Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Restoration -- The Church's Test


Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:1-5 NIV

I wonder in the local church who is "spiritual?" The Apostle Paul states that the "Spiritual" one in the church should work toward the restoration of sinners...

If we would look at the church today, you might think that there are very few "spiritual" ones because there seems to be precious few who enter into this kind of restorative and gentle work.

But I think we know better. The spirtual are not a special class Jesus follower. The spirtual are all who follow Jesus.

By basic definition the spiritual are those who have the Holy Spirit and by definition those who have the Spirit are followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:9 reminds us; You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Therefore, lets be clear that the followers of Jesus Christ who see a brother or sister caught in a sin should, because the Holy Spirit is within them, seek to gently restore them. Could I say it this way? "The Spirit-filled person is one who is a restorative type person."

Did we hear it; if you are spiritual and see someone, a brother or sister in Christ, caught in something destructive to their souls -- do the work of gently going to them and helping them find their way back to their spiritual home. Help them be restored. I wonder how much of the way people view their relationship with the church would change if "sinners" found out that the body of Christ loved enough to be restoration not merely pointing out the sinfulness?

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I BROKE MY COFFEE POT


I returned from my trip with Compassion International in Ethiopia. It was an incredible experience. I am confident that I have been marked by the Spirit in ways that I will not fully know for quite some time.

On the way home I missed my flight out of Dulles to Mpls. due to a delay taking off from Addis Ababa. Our 17 hour plane ride had been delayed by an hour so I was unable to make my connection. I was put on stand-by for the next several flights. Finally, at 5:22 (EST) I had my seat and was on my way to Minneapolis where I would catch another flight to home in Grand Forks. I arrived home sometime after 11:00 p.m. (CST) I was picked up at the airport by my son, who said to me, "I am looking forward to hearing about what you saw dad." He has been to Africa. We will share something together of the pain and wonder.

When I got home I decided to pull my toothbrush (with plans to kiss my wife Bonnie) from my luggage. While I was looking for my toothbrush I was really disappionted to find that my Ethipopian coffee pot was broken along with two of the five cups I had purchased. The coffee pot was intended to be a reminder of the coffee ceremony that was so graciously performed at almost every home we entered. It was a beautiful sign of hospitality. And my coffee pot was now broken. I had not packed it well.

Holding the broken pot in my hand my immediate thought was, "well I will have to replace this some day!" I will have to replace it someday because, I guess, I can. And that is what hurts. It was only going to be a decoration. Not something I would use. The coffee pot was to be added to the artifacts of my travels. And I can replace it. And I will most likely have opportunity. And I will most likely have the means. So I went to bed.

Today, I began gluing up my broken Ethiopian coffee pot. I am gluing it because I feel like I must. Other than the coffee pot, I am not sure what else "I must." I am sure that the Father will teach me and I hope that as He does that I will say, "I must."
Your partner in the gospel,
Pastor Paul

Here is a link in case you would like to check out Compassion:
http://www.compassion.com/default.htm