Supreme Ambition Ministries

THERE WERE TWO TREES IN THE GARDEN

     Living the Christian Life is not hard…it’s impossible.   Now before the theology police try to have me burned at the stake, let me explain why I would risk expressing such a thought.  This statement is a product of about 40 years of ministry and dealing with many people who have become frustrated with themselves and their inability to live up to the ideals of what some say constitutes the life of a good Christian.  I mean really, if each of us believers in Jesus was to make a list of everything every preacher told us to do to be a good Christian, we would need an extra sheet of paper, maybe two (Timmmmmberrrrr!).  Here’s a partial list of some of those things I have heard and tried (unsuccessfully) to keep perfectly.  Read your Bible…Do it every day…and be sure and get up at 5:00 in the morning to begin.  You slouch!  You’re already behind John Wesley.  He got up at 4:00 a.m. and had preached Three times before noon.  Second, Pray!  Do it on your knees and at least 1-2 hours per day.  Third, Witness for Jesus...Remember, “…he that winneth souls is wise…”  Fourth, Obey the Holy Spirit.  Don’t dare miss a leading of the Lord or you can’t go to heaven.  Fifth, attend church faithfully…and don’t miss a service.  God doesn’t like it when people miss church.  Follow those few with Tithing, being filled with the Spirit, and finding your gift area and walking in it.  Whew!!!  I’m tired already.  Oh, wait a minute…I forgot Sanctification.  We’ve got to be sanctified.  “…Without holiness no one shall see the Lord.”  Let’s see how I’m doing so far.  Forget that!  How did I do today?  Let me get my list and check a few of these off.  Hope I didn’t miss one.

      Just writing that paragraph makes me nervous.  Actually most of the things I listed and so much more are helpful and some are even necessary for a successful walk with God but there is a problem.  The problem is the approach.  It is a “Do” oriented approach.  Now “Doing” is important in the Christian Life also, but it can never come before ‘being’.  The secret to living the Christian Life is hinted at in Genesis 2:9b.  “The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Look a little more closely at this verse.  Do you see it?  There it is?  Both good and evil are in the same tree.  What!  Yeah!  Good and evil are in the same tree.  There is the problem with trying to live the Christian Life.  Men have a tendancy to live in extremes.  Once we are saved we want to please the Lord with our actions, but we do it out of the abundance of our souls rather than our spirits, and we do as many good things as we can.  We make our lists of the good and right things we are supposed to do.  Our list is not too long when we first start, but as we listen to sermons and read our Bibles and go to seminars our lists get longer and longer until we become wrapped up in our list.  The end result of this is frustration.  Frustrated people either give up or, worse, just settle into a ‘religious’ life.

If Adam had partaken of the Tree of Life, the very Life of God would have flowed through him.  His obedience would have been the result of his passionate relationship with his loving God.  God would have been “at work in him both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2.13). A Christian cannot obey his way into fellowship with God, but he can fellowship his way into obedience to God. Interestingly, when a person becomes a Christian he receives that Life, Eternal Life.  God begins to commune with him through his spirit.  He begins to produce in him the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5.22-23).  What is fruit anyway?  Fruit is the result of a tree that is drowning in life.  In Christ we have the privilege of choosing once again how we will live the sanctified Life.  We can choose one tree out of which still flows good and evil or we can choose the other one…The tree of Life.  There were two trees in the garden.  There still are.  One leads to fellowship, the other to religion.  Which will you choose?

May 5th, 2009 Posted by Dave | Christian Life, Discipleship, Fellowship | 7 comments

IS JESUS A CHRISTIAN?

So…is Jesus a Christian? I have been a Christian for about fifty years; at least I think I have. Now before you diehard Calvinists start polishing up your scriptures on eternal security, don’t worry. I haven’t lost my salvation. And, oh yeah, you Armenians, please stop daydreaming about dragging me to the altar. I don’t think I’m backslidden. I just finished reading a novel called THE SHACK, and my thinking about God has had a little refreshing. I said, ‘refreshing’, didn’t I? Well, that is certainly true, but I must say, I did not come through the experience without having the wasteland of my soul scalded by a most unusual vision of God.

The events in this book were told to a man named Willie by his good friend, MACK. To say the events actually happened would lead this writing into a discussion of truth that I’m not sure either one of us is prepared to tackle. I only know that after having read it I am left with a soaring in my soul and my spirit keeps sending me veiled messages about ‘home’ and ‘fellowship’. A few years ago my wife and I began a journey to try to get to know Jesus all over again. This journey has involved some radical changes in our lives. The reading of THE SHACK has been a burning bush calling away. I am drawn away. I hope forever. I am drawn away from the status quo and the idea of God that may be the very thing which keeps us from truly knowing Him. Oh, don’t worry! My theology is still intact. The bathwater is being discarded but I’m still holding onto the baby. In fact, I think I’m more solid in my Biblical formation today than I’ve ever been. It’s just the skeleton of Christian religion that fogs up my life. The idea that sitting in a building and starring at the backs of people’s heads that I don’t know and calling it Church is becoming increasingly more difficult for me.

So…when I ask…Is Jesus a Christian? I really want to know, if the flesh and bones religion which has evolved in the last twenty centuries is what Jesus had in mind? When the veil was pulled from Peter’s eyes on a dusty road at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, and our Lord established His Church upon the revelation of the Big Fisherman, did Jesus then sit around and get all ‘moony-eyed’ over buildings, programs and live-streaming conferences? Well, who can say for sure? But I think I know one thing. When theologians proudly say that God only established two institutions: the home and the Church, I’m not so sure that God is all that pleased that we refer to these as institutions.

The essence of THE SHACK is the test of religion in the face of unspeakable pain. It attempts to answer the question of where God is when ‘the wind comes at you sideways’, or when your ‘cheese’ falls off the cracker’. It also compares religion to relationship and goes to great extremes to point out that God is all about relationships. In fact, we find in the Godhead the perfection of relationship: a mutual outpouring of love and a receiving of the same, a mutual respect and humility, and all of it well-founded on a Biblical foundation. Perhaps the central issue of the whole writing can be summed up in two statements. One, while MACK is in conversation with God about who God is and why he seems so far away at times, God says, I’m not like what you think’. Second, and perhaps most telling is when MACK lets his guard down a little and questions God as to whether he is a Christian or not. God responds most emphatically, ‘I’m not a Christian’! Reading those words I was reminded of the words of the Angel of the Lord, who appeared to Joshua the night before the siege of Jericho. Joshua was in prayer seeking the help of God, when suddenly this majestic soldier was standing in front of him. Joshua confronted him and said, “Are you for us or them”? The Angel of the Lord responded, “Nay, I am the Captain of the hosts of Jehovah.” Our Bible says the believers were first called Christians at Antioch. That’s great. But I’m not sure we should have been stuck with that name. Was Jesus a Christian? I doubt it. I can almost hear him say, “Nay, I just want to enjoy a walk with you in the cool of the day.”

July 31st, 2008 Posted by Dave | Fellowship, The Shack | one comment

YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO FELLOWSHIP – I COR. 1.9

Like many pastors I am concerned about the condition of our nation, the Church and the future of our children. The moral decadence of our culture seems to reach new lows on an almost daily basis. I see the Church divided by a casualness and self-absorption that belies a society floundering without a secure belief system. When I surrendered to the call to preach the gospel, I realized that the call came with no guarantees of success (humanly speaking), and no assurances that the people to whom I preached would hear and respond with Godly obedience.

Much of my ministry and preaching has focused on “Knowing Christ and making him known”. Thus the title of this blog, “SUPREME AMBITION MINISTRIES”, received its name. I, along with numbers of other preachers, have sought to know Christ myself and lead others into the adventure as well. Sometimes, it seems I am like the proverbial ‘preacher preachin’ when the well is dry’. I preach and challenge but see little fruit. However, I had an experience recently that was so fulfilling I wanted to share it with you.

Our Church is very small. We have no children’s Church service so most all the people are subjected to my preaching week after week. For better or worse that’s the story. After the morning worship a couple of weeks ago, one of the ladies in the Church looked at her 11 year old daughter (soon to be 12) and said, ‘Tell Pastor Dave what happened’. She related the following account:

She said she was awakened from a deep sleep one morning and felt the Lord was saying to her, ‘First Corinthians 1:9′. She got up and got her Bible to see what the verse said. I asked her to tell me what it said, even though I already knew. She spoke in her soft, pre-adolescent voice, “You have been called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Some weeks or months before I had preached a series of messages from that verse not knowing, if it had truly lodged in the heart of anyone. My joy was so great. I thought I might have experienced something of the joy of Evan Roberts in Wales in 1907, when Florrie Evans, a teenager said, ‘I love Jesus Christ with all my heart’, and revival hit the nation.

…Oh yeah…One more thing. The young girl’s mother said, “Tell him the rest.” She then said, “It was the first anniversary of my baptism.” What a heart! What a hope! I am very concerned about our nation. We must pray. We must preach. We must repent. Will anyone hear? Will anyone obey? I think I have my answer. At any moment God can speak to a young tender heart and make his word specific to her. YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED…Florrie…Katie…YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED UNTO THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SON…AND SO HAVE YOU. That one experience is worth Forty years of preaching. REALLY!

July 30th, 2008 Posted by Dave | Fellowship | one comment

AND IN HIM (CHRIST) ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER

Just last evening I viewed a video presentation  by Louie Giglio that nearly blew my socks off. If you are like me, you get more ’special’ stuff others want you to see than you want to take time to view. Trust me this is worth seeing. A quick review of Louie’s message will explain what I mean. Louie apparently was preaching in Tyler, Texas. After the service a man spoke to Louie about Louie’s future itinerary. Louie said he was going to his home church and preach a series, The Glory of God in the Human Body. At this point the man got really excited and said, ‘That’s great. I’m a molecular biologist at the university down the road.’ At this point the gentleman asked Louie to share with him some of the message he was going to preach. Louie said he struggled through what little he had prepared. The guy then said, “What’s your left hook? You need a left hook?” Louie admitted he didn’t have one. Following is a synopsis of what the molecular biologist told Louie was the foundation of the Glory of God in the Human Body.

Laminin…yep…Laminin. I’d never heard of it either. Apparently, Laminin is one of the multiplied thousands of protein molecules found in the body. It is a unique molecule called a cell-adhesion molecule. Laminin has the assignment of holding everything together in the human body so it doesn’t fall apart. It seems that cells organize in the body into specific structures and that organization determines what protein they are and what they do. There are upwards of 60 thousand of these in the body. The structure of the cell tells the cell what its job is in the body. Laminin is the cell-adhesion molecule. I didn’t know what that was either. But the biologist told Louie that Laminin is like the rebar of the human body. You know what rebar is right? It’s the long iron rods that construction workers put in cement to give it more strength and actually helps it hold together. So Laminin is like rebar for human life. In fact, if you ‘Google’ Laminin, this is what you see.

It doesn’t take a molecular biologist to figure out that Laminin is in the shape of the cross. I have preached from Colossians 1:17 for over 30 years, ‘And he (Christ) is before all things and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER.’ I have even acknowledged the term ‘HOLD TOGETHER’ indicates that Christ is the glue of the universe. I have always believed it to be true because God’s word says it but now, hidden deep within the molecular structure of the human body there is a signature of the truth displayed.

Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. What a blessed assurance and reassurance for our oft tormented souls to know that there is One who is able to hold us together no matter what circumstances in life or devils in hell try to impose upon our fragile existence. We are held together both spiritually, physically, emotionally and literally by the One ‘who called us unto the Fellowship of his dear Son’ (I Cor. 9). Fear not weakened and weary warrior. When the battles of life seem to march toward your little fortress, or when the ‘big bad wolf’ comes knocking at your door. He may huff and puff but your little house is held together by more than bricks and mortar and rebar. We are held together by the one who conquered the greatest and strongest of all enemies…DEATH. ‘O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? I Cor. 15:55.

May 7th, 2008 Posted by Dave | Centrality of Christ, Fellowship | one comment

HOW HE LOVES US!

Just wanted you to know that I returned from Haiti last Friday night safe and sound. Our journey was a wonderful one. It was so good to see dear friends, many of whom I had not seen for a couple of years. Our time of fellowship in song, testimony, prayer and from the Word was delightfully refreshing. Sitting on the third story of the Pastors’ retreat center at the Mission compound at night and seeing the glory of our solar system, is always an experience nearly beyond words. Truly, ‘ the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof’…

The words sung in the video clip above by Kim Walker became sort of a theme for me (and, I’m sure, others) as we trudged our way through one of the most spiritually dark places on earth. The cry of the song is “Oh, How He Loves Us”. As we moved from one place to another the Spirit of the Lord moved ahead of us. Each step we took and each loving word spoken was one more beam of light displacing the thick darkness. It seemed each time we coporately followed the pillar of cloud and fire of his will there were showers of His precious love flowing like a stream of living water.

As is His Way, our Lord was with us to lead, encourage, anoint and use us in ways beyond our fondest dreams. We had the precious privilege of sharing the Gospel through the Christmas accounts in a dramatic way with one of us telling the account and most of the rest of our 24 pilgrims acting it out. We gave gifts to a few hundred children and many prayed to allow Christ to be the Lord of their lives. For most of the children the little package we gave them will be all they receive that whole year. The standard of living in Hait is so much below our poverty level that words cannot tell. Survival is the mode for so many. Six out of 10 Haitian children die before the age of 5 or 6, many because they cannot fight off a cold or the flu. To look into their eyes is to see the desire to hope but the inability to do so because they must be concerned about food for the day. As we prayed with a Haitian man a few years ago on top of a mountain…He cried out to the Lord for a day when he would be…“no more hungry”. However, in the midst of all the suffering are the sounds of children playing, churches holding services and singing with all their might, knowing that the Sovereign God has prepared a place for them and all of His children in a Kingdom which has no end.

One of the most significant issues in Christianity is the privilege of corporate fellowship. It is a marvelous thing to not only observe, but also of which to be a part. One’s personal relationship with Christ is to be intimate with Him, but the greater part of that intimacy is to carry it into the corporate meeting. It is there that it is shared with the brothers and sisters and becomes pregnant and delivers more of the knowledge of Christ than can be obtained in isolation. Our worship experiences on ‘the porch’ were just that. How marvelous to experience this yourself but then to see a brother or sister awakening to more of Christ is to enhance Christ within oneself. Together, we took a journey into a ‘room’ of his kingdom and while there we saw things together, which are difficult, if not impossible to express. However, in an ‘earthy’ sort of way an attempt is made through the song above:“He loves us” which says, “earth meets heaven like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently in my chest. I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way that He loves us…” Yes, it is rather earthy. Maybe too earthy. However, for people who are not well versed in theology and don’t have the vocabulary yet to express the high things of God in a more ‘acceptable manner’, I say, ‘Go for it’! It doesn’t take long to run out of words when trying to express the passion God has for us and the passion we are to have for Him. God doesn’t cringe nearly as fast as some of us, who can express ourselves in a ‘better’ way. Rather, I think he may even smile. Will He take us on and grant us the ability to tell the story in a more acceptabel manner? Will we eventually articulate our experience with Christ in a better way? Maybe. I do hope that when we get to the place where we can say it better that we don’t lose the passion and experience of it. It’s one thing to read about a love story. It is entirely different matter to live it. As I review in my heart of hearts the journey I experienced just days ago, I am left with a deeper passion for my Lord and a deeper desire to fellowship with those who KNOW HIM AND WANT TO MAKE HIM KNOWN.

December 13th, 2007 Posted by Dave | Church, Fellowship, Relationships, True Church LIfe | 2 comments