Grace is Opposed to Earning

Jesus teaches us that it is our heart and motivations which matter. For example, if I am faithful to my wife, but lust after another, then I am guilty. I think I can wrap my head around the idea of not doing a big bad thing, but still having a heart that makes me guilty. What I have a hard time with is seeing when I am “doing something good” but my heart is in the wrong place. This can become an “earning mindset.”  

We work hard to earn our paycheck. I use the term “earn” when I talk to my students about their grades. “Well done! You earned that A!” It is also something we are now hardwired to apply to all aspects of our life:  “I worked so hard this year; I’ve earned my vacation!”  “I've been eating so good lately; I’ve earned this dessert.”  “I’ve been practicing all summer; I earned my spot on the team.”  In our American culture, we learned that if we work hard, we can earn what we want in many aspects of life. It is no wonder that we have applied this to salvation and our walk with God as well.  While I know it is impossible, the reality is that I find myself regularly trying to earn my salvation.

Dallas Willard said, “Grace is not opposed to effort.  It is opposed to earning. Effort is action. Earning is attitude. You have never seen people more active than those who have been set on fire by the grace of God.”

Works are not wrong.  As with everything else, it is the heart behind it that matters.  You and I could be serving the church doing the exact same things. I might get bogged down in obligation and the need to earn my salvation or earn God’s love. This takes the joy away from my service and puts all the focus on what I am doing. For you, however, it could be life-giving and joyful because you are not trying to earn anything. Rather, you are just loving God and being secure in who you are in Him. Accepting God’s free gift that we cannot earn allows us to put love into action in a way we never would have been able to if we were trying to earn something.  

God, help us to stop trying to earn that which you are offering to us for free. Let us be motivated by love and devotion to You and to our neighbors. Break the earning mindset that has held us captive and kept us from receiving Your joy. Thank You for freedom. Thank You for redemption. Thank You for the free gift of Your love. Help us to walk in it daily as we love those around us. Thank You that You have paid the price and we have nothing we need to earn from You.

Sanctuary

A few weeks ago, as I was praying before our most recent River Sunday, I felt eager anticipation for experiencing the holy, manifest presence of God. I prayed people would experience Jesus in greater measure. I prayed that being in the most holy place would have a profound impact on each spirit, enabling them to step into greater freedom, taking advantage of the opportunity to wait on God in pursuit of greater sanctification—right there in the New Day sanctuary. “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am Holy,” is God’s directive (Leviticus 11:44).

 My train of thought lingered on the term “sanctuary.” The word means a few different things. It can be used to describe the most sacred area of a place of worship. It can mean a temporary place of refuge to escape the consequences of being accused of a crime or being in violation of a law. A wildlife sanctuary is a place where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal. All of those definitions demonstrate that a sanctuary is a place of profound safety.

We enter our church building each week, and come into the sanctuary, to worship the Lord. If it is a place of refuge and safety (which it is), then why can that place, where the presence of the Lord is made manifest in worship, be so uncomfortable? Why, when we are there to worship and encounter God, do we feel resistant and do the very opposite action—avoid engaging our whole heart?

I believe it is because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are meant to be consecrated and set apart, but sin easily besets us. We come into the holy place, and we feel conviction and guilt. We associate the feeling of guilt as a bad thing. Sometimes that feeling is a bad thing, when it’s a false sense because there is no wrongdoing. But sometimes guilt is a good thing! It’s the appropriate emotional response to sin. Thankfully, God’s promise is that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and CLEANSE us of ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). That’s why we need to run into the presence of God, not away from it! (Plus, it is a sacred space, and the ultimate predator—Satan—has no authority!)

 In the Old Testament, the Lord established sanctuary cities where the accused could run and gain safety from the consequence of their accidental sin. For New Testament Christians, the Lord established his sanctuary right inside of us. We are the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, and we can find sanctuary immediately with prayer and repentance, right inside our hearts. We don’t even have to run miles and miles! We need only to pray! This phenomenon, along with the corporate gathering, are two fantastic opportunities to experience God’s sanctuary. That’s such good news.

Fully and Splendidly Alive

“Did you ever think, when you were a child, what fun it would be if your toys could come to life? Well suppose you could really have brought them to life. Imagine turning a tin soldier into a real little man. It would involve turning the tin into flesh. And suppose the tin soldier did not like it. He is not interested in flesh; all he sees is that the tin is being spoiled. He thinks you are killing him. He will do everything he can to prevent you. He will not be made into a man if he can help it.

What you would have done about that tin soldier I do not know. But what God did about us was this. The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man—a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular color, speaking a particular language, weighing so many pounds. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside a woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.

The result of this was that you now had one man who really was what all men were intended to be: one man in whom the created life, derived from his mother, allowed itself to be completely and perfectly turned into the begotten life. The natural human creature in Him was taken up fully into the divine Son. Thus in one instance humanity had, so to speak, arrived: had passed into the life of Christ. And because the whole difficulty for us is that the natural life has to be, in a sense, “killed,” He chose an earthly career which involved the killing of His human desires at every turn—poverty, misunderstanding from His own family, betrayal by one of His intimate friends, being jeered at and manhandled by the police, and execution by torture. And then, after being thus killed—killed every day in a sense—the human creature in Him, because it was united to the divine Son, came to life again. The Man in Christ rose again: not only the God. That is the whole point. For the first time we saw a real man. One tin soldier—real tin, just like the rest—had come fully and splendidly alive.”

This passage comes from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. It does such a marvelous job of explaining what Christ did by becoming a man, what he did in death and resurrection, and what he wants to do in us.

Jesus invites you into his journey: “Come, follow me.” A new creation existence beyond your wildest dreams waits for you. What it takes to get there is following him through the process of transformation. Tin must become flesh. And when it does, we become fully and splendidly alive in Christ!

A Measure of Effort

All the pieces of the armor of God are vitally important, but today I feel drawn by the Holy Spirit to key in on the Shield of Faith. God continues to highlight aspects of faith to me, most recently sharing this revelation: applying faith to what we are up against takes a measure of effort each time. We can’t assume applying faith will happen accidentally or automatically. 

“In addition to all this [other pieces of spiritual armor], take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)

A shield is a unique piece of the armor of God in that it is moved around in response to threat, unlike a helmet or breastplate, which stays in place once put on. Before God lists the pieces of spiritual armor He makes available to us, He tells us the reason why we need them. He explains that our battles in life are not against flesh and blood, not against the things and people before us, but actually against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. That doesn’t mean we won’t struggle with difficult things in the natural realm, but it does mean there’s something bigger going on beyond what meets the eye. 

We must TAKE UP faith—it’s a shield for us. We’ll burn to death without it. Flaming arrows being fired at us is not a surprising thought if the reality is ever before us that we are in a raging battle in the spiritual realm. God forewarns us that we can expect these attacks. We are in a time of war, not a time of peace in the spiritual realm. 

We must make the effort necessary to take up our shield and aim it against the arrows that come. Thrust it toward the arrow coming our way and apply belief in God—belief in who He is, in what He says He will do, and in who He says we are in light of Him. 

We take up faith by proclaiming our steadfast commitment to believe, love, and serve God no matter what. We keep our heart soft and close to God as we search out answers to our questions along our spiritual journey. We maintain confidence in God, a confidence that is so substantial it becomes a substance, it becomes evidence.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is our ongoing call to action. Let’s be reminded today that applying faith is not a passive part of standing firm in Christ. It takes a measure of effort, and it works!Tsss, can you hear the sound of the enemy’s flaming arrow being extinguished as it hits your shield of faith?

Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13)

Ray and I were talking about this verse, and it led to quite a discussion. You see, salt (a.k.a. NaCl) is a chemical compound made of sodium and chlorine. These two are very happy to be together and it actually takes a lot to separate them. So, NaCl doesn’t “lose” its flavor. So then—what could Jesus have been talking about?

Jesus was speaking metaphorically. However, that doesn't mean we can just discount what he said. Throughout biblical times, salt was used as a preservative. One of the ways that they preserved meat was by putting it on rocks that had salt in them. But once the meat had leached the salt out of the rock, it wasn't useful anymore. Additionally, salt came from different sources. Salt that came from a mine was more pure in nature, whereas salt that came from the Dead Sea was full of impurities. Those impurities made the salt less salty. Since Jesus was speaking to people who would have used salt from the Dead Sea, we can assume his audience would have understood how some salt wasn't as salty as others.

What comes after this verse are Jesus’ teachings about anger, revenge, adultery, and loving our enemies—in all of which He tells us to be different from the world. His point of losing our saltiness is based on taking on impurities or worldliness. Becoming just like the world, then, makes us ineffective to be set apart or to preserve the truth. 

Because salt was the only way to preserve food, it was a valuable commodity. People used it as currency to trade. It was precious and necessary. 

Jesus was speaking to ordinary people—fisherman, shepherds, laborers. And He said, “You are the salt of the earth!” He is declaring that they are valuable! This saying has become one that speaks of ordinary people full of kindness, honesty, integrity, diligence, and sincerity. You are to be just that, the salt of the earth!

How Do We Love?

1 Corinthians 13:

“If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

“What, why, and how?” These are a few of the questions we learned in school in order to write better informational essays. You can’t understand a topic unless you consider the what, why, and how.

I think when it comes to love, we often miss our “how.” We’ve got the “what.” What is Jesus’ command? Love your enemies. Love your neighbor. Got it. And why? We love because He first loved us. Because it’s being salty. Because it’s our resistance against the culture of the world. Because God chooses love as His tool to soften hearts and pull people towards Himself.

But how do we love? That’s details. That’s nuts and bolts. 

1 Corinthians 13 lays out a fantastic roadmap for the God-kind of love we’re called to show. Love with patience. Kindness. Forgiveness. Humility. Rejoice in the truth. Hope on behalf of others. Persevere through trial. Don’t be concerned with having what others have.

I find it very helpful that Paul lays out what is not love before he describes what it is. Love is not necessarily good deeds. It’s not necessarily working yourself to the point of death. It’s not necessarily faith and prophecy and gifts of the Spirit.

It’s easy to guess at what real love is, and get to work based on our assumptions. Or to let the culture define what love is, and sign up for every social cause, sign every petition, and share every posts that asks us to “raise awareness.” But we can have a full calendar of love-like tasks, and still be missing our mandate to love like Jesus loved. 

The question of how to love is clearly defined in scripture, and we have Christ’s powerful example for us: the humble servant, full of grace and truth. He refused anger and bitterness, forgiving all. He sacrificed Himself, enduring what had to be endured so that all might be saved.

If you can, this week, spend some time meditating on what love looks like to the people around you. How can you show 1 Corinthians 13 love to the people that God has placed right in front of you?

Our Powerful Brains

I love research.  I am fascinated by reading studies, looking at data, and learning from those who have much more expertise than I do.  So often, I see how research points to the truth of a Creator and how Biblical principles can be supported by science.  Recently, I have been learning more about how our brains can be changed by readjusting our thoughts.  Countless studies support that reframing our thinking to focus on positivity increases our productivity, reduces stress, improves our relationships, and allows us to have a happier and more satisfying life.  All by changing our thinking.  In Shawn Achor’s book The Happiness Advantage, he found in his research that “what we spend our time and mental energy on can indeed become our reality” (p. 12).  Dr. Caroline Leaf goes deeper: “When you think, you build thoughts, and these become physical substances in your brain.”  Our thoughts are powerful!

Yes, our brains are powerful, but we do not have to be subject to them.  We have been given the power over our minds.  Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  We have the ability to be transformed, to be completely changed, by shifting our thoughts. This is easier said than done, though.  It is easier to complain and focus on the negative than to find something positive in a difficult or stressful situation.  This path of least resistance is what we have trained our brains to travel.  Creating new paths for our thinking and retraining our brains can be difficult.  It takes time and work.  The benefit of this work, however, is a more positive reality.  

Our thoughts directly impact our lives, both negatively and positively.  Thankfully, we do not have to let stress, dissatisfaction, or unhappiness be our way of life.  God created us to have brains that can change by reframing our thoughts.  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8).  In tough times and situations, when we fix our thoughts on the positive, we are changing our thinking, our brains, and ultimately our reality.  WOW!  

Heavenly Father, thank you for minds that can change.  Thank you for the tools to readjust our views on the situations we face.  Thank you for giving us the gift to transform our lives by renewing our powerful brains.

Brier or Branch

Isaiah chapter 27 kept me thinking this week. I found myself continuing to think about the invitation to the briers and thorns to come to God for refuge and to make peace with him:

“In that day – ‘Sing about a fruitful vineyard:  I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me’” (Isaiah 27:2-5). Throughout the rest of the chapter, the prophecy contrasts God’s fruitful vineyard against a picture of a desolate wasteland with directionless people with no understanding, and he’s inviting them back into worship and back into covenant relationship.

Jesus teaches in John chapter 15: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

I’m sure Jesus was thinking of the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah when he was inviting his disciples into deeper relationship and exhorting them to remain in him. I’m challenged to stay tethered to the life-giving vine, so I don’t become detached and drifting, suddenly finding myself no longer a branch but a brier or a thorn! But there is hope if that does happen! The Lord invites the brier and thorn to come and make peace with him. That is such good, reassuring news.

Isn’t that the whole message of the gospel spelled out over and over again, throughout the centuries, in the books of the Bible? Return to the Lord! He’s merciful and kind! He’s not angry! He can make the dry wasteland of your life into a fruitful garden! The invitation is ALWAYS OPEN! I implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God! 

New Day Nature Trails - Project Update

It started with a simple observation: New Day Community Church at 3600 Nichols Road sits on 19 acres that are surrounded by hundreds of neighborhood homes, but there are no parks!

With that in mind, I started up a conversation with a friend back in January. I knew this friend worked with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) but I had no idea exactly what he did. After learning a little about his job, I asked if maybe the church and the DNR could work together to improve the New Day trail. I told him about how our church loves to share the trail with our neighbors. And I told him about how we do a Candy Trail every October and post the Stations of the Cross every Easter.

Well, long story short, the DNR secured a grant from the state of Michigan to not only improve our trail, but expand it into a system of trails and do a restoration project that will remove invasive species. Our restored prairies, woodlands, and trails are going to be a real treasure that we can share with our neighbors for years to come. 

When we offer the “New Day Nature Trails” as a free gift to our neighbors, we get to be like Jesus! He gave freely, offering his very life for us on the cross. I’m so excited to care for this 19-acre slice of God’s creation and be like Jesus as we share it freely with our neighbors.

As a church, we spent the month of August getting the word out to our neighbors. We mailed about 1800 flyers and personally knocked on almost 500 doors! We shared with our neighbors the sentiment that: “You are welcome on this property” and “you are welcome in this church.” We also invited them to one of two informational meetings with the DNR. These info meetings were well-attended! We were able to have great conversations with our neighbors and discuss their questions.
In the next phase of our project, we will select a qualified restoration contractor and begin the work of clearing invasive species. The new trails will be established and new, native species planted. You can continue to use the trails throughout the restoration—but stay clear of the equipment and work while underway. We will post updates as the work progresses here: www.newdaycommunity.org/naturetrails

An Introduction and a Vision

Hello, Church! It’s my privilege to introduce myself to you all as your newest Pastoral Assistant! My focus will be primarily with youth however I will have various responsibilities to further the ministry of New Day. I’m so excited and expectant for what the Lord has in store for the New Day youth going forward, but before I dive into all of that, I wanted to reintroduce myself and give an update on where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to for the past three years! 

As most of you know, I’m the youngest son of our previous Senior Pastor (now Missions Pastor), Cameron Wright, and as such have grown up here at New Day. Throughout my childhood I always had a relationship with God and was familiar with His presence, and as I entered into my teenage years, I began to increasingly involve myself in ministry. I volunteered in various ministries at New Day; joined the church worship team for 3-4 years; served in a traveling worship team for two more years; and was a student, intern, and eventually media director in the local youth ministry WorshipArts over the course of six years. I was a busy guy!

During all that time, my relationship with God was stretched, tried, and strengthened immensely. However, in the fall of 2019, I knew I wanted something more. After much prayer and consideration, I chose to enroll in the Catch The Fire School of Ministry in Toronto, Canada for their 5-month “Heart Module.” The mission of the SoM is to lead their students to “encounter God, be transformed, and change the world,” and that’s precisely what I experienced. God rocked my world in many ways, but particularly in the areas of knowing the Father’s love, stepping into my Godly identity, and flowing in presence and power with the Holy Spirit.

After my time as a student, I was fortunate enough to be invited back to the School twice! First in 2020 for a yearlong internship as a small group leader (SGL), and second in 2021 for an additional year as a pastoral leader (PL). 

As an SGL, I learned what it meant to lead a ministry in a hands-on, day-to-day operations role. I had a total of three different small groups in that time, and would often lead and coach the students in giving and receiving ministry. As a PL, I had the opportunity to train and lead the SGLs of the School of Ministry, as well as to manage some of the administrative side, such as coordinating events and handling various issues that might arise throughout the program. 

In all this time, not only were my leadership skills and knowledge stretched and developed, but so was my relationship with God. I found that as I drew closer to Him, He drew closer to me. His heart and love for me wasn’t distant, but was active, present, and involved in my life. I discovered and experienced that no matter what is going on in life, He is there. He is able to help. And His love changes everything. 

And all of this is what I want to bring to the youth of New Day and our surrounding neighborhoods. I am so excited to step into this new season with you all, to partner with God in this vision to equip our youth with a passion for faith, experience in moving and flowing with the Holy Spirit, knowledge of both the Scriptures and His presence, and relationship with God that provides the firm foundation for everything in our lives. This is going to be a journey, but God is going to be with us each step of the way, and I for one can’t wait to see everything He’s going to do through and in our youth. 

It’s an honor to be serving in this role, and I look forward to all we’re going to do together. 

Blessings and much love,
Lewis Wright

Fear Not

This phrase is mentioned 150 times in the Bible. Adding similar verses about encouragement brings the total up to 365. That’s one time for each day of the year. God is serious about being there for us. 

The first occurrence of “fear not” was in Gen 15:1. Abram’s nephew Lot had been captured when war broke out between several nations.  Abram hears about it and takes 318 warriors to rescue Lot. After the rescue, Abram is afraid of retaliation. The word of the LORD cames to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."  The Lord is encouraging Abram to not be afraid. He will be Abram’s shield, his protection, and when Abram trusts in God, God will give him a prize: His presence! This is not just for Abram but for us as well. 

One of the most quoted verses of “fear not” is found in Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God always wants us to turn to Him. Likewise, He knows our frail state. We often are afraid. In this verse, God is encouraging His people to trust in Him. He wants to be the one we look to, depend on, trust in. 

I have to confess, I love to be needed. When my kids call me and ask for advice or help, my heart is overflowing with love to answer their plea. And when they are in a crisis, I long to be there to comfort and care for them. How much more would our perfect Father want to comfort and care for us? 

We all experience fear at one time or another in our lives. But where do you turn when you are afraid? Are you allowing God to be your comfort? Do you know who can bring you peace that passes all understanding? 
You can start learning to receive His comfort and peace today. Read His word. Find and memorize the scriptures that help you draw close to Him. Then, the next time you are afraid or face a crisis, you will know how to access His love for you.

Where The River Flows

Pastor Cameron spoke on seeking the face of the Lord last Sunday, and I have a confession to make. Sometimes I don’t feel like it. Sometimes I just want to ignore the Lord, just live my life, and make some progress on my to-do list. I want to focus on solving the problems in front of me, and take a break from daily devotions and prayer. And on those days when I’m prioritizing earthly things, and devaluing time with God, it’s usually because I’m thinking of God as distant, and disconnected from “real life.”

I’m sure I’m not alone in this experience. We all struggle to some degree with the decision to seek God, or to try to “get things done.” 

Scripture talks about how we’re supposed to be trees that are supposed to bear fruit. How can we make the decision to spend time with God, or get about the work of being productive? 

In Ezekiel 47, God’s prophet has this vision of God’s temple. And in this vision there’s a stream that’s flowing from underneath the front door of the temple. There are fishermen along the shore. Verse 9 says: “There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; everything lives where the river flows”…

“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing” (verse 12). Once again, everything lives where the river flows.

John gets this same vision from God in Revelation 22: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

These trees are having no problem with fruit. And it’s not because they’re working hard to make it happen. The fruit is grown because of where they’re planted: by the river.

It’s not unimportant that God takes Ezekiel into the stream, deeper and deeper. To his ankles, to his knees, to his waist, and then above his head. We’re meant to be in that river. We’re meant to experience the Spirit of God that proceeds from His throne. And it’s in His presence that we come alive. 

Jesus said seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and that “all these things” would be added unto us afterwards. God knows what we need. Give the firstfruits of your time and attention to Him. It’s better to be in the presence of the Lord with a full to-do list, than to have gotten everything done and for the Lord to say, “You never spent time with Me.” God, help me to jump in Your river first.

Inside of the Cup

Matthew 23:25-26 NLT:

“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees.  Hypocrites!  You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy - full of greed and self-indulgence!  Blind Pharisees!  First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.”

Most of my life I have been an excellent rule-follower.  As a teenager and young adult, I think I did a good job of presenting to all those around me (especially other Christians) just how Christian I was.  My first car was basically held together by Christian bumper stickers.  My closet was filled Christian t-shirts and only Christian music would play on my stereo.  I helped out with the youth group, was a missionary for several years, and then became a youth pastor.  The outside of my cup was sparkling!  If ever I thought I was not good enough throughout the week, I would really press in during worship and make sure God could see how much I loved him by how intensely I worshiped.  

Philippians 1:11 NLT:

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

Eventually God helped me see that he does not care about my Christian t-shirts nearly as much as he cares about the inside of my cup.  The fruit of my salvation and how I live my life is what brings glory to God.  It is not what I do on Sunday mornings as much as it is what I do the rest of the week.  I was more concerned with looking like a Christian than actually following Christ’s example.  Not saying a single swear word, wearing a Christian t-shirt, only listening to Christian music, and then judging both non-Christians and Christians alike for not being like me is about as pharisaical as one can get in our current culture.  Jesus would have called me a hypocrite.  Ouch!

One of my current favorite Christian thinkers, Skye Jethani, said “the truth of our faith isn’t revealed by what we proclaim but by how we live.  The true fruit of the Christian life isn’t the articulation of right doctrines, but the demonstration of right behaviors.”

Loudly proclaiming to the world how “Christian” I am does not bring any glory to God.  Loving my neighbor, helping those in need, listening to others, respecting others, and overall living out truth in love is what brings glory to God.

Isaiah 58:1-12 shows that God has always cared about the inside of the cup and not just a clean outside.  The people asked God why he isn't impressed with their fasting.  “It’s because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting.” It goes on to say “the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you.  Treat them fairly and give them what they earn.  I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes.  Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help…Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be bright as day.”

God, forgive me for focusing on the outside of my cup and neglecting the inside.  Help me to first wash the inside of me so that you may be glorified.  Help me through my actions show love to others and help point them to your gracious mercy and acceptance.

Courageous Endurance

“And they continued steadfastly…” Acts 2:42-47 is considered one of the best descriptions of the life and activity of the first-century church. The entire passage lists twelve attributes that are essential in every healthy church. The first attribute is often overlooked, but I believe it is one of the most vital. Continuing steadfastly is absolutely necessary for a Christ-follower and for a church. The Greek word means, “to be earnest towards, that is, to persevere, be constantly diligent.” It can also be translated as “courageous.” 

In Acts, we see many amazing things happening. Thousands of people are converted to Christ when Peter preaches to the crowds. Not long afterwards, persecution arises as the religious and political leaders oppose the early church. There are arrests, imprisonments, torture, even martydom. Yet through it all, the church continues steadfastly—they don’t give up. The enemy and the world can throw a lot of stuff at us, real stuff, painful opposition, but the only way they can win in this battle of faith is if we give up. Every time we face hardship, disappointment, temptation, being let down by others—any of the ways that life wears our faith down—we are being tempted to give up. It is during those times we are to continue steadfastly. 

This same truth is commanded in Hebrews 10:35-36: “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Confidence and endurance is essential in order to remain faithful to God’s call. Our confidence is not in ourselves and our own ability. Rather, our confidence is in the faithfulness of Christ. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.” In the midst of the chaos of life and the multitude of challenges, we must learn to stay focused on Jesus. He is our source and our destination. As long as we keep Him in sight, we can get through whatever life throws at us. 

An important key to doing this is learning to find Jesus in the moment, in the pain, temptation, or trial. He has not left you. He promised He never would forsake us. But when life is hard, it’s easy to lose sight of Him. That’s when it is vital that we know God’s Word and know how to tune into the voice of the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. Be courageous, be steadfast, and in doing so you will triumph over every obstacle.

Lasting Tradition

This past weekend was a special, significant and memorable event in the life of New Day Community Church. I don’t think I can adequately express the amount of joy and gratitude I experienced Sunday morning, being able to gather, worship, and celebrate with so many generations of wonderful people the Lord has blessed us with over the decades. As a member who has been attending this congregation for the last 36 years, I have been a witness to the things God has done in the lives of so many members of our church. We’ve shared countless joyful experiences together, and we’ve suffered many tragic, grief-filled circumstances as well. And God has been faithful and steadfast THROUGH IT ALL.

This is a new beginning, but also a continuation of the beautiful tradition ongoing in the life of the church. Tradition is defined as “the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.”

THIS is our tradition (from Romans 12):

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:

‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

This is what the world needs right now, which is Jesus’ bride at her best. Well done, New Day Community Church. Cheers to the Mensers, this next season, and for the many joys set before us that are yet to come!

Positioning For Revival

I’m at a pastors’ retreat in the U.P. Pastors and their families from around the country are here to learn, be encouraged, and enjoy the beauty of northern Michigan. The speaker is a highly respected professor from Moody Bible College, Dr. Shields. The theme is Revival. It was interesting to me that this theme lines up so well with what we as a church have been pursuing. Especially as this camp, and in general Moody Bible College, is nowhere near where we are in terms of types of church and perspectives on revival. 

I have learned that the superficial differences we see between denominations and streams of church are no obstacle whatsoever for the Holy Spirit. We may use different terms for prophetic ministry or being led by the Lord, or we may not display sensing God’s presence outwardly in the same ways, but we all worship and are led by the same God and indwelt by the same Holy Spirit. So when I have the opportunity to hear about revival from a new perspective, I am ready to learn. 

Nehemiah depicts one of the great revivals in the Old Testament as the Hebrews are being released from Babylon to return and rebuild Jerusalem: “Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, ‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.’ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:2-4)

Dr. Shields drew attention to Nehemiah’s response to the news of trouble. This reminded me of Josh Muse’s recent teaching at the Revival Weekend that Kairos moments often come as a crisis. Nehemiah was facing the crisis of rebuilding Jerusalem and the news that it wasn’t going well. His response was to cry out to God in prayer. Dr. Shields said that revival cannot be scheduled, but we can position ourselves to pursue revival through prayer, seeking God, repentance, and heartfelt obedience. Nehemiah then implemented a plan to facilitate the restoration of the wall of Jerusalem. 

John 5:17 reads, “But Jesus replied, "My Father is always working, and so am I." From this verse, Dr. Shields taught that like Jesus, we can have confidence that our heavenly Father is at work—always. And like Jesus, we should respond by being “at work.” We can be co-laborers with Christ in building the Kingdom of God. Like Nehemiah, we must position ourselves and take steps to see revival in our day. Church, let’s pursue this faithfully. We need revival. Our city needs revival. Our nation and world needs revival. We must step up and become the Nehemiahs of our day!

Sustaining Revival

Revival Weekend was incredible! Our guests from Kaleo International brought a good word and powerful times of ministry. It truly was a revival. Our souls were revived, refreshed, and renewed in the presence of God. And if we go back further, I would say that New Day has been experiencing an increasing revival for many months. We are seeing God move and momentum is growing.

This week I want to write to you about sustaining revival. Revival is triggered when we see our need for God. We sense a distance between ourselves and him. We sense a lack of the full life he promised. We struggle to hear his voice clearly. In that place, hunger stirs in our hearts. We see our need for him, and we want more of him.

This hunger drives us to the altar. We reach out with desperation to take hold of him. And we surrender—repenting for the ways we have lived contrary to him. Then he pours out his Spirit. In a moment, the distance we sensed disappears. We catch a glimpse of the full life. We hear his words of truth. That happened for many of us during Revival Weekend. We experienced revival. But now what?

It is my responsibility to live out the change he started in me. It is your responsibility to live out the change he started in you. Revival continues when we properly manage the gifts he gives us.

Charles Finney, a key figure in the Second Great Awakening in the 1800s, said this:

“Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility.”

Did you catch that? There is a turning point that happens for revival to continue in your life. It is the point where the rush and excitement of an encounter with God shifts into daily obedience and humility. The turning point happens when you surrender not just a moment of your life, but when you surrender each day. Revival is sustained by getting up every day and reading Scripture, by staying faithful in prayer, by meditating on the goodness of God, by living a transformed life, and by doing your part to share the good news and spread the kingdom of God.

Let’s stay hungry for more revival! And let’s live humble and obedient lives of surrender to Jesus!

Freedom!

This past week, we celebrated the independence of our country. Brave people hundreds of years ago fought to ensure our country could be established and governed by democracy. “The Great Experiment,” as it has often been called, has worked out pretty well in most ways. The United States is one of, if not the, most prosperous and powerful countries that has ever existed. But we must ensure that our civil freedoms are not used or misused and confused with the spiritual freedom obtained through faith in Jesus. 

The early Christians had a similar problem, which Paul addresses in Galatians 5:13-14: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” Freedom is not meant to create a free-for-all lifestyle. It is intended to produce a lifestyle that demonstrates the love of God. As this verse warned the early Christians, it stands as a warning for us today: “Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.” In our day, more and more things are legal and socially acceptable, but are nonetheless merely the indulgence of the sinful nature. The very thing Jesus died to free us from—sin and its stranglehold on our lives—is so often casually taken up again, leading many to become entangled and bound. 

In 1 Peter 2:16, the same idea is expressed: “As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God” (NKJV translation). We are commanded to not hide our indulgence in carnal, sinful, destructive thoughts and actions under the disguise of being free. Another translation (NLT) of this same verse reads: “For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.” Our freedom enables us to be slaves (Greek doulos, “a slave”—literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily) of God. In fact, we cannot serve God fully until we are set free from evil and our sinful nature through faith in Jesus. Freedom from sin enables us to be slaves of God. The bottom line here is that in truth Christians are not created to be “free agents.” In the words of a famous poet, “You gonna serve somebody.” Whenever we think we are free from God, we are certainly entangled in bondage to evil and sin. And the only way to be free from sin according to Jesus Christ is by following Him. As we see in John 8:31-32: “Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Onto the Field

At the close of Saturday night’s Revival Service, Pastor Cameron gave us a charge to go “out of the locker room and onto the field.” He wanted us to realize that the primary mission hasn’t been accomplished yet. We had a pep talk in the locker room from “Coach” Josh, but now we each need to go out onto the field and carry out the plan. 

Josh taught us that night to seize the Kairos moments as the Holy Spirit presents them, in the midst of our being faithful in the Chronos times. Both are Greek words for “time”:

Kairos = A time for the accomplishment of a crucial action

Chronos = Linear schedule of our lives

Josh said that often Kairos moments come dressed as a crisis. He said to look at the crises around us and be willing to say, “I volunteer. I have no idea how, but I will go.” He called for us to faithfully look into our community and ask God: Who have you placed in my influence? Who am I called to bring the gospel to?

This message challenged me. That night, I was presented with a cultural crisis that I was stirred by the Holy Spirit to enter with the love and power of the gospel. I had received an email from the volleyball league I am a part of entitled “Expanding Gender Inclusivity.” They explained that they will now include eight gender options and that the term “co-ed” is inaccurate and outdated. To be more inclusive, they hope to add pronoun options to the member profile soon. The email ended with inviting anyone with feedback about these changes to fill out a survey. 

Prior to Revival Weekend, I would have felt unsettled by the email, hopefully prayed about it and probably felt discouraged thinking there was nothing I could really do. But this time, I stepped into the cultural crisis before me and clicked on the survey, stating that “I have a different perspective” and thanked them for the invitation to share it. I said that I believe what the Bible says about gender to be true. In the beginning, God created male and female in His image. I shared how, when God is our defining lens, we understand ourselves through His perspective. When we choose to make Him King of our lives, we follow His ways and live according to His design. I encouraged anyone reading my feedback that it wouldn’t be loving for me not to encourage them to make their lives right with their Creator and choose to follow God while there is still time to do so. I concluded the survey by checking the box that I would be willing to be a part of a focus group to discuss gender inclusion. 

This is just one of the many storms within my influence that God pointed out to me over the weekend. I’m going to walk into them now. Why? Because there are people inside that are confused, without hope, or barely hanging onto life—disconnected from Jesus. I have a new urgency and willingness to walk into the storm, meet people where they are at, bring the light of the gospel, and help them navigate out of the mud. 

We all must act on the word we were given last weekend and shine the light of truth into the crises around us with the grace and boldness of the Holy Spirit. Remember, we are responsible TO share and for HOW we share. We are NOT responsible for how others respond. We each have a part to play. I cannot wait to hear your stories too. Here we go—out of the locker room and onto the field!

41 Years Ago

Forty-one years ago, as a young man only recently saved, I attended a conference on missions in Urbana, Illinois. 14,000 people gathered to learn the state of world missions and the challenge the church faced. I vividly remember many of the sessions. 

The challenge to reach the Muslim world was a focus, as it was identified as a cultural powerhouse about to be unleashed upon the world. At that time, most Americans had little knowledge of the influence and potential of Islam upon world religions. For example, if you watch movies from the early ‘80s, the terrorists weren’t Middle Eastern; they were from Ireland. The influence of many aspects of Islam has grown exponentially as predicted.  I was ready to sell all (actually I didn’t have much) and go to the front lines of missions. 

I found a recording of Billy Graham speaking, which I vividly remember. Interestingly, Russia had just invaded Poland and the world was on the brink of war. How eerily similar it is to today, as Russia is invading Ukraine and the world again is on the brink of war. Billy Graham's message was that the answer to a world in need of peace is the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You can listen to the message at this link: https://bit.ly/urbana1981

I fervently prayed concerning my response to the call of missions at the conference. God spoke clearly to me: “You are not to go, but to send.” I was ready to go full-time as a missionary to any country. But my calling was not to move and become a missionary, but to send others and resources. I have obeyed that calling consistently. During my ministry with New Day, we have sent and/or supported long-term missionaries to many countries: Japan, Peru, Israel, Ireland, Burma (Myanmar), Haiti, Uganda, China, Malawi, and others. The number of countries that we have sent short-term missions to is too long to list. I cannot even begin to calculate how much money we as a church have sent to resource the Great Commission over the past 40 years. 

Reg Layzell, a leading revivalist in the mid-20th century, would often say, “The purpose of missions is to produce churches, and the purpose of the church is to send and resource missions.” My next season of ministry, as I step down as lead pastor, will enable me to continue this focus. I will continue to build New Day but will have more freedom to assist church planting and missions. Never think that you have to leave your town or your church to be effective. Embrace wholeheartedly what God had put in your hand and use it to build Christ’s Kingdom. As you do so faithfully, God will open doors. My life is a testimony of this truth. My willingness to stay and send has opened up countless doors of opportunity for me to visit and assist those called to long-term missions and church planting. Church, we have the Good News—let’s share it!