Can you be too relaxed?

The Relaxed Church 

Revelation 2:12-17 

Can you ever be too relaxed? I do believe that there are times that our bodies need to relax. We must sit back and refresh ourselves. Even spiritually we must have times that we relax in the Lord; allowing his spirit to refresh and renew us.

We may have become too relaxed in the areas of morals, integrity, and character today. We have allowed too much of the modern culture to dictate our reactions, responses, and actions. This is a dangerous place for the Christ followers. We can compromise to such an extent that there is no difference in us and the world and that is contamination and not relaxation.

Trouble with Relaxed Compromise in our lives

Jesus addresses this problem in the lives of the people in the city of Pergamum. They had relaxed to such an extent that their compromise with the community placed them in immediate danger of the swift discipline of Jesus.  We can learn a lot from their relaxation.

This relaxation can create a fatal moment for the follower. We maybe too relaxed in inclusion and involvement. Jesus charged them with following the pattern of Balaam. He is mentioned in scripture in Numbers 25&31. Basically this is his philosophy - “If you cannot curse them – coax them to compromise.  Are we mixing pagan idolatry and immorality in our everyday life?

Maybe we are too relaxed in practice and promotion. Jesus mentions the Nicolatians; they promoted compromise with pagan religions and practices, specifically the inclusion of perverse sexual rituals. I am concerned that today more Christ Followers are getting their morals from the Media/entertainment than from the Bible/Church.

All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals.  

Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.   

Mahatma Gandhi

Compromise: An agreement between two men to do what both agree is wrong.  

 Lord Edward Cecil

Turn around and receive your reward 

 Jesus is calling us to turn around (Rev. 2:16a “Repent”) and come back to him. We must no longer be relaxed with the world practices and patterns. There is too much on the line for our families. For those of us who choose to turn around there is a reward from him. I love the way Jesus paints a picture for us in Revelation 2:17. …To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.  

Did you see the three images that Jesus promises as our reward?  

1.       Hidden Manna is an image of nourishment to your soul. We do not need the things of this world to fill our inner desires we can be feed from the Word of God. He is our source of all things holy.  

2.       White Stone was used in two specific ways that show how great our turn around can be. It signified an acquittal by a jury. Through the blood of Jesus we have been set free! And the stone was admission ticket to a public festival. We have an invitation to the banquet of God celebrating the work of Jesus our King.

Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.
Thomas S. Monson

3.       New Name is either the name of Christ applied to his followers or new personal name for us as a believer. I like to think of this as the name we drop as the entrance password to come into his presence.  

I think a man becomes less than a man when he begins to compromise on what he believes is right.
Mike Singletary

 

Stand strong! Never surrender! Never compromise with this world.

The Frustration Factor

I do wonder if Mary ever became frustrated as a mother. Of course, being a mere woman I am certain that she experienced her share of frustration. I even want you to consider the fact that raising a perfect child offers great moments of frustration. Especially for one that is not perfect.  

In this one passage of ancient words we discover that she may have in fact felt a bit of frustration with the situation of a lost son. Or it very well could be that she had frustration with that son himself for getting lost.

Luke 2:48, 51-52 His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." …But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

I love that part of the passage, Mary “treasured all these things in her heart.” With frustration subsided, she now saw a new perspective of this amazing boy. This was the catalyst moment that Luke uses too propel Jesus into growth from boy to man.

This passage caused me to realize that most mothers have a frustration factor that comes from the pressures of balancing LIFE. However, I am convinced that it is the godly mother that brings that LIFE to balance for her children.

Love – A Mother’s love is used for guidance, discipline, and hope.

Influence – A Mother’s influence is used for shaping, leadership, and destiny.

Faith – A Mother’s faith is used for trust, relationship, and obedience to the Lord.

Encouragement – A Mother’s encouragement is used for preparation, fearlessness, and determination.

Moms don’t let frustration win out. Please don’t give up in the long process of raising your children to fear God. And please remember what A.W. Tozer wrote: God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.

Always Enthusiastic, 

Dr. Rusty Newman 

Learning from the Garden

What I’ve learned from the garden that relates to spiritual things

1. The land has to be prepared through tilling before you plant a seeds. Nothing will grow without the soil properly prepared.
2. When you plant seeds give them enough room to grow to their full potential.
3. Think ahead to the kind of seed you are planting and expect a harvest.
4. You have to provide fertilizer for growth to happen. You must feed the plants or it will not grow properly.
5.  As the plant begins to grow you have to work hard to keep weeds and grass from outgrowing the plant.
6. You will have to fight pest in order to protect your plants. Worms, squirrels, deer, rabbits, and others will sneak in to get a taste before its ready.
7. You must work hard to keep the weeds and grass out again – funny thing about good soil other things want to grow there too.
8.  It takes time, heat, water, fertilizer, and patience before you can harvest.
9. Each seed has a different time of maturation until you can enjoy the harvest – corn takes longer than cucumbers.  (But you can produce more cucumbers from one hill than corn from one stalk).
10. Sometimes you will have to get in the dirt to nurture your plants to grow – but you can wash the dirt off. 

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, 

cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." 

Genesis 8:22 

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, 

to send out workers into his harvest field.” 

Matthew 9:37-38  

Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

Galatians 6:9

Always Enthusiastic, 

Dr. Rusty Newman