Rest. You may say, “Rest, what is that?” But it is necessary. In fact it is a something all of us need to do (and be better at).  From the Beginning, the Father knew we needed rest, so He set a specific time aside for us to do just that, both physically and spiritually. When we think of rest, we ultimately think, nap, or sleep. That is physical rest.

We need to sleep so our bodies and brains can function properly. Did you know that in the United States more than 60% percent of people do not get the amount of sleep that their body physically requires? In fact, depending on age, this group runs in a deficit of about 20% on an annual basis of the amount of sleep that they so desperately need.

John Piper famously states in "A Godward Life", “Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God”. Profound, isn’t it? A reminder that we need because we lack. Many times, we don’t rest/sleep because we are too busy doing the things that we in America do best, Hurry and Worry.

We fill every moment with something, and then we worry about all the things we have no control over. When we just need to rest. Not just physically but spiritually.  

Donald Whitney writes in his book “Simplify Your Spiritual Life”, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.” I really love that quote and need to do better at practicing it. Sleep is good and necessary, we see Jesus sleeping, (in a storm on a sea, having no concern, (Mark 4:38)).

But what about Spiritual rest? How are you doing with that?

Jesus famously speaks about eternal rest in Matthew 11:28-30.

I will spare you some of the context of this rich passage for time and space sake, but Christ is bidding His people those who are of Him to Rest in Him. Not in their works, or their plans, but in him. That is the theological side of this portion of this passage. The Practical portion is this: You will only find true rest in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sure, you may sleep good, unwind well, have a lot of things that make you happy, but true rest is only in Him.

Here are three practical ways we can dig deeper into our relationship and rest with him:

• Prioritize our Rest. Plan it and stick to it. It must be a discipline and a priority in our life. Time with God, our family, etc. and prioritize it often.
• Be Repentant of Sin. Much of the reason we don’t rest is sinful. We place other things in front of God, our families, etc. We are anxious about things we can’t control, and try to take the reins away from God, trusting in ourselves instead.
• Remove Yourself.  We need to do better at setting healthy boundaries, saying no some things and yes to those that matter. That means severing unhealthy habits, time stealers, joy robbers, and toxic relationships. Many times, that mean removing yourself bodily. Not being put into compromising positions, even Just Getting away with Christ. Friend, you don’t need more “me time”, you need more Jesus and you time.

I know many of you are saying “All this sounds great but…..” Let us not have such a shallow relationship with Christ that we trust him only in somethings and not for our daily cares and even our rest. We feel this burden of His is too heavy because we are trying to carry it. Lay your cares upon Him because His yoke is easy and His burden is truly light, because it is Him that will carry it.

Over the last several months, I have had the blessing to disciple and train a young man that is preparing to be on the mission field in many countries, helping to combat human trafficking and work in family ministry. It has been such a refreshing blessing to see his heart for the Lord and for others to know Christ.

It has reminded me over and over again about my own family’s journey, and as North American Mission Board Missionaries, what our call really is. It isn’t to lead a church or manage meetings, but to live a life on mission proclaiming Christ crucified in all of the walks of our life.

Many times we can get caught up in the machine of ministry and programs. Leading and managing people and ministries in our own sphere and platforms that we often can forget or neglect to be the church and obedient to the Great Commission. In fact, we sometimes treat this final directive of Christ Himself to the Apostles, (and ultimately to the Church ) as more of a suggestion. Brothers and sisters, it not ought to be so.

Some of Christ’s last recorded words in Matthew before His ascension, speak to how we should live our lives on mission.

Did you catch that? Let’s break it down.

Jesus, The Incarnate Word of God Himself, the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, He who was crucified and died and rose again, makes an authoritative declaration of His power and charges His people to do His work. He doesn’t tell them to come and sit, but to GO and make disciples of all nations.

I think our mentality sometimes, (especially in ministry or Churchianity) is to get people to come and stay, by any means necessary, rather than this directive of Go!

And how are they to GO if we are not willing to send them?

Here is a novel concept, what if we were more interested in how many we send rather than how many we seat? What if we are far more passionate about equipping the saints and sending them out into a lost and dying world to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to every man, woman child, than what our next program will be?

In this great direct order from King Jesus we are not only told to go, but to make disciples that make disciples that make disciples and teach them the Ways of the Lord. It is interesting to me (a church planter), that the directive is not start a church, build a building, ministry, etc., but to make Disciples.

Fellow Christian and churches, how are we doing on that? Are we honoring our King Jesus with all He has told us to do?

At the end of the Great Commission, there lies a promise. A promise that the Lord doesn’t and will not leave us, a promise that though it may seem like we are doing the work, or the work isn’t going how we think it should, we are promised that it is Christ that is at His work for His glory and that He is with us always, in the good and bad, as we serve Him.

Now Christian, GO serve your King!

Discipleship. We hear that word thrown around a lot in western churchianity. Almost always it relates to a curriculum, program or a process. But what is it really? What does it mean, and how does one become a disciple of Jesus Christ? First and foremost, when we use the term disciple/ discipleship we must start with a biblical understanding of what a disciple is.

A disciple was and is someone who wholeheartedly submits to the authority and teaching of another.

Not only do they learn, but they put into practice what they have learned. For one that proclaims to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ, this means that that they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation, repented (turned) from their sin and now follow Jesus and His teachings as revealed through the Bible.

Not only are professing believers in Christ called to be disciples, but we are also called to make disciples.  

Above are the final words of Jesus Christ to His disciples (followers), often called the Great Commission (though often practiced as the great suggestion). Go and make disciples. Teaching others what He taught them. Live a life that reflects Christ in all things. Did you catch that? Jesus Christ, The Incarnate Word of God, The only Son of God, the sinless lamb that takes away the sins of the world, uses some of His last minutes on earth to tell His disciples to go make disciples.

I have been in ministry long enough to know that we generally don’t take this as serious as we should. We can become more focused on programs, buildings, worship services and experience, offering plates, politics, etc.

In fact, it is easier to focus on those things than to invest in another person’s life, to see them grow and mature in Christ.  Why? A lot of it has to do with our culture (including in the church) we want to see instant results, we want an a+b=c formula. The truth is, there is no one size fits all.  

The Bible does give us some pretty good indications on how disciples are made.  Though there are several, let's outline three ways that disciples are made:

1. A commitment to God’s Word. Not just the hearing and reading, but the practice of it as well. The scripture says be kind, be kind. (compassion, truthful, at peace with others, care for widows and orphans, etc.) Whatever fill in the blank you use, be obedient to scripture.

2. Live life together. No disciple was created to spend just an hour a week with other people, then to go about their own business. We as a people are to quick to discount the fellowship of other believers for what we want to do. There is a biblical term for that (it is called selfishness). We were created to live life with one another, to see the kingdom grow for the Glory of God. You won’t see that by living the Christian life alone.

3. Willing to get messy. We, in the western world, have a tendency to want to keep everything squeaky clean. We outline who we will and won’t talk to, where we will and won’t go, and will only invest our time and other resources if they fit into our compartmentalized Christianity. We need to be willing to go wherever, whenever, and to whosoever. One final thought that I encourage you to ponder: Are you making disciples that make disciples? If not, why?

Grace and Peace,
Pastor J

Originally posted July 30th, 2019

As I shared last week, in this time of physical healing, God has been doing something amazing in my spiritual life, and I want to share it.

 Here is my disclaimer: most of what I believe the Lord has been revealing to me through His Word and time with Him is challenging, counter-cultural, and even hard.

That being said, it is nothing new, things we should know and say we know, yet often neglect to practice. Also, this is not some new amazing revelation, vision, etc., but a reminder of who God is, what we are created for, and how we can trust Him completely.

God chooses to reveal Himself and pull us into intimacy with Him through His Word and prayer, and that is what is reflected in this series of writings.  

Do you ever feel anxious? Like the whole world is on your shoulders? There are kids to care for, bills to pay, work to be done. We have relationships to maintain and build, house work, etc.

If I am brutally honest with you, I get overwhelmed sometimes of all that needs to be done. I am a husband, a daddy, a church planter, a pastor, a small business owner, a farmer, etc. the list goes on and on.

It can be a chore just to maintain all of these things so I can go on business as usual.

During this recovery from back surgery, as all the things I normally do pile up, as medical bills come flying in, and follow up from outreach events, newsletters, partnerships, pastoral care, etc. keep needing to progress, I got overwhelmed.

Then, like a small, still voice, this kept playing in my head: “Seek first the Kingdom”.

In the greatest sermon ever preached, (no it wasn’t mine), The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6,7),  Jesus’s manifesto if you will, the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ himself addressed such things and more, and it has impressed deeply on my heart.

I turned to Matthew 6:25-34, and read:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Now, I am not going to give an exposition on this scripture, (at least not in this setting), there are much smarter and better preachers than me that you can get that from, I am however, going to break it down into three applications/observations for our life and specifically how I am applying it in mine:

1. Why do we worry? We spend our whole life worrying about what we think we need, how we can obtain it, what others think of us, and how to either change or maintain that status. Why? Are we not created for more than just to have stuff and status? We willfully put on the chains of debt, and become slaves to it and others in the name of stuff. Having a big house, boat, car, etc., and when we can’t keep up with it any longer we become desperate. We work jobs we hate, tolerate things that are wretched because it is “ the only way”.  Jesus Himself says, not to worry, about what you’ll eat and drink, what you’ll wear, He will take care of our needs. Trust Him! Don’t get consumed being anxious about the future, live now. ( I am not advocating for not planning, but we got to really learn to be dependent on God instead of ourselves, and trust Him at His Word.)
   
2. Priorities: A lot of our problem is we don’t make God and our relationship with Him a priority. We don’t seek FIRST THE KINGDOM. I was once told that a person keeps their heart right beside their pocketbook and calendar.  Where you spend your money and time is where your priority is.  I think that spills into all walks of life. What is important to you? I was recently told by a professing believer that he doesn’t have any money to “ give to the Lord”, and no time to serve or even read his Bible, but God understands. As lovingly as I could, I said, God understands that the Big Mac three times a week, the weekly shopping spree, the hours on Facebook, and the designer coffee every morning takes priority over your giving and your time. Let’s be real people, if we are going to seek first the kingdom and it’s advancement, let’s make it a priority.
3. Kingdom seeking as a priority: And even (especially) in ministry, let’s make seeking the kingdom a priority. We just wrapped up some wonderful outreach and VBS, but if it isn’t done to proclaim the Gospel and see the Kingdom grow, it is worthless and shouldn’t be done. Just because someone else is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s God’s Will, and is for kingdom advancement.
4. Take the steps: What does it take to Seek first the Kingdom? First, seek God’s will, and you cannot do that without a relationship with Him and that only comes through Jesus Christ! If you are not a follower of Christ, you will not know or seek God’s holy and perfect will. Second, prioritize, do you want to serve yourself or God? That’s what it really comes down to, and if it is the former, examine your heart deeply, you may need to truly visit the first step. Third, and this seems to be the hardest, and is where I and my wife are at right now, remove whatever takes priority or stands in the way of serving God wholeheartedly. We are currently downsizing, trying to pay off bills, so we can work alongside the Lord together and have nothing to hold us back. Tough I know. Fourth, trust God, not worrying about tomorrow, but living for Him and with Him today!

These are just some of what God has been putting on my heart and into practice, and I hope it is a blessing to you.  Next time, I am excited to share about reliance on God in the midst of turmoil.  His grace is truly sufficient!

Grace and Peace,
Pastor J

Original Post from July 24, 2019

Yes, I know, it has been a bit since I have blogged.  I assure you I wasn’t slacking off, in fact we were hard at it, for what seemed like 26 hours a day. Though I jest, it has been a very busy time for us in ministry and in life.

We have done a number of outreach events, block parties, seen a number of people come to know the Lord, made new contacts, done a lot of follow-up, three conferences, VBS, concerts, mission teams, etc., not to mention a busy home schedule on the farm and with the business, and in the midst of it all, I am recovering from back surgery.  

I know, it’s not an excuse, just an explanation.

That being said, this time of recovery has served me well (two weeks into a ten week window at the time of this writing), as the Lord has provided some great folks in our midst and church family to take the reins.

I have gotten some rest, and I'm now able to move my leg again and am in much less pain. However I feel the greatest benefit for me has not been recovery of my body, but of my soul.

You may not know it, but I too am just a man. I get tired, hungry, worn out, down, and even lonely sometimes.  In ministry it seems we are constantly pouring out, and pouring into others, running to extinguish fires, intervene in crisis, working to shepherd and love others, and yet we forget or neglect to be nourished ourselves.

Now, I am not saying that I have been in a slump, or neglecting my time with the Lord, or anything like that, but I am saying, I was, (and still kinda am) wiped out.

But God knows this and He has been pouring into me in such a way that I have never experienced before. This time, when I have been at my weakest physically, I dare say, I may be stronger in my walk with Christ than ever.

I have experienced an intimacy with the Father that I never had before.

It may be the extra hours of prayer, the extra hours of time in His Word, the prayers of His Saints, (the pain pills...just joking), or the complete dependence on Him, and the obedience to listen and follow what He says. Whatever it is, I don’t want step away from it!

There have been five lessons (so far)  that I believe He has been teaching me, and I would like to share them with you all. I believe this applies in all walks of the Christian life and ministry, from the pastorate to planting, to small groups and one-on-one conversations.  

So, here is my commitment, I will write a blog about each of these life lessons, and trust it will be a blessing to you! Nothing super long, nothing fancy, just real life lessons that I feel God is showing me through His Word and life, and the scripture that reveals it. Look for a blog on these five topics, and see if it applies to your life as well. Who knows, it may just be a benefit to you on your spiritual journey, and we may just keep going!

• Lesson 1: Seek First the Kingdom
• Lesson 2: My grace is sufficient
• Lesson 3: I am the Vine
• Lesson 4: Seed fell on good soil
• Lesson 5: Come to Me and I’ll give you rest

Grace and Peace,
Pastor J

For the last several days, our weather out here in Western Nebraska has been crazy. We would have 80 degree days, then snow. Not the typical weather patterns for late May.

Right now, we have so much water on the ground, I feel like I need to invest in a kayak just to get groceries.

As I looked out at the rain yet again this morning, I found myself grumbling, frustrated and irritated at the weather. I have so many things that I feel are important to get done here on the farm, and the weather just doesn’t seem to be cooperating.

On top of being behind, the weather tends to mess with me physically and I am in more pain and not functioning properly.

But it was in this moment of frustration, of irritation from another damp day, that I was reminded of the many times I prayed for rain, truly begged God to provide moisture in the midst of a drought. I was convicted, because the same thing I prayed for, was exactly what I wanted less of. 

So what's the difference?  Timing.  

So many times we want what we want, when we want, we beg God for it, and are upset and irritated when we don’t get it, and frustrated when it comes in His time.  

That’s what it is all about. God’s time, not ours.  

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” 

The Sovereign God of the universe is under no obligation to you to do anything according to your wants, desires and timing. It is all about Him, His Glory and His purpose! 

His timing is perfect, and it always goes according to His plan.

That is the lesson for us, learn to wait upon the Lord, even if it takes months or years, and trust Him. Even if that means we endure a drought, or a flood, who knows, it may just be an answer to prayer!

Blessings
Pastor J

It seems to me, that one of the most over-used buzz words is value.  We have value meals, sales that emphasize the value of a product, and even colleges that stress that students that graduate from them are of higher status than others.

But what really is value? I have heard it said, that a product is only worth what someone will pay. In other words, value is set by how much something means to someone else.

In this day and age, I feel we as a people find our value in what we have, what we can offer, or our worth in what someone else has established.  

Currently, I am recovering from a herniated disc and some damage to a nerve.  This drives me nuts, and here is why.  I cannot do many of the things I have always been able to, and much of what I need to do.

In fact, if I am honest, I have always felt that one of my biggest assets (value) is being able to make anything work, and get the job done.

This may be the lesson God is teaching me. My value is not in what I have done, how much money I make or have made, my education, title, house I live in, or the work I can accomplish.  My value is in who I am in Christ! 

That is a humbling experience to a guy, that seemingly could always take on the world! It is in this that I am reminded of Galatians 2:20, as the Apostle Paul writes:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So here's the challenge for you and I both...  Start seeing yourself as Christ sees you, not as the world does.  Know and find your value in the Lord Jesus Christ, not what someone or something tells you that you are, or what you can do or have done.

If we acknowledge this, we will soon learn that we are invaluable, because we are Christ’s, and He is ours!

Remember, Jesus thinks you are to die for, shouldn’t that matter more than anything else?

Blessings,
Pastor J

It seems every time I turn on the TV, computer, iPad, radio, read the paper, etc., there is always bad news. Some horrible atrocity, victims of all ages, shapes and cultures, and brokenness all around.  It’s enough to make us anxious, depressed, stressed out, and sometimes not want to set foot outside the comfort of our homes. As a parent of a sweet little teenage toddler, I can’t help but think what awaits her as she grows up.

The fact of the matter is that we live in a fallen world, and sin runs rampant. The only cure for it is the precious blood of Christ!

I also believe that we have a duty, an obligation, first to the Lord. (No, I am not talking about the affect of grace or hinting that we in someway contribute to our salvation. That is of Christ alone and His propitiation for us, but I believe we need to be obedient to the God and Savior we profess.) We have a second obligation to our families, and a third to other people.

I think that obligation starts at home.  I get it, not all of us have had a great home life (mine personally was pretty jacked up!), but just because we didn’t start well, doesn’t mean we can’t finish well.  

Today in my morning time with the Father, as I read His Word, it spoke to my heart. What we model and lay out for our children directly affects them and others around them.  

King David did a lot of things wrong, he killed, disobeyed God, was an adulterer, yet we remember him as a man after God’s own heart.  His sin caused a lot of problems for him, his family, and his nation. But at the end of his life he speaks to his son Solomon...

1 Kings 2:1-3
"When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn."

Did you catch that? Some of David’s last words to his son, the king, be strong, be a man, do what the Lord tells you, walk in His ways (not your own), and basically God will work through you For His glory.  David goes on to tell Solomon basically that God is faithful and keeps His promises.  

My point is this this, if we start to lead and model to our children what God says to do, and how to do it, seeking His face, our lives will benefit, our children will benefit and ultimately others will benefit!

Leadership starts at home, have a greater influence on your children than the world! Let them see you model Christ, seek the Father, and live out your faith! Lead well!

Grace and Peace,
Pastor J

These are the "new words“ my three year old chooses to use every time she gets caught doing something she isn’t suppose to do, or gets corrected.  (Yes as beautiful and sweet as she is, she is a child of wrath, and a core reason I believe in human depravity.)  That being said, when she said this the first time, my heart sank. It made me question how on earth she could feel that way. Am I such a horrible parent that my kid doesn’t understand that I love her? And then it happened.

The thought occurred to me, that many times in our relationship with the Father, through the Son Jesus, we feel that we have screwed up so bad, that He is going to stop loving us.  Admit it.

There have been times in our life, some before, and after, if you are a follower of Christ, that we have felt and even believed that we had messed up too bad, or gone too far, and not even God could love us.

I am so thankful that that couldn’t be further from the truth! Look, I get it. Some of us have messed up. Bad! Some of us have caused so much pain and anguish, done stupid things, and really proved our sin nature.  But I am reminded of the scripture in John 10, where Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about His people.

John 10:27-29 
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

Did you catch that? in Christ, nothing can take you away from Him, You are His, and He holds you firmly. No sin is to great for the cleansing blood of Jesus!  And when you're His, no sin can take you from Him!

I want you all to realize I am all about being obedient to the Lord, in fact I believe if we are truly His, we want to be obedient and serve Him because He first loved us. And I am all about being repentant, but I think we also need to understand His grace and His mercy.  

That being said, we must be quick to confess and turn from our sin, but also leave it at the foot of the cross, not keep going back and visiting it.

Just as my little teenage toddler always finds out, no matter how bad we mess up, even when we get disciplined, our Daddy still loves us!

Blessings!
Pastor J