A Study of 1 Corinthians chapter 10 - Part 2 - How do you read it?

"For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.  But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.  These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.  So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”  And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day.  And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes.  And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.  These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.  So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.  No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (NET)

*The New English Translation (NET) bolds and italicizes every Old Testament reference.  This is helpful and insightful as the reader begins to see just how much of the New Testament is based on phrases and principals found in the Old Testament.  As in the scripture above, Paul is referencing Exodus chapter 32.* 

Thanks for taking the time to look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10 with me.  If you missed yesterday’s blog I would encourage you to read it first as it will help set the context.  As we begin to study this passage it is very important to remember who this was written to.  This was written to the follower of Jesus.  Christians, in my opinion, spend too much time trying to correct the behavior of the world.  Look, the world is acting just as it is supposed to.  The better question is, “Are you, the Christian, acting as you are supposed to?”  

Many of the stories found in the Bible are told of the people of God who experienced God’s judgement because they went against God’s ways.  Don’t miss this point…It’s the church folk in the Bible that God was consistently dealing with.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul provides four examples of how God’s people, got out of line and how God dealt with their rebellion.  

But why does Paul share this with us?  Paul actually tells us in verses 6-7, "These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.  So do not be idolaters, as some of them were."

The Bible isn’t just for your entertainment.  It’s greater purpose is to be our guide.  From it, we have the opportunity to: learn about what God expects from us, to be encouraged, and to be warned.  Paul reminds his protege Timothy of this in 2 Timothy, "Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NET) 

Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
Here Paul provides four “things that happened” as examples for Christians to learn from.  With each example Paul offers a quick summary and then the Biblical reference.  I am going to give this four examples in list form.

  1. Don’t be idolaters - Exodus 32:1-29
  2. Don’t be immoral - Numbers 25:1-9
  3. Don’t complain about God’s provision - Numbers 21:1-9
  4. Don’t question God’s judgement - Numbers 16:20-50

These are four actions and attitudes that can trip you up as you run the Christian race.  You say, “Not me.  I’d never fall over one of these.”  Look at Paul’s warning.  "These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.  So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.  No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

Over the next four days I will do my best to unpack these four examples.
Until then…On Purpose,
Pastor Matt

A Study of 1 Corinthians chapter 10 - Part 1 - It’s Not Them, It’s You

I want to spend some time looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 10.  The reason for this study is in response to my observation of how too many Christians spend too much time pointing too many fingers at the world in which they live.  The world is acting just as it is supposed to.  The question I want to ask is, “Are you, the Christian, acting as you are supposed to?"

A friend of mine recently said, “I’ll clean up my side of the street before I worry about yours.”  Jesus said it like this, “Why do yo see the speck in you brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?” 

Much of the judgement found in the Bible is not focused on the world but rather on the “follower” of God who lives outside of God’s standards.  I was recently reminded of this as I was reading 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

This section of Paul’s letter begins like this, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters…”  Another way to read this is “For I do not want you to be unaware, my fellow Christians…”  (1 Cor 10:1 NET).  Paul is clearly speaking to the follower of Jesus.  Notice his main point in this section.  It is found in verses 1-5.

"For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.”  1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Quick question.  In this passage, who is God not pleased with?  

The world?
Nope.
God was not pleased with his people, the Israelites.  To explain his point, Paul offers four examples of God’s judgement towards his very people, the Israelites.  (We will look at these in tomorrow’s blog)

Before we jump right into Paul’s four examples, I want to direct you to what Paul says in the end of chapter 9.  You will probably recognize it.  It is a very famous passage.

"Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.  Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.  So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air.  Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.”  1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Paul is speaking about living a life of purpose.  We, the followers of Jesus, have to stop swinging at the wind.  We must learn to live on purpose.  One way we do this is by understanding that our relationship with Jesus is very personal.  I believe that before God wants to use you to do something big, He first wants to do something big in you.  However, this is impossible to accomplish if your focus is on what other people should be doing.  Stop focusing on them and focus on you…specifically what God is trying to communicate to you.  

When you read Paul’s letter without chapters and verses (like he originally wrote it) you can get a little more of his thought process.

"Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.  Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything.  They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.  So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air.  Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.  For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.  But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.”

All of God’s people were running the race. 
But something was wrong. 
Somehow they begin to swing at the wind.  
They got distracted.
Something was taking place that was causing many of them to be “cut down in the wilderness.” 
Tomorrow I will introduce you to these four mis-steps.  Until then, live on purpose.

Blessings, 
Pastor Mat

3 Questions to My Parents on their 43rd Wedding Anniversary

My parents, Jimmy and Becky Miller celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary today.  I asked my them 3 questions that I thought might encourage us other married folk who are doing our best to build a healthy marriage.

Question 1:
If you could offer one piece of advice to a young married couple, to help them stay married, what would you say?

Dad - “Don’t give up."

Mom - Talk to each other!  Don’t try to read their mind…doesn’t work.  Talk to God also!

How this has played out in my 12 years of marriage? - Jenn and I outlawed the word divorce.  It’s not allowed in our home.  We never threaten each other with statements of separation.  We also established a rule that no one gets to leave during a fight.  No slammed doors.  No going for a walk/drive.  Never-ever will the other be left alone in a time of conflict.  

Question 2:
When it come to conflict, how do you not stay mad?  How do you not walk out and leave?

Dad - “Say what’s on your mind and get over it."

Mom - “Let it go and don’t hold a grudge.

How this has played out in my 12 years of marriage? - It’s not about not getting mad.  I get mad.  The point is not staying mad.  Not staying mad is a choice.  We talk.  We disagree.  And, we choose what hills we are willing to die on.  Not every argument matters.  

Question 3:
If you could go back and do it again, how might you love your spouse better?

Dad - “I would not work so much and spend more time with her."

Mom - “Lean more on God instead of self.”  

How this has played out in my 12 years of marriage? - I love these types of questions.  It is my hope that Jenn and I do our best everyday to love each other on purpose.  The last thing I hope is to one day look back and say, “I wish…”  May we learn from those who lived longer.  May we not repeat what they wish they could change.

Have a blessed day,
Pastor Matt

Unity

Each day you face many different types of decisions. One of these is how you will view your neighbor. You might ask, "Who is my neighbor?"  And I would reply, "Each person you encounter."  When we meet someone, we often go one of two ways: we notice our differences or we discover what we have in common.  The choice is completely yours. The easy choice is to notice our differences. Differences can be quickly discovered. However, it takes time to discover our common bonds. 

Choose today to discover common bonds. Here are some suggestions that will help you do this. 

1. Ask, "What did you do for fun as a kid?" You will most often find that this question leads to a fun conversation about their upbringing. 

2. Another similar question is, "Where did you grow up?  And, what was unique about it?"

3. Look for common bonds: our kids, our sports team, how flipping hot it is (in KC anyway), and maybe even our faith in Jesus.  

Or, we can remain divided...we could focus on the color of our skin and the language we speak. We could focus on our political opinion. Or focus on our sexual orientation.  

This is just my observation, it's really hard to love your neighbor when your yelling at them, making fun of them, or condemning them. It's a lot easier to love when we focus on our commonalities. 

Remember this, and I've learned this from one of my mentors, Dan...The enemy wants to: Divide, Distract, and Discourage. Let's not give that ole devil any space in our life.  Let's follow the command of our Jesus and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 

Have a blessed day, 

Pastor Matt

 “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”  

Mark‬ ‭3:35‬ ‭NET‬‬ http://bible.com/107/mrk.3.35.net

Good morning. Thanks for taking the time to think with me🤔 about this verse, found in Mark 3:35 (also in Matthew chapter 12).

Here are some of my observations that I invite you to think about today.  

1. How do you know if you are a part of Jesus' family?  Jesus answers this by saying "whoever does the will of my Father..."  That seems really straight forward but have you ever thought about what is the Father's will?

This is a really important question to figure out...What is God's will?  To answer our question we should look in the Bible. (Duh...but how often do we neglect God's Word and replace it with "well, I think" or "this devotion said."  If not yet, let's get into the habit of going to the Bible first and then other resources.). One place to study would be where Jesus was asked about the greatest  commandment. Another would be to study the 10 Commandments. I think that these two sections of Scripture can shed light on what is God's will.  

Here's what you might discover...God's will is for us to worship/love God with every aspect of our lives AND to love others as we would like to be loved. 

So, based on that definition, I would conclude: when I love God with every single aspect of my life and when I am intentional about loving others I will be doing the will of God = I am in God's family!! 

2. You can be Jesus' brother, sister, or mother. But you don't get to be his Daddy!  I love this. Jesus explains the open positions in his family... "whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother ."  Jesus never gives the opportunity for anyone to be his Father.  You and I are not Jesus' father. I bring this up to say, "Quit telling Jesus what to do."  I know what you're thinking (some of you anyway), "I don't tell Jesus what to do!"  Sure you do, every time you pray.  Too often prayer is us telling Jesus what we want him to do. Rarely is prayer a time of thankfulness AND asking God (our Father) what He wants us to do.  

How might you pray different today?  Maybe like this...

WOW! - brag on God.  

NOW... - tell God the good, bad, & ugly. 

HOW? - stop talking. Open your Bible and discover what Gid says about you and your life.  

OBEY - do what what your Father says.  

May each of us set our focus on proving our place in the family of God. And, may each of us realize that it is only by God's grace that we can be considered the family of God.   

Blessings on you today, 

Pastor Matt

One More Time

“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NASB‬‬ http://bible.com/100/act.1.6.nasb

Thanks for taking the time to think with me.🤔

I want to offer a quick thought about Acts 1:6. Notice the phrase, "they were asking Him."  The disciples were really interested with a specific issue, and because of their interest and lack of understanding, they kept asking Jesus...until they received an answer

What about you?  What don't you understand?  What isn't clear?  What do you keep asking Jesus about?    

Jesus doesn't mind you asking. He actually encourages it.  Look at these words of Jesus.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7-11‬ ‭NASB‬‬ http://bible.com/100/mat.7.7-11.nasb

I think Jesus expects a few things from his followers. 1 - Jesus expects us to not fully understand things (You're not the exception).  2 - Jesus expects us to ask him...and to keep asking him. 3 - Jesus expects us to listen when he answers.   

In short, talk to Jesus. I would encourage you to try this process if you don't have your own.  

WOW! - Brag on God

NOW... - Tell God the good, bad, & ugly of your life.  

 HOW? - Stop talking, open your Bible, study to see what God's Word says about your life, and then obey. 

Have a blessed day,  

Pastor Matt

Good Stuff and God Stuff

I'm been living with this question for over a year now, "Am I doing good stuff or God stuff?"  The difference is:

Good Stuff - something I think is good and worthy of my time and effort.  

God Stuff - something that God has asked you to do. 

Today I was reading Utmost for His Highest. I'd like to share it with you today. I hope this speaks to your "stuff" as we continue to follow Jesus.  

February 28

"Do You Now Believe?"

'By this we believe . . . .' Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe?' -John 16:30-31

Now we believe. . . ." But Jesus asks, "Do you . . . ? Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you . . . will leave Me alone" (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.

We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to "walk in the light" of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to "walk in the light asHe is in the light. . ." (1 John 1:7). When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others. But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation-just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.

Copyright © 1992 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Do You Pick Your President?

I’m hooked on our country’s current political entertainment.  I watch, I listen, and I read.  I often can’t tell if I’m observing a political debate, WWE’s Monday Night Raw, or a late night infomercial promising me free stuff if I call now.  

However, it’s really important to get beyond the sound bites and catchy slogans.  On the other side of the noise, you have a better opportunity to make an informed decision.  I’m currently an undecided voter.  Today, I was talking to my wife, Jenn, about this.  From our conversation,  I think it best to apply four filters to each candidate.  Each filter applied alone is not enough to make a wise decision.  However, when used together, I think you will be able to make an intelligent choice for President of the United States of America.  

(Please note, I do not force these four filters upon you, the staff of New City Church, or the people who call New City Church home.  These are simply the views of me and my family.  You can choose to stop reading at any time.)

My first filter, and the thing that is the most important to me is “Does this candidate confess Jesus as Lord and Savior?”  Here, we must look beyond what the candidate says and observe their life.  Jesus said you can judge a tree by its fruit.  Meaning…look at the fruit the tree produces.  Based on the fruit, you will be able to identify the tree.  I personally won't vote for the candidate who does not follow Jesus.  If, when it comes time to vote, there is no candidate who is a follower of Jesus, I will make my decision based on the remaining three filters.

My second filter is “Which candidate expresses values that are most in line with my values?"  We have to keep in mind that each candidate wants our vote.  And, because of this, we must make sure that what they say is not just pleasing to the ear, but is also reflected in their life's work.  Research your candidate.  Discover if what they say today aligns with what they have said and accomplished in the past.  

My third filter is “What does their resumé look like?”  I think this is important.  What have they been responsible for?  What have they accomplished?  What have they led?  I personally don’t think the Oval Office is the place to practice your leadership skills.  

My fourth filter is “Who are their friends?”  You can tell a lot about a person by looking at who they call “friend.”  I hold to a principal that says “the direction of your friends will determine the direction of your life.”  When you discover who the candidate spends the most time with, you will see what is truly most important to that candidate.  There’s a reason your close friends are your close friends…You share a common set of values.  

I hope this will help you as you make your final decision.  I don't expect to find the perfect candidate...But I do expect to be able to answer the question “Why did you vote for _____?"

And, finally, I must say, regardless of the outcome...We are called to make disciples...To be known by our love...To seek God's Kingdom above all else...To confess Jesus is Lord…and, Pray for our President.

Blessings,
Pastor Matt

Do You Have a Hearing Problem?

There are times in life when I have a hearing problem.  During these times I find it difficult to discern what God is trying to say to me (some might say "what is God trying to teach me" and others might say "what is God's will?"). The reason I know this I find myself asking God the same question over and over. 

Here's what I understand. God has given us his Word. I believe it has the power and authority to speak into every area of life. However, although I believe this, I sometimes still have a hard time hearing from God. Maybe you do to?  If so, I would ask you to consider this process. It's what I have done. 

- List out anything that you think is keeping you from hearing God clearly.  

My list looked like this: I think I could hear if Facebook didn't have so much of my attention. I think I could hear if I didn't spend time in between appointments playing games on my phone. I think I could hear if I made major cuts to the amount of time I watch tv when I get home from work.  

Thats my list. That's where a lot of my free time has been given. I excuse it off by saying things like, "I need to chill out for a bit" or "My brain needs a break" or "I'm wiped and just want to do some mindless activity."  That's me, what about you? 

- Ask God what He thinks about your list.  

I can be really hard on myself. I like to think that I'm a pretty productive guy. But, I also think how much more productive I could be if...  Don't make excuses for your behavior but also don't guilt yourself because you enjoy watching your favorite sports team or for playing that video game. Don't allow your own thinking to rob you of fun. Ask God what he thinks....Rest in God's grace. 

- Do what God says.  

Today i removed all my game apps (my kids don't know this yet. They will be ticked but at least I won't have to charge my phone 3 times a day!). I also removed the Facebook app. I'm actually already loving the world a little bit more. I spend too much of my time shaking my head at what most people think. This isn't healthy for me...probably not healthy for you either.  

That's me. What will I do with this extra time?  I'm not gonna tell you that I will spend every spare moment in the Word. But I can tell you this. I had time this morning to write this blog.  

Have a blessed day, 

Pastor Matt

Try This in 2016

If you love someone who is making poor choices...If you are angry at a group of people because of their choices. ..If you have tried and tried to help them...If you have tried changing them by arguing your point?

You may want to try this. I'm currently reading Paul's letter to the church in Rome.  In chapter 1:16, Paul writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

What does this scripture teach?  It teaches this, God can people to do what you never could!

Why are you trying another "gospel?"  Don't be ashamed of the very thing that changed your life. Before you try anything else try the gospel. Oh...The gospel is this, the good news of Jesus Christ. That Jesus lived, teaching us a new way to be human. That Jesus died, providing forgiveness for all our sin.  That Jesus lived again, giving us power in this life and hope for the next.  

Jesus, not knowing about Jesus, but the person JESUS, is what changes a person. Jesus is real. What Jesus did was real. And when Jesus get ahold of a person that change is real.  

I am not ashamed of Jesus. I'm grateful for him. I am in complete debt to him. He is my Lord (my boss) and he is my Savior (my help).   What about you?

Did you notice my turn...I started out talking about them...But now I'm talking about me and you. Why? Because God has chosen you to reflect Him to them. If you ain't got it they won't get it!  Look what Paul says next, "For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith..." 

The gospel is revealed from your faith to their faith. The Gospel moves. The Gospel is contagious. You can't give it if you don't have it.  

My prayer is this. That we all would discover more about Jesus in 2016. That we would not only know more about him but that we would also know him more. Amen.  

Blessings, 

Pastor Matt

The Christmas Story

So I told those who worshiped during our Christmas Eve service that I would provide the scripture that accounts the birth of Jesus.  I asked each family to read this story before opening gifts.  I hope you will do the same.  Merry Christmas!  - Pastor Matt

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. 20 When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, 25 but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.  Matthew 1:18-25

2 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. 2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 Everyone went to his own town to be registered. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 17 When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 20 So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.

21 At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.  Luke 2:1-21

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 9 After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. 11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back by another route to their own country.

13 After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” 14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone.”

19 After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. 23 He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.  Matthew 2:1-23

39 So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.  Luke 2:39

We Made It!

First, let me say, how generous the people of New City are. Both families were adopted!  Great work church.  

Back in October we kicked off our 90 Day Generosity Challenge. During this time we set the vision of, let us finish the year moe generous than we started. As a church family, we accomplished this. Over the last 3 months we have blessed numerous people in a variety of ways.  

I hope you have joined with your church family. However, the interesting part of belonging to a large family...A lot of things can happen...And yet, people can choose to only watch and never participate. 

If that has been your story, I want to encourage you to make the last few days of 2015 count.   But what you do is very important.  It's not "what you do."  But rather, "What is God asking me to do and what will I do about it?" 

These 2 questions, "What is God saying and what am I going to do about it?"  have inspired the majority of New City Church to become more generous.  Everytime you and I take the time to answer these 2 question, we will get the same results...Some form of greater generosity.  

So don't stop. Don't go back to your old way. Forward!  Onward, to greater generosity...let the 365 Day Generosity Challenge begin...minus the daily blogs.😀

Merry Christmas, 

Pastor Matt

Last Minute Generosity

I have two opportunities for some last minute generosity. Do you think God is asking you to provide Christmas presents for a family?  I have a family with 4 kids and a family with one child.  

If you sense God asking you to adopt one of these families, please email me so that I can send you their needs and wants. 

matt@newcitychurch.com

Merry Christmas, 

Pastor Matt

You Want to Read This...

My previous blog post was titled A Woman’s Strength.  In that post, I shared an email that I had received about a some pastors I had met during my trip to Thailand.  However, that was the second email I had received about the pastors in that region of the world.  The second email I received was one requesting some financial support that I had offered to send.  

Before I get to the email, let be provide some needed back story.

While in Thailand this past September, I met close to 100 leaders who were from the surrounding countries.  Many of these leaders were facing some sort of persecution.  Of these leaders, there were 10 who were given the title of Administrators.  Each of these Administrators oversee a numerous amount of house churches.  Many of these house churches are separated by many miles which means that these 10 Administrators spend much of their time traveling (by foot or motorcycle) from one region to the next, providing various needs to the members of these house churches.  The reason for the basic needs (food, scripture passages, radios, etc.), is because these things had been taken away once it became known that this particular person/family had become Christian.  These needs are provided by several financial supporters from all over the world who give to their ministry.  This is why they are called Administrators, because they administrate resources as they see fit.    

These 10 Administrators also have families.  And the 10 Administrators have also had their basic needs stripped from them because they are Christian.  So, you have 10 Administrators, with families of their own, who are trying to provide for their own families while also providing support to the numerous house churches they oversee.  

That’s where New City Church comes in.  What I learned is that each leader needs $1,000 dollars a year, a little over $800 a month ($833 for the math wizards) to provide for their families. This would allow them to focus on leading their house churches and not feel the pressure of searching out extra income.  (Which is hard to sometimes find because they are confessing Christians and some people won't hire them).
I left Thailand sensing that New City Church needed to give this $10,000.

Back to the email.

I still felt that God allowed me to go to Thailand so that we could meet this specific need.  But, there is a problem.  New City Church didn’t have the $10,000, hence me replying to Mark when he asked if we would be able to give this offering.  This was my reply...

Mark,
Please pray for us (New City Church)!  I'm asking the Lord to provide the resources in hopes that we will be able to give the $10,000...  As I read the story you sent in the other email, I asked the Lord to provide the resources so that we can give what is in my heart to give. 

So, to answer your question...I don't know when we will be able to give. I wish I could be clearer, but it is what it is. However, I will let you know as soon as I can. 

Have a Merry Christmas,
Matt

That same day…Actually a couple hours after I hit send…God showed up.

I found myself in a conversation with a couple who attend New City Church.  During our conversation, Thailand was brought up.  Then this happened...
Without knowing much at all, this family said, “We feel that God has asked us to give $10,000.”  I can’t say more because they have also asked to stay anonymous.  

WHAT!!
Not even 2 hours later God had answered my prayer.  I didn’t have to ask anyone for any money!  God did it!  When this happened I thought of Jesus’ words,

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.”  John 15:7

I hope this story made you smile.  I know 10 men on the other side of the world who just got a tremendous Christmas gift!  

Blessings,
Pastor Matt

A Woman's Strength

This past September I had the opportunity to travel to Thailand to work alongside and encourage pastors who are persecuted for their belief in Jesus.  All of the pastors I had the privilege to work with had traveled to Thailand from other surrounding countries.  Their stories and faith really inspired me.  

This week I received a email that was very encouraging.  I pray that this story will also inspire you!
Enjoy,
Pastor Matt

Story of a village Chief and his wife, who both accepted Christ

On November, 18-20th, was our last border seminar in the central area where there are 80 pastors and evangelists who came from 10 provinces. At 7 p.m. was our time of worship service, testimonies, and revival messages. However, there is a pastor named T.W. He came from the Vietnam border, which it takes him 2 days, 2 nights on the bus in order to get to the place where we held the seminar!

            Pastor T.W. had a wonderful story to tell us about this ministry that he is overseeing in his district. There is a village named L.N. The head pastor does not know how to read and write, but he has an assistant to help him. The pastor, who does not know how to read or write, did come to our border seminar in September of 2015.

            At the L.N. village house church is always being persecuted by the village authorities and village police who oppress them. They kept the 12 Christians for not adding more believers for the past 15 years. Yet, early November this year, the authorities were not able to prevent this from happening. When the wife of the chief of police of the village accepted Christ into her heart, she took her children to attend the church. This made her husband very angry and worried. The reason he was worried because he was afraid to get kicked out from being the chief police. He will also be punished also because he cannot prevent nor control his wife from being a Christian.

            The Chief police decided to beat his wife, treat her harshly, and threaten her at times by shot his gun in the air to scare her in order that she would stop believing Christ. He then went to the head of the village to get advice of what to do with his wife. The head of the village said that he has to force her more strongly, beat her more, threat to divorce her. The Chief did all these things but his wife still did not renounce her faith! Then he went to the Chief police in his district to get advice from his on what to do. The District Chief police said the same thing as the head of the village but added that his wife must stop being a Christian or many people will follow her, especially when people see that you cannot control your wife in what she believes. People see that your wife is willing to endure your threats and beatings to follow Christ.

            The village Chief police decided to go back to the village. As time went on, he went crazy. One day, he took his gun and shoots the sky many times around the village to release his stress, anger, and to show that he did not know what to do with his wife. Then the village head man got mad at him went to the District governor to get counsel on what to do with the chief police’s wife about her not renouncing her faith, and her husband shooting his gun in the sky and cursing. It has caused unrest and concern for the people in the village.    

            There was a wonderful answer from the District governor. He said, “Let them be Christians, do not forbid them anymore! Today, it is different from 20 years ago.” The head of the village told the district governor that if we allow them to be Christians, there will be lots more willing to accept Christ. The District governor replied “Let them choose by themselves.” The village headman said, “The house church that they are holding worship service is also too small.” The governor answered, “Let them build a new church building.”

            When the chief police of the village heard that the district governor allow them to freely believe Jesus Christ, he was excited and immediately accepted Jesus Christ! Then, a total of 14 families followed the police chief of the village, in accepting Christ! The families have been waiting a long time to have this freedom, and now God is good to them! Right now, there are are total of 27 families and more than 200 members. Is this not a wonderful story of what God has done to lead these 15 families to his Kingdom?! There are many villages that need this freedom!

            Well, we have to thank God for the chief police’s wife for her standing firm in her faith in Jesus, and willing to suffer for Him and enduring her husband’s treatment. Otherwise, this wonderful thing would not happen. Now they want to build a new church building, but they need help.

            Pastor T.W. said, “When they got approved by the governor to allow them to become Christians freely, they immediately called me to go help them lead those 15 families to Christ! I could not go because my motorbike was broken because it was really old. It takes 9 hours walk from my village to their village. No truck is able to go but a motorbike. They told me that they will come get him, and in a few hours, someone came to get him.”

            When Pastor T.W. arrived in the village, there is was joy when they saw him. The Christians told him about the good news of what God has done to have freedom to accept Christ. All of them gathered in one place and let Pastor T.W. preach to them and led them to Christ. How can we imagine the atmosphere when the 15 families accepted Christ?

            Pastor T.W. told us that they demonstrated from their excitement and joy by killing pigs and many chickens to welcome him to show their thanks for him coming to lead them to Jesus Christ. He said that one morning there were 7 families that invited him to come and eat breakfast at their house to express their joy in their new salvation, which they have waited for a long time.

            At the seminar, we gave more radios to Pastor T.W. so that he could give to the new believers to listen to the Khmu FEBC program. Thank the Lord that God can use a pastor who cannot read or write to do the work in a miraculous way and for Pastor T.W. to oversee them.        

Proud Mom

This week I received a text message from a mom. She wanted to brag in her daughter. She texted... 

GENEROSITY---when your 16 year old uses her own babysitting money to buy a gift card for the crossing guard near her high school.  A tear runs down his face as she gives him the gift and proclaims that his smile and wave each day brightens her day. PRICELESS!!!  Proud mama who had to share.

i love this example of generosity.  During this Christmas season, how might you bless someone who you has made you smile this year? 

Have a blessed day, 

Pastor Matt

Spiritual Teenager Part 3

10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?  Luke 16:10-13

This is part 3 of my blogs on the Spiritual Teen years.  Today, I will be sharing how one moves through this season of maturing.

First, it’s important to remember that you can’t skip the Spiritual Teen years.  However, you don’t have to stay there forever.  If you catch yourself saying a lot of “I”, “me” and “my” statements, ask yourself “Why do you feel that way?”  If you really want to grow fast, ask someone you trust.

Think about a real life teenager.
What do they need?

They need authority.   A coach.  A teacher.  A parent.  A mentor.
Why are these roles important for the teen?
Because they pull them out of their silly way of thinking and behaving.  

I know I said that kind of harsh but it’s true.  A teenager knows just enough truth to make them dangerous.  C’mon, you know I’m right.  Teens think they understand responsibility because they read about it on twitter or wikipedia.  Stop!  Every teen needs to understand one thing.  Every teen needs to understand authority.

The same is true spiritually.  Every Spiritual Teenager needs a Spiritual Parent who will pull them out of their silly way of thinking.  Why?  Because they know just enough to make them dangerous.  

If you would identify yourself as a Spiritual Teenager, I would encourage you with 2 specific things:  First, find someone who you want to be like when you grow up and ask them if you can join them in something they are doing.  Please don’t invite them to something new. They are probably busy and will not have the space to add something to their calendar.  However, if you know some of their routine, you might be able to join them.  Maybe a fireside they lead, maybe for a cup of coffee, or maybe for a meal (most people I know eat).

When you get time with them, and this will be hard at first, but when you get time with them, ask questions and then stop talking so that you can hear what they have to say.  Let me say more about this because this is often a big miss for Spiritual Teenagers.  Come prepared with questions.  Have a note pad or some device to take notes on.  Lean in and learn.  Show them that you value their experience.  By doing these things, you might be surprised how open they are to giving you more time in the future.  

My second encouragement is this: understand that God is your ultimate authority…And, God has placed men and women in leadership above you ON PURPOSE.  There is nothing more dangerous than a leader who has never successfully submitted underanother person’s ministry.  Stop talking bad about your leader.  Don’t leave your leader (unless you are being abused) until God moves you.  Wherever you are, God has you there on purpose.   

Blessings,
Pastor Matt

Spiritual Teenager Part 2

10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?  Luke 16:10-13

Yesterday I wrote about the teenage years and how there is a parallel to a person’s spiritual maturity.  

As a part of that blog I wrote, “How do you know you are a spiritual teenager?"  Today, I want to answer a second key question.  "How long does the Spiritual Teenager season last?"

Answering this question can be confusing because my answer is kind of fuzzy.  You become a real life teenager when you turn 13.  I don’t care how mature you are as a 12 year old…you’re not a teenager.  The same is true when you turn 20.  You’re no longer a teenager.  Ready or not, you’re now an adult. 

However, there is no “age” in your spiritual maturity that signals that you’re now a Spiritual Teenager.  You become a spiritual teen when you begin to spiritually feed yourself.  Then, as a self-feeder, God begins to give you responsibilities to see if you can be trusted.  It is in this season of maturity that God begins to give you responsibilities and this will continue for the rest of your life.  

So, in this season of maturity, God gives you responsibility.  Yet, God in no way intends on your remaining a Spiritual Teenager.  

Why?  Because, very few people want to follow a Spiritual Teenager.  

Think back on a real-life teenager.  A lot of their sentences include their favorite words: “I”, “me” and “ my."

The same is true in this season of spiritual maturity.
A key reason for so much consumer Christianity is due to the fact that there are so many Christians who never mature beyond this point.

A lot of Christians use the words “I”, “me” and “my” as they make key spiritual decisions.   This doesn’t totally frustrate me because everyone goes through this season of life.  What does frustrate me is when people realize this, yet choose not to grow up.

So, how long you remain a Spiritual Teenager depends on you.  The Spiritual Teenage season ends when you become a Spiritual Adult.   

Let me describe what a Spiritual Adult looks like.  A Spiritual Adult, like a Spiritual Teen, is a self-feeder and is given responsibilities to show God they can be trusted.  AND…They understand that life, church, and ministry aren't all about them and their preferences.  A Spiritual Adult falls in love with a vision, mission, and values of a ministry and not a style of music or preaching.  A Spiritual Adult partners with the ministry he is a part of.  He no longer sits and evaluates but chooses to take ownership for his church family.  In short, the Spiritual Adult sees beyond himself and sees the church as one body with many parts…Realizing that he is a specific part within the whole. 

Tomorrow, I’m going to share how you can move through this season quickly. 

Blessings,
Pastor Matt

 

 

 

Spiritual Teenager Part 1

10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?  Luke 16:10-13

The teenage years are the hardest.  As a teen, you want all that you see on tv.  Yet, you give little to no thought to how you might pay for it.  As a teen, you want freedom.  Yet, you have little concern for the responsibility that always comes with it.  The teenage years are hard. You want it, yet you have no idea what it takes to get it. 

If you’re a teenager, I want to share a secret with you.  If you’re not, feel free to pass this along.  Your teenage years are all about responsibility.  As a teen, every authority in your life will begin to give you small doses of responsibility (taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, driving the car, chores around the house, a curfew, your GPA, and a million others).  With each responsibility, the authority in your life is looking for something very specific…TRUST.  Can you be trusted with this responsibility? Not just once, but always?  If you can be trusted, then you will typically be given more.  If not, you will be micro-managed (you know…that authority figure always asking you questions). 

Teen, please listen to me…Hear my words.  There is not an adult on the planet who wants to ask you 15 times if you took out the trash.  Most adults really hate to micro-manage.  Most adults are just like you…We love it when people do what they are supposed to do.  

I believe there is a spiritual parallel.  Every follower of Jesus goes through a maturing process that looks a lot like those frustrating teenage years.  (You’re not the exception…No one skips this process) 

First, how do you know you are a spiritual teenager?  For me that’s a simple answer - you can feed yourself. 
Meaning, on your own initiative, you open your Bible to read and pray…You don’t need someone to do it for you.  
When you enter this season of spiritual maturity, God begins to give you responsibilities to see if you can be trusted.

This season of maturity looks a lot like serving.  Can God trust you with his stuff?  During this season, God will give you opportunities to serve.  This next sentence is important!  I can almost guarantee that your first opportunity will not be what you want to do.  Mine was setting up and stacking chairs.  Seriously!  The first opportunity God gave me to serve was not to preach a message, that didn’t come for a long time.  My first shot to show God that he could trust me was could I set up 12 rows of 10 chairs and make sure they were in a straight line?  If you’re curious, the answer was yes!  I was 19 years old.  

I want to share a secret with you.  God is watching you…And, He sees it all.   He is looking to see how well you can be trusted. 
So, what might you do today to show him that you can?

Blessings,
Pastor Matt