That voice…that beaming smile…that sparkle in his eyes. Even after a decade has gone by, who could forget the man that thousands upon thousands have called, “Pastor Chuck.” To this day, I can still hear those distinct words, “Let’s turn in our Bibles to…” and his simple “Oh!”

What an honor and privilege it was to grow up in my formidable years under Chuck’s teaching ministry. He was my very first pastor and my earliest spiritual influence when I first visited Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa as a young 10 year old boy. With only a child-like faith and a few vivid pictures in my head from my illustrated children’s Bible, I was deeply impacted by the Word of God being taught and explained in what I would later understand as the work of the Holy Spirit.

Chuck commanded an immediate respect because he was a strong, yet gentle…unwavering, yet flexible kind of man who taught the pure Word of God as the one and only main course with no side dishes or artificial additives. Chuck was calculated with his words and knew precisely who he was and why God had placed him on this earth, namely, to teach and preach the Word of God simply, systematically, and exegetically through the books of the Bible and to encourage a few generations of pastors to do the same.

SERVANT-HEARTED

There was no flashiness to his ministry or fleshly concocted plans to manipulate people or force things to happen. After many early challenges, failures, and disappointments, he left his prime years of life to enter into his primary years of life, where he came to believe that “whatever was used to win people would have to be used to keep them.” Chuck was a true servant who went from cleaning the toilets or doing some building repairs to faithfully feeding the flock of God by simply teaching the Word and loving people with a shepherd’s heart.

I believe he was a faithful example of what Jeremiah the prophet said in his day,

“And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jer. 3:15 NKJV).

SPIRIT-FILLED

What was seen and heard was just a humble openness to the Spirit and a burley, unforgettable voice which resonated in a slow rhythmic pace as he worked his way through the Scriptures, verse by verse, adding just enough wit and a whole lot of weight to every word that he preached. All ages were riveted and a great many souls were hearing God call them to live a sanctified life that would store up treasure in heaven.

To this day, there is something very special and unique about hearing Chuck’s voice that still resonates with those who are hungering for the pure, unadulterated Word. He was open to the Spirit’s leading but was not going to stand for anything that contradicted the written Word or misrepresented the character of God.

SIMPLE MINISTRY

In Chuck’s classical way, with his ‘built in Selah,’ he would have these dramatic pauses…that left you wondering if he went somewhere else for a short time…but he was yielding to the Spirit and allowing his hearers just enough time for personal reflection and mediation on whatever passage he was teaching from. Chuck had a simple but stern way to get your attention when he wanted to drive his points home…to such a degree that there were many times on the drive home, I wondered whether we would even make it home before the Lord came to take up His church since he loved to remind people of Christ’s imminent return.

Pastor Chuck unintentionally became the founder and public figurehead of a spiritual movement that became known as “The Jesus People Movement,” which was highlighted this past year around the world in the movie entitled, “Jesus Revolution.” Chuck baptized me in those very waters at Pirate’s Cove as shown in the movie. For all who knew or served with Chuck, he was just a simple, ordinary guy with an extraordinary God, who loves to choose “the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise … and the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:27).

I began hearing the call of God on my life around 12 years of age and I still remember when Chuck called me into his office after I graduated from Chapman University while leading a campus ministry and serving in the high school ministry to ask me to join Mike Harris as an assistant youth pastor. I think the salary was the same as it had been for the past 30 years but this was an open door that I believed God led me to go through so after praying about it I answered the call of God to serve the Lord to reach the next generation for Christ.

As a very zealous and inexperienced pastor on Chuck’s staff, I was so thankful for every moment that I could glean and learn from someone who had been used so greatly and who loved the Scriptures and the sheep so deeply. Chuck was actually quite introverted and so I remember needing to drive the conversation when sitting down with Chuck. One time, he asked me to take a drive with him in his classic powder blue Cadillac to pick up a son of another pastor. It was great driving with Chuck but it was mostly quiet in the moments that I was not talking. However, even in the silence I felt very loved by Chuck whenever in his company.

Whether it was a pastor’s meeting or a youth retreat, Chuck tried to be as personal as possible but he was the most comfortable in the pulpit. It is worth adding that he could hold his own on the basketball court and was quite competitive when pitching a softball. He had a great mantle of ministry and had so many thousands of people to feed and so he counted on his pastoral team to help tend to the needs of the body. But despite the high volumes of people and various ministries happening throughout the week, do not think for a moment that Chuck did not know what was going on in the church. He kept himself very informed and was aware of what was happening in the lives of people and all the different ministries.

I will never forget the time that I was sitting on one of the pews on the left side of the sanctuary during a midweek Bible study through the book of Acts when Chuck all of a sudden started talking about me in his sermon when he was describing the enthusiasm and zeal of Apollos in Acts 18. I was surprised to see all of these heads immediately turn around among those who knew I was sitting in that area and was quite honored that Chuck would even think to use me as an example in this way. The Holy Spirit kept me humbled as I immediately noticed in the text how Apollos still had much to learn and was even pulled aside by a more seasoned couple to be taught the ways of God more accurately.

One of my fondest memories of Pastor Chuck came at a critical time in my life after I was serving for a couple of years in youth ministry and various changes and developments were taking place in the church, which left my future role in the church uncertain. It was during this time that I went through what was the most difficult and dark time of my life as my wife Tiffany, who was pregnant with our first child, showed signs of toxemia, and something more serious called HELLP syndrome, a variant of preeclampsia, which led to an emergency c-section in her 29th week. Our precious daughter Madelyn was born weighing only 1 lb, 15 ounces, and my wife almost died after the delivery due to her liver and kidneys rapidly failing.

We were in the hospital for the next 64 days, where we saw the Lord heal and restore my wife and bring our daughter through every obstacle and difficulty. The power of prayer was palpable and the presence of God was so intimate to me during this season of my life. Once I knew my family was doing well enough in their health, it finally dawned on me that all of this was going to cost an enormous amount of money. I told my wife one night that we have no idea whether our health insurance was going to cover this so we prayed about this new burden together. The very next day when I drove to the church, I was greeted by Pastor Chuck who came over to me and asked me how Madelyn and Tiffany and I were doing. After I shared the update about everyone’s well being, Chuck put his arm around me in a very fatherly way and without knowing my prayer or thoughts the night before, tenderly said “Joey, don’t worry about the finances of this whole thing. Whatever the insurance doesn’t cover, it will be taken care of.”

I felt like my Father in heaven was speaking directly to me through Chuck. To this day, I don’t know exactly what was meant by that but I knew that Chuck was reassuring me that God was going to take care of me every step of the way, whether by His divine hand or through Chuck’s generosity. I still well up with tears whenever I think upon this moment with my pastor.

Shortly after this, I went on to eventually assist Pastor Chuck and Brian Brodersen, who after seeing me go through that trial with my family, chose to give me more responsibilities in the church, from praying with the body after services to counseling appointments and guest speaking opportunities and leading an evangelism ministry called “Soul Winners.”

Chuck was always available for me to talk to whenever I had a Bible or ministry question, even when I went on to serve at another Calvary Chapel on the east coast and then eventually on the mission field in England where we planted and pastored a church in Cambridge for over 10 years. He lit up whenever the Bible was brought up and I am so very thankful to have been spiritually raised up by his faithful ministry.

Today, Chuck is cherished, remembered, and respected by pastors within the Calvary Chapel family of churches and from churches across the denominations around the world. He taught the Word almost to his dying breath but the words he taught are still life giving to those who listen to his simple yet weighty teaching on the “Word for Today.” I will never forget the many years of hearing him teach, his contagious joy, his belting out of old hymns, and of course the Aaronic blessing at the end of every service as he would walk down the aisle singing, “THE LORD BLESS THEE…” I am indeed blessed by my spiritual heritage and pray that my life will impact the world in some degree as Chuck did when my race is complete.

Do we see revival taking place today?

Before you consider answering such a question, it is important to begin your examination with YOU. On the one hand, only you can affirm that revival is taking place in your own heart. On the other hand, revival on a large scale eventually becomes so undeniable that both culture and history are impacted by God’s mercies falling—and will acknowledge as such. During a time of true revival, the very presence of God’s Holy Spirit and ongoing grace become so tangible that waves of humility and holiness wash over hardened hearts and lost souls. Supernatural healings and breakthroughs are reported, and those who are bound up by sin and heaviness are loosed and cleansed as God tenderly softens, saves, and sanctifies His people. Historically, revival has been an experiential, spontaneous work of God that defies time, daily routines, and spiritual ruts.

However, not all who say, “Revival, Revival” will experience authentic transformation in their lives. Therefore, I would like to present a few observations and biblical considerations about what has been going on during the recent awakenings at Asbury University (and on other college campuses) and then present a form of revival that remains available and accessible to all who have put their trust in Christ.

The very natural, non-hype flow of prayer, worship, repentance, open Bible readings, and testimonies that has been continually taking place in the Hughes Auditorium at Wilmore, Kentucky’s Asbury University certainly falls in line with the biblical priorities and patterns of the early disciples following Pentecost.^[1] One key observation that should be noted is that one of the major distinctions between these revival meetings and any given Sunday morning worship service might just come down to the issue of TIME.

These college gatherings reveal a willingness to linger longer in God’s presence—without the need to cling so strongly to the clock—which is often the ruling factor in most modern Western services. Although some have noted a scarcity of strong biblical teaching and preaching during these meetings, it should be recognized that God will often send His Spirit in certain ways, and at various times, to tenderize hearts so that people might be able to “receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save souls” (James 1:21).

A personal revival is often waiting for the believer, or local church assembly, willing to tarry in the presence of God and allow time to stand still. God may be reminding us of the joy intrinsic in both grace-filled AND time-stilled experiences with Him, experiences that are always available to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Are you willing to make time in your schedule for a time of spiritual revival and renewal?

One of the greatest revivals to be recorded in Scripture is found in the Old Testament and took place unexpectedly in the very self-indulgent capital city of Assyria. Here, the lost souls of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s preaching—and repented for a period of 40 straight days. If we move over to the New Testament, we see a willingness by those in the upper room during Pentecost to wait on the Lord in prayer for an unbroken period of ten days. Thus, a very practical reality in times of revival seems to be a recurring factor: revival takes time. People respond to God by laying down their self-focused lives and their routined schedules to spend extended time in the presence of God.

A true revival may well start in a moment of time somewhere, but it will also usually last for an extended period of time and will widen and spread like a wildfire. Thus, just like a farmer who sows seeds must wait for crops to appear, it may be premature to give any official title to what is happening during the beginning sprouts of revival without seeing its lasting fruit. Still, we can certainly rejoice that God is stirring hearts and producing a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a hunger and thirst that is beginning to grow and expand—like wildfire.

When the nation of Israel was divided and devoted to everything but God, the prophet Hosea declared the following, clearly recognizing the extended period of time involved:

Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
(Hosea 10:12 NKJV, emphasis mine)

Or, as I like to put it, we need to take time to make time for the One who made time … otherwise, we could end up wasting the time that God has given to us.

It is interesting to note that Paul records there were over 500 eyewitnesses that saw the resurrected Christ at one time,^[2]but there were only 120 that gathered in the upper room at Pentecost. The other 380-plus people did not take time to join the disciples in the upper room. Why? The Bible does not give us an answer, but it is an interesting point to consider nonetheless.

As I write this, I hear thunderous sounds emanating from the ceiling of my office in New Jersey. Although I am hearing rain and hail pouring down, it is hitting the roof of our church building; I am not experiencing the rain directly since it is falling outside of my environment. In this case, I am on the inside, thankfully missing out on what is happening outside. But when it comes to revival, one must ask, “Am I on the outside looking in when it comes to the actual outpouring of the Spirit that is taking place?”
Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.”^[3]

I wonder if this might be true for many people today who are mere spectators or commentators regarding the ongoing workings of God. If so, it is a good idea to ask yourself if you are willing to prepare for the rains of revival in your own heart. Now, if you are a critic or a skeptic whenever the word “revival” comes up, let me add there is something biblical in having some holy hesitation, especially since we were warned by Jesus to “take heed that no one deceives you” (Matt. 24:4), by the Apostle John “to test the spirits” (1 John 4:1), and by Paul “to test all things and hold fast what is good” (1 Thes. 5:21).

We do not want to be overly critical of heart, but we also should not freely embrace all that is done in the name of revival, both since we cannot know what God might be doing or preparing in the hearts of others. The Bereans were aptly commended in Scripture for being willing to receive the word “with all readiness” and yet they “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Thus, we ought to be open to what God desires to teach us about both the explanation and the experience of revival—while at the same time making sure that it measures up to what God has revealed about Himself and His ways throughout Scripture.

So, what does the word revival actually mean, from a biblical perspective?

Considering Christ finished the work of salvation and then committed His Spirit to the Father, we see that revival is the outpouring of His Spirit in the lives of His people whenever there is true repentance and faith. In one sense, revival is the ongoing reality of the New Covenant, where the old life is replaced by a new life in Christ and we are controlled by the Spirit. Thus, revival is the life of Jesus poured into our hearts in a new and living way as we, God’s people, realign with God’s heart.

The great London preacher Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones once said, “It is generally agreed that the best way of defining a revival is to say that it is the church returning to the book of Acts, that it is a kind of repetition of Pentecost. It is the Spirit being poured out again upon the church. And this, of course, is a very vital and essential bit of doctrine.”^[4]

The only use of the word “revival” in most English translations of the Bible is found in the book of Ezra, where those who were taken captive in Babylon had returned to God and to the holy city of Jerusalem, where they then began to experience a fresh supply of God’s grace.

And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 9:8-9, emphasis mine)

The word revival in Hebrew is the word “mihya” which means a preserving of life, a quickening of living flesh, or a recovering of self (or in this case, of God’s house). The same word is used in Leviticus to describe the appearance of a spot on raw flesh that a priest could examine to see whether someone was truly unclean or not.^[5] Since there have been many false revivals throughout history that were not biblically grounded or “clean,” it is right to not be hasty in assuming that all named revivals are authentic. But let us also take care that we are prayerful in our analysis, properly examining what is taking place, and ask God to search our hearts before we attempt to declare something clean or unclean.

This same Hebrew word for revival was first used in Scripture when Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers, who betrayed him and sold him into Egypt. Although his brethren did not recognize him in their first coming to see him, Joseph was ready to reveal who he was during their second coming (which has great implications for the nation of Israel in the last days) and explained that God sent him before them “to preserve life” (or bring a revival of sorts).

And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5, emphasis mine).

The Lord sent Joseph ahead to fulfill His promise and save many through him. God did something similar when, in order to accomplish one of the greatest revivals recorded in Scripture, He sent Jonah to Nineveh. Yet Jonah, knowing that God’s nature was to be merciful before sending judgment, stubbornly got onto a boat headed in the opposite direction. But God accomplished His purpose anyway by humbling Jonah in the belly of a large fish and then spitting him out—in the direction of Nineveh.

Similarly, God will sovereignly send revivals to undeserving people whenever He chooses, but we also know that God loves to give grace to the humble. When God sees the lowly posture of true repentance, “times of refreshment often come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, emphasis mine). In the biblical roots of revival, it is less about outward manifestations and more about inward transformation, and it is never reduced or limited to a geographical location. Rather, it is available for all those hungry and thirsty for more of God, since He is still seeking true worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Finally, how can we make ourselves available for the revival that is always available to us?

Paul the Apostle gives us a really good starting point. When he preached at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) to a people who sought to worship and please every deity they could think of, Paul noticed an altar inscribed “to an unknown god.” Therefore, he proclaimed that “they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us …” (Acts 17:27, emphasis mine).

Here are some key principles apropos to posturing ourselves for revival—since He is near to us all:

• Take time to diligently seek the Lord … and He will reward us. (Heb. 11:6)
• Humble yourselves under His mighty right hand … and He will exalt us. (1 Peter 5:6)
• Confess your sins one to another … that you might be healed. (James 5:16)
• Dwell together in the unity of the Spirit … that God might command the blessing. (Psalm 133)
• Pray honestly, fervently, and effectively … and it will avail much. (James 5:16)
• Be still and know that He is God … and you will see Him exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)
• Come to Jesus … and He will give rest for your souls. (Matt. 11:28-29)

Jesus is presently calling us to come to Him to find continual rest for our weary and heavy-laden souls. Jesus described this rest not as something sitting dormant in our souls but as the ongoing work of His Spirit in our lives. Recall when Jesus invited all those who had heard Him preach on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles to receive His living water—which would then flow from their lives like living springs bubbling out from deep recesses.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

We do not need to be seeking the arrival of revival as much as we need the survival of revival.

As Jesus instructed the church of Ephesus after explaining they had left their first love: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (Rev. 2:5). Revival is always available because although you may have left your first love, your first love has never left you.

In the final analysis, do not just read about God’s great works or discuss what God is or is not doing today. Instead, let us remember how God desired to feed the wandering children of Israel “with the finest of wheat” and would have satisfied them “with honey from the rock” if they, His people, would simply listen to Him, open wide their mouths, and walk in His ways (Psalm 81:10-16).

As a man after God’s own heart once said, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good.”

… and then you will know that revival has indeed come … at least in your own heart.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

References

^[1] See Acts 2:42-47
^[2] 1 Corinthians 15:6
^[3] Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, Expanded Edition (Bloomington: Bethany House Publishers, 2004).
^[4] Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power & Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Wheaton: Shaw Books, 2000) 38.
^[5] See Leviticus 13:10, 24

Life moves very quickly, and it is easy to feel like we cannot keep up at times…especially when the New York pace dictates your part of the world. Balancing schedules and making wise decisions are often very challenging in a busy world of diverse options, various pressures and ongoing problems. In order to avoid all of the distractions and attractions of this fallen world, and to keep ourselves from reacting to life’s mishaps, we must learn to prioritize our lives and to stop and assess whether what we are actually doing is what God is calling us to do.

So how do we prioritize our lives rightly in order to be faithful and productive in life and ministry?

First of all, you must care about pleasing the Lord in all areas of your life and desire to make the right choices regardless of how you feel. Your choices matter to God, and so His values should matter to you. Although every choice does not carry the same weight of consequence, your choices should always be governed by the values you hold. Your values determine your priorities.

However, your values alone will not always help you make the right choice in certain situations. For example, you may value time with your family and friends as well as working hard at school or work. Both are valuable in their own respect but must be prioritized when deciding which one to choose. You may want to sit down, relax or read when you remember an unfinished task that you have not followed through on. Which one should you choose? We all need wisdom to know which one should take priority at different points in our lives. This sometimes is referred to as “the tyranny of the urgent.” Therefore, we must seek to live according to all the values that God has shown us, while prioritizing which choice is best in different situations.

A priority is something that you give specific attention to or something that you regard as more important than something else at any given time. If our priorities reflect our values, then it is important to draw inspiration from the source of our values on a regular basis. As followers of Jesus Christ, the Bible gives us our primary source of values. Therefore, we would be wise to regularly read, heed, study and meditate on the Scriptures. The Chinese Christian worker, Watchman Nee, used to encourage his students to prioritize feeding on the Word of God by telling them, “No Bible, no breakfast.”

For Jesus, everything came down to whatever His Father commanded Him to say and do.

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His Work” (John 4:34, NKJV). He also said, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). Listening to God and obeying His voice is the best way to know that your priority is the right one at the right time.

Therefore, we all need to spend quality time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer to keep our spiritual discernment strong, our minds renewed and our hearts revived.

Since life is often moving so quickly, our minds can feel overwhelmed unless our prayers are moving just as fast. When anxiety starts building up, we should treat it like a warning light on the dashboard of our hearts telling us it is time to check the oil of our spirit and get our prayer life going. As Paul the Apostle said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV).

In the classic book, The Practice of the Presence of God, it was said that Brother Lawrence, a 17th century French monk working in a monastery in Paris, made it a practice to do even the smallest of chores for the love of God. Whether he was praying or doing some janitorial duty, he thought, “It was a serious mistake to think of our prayer time being different from any other,” adding that, “Our actions should unite us with God when we are involved in our daily activities, just as our prayer unites us with Him in our quiet time.”

Furthermore, we must not create certain categorical ways of approaching life that are simply unwise and unhelpful. For example, we often think of priorities in terms of a progressive sequence: God, as our first priority, then family, then church, work or school, health, social time, recreation, etc. Although, this might sound like a good list, this kind of arrangement does not practically work when we try to live it out.

For how does one move from the God priority to another priority? The problem lies in thinking that we can make God a numerical value on our list of priorities. But God is NOT a number on a list! He is the one priority that makes the other priorities possible. He is basically the whole list itself.

We cannot simply put God into one of our idolatrous, religious boxes and merely check Him off as though we fulfilled our “God category,” allowing us to move onto the next priority of our list. Otherwise, what would that say about God being our top priority when most of us are spending more time on the other priorities that are under God on our lists?

The issue is not merely about how much time we spend with God alone but in how we cultivate our relationship with God and include God into everything that we say and do. God must not be a mere afterthought or someone who gets a little sliver of our lives. This is not authentic Christian living or the measure of a life that is devoted to God. Instead, we should make God THE PRIORITY WITHIN THE PRIORITIES. Christ Jesus should be the one Person that we do all of our other priorities for.

It is better to place Christ in the midst of each and every priority and to learn to glorify Him in all that we do.

We should prioritize God in our homes while we are spending time with our families. We should prioritize God at work by the way we act and conduct ourselves. We should prioritize God in our health by eating and resting well and taking care of our bodies, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should prioritize God in our relationships by loving all people and treating them with the humility, kindness and compassion of Christ. There should never be a time when God is pushed aside or left out as a priority in our lives. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

What would it actually look like if we did all things to the glory of God and prioritized loving God and loving others above our own patterns of priority?

When Jesus is truly our ongoing priority, we will not be living by mere methods or religious ruts but by the simplicity of obeying Christ in the Spirit of His love no matter what we are doing. This is why Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ…” (Philippians 1:21).

If He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, He is also the Priority of priorities!

Life truly begins as we die to ourselves and trust in Christ.

Once we receive Jesus into our lives, His Spirit joins with our human spirit, and we become born again as new creations in Christ. Our sinful life is exchanged with the righteous life of Christ. Our lives take on new meaning and true purpose, but this does not mean we are always living according to this newness of life. This is why Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NKJV).

The Apostle Paul understood that we still have a natural selfish bent in life that gives us the potential to act according to our fallen nature, which can affect both our personal walk with God and the kind of fellowship we will have with other believers. Our family upbringing, fallen nature and personal choices have predisposed us to act and react in certain ways based on our previous conditioning. Sometimes, we try to excuse our behavior and bad habits by telling others, “This is just who I am.” Our insecurities and personal hang-ups still need to pass through the cross, so that we don’t let our past identity affect our new identity in Christ.

Of all the battles being fought in our world, the believer’s battle between the flesh and the Spirit is the most critical. Our personal holiness and influence on others depend on our victory in this area. Therefore, we must learn to appropriate Christ’s finished work on the cross and learn to walk in the newness of the Spirit.

Paul the Apostle said,

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18, NKJV).

To be led by or to walk in the Spirit means to be governed and guided by His Spirit. This has to do with right belief more than right behavior. It is having a Gospel-centered way of thinking where we rely on God more than trying harder.

In our daily practice, it means choosing God’s will over our own will, so that we “do not do the things that [we] wish.” Only then can we overcome evil with good and be “the salt and light” we are called to be.

The Gospel takes us directly to the cross where both sin and the sinner were judged, forgiven and graciously exchanged for an entirely different way of life based on what Christ has done and continues to do through us!

Here are three essential ways to explain and maintain our daily walk in the Spirit:

1. Acknowledge God’s Presence in your life and your absolute need for His grace.

This begins by thanking God for His abiding presence and realizing that we always need God. Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (emphasis mine)

Since we all gravitate toward the appetites and confidence of our flesh, whether rebellious or religious in nature, our natural inclination can still be to solve our own problems and fulfill our own desires. But victory comes as we look to Christ for our sufficiency and satisfaction. David wrote in his famous shepherd’s psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). It is only as we are communing with God and aware of His presence that we will no longer need to rely on ourselves or look elsewhere for fulfillment.

The Apostle Paul makes a very important distinction in Galatians 5:19-21 when he calls our former sinful practices “the works of the flesh,” emphasizing what we naturally do apart from God, but when speaking of the life of the Spirit, he changes his verbiage and uses the term “the fruit of the Spirit.” Notice that it is no longer our works but His work in us that makes all the difference for us to become more like Christ. We are called to work out what God has already worked within, even as Paul reminds us, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, NKJV).

Paul further explains that the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE – expressed in joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. Thus, walking in the Spirit will result in abiding in Christ’s love. This is possible only as we are rooted and connected to the life of Christ – since there can be no real FRUIT without the right ROOT.

2. Believe in God’s Promises and look past your own perspective.

Regardless of what we are going through, we must know what God reveals to us in His living Word. The Word of God declares who we are, how we are to live, and what we shall become.

With Christ living in us, we can heed God’s wisdom in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Although it is natural for us to lean on our own understanding in order to explain a situation or solve a problem, we are called to trust in God by learning and leaning on what He says to us. He will direct our paths as we acknowledge Him in all of our ways.

We must remember that there are no ties when it comes to the flesh battling against the Spirit. We are either under the influence of the Spirit or being governed by the flesh. Jesus said, “the spirit gives life and the flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). We are either carnally minded which leads to death or spiritually minded which leads to “life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

Thus, God’s promises are the right starting point for every situation we find ourselves in. His promise should be the premise of every process. Rather than always needing an explanation for our present circumstances, we should learn to live with an expectation of God’s promised conclusions.

Therefore, it is wise for us to learn and memorize the promises revealed in God’s treasure chest of Scripture and to unlearn what it means to be wise in our own opinions (Romans 12:16).

3. Rely on God’s Power and His sufficiency for our lives.

Even with a right spiritual mindset, we must not try to do the right thing in our own strength. Since we live in a fallen world that is constantly working against us and wearing us down, we must come to Him to find His rest for our souls. In order to walk in the Spirit, we must STOP TRYING and START DYING to be regularly RELYING on God!

We must believe that Christ has already given us the means and the motive to do all that He asks of us. With His every command comes the necessary grace to fulfill what He asks of us. It is His strength and power that matters. We are no longer living our own life but His. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Our victory lies in believing the Gospel and living in the present reality of who Christ is in us!

Paul puts it this way to Timothy, “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). This means that we are to be strong in the strength that we do not have. Walking in the Spirit requires us to turn to God in the Spirit, surrender our will to His, and receive by faith what He alone is able to provide.

The human spirit fails unless the Holy Spirit fills!

The Gospel is the “good news” concerning who Christ is and what He has accomplished. It is the power of God to redeem sinful humanity, replace the sinner, remove the sin, release the bondage, reverse the curse and reconcile man to God. When we proclaim the Gospel, we are actually telling Christ’s personal testimony about His birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.

O, how glorious is this gospel…and yet, how easy it is to underestimate the full extent of its power!

Perhaps, we would do well to consider what actually happens in the spiritual realm when the Gospel is shared and lives are set free.

When Jesus preached His own Gospel to His disciples, Satan immediately overtook Peter in getting him to rebuke the Lord saying, “Far be it from You Lord; this shall not happen to you!” Then Jesus immediately came back with a firm response of His own, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:22-23, NKJV).

Do you see how quickly Satan reacted upon hearing Christ proclaim His own death and resurrection? Have you ever experienced this kind of opposition? Where do you put your trust today? Are you more focused on the temporal than the eternal and more mindful of human remedies over God’s remedy?

The idea of God coming down to sacrificially give His life for us in order to solve our deep spiritual condition by absorbing the punishment we deserve sounds too good to be true. However, if one’s Jewish expectation cannot grasp the idea that the Messiah needed to suffer for us before reigning over us, it can seem like nonsense.

Or if one’s secular worldview esteems man’s accomplishments over God’s accomplishments, the gospel can easily become an intellectual offense.

This is why Paul says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18,23-24).

According to the Gospel accounts in Mark and Luke, the first time Jesus casted out an evil spirit was not among unrighteous heathen or a company of sinners but within a religious synagogue in Capernaum where there was an affinity to God’s laws and ordinances. It was here that a man with an unclean spirit cried out, “Let us alone! What have we to do with you Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24).

As I considered this passage recently, the Lord renewed my mind to see some powerful insights concerning the glorious gospel of Christ:

First of all, the Gospel engages the divide of two spiritual kingdoms and brings with it the power to deliver someone out of darkness, to loosen Satan’s grip on their life and to enable them to experience Christ’s love and forgiveness. Paul declares this in his letter to the church in Colosse: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Furthermore, evil spirits always see things as they really are even if they do not want to come under the authority of Christ. Unlike the religious crowd that was gathered together, the evil spirits knew exactly who Jesus was and what He was capable of doing. “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” – seeing Him as a threat to their agenda.

We see a similar response when an evil spirit answered the seven sons of a chief priest who tried to exorcise demons in Christ’s name saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).

It was only when Paul was freed from the blindness of his own religious zeal and was graciously converted by the risen Christ that he became a threat to the kingdom of darkness and came to understand what the evil spirits already knew. His conversion story confirms that Jesus can change anyone “…From darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:17-18).

This begs the question: Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness by the way you live and give the gospel?

Finally, let us consider what the evil spirits actually said to Jesus in the synagogue that day – “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?” Is this not the same message often broadcasted today by various means of culture and media outlets that do not make room for the Christian message to be spoken in any public sphere under any circumstance, since it would rather promote atheism, relativism, humanism and hedonism before it gives any credence to the Gospel of Christ.

Why is this? Because the Gospel requires us to see sin as sin, so that we can repent and see Christ as the one perfect solution; so that we can believe.

The Gospel is the supernatural remedy for a spiritual condition that only God Himself can solve.

The Gospel opposes the ideologies and priorities of a world system that seeks to promote and celebrate self while rejecting any and all moral absolutes and responsibilities in order to excuse immoral behavior and suppress the truth.

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV).

Once the light of the Gospel shines on our hearts, we are forever changed and everything looks different. The view from Calvary changes the way we see the world because it makes Jesus Christ the focal point and not ourselves.

Recently I was given the great privilege of seeing some of the fruit from the youth ministry I pioneered over 15 years ago while speaking at a youth retreat. As I observed those I once encouraged encouraging others, it led me to consider the value of our investments and the way we spread our influence to others as we allow God to lead.

As I thought back to the first time I met the present youth pastor, I remember an impressionable, young teenager constantly trying to figure out his identity and purpose moving from one friend group to another. Today he is a bold witness for Christ giving hope to the next generation, helping them to know Christ and make an impact in this world for His glory.

In John 4, Jesus intentionally goes to a damaged Samaritan woman who was seeking fulfillment from her relationships with other men. When Jesus enters her life, her story changes. Jesus points out that she had five husbands, and the man she was now living with was not her husband. Interestingly, this made Jesus the seventh man to come into her life. Since seven is the number of completion in Scripture, it is only fitting that she would find her complete fulfillment in Him. But the story continues with, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…” (John 4:39). Therefore, this single redemptive story led to many more inspiring stories to be written.

While guest speaking at another church recently, I was struck at the realization that the entire leadership team was made up of a group of men that I used to disciple on a weekly basis in an upper room of my house. Although there was much that I was not able to teach them at that time, I was able to see how others filled in the gaps, filling what was lacking in their faith, revealing once again how one story feeds into another story until God’s greater purpose is fulfilled.

We may never know how far our influence will go but when God is the one writing our story, the pages of our lives will always be read and absorbed by others and then mysteriously translated and reproduced over time.

The Apostle Paul explains this same process when he tells the Corinthian believers how they were the living evidence of his ministry, saying:

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

It is important to know that our stewardship is not based on how others respond to us, but rather, on how we respond to the Lord.

However, we would be insincere if we were not concerned about the spiritual state of others and miss the satisfaction of seeing the fruit of our labor. The Apostle John reiterated this, saying, “I have no greater joy than to see my children walk in the truth” (2 John 4). We experienced this joy when we turned the church we planted in Cambridge, England, over to the British leadership we raised up after 10 years of service overseas.

As the years go by, we will hopefully see more of our influence, but whether we see lasting fruit now or not, we are given the promise by the Apostle Paul not to “grow weary while doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). This should encourage us to follow God more closely knowing that our past obedience will become our future influence.

After all, “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Since our lives are studied and read by others, we must constantly hand the pen over to God, so that the story being written is all that the Divine Author intends for us.

So the question you must answer now is: Who is holding the pen at this time in your life story?

Let me leave you with three key steps in the ART of handing over the pen to God using the following acronym A.R.T.:

Authorship
Revision
Time

1. Authorship

Allow God to have the full authority of your life by handing the authorship of your story over to Him on a daily basis. Far too many people want to author their own story, but the Bible warns us that, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). We must remember that God will always write a better story than we ever could. Therefore submit to His Lordship in all areas of your life.

2. Revision

Every good story goes through many revisions, so let God amend your ways. Since we are creatures of habit, the past will often dictate the future unless we bring our lives in alignment with God’s Word. He alone is able to edit the wasted content of our damaged pages while giving us fresh vision for the pages not yet written. Only as we saturate ourselves in the Word, can we “be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds,” and “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Therefore allow the Spirit to lead you in your next steps.

3. Time

Even now time is running out, so let us redeem the time, knowing that our story only lasts as long as our pages. We may not be able to count our days, but we can make each day count. It is only as we spend time with God and sanctify Him in our hearts that we will inspire new stories to be written in the lives of others. Jesus is the Author who revises us over time until we are just like Him. Therefore let us not delay what God is calling us to do today.

May we have this attitude of the psalmist, “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1).

In light of the recent events that have taken place on English soil, may our spirits be stirred to continue to pray for the hearts and the hope of the people all around us who are grieving and searching, that they might be looking to Jesus. For HE ALONE is the answer to the real need of the human condition today.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just foundational to our faith, it is the single strategy that deals with every kind of sin and act of terror that is performed or plotted by or against the human heart. Only Jesus can change the heart and deal with the root issue of all that is wrong in our world today. May our love not diminish or grow cold in these days, and may our prayers be increasing for the hurting and lost people of our time.

I just want to encourage us to consider these three precious truths today…

1. Each day is precious.

Don’t put off to tomorrow what can and should be done today. Life is precious, and we only always live life in a today. Yesterday and tomorrow are mere perspectives, so that we might look back at todays that are no more and look ahead to todays that might come. But when it comes to our lifetime, living all we ever have is a today.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

2. Each soul is precious.

Don’t harbor any ill will toward anyone or leave room for any bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart. See people with Christ’s eyes and remember that Christ gave Himself and died for each and every soul. Let us love more freely and more urgently. Let us be sobered by the thought that for some who are suffering today or who have even become the victims of violent acts of terror, they just might be moving from one act of suffering or terror into an eternity of suffering and terror if they did not have the salvation that is found only in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us rise up in the strength of the Lord and share the good news of His salvation from day to day.
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24).

3. Christ is the most precious of all.

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet with Jesus each and every day. He is the reason for our living and the purpose of our existence. Jesus is what we are really searching and longing for, and only He can fulfill the desire of our heart! Jesus is the greatest treasure, and we should always treasure that which is the greatest. He is the value of all our values and the source and substance of all that we hold dear! His death on the cross of Calvary and His glorious resurrection changes everything! The Holy Spirit succeeds where the human spirit fails.
“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
O how precious is every day…and every soul…and the One who makes us whole!

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

Name: Joey Rozek

Family: Tiffany, Madelyn (14), Josiah (12), and Jordan (8)

Years born again: 29 years

Years in ministry: Over 17 years

Ministry experience: Youth Pastor/Apologetics Bible Teacher, Evangelism, CC Costa Mesa (3.5 years), Youth Pastor, CC Old Bridge (4.5 years), Sr. Pastor, Calvary Chapel Cambridge (9 years)

Current ministry role & location of local church: Lead Pastor, Calvary Chapel Cambridge, Cambridge, England

Church website & social media: www.calvarycambridge.uk, joey@therozeks.com

What is the greatest life lesson the Lord has taught you recently?

The Lord has been teaching me about how to live in the simplicity of Christ by seeking to be obedient to what the Lord is saying in the present moment. It is easy to feel pulled in so many directions and to evaluate life by the results we are presently having or desiring to see. But all God requires of us is to live according to His voice alone. In other words, just simply obey the Lord who always knows what it best!

As we intentionally keep our focus on obeying what the Lord is saying to do right now, we will simplify our lives and find contentment in our present circumstances. This is the way to redeem our time and maximize the opportunities that we are given by God which are right in front of us. In every situation in our lives, there is an opportunity to bring glory to God and to invest in the people that God places in our sphere of influence. There is great joy in helping the people right in front of us to progress and be joyful in Christ.

I don’t want to take anything for granted and I do not want to miss the opportunities to build up those around me and tell them just how much they truly mean to me.

What is the greatest ministry lesson the Lord has taught you recently?

The Lord has been reviving my heart to be drawing from the fullness of the supply of God’s Spirit with greater confidence and expectancy in what God is both able and willing to do in my ministry unto Him. God has been showing me that in every good work that He has prepared for me, there is the necessary grace to accomplish that very work.

After years of immersing myself in the Scriptures and hiding the Word in my heart, the Lord is showing me more and more that He can draw from the well that is in my heart, that is full of His Word, and give me the appropriate words for the appropriate situation that I or someone else is dealing with. Jesus nailed both us and our sins to the cross and He sums up our great need with this single statement, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

I believe we underestimate the power of God’s Spirit and overemphasize the difficulty of our hardships. But is anything really hard for God? Our God is known by His mighty works and by making a way when there doesn’t seem to be a way! Jesus has made it possible for us to live with the same supply of heavenly resources that He lived with when He was on the earth. He is the Source of the living waters of life. He said, “Out of [our] heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). This is biblical and practical Christianity.

Our God did not just provide grace for our salvation but for every situation that we find ourselves in. Praise the Lord for this! Paul was given an amazing revelation of heaven, but was also shown that what is going on in heaven is actually available for all on earth who have the indwelling Spirit. Paul recorded these words of Jesus, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” and then said, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

What are you looking forward to most at the CC Missions Conference?

I am looking forward to having the opportunity to hear how God is working in and through the lives of many of His servants from all over the world. I am looking forward to hearing what God has been stirring in their hearts at this present time and looking to see things confirmed and revealed in my own life. I desire to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches at this present time in a real prophetic sense and I look forward to hearing the testimonies of those I will personally get to speak with.

It is always a great joy to come together with other like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to lose their lives by giving their lives for the expense of His kingdom and for His name’s sake.

What topic are you teaching on at the conference?

I will be sharing on “The Influence of Obedience.” I am looking forward to sharing from the overflow of what Jesus has been most stirring in my heart concerning a life of simple obedience and how this extends to our greatest influence in the lives of others and in the world around us. Jesus modeled a life of reaching the world by simply doing the next thing the Father told Him to do. This is the secret to a life that is lived to the fullest and leaves a great impact.

Our simple obedience to God always leads to having a broad influence to others. The more we align ourselves with God’s heart, the more we will touch people for eternity. Thus, our obedience is our influence.

Words are powerful. They give meaning and value and relay a variety of information and ideas to the listener. Words are the building blocks of language and carry the potential to enhance or dampen human relationships. Without the use of words vibrating off of our tongues and sending our conceptual thoughts into the air and then landing on an open ear-way, life as we know it would end up being more shallow, suspect, and overall, silenced, wouldn’t you say? Wait! You need words to answer that!

The Bible teaches, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6 NKJV).

As a church planter, pastor, and evangelist, I certainly love to jump on any opportunity to share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. I am convinced that words carry great influence to change lives and bring people together, unless, of course, a language barrier gets in the way.

It has been said that the message given is not always the message received. Without a common language, our words may mean something very different to those we are speaking. Thus, words conceived still need to be received. You understand? Comprende? Capisce? Comprenez vous?

Language barrier is not limited to people who speak different languages but includes those of the same language who come from two entirely different cultures. Diverse cultures create certain barriers that give way to the same words having different meanings and causing different reactions. In Isaiah 36:11, we see that the men representing King Hezekiah were concerned about the reaction of the people, so they asked the Assyrian commander to speak only in Aramaic instead of the Judean or Hebrew language.

After eight years of serving the Lord in Cambridge, England, I learned that the English and the Americans are separated by more than just a large body of water, but by a more complex river that fragments with a common language. It seems that new words and meanings are always floating to the surface. For example, I have learned to say “trousers” instead of “pants”, since pants refer to undergarments to the English. I often say “mate” as an affectionate term instead of “bro” or “buddy,” which I had grown up with. I have also learned to use the Queen’s English when writing and to adjust my ways of communicating by lowering my volume, being more selective in my language, and sometimes even ending my statements with the British proverbial question, “Isn’t it?”

In order to adapt to the culture we live in, we must turn barriers into evangelistic opportunities. When a Brit hears my accent, I am often asked what brought me over to England. This serves as a great open door for any foreigner to share their faith and to connect people with the real Jesus that religious facades often misrepresent. Thus, my intention is not to interfere with daily life but to influence daily life with the authentic reality of Christ.

Regardless of our cultural background, we must fully embrace our new identity in Christ and replace our former ways of thinking. We must learn to adjust our background, beliefs, and behaviors to what the Bible says, and not the other way around. Since Jesus came to the earth as the servant of all (although He was a true citizen of heaven), we must follow His example and take the lowliest position to reach people from every walk of life.

The apostle Paul understood this well when he wrote, “Although I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant of all, that I might win the more” (1 Cor. 9:19). I had to learn to be like the “Brit” to win the “Brit”. If we are to win souls in cross-cultural situations, we need to distinguish what the Bible actually teaches from what our cultural lens sometimes assumes the Bible is teaching.

When sharing Christ in foreign countries, I have learned to speak more slowly, simply, and clearly for my message to properly translate. When Christ’s love and cultural alertness are joined together, we are able to bridge the gap of any cultural divide.

Here are a few essential tips in overcoming language barriers.

1. LEARN, OBSERVE, AND LISTEN TO THE LANGUAGE OF THE CULTURE (LOL).

In order to avoid offending someone or causing someone to laugh out loud, try this version of LOL instead, and find out what people are saying, what they value, and the meaning behind unfamiliar words.

2. HONOR OTHERS AND “BEND” TO THEIR CULTURE.

As a foreigner, you will never be able to perfectly blend into the culture since your differences will always stand out to the locals. But you must learn to bend to the culture by intentionally respecting its values, even when people automatically stereotype you up as soon as you open your mouth. The Proverbs tell us that “before honor is humility” (Prov. 18:12 NKJV), so humbly seek to treat people the way you want to be treated and greeted––with respect and honor.

3. POINT PEOPLE TO YOUR CHRIST RATHER THAN YOUR COUNTRY.

Do not try to make people become more like you or the culture from which you came, but seek to make them more like the Jesus you worship. Your calling is to make them citizens of heaven, not your country on earth. So don’t draw additional attention to your cultural background and preferences.

4. ABOVE ALL, VALUE THEM AS THE OBJECTS OF CHRIST’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

As Romans 14:15 reminds us, “Do not destroy with your food [or whatever] the one for whom Christ died.” It is easy to get irritated by cultural differences, but we must see cross-cultural experiences as an opportunity for the love of Christ to supersede our own preferences and comfort zones. We must believe that “love bears all things” and “never fails” (1 Cor. 13:7-8). Isn’t this what Jesus modeled for us? He left His glorious throne in heaven to dwell among fallen sinners on earth to reconcile us to God so that we “through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

The gospel truly breaks through every language barrier and rolls every stone away so that the living Christ can be seen and praised in every tribe, tongue and nation. The message of the cross is the only cross-cultural message that breaks the greatest of all barriers, which is sin, bringing eternal life to all who put their trust in Him.

Now that’s a word the whole world needs to hear!