Keep Swinging

 
Did you watch the Poirier / McGregor fight a couple of Saturdays ago? Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money to order the fight because I work on a pastor's wage but I heard it was exciting! ;) 
 
All joking aside, I would have ordered the fights if I didn’t have a prior engagement. Luckily, we live in an era where anything exciting gets caught on video and will eventually end up in our faces.
 
I’ll give you a summary: trash-talking, big personalities, and even bigger head Conner McGregor. McGregor suffered a catastrophic injury in the first round which eventually led to a doctor calling the fight and declaring Dustin Poirier the champion. 
 
I’m a fan of mixed martial arts. I’m drawn to the spirit of fighters. Even though some fighters, like McGregor, can have a big ego and exude arrogance, you have to respect his willingness to lay his physical safety on the line to achieve greatness.  
 
What I specifically noticed about this fight was Conner McGregor's unwillingness to accept defeat as he lay there broken. Literally, minutes after breaking his leg in half, the man begins promoting a rematch! As I’m watching it, I’m thinking to myself, “What an idiot! Just take the “L” and accept your future in this sport.”
 
But on the other hand, I’m once again brought to a place of respect for McGregor’s unwillingness to yield in the middle of a defeat. 
 
The fighter spirit says don’t give up even if you are outnumbered, broken, and losing; fight until you can’t fight anymore. I admire the tenacity and grit. 
 
This should be a reflection of our faith - not the big-headed arrogance part, but the standing strong in the face of all odds. I’m tired of seeing Christians get hit with devastating life blows and not hit back. 
 
Romans 8 calls Christians “more than conquerors”. God has built us and equipped us to face hard things. Even more than that, hard things is the avenue where we build stronger faith. Just as a weightlifter needs resistance to build strength, Christians need resistance to build faith.
 
The book of James puts it this way, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” -James 1:2-4
 
Our perseverance through challenges creates maturity. Do you feel the burn in your faith muscles? 
 
It’s natural to run away from pain, but pain is one of the best teachers we have. Let's be clear, because sometimes God gets blamed for the pain He doesn’t create. The book of James actually addresses this by saying don’t blame God when you are being tempted because God doesn’t tempt us. All good and perfect things come from the Father.  
 
Let’s be honest, most of the pain we face is self-inflicted pain from bad habits or choices we have made. And God shouldn’t get blamed for that. He is actually leading us away from those things and calling us to obedience. 
 
The beautiful part is that no matter where the pain comes from - self-infliction, other people's choices, sudden tragedy, or even the pain of being obedient - He uses it all. God doesn’t create all pain but He knows how to use all of it. That’s why James says “trials of MANY kinds”. Whatever it is, God has your answer. 
 
Let’s go back to the Romans 8 statement of “more than conquerors”. God has built us to overcome and the way we do that is being spirit led. If you are being beaten up, I’d encourage you to take some time and pray to God and ask Him for the strategy to face it. And KEEP ASKING until you get it. 
 
Don’t shrink back and become a victim. Wrestle in prayer and the promises of God. Allow it to build maturity inside of you, even while it seems like you are losing. God is working even if you don’t see it. God is working even if you don’t feel it.  
 
Romans 8:31-32 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things (trials)? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
 
Keep swinging, hold on, and endure to the very end. You will see the fulfillment of God’s promises. 
 
-Pastor Chad 
 
 
Chad Fagundes is Men and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church.
 
 

Change

What a crazy thing change is. You either love it or you hate it, but it is inevitable. A simple look on recent history shows how times marches on and change occurs. From generation to generation, the differences are physically evident and personally felt. Think back to your parents’ generation and the things that occurred during their lifetimes. Think back to your grandparents’ generation and how drastic their lifestyles were compared to ours. 

Someone once said, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” All of us have certainly experienced our fair share of change recently. How did you fare? Did you adapt well or fight it, kicking and screaming? Did you grow? I think it’s extremely important to regularly look back and gauge how we withstood our circumstances. 

When I reflect on my earlier years of life, I’m embarrassed at how immaturely I behaved. When I see these same behaviors exhibited in others around me, am I sensitive and considerate of their phase of life or critical and judgmental? As a more mature woman, I would rather forget the stupid things I did back then. Yet, how can I not consider them as I view others? 

There is a transformation that takes place when you are trying to please God. It is a matter of the heart but the result is externally obvious. The Bible calls it the fruit of the Spirit. “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” -Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) 

Yikes! Despite my efforts, I am immediately humbled reading this verse, evaluating where I still fall short. I have to remind myself that I am in process and that the work is not something I can do on my own. It is the work of Jesus in me. 

You see, He has plans for my life - plans for change.

We can take our confidence in the fact that “the Lord’s plan stands forever; what He intends to do lasts from one generation to the next.” -Psalms 33:11 CEB

God can use us to bring about His plan, if we are willing to exchange our personal desires and ways for His. It’s not because we are worthy to do great things; it is because HE can use the lowliest of things, and people, to bring about great things. He used David, a young shepherd boy, to slay a giant and win the battle. He used a small boy with two fish and five small loaves to feed 5,000. He used a carpenter’s son, born in a barn, to save the world!

What an honor to be a ‘change agent’ for God. A change agent is a person who helps transform things by inspiring and influencing others. To do so for God’s Kingdom is humbling and exciting! 

God doesn’t need us but He can use those who are willing. He uses lowly people, like me, to work through our weakness. It is never too late to discover your purpose. Moses was 80 when he began; Noah was much, much older. 

If you hear God’s Holy Spirit prompting you to change or to be a part of what He is doing on this earth, don’t miss it or shy from it. He can find someone else; it will only be your loss. But if you are willing to change, to grow through our mistakes, and to respond to His loving call, that’s where the excitement begins! All of us have something God can use to bring about His change.

Sylvia Gaston
Family Ministry Pastor

Philemon

Yesterday, I led a Bible study and we decided to go through the letter of Philemon. The letter is only one page and one of the shortest letters in scripture. I encourage you to read it. 

 

This letter is written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Philemon. Paul writes this letter from prison on behalf of a man, Onesimus, who he converted to Christianity while in prison. 

 

The letter tells us that Onesimus was Philemon's runaway slave. Before I get to the heart of the letter, I want to be clear about the context. Our twenty-first century concept of slavery is that slavery is oppressive and should be condemned by all. I agree. This letter isn’t condoning slavery. Slavery was a big part of the Roman economy and this letter isn’t to promote slavery but to use the relationship to exemplify reconciliation.  

 

Back to the letter. From the text, we understand that Onesimus not only ran away from Philemon, but may have stolen from him as well. Now, Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon so that a wrong might be righted. 

 

I think it’s important, as the reader, to put ourselves in the shoes of each character so we can understand how difficult the situation was. Today, I want to put on Philemon’s shoes. From the text, we see Philemon as a good man. Verses 4 and 5 says this about him, “I am always thankful to my God as I remember you in my prayers because I’m hearing reports about your faith in the Lord Jesus and how much love you have for all his holy followers.”

 

So here we have a good man being asked to forgive. Not only to forgive him but to receive Onesimus back as more than a slave, as a brother in Christ. Paul makes this request in verse 16, “So welcome him (Onesimus) no longer as a slave, but more than that, as a dearly loved brother.” 

 

What?!?!? Onesimus betrayed Philemon and stole from him, which I’m sure humiliated Philemon in front of the entire church since the church actually took place in Philemon's home. What a tall order! 

 

Culturally speaking, Philemon had every right to turn over Onesimous to the Roman justice system that would have righted the wrong by putting Onesimous in prison or even to death. But Paul appeals to him on the structure of a higher Kingdom. This is a big lesson in Christianity.

 

Have you ever had someone wrong you? Humiliate you? Wrong you in a way that was completely their fault and the worldly standard encourages you to cut them off? Now, imagine that your Father asks you to forgive that person and not only to forgive them, but to treat them better than they deserve. To not just tolerate them, but to honor them. I may not have been a Christian long enough to swallow this situation easily because my first reaction is, ‘you’re trippin’!’

 

This was Philemon's situation. History shows evidence surrounding this circumstance that points to Philemon and Oneismus reconciling. Not only is this reconciliation powerful for the relationship between these two men but this actually became a powerful illustration to the body of believers they were connected to. As in any broken relationship, there are typically many people affected by the outcome. 

 

When Paul was teaching at the church of Colossians about living a new life in Christ (which was the church that met at Philemon’s house), Paul says, “there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Colossians 3:11)

 

Talk about a push against the teaching of the culture! I believe Paul uses this relationship as a powerful illustration - that our standard isn’t what the world says, but what Christ says. In Christ, we are all children; no one better than the other. The passage goes on to say how we should live and treat others. The beautiful thing about this passage is that it wasn’t just some nice words; the church saw this go down in real time. These two men displayed how powerful it can be to choose to live in Christ to help us overcome the most dysfunctional situations. 

 

Is there a situation that you have every right to dismiss or hold anger against? Maybe you have someone like Philemon who has wronged you, humiliated you. Maybe you're stuck in bitterness. Maybe someone is treating you unfairly right now. 

 

I believe you can be free from that but, to be free you have to submit to the heavenly kingdom and not a worldly one. The reason you can forgive and be free is because Christ has forgiven us and freed us. Turn your life to Christ and He has the answer for every relationship. 

 

Blessings, 

Pastor Chad 

Mens’ and Outreach Pastor