Longview Baptist Church

Stubborn Independence

Rss-Feed — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Rather than considering yourself (even secretly) indispensable, remind yourself often, It’s the Lord’s work to be done the Lord’s way. I first heard that principle from Francis Schaeffer while attending one of his lectures. There he stood in knickers and a turtleneck sweater, delivering this very message to a group of young, idealistic listeners—many of us struggling to find our way. I heard him say this again and again: “The Lord’s work must be done the Lord’s way. The Lord’s work must be done the Lord’s way. The Lord’s work must be done the Lord’s way.”

If you’re in a hurry, you can make it work your way. It may have all the marks of promotion, but it won’t be the Lord’s way. Stop and realize that. It may be time for you to be let down off your wall in a basket to learn that in your life.

John Pollock, on page 45 of his splendid book The Apostle, states, “The irony was not lost on him that the mighty Paul, who had originally approached Damascus with all the panoply of the high priest’s representative, should make his last exit in a fish basket, helped by the very people he had come to hurt.”

That about says it all, doesn’t it?

Just to set the record straight, our lives are not caught “in the fell clutch of circumstance.” Our heads are not to be “bloodied, but unbowed.” You and I are neither the “masters of our fate” nor are we the “captains of our souls.”¹ We are to be wholly, continually, and completely dependent on the mercy of God, if we want to do the Lord’s work the Lord’s way. Paul had to learn that. My question is: Are you learning that? If not, today would be a good day to start. Now is the time to humble yourself under His mighty hand. If you don’t, eventually He will do it for you. And it will hurt. In His time, in His way, He will conquer your stubborn independence.

God is never pleased with a spiritually independent spirit.

1. Quotations are from Willliam Ernest Henley, “Invictus.” Public Domain.

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Humble Reliance

Rss-Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:28–31

Wasn’t it a waste of great talent for God to put Paul on hold? Not at all. Wasn’t Tarsus a strange assignment? Not if He wanted him to be prepared to write the letter to the Romans. Not if he would have any lasting impact on the backsliding believers at Corinth. Not if He wanted Paul to mentor Timothy for a lifetime of strategic ministry in Ephesus. Those projects (and dozens of others) called for a depth of character, forged through the lessons that taught him dependence—both on God and on others.

Humble yourself. Rather than racing into the limelight, we need to accept our role in the shadows. I’m serious here. Don’t promote yourself. Don’t push yourself to the front. Don’t drop hints. Let someone else do that. Better yet, let God do that.

If you’re great, trust me, the word will get out. You’ll be found . . . in God’s time. If you’re necessary for the plan, God will put you in the right place at just the precise time. God’s work is not about us; it’s His production, start to finish. So back off. Let Him pull the curtains and turn on the stage lights. He’ll lay hold of an Ananias or Barnabas, who’ll come and find you at your most vulnerable point and lift you over the wall. Or He may choose you to be one of the nameless, lesser-known individuals who make the difference for someone else. Your part, pure and simple: humble yourself.

This would be a good time for you to resist going through life trying to live according to your own understanding—thinking if you can just climb up one or two more rungs on the ladder, you’ll be there. You’ll have what you need. Your family will be (what’s that word we like to use?) . . . “comfortable.” You know what your family needs more than extra money in the bank or a more impressive address or a TV in each room? They need you to be right with the Lord. That means that you walk humbly with Him. They need your gentle touch, acknowledging that He’s the Lord of your home, not you. That takes humility. Go there, my friend, go there.

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The Value of Others

Rss-Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:28–31

The Message, Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, wraps up this part of the narrative nicely: “Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.”

They didn’t need Paul. In Tarsus he had the time to learn that he needed them. It wasn’t about independence. It was about his discovering the value of dependence. Tragically, some never learn.

This is a good time to pause and make a twenty-century jump to today. Learn to appreciate and embrace the value of other people. Don’t try to go out there on your own. Rather than viewing others around you as hindrances, become aware of their value. Remind yourself that they play a strategic role in your survival and your success. God rarely asks us to fly solo. When He leads us to soar the heights, there is safety in others soaring with us.

God has designed His family to be that sort of support network for all of us. Nobody can handle all the pressure over the long haul. Companionship and accountability are essential!

You may be resisting becoming an active member of a church or enrolling in a small-group fellowship at your church. You think you can go it alone, and so far your plan has worked. But it’s only a matter of time before a gust of adversity knocks you off your feet, and you’ll need someone to pick you up. Don’t let a stubborn spirit of independence rob you of the joy of sharing your life, your weaknesses, your failures, and your dreams with others. You and I are not indispensable. You and I are not irreplaceable. God is both. It’s His church. He’s looking for broken vessels, wounded hearts, and humble servants, even those with bad track records who have some scars, who have learned not to hide them or deny them—people who understand and appreciate the value of others. Is that you?

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Son of Encouragement

Rss-Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:26–30

The disciples feared Saul. They couldn’t bring themselves to believe he was a disciple. “But Barnabas . . . “ Isn’t that a great opening? Out of nowhere comes Barnabas to encourage Saul and be his personal advocate. How did Barnabas know Saul needed his help? We don’t know. Yet we do know that God is sovereign and has his Barnabases in every town, every church, on every college and seminary campus, and even on the mission field. Each Barnabas stands ready at a moment’s notice to come to the aid of someone in need of encouragement.

So rather than operating out of fear and prejudice, Barnabas stepped up and “took hold of him.” Saul was willing to accept his assistance. That’s a healthy dependence. Barnabas took Saul under his wing and said, “Come with me, I’ll set this thing straight with these men. They trust me.” So off they went, and the sacred narrative says that Barnabas “brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus” (v. 27). That’s what I call divine intervention through a lesser-known saint! Barnabas basically said, “I’ve checked this guy out—he’s the genuine item. He saw the risen Christ, just like all of you. The man is on our team. Make room . . . relax!”

The next statement describes the result of Barnabas’s action on behalf of Saul: “And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” For the first time in his ministry, Saul spoke freely about Christ in Jerusalem, in the company of respected disciples—set free to be himself for the glory of God. What made the difference? Barnabas!

You may be a Barnabas today. Do you know someone who has been kicked in the teeth because he has a bad track record? Someone who can’t get a hearing, yet she’s turned her life around and nobody wants to believe it? I urge you to step up like Barnabas did for Saul. Look for those individuals who need a second chance—a large dose of grace to help them start over in the Christian life. Everybody needs a Barnabas at one time or another.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DailyDevo/~3/ttYniw6hQpE/son-of-encouragement.html

A Lesser Known

Rss-Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:26–30

Act two of the drama opens with, “When he came to Jerusalem . . . ” (v. 26). Jerusalem! Saul owned Jerusalem. He went to graduate school in that great town. I mean, the man knew that old city like the back of his hand—every alleyway, every narrow passage, every escape route. He knew virtually everyone of any significance. What a venue to restart his public ministry. “Get the microphones. Turn the lights up bright. Pharisee-turned-evangelist now appearing at the central Jerusalem auditorium. Come and hear! Come listen to this man preach!” Forget it. It was nothing like that.

Instead, we read this: “He was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (v. 26). Rejected again, only this time by those he most wanted to meet. Fear stood between them and the zealous, gifted preacher.

That’s understandable; who wouldn’t be afraid of him? He killed their fellow Christians, some of whom may have been relatives. They thought Saul was a spy—part of an elaborate hoax designed to trap them and drag them to trial. “Saul? No way. Don’t let him in our ranks!”

Ever felt the sting of that kind of rejection? Have you ever had such a bad track record that people didn’t want to associate with you or welcome you into their fellowship? (Or welcome you back?) It happens all the time. People are rejected because of their pasts. The load of baggage they drag behind them as they enter the Christian life keeps them from enjoying what should be instant acceptance. The rejection at times is unbearable. You may say, “Yes. I’ve been there. And I’m trying to forget those memories, thank you very much.” No, don’t forget those times. Those painful memories are part of God’s gracious plan to break your strong spirit of independence. They’ve become an essential segment of your story—your testimony of God’s grace.

Thankfully, in the midst of those times, God faithfully provides lesser-known individuals who come alongside and say, “Hey, I’m on your team. Let me walk through this with you.” That’s exactly what happened to Saul in Jerusalem. Someone stepped up, voluntarily. He didn’t have to, he wanted to. His name . . . Barnabas, the encourager.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DailyDevo/~3/uEnP8BEiOKM/a-lesser-known.html

Slow Down!

Rss-Feed — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Galatians 1:11–17

Part of the solution is to pursue the benefits of solitude and silence found in times of obscurity. For the first time in seven years, I took six weeks off one summer. No preaching, no writing, no counseling, no speaking engagements . . . no nothing. I focused on slowing down and refilling my soul with the deep things of the Lord. I prayed, I sang, I studied, I walked, I fished, I stayed quiet, and I sat thinking about and reevaluating my life. It was magnificent!

You may not have that much time available. You may have only three days, or perhaps two weeks. If you’re not careful, you’ll quickly fill those days with things to do, places to go, and people to see. Resist that temptation to crowd out the Lord. What a perfect opportunity to carve out time to be alone, just you, the family, and the Lord. Computer off. Fax unplugged. Cell phone tossed in the ocean.

Instead of speeding up, slow down and rethink. I don’t want you to miss any of these words. I’ve thought about them for years. Instead of speeding up, let’s find ways to slow down and rethink. Taking time to discover what really matters is essential if we’re going to lift the curse of superficiality that shadows our lives. Don’t wait for the doctor to tell you that you have six months to live. Long before anything that tragic becomes a reality, you should be growing roots deep into the soil of those things that truly matter.

Once Paul left Damascus and slipped into Arabia, he began taking inventory. There were no “To Do Before Sundown” lists. No “Six Fast Steps to Success” or other self-help scrolls clumped under his arms. He was alone. He walked slower. He watched sand swirl over the stones. He thought deeply about his past. He relived what he had done. He returned to what he had experienced on the road to Damascus. He considered each new dawn a gift from the Lord, the perfect opportunity to rework his priorities and rethink his motives. It takes time, of course . . . lots of time. But time spent in solitude prepares us for the inevitable challenges that come at us from the splintered age in which we live.

Slow down. Sit still. Be quiet. Rethink.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DailyDevo/~3/4ZfxlHVnlyM/slow-down.html

Desert Retreat

Rss-Feed — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:20–25; Galatians 1:11–17

I’m convinced it was there, in that barren place of obscurity, that Paul developed his theology. He met God, intimately and deeply. Silently and alone, he plumbed the unfathomable mysteries of sovereignty, election, depravity, the deity of Christ, the miraculous power of the Resurrection, the Church, and future things. It became a three-year crash course in sound doctrine from which would flow a lifetime of preaching, teaching, and writing. More than that, it’s where Paul tossed aside his polished trophies and traded his resumé of religious credentials for a vibrant relationship with the risen Christ. Everything changed.

It was there, no doubt, he concluded “whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7–8).

He had been so busy, active, engaged, advancing, and zealous. The same words describe many Christians sitting in churches today. And therein lies our problem. We’re not busy doing all the wrong things or even a few terrible things. We’re certainly not persecutors or destroyers. But if the truth were known, we’ll go for miles on fumes, all the while choking the life-giving spirit within.

Not long ago academy-award-winning actor Tom Hanks starred in Castaway. It was one of those films with few words but an enormous amount of emotion. How he escapes is fascinating, but the good news is he is picked up by a ship and is, at last, returned safely to the now-unfamiliar world of life as it used to be. And he doesn’t fit in at all anymore. The changes that transpired within him are so radical, so all-consuming, he finds himself a different man—much deeper, much more observing, much less demanding—all because of the lessons learned in solitude, quietness, and obscurity.

And so it was with Paul. He changed. How greatly he changed! And the change within him led to a change in the lives of millions of people down through the ages.

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A Forgotten Hero

Rss-Feed — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:20–25

The transformation is stunning. Saul, no doubt with blood stains still on his garment from Christians he had tortured, now stood with arms outstretched announcing, “I’m here to testify to you that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son.” And the people who heard it were amazed. The Greek text uses the term from which we get the word ecstatic. They responded with nothing short of ecstatic astonishment at the swift reversal of Saul’s life.

Imagine sitting in the synagogue. In front of you, preaching Jesus as the Messiah, is the very man responsible for condemning innocent Christians to death. Others he had taken into prisons, perhaps some of them relatives and friends. The room was full of jaw-dropped stares. The next statement assures us he didn’t slow down: “But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22).

It gets better. Not only did Saul preach about Christ, he preached with remarkable skill. The word translated proving comes from a Greek verb, which means, “to knit together from several different strands.” Saul’s sermons were skillfully woven together, seamlessly delivered with compelling logic—all signs of a gifted expositor.

Word by word, sentence by sentence, point by point, Saul walked his listeners through the powerful passages of the Old Testament Scriptures, including the writings of the prophets, presenting an airtight case for believing in Christ as their promised Messiah. Until Saul made his case, most had never made that connection. What a convincing communicator!

Before we go on, let’s pause and remind ourselves, none of these remarkable events could have been witnessed, or even recorded for that matter, had it not been for Ananias’s courageous faith. You may have never thought of that until now. Saul would have remained blind and trembling had the disciple of Damascus refused to obey and go to Straight Street. All this was set in motion because God used the memorable faith of a little-known but faithful hero. His trembling but faithful obedience changed the destiny of millions, including you and me.

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Stepping Out

Rss-Feed — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:10–21

Stepping out in faith always brings clarification of God’s plan. When Ananias went to see Saul, he received additional information. As Saul submitted himself to the ministry of Ananias, he found out more about God’s plan for his life. “You’re a chosen vessel of Mine. I’m going to use you to bear My name.” Saul hadn’t known that before. (He had never read the book of Acts!) He knew nothing of what was in store for him until Ananias took that initial step of faith. Both men discovered that God Himself chose Saul to be His instrument and that intense suffering would mark his ministry. That’s the way God operates.

When Cynthia and I first sensed God directing us to leave California and relocate our ministry, we could hardly believe it. We had planned to stay in the same place for the rest of our lives—serving Christ at the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton and continuing to lead the ministry of Insight for Living. Neither space nor time allow me to describe the things God has shown us since we made the decision to move. Initially, very few people could grasp God’s plan for us. It came as a surprise to everyone. In fact, some firmly rejected it. But now, as God continues to put the finishing touches on His magnificent portrait, what we see is absolutely beautiful. Until we took that initial step of obedience, all we had was, “It’s time to go.” It’s amazing to me even as I write these words! Surprises always bring about clarification of God’s plan.

Obedience always stimulates growth. By the way, the Swindolls have grown deeper in our relationship with the Lord, having trusted Him without first knowing all the details. Obeying God drives the roots of your faith much deeper. And that obedience stimulates growth in every area of life. We’re stretched emotionally, often physically, but most importantly, spiritually.

Ananias’s compliance with God’s surprising plan allowed him to witness supernatural power. No one else in Scripture witnessed the scales miraculously falling from the contrite Pharisee’s eyes. Only Ananias. When Saul’s sight returned, Ananias’s own eyes were also opened to the amazing power of God to transform a life. Obedience always stimulates growth.

Step out on faith, and you’ll always find solid ground.

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Surprising Elements

Rss-Feed — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:55:00 +0000

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Acts 9:10–21

Surprises are always part of God’s leading. In Saul’s case, the surprise came in the form of a light from heaven, marking a life-changing transformation. For Ananias, it was a seemingly unreasonable and illogical command from the Lord, delivered in a vision.

If you’re waiting on God to fill in all the shading in your picture, you will never take the first step in obeying His will. You must be prepared to trust His plan, knowing it will be full of surprises. Surprises are always a part of God’s leading.

Surprises always intensify our need for faith. When you encounter the surprising element of God’s will, your faith must engage full throttle. Otherwise, you’ll turn and run in the opposite direction. At times God’s plan will frighten you. Or you’ll be intimidated by its demands. Other times you’ll be disappointed. For instance, when God tells you no, to wait, or to sit tight, you’ll want to argue. You may decide to fight. You might attempt to negotiate. You may become angry. But when your faith kicks into gear, none of those impulses will control you. Faith says, “I can do this. I trust you, Lord. I don’t understand everything, but I trust you completely. Let’s do it.”

Quite possibly God has a major move in store for you in the near future. After almost seventy years on this earth, and having spent fifty of those years studying and learning more about the ways of God, I can tell you His will for our lives is full of surprises. He has more moves in mind for us than we could possibly anticipate. And they’re not all geographical.

Many are attitude adjustments. Some mean moving us out of our comfort zones to touch the lives of people we’ve never met. Or we might be in for a cross-country or cross-cultural journey that requires a level of faith we’ve not exercised in the past. Be careful about feeling too settled where you are—physically, emotionally, spiritually, or geographically. If the Lord wants you to move, I strongly suggest you cooperate, regardless of the risks. If He leads you to change, then change, even if it’s difficult. Surprises from God always intensify our need for faith.

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