My apologies for the lack of 40 Days of Purpose accountability blogs this weekend - they are coming today! I have been away with the Youth and Young Adults of our province at an event called Youth Together 2005, where Salvation Army people aged 15-30 from all over the province gather together to praise and learn more of the Lord God Almighty.

On Saturday afternoon I was privileged to witness something close at had that I'm not sure I have ever witnessed with that kind of impact before. One of my boys (boy? He's a young adult, actually, but I still like to call them 'my boys' or 'my girls,' because I love them) made a decision that will change his life and assure him a place with Jesus for all eternity - he accepted God's amazing gift of salvation during one of the seminars. After being led into a time of quiet prayer and reflection, the kids were instructed to head to the back of the room, and if they had decided for the first time to follow Christ, they were to give the seminar presenter a hug. When this fellow stood up, I watched him walk to the back, look at the presenter, and then reach out and hug him. (And then I cried like a baby....of course....most people would expect nothing less....)

I wish I could explain the difference in his face. I wish I could explain (or even grasp) his explanation of the difference in how he felt. But for just a moment, I felt I could see into the heavens and understand that THIS - not healing the sick, not raising the dead, not feeding thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish - THIS was the greatest miracle I had ever witnessed. I was witnessing at that very moment the miracle of a life snatched out of the clutches of inherited and even intentional sin - literally saved - by the amazing love of a tender God and His obedient son, who walked every step of the way to the cross and decided to let Himself be hung and killed there so that we could know Him, be with Him, and love Him in purity. If you haven't met Him yet, His name is Jesus. He died for my boy that accepted that gift this weekend. He died for me. He died for you.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)





40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Eighteen: Experiencing Life Together

Main idea: True fellowship consists of being in honest, mutual, sympathetic and merciful community with other believers.
Most impactful verse: "Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:19 NIV)"
Most impactful concept: Fellowship happens when mercy wins out over justice.
Other thoughts: This chapter contains some tough concepts to practically master, especially when it comes to allowing our own rights and feelings to be laid down for the purpose of others. But isn't this exactly what Jesus did? Couldn't He have proclaimed His innocence and fought for justice and saved Himself from the agony of the cross? Yes, He could have. But He Himself longed to be in real fellowship with us, so He chose instead to sympathize with us (to walk the path of sin with us) and to be merciful to us (to not remember our faults, but to wipe them out in the only way He could). I'm pretty glad He did, and thinking about it that way will continue to help me to lay down my own rights in favour of being in true fellowship with the body.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Nineteen: Cultivating Community

Main idea: Being in true community requires a commitment to both authentic fellowship and to the people within it.
Most impactful verse: So many: "You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour. (James 3:18 MSG)" "...speak the truth in love.... (Ephesians 4:15)" "Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help to make him right again. (Galatians 6:1-2 NCV)" "Be devoted to one another like a loving family. Excel in showing love for each other. (Romans 12:10 GWT)" "Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships. (Proverbs 16:28 TEV)"
Most impactful concept: People who are confronted about gossiping or being divisive in some way may get mad and leave the church or the group they are in, but the true fellowship of the church is more important than any individual. (Translation: Protect the body.) We can't allow fear of their potential reactions to cripple us into allowing this within the body of Christ.
Other thoughts: Just a short thought on this: If it takes both God's power and our effort to produce a loving Christian community and God's power never fails, I wonder whose fault it is during the times we can't get along? Let's not worry about being right anymore - let's worry about being in right relationship with each other.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Twenty: Restoring Broken Fellowship

Main idea: Broken fellowship must be restored, not ignored.
Most impactful verse: "Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. (Ephesians 4:29 TEV)"
Most impactful concept: Broken relationship is a disgraceful testimony to unbelievers.
Other thoughts: Wow. As I read through this chapter I realized how little we as the church of Christ live out the Biblical principles outlined in this chapter. This chapter might start being required reading for everyone I pastor, and regularly for myself as well.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Twenty-One: Protecting Your Church

Main idea: Each and every believer has a responsibility to protect the unity of the body by abstaining from certain actions and displaying certain attitudes - this is maturity in Christ.
Most impactful verse: "Fire goesout for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops. (Proverbs 26:20 LB)"
Most impactful concept: Conflict is usually an indicator that we have shifted our focus onto the wrong thing.
Other thoughts: This chapter very easily flows from the last chapter. I find it interesting that the week after having a huge discussion with the Youth and Young Adults about gossip, it's here in almost every chapter we are reading this week. I also find it interesting that so many people (including adults) think it's OK to 'vent' to a safe person - someone you trust. Even I think that way and act that out. But I now think that I am wrong - that we are all wrong. The Bible is entirely clear. Go to that person alone. If they won't listen to you, take someone with you, and so on (Matthew 18). But it is still all about private reconciliation. Words have power - if someone I think very highly of speaks poorly of someone else, I will tend to think poorly of that person as well - how twisted is that? I had nothing to do with that opinion being formed, or the rift that was created between my friend and that person. I think this chapter is great - not easy to live out, but if we pursue unity and really love the church with passion, we will with God's help be able to re-train ourselves. And if we disregard these things, we will only hurt the body, hurt ourselves, and earn God's anger. In my mind, that's worth working at change and maturity.