Love is On the Move

Dear Church Member,

• Read - Isaiah 62:10-12

In this chapter, Isaiah is talking about Jerusalem – the place God chose to reveal salvation. In our day, this would be equivalent to Christ’s church (universal) and the good news we share. It is a great chapter, full of hope, but I want to focus on the last few verses.

Read verses ten through twelve again. Go through the gates (go outside the city), build up the highway, remove stones, and lift up a signal. Make sure there is nothing keeping others from getting here. Make sure the world knows exactly how to get to the place of salvation.

We aren't supposed to come inside the gates of God’s Kingdom, find salvation and stay. That day will come, the day we wait for, the day we will stay. But for now, God sends us back out, outside these gates.

Though Satan has dominion over earth, God still owns all of it. Satan had free reign for years, and then Jesus showed up in his territory. Not only did Jesus show, but He began to take back control.

 “Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew12:25-30)

 Christ came down and began to plunder the strong man’s house. And He left His church here to continue His work. We are to go into the strong man’s house and make disciples – plunder the strong man’s house.

• Perhaps this is why Christ gave us this promise: Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:16-19

The gates of Satan’s dominion will not keep us out. We can go into the house of the strong man through the power of Jesus name – through the power of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we can bind him and take what is currently his – those lost and dying in sin.

When we do this, we can say we love God, because  only when we do this, do we love others like He loved us. As Christmas approaches, remember, it’s not all about a little baby born. It is about our Savior, exiting the gates of heaven and going behind enemy lines, sacrificing Himself to rescue captives. There is no greater love than this – than someone lay down his life for his friends.

Love God. Love others. Go. That is your MISSION.

Follow Him with me,

Darin

God’s Word Brings Joy

Dear Church Member,

• Read - Isaiah 42:1-9

Everyone likes to win. Maybe it’s because we are created in the image of a winner. Everything He does succeeds. His plans formed from old are faithful and sure. His Word will accomplish its purpose and succeed in the thing for which it was sent.

Unfortunately, in a world filled with sinners, when one person wins, someone else (or group or nation) loses. Hopes are shattered, dreams destroyed, all in the desire to triumph.

But that’s not the real story, not the true story. God has sent out His Word – a living, active, powerful Word. His Word brings success – salvation, redemption, hope.

This Word can change the heart of an enemy of God, take a heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh. When God’s Word moves in the heart of His children, it brings joy. Joy to the world, His Word has come. For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills before you shall break forth into singing, and the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a celebration to me. Success! And it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Our success doesn’t come from our glory. We can mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary only because of Him. Our success comes from His success, and it leads to His glory. This is why His Word was sent out.

Remember: the story is not over. God’s Word isn’t finished. Many people haven’t heard, haven’t believed.

• But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them [shares God’s Word]? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)

Read His Word. Live His Word. Share His Word. That is your MISSION.

Follow Him with me,

Darin

Peace to Reign

Dear Church Member,

• Read - Isaiah 32:1-4

 As a Christian, how do you view yourself? Why were you created? What’s your purpose?

“Oh, I’m not sure,” some will say. “I’m trying to find God’s will.” I’ve heard this all my life, said it – more than once. I don’t say it anymore. I can’t, and if you finish reading this, you may not be able to either – at least not truthfully.

You see, God has told us why He created us. We may not accept it, may not even believe it, but it’s right there in scripture. Let’s look at the beginning.

• God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  (Genesis 1:28)

The Bible is the story of God’s relationship with humanity, and the story starts out with us ruling. It kind of sounds like royalty or something. Cool. God created us to rule.

Now, let’s check out the end of the story. In Revelation chapter 22, the story is again talking about humanity. It says:

• They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:4-5)

So, at the beginning of the book we rule, and at the end we reign. That’s what you were created for, to rule and reign. What? Me? Are you sure? We are not the King – God alone is King. But as His children, we are princes and princesses. Do you view yourself like that?

We have to reign like Jesus does, in righteousness. And in peace. Listen to Isaiah’s description of you.

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

    and princes will rule in justice.

Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,

    a shelter from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry place,

    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

You have a purpose. You are to be a refuge for others. You are a place of peace.

Too many of us live as if we are to provide the drama in life. Instead, God wants you to protect others from the swirling chaos in their lives. We are not supposed to be a tidal wave, nor get caught up in a flood of emotions. When the world is throwing too much for others to hold on, we – the children of the King – are supposed to provide peace.

But not just during the storms of life. We are also a refuge when something is missing. When an acquaintance is shriveling up from a lack of love, you are a rippling brook of love, bubbling into their life. The day you became a child of the King, you became a prince or princess of peace. Begin today to see yourself like that, to live your life as if it’s true. That is your MISSION.

Follow Him with me,

Darin

Cause an UPROAR

Dear Church Member,

If Satan removed all evidence of God’s existence quickly there would be an uproar, an outcry that would thwart his plans. So steadily, stealthily he works. And God’s people stay silent.

What if we offend? What if we cause someone to turn away from God, because they think we’re weird? What if?

It’s a question that may never be answered.

But what if we let Satan do his thing? What if he continues to whittle away the Word of life, to mask the Maker of the universe? What if our God is hidden from humanity?

Despair. Destruction. Devastation. Death…eternal death.

But…what if?

What if God’s people caused an uproar? What if we stood to our feet in opposition to Satan? What if we let our light shine so brightly Satan had to hide in the shadows? What if our lives brought so much glory to the Creator of the universe the devil was shamed before the world? And what if our words lifted the Savior of the world up so high every eye on Earth could see him? 

To read more about living your life in a way that will cause an UPROAR, you can purchase my book The Way to Cause an UPROAR: Living a Life that Can Turn the World Right-side Up.

Follow Him with me,
Darin

The Way to Cause ...

Darin Harris

$5.99

Glorify God – There is hope

Read - Isaiah 66:18-24

And the time is coming… (vs. 18). It just sounds like a phrase of hope. It’s filled with anticipation, especially when God says it. And the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. When this was written, Israel was the chosen nation, no others. But, the time is coming…

I will set a sign among them… (vs. 19). Stop reading for a minute, and turn to Isaiah 7:14. Do you realize what this means? The time has come! No more waiting.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” Galatians 4:4). It is finished! Okay, not quite. Jesus has finished His redemptive work. He has brought hope for every nation and tongue. But, there’s one more part. One more reason to wait.

 After God set His sign – our Savior – among us, He said, “And from them [those who have seen His glory, His salvation] I will send survivors to the nations…and they shall declare my glory among the nations” (vs. 19). Before we can say, “It is finished,” there is a task for us. We are to declare His glory to the nations.

Where do you live? I’m pretty sure you live in one of the nations that need to see the glory of the Almighty. Sure, God may want you to tell someone across the world, but I guarantee He wants you to show His glory to the ones across the street, or down the hall.

I love verse twenty. “And they [the ones sent to the world] shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, says the Lord…” When you think about bringing an offering to God, do you think about your family, your neighbors, coworkers or friends? If you bring these people to God, this is the greatest offering. This was God’s plan.

Look at how we get them to Him, horses, mules, camels, chariots, litters, however, just carry them to the King. Perhaps you have been living in your own little world. The time is coming… no, the time has come for you to move out behind enemy lines, to share the glory of God, and to bring others to the mountain of the Lord. That’s your MISSION.

Miraculous Math

Grace Church decided a few weeks ago that we would try to feed the hungry in our neighborhood. We prayed and pooled our resources, and found that we could afford two turkeys and the fixings to go with them. Not being a cook, I did my research and found we should be able to feed about 40 people with the two turkeys.

Then God began to move. Two women from His church, but not Grace Church found out what we were doing, and they both cooked a turkey for us to serve. Another woman cooked up two big pans of stuffing. Being the math wizard that I am, I deduced we could now feed 80 people.

We had 100 Styrofoam containers, so we decided to think big. Let's try to feed 100 people. God moved some more. And before the turkey was gone, we had fed around 140 people.

The next day, God showed us that he thinks bigger. We were given 32 frozen turkeys, each with a laundry basket filled with canned food, boxed food, and baked food to give out to our neighbors. So before we were done, we had been able to feed about 400 people.

Only about twenty people make up Grace Church, and ten of them are under the age of twelve. There is no way we could feed 400 people. But God did.

We thought He was finished, but Sunday, we were in the building were we hold service, and someone opened the freezer. Tucked inside was one more frozen turkey. We KNOW it wasn't there before.

As we stood around scratching our heads, I think Jesus and a great cloud of witnesses were up in heaven just giggling. I'm still blown away that God let me join him in this adventure. All praise to the God of miraculous math!

Us and Them

Immanuel – God with us. Jesus didn’t just come down and join us, he became one of us. He was part of THEM – the trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And He became one of us.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you have been called to follow him – do what He did.  For some of you, that thought is very scary. I’m going to become one of THEM.

You’ve spent your whole Christian life staying away from THEM. In too many churches, it’s all about us and THEM, the evil, nasty sinners who reject God and stand against everything we believe.

The truth is, most of them just ignore most of us. In fact, according to the Barna Group, most of them can’t tell any difference.  Most of us, live our lives just like most of them – but we don’t cuss. That was the one noticeable difference between believers and nonbelievers.

Somewhere along the way, we got it wrong. God doesn’t want us to hide from them in our church buildings, but live our lives like them in the world. He wants us to spend our time out with them in the world, but live our lives like Him.  Him…the one who became one of them…one of us.

How can we ever love our neighbor as ourselves, if we don’t know THEM? How can we truly take care of the orphans and widows in their need if we don’t spend time with THEM? How can we go and make disciples if we don’t walk with THEM – the ones who aren’t already disciples?

Honestly, most of us don’t. We’ve decided being comfortable is more important than being obedient. What we fail to realize is that while we sit and sing hymns about God, our failure in this area shows how little we really love him.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commands.” And then He followed that up with, “This is my command: love one another.” “One another” includes THEM. If you don’t love THEM, you don’t love HIM.

It’s not easy becoming one of THEM. It’s even harder loving THEM. Jesus did it. What about you?

Follow Him with me,

Darin

The Need Today

Dear Church Member,

Jesus had to wait about thirty years before he could begin his ministry. Did He dream about the big day as He built furniture with Joseph? Perhaps He preached his first sermon over and over in his head, planning for the beginning.

It didn't happen that way. It all began at a simple wedding in Cana. The wine was gone, and the party was about to be over – rather abruptly. But Mom stepped in.

“I know who you really are, my Son. We need your help.” She didn't actually say those words. She just told him, “The wine is gone.”

“What does that have to do with me, woman?” This is not the dream I've been dreaming. I can’t preach my greatest sermon here. It’s not yet my time.

Mary was undaunted. To the servants she said, “Do whatever He tells you.” To Jesus she was saying, “Not concerned with the ‘big day’ I’m concerned with the needs today, and I

know you can help. I believe in you.”

Too often, we are waiting “to find God’s will.” But he has already told us, He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance, and how will they believe unless someone tells them about him? The need is here – today?

Follow Him with me,
Darin

Let Me Get Out of Your Way

Pastors are often in the way.

Dear Church Member,

Let me get out of your way. We pastors have kind of messed things up. Ephesians 4 tells us pastors were given to the church to equip the saints for works of ministry so the body of Christ will be built up.

Somewhere we got in the way. We decided you were there to support our ministry. You pass out bulletins, invite your friends, help in the nursery, show up every Sunday, and, of course, pay our salary – so we can stand up there and do our thing. We forgot our “thing” is to prepare you and send you out to do your thing in a dying world.

Maybe we like to feel important, to get the applause of people. Or maybe we just didn't know any better. That is what they taught us in seminary. 

But you deserve better. You can’t truly follow Jesus if we are standing in the path. So please, let me get out of your way.

The church needs a pastor who leads

Follow Him with me,

Darin

You Have An Appointment

Dear Church Member,

You have an appointment. Don’t worry, you won’t be late, and you can’t miss it. Your appointment is with Jesus.

When you stand before him, you won’t see a baby in a manger, or a smiling shepherd with a little lamb over his shoulders and a little child on one knee. You will see the King of Glory. When John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, saw the King, he fell down as dead.

As you stand in front of the One who sacrificed everything for you, do you truly want to present him with the life you are living right now? Remember, He said, “as the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” You have been sent to sacrifice yourself for sinners – just like the One you are following.

“Going to church” is NOT following Jesus. Perfect attendance will not win you a “well done.” But it’s not too late to follow, not too late to lose your life for his sake.

Follow Him with me,

Darin

Prepare the Way

Dear Church Member,

 Did you ever wonder why it took so long for Jesus to get here? I write that in jest, but sin entered the world thousands of years before Jesus came. How many millions of animals were sacrificed and prophets killed while Israel waited. Some watched. Some wondered. And some went their own way.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5, ESV). God was carefully getting everything ready. He was gently molding people, places, and politics all to be ready for the greatest mission trip ever.

There was nothing left to chance. It was not on a whim that Caesar Augustus decided to have all the people registered, causing Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem. It was the hand of God getting it all ready.

It was all part of His plan. The prophets had laid out the plan for us. Oh, not the way we want it. We want the dot-to-dot version, where we step one to two to three.

God’s plans seem more like a puzzle. All the pieces are still in the box and the box top, with the picture, is missing. But in the end, just as the puzzle is vastly more beautiful than the dot-to-dot, so are God’s plans more beautiful than any of our logical, sequential, well-thought-out plans.
Jesus, Son of God, Creator of the world, stepped down into humanity in the fullness of time. It was the exact right moment for the beautiful picture of redemption to come together. God did it – a perfect plan at the perfect time for everything to work out for the perfect missionary.
 
And in that mission trip, Jesus bought redemption for us all. We have become children of the God of the Universe. And if our Great God worked out every detail for Jesus’ mission trip to Earth, we can have confidence He will mold and shape every detail of our mission trip out into the world.

Follow Him with me,
Darin