Dual Controls

Dual Controls

“In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your paths.”

Quite coincidentally, the first time that my father took me driving was also the last time that he took me driving. Our one and only attempt at “driver training” was quickly followed by a call to the Morgan School of Driving to sign me up for driving lessons. They showed up several weeks later in a car that I will never forget: a black 1966 AMC Rambler equipped with dual controls. Yes, that’s right; it had two steering wheels, two gas pedals, and two brakes so that the instructor could take over at any moment when a student’s driving so required.

In talking about our giving God control of our lives, A. W. Tozer, in his book “The Radical Cross”, mentioned something that reminded me of those Morgan School of Driving dual controls. In allowing God to direct our paths and in being led by the Spirit, we, in many ways, give up the steering wheel and control of our lives to someone greater, to a God filled with wisdom and perfect in knowledge. We surrender control to a God who knows the end of every road we might take, the outcome of every choice and decision we might make, and the effect of our every action.

And that works quite well until our desires conflict with God’s will for our lives. And what happens is often similar to what happened when the driving instructor didn’t like the driving choices I was making; he would take over control of that AMC Rambler leaving my controls with absolutely no power to do anything. With us, we take control away from God so that we can do what we want, leaving Him out of a segment of our lives, ignoring the potential consequences and ramifications of our wanting our own way.

We have to remind ourselves early and often that God can be trusted. We have to remember that God has only our best in mind when He directs the paths of our lives. We can never allow ourselves to forget that God’s ways are perfect and that the end of the road He leads us on will be fulfillment and true happiness for each one of us. What we might want to do is disconnect the extra set of controls in our personal “AMC Rambler”, leaving the steering, speed and total control of our lives in the hands of a faithful, loving God.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Laborers

The Laborers

“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.”

Luke 10:2

Sometimes the smallest things leave the most lasting impressions. That’s what happened to me last week when I visited the construction site for Zion Ministerial Institute’s new bible school. Laborers working in the searing heat of the tropical sun were passing buckets of cement up two stories, bucket brigade style, to pour into forms for the concrete pillars that would be the main supports of the building. It wasn’t how hard they were working that caught my attention although they certainly were. And it wasn’t how difficult the conditions were or the sacrifice being made for $7 a day even though both were readily apparent.

No, it was the fact that many people, students, staff and visitors alike, would enjoy the fruit of their labors for many years to come. What they were doing was going to be lasting; it was going to be lasting in importance, lasting in the difference it made for the school and lasting in having a part in bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. In a world in which so much is disposable and in which so much time and energy are expended on temporary pleasures and pursuits, the perspective of what they were doing was both refreshing and challenging.

Paul wrote that “our work will be shown for what sort it is”. The Message Bible warns us that “eventually there is going to be an inspection of our work” and that “the inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing.” If we live for today and settle for the temporal, we can expect that the heavenly inspection report will not be very complimentary. But if, on the other hand, we invest in the future and build for the eternal, looking to make a lasting difference, we can expect that the Lord who sees in secret will reward us openly.

The thought of “the Lord who sees in secret” was highlighted that day by seeing laborers whose head and face were almost entirely covered by scarves to protect them from the scorching sun. For all practical purposes, they were unrecognizable. In a similar way, we may labor in obscurity in an area of ministry or in our secular occupation but God sees and He’s the only one who counts. And the hard work and the sacrifice part of their labor only reflect the fact that building something that will make a lasting difference in other lives is much more costly in terms of what is required of us.

Let’s beat God to the inspection and take a look at how we are spending our time, talents and resources. Let’s make sure that the investment we are making with our lives is making a lasting imprint on the lives of others.



God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Intangible of Prayer

The Intangible of Prayer



“Because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful
prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
everything He wants to do in and through me will be done.”

Philippians 1:19 MSG

In getting ready to leave for the airport in a little less than 2 hours, I’m checking and double checking to make sure I have everything packed for my trip to the Philippines. The list is pretty long:



* 15 Study Bibles (for the Bible School graduates)
* 12 Bottles of Vitamins
* 6 Bags of M&Ms (Easter colors of course)
* Notes for teaching in the Bible School & for speaking at a seminar
* 4 Packages of Licorice, Dove Chocolates, Lido Cookies, etc
* 4 Computer Programs, 1 Cordless Microphone, batteries, etc
* 18 books, 2 other Bibles, Taco Seasoning, Assorted Cheeses, etc
* 2 Hair Straighteners (for the missionaries, of course)
* And innumerable pictures of Hope (so maybe I’m a proud grandpa……..)



Unfortunately, the most important ingredients for this trip being successful aren’t items that I can pack in my suitcases. Those are what Paul was referring to in the verse above when he expressed his confidence that “everything God wants to do in me and through me will be done.” That sounds like an incredible statement to make but Paul knew, first of all, that people would be faithfully praying for him. And he knew from experience the importance and power of prayer offered on another person’s behalf. Knowing that others would be praying for him inspired Paul during this season of his being a Roman prisoner, causing him to be confident not only in his deliverance but in God fulfilling every purpose He had for Paul’s life.



And while I started out applying this verse to my situation and my needing prayer while ministering in the Philippines, my thoughts turned to others who may be needing our prayers to help them in difficult situations. Whether they are battling physical ailments, personal difficulties, or struggling to hold onto hope for the future, we all know those who desperately need our prayers, prayers that will tip the scales in their favor, prayers that will bring the resources of heaven to their aid, prayers that will quite simply make a difference. Are there those in your life who need your faithful prayers? Is it time for you to rise to the occasion for a friend or loved one who isn’t sure how things will turn out in their life? Your faithful prayers are more important than you realize; start today to call on the Lord on the behalf of others who need your help. You’ll be greatly rewarded!



God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Warning Signs

Warning Signs

“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours
become a stumbling block to those who are weak.”

I Corinthians 8:9

Seeing a warning label on a snow blower the other day to “keep hands away from spinning blades” brought a chuckle. It reminded me of my all time favorite warning sign, found on I-94 north of Detroit:

PRISON AREA: DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS

While I have no doubt that the sign is well intentioned, it has somewhat weakened my confidence in Michigan’s Department of Corrections. But at least it has the goal of protecting the person reading the sign. Most warning signs are placed on power tools, appliances and other items, not for the safety of the reader but to protect the company from lawsuits arising from misuse of their product. McDonald’s “Contents Are Hot!” warning label on their coffee is a classic example, born out of a lawsuit, filed and won, by someone who burned themselves with “too hot” coffee.

God’s warnings to you and I are quite different; they are placed in the Word for our sake and our sake alone. They have been given to keep us from needless suffering and sorrow and from bearing the fruit of wrong choices and decisions. I Corinthians 10:12 is a great example of that:

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

Paul was writing and warning about the danger of being overconfidence in ourselves and losing that sense of depending and leaning on the Lord. So often, when everything is going good in our lives, we drift from that place of reliance upon God to trusting in our own ability. And it doesn’t take long for us to get in trouble and make mistakes when God is out of the picture. The scripture at the top of the page is a warning to consider the effects our actions will have on others before we act so that we don’t cause someone who is weak in their faith or new in the Lord to stumble and fall. What is freedom for one person can cause real difficulty and trouble for another. Paul’s warning to consider that in our choices and actions was so that we had a right effect on those around us.

As we read the Word, let’s keep in mind that all the “take heed’s” and “bewares” are there for our benefit. God knows our hearts and our predispositions; He knows our every strength and our particular weaknesses. His warnings are always redemptive, strategically placed for our good. God’s only hidden agenda is His incredible love for you and I. Let’s be more open than ever to His Word being a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.



God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Artificial

Artificial

“….so that you can decide what is best, and thus
be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ.”
-Philippians 1:10

Sunday night it was watching “The Fugitive” and the search for the man with the artificial limb who murdered Dr. Kimble’s wife. On Monday, I put out the coffee for the ladies meeting and, of course, had to fill up the bowl with not only real sugar packets but the artificial sweeteners as well, the blue packets of Equal and the pink packets of Sweet N Low, something for everyone. Back to Sunday and we were discussing replacing the Peace Lilies with artificial versions that won’t have to be watered and trimmed and that won’t suffer the effects of the constant temperature change in the sanctuary.

At Christmas time, there are artificial trees which we’ve resisted so far at home (the real 10 footer John brought home this year was just incredible but that’s for another time). We have artificial hearts being developed by the medical profession, artificial teeth as we age (I know that “crowns” sounds so much better), and who can forget artificial intelligence. And then there is the “artificial smile” reserved for those situations when showing our true feelings is totally inappropriate!

To say that something is artificial is to say that it is an imitation of what is real, not natural or genuine, void of life and incapable of growth. And no matter how commonplace the use of artificial items becomes in our lives, we have to be on guard against the same thing happening in our spiritual lives. Paul warned Timothy of such a thing in II Timothy 3:5 when he spoke of those who “maintained the outward appearance of religion but denied its power”.

Let me try and explain: my four front teeth are artificial, the result of an accident when I was a child. They look real to everyone who sees them, with the exception of the dentist, but they’re not. They are real in appearance only. In the same way, it’s possible to have a Christianity that has all the right appearances, but on the inside is empty and void of life. Jesus came that we “might have real and eternal life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 MSG)

The world is constantly telling us that outward appearance is what matters most but God’s message is the opposite: He is concerned about our hearts, about the inner man, and about the flow of life in each of us. God’s desire is that each one of us experiences life in all its fullness. Artificial Christianity will never satisfy the needs in your life. Don’t be fooled by it; don’t settle for it. The real thing, found in a relationship with the Lord, is there for the man or woman willing to seek after it. And you can rest assured that when you find it, you’ll never let it go!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

No Reception

No Reception

"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

Losing the signal to my cell phone during the ride to winter retreat reminded me of our trips through Canada and always losing the signal on Highway 402 as we traveled from Sarnia to London, Ontario. You would be in a conversation and the voice would begin to break up before being lost completely. Or you would be trying to make a call and there would be absolutely no reception, no bars on the phone, no service whatsoever to get through. The term used now is "dead zone", the place where no signal is being received by the phone, and, as a result, no calls can be made and no messages received.

The passage in John 15 where Jesus talks about our abiding in God has always been one of my favorite sections of scripture. Early in my Christian walk, I read the biography of Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, and of his struggles in Christianity. Taylor continually battled the sense of never being good enough, and never doing enough, until God unlocked John 15 to him. Taylor received the revelation that all he had to do was stay connected to Christ, like a branch to a vine, and God would do the work in his life. That simple yet powerful truth changed the life of a man credited with starting the largest missionary sending effort to China that had ever existed. The realization that it was not our constant trying to be and do better that was the key but our relationship and connection to Christ brought a life long breakthrough.

Many sincere, committed believers go through spiritual"dead zones" in their Christian walk, times of not hearing from God, of losing vision and purpose, and of not feeling a part of what God is doing in His kingdom. And while they make it through that time, the cycle is too often repeated of going in and out of touch with God. Like Hudson Taylor, their seasons of success and apparent victory are soon followed by bouts of frustration and a sense of distance from the Lord.

What then is the answer? It is to make our dwelling and home in Christ, to make our relationship with the Lord the primary focus of our lives, and to allow His life to flow into us just as a branch receives from the vine it is connected to. Jesus made it clear that apart from Him, apart from being vitally connected to Him, we can and will accomplish nothing. If you've been trying to serve God in your own strength and by your own effort, now is as good a time as any to "let go and let God". We are to place our lives in the Savior's hands, to trust Him fully to make us fruitful believers, and to receive from Him the enabling we each need so desperately.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Out of the Rubble

Out of the Rubble

"...Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us
from the present evil age, according to the will of our God"
Galatians 1:4

The pictures this past week of survivors of the earthquake in Haiti being dragged from the rubble of destroyed buildings, by rescuers from around the world, have been both staggering and sobering. With almost all hope gone, teams of experts who refused to give up, despite the slim odds of finding survivors, worked at removing the rubble of crumbled concrete buildings in the hopes of finding someone still alive. Their effort was a tribute to the intrinsic value of life. No matter how poor or battered the person, and despite the difficulties yet to be faced, still every life has value and is worth the all-out effort required to rescue it.

Sometimes I wish the rubble of destroyed lives, shaken by trials of every manner and kind, was as visible to the human eye as that witnessed in Haiti in the last few weeks. If only we could see the devastation caused by sin and addiction, by wrong choices and decisions, and by hurt and rejection, as clearly as we have viewed the newscasts of earthquake damage the past week or so. It may be that we would be moved to greater action. It may be that we would be moved to more sacrificial giving of ourselves, of our time and effort, to help those whose lives are shattered and broken. It may be that we too would give the all-out effort seen in recent weeks to rescue those drowning in a sea of hopelessness.

It doesn't always have to be overseas or in great tragedies that we are moved with compassion and stirred to action. The needs are great on the street you live on and in the families waiting with you to pick up their children from school. The burden may be overwhelming in the life of the student sitting next to you in class or working at the next desk in your office. We have each been called to be rescuers. The command of Jude is very clear:

"Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment"

Yesterday, rescue crews from Denmark, Japan, Britain and the United States packed up their gear and left Haiti, their part of the rescue effort, the search for life, completed and done. The same cannot be said for us; our job is not completed. Our search for the lost is to continue, undiminished by personal agendas, "compelled by love", and with hearts filled with compassion. Having been rescued ourselves, we have become God's rescuers to our generation.


God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church