Considering the past and the future...

Planning the route

 

This week I hope to take time to stop and consider the past year with its successes and failures, then look again for the year ahead. Both are vital. Without looking back you can't learn from where you have been and without looking ahead and planning for the future you will never move forward. Take time this week to do this. It will help. 

And in the middle of it ask God what His plans are, they will ultimately be more productive than yours alone. 

Be a real Scrooge this Christmas

I hope you enjoy this blog from my friend Garret Lee.  (I posted it last year but it deserves a repeat)

Be a real Scrooge this Christmas..

I agree with him... 

An Overplayed Carol

By Garrett A. Lee

Card players warn against “overplaying your hand.”  This is when you are dealt a strong hand, and, rather than settle for simply winning the round, you go for bonus points—only to end up losing the round after all.  What was a strong hand for normal play, was not strong enough for bonus play.  It was overplayed.

I suggest there is a tendency at Christmas to overplay a popular literary hand: Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol.  This cherished tale is so ingrained in American culture we overplay its message (even more than we over-play its myriad media adaptations).  The fear of “being a Scrooge” who doesn’t “keep Christmas,” drives us to distraction and obsession.

Keeping Christmas isn’t what it used to be, though.  We start sooner, wear out quicker, spend more, and enjoy less.  By the time Christmas Day arrives, many are ready to be done with it.  The celebration takes priority over the thing celebrated.  Expectations and obligations have grown “link by link, and yard by yard….It is a ponderous chain!”  We can become so bent on keeping Christmas we end up not having Christmas at all.

We have overplayed our hand.

Dickens dealt a very strong hand when he penned his “Ghostly little book.”  It was a time when many London industrialists and businessmen were taking oppressive advantage of the under classes.  Children, as well as adults, were forced to work twelve hours or more a day in unfit conditions and for meager wages.  Many employees were even denied Christmas Day as a holiday.  Dickens, a social activist, saw this as the ultimate exploitation of the poor. A Christmas Carol  was created to highlight these evils; and, of all his writings, none other have affected more social change.  The Christmas card trumped the business suit.  It was a very strong hand indeed.

Over the ensuing sixteen decades, we have overplayed its revered message.  Dickens’ message was that we really are to be our brothers’ keepers, not merely keepers of Christmas.  He used Christmas as a tool to affect the culture; we have let the culture affect Christmas.  Whatever the culture identifies as Christmas, we must keep—and keep up with—lest we be labeled a Scrooge.

As American society has grown wealthier and more materialistic, we have become more like Old Scrooge than we care to admit.  We see less and less reason to let a good holiday stand in the way of good commerce.  We have played Dickens’ hand so well, that Christmas has become a greater source of business than Old Ebenezer himself could ever have conceived.  To Scrooge, Christmas was an intrusion to commerce, but to the executive today it is the critical figure of the annual balance sheet.  The prize turkey was to Bob Cratchits’ family the ultimate Christmas gift; now Christmas itself is the ultimate golden goose.

At the beginning of the Carol, the miserly Scrooge berates Christmas as an unprofitable, costly waste.  Nephew Fred’s classic speech (which never makes it in its entirety into the movie adaptations) follows:

“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited [economically], I dare say,” returned the nephew: “Christmas among the rest.  But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in all the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them  as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”   

Maybe it’s the Victorian English, the antiquated phrasing; or perhaps it’s just our short attention spans.  All we hear is, “Christmas is a good thing, even if it’s expensive.”  That’s good as far as it goes.  But Fred’s discourse also includes two primary reasons Christmas is good.  

First, Christmas is good “due to its sacred name [Christ] and origin [religious observance of His birth].”  This is assumed to such degree that Fred doubts it possible to separate any part of Christmas from it.  Yet Western culture has labored hard to do just that.  Though A Christmas Carol is a secular story, in the mid 1800s even a secular story could accept this religious basis, and even vague references to the Christ Child of Christmas would not be wasted on most readers.  Such reference today, however, is easily removed altogether and not missed.  In a morbid twist on the old adage, we throw out the Baby and keep the bathwater.

Secondly, Fred notes Christmas is good as the unsurpassed time of year when people care for others across all socioeconomic levels and collectively take notice of the needs of the less fortunate.  Traces of this still play out today.  Many still attempt to “make some slight provision for the poor and destitute.”  But it is often very slight and more often short-lived generosity.

If we are to stop overplaying this hand, we must become Scrooges all.

“Christmas a humbug!  You don’t mean that, I am sure?”  Not at all.  Most commonly overlooked when thinking of Scrooge is that A Christmas Carol is a story of redemption.  Scrooge repents!  The image of Scrooge we usually hold onto is the “clutching, grasping, wrenching, covetous old sinner.”  But by the end of the tale, remember, he is the model of keeping Christmas.  He sends a turkey to his employee.  He pledges an unspeakable amount for the poor.  He attends Christmas church service.  He accepted his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner.  He raises Bob’s salary.

“Scrooge was better than his word.  He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.  He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world….And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.”  

Repent the humbug, and be a real Scrooge this Christmas.  Downplay the tinsel and gold, and buy a scuttle of coal for a Cratchit near you.

Wesley's Questions #19

 

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

19. Would you observe the following directions?

a) Be diligent

b. Be punctual

 

These questions refer to how one spends time. The first encourages the person never to waste time. The second is not to waste the time of others. Both of these are valid concerns. Time is the one commodity we can never get back. An apology never returns the hour someone waited for you to meet them. An hour procrastinating on a project personally is an hour that is stolen from something else you could have done or rest you could have taken.

Stealing time from others isn’t something I usually struggle with. I also have a spouse who diligently reminds me of my responsibility to others and their time. I hope that I continue to remember that if people are giving me their time I should use it wisely.  

On the other hand, I have in the past allowed fear or doubt to steal time from me. They wanted to steal the time I spent writing these answers out telling me they would never be good enough. This time I conquered those fears and in a timely manner finished the questions. I can not say that I will always be successful in the future. I might fail. I have a lot of self-doubts, that I am learning to overcome.

When it comes to the church, I plan to finish documents on time, have meetings when they are called for in the book of discipline, and communicate with leaders in a timely manner so that the work of others will be a blessing and not a burden. Will I fall short? Possibly, however, I hope with the help of God not to.   

 

 

Wesley's Questions #18

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

18. Are you in debt so as to embarrass you in your work?

I am in debt. My wife and I are embarrassed by the debt we have. However, I seriously doubt that anyone in our culture today would be in the least embarrassed by a couple of small credit cards and a student loan. This being said I have had debt in the past that keep me from launching out into pastoral ministry in the past. Since that time, my wife and I have strived to keep our debt under control. We desire to eventually be debt free so that we can obey the scripture that says we are to owe no man but to love him (Romans 13:8).

Besides personal debt, I believe that church debt can be a huge hindrance to the future ministry of the church. I would never encourage a church to take out a loan for anything but what might stop all church ministry.

Wesley's Questions #17

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

Responses by Charles Wesley Areson

 

17. Are you determined to employ all your time in the work of God?

This question causes me to the answer I gave in question 5 “Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and to God’s work?” To answer this in the paradigm of most people I would have to answer, no. I plan to spend time developing myself and doing things that I enjoy. I plan to spend time with my family and friends. I plan to spend time practicing the sabbath as I understand God wants me to. I plan to spend a lot of time away from the church. I plan to spend time sleeping. Why do I say these things? I see the work of God in me as being more than the work of the church.

In the past, I gave my oldest daughter a card which if given to me was a sign she wanted my time. I told her that it was good anytime she needed me. I told my church's boards that if I was getting ready to preach on Sunday morning and she gave me that card, they would be on their own. I heard the stories of too many pastors’ children feeling resentment toward the church and to God. These unhappy children thought they were the second or third place in the church. I was not going to allow that to happen to my children. As I answered before, I believe scripture teaches my first responsibility outside of my relationship with God is my relationship with my family. I will not change this.

This being said, the ministry isn’t a job it is a calling and it requires a lot of time. A willingness to let go of things and go outside your comfort zone. In spite of my commitment, my wife would say that I often spend too much time doing church stuff.

When it comes to the final word on this subject, I would say I see all of my time as belonging to God. He wants me to spend time recharging myself. He wants me to spend it with family and friends. He also wants to use my time in ministry to others. At the end of the day, I have to ask, “Am I spending the time I have the way God would want?”

Wesley's Questions #16

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

16. Will you recommend fasting or abstinence, both by precept and example?

I have and will continue to teach and practice fasting. Fasting is a Biblical concept and a recognized spiritual discipline. In the past, I have fasted food and abstained from other pleasures in times of prayer and in the Lenten season. A fast of some pleasure during Lent has been a practice of me and my family for nearly twenty years. I cannot say that I recall anything miraculous happening as a result of a fast or time of abstinence but it isn’t about getting something. Fasting is about discipline and the results of a disciplined life are not often seen when one is practicing. Therefore, I will recommend fasting and abstinence as an important part of Christian discipleship.

Wesley's Questions #15

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

15. Will you visit from house to house?

In today’s world, at least in America, there does need to be a leave of caution for ministers especially men doing house-to-house ministry by themselves. This caution does not mean that the ministry should not take place, they need to. Home visitation is what I have done in past and what I am currently doing at St. Marks and as a hospice chaplain. I have been in houses that were mansions and in others where I had to bag my clothes afterward to keep roaches from coming home with me.

We see in the New Testament that ministry happens house to house and in some ways, the church has lost out by allowing all its ministries to take place in the church. I hope in the future, I will not just do pastoral visitation house to house but to lead Bible studies, prayer times, class meetings, and the like.

Wesley's Questions #14

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

14. Will you diligently instruct children in every place?

I do not see myself as being a teacher of children, however, as a minister of the gospel I do not see God giving age brackets. If there is an opportunity to instruct people then it is my responsibility as a minister of the gospel to teach. We do not specifically see Jesus teaching children but his willingness to let the little ones come to Him gives us an example that we are to reach to all ages (Matthew 19:14).

In the past, I have taught Bible school, lead children’s meetings, and worked with children in church, schools, and in the community. I admit that I feel completely inadequate for the job, but I have done what need to do. It is also my hope that I can help instruct children in the stories I have published and the ones I hope to in the future. With all of this being considered, I will answer Yes to this question.

Wesley's Questions #13

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

13. Will you exercise the ministry of compassion?

I believe that part of the ministry of every Christian is to have compassion for those who are less fortunate. As an elder, it is my responsibility to not just teach this but to live it out. I might not have the skills to help in every area but I should use what I have and praise those who do this work.

In the past, I have made ministry to those in nursing homes a priority even when others said the people there were a waste of time. I also was involved in habitat for humanity. I currently work in these areas as assisting in the food pantry ministry and shut-in visitation for St. Mark’s Methodist Church and as a hospice chaplain. I do not know where the ministry will take me in the future however, I can not imagine a time when I would not be involved in some form of compassionate ministry. 

 

 

 

Wesley's Questons #10-12

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

10. Have you studied our form of church disciple and polity?

11. Do you approve of our church government and polity?

12. Will you support and maintain them?

Church disciple and polity are not laid out in scripture therefore they are not infallible or inerrant. This being said, for any organization, group, or government to work effectively there must be agreed-on guidelines for how disciple and polity are handled. Without guidelines, there is confusion, chaos, and anarchy, God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)

I have studied the discipline and polity of the Global Methodist church and I believe I can live within and support it. I am still learning how they are lived out as they are very different from the framework the Church of the Nazarene uses to conduct its business. As a future member of the Global Methodist Church, I am striving not just to have a general knowledge of the church’s disciple and polity but a living and breathing understanding of how the Global Methodist Church wants to live out its calling when it comes to the business of the church.

Finally, it is my opinion that if someone can not agree to work within the system agreed upon then the person who disagrees should leave. You in the Methodist Church have seen this is not always the case. Sometimes those who want to live by the rules must leave. I can not speak for anyone else, but if there comes a time I feel I can not support and maintain the agreed-on discipline and polity of the Global Methodist Church I will leave.

Wesley's Questions #8 and 9

  

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

 

8. Have you studied the doctrines of the Global Methodist Church?

Yes, I have studied the doctrines of the global Methodist Church. I find they very close to the doctrines of the Church of the Nazarene which I have followed and taught for the last 25 years. I was never a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association nor the committee setting up the doctrines that are Global Methodist Church, but my association with Reverend Samuel Padgett has given me the opportunity over the last several years to talk about the Creeds and the doctrines which were becoming the foundation of the global Methodist Church. I was excited about what I was seeing develop in this new branch of Methodism. I had no idea at the time that I would request to join.

The reason why I was so excited about the doctrines is answered in question 9.

9. After full consideration do you believe that our doctrines are in harmony with scripture?

We have the example of basing our doctrine on scripture from Jesus and the disciples. Jesus expounded from the scriptures. The Disciples found the truth of who Christ was not just from his miracles but through the Old Testament scriptures that Jesus taught them about himself (Luke 24:13–32).

I find in my study of the doctrines of the global Methodist Church that they do, in fact, line up with scripture or as this question puts it, they are in harmony with all of scripture. This is vital because doctrine needs to be founded in the full understanding of all of Scripture. Church history has taught us that any time a single doctrine, reason, tradition, or experience trump/exceed the teaching of all of Scripture, the church goes into error. In choosing what it has, I would say the doctrines are based not only in Scripture but as those Scriptures have been understood throughout church history without trying to change them to be culturally acceptable.

In the past, the United Methodists have had a doctrine they did not all practice nor all believed in, so having a proper doctrine though helps in keeping people from going into error but does not prevent it. At this time, it does appear that those who are leading and joining the Global Methodist Church are not just interested in having Biblical doctrine but living into it as well.

Wesley's Questions #7

 

 I have been recently asked by someone in the Global Methodist Church if could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry in regard to the GMC. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

7. Will you keep the General Rules of our Church?

To answer the question if I will keep the general rules of the church I give this example. When I joined the Church of the Nazarene they had in their rules that Nazarenes were expected to refrain from attending the cinema. I personally disagreed with this ruling as I felt that it was not what was in the cinema but what was portrayed in specific movies that were the problem. I often found that much of what some Nazarenes watched via VCR tapes were far worse than much of what was on in the cinema. However, when I agree to join the church, I agreed that I would follow their rules. Until the church changed their rules on entertainment I never attended the cinema though there were times I was tempted. I have made a commitment and that commitment said I would follow their rules whether I fully agreed or not. I do not see anything in the general rules of the global Methodist Church which I disagree with like I did that rule therefore believe I can honestly say I can follow all the general rules of the Global Methodist Church to the best of my ability so help me God.

 

Victory in Jesus!

 

I absolutely love the song, Victory in Jesus. The tempo and words are so encouraging. However, (you knew there had to be a condition, or this would be a Twitter post, not a blog) there is a problem not with the song but with how we interpret the idea of victory. Victory as many see it is everything being great in the here and now. Victory is everyone saying how they love us or at least respect us. Victory is us standing at the finish line arms raised high or in the end zone spiking the football in Christian love, of course. Victory isn't that in the world and isn't what Jesus told us it would be.

Often times victory is a hard-won thing. Victory means battles and losses. Victory more often than not meant long hard fights and falling over the finish line or being tackled into the end zone. Victory sometimes means death. Even the often celebrated sports stars spend years pushing their bodies to near breaking or to breaking and then not always winning the prize. Talk to a person whose side won the war but they lost a son or daughter about victory. Victory isn't easy.

Shouldn't it be easy for a Christian? We have Jesus right? Yes, we have Jesus, and the Scriptures say that He will work all things together for good but look at the context of Romans 8:28. 

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later...And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us...And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them...Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)  Edited for space.

Jesus's words over and over tell the disciples that his followers will suffer. However, they will be victorious.

My reason for sharing this isn't to discourage anyone but for you to take a real look at what victory may cost. Victory isn't fun in the process. Even for those who aren't Christians, victory requires a cost. Consider this, however. losing or not trying at all always leads to a bad place. 

The benefit to following Christ is that the victory is certain no matter the cost or what evil may come. I don't want you discouraged and give up when tough times come and gaining victory is hard.  In the battle or in this world we may not feel like singing, but someday we will. 

We have Victory in Jesus.

Wesley's Questions #6

  

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

Responses by Charles Wesley Areson

6. Do you know the General Rules of our Church?

The basic content of the General Rules is four-fold though at first glance there would seem to be only three. These rules like the doctrines of the church are rooted in scripture. They are more detailed but they can be summed up as can the Old Testament in the greatest commandment, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27 NLT).

The first is to do no harm by avoiding evil. After this is a list of things which are examples but not complete of activities Methodists and I would say all Christians should avoid. The only one I might question is the interpretation of profaning the sabbath which I will not go into detail here.

The second is to do good. Here again, follows a list that cannot be limiting as there are many good things Christians can do. I am especially glad to see that no one was tempted to leave out that Christians are to do good “especially” to other Christians as this seems to be frowned on by some though it is scriptural (Galatians 6:10).

The third is attending to our own salvation. This is vital because what use is it to gain in all these other areas and yet lose our own soul (1 Corinthians 9:27, Luke 9:25). Here also we find a list that is not exhaustive. For myself, the spiritual discipline of journaling and writing is vital for the strengthening of my soul.

The last one I see in the general rules is the idea of mutual accountability. This is the area that not just many Methodists have abandoned but most of the Western church. Yes, there are dangers of abuse when people open themselves up to accountability, Scripture teaches accountability therefore the rewards of proper accountability are far greater than the risks (Luke 17:31, Romans 15:1-7, Galatians 6:2 Corinthians 5:1-13, James 5:19-20 Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:17).  This is something that I pray isn’t just lip service but will become the norm in the church.  

Wesley's Questions #5

  

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

Responses by Charles Wesley Areson

 

5. Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and to God’s work?

I am resolved to devote myself wholly to God. This is what it means to me to make Jesus Lord of my lives. I am devoted completely to him. The beautiful thing about this is that God isn’t looking to just make me a slave or servant but his child. My commitment to God means that I don’t give up living but that I can now live a fuller and more fulfilling life. Yes, there are things I need to let go of, but being fully committed to God means I gain far more than anything I surrender.

When it comes to fully embracing the work of God I hesitate for a second because often when we speak of the work of God we think of the work of the church. The work of the church is important. The work of an Elder is an important role. However, God's work for us is more than just church work. The work of God is first and foremost changing our own lives and striving to be holy. Secondly, working with our families. God’s work in communion with our marriage partner, parenting, and the care of parents carries greater weight than church work (1 Timothy 3:4-5). So yes I'm fully committed to the work of God but it is my heartfelt belief and I believe scripture agrees that my first responsibility is to work for the Christ-like benefit of my family. Further, when it comes to the work of God I have to be willing to accept as Wesley said in the Covenant Prayer God willing not just to work and be employed but also to be laid aside to be full or if necessary to be empty if that is the will of the Lord. Oswald Chambers often reminds us in My Utmost for His Highest that we have to guard against letting the work of God become our god.

Wesley's Questions #4

 

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

John Wesley’s Questions

Responses by Charles Wesley Areson

 

4. Are you earnestly striving after perfection in love?

When I consider striving toward perfection in love, I don’t think of my struggles to break bad habits or even to study the word of God as important as those may be, I think of loving as God would love. This for me involves living a life of forgiveness and seeing everyone as God does.

I have written on forgiveness in Impossible to Forgive: What God Can Do When You Can’t. I do not wish to go into those struggles here but to say that for me if I am not willing to forgive everyone for even the least offense then I am putting myself in a place where my ability to love will be challenged. Truly you can’t fully love those you are unwilling to forgive. This isn’t even considering the dangers of cutting myself off from God (Matthew 6:5-15).

Secondly, I strive to remind myself that God loves everyone and wants to see everyone redeemed. Red and yellow, black and white, conservative or liberal, Christian, heathen or atheist… God loves them all even if they aren’t little children. God so loved us that while we were, yet sinners Christ died (Romans 5:8). If I love only those that love me, I’m no better than the world (Luke 6:32). This isn’t always easy but remembering scripture and praying for those I disagree with as Jesus commanded (Matthew 5:43-48) helps me live out this love.

 

Wesley's Question #3

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them.  

3. Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?

Jesus would not make the command be perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect if it were not possible for us to achieve. We see in the New Testament that Paul talks about us being able to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the rest of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). John tells us that we’re to walk in love and there's an expectation that we do not have to sin (1 John 1, 2 John 2:6). The very fact that 1 John 2:1 (NIV) said “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin…” (not “when you sin”) is a clear indication that we can live in perfect love and above sin.

There have been times in my life when I feel that I was walking in entire sanctification/perfect love. These times have been broken by bad habits or ingrained patterns. There are still some, perhaps more than I now know, but I strive against them. I trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit I will eventually break their power. I have the promise Jesus will finish the good work He started in me (Philippians 1:6). My cooperation with the Holy Spirit in this effort lead this into question four.

Wesley's Question #2

 

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them. 

2. Are you going on to perfection?

In myself, I cannot move on to perfection (Romans 7), however, when I submit to the power of the Holy Spirit and walk as He would have me I can and do strive to move on to be perfect as Jesus commands (Matthew 5:48).  John says that those who have this hope within them purify themselves. Paul says that we're to crucify the flesh here again there's an expectation to strive toward perfection.

For me, going on towards perfection means giving Jesus my whole heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) and I would add my body. I am striving to do this work by putting myself in places of accountability, reading scriptures, writing, attending church services and prayer meetings, and other spiritual disciplines which bring my mind and spirit into communion with God.

In the last few years, God has laid upon my heart the need to maintain the body that He is giving me. We are bodies not just spirits. If I'm going to be all that God wants me to be (entirely sanctified), I must maintain, to the best of my ability, the body God gave me. This is one of the more difficult challenges I have faced in my striving toward Christian perfection. However, I trust with God's help and the assistance of family and friends I will see victory also in this area.

Wesley's Questions #1

NO! John Wesley, not John Wayne!

 I have been recently asked if I could answer the 19 questions that John Wesley had his bishops ask those wanting to enter the ministry. I believed I could so in taking on that challenge I am going to post my answers. They probably won't be perfect or how you might answer them but they will be mine. Perhaps you might ask yourself how you might answer them. 

1. Have you faith in Christ?

Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (NIV). I have and do declare that Jesus is Lord of my life. I trust in His death on the cross has paid for my sins and His resurrection is proof the payment for sin is covered and that by having faith in Him, I too will have everlasting life. I further believe Jesus’ words that He is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

I responded to an alter call at the First Baptist Church of Clinton, Indiana when I was 7 years old. I remember before consenting to baptize me the pastor sitting down with me in his office and asked if I knew what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. I do not recall the exact words I used but I understood Jesus paid the price for my sins and I could have a new life in Him and heaven when life was over. Since that time, I have come to understand more of the price Jesus paid, the depth of my sins, the promise of eternity, and the hope of a better life now with Jesus as my Lord (master, director, leader). 

Picture by CARTER SAUNDERS

Weeding in the Drought

John 9:4, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work." 

 A few weeks back we had a small stretch of drought. Actually, I probably shouldn't call it a drought but three weeks without rain in Indiana in the early summer feels like a drought. The grass was drying and the weeks weren't even growing. 

No rain, of course, meant I didn't have to mow the yard but I had to water my pitiful little garden. Little is relative of course so 5 rows of beans, 28 tomato plants, a row of each sunflower, beets, and carrots,  4 hills of zucchini, 4 hills of cucumbers, watermelons, and pumpkins might be big to you. For me, small garden might not be the right word, but more on that later. I watered and weeded a little. Weeding a little was the problem. I wasn't worried too much the weeds were small, the tomatoes could wait to be tied up, and I thought I had time. 

Then the rains came, and came, and came, usually when I was off work so I didn't have to worry about watering the garden. YAH! or maybe not. Those weeds that were so small aren't now. Where did my carrots go? The beets are gone and somewhere among the weeds, beans and onions can be seen, mostly. The tomatoes are leaning over one another and I can't tell where one is and another begins. However, the sunflowers are taller than the weeds about them (small comfort).  

Now I have to mow the too tall grass, vegetables needing tending. and a garden of weeds. If only... 

This is where this article comes in because I realized if I had weeded in the drought I wouldn't be having this trouble. I had the time I wasn't spending on mowing I could have done this, but now I have a mess. At the time I should be tending my vegetables and preparing them to produce or even gathering some of the fresh vegetables, I need to weed. Not just weed but now I have a lawn to maintain. Bother!  

So how does this apply to life? 

I would suggest there are times when things aren't busy when things aren't seeming to grow. It isn't that the weeds aren't growing nothing you or I are trying is going anywhere. If we take the time then to deal with the small problems which if left unattended will grow into a problem then we may find that we have a bigger problem later. There are things in our lives that we may be able to ignore during the time of drought, but we need to remember we won't always be in this period of our lives. Waiting to weed things out, doing the maintenance, and the like is a bad idea. 

Don't wait.

Look around and ask yourself, "What should I do when things aren't growing?" or "How do I prepare for when things do begin to grow?" For me, I look at my busy life and wonder? Should I have started (weeded) this garden project?  I can see clearly now, that the answer is Yes. I started it when things were just starting to get busy in my life. Now as strange as it may sound my garden isn't a blessing. Yes, my garden is a weed. Perhaps you have things in your life that if you're honest with yourself might be a weed later. May I suggest, Weed it now before it grows. If you don't your life will look like my garden and it won't be a blessing. 

What if you have waited? Well, you have a lot of hard work and probably if you are honest, you knew better. I did. So, get your gloves out and start pulling because those weeds aren't getting smaller.

Do you want it there?

 

In the parable of the sower, Jesus speaks of the types of soil that the Word of God lands on when we sow. I was thinking of this when I came home and found a pile of seeds laying on the road. This is just one of the things you see when you live in rural Indiana.

While loading up harvested wheat, the local farmer spilled some of it.  It seemed like a waste to me but when the farmer considers how much effort and time it would take to try and recover the wheat without contamination, I'm sure, it was not worth the effort. One thing I am sure of was this wasn't done on purpose. Later this year I'm not going to find wheat growing on my gravel road and the farmer isn't looking for a harvest there either.

I wonder how often the church pours the seed of the Word on the road. I don't want to say we should try and judge others' hearts and not give to those who might only look hardened. This being said, perhaps, we should consider if what we are doing is where we should be working. Jesus told his disciples in Judea to leave towns that did not receive the good news. On the other hand, God told Isaiah to preach all his days but in the end, everything but 10% would be lost (Isaiah 6).

So what do I conclude? Be wise, but also be obedient. Use the resources God has given you wisely. However, if God says to invest in something that will by all human measurements fail, then do it anyway. 

Are you greater than John?

 Luke 7:24-28

After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,

who will prepare Your way before You.’

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

This scripture is a reminder that those in the new covenant are so much more than those in the old. We think Moses had a great relationship with God, or Abraham, or Isaiah but these are less of a prophet than John according to Jesus and what does Jesus say? 

You're greater.

Think about that.

What you have in Christ is greater. What God has and can do in you is greater! 

Wow! That is amazing.

Not my Rights

I enjoy my rights and I want what is "right" but I also remember that Jesus said:

Matthew 5:38-48 "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.q Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,s that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I have to admit this version of perfection is hard. I like my "rights." What about you, is it hard?

Giving Sacrificially

 

 When I think about Christians sacrificially giving, I remember the times when Michelle and I gave to others anonymously and when they knew we did it. I remember many times when people would give of their time and money to help us and others. My life experience says that truly Christians give sacrificially of their time, their talent, and their treasure without seeking anything in return.  Sure, there are exceptions but as Elisha told his servant there are more with us than against us. I testify today that real Christianity is overflowing with loving and sacrificially-giving people. When it came to thinking of a time when someone gave that it meant so much and I have to be honest there are too many.   

As I thought this week however the most giving thing that stands in my mind is something the person who did it may not even have recognized as giving. What they gave helped me even more than I realized at the time.

When I started in ministry I was an odd duck. I didn’t grow up in the denomination. Originally, I went through the course of studies to get my ordination, a program that many considered second-rate, but which I found harder than college. I was preaching at a church of maybe a dozen people on a great week and I was working full-time. I couldn’t attend all the functions our denomination had and since I wore a suit this was even before I wore a clerical collar, I was accused by one pastor of being no better than a pharisee. To say the least, I felt less than a real minister, and sometimes real, or imagined I was treated that way.

I was invited to attend a meeting of pastors to pray. These pastors from various denominations were gracious, loved God, and loved each other despite the huge doctrinal differences between them. Pastor Paul Carey an experienced, well-educated Baptist pastor repeatedly treated me with respect and graciously listened to me as if I was his equal, I wasn’t. This gracious gift to a young pastor did and still does encourage me that God called me. His gift wasn’t money or talent, it was time and attention, and though he might not have thought much of it. It is one of the greatest gifts, I ever received. It flowed from his Christ-centered life. 

With Mothers' Day just finished and Fathers' Day fast approaching I wanted to consider Ephesians  5 and what it means to us men specifically. Often verse 22 is taken out of context to keep women silent and to make them little better or no better than a slave. The first issue that is overlooked is the command to listen to their own husband. I take this to mean, they were not supposed to be looking to other men for things that they should be looking to their husbands for (there is a lot to unpack in that and I won’t spend time here doing it). The second is the words “as unto the Lord,” to me this makes it clear that if a man is asking something God wouldn't they shouldn't. Just as with the government, you don't do anything God wouldn't be pleased with.

 

The other side of this is Paul's command to the husband. The husband can't demand obedience if he isn't doing his part. Loving her as Christ loves the church. Christ died to save the church. Most men say they would die for their wives so I'll give them this one (barely). Christ gave us the Spirit so that we can be all we were designed to be. Okay, so if your wife has the abilities to be a great CEO, are you as a husband supporting her in this? This is where most men fail or just refuse. They are supportive of the woman as long as they get something they want or they get the glory, but not the other way around. 

Jesus also listens to the church and asks us to bring all of our concerns to him. So are we really listening? Are we doing what is best for them not just what we think is best? Jesus is.

 

I could go on, but I will leave with this.
Pastor Charles