Wednesday Morning Devotional

Spiritual Growth and Development

Until Christ is formed in you – Galatians 4:19

It is amazing how you can pray for years for something, and then all of a sudden, God reveals that you’ve been praying inaccurately.  One such prayer has been for the people I preach for, regardless of where I’m preaching.  I adapted a prayer from a Shawn MacDonald song called “Open Me.”  The prayer is simple; “Open up our eyes so we can see, our ears so we can hear, our minds so we can know and understand, and our hearts that we may fall in love with You.”

I say this prayer because I know that if a Christian has spiritual eyes, ears, minds, and hearts, they are disciples.  They are followers of Christ no longer in need of the “middle-man” of what we call church today.  I’m not saying church is unnecessary, but I am saying the Bible and prayer should be your primary source of spiritual nourishment, not church and preachers.  Therefore, I pray for these things.  Unfortunately, I recently realized I’ve been asking for spiritual eyes, ears, minds and hearts to be opened when they don’t even exist.  Let me explain.

Paul compares the growth of Christ in you spiritually to that of a physical child being formed in the womb.  If a child can stay cut off from the world for a bare minimum of 22 weeks (the survival record is 21 weeks, 5 days of gestation), remain attached to his or her mother in the womb, he or she will enter this world with a shot at survival.

In America, we have preached that saying a prayer produces a “born again” experience.  At best, asking Christ into your heart and life is the beginning of spiritual gestation.  The question is: will the seed planted inside of you develop enough to survive out in the world?

I remember being saved and thinking I had to immediately live this stuff out.  I was constantly failing and wondered if living the Christian life was even possible.  I said “the prayer” so many times hoping one would “take” and I would actually change.   I constantly wondered where my breakdown was occurring.

Once again, for years I had been saying the wrong prayer.  I had been praying that God would wave His magic wand, sprinkle some Holy Spirit dust on me, and I would change.  What I needed was to develop in the first place.  Christ needed to be formed in me.  Five years after initially asking Christ to come into my life, I finally began to read the Bible for myself.  I didn’t focus on changing my outward behavior; I just cut myself off from the world, and latched onto Him.  Fifteen months later I don’t know how He did it, I don’t even know when He did it, but I was brand new.  I looked at the world completely differently . . . I had spiritual eyes.  The words of God were so sweet . . . I had spiritual ears.  I understood things from the Bible and knew exactly what I needed to do . . . I had a spiritual mind.  Most of all, and most importantly, I had a heart that wanted to serve Him, and wanted to dig into His Word . . . I loved Him.  He was no longer a have to, but a get to.

Do you have spiritual eyes, ears, minds, and hearts?  Do you see Him in the simplest of things?  If your heart is pure, you will (Matthew 5:8).  Does He speak to you?  And I mean say something other than, “I want you to be happy, so go ahead and sin.”  Do you know Him?  I don’t mean know about Him, I mean do you know Him?  Do you love Him?  I mean more than anything else or anyone else on this planet, do you love Him?

I didn’t know it was even possible until I spent 15 months with Him and His Word.  I didn’t know it then, but I know now that was where my vital spiritual organs developed.  I wasn’t ready those first five years to enter the world and live for Him because I was a preemie.  The only thing I needed to do was the one thing I wasn’t doing, connecting myself to my life giving, life-producing Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Later

Adam

When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “You know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  — John 21:15

At this point in time, Peter felt he was unworthy to serve the risen Lord.  Within a very short period of time, he had gone from boasting about his loyalty and love for Jesus (Matthew 26:33), to following Him at a distance (Matthew 26:58), to denying Him (Matthew 26:72).  Therefore, when Jesus is resurrected from the dead, Peter feels like he can’t serve Jesus.  Jesus restores Peter and gets him back in the game.

It is so easy to feel like something you’ve done disqualifies you from service.  On the surface, I haven’t exactly lived what most church people would consider the perfect week.  I have been what many in the church world call “worldly.”  Last Wednesday, I revisited my teenage years and went to Atlanta to see Poison and Def Leppard . . . nostalgia at its finest.  I have to admit that it was pretty electrifying.  Then, I ditched my pastoral post to go play in a Scrabble tournament in Asheville.  Once again, it was pretty sweet because it was the first tournament that I placed first in my division.  Now that I sit here trying to type this WMD, I’m pretty sure the devil is doing me just like he did Peter back in the day.  The whispers are constant, “Think about where you’ve been and what you’ve done . . . you are unfit for service.”

At the same time, the word of God speaks to my heart this morning, “Adam do you love me more than these?”

What a question.

Here is the thing:  In all of the things I did that could be misconstrued as bad, God was all over me.  He never left me and never forsook me.  I got to hang out with one of my best friends in the world and talk about God for hours.  We spoke of how nice it was to like the concert and not love it like we used to.  We just hung out, caught up, and enjoyed each other’s company.  Three days later, I went to a different church that does church on Saturday night and got so blessed and refilled with God’s Spirit . . . it was amazing. The very next day, on the way to Asheville to play Scrabble, the Glory of God was all over the place.  I just felt Him like crazy.

I think God might have been calling a time out with me.  I think being a pastor for these past three years has kind of dehumanized me.  I have tried way too hard to put on this air of perfection.  I’m going to cut that out.  I don’t want to be simply a great rule follower.  I know a lot of them.  They seem so unhappy and absolutely nobody wants to be like them.  I pray that I never forget how much I need Jesus and how much He means to me.  It is so strange what He will use sometimes to remind me.

“Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

*In my best John Fogerty voice*

Put me in coach . . . I’m ready to play.

Later

Adam

But without faith it is impossible to please God. – Hebrews 11:6

If there is one prayer that I might have used too much over the years, it is the prayer of protection. I like the words “hedge of protection” in the book of Job. Over the years, these words have made me feel safe and protected from the enemy. At the same time, I believe I have often misinterpreted these words to mean, “keep me comfortable and happy while not making me do anything too difficult.” In that sense, these words have kept me from stepping out in faith.

I think back to the beginning when God wanted me to leave the “popular” lifestyle of partying and hanging out with certain “friends.” I had no idea what was on the other side of all of that. Who would I hang out with? What would I do on the weekends? It was so much easier to just keep on “believing” in God and ask for forgiveness at the end of the day for the junk I did that I know He didn’t approve of.

Stepping out on faith was so costly in the short term. It was lonely. It was incredibly difficult and I thought constantly of quitting. I had no replacement friends for the ones I gave up. But, I did learn in that alone time in the wilderness how to be friends with God. I talked to Him. I read His word. I wrote songs for Him and played them for Him. He was all I felt like I had, so He became my best friend.

Before long, opportunities to publicly declare His word came about. Public speaking was my all time number one fear. My voice would literally and obviously shake if I had to do something as simple as read in front of a group of people. My heart would pound so hard that I wondered if it would come out of my chest. I would just tell Him, “Lord, I can’t do this. Please don’t make me do this.” I had a choice. I could stay protected in my little shell, or I could step out on faith. Fortunately, when I did, God allowed me to crawl before I walked. He allowed me to preach short, simple little devotions to small groups of people and “work my way up” to bigger crowds. Stepping out on faith pleased Him because He sure started to bless me with some wonderful revelations about His Word.

Then came quite a big test: “Will you pastor a church?” I didn’t lack for excuses, “Lord, I only have a handful of sermons. How can I come up with something every week? How will it affect my family? Are you sure you don’t want me to retire from teaching first? Can I answer later?” I had so many reasons to say no. But, this verse resonated with me. All of my questions were about my own abilities. The right question was this: Do I trust You, Lord, who I claim as my God, to supply all that need to do what You have called me to do?

I said, “yes.”

How could I please Him otherwise?

I so want to please Him.

Have you ever stepped out on faith and done something really difficult for Him? I’m talking about something that really takes you out of your comfort zone and everything in you just makes excuses like crazy. If you haven’t, do you really expect Him to say at the end of your life, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Later

Adam

Jesus said to them, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”   — John 6:53

I have been attempting to be a preacher now for over 3 years. I have grown so much spiritually in this period of time. As I’ve grown, almost everything I have thought about church has turned upside down. When I was on the outside looking in, I thought a big part of church was having big crowds. I remember certain weeks being reserved for “bring a friend” or “pack a pew.” When I visited the churches with the really big crowds, it was electrifying. I loved it and that seemed to be what everyone should be aspiring to.

Now, before I go on, I do want to say that I don’t believe that there is absolutely anything wrong with any of those things I’ve mentioned.

However, now that I’m on the other side of the pulpit, I’m really questioning the “more people is better” model. Pastors certainly don’t lack for leadership conferences teaching about how to grow your particular church numerically. I even saw one where a famous pastor, for a sizable fee, will personally come and look at how you do things, and then give you steps to “maximize your growth potential.” Doesn’t sound like a bad thing at all . . . except . . .

Jesus was absolutely unconcerned with big crowds following Him. Every single time in the Bible that I read where big crowds started to follow Him, He said something to the tune of the verse I have chosen for this week. Read it again. Thirteen verses later (John 6:66) it says, “From that time, many of His disciples followed Him no more.”

They quit, and it appears that He made no effort to persuade them otherwise.

Why?

Maybe He wasn’t interested in people following Him simply for what He could do for them. Maybe He was more interested in people desiring His presence, not His presents. After all, when He said those words in John 6:53, He had just fed over 15,000 people on very little food. The people liked that trick and wanted Him to perform it again. When He told them that two-letter word nobody likes to hear, “no,” they simply said, “Forget this and forget Him.”

Surely we see that the American version of Christianity isn’t much different. Watch the numbers decrease in the church if an “inferior” pastor replaces the old one. Watch people never come back because you changed the style of music. Watch how many find someplace else if you do something as simple as change service times. If leaders want to keep crowds, they had better not be inconvenient.

Then again, maybe they should. At least then, just like Jesus, they would know who is there for the right reasons.

Later

Adam

Behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  – 1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV)

In the context of this verse, King Saul had an assignment.  He was to utterly destroy the nation of the Amalekites.  He partially obeyed.  Anything or anyone he thought was valuable, he simply kept for himself.  When confronted by Samuel the prophet, he justified his actions by saying he only did it so he could make a big sacrifice to the Lord.  Samuel let him know really quickly something that many Christians need to learn today:  Partial obedience is disobedience.

Saul honestly thought that he could just kill a bunch of animals on the altar and God would approve.  He thought sin was something to arbitrarily be declared as pardoned and then you could just move on.  He didn’t realize there was a real cost involved.  Most American Christians, like Saul, don’t realize it either.

So many people who claim Christianity think the greatest sacrifice is simply going to church.  Others think it is to put money in the offering plate.  Many believe that God actually desires the sacrifice of their time and money.  They actually believe it makes Him “happy” and okay with us.  Therefore, we behave as we wish, then believe our sacrifices cancel out our disobedience.

Samuel’s words teach us otherwise.

Many Israelites lost respect for the sacrificial lambs and forgot their purpose.  The point was that a sinner could transfer his sin onto the lamb and be declared clean.  However, since the innocent lamb was now tainted with its owner’s sin, it had to be destroyed.  The wages of sin is death, and it still is.

Therefore, we don’t simply ask to be forgiven over and over and keep living as we wish.  When we sin we contemplate our actions.  When convicted, and when we repent, we place our sin upon Jesus, our Passover Lamb.  Hear Him cry out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  Why is He saying such words?  He had never known sin.  He had never known what it was like to be separated from God the Father.  But He sure knows on the cross at this moment.  Why?  Because He has your sin and my sin placed upon Him.

Makes it a little more serious doesn’t it?  More than that, it makes me not want to sin.  I don’t want to hurt my Savior any more.  Why would I disobey Him knowing that if I want to be made right with Him, I must heap even more sin upon Him who I claim to love?  I pray it never be so.  For I have hurt Him enough with my foolishness and willful disobedience.

As we enter this Holy week, please don’t take it lightly.  God does not delight in church attendance and offerings.  I have learned that these two tools have been used to bless me more than anything else.  Shame on me that I have thought that my misery while “suffering” through a boring church service was His delight.  Shame on me that I have thought that He actually wanted my money. He is so good; He simply didn’t want money to have me.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He still desires obedience . . . not sacrifice.

I have learned that when I obey, even if it is insanely difficult and it is the last thing I want to do or feel like doing, the person who ends up blessed the most . . . is me.

Happy Easter

Adam

Threefold Salvation: Past, Present, and Future

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them. – Psalm 107:13

It seems that the American church is consumed with initial salvation. We love to count the number of hands raised, the number of checks in the “yes” box, or the number of people who come forward to the altar. I think all that is great, but at best, those things represent a seed being received and planted. Jesus Himself says you simply need to watch what happens to the seed. Some will be scorched quickly, weeds will choke others out, and some will actually produce at different levels (Matthew 13). I liken it to the first step of a marathon; Just because you took the first step 20 years ago, does not mean you are anywhere near the finish line.

Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present age. – Galatians 1:4

Here is the thing: No matter how long you have been saved, you are still presently being saved. I am calling things sin in my life right now that if you had told me was a sin at the starting gate, I might have just said no to it all. I would have thought that salvation is impossible, so why even try? I didn’t know back then that the only step I needed to be conscious of was the one right in front of me.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. – Matthew 24:13

Jesus says times will get tougher and tougher for the believer. As time goes on, being a Christian is becoming more and more difficult (not that it was ever easy). Many are pointing fingers at us, calling us names, and seeing us as the primary cause of the world’s problems. We are now known to many of the unbelieving world as xenophobes, misogynists, and bigots simply for believing the Bible. These labels have already cost many their livelihood here in the US. Christians in the Middle East and other countries aren’t as fortunate; they are dying brutal deaths for their faith in Jesus Christ. (See http://www.persecution.com)

Thank God when I am weak, He proves Himself strong. I have doubted Him and chickened out on Him so many times over the course of my life. Sometimes I can despair about this, but time and time again He proves that He will never leave me nor forsake me. I’m not going to say I’ve never thought about quitting because I have. But, every time I think about it, Peter’s question comes to mind: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6:68)

What religion, belief system, or non-belief system would I possibly trade Him for?

He has proven Himself faithful to me over and over for the past 25 years. His presence is the absolute greatest joy in my life. How could I possibly abandon the one person who has never failed me and never wronged me?

Lord, help me stay strong. Help me endure to the end.

Amen

Adam

And the Earth was without form and void . . . – Genesis 1:2

Three years and four months ago, God gave me an Isaiah 6-like experience. I didn’t know it then, but I know now that He was preparing me to preach His Word. I have asked ever since then for understanding of why He would place such a mantle on my life. I think I now know, and I believe the words I am about to write can help all believers who take the time to read this.

When I first started preaching, it was out of a pure heart with pure motives. I didn’t know a tenth of what I know now, but I knew God could convict and change hearts. I would walk through these open doors where people would asked me to preach and basically teach what I’ve heard others preach. I didn’t really know how to let the Bible be the middleman for all of my preaching material, so I used the material of others. I preached a lot of stuff that I would never preach now.

As I learned to study the Bible, God would blow me away with some of the stuff I saw in His word. I would then try to figure out ways to spin it all into a sermon that would blow others away when I preached it. For the most part, I got an excellent response every time that I preached. This sounds like a good thing, right? Well, it was, with one exception. I began to like man’s praise. In fact, it became my measuring stick for how well I did. If I didn’t get patted on the back with a “really good word, Adam, God will make you a great preacher one day,” I thought I had failed.

Anyway, one day, I thought about John the Baptist’s words, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” (John 3:30) John had a mega-church going. People came from miles around to hear his message. Nobody was preaching like the wild man in the wilderness wearing camel’s hair and eating locusts dipped in wild honey. Then, one day, Jesus came, and John turned all the attention over to Him. He still had his ministry, but it greatly diminished.

Before my Isaiah 6-like experience, had God made me a preacher, I would have joined the mega race. I would have done whatever it took to be the biggest, to have the best, and basically make sure everything we did was top notch in the world’s eyes. After my experience, I didn’t care if I was ever put out front again. I just wanted to live my life being as close to the King of King’s and Lord of Lord’s as was humanly possible.

Hence, Genesis 1:2. Twenty-two years after becoming a Christian, I finally got it (I’m kind of slow). Up until that point, I didn’t mind living for the Name of Jesus as long as my name was famous along side of His. I didn’t mind giving Him glory, so long as I got a little taste of it as well. The age-old sin of pride still flowed through my veins. But on that day, I became formless and void. This may sound like a bad place to be, but there is actually no place better.

When you lay down all your pride and all your ambition. When you lay down all your wants and desires. When you come to a place where you want only Jesus, and not Jesus and anything else, at that point you have become formless and void. You finally become a canvas on which God can paint. In the creation story, the Earth was formed, and then the Earth was filled. Would to God that every individual, especially the ones who claim Christianity, would go through the same process.

Lord, the sin and pride that lives within us is always looking to take control. We think we know better than You and admit that You are way too often our last resort. Even then, we only come to You because all of our options are gone and our plans didn’t work. Make us formless and void. Help us to realize the futility of trying to build out of our own effort. Help us to empty ourselves of pride and that need to really be somebody in this world. Show us what abundant life really looks like and remove the American version from our hearts. Create in us a clean heart that can receive as much of You as humanly possible. Renew in us a right spirit that only wants what You want and desires only that which You desire. You see the end from the beginning and there is no one like You.

Amen.

Adam