Harvest Thoughts

Cast Your Cares Upon Him

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with the cares and worries of life that you’re not quite sure what to do or where to turn next? Or, might I put it this way: Have trials, tribulations, concerns and the everyday routines of life taken a toll on you that you feel helpless and hopeless? Friend, if you answered yes to these questions, you are not alone. Many people, including myself, stand feeling a sense of helplessness and hopelessness due to the situations and circumstances that we experience in life. We must understand, however, that we cannot control what life brings our way and what is dished out on our plate. Nevertheless, what we can control is our response to what we encounter in life and, therefore, find hope in the Lord Jesus Christ when we turn to Him for help.

The Psalmist writes and encourages us to cast our cares on the Lord (Psalm 55:22). David, the writer of this Psalm, writes from his own experience of battle with his adversary. One can detect from reading and reflecting on the heart of David in this Psalm that he was deeply troubled and under a great deal of pressure—day and night he was distressed and constantly at battle with the struggles of life. David was a man who openly and honestly expressed his cares and concerns with the Lord. In fact, the lesson that King David learned was to allow the pressures of life to lead him to his knees in humble prayer and submission to the Lord. From the perspective of the carnal nature and of the flesh, however, the pressure, anguish, frustration, distraught and animosity that David encountered in life led him to want to flee from his problems altogether. I think we can understand because that is naturally what the flesh desires to do—flee and run away!

Can you track with David? I know I sure can. At times, the troubles of life just seem to be so overwhelming that the most logical thing to do would be to run away from the problem(s) to where we escape the storm. But, what did David do? Did he run away and hid from his adversary and merely hope that life would work its way of out? No. The answer is not fleeing from the situation, but calling God into the situation; not the natural solution of escapism but the spiritual solution of prayer.

The verse goes on to say in Psalm 55:22 that the Lord will sustain us. David writes, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.” In other words, when we cast our cares upon the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does not only promise to carry our burdens, but also promises to sustain us. Let me tell you, friend, our God is a God who is waiting and longing for His people to run to him, casting our cares upon Him. He is waiting for us to stop running from the problems of life and to run to Him, the problem-solver, to fix the problems. He promises that when we cast our cares upon Him that He will sustain us and allow us to experience His peace in spite of difficult and burdensome situations.

To conclude, I want to ask you a question. Do you know that God cares for you and loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to die for you? Do you know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who is waiting to walk with you and help you carry your burdens? The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus died for you and for me knowing that we could not carry our burdens alone. In fact, we were not created and designed to carry our burdens alone. Jesus came, however, that we might lay down our burdens at the Cross of Calvary and live a life of freedom whereby the frustrations, anxieties and burdens of this life do not consume us. 

Let us today permit the Holy Spirit of God to flood our hearts so that we don’t carry the heavy burdens of life with us any longer. And let us be a people who do not run from life’s struggles, but face them with the Lord Jesus Christ paving the way of righteousness under our feet.

Brian  

What Are You Waiting For?

 If you could obtain one goal from your life, what would it be? Or, if you could obtain one aspiration that you would like to achieve, what would it be? Every human being will be confronted to ponder these questions, and I assert the answer to these questions will directly influence the direction our lives will take. Perhaps, you have also been asked the question: What is your purpose in life? Or, if you are a student your mentors and advisors have asked you: What do you want to do with your life when you graduate? Where is God calling you? These are valid questions that we must be able to answer.

 I can think back to my undergraduate years of study where all I desired to do was play the drums. In fact, that is all I ever did: play the drums and refine the craft of percussion—often up to 6 to 7 hours a day. Yes, I know I was a bit out of control, but my desire in life at that time was to become a professional drummer. I expected to be able to put bread and butter on the table by making a living playing the drums. That was my goal, desire, and ambition in life—not a bad goal to set, right? However, in the midst of searching for the meaning of life, I found myself looking everywhere for answers except to God. This time of my life was extremely empty and miserably. You might ask, “Why were you miserably?” You knew what you wanted to do with your life; what’s the big deal! The reason why I was miserable was because I had yet to discover the meaning and purpose of my existence here on earth. I didn’t know my Creator who created me from the very beginning, and I didn’t know what I was to do with my life. However, as soon as I surrendered my life to the Lord, another question arose, which I needed to answer: Lord is this Your plan for my life; is this what would most glorify Your kingdom and exalt the name of Jesus?

 Friend, did you know that God desires to use you in mighty ways to impact and advance the Kingdom of God? The Bible says that every single person was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not. Furthermore, I would like to challenge us with the following statement: God wants to work in and through our lives to advance the Kingdom of God here and now on planet earth. What part am I to play? How do I fit into the “big picture” of the puzzle? We can get an idea of how to answer these questions by looking at the current condition and state of the church.

 One question that I have been wrestling with for quite some time is how some churches can thrive and attract people, and other churches die away. The sad reality is many more churches are closing their doors than churches opening their doors. American church statistics have reported that 3500-4000 churches close their doors each year.[1] Why is it that half of all churches last year did not add one member to their congregation through conversion growth? I’m not sure I have the answer to these questions, but I do believe I can present an antidote to the problem. The antidote can be found in Mark 10:43, which says: “...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Churches that provide opportunities for people to serve are those that will flourish in the Kingdom; however, those whose desire is to cater to the comfort of the people and allow them to watch and live passive Christian lives are those that will die away. Churches that want to be great in the Kingdom will be the ones who truly demonstrate a heart of service to the people of God. In addition, churches that want to make the greatest impact in the Kingdom will be those who become a slave to all. This is also true in our individual lives as well. Those that desire to be the greatest in the Kingdom must serve. It is not an option; the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

 Consequently, this leads me to ask another question, which happens to be the title of this article: What are you waiting for? Are you a Christian who likes to sit back and watch other people do the work of the Kingdom? Or, perhaps you have bought into the mindset that “doing the work of the Kingdom” is only for those who are ordained ministers in the church. Friend, being deceived into this mentality of thinking will not only hinder your own walk with the Lord, it will also hinder what the Lord wants to do in your life to expand His Kingdom, and to be God’s witnesses to all the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Our God is a mission-oriented God, and we have the remarkable opportunity to co-labor with the Creator to make a difference in our world. It is time to wake up, seize the day, and reach the lost for Jesus Christ.

 It is not so much what we want to do with our lives as it is answering the call to what God desires to do in and through our lives. We must no longer sit in the pew on Sunday mornings with the expectation to hear a crafty message and to go through the motions one more time. It is now time to get busy producing for the Kingdom! The Bible says that even Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Friend, if Jesus, the Son of the living God, was called to serve, you bet we are called to serve as well. May we be a people whose hope is in the Lord God Almighty, and whose desire is to turn everyday, ordinary seekers of truth into eternal producers for the glory of God!

So, again, I ask the question: What are you waiting for?

brian mcgee

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[1] George Barna, Twentysomethings: Struggle to Find Their Place in Christian Churches, http://www.barna.org.

Unity: A Witness unto the World

Have you ever wondered why the church has been failing in the urgent call to reach the world for Jesus Christ? Perhaps, pondering why the condition of the church is in the state that it is in today? I have. It seems to me the church, that is, the universal body of Christ, manifest a spirit of disunity rather than reflect a spirit of unity.  The more I read the Bible, the more I realize an urgent calling of unity within the body of Christ. To be honest, the more I ponder and reflect on these types of questions, the more the Spirit of God stirs up inside of me to make a difference in being part of the solution, not part of the confusion. 

Scripture expresses God’s desire for all of humanity to be reconciled to Him. God has reconciled us to Himself through His son Jesus Christ and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. This ministry of reconciliation, then, is the calling of the church and, therefore, all believers. However, to be an agent of God’s reconciliation to the world requires one to first be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, is one in a place to minister Christ’s reconciliation to others. Dr. Marva Dawn asserts that the world has no reason to believe our message that God wants to reconcile it to Himself if we can’t even be reconciled to ourselves. How is it possible to be an agent of reconciliation to the world if the overall condition of the church is in disunity? I believe it to be impossible.

Jesus’ dying prayer was for Christians to live in unity with one another, just as He was one with His Father in heaven (John 17:11). Jesus’ heart is that all believers would be brought to complete unity so that the world would know that God sent Him into the world to set them free from the bondage of sin. In addition, Jesus wanted to world to know how much their heavenly Father loves them by sending Him into the world as an agent of reconciliation to the Father.

Friend, I am deeply moved when I read such passages of Scripture because there is much work to be done in the category of unity within the body of believers. God’s calling of unity within the church is urgent because God desires to seek and the save the lost; hence, the reason for sending His Son into the world to take on sin on behalf of humanity (Luke 19:10). Why is it that Christians are overly busy debating theological arguments in order to (re) gain reputation within their own denomination or theological spectrum? Friend, I don’t believe God to be too utterly concerned with your theological arguments; He is more concerned about where your heart is and what you do with His son, Jesus Christ. Have you been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ? If so, are you willing to offer yourself as a humble agent of reconciliation for God to use to reach the world for Christ? This, I believe, is the true heart of God: that no person will perish, but come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). This happens when humble agents of reconciliaiton offer themselves upon the alter of God and live a life of unity with other believers. How else is it possible for the world to want to receive the good news of Jesus Christ?

May I encourage you this day to lay down your life for the sake for spreading the goodness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Lay down your agenda, your schedule, your denominational affiliation, your theological viewpoints, your wants and desires, your past, and your future—everything for the sake of the Kingdom of God. There is no better way to live. Once you taste and see that the Lord is good, there is no turning back!  

brian mcgee

Do Not Give Up!

Have you ever been depressed, or simply become overwhelmed by the cares and worries of everyday life? Have you ever thought to yourself, “Life is too burdensome to keep a positive attitude and, furthermore, to do good to other people?” At times, life seems to take over and present itself with over challenging cares that, if we are not careful, will determine out attitude and perspective in which we view life. The reality is, many people live life with a bad attitude that has been predetermined by the way we view our circumstances.

The Bible tells us that people will reap what they sow. This means that what you put into something is what you will get out of something. If one approaches life with a bad attitude, then one can only expect to get out of life what they put into it. The word of God takes this thought a step further by saying, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Many people become weary in doing good, however, God’s word promises us that at the proper time, we will reap a harvest of good if we do not give up in doing good to others.

Have you given up on doing good? Have you allowed the cares of everyday life to predetermine your attitude and, therefore, hinder you from doing good? I would like to offer a word of encouragement to you by saying, “Do not give up on doing good!” If you are one who moans, groans, and complains about life, may I encourage you to ask God to give you a new perspective on life. Ask God to give you “kingdom glasses,” so that you can view your life from the perspective and viewpoint of God. We need to understand that the way we view of lives—our circumstances and situations—is not at all the same as the way that God views our lives. Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”

So, may we be a people who never gives up on doing good. Whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people.

brian mcgee

 

 

 

 

 

Living Life with Purpose

Have you every pondered what your purpose is in life? Or, asked yourself the question: “Why on earth am I alive? I have. In fact, I ask myself this question all the time. Many people do not know why they were created. If we do not understand our life purpose, life will not make any sense. Life without purpose will be confusing and not develop depth, meaning, or substance. We will simply be spinning our wheels in the mud, which causes us to go nowhere.

Perhaps you know someone who is lost and does not know the purpose of his or her life. Or, maybe you do not know your purpose in life. Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, said that nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them—not success, wealth, fame, or pleasure. Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty and pointless (Warren, 30). We must never confuse activity with productivity. Many people are busy, actively engaging in everyday life affairs, however, few people are productive for the Kingdom of God. Without a clear and defined God-given purpose, people will mistake the motion of activity for productivity.

So, where do we start? How do we discover our life purpose? The search for the purpose and significance in life has puzzled people for many years. This is due to the fact that we typically start at the wrong starting point—ourselves. Many times we ask ourselves, or have been asked by others, the following questions: (1) What do I want to be when I grow up? (2) What do I want to do with my life? (3) What are the dreams for my future? The problems with these questions are that they focus on ourselves—they develop from within.  However, focusing on ourselves will never lead us to discover our life’s purpose. We must begin with our Creator, the One who created all things—God Almighty. The Bible says that it is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ,...he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone (Ephesians 1:11, Msg). It all starts with God. If we do not start with God, we will never discover why we were created and, therefore, will not know our life’s purpose.

This leads me to ask a few questions. Do you know God? And, do you have a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ? If you do, congratulations! You are on the road to living out your God-given purpose. If you do not, I would like to invite you to begin a journey with the Creator of the universe to discover your life’s purpose. I invite you to pray with me:

Lord God, I recognize that you are the Creator of the universe. You are the God who created me and, therefore, I find my purpose in you. Today I invite Jesus into my life to be the most important aspect of my life. Your Word tells me that it is God who directs the lives of his creatures (Job 12:10), and that You bring meaning and significance to life. I admit that I have placed the focus of life upon myself in hope to discover my purpose. But, I now understand that You hold the key to understanding my life’s purpose. I believe in You, King Jesus. Reveal to me Your purpose for my life.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

The Main Thing...

What is most important to you? What in life means the most to you? Well, you might be thinking of your family, spouse, career, job, or something else that is significant to you. Human beings long to show someone or something its value, significance, or worth. The truth is, all people value or place worth on something. That is, human beings are designed in such a way that desires to express their value and worth and to place it on something. What is it that you value the most? What is it that you worth the most?

The answer to the previous questions depicts who or what you worship. Many people believe that worshipping is for the Christian, or the one who attends church on a weekly basis. That statement could not be farther from the truth. Worship is what human beings do all day every day. It is the thing that people do and will continue to do until their last breath. We long to worship someone or something!

Paul, in the book of Acts, says the following: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by humans, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17: 24-25). I recently heard it said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” This statement is critical in understanding the condition of the human heart. The condition of the human heart is to show and express affection to someone or something. However, it is sad to note how many people are living for something or someone other than God—the One who has created them from the beginning of time. God created people this way so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him (Acts 17:27).

This passage of Scripture shows humanity that God’s heart for His people is to place Him in the center core of their lives. God’s heart is that His people would value and worth Him to the extent that He is the most important aspect in their daily living. It is so easy in the world in which we live to lose track of what really is important in life. It is not by accident that you are reading this blog post. I believe God wants to reveal to you His loving presence in a way that draws you to (re) experience his divine love. Just remember: “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” Do not lose track of the importance of keeping God the most important aspect in your life. 

brian mcgee

Taking the Low Road

Have you ever been around somebody who is full of selfish pride? Someone who just cannot stop talking about himself or herself? I have. One of the biggest daily struggles for people is dealing with their pride that so easily gets in the way of life. Augustine defines pride as, “the love of one’s own excellence.” Many people are “in love” with what they are good at that they fail to recognize who gave them those gifts in the first place. The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from above...” (James 1:17).

The gifts God has given to us are not for our own mere consumption, but are for our heavenly Father who, from the beginning of time, had us in mind to be the recipient of those gifts. Therefore, pride in oneself serves as a blinder that keeps one from seeing anything else but their own present reality. Pride, then, is a deadly poison in our lives that prohibits God from receiving all the glory that He alone is due.

The Bible says, “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wildflower” (James 1: 9-10). In other words, demonstrating a spirit of humility offers one a high position, whereas the spirit of pride offers one a low position. Humility is the opposite of pride and is recognized by God as the higher position. In actuality, the person in pride will slowly fade away as they continue being blinded by their own self-deception.

 So what do we do? How do we stay clear from falling into the pit of prideful arrogance in ourselves? The Psalmist tells us that in his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God (Psalm 10:4). So the question remains, “How do I always make room for God? We make room for God by dying to our flesh. We must constantly honor God by dying to ourselves. If we do not die to ourselves, pride will set in and lead us to the pathway of darkness. Do we want to live in darkness? Do we want to be blinded by our own selfish pride that gives birth to sin, which gives birth to death?

From this day forward, may we be a people who humble ourselves before our God and to one another in a way that ushers in the Lord’s presence in our lives, our families, and our communities. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). 

brian mcgee

Freedom: The Longing of Every Human Soul

                                       

I can remember in high school marching along to the cadences of the marching percussion section for the annual 4^th of July holiday parade. At the end of the parade, the band would participate in a ceremony to honor the fallen comrades and military heroes that have defended the freedoms that are shared today. These freedoms did not become a reality by happen stance; they were fought and defended by military men and women to establish freedom in the United States. 

In the same way, Christianity is about being set free by honoring the One who came to establish such freedom—Jesus Christ. Many people have a distorted view of God which, in turn, prevents them from experiencing the freedom found in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a set of rules, regulations, or stipulations that God has put in place to hinder the enjoyment of life. Christianity is Jesus Christ and Him alone. Jesus Christ Himself came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came to set free humanity from the enslavement of sin and to give them a hope of a secure future in Heaven with God Almighty. Jesus Christ came not for the righteous, but for the sick and the sinners (Mark 2:17).

Religiosity, however, comes from the attitude of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. The Pharisees in the Bible understood religiosity very well by portraying this type of attitude in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus says to them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean (Matthew 23:27). The Pharisees were excellent performers of religion by putting on a show. However, there hearts were far from their Savior. God is not interested in a show; He is interested in our hearts.

My friend, where do you stand today with the Lord? What is your understanding of Christianity? Have you been set free from the sin in your life, or are you covering it up by putting on a show like the Pharisees? Jesus Christ longs to set you free. He died specifically for you that you would come to have a relationship with Him. So, on this Easter weekend, would you consider accepting Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior? Perhaps, you have fallen away and would like to renew your relationship with God. There is not a better time than now. If you would, pray with me...

Father in Heaven, I come before you because I recognize that I am a sinner and in need of a Savior. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to be Lord of my life and to forgive my sins. I believe that you are the Son of God who died and paid the penalty of sin for me. Lord God, I totally surrender my life into your hands and ask that Your purposes and plans be complete through me.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

brian mcgee

 

Got focus?

As a youngster, I grew up playing the drums in church to accompany my Dad's chancel choir--it was a blast! However, I can remember one Sunday laughing so hard that I could not concentrate on playing the drums. My brother Chad, who normally plays the trumpet, was asked to play the finger cymbals--let me tell you, this was quite a picture. All I could focus on was Chad's fingers wrapped around the tiny finger cymbals. I'm not sure why, but I just could not focus...

Are you like me and easily become distracted? Countless times during the day I remind myself to stay focused on the task at hand. The author of Hebrews provides insight to stay focused by saying, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." Regardless of our job, work, or career choice, there lies a pressing need to feel significant in the work that is accomplished. Perhaps, you have asked yourself the questions: Why do I do what I do? What is the purpose? Do I have a focus? The Bible tells us to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). If we do so and prioritize God first place in our lives, we will be given an eternal focus--a focus that brings clarity to life.

The reason the Bible tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ is not necessarily for our benefit--although we will reap benefit--but for the benefit of the Kingdom. 1 Peter 4:11 says, "...so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." When we give all the praise and glory to Jesus Christ, our lives develop a Kingdom focus in which brings purpose and true significance.

My friends, let us focus our undivided attention of the One who has come to seek and to save the lost--Jesus Christ. May we partner with Him in the ongoing work of the Kingdom by staying focused on His work and by meditating on His goodness day and night. May our hearts never stop saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8).

brian mcgee

Get up and Go!

Have you ever done something irreversible that makes you say, "I've really messed up and ruined things now; what's the point in even trying anymore?" I have. We all do at sometime in our lives. It is inevitable that we will all mess up and create something that seems to be irreversible; creating and producing despair in our lives. The question is: "How do we work through despair and move on to what lies ahead?" 

Jesus' disciples thought and asked the same question when they fell asleep, when Jesus asked them to stay awake to pray. When the disciples did not do as Jesus had asked, they really messed up and created despair in their lives. I love how Jesus responded to the sleepy disciples in Matthew 26:45: "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look the hour is near and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go!" 

Jesus said to rise and go! Oswald Chamber explains it this way: "Let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him." My friends, we must never allow past failure or defeat to dictate our next step. We must push forward in persevering  toward what God is calling us to do in-spite of what has happened in the past. The past is behind and the future is ahead.

Let us move forward into the invincible future with God!