Pastor John's Blog

The Great Experiment

2020-11-18T06:34:00.004-08:00

"Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergyman or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth."

John Wesley

A little over three years ago a small group of people began a journey together that started with a fairly simple idea:  what would happen if you tried your best to forget everything you think you know about church and then started building from scratch using the Bible as your guide?  What would happen if you had no real programs, no growth plan, no paid staff, no budget, and no smoke machines?  What would happen if the separation between the "clergy" and the "laity" was eliminated, or at least greatly diminished?  What would happen if each person in body of Christ was free to use his or her spiritual gifts with minimal interference from the church leadership (as long as the gift and its use were biblical)?   

Three years later and one thing I can tell you for certain is that (at least so far) you get a church that is far from perfect.  Like our individual spiritual journeys, it is a church that evolves and changes over time.  It matures.  There are growing pains, setbacks, victories, losses, challenges and changes.  We are straining together toward a common goal, and it is sometimes painful, often joyful and always invigorating -- definitely unlike anything any of us have ever experienced before and definitely never boring!  

Another thing I can tell you is that it is a church that is highly unpredictable.  Sunday services typically begin with a handful of people blowing shofars  -- although no one ever asked permission to do so.  It is not uncommon for someone to come forward at an appropriate time during the service and read a scripture, give an encouraging or edifying word or even to sing a hymn or spiritual song.  Our drummer just decided to become part of our worship team several months ago  -- despite the fact that she had never played drums before!  (she is amazing, by the way).   

Which leads me to my last point of this post -- to see so many people using gifts that they most probably never knew they had, and that most churches would never have permitted them to express, is a truly amazing thing.  For years I had trouble reconciling story after story in the Bible of God using the most ordinary of people to do the most extraordinary of things, with a church that limited the heavy spiritual lifting to paid professionals and kept God and His people basically in a box.  A church that far too often is about maintaining power and control.

“I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God's creational intentions.”

― John Wesley

If anything has been confirmed by the last three years it is that God still uses the most ordinary of people to do the most extraordinary of things!  God will move mountains through a small group of people who love and obey Him -- people who are steadfastly dedicated to pursuing Jesus.  Through the Holy Spirit anything really is possible.  And that, I think, is one of the hallmarks of a biblical church.

Hope

2018-11-21T15:36:00.001-08:00

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

I think that most Americans would agree that we live in troubled times. In the last few weeks alone we have seen turmoil in the stock markets, devastating loss of life and property in the California fires and numerous mass shootings, to name a few of the recent events that have shaken us as a nation.

There have been times in the past when difficult times and tragic events tended to bring us closer together as a country; but not so these days. No. These days such events seem only to serve as fodder to blame, and indeed demonize, political opponents. More fuel for the anger -- more reason and proof that the deep division in our country cannot be bridged.

While anger is in the air these days, I actually don't think the predominate feeling among Americans is a feeling of anger or frustration or even helplessness, but of fear. It is a fear birthed out of an uncertain future. Some fear that the progress we have made toward a new and better America has been stopped in its tracks. Others fear that the good in the America they once knew is rapidly dissipating. Somehow, we all seem to have come to the conclusion that roughly half of the people in this country have lost their minds, and if not stopped soon will lead us into the abyss.

The church, for its part, seems to have lost its compass, and consequently seems to be doing little to bring calm in the midst of the storm. Some churches and organizations have entered into the political fray -- alienating roughly half of the population in the process. Others have all but ignored these troubled times, busily planning the next church growth event while the world around them seems to be sinking.

Personally, I think it is time to repent and for the church to return to being the church. The battle, after all, is spiritual. Our job in this church age, in this age of the Holy Spirit, is to advance the gospel. It is to show people the love of Jesus Christ. It is to lead people to the only real hope that they (or we) have.

There will always be problems in this world, and indeed those problems will likely only get worse -- regardless of who is on the next ballot. But there is hope. And it is our job to be the light that leads people to that hope.

Bethel Fellowship

2017-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our first baptism at Bethel Fellowship. It was a milestone for the church to be sure, and one of many wonderful "firsts" we will no doubt experience in the days to come.

I don't know that I have ever seen an entire congregation moved to tears quite like that. From the touching words of a proud mother, to the heart-felt prayers, to the magnitude of the moment itself, God's mighty hand was evident, I think, to all of us.

But whatever that first baptism may have meant for us as a church, it is nothing compared to the meaning I hope it had for the young lady who made the decision to be buried with Jesus in his death and raised with Jesus again in his resurrection. I hope that whatever significance that moment had for the church, that it meant a great deal more to that young lady's family, to her friends, and potentially to generations yet to come.

There was a time in the early days of the church when baptism was taken quite a bit more seriously than it is often taken today. Once upon a time baptism came only after a meaningful time of instruction and preparation -- the person being baptized knew in no uncertain terms the seriousness and meaning of the moment. Even then, both the person performing the baptism and the one being immersed were asked to fast at least a day, and preferably two, before the event. The question, I suspect, to be pondered and prayed about was whether one as truly willing to die to self and to be raised a new creation in Christ.

The truth is that in order to experience the new life that we have in Jesus we must first experience death. The old must die in order to make room for the new. Our old sinful life must be left behind, a new life birthed into the world evidenced by obedience to the voice of God.

Baptism is, in essence, a covenant with God. It is our agreement to allow the Holy Spirit to take the reigns of our life and to begin the hard work of conforming us to the very image of Jesus.

I hope and pray that at Bethel Fellowship we never lose sight of the awesome responsibility that comes with performing baptisms. I hope we keep our eyes focused on the prize and the magnitude of each of these moments. I am afraid that a casual prayer followed by an emotional decision to be baptized too often results in "faith" without transformation -- faith that never grows to maturity. Grace is costly, and through baptism we must count that cost.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:1-14

Thank You Heartland Church

2017-07-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Heartland Church:

It is with both sadness and great excitement that Pam and I let you know that after nearly seventeen years (eleven on staff) our time at Heartland Church has come to an end.

We are eternally grateful for your encouragement, support and prayers over all of these years and, even more so, for your love. You shared in many of the most joyous times in our lives and, of course, the most tragic time in our lives, and we will always thank God for each of you. In the worst of times we do not know how we would have survived without you.

At the same time, we are so thankful for the opportunity we have had to serve so many of you, and are still humbled and amazed at the many times you allowed us to be a part of the most private, intimate and important moments of your lives. It has been incredible to see God's hand at work, and we will always count serving you as one of the greatest pleasures of our lives.

Thanks to the entire church staff for your friendship over these years. There is not enough room here to say all the things that should be said to each of you. In fact, I am still looking for the words to try to explain the impact you have had on our lives.

We are particularly indebted to Pastor Dan for recognizing the calling on our lives, and for his mentorship and friendship over the years. If there is one thing we have never doubted it is Pastor Dan's love for God and his love for God's people.

Still, in the past few months we have seen the unmistakable footsteps of God leading us to somewhere new. I have accepted a job in the legal department of an incredible company and will be working with an amazing and talented group of people. As we are all commanded to do, it is my intention to work at this new position wholeheartedly, as if working for God himself. Colossians 3:23-24. ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." )

And, by doing so, I will also be able to continue serving God without being a financial burden on God's people. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being in full time ministry, there is also an incredible blessing in being able to preach the Gospel for free. Pam and I know that God is not finished with us just yet, and we are extremely excited about the plans He has for us. We are anxious to share more about those plans in the days ahead.

We have tried, to the best of our ability, to serve you in love -- proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the whole truth through the Word and through our way of life. Know that Pam and I love each of you -- and always will. Keep watch over yourselves and continue to draw close to God. Follow Jesus alone. We pray that God would continue to build you up so that you may attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. See Ephesians 4:1-13.

Love you all.

John and Pam

P.S., Just because we are transitioning doesn't mean we need to stop seeing the people we love!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built upuntil we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-13.

June 10, 2017

2017-06-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

If life had continued as we had planned, hoped or thought, tomorrow we would all be celebrating Jonathan's 31st birthday. Perhaps right now Pam and I would be frantically cleaning the house. Or maybe she would be in the kitchen baking a cake or in her office wrapping a carefully selected present. We might be anticipating spending tomorrow as a family, preparing for Jonathan to come through the door with his latest girlfriend -- or by now maybe even with his wife and our grandbaby in tow.

But, of course, life did not turn out as we would have wanted. There will be no cake and no celebration. There will be no daughter-in-law, and no grandchild for us to play with. And, worst of all, there will be no Jonathan. It is still hard to accept sometimes -- still hard to believe that its not just a bad dream. It is a reality we must try to accept again daily -- he was taken from us and he will not be coming back.

From time to time people will say, particularly of my wife, that they cannot believe how strong we have been in the face of all that has happened. There is a part of me that wishes that were true. The truth is, though, that we are both still frail. If only it were possible to peel back the exterior and feel what we feel. You would experience an unbearable anguish -- a brokenness from which I doubt either of us will ever fully recover.

For many of us the burden of life can become overwhelming at times. For all of us, there will be days when it seems like just getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other requires every ounce of strength that we have. When those days come -- and they will -- I hope you have a little grace for yourself. And, I hope that you find the faith to believe that God has something better for you in the future.

It is interesting to me that great men of God, who had far greater reason to trust God than most of us do, where nevertheless overwhelmed by the stress of life. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth not only about the hardships and suffering he and others were experiencing, but also about the emotional toll it was taking on them -- they "despaired even of life." 2 Corinthians 1:8.

Moses heard God speak from a burning bush, bring plagues on Egypt, pour water out of a rock, part the Red Sea and feed the Israelites with manna from heaven -- to name a few reasons why Moses might have been unwavering in his faith, strength and confidence. But despite all of this, Moses was rarely in a place of comfort.

In fact, despite all that Moses had seen the Lord do, the burden of serving God often overwhelmed him. One time in particular the people were grumbling about, of all things, having to eat manna instead of the meat, fish, cucumbers, melons and other things that had been available to them in Egypt. And, Moses had enough -- the burden had become too great and he asked God to put him to death!

He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Numbers 11:11-15.

Elijah, too, had seen God do many things. In First Kings, we read about Elijah's epic battle against the prophets of Baal. See, 1 Kings 18:20-39. You probably know the story. Elijah, the lone prophet of the Lord, challenged the four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a kind of duel.

In the end, Elijah saw his prayers answered, as the fire of the Lord fell on Elijah's sacrifice -- burning not only the bull, but the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in the trench in the process. The four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal lost their lives that day. 1 Kings 18:40.

Yet, shortly after this incredible encounter with God Elijah was running for his life. Like Moses, Elijah had enough, and asked God to take his life.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

1 Kings 19:3-5.

In the end, though, Moses and Elijah persevered, and God honored His promises to them. And, both of these men ultimately found themselves on the mountain top in one of the most powerful moments recorded in the New Testament.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:1-5.

As I write this today, it is impossible to see Pam and me on any mountain top. It is just not a place my imagination can take me.

Yes, tomorrow will come and go. But many June 10ths will follow. We will still have many Christmas mornings and Easter Sundays without him. Every milestone in the lives of our other children promise to be bitter-sweet. We will watch his friends have families of their own, and our joy for them will be met with a tinge of sorrow. This is our reality.

But still, we have faith. We cannot see it, touch it, or even imagine it -- but we believe God has a better future for us. Maybe even an unimaginably good one.

God

2017-06-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

For both Pam and me the last few years have had, as you might imagine, a profound impact on our relationship with and understanding of God. And, while I have on these pages written many times about the journey from my point of view, today I hope you are blessed by hearing from my wife's perspective. We love you all.

By: Pamela Crews

Below is a link to an article that a good friend, Kathryn Jankiewicz, sent to me this morning. I really think it is worth a read. I agree wholeheartedly with what she says (UNTIL she gets to the part where she says she had to invent new names for Him...but I'll talk about that later).

I think there are way too many people in the world who have turned their backs on God; people who have been unable to forgive him for bad things that have happened to themselves personally, or in the world generally, and people who have been disappointed when he failed to deliver on what they believed he promised to do for them. How many times have any of us heard, "I don't believe in God. How could a loving God allow ________"?

Maybe in the midst of pain, frustration and confusion...the things can that often leave us most vulnerable....we forget to consider that it is not actually God who is the problem. We fail to consider the fact that God, as we have each chosen to personify Him (our own perfect, individually tailored, made-to-order God who fits perfectly within the confines we each individually need Him to be, based on our own interpretations of the specific parts of the bible we choose to embrace, specific sermons that "resonate" with us, hurts we have endured, fears we harbor, and our hopes and desires for the future) is NOT BOUND to act within the confines of our understanding of who He is.

Duh. We all say that. But are we REALLY prepared and WILLING to meet God on His terms?

Before Jonathan was murdered, I felt like I had a very close relationship with God. Very close. I thought I understood his "nature,"...that I could predict His actions, within reason, based on my level of faith and my willingness/ability to follow His commands...plus a couple of other factors which might be figured in like some mathematical equation far beyond my ability to compute. Sure, I knew that bad things happened to everybody in life...but I believed that if I simply prayed for certain things, with absolute faith, God would make them happen. Isn't that what the bible says? Turns out, "Not exactly." WHAT?!

Well, what about this thing called "FAVOR" that we are taught is one of the biggest PERKS of "joining" the Christianity club? Doesn't God save the highest paying, most prestigious jobs for the members of His club? Not exactly. WHAT!?

But at least it comes with the best health plan. I mean, if we or somebody we love get sicks, it's pretty much not a big deal, right? Because we can just pray for healing and "if we have enough faith," POOF, a healing miracle will be delivered, right? Not Exactly. WHAT!?

Parking places. At least we will get inexplicably great parking places and other meaningless VIP crap, right? Nope. WHAT?!

So, what's the point, really? What kind of a stupid club is this? A lot of very restrictive rules (I mean, there's not even a limited exclusion for infidelity if you get that once-in-a-lifetime invite from your most coveted movie star!) and not many take-it-to-the-bank benefits. What's the attraction? Why should I "choose" this God out of all of the other very attractive god options out there?

Oh, I get it. It's the emotional benefit. Like, when something really bad happens, at least God will protect me from being too sad about it, right? Not exactly. WHAT?!

So what's the point? What is the return I can expect for the considerable investment I am asked to make?

Well, many will tell you that the investment is really not all that much...despite what you may have imagined...and the main perk comes down the line...kind of like a spiritual 401K. Turns out you just have to repeat a certain prayer. You don't even have to memorize it, apparently...just repeat it after somebody else. (You can, at your own discretion, choose to put your hand on your heart or raise your arms to the sky…or not. It’s all good.) Oh, and depending on where you go to church, there will be water...either dabbed on your forehead in the shape of a cross or in the form of a complete dousing...and POOF you get excluded from going to hell when you die! Now that's something good for sure! At least the bible promises us that. Not exactly. WHAT?!

No wonder so many people are mad at God! They are promised all of these wonderful perks and He doesn't deliver! Babies are dying by the thousands! Who is more innocent and deserving of mercy than babies? There is no earthly way to excuse a God who would allow this! So we get mad. Because all too often our willingness to walk with God stops at our ability to see past our earthly desires and our limited understanding of who God REALLY is. Despite wanting to have complete faith in God, we fail too often to have faith in the reality that His ways are better than our ways. His understanding is so far beyond our ability to comprehend...and yet we try to limit him to understanding only what we understand.

God is not a democracy. He simply IS. He doesn't change with "the times." Would you REALLY WANT a God who did? His existence in our lives does not depend on our belief in Him. We are so arrogant as a society to think that we can ERASE Him because He does not conform His commands to the latest popular vote! Good luck with that. I am afraid to see how He is going to deal with this...and yet not afraid at all...because the worst that can happen is my body will die. And, as it turns out, God is a lot less interested in my mortal body than He is in my soul. And now, so am I.

So who IS God? That is obviously way too big a question for me to answer here. And I don't know…not exactly anyway. Nobody can know all of God….and I have not yet run across anybody who can give an adequate description of all that He is. But I do know that He is not most of the things I learned from a lifetime in a variety of different churches. He is so much BETTER!

As much as I thought I knew Him before, I have learned over the last three years, since Jonathan's death, that He is not very much at all like the God I knew before. I did have a relationship with him before...but not like I do now. I understand Him more than ever now...even though my understanding now includes knowing that I will never on this earth fully understand Him, and realizing for the first time ever that I have no right or ability to predict or expect Him to do any certain thing in response to my level of faith, time spent in prayer, or acts of service. He does as He does. He blesses who He blesses at His own choosing, based on His desires, not mine. He sends rain on the just and the unjust, at His choosing, not mine. And at His time, not mine. He heals who He heals and He lets die who He lets die.

That’s not to say that I don’t still pray for things, but I pray with a different heart now. I used to use prayer as some sort of “amulet,” but now I know that although God will certainly listen, He will probably do what He knows is best instead of what I want. And I’m grateful for that…most times. (I’m still working out that “be perfect” thing.) Or He may not like what is happening either, but choose not to interfere in the evil some other person is exercising in his or her free will. I pray for healing when my friends and family are sick…but I know that no matter what my level of faith is, God may have a different plan, and I accept that. I prayed every day for my children’s health, safety and protection…and my son was still murdered…and literally just minutes after the last time I prayed those things for him. Possibly even as I was in the midst of praying.

Have I ever blamed God for not answering what I consider a VERY faithful and diligent prayer? No. And I credit that entirely to Him. Why? Because “No weapon formed against me will prosper.” I know now that that passage has nothing to do with what weak, human me might have once secretly desired…what the world thinks of as “instant karma”… smiting people who gossip about me or giving the person who cuts me off in traffic a flat tire. I know now that it means that I belong to Him and He is not going to let the part of Him who lives in me be killed off by the liar who hovers over this world and wants to turn my heart hard. He protected me even from questioning Him! In my weakest moments, I have protection from weapons aimed at my soul. That is a pretty awesome if you ask me. And there is so much more! But I can’t begin to tell you. Nobody can. Not in a way that will make it real. It’s only real when it’s living inside your heart.

So how CAN you make THAT happen? Ask Him. That’s the kind of prayer I have a feeling He likes to answer. The answer may come in ways you never imagined. And you probably won’t be fond of the entire “journey” (“The Bachelor” as given me a new found distaste for that word…and I don’t even watch it…but it’s too appropriate to leave out here)…but once God has taken root in your heart…really taken root….you will always be thankful!

So….here’s that article (which you may be too tired to read by now. Sorry). That last part…the part that I disagree with…is her decision to reinvent God on her terms, and discard His name. I understand where she’s coming from on a personal level, but I think that by using euphemisms to describe God, she may inadvertently rob somebody of the opportunity to know the one true God. There are so many different (apparently over 3300, according to her) options to choose from for one who is shopping for a god in this world.

I feel like referring to Him in terms of what she personally gets from Him instead of His name may not only give the impression (once again) that we want to believe to receive something, but that one might be safe in “shopping” for the god that best suits whatever it is they are personally seeking. Use His name. How else is anybody going to know who it really is who created the universe?

By the way, many names for God can be found in the Bible, when in doubt "Jesus" will always do.

That is all. : )

http://christablackgifford.com/my-journey-into-atheism/

The Law and the Prophets

2017-03-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:17-20.

We know that we are saved by grace, and not by observing the law. See Galatians 2:15-16. And, because of this we may be perplexed by Jesus saying that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. We might even strain to figure out which part of the law we must still follow, and from which part have we been relieved. Is it just the moral law that we must follow, or must we follow dietary or ceremonial laws as well?

To an extent, I think this kind of an examination misses the point. In fact, I suspect that (like much of the Bible) when we examine the law in this way it is not so much to determine what we should do to be good followers of Jesus, but instead to figure out the minimum we must do in order to be accepted by God. What we want to really figure out is what is the least we can do and still please Him.

The truth, though, is that we can never do enough to please God. Or at least, there is never enough that we can do to be seen as righteous in His eyes. Instead, our righteousness comes solely from Jesus and through Jesus. We are made righteous in His eyes, but only because He Himself made the ultimate sacrifice to cover our sins. We are made righteous by His blood; and by His blood alone. See Hebrews 10:1-18.

At the same time, if we are truly made righteous by the blood of Jesus, what started as an internal transformation begins to be reflected externally as well. If we really love Jesus, that love will be manifest in how we, in turn, love others. Conversely, the absence of external obedience to Jesus tells us it is likely that nothing actually changed on the inside either. We may profess Christ, and yet never actually have allowed Him to become the Lord of our lives.

And so, Jesus continues His great sermon. He warns us that we will not inherit the kingdom of heaven unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. What we do externally will never be enough.

How deflating those words must have been to the crowd around Him. The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law were the spiritual elite. They were the ones who followed the law meticulously. They were the ones who had cornered the market when it came to righteousness. The question on the minds of those in the crowd must have been if not the Pharisees "who then can inherit eternal life?"

At this point we might hope that Jesus would preach the message of grace. We might hope that He would say something -- anything -- to let the crowd off the hook. But instead, he drives the point home. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment." Matthew 5:21-22.

Rather than bringing relief from the law, Jesus has brought to the surface its fullness. Not only will murder bring judgment on you, but even just being angry with your brother. Hearing this, much of the crowd must have walked away sad. Indeed, by the end only about 120 believers would remain. See Acts 1:15.

In the end though, mercifully, those who stayed the course would come to understand that it was never about our ability to live up to the letter of the law, but instead it was about our willingness to live by the Spirit of God. Both our internal and our external righteousness, as it turned out, would depend entirely on Jesus.

As a point of departure we looked at the Commandment to observe the Sabbath. The Pharisees had added their traditions to a simple commandment of God. They had made it a matter of not exerting themselves on the Sabbath and in the process had "neglected the more important matters of the law -- like justice, mercy and faithfulness."

The Command, after all, was to keep the Sabbath holy. And, I wonder -- what could be more holy than feeding someone who is hungry, visiting the sick or imprisoned, or telling someone who is lost about Jesus?

"At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."
Matthew 12:1-14.

Oh Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

2017-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Heath Brown.

God's direction, message, and focus has been the same from the very beginning. He is not a confusing God, and He is very clear in what His will is. God's will is to seek and to save that which is lost. It is not His will that any should perish and God wants all to come to repentance. He is also very clear in what His will is for our lives.

As we approach the Sermon on the Mount that begins in Matthew Chapter 5, we see Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues and He is spreading the truth to all that will come. He is also confirming all that is said through miracles of healing and deliverance. The world is encountering truth and power. Jesus continues gathering the attention of all surrounding areas by preaching the gospel and performing mighty works, and multitudes upon multitudes are now following Him. When He sees the crowds, Jesus goes up into a mountain and begins to teach.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt 5:3-11).

These are not merely good attitudes we should strive for. These are commands to all people in order to be have the "kingdom of heaven", to be "comforted", to "inherit the earth", to be "satisfied", to "have mercy", to "see God", to "be called the sons of God", and to have the "kingdom of heaven." The reward of each command is more than what an attitude can accomplish, and together they are only possible through God...and it is through following God in these "commands" that we are blessed.

Jesus then continues preaching by saying, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:13-16).

It was brought to us Sunday morning by Joel and Kim that salt cannot loose it's saltiness in it's original crystallized form. The only way salt can lose it's saltiness is when it is added to water. In this instance, the chemical is broken down and the saltiness is basically attached to the water molecules. When water is then removed, the crystallized substance left is no longer salty and is worthless. Jesus is reminding us that we have the flavor and taste of life, but we cannot water down the direction He has given us from the beginning ... and yet we did. In addition, Jesus tells His people that we are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. The light's purpose is to be placed in a way that can be seen by all ... showing our good works so that all can glorify God. We are the light of the world that cannot be hidden, and people will follow us. Jesus also tells us that we must be "careful lest the light in you be darkness" (Luke 11:35). So, He is telling us that we will shine a light ... it will either be "light" light or "darkness" light. And so, Jesus is instructing us not to water His word down and not to shine darkness as if it were light ... because it will not give the right direction to this world. Again, this has been the message of God from the beginning.

In Genesis, man fell. God made us ALL to have communion and fellowship with Him, while always worshiping His glory and beauty. But we allowed sin to come in between us and our Lord, and the wages of sin is death. We separated ourselves from God, and yet God was redeeming us from the beginning ... and "us" means the "whole world". It was God who made us in His image, the image of Him who was to come. And it was God who made the first sacrifice to cover our sin with the coats and blood of animals. God's redemptive plan continued, and His focus never wavered (and never will). As stated before, God's will is very clear from the beginning - seek and to save that which is lost.

As we read Genesis 12:1-3, we begin to see the very clear will that God has for His Church when He calls Abram. “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

First, get out from among them, be ye separate, and go and do what I will show you. Leave your father, mother, brethren, comforts, all ... hate it all ... by doing so you will really love them because there is no greater love than laying down your life for your friends. Second, by becoming separate and doing what I ask in faith, you will be a great nation, your name will be great and I will bless you. Third, I will make you a great blessed nation so that all of the families of the earth may be blessed. How will the families of the earth be blessed? "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). God is using Israel and His people to be separate, to be a great and blessed nation SO THAT all of the families of the earth will be blessed ... giving direction of right and wrong, making straight His paths, and preparing the way for our Lord Jesus. The will of God's Church is to proclaim ... "oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Now back to the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus tells us His mission has never changed ... it's a mission of souls. And, His will for us hasn't changed either. Come out from among them and be ye separate ... be poor in spirit, mourn the separation from God and souls, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, be a peacemaker, and be persecuted. In doing so, you will be blessed by God Almighty and be made great in His eyes. We will be blessed SO THAT we will be a light and a blessing to all nations. Don't water down what I've told you from the beginning, and don't give the world the wrong direction from what I've shown you from the beginning.

And Jesus wasn't done with His "reminder" when He tells the people "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:17-20). We cannot relax His word and we must "do and teach" all His commands. And what are the greatest of His commandments? "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:37-40). Love God will all our might, love all others more than ourselves ... how ... by being separate and showing the way, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, being blessed of God so we can show the world who our God really is. And in doing so, our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees.

These individuals were self righteous religious leaders that were supposed to be guides to the people of God, who were supposed to be guides to the world ... guides to God. God's focus was on souls of sinners, and His mission was to seek and save them. And yet, this was the righteousness of the Pharisees. "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:1-2). The same people that were sent to be guides to the sinners were rejecting the sinners. And so Jesus began to show them how valuable a soul is in heaven and how much rejoicing there is over one sinner through one lost sheep and one lost coin. And then He continues the parable about a father with two sons, both receive an inheritance, one becomes lost, and the other never searches for his brother. In the return of the lost soul, the brother didn't even accept him as a brother and was angry with the father.

God's will from the beginning is to seek and to save all that are lost and He wants not one soul to be lost. And His will for us has never changed. We are to love Him with everything that is in us and laying down our lives for the souls of this world: coming out from among them to be separate and blessed. To be the flavor of the life, and to shine our lights (His light) for all to see. We are not to water down His gospel, nor are we to direct anyone to sin. It must be our will that none should perish and all come to repentance. Our hearts must yearn for souls not be separated from the presence of God. And our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

"Souls of this world, oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Heavenly Compassion (a/k/a Mercy)

2017-02-02T16:29:00.004-08:00

Throughout the past several months, God has been so gracious in directing each of us (His beloved Church) toward what love really looks like. This is for us, and also for us to show others. God has given us the secrets to the Kingdom of God, and He is showing us how to become more like Him. The Church is being brought into the true light in order for us to also be a reflection of His light.

In the messages we have been given, God has taken us back to the foundational teachings of the Beattitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. Personally, I'm afraid we have allowed the term "...attitude" to direct us away from how we should truly treat these passages. These are not just good ways to live by, but are directing guides and commands from God in order to show this world what is required of us. Yes the word "blessed" gives each of us hope in knowing how God feels for each of these "attitudes", but we are truly only blessed when we take action on the command. And, the action is a blessing for us and a blessing to this world. This is shown directly after the Be-commands (aka. Beattitudes) when Jesus immediately tells us “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5:14-15).

The Church is to be the light of the world, as cities set upon hills which can't be hidden. Our lights will be seen by all those around us, and this light will be either light or darkness. Jesus explains this further by reminding us "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light" (Luke 11:35).

So, as we travel back to the foundation of the Be-Commands, we see that we are to be merciful unto this world, for we will receive mercy. Let's look at our heavenly example for confirmation in this passage. In Matthew chapter 9, we see Jesus reclining at a table in a house and tax collectors and sinners joining him, and they were reclining as well. When the Pharisees (the religious leaders of that day) saw this, they questioned the disciples of Jesus as to why he was not only associating with these "dogs", but also reclining at table with them. Having fellowship and community with them. When Jesus heard this, he responded by telling the Pharisees that the well need no physicians, only the sick. And then he states, "Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13). God truly desires mercy over sacrifice. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

I truly believe that mercy can be defined as "providing heavenly compassion in the eyes of eternity without repentance." Forgiveness is given when repentance is present, but mercy is providing compassion and love in the eyes of eternity. Who are we modeling our lives after? Are we still of the opinion of the Pharisees in certain areas and with specific people in our lives? Do we require these people to provide some sort of sacrifice before we are merciful? Or, can we say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do?" It's not about being right in our daily arguments, it's about showing others how to be right in the eyes of a Holy and loving God. It's truly about loving others no matter what, and letting God do the rest.

In closing, there is a paradox to this whole matter. God is telling us that we must love Him with all our might, and to love others as ourselves ... loving others as He has loved us. Becoming the actual neighbor and everyone else to be the focus of the story of life. And I must confess to you, we can't do it. There is no way you and I can determine in ourselves enough to love like this command ... it's impossible. But, it's not impossible with God. For all things are possible to Him. And so how do we accomplish this? Well, this is truly to glory and wonder of God ... we are to ask. For Jesus teaches us that everyone that asks - it will be given, for everyone that knocks - the door will be open, and for everyone that seeks - they will find. "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13). Wow!

There we have it Church, God is asking us to love like He loves ... a task that is truly impossible for us in ourselves, but if we ask/seek/knock for His Spirit ... He will fill us with His Spirit. Praise God! We must be willing to get out of the way and let Him who holds the world in His hands to do it all. We must be crucified with Christ, living, not us but Christ that is living and moving within us. By doing this, we can then truly live our lives by and say ...

WE DESIRE MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE!

By: Heath Brown

The Long Drive Home

2017-01-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

One Saturday afternoon almost three years ago my wife, Pam, and I were driving home from church. As far as I can remember the drive was relatively uneventful and quiet -- neither of us really wanted to talk. We were both, I am sure, exhausted and to an extent lost in our own thoughts.

The route we took is the same one I take five or six days a week, so it is more than familiar to me. And, there is one intersection in particular that is a bit odd, and so I normally approach it with a little extra caution.

For some reason, despite a clear dotted line on the road, drivers occasionally get confused -- thinking they can enter the middle lane on Denton Tap from the right of two left turn lanes coming off the 121 frontage road. (See the picture to the right). So, when I turn properly into the middle lane from the left turn lane I always watch for confused interlopers.

On this particular Saturday my mind was definitely elsewhere, but nevertheless I fortunately noticed the dark SUV that wrongly, and illegally, encroached into my lane as I turned left. The cars never actually came all that close to colliding, but even so the lady in the SUV was furious. She began honking her horn at us and yelling words I can only imagine.

In a way it was almost comical at the time -- to see someone so angry and also so completely unaware that she was the one in the wrong. How could she be so angry about such a trivial matter? I mean, no harm was done to either vehicle -- they never even touched. What in her life could have caused such an overblown reaction?

And then I wondered -- Pam and I both wondered -- how that lady might have felt about the way she was acting if she had known that we were driving home from our son's memorial service. How might she have acted if she had known we were just trying to make it through the worst week of our lives? She was angry because she thought I had violated her space on the road. Our entire world had been destroyed. She was worried about her rights. We were worried about surviving the worst disaster any parent can imagine.

On this one occasion, at least, Pam and I were on the receiving end of insensitivity -- indeed an insensitivity beyond anything this woman at the time could possibly have imagined. At the end of the day, though, she didn't need to know what was going on in our lives in that moment in order to do the right thing. She only needed to know that her duty -- if she was a follower of Christ -- was to love us -- to be patient and to show us kindness. I suppose there is a lesson in this for all of us.

The Pure In Heart

2017-01-27T11:31:00.007-08:00

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Matthew 5:8

Although Matthew 5:8 is often rendered "for they will see God," it is probably better rendered "blessed are the pure in heart, for they continually see God." It means something akin to being "admitted into the more immediate presence of God." In other words, for the pure in heart the promise to see God is not simply a future promise -- it is also a present reality. As our hearts are purified by the power of the Holy Spirit, we see and experience God more consistently.

The Greek word that is rendered "pure" in English is καθαρός (katharos), and none of us would be surprised to know that it means "clean, pure, or unsoiled." But it also implies "undivided" or "unmixed." A pure heart is focused on God and his righteousness, and not on the world. Cf. James 4:4.

If our walk with Jesus seems confusing at times it is not so much that Jesus is confusing as it is that our own hearts are confusing. The heart is, after all, deceitful above all things. Jeremiah 17:9. The heart resists purification and, in fact, is usually content to be divided. And so, we struggle between the things that please us and the things that please God. And, we allow ourselves at times to be confused about both what God wants for us, and what God wants from us.

As I was thinking about all of this two scriptures came to mind. The first is where Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats. He tells us that about the righteous -- those who take care of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. And, He tells us about the unrighteous -- those who do not do these things. Matthew 25:31-46. And, if we are not careful we will conclude from this that the secret to eternal life is about what we do or do not do.

But Jesus also told us that there will be those who prophesied in his name, who cast out demons in his name and did many miracles, but Jesus will nevertheless deny knowing them. Matthew 7:21-23. And so, we might conclude from this that "doing" will not be enough to earn us a place in heaven. We might be deceived into thinking that something more is required.

Hopefully, we know at the end of the day that it is faith alone that saves us. And, we know that true faith will lead to purification of the heart. Then, and only then, will the things we "do" matter. They matter then because they will be motivated by a pure heart. We do the right things not out of discipline or duty, but because a pure heart desires to do good.

The past couple of weeks -- not thinking about God bringing us to this place -- I have been searching my own heart. And, I have not always liked what God has exposed. It is never a fun process -- but it is necessary to do on occasion. Among other things, I think there have been times when I have been more concerned about being right than I have been about being godly. There have been some things to repent about.

We all have them. They are often easy to find. One way is to ask ourselves if others see the same "me" in every context. For me, and for many of you, I need only ask myself if I am the same person at home (or anywhere else) as I am at church.

One of the problems the Pharisees often had was that they externally looked like lovers of God, but internally they were lovers of themselves. They were a lot more like us sometimes than any of us care to admit. The problem is always the same -- God is not looking at the externals; he is looking at the heart.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Matthew 23:1-7.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

“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 the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
Matthew 23:23-28.

Lord Have Mercy

2017-01-19T17:00:00.003-08:00

"Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy."

Matthew 5:7

It is because of the mercy of God that we are saved. Indeed, it is because of his unmerited love and unmerited grace that God extends his mercy to the undeserving -- the spiritually bankrupt. We see this frequently expressed in the Bible.

In Titus Chapter 3 we are told: "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:3-7. We find a similar and perhaps more familiar expression of this truth in Paul's letter to the Romans: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8.

God is love, and because of that mercy is an essential part of the very character of God. We see the mercy of God, exhibited both directly and through those people who were called according to his purpose, throughout the whole of the Bible. When God told Moses He would pour his wrath out on the Israelites for worshipping the golden calf and for their rebellion, Moses pleaded to God on behalf of the people: ^"But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Exodus 32:11-14. Later, Moses would plead with God again on behalf of the people -- asking the Lord to blot his own name out of the Book if He could not forgive the sins of the people. Exodus 32:32.

In the New Testament, if anyone should convince us that there is none beyond the mercy of God it is the Apostle Paul -- the former persecutor of God's church. The mercy of God was never lost on the apostle. He was acutely aware that he did not deserve salvation; much less to be used mightily by Jesus: ^"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

So, what is the point of all of this? Matthew 5:7 says "blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." The question I think we need to ask ourselves is "what will those who are not merciful in this life will be shown?" It is a sobering question, and raises a sobering thought.

We can dismiss the question easily enough. After all, our God is a God of mercy. But we should be careful if we so choose. Yes, our God is a God of mercy. But He is also a God of judgment. And, the truth is that genuine followers of the Lord are being conformed to the image of Jesus. He is merciful, and if we really love Him we will become merciful too. We must become merciful too.

In the Catholic tradition there are what is called the "Seven Corporal Works of Mercy." If you are not Catholic (or maybe even if you are) this may be foreign to you. But, the acts themselves should not be. They are (1) to feed the hungry, (2) to give drink to the thirsty, (3) to shelter the homeless, (4) to visit the sick, (5) to visit those in prison, (6) to bury the dead and (7) to give alms to the poor.

If most of these seem familiar, they should. And, if you want the answer to the question "what will those who are not merciful in this life will be shown," Jesus answered that question in Matthew 25. So, read it and discover this for yourself.

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

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. ³⁵For 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, ³⁶I 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? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When 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. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I 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.’
⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Righteousness

2017-01-14T15:22:00.002-08:00

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled."

Looking back, it was at times impossible to see the progress. There were certainly those light bulb moments -- we all have had them. But most of the time the advance was in increments too small to perceive. He was drawing us closer -- and He continues to do so.

At the same time He was humbling us. To move forward we had to recognize and accept our own spiritual poverty. The kingdom of God, as it turned out, would not be opened to the strong and the self-sufficient; but instead to the weak and the wholly dependent. We needed to mourn over our sin -- to truly repent.  It is only from this place could we pursue righteousness -- that we could thirst and hunger for it.

To pursue righteousness from out own strength would prove fruitless. It can not be achieved as a mater of self-discipline. The Pharisees tried that and failed miserably.

We have, through Jesus, a righteousness that comes through faith. It is a righteousness not our own, and it allows us to stand holy and blameless before God. It is a righteousness that leads to salvation and that was paid for by the very blood of Christ. See Philippians 3:8-10.

It would be a miserable mistake, though, to think that this is the righteousness that Jesus has in mind in Matthew 5:6. If we have true faith in Jesus the righteousness that comes through faith and that is now within us will display itself externally. We will begin to live differently.

I am afraid that many "Christians" claim faith in Jesus but then see no real fruit in their lives. They claim to be a new creation in Christ, but life looks not different after Jesus than it did before. But the Apostle John warns us not to be deceived -- if we are truly righteous we will do what is right: "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning." 1 John 3:7-8.

The point of all of this is not to allow us to test the faith of others, but only our own. When we look in the mirror do we see someone who increasingly is conformed to the image of Jesus, or are we the same person we have always been?

Soon, Heartland Church will begin twenty-one days of fasting and prayer to start the new year. Do you want your prayer to be heard? Do you want your fasting to mean something to God? Then you might consider whether you are living a life a righteousness. And you might consider what God has to say about fasting and prayer in the Book of Isaiah.

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
    Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
²For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
    and seem eager for God to come near them.
³‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
    ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
    and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
⁴Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹²Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Blessed Are The Meek

2017-01-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

If you were to study the biblical definition of "meekness" as Jesus uses the word in Matthew 5:5, you would likely at some point read something along the lines of "meekness is strength under control" or "meekness does not mean weakness." These are ideas that are in a sense true enough.  But even more they are ideas that are attractive to us.

By our very nature we recoil at the idea that we are weak, or worse yet that weakness is something to embrace. We want to be thought of as strong and self-controlled.  What father teaches his son that meekness is something to be pursued? No, we encourage our children to be strong -- to stand up for themselves.

But, as He seems to do so often Jesus turns common sense on its head. It is the meek who are blessed, he tells us. They are the ones who will inherit the earth.

In the face of this odd proclamation we take solace in the fact that meekness doesn't mean weakness. We can be meek and still be strong, or so we think. Indeed, if we were so inclined we could make that guy who hurled the insult at us, or that guy who stole from us, pay for fooling with the wrong follower of Jesus -- we just choose not to do so.

Unfortunately, to the extent that strength can be associated with meekness I do not believe that is what Jesus has in mind. Jesus has already told us that it is the "poor in spirit" -- not the strong -- who will inherit the kingdom of heaven. To enter the narrow gate we must accept that we are beggars with nothing to offer -- utterly unable to save ourselves.

He has also told us that it is those who mourn who will be comforted. True spiritual mourning -- true repentance -- is a gut wrenching experience. Spiritual mourning does not leave us with a feeling of strength, but a feeling of dependence and hopefully gratitude.

It is this place of recognizing our spiritual poverty and mourning over our sin that makes the call to meekness possible. What pride could remain in us from this vantage point? We have nothing and we are nothing -- we have no strength of our own to commend to anyone.

The language used by Jesus himself does nothing to suggest that meekness in any way implies or is connected to our own human strength. The Greek word found in Matthew 5:5 is πραύς (praus), which means "meek, gentle, kind, forgiving, mild, benevolent, or humane." "Meek" in English simply means "quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive." I personally think that "easily imposed on" and "submissive" are pretty good definitions.

This is not to say that "strength" has no part in the conversation about meekness. I think it does. But I also think there are two aspects of this strength that we should seriously consider.

The first is that, like everything else, whatever strength is required to be successfully meek cannot be human strength. Jesus has made it abundantly clear that we can do nothing apart from Him. John 15:5 (“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."). Meekness is not a matter of self-discipline -- mastering self-control.  It is something that comes from the grace of God.

The second is that the strength that is required to be truly meek is not abstract or indiscriminate -- it is purposeful. It is not merely a matter of showing that "I am the bigger person" or I am "taking the high road." That is the strength people use to bring glory to themselves.

No, the strength that is needed to be truly meek will never show the world how great you are -- but it will always show the world how great Jesus is. It is the strength that allowed Paul to "become all things to all people so that by all possible means some might be saved." 1 Corinthians 9:22. Paul did not become submissive or easily imposed on for his own glory -- but for the glory of God. "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:23.

There is much more so say about all of this. But I will leave you with this quote from FB Meyer.

"Many ancient authorities place meekness next [after mourning], and it seems the natural order, for the soul that realizes its own nothingness and helplessness is likely to be meek. The meek are so occupied with their desire that God's grace should pass through them to their fellows that they are prepared to sink all considerations of their own standing and position so long as nothing may interfere with the effect for which they long. Their only thought is to carry their point, to bless men who do not want to be blessed, to vanquish hate by love, and rebellion by loving-kindness and tender mercy. They cannot afford, therefore, to be always standing on their own dignity and defending their own rights. These are willingly cast into the furnace to augment the flame, that the obdurate metal may be fused. "Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things; but all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace through the thanksgiving of many may abound to the glory of God."

The way to become meek is to be absorbingly taken up with the love of Christ for me. Be lowly before God, allowing His love to enter and fill thy heart, and thou wilt find it easy to be meek towards man. Thy pride will be driven out by the expulsive power of the new affection. Thou wilt be prepared to accept flouts and sneers, if only thou canst bless and help others; even as God who answers not the blasphemous and hard things that are said against Him, but continues to send His rain and cause His sun to shine to bring men back in penitence to His heart.

It would be a great mistake, however, to suppose that the meek are cowardly, deficient in strength of purpose or force of will: they are among the strongest and most strenuous of men. But they are strong in patience and strenuous in seeking the salvation of others. Let the cause of righteousness, justice, or truth be in question, none are so unbending or stalwart as they. Of the wrongs done to themselves they are disposed to take no count, but they dare not refrain from bearing witness, both by speech and act, whenever the sacred majesty of truth is assailed and in danger of being trampled under foot."

Black Lives Do Matter

2016-12-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

When I was a young lawyer practicing in Orange County California I found myself one day in a court that is now, I believe, known as the Harbor Justice Center. Over time I appeared in courts all over California, but most frequently in the Orange County Superior Court located in Santa Ana. This day was different because it was the first and only time I ever stepped foot in this particular court, which is located in Newport Beach.

Although I have no recollection of why I was there that day, I distinctly remember that I was in a large courtroom and that the judge had quite a few civil matters on the docket that morning. The courtroom was crowded with other guys in suits just like me.

After the judge took the bench he announced that before calling the civil docket he had to attend to a few criminal matters. On one side of the courtroom there was basically a cage where they brought in three men, all donning orange jump suits and hand cuffs. All three men also happened to be "African Americans" -- or if you prefer black men.

After the three men were situated the judge advised them that although they were each there for separate and different offenses, they were all in basically the same boat so he would deal with them together. The long and short of it was that each had been charged with a relatively minor offense, and each had been in jail for three days because they had been unable to post a bond so they could get out on bail pending trial.

The judge then said that if they wanted to plead guilty, the judge would sentence each to three days in jail, give them credit for time served and let them go home. The first man readily agreed to the plea as did the second. But the third man balked -- he was adamant that he did not commit whatever crime he had been charged with.

So, the judge patiently told the third man his options again -- he could insist on a trial, or he could plead guilty, get credit for time served and go home. A second time the man balked. "But judge, I didn't do it" he said.

In a slightly less patient tone, the judge advised the man a third time of his options. "Look," he said, "you have been here for three days because you couldn't make bail. I will sentence you to three days, give you credit for time served and let you go home today, if you plead guilty. If you plead not guilty, because you cannot make bail you will have to go back to jail and wait for a trial date, which could take weeks." "Now what do you want to do?" the judge asked again. Exasperated, the man responded that he really didn't do it, but that he guessed that he had no choice but to plead guilty.

I cannot tell you that the arrest of any of these three men was motivated by racism. (Although I can tell you that this might have been the only time back then that I ever saw three black men in Newport Beach on the same day.) I cannot tell you that three white men suspected of committing similar offenses would have been treated differently.

What I can tell you is that at least the one defendant was firmly convinced of his innocence, and that he was denied justice because of his economic circumstances. Or, to put it more bluntly, he was denied justice because he was poor.

You may be wondering what this isolated event twenty-five or so years ago has to do with Black Lives Matter. I want to suggest that it has a great deal of relevance.

I cannot speak on behalf of white Americans, or black Americans or anyone else. I can only speak on my own behalf. And personally, I am sick that our country (and the church) remains divided based on race.

I have seen many people, including many of my friends, respond to the idea of "Black Lives Matter" with the cry that "all lives matter." Well, let me be clear about this -- I agree that "all lives matter." Who doesn't agree with that?  In fact, guess what? I think that the overwhelming majority of black Americans agree that "all lives matter." And, I think that the overwhelming majority of black Americans believe that "police lives matter." In fact, I don't think any human being with an ounce of moral fiber can disagree with the idea that "all lives matter" and that the hate toward and targeting of police officers in this country is beyond horrendous.

The problem, though, with simply responding to the current crisis with the retort that "all lives matter" is that it is really saying (or at least interpreted as saying) "we are not listening to you." It is seen as a denial of, or disinterest in, the black experience in America. It is heard as a denial that at least some of the events that have lead to where we are today were racially motivated -- and particularly a denial that some innocent young black men have lost their lives at least in part because of the color of their skin.

I am not defending "Black Lives Matter" as a movement -- I honestly don't know enough about it to really comment one way or the other. (If I had to guess, I would say it has this similarity to the anti-war movement in the 60's -- there were some people who were honestly and passionately against the war, and there were others who were mostly interested in sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Like most things, painting with too broad a brush is not all that helpful.) What I am suggesting is that to find unity -- which I think is what most people really want -- we need to start by doing a little more listening, and a little less reactionary talking.

I don't think that the encounter I had with injustice at the Harbor Justice Center is foreign to many in the black community. I think it is common. And I think the sometimes reality, and sometimes perception, that justice is not color blind is, and to an extent must be, part of the lens through which black Americans see life in this country.

If you know me, you know that I have little to no interest in politics. And, I hold out no hope that government will ever fix this particular problem. What I am desperately interested in, however, is unity in the church of the living God. I am desperately interested in God's people leading in the way of love.

Romans 12:16-21 says: "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

The Bible tells us to strive to live in harmony, but far too often we are happy to voice opinions that divide. Facebook can be a terrible thing! We are to strive to live in harmony and peace because when we act or speak there is something greater at stake than our political positions, our rights or our convenience.  Someone's eternity may hang in the balance. The reputation of Jesus may hang in the balance!

Taking this idea a step further, the Apostle Paul endeavored to become whatever he needed to become in order that some might be saved. He didn't ask his audience to become like him -- a follower of Jesus -- until he first became like them. He knew he could not effectively share the gospel until he first attempted to step in their shoes -- to see the world as they saw it. This is the heart of a disciple of Jesus.

The next time you are tempted to react to at least the idea of black lives matter, you might ask yourself what it must feel like to be worried for the safety of your twenty-something year old son or daughter every time they walk out the door. You might ask yourself what it feels like to pray that your children don't experience some of the hate that you grew up with. ....

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

2016-12-16T08:50:00.001-08:00

People come to a faith in Jesus for a variety of reasons. It is almost certainly the case that most people who claim to be "Christians" inherited their faith -- that is, they are people who grew up in an at least nominally Christian household. If that is you, there is a chance that going to church, or even simply self-identifying as a "Christian," may be more a commentary on your family of origin than it is a commentary on the condition of your heart.

Others came to a faith in Jesus during some sort of crisis in their life. Life, for whatever reason, became overwhelming, and Jesus seemed to provide a way out. If that is you, there is a chance that during that time of turmoil in your life you realized that you needed a savior, but did not realize what you needed to be saved from.

As I was thinking about the first two Beatitudes this afternoon I had a rather disturbing thought. I wondered how many people come to Jesus to be saved from their circumstances instead of to be saved from their sin? I wondered how many people claim Jesus as their savior who have never repented of their sin.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

You have probably heard people say from time to time something like "you can't know you are in need of a savior until you know that you need to be saved." Although its a bit of Christianese, it also happens to be true. Recognizing our spiritual poverty -- that we need to be saved and can do nothing to save ourselves -- is the first step toward salvation.

As we talked about last week, though, remembering our spiritual poverty doesn't just lead us to salvation -- it opens the door to real victory in life. It is one of the many paradoxes of the Christian life that in order to find real power in our lives we must come to the realization that we ourselves are powerless. Pride and self sufficiency will destroy us, but humility and utter dependence will give us life. Indeed, humility and utter dependence are necessary to open our eyes to the reality of Jesus, and to open the very gates of heaven.

If we want to live in victory, we need to remember that our strength comes from Jesus alone and not from ourselves. Indeed, we need to remember that apart from Jesus we can do nothing. John 15:5-8.

"Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted."

Like recognizing our spiritual poverty, spiritual mourning is a critical step toward salvation. Spiritual mourning is first about recognizing our sin -- our separation from God -- and then mourning because of it.

Truly recognizing our sin and mourning over it is a gut wrenching experience. When the "Old Testament" was first translated into Greek in what is known as the Septuagint, the translators used the same word for mourn (πενθέω [pentheō]) that we see in Matthew Chapter 5 to describe Jacob's emotional state when he believed his favorite son Joseph had been killed by a wild animal:

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.

Genesis 37:31-35.

Most of you have never lost a child, and I pray that you never experience mourning of that magnitude in your life. I will also say this though -- if the emotional turmoil you experienced mourning over sin even remotely approached the grief one experiences when losing a child none of us would sin again. The brief pleasure of sin would never be worth the price of grieving over it to us. The temptations of this world would never be enticing enough to make us willing to go through that kind of suffering again.

Spiritual mourning, of course, is not the end in and of itself. No, spiritual mourning is a blessing because it leads to repentance, and ultimately to freedom and joy. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done." 2 Corinthians 7:10-11.

Like recognizing our spiritual poverty, the need for spiritual mourning does not end at the point of salvation. We will make mistakes along the way, and we will need to mourn over our sin again to come to a new place of repentance. But I am also convinced that more and more we will find victory over sin. We are more than conquerors -- as we are being conformed to the very image of Jesus. Romans 8:28-39. It is not without reason that Jesus tells us to "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48. Perfection is impossible for man, but a defining characteristic of the Spirit of God that lives within us.

I am also convinced that as we continue on our journey our spiritual mourning becomes less self-focused. The more we ourselves are conformed to the image of Jesus, the more our mourning is for others. It is a mourning in the truest sense -- not flowing from a place of pride or spiritual superiority, but from a place of heartbreak. We are nothing but poor beggars who have stumbled on the "bread of life" and desperately want to share what we have found with a world that is hungry and thirsty -- a world that is starving but does not understand why it is hungry. It is a world that devourers anything and everything that it thinks will bring joy and happiness, but a world that can never be satisfied.

People who mourn this way share the gospel with others. They must. It is a moral imperative.

Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
Oh, that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears!
I would weep day and night
for the slain of my people.

Jeremiah 8:21-9:1.

Poor In Spirit

2016-12-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

This last Wednesday night I had the chance to visit with someone I have not seen much of in the last few years. This person was describing to me how during an extremely difficult time in life she began to question why her life did not match up with what she understood about her faith. I guess the question was why was she suffering when she had Jesus? So, she went back to read the Bible for herself, and in that process she discovered that Jesus was not exactly who she thought he was. She also discovered that much of what Jesus taught was different than what she had been lead to believe. Through her suffering, her eyes had been opened.

To me, at least, the conversation was confirmation not only that we are on the right track, but that God is leading many people to this same place of rediscovery that we have been on now for the last couple of months. I think virtually all of us have seen God peel away misconceptions that we have picked up somewhere along the path of our spiritual journeys. I think all of us are truly discovering for the first time important truths about our faith ... and about the real freedom we have in Jesus.

As I was contemplating all of this something occurred to me that I wish had come to mind on Wednesday night (although, then again, God's timing is perfect). When we think about the radical contrast between the disciples during the last days Jesus was on the earth in human form and those same disciples for the remainder of their lives after His resurrection, we attribute the difference (as we should) to God's gift of the Holy Spirit.

In those last days, of course, Peter denied Jesus three times (John 18:16-27), the disciples deserted Jesus and fled (Mark 14:50) and they at first didn't even have the faith to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead (Mark 16:14) (among other things). But after the Holy Spirit came these same disciples, now equipped with the very power of God, changed the world forever.

While I would never discount the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, I often wonder why so many followers of Jesus do not seem to live victorious lives. I wonder, for example, why we have the same divorce rates, the same rates of alcoholism and the same rates of drug and other addictions as the secular world. I wonder why we worship the same idols as everyone else, and why we struggle with anxiety, anger, lust, pride ... and the list goes on and on. I mean really -- if the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of us why can't we overcome such things?

And, while it might be foolish to think that there is a single answer to this question, I do think that before the Holy Spirit came on the disciples there was one more thing they needed to know deeply in their hearts and minds in order to be truly transformed. I think they needed to know in no uncertain terms that the journey before them would only become possible when they learned what it means to be "poor in spirit."

Between the time Jesus was arrested and the time He rose from the dead, if anything became clear to the disciples it was that they were utterly lost without Him. Jesus had told them while He was living that His followers could do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). But, I doubt they fully understood these words at the time. After all, they were chosen among all men on earth to walk with the one true God.

But now they were on their own. They were powerless and lost. They knew without any doubt that without Jesus they could accomplish nothing. They were nothing. They had nothing to offer.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

It is one of the many paradoxes of the Christian life that in order to find real power in our lives we must come to the realization that we ourselves are powerless. Pride and self sufficiency will destroy us, but humility and utter dependence will give us life. Indeed, humility and utter dependence are necessary to open our eyes to the reality of Jesus, and to open the very gates of heaven.

Jesus tells us that we must give up everything in order to be His disciples. In fact, we must hate our own lives to be His disciples. Luke 14:25-33. It is at first a daunting thought. Who possibly could or would follow Jesus given the cost?

But as time goes on hopefully we get to a place where, like the disciples, we truly know that we have nothing to offer -- we embrace the fact that we are poor in spirit. When we know with certainty that we bring nothing to the table and that we are powerless, then giving up everything is not as difficult as it at first seemed. Indeed, we realize that the "everything" we are called to give up was really valueless in the first place. Our trust in our possessions, our jobs, our status and even ourselves turns out to be an illusion anyway.

If someone else thinks they have reason to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:4-14.

Ulysses

2016-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school some of my friends and I went to the beach to check out some rare, twenty something foot waves that had been generated by a tropical storm. We were not crazy enough to think we could swim in waves of that magnitude, but a little ways down the beach the waves were a much more manageable ten to twelve feet. So, we put on our swim fins and jumped into the water.

In what seemed like seconds the current pulled us out to the waves. And, in the time it takes to snap your finger our thoughts of body surfing changed to thoughts of survival.

As each wave came all I could do was take a deep breath, dive under it, swim to the surface and frantically brace myself for the next one. The force of the rip tide and the waves themselves was unlike anything I had ever experienced. And, for the next forty-five minutes to an hour I fought with everything I had just to get back to shore. The waves were relentless, and I seriously feared I would not make it out of the water alive.

If you have lived for any length of time there is a good chance that at some time or another your life has felt like that hour I spent in the water. You have gone through a season or seasons where one wave has come after another. You have experienced those times when nothing seemed to go right, and a new crisis would emerge before you even had a chance to catch your breath and gather yourself after the last devastating blow.

As a pastor I hear such stories all the time. I cannot tell you how my heart breaks for people who have been in the waves so long that they are not sure they can survive even one more set back. Sometimes the waves are the result of bad choices, sometimes they just come, and other times it is a combination of both. But the waves, and the despair, are the same either way.

For the last nearly three years my family has been fighting through those daunting waves. It started with the tsunami that came with Jonathan's passing, and has not ceased since. The details are mostly unimportant, but waves of various types continue to crash over us. A wave of that magnitude seems to generate a string of smaller crises -- but crises just the same.

One of the things that I think everyone in the family thought about after Jonathan was taken from us, but was left mostly unsaid, was that Jonathan's dog could not die. He just couldn't. We couldn't survive losing him. I know that its irrational, but Ulysses is to us the last living, breathing evidence of Jonathan's life -- of his existence.

Fortunately, Ulysses was only six or seven when Jonathan passed away, so we knew that we would not be losing him anytime soon -- or so we thought. Then, several weeks ago we could tell that something was wrong with Jonathan's dog. We ultimately found out that he has cancer, and just today we learned that he likely has only a few weeks left with us.

I am tired of seeing my family in pain. I am tired of being in pain myself. And, I am tired of the tears. Losing a dog any time is obviously not a good thing, but in the circumstances it is more than any of us should have to endure. For us, it is one more piece of Jonathan that will be lost to us forever.

I know without doubt that God has used our experience, and our pain, for our good and for the good of his kingdom. I also know that we will survive this, just as we have survived so many waves before. But I pray for a time of peace for my family ... and for justice.

All Things To All People

2016-12-01T19:50:00.003-08:00

"A poet has written, 'The desire to feel loved is the last illusion: let it go and you will be free.'" ⥋ Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel.

The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. ⥋ Mother Teresa

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Luke 9:23-25.

This week, yet again, God set us on an unexpected course and brought us to an unexpected crossroad. The crossroad is familiar enough. But despite its familiarity there is something unsettling that takes place -- that must take place -- every time we find ourselves there.

In one direction is the world. In the other direction is Jesus. And, Jesus demands that we choose to follow Him or to follow the world. We are given the freedom to choose -- but choose we must.

The enemy of our souls, too, is familiar with this crossroad. And he will do everything possible to confuse us. As we contemplate which way to turn, Satan tells us that the easier path or the more comfortable path leads to Jesus too. "We don't really have to die to ourselves," he whispers in our ear. "God has put these desires in our heart. Why would the same God who gave you the desire to be loved, to be noticed and to be significant ask you to deny these things? You deserve to be loved by other people, don't you? You need to be loved by other people, don't you! You deserve to be happy!"

The world tells us that if we try to be "all things to all people" we will cheat ourselves out of happiness and peace. But the Bible tells us that "being all things to all people" is the mark of a disciple. We will not be known for how much we are loved by the people around us, but for how we love others. We will be known by our love for one another -- and because we love like Jesus. John 13:34-35.

If we look at the end of each of the Gospels we see from slightly different angles the mission that all followers of Jesus have in common. It is the mission born of love for God and for other people.

In Matthew, the mission is presented straightforwardly, and may seem simple enough. We are to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded. Matthew 28:19.

In John, we get a sense of the peril we face in preaching the gospel -- of the sacrifice of our own life that will be required. Jesus tells Peter that loving Him will mean feeding His sheep. But, on the heals of this directive Jesus said to Peter "[t]ruly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to show Peter what kind of death he would experience to glorify God. After this stunning revelation Peter was left with two simple words -- “Follow me.” John 21:18-19.

Here's how you will die, now follow me! What a compelling invitation. It was an invitation that Peter could never have accepted based merely on an intellectual understanding of Jesus. It was an invitation that made sense only for someone who actually experienced Jesus.

The end of the Gospel According to Mark, too, has Jesus instructing the apostles to preach the gospel to the nations. And, Jesus tells them that "these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:17-18.

Finally, Luke records that Jesus explained to the disciples how everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled: “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:47-49.

Yes, the disciples would be His witnesses. But they could not do it on their own. They had to wait until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them. And that power would not only be an internal, unseen power to persevere. It would be a visible power -- they would drive out demons, heal the sick and speak in different tongues; all in the name of Jesus.

In the day we live in many believe that the more spectacular manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit no longer take place. The result of this is a faith based primarily, if not exclusively, on intellect. Others believe in the more spectacular manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit, but treat them as a blessing for themselves or abuse them in some other way.

There is nothing that I have seen in the Bible to suggest that God -- or the way he reveals Himself -- is any different now than He has always been. And, I believe that we are right now seeing God do increasingly incredible things in our midst. But I also believe it is no coincidence that greater manifestations of God's power coincide with greater obedience on the part of God's people.

God manifests His power not to entertain us, but for His own glory. When we experience His power it gives us the courage to push forward. It gives us the strength and fortitude to preach the gospel in this dark world. It is His Spirit and his power alone that allows us to give up our own lives and instead to live for his kingdom. It is His transforming power that allows us to no longer crave love, attention, acceptance, significance etc. from other people, but instead to find contentment in Jesus. And, once we have found that contentment, it is his power alone that allows us to become all things to all people, so that by all possible means some might be saved.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that allows us even to consider giving up our freedom, and becoming a slave to everyone. It is His power alone that allows us to give up our own dreams, aspirations, and even our basic needs in order to advance the gospel.

Jesus tells us that "[g]reater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." And He calls us to give up whatever we must, and become whatever we must, so that some might be saved.

It is interesting to me that many have said that when we gather together lately they feel an overwhelming sense of love. This should not be a great surprise to since God is love. 1 John 4:8. And, as my wife has been pointing out, we always have the choice to be in the presence of love ... and indeed in the presence of God. But, that choice is not determined by the people we decide to spend time with. Ultimately, people will disappoint us if we look to them as our source of love.

No, the only way we can be assured of being in the presence of love is if we choose to love others. And, if we truly love others we will want them to know Jesus. And, we will sacrifice anything in order for that to happen.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:1-23.

His Presence

2016-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:7-11.

What happens when a small group of people who love God and who love each other get together to thank God, to worship Him, to praise Him and to pray for one another? Well, that's exactly what we all experienced Wednesday night.

I think that most people who attend HC on Wednesday nights would agree that something has changed lately. It has not that I have become a better teacher or have stumbled on some secret to help people better know or experience God. It is not that we have changed the format in some way.

I think it is truly a "God thing." Isaiah 55:10-11 says:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the
earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I think that we are experiencing God's presence because the things we have been hearing and seeing in the Word of God over the past couple of years have begun to sink in with all of us. I think we have become a group of people who increasingly are less self-interested, and increasingly are focused on God, His kingdom and other people.

Peter says that we are to love each other deeply, and to use whatever gifts we have to serve one another. I have come to think that this is not only a command from Jesus, but it is also a key to opening the door to God's manifest presence.

As we saw a couple of weeks ago, the gift of the Holy Spirit is conditional on our obedience. See John 14:15-16. When we love God and obey His commands, then we need the Holy Spirit to teach us, to guide us, to comfort us and to encourage us. We need the Holy Spirit to know how to pray for one another, and how to minister to one another. And, I believe we saw the Holy Spirit doing exactly that Wednesday night.

It was incredible to see my friend John lead worship, my friend Health lead Communion, and my friends Linda, Rhonda, Mike, Kerry and so many others praying for one another. It was amazing to hear Cathey, Lamar and so many others tell stories of God's restoration, healing, freedom and power. It was wonderful to see families praising God together.

For myself, I have been learning more and more that things go best on Wednesday nights when I do my best to get out of God's way. But I am also learning that to really experience God's presence the entire body has to be engaged in what God is doing -- everyone has to be doing his or her part. God is overjoyed when He sees His people love each other deeply. That's God's vision for his church.

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year ....

2016-11-22T21:33:00.001-08:00

I am not quite sure how it happened, but suddenly it was upon us. Somehow, despite all of the signs around us, Pam and I had been unaware of its imminent arrival. It had crept up on us as if out of nowhere. It was as if it had been stalking us, hiding in the tall grass, until it was close enough to pounce.

We felt its arrival at nearly the same time. It always comes in the form of a now familiar sting. But neither said anything at first. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I thought it was just me. When you suffer catastrophic loss in your life grief just comes at times of its choosing. But soon enough it became obvious that Pam, too, was in its awful grasp.

Thanksgiving was nearly here, and there was nothing we could do to stop it or to avoid it. And, to make things even worse we learned last week that Jonathan's dog has cancer. That was, at least momentarily, a crushing blow.

I am not by any means a dog fanatic. Don't get me wrong, I like the little guys as much as the next guy. But losing a pet is part of owning one. It is an inevitable part of the experience. This is different though. We are just not ready as a family to let Ulysses go.

I know it is irrational, but I think all of us very early on independently had the thought that losing Ulysses some day would be unbearable. For whatever reason it just seems like as long as that dog is alive a little part of Jonathan still lives too.

A friend of mine from church today posted a comment on Facebook challenging the idea that "God never gives you more than you can handle." I am not sure where that idea came from, but it is fundamentally untrue. In fact, I am not at all ashamed to admit that there have been many times over the last few years where Pam and I had to deal with far more than we could handle.

The Apostle Paul, and many other Bible heroes, also at times faced more than he could handle. As the Apostle told the believers in Corinth: "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself." 2 Corinthians 1:8.

In these times, times when the burden of life seems like too much to endure, I think we either tend to lose our faith or to come to the realization that God truly is our only hope. And, often words on the pages of the Bible often suddenly have real and new meaning to us. I know, for example, without question or doubt that I am "poor in spirit" -- that in reality I have no strength apart from God.

Its funny, but many times over the last few years people have commented about how strong Pam and I have been through all of this. If there is anything I know with certainty, though, it is that whatever "strength" we have demonstrated has been the strength of God -- and not our own. As the Lord said to Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

I know that there are many others for whom this is not "the most wonderful time of the year." Some of you, like us, have lost loved ones that make the holidays unbearable. Some have gone through divorce or become estranged from family. Some have no family or real friends to spend this time with. And the list goes on and on.

I cannot guarantee you that having Jesus in your life will make this time of year pain free. I do not even know whether the time from Thanksgiving to New Year's will ever be pain free for me or my family. I do know that, at least for me, going through all of this without Jesus would be impossible. And, going through this without the prayers and support of my church family would be impossible too.

True Love

2016-11-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

Cornelius was a Roman and a centurion -- a soldier and commander of men. He would have been identifiable by his vine staff -- a rod used by centurions to motivate and discipline those under their command.

Though Cornelius himself loved God, from the point of view of the Jews generally, and the followers of Jesus specifically, he surely was the image of the enemy. The power represented in his vine staff was the power to oppress, kill and destroy.

By the time Cornelius bowed down to Jesus the Romans had occupied Judea and oppressed the Jews -- God's chosen people -- for over 100 years. A few short years later a revolt would break out. The Romans would restore order by brute force. Hundreds of thousands of Jews would lose their lives and the Temple would lay in ruins before it was all over. According to some historians, the spoils taken from Jerusalem, including the Temple, were used by Rome to fund the building of its famous Colosseum.

And, of course, it was Roman soldiers who tortured and mocked Jesus.  It was Roman soldiers who nailed Jesus to the Cross: And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.  Mark 15:16-24. And, when it was all over the centurion who commanded those men came to a realization -- And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!  Mark 15:39.

I do not think it a coincidence that Jesus chose a Roman centurion to be the first Gentile to be saved through his blood. Through His life, death, resurrection and beyond Jesus demonstrated time and time again, and in no uncertain terms, His love for man (and women). I do not think it was lost on Cornelius that no human love could cross the barrier created by the Roman occupation and, even more so, the barrier created by the suffering Jesus Himself endured at the hands of these oppressors.

As humans we have a tendency to lump together those who resemble anyone who has harmed us, or even anyone we perceived as a threat. Peter was stunned to "realize how true it is that God does not show favoritismbut accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." Acts 10:34. If the offer of salvation extended even to the very people who drove nails into the hands and feet of Jesus, what people on the earth could possibly be excluded?  Peter must have realized that truly there is no limit to the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God. Surely he remembered those words of Jesus spoken from the Cross -- "forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."

We have seen that God's promise of the Holy Spirit is conditional -- it is reserved for those who love him and obey his commands. John 14:15-16. And, we have explored briefly what it means to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul and all of our strength. Now we must turn to the second part of the greatest commandment, and begin to explore what it really means to love others.

Here, we might be content to imagine that the command is fulfilled by adhering to the "golden rule." We must simply treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. It is perhaps a paraphrase of the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. See Leviticus 19:18.

But Jesus, as He did so often, brought greater clarity to the true meaning of these words during his time on earth. Twice He told us that there is a new command. We are not to love others as ourselves, but we are to love others as He loves them. John 13:34-35 (“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”) John 15:12-13 ("My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.").

Jesus calls us to a love that is truly impossible for man. And, by choosing a Roman centurion to be the first Gentile to be brought into the family of God, Jesus demonstrated the serious of that commandment. No longer can we take His command to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44) as mere hyperbole. Jesus both said those words and lived them out. "To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way." Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.

I am afraid that in many of our churches today the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus has been lost. We give lip service to the greatest commandments -- having no real expectation that the Holy Spirit of God, the very power that raised Christ from the dead, will give us all we need to truly love others with the infinite love of Jesus.

Because we focus too much on what God can do for us, instead of on what God can do through us, we end up with a counterfeit faith -- a fruitless faith. And that, my friends, should make us very, very nervous. Consider for yourself what Jesus says about love, and about branches that bear no fruit.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:5-17.

P.S. It is interesting that the disciples had expected Jesus, the Messiah, to be a political and military leader who would conquer the Romans, expel them from Judea and return Israel to its former glory. What we may overlook at times is that Jesus did conquer Rome. But he did it with love instead of the sword. And He used the infrastructure that Rome had built, particularly its intricate network of roads, to spread the gospel and change the world.

Shattered

2016-11-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

I spend almost every Saturday morning with a wonderful group of guys at the church. Most of the time I really want to be there. But I have also found that even on those rare days when I feel like sleeping in, being with the guys always proves to be the better alternative. There is just something about being around this group of imperfect men struggling to know Jesus better.

This last Saturday, though, I decided to stay in bed. The truth is that much of the time life remains unimaginably difficult for my family. And, I just get to the point where I feel so worn down that I need to step back and rest.

It has been over two years and nine months since Jonathan was taken from us, and the void that was left in our lives still hovers constantly. As we approach our third Thanksgiving and our third Christmas without him, I cannot help but reflect on the great times our family always had this time of year.  But I also have to brace myself for the unbearable pain that I fear is waiting in the shadows.

Increasingly I see the visible evidence of the toll that the last couple of years has taken on all of us. I see it in our eyes and I hear it in our voices. It does not seem to hide as well as it once did.

I know that as followers of Jesus we do not grieve as those who have no hope -- we will see our son and brother again. And, I am confident that someday Christian and Dani will find a way to live normal lives again.

But for now we are still navigating -- still trying to discover how to pick up the pieces in our collective lives that have been shattered. I thank God, though, that we remain close -- supporting each other as best we can through this unspeakably difficult time.

I want to thank again all of you who continue to pray for us. We have some unbelievable friends, and I do not know how we could have survived without you.

Even in all of this God is good.

His Presence 1

2016-11-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins.
Exodus 36:8-19

When Moses finished the work on the tabernacle it was filled with the glory of the Lord, and even Moses was not able to enter into it. Exodus 40:34-35. In time, God told Moses to tell Aaron, the high priest, that he could not walk behind the curtain and into the Most Holy Place whenever he wanted either. Leviticus 16:1-2. Instead, the high priest could enter into the Most Holy Place -- the place where God made his dwelling -- only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

One man could enter the most Holy Place, and only once a year. And even then, the high priest had to follow meticulously the rituals laid out by God. If the high priest entered at any other time he would die. See Leviticus 16:1-34.

So too, when Solomon finished his work on the Temple it was filled with the glory of God. All those who were there for the dedication -- the priests, singers and musicians -- had to stop what they were doing. The priests could not even enter the temple. Instead, they all knelt with their faces to the ground and worshiped. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3.

The temple Solomon built was 30 cubits high (1 Kings 6:2), but in the time Jesus walked on the earth in human form the new Temple built by Herod was probably 40 cubits high. That means that the curtain or veil concealing the Most Holy Place was likely somewhere near 60 feet high. The veil may have been as much as four inches thick, and it was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

The veil surrounding the tabernacle not only separated God from man, but it protected man. To be in God's presence meant death. To be in God's presence was more than any man could bear. It is why Isaiah cried out that he was ruined when he encountered Jesus on the throne (Isaiah 6:5), and why Peter pleaded "go away from me, Lord" when he encountered Jesus in the flesh. Luke 5:8.

It is funny, but no matter how prideful, arrogant, self-reliant and self-centered any man may be, all of that changes in the presence of our Holy God. It is, from what I can tell, the universal response of man to the presence of the one true God to fall face down before Him. In the end, every knee will bow down before Him, and every tongue confess His name. Romans 14:11. We know deep inside that our sin disqualifies us from being in His presence -- we do not belong there.

And yet, though we do not deserve to be in the presence of our Holy God, he wants us to be with him. And, he made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be. He died on the cross to cleanse us from our sin -- making it possible for us to be with him in eternity AND even to be in His presence now. In the moment of his death, the veil that separated man from God was torn from top to bottom

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks splitand the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Matthew 27:50-53.

As the writer of Hebrews explains:

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,and since we have a great priest over the house of God,let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:11-22.

Having a "personal relationship" with Jesus is part of the Christian lingo we employ these days. These are words that roll off of our tongues easily enough, but I wonder how much we really comprehend the magnitude, and cost, of this gift. I wonder how much most of us really pursue the kind of relationship that Jesus truly offers us.

Jesus is not looking for a casual relationship with us. He calls us "friend" and that is what we are. But He is also still God. And his desire is for us to have a passionate, all consuming relationship with Him. He wants to dwell in a new temple where his commands are written on our hearts and minds instead of on tablets of stone. He wants us to love Him so much that our obedience is also our joy. He wants us to long to be in his presence.

The question that I think we need to ask ourselves is this: Do we really believe that just being in God's presence is far better than anything else we can imagine? If we do, our hearts will burn with the desire to be with Him, and the promise of that eternity will drive our present.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 84:10

Loving God

2016-11-03T16:18:00.004-07:00

As a wise man once said, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13.

If it is true that nothing we do in life matters except loving God and loving people, then how foolish we would be if we did not seriously contemplate what it really means to love the Lord God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul and all of our strength. How sad it would be to live a life of spiritual blindness -- unable to see and understand the very reason for our existence.

I will be the first to admit that this is a question that I cannot really answer for myself -- much less for anyone else. I am still learning, still discovering, still being taught. It is a journey we are on together. And, it is a journey in which God alone can lead the way.

I do think, though, that there is something to the idea that "to know God is to love God." Maybe our finite minds cannot know Him fully. But I do think that learning to love God requires that we continually seek to know Him or seek to know him better, as the case might be. And, this is where God took us this week.

I believe that this Wednesday night God revealed Himself to us in a palpable, intimate way. It started, as it must have, in our worship and even more so in His Word. We saw in the Bible time and time again that when men come face-to-face with the manifest presence of God their reaction is universally the same. From the core of our being we know that we do not belong in His presence.

And so, when Moses encountered the burning bush he "hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." Exodus 3:6. When Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the throne he cried out "woe to me! I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Isaiah 6:5. When Peter first encountered Jesus he fell at the knees of Jesus and pleaded with Him "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" Luke 5:8.

No, the reality of the God who died on the cross for us cannot be captured in a painting of Jesus that hangs on a church wall. The God who died on the cross for us is so majestic, so powerful and so overwhelming that even the angels cover their faces in his presence. Isaiah 6:2. He is a God deserving of all praise and glory.

And yet, while we have no business being in the presence of a holy God, He wants us to be there with him. Indeed, He wants us to be there with Him so much -- He loves us so much -- that he came to earth in human form and died for us that we might live with him forever. And so, while everything in our being compels us to fall on our face before Him, everything in His being compels him to say "stand up, be with me and serve me."

In the Book of Revelation, it says this:

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,saying:

“Amen!

Praise and glory

and wisdom and thanks and honor

and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God

    and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne

    will shelter them with his presence.

‘Never again will they hunger;

    never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,’

    nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne

    will be their shepherd;

‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’

    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Revelation 7:9-17.

If we are to learn to love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul and all of our strength, I think this is the God we need to have in mind. This is the One True God -- the God who sits on the throne. The God who is our salvation.

In the business of life, and even in the business of church, I am afraid that we have a tendency to lose sight of who God really is. And, as a consequence we have a tendency to lose sight of what loving him really means. We attend all of our services, programs, groups and studies. We serve on teams and participate in outreaches and campaigns. We pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves on all we do for his kingdom.

In the end, we often expect little from our faith, and little is what we get. We think it amazing when someone experiences emotional or physical healing -- forgetting that such miracles are nothing for the God who spoke the universe into existence.

I wonder sometimes what would happen if we would do less, and contemplate him more. I wonder what would happen if we really did try to get out of His way and let Him be God.

Just consider this scene from Second Chronicles:

Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark,and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up;and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

I am sure all of the priest and the singers and the musicians thought they were doing a wonderful job worshiping God -- and no doubt they were. But no matter how wonderful the prayers or the music, nothing that man could do could compare to the glory of God! When God's glory filled the temple, all they could do was be still, and know that he is God.

I See The Lord

Post Script: I wish I could duplicate in this blog what we experienced Wednesday night -- but I can't. This is, admittedly, a feeble attempt to describe what I can neither describe nor teach. At the end of the day, knowing God -- loving God -- is something that can only happen when your heart reaches out for and connects with His Spirit.

Blessings