Note: This story was carried in an earlier email report, but I wanted to post something on Shepherds and Sheep in keeping with our INSIDE OUT theme this week.
James 1:2-8 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
The first week of December I was in Central Java. Among other activities was a one-day seminar with pastors from poor areas. Average congregation size was under 30. It is a hard life. Our host was a church which gathers these pastors (there were 133 in attendance this day) for teaching, encouragement, and for handouts of food and clothing.
My understanding is that you get the promises of the Bible you can believe. Promises are for believers. Unfortunately, I have noticed in the twenty years of doing seminars for pastors and church leaders that what they preach and what they live are not quite the same. As we see from James (above) this double minded man will receive nothing from the Lord. Hence they live in poverty rather than the abundance God promises believers.
One testimony I received after being with them was "You shocked them." Even though I shocked them, they liked it, and have invited me back! One way I shock them:
First, they confess they believe Psalm 23 verse 1 which says in Indonesian I have no lack. Then, after distracting them from that (yes, I do set them up) I ask them if any of them have any needs (lack something, in Indonesian). They have been programmed to beg and expect from outside visitors, especially Americans handouts. In fact they were attending primarily for the handouts!
Of course, in response, they with nearly one voice were lifting hands and calling out their affirmation of being in great need. Then I stop and remind them of their earlier statement that they have no needs, and now they are claiming great needs. I ask them which is true?
Sheep and shepherds alike often profess from the safety of the church sanctuary what they believe, yet when it comes to being bold enough to put these beliefs in practice, there is a different tune. James says that faith without works is dead, because it indicates a double minded person, and a double minded person will receive nothing from the Lord.
Check it out for yourself, in your own life. Are you receiving, living in the abundance promised by God, or in lack? Living in lack looks at what can be seen and sees that it is not enough (it doesn't matter how much it is). Living in abundance looks at what God says you have, and then goes and finds it since it often can't be seen at first.
INSIDE OUT living - knowing that what God promises, he has already supplied. Shepherds and sheep alike often fail to live the abundant life because they live outside in. They are backward-looking, not forward looking, and allow the past experience to control their expectations, rather than expecting the promises of God to show up when needed.
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