Your meditation on God’s Word will never cease to pay rich dividends of joy, wisdom, peace, maturity, and fellowship with God and others. God’s Word will become a source of life and the world, the flesh, and the Devil will look more and more like the dead ends that they are. You will begin to learn to feed your faith on God’s Word in general. You will see the true meaning of verses like John 4:13-14, "Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ " Remember, Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Knowledge of Scripture is knowledge of Christ.

During a Q & A at the end of Pastor Jay Wegter’s time with us, I asked Jay what how he practically meditates on Scripture. He mentioned color-coding themes in his Bible. I was delighted to hear this as I also have used color coding for many years. Here’s the way I do it. I use an 8-color mechanical pencil from Pentel (to order one online go to http://www.frontlinemin.org/bookstore.asp and click on "Bibles." You’ll see it listed first at the best price you can find). The colored pencil is better than ink because it won’t bleed through the thin Bible paper. Then I highlight verses according to the following colors which I just made up myself: Red (salvation, redemption, repentance), green (prophecy), light blue (commands, Christian living, doctrine), royal blue (eternity, heaven, millennium), brown (sin, judgment, curse), orange (golden promises), yellow (miscellaneous). Jay also mentioned writing down cross references in his Bible. I encourage you write in your Bible as well. Use the empty spaces in the front or page to jot down outlines or summaries that you want to remember and reflect upon.

Along with writing down your observations and responses to your meditation on Scripture, make an effort to see the infinitely surpassing value of believing God’s Word rather than the fleeting and vain promises of sin. As John Piper said, "Faith is also being confident that His way is better than sin. His will is more wise. His help is more sure. His promises more precious. And His reward more satisfying." When you train yourself to think this way, you will have spiritual power to live in holiness.

Cost/Benefit Analysis. Here’s one way you can do this: Jay Wegter suggests that we "systematically build a case for obedience and a case against disobedience with an exhaustive list of benefits for the former and negatives of the latter." Take some time to write lists like this down in your journal. Yes, it will be a fight to make the time and to discipline your mind to think through this, but the rewards are immeasurable. Your heart will follow what your mind chooses to dwell on. The benefits of obedience will begin to look far better than the supposed benefits of disobedience and you will begin to find the desire to obey welling up in you. There is a cost/benefit or pleasure/pain dimension to all of the choices we make. What we need is wisdom to choose that which will lead to the greatest benefit or pleasure regardless of the cost or pain involved.

Points to Ponder. Begin writing down a list somewhere that you can turn to again and again (a journal, for example) of summary points of spiritual truth that help you think biblically about your spiritual life. Every time you hear or think of a concise way of stating a biblical truth that can help you think and live biblically, write it down in your list. A beginning list of examples will be included in my next blog post.

A Suggested Text for Meditation.Begin practicing meditation on Colossians 3:1-17. The opening four verses are crucial and pave the way for the practical commands which follow. Begin with serious, personal reflection on the first four verses which can be outlined this way (This outline is from Jay Wegter, "Christ Our Life," available online at: http://www.frontlinemin.org/christlife.asp):

I. Our life in Christ is to be pondered (vv. 1-2)
II. Our life in Christ is presently hidden (v. 3)
III. Our life in Christ is to be revealed (v. 4)

About 25 pastors and ministry leaders attended our first Santa Fe Baptist Association Leadership Training Seminar held at First Baptist Church of Espanola on May 8. Jay Wegter of Gospel for Life (http://www.gospelforlife.org) taught on "Training Disciples to be Disciple-Makers."  Drawing from Scripture and his own personal experience of disciple-making, Jay presented the vision for disciple-making taught in the New Testament and illustrated it with examples of men he has personally discipled. Jay shared his experience of taking men from weak and sputtering Christian lives to stable maturing men who have become involved in using their giftedness in ministry of their own. Jay said that we cannot bypass the role of personal mentoring in the process of disciple-making. Disciple-making is the fruit of initiating intentional, redemptive relationships with one or more others who are interested in personal development as a follower of Jesus.
 
Audio recordings of the sessions may be downloaded from the Sermons page. Jay also made available a complete 36-page syllabus of his lessons titled "Christ's Pattern for His Church" for just $5. The syllabus may be ordered from Jay by contacting him by email or call him at 661-254-2105.
 
Future seminars will range from topics such as biblical counseling to conflict resolution to God's plan for the family. Those interested in helping to organize or fund future seminars may contact Pastor Massimo Lorenzini.

Jay also gave messages to our youth and the FBC congregation Sunday morning and evening services. These too were recorded and Jay also made available to us some of his teaching manuscripts for further study and reflection. These resources are all posted on our Sermons page.

The Role of Faith in God’s Word in Meditation
Continuing with our current series on the link between meditation and sanctification I would like to now draw your attention to the role of faith in the process of sanctification. Progressive sanctification is simply the idea of growing progressively sanctified or set apart in personal holiness. Christ Himself is the measure of our sanctification. We are being conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). Christlikeness is the goal of our calling. Faith and meditation are essential to this process in our practical lives.

My friend Jay Wegter, our upcoming May 8 seminar speaker who will also be in the FBC pulpit May 9, has said, "When we meditate we are informing our affections of the worthiness of its object of desire.　 Thus meditation is indispensable to holiness;　for holiness is delight in the things of God. To that we would add all that John Piper emphasizes on the relationship of enjoyment of God to glory of God."　 Here’s a bit of John Piper’s strategy for breaking the power of sin by meditating on the Word of God (Condensed from John Piper, "How Dead People Do Battle With Sin," sermon manuscript available online at:  http://www.desiringgod.org/library/topics/sin/dead_battle.html):

This is the answer to our first question: How do dead people do battle with sin? They do battle with sin by trusting the Son of God. They are dead to Satan's lie, which goes like this: "You will be happier if you trust your own ideas about how to be happy instead of trusting the counsel and the promises of Christ." Christians have died to that deceit. So the way they fight Satan is by trusting that the paths and promises of Christ are better than Satan’s.

This way of doing battle with sin is called the "fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7). The victories of this fight are called the "works of faith" (1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:11). And in this warfare Christians "become holy by faith" (Acts 26:18; 2 Thess 2:13).

How then do dead people "put to death the (sinful) deeds of the body"? We have answered, "By faith!" But just what does this mean? How do you fight sin with faith?

I wonder how many believers today realize that faith is not merely believing that Christ died for our sins. Faith is also being confident that His way is better than sin. His will is more wise. His help is more sure. His promises more precious. And his reward more satisfying. Faith begins with a backward look at the cross, but it lives with a forward look at the promises. Abraham grew strong in his FAITH ... fully convinced that God was able to do what He had PROMISED" (Rom 4:20ff.). "Faith is the assurance of things HOPED for" (Heb 11:1).

When faith has the upper hand in my heart I am satisfied with Christ and his promises. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "He who BELIEVES in me shall NEVER THIRST" (John 6:35). If my thirst for joy and meaning and passion are satisfied by the presence and promises of Christ, the power of sin is broken. We do not yield to the offer of sandwich meat when we can see the steak sizzling on the grill.

The fight of faith is the fight to stay satisfied with God. "By faith Moses. . . forsook the fleeting pleasures of sin ... He looked to the reward" (Heb 11:24-26). Faith is not content with "fleeting pleasures." It is ravenous for joy. And the Word of God says, "In God’s presence is fullness of joy, and in his right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). So faith will not be sidetracked into sin. It will not give up so easily in its quest for maximum joy.

The role of God’s Word is to feed faith’s appetite for God. And in doing this it weans my heart away from the deceptive taste of lust. At first lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity. But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight. I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust (Matt 5:29). I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent the peace of God will be with me (Phil 4:8ff.). I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Rom 8:6).

And as I pray for my faith to be satisfied with God’s life and peace, the sword of the Spirit carves the sugar coating off the poison of lust. I see it for what it is. And by the grace of God, its alluring power is broken.

The challenge before us then is not merely to do what God says because He is God, but to desire what God says because he is good. The challenge is not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness. The challenge is to get up in the morning and prayerfully meditate on the Scriptures until we experience joy and peace in believing "the precious and very great promises" of God (Rom 15:13; 2 Peter 1:4). With this joy set before us the commandments of God will not be burdensome (1 John 5:3) and the compensation of sin will appear too brief and too shallow to lure us.

How to Meditate on Scripture
Find portions of Scripture that you feel have much to say to you and that you really want to understand and assimilate into your life. Go back to these portions over and over again, even committing them to memory and praying through them.

As you read and begin to get familiar with the passage, keep in mind that there are three things that must go together in biblical meditation: READING, REFLECTING, and RESPONDING. Simply read the text of Scripture slowly and prayerfully. Reflect on the meaning of the text. Be careful not to rush the reflecting stage. Ask God to open your eyes to give you insight into the passage of His Word (Ps 119:18). Then prayerfully respond to what God shows you asking what the text means to you personally. How can you apply it to your life?

As you go through this exercise, keep a pen and notepad handy to write down your observations and thoughts. Make an effort to summarize the main ideas God wants you to take away from your meditation. Try to remember these summaries and incorporate them into your prayer life. As you practice biblical meditation you will find yourself going much deeper in your understanding of spiritual truth and growing in your relationship to God.

In the next article I will share some suggested exercises giving you a practical example and some points to ponder I have gleaned from God’s Word over the years. Nothing is more exciting than knowing the Sovereign Lord who created you and is actively leading you through His powerful Word. You don’t have to remain stuck in your Christian life. Pour over the pages of the Bible, meditate on its rich truths, respond as God leads and you will grow in spiritual fruitfulness and maturity. That is the promise of God in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man　who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;　but his delight is in the law　of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.　He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (ESV).

If you were the Devil, what would be one of your main strategies to counteract Christians today? I suggest that one of them would be to distract them from serious interaction with the Word of God by filling their minds with the things of this world.

In his book, Pathways to Power, a book written in the early 1950s, Dr. Merrill Unger wrote: "Meditation upon God’s Word is fast becoming a lost art among many Christian people. This holy exercise of pondering over the Word, chewing it as an animal chews its cud to get its sweetness and nutritive virtue into the heart and life, takes time, which ill fits into the speed of our modern age. Today most Christians’ devotions are too hurried, their lives too rushed."

If that was true in the early fifties, how much more is it true today—fifty years later in an age that has become even busier, more entertainment and activity-oriented, materialistic, and consumer-minded. Unger goes on to say: "But holiness and hurry never did suit well together. Prayer and preoccupation have always been strange bed-fellows. A head knowledge of the Word may perhaps be consonant with the scurry of the age, but not a deep heart experience of its preciousness. A deep knowledge of spiritual things can only come by the way of unhurried reflection upon God’s truth and by prayer."

Speaking of Satan and his activity, someone has said "our adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds." What we need is a time for quiet, stillness, and solitude for the purpose of meditating on the Word of God. Everything in your life will resist this. It will require firm resolve to become a truly spiritual person; resolve to think deeply about God’s truth in order to live it more consistently. Our thoughts, whether they are in harmony with God’s Word or not, will determine the way we live.

Consider these words from the Psalms:

* Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

* Psalm 104:34, Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord.

From these verses it is clear that our meditation can be unacceptable and displeasing to the Lord. Therefore, we must take care to ensure that the meditations of our hearts are right before God. The only way we can do this is by patient reading, reflection, and response to the Word of God.

The Bible instructs us to make it a habit to meditate on the Word of God:

* Joshua 1:8, This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

* Psalm 1:2, But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

* Psalm 4:4, Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

What is Biblical Meditation? Meditation in the Bible means reflective thinking on biblical truth so that God is able to speak to us through Scripture and through the thoughts that come to mind as we are reflecting on the Word, but that must also be filtered by the Word. The Word of God is central to biblical meditation, but sadly we too often neglect it to our peril. Irving Jensen wrote in How to Profit from Reading the Bible, "An unread Bible is like food that is refused, an unopened love letter, a buried sword, a road map not studied, a gold mine not worked."

The goal of Christian meditation is to internalize and personalize the Scripture so that its truth can affect how we think, our attitudes, how we live, and all our actions. This doesn’t come easy or natural to anyone. We must work at it. As we’re told in Proverbs 2:1-5: My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

My friend and upcoming seminar speaker at FBC, Jay Wegter, has estimated that 95% of God’s people do not really make it their practice to meditate upon Scripture.　 Theologian J.I. Packer gives the following definition of meditation: to apply to oneself what one knows about the works, ways, wonders, and will of God.　 If 95% of God’s people neglect to do this, then it’s no wonder why so many Christians are floundering in their walk of faith rather than flourishing.

In the upcoming articles I will elaborate how to meditate on Scripture and the role of faith in the sanctification process. We must have regular interaction with God’s Word in order to fuel our faith in God’s promises. Our faith in God’s promises is the key to growth in practical sanctification.

Are you feeling spiritually dry? Do you long for greater Christlikeness in your character and conduct? Then dive into God’s Word. The Bible is an ocean of spiritual riches. God wants to meet you there in the pages of the Bible. Take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to find some precious insight in God’s Word to think on throughout the day. The cost of neglecting God’s Word is far greater than any time and effort you might put into it. Think about that for a minute!

Today there is a lot of talk about "people of faith" or "faith-based communities." People, mainly politicians and the media, use this type of language to refer to religous people or organizations. But in reality, everybody is a person of faith to one degree or another. Faith, in its general sense, is something every human exercises. Faith is the expression of confidence and trust in something or someone to work for our good. We trust in doctors when we need surgery. We trust in newspapers to report what actually happened yesterday. We trust in a friend to confide in and find comfort.

But what about biblical faith? What kind of faith does God's Word encourage? If we look at the book of Hebrews in the New Testament we see a lot of discussion about faith and its relation to God's promises throughout the book. But just examining chapter 11 we find the chapter begins with a simple definition of faith: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1, ESV). Throughout the chapter we find explicit connection between faith and promise:

• By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise (11:9).
• By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised (11:11).
• These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (11:13).
• By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son (11:17).
• who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions (11:33).
• And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised (11:39).

So faith is only as good as its object. Biblical faith rests on the sure promises of God. Faith is being sure and certain that God will do what He has promised. Pastor John Piper said, "Faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus, not just an assent to truths (past or future) but heartfelt valuing and treasuring of all God promises to be for us in Jesus."

Faith corresponds to promises. They go hand in hand. Living the life of faith is living as if God will keep His promises. Ask yourself, "How would I live differently if I really believed God is who He says He is, the Bible is really His sure and infallible Word, and the gospel promises are really mine forever?"

Where do people go wrong in their life of faith? Mainly in two ways:

1. Believing something God has not promised.
2. Not believing what God has promised.

Those two errors seem to cover it all. First, faith is not wishful thinking or a "hope-so" sentiment. Faith is not a force that works supernaturally to make things go our way. Faith is not a lasso we throw on the neck of God to get Him to do our will. No, biblical faith is humble, submissive, confident knowledge, assent, and trust in what God has said.

Many people have expressed disappointment with God. Perhaps you know someone who has stopped attending church or praying or reading the Bible because something in their life didn't turn out the way they had hoped. Circumstances become larger to them than God's love expressed in the gospel. They wrongly conclude, "If God loved me He would never allow this miscarriage." "God let my spouse leave me for another person. I just can't trust Him anymore." "My son became an atheist even though I took Him to church all his childhood." Some people look at their negative situation and read into it that God doesn't care for them.

But, these people neglect to remember that God has not promised everything to go well for us in this life. Rather we find promises to the contrary:

• In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
• through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).
• Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (12:12).
• Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12).
• Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Pet 4:12-14).

Rather than looking to our circumstances to see God's love and care we should look to the place where God has settled once for all His love and concern for us--the cross! "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Or, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find references to God's love in the New Testament that do not directly or indirectly point to the cross of Christ.

So God has made it unmistakably clear to us who believe that His intention to us is good and not evil. Even the trials and suffering we undergo in this life are not wasted but allowed by God for our good: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). So even though our sufferings and hardships are very real we know that God has our good at heart and the glory that awaits us when Christ is revealed will far outweigh whatever sufferings we endure: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom 8:18). Yes, we can trust Him even in the midst of suffering.

So some people grow disillusioned with God because of their circumstances and so show that they have believed something God has not said, that "things go better with Jesus." The other way people go wrong in their life of faith is to not believe what God has said.

Ancient Israel is a good example of an unbelieving people. God had led them out of slavery in Egypt. They witnessed the 10 plagues on Egypt and the stunning deliverance through the Red Sea. They were led in the desert by God's manifest presence and experienced His faithful provision of manna and water. God placed His shekinah glory in the tabernacle and brought them to the edge of the promised land. Yet, the people believed the negative report of 10 of the spies rather than trust God's promise to give the land to them and believe the report of Joshua and Caleb. For this reason, God's anger burned against them and He promised that none of those people would enter the promised land (Deut 1).

Then 38 years later the next generation again is brought to the edge of the promised land and God instructs the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant to stand in the Jordan River (Joshua 3). God promised to cause the water to cease flowing and the people would cross over on dry land. They had to trust God and obey Him before they experienced God's promise.

Some people say, "I'll believe it when I see it." The Bible way is to say, "You'll see it when you believe it." Christ's enemies taunted Him while He was on the cross saying, "Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:32). Earlier Jesus told these people, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe" (John 4:48). Some people want proof and understanding before they will believe. But if that we had the kind of proof these people want, what need would there be for faith? Understanding is the reward of faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Heb 11:6).

We have no right to believe something God has not promised. We also have no right to disbelieve what God has promised. Where are you struggling today in your faith in God's promises? Have you neglected to feed your faith with reading and reflecting on God's Word? Have you neglected prayer? Are you believing things you have no Bible chapter and verse to support? Your faith will strengthen to the degree you know and believe God's Word. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Rom 10:17).

If you don't already have one, why don't you make a daily appointment with God to meet Him in Scripture reading and prayer right now? Don't let the circumstances of life control you and your trust in God. Make up your mind to fight the fight of faith and triumph over the world, the flesh, and the devil. You can be an overcomer as you feed your faith on God's promises: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4).

I have to admit, I love gifts. I love giving them and receiving them. Gifts are a great way to express our affection for others. A gift tells someone, "You are important to me and I thought of you when I picked out this particular gift."

God has given us some gifts. In addition to life itself along with the blessings we experience, we have received the gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life through Jesus. Not only that, God has given us spiritual gifts to use in our daily lives as members of the body of Christ to become giving people.

Spiritual gifts are god’s supernatural enablement to empower Christians for loving service. Spiritual gifts are just various ways we love and serve each other. We need not get confused or contentious about the topic of spiritual gifts. As we follow the flow of thought in Romans 12 we find ourselves responding to God’s mercies in the gospel by offering our bodies as living sacrifices (v. 1). Then as mercy-loving, mercy-dependent people, we are transformed by the renewal of our minds as we saturate our minds with God’s truth and grace and we experience God’s will for our lives (v. 2). As mercy-soaked, Christ-exalting renewed people, we humbly give ourselves to the ministry of the body as members of one another (vv. 3-5).

In verses 6-8 of Romans 12 we find a list of spiritual gifts that represent some of the ways God has uniquely endowed His people with grace gifts to be used in the building up of the body of Christ. What follows is a brief explanation and caution about each of these gifts.

Prophecy: The divine enablement to proclaim God’s truth with power and clarity in a timely and practical manner for correction, repentance, or edification. Danger: Tendency to be proud of their speaking ability or to rely on their ability rather than God. In their desire to make things right they may be insensitive to the feelings of other people.

Service: The divine enablement to attach spiritual value to the accomplishment of physical tasks with the body of Christ. Ability to demonstrate love by the meeting of practical needs. Danger: Can be bitter if their deeds are not recognized. Over emphasis on practical needs to the neglect of spiritual needs.

Teaching: The divine enablement to understand and give detailed explanation of biblical truth. Ability to search out and validate truth which has been presented. Danger: Focus on content at the expense of application.

Exhortation: The divine enablement to come alongside another in need of encouragement to reassure, strengthen, affirm, or challenge those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith. Ability to motivate others to trust and obey God. Danger: Spend too much time with people who are needy but not changing.

Giving: The divine enablement to earn money, manage it well, and wisely contribute to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality. Danger: Pride in their ability to make and invest money, seek a return on investment, desire recognition, desire to control what they’ve given to, or judge the way others handle their money.

Leadership: The divine enablement to see what needs to be done, set goals, and attract, lead, and motivate a group of people to accomplish the work of the ministry. Ability to coordinate the activity of others for the achievement of common goals. Danger: Use people to meet goals, pushy.

Mercy: The divine enablement to minister cheerfully and appropriately to people who are suffering or undeserving and to spare them the consequences of their choices. Ability to identify with and comfort those in distress. Danger: Hard to be firm, may enable others to live in sin by not allowing them to face the consequences of their choices, can be misunderstood by the opposite sex.

Do you know what your gifting is? Are you using your gifting to minister to God’s people? If not, why not? You the gifting God has given you are needed in the ministry. You also need the gifts of others to be exercised in your life. We have a mutually interdependent relationship to each other as Christians. Ask God to help you know His will and live in it as you dedicate your life to Him in response to all He is for you in Jesus. God delights to not only give spiritual gifts, but for us to unwrap them and use them for His glory and the good of His people.

I recently had a physical exam and am happy to report that I am in good health. It’s reassuring to know the condition of your physical body is good and there are no problems to worry about. The church of Jesus Christ is also likened to a body. What does a biblically healthy church look like? A biblically healthy church is one that accurately preaches the Word of God resulting in sound theology and an accurate understanding of the gospel. The gospel is then declared through proper methods of evangelism and evangelistic preaching resulting in biblical conversion. Converts are joined to the church with the expectation of being fully committed to the ministry of the church and the church grows through mutual edification by the power and gifting of the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ to the glory of God.

Once a believer is joined to the church, what is his or her responsibility as a church member? Do we get to pick and choose our responsibility as if we are consumers seeking personal fulfillment? Or, is there a pattern of responsibility that each member must accept as a servant of God? Clearly, the Bible teaches we are to be servants not consumers. Sadly, however, too many Christians today do not see themselves as servants of God but as consumers with a right to customer satisfaction and personal comfort.

It seems that one of the underlying reasons for a low view of church membership today is a fear of infringement upon one’s personal freedom. But does this sound like the mentality of a servant of Christ? Nope. Here’s what one author said about it: "…many Christians bounce from church to church, shopping for the fellowship which best suits their tastes. If the current congregation fails to satisfy, there’s always another one across town with open doors, eager to accommodate a new customer. Changing churches is not much different than changing brands of cereal. The freedom to choose products according to one’s tastes and preferences is healthy in a marketplace, but churches are not commodities in a marketplace. Congregation hopping militates against our Lord’s orderly design for His church."

I would like to use the remainder of this article to present what I believe God would have us do as our minimum responsibilities as a church member.

1. Members are expected to attend corporate worship each week. If we don’t attend, we are not built up in our faith and we remain unknown to the other members and leaders.

2. Members are expected to attend an open group Bible study. Bible studies are not only places to study the Bible, but also to ask questions, share insights, and be in fellowship with others.

3. Members are expected to be involved in at least one ministry or mission activity a year. We expect our members to look beyond themselves and serve others for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

4. Members are expected to give regularly. If we don’t give, we cannot have paid staff, support missions, or have a place to meet with lighting and climate control. How we use the money God allows us to manage on His behalf is a very good indicator of where our heart is.

5. Members are expected to pray and to read and study the Bible daily. Personal time with God cannot be substituted or side-stepped without harm to our spiritual life.

6. Members are expected to protect the unity of the church. Jesus said we will be known as His disciples by the love we have for one another. That means we will resolve not to say or do anything that undermines our unity. We will seek the good of the whole even if it means not getting our own way. We will support the direction and decisions of the leaders God has put in place in His church.

7. Members are expected to participate in business meetings. Occasionally the church meets to make decisions that affect the entire church family. Our participation is needed to ensure the unity and common direction of the church.

So how can we apply some of this? For the church member, may I ask you? What is your membership in this church communicating to God? To others? There is no point in meaningless membership. Does your membership in this church involve anything beyond your presence on Sunday morning? How are you contributing to God’s work through this church? Does anybody in the church really know you? Do you prefer to remain unknown? Do you have an interest in knowing and serving others? Do you financially support the ministry of the church in a way that goes beyond "tipping God"?

How about you non-member? What is your non-membership in the church you attend communicating to God? To others? If you are set on not committing to a local church, I have very real concerns about your spiritual condition. Have you truly died to self to be alive to God? Jesus is passionate about His church (Eph 5:25). Are you? I honestly cannot think of a better way to express your commitment to Jesus than by committing to a local church where you love and serve God’s people year after year faithfully. Jesus identified with you and your sin on the cross. Will you identify with Him and His body through His church?

Ultimately, God saved us and placed us in the body of Christ for His own glory and our everlasting joy. We are opposing God’s purpose and our own happiness when we foolishly live as if we know better than God and refuse to do His will. My prayer and hope for you, dear reader, is to lay aside your pride and self-reliant attitude and embrace your calling and role as a member of God’s church to the fullest. We are never more like Jesus than when we give of ourselves for the benefit of others. Let it begin in the house of God. Amen.

Your undershepherd for Jesus,

Pastor Massimo

Recently I became a mentor with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico and was paired with an 8 yr. old boy named Christian. On one of our outings I took him to see the new movie based on the classic Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol. It was quite a thrill with the techno animation and in 3-D. Of course, the story itself is pretty powerful. I was reminded how miserable it is to be a miser like Ebenezer Scrooge was and the joy of giving was rekindled as we saw Scrooge transformed due to his visits of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

Not soon after seeing this movie I listened to the audio book The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn. If you read just one Christian book in 2010, I highly recommend this one. Alcorn sums up the message of his book with six keys of giving. These are reproduced below along with some points to ponder taken from 18 study questions he posted on his web site. Listen for the voice of God’s Spirit as you read and see if God just might be calling you to embrace more of the giving spirit this Christmas and beyond. Someone said, "You’re never more like God than when you give."

Key #1. God owns everything. I’m His money manager.

We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted—not given—to us. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). The land is Mine and you are but aliens and My tenants...the silver is Mine and the gold is Mine (Leviticus 25:23; Haggai 2:8). It is required of a steward [property and money manager] that he be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).

1. If God is the owner, then what is my role? Do I have any rights? What are my responsibilities?
2. Do I fall into the trap of "tipping" God a little each month? If I tithe faithfully, what are my responsibilities with the remaining 90 percent of my income?

Key #2. My Heart Always Goes Where I Put God's Money.

Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.

1. Last year, did I give to others (e.g. tithes, offerings, personal gifts) as much as I spent on myself (e.g. entertainment, vacations, club memberships)? How does my giving history reflect my understanding of Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:38-39, the second greatest commandment ("Love your neighbor as yourself")?
2. Specifically, what keeps me from giving more? Am I afraid of giving? Do I trust that God will meet my needs if I give?
3. How much giving (percentage of my gross income) would it take to make me uncomfortable ... 5%? 10%? 25%? 50%? More?
4. Do I consider money I’ve given away as part of my ‘net worth’? Do I give the same attention to the money I give as I do to the money I invest?

Key #3. Heaven, not earth, is my home.

We are citizens of "a better country—a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16).

1. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." As God’s steward, am I sinking His money into temporal things, or am I sending it on ahead, using it to advance His Kingdom?
2. Am I more attached to the things of this world or to the things of God’s Kingdom?
3. Does the way in which I live my life, spend my time, and handle my money point others to Christ? Am I more excited about the latest release of a Hollywood movie or the spiritual growth of a friend? Do I see a business deal as a prospect for profit or as an opportunity for ministry?

Key #4. I should not live for the dot but for the line.

From the dot—our present life on earth—extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.

1. Alcorn compares our short lives on earth to a dot and our eternal lives in heaven as a never-ending line that extends from that dot. If God were to audit my finances, would He conclude that I live more for the "dot" or more for the "line"? What would some of His observations be?
2. Do I consider money I invest as "mine" but money I give as "lost"?
3. Do all of my purchases or spending have eternal consequences?

Key #5. Giving is the only antidote to materialism.

Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.

1. Have money and possessions created greater faith or caused greater fear in my life?
2. Are my possessions "competing" with my giving? If materialism is a "disease," then what is the "cure"?
3. Which is really most important to me – "building bigger barns" (Luke 12:16-21) or "storing up treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21)?

Key #6. God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.

God gives us more money than we need so we can give—generously.

1. Why have I been given more than I need? How am I using the "surplus"?
2. Do I really believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)? How does my belief tangibly prove itself in my life?

To sum it all up, Alcorn says, "You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead."

Seeking an eternal perspective with you,

Pastor Massimo

Laos, a small country in Southeast Asia, was taken over by the communist Pathet Lao in 1975. Lao established a socialist government with close ties to Vietnam. Since 1986, the country has moved toward greater private enterprise and free trade. Recent reports describe a steep climb in Christian persecution in Laos, but Christianity continues to spread. Becoming a Christian comes with a sharp penalty in Laos. Many believers find themselves harassed, arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Church buildings have been destroyed and some pastors killed. In spite of this intense persecution, the believers remain strong and steadfast.

On February 14, 2008, a Khmu church was burned down in Laos. Police refused to help when called. Bravely, believers held a service in the ashes two days later. Another Christian, Boon Chan, has been held in prison for nine years. It has become common practice to evict Christians from villages. On March 18, two groups of pastors were leaving the country to attend Christian meetings in nearby Thailand. The first group made it. A second group of eight Khum pastors from Oudomxay province was followed by the Laotian police. The pastors were searched, and all of their belongings were confiscated.

The communist government is becoming increasingly paranoid and insecure. Their hatred and brutality is no longer being restrained. The registered Boukham Church is experiencing serious persecution under the supervision of the local police chief, Thao Somphet. Church elder Thao Oun is in prison (where torture is routine) and being threatened with death. New believer Thao Aom was expelled from his village because he refused to renounce Christ throughout three hours of police 'interrogation'.

The widow of a recently murdered church leader in Laos has let the people of Laos know she has forgiven the men who destroyed her church and murdered her husband. She is a shining example of the love of Christ for sinful people at their worst.

Our Church can help minister to the Lao speaking people. We are partnering with Hosanna to provide the audio recording of the Lao New Testament. Many of the Lao are illiterate. With the audio Bible they can meet in groups and listen to the Word of God. Hosanna distributes the Proclaimer, a small audio player that is loud enough for 300 people to listen to at a time. The cost to record this translation of the New Testament is $25,596. There are 27 books from Matthew to Revelation breaking the cost down to $948 per book. Our goal is to sponsor at least one book of the Audio New Testament for the Laotian people.

After presenting this ministry last Sunday, an anonymous donor offered a 3 to 1 challenge. From now until Dec. 31, 2009, this donor will give three times whatever amount is raised! For example, your $20 gift can become $80! Please prayerfully consider participating in this effort, however, we ask that you give above your regular giving. As a church, we are falling short of our operating budget and redirecting your giving further hurts the ministry here.

Please pray:
* For the Church in Laos that they would remain faithful in spite of persecution.
* That the government would grant freedom to worship without further persecution.
* That the gospel would continue to spread and that many will come to Christ, especially from among those who have been persecuting believers.
* That our church would give to sponsor at least one Bible book recording.
* That the Lao language audio Bible would be completed and distributed in Laos as soon as possible.