Freedom to Be

Freedom is an amazing thing, but it also is one of those things that you really don't truly appreciate until it is taken away, or you lose it. Because for most of us, freedom is the way we have always lived. We live in a free country, free to believe and do pretty much whatever our heart desires. This is both good and bad. Most people believe that freedom is just that: freedom to do what they want. Unfortunately, and it is why we have laws, some people only care about their own freedom and not how the exercise of theirs can affect someone else's.

I want to suggest that true freedom occurs when we operate inside of how God designed us to be. We are all made by a perfect God, who designed us for Himself, and gave each of us gifts and talents to use for Him and His causes. A mentor of mine told me an illustration of freedom that he heard, and I want to share it with you as it paints a truly clear picture of what freedom looks like.

I said earlier that we are most free when we operate inside our God-given design. For example: birds are most free when they are flying. Submerge a bird in water and we soon realize it has lost its freedom. The same is true with a fish: toss it on land, and it loses the freedom it once had swimming in the water as it was made to do. So one could say that the bird and the fish are most free when they do what they were made to do, right? Another way of saying this is that the bird and the fish are most free when they are obedient to their designer's plan. How does this work for us?

We too are created by a designer, if you will, and He has a plan and purpose for His design. Look at this verse:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:16

That word "workmanship" is the Greek word that literally translates as masterpiece: the same description could be given of an artist's finished work. So in essence, we are God's masterpieces, created to do good things that God has already prepared for us, that we should walk in them. Did you see how this verse ended? Paul is saying that we should walk in them: walk in the ways God has prepared in advance for us. Another way of saying "walk in them" is to be obedient to. Paul is saying we are at our best when we operate the way that we were designed to.

Do you see that? Hear what Paul is saying, that when we are obedient to our designer's plan, we then are the most free to be who God made us to be. Just as anything God has created, when it finds its created purpose, it finds its greatest freedom. Problem with us is that we think we know better. Obedience holds us back and puts rules on us to "behave," and is not fun at all. Obedience is not doing what you want and asking God to bless it, it simply is doing what God wants. You want to experience freedom beyond measure, then try being obedient beyond feelings.

In His grip,

Pastor Pat

Less Than Zero

When it comes to quantity, more is better, right? I am talking about things we desire, good things, desirable things like certain types of foods, or possessions, or money = more is always better. OK, so we agree on this. But then the question is asked: "What is the cost?". More might be better, but it does cost something, because nothing, absolutely nothing is absolutely free - agreed?

So this becomes somewhat of a paradox: we want more, but we have to be willing to pay the price. More food means more calories and potential cost of weight gain. More possessions means potentially more debt, or at least the cost of more responsibility for your stuff. More money usually means more work, and that in turn costs time with family or friends, and so on. As a matter of fact, more costs more. These situations are not a problem if you are willing to pay the cost, but that is another problem...we think we are willing to pay it, and then the bill comes. Crazy, huh?

I think this dilemma has found its way into the modern church culture - the church thinks that the more it has, the more it can do, so it needs to always be getting and doing more. This is where the paradox enters the church and the cycle of cost/benefit analysis starts. Before I chase some rabbit down some number related rabbit hole, I want to state a new number: ZERO. No more more. Because when it comes to church, founded by Christ and on Christ, the cost has already been paid to complete the work that needs to be done = so the church needs nothing, zip, zilch, zero, except Christ and His completed work on the cross.

Wait a minute you say, if zero is the number, then when it comes to outreach and ministry how would that apply? I am in NO WAY saying the church does NOT need resources, as a matter of fact what I am suggesting will require more resources and more commitment. What I am suggesting is that instead of quantifying how much or how many, we should be looking to get to zero. Yes...zero homeless, zero hungry, zero broken families, zero people who have not heard the Good News or experienced the love of Christ, zero, zero, zero. How's that for a number? Working to end the problem and not just to see how many or how much we can accomplish.

In the early church, if the apostles and disciples based the continuation of their work spreading the Gospel on numerical success, they might have stopped after a few big successful events - "BOOM! Look at what we did! Thousands came to believe today...that is enough." But they didn't. They started with the goal of telling everyone, so that there would be zero people who had not heard the good news, and when everyone is reached it would be mission accomplished. A mission that is far from over (there are approximately 33 million unreached people in California alone). A mission that is ours for the taking, that has as its goal, the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20) and as its source for strength to accomplish it, the Author of Life, God Himself. Sounds like a promising venture.

Just a side note...this is not a proposition seeking your help to ensure its completion, this will happen, look up Revelation 7: 9-10. The Great Commission will be fulfilled, the only question you have to wrestle with is whether or not you want to help....so what is it?

Let's get to ZERO...

In His grip,

Pastor Pat

Cause of OR Name of

As Christians, we are often times labeled or put down because of a particular stance we take on a subject or social issue. Sometimes this is persecution, but other times it is deserved...let me elaborate, because it is not about our position on the issue that becomes the problem, but our motivation for it.

When we as Christians, stand on the Word of God, we are standing on solid rock. The problem comes when we try to pick a battle in the name of Christ, instead of, for the cause of Christ. This happens when we fight over the veracity of one sin over another sin and whether or not someone is saved. We should be fighting for what Christ fought for, and not picking battles in His name. Please understand, I am in no way implying that we should not do things in the name of Christ, but that we should be careful that using His name, is not being used to justify our agenda.

There are churches using violence and public displays of disapproval, to attack those who do not agree with their religious convictions. Although, they are fighting about things that seem to be against Biblical principles, their methodology seems miles from any semblance of a "Christian" response. This leaves those who see this kind or behavior with a dismal view of those "Christians," let alone this kind of "Christianity," that promotes such actions, and ends up repelling people away from Jesus, instead of compelling them towards Him. This is because they are doing something in the name of Christ, and they are missing doing it for the cause of Christ. What is the cause of Christ you ask?

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." Luke 19:10

Now, as a matter of fact, everything we do should be in the name of Christ, for the cause of Christ. This would ensure that everything we do, is done for the right reason, because sometimes separating our agenda from our actions, is an impossible task. That is why we need to be all the more intentional when using the name of Christ, that it is not for anything other than the cause of Christ.

Doing things in the right name, for the right cause, is always found to be for the right reason.

In His Grip,

Because He Said So...

God does not speak to voice empty threats or empty promises. God speaks for our benefit, not His. He does not speak to tell us what He is doing, as if to seek our input. His Words encourage us to continue on our journey of following Him, as well as consistently warning us about what might happen if we choose not to.

God does not just speak to get us to do things His way, He speaks to show us the right way. His Words are light for our paths (Psalm 119:105), and provide direction in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24). Every Word from God has proven true as it was written, and has never been adapted, or changed, to fit current times or situations.

Our choice, when it comes to the Word of God, is pretty simple: we will either listen and respond to it, or we will choose to ignore it and suffer the consequences of the warnings...no middle ground here. As I see it, one can do what He says because He is Lord, or do what you want and realize He is Lord later. His position never changes, question is simply whether or not we will recognize it before it is too late.

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11 ESV

The clock is ticking...your call.

In His grip,
Pastor Pat

Walking-The-Walk Much...

We have all probably heard people say about others; they talk-the-talk, but don't walk-the-walk. The reality is that people quite often "talk-the-walk they want to walk." With that said, intentions have never accomplished anything; after all, actions do speak louder than words.

What is a "walk," and where are we supposed to be going anyway? Most people move from moment to moment, trying to do the best they can to get through all that life throws their way, right? That is why most people are surviving and not thriving in their daily lives. God's plan was, and is, for us to thrive, and never to just get by. So how do we do this??

Simple: do what the God who created you, created you for. We were created by God, and for God. After all, if He made us, He did so with a plan in mind, and not haphazardly. With that, we look to what He says we should do, because He knows us best He also knows what is best for us...make sense? Look at this verse:

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22 ESV

Sound simple? That is because it is. Do what God says because He says so. He has never been wrong, and I find it unimaginable that He would start now. So look to His Word to guide your walk, and then simply follow...but remember, He never said it was going to be easy.

In His grip,

Pastor Pat