Ministry and Numbers, by Lon Alderman

Mark 4:14-20
The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.

The world teaches us to measure our success. Efforts that demonstrate an increase in numerical strength are deemed worthy/successful. Declining numbers are viewed as failure. Somehow this mentality has slithered into the church. Those churches that are growing are viewed as good ministries. All the rest are bad ministries.

When I read this passage from Mark I get the impression that the sower is not evaluated as good or bad based on the success of the seed. Yes, some of those seeds produce, but some also die. Regardless of the production, or lack there of, the sower is not seen as having succeeded or failed. His job appears to be sowing, not productivity.

I understand that there really are unhealthy churches, but to determine health based on numbers alone is misguided.

Oswald Chambers spells it out this way: I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God.

Let's count less and throw more seed.
Lon

In the Dark, by Lon Alderman

Matthew 10:27
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

"Don't keep me in the dark!" That's a plea to be included; kept in the loop. Sometimes in our relationship with Jesus it feels like He's keeping us in the dark. During these times our attempts to communicate with God seem fruitless.

I find Oswald Chamber's ideas regarding this passage very interesting:

"Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into "the shadow of His hand" until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2)...darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light." [View the entire article: Chambers]

Build Up: Faith and Success

Faith and Success

1Corinthians 10:31
...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Ask 10 people to define success and you will get 10 different responses. People say success is wealth, impact, reputation, comfort, luxury, the latest "toys", or leisure. In church work we tend to measure success by the numbers. You know, the bigger the church the bigger the success. Frankly, I'm starting to fall off of the numbers band wagon. I love this piece from Oswald Chambers:

It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, "What a wonderful man of prayer he is!" or, "What a great woman of devotion she is!" If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.

We want to be able to say, "Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!" But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.

Read the entire devotion by Oswald Chambers "Still Human"

Display the glory of God, be faithful.
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Obstacles

Obstacles

John 7:38
He who believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Today's post is taken from Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest". Chambers teaches:

Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water" will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even "to the end of the earth" (Act1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "This is the work of God, that you believe..." (John 6:29)

A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while is is blocked yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle.

Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into you life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty...simply remember to stay focused on the source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ...nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Lon