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February 27, 2013

You are saved by grace but you serve by choice.

I appreciate the staff at Valley Fellowship Church! Pastor Will Umbarger is an anointed minister and a great pastor for young adults at Valley Fellowship, but this afternoon, I caught Pastor Will installing a lock in a VFCA classroom. Why? He understands service!

Valley Fellowship Christian Academy Open House is Saturday afternoon, and Will is doing what was needed to have this classroom ready for guests. You are welcome to join us on Saturday, March 2, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Please, drop by! You can get more information at http://valleyfellowship.com/academy_home.php. The teachers and staff are BIG reasons why VFCA is the best school in Huntsville, Alabama (and beyond!). They understand that service is required of a servant of God.

Are you willing to do what’s necessary to serve in God’s kingdom?

If everyone in your local church was just like you, what kind of church would your church be?

All-out surrender is demanded of a servant. The “serve me” mentality of modern culture goes against what Jesus says in Mark 10:35-45. Jesus talks of being a servant. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (v. 43 NIV); For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (v. 45 NIV).”

For the Greek the highest ideal was self-determination expressed in freedom. Thus the Greek looked upon the slave as an inferior kind of person. It would have been contradictory to the Greek ideal to speak of becoming a servant to another, even to God. Christianity stood this ideal upon its head. (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Harper & Row, 1985)

Hebrew slaves were to be freed after a period of time, but someone who had been a slave, then set free, could by choice commit to serve the master for life. I think that is the imagery that Paul (Rom 1:1), James (James 1:1), Simon Peter (2 Peter 1:1), and Jude (Jude 1) highlighted.

You are saved by grace but you serve by choice. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

You must choose to submit to God’s control. Are you ready to serve God by serving others?

February 26, 2013

Trust God, Not Cash

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17 NLT)

#1 Trust the Lord as Your Provider.

Worry is the result of living as if it all depends upon you. That kind of excessive anxiety is more akin to living as if there is no God (atheism) than true faith in Christ. “Your attitude toward money actually reveals your attitude toward God Himself.” (Derek Prince, God’s Plan for Your Money)

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NIV)

#2 Ask the Lord for His Help.

“You do not have, because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2 NIV)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV)

#3 Honor the Lord with Your Wealth.

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV)
“You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:9-10 NIV)
“The Lord demands fairness in every business deal.” (Proverbs 16:11 Living)

Tell your money where to go! “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT) Do you have a spending plan? Have you set financial goals? Do you have a workable budget? You need to grasp what you OWN, what you OWE, what you EARN, and where it GOES. “Riches can disappear fast . . . so watch your business interests closely.” (Proverbs 27:23 Living) Are you wisely managing your time, talent, and treasure?

February 25, 2013

God Blessed THEM

Following the creation account of Genesis 1:26-27, the Word reveals that “God blessed them (Genesis 1:28 NIV).” Genesis 5:2 also mentions that He “blessed them.” Both male and female share the blessing of God. I may put more prominence upon this “blessing” than some, but it’s important to recognize that “BLESSING” was God’s objective.

Working together we take pleasure in the call and blessing of God. Male and female can be blessed.

The Lord wants to bless His children. The Lord wants to bless His best creation. The Lord wants to bless you! Receiving God’s blessing is for everyone.

Each of us can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13 NIV) Each of us can experience a daily, personal walk and relationship with God. Through Jesus Christ we can enjoy God’s astonishing presence. Each of us can experience Spirit Baptism. Each of us can be healed in answer to the believing prayer. Each of us can be strengthened by the marvelous move of His grace.
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Male and female are God’s valued creation and He wants to bless us. “Whether someone is a man or woman, employer or employee, Jew or Gentile, black or white, rich or poor, healthy or ill, strong or weak, attractive or unattractive, extremely intelligent or slow to learn, all are equally valuable to God and should be equally valuable to one another as well.” (Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, 1999, p. 202) You are God’s valued creation!

Heed the wisdom of the Roman philosopher Cicero, “A person who is to be happy must actively enjoy his blessings.”

Say it to yourself, “I am God’s valued creation.” Allow the Lord to heal any bruise or hurt within you. Allow Him to touch your heart and give you peace. Allow Him to bring encouragement to you personally. You are not a second-class creation or below the standard where He will bless. God has not formed you to allow inferiority to preside over your mind. Let Him renew your sense of value, knowing that you belong to Him. Allow Him to restore your value. Allow Him to revive your purpose. You are God’s valued creation.

February 24, 2013

Male & Female: Shared Rulership

Male and female are designed by God to co-labor together with Him. When Patti (my wife!) was five years old, she told her dad, “God just told me , I’m going to be a preacher.”

Wirt (my father-in-law) chuckled, “Is that right?”

“Well, I will either marry a preacher, or he will marry one, or both!” Patti insisted. Even at that young age in Boise, Idaho, she recognized God’s call upon her life. Guess what? She married a preacher and so did I!

I knew I wanted a partner in ministry, too. I met Patti during my sophomore year at Oral Roberts University, and I quickly determined she was the one I was to marry. A couple of weeks after asking her out, I had the opportunity to hear Patti lead a brother-sister wing devotional in the Fireside Room on campus. I think she had 12 or more pages of notes, barely got through three of them, but I was hooked! Without a doubt, she had the mantle of ministry. Actually, Patti is a better communicator than me. I get to preach publicly much more than she does, but she is definitely my partner in ministry. I need her; she needs me. We aren’t perfect, but together, we get to lead one of the best congregations in the world!

Male and female need one another. One is not inferior; the other is not superior – male and female are designed by God to be co-workers, co-laborers.

Within God’s original creation, both man and woman shared responsibility for the garden. Male and female were co-regents over the abundance of God’s creation. The command of Genesis 1:26 expresses shared dominion: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (NASB)

God’s command was given to them, not him. God’s original statement must govern our thinking on this subject! Ha’adam, with the definite article ha, used in Genesis 1:26, 27 for “man,” is not the proper name Adam with an article. Ha’adam is a generic term meaning “humanity” or “mankind.” That’s why the plural “them” is used. If God meant a single person, the pronoun, “I,” “he,” or “him” would have been used, but not “them.” This text tells us God did not give His command to rule just to one person, but to all humanity, including the soon-to-be-made woman. (Charles Trombley, Who Said Women Can’t Teach?, 1985, p. 67)

Both shared individual responsibility and dominion over the garden, animals, and soon-to-be-kids, but not necessarily the same responsibilities. They are equal, but still distinct from one another. This does not mean that men and women should perform all the same responsibilities. God has made clear distinctions between us.

For example, male and female are not interchangeable as marriage partners. To put it more clearly, a man isn’t to marry a man, and a woman isn’t to marry a woman. Men are not made to carry a baby through pregnancy and childbirth. Praise God! There was a distinction between male and female, but teamwork was an ingredient in Adam and Eve’s relationship and responsibility. Fulfilling God’s will requires teamwork.

I am not trying to beat up on men, but the concept of teamwork seems far removed from the out-of-balance domination that characterizes many husband-wife relationships. The New Testament does teach “headship” of the man within marriage, but loving leadership is not abusive or domineering. Submission does not equal stupidity. Wives, your opinion counts! You have been put together for a purpose. We need one another. We accomplish more as a team.

Some men ask, “What about Genesis 3:16? Didn’t the Lord tell me to rule?” Let’s take into account that verse. Rulership of the man over the woman was not a part of the original created order. “Rule” was the result of the Fall. The statement of Genesis 3:16 is a declaration, a prediction.

To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 NASB)

As I researched his verse, several people adeptly clarify the “rule” referred to in Genesis 3:16, and richly reveal the tenor of this verse:

“Results of the fall of man can never be construed as God’s divine order for him. God told Adam he was going to eat by the sweat of his brow (see Gen. 3:19), but that was a consequence of sin rather than God’s divine intention for him.” (Fuchsia Pickett, “Equal In Creation,” SpiritLed Woman, June/July 1999, p. 14)
“If God ordered such a command, the verb “shall” or “will” would have been in the imperative mood – a command . . . this verb is in the simple imperfect, and not a command at all . . .The imperative is only found in the present tense, so this simple imperfect tense prevents translation of “shall” as a command. It doesn’t say man “shall” but “will” rule her; it’s not a command but a consequence. God did not tell Eve she must bear children, but that she would. He didn’t tell Adam “you must” work by the sweat of your brow, but “you will.” He didn’t say that men must rule and dominate women, but that they will!” (Trombley, p. 112-113)
Genesis 3:16 “is not a prescription of what should be, but a description of what happens through sin where redemption is not overcoming the effects of the fall.” (John Piper and Wayne Grudem, “Charity, Clarity, and Hope: The Controversy and the Cause of Christ,” Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, 2001, http://www.cbmw.org/resources/articles/cberesponse.html)
“God created the man and woman to be a team with a corporate destiny bigger than both of them separately . . . to be able to accomplish something higher than each of them could do alone.” (Cindy Jacobs, Women of Destiny, 1998, p. 209)

God expected the man and woman to work together in order to achieve His purposes. Teamwork is required. Enjoying vital relationships requires teamwork. God expects male and female to work together in order to achieve His purposes.

We can be laborers together.

February 23, 2013

Tapestry of Worship

Did any of you sense the spiritual release that shook our congregation during last Sunday’s 10 AM worship? As Kimberlyn began to sing “Place of Freedom”, I felt heaven enter. At the chorus – “I’m gonna lift my hands till I can reach heaven” – the congregation connected in a tremendous way, as if the words came directly from our own hearts and our own experiences. After the service, several folks told me they sensed angels joining us at that moment. Brenda N. told me, “Last Sunday was off the chain!”

“Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3 NASB)

Could you hear and/or see the response? I liked it. I enjoy touching heaven. How about you? Isn’t it awesome that God does something unique every time we come together in worship? Every worship service is an irreplaceable event.

In his excellent book Following the River (2004), Bob Sorge employs the imagery of a tapestry to describe corporate worship.

Each event of congregational worship is an unreplicated, one-of-a-kind, never-been-seen-before-in-the-history-of-the-planet, never-to-be-seen-again, breathing love exchange with our Beloved. Why? Because never before, in the history of the world, has this specific group of people gathered together in this way, with all their existing mindsets, attitudes, and the emotional trappings of their current life issues. So when we express ourselves together before the throne of God, the nature and themes of our expressions will be different from any other worship service that has ever transpired. When this group of saint touches the heart of God, a tapestry of worship will begin to emerge that will be absolutely unique in its emphasis and flavor. (p. 43-44)

The tapestry is a terrific metaphor for corporate worship. A tapestry consists of individual threads combined into one. In the hands of an expert artist the individual threads are woven together to produce something beautiful. Every believer has his or her own thread. The Holy Spirit is the worship leader that connects and weaves and stretches and twists our individual life threads into a worship tapestry for the Father’s glory.

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT)

For the tapestry to be complete, we need everyone – pastors, elders, worship leaders, singers, musicians, and the congregation – to lend their threads. For our Sunday worship tapestry to have full expression of color, glitter, and shining beauty, we need everyone’s life thread. The corporate tapestry lacks the fulfillment of its splendor if everyone is not available. Everyone one has a vital role, but a person’s thread can be withdrawn from being used by the Holy Spirit because of complacency or passivity or tiredness or anxiety.

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)

If I am disengaged or withdrawn, my thread will be missed. I must press in for myself. I must yield the thread of my giftings, my anointing, my posture, my thoughts. I must yield myself. By yielding I surrender my thread to be woven into a tapestry of love, affection, and worship for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our congregational worship is significant and our worship is powerful. It impacts people with the power and presence of the Lord.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)

I can’t help but have excitement about what the Lord may do this weekend. It’s time to connect with God in Real Worship! What the tapestry will look like on Sunday?

February 22, 2013

What was that I never understood you say?

Meaningful communication is a fundamental component of relationships that last.

Husbands and wives must maintain verbal interaction, but communication is NOT easy. Anyone who has been married for longer than a year will testify that communication isn’t easy. Men and women just do not think, talk, or share the same way. Husbands and wives can equally acknowledge, “I know you think you understand what you heard me say, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Marital interaction should include:

Talking daily and openly,
Encouragement, compliments, and courtesy,
Disclosure of perspective, judgments, and ideas,
Sharing of feelings, dreams, and fears.

I have laughed at so many examples of men and women not understanding one another. Perhaps a reason I laugh so deeply is that I can relate. I love my wife! Patti and I have been married over 25 years and intend on staying married for life. But, as well as we know one another, neither of us is a mind-reader, and we too often get in semantic arguments over what we meant by spoken words.

Communication specialists point out that when you talk with another person there are actually six messages that can come through.

1. What you mean to say.

2. What you actually say.

3. What the other person hears.

4. What the other person thinks he hears.

5. What the other person says about what you said.

6. What you think the other person said about what you said. (H. Norman Wright, Communication: Key to Your Marriage, 1974, p. 54)

Meaningful communication is hard work and takes time. If a person can overlook the actual words that are said and instead seek to understand the true intent behind the words, profound intimacy flourishes. Ultimately, meaning is in people, not in words. Francis of Assisi prayed, “Lord, grant that I may seek more to understand than to be understood.” Can you seek to understand your mate?

Back in 2002, before she married, my sister Kim emailed me the following “advice” regarding the some of the words that women use. Kim didn’t tell me who originally wrote it. I wonder if Kim passed these humorous instructional definitions to my brother-in-law.

WORDS WOMEN USE

“FINE”: This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use “Fine” to describe how a woman looks – this will cause you to have one of those arguments.
“FIVE MINUTES”: This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it’s an even trade.
“NOTHING”: This means “something”, and you should be on your toes. “Nothing” is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. “Nothing” usually signifies an argument that will last “Five Minutes” and end with “Fine” .
“GO AHEAD (RAISED EYEBROWS)”: This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over “Nothing” and will end with the word “Fine”.
“GO AHEAD (NORMAL EYEBROWS)”: This means “I give up” or “Do what you want because I don’t care”. You will get a “Go Ahead (Raised Eyebrow)” in just a few minutes, followed by “Nothing” and “Fine” and she will talk to you in about “Five Minutes” when she cools off.
“LOUD SIGH”: This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A “Loud Sigh” means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over “Nothing”.
“SOFT SIGH”: Again, not a word, but a non-verbal statement. “Soft Sigh” means that she is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe, and she will stay content.
“THAT’S OKAY”: This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. “That’s Okay” means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. “That’s Okay” is often used with the word “Fine” and in conjunction with Raised Eyebrows.
“GO AHEAD”: At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.
“PLEASE, DO”: This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance with the truth, so be careful and you shouldn’t get a “That’s Okay”.
“THANKS A LOT”: This is not necessarily an appreciative recognition. A woman will say, “Thanks A Lot” when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way, and will be followed by the “Loud Sigh”. Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the “Loud Sigh”, as she will only tell you “Nothing”.

“THANKS”: A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say, “you’re welcome”.

February 21, 2013

Plastic Imitation is a Fruitless Substitute for Real Worship

I have a green plant in my office – a fake, plastic plant in the corner of my window seal. Years ago, I had a real aloe vera plant, but I eventually gave it away. The plastic plant is so much easier to maintain. I just wipe the dust off of it every once in a while and it looks fine. Artificial vegetation doesn’t need watering. Synthetic leaves don’t turn brown from lack of adequate light. Imitation roots demand no fertilize. Man-made flora looks okay. The fake plant doesn’t require my time, attention, work.

That’s the actual issue – I didn’t want to invest the energy to have a real plant; I didn’t want to spend the time; I didn’t want the work. To have a healthy and growing living plant, I have to supply soil, air, water and light – and in the right quantities. With the appropriate ingredients a plant will grow green and lush.

But . . . I don’t appreciate keeping a live plant in my office enough to do what is obligatory. Instead, I settle for a cheap substitute – the plastic plant in the corner.

I wonder how many times people settle for a cheap, fruitless substitute in worship. Honest worship naturally flows from an appreciative attitude, yielded thought-life and relinquished self-will. Unfortunately, much of what is labeled “worship” is actually a plastic imitation, a karaoke caricature of the real thing. Is the spectator/performance mentality of so many the natural result of a lack of interest in doing what is required to have healthy living worship?

To really worship, to really connect spirit with Spirit, effort is required. Spirit-empowered worship entails time in God’s presence. It mandates spiritual connection to the True Vine we as believers are connected as branches.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.” (John 15:5 MSG)

Worship is a living, breathing exchange between the Lord Jesus Christ and His beloved bride. Worship shouldn’t just be turned on and off on weekends. Folks who only worship when someone is watching them don’t inspire worship in others. People perceive the emptiness. They may not be able to identify the impediment, but will sense something fake, something artificial, something plastic about the worship. Connection to the Vine is demanded.

For worship to flourish like a plant with beautiful, deep green leaves, we must connect with God EVERY day. My wife and daughters know I treasure them when I spend time with them. Time is the commodity by which I water, fertilize, and cultivate the relationships I value. Time is the super bloom for healthy relationships.

It is not too late to revive your worship! Just because there are some browning leaves on the plant doesn’t mean it’s time to throw away the plant! No matter how you feel, there is hope. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Draw near and He will run to you. Let your worship blossom!

Invest time privately in connecting with the Lord. With your investment, God’s noticeable presence will be experienced. Your private worship will prepare the way for incredible worship experiences during Sunday services. Connection with God allows worship to have life, truth, joy, peace – God’s manifest kingdom.

I may settle for a plastic plant in my office, but I am not willing to relinquish real worship in the sanctuary. I want worship gatherings at Valley Fellowship to fulfill God’s ordained purpose. I want our congregational worship to be real. I want us to touch heaven. Please, join with me in greening up our worship! Spend some time with The Vine.

February 20, 2013

Vital Relationship of Female & Male

Last year, Patti and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. Thank You Jesus! Heavenly Father always gives me much better than I deserve. God knew I needed a partner in life and ministry. I wasn’t made to do life alone.

Enjoying vital relationships is a good thing! We were created to be relational beings. Both man and woman share relationship with God and each other in the garden. Look back into the first chapter of Genesis; notice the last word of verse 10, 12, 18, 21, and 25. What’s the word God uses of His creation? “Good”!

Land and Seas: “God saw that it was good.” (1:10)
Vegetation, plants and trees: “God saw that it was good.” (1:12)
Stars, sun and moon: “God saw that it was good.” (1:18)
Fish and birds: “God saw that it was good.” (1:21)
Animals and livestock: “God saw that it was good.” (1:25)

Genesis 1:31 underscores “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (NIV) However, the Lord says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18 NIV) It is not good for any person to be alone.

Men and women who are kept in isolation suffer in many ways. We like reading stories about Robinson Crusoe’s lonely adventure and laugh in the theater as Tom Hanks talks to a volleyball, but in reality, human beings do not function well alone. We don’t want aloneness to happen to us. Man was not made to be completely alone! We are to enjoy vital relationships with God and with each other.

I am intrigued by what’s told in Genesis 3:8. Shortly after the Fall, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (NIV) It appears that from time to time the Lord would fellowship with them in the garden. Both hid – not just Adam, Eve hid, too – because both apparently recognized the sound the Lord made as He was walking. This wasn’t something new. They both had a personal relationship with God along with sharing intimate relationship with one another.

Look back at the phrase “a helper suitable for him” in Genesis 2:18. This verse has been the tool used (by some folks) to somehow substantiate that women are insubordinate or inferior to men. However, the Hebrew phrase does not contain that connotation. Instead, the term emphasizes the adequacy of the woman. She is just what he needed! She is the answer to a problem. Relationship between male and female corrected the “not good.”

Almost every other time the Hebrew root of “helper” is uses in the Old Testament, it refers to God our help. For example, the same Hebrew root spoke of Eve’s relationship to Adam is used of the Lord in:

His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (Exodus 18:4 NLT)
Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.” (Deuteronomy 33:29 NIV)
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. (Psalms 33:20 NLT)
But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay. (Psalms 70:5 NLT)
O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. (Psalms 115:9-11 NLT)
I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! (Psalms 121:1-2 NLT)

Saying, “The Lord is my helper” does not insinuate that the Lord is less! “This would suggest that the helper envisioned in Genesis 2:18 is not inferior in essence to the one helped. Rather, the helper is to be thought of as a co-worker or enabler.” (Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 1998, p. 564) The man needed the woman, but the women needed the man, too.

One is not inferior; the other is not superior. Male and female need one another. We are created for relationship.

February 19, 2013

“In God’s Image” to Be Like Him

We each play a valuable, vital part within God’s redemptive plan and purpose. God places equal value on men and women. Too often this world falsely teaches that women are inferior, or this race is inferior, or this group of people is inferior. Men and women were equal in God’s original creation. The Lord treasures us!

As we focus on the creation accounts in the Book of Genesis, God’s Word reveals that male and female shared equal value in God’s original creation. Male and female, man and woman, are God’s cherished creation. We should not discount the magnitude of God’s call upon our lives. We share amazing value as God’s creation of male and female. The crowning achievement of creation is described in Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV):

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Both man and woman share creation in God’s image. It is not just the male made in God’s image for the female is made in God’s image. Genesis 5:1-2 reiterates, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them man.” Humanity has special value because male and female were created in the image, in the likeness, of God.

We are worth more than a snail, a fish, or a bird. We have more value than the groomed puppy dog upon which we spend so much time and money. We are more precious than any endangered species. Men and women are the height of earthly creation and have more worth to God than any other creature – because we carry the likeness of God.

Sin mars but cannot fully remove the singular significance of humanity created in God’s image. Theologians have argued for centuries concerning the exact characteristics that set humanity apart. The statement “image of God” is so filled with meaning.

Included in the phrase “in God’s image” is the idea that “we are like God and represent God” on the earth (Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, 1999, p. 189). An analogy that illustrates this notion is the relationship I have with my daughters. As a parent I pass certain physical or genetic traits to my children. On the other hand, with time, love and discipline, my daughters develop inward traits that are of greater consequence than the shape of a nose or the color of eyes. In order to truly be like God and represent Him properly, the Lord intends for the development of His character within our lives.

What is God like? What are His characteristics and traits? Faithfulness, peace, forgiveness, loving-kindness are all part of His makeup. A mirror reflects the image of the person looking into it, and 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) points out that “We . . . all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.” Paul articulates a continuing process of transformation into His likeness. In Romans 8:29 (NIV), Paul divulges that the Lord predestined us “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” God anticipates that we can be Godly. Representing God appropriately demands us to be reflectors of His character. We should reflect the traits of God’s love, peace, joy, and more, within our relationships.

You are God’s valued creation! Female and male can reflect God’s character!

February 17, 2013

7 Releases Triggered By Encouragement

Encouragement releases the people around us.

#1 Encouragement Releases Confidence: God does NOT give timidity or fear! Why not imitate Him?

#2 Encouragement Releases Effort: Have you ever noticed how a compliment sparks a child to attempt a new task with intensity?

#3 Encouragement Releases Perspective: We have a future – even beyond death! “Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV).”

#4 Encouragement Releases Potential: Did a teacher see something special in you? A coach? There is a reason we remember those words. Often all it takes is someone acknowledging what God has given to release potential.

#5 Encouragement Releases Creativity: You probably thought of yourself as an artist in kindergarten. Did critics stifle your gifts? Why not turn the tables and begin to deliberately promote creativity in your sphere of influence?

#6 Encouragement Releases Freedom: Encouragement and accountability are important components for anyone overcoming addiction.

#7 Encouragement Releases God’s Kingdom: (Righteousness, Peace, & Joy) Your words can turn a person’s problem-focus into a God’s-power focus.