Awaken Ministries

The blog I was going to write will have to wait until next week. Yesterday was quite the morning! I experienced the joy of teaching “Christians That Changed the World, and How You Can, Too” to a wonderful Sunday School class. The excitement of opening our new addition at church was in the air as the first service was standing room only! Then, the storm hit. For those readers that aren’t in Central Illinois, we had an unseasonably warm day—the high was 70 degrees—and then had the worst storm to hit our area in several years. Multiple tornados touched down across the area. We were still at church when the tornado sirens went off.

It wasn’t until after the next service that we started getting reports of damage to the area. Whole neighborhoods have been flattened. Several hundred houses around Central Illinois have been damaged or destroyed. Three of our teachers in my schools were directly impacted. I pray for those injured by these tornados. I am thankful that given the images I have seen of the damage that there were not more casualties. Our house had no damage and power was restored around midnight for our neighborhood.

Life is so fragile. The devastation in the Philippines is another example. Natural disasters have a way of reminding me of just how much I need to rely on God because He is strong and I am weak.
Thankfully, Jesus tells us what we don’t have to be afraid of the fragility of life. In Matthew 10:28-31 He says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

I am so thankful for my faith. I know those who are reading this are thankful also. We need to get this message out to our friends, neighbors, and family who are still looking for answers during the fragile times we face.

I pray that this week we will all have the opportunity to share with someone else this week the hope that is within us.

More to come…
Jeremy

John Stonestreet asked that question in a recent talk in Minnesota. He asked, “Does walking with Jesus distract us from this world, or does walking with Jesus clarify our call to be engaged in this world?

Well, I think that question is a deeper question than it seems. I used to think that being a Christian was really just about getting to Heaven. So, I didn’t want to think about all of the problems of this world because I knew that my real home was in Heaven. But, if being a Christian was only about getting to Heaven, wouldn’t God just take us straight to Heaven once we were saved? If that is where the rubber meets the road for Christianity, then wouldn’t that make sense? Well, the older I get and the more I study God’s Word, I realize that getting to Heaven is certainly part of being a Christian–and don’t get me wrong, I love that part!!–but it is also about being used by Christ to help redeem others to Him. We need to be engaged in this world for Him!

We are His instruments in the world today. God uses us to bring His Kingdom to others! How exciting is that!!!

Isn’t it interesting that right before Jesus was arrested, He didn’t pray for His disciples to be taken straight to Heaven when His redeeming work on the cross was finished. Instead, He did the opposite. He actually prayed that they would stay in this world! In John 17:15, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one,” (bold added).

Why would Jesus pray to keep His disciples in a world where–as He states in verse 14–they are hated? There can really be only one answer–that we have work that is to be done right here on earth!!

My challenge for you this week is to read John 17:6-26 and let the words of Jesus penetrate you. These beautiful verses are Jesus praying for His disciples and for all believers. Take heart in these words and be blessed by them! Jesus is with us!

More to come…
Jeremy

Millions of Christians prayed the title of this blog yesterday around the world. It is–of course–from the Lord’s Prayer. It is our fervent hope that we can bring God’s Kingdom to this world. But, in our society, how can we do that?

We are dealing with such acrimony on so many important issues today. Abortion, same-sex marriage, Obamacare, the deficit, and gun violence just to name a few.

Both sides of these issues tend to come off very rigid in their stances. They take hard-line approaches and then chide the other side for their faulty thinking.

Sometimes, to bring about the Kingdom of God we have to step back from our rigid positions and work in the muddy and messy trenches that are in between the two extremes to bring about the changes that will advance the Kingdom.

Jesus did this. The Pharisees were technically correct when they told Jesus that the Law said that you shouldn’t work on the Sabbath. But Jesus was about advancing the Kingdom, not just following a set of rules. He answered the Pharisees by pointing out that David and his companions ate the consecrated bread–which was forbidden to do. He also pointed out that if one had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t he go get it out? Then, to prove His point, Jesus healed a man’s hand right then and there on the Sabbath! And the Kingdom was advanced!

William Wilberforce also understood that sometimes to move a nation closer to the will of God, you have to meet with those who are on the other side. He knew that his ultimate goal was to get the slave trade stopped in the British Empire. But, he knew he would have to work with some shady characters in the House of Commons to make this happen. So he worked with anyone who could help his cause. He formed coalitions with all sorts of characters to finally build a consensus that killed the slave trade. Granted this took years, but it wouldn’t have happened if not for Wilberforce. He was a praying man for sure, but he also knew that God required action from him.

For those of you who have seen “Lincoln” or read the book “Team Of Rivals” you know that Abraham Lincoln had to do implement some “creative tactics” to get the 13th Amendment passed.

Jesus told His disciples as He sent them out in Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Make no mistake it is easier to just stay in our corner and say that we are right and they are wrong. But, I believe that God calls us to follow the path that Jesus paved for us. The path of talking with people and forming relationships with those who we don’t agree with. It is more difficult to be sure, but this is how we can advance His Kingdom!

More to come,
Jeremy

I am not someone who posts frequently on Facebook, but I do enjoy reading through my newsfeed as it quickly allows me to read headlines of interest to me. Eric Metaxas had a post recently that linked to an article from “The Christian Post” titled, “4 Reasons NYC’s Faith Boom Could Forecast National Revival, ‘Spiritual Renaissance’.”

I think you can see why that got my attention! I have had conversations with many of the readers of this blog about the need for spiritual revival in this nation!

The article discusses how the Christian faith is “booming” (their word) in New York. The article then discusses how this boom in New York City could be the catalyst for a nation-wide spiritual renaissance. Church attendance is NYC is at 46% now, up from 31% in 2000. Adults with an “active faith” has risen 7 points in that same time frame.

If our nation’s biggest city is seeing this trend, the authors say it is not a stretch to say that this movement could sweep the nation. Now, some say the trend in New York is exaggerated by the influx of immigrant groups. For example, there are an estimated 900 Korean Christian churches in the borough of Queens alone! But, my point would be that God has led them here for a reason!

Maybe this is wishful thinking on our part because we are praying for a revival. But, maybe people are slowly starting to turn their hearts back to God. If you think about the last several years, people may be realizing that the economy isn’t going to save them. The government is going to save them. Even their quest to “feel good” isn’t going to save them.

No, the contentment we seek can only be given to us by God. He alone can save us from ourselves and give our lives the significance that we long for.

Join me in praying for revival in our country and around the world. All revivals have started with God’s people turning their hearts to Him in prayer.

Let’s pray that God’s Spirit would move and that people’s hearts would be turned to Him!

More to come…
Jeremy

In a recent Breakpoint broadcast titled “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pop Stars”, John Stonestreet talked about the dangers of being a celebrity. He talks about young stars who publicly confessed their Christian faith when they were younger–Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, and Justin Bieber among others– but the bigger the celebrity status grew, they all have–apparently, since we don’t know their hearts–stumbled from the faith under the bright lights of stardom.

Now, I don’t proclaim to be able to understand the constant pressure that they are under, and I can’t fathom the scrutiny they always face, but I do know this–being a pop star and being a faithful Christian appears to be extremely difficult.

I can think of sports figures like Mariano Rivera and Tim Tebow that have been able to stay true to their faith while being under the public eye, but I have a harder time finding a pop star in this category. Is it because as Stonestreet says, “…there’s a world of difference between being a celebrity and being an artist. The celebrity draws attention to himself, the artist to his work. The celebrity thinks success is being famous. The artist knows success is being faithful. The celebrity chooses style over substance. The artist knows looking good is never as important as being good. While artists can glorify God, celebrities, almost by definition, probably won’t. Because more often than not, there’s only room for one star in their firmament.”

That is a bold statement, but one that needs to be said to my generation and the generations younger than me. For some reason–maybe our own narcissism–many people under 40 want to be famous more than they want to be good or virtuous. And they are willing to do about anything to get famous! Just think about some of the most popular videos on YouTube. It seems there isn’t a limit on what some people will do to become a celebrity.

As Christians, we need to encourage and model for the younger generations the benefits of a moral life. Think of those younger folks in your sphere of influence. What can you do to encourage them to live a good life–and thus avoiding so many of the pitfalls that often cause us to stumble–and to be an artist at whatever they choose to pursue? An artist that is more interested in building good works than in building their celebrity.

More to come…
Jeremy

What do you think God is more interested in–if we are developing maturity or if we are successful? That is an interesting question, isn’t it? We all want to be successful. I know I do. I strive to do my job well and have success in it. I strive to do ministry well and to experience success in seeing others grow as a result of the ministry God has entrusted to me. Is that a wrong feeling? I don’t think it is wrong at all. We should want to be successful in what God is calling us to do, but we just have to remember that God’s ways are not our ways! He sees things in ways that are difficult for us to see this side of Heaven.

I believe that God is more interested in growing us towards Christlikeness then He is us being successful. Why do I think this? Because as I look back over my life, the times that God has brought me closer in relationship to Him have not been the times of success, but my failures. When I look back, it was experiences like not getting the job I thought I wanted out of college that led me down a path that led me closer to Him. If I hadn’t wound up in Tremont, I would have missed out on being influenced by some Godly men that really helped develop me from a young man to a man of God.

Laura and I have talked about how the experience of not being able to have children of our own has richly blessed us as we have gone down the path towards adopting a child. We think often of how God will be able to work through us in this process.

No, our successes will give others some nice things to say for our obituary, but God is more interested in how we are developing towards maturity in our relationship with Him. Your challenge this week is to think about the times in your life when a “failure” has led to a closer relationship with the Living God. These times are often difficult to see in the moment, but can be easier seen with the passing of time.

Here’s to your moving to a more mature relationship with Christ!

More to come…
Jeremy

Yes, yes He did! In Matthew 5:44-45 Jesus says,”But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

With these words, Jesus completely turned the world upside down! What about an eye for an eye?! Well, there is a new way now.

These are fitting words for a time such as this when our elected leaders just can’t seem to work together on many things. Let’s turn to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. who knew a thing or two about turning the other cheek. These two passages are taken from his “Loving Your Enemy” sermon given on Christmas Day, 1957 at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. I will let his words speak for themself:

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.

I think of one of the best examples of this. We all remember the great president of this United States, Abraham Lincoln—these United States rather. You remember when Abraham Lincoln was running for president of the United States, there was a man who ran all around the country talking about Lincoln. He said a lot of bad things about Lincoln, a lot of unkind things. And sometimes he would get to the point that he would even talk about his looks, saying, “You don’t want a tall, lanky, ignorant man like this as the president of the United States.” He went on and on and on and went around with that type of attitude and wrote about it. Finally, one day Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. And if you read the great biography of Lincoln, if you read the great works about him, you will discover that as every president comes to the point, he came to the point of having to choose a Cabinet. And then came the time for him to choose a Secretary of War. He looked across the nation, and decided to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. And when Abraham Lincoln stood around his advisors and mentioned this fact, they said to him: “Mr. Lincoln, are you a fool? Do you know what Mr. Stanton has been saying about you? Do you know what he has done, tried to do to you? Do you know that he has tried to defeat you on every hand? Do you know that, Mr. Lincoln? Did you read all of those derogatory statements that he made about you?” Abraham Lincoln stood before the advisors around him and said: “Oh yes, I know about it; I read about it; I’ve heard him myself. But after looking over the country, I find that he is the best man for the job.”

Mr. Stanton did become Secretary of War, and a few months later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. And if you go to Washington, you will discover that one of the greatest words or statements ever made by, about Abraham Lincoln was made about this man Stanton. And as Abraham Lincoln came to the end of his life, Stanton stood up and said: “Now he belongs to the ages.” And he made a beautiful statement concerning the character and the stature of this man. If Abraham Lincoln had hated Stanton, if Abraham Lincoln had answered everything Stanton said, Abraham Lincoln would have not transformed and redeemed Stanton. Stanton would have gone to his grave hating Lincoln, and Lincoln would have gone to his grave hating Stanton. But through the power of love Abraham Lincoln was able to redeem Stanton.”

Again, that is from King’s sermon, “Loving Your Enemy”. You can find the entire sermon in print and audio here:

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_loving_your_enemies/

Let’s pray that God would send us a Martin Luther King or an Abraham Lincoln for our generation. What can you do to be a King or a Lincoln in YOUR sphere of influence? Really think on that this week–what can we do to redeem our generation?

More to come…
Jeremy

Today, there are more resources than ever to read about the Christian faith and what it is about. Just looking around the room in which I am writing this blog I see multiple devotionals written by Oswald Chambers, John Maxwell, and Henry Blackaby among others. There are books by Bill Hybels, Chuck Swindoll, and Chuck Colson. I probably have 100 books that talk about the faith and what Scripture means. There is a iPad next to me that can link to the internet and get pretty much any information that is available.

All these resources are great for helping to move people to a deeper knowledge of the Christian faith. But, in my experience, when I really am growing I am studying the words of Jesus found in the Bible. There is no replacement for this! It is when I read what He said and what those who walked with Him wrote about Him that I feel the most stirred in the deepest place of my soul.

Those other soureces are great and there is a place for them–but it has to be secondary. I think this really hit home for me when a good friend of mine in my small group–Joe Emanuel–gave everyone in the group a typed copy of Matthew chapters five through seven, which is otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount. I had read this many times but as I read it all the way through, I realize that I don’t think I had read it like that before. He was our Savior, sitting with the people He came to save and we have a transcript of what was said! Imagine with me for a moment what it must have been like to be there when those words were first spoken? The power of those words and the authority by which they were spoken. Matthew 7:28-29 say it this way, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

My challenge for you this week is to read Matthew five through seven this week. Read it all the way through first, then go back and take it topic by topic. I plan on spending the next couple weeks during my quiet time on these chapters. I want to drink in the words of Christ and be molded by them!
Won’t you join me?

More to come…
Jeremy

When I read the Bible, I am looking for either people who I can relate to or people who I can hold up as role models–someone who really gives me an example I can try to emulate. Well, it didn’t take long to find one in the Gospel of Matthew. In the first chapter we read about a man named Joseph that has just found out that the woman he was engaged to is now pregnant–and he knows that he isn’t the father. His reaction to this would not have got him on the modern television shows “Cops” or “Cheaters”. Instead of what we would expect his reaction to be, verse 19 tells us that, “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” This reaction saved Mary’s life because in that day and culture she very well could have been executed.

Keep in mind this reaction by Joseph was before the angel appeared to him in a dream and explained that Mary is telling the truth and that she had, in fact, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This tells me that Joseph was the real deal! He was a man of character!

After the dream, Joseph didn’t attest it to drinking some sour wine and he didn’t try to explain the dream away. Verse 24 says, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” What great faith!! What a role model of living a selfless and obedient life!

I am so thankful that the Bible is made up of “ordinary” men and women that I can look up to. Do you know that there are people who look up to you in this world? It’s true! There are people in your life that are watching you to see how you react to situations that life deals you. What are you showing them? Are you showing them a lifestyle that you want to be passed down? Because they will emulate you.

Let’s live a life that is worthy of our calling. You may not have asked to be a role model–I can bet Joseph didn’t ask for it either. But what an opportunity we all have to impact others for Christ! I pray that we would seize that opportunity this week and always!

More to come…
Jeremy

The infamous quote from Moses to the Lord after Moses is told that he will be the one to go to Pharaoh to tell him to let his people go is the title of this blog. How often have we said that to the Lord when He asks us something that we don’t think fits who we think we are? I know I have said that many times to the Lord.

Today, my wife gave me a great example of how to be faithful to God when asked to do something we don’t think we are gifted for. Laura was asked to speak to a Sunday School class about her mission trip to Brazil. For those of you who know Laura, public speaking ranks up there with walking barefoot across a bed of nails. Now, I have seen her do this enough that I know she does great at it, but it is something that she says is not in her gift zone! But, she was asked to do it and she was faithful to that and prepared many hours for the talk and this morning she did wonderful! I was very proud of her!

Think of all we miss out on when we say, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13) I will let you look up what God’s response to Moses was in Exodus 4:14 (hint=He wasn’t pleased). God doesn’t ask us to always do things that we think we should be doing. Sometimes He asks us to do something He wants us to do because He wants us to grow in our trust and love for Him.

Think of what Moses would have missed out on if he had remained stubburn? Don’t get me wrong, it will take great courage to say, “Yes” to what God wants from us. But God will honor that. He will see us through the task He has for us. He doesn’t let us do it on our own–the Holy Spirit is with us to see us through.

It won’t be easy–but what in life that is truly great and lasting ever is? Don’t miss out on the life God is calling you to.

More to come,
Jeremy