Balancing the Equation

While sharing a meal at Cracker Barrel Monday night, we were talking about what is happening in Urban Life. We have recently learned that there are more people who are planning to visit, and that many people are faithfully listening to the radio broadcast.

Carol, who was born and raised in Harrisburg, expressed why it is so important that we have been teaching about the Lord’s commitment to us. She disclosed,

“When I was in church, we were always being told how much we are supposed to be committed to the church and the pastor, but for many people this is the first time they’ve heard about the Lord’s commitment to His people. That’s why we must keep presenting this message.”  Then she reminded me that that’s how I won her heart.

Carol’s words resounded inside of me. Over thirty years ago, I set out to prove to a girl from Harrisburg, PA that I would never leave her. I set out to prove that when I asked her to marry me, it was for keeps.

I didn’t realize it back then, but God was giving me the life-message I would someday preach and teach. What I had done to win one woman from Harrisburg, I would someday preach and teach to an entire community. That message: God meant it when He said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Many Christians become very uncomfortable with this type of message because they’ve been heavy laden with preaching regarding holy and righteous living. Some may think that we are putting too much emphasis on love and grace, so I’ll explain it like this:

If you stack a scale with bricks on one side and feathers on the other side, it will not be balanced. So for now, we have to stack, load after load of “grace and love” bricks to get the scale in balance. That’s all we’re doing. We’re bringing balance to the equation.

One of the new Urban Life attendees told us recently, “You guys just give us the Word, but you don’t make us receive it. You just allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in us.”

And that was the ultimate compliment from our point of view. We don’t want to do anything to force or coerce anyone to do anything in our gatherings. If you lift your hands in praise and worship, it will be because you are personally responding to the Spirit of God; not because I screamed over the microphone, “Somebody better lift your hands and act like you love Jesus!” That’s not leading people in praise and worship. That’s manipulation to get a reaction from the crowd.

That’s why we haven’t even set aside a specific moment to receive an offering. We just leave the offering plate available in one spot so that you can give as the Lord leads you with no manipulation from anyone. Each person can simply respond to God and know that He is pleased with their obedience.

This is going to become even more important as the days become even more difficult in this nation. Some of you have grown discouraged because it seems like your prayers are not being answered. You have been praying for family and friends, but the situations have only become worse. Chris and Carol have prayed for people and they lived. We have prayed for some and they died. We have been taught to seek the Lord's wisdom and not just make a request. You may need to begin to seek the Lord for wisdom in this hour.