Free

There is a saying that "nothing in life is free." Or, how about this one, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Those statements spring from a rather pessimistic and jaded viewpoint. Is it really true that nothing is free? How about the air we breathe? Yes, I know that we sometimes pay for air, at a gas station for example, when one of our tires is a little low. But generally speaking there ARE free things.

Last night I saw a commercial on TV for eyeglasses. They referred to an acronym - BOGO - which stands for By One, Get One . . . free. Is that second pair of glasses REALLY free? Or is the cost of the second pair built-in to the cost of the first pair? Only your eye glass specialist really knows for sure. This past week I was reminded of a few things in this life that ARE free. I'll give you and example. Maybe two. Or three!

I have a friend named Cheri. She is an advocate for Compassion International. Compassion provides food and education for impoverished children throughout the world. They do so as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Cheri and I promised each other we would get together for lunch after Lifest and share "God stories" as we call them. Stories of when we have seen God working in the world around us. My God stories usually make an appearance in this blog but I hadn't heard hers and I was anxious to hear them.

So we went out to lunch this past week. We ordered our food and began trading stories. Cheri had some amazing stories of children being sponsored and of an uncle coming to a saving faith in Christ late in life. I shared stories of kids being touched by God's merciful hand, another one about a gay couple I know. God provided an opportunity to speak into each of their lives in a loving and caring way. They were all amazing stories of an amazing, loving God.

We were having a wonderful time - encouraging each other with every tale. I really like to hear other people's testimony and encouraging stories. And guess what . . . they're free!

Finally, I checked the time and found that an hour had passed! Yikes!!

"I have GOT to get back to work," I told my friend. The only thing was we had yet to receive our food!

We flagged down our waitress. She apologized massively. They were incredibly busy that day. She boxed up our food for us and said, "Just take it. It's on the house." In other words . . . it's free. Hmm, free stories and free food. I like!

My friend and I spent an entire lunch hour, and THEN some, glorifying God with our stories about Him. It was another one of those amazing conversations, like the one I told you earlier this week about Susan. And what did God do? He fed us. In more ways than one. God is such an amazing provider!

There is one more free gift I should tell you about before I close. That is the free gift of salvation for all those who place their faith in Jesus. He offers that to anyone - young, old, rich, poor, atheists, Muslims, men, women, black, white, red, brown, purple. Everybody!! And it is absolutely free . . . to accept.

It is true that sometimes our faith can cause us to pay a price. It might be someone picking on us for our faith. It might mean being persecuted for our beliefs by our government. It could even mean being martyred because we refuse to renounce our faith in Christ. But the gift itself is always free.

Have you accepted God's free gift of amazing grace? You should. I can't promise you that you will get a free lunch out of it. But I can tell you that the benefits are out of this world . .  heavenly . . . and they come with an unlimited warranty - that of eternal life. Please, place your faith and trust in Christ today. Who knows what tomorrow might bring. But be prepared to be blessed - not necessarily in earthly ways but in ways that are from God and are therefore priceless.

And if you do accept that gift, get ready to shout for joy, because you are truly free indeed.

"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10

I Am Free - Newsboys

Acts

As you can probably tell by some of my recent blog posts, I have pitched my tent in the Book of Acts for the time being. I have been lingering there, hoping to get some direction from the struggles and the example of the early church. I'm trying to learn about what it means to be a church by reading about the FIRST church. God's Word, as promised, has not returned void.

Perhaps you have already read about the early church and some of its characteristics. I wrote about them in a post called, strangely enough, Church. (Yeah, I  know. I like to stretch the envelope of creativity as often as I can) ANYWAY, there were several points in the blog post, directly taken from the Book of Acts (Chapter 2), by which a church should pattern itself - prayer, worship, communion, fellowship, etc. Well, this week I have another list for you, also from the Book of Acts, specifically chapter 11:19-30. This list came from a video message delivered by David Platt. The list also serves as a help for our pastors, leaders and members to follow as they run our churches because, frankly, some of us need it. So as you read this, examine yourself and your church. Are you/they doing what God intended of His church. This list is called . . .

Ten Exhortations from The Church at Antioch

1. Let's raise up ordinary people in the church who will do extraordinary things in the kingdom (v19-20). Every church has people who God has gifted with certain skills and talents. We need to find a ministry for these "ordinary people," stand back and watch God use them in extraordinary ways. You will be amazed what God can do!
2. Let's embrace suffering as a God-ordained means for the accomplishment of the Great Commission (v19, also chapters 7 & 8). No one has to tell the people in our community about suffering, especially lately with the death of a 17 year young girl in our community (Kameron). Times of suffering draw us closer to God and those that don't know Jesus, in a time of pain, are more likely to reach out in hopes of healing than when times are good.
3. Let's penetrate lostness through externally-focused, intentionally-faithful proclamation of The Gospel (Ch 11v20). The majority of church plants bring in people from other churches. We need to reach the lost, not build churches for other believers.
4. Let's not build our ministries on counting decisions but on making disciples (v22-26). The concern of the early church was spreading the gospel, not creating programs to draw people to themselves. They we out!
5. Let's lead and plant churches that not only go aggressively after spiritual needs but also give sacrificially toward physical needs (v 27-30). Churches gave to others, each according to their ability. We need to physically live out the Gospel, not just preach it.
6. Let's love the glory of God more than we love our own lives (Ch 13). Let's bless the Lord in our worship. People who love the glory of God will live to spread the word of God. There are 250 million lost people in North America!
7. Let's fast and pray in desperate dependence on the Holy Spirit (v3). The message we spread is foolishness to those who are perishing. Why would the lost believe us? We MUST depend on God's Holy Spirit! Without it we don't have a chance!! We need spiritual provision MORE than we need physical provision.
8. Let's commission brothers and sisters in the context of community (v 3). The local church is God's chosen means for the training and sending of pastors, church planters and missionaries. Let's stop bragging about seating capacity and start increasing our SENDING capacity.
9. Let's trust that intentionally making disciples inevitably leads to multiplying churches (v4-5). SO much of what we associate with the church today are no where to be found in the book of Acts - elaborate programs, exquisite buildings. We have the people of God and the Word of Gods. That is enough!
10. Let's leave a legacy of disciple makers, church planters and pastors, all across North America, for the fame of God's name.

I have a question for you today. I would like you to think about the question and pray about it before you answer it. The question, simply, is this, "If God gave you everything you asked for today, what would you have?"

Interesting . . .

Let us not underestimate what our God can do! The formula is simple. It's right there in the Book of Acts! We are God's people. We have been given God's Word. The only thing left is for us to spread the Gospel. God will take care of everything else. Let us be a people who make disciples. That is what we are called to do! By Jesus!!! Who are we going to reach today with the message of God?

The Church of Antioch in Acts 11 by David Platt (The full message)

Train

I can still see their faces. Nameless people, standing there, waiting. Their skin turned a greenish-grey from the halide lights overhead. They all looked so sad, like there lives had no purpose or direction, like they were just "existing" rather than living.

Some carried bags, others, hands in pockets, just stood there, staring. They were all waiting for the same thing - the train . . . a train they had ridden on hundreds of times before. Why can I still picture their faces so clearly, some 40+ years later? There was something about them. Something eerily familiar.

Those images got burned into my head years ago as our family traveled through downtown Chicago on the way to our family farm in Michigan. Those people waited on cold concrete platforms for their local commuter train, each of them traveling on their way to someplace else.

I think the reason I can still picture the faces of those people waiting on that train platform today is because of a passion that God built into me before I was even born.

"11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity." - Jeremiah 29:11-14

When I bowed down and surrendered my life to Christ, I received God's Holy Spirit.

32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

And this verse from First Peter clarifies what we are to do with that gift . . .

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." - 1 Peter 4:10

First Corinthians 12 is another source of information about the gifts we received through God's Holy Spirit . . .

"4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." - 1 Corinthians 12:4:7

Every follower of Christ receives His Holy Spirit and certain gifts to use. What are YOUR gifts? How are you using them to help others? My gifts are in the area of mercy/compassion and exhortation. Exhortation means to "address or communicate emphatically, urging someone to do something." A synonym for exhortation is encouragement. So I have compassion for people and I encourage people.

I enjoy writing, and although I am not the best at it, I have a passion for it and I use that gift to encourage others in their faith. But I also have compassion for people who are in need and hurting. I volunteer at our local food pantry. It's a simple thing to do, but I do it for Jesus.

What are your passions? Your talents? My friend at work uses her ability to sew to teach other young women to do the same. And what do you suppose they talk about while they sew? Jesus! :)

"17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:17

Let's go back to those people waiting for the train. Why is the image of their forlorn faces still in my head? It's fuel. Fuel for my passion to reach others for Christ. Compassion for the lost and a desire to encourage them to receive their own "gift of the spirit" by making Jesus Lord of their lives.

That dimly-lit train platform, the people waiting to board that train, are the ones just biding their time on this earth, without a thought about God, or Jesus, or the fate that awaits them. They are waiting to board a train to hell.

If they would only turn around, there is another track, with another train just waiting for them. It is the train of glory, waiting to take them to The Promised Land. But they can't see it. They will never get on board until someone tells them, exhorts them, to step off the platform they are on and get aboard the train that leads to Jesus.

What are your gifts my friends? Are you using them for the Lord? Search yourself. What are you doing now that you could be doing for Jesus? For His Kingdom? I encourage you to seek the answer to that question today. There are few things more rewarding than serving God through something you are passionate about. It is a gift from God! Don't leave that gift unopened. Find what you are passionate about and use it for God . . . today! :)

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." - Acts 2:32-41

Here's an old Gospel song for you this morning. It encourages us to "get on 'board" the train of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You don't even need a ticket. :) That train is coming, my friends. That train, Jesus, is coming on a cloud (Rev 1:7) and we all must be ready when it gets here and the train doors open. We must be ready when the conductor yells, "All aboard!"

People Get Ready by Jim Cole