Returning what's already His

(NLT) Psalm 24:1 "A psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's, 

and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him."

As I was reading the Word of God devotionally this morning, this verse began to burn in my heart. The thought that kept running through my mind is that Missional Living is all about returning to God that which already belongs to him.

No matter where we travel or how many peoples we see, they all belong to Him. The words of Psalm 139 about God being so involved in my creation is true of them as well. He knit them together in their mother's womb. Like sheep with their heads down grazing in life, they have wandered off away from Him. Our job is to go and find them. It is to take measures to bring them back to Him who created them. They belong to Him.

Just this week I was gently reminded by the Holy Spirit as I drove through my subdivision that God has brought these peoples into our world. Friday we had an awesome opportunity to carry on a lengthy conversation with a man from Sudan. Right down the street is a couple from China. A street over from ours are a few families from India. They belong to Him. It is our desire and duty to find them and return them to the One to whom they belong.

That is why Jesus came to earth that first Christmas. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. The Father sent Him to reconcile them to Himself through Christ. Just before Jesus returned to the Father in heaven he told His disciples that He was sending them just as the Father had sent Him.

This Christmas, take time to reflect upon those around you. Do they need to be returned to their rightful owner? Are you the one the Father has Called Out to return them? Just something to think about. Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas 2011

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the town

People were hurting and life brought a frown

The other night I received an unexpected phone call. Well, I sort of expected a call from this individual. I had called him and left a message for him to call. That evening he called. So, we quickly covered my business and wished he and his wife a very Merry Christmas. Then he said he had a special request for me. I assured him to ask away (inwardly wondering what it would entail).

He began to tell me a story of a phone call he had received from an individual attending where he worshiped. It seemed there was a need in the life of a young lady who was facing some horrible situation. She needed to talk and my friend was not in town. In fact, he was across the state and would not be back.

I immediately knew what was going to happen. He asked. And shortly my wife and I found ourselves getting ready to go out and meet with this young lady. We talked and listened. We shared the hope that is in Christ. She wasn't ready. She was hurting deeply. But past experience with other followers of Jesus had left her with a bad taste in her spirit.

She did allow us to pray with her. She did gladly give my wife and I a hug as we parted that evening. I walked away contemplating how often I have sat in that scenario when someone had told of an experience where meeting other followers of Jesus had turned them off to Christianity.

I thought about Jesus dealing with the woman caught in the very act of adultery. My mind raced to his response to the Rich Young Ruler. Story after story raced through my mind. Not one of them revealed a self-righteous condemning Savior. Each individual was approached carefully and compassionately. Some walked away. Jesus groaned in his spirit in those times. But not once did he condemn.

There is only one way this young lady we met will ever be able to trust Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. Someone will have to take the time to lovingly enter into relationship with her and gently and respectfully keep sharing Jesus with her without condemning. You see, she is lost. She is blind to the truth. She is dead spiritually according to the Word of God. And she does not even know it.

I wonder whom God will "Call Out" to invest their life in this young lady. Some follower of Christ will have the call of God on their life to do just that. Jesus said to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.

Jesus, I am doing that right now. Will you send someone into the harvest field of "R's" life this week to begin preparing the soil of her heart to receive the seed or your gospel? Will you give that person the patience of a farmer who weeds the garden and waters it when the drought comes? And, when the time is right to bring in the harvest, will you have that worker in her field at just the right time to bring her to you?

"Faithful is He who has called you...who will also do it." 1 Thess. 5:24

An Unloyal Heart

In 2 Chronicles 25:2, Amaziah is said to have done "what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart".

At first glance it sounds like Amaziah was a great guy. He "did" what was right...and at first glance the English translation paints a great picture of someone really working hard to do what the LORD wanted him to do. But according to the Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words, this word for "right" can mean "straight" or "convenient". It just made me begin to think - a lot - about whether I "do" what is "convenient" in the sight of the Lord. One of the definitions in Strong's for the word "sight" is "outward appearance". That makes me think even more. Am I only doing what is "right" to make an "outward appearance"? It does not sound too good after all. It really begins to be convicting when the rest of the statement is read "...but not with a loyal heart."

As one who is "Called Out" to have a place of influence in the lives of others, does all my "doing" simply wind up as an outward appearance of convenience with the cold reality that my heart is not even loyal to the Lord? The rest of the story in 2 Chronicles 25 portrays that type of life for Amaziah. The result was that he drifted farther and farther from the Lord.

We are told in the Word of God that we are to guard our hearts. We are also told that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. It asks the question as to who can know it (Jer. 17:9). Because my heart is deceitful and wicked, how can I ever know if it is loyal or not to the Lord? The next verse in Jeremiah gives us the answer, "I, the Lord know the heart."

If God knows my heart (and He does), then I need to continue to go to Him in prayer and ask Him to test or try my heart. I desperately need Him to give me an undivided heart (Psalm 86:11).

I know I have much to consider before my God.

What about you?