Making Straight the Way: The Bittersweet Mission of John the Baptist

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Mick Turner

John the Baptist is one of those biblical figures that is easy to pass over in our rush to get to Jesus and the inauguration of his mission. This is unfortunate because John was a central figure in so many ways. We are all quite familiar with John’s role as the one who was to come before, making straight the way for the appearance of the Messiah. He was the trail blazer, setting the stage for the arrival of the Deliverer – the one whose sandals he said he was unworthy to unlatch. He baptized the Master and introduced him and his mission to the world.

Yet John fulfilled another role, a truly prophetic one, which many times gets little notice, even from astute theologians and Bible teachers. John was the last in the line of pre-New Testament prophets. He, in fact, was the voice that broke a long period of prophetic silence in Jewish history. After Malachi, the last prophet in the Old Testament, there was a period of 400 years when no prophetic voice was heard in Israel. Many scholars and Bible teachers overlook the fact that John the Baptist was a prophet of Israel – the one who broke the 400 year silence and the final prophet before the arrival of the Messiah. Dr. Myles Munroe explains this succinctly when he says:

 This prophetic silence came to an end when John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a message of repentance and proclaiming that the Messiah was coming soon. Although John appears in the four Gospels of the New Testament, he was in fact the last of the Old Testament prophets. His death at the command of Herod Antipas and the initiation of Jesus’ public ministry marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. More specifically, the baptism of Jesus by John was the point of transference. From this point forward, a new order, the Kingdom of God, would be established.

Like many Christians, I spent more than a few years of my faith walk failing to understand the true significance of what transpired that day when Christ met up with John on the banks of the Jordan. I think the church as a whole has been negligent in teaching the import and the impact of the baptism of the Master.

In short, with that event we see the seal of the Old Testament age and the old covenant and the beginning of the New Testament age, the age of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It was in essence the inauguration not only of Jesus’ ministry, but also of the Kingdom of God arriving on earth. Now please, don’t miss the significance of this: with Christ we move into the age where God is with us – the age of Immanuel. And with the descent of the dove, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in Christ. Later on, as the Master breathes on the assembled disciples, he imparts this same Spirit to them. And then, in the drama of the Upper Room, the Holy Spirit descends in full manifestation on the disciples and we move from the age where God is with us to the age where God is in us.

I believe that many sincere followers of Christ rarely pause and reflect upon what a monumental event the baptism of Jesus was and the pivotal role played by John in the unfolding of God’s plan of restoration on earth. I think it is vital that we deepen our comprehension of these themes because it is only when we understand who and what John the Baptist was can we truly grasp who and what we are. Jesus’ words, recorded in Matthew 11:11 tells us exactly what we need to know:

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (New American Standard).

Before the arrival of Jesus, humankind had hints and intimations of what the kingdom was all about, but their insight was very limited. Although scholars and prophets talked about it and even prophesied about it, but at best they were looking through a glass darkly. Even John did not fully grasp what he was preaching as Dr. Munroe explains:

John the Baptist preached about the Kingdom, but even John never accurately perceived the full implications of his own message. He witnessed its coming in Jesus, but never fully entered into it himself. . . . . . . . . .John was an Old Testament prophet with a New Testament revelation. He introduced the King who was to reintroduce the Kingdom, but he never experienced it for himself. The Kingdom was of a new era, and John was passing away with the old. John never received the Holy Spirit. He witnessed the Spirit coming down on Jesus at His baptism, but the indwelling Spirit was also a part of the new era that John would not experience to its fullest capacity. This is why Jesus said that, as great as John was, even those who were the least in the Kingdom of heaven were greater than he was. . . . . . . . . .John was a man who stood in the middle, suspended between two dimensions of time. His voice was a voice of preparation, preparing people to enter into this new order. Once Jesus’ public work began, John’s ministry came to an end.

It should be clear by now th John the Baptist played a unique and indispensable role in the great plan of redemption and restoration that was unfolding on earth. When I first encountered these words of Dr. Myles Munroe I became critically aware that I had given very little time to reflecting on the significance of John the Baptist. For the most part, I saw him as the forerunner of the Master, a wild-eyed, bug-eating, finger-waving blowhard that managed to get on the bad side of Herod Antipas and his dark-hearted wife. This indiscretion ended up costing him his head.

 John the Baptist, in addition to preparing the way for the appearance of the Messiah, was also preparing humankind for the advent of a whole new way of being. It is important to understand that with the arrival of Jesus there was an entirely different set of divine laws and principles set in motion. I doubt our limited human understanding can ever fully grasp the intricate, intangible aspects of these divine changes, but we can at least get a faint  understanding by studying scripture in general and the life of Jesus and his disciples in particular.

In doing so, however, it is imperative that we not forget the sacrificial contributions of the John the Baptist. As he cleared the way for the arriving Messiah and the ushering in of the kingdom and this new way of being in the world, there is a bittersweet element in the life, mission, and death of John the Baptist. Even though he played such a major role in the progression of God’s divine plan on earth, John never had the opportunity to partake of this new way of being. He never had the experience of the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

As I reflect on this tragic aspect of the mission of the Baptist, I am reminded of Moses, who was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. As I recall, however, this was the result of some transgression of Moses. As far as we know, John never had such an issue. Instead, his life was cut short by the resentment of Herod’s wife.

One can take heart and have hope for John the Baptist, however. You see, Moses eventually did visit the Promised Land. Along with a pair of divine cohorts, he showed up on the Mount of Transfiguration to work some wonder of light and cosmic physics on Jesus in preparation for what was to come. We can only hope, and perhaps even assume, that based on God’s infinite mercy, the Baptist tasted the indwelling Holy Spirit in the afterlife. For all we know, in fact, he may have experienced something far greater. The Father has a way of turning tragedy into victory on a regular basis.

© L.D. Turner 2012/All Rights Reserved

 

Wise Words for Today

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Why is it so much more difficult in the West? Why can’t we imagine being a community of Christ’s followers without a building or formally trained and accredited clergy? Whenever I raise this issue in seminars, people regularly remind me that house-based groups of fifteen or so without proper accreditation and training can lead to heresy and cultish practices. But the fact remains that nearly every major heresy that has beset the Christian church has come from recognized church bodies whose leaders were properly accredited by their sponsoring hierarchies. Conversely, virtually every new movement among people hungering for a deeper knowledge of God has been rejected, quashed, or destroyed by the “church” of its day, and its leaders have famously been excommunicated or martyred for following the missional impulse of God. Being part of a recognized denomination or organization by no means guarantees biblical purity. The fledgling churches living out their faith in those Sudanese refugee camps are every bit as legitimate as the congregation of Canterbury Cathedral.

Michael Frost

(from Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture)

Wise Words for Today

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The greatest sign of hope…..is the emergence of a new generation of Christians eager and ready to take their faith into the world. The Christianity of private piety, affluent conformity and “God Bless (only) America” has compromised the witness of the church while putting a new generation of Christians to sleep. Defining faith by the things you won’t do doesn’t create a compelling style of life. And young people are hungry for an agenda worthy of their commitment, their energy, and their gifts. . . . . . . . . . . .This new generation of believers are waking up and catching fire with the gospel again. Theirs in an emerging Christianity that could change the face of American religion and politics. Their vision cannot easily be put into categories of liberal and conservative, left and right, but rather has the capacity to challenge the categories themselves. I’ve met these new Christians across the country and have worked with an extraordinary group of them at Sojourners. Their faith is intended to change this world, not just prepare them for the next.

Jim Wallis

(from The Great Awakening)

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Wise Words for Today

The greatest sign of hope…..is the emergence of a new generation of Christians eager and ready to take their faith into the world. The Christianity of private piety, affluent conformity and “God Bless (only) America” has compromised the witness of the church while putting a new generation of Christians to sleep. Defining faith by the things you won’t do doesn’t create a compelling style of life. And young people are hungry for an agenda worthy of their commitment, their energy, and their gifts. . . . . . . . . . . .This new generation of believers are waking up and catching fire with the gospel again. Theirs in an emerging Christianity that could change the face of American religion and politics. Their vision cannot easily be put into categories of liberal and conservative, left and right, but rather has the capacity to challenge the categories themselves. I’ve met these new Christians across the country and have worked with an extraordinary group of them at Sojourners. Their faith is intended to change this world, not just prepare them for the next. God is again doing something new.

Jim Wallis

(from The Great Awakening)

Spiritual Formation and Growth in Christ

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Mick Turner

Since the time of the Enlightenment, the church in the West has become increasingly obsessed with doctrine while, at the same time, placing less emphasis on transformational discipleship. The result has unfortunately been an institution that is both superficial and increasingly impotent when it comes to fostering positive change in its members and its culture. As the emphasis on doctrine and “proper belief” has solidified and become the normative condition of the church in the West, it is not surprising that its influence and position in society has become more and more marginalized.

Christian philosopher and popular author Dallas Willard succinctly describes this process and the problems churning in its wake:

“The overshadowing event of the past two centuries of Christian life has been the struggle between orthodoxy and modernism. In this struggle the primary issue has, as a matter of fact, not been discipleship to Christ and a transformation of soul that expresses itself in pervasive, routine obedience to his ‘all that I have commanded you.’ Instead, both sides of the controversy have focused almost entirely on what is to be explicitly asserted or rejected as essential Christian doctrine. In the process of battles over views of Christ the Savior, Christ the Teacher was lost on all sides……Discipleship as an essential issue disappeared from the churches, and with it there also disappeared realistic plans and programs for the transformation of the inmost self into Christ-likeness. One could now be a Christian forever without actually changing in heart and life. Right profession, positive or negative, was all that was required. This has now produced generations of professing Christians who, as a whole, do not differ in character, but only in ritual, from their nonprofessing neighbors.”

It is my sincere hope that as the new century progresses, the church will increasingly stress the importance of deeper discipleship and provide venues for structured spiritual formation for those desirous of a more intimate walk with the Creator. However, I don’t think Christians have to wait for the church to do this. Increasingly, more and more Christ-followers are taking responsibility for their own spiritual deepening and seeking out alternative means where this can be fostered.

Increasing numbers of sincere Christians are opting out of church and forming small groups and/or house churches that focus on spiritual growth and community service. An equal number are leaving the pews and discovering independent ministries that are answering God’s call to provide services and programs that promote an ever-deepening walk of faith.

Personally, I find this period in the church’s history very challenging and equally exciting. As the Body of Christ gradually wakes up from its centuries of spiritual slumber, increasing numbers of congregants are taking personal responsibility for their own spiritual development. This is a positive trend, especially when one considers the fact that few clergy are adequately trained in the fundamentals of spiritual direction. Pastoral care is one thing, but spiritual direction is quite another.

In the final analysis, spiritual formation is a highly private matter, even if carried out in a group setting. Growth into increasing Christ-likeness is a divine-human partnership with both God and the individual playing distinct roles. Like all things in the Christian walk of faith, even spiritual formation is an act of grace, pure and simple. Dallas Willard explains:

“The instrumentalities of Christian spiritual formation…….involve much more than human effort. Well-informed human effort is necessary, for spiritual formation is not a passive process. But Christ-likeness of the inner being is not a merely human attainment. It is, finally, a gift of grace. The resources for it are not human, but come from the interactive presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who place their confidence in Christ, as well as from the spiritual treasures stored in the body of Christ’s people upon the earth. Therefore it is not only formation of the spirit or inner being of the individual that we have in mind, but also formation by the Spirit of God and by the spiritual riches of Christ’s continuing incarnation in his people, past and present – including, most prominently, the treasures of his written and spoken word.”

 It is my sincere hope and most earnest prayer that as the near future unfolds under the wise and loving direction of the Holy Spirit that we see more and more Christ-followers coming together to mine the rich treasures that lie within Christ’s Kingdom. As this process takes shape, may each of us discover the precious gemstones that lie hidden within our own inner sanctuary – that blessed chamber where the One True Light resides and from which he issues his sacred call to each of us.

© L.D. Turner 2010/All Rights Reserved

Would You Like Some Fries With That Order of Jesus?

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Mick Turner

One of the advantages of the recent health issues I have been dealing with is that the forced cutback in my workload has given me a bit more time to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes: reading. A few weeks back I was looking through some notes I had taken from several short works by theologian John Drane and also notes from Mike Erre’s Death by Church. In doing so, I rediscovered a theme discussed initially by Drane, and then by Erre – a theme that is all too common in today’s church and, at the same time, all too tragic.

 In a word, the issue I am talking about is what Drane calls the “McDonaldization” of the church, described by Erre as “the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world.”

 The church, especially the church, has not been immune to McDonaldization.

 Drane describes four characteristics of McDonaldization, originally applied to society as a whole by author George Ritzer, and discusses how this quartet of effects plays out in the contemporary church. The four trends are efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control.

 Sunday morning services are highly efficient and well-planned in most churches these days. Most “worship” services are so over-planned that it can accurately be said that they are pre-packaged. Just let the sermon run over by a few minutes and folks start squirming in their seats, clearing their throats, and in at least one church I am quite familiar with, walking out. Folks want their weekly dose of Jesus in manageable proportions, which leads us to the second characteristic of McDonaldization, calculability.

 Churches are notorious for their fondness of counting and quantifying things, especially figures related to attendance and giving. The more of these two things, the better. And the accurate counting of these types of things make them all the more predictable, which is the third McDonaldization trend. We like to be able to predict what is going to happen when we go to a typical church service. As we are parking our car at 9:45 AM we know we can accurately predict that around 11:05 AM, give or take only a few minutes, we will be climbing back in the same car and back home in our recliner in plenty of time for the kickoff of the NFL game.

 This issue of predictability is tightly connected to the fourth trend, control. Church leaders like to be in control of things, especially the worship service. And members of the congregation like things to be well-controlled and predictable. Let’s be honest – most folks don’t want to go to church on Sunday morning and be surprised by something unexpected, especially something as radical, unpredictable, and outrageous as some move of the Holy Spirit.

 To their credit, the majority of Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches have resisted the trends of McDonaldization, at least in relation to their worship services. A service where the Holy Spirit is invoked and welcomed to be a part of the festivities is a service that is highly unpredictable and, at times, even out of control. However, before those of you that are members of Charismatic or Pentecostal congregations get too smug, take an honest look to see in what other areas of church the process of McDonaldization may have entwined its tentacles.

 The typical Mainline denominational church, and even some of the atypical ones, are often characterized by an inherent rigidity of structure in terms of the average worship service. These Sunday morning get togethers are choreographed right down to the split second it seems and any unexpected deviation tends to send ripples of discomfort down the aisles and across the pews as various fidgets, nervous twitches, and a pandemic of clock watching quickly sets in. You can almost hear a semi-audible gasp as congregants attempt to deal with abject traumas such as being two minutes behind schedule or worse, subjected to some brief announcement or activity that was omitted from the printed program. It’s even worse if that renegade Deity, the Holy Spirit, makes an unplanned visit.

 I vividly recall an incident where the Spirit showed up unannounced and certainly unexpected in one of the most staid, choreographed, and traditional Protestant programs in existence, Robert Schuller’s “The Hour of Power.” Despite the unexpected visitation by the Comforter, the pastoral leadership managed to handle things quite well while, at the same time, giving honor to the Crystal Cathedral’s unexpected visitor.

 Perhaps you, too, witnessed the broadcast. The guest speaker for that’s day’s service was none other than Evel Knievel, the hard-living, daredevil motorcyclist. Suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases and wearing an oxygen tube, Knievel gave an incredibly moving testimony, paying tribute to the power of God’s intervention in his life and expressing his gratitude over his salvation. If you saw the broadcast, you will recall that there was not a dry eye in the house, especially visible in then Senior Pastor Robert A. Schuller, the son of Robert H., who founded this highly impactful television ministry. In fact, at one point the younger Schuller had to turn away from the camera uttering something like “Please, excuse me.” It took the pastor a few minutes to compose himself and the same was true for a number of other folks on the stage and in the audience. It was a very moving program and way, way out of the norm for this typically unemotional, dry, and reserved ministry.

 Ah, the power of the Holy Spirit is amazing.

 I can’t say this with anything beyond my own speculation, but I have a suspicion that what happened with the younger Schuller that day had something to do with his subsequent tendency to become more scripturally oriented in his preaching, much to the consternation of his father. It was not too long after this episode that Robert A. Schuller was relieved of his duties as Senior Pastor and eventually went out on his own to begin his own church. So, in the final analysis, the McDonaldization of the Crystal Cathedral is alive and well, but Schuller the Younger appears to have broken free of the shackles of that toxic trend.

 It takes sincere commitment, an eye of discernment, and a commitment to excellence to make an honest assessment of what is going on at your own church. It may be that your congregation has successfully maneuvered around the treacherous waters of McDonaldization and if this is true, you should be grateful. On the other hand, it could be your church, like so many others, now offers Holy Ghost Combo Meals and asks quite seriously if you want to super-size that McJesus sandwich you just ordered.

 If you find that your church has, indeed, become a franchise, it is time to take action. Believe me, although such a church can function well in terms of efficiency, calcuability, predictability, and control, it will more often than not fall far short in terms of disciple-making and being an incarnational presence in the community.

 Like most fast-food menus, what is served will be quick, easy, tasty, but devoid of nutrition and actual nourishment. You might, indeed, become fat and jolly, but rarely firm, fit, and truly joyful.

 Think about it.

 © L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

 

When we discover that our hearts are broken and contrite, we come to the Lord with an earnest desire to repent of our sinfulness. It’s out of this repentant heart that we find redemption in Christ. We are redeemed because of his sacrificial love on our behalf expressed in his death on the cross and his resurrection to eternal life. Because of his everlasting redemption, we are reconciled – brought into right relationship with God through Jesus Christ – and that reconciliation allows us to call God our heavenly Father. As new creature in Christ, we walk through this life in the power of the Spirit as regenerate people, learning, growing, and becoming what he intends for us.

 A healed heart becomes a renewed heart as we walk from repentance to redemption to reconciliation to regeneration. Our hearts are healed at the point of conversion, and they become healthy as we walk through life as Christian disciples.

Stephen A. Macchia

(from Becoming a Healthy Disciple)

InterSpirit Faith Alliance

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LifeBrook International is please to announce that we have a new blog up and running here on WordPress. The site is associated with our newest and most active ministry project.

 InterSpirit Faith Alliance is a non-denominational ministry committed to providing programs and materials designed to help the Church Universal, in all its manifestations, better navigate the changing waters of the spiritual and social landscape in 21^st Century America.

 

As the Body of Christ finds its way in our post-modern, post-Christian culture, we will continue to see major changes in the way the Church goes about its business. In addition to shifts in organizational structure and a reduced role of the ordained clergy, the churches that survive will be the ones that are innovative, transformative, and incarnational.

 

InterSpirit Faith  Alliance, through innovative educational and service projects, seeks to assist congregations and other faith-based groups develop and implement missional strategies that meet what we have come to describe as “The Five Callings of Continuing Incarnation.” Briefly stated, these callings are:

 

The Calling to Consecration

 

The Calling to Connection

 

The Calling to Character

 

The Calling to Compassion

 

The Calling to Contribution

 

If the Church is to reach the growing post-Christian culture in ways that are relevant and effective, several things must be seen with clarity and focus. First, the primary question that must be answered is not, “How can we evangelize these people?” Instead, the relevant question must be, “How can I help you?” It is through this sort of proactive Christian service that the Church’s evangelistic witness can be best fostered. Secondly, the Church must reconsider how it can best present the truths of the faith in new wineskins that are more appropriate than the 19^th Century model that is commonly used, even today. We must re-introduce people to God, to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to the Church and this must be done in ways that are both practical and palatable, given the parameters of the environment in which the Church now lives, moves, and has its being.

 

We especially encourage our readers to visit the InterSpirit Faith Alliance site at:

 

http://interspirit.wordpress.com

 

 

Continue to Pray for Your Brothers and Sisters in China

Mick Turner

The incredible growth of the Chinese Church continues and I wanted to once again mount my soap box and ask that all readers of this site remember to pray for your brothers and sisters in China. In spite of formidable odds, restrictive laws, and consistent persecution, Chinese Christians continue to spread the gospel throughout their homeland and the results are staggering. Although the church, particularly the underground house church movement, is still expanding at a mind-boggling pace, these brave, committed Christ-followers need ongoing prayer and support.

 

If you are a regular reader of this site, you probably know that I lived and worked in China for five-plus years, serving as a tent-maker missionary. As I have stated many times, these years were the most rewarding years of my life personally, professionally, and especially, spiritually. The commitment, vitality, and courage of the Chinese Church is truly inspirational. As my wife, who is Chinese, and I often share in our talks about the Chinese Church, God is doing a very special work in the Middle Kingdom.

 

It has often been said that the Chinese House Churches bear a striking similarity to the First Century Church and there is much truth to this statement. Most times, however, those who make these comparisons have focused primarily on the similarities between the early Church and the house churches in the context of location and structure. Like the early Christians, the Chinese house churches meet in peoples homes and have a similar structure to their First Century counterparts. Another striking similarity of course is that both groups faced persecution. The Chinese Church, as previously stated, still is quite unpopular with the government and, to some extent, the secular culture as well.

 

It is important to consider these similarities to be sure, but there are other ways the Chinese Church bears close resemblance to the early Christian church in the First Century. Let’s take a look at a description of the early church by Don Basham, given in his book A Handbook on Holy Spirit Baptism:

 

What grips the imagination is not the lack of prestige but the demonstration of power. In that day, God moved in response to prayer. Miracles attended the saving power of Jesus Christ. Within the spreading fires of that church’s influence, not only were the lost redeemed, but the lame walked, the blind received their sight and the oppressed were delivered from demonic powers. It was a fellowship of believers admittedly imperfect but vibrantly and dynamically alive. It may have been despised by the society around it, but no one ever accused it of being dull and boring…..Those early Christians were more interested in manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives than in maintaining orderly worship services. They were more concerned with Christian love than correct liturgy, more concerned with being found faithful than found popular.

 

When I first read these words I immediately thought of my many Christian friends in China, both in house churches and in the sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Many of these Christians are on fire for the Master, seeking to serve him wherever they are planted and doing so in often difficult circumstances.

 

Also, just as in the early church, there is a great deal of emphasis on the Holy Spirit. This is truer of the house churches than the Three-Self bodies, where more charismatic displays are discouraged. In the underground church there are frequent, well-documented cases of signs, wonders, and the miraculous. As in other areas of the world, the explosion of church growth in China has been primarily a Pentecostal/Charismatic phenomenon and, whether more sedate and staid members of the Body of Christ in the West understand it or not, this reality has resulted in a vital, energetic, and courageous church that flourishes in spite of governmental, social, and economic impediments. From my first-hand observations of the Christian faith in China, this is without a doubt a work of God.

 

It is for these and many others reasons that I ask you to continue to pray for the Chinese Church as it finds its way in the ever-changing landscape that is contemporary China. God is indeed doing a great work among these wonderful people and we can all be a part of it through prayer and encouragement.

In addition, please remember that there are still many of our brothers and sisters in China who are suffering mightily due to the devastating earthquake that struck Sichuan Province late last spring. Months later, many remain homeless and without many of the basic items we often take for granted.

 

© L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

Encouragement for Living: You Are Never Disqualified

Mick Turner

One of the greatest gifts of God to each of us is the placing of a divine plan for our lives deep within us. God has his generalized plan for humanity and a personal plan or mission for each of us. You, me, the butcher, baker, and even the candlestick maker have a divine purpose scripted on our hearts by the Creator and it is a plan just for us. More incredible is the fact that God has equipped us to carry that plan out and in so doing, help establish his kingdom right here on earth and bring great glory to his being. What a wonder! What a blessing! What a responsibility!

 

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you have been, and what you have done. That divine purpose still exists inside you and with a little effort and a lot of faith, you can discover it. Start with prayer, asking God through the Holy Spirit to reveal his divine plan for your life. Be persistent in your asking; be vigilant in waiting for an answer; and be confident that the answer will come.

 

Also, keep in mind that it is never too late to get started on the dreams God has for you. God created you to accomplish extraordinary things and no matter how old you are, how sinful you have been, or whatever afflictions you may suffer from, God can and will use you because that is one of the primary purposes you were created in the first place. Listen as Jim Graff speaks clearly to this issue:

 

God uses ordinary people – with all their flaws and problems – to accomplish extraordinary dreams. You and I don’t have to wait until we have it all together, achieve a certain degree of fame, earn a specified amount of money, get a better job, or meet the right person. Instead, we can start today to embrace who we are and how God made us, knowing that he will use us. From this knowledge, wellsprings of confidence water our hearts. That confidence allows us to see our dreams and visions as God’s road maps to significant lives.

 

A significant life – that is what God created you for. Make a consecrated commitment right now to lead a life of excellence in cooperation and divine partnership with the Holy Spirit. The life of excellence is what Jesus demonstrated for us and it is that same kind of life to which each of us is called. Sure, we may foul up things from time to time, but God is right there with us offering a hand to pick us up, dust us off, and send us on our divinely appointed way.

 

As said earlier, it matters not where you have been. In fact, your past failures and problems may be part of your qualification for the task God has for you to perform. I worked for many years in the field of addiction prevention and treatment. The most effective professionals ministering to those suffering from addiction were those people who were former addicts themselves. It is this foundational philosophy upon which Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are built.

 

If you think your past sin(s) prevents you from carrying out your purpose for God, you have been lied to by the Master of Deceit himself. Satan would like nothing more than for you to continue walking around half-alive, depressed, despondent, and spiritually paralyzed. That’s why that little voice tells you time and time again that there is no way God will ever use you. Granted, he may use others but you, you’re a lost cause.

 

Listen my friend – God saved you and God will use you. The God Christians worship is not a God of wasted effort. God never does anything without a reason, a plan and a purpose. If you are saved, you are to be used. You are destined to be God’s instrument for something special. If you doubt what I am saying, go to Scripture and conduct a detailed study of Paul’s life.

 

Paul, formerly known as Saul, was there when Stephen was stoned to death. He even held the coats for the men who pelted the first Christian martyr. Saul was the most persistent and ardent persecutor of the early church. By the world’s way of reasoning, you would never expect that God would use Saul to spread the faith across the Mediterranean World. But that’s exactly what God did. God, thankfully, doesn’t necessarily think as the world thinks.

 

If God can use Paul, he can surely use you.

 

In China I knew a wonderful believer named Mr. Zhou (not his real name.) Now in his 60’s, Mr. Zhou was a successful businessman and used much of his income to support the efforts of the house churches in his Province and also to support young pastors in training. He also spent most of his free time training Chinese missionaries to live and work in Muslim countries. Mr. Zhou had many business interests in the Middle East and often used his stores for employing young Chinese missionaries.

 

What makes Mr. Zhou’s story so fascinating is how it is similar to that of Paul. Back in the chaotic years of the Cultural Revolution Mr. Zhou was a young man and a leader in the Red Guards. His specialty, as he put it, was ferreting out Christians and torturing them. He often beat them horribly, put dunce caps on their heads and signs on their backs, and then marched them through the city streets while a gathering mob hurled insults, bricks, and bottles at them.

 

Later, when in his late 30’s, Mr. Zhou found Christ through the efforts of a pastor he had once tortured. Now Mr. Zhou does God’s work out of a sense of love and service. God used Paul and God used Mr. Zhou.

 

If God can use Mr. Zhou, He can use you.

 

Once you finally accept the fact that God can use you, wants to use you, and will use you, it is then time to get to work. Many times sincere believers put themselves in a holding pattern, waiting for specific directions from God as to what their ultimate purpose is. Yes, we do need to discern what our ultimate purpose is and with prayer and patience we will do just that. Yet in the meantime there is plenty that we can do. No matter where you live I am certain of one thing: there are people living there who are in need of something and who are suffering. More than likely there are already groups of Christian servants working to meet some of those needs. Find out about these groups and find a way to get involved. The real question is not so much what you should do. The real question once you know in your heart that God wants to use you as his compassionate servant to a hurting world is, “Are you available?”

 

Only you can answer that question.

 

Hopefully, you are, indeed, available. You are gifted for service my friend. And no matter what form that service may take, you can rest assured of one absolute certainty: the Holy Spirit will empower you not only proceed, but succeed. He will make sure you not only survive, you will thrive.

 

My primary purpose in writing this article is to encourage you to understand and accept the reality that God put a potential and purpose in you before you were born and, further, he still wants that purpose to be realized. Stop looking back at the past and instead, step forward into the service that God has for you. You cannot change the past but know this: whatever happened is history in God’s eyes and in God’s heart. As a Christian you have been forgiven so turn your eyes forward instead of keeping them riveted in your rear view mirror.

 

Do all that you can to let this truth sink deep into the depths of your heart: where you are going, what is in your future is far more important that what’s behind you. Scripture tells us that with God, all things are possible. So if it seems your dreams have died, let the Lord resurrect those dormant dreams and allow those dreams to drive you and motivate you to be all that you can be for the glory of God and the sake of others.

 

Our world is a hurting world and there are many areas of need. The dream God placed in your heart is designed to deal with one of those areas. More than anything, the church, the Body of Christ, needs compassionate people of noble character and a heart of service. That’s you, my friend.

 

© L. D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved