Author: Tom Sanders

The “Yuck” Factor

yucky-faceWhen God moves in our world it is often confronted by the wisdom of man.  Many times man has stepped in front of what God was doing and stated “This is not of God.”  Only to be proven wrong when we look back through history at what God had accomplished.

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[a] when God called you.   Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.”  Corinthians 1:26-27 NLT

Many times throughout history God has moved in great power.  And those who were supposed to know God’s hand and ways criticized and declared it wasn’t God.  Something we see all through the life and ministry of Jesus.  He came into this world to reveal the Father to us and to ultimately pay our penalty so that a relationship with God and us could be restored.

Every time God moves there are critics to the way He decides to move.  Someone once said “God offends the mind to reveal the heart.”  And often our heart gets in the way of what God is wanting to do.  The way He moves or the methods He uses cause us to turn our noses and say “Yuck.” I have had the privilege of studying many of the past moves of God, and the changes that have been made in the church throughout history, and I have been amazed that the trend is always the same.  As the presence of God increases, the opportunity to simply say “Yuck” when we see what is happening and dismiss it also increases.

Whether is our pride that gets in the way, or the way we “believe” that God should move, or the methods or people He chooses to work through.  The move of God always reveals what is in our hearts.  Do we desire the presence of God more than we desire our comfort and security?  Do we desire the anointing of God more than our reputation and image?

There is an awful lot of crap in our world today being disguised as “Christian” , or “God moving” and we do need to be careful what we choose to believe.  This is what we are encouraged to do in scripture.  “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”  Even though we need to be careful about what we see is God moving, we also need to be careful what we write off as not God.

Jonathon Edwards said “the task of every generation is to discover in which direction the Sovereign Redeemer is moving, then move in that direction.”  God is doing a great work in our day and time.  I am excited to see what He is going to accomplish and the lives He is going to change.  The question is will we decide to be apart, by being open to His lead, or will we hold tight to what He has done in the past and dismiss what He is doing today?  We can turn our noses up and say “Yuck” if we choose as many many many people have done before us.  Or we can allow our hearts and lives to change and enter in to what He is doing here today.

LEAVE THE CHOICE TO HIM

 Has God taught you the principle yet of leaving your rights with Him? Like a hitter in a baseball game who is given the signal to bunt by his coach, we must look to God to see whether we are to “sacrifice,” or “swing away.” Twenty-three year old Thomas Edison left Boston for New York in 1872. He was a brilliant inventor, but made his living as a teletype operator. Edison went to the Western Union office to seek employment as an inventor, but was told there was no such job. Instead, he was offered a position servicing and updating the teletype machines, which were quite temperamental. He was told by General Marshall Fawcett, “Just go to work, and I’ll settle up with you when we see what you can do.” Many months went by. Finally the General came in and said, “Well, son, how much do you think I owe you?” Edison was skilled with his hands, but ignorant of finances, although he had given the matter some thought. He determined that a thousand dollars would be adequate, but two thousand would be much more fair. He felt three thousand dollars was more than he deserved, but because he desperately needed the money, he decided to ask for five thousand dollars. But before he answered, he remembered the General was noted for his honesty, so at the last moment he asked, “General, what do you think my labor has been worth?” The General said without hesitating, “How does forty thousand dollars sound to you?” Edison said he turned pale, and his lips began to tremble. “F..fi – fine, sir, it sounds just fine.” He learned that day the General’s generosity exceeded his own greed. Those who demand their rights in the Christian life rarely grow. Their walk becomes stagnant and cold. But those who put their rights aside and leave the choices to God grow in grace with giant steps.

 

Will you follow Me?

“Come, Follow Me” Jesus said as He began to call His first disciples. And it is an invitation that continues to go out to all the nations of the world. “Come, Follow Me”

 But what does it mean to follow Jesus. Many churches today around the world equate following Christ with following the rules that are written in scripture. Rules that we struggle hard to keep, and feel guilty about when we don’t, or like many people, simply write off the message of the gospel.

 Many people want nothing to due with the church because of the experience many have had with the expectations to follow the rules, and the judgements that followed when they didn’t. But Jesus didn’t come and say, “Follow the rules and be made right”. He simply lays out an invitation to “Come, Follow Me”

 Christians all over have gotten things backwards when they think that they have to follow the rules to make God happy. Religion makes the demand “Change, and then you can join us.”

 Jesus offers us the opportunity to come to know Him, and to follow Him. Jesus makes the offer “Follow Me, and you will change.” We get it backwards when we think that following the rules makes us acceptable to God. Yes there are many rules listed in scripture. And God does want us to be following them.

 The problem comes when we put following the rules ahead of knowing and following Christ. The “fruit “ of following Christ is that we will begin to do what God desires. We will find ourselves keeping the rules without having to push and fight and beat our head against the wall. It will happen as a natural outcome of us following Jesus.

 When we put our focus on following the rules, we end up not following Jesus and always put the cart before the horse which always is a lot more work. Jesus extends His hand to us all and invites us to “Come, Follow Me”