Lessons from Potiphar's Wife

 by Bryan Stevenson

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age - Titus 2:11-12

I was in high school when I had an epiphany about the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife from Genesis 39. I even wrote a song about it. The song wasn’t any good, but I remember that Dad was predictably impressed. (He was always impressed by his kids and grand kids, and he wasn’t shy about praising them.) The story spoke to me because Potiphar’s wife represented any sin or temptation that I was struggling with, and Joseph’s response illustrated one way to deal with that temptation. He fled. That isn’t a very manly thing to do, to run away and not even face down your enemy. It seems to show weakness in the face of temptation. However, throughout my adult life I’ve applied the tactic multiple times.

Ideally, we’d all have the self control necessary to stand firm in our convictions, but sometimes avoidance is an act of self control itself. As an example, instead of buying ice cream and disciplining myself to only have small servings on rare occasions, I will not buy the ice cream in the first place. It is much easier to decide once, at the grocery store, to avoid temptation, than it is to face it down every single time I open the freezer. It turns out that science supports this technique. In fact, your willpower is finite. It depletes itself every time you use it, and needs to be rested and restored periodically.

Self control isn’t only about continually denying yourself, or continually choosing to do what is right. Self control also requires the wisdom to know how to most efficiently and effectively use it. For example, if you struggle to set aside time to exercise, schedule to work out with someone who will hold you accountable to be there. If you waste time or watch things you shouldn’t on the internet, put up internet filters to protect your home and your mind. If you abuse your credit cards, get rid of them. All of these techniques require some self control to implement, but end up helping you make the right decisions going forward. Like Joseph, you run away once, and in this way don’t drain your pool of available willpower unnecessarily.

So, I guess Joseph was onto something when he split, leaving his coat behind in the hands of the seductress. Of course, it didn’t turn out perfectly for him at first. He ended up being accused of rape and thrown in jail. However, he did successfully resist temptation. That set the stage for even greater things in his life going forward, and the same will be true for us as we exercise good judgement and self control.

Put Down the Headphones

Running and I have such an on and off relationship.  Recently I have loved it, but I fully attributed that to me finally downloading good music and buying decent headphones.  The burning in my lungs and the fatigue of my legs somehow becomes fun while listening to "Hey Jude."

 I didn't run for most of my mission team training week because most of the days were exhausting on their own.  However on Thursday my team did not have to meet until 10 A.M.  We were stoked!  My co-leader, Adam, and I decided to have an optional time of prayer at 9 for those overachievers who were looking for a challenge.  I was exhausted.  This was the break my body was looking for.  BUT this was training week which meant my spirit had a much louder voice.

 I decided to wake up early.  I put on my running shoes, grabbed my headphones, and headed towards the door.  That was when I remembered that when I finally downloaded good music it had deleted my Kari Jobe album and I was completely devoid of Christian tunes.  "It's not a big deal," I told myself.  But it was.  I was being intentional about not only avoiding social media, secular music, and anything that could be a distraction.  So I said "Hey God, I am trying to challenge myself by running, but I can't do it without headphones.  Is it cool if I listen to this music?"

He didn't tell me that it "wasn't cool" if I listened to secular music.  Instead, He asked if I would let Him be enough.  Wow.  That was the moment I had to stop making excuses.  God wanted to be my enough.  Well, I'm not a big fan of telling the creator of the universe that He isn't enough, so I put the headphones down.  Instead of jamming to "Say Something", I prayed.  I prayed for each of the members of my team.  It was hard, definitely harder than running with music, but it felt glorious at the same time.

During the 9 A.M. prayer time my team had, I took a moment to write down what God was telling me about each of my members.  Those simple sentences were later used to speak life and prophecy into the lives of my team.  Some of what was shown to me I was privileged to tell them that day, other parts were saved for commissioning night, and some were never told at all.  That's not the important part.  What was important was that I listened.

I will always remember Thursday, May 7 as the day that I listened.  I woke up.  I put down the headphones.  I wrote down what God told me.  These were all three very small steps that set up my day to be remarkable.  In these tiny steps of obedience I learned that for each step you take, the Lord takes a mile.  God is omnipotent.  He has the power to do anything, but I believe that He often waits for us to make a move.  What better way is there for us to show faith?  And love?  And then there are those times where it feels like we keep taking more and more steps and yet we see nothing.  I believe that He is still moving.  That is where true faith comes in, the kind of faith that Jesus mentioned in John 20:29.  Faith in that which you cannot see.

 I learned something else that day.  Okay, I learned a lot of lessons that day, but one that I have to tell you.  Every hour spent with God is an hour spent in victory.  To me, God is not invisible.  I see Him in His creation, in little things like sunsets and tall trees.  These wonders are reflections of their Creator.  Man, if those are just reflections, I cannot begin to imagine the mind-blowing beauty of the Lord.  Every second spent serving this indescribable God is not deserved yet freely given.  And the enemy tries to distract and persuade us away from this!  He uses excuses like being too busy or having time later on me all the time, so I bet he uses it on others too.  He really isn't that creative.  Another way that my time of victory is robbed is when my mind and heart are not fully engaged.  It's like I'm having dinner with God but texting someone else the whole time.  Sure I still eat, but the quality and purpose is completely lost.

 Compared to the insane amount of love and sacrifice the Lord pours on us, He does not ask for much.  However, what He does ask for often seems like way too much in the moment.  Or like it's not a big deal so why even bother.  I am making it a personal goal to look for the little steps I can take, the minor moments where I can say "yes" to God so that when the bigger moments come I already know how.  On Thursday, May 7, I put down my headphones.  It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Get Off the Sidelines

by Pastor Bill Heffelfinger

 ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  ~ Matthew 28:19-20

I’m a huge sports fan. I think some of the greatest life lessons are learned on the fields and courts of our society. Sport, in many ways, is a fascinating parallel to the church. On a playing field, you’ll have a few different roles.  

There are the coaches: Encouraging. Uplifting. Correcting. 

There are the players: Running. Jumping. Working. Sweating. Giving their all.

There are the referees: Keeping order. Enforcing rules.

Then, there are the fans.  They are the most interesting.  Many of them believe they have all of the answers.  If the coach would just say this or use this strategy. If the players would just work harder. If the referee would just be better at his job. Frankly, if everyone else did just what I say, this entire event would be better off.  Fans seem to have all of the answers.  They don’t necessarily want to put in the work required to secure the victory, they don’t necessarily want to be held accountable when things go awry, yet they continue to offer up “ideas” through their vocal displays of displeasure.

Sadly, I think we have too many fans in the Church. Few feel “called” to do ministry.  Fewer still feel a calling to lead others. But, many have plenty of ideas on how to “make church better.”  Many church suggestion boxes and Pastors’ inboxes are filled each week with suggestions to do a particular Bible study, a particular missions trip, or volunteer opportunities in a particular neighborhood.  Yet, far too few Christians want to be the actual players in the game.  The bible study is a good idea, if someone else leads it. The missions trip would be awesome; as long as it doesn’t conflict with my vacation. Serving that community could really be impactful, but I wanted to plant flowers and you’ve decided to paint houses.

I think many pastors simply get tired of hearing about good ideas for the church. It’s not that pastors don’t want to hear of new ideas.  Most do.  But, we need more players and fewer fans. The ideas are great, but it’s wholly unfair to expect the Pastor to implement every idea on his own. Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”   New ideas are the easy part. We must, as James 1:22 tells us, become “doers of the Word.”  Scripture is full of action words. Go, do, speak, exhort, oppose. Yet, so many believers passively approach applying scripture to their lives. 

Brothers and sisters, the time of simply spectating is over.  It’s time to get off the sidelines and get in the game.

Thoughts on Meditation

 by Bryan Stevenson

May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. ~ Psalm 104:34

 
I’m not writing about anything new. It’s not even new to me. One of my pastors, Marty Angell, gave a message about meditation many years ago. He explained how Christians would often question meditation because of its ties with Eastern religions, but instead we should embrace it as a vital part of a Biblical life. That stuck with me. I’ve had the head knowledge, and I’ve intermittently put it into practice over the years. However, our recent trip with The Center for Short Term Missions, and Jaron’s trip with Global Expeditions, have made the concept more real to me than ever before.


One of the benefits of leaving your home town for a missions trip is that it forcibly pushes you away from your daily routine. It encourages introspection and spirituality, both things that are lacking in a typical American week. So, while in West Virginia we woke up, had breakfast, and then spent an hour or so reading through a study, reading the Bible, and having “quiet time.” (I think the term “quiet time” was invented by American Christians as a substitute for the more uncomfortable feeling word, “meditation.”) Jaron also spent time each morning journaling and reading Scripture. We don’t do this in our daily lives. Personally, I pray every day, typically while walking into my office, or as I fall asleep at night. I’m obviously not very focused, nor am I giving my best.

My Indian co-workers tell me about the rigors of Hindu meditation. Those practitioners take it seriously. They will often set up a shrine in their house, sometimes in a separate room. The sole purpose of that room is for meditation and prayer. There is something to this idea of setting aside a time and a place in our lives for the spiritual. There was a small prayer room at the Baptist church I attended in high school. I always felt a sense of the sacred when I went into that room. The atmosphere set the stage for an encounter with the Divine. I’ve had similar experiences in nature, out on a small boat in the Atlantic, standing in an icy stream just after dawn, watching the waves crash to shore with the sun setting behind my back, or sitting on a patio in the mountains drinking a cup of coffee with Dad. Those times of quiet reflection will lead to personal growth if we allow them to take hold.

The missions trip gave us two things that helped focus our meditation. The first was purpose. The second was location. Now that I’m back home I recognize that I need to set up those same two ingredients. The purposeful setting aside of a time and a place to meditate on the Lord, Scripture, the world, and my place in it.

I’ve thrown the idea up against the wall … now let’s see if I can make it stick.

Reasons for Reaching Out

As a church, Acts 2 has been stepping up this year in the area of outreach. In addition to our mission trip this summer, we are also planning more outreaches to the community than we have in the past. But why reach out? Some might suggest that evangelism is not about social programs, and there is some truth in that. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the good news to all men. But going into the community and blessing people is a primary way we can build bridges and create space for sharing the good news of Jesus in a receptive environment. Beyond that, reaching out to the poor and hurting fulfills a different but equally important instruction that Jesus gave us. Here are four very important goals for reaching out to our communities and beyond.

1. Good Impressions. Sadly, many people in our contemporary culture have a very bad impression of Christians and the church. Christians are often viewed as close-minded, hypocritical, judgmental, and downright mean people. Perhaps that's because those sort of misguided "Christians" tend to be the most vocal about their faith. But the quiet majority of goodhearted, true Christians need to rise up and change those impressions. We need to be loving, giving, accessible people of integrity who can be trusted. We need to exude God's peace and joy. We need to be reaching out to the world both through intentional outreach programs and also through our daily living. That combined with an occasional mention that we are indeed followers of Christ and that we do attend a wonderful church will begin to change those bad impressions to good impression, and open people to the good news of Jesus and to the church.

Acts 2 members reaching out through service

2. Have Conversations. Outreach opens opportunities to get to know people. Not preach at them, but to ask them questions about themselves. To open a give and take of information that will show that you care about them as individuals. These conversations make a space for the Holy Spirit to move. If the conversation is going well, you might even bring up an issue related to faith. For example, "Do you attend a church?" or "What is your background with religion?" Maybe you're afraid that those sorts of questions might bring out anger in that person, but if they do, you will learn something very important about where the person is and how you can pray for them. You might even have an opportunity to apologize on behalf of Christians and share what true Christianity is all about. Or perhaps you're concerned that the conversation could bring up questions that you're not prepared to answer. That's a okay. Just say something like, "That's a good question. Let me think about that and we'll talk some more later." You can always take those questions to your church leaders and get their input. And guess what? You'll have a chance for another conversation.

3. Prayer Invitation. If a conversation goes well, you will also have an opportunity to ask someone to pray. Before you say good-bye, ask them if you can pray for them about anything. About half of the time, people will say yes. But don't be shy; take it a step further. If their answer is something friendly along the lines of, "Oh no. I'm fine. Thanks," ask if you can pray for them anyway. At that point the vast majority will answer yes. Prayer is another way we can show our love and concern in a tangible manner. More importantly, it opens a very immediate and powerful channel for the Holy Spirit to minister to their spirits. Because in the end, it's God's job to move in people's hearts and change them. We are merely the messengers.

Acts 2 kids having fun and reaching out

4. Jesus's Instruction. But perhaps the most vital reason to reach out to the needy and hurting is because Jesus tells us to. By reaching out to other people, we bless the God who created them in His image and loves them. We also change our own hearts, both through humbly serving, and also through getting a better perspective on our own lives. So even if we never change another person, never get anyone to accept Christ, never add one member to our church, through reaching out and blessing others, we have pleased God and fulfilled His instruction. I will leave you with this powerful message from Jesus in Matthew 25.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."

Passion for His Presence

 by Pastor Bill Heffelfinger

Passion for His Presence. As a believer, it is a deep longing to sense the presence of Almighty God. As a matter of fact, it is a deep longing to experience His Presence. Yet, we go to church, we do our rituals, and come home feeling either satisfied or wishing there were more. Time passes and we either begin to become content with that or we start looking for what we long for. We tend to go "church hopping" or we quit going to church all together. We don't seem to receive what we have longed for; so we add more and more things to our lives. So much that we have no more room for seeking the presence of God.

Here's the thing, we are the church, and if I am a believer I am a member of the Body of Christ. If I am the Church then I help dictate the ability for God to move in the corporate setting of believers. What I mean is, it is how I enter that setting that determines how much I will experience God in that setting.

I, first of all must experience God all week before entering the setting.  How?  By seeking Him daily, not just a devotional, a Bible reading time, or just prayer on the way to work; I must SEEK Him. If I was looking for a $100 bill that I had lost, I would tear my house up looking for it, I would spend however long it took to find it. The same should be when we are seeking God. Heb. 11:6 says "... He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Next, I must look at my attitude as I enter the building of fellowship.   Am I just coming because it is another Sunday?   Has my heart turned cold toward God and His people?   Do I truly long to be in His presence?  If I truly long to be in the presence of God, Then I will come expecting Him to move. The time of corporate worship is for the believer, we must come longing for the presence of God.

Unbelievers will bring enough junk in their lives to give over to God, but if we have a lot of junk in our own lives, they will be unable because the presence of God will be absent.

Remember, we determine how much God is experienced. We are the conduit for the power of God to flow freely; the power only comes with His presence. For deliverance, healing, and salvation to take place in an unbeliever's life, when they grace the corridors of our buildings, the presence of God must be experienced.

Oh, that we would find ourselves seeking the presence of God so much that nothing else matters. That we would say as Moses did, “Show me your glory!"

A Crutch?

by Pastor Rob Stevenson (2012)

One excuse for ignoring Jesus centers around an opinion that, "He's a crutch."  Over the years I have heard other men say such things as: “You need a crutch. If Jesus is good for you, then go ahead.” Or “Jesus is a crutch. I’m okay the way I am.”  I would shrug off the comment, sometimes saying something resembling His awesomeness as a “crutch” if that is what He would be referred to.  It bothered me a little, until finally during all these years of pondering it in the back of my mind, I've realized how stupidly asinine such a thought really is.  Jesus is not a crutch.  He’s not even an awesome crutch.  He is NOTHING of the kind. He frees. He does not hinder.  He enhances.  He heals.  He makes whole.  Everything a crutch is not, Jesus is.

Crutches take care of the weak and feeble.  It’s a poor second to actually walking or getting around on your own.  The broken or injured get crutches to help them in their brokenness, but they are still broken.  To parallel Jesus as a crutch demonstrates an ignorance of just who He is and why He was called upon this earth.  Jesus is the best solution for life, and not a poor, or even a  best, second.

So, the most ideal crutches remain poor substitutes.  They help the person just get by until something better comes along, like a healing. Jesus skips the "just-get-by" stuff. He heals.  "... And he healed every kind of disease and illness."  (Matthew 4:23 NLT).  Does this sound like a crutch to you? Of course not.

Crutches come from man-made structures that require manpower to function.   It's all from man. Jesus on the other hand came from heaven and His power comes from God.  It's all God-centered and God-created. 

One thing stands as a common bond between a crutch and Jesus.  Nobody wants a crutch, and unfortunately, many don't seem to want Jesus either.  Sad testimonies come regularly.  However, further review would show many diametrically opposed aspects.  For instance, scriptures say "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).  Crutches can be observed with the earthly senses of sight and feel.  Jesus is in the supernatural, the realm of faith.  Yet again, a similarity comes to mind.  Crutches at one time were made solely of wood to so people could stand up.  Jesus was laid on wood.  A cross.  He was nailed to it, and the cross was used for Him to stand up.  This happened so that others, like you and me, could stand free, healed, complete, and whole. Call on Jesus.  Not for a handicap help, but for a whole soul.

Looking Away

 by Pastor Rob Stevenson (2012)

Research suggests that looking away when receiving an injection reduces the strength of the expected pain.  While watching video clips showing a needle pricking a hand, a Q-tip touching the hand, or a hand alone, study participants concurrently received painful or non-painful electrical stimuli applied to their own hand. Participants reported that their pain was more intense and more unpleasant when they viewed a needle pricking a hand than when they saw a hand alone or a Q-tip on the hand.

"Throughout our lives, we repeatedly experience that needles cause pain when pricking our skin, but situational expectations, like information given by the clinician prior to an injection, may also influence how viewing needle pricks affects pain," says lead author Marion Höfle (1)

I marvel at the human mind's ability to conjure up and physically display a sensation like pain. You see the pain taking place.  You hear about the pain.  Then, when you could be experiencing it (but not necessarily really experiencing it), the pain is indeed intense and powerful.  Isn't it like calling those things which do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17 NKJV)?   Certainly, if the mind is so adept at moving into the realms of pain, then something new and creative might help the mind experience higher levels of love or joy or peace. 

If throughout our lives we repeatedly experienced how a needle hardly hurt at all, and we heard how it barely could be felt, then it probably wouldn’t hurt much.  That happened to me when I was little.  Over and over again I heard from my dad how shots were nothing.  “Why, they are puny, little pricks that have nothing to do with a hurt.  When you get pinched a little bit, that hurts as much as a needle. Just forget about it and don’t look at it,” my daddy would tell me time and time again.  I believed him.  At an early age, a shot affected me hardly at all.  I took them in stride and barely felt them.  It was years later that I related this story to my dad.  He surprised me by saying that he hated needles.  They gave him plenty of fear, and he never wanted one.  In fact he dreaded them.  I still chuckle at that, but the point is, I heard something that helped me have a better attitude about needles.  My faith had been in my dad and his wisdom, even though he hadn’t applied it to himself. 

Let’s take it further.  Have your faith in Jesus take charge of your life.  Let your sight see the good.  Let your experiences be positive.  I marvel at the human mind’s ability. The mind relates to what God creates.  Look away from evil and look to your faith in Jesus.  You will see.

    (1) Marion Höfle, Michael Hauck, Andreas K. Engel, Daniel Senkowski. Viewing a needle pricking a hand that you perceive as yours enhances unpleasantness of pain. Pain, 2012; 153 (5): 1074