You Know What You Need

The war was breaking loose all around him. They were stuck in a shallow ravine, and the enemy was closing in on all sides. One by one his men were being picked off, and he knew he needed help. Quickly he surveyed the attack being played out before his eyes; one well planned, no doubt, by his enemies, those seeking to destroy him and his men. Calling out to his key leaders, he asked, “What do you need?” followed by the encouragement, “Don’t give up and hold fast; help is on the way!” Taking in all he had heard and the actions taking place before him, he called out to those outside the battle–his support team. While they were out of range and unable to physically join the battle, they were able to provide support, both morally and physically–all they need do is choose to respond. He called first for an air strike, giving the exact coordinates and specific direction; he then waited for the response. After a short delay, he heard these painful words, “You know what you need to do is. . .” His response, “We did that and I lost many men. I need an air strike!” However, now the enemy had come even closer, too close for an air strike; now he needed reinforcements! Once again, he radioed in, “I need reinforcements on my right flank–they’re breaking through my lines!” The response, again, was not what he wanted to hear, “First you need to try. . . ” Again, his heart sank as the enemy was now overwhelming his position. “I tried that–never mind, it’s too late!” With those words, the radio became forever silent–all was lost, the enemy had won, all were dead. You see, on this fateful and fictional day, these men assigned a task were doing all they could to hold their ground and fulfill their call; they had given all they had and failed. Their failings were not because of lack of perseverance, ability to follow orders, or commitment to their call. They failed because they did not have the support needed from those who could truly help them win the battle. Unfortunately, today, we believers are all too willing to offer our advice and withhold our prayers and support. We spend our time trying to fix the situation as opposed to trusting that the people in the situation are well aware of what they need. More often than not what they need are our prayers because, after all, when God is in control we, too, need to surrender to and trust Him. The reality is that when we offer advice or attempt to fix things, we are often saying, “God is not enough; He needs my help.” In our pride, all too often we do more to contribute to the enemies success than to the Lord’s ultimate victory in a given situation. We tend to listen to those outside of the battle and join in with their advice or counsel more than we do those who are in the battle. I implore you to ask yourself, “Am I responding to circumstances, rumor, or perception, or am I trusting the God of all creation in every situation?” When we respond to any situation based upon what we see or think we see or what others are saying, we are in error. We are in danger of causing greater pain and suffering to those we care about and love. Should we not be concerned? Should we turn a blind eye? No, we pray! We avoid gossip, and we stop rumors and lies by not listening to those speaking them. If we want a biblical Godly approach, we go to the source first, and we ask: “What do you need?” rather than “You know what you need to do is. . . ” This simple act will do more to build trust, show compassion, and solve challenges than any other action you can take. After all, when we are in the battle, when we are failing, and when we are struggling, we don’t need anyone to tell us what we already know–we need prayers, grace, and mercy; the same thing Jesus gave and commands us to give. Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Today's Heroes

Today, more than ever, we seem to be a nation of numbers. What are the stock prices today? How much is gas? By what percentage will my utilities increase? In the new age of technology, as always, it’s all about numbers: so many units sold equal so many employees and so on. Too often numbers measure our success. How many sales today, or how many books have you written? And how about this one: how many people are in your church? Yes, it is true. Unfortunately, even in churches we too often measure the success by numbers in attendance or how many people got saved at our last crusade. However, I am sure most pastors would agree—it is not about numbers; it is about the heart. During years of Outreach America’s existence, I had the great pleasure of working with various churches that would be classified as small in numbers. I cannot help but be impressed by the utter dedication to God and the furthering of the kingdom these pastors possessed. Let me say this, however, I don’t believe for a moment pastors of large churches are any less dedicated or committed to Christ. The men and women who pastor these churches are often not just the pastor. More often than not they are pastor, shepherd, teacher, church secretary, janitor, and more. Yet they continue to serve and seek God with all fervor. Often secluded from contact with other pastors (largely due to their schedule), it becomes easy for them to feel alone and sometimes even questioning their call. So why do they do it? We know it isn’t for the money or the fame or the free time. They do it because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has asked them to! On a particular day I spoke with a college student whose father pastors a church of approximately twenty families in a small Oregon town. I could not help but be impressed with this man, whom I have never met. As she began to describe him, she spoke of his dedication to family and his shepherd’s heart. How by day he worked in an auto repair shop, and in his off time made time for family and pastoring, in that order. His own personal convictions did not allow him to take a salary from the church. Even though he may be a master at delegating, you can still imagine the kind of dedication it takes to pastor a church in this way. He has managed to somehow balance his family, ministry, and employment. Obviously, he has a loving spouse who also supports his calling and, no doubt, works every bit as hard as he. His daughter recently graduated from Simpson College with an education degree and is off to serve the people of New York on a short-term mission. Listen to how she describes her father: “A great man who, when he opens his mouth to preach, seems to have rivers of honey flowing out.” Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Another pastor I have had the pleasure of serving with has a little different story, with his vocation and formal education revolving around ministry. Called at a young age, he spent years evangelizing on the streets of inner cities and now serving a church of one hundred in a small mountain community, raising a family and trying to provide, all the while being husband and father, as well as shepherd. Same story, another town, while daily struggling to get by, relying totally on the Lord, and often holding to Him as an overboard passenger would cling to a life preserver. How do they do it? They must have realized this one important truth: It is not about them but Him and that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Please join me today in praying not only for these but also for all who labor so diligently to shepherd us. After all, those who know sheep know this—they’re not easy to handle. Pastor Gene Burroughs

The Disease

There is a virus that has come upon the world today, an epidemic that has a specific host, which it feeds upon and degrades to the point of a slow, agonizing death. No, the Center for Disease Control does not recognize it. They are not even aware of it. It has been birthed, developed, and perfected for thousands of years, and while there is a cure, the sick have yet to recognize their need for it. Rather than recognizing its existence, we, in fact, embrace and accept it as a normal condition, an acceptable state of being. While, in fact, this state of being, which has overcome the church in America and beyond, is not acceptable to God but rather, I believe, offensive to Him—repulsive and nothing short of blaspheme. Upon reading, many of you will be offended and turn away discounting my words as those of a man with an out-of-date mindset, unable to relate to the twenty-first-century world. This I understand and accept, as prophets are most accepted after the damage has been done; yet even so, I encourage you to seek the Lord for His wisdom. You see, a spirit of complacency has infected believers today and will, if left untethered, lead to death and destruction. It truly is something the enemy has spent thousands of years perfecting, and this and other plans of his are working. What plan, you ask? his plan to minimize the cost of the “blood of Jesus” by minimizing the pain of sin. We have preached so much the love of God that we have forgotten to preach against the disease of ongoing and perpetual sin. We speak and sing of God’s love, all He has done for us, and the great lengths He has gone through to restore fellowship with man; all true, yes; however, we have forgotten sin breaks that bond! Jesus’ blood to many has become a salve that can be applied to an open wound, there for the purpose of healing and removal of pain, yet we never truly deliver the people from the cause of the wounds. The wounds of sin have become painless, and we as believers often walk around with open sores we ourselves do not see; yet the world recognizes them all too well. They are open sores that bring pain to God and His people, sores from ongoing and perpetual sin. We apply the salve of Jesus when it begins to hurt, and when the pain becomes overwhelming, we attend church and have the pastor and/or the Worship team apply more salve, but we never heal the cause of the infection. Worship has become, in many cases, a euphoric and emotional event as opposed to the recognition from the depths of our souls for a Holy God and all that He has done. Preaching all too often has now become the feel-good-in-your-sin sermon because, after all, God loves you so much! True yes, but in order to be saved, we must recognize we need a Savior. Am I legalistic, a follower of the law? Of course not. We who believe must, in fact, confess and know that the blood of Jesus covers our sin. Yet if you wonder how Jesus feels about sin and the effect it will have on the church, simply read Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. If that does not convince you Jesus hates sin in the church, what will? Where is the hatred for sin? Where is the avoidance of the things of this world? Where is the power of the Holy Spirit that causes men to flee from ongoing sinful behavior? Today we can turn on our radio, modify our playlist, and even attend church and hear songs that cause us to feel good and to have an emotional response to the wonderful words of redemption and praise of God. We feel so good about us and how much God loves us that we become euphoric about God and Jesus. When I feel bad about my behavior, when guilt comes in, all I need to do is turn on my music or plug in a favorite message from any one of thousands of feel-good preachers to find relief. Yet as with any disease, the painkiller does not provide a cure! There is only one cure for repetitive sin—deliverance! We’re not preaching deliverance any longer; we are rather preaching acceptance. Oh, you may say that is not at all what we are preaching. How dare you say that, Gene! Well maybe not, but when is the last time you heard a message about Jesus’ hatred for sin? When is the last time you were faced with the truth of passages proclaiming the need to be transformed before you will see the kingdom of heaven? passages like John 3:3, where Jesus Himself states, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born again in this context means to literally go through a metamorphosis that transforms who you are, much like a caterpillar and a moth. Are you different? Do you hate sin? Are you transformed? Read Galatians 5:16–23, one of the greatest, in my humble opinion, descriptions in the New Testament of how we as believers are to walk and the greatest description of how we are not to walk. How about John 15? Jesus’ own words that we are to bear fruit, His fruit, not the fruit of this world. Look at Romans, chapters 8 or 12, and how about 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, just to name a few? Yes, the blood of Jesus covers all sin, yet do you continue in sin, seeking more blood to cover your willful disobedience? If so, do you truly understand the value of that blood? Do you truly believe Jesus is who He says He is? Is He Lord of your life? Some would say, well pastor, that's just one passage; there are many that speak of Jesus’ love and desire to reconcile us of His grace and of His mercy. What about those? Yes, we serve a merciful and gracious God; we also serve a God who will not be mocked, a God who hates sin because sin separates man from God. Galatians 6:7–8 is very clear: “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” If you sow in to ongoing sin, what will you reap? The answer is clear. If you sow sin, you will reap the benefits of sin and the crop of sin, which is death! I am not speaking against the day-to-day cases where we fail or miss the mark. I am speaking of the things we don’t even wrestle with because grace has become too easily applied—ongoing pornography, lying, unfaithfulness, envy, gossip, and more worldly behaviors. Again, Galatians 5 has a great description. You cannot live in two worlds. You cannot serve two gods. Wake up. Please wake up! There are many of you reading this now who are living a lie, and that lie will lead to your death without repentance! You can hide your sins from man, but the Lord will reveal all you have done, for He sees all. You cannot fool God! Please understand, yes, God loves you, and He has sent His Son to save you from your sins, all sin. He then sent his Holy Spirit to help us keep from sin. The reality is we have the choice, and no, it is not easy! We must choose to deny our flesh and walk in the light of the Spirit. God does not condemn man, but He does condemn sin (John 3:16–21). Am I the only one right now who is wondering why we are not hearing this preached from pulpits across this nation? People are in churches dying from a disease the church has perpetuated in order to fill seats. Bigger is not better, folks. In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus says these words: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus goes on to warn against false prophets who come in as ravenous wolves. Who are they? Those who preach wide and easy is the way, for one! Wake up!

His Love Comes First!

I never thought the day would come when the decade of my childhood would seem so far away. The years have gone by like a runaway train, yet in my mind it still seems like yesterday. And while I begin this writing with a number of clichés, I can assure you many more will follow, as the Word says there is nothing new under the sun. However, for me and many others out there, this is all new, and while every day brings new questions, the answers for yesterdays keep every day exciting. One common church memory of the era in which I grew up was the knots on your head from the weekly Bible beating. All of us churchgoers at that time were easily recognizable by the bumps on our noggins. There was no doubt about the need to fear God in my church, and believe me when I say we did. The Bible tells us fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and, of course, that would be very true. However, I believe our fear of God has more to do with who He is and what He is capable of as opposed to this often-painted picture of some mean giant waiting for us to make a mistake so He can zap us off the face of the earth. That picture has, unfortunately, in many cases done more to scare people away from God than it has to draw them to Him. As I have grown older, and some may say wiser, two things have happened. I have grown to understand how little I truly know, and most of what I do know is subject to change, with one exception: the eternal love of God. One thing I am convinced of is the church in America has placed far too much emphasis on doctrine and far too little emphasis on love. Now, I’m not saying that doctrine is not important. I am saying, however, the message of the love of God seems to have been shortchanged, at least in America. Think about it. People are looking for love more often than not in all the wrong places, but, nevertheless, we all seek love and acceptance. The greatest love that has ever existed has been mired down by judgment, rules, and conditions, yet the love that God offers is a love that knows no bounds. Somehow we have communicated that the love of God is conditional upon our salvation, yet the love of God exists for every person in the world. Yes, God loves everyone! There is a great story in John, chapter 8, where Jesus is speaking in the temple, and the spiritual leaders who have caught a woman in adultery interrupt him. They bring this woman before Jesus and remind Him that the law states she should be stoned to death. Can you imagine her fear? She was caught in the very act of a sin that by law would lead to her death. She has no hope, yet Jesus, at this point, doesn’t even address her sin, but rather her accusers. “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Tell me that didn’t mess with some people’s minds. Hey, this woman is guilty. She should die, and what do you mean asking me about my sin? In this entire story, Jesus shows us a great example of how we too should view other people and their sins—with grace and love. The woman had no need of anyone telling her what she had done was wrong. Of course she knew it was wrong to commit adultery. What she needed was for someone to give her hope and another chance. She needed someone to stand on her behalf before the accusers and plead her case. Jesus never took the role of accusing this woman of her sin. As a matter of fact, He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” I speak with many lonely people in this world, and, quite frankly, many are hurt because we have become the accusers rather than the comforters. God’s love is for everyone. Salvation is for those who believe, but if we don’t show them love, how and what will they believe in? Jesus showed us, by his approach to sinners, how we should act. I believe with all of my heart that if the church would put love first when approaching the world, the church buildings could not hold all of the believers. If you’re reading this today and you have been beaten up by your mistakes, I would like to offer this truth to you: God loves you, and He has sent His Son to pay the price for your mistakes so you don’t have to. We all make mistakes, some more than others, but Jesus has paid for all of them, even the ones you haven’t made yet, so don’t let guilt keep you away from the peace of true love. Remember, God loves all men, women, and children, and because of that love, He provides salvation. It’s not the other way around. His love is not conditional, but salvation and forgiveness are.

Lighting Up the Room

Everyone wants to be remembered for something. The challenge is living a life where people remember you the way you desire. We all see ourselves in a particular way, through our own set of eyes so to speak. We know our hearts and our desires, and, to a certain degree, our rose-colored glasses filter our opinions of ourselves. I believe many of us want to be seen as a person who lights up a room; after all, who doesn’t want to be remembered that way? Didn’t Jesus tell us these words in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world”? People who light up a room are generally very charismatic, outgoing, and extroverted. The room has light because they are there. People crowd around them, and, generally speaking, when they leave, the light leaves. The focus of these folks, whether they know it or not, is to make people feel good because they are there; after all, they are fun loving and enjoyable to be around. Don’t get me wrong. I am not putting them down or criticizing these types, because I truly believe, for the most part, their motives are completely innocent (at least in the realm of believers). However, for the past five years I have been in the presence of a man who lights up the world around him just as Jesus would have us to. There is no personal gain from his actions, no malice, no forethought. He simply states what he sees, and even though he is legally blind, he has perfect vision of hearts. You see, when he walks into a room, yes, you notice him, yet, more importantly, he notices you—every word a comment or compliment about real circumstances of your life or a gift he sees in you. Not those kinds of gushing compliments that soon become wearing on the mind and cause you to doubt the sincerity of the giver; no, these are personal and private conversations, sincere in origin. His comments also have another ingredient that adds credence to them—love. I would and have imagined that this behavior of his, and his style, is one similar to that of Jesus, particularly when He was alone with His disciples in a small group or quiet setting, able to really be Himself, encouraging and loving, and not afraid to speak truth in love. You see, when Jesus left the world, He left light but not in the form of His direct light, because that type of light is a fading one, dissipating with fading memories of the One who cast it. No, this is a light that brightens a room by lighting up the people. How, you ask? By showing them who they are in Christ, encouraging them, looking at the good in their hearts, overlooking their shortcomings, and seeing them as children of God and giving hope. People who have been in the presence of one such as this are truly changed, and they too can now become one who lights up the room as well as the world around them. I know this because, while I am no longer in the daily presence of this man, I will never forget his ways, his heart, and the way he still to this day will light up a room, one person at a time. He has inspired me and taught me that this is the way a man should live. May I encourage you today to look beyond the shortfalls, trappings, and scars of those you know and come in contact with and begin to light up their world. See them as Jesus sees them. If you can’t, ask for His help. Be an encourager, be different, be a light of the world. After all, Christ is the only one who can offer perfection, and you and I are both far from it here on earth. If we would live each day realizing it, the world will be a better place. Thank you, Dr. Les Blank, for lighting up my world and teaching me how to do the same for others. We could all do better with a little of your sight! “Anyone can cast a shadow; only love can cast a light.” Gene Burroughs

Repentance or Sorrow

The very thought of repentance for many can be, at the least, extremely confusing and misunderstood. The word and the consequent action has been overused, underrated, and quite watered down, nearly to the point of becoming useless in its current form and understanding. We have far confused repentance with sorrow. Sorrow looks much like someone caught in a wrongful act sorry for being caught, while the other is the realization the current behavior or action, if continued, will lead to death. Consequently, the fear of death or the pain of the act is so overwhelming that remaining in such a place is no longer an option! Sorrow will always lead to more sorrow(!) and will never lead to salvation, while repentance, by its very definition, is the turning away from behavior and the making of atonement for the consequences of that former behavior. Repentance will lead to holiness and to a lifestyle patterned after the Savior: a lifestyle of righteousness, prayer, and miraculous deeds. By its very nature, the act of repentance will transform all who come into contact with it. There will be no other agenda for those influenced by repentance other than to repent as well. Hence, the foundational truth that true repentance will lead to revival, either individually or corporately. Another truth is, without true and continued repentance, there cannot be revival. There can only be experiential worship—better described as worship services built upon the hype of emotionalism and stimulation. These non-repentant-type movements have nothing to give them long-term sustainability, and they will sooner or later crumble under the weight of sin in one form or another! The Lord has presented us with a set of guidelines in His Word that will clearly and without fail consistently lead to revival. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, you will notice He begins this passage with the word “if.” Obviously, there is a condition, not an assumption; otherwise, the word would have been “when.” No, God knows that His people will not naturally or without prompting and instruction simply begin to become repentant; they must be led. Therefore, “if” people will purpose to make change, long-lasting change, God has and is promising to respond. Next He says, “My people who are called by My name.” In this statement He makes it very clear that He is speaking to those who believe, and they alone. This is not a prescription for an evangelistic crusade, even though, as we will soon see, this is the very best prescription for ones ever written (in my humble opinion). Again, it all must begin with those who profess to be children of God, and we must assume, since He is addressing them, they need repentance. So much for the argument of thinking that says we need not repent once we are saved; otherwise, why would He address the brotherhood as such? “Will humble themselves.” Humility here is conditional and required, no questions asked. We do not look to the Lord and claim to have arrived to any position other than one of utter humility and disgrace for our failings. We have no right to receive anything from God short of death more painful than that of our Savior. We have no right to claim comfort or a right to participate in any sinful behavior. Far too many have said things like “Who am I hurting?" or “I’m the only one being affected by my actions!” You have no right to any behavior that separates you from God, period! And anything that defiles the temple is not acceptable. Why? Because you are His. He made you and He owns you, and all who live in true humility are completely aware of that truth. What else must we do?—“and pray.” We must pray. We must seek the Lord and His will, and since we have now repented and bowed before His power, recognizing His authority, we may now find ourselves in an appropriate position to ask something of Him. We are now in a place that when we pray we are not praying from selfish hearts filled with sin, but rather from humble and convicted hearts that selflessly desire the will of the God who created us. Our desire and prayer now becomes His desire, and suddenly we see prayers being answered simply because we are now praying for what God desires. The result is people empowered and excited about their Lord because He is faithful! Next, we, again, see a condition to the answer of prayer: a return to the very first point mentioned at this writing. We must “turn from our wicked ways,” or repent! We must sacrificially deny all that separates us from God, and when we do, He will answer us. You see, first we must be in the right place. Revival does not begin with believers praying, but rather believers turning away from what separate them from God. Rather than attempting to justify our behavior, we must now learn to despise our sin as He does. Why does God hate sin, you ask? Because it separates us from Him. Next, the Lord makes a bold and permanent promise to His people: “then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The Lord has given each one of us a complete and adequate prescription for wholesome fellowship with Him and complete satisfaction in our lives. He has laid out for us clearly the plan of salvation as well as the plan for revival. All we need do is repent!

A Road to Growth

First comes the command to obedience. Simon and the guys had just fished all night and caught nothing. They had put away their nets, cleaned up, and besides being frustrated, they were obviously tired; after all, they had been up all night. These guys were fishermen. They had just gotten skunked, their pride was obviously hurt, and knowing all of this, Jesus asked them to go fishing one more time. Why? Because He knew what lay beneath the surface—not the catch, mind you, but the character of the men. These were hardened men who knew how to work. They knew things always didn't go their way. They were resourceful men; men who, when faced with crisis, would ultimately stand and work through the trials as they had no doubt done before. They had faced many storms and raging seas. All Jesus wanted from them was obedience, for that was all they needed to overcome for the future. Jesus knew if they would obey Him, they would not only see the harvest, but would be dedicated and faithful to Him to the very end (at least to the degree any mortal man could be). Second is the excuse phase. “But Lord, we have fished all night and caught nothing.” Can’t you just hear the whining in Simon Peter’s voice—‘aw, do I have to?’ You know, we’ve all heard it. Most of us have said it. Even though we know we are going to do what’s asked, it seems that we somehow want everyone to understand just how hard this is going to be for us to sacrifice. As if we’re the only ones who have busy lives and work hard. Jesus is not interested in our excuses anymore than anyone else is. I can remember one of the first times I was truly offended by my mother. I was making an excuse about why I had not done what I was asked, when mom had the gall to interrupt my well-thought-out excuse with these words: “Excuses only satisfy the people who make them. Get back to work!” Those words have rung in my head and stung me on many occasions. Why? Because they are true. God is not interested in excuses nor does He reward them. What He wants and what He blesses is obedience, even and especially when we don’t know the outcome. So even though we all have great ones and love to share, let’s avoid them, for this phase is better skipped than experienced. Third, we have the “Okay, if you say so.” Somehow, I sense that Simon is still not very excited about going fishing again. I hear the voice of Eor (Pooh bear’s donkey friend), a kind of ‘well, if I have to, but don’t expect anything’ response. Yet Simon Peter took the chance and choose to obey. You will notice he addressed Jesus as “Master.” He had the right order, excuses or not. Even though he was tired and had every reason not to, Simon Peter did what was asked by his Master. Notice he also didn’t base his decision on what others would say or do. The verse says, “at Your word I will let down the net.” In this text, Simon Peter didn’t look for anyone else’s approval or assistance. He didn’t bring it up for debate or seek a forum. He knew the Master had commanded him, and for that reason alone he agreed to obey. All too often we want to discuss things until we have all of the facts, when what God says is ‘pray and obey!’ Fourth comes the catch. Imagine the excitement among the local fishermen as Simon Peter and his friends are calling out for help. They have so many fish in their nets they need a second boat. Was this the blessing God had for Simon Peter’s obedience? I would say no. This was just Jesus’ way of getting their attention. The true blessing and lesson came with the realization of who this man Jesus was and the humility of being in His presence. We don’t know exactly why Simon Peter fell down and acknowledged his sinful nature: maybe because of his former attitude and surely because of whom Jesus was, or possibly both. Either way, he got it, and because he did, he could move on to the greater work. We see that Simon Peter’s obedience led to a great blessing not just for him but also for those around him. If we didn’t know the entire story, we might be content to end here, and while this was a great catch, it was only the beginning. What we catch in the world is only to be used to further our catch for the kingdom. We must be able to walk away from the worldly harvest in order to be free to catch the heavenly harvest. Simon Peter, James, and John didn’t stay to profit from the catch. They saw the big picture and recognized a move of God. By doing so, they didn’t miss out on what God was going to do. Little did they know that in a few short years He would use them to change the world. If we are willing to put our own shortsighted agendas aside, be faithful to obey, avoid making excuses, and trust God and those He has anointed to lead us, we too will see a great harvest. When preparing for growth, God will use people who have been hardened, tested, and are not afraid of a challenge. They must be willing to swallow their pride, be able to persevere, and be willing to obey without knowing all of the facts. God is looking for a willing heart. In 1 Samuel 15:22 we are told “to obey is better than sacrifice.” Father, help me not to forget that pain of sacrifice is quickly overcome by the joy of new beginnings. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. “Without some sacrifice little can be accomplished.”

Learing to Love Jesus

Lately, there is a well-spoken Christian phrase that has been on my heart. Most of us have heard it, yet I wonder how many of us truly understand it or are even capable of truly doing it. Are you wondering yet? Don’t you hate it when the guy drawing the winning ticket drags it out; you know, he speaks the words real slow and then throws a little story in between numbers? Okay, here it is: “Love the sinner; hate the sin.” I don’t know about the rest of you, but sometimes that one is really hard to do or even understand. Oh sure, there are those who can just say it’s easy—I love you; I just don’t love you. Well, let’s just say I’m not there yet. Sometimes people can just make you mad, right? I’m not the only one, am I? Actually, I praise God He has helped me to understand this more than I could have ever imagined in the past. We all know the famous Scripture John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” But what about John 3:17? “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” I am afraid all too often we act as though God sent us to condemn the world so that His Son might save them. However, if God does not condemn the world, how can we? To love the sinner is to do what Jesus did. Over and over we read of Jesus forgiving the sinners and loving them, while the Pharisees stood by not only judging the sinner, but also scoffing Jesus. The Lord really helped me in this area while on outreach in San Francisco. Here’s a guy who is crying out to Jesus to teach him to love Him, yet at the same time felt the homeless were bums who needed a job, gays were as vile as the devil himself, and so on. There on the street one night He spoke these words to me: “When you learn to love my people, you have learned to love Me.” Wow, did that hit home! Then He followed it up with this: “My children have believed the lies of our enemy. They believe no one could love them, not even Me. Show them my love.” (Tear time.) If we don’t show it to a lost and dying world, who will? The Word of God is His love letter to His people, and we, as His chosen ones, must show that love—unconditionally, without prejudice, remorse, anger, strings, or conditions. These are His people. He died for them. He made a way for them to be reunited with Him, no matter what the cause. Aren’t we all glad we serve a God of grace and mercy, not a God who keeps score? I love my Jesus, and the more I want to love Him, the more I need to love His people. God, forgive me for those times I have forgotten to love your people and not be angered or influenced by the things we people do. Amen.

You Know What You Need

The war was breaking loose all around him. They were stuck in a shallow ravine, and the enemy was closing in on all sides. One by one his men were being picked off, and he knew he needed help. Quickly he surveyed the attack being played out before his eyes; one well planned, no doubt, by his enemies, those seeking to destroy him and his men. Calling out to his key leaders, he asked, “What do you need?” followed by the encouragement, “Don’t give up and hold fast; help is on the way!” Taking in all he had heard and the actions taking place before him, he called out to those outside the battle–his support team. While they were out of range and unable to physically join the battle, they were able to provide support, both morally and physically–all they need do is choose to respond. He called first for an air strike, giving the exact coordinates and specific direction; he then waited for the response. After a short delay, he heard these painful words, “You know what you need to do is. . .” His response, “We did that and I lost many men. I need an air strike!” However, now the enemy had come even closer, too close for an air strike; now he needed reinforcements! Once again, he radioed in, “I need reinforcements on my right flank–they’re breaking through my lines!” The response, again, was not what he wanted to hear, “First you need to try. . . ” Again, his heart sank as the enemy was now overwhelming his position. “I tried that–never mind, it’s too late!” With those words, the radio became forever silent–all was lost, the enemy had won, all were dead. You see, on this fateful and fictional day, these men assigned a task were doing all they could to hold their ground and fulfill their call; they had given all they had and failed. Their failings were not because of lack of perseverance, ability to follow orders, or commitment to their call. They failed because they did not have the support needed from those who could truly help them win the battle. Unfortunately, today, we believers are all too willing to offer our advice and withhold our prayers and support. We spend our time trying to fix the situation as opposed to trusting that the people in the situation are well aware of what they need. More often than not what they need are our prayers because, after all, when God is in control we, too, need to surrender to and trust Him. The reality is that when we offer advice or attempt to fix things, we are often saying, “God is not enough; He needs my help.” In our pride, all too often we do more to contribute to the enemies success than to the Lord’s ultimate victory in a given situation. We tend to listen to those outside of the battle and join in with their advice or counsel more than we do those who are in the battle. I implore you to ask yourself, “Am I responding to circumstances, rumor, or perception, or am I trusting the God of all creation in every situation?” When we respond to any situation based upon what we see or think we see or what others are saying, we are in error. We are in danger of causing greater pain and suffering to those we care about and love. Should we not be concerned? Should we turn a blind eye? No, we pray! We avoid gossip, and we stop rumors and lies by not listening to those speaking them. If we want a biblical Godly approach, we go to the source first, and we ask: “What do you need?” rather than “You know what you need to do is. . . ” This simple act will do more to build trust, show compassion, and solve challenges than any other action you can take. After all, when we are in the battle, when we are failing, and when we are struggling, we don’t need anyone to tell us what we already know–we need prayers, grace, and mercy; the same thing Jesus gave and commands us to give. Gene Burroughs, Pastor