Faith Archives

I Know Your Ministry

What is your ministry?

God has given you a ministry, and, because of 2 Corinthians 5, I know what it is.

I don’t have to know you, and I don’t even need to know your gifts and talents.

I can confidently tell you what your ministry should be.

What is your ministry?

I’ve always answered that question by saying, “I am a Bible teacher.”

But I don’t see that as my ministry any longer. Teaching is how I usually accomplish my ministry. The apostle Paul defined my ministry and yours in 2 Corinthians 5:18.

Paul said God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation.”

Paul was teaching the Christians in the Corinthian church how they should view his ministry and their own: as a ministry of reconciliation. Every person in this world should be viewed with one important distinction: that person is a child of God, or needs to be.

Every other distinction is regarding them “according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16).

Your ministry is to help other people be reconciled to a right relationship with their heavenly Father.

You accomplish that ministry when you have that relationship yourself.

If you want to please God . . .

We want to please God, but why does it often seem to be a huge puzzle?

Scripture clearly tells us how to please God. Second Corinthians 5:11 says, “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” That is the ministry of reconciliation.

We don’t necessarily please God when we serve, give, do, go, say, attend, study, share, preach, teach, sacrifice, etc. We don’t necessarily displease God when we don’t.

We please God when we live in a reconciled relationship with him. When we are close to God, it is much easier to be godly and live out his holy directives.

When we are reconciled to God, we see people like God sees them. We speak the words he wants us to say. We have his peace, his joy, his grace, and his love.

When we are close to God, he gives us the ministry of reconciliation. Others will be persuaded to know God because they witness our relationship with him.

We don’t please God because of what we choose to do. Our ministry is not doing works to please him. We please him because he is able to do works of ministry through us, and that pleases him.

A reconciled relationship accomplishes the ministry of reconciliation. We know God, then we share that knowledge with others—and that is how they are persuaded to know God for themselves.

It really is that simple.

The church that pleases God

I’m convinced that many of the problems that exist in our culture and our churches could be resolved by understanding and living what Paul taught Corinth. What is the purpose of any and every fellowship of Christians?

To be a body of believers, reconciled to God and therefore able to persuade others.

So many churches are focused on pleasing its members rather than pleasing God. Does your church spend more effort on persuading people to be reconciled to God—or to each other?

The right priority will lead to the next.

Is your church spending substantial time and money persuading other Christians to join their institution or is the priority to persuade people to join their lives with God?

The church that pleases God will exist for the sake of the people who are outside of its walls. Sunday morning should help restore people to a right relationship with God so they can accomplish their ministry and help others be reconciled to God.

Give away your treasure

The news about the stock market has not been positive lately. But, people who know what they are doing will move funds, reinvest, and might even be better off in the long run. That same thing is true with the spiritual treasure you have been given.

Every Christian has been given an incredible gift through God’s Holy Spirit: we have been given the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 4:6). Paul calls that knowledge a treasure we keep in jars of clay, i.e., our human bodies.

Because we know God, we are called to please him (2 Corinthians 5:9). How do we please God? We give away our treasure: “We persuade others (2 Corinthians 5:11).

Give your treasure to other people and you will be reinvesting it in heaven, just like some have saved their money by reinvesting in other stocks.

Paul would tell us to move our treasure from the “tent” and reinvest it in our mansions. The “stuff” of this world has a volatile future. Heaven is a safe investment every time.

A. W. Tozer, an American pastor and author said, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”

Be reconciled to God and you will accomplish your ministry for all the right reasons and invest in your life eternal.

It really is that simple.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Bible Hacks

It’s funny how words can evolve to take on different meanings. The word hack used to describe the sound of a person’s cough. Now we most often use the word to describe an idea that makes our life easier.

A lot of words have evolved and changed over time, and there will never be an end to new ideas. Maybe that is the most remarkable thing about the Bible.

The Bible we study today contains the exact same Scripture that every other generation has studied. The prophet Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC and wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Thousands of years have proven the truth of his statement. God’s unchanging word still stands.

So how can I make studying the Bible, God’s forever truth, a bit easier?

Here are a few Bible “hacks” I have used over the years.

A few Bible hacks

How to search your Bible easily

Take your Bible and divide the pages of Scripture in half. You should find yourself in Psalms or Proverbs. The first half of the pages will be the Old Testament history. The middle of the Bible is wisdom literature.

Next, you can divide the back half of the pages into two equal sections. The first half contains the prophets and the back half will be the New Testament. (Hint: If you have a study Bible, you will have to adjust for the study pages at the back, but, generally speaking, this works.)

How to choose the best study Bible

Everyone needs a study Bible, but which study Bible version is best?

Study from a version that has the study helps authored by a long list of scholars. No one person can know enough to be an expert in every book. Choose a version that has invited the best scholar(s) for each book to author the notes. Those notes will be less denominational and more focused on the original translation of the original manuscripts.

Scripture will always mean what it has always meant. Buy the version that understands that perspective is the accurate goal for study.

How to believe the Bible

The Bible makes many promises but many more “probably statements.”

People often read a psalm or proverb as a promise, then feel let down when the verse seems untrue in their circumstances. Psalms and Proverbs are wisdom literature. Most of those Scriptures were written to remind us of what God is able to do, not what God has promised to do.

I often use Proverbs 22:6 to illustrate this point: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” That verse cannot be a promise because we know God created every child with a free will. Therefore, it is a “probably” verse because most kids who are raised to know and love God usually find their way back to the faith, even if they choose to stray.

How to know the Bible

Google is great, but Psalm 119:11 is better: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of what God would say now because it is what God has already said. In our Google world, it seems easier to remember our phones than remember a verse of Scripture. But, we will make fewer mistakes if we store up what we need to remember.

The best teachers and counselors will rarely pause mid-sentence to say, “Let me check Google and I’ll get back to you.”

How to live the Bible

The best hack I can suggest is to give up the notion that ease is our goal.

There is no such hack. The easiest way to live out our faith is to be absolutely convinced that it isn’t easy.

Never underestimate the value of knowing how much you need God’s help to live his ways. He knew it was difficult. That’s why God gave us his Holy Spirit. The best way to live a biblical lifestyle is to “keep in step” with God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Suggested Bible resources

After thirty-plus years of ministry, I’ve discovered a few helps that I’m happy to share. There is an abundance of information, but I can help you wade through those waters. These are a few of my favorite Bible helps:

Favorite study Bibles

I recommend the NIV Study Bible and the ESV Study Bible. Both have used great scholarship for the notes. That said, only the Scripture is the perfect word of God. The notes will always have a few imperfections.

Favorite shortcut

I like to use a Bible promise book to search for a good passage about a subject. If I have to teach a class, speak to a group, or counsel a friend, a Bible promise book is a great way to begin.

I look up a topic, then I often find a verse that leads me to a passage. I can then teach the verse in its context. Because what the verse meant is what it still means today.

Favorite Bible websites

I like BibleHub.com if I want to read a verse from several different versions.

I like OpenBible.info if I want to see several verses from Scripture on a particular subject.

I like BibleGateway.com for advanced study of a passage.

Their commentary help is called BibleGatewayPlus and will cost you a few dollars each month, but it is handy and reliable help if you are a teacher or person who wants to dig a little deeper using a website.

And although it might sound self-serving, you should know that those of us who write for Denison Ministries have a strict commitment to biblical accuracy.

Only God’s word is perfection, but a lot of dedicated Christians have worked hard to make it easier for us to know and live a life that God is able to direct and bless. I’m grateful for the countless teachers I have had throughout my life. I’m glad to offer all of you a few “hacks” for some easy help along the way.

The best Bible hack

I was teaching 1 Corinthians last week when I discovered what might be the best hack in the Bible. Paul wrote to the church and said, “And I will show you a still more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Paul proceeded to give them 1 Corinthians 13, often called the “love chapter.” I’ll sum it up for all of us by saying the most excellent way to live our Christian lives is to love God like he loves us and to love others with the love God gives through us.

Hack into God’s love and the rest of life will get a lot easier.

Now, go find your Bibles and try that first hack. It really works, and you should be finding those Bible passages much faster in the near future.

The Future Looks Good

I saw a picture of a college worship service and had to smile. Many of the stories we see about young people have to do with something like vaping, phone usage, or maybe the lone child who sets up a charity to help others.

Have you been worried about the next generation?

If so, look at a photo of the Breakaway service at Texas A&M. Maybe we should feel proud and confident instead. Each week, a crowd of more than ten thousand students gathers to worship the Lord together.

I wish stories like that one made the evening news!

The “dying church” is a myth

My husband, Jim, just read The Myth of the Dying Church: How Christianity Is Actually Thriving in America and the World by Glenn T. Stanton. According to Jim, Stanton “is the author of nine books and one of the most insightful commentators on American culture today.”

The point of the book is to encourage us that much of what we see on the evening news does not accurately reflect the truth of our faith. Things are actually looking pretty good—if you look in the right places. If you are in a conservative, evangelical church, then you are probably going to see your membership grow. The dying churches have compromised their theology in order to be more “culturally relevant.”

In other words, they lost the message of Christ because they started preaching for people instead.

The Holy Spirit always has the same plan

The Holy Spirit always draws a crowd.

The Breakaway service at Texas A&M has one objective. Their mission statement says they exist “to help any and every college student take either their first or next step with Jesus Christ.”

Their mission statement should serve as an example for every church and every Christian.

Our calling is to help people know Christ. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit indwells you. If you are inspired by his priorities, you are helping people take either their “first or next step with Jesus Christ.”

It really is that simple.

In The Myth of the Dying Church, Stanton points out the many places in our country, and especially the world, where the Holy Spirit is using people to accomplish the purpose of Christ. We have been living with the impression that the “numbers” are waning and the mission is faltering. That is true in some churches, but it is not true for many others.

The Holy Spirit is highly successful anywhere Christ is invited and honored.

Why is the myth easy to believe?

This is the part of the blog post that might sting just a little.

If it helps, I had to get stung a few times in order to write it.

I was reading the Core Values of Breakaway on their website, and “humility” was the first value listed. Under that heading is written, “We trust in a powerful God and recognize the truth in John 15 that ‘apart from me you can do nothing.’” They go on to say, “We will lean completely on Jesus and His Spirit for wisdom and provision.”

The myth of the dying church is easy to believe because that is what Satan wants us to believe. C. S. Lewis said, “Like a good chess player, Satan is always trying to maneuver you into a position where you can save your castle only by losing your bishop.” In other words, we try to save things of lesser value only to realize they have cost us something of higher value.

I think there are a lot of churches that are trying so hard to save buildings and budgets that they have forgotten they exist to save souls. Jesus wants to use the buildings and budgets for the sakes of the people who aren’t in the building and don’t contribute to the budget.

Are we working hard to save the castle while losing our bishop?

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Nothing is a definitive word.

The future can look good for ourselves and our churches

If the Holy Spirit is active, people will come.

We often think of Pentecost as an historical event rather than a current possibility. Acts 4:31 says that the disciples prayed and “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

It looks like many who attend the Breakaway service are experiencing what those early disciples did after Pentecost.

Godly leaders are followers.

If your committees are led by people who know, then your committees might not be led by the people who follow. Our earthly tendency is always to choose the capable.

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Abilities completely submitted to the Holy Spirit’s direction and wisdom will produce godly leaders.

All other advice is worth nothing, but imagine what will happen when the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead.

The Holy Spirit we are given is the Spirit of Christ.

Do we really understand the potential in being fully submitted to the Holy Spirit?

Isaiah 11 is a prophecy of Christ. Isaiah wrote, “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

That is the same Spirit God gave you when you became a Christian. He is available every time you humbly remember that, apart from his help, you can do nothing for God. With his help, you will accomplish things you would never have considered possible.

The future looks good

The reason the future looks good is that there will never be a day the Holy Spirit isn’t at work in the lives of those who know they need him.

I love that each week there is a stadium at a university that understands and teaches that truth to college students. The only “numbers problem” they have is trying to figure out where to put everyone!

Your personal ministry will prosper for the same reason. How will the Holy Spirit lead you today?

Apart from him you can do nothing—but with him, you will always do something. P. S. Every year, we ask our readers to consider donating to Denison Forum through North Texas Giving Day so that we can continue to build culture-changing Christians like you. North Texas Giving Day officially starts tomorrow, but you may click here to schedule your gift today. Also, we have a matching grant of $100,000, so every dollar you give will be DOUBLED! Give as you feel led—and thank you!

The Happiest States in America

I read a USA Today article and was surprised to find that I don’t live in one of the happiest states in America. You probably don’t either. In fact, I was really surprised by the results I read in the article.

Suffice it to say that the Bible Belt was excluded.

Which states made the top twenty?

Here is the list of the happiest states, according to the survey. The list starts with twenty and ends with number one, the happiest state:

20. Florida – Of course! Most of the residents are retired and playing golf every day.
19. Nevada – They obviously didn’t survey the people who just lost their paycheck at a casino.
18. Nebraska – They must have done their survey in June, not February.
17. Massachusetts – They only surveyed baseball fans.
16. Connecticut – It’s a really small state.
15. Arizona – They probably surveyed the snowbirds in February.
14. California – Beaches, Hollywood, and Disneyland. My home state. I’m good with this one.
13. Washington – It is a beautiful state—if you can catch it on an unrainy day.
12. Minnesota – Another beautiful state. I liked this choice.
11. New Hampshire – See my comment on Connecticut.
10. North Dakota – No comment.
9. South Dakota – See above.
8. Delaware – A really, really small state.
7. Vermont – This state was surveyed in early October and they asked people eating pancakes.
6. Colorado – They surveyed skiers.
5. Utah – I have a lot of comments, none of which I will type.
4. Montana – Seriously? It’s FREEZING there half the year!
3. Alaska – They only surveyed the people from the cruise ships.
2. Wyoming – Last winter, the chill factor was 69 degrees below zero. How happy is THAT?
1. Hawaii – I can’t argue with this one. I’d be happy to live there too!

Did the list surprise you?

The list made me kind of skeptical (obviously!) How did these people define and attempt to measure happiness?

So, I researched 24/7 Tempo, the group that did the survey. This organization used the 2019 Gallup Well-Being Index, which is supposed to capture what people feel about their daily lives.

People were measured in five categories: social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, physical health, and career prospects.

Notice that no one asked them how they felt about their relationship with God or their hope for an eternal life.

Which states are the most religious?

I felt very sad that the states with the highest percentages of Christians did not make the top twenty list.

Which states are considered the most religious?

According to a 2017 US News article, the list is as follows:

10. North Carolina
9 and 8: Oklahoma and Georgia tied.
7. West Virginia
6. South Carolina
5. Arkansas
4. Louisiana
3. Tennessee
2 and 1: Mississippi and Alabama tied.

Why aren’t the most religious states the happiest?

Did the survey miss the truth or reveal a truth?

I think the answer to both of those questions is yes.

One of the strong themes of Scripture is that the world doesn’t think like God thinks.

Isaiah wrote, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). The apostle John taught Christians to feel differently about the world. He wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

If happiness is measured by the world’s standards, Christians won’t be considered the happiest. Nevertheless, doesn’t it seem strange that the religious states weren’t the happiest?

The Bible doesn’t say much about happiness

Happiness is based on the same word as happenings. The Bible typically focuses on joy, a sense of well-being that transcends circumstance. It makes sense that a survey questioning people’s earthly circumstances would miss the deeper, eternal perspectives.

People are happy when the money is good, the jobs are certain, the friendships are plentiful, and the doctor pronounces them healthy.

But none of those circumstances will matter eternally.

What if they looked for the joyful states?

King Solomon said, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live” (Ecclesiastes 3:12). Jesus told his apostles, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). But, Jesus said that to his apostles right before he went to the garden of Gethsemane to wait for the soldiers.

Joy is the foundational sense of well-being that transcends circumstances. Joy can’t be understood by a world that only pursues happiness. Christians have a higher calling and a higher blessing. We have the joy that Jesus promised.

But, is it possible to have both?

Joy and happiness

The reason for this blog post is simple: Christians should strive for both joy and happiness.

I’m so grateful to own and teach an eternal perspective on life. If we have to choose, we should choose joy. But, I’m sad that the rest of the world doesn’t see Christianity as a source of “happiness” as well.

Should we reexamine our witness to the world? Do people who know you consider you a “happy” person? Should they?

Acts 13:52 says, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

There is a LOT that Christians can’t be happy about with the world. But that doesn’t mean we can’t reflect the joy of our salvation to the people around us.

Happiness is a choice; joy is a gift. Why don’t we strive for both?

The world is watching.