A Mission With Eternal Significance

Discipleship is a call with eternal significance.

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. John 9:4

Telling others how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing we can do for them. If a neighbor had cancer or AIDS and you knew the cure, it would be criminal to withhold that lifesaving information. We have the greatest news in the world, and sharing it is the greatest kindness we can show to anyone.

Our mission of telling others about Jesus has eternal significance. It will impact the eternal destiny of people, so it’s more important than any job, achievement, or goal you will reach during your lifetime on earth. The consequences of our mission will last forever; the consequences of our jobs will not. Nothing else we will do will ever matter as much as helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.

We will have all of eternity to celebrate with those we have brought to Jesus, but we will only have our lifetime to reach them. This does not mean we should quit your job to become a full time evangelist. God wants us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ where you are employed. Our mission gives our life meaning. The best use of our life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.

The Parent Cry

5"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

Almost two generations of American young people have grown up without stable fatherly leadership. More than 17 years ago a Time magazine article stated: “Fatherhood in America is being crushed in the collision between private needs and public pressures. More children will go to sleep tonight in a fatherless home than ever in our nations history.” An article entitled “Parent Cry” in Ministry Today magazine in the January/February edition reports that almost two decades later trends continue to worsen: 60 percent of American young people are now raised without a father in the home, and in some communities children only have a one in five chance of growing to age 16 with the same two parents in their home.

One of the great challenges of being a pastor in an intergenerational church is embracing the emerging generations while not abandoning older ones. According to the “Parent Cry” article, more than 500 leaders from 54 nations addressed this challenge as they met for 15 separate events on five continents. One of the most prevalent trends that emerged from their conversations was the desire of new generations for spiritual fathers and mothers they can trust. They also discovered that there is a growing desire among leaders to provide mentorship to this generation.

In many ways, the prophetic promise of Malachi 4:5-6 is being emphasized by the Holy Spirit in the 21st century as the hearts of the fathers and children turn toward each other. This is certainly what God spoke to my heart ten years ago when I sought him in prayer to reveal how He wanted to build Every Nation Tallahassee (ENT) Church. I was encouraged after reading this article in Ministry Today to know that ENT is aligned with God the Father’s heart and will in the 21st century.

Why is intergenerational building so important? One reason is the older generation needs the zeal of the younger generation, while the younger generation needs the wisdom of the older generation. Both zeal and wisdom are vital components to fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. It takes zeal to do missions, pioneer a church plant, or start a new outreach. However, it also takes wisdom to avoid unnecessary mistakes and embrace the process of seeing a new work come to fruition.

Today, churches must discover and replicate new models of spiritual parenting. The churches that take advantage of this unique opportunity to bring the new generations into relationship with God the Father will experience great success.

I do believe, according to Malachi’s prophetic promise, that when the hearts of the generations turn toward one another we can anticipate a supernatural blessing on our nation. I also believe that we can expect to experience another great awakening as a new generation in partnership with the older ones is launched to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. The article concludes by asking the question: What does this “parent cry” mean? It could mean that we are about to witness a fresh release of Holy Spirit power upon the 21st church.

Let is be so Lord!!!

Jesus and Bowling

Recently, I began to go bowling more frequently. Three events led to my new fascination with bowling. They are: (1) getting whipped on a staff bowling night by our media director Chris Tavalare, (2) my three boys love to bowl, and (3) Every Nation has a bowling competition every year between the different regions.

With the motive of improving my bowling score, last week I purchased my first bowling ball. While getting fitted for my bowling bowl, I had a revelation of how much the right bowling ball relates to my need for Jesus. There are three reasons why every person should purchase their own bowling ball and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1. The Perfect Design

New bowling balls are perfectly designed with one goal in mind and that is to knock down pins. With names like Hammer and Storm it is obvious that pin destruction is the intent behind the creation of these bowling balls.

Jesus is the one perfectly created with one goal in mind and that is to save his people from their sins. With names like Lord and Savior it is obvious that sin elimination is the intent of the Son of God.

2. The Perfect Fit

Purchasing your own bowling ball allows you to get perfectly fitted according to your hand size. Bowling with a perfectly fitted bowling ball is a key to improving your score. No other bowling ball can fit your had like the one designed for you.

Jesus is the only one who can perfectly meet our needs for redemption. Receiving this perfect Lord enables us to improve our lifestyles by living righteously. No other religious figure can specifically meet our needs like Jesus.

3. The Perfect Release

A perfectly fitted bowling ball allows you to correctly release the bowling ball from your hand. The thumb slips out first enabling you to guide the ball with your fingertips. Without this perfect fit, most people grip the ball too tightly. A perfect release is essential to maintaining the control you need to hit the pins correctly.

Knowing Jesus is our perfect Lord and Savior encourages us to release things into God’s hands. Life usually spins out of control when we grip too tightly to our own agendas. Perfectly releasing things to God allows us to gain control and live the way God desires.

I hope my new bowling ball and the revelation I received about Jesus while purchasing it will help you trust our perfect God. Remember, the perfect design, the perfect fit and the perfect release are vital components both for Christ-followers and successful bowlers.

See you in church and at the alley. Happy Easter!