SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #169 ---- 4/2/01
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight In This New Millennium
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #169 ---- 4/2/01
Title: "Take A Good Look"
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My Dear Friend and Fellow Servant:
Greetings and blessings in the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is with joy and gratitude for you and your ministry that I take this
privilege of lifting up hands that hang down. I'm reminded today of one
of my favorite praise choruses, based on Isaiah 61:3 ---- "Put on a
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness".
In that song one stanza says, "Lift up the hands that hang down." That's
what I want to do today, so if your hands are hanging down, let me help
you. If they aren't, then join me in doing the same. God is good. He
is great, and greatly to be praised. In fact, since Jo Ann just gave me
the words to that song by David Ingles, let me share them with you right
now, praying that God will minister His abundance grace and sufficiency
to you as you choose to praise Him.
"Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Lift up your
voice to God. Praise with the Spirit and with understanding. Oh,
magnify the Lord!
"All you that mourn in Zion, I have authority to appoint unto you in Zion
oil of joy that will set you free.
"Lift up the hands that hang down. Lift up the voice now still. Give
unto God continuous praise. Sing forth from Zion's hill.
"Sing to Yahweh, Allelujah. Worship and praise our God. Praise and
adore Him, bow down before Him. Oh, magnify the Lord!"
Praise His Name! He IS Good ---- and Great!
I hope you had a good day yesterday; it was a good one for us as I
continued my interim pastorate in a nearby church. Join me in praying
for this little church; I believe they are near a decision in calling a
new pastor. I certainly hope so.
FREE E-MAIL SERVICES?
If you happen to be a Juno user, you're aware of a newly revised policy
(See Section 2.5) that you leave your computer on 24/7 so they can use it
during the night for data assimilation and other projects. In addition
Juno is also refusing free web users access to the Internet during
certain periods of the day/week. As a result of that, some subscribers
are asking me, since I've been a Juno user from 1994 to the present, if I
know of other free e-mail services that do not require an Internet
service.
Do you know of any such nation wide service? If so, please drop me a
note. I promised those people I'd try to locate something for them. I
saw several companies listed about four years ago in a Newsweek article,
but don't know anything current.
I will also be changing my e-mail address very soon, and will notify you
through an upcoming Shoulder To Shoulder letter. It is a major project;
I have literally hundreds upon hundreds of e-mail addresses to transfer
and thousands of letters filed in the old system to be transferred to the
new. Frankly, I don't know if it can be done.
MORE COMMENTS:
Seems like I may have landed on a hot spot in the minds of many people
regarding the idea of reaching your city and getting a picture that is
bigger than one's local church. (Jesus did, by the way.)
Here are some other observations I found interesting.
1. From a vocational evangelist: "Wow, this is such heavy stuff! How
have the responses from pastors been? How do you see this affecting the
vocational evangelist? Do you think our hearts should be toward each
city we go into --- like the disciples?
"I am chewing on that and thinking "yes" -- and oh, how we have all been
missing the mark.
"Makes you wonder what kind of revival would break out in this country if
every pastor latched onto this and every evangelist laid aside their
"agendas" and really saw the vision for each city. Wonder about that. I
don't do it often enough, but when I can, I try to look up the city we
are going to be in up on the Internet - just to get a sense of where it
is and how big it is. Once in awhile, I will read the history on it."
2. From a pastor: "The first thing that the Lord impressed on me when I
was called to preach was a set of priorities: First, God; second, God's
people; and, third, the world, with the understanding that true worship
cannot be achieved without discipleship and evangelism.
". . . . the Great Commission is the equivalent to a corporation's
Mission Statement. Acts 1:8 follows as the most succinct statement of
strategic policy every written: 'But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth.'
"With this simple strategy unlettered men evangelized their world. I
wonder if we haven't complicated the process altogether too much. It
seems to me that the absolute pinnacle of discipleship is to simply be a
witness unto Jesus, 24 x 7 x 365. If I have a heart for souls I will
witness to my Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria. If I want to duplicate my
efforts, I should equip others.
[However,] "If I want to find others to equip, I probably need to look
outside of the church!
'Nuff said! Sorry! Just venting!"
THE LOGIC OF A CITY-WIDE VIEW:
My mind has been brought back to an event to which I have referred
before. One misty and overcast morning as I was driving through the
country from my, I crested a small hill and looked down upon my little
town of ministry, population of about 5,000 people. Without rehearsing
that scene for you again, God clearly spoke to my heart indicating He
wanted to do a mighty work there, and wanted me, and my church as well,
to get in on what He wanted to do.
Two things went through my mind as I tried to assimilate the flood tide
of thoughts washing over me like wave after wave.
First I remembered a scene of three or four years earlier, when I had
driven to the other side of town where the highway broke through a high
range of hills providing a panoramic view of the town and the adjacent
countryside.
There was a roadside park just where the road led out of the final pass
through the hills; it had a gorgeous overlook. I had stood there on
that prior day video taping a presentation we wanted to make for a
proposed resort ministry we wanted to start.
I remember thinking then that God wanted to bless that little city. But
then, as so often happens, the thought was gone, seldom to be remembered
until that misty and rainy morning three or four years later.
Second, I remembered wanting to find somebody to tell what I had just
sensed in my heart and had seen with the eyes of my spirit. Gratefully,
I found a pastor who listened, understood, and joined me in the venture.
>From there we talked with some Christian business men's groups and a
women's group, and before you know it, things began to move.
But, until recently I had forgotten that it all began when I took a good
look at my city from an appropriate vantage point.
It really makes sense for us to have a vision that embraces an entire
city or nation, and not just a neighborhood or a local congregation.
Keep in mind I am using the word "city" in its generic form which
includes any gathering of people, no matter how tiny it may be. I live
in a "city" of 144 people. Seven miles away there is a "city" of 42.
1. Nehemiah was sent to rebuild a city.
2. Jonah was sent to a city, not to just reach a few people, but to
reach an entire city.
3. Jesus had one. Throughout the Gospels you never read where he went
to someone's house or to some gathering of a group of people except as it
is preceded by indicating He went to a certain city ---- and Then went to
someone's house or a gathering.
4. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, grieved over many cities, and condemned
others for their refusal to repent.
5. Jesus called His disciples one by one and two by two, but immediately
sent them to the cities.
6. When the Church was formed, it was in the city of Jerusalem.
7. When the Holy Spirit fell on the Church, it was in the city ----
filled with people from 26 different countries. It makes perfect sense
to reach vast regions of the world by focusing on a city.
8. Paul focused his entire missionary journeys on cities, going from one
to another ---- Philippi, Corinth, Rome, etc.
9. The early disciples, when scattered, went to many regions and ended
up beginning in the cities.
10. Locations where there are concentrated numbers of people are the
logical places to share the Gospel and minister to needs.
11. Logistically, a "city" is the "hub" of a vast circle of surrounding
territory to which people come for various reasons. By focusing on a
city, you reach more than those in a city.
12. There is ample evidence that there are greater concentrations of
evil, sin, and the powers of darkness in cities, all of which need to be
confronted by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
WHEN MY MIND DOESN'T WANT TO AGREE:
Frankly, and I'm being totally honest with you, there have been more
times in my ministry when I wanted to condemn my city than reach it. We
tend to dislike the run down neighborhoods, we hate the pollution, we
despise the immorality, and we have disdain for the crimes. We are
suspicious of the politicians and resent the money mongers.
So ---- it's hard to get my mind to agree with what I know the Word of
God has validated in my spirit.
Is there something I can do to bring my mind into agreement with what my
spirit knows is true?
Of course I could give you the word-worn and time-tattered adage, "Get in
the Word!" or "Pray!" ---- and both are certainly essential. How else
are you going to know what God has to say about the matter if you don't
do those things?
I must say, though, that frankly, our problem is not in trying to find
out what God thinks about all this ---- we already know that. Our
problem is in either not knowing what we personally think . . . . or in
not being honest with ourselves over what we are thinking.
So ---- I propose another exercise as well. It's quite simple, and it
will help you discover what you really think about your city . . . .
behind the facade of "ministerial mumbo jumbo".
Take a note pad and pen with you and go outside your city . . . . and
take a good look at it. Find some place with an overlook ---- a hilltop,
an upper floor of a tall building, even an airplane ride (maybe you have
a friend with a private plane who would take you up).
If you're in your car, turn off the radio or tape player.
Now ---- sit there and look around for at least 30 minutes (you surely
can spare that much time for the sake of the Gospel). Don't analyze;
just gaze ---- look.
Take A Good Look.
(I'm challenging you to really do this; don't be just a visual "hearer";
be a "doer".)
After you've sat there looking at your "city" for awhile, then begin
jotting down whatever comes to your mind, no matter how foolish it may
seem.
Now ---- go home.
IF IT MADE A DIFFERENCE:
Chances are, if that little excursion makes any difference in your heart,
you'll begin to see some things and think some things you hadn't
considered before. If that happens, then take a second look. Take a
good second look.
Only this time, with your note pad and pen along, ask yourself these
questions.
1. "How did this place get here?"
2. "Why is it here now? What is its purpose?"
3. "Who lives here?"
4. "How did they get here?"
5. "What are their hurts and needs? "
6. "Do I really love this place? If not, why am I still here?"
7. "Would it be possible for pastors and other church leaders to begin
praying together for this city?"
Jot your answers down ---- and go home.
I'm being totally blunt my friend, and I genuinely do not want to be
abrasive or arrogant, but I must stay that if your heart isn't changed in
making those two little journeys, then you either need to turn in your
credentials or move ---- or repent.
Just moments ago I was prompted to remember Jonah and Jesus. What a
contrast!
Jonah is a classic example of what many of us in ministry are like.
You've heard this before, I'm sure ---- in Chapter One he ran From God;
in Chapter Two he ran To God; in Chapter Three he ran With God, and in
Chapter Four he ran Ahead of God. His entire life has unbelievable
parallel's to ours as ministers of the Gospel. There's much to be
learned from that little book.
However, the statement that really catches my attention at the moment is
in verse five of chapter four. "Then Jonah went out from the city and
sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in
the shade until he could see what would happen in the city."
An angry man, that Jonah! Not angry with Nineveh, but angry with God!
Why?
Because Jonah had assured the people God was going to destroy them for
their sinfulness, but when they repented (which he really didn't expect),
God had compassion, sent great revival, thousands repented, and Nineveh
was saved.
Not what Jonah had in mind!
Jonah didn't see what God saw . . . . and that didn't set well with
either of them.
Then there's Jesus . . . .
When Jesus goes outside the city of Jerusalem, He sees what God sees, and
is moved with such compassion that He weeps over the city.
A very different reaction to that sinful city that was rejecting Him than
Jonah's attitude toward the city that rejected him.
And that, dear friend, is my point . . . . .
Take a look at your city.
What do you see?
How do you react?
Are you a Jesus person, or a Jonah person?
FINALLY:
Yes, it's true, dear friend ---- I'm trying to challenge you!
No! ---- even more than that. I'm trying to prod you, chide you, ----
maybe even shame you?
All I want for you is that you get an opportunity to see your "city", no
matter its size, the way Jesus sees it. You're not being fair to
yourself, to your church, or to your calling until you see what God sees.
That's called vision ---- revelatory vision.
Take a look at your city.
Then write me and tell me what you saw.
More importantly, tell some other minister in your town.
Have a good week . . . . and an astonishing future. May your city truly
become Your city.
In Christ's Bond of Mercy and Grace,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright April, 2001. All rights reserved.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
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