Experiencing God during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the year that King Uzziah died,

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted,

and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:1

Isaiah saw a vision of God during a time of political change. There was always an air of uncertainty during theses times and Isaiah is reminded that God is still there; still on His throne.

We need to remember that God is still on His throne today as we face an election year marked by a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and violence in our cities. Some are paralyzed by fear, others are in denial but most are taking it one day at a time, putting life on hold until 2021.

Like Isaiah, we must focus on God's holiness and His faithfulness during past times of turmoil and fear. Paul, while in prison, wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21.)

To the Romans (8:28), Paul wrote “...all things work together for good to those who love God.”

If we live for Christ, our time on earth is dedicated to His service. Isaiah answered God's call. “Here am I. Send me,” he said (Isaiah 6:8)

We, too, need to boldly answer Christ's call on our lives in these troubled times. The world needs Jesus now. This is not the time for the church to wait.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, “How beautiful

are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:14-15

Will You Refuse or Respond to God's Call?

Judges 5

Uncle Sam Wants You is among the most iconic of military recruiting posters. It dates back to the First World War. There have been many calls to arms throughout history. One occurred in the 12th Century B.C. during the the period known as Judges in the Bible. Barak called upon his countrymen to come and join the battle against their enemy. Some refused and some responded. The Song of Deborah recorded the battle with its heroes and zeroes.

The tribe Ruben refused the call. There was much second guessing in their ranks. They were victims of paralysis through analysis. Ruben was indecisive and did not share in the victory.

Gilead had chosen to remain on the other side of the Jordan when Joshua went in to take the country but they were required to help in the conquest on the other side of the Jordan (Joshua 1:12–15). The years had passed and because of the natural barrier between them, (the Jordan River) fellowship seemed to have grown cold. They refused the call.

Dan did not have the overcoming faith to take the land that God had promised. The Amorites had driven Dan into the mountain country. Their faith was weak and they missed the blessing.

Asher lived by the coast and worked with commerce, boats, trade. The enemies of Barak and Deborah were their customers. When God had called him to battle he stayed and did “business as usual.” They had no vision for the work of the Lord.

The harshest words were against Meroz: “'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.'” (Judges 5:23)

Failure to participate is considered an abomination. God expects His people to become involved in his work. Non-involvement is unacceptable.

There is praise for those respond: “Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.” (Judges 5:2)

An important theme in Deborah's song of Victory is the willingness of the leaders and people. They did not hesitate as the others did. Zebulun and Napthali will always be remembered as the tribes that risked their lives for God.

God uses those who respond. God will only use a person to the extent of their surrender but God will get his work accomplished.

Are you a refuser or a responder? Will you be indecisive? Uncaring? Unfaithful? Too busy? Will the kingdom advance in your presence while you miss the blessing?

When the princes in Israel take the lead,

when the people willingly offer themselves

praise the LORD!

Judges 5:2

Jesus calls ordinary people to serve him in extraordinary ways

 Mark 3:13-19

Jesus calls out twelve ordinary guys to be his Apostles. They were a diverse group that seemed to only have one thing in common. They were outsiders.

The Bible is filled with unlikely heroes. Rahab was a prostitute who saved the Israelite spies because God had a greater purpose for her. Ruth was a refugee who came to Israel seeking welfare or work. God had a greater purpose for her as well. She became the grandmother of King David and ancestress of Jesus. The Apostles were ordinary people living ordinary lives but Jesus' call gave them a purpose bigger than themselves.

The church is a magnet for outsiders. God uses unlikely people to do his will. He uses preachers that lack a formal education such as William Carey (the father of modern missions) and D.L. Moody, (founder of Chicago's Moody Bible Institute, Moody Church and Moody Radio). He uses convicted felons such as Chuck Colson (founder of Prison Fellowship) Ricky Bueno (ex-gang member and founder of FrontLine Street Intervention). He uses the disabled such as Joni Eareckson Tada (founder of Joni and Friends).

God creates community out of diversity. Racial, economic and social sameness is not always genuine community. The Bible shows the early church struggling with racial inclusion. The Apostles confronted economic diversity. (Acts 6:1-4). Paul urged a slave owner to welcome home his recently converted runaway slave as a brother (Philemon). The church is a place where everyone can fit in. In fact, you can judge a church’s effectiveness by its diversity and how many outsiders feel like they belong.

We must will invest our life in something, or risk throwing it away on nothing. Membership in the Kingdom of heaven means service. Jesus calls us to extraordinary action. He said, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." (Matthew 4:19)

Calling or Career?

The Religion News Service recently reported an over abundance of Protestant clergy in America. This takes me back to my own seminary days when nearly two decades ago guest lecturer, Ray Bakke, unveiled two alarming facts.

First, the number of churches in America was not keeping up with population growth. We were, instead, losing ground.

Second, there is not enough money available to pay for all the new seminary graduates to have jobs.

The result, he reported, would be that 50% of my graduating class would no longer be in ministry five years into the future. Bakke told us that if we want to impact America and the world for Christ, many of us would have to become bivocational.

I don’t believe that many people go to seminary in order to become bivocational ministers. For some ministry is a career choice. You go to dental school to be a dentist and seminary to be a pastor. They don’t envision bivocational work in a struggling rural or inner-city church. They say no to bivocational church planting.

The career minded who do get hired will probably be marked by their upward mobility and keen sense of entitlement. They will plan their ministry around their time off and vacations and rarely will they schedule meetings in the evening.

True calling involves sacrifice. There are many bivocational pastors out there who don’t get days off. Their vacation time is used for VBS or mission trips. They pastor churches or serve on staff with little recognition except from God and the ones they serve. Other pastors who receive full-time support serve long hours ministering to people in need. They serve alongside lay members who have already put in a full day’s work and now are volunteering a couple of hours to Kingdom work.

I have been told that a minister can work hard or hardly work and the church would not be able to tell the difference. I’m not sure how true that statement is but I know you can tell by the results. Even if the results of neglect or diligence are delayed (they often are) the truth will come out in the end. Even if it doesn’t, God is watching.

A minister need not be unemployed while looking for a paid staff position. There is plenty of ministry to do; if one is called.

Faithful servants and unsung heroes

I met some extraordinary young ministers when I was planting a Spanish-language church in New Orleans’ inner city. One young seminary couple came to a service and said they wanted to join the church even though they did not speak Spanish. They were called to foreign missions and wanted to discover if they could minister cross-culturally. They could. They sang, taught the children and did many behind the scenes tasks that led to our rapid growth and to getting a church building donated to us.

They were looking for a ministry and it eventually led to a job. He became pastor of an English-language group we started and went on to minister overseas.

Another young seminary student had a job. He was minister of music and youth in a town a short distance from NO. He wanted to do something more significant with his life so he resigned, found a secular job, and came to be our music minister. He and his fiancé provided a level of music not usually found in inner-city churches. His talents and leadership attracted other high caliber musicians. The exposure and experience he gained led to a call to be pastor of a multicultural church. He, too, went to minister overseas.

There was a female student who was finding it difficult to find a place to minister. She was called to be an Army Chaplain and needed staff experience in a Baptist church in order to fulfill a denominational requirement for endorsement. She persisted in the face of rejection until she found our church. She raised her own funding and worked full-time as children’s minister for two years. She gained valuable experience and deeply impacted our impoverished community.

During the summer she ran a day camp using youth groups from other churches. She borrowed church buses (and drivers) and took the kids to the zoo and other nice places. During the school year she led a weekly youth rally that featured local Christian bands and evangelistic youth speakers.

These students and others who came created a learning lab that was changing the lives of inner city families. They were putting their calling to work in a difficult environment of different races, deep poverty and bleak surroundings. There were disappointments and victories but, I believe God used these experiences to prepare us for future ministry.

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things,

I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
Matthew 25:21 (New King James Version)