on the market are nothing more than a placebo. A placebo is defined as a sugar pill, or as an inactive pill with no medicine contained inside of it.

The second thing that he mentioned is that studies have shown that the more that a placebo pill costs, the more effective the placebo pill is. Researches have done case studies to prove this point, the more something costs, the better it works.

Now, I could go a lot of different directions with this, but immediately I began to think of Christianity in America. Unfortunately I feel that many are offering nothing more than a 'placebo religion'. I would define a placebo religion as a religion that speaks to nothing deeper than our feelings, yet never produces the actual change that is required in the new birth experience. The scriptures say, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. This scripture implies that in the new birth experience we are spiritually changed! It is more than just a 'feel good' experience, but there is something intrinsically different about us. When we fail to offer the new birth experience in it's entirety, we are offering a Christianity with no spiritual medication.

There is another principle that is interestingly discovered in the research surrounding the placebo affect. The more something costs, the more effective it is. In a world that is trying to make living for God easier than ever before by watering down certain beliefs, we must understand the principle that the more costly something is, the more power it has to change. In the scripture we find that Christ understood the cost associated with the New Birth Experience by spilling his own blood on Calvary according to Acts 20:28. It was not a cheap price, but it cost something very dear, His own life. How can we, as 21st Century Christians expect to get by on anything less but total surrender to Christ? To think that it is even possible to be in good standing with Him without surrendering everything to Him is purely a humanistic religion. The scripture still speaks for us to take up our cross and follow him. The cross many times seems cumbersome. It costs us a lot to rearrange our lives around the cross, yet being a disciple of Christ is not living out of convenience, but it is living out of surrender!

Many are searching for nothing more than the Placebo Effect. The signs of it are everywhere in our day. Churches want a large crowd whether lives are really being changed or not. People want the resurrection experience without dying on the cross. We want the promises in scripture without the discipline of walking in biblical principles. Lord, help us to communicate a message that truly changes an individual by going deeper than simple feelings, into the actual flesh of the heart! When Christ comes back, he is not coming for a church that feels good, but He is coming for a Church that has been washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Is There A Cause?

There has been a flurry of political news that is streaming across all forms of media in a monumental election this year. Although politics is not my specialty, I do enjoy keeping up on current events that are happening in our country. I was listening to the speech that Hillary Clinton gave at the Democratic National Convention on tuesday night and I felt as though she did a wonderful job. It was a difficult speech to give, seeing that she rightfully deserved at best being the Democratic Pick for President and at worst the Vice Presidential Candidate, but she was not considered for either. She went to the podium and began to deliver her speech. The task at hand was to get those who had been loyal to her campaign for president to move beyond feelings of sorrow and hurt surrounding her standing and create a vision to get them to buy into Barack Obama for President.

Midway through Hillary's speech she began to speak directly to her voters by asking a question. That question was simply, "Do you believe in me as a person and idea or do you believe in the Democratic Cause?" This was a question that was trying to pierce through all of the fog into the issue at hand. Hillary was trying to get people to look beyond the past and move the Democratic Cause forward.

As I began to think of this speech my mind progressed immediately to the thought of personality as opposed to cause. Why do we do what we do in our local churches? Are we driven by personality, social status, agenda? or are we driven by the cause? David asked the question of those surrounding him, " Is there not a cause? Every organization is at best one generation away from becoming extinct. The question of sustainability within the marketplace is simply lifting the rally cry for the cause and nothing less. It is the cause that brings proper motivation to a movement.

Although God has called the church to be built around His personality, many times we become guilty of building our own kingdoms, feeling as though we are pursuing His kingdom. Leading a church by personality or agenda will result in factions within the body of Christ that can not have sustainable growth! Jesus told Peter, Upon this rock I will build my church. He was directly speaking to the foundation of the church, which is Christ. With a foundation that is solidly in place we must unashamadely pursue forward by clearly atriculating the cause of Christ!

Although polictics is it's own animal with a lot of differing opinions and views on issues I believe there is much that the church can learn. To successful lead a country, you must move beyond just having people buy into the candidate, but they must also believe in the cause. As a church, we must move beyond just getting people to buy into us as leaders, but we must frequently communicate the cause of Christ, because that is the revolution that Christ has called us to partake in.