The Coronavirus, Fear Reducing Facts, and 6 Christian Ways To Respond
The coronavirus is here and it’s making its presence known. Schools are shutting down. Stores are limiting the amount of water and hand sanitizer you can buy. New York has called the National Guard into certain neighborhoods. The governor of Kentucky asked churches to stop gathering for worship. Washington State is prohibiting gatherings of more than 250 people in Seattle. The Warriors will start playing home games without fans present. Panic is high. The world seems to be coming apart.
In the midst of all of this, it’s tough to know how to make sense of the stories and data that are being thrown around. Some stats are more daunting than others, some countries are having more trouble than others, and the opinions as to why there are so many differences are many.
At this point, a little over 1,000 of the 327 million people in the U.S. have the virus, with over 30 having died from it. More cases will, of course, be reported. New measures will be taken. Endless stories will tell us many of the details.
As we continue to deal with this, consider appropriate responses, and try not to lose our minds in the process, I’ve found the following information helpful in facing the coronavirus with facts and faith, rather than fear.
Learning what the words “outbreak” and “pandemic” actually mean reduces fear – I don’t know about you, but when I hear the media use these words every other word, I feel the panic starting in my germaphobe mind. My mind flashes scenes of the movie Outbreak and every horror film or stat I’ve ever come across. But once I found out what those words actually mean, it changed how they impacted me. You probably already know, but if you don’t, here’s what two key words mean:
- Outbreak – “Outbreak” simply mean there are more cases than expected. So, since they were expecting 0 cases of the coronavirus, 2 cases would be considered an “outbreak.” So every time you hear “outbreak,” hear them say, “we have more than expected.”
- Pandemic – “Pandemic” simply means that the “outbreak” (more than expected) is taking place in countries across the world. Since the world wasn’t expecting this virus and it has reached lots of countries (which isn’t hard to do in our day), we are in a “pandemic.”
The next time you hear “outbreak,” remind yourself that they mean, “more than expected.” And the next time you hear “pandemic,” remind yourself that they mean, “more than expected in the world.” This doesn’t mean it’s not serious, but it helps you avoid making it more serious than it is.
The coronavirus is harder on people with weaker immune systems (older people, people with cancer, diabetes, etc.) than the flu, but easier on young people than the flu – The Washington Post noted that the death rate for the “over 70” population in Wuhan was up around 20%; for those under that age it was .8 or less (flu), for those younger it was less. One of the main reason Italy is struggling significantly is because Italy is the oldest country in the world. The elderly continue to make up most of the deaths by far. Let’s pray for the elderly across the globe facing this fierce virus. Let’s ask God for their protection, healing, wisdom on what changes they need to make, and that all would know Christ.
The more time goes by, the lower the initial, scary coronavirus data gets – With each passing week the death rate numbers go down. “The death rate is a calculation of the number of known deaths out of the total number of confirmed cases.” None have gone up. Why? Because the number of people infected is believed to be much higher than initially reported. The higher the number goes, the lower the death rate goes. That number is believed to be higher because for most people the impact of the coronavirus is “mild” so they wouldn’t even think to get tested and many places didn’t have “enough tests” to actually find out how many people had the virus.
Countries with government run healthcare have had a more difficult time responding to the coronavirus – It’s a scary thought to turn the keys to healthcare over to the same people that run the DMV. It’s even scarier to do that for countries who have governments that couldn’t run the DMV as “excellent” as we do here. But that’s the reality. When you look at stories out of Wuhan, China (ground zero for the coronavirus), you find a healthcare system that was an absolute mess. The hospital situation was run by a communist party who ignored previous year complaints that new hospitals were needed because of a lack of space for such a big city (11 million in Wuhan). At the end of 2018, their hospitals were 94% full. Their requests were ignored, which is why you can find stories of elderly people with the coronavirus trying to get into 3 hospitals with no success. In Italy, their government run healthcare system produces a wide range of experiences for people, some great and some awful. The same disease has vastly different recovery rates in different parts of the country. This means that the people who often most need the help won’t be able to get the needed help. Everything I’ve read about these government healthcare systems make total sense of my experience with them in the twenty or so countries I’ve been too. Pray for their healthcare system. Pray for ours. The coronavirus is a problem, but it’s made worse in countries that have handed their healthcare system over to the government.
The spread in Wuhan, China was enabled to a significant degree by the lack of willingness of Chinese government officials to talk about the disease while it made it’s way through one of the largest and most dense cities in the world – China took about a month to communicate what you’re hearing non-stop today. Not only that, they kept quiet while the virus was passed around in one of the best places to pass it around, a huge, dense, city (Wuhan). That’s why the rates of infection are much higher there than anywhere else in China. Be thankful that information is out and people are being more intentional about cleaning their hands, etc.
The coronavirus is serious. That’s why it’s so important to think through what we’re hearing and seeing. When you do, you see that it is significantly more dangerous than the flu for older people and those with a compromised immune system (have had cancer, have diabetes, had an organ transplant, etc.), but the same or less dangerous than the flu for folks the younger you get. How it has been handled differently has a lot to do with various approaches to government and healthcare.
As the number of cases continues to grow, the information we can learn does to, here are a few ways I’d encourage you to respond to our current coronavirus problem.
Pray This Problem – Jesus said that we are to bring our “weariness” and our “burdens” to him (Matt. 11:28-30). Let’s make sure that we aren’t just meditating on the burdens created by this situation, let’s pray them. Pray for those that have it or will get it. Pray for the people unusually at risk. Pray for wisdom for government and church leaders. Pray, pray, pray. Every problem is an opportunity to pray. Don’t miss out on this one.
Do Your Part – The best medical advice in all the world about fighting this virus is the same medical advice, for the most part, that we get every year. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Sneeze and cough into your arm. If you feel sick, stay home. Wipe off surfaces. If we do these basics, we are doing our part. It will make a huge difference.
Avoid Overreaction And Underreaction – I’ve found that people either tend to overreact in these situations (looking at you, “Mr. I Bought All The Toilet Paper From Costco”) or underreact (looking at you, “Mr. I’m Going Stop Washing My Hands College Student Just To Make A Point”). Figure out your tendency and battle it. This isn’t Ebola that killed 50% of the people who got it, for most people it’s closer to the flu’s .1%. But this isn’t just the regular flu either, especially for older people and those with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes, and those that have had organ transplants. Let’s be sober-minded and steady as we do our part.
Give People Freedom To Process This Challenge – Everybody responds differently when they are reminded that they aren’t in control, they are vulnerable, and death is real. Pray for everyone to look to Jesus in the midst of this. Give them space when they respond differently than you. Take a long term approach relationally.
Consider Recommended Courses Of Action Critically – Just because a government leader recommends something doesn’t mean it’s the wisest course of action. Today the Governor of Kentucky recommended that churches stop gathering for worship. Curiously, he didn’t recommend that other types of assemblies stop meeting. Nothing was mentioned about Kentucky Basketball games and March Madness. Their schools are still meeting. Even if churches listened to him, which most won’t, it’s unlikely to do much good with all of these other assemblies continuing as is. Again, let’s pray for our government leaders, listen to their perspective, but I wouldn’t follow them uncritically.
Meditate On The Power And Love Of Christ Until You Trust Him Enough To Rest – Inner peace doesn’t come from knowledge, delusions of control, or defeating the coronavirus. Death is always at the door in a world like this. No, inner peace comes from trusting in a God more powerful than death who lovingly sent his Son to rescue from eternal death. Trust doesn’t replace action, it reorients it. In this world, you’re always more vulnerable than you realize. In Christ, you’re always more secure than you realize. Trust him. If he went to the cross for you and defeated death, he won’t leave you now. Find a few Bible verses to meditate on in these times as you do your part.
The coronavirus is serious, but it has an expiration date. As Christians, let’s be more effected by the presence of Christ than the presence of the coronavirus. That way we’ll be marked by peace more than panic. Sure, let’s stay up to date on all of this, but let’s meditate on something better as we pray for those all around us and pursue God’s best in these coming days.
The Coronavirus, Williamson County, and Redemption City Church
As news of the first case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to hit Williamson County and concerns are rising, I wanted to let you know some important info about it and how Redemption City Church is responding. Hopefully, this will help you “germaphobes” out there like me process all of this in the right way.
What We Know About Coronavirus – The coronavirus is a novel respiratory disease that has been spreading globally since late 2019. The coronavirus’s health risk to date appears to be comparable to that of influenza, which many of us have experienced. Here are a few key data points:
- While the flu has killed close the 20,000 people in America this year, the coronavirus has killed around 14 (and a little over 3,000 people worldwide).
- Of those that were killed by the coronavirus, it seems that usually they had significant pre-existing health conditions, smokers, or older folks.
- Children do not appear to be more susceptible to coronavirus than adults. In fact, no deaths have been reported among the young.
- Based on existing cases, it’s estimated that about 80 percent of people who are affected experience mild symptoms.
- While some estimated that the coronavirus would have a 2-3% death rate, it already appears that these were wrong. Thankfully, the latest numbers put it basically at the same place as the flu’s .1%.
What We All Can Do – Officials recommend that we do what we should always do during sick season and practice good hygiene basics like:
- Wash your hands frequently, and for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water to protect yourself and others from germs.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Keep your hands away from your face, because germs routinely spread when a person touches something contaminated with germs, and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. This is the reason why the CDC recommend that healthy people not wear masks.
- If you feel sick, stay home and contact your doctor.
What Redemption City Church Is Doing – Redemption City Church will continue to follow the health protocols that we have in place. I hate sickness and so does my family (ask anyone who knows us!). That’s why we made sure from day one that we had great health protocols in place. As you would expect, this list includes not allowing kids in Kids City who have been sick or showed signs of sickness in the last 24 hours. Also, every classroom has been “deep cleaned” this week and will be every week moving forward by the Kids City Team! The rest of the church is cleaned weekly as well. In light of the current concerns, a greater level of cleaning has taken place and will continue to be practiced for the foreseeable future.
Our leadership team obviously will continue to carefully monitor the situation and considering all recommendations from government officials. We still plan to gather together for our regular gatherings this weekend at 9 & 10:30am. As always, we are committed to doing whatever we can to provide a safe environment to welcome you, your family, and your friends.
If you’ve lived very long, you know that there have been versions of these kinds of sicknesses before. Whether it’s the SARS of the 2000s, the coronavirus of today, or whatever is coming next year, let’s pray this problem, trust our God, and take the common sense steps recommended. Hope to see you Sunday!
How Can You Help Those Impacted By The Tornadoes This Week?
With a day of serving under our belts, we feel like we have a better picture of how people can help over the next few days. Like I said in an earlier post, let’s continue to pray, give, and serve with Hands On Nashville. But we also wanted you to be aware of a unique opportunity to serve some folks that need some help in Mt. Juliet.
If you want to help us over the next few days, here’s the info you need to know.
When and Where Can You Serve? Thursday-Saturday morning at 9:30am, RCC will have a team member present at Kerry Bural’s house at 4002 Omaha Ct., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. They’ll be there for a few hours working to help the Bural’s in any way that they can, along with any surrounding neighbors. If you’re coming on Thursday, Tyler is our point of contact (713-819-5661). If you’re coming on Friday, Manny is our point of contact (615-739-7140). If you’re coming Saturday, Abigail is our point of contact (540-454-9101).
What Will You Do? Today, we did all kinds of things. We moved things, picked trash up, boxed up breakable dishes, hugged and prayed for homeowners, walked to other neighbor’s homes to help, and more. There are neighbors who aren’t connected to anyone, so we did our best to help them. You’ll probably do the same on your day. The key thing is to be patient and flexible as you help.
What Should I Bring? Bring water, gloves, and anything else you think might be helpful. If you have a chain saw, that could be great. There’s a lot of work, requiring a lot of different types of tools. Bring what you can.
How Long Will We Work? You can stay as short or as long as you want. I’d recommend staying for a couple of hours, if possible. If you can stay longer, that’s awesome!
Each time we serve we learn more about how we can serve more helpfully. With each coming day, I assume that will continue to be true. We’ll do our best to continue to update you along the way.
3 Reasons The Tennessee Tornado Relief Effort Starts Slowly
I just got back from helping those impacted by the tornadoes in Mt. Juliet. It’s hard to put into words what the Redemption City team and I saw. Houses ripped off of their foundations, sides of homes completely gone, people’s personal belongings found on the other side of their neighborhood, yards filled with everything you can imagine, just to name a few of the things that I remember seeing. People in various types of uniforms were walking around assessing the damage. Homeowners and those helping them were working hard, shedding tears, hugging, and staring at the wreckage.
I heard stories of families crying out to Jesus to save them as they braced for what they thought would be their end, stories of neighbors rescuing their neighbors who were buried underneath their homes, and even a story of a kid who miraculously lived to tell about how he was sucked out of a room where he was playing a video games.
Like many, we were there to help in any way that we could. And help we did. But not near as much as we wish we could. Over the coming days and weeks, many more of us will play a small part in the massive recovery effort. But right now, as you patiently wait and pursue opportunities, I think it’s important to keep in mind a three reasons that make the disaster relief process slower than many people expect that it would be.
The Process Is Slow Initially Because Significant Amounts Of Money Are On The Line – When we showed up to help clean up houses and yards, we had to stand around a good bit. Why? Because before something could be thrown away, it needed to be documented. Why? Because the insurance company needed proof that it existed in order for there to be any chance that they’d provide money for it. Even finding out the need for pictorial documentation was a process because the insurance company is hard to get a hold of when a ton of people are all calling it at once. Don’t be surprised when the process is slow, especially early on, because people are doing everything they can to make sure they are in the best position possible to win their coming battle with their insurance company.
The Process Is Slow Initially Because Personal Stuff Needs To Be Sorted Through By People Who Are Still In Shock – When you go into these homes you notice a lot of stuff that seems like it could easily be thrown away or straightened up. The reason you don’t do that is because there is a lot of personal stuff in the mess that the owners wouldn’t want anyone else to see. Of course, the only people who can work through that stuff are also the people who are still shaking from this week’s events. Be sure when you help that you remember that these folks need space to process their personal stuff.
The Process Is Slow Initially Because Many Major Tasks Have To Be Completed Before Related Minor Ones Can Be – Before certain homes can be helped, roads that lead to those homes need to be cleared. Before certain parts of a home can be cleared of valuables, the structure of that home needs to be secured again. Before the stuff all over people’s yards could be taken to the road, we needed the city to tell us which types of things to stack together for an easy pick up. Over and over, we came across tasks that we could easily have completed, if, and only if, something major (a task we couldn’t complete) was completed first. And, of course, the people who have the machinery and expertise to complete those major tasks aren’t usually going to be around for a day or two (or weeks) because there is so much to do. So when you help, remember that there are a lot of layers to a recovery effort of this scope that impact the major things that need to be done.
The process is slow initially and many people struggle to be patient. Learning these three realities today really helped me to be patiently engaged, as I continue to my best to pray, stay out of the way, serve, and give.
How To Join The Monthly Fast – #FastTheFirst
I love food as much as the next guy. So why in the world did I invite Redemption City Church to fast with me this Tuesday, January 21, and every 1st of the month this year (Feb. 1, March 1, April 1, etc.)?
Well, when you read the Bible, you see people fasting all over the place. Fasting is simply abstaining from food for a specific purpose. A quick look at the 77 times the Bible talks about fasting shows that Moses fasted, Israel fasted, Daniel fasted, Nehemiah fasted, Jesus fasted, the early church fasted, just to name a few. When you fast, you’re in good company. Fasting was such a normal part of following God that when Jesus taught on it, he didn’t make an argument for it, he simply started by saying, “when you fast…”, not “if…” (Matt. 6:16-18).
The reasons for fasting are many and meaningful. After Moses fasted he received the 10 commandments (Ex. 34:28). God blessed Israel’s fast with a stunning victory over the Edomites (2 Chron. 20:2-3). Daniel received the guidance he needed during his fast (Dan. 9:3). Before Nehemiah built Jerusalem’s broken walls, an achievement that stunned everyone who understood the situation, he fasted (Neh. 1:4). After Jesus’ fast, he overcame the Enemy behind all the enemies of God in the wilderness (Luke 4:2). As the early church was asking for clarity on who to set apart for ministry, they fasted (Acts 13:2-3). The reasons for fasting are as many as the reasons for praying. Yet, fasting seems to be focused on unusually challenging problems where a special “breakthrough” is needed.
When you look at the history of the church, you see that Christians from other time periods read Scripture in a way that led them to fast. Here’s a few examples. The Didache, which is kind of a “how to do church” manual to help Christians understand what the Bible taught, prescribed two “fast days” a week: Wednesday and Friday. The 2nd Council of Orleans called for regular fasting in the 6th century. John Wesley urged Christians to fast on Wednesday and Fridays as well.
Will you join me as I join so many others who have come before us and fast?
If you will, here are a couple of practical suggestions about fasting, most of which I got from Dr. Ronnie Floyd who has written at length on the subject.
Find Your Day – You can fast any day you want. I’m encouraging you to join me this Tuesday, January 20th, on a fast and then the 1st day of each month for the rest of the year. If you need to miss a day, but want to be a part of what we’re doing, aim for a day during the first week of the month. #FastTheFirst
Find Your Level – When the Scripture talks about fasting, it is talking about abstinence from food. On the day you fast, let me encourage you to participate at some level. That might mean that you miss one meal, or two meals, or all the meals. Perhaps you can’t miss any meals? That’s okay, you can abstain from something else, like social media. Whatever it is, find a level that allows you to participate in the fast.
Set Specific Goals – I believe that “specificity leads to visibility” in our prayer lives. When we get specific with our prayers we give the invisible God an opportunity to become visible in our lives in a way he wouldn’t without that specific request. When we start getting specific with our requests, we start seeing him more in our daily lives. The same is true for fasting. Let me encourage you to ask God to answer specific requests in 3 areas: your relationship with him, something in your life, and for your church.
Plan Your Time – During the time when you would normally do the thing that you are abstaining from, like eating, use that time to read Scripture and pray. The examples of fasting in the Bible show us that the people of God “withdrew” in some way from their normal activities to encounter God. Let’s do the same, whether that is 15 minutes or an hour.
What might God have in store for us if we follow his word and make fasting a regular part of our relationship with him? How might our lives be different? What about the lives of those we’d be praying for? Join me on this simple, God-honoring journey. Let’s see God work in fresh ways this year.
4 Childlike Traits That Every Christian Needs To See God Work Through Prayer
God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime. Whether creating the universe with a word, splitting the Red Sea for the Israelites, enabling Daniel to walk out of a lion’s den unscratched, raising Lazarus from the dead with a word, walking Peter out of prison the night before he was supposed to be executed, the Bible portrays a God whose power and love is unstoppable and unending.
That’s why we pray. Or, at least, that’s one of the reasons we pray.
Unfortunately, most people don’t have a daily prayer life. The reasons for this lack of prayer are many, but the proposed solution to it usually includes something along the lines of “I’ll try harder” or “I need to be more disciplined.”
But I’ve found over the years that a change in prayer life won’t happen in any lasting way by simply trying to be more disciplined. I’ve had more success in my own prayer life and in helping others with theirs, in trying to be more childlike, not more disciplined.
It’s interesting that when Jesus taught on prayer, he didn’t start by telling us to be more disciplined, he said to be more childlike. When he teaches us to say, “Our Father,” he is teaching us to think of prayer as a Father-Child conversation. Jesus didn’t call people to a higher, more sophisticated spiritual level to pray differently, he told them to act like children.
As I’ve meditated on this truth over the years, it’s radically changed my prayer life from a “once in a while” prayer life to an “every day, throughout the day” prayer life. This change hasn’t happened because I’m strong, but because I’m more aware of my weaknesses. The more you grow up in Christ, the more childlike you become. And I’ve found that there are four childlike traits that every christian needs to see God work through their prayers.
Childlike Faith
Just about every child has a moment or a stage where they think their parents can do anything. That’s the feeling Jesus wants us to have about “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). Because he is “in heaven,” he is unstoppable. Jesus is connecting the Father we speak to in prayer with the God “who is in the heavens and does whatever he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Why is this so important? Because your view of God determines your practice of prayer. If you think he can help you today with your work, relationships, finances, or whatever, you’ll ask. If you don’t, you won’t. Battle the specific sin of unbelief that says, “God can’t really make a difference in my life enough today for me to ask him for that help in prayer.”
- What does your prayer life say about God’s abilities?
Childlike boldness
Most kids go through a long season where they don’t think twice about barging into their parents’ room in the middle of the night. Whether it’s a bad dream, they can’t find their blanket, or something else, they never apologize for the disruption. That’s a boldness that no one else could get away with. And that’s precisely what you need to have, especially once you understand the greatness of God. God’s power is matched by his love. That’s why we can ask the amazing God who “is in heaven” to give us “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Because he’s “our Father” we can approach his throne like a child, boldly (Heb. 4:12).
How can we, an unholy people, approach a holy God? Because Jesus bought our access with his blood. Our childlike boldness is a blood-bought boldness. He took our place on the cross to secure a space for us in his family. Because of this, we can be bold as we talk to God, asking God anything and everything.Do your kids get organized before they talk to you? Hopefully, not normally. Do they only talk to you about subjects that are “proper”? Nope. When you’re bold like a child, you feel the freedom to talk to God about what’s really going on in your life.
- What does your prayer life say about God’s love? Do you have a high enough view of God’s love that you think he will help you today if it’s best for you?
Childlike Specificity
The older I get, the more I struggle to come up with “gift ideas” for Christmas and for my birthday. It didn’t used to be this way. When I was a kid, I could throw out all kinds of worthless things I was dying to have. My kids are the same. Most are. I believe God uniquely loves specific prayer requests from his kids. Why? When we get specific with our requests, we give the invisible God an opportunity to become visible in our lives in a way he wouldn’t be able to without that request. Specificity leads to visibility. Don’t know what to get specific about? Pray your problems. Pray your plans. Pray your Bible. Fight the “vague prayer syndrome” and write down specific enough prayer requests that you’d know it, if God answered it.
- If God answered every one of your specific, written prayer requests, what would be different for you, your loved ones, your church, and the world?
Childlike Trust
“Ouch! I’m telling!” I heard my youngest son say, just before he made his way into the kitchen. After he told me what happened, I said to him, “I’ll take care of it.” With that, his countenance changed and he joyfully walked right back where he came from. I overheard him self-righteously say to his sibling, “Dad said he’ll take care of it.”
He didn’t, of course, know “how” or even “when” I’d take care of it. Frankly, shout out to imperfect parents like me, he didn’t know “if” I would take care of it. He simply knew “who” would take care of it. Because he knew who would take care of his problem, he walked out of that conversation without the burden he brought into it.
That burden-relieving, peace-producing, change-you-right-where-you-are-from-the-inside-out kind of interaction in prayer only happens when there is an unshakable trust in the one to whom you just presented your problem. That’s childlike trust. That’s wrapped up in the “your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). If you have a God who is great enough to do something about your problems and plans, you have a God who is great enough to have a better way forward that you don’t understand. That’s why you have to trust God to do what’s best with your request. If you don’t trust him, you won’t rest. You won’t experience the “peace that transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7). Thank him for doing what’s best with your request before you know what he’ll do with it because you know WHO you’re talking to, not HOW he’ll handle it.
- Is there any area where you need to trust God to do what’s best for you, even if it’s the thing you most fear?
How different could this year be, if we started asking the God who can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime, to help us everyday? How different might our relationships, work, inner sense of well being, churches, country, world, be if we starting acting like children who have a Father in heaven who does whatever he pleases?
5 Simple Steps Christians Take To Experience God’s Power In His Word
God’s words are powerful. Whether creating all things with his words (Gen 1), bringing a dead man to life with his words (John 11:38-44), or calling Abram to himself with his words (Gen 12:1-3), just to name a few examples that show the power of God’s words, God wants us to know that his words are unlike any other words in the world. The words recorded in the Bible are “breathed out,” authored by, him (2 Tim 3:16). That’s why, when the writer of Psalm 119 was struggling and felt like his life was “in the dust,” he prayed that God would “give him life through his word” (Ps 119:25).
Unfortunately, most Christians are missing out on the power available to them in God’s word. Last year, a study conducted by Lifeway Research found that, “A third of Americans who attend a Protestant church regularly (32%) say they read the Bible personally every day. Around a quarter (27%) say they read it a few times a week.” The numbers go even further down when less frequent church attendance.
I’m not sure how many of the 62.2 million “Protestant Christians” (that is, non-Catholic Christians) would be considered “regular attenders,” but let’s just say for the sake of this post that all of them are. That would mean that about 43.54 million of them are walking through the day without the amazing power (not to mention wisdom, grace, love, etc.) that is uniquely found in God’s word.
Think about how different the flavor of American Christianity would be if that many people were being empowered by God’s word? How different would our relationships be? How much more hopeful do you think we would be? More loving? More at peace? The list could go on and on. When we leave our Bibles on the shelves we leave a lot of power on the table.
That’s why I LOVE helping people get into God’s word on a daily basis. I want to see more people experiencing God’s power on a daily basis. And listen, while reading through the Bible in a year is an awesome goal to pursue, I’d encourage you to prioritize daily Bible reading. If you are in God’s word each day, but don’t make it through in a year, that’s a WIN!
If you want to experience God’s powerful presence in his word, I’ve found that the following 5 steps help Christians experience God’s power in his word.
Find The Right Bible – When I worked for a Bible publisher, we saw a study that said that Christians choose their Bibles for about 4 different reasons. Some Christians chose their Bible because of it’s cover, some the type of translation, and others chose the translation their pastor preached from. Whatever your reasons are, look on Amazon and find what you like best. If you’re new to Bible reading, I highly recommend you use a study Bible (ESV or CSB). These study bibles enable you to understand God’s powerful word with greater confidence and ease.
Use A Bible Reading Plan – Most people engage with God’s word consistently when they have some kind of plan. I’d encourage you to start in the NT and read a Psalm a day. But for a wide range of plans, check out this help list from our friends at the Gospel Coalition. As you start a plan, if you are connecting with a particular passage, please feel the freedom to “get behind.” I’ve spent weeks coming back to a passage of Scripture plenty of times. When I was tempted to try to “catch up” by reading a large portion of Scripture quickly, I had to remind myself that it’s not about “keeping up,” it’s about a daily encounter with God in his word.
Observe, Interpret, And Apply – When you read the Bible with a few key questions in the back of your mind, it increases the impact of the Bible reading in your life. That’s why so many Bible readers have been helped by observing, interpreting, and applying the passage that they are reading. When they observe the passage, they ask “what does it say?” When they interpret the passage, they ask “what does it mean?” When they apply the passage, they ask “how should I respond?” For a little more information about how to think about this, read this helpful post.
Find And Prioritize A Regular Devotion Time – Identify and prioritize the best time for you to spend 15-30 minutes in reading God’s word. I’ve found that going to bed a little earlier so that I can get up a little fresher, pays off big time with my Bible reading. Maybe you’re more of a night owl. However you are wired, find a time to get into God’s word. Whatever it is, understand that the Enemy wants to do anything he can to stop you from taking these simple, but significant steps (Eph 6:10-20).
Ask God To Help You Do What He Says – Once you understand what God is telling you to do, ask him to help you do it. Don’t just read your Bible, pray your Bible. Ask your heavenly Father to help his “kingdom come” in whatever specific way you happen to be reading about that day.
God has fresh, unlimited power available for you each day in his word. Ask him to help you experience it as you experience him each day in 2020.
Paul Miller On “Finding Community”
“You don’t find community; you create it through love. Look how this transforms the way you enter a room of strangers. Our instinctive thought is, ‘Who do I know? Who am I comfortable with?’ There’s nothing wrong with those questions, but the Jesus questions that create communities are, ‘Who can I love? Who is left out?’ Instinctively, we hunt for a church or community that makes us feel good. It is good to be in a place where you are welcome, but making that quest central is idolatry. And like all idolatry, it ultimately disappoints. But if we pursue hesed love, then, wherever we go, we create community.”
From page 100 of Paul Miller’s A Loving Life: In A World Of Broken Relationships.
3 Sentences Worth Celebrating
In Mid-TN, where there seems to be a church on every corner, a Bible on every bookshelf, and Jesus in every heart, it’s easy to forget that 85% (ish) of the people here don’t have a relationship with Jesus. It’s common to assume that everyone has “arrived” spiritually. It’s not unusual for people to think there are no more new steps of faith to take.
This type of thinking isn’t accurate and it isn’t harmless. I believe it represents one of the most successful lies of the Enemy, causing people to ignore the everyday opportunities God gives them to advance his kingdom. The people in our area aren’t just from our area. In fact, it’s very rare to meet people in Mid-TN from Mid-TN. Our city attracts people from all kinds of families, regions, and more. And like all of us, they’re broken, living in a broken world, looking for an eternal, satisfying life. We believe Jesus is the life they’re looking for. And we also believe that people typically find Jesus and follow Jesus through the church’s Spirit-empowered, imperfect efforts.
One of the greatest parts of being a pastor is the opportunity to hear so many life changing stories to capture both the great need for Christ that exists and the great progress that is happening. One of the worst parts of being a pastor is the challenge of communicating so many life changing stories to so many people. It’s easier to hear and celebrate them than it is to pass them on in a way that does justice to them.
With that said, I’d like to share a few stories, imperfectly, that I can’t keep to myself! All of these happened in the last week. I’ve removed sensitive details, but I want you all to know that God is at work in our midst!
“You have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming!” Recently an RCC couple pulled me aside and told me, that someone they invited has been coming to RCC worship gatherings consistently for the past few months. I knew who they were talking about, but I didn’t know much about them. And the RCC couple told me with an excited seriousness, “you have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming.” I had no idea. Turns out there is quite a history there. Praise God he’s allowing RCC to be the people amongst whom God is working this miracle!
Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, at work, or some other well worn path in your life that God wants to work a miracle through your invitation?!
“For the first time, I’m asking God to show me something ‘big’ that he wants me to do.” Recently a couple was invited to a group for the first time. They went and God changed their life! They said as they listened to the group talk about following Christ, it made them realize that they hadn’t been including God in their lives in a significant way. So they started asking God to show them something “big” God wanted them to do with their lives! In the next couple of days, something “big” came along and they acted courageously and took the step out of their comfort zone. Praise God he’s using Groups to change lives!
Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, work, or maybe at the worship gatherings, who you can invite to your group and see God change their lives?!
“Thanks for the invitation to grab some coffee. I’ve been waiting for you to ask.” A guy that had been hanging around RCC on and off for the past couple of years was recently asked to coffee by one of the people that saw him the most frequently. And the guy immediately said he’d love to and that he’d been waiting for someone to ask him! How many people is God preparing for our invitations?
Perhaps you could ask God to show you someone that you can invite to grab a cup of coffee and see God work?!
The people of Mid-TN need Jesus. And Jesus loves to use his imperfect church to advance his perfect, miraculous purposes in places like this. I’m praying that God would allow everyone of us to play a meaningful part in helping people start a relationship with Jesus and grow in their relationship with Jesus. Are you making yourself available to him and his purposes today?