Closing 2008, Part Three.

Here we are, December 31, 2008, the completion of another year. It's the completion of four months of this blog, which began on August 31.

A very special thank-you to the following persons who God used in founding this blog:

Sister LillyJune
Sister Marilyn
Pastor Sam
Pastor Benji

Our conversations, in person and via e-mail, were the "kindling" for this blog. We all sensed very strongly that a forum was needed in which we could further reflect on the Sunday sermons, and for several months our reflections were limited to private conversations and e-mails. But in August the Lord lit a match... and I found myself consumed with a desire to create this blog as the vehicle for reflection, a thing that could be shared across a larger group.

As I shared with Devon a few days ago, this blog really does line up with the church's mission to be a redemptive influence in the Bronx and in the world, to the glory of God. Glossa Water has been set into place as a international tool for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how I glorify Him for the opportunity.

I'd appreciate your prayers for 2009, particularly in the area of how this blog can be further developed as we all grow, and are transformed, from glory to glory.

My friends, thank you for reading. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. I pray that 2009 will be the year that God shows up for you in amazing and miraculous ways.

Love,
Genise

Closing 2008, Part Two.

Yesterday I thanked some of the women of God who have been a blessing to me this year. Today's thanks goes to the men who God has used to speak words of life, wisdom, and healing to me over these past twelve months:

My husband, Leon
Pastor Sam
Pastor Benji
Brother Sheldon
Brother Nigel
Brother Devon


To my husband, thank you for being a partner in the hard work that is vital to our marriage and minisrtry staying intact. In the midst of the battles, we fight on our knees and we see the intervention of our amazing God.

To my Bronx Bethany brothers, thank you for being transparent. Thank you for speaking those difficult words that are sometimes necessary and critical for growth to occur. And, above all, thank you for your prayers.

I had wanted to use a different verse for you, but the Lord is reiterating the verse from yesterday: The Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you publicly (Matthew 6:4).

Closing 2008, Part One.

In these final days of 2008, I want to publicly thank some people in my Bronx Bethany family who have been sources of inspiration and timely counsel. Today I'll thank the women, and tomorrow I'll thank the men.

This could potentially be a long list because there are so many whom God has sent my way, but I'll single out these few who have been exceptional in their presence, their godly advice, and their prayer support:

Sister Marilyn
Pastor Joy
Sister Pam
Sister Ruchelle
Sister Faith

We all know the praise of man is a fickle thing, so even as I name names I need to reiterate that what really matters is not my commendation, but the commendation of God. I believe that He will reward each of us for our obedience to Him.

The Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you publicly (Matthew 6:4).

Kairos Over Kronos: An Opportune Time For Joy, Part Two

Today I'd like to share with you the text from J.S. Bach's Cantata No. 152. He wrote this cantata to be performed the Sunday after Christmas. I share it because, this past week, it (along with Scripture reading and much prayer) has helped me to remain focused on Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone.

In the midst of what was a difficult Christmas week, I attended the Christ Mass at an Evangelical Lutheran church in Manhattan; and in the midst of that worshiping community God showed up. My kairos moment came as I took communion. The Holy Spirit filled me with renewed joy, and my spirit responded to the opportunity to praise God with joy and gladness: Yes, this is what matters. This is what is reality, the eternal God and the activity of His kingdom. God, I know You are present and I know You are present to act on behalf of your servants.

My friends, have faith in God. Expect to see Him. At the kairos time, the divinely appointed opportunity, He will reveal Himself.


WALK ON THE PATH OF FAITH (J.S. Bach Cantata No. 152)

Walk on the path of faith: God has established the Stone which holds and supports Zion. Man, do not stumble on that Stone- walk on the path of faith!

The Savior is in control in Israel, He is in control over the fall and the resurrection. The Stone is not at fault when the wicked world is dashed upon it; the world falls into hell, the world runs to hell with spite and refuses to acknowledge God's grace and mercy! But blessed is the chosen man of Christ, who has laid his faith's foundation on this Cornerstone, because that is where he will find healing and redemption.

Stone, surpassing every treasure, help so that I may forever, through my faith, establish on You my foundation for true grace, so that I will not be wounded on You, Stone surpassing every treasure!

The know-it-all world is angry that God's only Son has left His glorious throne of praise, has clothed Himself in flesh and blood, and suffers as a mortal. The greatest wisdom of the earth seems like the greatest foolishness in light of the will of God. For what God has decreed, reason can never fathom. The blind seductress misleads those who are blind in spirit.

Soul: O, Lover of souls, how shall I embrace You?
Jesus: You must abandon everything and deny yourself!
Soul: But how, then, can I see the eternal Light?
Jesus: See Me with faith and don't give in to anger!
Soul: Come, Savior, teach me to hate this world!
Jesus: Come, spirit, walk joyfully from sadness to gladness!
Soul: Oh, draw me, Beloved, I'll follow You everywhere!
Jesus: I will give you the crown, after your suffering and disgrace.

Kairos Over Kronos: An Opportune Time for Joy, Part One

On Christmas morning, Bronx Bethany's Magnification team presented a cantata that incorporated congregational hymn singing, Scripture reading, and choral pieces. At the end of that presentation, Pastor Sam spoke for a few minutes. Below are some of the notes I took during his homily.

Thirsty in an Abundance of Water; Lonely in a Crowd; Sad in the Midst of Joy.

- whereas the joy of Christ has invaded our space with angelic messengers, it is a joy that some people have not experienced even though they are right in the middle of it... but this Christmas can be a time where that all changes.

- it's not a show or an experiment: God has truly come to save us and to give us second birth. What is the word of John the Baptist? Nobody can stop God (see John 1:19-23).

- there is the possibility of joy:
joy in the midst of suffering and tribulation (First John 1:4)
joy in the midst of imprisonment (Acts 16:25)
joy that results from fellowship with Christ- but this joy can only come to us if we are walking in the light as He is in the light (First John 1:7).

- this Christmas can be different if we turn from our sins and turn to Jesus:
Jesus gave Himself to us
Jesus gave Himself for us

Pastor Sam said, "I don't just want joy to the world, I want joy to me..."- and it's a relevant quote for us to reflect on. If true joy is only found in the Christ, in the coming of Christ into our world and into our hearts, then we can receive "joy to me" only as we stand in His presence. And who can stand? "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false" (Psalm 24:4).

Jesus is present. Let's seek His forgiveness and His cleansing, so that we can experience His joy.

Kairos Recognized: Simeon

What did the Holy Spirit promise? An amazing thing: Simeon would not die until after he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes.

We sing many Christmas carols at this time of year, but not many people sing Simeon's song, "nunc dimittis": now dismiss me, now let me leave in peace, Lord, You kept Your word, and You have allowed me to see Your salvation, which You prepared in the peoples' sight, You, the nations' Light of revelation, and the glory of Your people Israel (see Luke 2:25-35).

Simeon waited, and "just at the right time" God allowed him to see Jesus, the month-old baby who was King over all (I'm guessing Jesus was between one and two months old based on Leviticus 12:1-4, but am certainly open to hearing other thoughts).

Now, as then, God keeps His promises. Let's take a cue from Simeon and be found with the Holy Spirit upon us, in the temple of the LORD, fully expecting to meet Him there.

Kronos Over Kairos: Herod Knows His Math.

As we spend this week reflecting on the challenge of recognizing God's opportune time (kairos), today we'll look at Herod.

Herod was highly bound to kronos time. He was concerned with his temporal position as king, and was extremely disturbed at the visit he received from the sages of the East who were searching for the newborn King (see Matthew 2).

We are told in Scripture that the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod... and, Joseph was warned in a dream to take his family to Egypt because Herod intended to kill the child... and these men all obeyed in the kairos moment presented to them. What was the kairos message? Get out of town. Get away from Herod.

The wise men left town by a different route than the one they used to get there.
Joseph took Mary and the Christ child, and left town during the night to flee to Egypt.

Apparently, a significant period of time went by before Herod realized the wise men had left town... and this is where the math comes in. Herod remembered the information he had gotten from the wise men, and from that data he was able to calculate approximately how old Jesus might be. Then, he made the cruel decree to kill all boys in Bethlehem, and in the surrounding communities, who were two years old or less.

In the celebration of the advent of Christ, almost unnoticed, lies this background story of all the families whose young boys were killed as Herod sought to prevent a new king from challenging his turf- his irrelevant, puny, worthless turf. There may be some of you who, this Christmas, are dealing with memories that are difficult and painful. Some of you may be dealing with situations that, in light of eternity, are irrelevant, but they must be dealt with because we're still living here on this earth.

It's not easy. But can I ask you, in the midst of the challenges, to keep your eyes open for God's opportune time? I'm praying for myself that I will be present and aware when He presents a kairos moment. This Christmas, I pray the same for you.

I love you my friends, and yes, I love you my enemies. Merry Christmas.

Love,
Genise

Kronos Over Kairos: A Taxing Time For Innkeepers

The innkeeper does not even get a direct mention in Scripture. We just have a few short words at the end of Luke 2:7 to make us aware of his or her presence: "because there was no room for them in the inn."

At the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we read that the Samaritan paid the innkeeper and promised to return with more money for expenses incurred during his absence (v. 35). So, although the Luke 2 passage does not tell us specifically about the innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph, we can guess that the innkeeper was charging his or her guests for the privilege of staying in the inn.

What the Luke 2 passage does tell us is that there was "no room": in today's society, there would have been a sign posted. When we see that sign, we don't even bother going in to the hotel; "No Vacancy" means "there are no rooms available at all. We are booked solid." What a shame for the innkeeper, who perhaps would have found an available room if it was known that the promised Messiah was in the neighborhood. Or, as was said in the sermon, maybe the innkeeper would have even given up his or her own room. But no, to the innkeeper it was just another ordinary Jewish couple looking for a place to stay...

But, lest we get too upset at the innkeeper, let's look at ourselves. Sometimes we have time for people who look like kings, but not so much time for people who look like paupers. Sometimes God wants to send us a message through a toddler, but we can't stoop down to listen because we're too wrapped up in trying to schmooze with the senior pastor, or we're too busy combing through the congregation for new clients to support our small business. And in the midst of feeding our personal agendas, we miss the kairos moment of God.

Chronological time is nothing in the face of our eternal God. When He opens the opportune time, will you be looking full into His face? Or will you be scribbling notes about how contemporary worship ran for seventeen minutes instead of fifteen? Or will you be out in the foyer talking with your friends? When you come to church, are you really looking to encounter God, or is it just another club?

What time is it, Bronx Bethany? It's time to stop looking at your watch. Kairos time is here.

Kairos Recognized: Anna

"There was also a prophetess, Anna... she never left the temple..." (Luke 2:36-37)

How do you spend your time? Anna was a woman who, as a prophetess, would have been quite familiar with the voice of God. At night or during the day, she could be found in the temple worshiping God.

I wonder if you might consider a lifestyle drenched in the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37).

I wonder if you might consider a lifetime of waiting for God to fulfill His promise: not waiting in anxiety, but in an attitude and posture of worship.

Kairos. At the right time, God shows up. Will you be in the temple to see it?

God, I Hear You. I'm Not Missing You This Time.

Yesterday's services were especially meaningful for me. It was one of those days where the pastor and the musicians disappeared, and I heard God speaking so clearly.

I should backtrack and first share with you part of an entry from my journal, which I wrote on December 14:

"...I appreciate where God has us now. I hope I'll be open to hearing from Him, I pray I won't miss any lessons or kairos moments because of being upset or distracted..."

Those of you who heard yesterday's sermon will understand that I felt like God had opened up my journal in public and underlined those words, and reinforced them, with His own warning: Genise, don't get so preoccupied with your ministerial "business as usual". If you do, you'll miss Me. Keep paying attention in a spirit of patience.

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam briefly touched upon the stories of some individuals who missed the moment and others who made the moment. This week we'll reflect on these lessons learned from the men and women who, in the face of the advent of Christ, reacted in ways that alternately brought revelation or kept them bogged them down in mere routine.

I encourage you to read Galatians 3:26 through Galatians 4:7 as preparation for looking at the sermon notes, with a mind to kairos: the opportune time where God is present to act... "at just the right time" (Galatians 4:4).

Advent Reading 10: Psalm 77

Today I'll just share a few verses from the middle of this psalm. I pray that you will be encouraged, and that you will continue to wait on the LORD for His power to be shown on your behalf.

"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in his anger withheld his compassion?"

Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

-Psalm 77:7-15

Word of Prophecy: The Little Flock, Encouraged.

On this past Sunday Pastor Joy shared a prophetic word during the first service, which I'd like to reflect on as we close out this week:

"Trust God completely. He will give you capacity."

Sometimes, as Christians, we give the impression that we are immune from suffering. But such an attitude is in opposition to the word of Christ, who has told us that suffering is part of the package that comes with being a follower of Jesus (see Matthew 5:11-12).

The prophetic word reminds us that it is God who gives us the ability and strength to endure in difficult times. I am not denying the fact that God is able to shield us from hardships, but what I am saying is that I want you to respond to God in a spirit of trust in whatever state you are.

Whether He chooses to deliver you from hardship or deliver you through hardship is His choice, not yours. And, frequently, your testimony is proven not in the good times, but in those moments where your world is crumbling. As Pastor Joy said, the Lord will give us the capacity needed to endure in difficult times... but we must trust Him fully and completely.

What makes faith easy? Knowing that God has spoken... knowing that God has stated something very clearly and unmistakably, and knowing that He keeps His word. In His speaking, He has given me one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I don't have all the pieces, I don't know when the jigsaw puzzle will be completed, but I know the puzzle exists because I'm holding one piece. And I can die without seeing the whole puzzle put together. The one piece that God has shown me is enough to keep me encouraged, to keep me moving forward, to keep me secure in Him and in His trustworthiness.

Trust God completely.
He will give you capacity.

"War On The Saints": The Little Flock in Combat Gear

In yesterday's blog I included a quote from the book "War On The Saints" by Jessie Penn-Lewis with Evan Roberts. If you decide to check it out, I strongly recommend that you get the "full text" unabridged version. It's an excellent textbook on the work and power of Christ, and practical advice on how to distinguish the work of the Holy Spirit from the counterfeit works of the enemy.

The book opens with a statement that is as true today as it was when the unabridged version was originally published in 1973: many Christians are unaware that a war is in progress. Not a war for land or wealth, but a war for the souls of men.

"All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6). And, as the end of the verse indicates, Christ has borne the iniquity. He has already done the redemptive work. Hallelujah!

He did that, once for all, so long ago, and there is no expiration date. We have the benefit available to us- but a response is required. I hope that you have responded by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, and (for those of you who have) that your life is a daily demonstration of the decision you made to live for Him.

Wanton: The Little Flock, Unrestrained.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Benji mentioned several things that lead people astray. In discussing the concept of no self-control, he referred us to a familiar passage of Scripture.

They are led astray by their own lusts. James 1:14 says it quite succinctly: "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."

This first chapter of James takes great care in distinguishing the idea of trials, which are a testing ground for our faith, versus temptations, which if entertained will give birth to sin and ultimately result in spiritual death (see James 1:1-18).

The classic book War On The Saints has this to say: "Sin from the fallen nature is from within, carries the will with it, or else forces the will by its pressure. The man knows the movement to sin is sin, and yet yields to it. Romans 6:6,11,and 12 is God's way of dealing with the fallen nature, and its workings, as the believer stands on the ground of the Cross, and wields Christ's finished Calvary work as a weapon for victory. The Holy Spirit bears witness..." (p. 312).

I think Romans 6:13 is a good verse for us to meditate on today:

"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." Amen!

Waywardness: The Little Flock, Distracted.

It was a sunny day in Harlem, around 1970 or so. I distinctly remember running down Park Avenue from 128th to 127th Street, catching up to a woman near the corner, reaching up, and holding her hand. And I remember the sudden shock of looking up to her face and realizing that the woman was not my mother. Then I heard the rolling laughter of my older brother, half a block behind me, who found it hilarious that I was so stupid.

But, I was not stupid, I simply was not paying attention. And I'd failed to recognize that, in order to catch up to the woman who I thought was my mother, I had let go of someone's hand... you guessed it. I had let go of my real mother's hand to chase down a stranger.

What had distracted me so?

Her gait. The woman walked like my mom, and I panicked at the prospect of being left behind.

Her coat. The woman wore a coat which was similar to a coat my mom owned.

But somehow, in the midst of the distractions, I had missed the facts: This woman was markedly taller than my mom. My mother would never have let go of my hand. And my mother never allowed me to walk behind her- our norm was to walk together, side by side.

In Matthew 9, we see that the sheep, the little flock, are described as harassed and helpless when facing the world without their shepherd close at hand. And it doesn't take much effort for an enemy to distract them, lure them away from their true owner, and place them in a position to be destroyed.

Sometimes we miss the facts when we're distracted. Our wallet is empty and we plan on flirting with an old flame in the hopes of getting a few dollars out of the interaction, instead of resting in the fact of God as our sole provider. Or our spiritual tank is empty and we run to Pastor Sam and Pastor Benji for relief, not realizing the fact that God has called us to find our rest in Him alone (Psalm 62).

The solution to distraction is reflected in Matthew 6:33, where we are exhorted by Christ to seek first the kindgom of God and His righteousness.

Perhaps- if I had been constantly looking into the face of my mother- perhaps I would not have let go of her hand that day.

Perhaps- if we would constantly look into the face of our heavenly Father- perhaps we would not be so easily distracted.

Let us embrace the compassionate Christ, who reaches out to us as a Shepherd longing for a flock of sheep that will hear His voice and not follow the voice of a stranger (John 10).

Wickedness: The Little Flock Without The Shepherd

You know, friends, Pastor Benji offered some key insights during Sunday's sermon. One such moment was when he was discussing our propensity for hurting one another. There were some individuals who felt uncomfortable at his story about little boys who would catch birds alive and pull their feathers out, and the Lord gave Pastor Benji a wonderful comment to share: "That was birds... but some of you do that to people!"

Yes, we are that evil. We catch people alive and, metaphorically, pull their feathers out one by one. It's called slander. It's called gossip. It's called tearing down. And it hurts the heart of God, and it hurts the Body of Christ. It's inappropriate behavior for the man or woman who claims to be Christian.

Sheep, without the protection and care of the shepherd, are a hazard to one's spiritual health. As we learned on Sunday, the sheep outside of the fold is in danger, and is a danger. It can get hurt and it can hurt others.

When we submit to Christ, we are in effect saying, Lord, I can't handle this. Please take over. Please instruct and teach and lead me. It's the paradox of the one true God, the One in charge of the armies of heaven and in charge of all things, giving us a choice. God owns it all and yet He is not forcing you, He is allowing you to choose how you will live... how you will speak... how you will act.

Recently my husband and I participated in a performance of Handel's MESSIAH. At the dress rehearsal, while waiting for my husband to finish rehearsing with the soloists, I had the challenge of trying to study while in a room where two of the music committee members spent forty minutes (yes, 40) complaining about how incompetent the music director was: how there was not enough food for the repast following the concert; how the guest participants' biographies were not inserted in the program notes to their liking; how they didn't like the way the choir was arranged on the platform; how they didn't like the way the choir sounded; and the complaints went on. When they finally realized I was in the same room doing homework, they took their conversation into the hallway and continued to complain.

Interestingly, the same individuals presented the music director a huge bouquet of flowers at the close of the concert and waxed on and on about how wonderful everything was.

Catching a bird alive and pulling the feathers out. Or, as paralleled so eloquently in Proverbs 30:20, "Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats, wipes her mouth, and says 'I have done no wickedness'".

Nice flowers.

Wanderlust: The Little Flock

On Sunday Pastor Benji spoke on passages found in Isaiah 53:6 and Matthew 9:36. We'll be spending this week considering the metaphor of sheep without a shepherd.

For today, I just want to bring a question to the table that will hopefully cause us to think about our tendency to do certain "sheep-like" behaviors.

Question: Why do we have this sheep-like propensity to wander?
Our hymnal does us a bit of a disservice, because the editors chose to include an altered version of the third verse of "Come Thou Fount". Here is the third verse as it appears in our hymnal, altered in 1931:

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace, now like a fetter, bind my yielded heart to Thee.
Let me know Thee in Thy fullness; guide me by Thy mighty hand
Till, transformed in Thine own image, in Thy presence I shall stand.

And here is the original verse, written in 1758:

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

I believe that the more honest text is the one from 1758. While we have a desire to yield, we are (at least for now) living and functioning in this body of flesh, this nature that resists the process of change and the demands for submission and "holiness unto the Lord". And the last line, the plea for our hearts to be sealed, is a continual prayer. God help the one who thinks he has "arrived" and is no longer in the need of the grace of God.

My prayer is that as we embark on this week of facing up to our dark side, we will find encouragement and hope in the power of our holy God to manifest Himself as our Shepherd, the one who will keep us safe in His fold and prevent us from wandering.

Advent Reading 9: Psalm 99

I thought it might be nice if we transition out of our week of "God With Us" by meditating on Psalm 99. This psalm carries in it the concepts of the sovreignty of God, His choice of leadership, His worshiping community around the world, and the manifestation of His power.

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble;
He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.
Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.
Let them praise your great and awesome name- he is holy.

The King is mighty, he loves justice-
You have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
They called on the LORD and he answered them.
He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
They kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

O LORD our God, you answered them;
You were to them a forgiving God, an avenger of the wrongs done to them.
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain,
For the LORD our God is holy.

The Laying On Of Hands: My Story

The date was Sunday night, October 21, 2007. We were at the "altar call" portion of the service with our guest, Reverend Joseph. As people came to the altar for prayer, I came up to be a "catcher": in the morning's services we'd had several persons who were slain in the Spirit, and my intent was to stand behind the people being prayed for in order to catch and ease them to the ground if they began to fall.

I stood behind a woman who was being prayed for. As Reverend Joseph began speaking, she began moving. Within seconds, she had lurched backwards. Since I was directly behind her, I too fell backwards. On my way down, the back of my head hit the wooden armrest on the pew and I suffered a concussion.

When I came to, I got up and went back to the altar (not a logical move, but I felt compelled to get back to where the action was). One of the nurses in the congregation gave me a small ice pack so I could apply it to the area where my head was beginning to swell. But I found that I could not assist with only one hand free, so I put down the ice pack and continued to stand behind those being prayed for.

The altar call lasted around two hours, and much of the congregation left the service during the altar call because it was getting so late. After the last person had been prayed for I went to the kitchen and filled a plastic bag with ice, came back upstairs, and sat by myself on the first row in the sanctuary.

As I sat down, Pastor Sam walked over and asked me how I was doing. I said, "I'm okay except for this lump on my head." He reached and touched my head, moving his hand across from the back of my head almost to the crown.

Then Pastor Sam said, "There is no lump on your head."

I could not believe that he was so unaware- how could he not feel that huge knot on my head? I replied, "Yes there is. It's right here-" and then I touched the back of my head to show him where it was... and I couldn't find it. It wasn't there. No knot, no swelling, no nothing.

Though I did not realize it at the time, this was my introduction to the "basic thing" of the laying on of hands. There was a man of God acting in obedience to God's instruction (God's Person); there was submission to God and to the person God gave earthly authority to (God's Protocol); there were two people gathered together with God in the midst (God's Presence); and there was, in my case, an experience of physical healing (God's Power).

I am so grateful to God! He chose to manifest Himself on my behalf that night and, as the song says, I will never be the same again. My prayer is that you will be encouraged from my story, and that you too will see the manifestation of God's power in your life as you humbly participate in this community of faith.

The Laying On Of Hands: God's Person With Us

You know I really wanted to subtitle this "God's Man With Us", but since I've been using the letter "p" all week I thought it would be better to hold to the alliteration we started with... and, as in the case of the judge Deborah, sometimes God chooses a woman to lead... so here we are, considering the idea of the laying on of hands as evidence of God's person with us.

At the end of the sermon we were reminded of the use of the laying on of hands as God's way of designating leadership, especially in the process of choosing a successor or demonstrating a key mentoring relationship. Pastor Sam spoke of God's selection and God's sufficiency evidenced in two successions: Moses to Joshua, and Paul to Timothy.

God's selection. God instructed Moses to publicly lay his hands on Joshua in the presence of all the people: to identify Joshua as his successor, and also to impart a measure of authority from himself to Joshua (see Numbers 27:18-23).

God's sufficiency. Paul mentions his laying on of hands as not merely an indicator of God's choosing Timothy, but also speaks of the laying on of hands in context with the resultant spirit that Paul imparted to Timothy: "... I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (First Timothy 1:6-7, italics mine). Here again we see the implication of God being, as Pastor Sam said, "uniquely present" when there are at least two persons gathered in God's name.

In both these points I've used the word "impart", which to my recollection was not a word used in Sunday's sermon. And I think we might benefit from a deeper dive into the concept and process of impartation, but I really am reluctant to jump into that sort of a conversation because it hits too close to home for me. I'll be honest- I want it, I want to know what it feels like, but then I think of how toddlers reach for a hot stove not realizing the danger in their desire. So I'm not going into any deep water this time. However, if one of you pastors out there wants to be a guest blogger and take us, as my husband would say, "to the bottom of the ocean", please feel free!

Okay. Since I'm avoiding the ocean, here's my little comment from the shore. Impartation seems to be a distinct function of the laying on of hands. It occurs in the presence of the community, but the impartation is not for the community- it's for the individual whom God has chosen as successor: for him or her to be specially gifted and equipped/authorized by God, to carry on a work that was begun by someone else. It also seems, based on our two examples, that impartation is a means by which leaders obtain the courage necessary to carry out their assignment.

So, there we have it! I hope that you've enjoyed this week's reflections on a fascinating "basic" of our faith.

Tomorrow I'll share a testimony of my experience with the laying on hands.

The Laying On Of Hands: God's Protocol With Us

What is God's protocol? It can be summed up in one word: submission. Let's take a brief look at Acts 13:2-3.

Submission to God's authority. "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting..." (v.2a). The community gathered together to proclaim the sovreignty, power, and rule of God in their lives as a corporate entity.

Submission to earthly authorities that God ordains. "... the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them'" (v.2b). The Spirit of the Lord was present in a room full of leaders: the first verse of Acts 13 mentions five by name. God's specific calling of two of the five is a clear indicator of His choice, His right to choose, and His expectation that the community would submit to His choice by allowing Saul and Barnabas to minister in a new capacity.

Submission to the community of faith. "So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off" (v.3). As Pastor Sam mentioned in his sermon, here we see repeated the idea of the laying on of hands as a public confirmation of what the Spirit of God had already set into place. It is an indication of the community standing in agreement with the word of God by His Spirit, uniquely demonstrated by this physical activity in response to spiritual activity.

Tomorrow we'll continue with a look at some more examples of the laying on of hands in relation to ordination.

The Laying On Of Hands: God's Power With Us

Well, it was a tough choice to decide which part of Sunday's sermon to grapple with in regards to the relationship between Christian community and the releasing of God's power. There was the Mark 16 passage, and the First Corinthians 6 passage, and Acts 5, and Acts 28... but I think it might be interesting to look at First Corinthians 5.

Paul says: "Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgement on the one who did this, just as if I was present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord" (First Corinthians 5:3-5).

The community of faith is not often viewed as a vehicle for the execution of God's judgement. But, this passage clearly indicates that the apostle Paul expected the community at Corinth to act on his behalf in pronouncing judgement on the man who was sexually involved with his father's wife (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you may want to take a few minutes to read the whole of First Corinthians 5).

There is a curious phenomenon that Paul alludes to in this chapter: Paul had already pronounced judgement against the man, but the judgement could not be put into effect until there was a gathering of the community of faith where the power of God was present. This reminds me of Old Testament passages where we see, for example, the process of the anointing of kings: God would tell a prophet to go and anoint the new king in a private setting, then at a later point in time the king would be anointed again in the presence of the whole community. The community was merely giving witness to something that was already fact. I think it's the same idea in First Corinthians 5, except that the congregants at Corinth weren't just witnesses to fact: they were agents demonstrating (or performing) on earth what had already been settled in heaven- the expulsion of an unrepentant community member.

The concept of Paul being with the Corinthians "in spirit" might be a bit uncomfortable to reflect on, as it might sound metaphysical or even weird. But let's approach this from our main point of this week's series: this is a basic function of our faith. As we learned yesterday, the concept of "two or three" implies that Paul on his own could not access the power of God that was necessary for judgement to be meted out. But Paul seems to be saying that, as the community of faith gathered, he would counted among them because he was in agreement with them. It didn't matter that he wasn't physically present.

We have seen this before in scripture. Perhaps one of the more famous examples is in Numbers 11:16-30, where the Lord took of the Spirit from Moses and put the Spirit on seventy elders. Two men, Eldad and Medad, chose not to show up at the meeting, and the Spirit rested on them anyway: even though they were not present at the meeting, they had been identified by God as members of the community of elders... and God's Spirit was not hindered by the physical distance.

Some of you have experienced this, and it may make more sense if I use a modern-day example. There have been occasions where we have been asked, as a congregation, to hold hands and pray for an individual who was sick or in crisis. And, sometimes months or even a year later, the individual has come to our church to testify of what God did in their lives as we were praying. In this regard, the laying on hands can be a spiritual activity with physical results/consequences. We did not touch the sick person with our own hands, but we "touched" him by standing in agreement with one another in the presence of God.

I hope you'll visit tomorrow, as we continue with our third point: protocol.

The Laying On Of Hands: God's Presence With Us

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:18-20).

An interesting thing about the name Emmanuel is that it doesn't mean "God is with you", it means "God is with us" (see Matthew 1:23). The implication of Matthew 18:20 is that if you are alone, there are some levels of relationship with God that you won't achieve because a minimum of two persons is required. Similarly, you cannot achieve the basic function of participation in the laying on of hands if you're a lone ranger. This aspect of the Christian faith can only occur in concert with other Christians. I've heard some Christian leaders say that you can lay hands on yourself, but thus far I have not been able to find Scripture that supports that statement. But I'm open to dicussion- so for any scholars out there that want to dialogue on this, please send me your verses and let's talk.

At the start of the sermon during the first service, Pastor Sam made a statement that makes perfect sense in light of the Matthew 18 passage above: the engagement that God has with people occurs through human beings. We are His body (Ephesians 4:4) and He has granted us gifts for the purpose of buiding up the community of faith (First Corinthians 12).

So, our question to ponder:

Are you really in the community? Or are you one of those people who just goes to church and goes home without interacting with anyone? If it's the latter, consider opening up yourself to the pains and crises of working together in community. As we'll see in the blogs to come, your participation is a critical key needed to unlock the doors of healing, commissioning, and discipline/correction.

Emmanuel: God With Us, Through The Laying On Of Hands

Dear Friends,

On November 29 I wrote that there would be a shift in the blog format for Advent, and that I would be blogging on traditional Advent readings instead of blogging on the Sunday sermons. That was the original plan. And that is what I did last week.

But, God... Yesterday in both services, God presented Himself powerfully as Emmanuel: God with us. And I really can't keep yesterday's sermon to myself: I would be doing God, and you, a great disservice if I doggedly cling to the "original plan". So, for this week, I'll be sharing portions of Sunday's sermon. And I think we will all benefit from this discussion of Advent through the lens of expecting God to be with us in various ways: not just as a retrospective of what happened in past millenia, but as a living active element of our lives today.

During the earlier Back To Basics blogs I presented a list of things considered "basic" to our faith (see Hebrews 5:11 through 6:12) which Pastor Sam has been unpacking:

Repentance from works that lead to death;
Faith towards God;
Instructions on baptisms;
The laying on of hands;
The resurrection of the dead;
Eternal judgement.

Yesterday Pastor Sam preached on the fourth topic, "the laying on of hands". Sometimes we relegate this topic to the sidelines as something supernatural, sensational, or superfluous. But, according to the Hebrews passage, this is a natural, normal, and necessary component of the Christian community. I'll say it again plainly: THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IS BASIC. It is one of the things we all engage in as part and parcel of our faith.

A second misunderstanding is that the laying on of hands is relegated to the ministry of physical healing. That is part of the picture, but the laying on of hands is more than just a means of healing. As we go through this week, we'll dive into Scripture and see the ways in which the laying on of hands functions in Christian community.

I hope you have your SCUBA gear, because we'll be diving deep!

Advent Reading 8: Second Timothy 3

This text is so powerful that I just want to share it with you without commentary.

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.

"For among them are those who creep into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, as also that of those two came to be.

"But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of all of them the Lord delivered me! And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Advent Reading 7: Isaiah 7

"Ask a sign..." (Isaiah 7:11)

King Ahaz of Judah was given an incredible opportunity by God: "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it as deep as Sheol or high as heaven" (7:11). Ahaz responded, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" (7:12).

So, God does Ahaz the favor of giving him a sign anyway. Of course we know Ahaz didn't see it fulfilled in his lifetime, but that does not nullify the fact that God did fulfill His word. A virgin bore a son and called his name Immanuel [God is with us] (see Isaiah 7:14).

Has God told you something? Something amazing? Something seemingly impossible? What an experience to see the hand of God at work in human lives, to know that the LORD keeps His word. And every now and then we get the privilege of seeing things happen.

The virgin got the announcement, then had to wait for the months necessary for our Messiah to develop and grow to a point where He could live outside of the womb. Mary and Elizabeth praised the Lord in advance of the birth of Jesus, because He had assured them of the fulfillment of His word (see Luke 1:42-56).

God has spoken. So, what do we do? We wait in faith and in anticipation. That's Advent: we are waiting for things to come. I had a great conversation with Pastor Sam this past Thursday on the values of patience and grace as we wait for God to move in our lives and the lives of those we pray for. Let's be patient and wait for nine months... two years... twelve years... twenty years... let's live and die in a posture of patience and grace, because God has spoken. Advent. It will come.

Advent Reading 6: Mark 2

"Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8)

What a glorious day! Jesus is in town, preaching the word at home in Capernaum. There are so many people there that there isn't even room to get near the door (Mark 2:2). While He speaks, there is a second service occurring on the roof of the house: "...being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him... and they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying" (2:4).

What wonderful friends! As Jesus engages in service of the word, the friends of the paralytic engage in a service of helps: they make sure that their friend has an opportunity for an encounter with the living God in the person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus stops speaking the word to the crowd, and speaks a word to an individual: "My son, your sins are forgiven" (2:5). But while He speaks, there is yet another service occurring in the hearts of the scribes...

"Why does this man speak that way?" There seems to have been no protest from the scribes when Jesus was expounding the word of God to the crowd. But when He spoke a word of forgiveness to one man, the scribes reacted negatively. And though they never spoke out loud, Jesus heard their hearts. And He responded to their logic by demonstrating the illogical: a miracle of divine healing for the paralytic.

Let's jump into the twenty-first century, and turn the camera on you. Have you endured the overcrowded room for the joy of hearing from God? Have you engaged in works of service so that others can have access into the presence of Christ Jesus? Or have you dared to engage in an internal protest when Jesus chose to reach out to an individual in your presence?

The scribes and Pharisees specialized in reasoning and debate: "Why did He say that?" (2:7). "Why are Your disciples not fasting?" (2:18). "Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" (2:24). Jesus specialized in being clear and uncomplicated: "Follow Me!" (2:14).

Keep it simple, saints. Follow Him.

Advent Reading 5: Psalm 18

Passion and desire. The psalms of David are incredible love letters to God: praises of His sovreignty and power, adoration and worship of His name and nature, pleas for His intervention and deliverance.

Psalm 18, we are told, was written by David on the day that God delivered him from the hand of his enemies, and in particular from the hand of King Saul. David testifies, "The cords of death encompassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness [destruction] terrified me" (Psalm 18:4). The thought is reiterated again in verse 5, reinforcing the notion of David being faced with his own mortality and the very real prospect of dying without realizing God's promise of his being made king in place of Saul.

Later in the psalm, we see David's assessment of what and why:

What happened?
"In my distress I called upon the LORD" (verse 6); "He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me" (verse 17). David cried out to God, and God answered clearly and powerfully.

Why did it happen?
"The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands" (verses 20 and 24); "For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God" (verse 21); "I kept myself from iniquity" (verse 23). In these verses we are reminded of the classic contrast of the Psalms: the fate of the blessed in comparison with the fate of the wicked.

What is the end result?
"Therefore I will give thanks to Thee among the nations, O LORD" (verse 49). David is the poster boy for unashamed, uninhibited praise. When Saul dies and David is publicly anointed as king, he continues in his mode of authentic worship. Second Samuel chapter 6 gives the wonderful account of David's joyful worship, a dance of thanksgiving to God without regard to the opinion of man.

Passion and desire. How hungry are you for the ways of the LORD?

Advent Reading 4: Psalm 12

"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise..." (Psalm 12:5a)

This psalm of David is a petition for God to intervene and protect the righteous from the wicked. The implication is that the wicked are not just out to do evil deeds on their own, but they also carry in themselves an agenda to overthrow the righteous. In the midst of the psalm, David moves in the prophetic realm and declares the wonderful response of the LORD: "I will protect them [the righteous] from those who malign them" (12:5b).

Be cautious as to how you treat My servant, says the LORD. He is weak but I am mighty in him; I am his Defender and Friend. I will not permit you to hurt him with your words and go unpunished.

What is David's response to God's promise? A reiteration, an agreeing, with what God has said: "O LORD, You will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever" (12:7). Friends, there is no safer place to be than in perfect alignment with the word of God. It is our privilege to say yes to Him, and to back up that 'yes' with a lifestyle of obedience towards Him.

God is speaking. Are you listening?

Advent Reading 3: First Thessalonians 1

What a joyful commendation from the apostle Paul to the church in Thessalonica! "For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad..." (1:8).

If Paul, as a leader and overseer, is overjoyed to know that his fellow Christians are walking in obedience to God, imagine how God must feel! Unlike the persons indicted as frauds in Psalm 50 and Isaiah 1, we see an example of people not only claiming to belong to God, but living lives that back up their claim. That is, they lived lives of integrity and truthfulness and faith.

Bad news traveled, and good news traveled. People would talk. The believers from the church in Thessalonica were known throughout their region as men and women who lived and shared the word of the Lord in authenticity.

People still talk. When you are the subject of others' conversations, is there an atmosphere of commendation or condemnation? Your life is sending a message: everyone's life sends a message. If you claim to be a Christian, make sure your life is lived in keeping with the mandate and expectation of the Lord.

Advent Reading 2: Isaiah 1

Once you've read this passage, you'll find that it is so reminiscent of Psalm 50. There is an indictment of those who try to use their sacrifices and offerings to compensate for their lifestyle of disobedience. God says, "I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly... so when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you" (Isaiah 1:13-15).

It's been said before, but bears repeating: God has a serious problem with duplicity. His word says that the repentant are redeemed with righteousness and justice, while the unrepentant continue merrily into the spiral of destruction.

What can we say to all this? Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy on us. My prayer is that we will not engage in lifestyles that cause God to hide His face from us, but that we will earnestly seek after Him and choose to live according to His will.

Advent Reading 1: Psalm 50

If you are an attender at Bronx Bethany, may I implore you to get a copy of "Giving To God: Lose The Attitude"? I believe it is the most compelling sermon I've ever heard preached on Psalm 50. Pastor Sam preached it back on May 4 of this year.

For now, though, let's just look at one verse. "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all it contains" (Psalm 50:12). As was said so eloquently in the sermon almost seven months ago, we are not doing God a favor by showing up in church and singing (or preaching or teaching)- He does not need us. He has given us the gift and privilege of being participants in His program, but He does not need us to get things done. He proved that long ago in creating the world, where there was no human assistance. God spoke and things came into being.

How can we approach this day, especially those of us who have to minister this Sunday? Lord, we know You don't need us. But, oh, how thankful we are that You've chosen us to minister in Your house. Help us to do right by You, for Your glory. Purge us of wickedness and personal agendas, and cause us to cling to Your cross. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

The Advent of Advent: Holiday Blogs

Dear Friends,

Over the next twenty-four days I won't be blogging the Sunday sermons. Instead, I'll be blogging on various readings for Advent. These blogs will be seven days a week, so be sure to check in on the Sundays as well. (After Advent I'll go back to the usual format of blogging Mondays through Saturdays.)

Sunday (November 30) will mark three months since I began this blog. I'd welcome any comments or suggestions you might have regarding the content of this site. You can reach me at glossagirl@gmail.com.

Some of you have already spoken to me in person or via phone, and I thank you so much for your support. I covet your prayers for myself and my husband, as we are going through the experience of our first set of major holidays without his mom (she passed away earlier this year).

I love you my brothers and sisters. Keep fighting the good fight of faith!

Love,

g-force (Genise)

The Prophetic Community Or The Party Line?

When the prophet's widow needed assistance, she went to a prophet. Her salutation, "your servant my husband", suggests that Elisha was a higher-ranking prophet than her spouse was.

Who do you go to when you need assistance? As Christians, we often give lip-service to the idea of seeking God first, last, and always... but can someone tell me what really happens? For some, it's less 'prophet' and more 'party-line'.

There is a behavioral norm in the prophetic community: when crisis hits, when questions arise, seek the face of God. And, if He chooses, God will send people to be part of the process of solving the crisis, or riding through the crisis, or getting our questions answered, or getting strength to live in the uncertainty. God changes our circumstance, or our character, or our outlook on the situation we face.

There is also a behavioral norm in the 'party-line' community: when crisis hits or when questions arise, persons in the 'party-line' community run to their friends. They talk about their problems, and their friends talk to other friends about their problems. Sometimes suggestions are made and advice is given. However, at the end of the day, not one soul has uttered a prayer to the Creator and Sustainer of our souls... and the crisis remains as is. No change in circumstances, no change in character, no change in outlook.

So, the next time you face a crisis, skip the neighbors and bypass the curious. Go directly to God! He will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go (see Psalm 32:8).

Make Way For The King

Today I'll be taking a break from the usual format. My prayer is that you'll take the time to read, and take heed.

On this past Monday morning during one of my prayer times, the Lord impressed upon me the need to revisit Ezekiel 9. It has been a long time since I read through the book of Ezekiel, so I did not remember what the chapter dealt with. It's now Wednesday. I'm still reeling over the words of judgement.

It's an old, reliable formula found throughout scripture: the righteous are spared and the wicked are destroyed. Perhaps the greater indictment here is that the wicked are in the house of God, serving as elders and yet worshiping idols, provoking God to wrath (see Ezekiel 8 for details). It is no wonder that, as judgement falls on the community, God gives a chilling directive: "'Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.' So they started with the elders who were before the temple" (Ezekiel 9:6, italics mine).

The LORD knows who has His seal and who does not. I pray that each of you who minister from the platform are indeed sealed by God, and will live out your lives in total obedience to Him. If you are choosing to remain in disobedience, be assured that God will not remain a silent spectator.

Make way for the King.

"Strait" Talk

"Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil" (Second Kings 4:2).

Strait: A position of difficulty, distress, or need; affording little space; confined in an area; having or marked by limited funds and resources; a condition of narrowness or restriction.

The prophet's widow knew what it was to be in straits. But, she also knew the power of God. She was asked to do some things, and she complied:

-She and her sons borrowed jars from everyone in the community.
-They went home.
-She locked the door.
-She poured and kept pouring.

We know the end of the story. No challenge there. But I would like to challenge each of us to live the middle of the story as we seek to obey the word of God:
-See beyond your circumstances.
-Our language is not 'I have nothing', it is 'I have nothing except..."
-Demonstrate your trust in God's accuracy and reliability.

In the face of our lack, God has placed a reserve... Tell me, what do you have in the house?

Praying Food Into the Fridge Again

This week we'll reflect on some of the points mentioned by Pastor Benji in this past Sunday's sermon, "To Blame Or Bail: Thanksgiving For Bailouts".

Second Kings chapter 4 begins with the story of a prophet's widow who was facing the crisis of losing her sons to slavery, as a payment for debts owed. Pastor Benji reminded us that, while the priests had the privilege of living off of portions of the temple sacrifices, prophets had no mandated provision- they relied on the voluntary gifts given to them by means of private donors.

I think of this in light of our current situation in this country, where we have already begun the downward spiral into dire economic circumstances. And I remember a sermon I heard several years ago, preached by a pastor who is well-known for his accurate prophetic ministry over the decades. In that sermon, he said that the day would come where we would be praying in faith, trusting God to provide for our needs each day. Specifically, he said the days would come where we would be praying for our daily bread- literally, our physical food. It seems that day is looming closer, again.

When I was a little girl I would hear my mom singing "It Is Well With My Soul" as she went about the housework. As an adult, I now look back and realize that our circumstances were very difficult. My mom was not a prophet, but she and we (her children) were in challenging circumstances. Mommy modeled the power of prayer: we always had food, clothing, and shelter, and I know that God provided tangible answers in response to my mom's praises of Him and prayers to Him.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you already know that I've mentioned my experience of laying hands on the empty refrigerator and thanking God for the food He was sending. This may sound presumptuous to those of you who have lived a life of "having stuff"... but for those of us who had no one else but God to bail us out, we are so glad that He has put in us this audacity to trust Him in the face of impossible odds.

Pastor Benji made the comment that difficulties and challenges are part of the "compensation package" of the prophet. My prayer is that, if God has called you to a profession that might leave your fridge a little emptier than you'd prefer, you will accept His call even knowing the hardships that may come with the position.

Remember the cry of Peter? "Lord, we have left our homes to follow you", and our Lord's response: "Listen, those of you who have left your comfort zone for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive so much more than what you gave up" (Luke 18:28-30, paraphrase mine). There is a payback. We don't get to choose when or how, but Jesus promised that there is a substantial return for those who have invested their lives in serving Him... yes, even if it means your food comes by the exercising of the faith He has given you.

Have faith and pray. God feeds the birds, surely He will provide for His children who cry out to Him.

Something To Consider

We are at a critical point in the life of our denomination, The Church of the Nazarene. Last month Nazarenes around the world celebrated the centennial of the denomination, and we are so grateful for all that God has done in the past. But, we also have to deal with the present and the future.

Are we still interested in the ministry of the Spirit? Or are we just using that as legend, or as the legacy of people like Phoebe Palmer, something quaint that sounds good in small doses but has no place in our day-to-day lives?

I hope that Nazarenes everywhere, that Christians everywhere, are experiencing a hungering and thirsting for more of God's Spirit in them. I hope we all are willing to demolish our idols, ideologies, and idiosyncracies, and that we'll kiss the Son lest He become angry and destroy us in an instant (see Psalm 2:12). Jesus knew we could not make it on our own, and as He neared the end of His earthly ministry He asked the Father to send us the Holy Spirit (John chapters 14 through 16). God answered: The Holy Spirit has been sent. The Holy Spirit is available.

I hope, and pray, that the Spirit of God dwells in you.

When The Spirit Is Present: Dunamis

Let's continue our reflections from this past Sunday's sermon. Today we will consider the role of dunamis (miracle-working power) as a component of the ministry of the Spirit.

The word dunamis has been mentioned in previous blogs. It's the Greek word we translate as "power", but dunamis is also the root from which we get our word "dynamite": in other words, this is way more than just turning on a light switch. We are talking about dramatic, loud, unmistakable evidence that something has happened. Unlike the fruit of the Spirit, which reflects the agricultural analogy of a slow and steady growth process, dunamis carries with it the notion of instant change.

The ministry of the Spirit gives us this privilege of being the vehicles of God's power. Pastor Sam mentioned an Old Testament passage, First Samuel 16:18-23, where we read the account of young David's ability to not just play the harp, but to play the harp in such a way that King Saul was instantly freed from the oppression of an evil spirit that was sent to torment him. We also mentioned in previous blogs the accounts in Acts where the power of the Spirit was so present that even seemingly useless things (like Peter's shadow) were used by God to bring instantaneous healing to the sick.

In the midst of these amazing phenomena we must heed the cautionary tale of Simon the Sorcerer, who wanted to purchase from Peter and John the ability to heal and do wonders (see Acts 8) . Our God is not just about signs and wonders, He's deeply interested in the condition and motives of our hearts.

So, we want to be vehicles for the power of God, but we want to be found with the right attitude and approach. What does Paul say?
- Don't boast, except in the cross of Christ.
- What counts is a new creation.
- Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule (Galatians 6:14-16).

Engagement. Victory. Transformation. Dunamis. Spirit of God, I long for Your presence. Breathe me in.

When The Spirit Is Present: Transformation

Today we continue our reflection on this past Sunday's sermon.

Too often we limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit to just physical manifestations. If we hear someone speaking in tongues, or giving a prophetic word, or we witness a miraculous healing, we then conclude that the Spirit of God has shown up. You may recall, though, in an earlier sermon, Pastor Sam warned us: "Not every miracle means that God is in the house: remember the magicians of Egypt?" (see Exodus chapters 7 and 8 for details)

But, there is something amazing that happens when the Spirit is present, and it is often not as instantaneous or dramatic as some of the public manifestations we see: lives are transformed.

Galatians 5 gives a contrast between the acts of the sinful nature and what Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit. Later on in Galatians 6 Paul brings in the powerful metaphor of sowing and reaping: wherever we expend our effort is where we will see fruit.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do on our own: express love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It becomes an outflow of who we are: not because of our own efforts, but because of the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

Paul says at the close of the book of Galatians, "what counts is a new creation" (Galatians 6:15). Perhaps we as Christians would be taken more seriously if our evidence of Spirit-fullness does not begin and end with a prophecy or a shout, but with seeds of the love of God that over time bear good fruit.

When The Spirit Is Present: Victory

Today we continue our reflection on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we forget.

Sometimes we forget that the strategy that brings victory involves wellness and wholeness. Prior to the accounts in the book of Acts, we have other accounts of individuals having the ability to heal the sick and cast out demons. An example of this is found in Matthew 10:1. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Sometimes we forget that the strategy that brings victory involves war. We are in a war against demonic forces. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12. For our war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Sometimes we forget that the strategy that brings victory involves waiting. The resurrected Christ told His disciples, "...wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5).

How do we get this ability to heal the sick, cast out demons, wage war for the kingdom of God? Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who gives gifts: "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (First Corinthians 12:7).

Victorious living is not just temporal, but also eternal: "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:8). When the Spirit is present, we can look to Him for help in living a life that is pleasing to God. And we can look to Him for power (see Acts 1:8) that will equip us to be agents of healing and deliverance, for the purpose of drawing souls into the kingdom of God.

When the Spirit is present, we expreience victory over demonic bondage. But the ministry of the Spirit extends beyond victory to transformation. We'll get more into that with tomorrow's blog.

When The Spirit Is Present: Engagement

As we continue in reflection on this past Sunday's sermon, let's think about the idea of engagement with God.

We are looking at Luke 3:16, where John the Baptist states that when Jesus comes He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. In the sermon it was noted that the Greek word "kai" can be translated not only as "and", but as "even" or "indeed". The essence of John's statement is that the Holy Spirit is indeed fire, a consuming fire that reveals who we are at the core.

Jesus, during His own ministry, elaborates further on this concept of the Holy Spirit: "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement" (John 16:8). Jesus also uses the term "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; John 15:26)- the One who reveals what is right and wrong.

In First Samuel 19, we have an account of the Spirit of God in engagement with King Saul. In this engagement, as is also the case in the more famed passage of Acts 2, things happen when the Holy Spirit shows up. As Pastor Sam said on Sunday, "there is public manifestation of a supernatural engagement between God and you". And, we don't get to pick how God shows up... but Scripture is consistent in indicating that there is some form of expression. King Saul walked along the road prophesying. The disciples spoke of the awesome works of God in languages they had never learned. Pastor Sam spoke of his own experience of weeping before the Lord.

I have my own story of engagement, and perhaps you have yours as well. But when the Spirit is present, there is more to the experience than just physical or verbal manifestations. Tomorrow we'll turn our lens to the concept of victory in relation to the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Water-Baptized, Or Just Wet?

Welcome! In this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam extracted one of the "elementary things" listed in Hebrews 6: "instructions on baptisms". This week we'll review some of the things mentioned in the sermon.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, baptism is a symbol of commitment. Water baptism was a common practice of proselytes who converted to Judaism, and who wanted to demonstrate their decision in a public display of allegiance.

John the Baptist put a new spin on the significance of water baptism, as he implored the Jews of his day to participate in a baptism signifying repentance. John specifically told them that this was a preview of the new wave of baptism that would come with the ministry of Jesus: not a baptism of water, but a baptism of the Holy Spirit's fire (Luke 3:16).

John the Baptist's statement helps us recognize that the use of the plural word "baptisms" found in Hebrews 6 is appropriate: water baptism for repentance and public identification with Jesus, and Spirit baptism- also a public indicator of our identification with Jesus, but one in which the Spirit of God determines how that identification is manifested. We'll take a closer look at these as the week unfolds.

The Magdalene In Me

This week we have reflected primarily on Thomas, but today I'd like to look at another individual mentioned in John 20: my friend Mary Magdalene.

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means (Luke 8:1-3).

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25).

Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: I have seen the Lord! And she told them that he had said these things to her (John 20:17-18).

You know, I wonder if you would permit Mary Magdalene to sit on your trustee board. Or join your pastoral staff. Sometimes when we're aware of a person's past history we get nervous about allowing them to do certain things in the church. Our guest speaker from this past Sunday was a former drug dealer who God wondrously saved and delivered from that lifestyle. God chose to elevate him and give him full-time work in the kingdom of God.

In our frailty and fear we are less willing to give people second chances. Moses the murderer and David the adulterer would be told, Well, historically people with your background have a tendency to relapse or to never reform, so we really can't take the risk of putting you on the board... certainly we can't put you in the pulpit... Fortunately, God is not afraid to give people second chances! He says, Go and sin no more.

I love the approach of one of my former pastors, a Salvation Army officer who witnessed the conversion of a former alcoholic and drug addict. What did my pastor do? He gave the individual the keys to the church van after a night service and said, Drive these people home. The individual was shocked at the level of trust extended to him, and viewed the assignment as a tangible proof that, just as God forgot the former sins, our pastor too treated the individual in the same way: We will not remember your former sins. Drive this van and embrace your new identity as a trustworthy child of God.

Risky? Yes, of course. But Jesus took the ultimate risk by dying for all of us while we were still sinners. What has He said?

-Mary, you were bound severely but I set you free. I have seen you demonstrate your love and support and I know I can count on you: deliver this message to My disciples.
-Genise, in your weakness I am your strength. I know I can count on you: keep doing the works I've assigned to you.

What about you? I pray that you will be able to say, Yes, God, You can count on me: I will forget about my past and do what You are telling me to do now. Amen!

The Scandal of Distrust

"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." John 20:25

Why is it that we don't trust each other?

I won't be too hard on Thomas because I've seen the same scenario played out over and over again. Let me explain.

Thomas was called to be a disciple. He and eleven other men spent three years as a cohort, working together collaboratively to learn from Jesus, to follow Him, to cast out demons and heal the sick in His name, et cetera. The guys knew each other.

But at the end of the day, when Thomas (for whatever reason) missed that post-resurrection encounter with Christ detailed in John 20:19, Thomas would not accept the word of the men who were his closest colleagues.

Yes, I hear the elation in your voice, but I don't believe your testimony.
Yes, I see your overjoyed faces, but I don't believe your testimony.
Yes, we've been working together for three years, but I don't believe your testimony.
Unless I see and touch Him for myself, I will not believe it.

Have you been on the receiving end of the distrust of someone who is supposed to be your friend and fellow soldier in the fight of faith?

Yes, I believe God spoke to the pastors but I'm not doing this Back to Basics thing.
Yes, I know that God opens heaven when we tithe but I just can't.
Yes, I've read that when we give God causes others to give to us but I am not on board with Forward in Faith.
Yes, I love Pastor Sam but he's kind of gone too far out into the deep water; I just don't believe we'll see a new physical plant.

If that's you lurking behind those italicized words, may I implore you to give God a chance? May I implore you to walk in obedience to Him?

Back to Basics- obedience in meditating on the word of God (Psalm 1)
Tithing- obdeience in giving back to God what is rightfully His (Malachi 3)
Giving- being a blessing to others by sharing, even out of our lack (Mark 12:41-44)
Believing- demonstrating our faith in God by believing His word and the message of His servants whom He sent to teach us (Second Chronicles 20:20)

What is the word to Thomas? "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Will you make that word your own?

True Privilege

As we continue our reflections on this past Sunday's sermon, let's consider one part of one verse: ...the disciples were together with the door locked for fear... (John 20:19).

For the first-century church, there was a definite fear of the Jews. People like Saul were traveling the countryside with warrants to arrest men and women who claimed Jesus Christ as their Lord. And of course we can't forget our Revelation series, which informed us of the crises imposed upon Christians by imperial Rome. Certainly no one would condemn the Christians of that time for hiding behind closed doors. Right?

And here we are in the twenty-first century...and things like that don't happen anymore, right?

Wrong.

We have Nazarene pastors that, in our time, are hiding in fear of their lives. We have Christians whose homes and businesses have been burned to the ground. There is real persecution and conflict that is based not on what they have done, but is imposed because of Who they love and serve. I'd encourage you to read this for yourselves... http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10006338.

Unfortunately we in the West have become accustomed to a gospel of ease and prosperity, not heeding the warning of Christ that the world hates us just as it hated Him (John 15:18-25). A couple of days ago I was watching a certain religious program and the preacher kept saying, "No Christian is going to suffer! The economic crisis is not going to even come to your door!" Well, when there's no food, no gas, and the infrastructure of the city has collapsed... when pastors in India are hiding in the forest trying to stay alive... when Christians in Muslim nations are handed the death penalty for embracing Jesus as their Lord... well, that all sounds like suffering to me.

What does the apostle Paul say? In the middle of Philippians, the epistle famous for its constant use of the words "joy" and "rejoice", Paul says this: "I want to know Christ, to be like Him, to suffer with Him, to have in me that same power that raised Jesus from the dead" (Philippians 3:10, paraphrase mine).

Friends, will you say yes to the privilege of suffering with Christ? Will you take pleasure in bearing disgrace for the sake of His name? Will you "rejoice and be exceeding glad" (Matthew 5:12) when it's your turn to hide in forests and catacombs?

India is not so far away.

BBCN, Apostolic?

We see in John 20 and Acts 1 that most of the disciples experienced two impartations of the Holy Spirit: the first being "receiving the Spirit" through the resurrected Christ's breathing on them in John 20, and the second being "baptism with the Spirit" promised by Christ (Acts 1) and made manifest during the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Which disciples missed out on the initial event of "receiving the Spirit" (John 20:22)? Judas Iscariot, who had already committed suicide; Thomas, who was not in the room; and presumably Matthias, who was not selected to replace Judas until after the event. Thomas and Matthias were present for the subsequent "baptism of the Spirit" recorded in Acts 2. (I don't mean to imply that they were 'less-filled' than their peers for having missed the first event, just making the observation that some of them 'didn't get the first memo'.)

What happens when the Spirit is present?

The Holy Spirit imparts to us the authority to forgive. "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (John 20:22). We should keep in mind a parallel passage regarding forgiveness: it appears after the end of the Lord's Prayer. "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:15). It seems that John 20:22 gives much credence to the act of absolution, and the Matthew 6 reference suggests that it would be in our best interests to offer absolution so that we in turn will receive that same grace of forgiveness!

The Holy Spirit imparts to us power to work miracles. The word "power" (Acts 1:8) in the Greek is dunamis, the root word from which we get our word "dynamite". Certainly incidents like Philip the evangelist being transported to another town (Acts 8:36-40) suggest activity that has no alternative explanation- it can only be called a miracle. If you want to read more about Philip the evangelist, you can also check out Acts 8:4-13.

The Holy Spirit imparts to us the ability to embrace martyrdom. "And you will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8). The Greek word that our Bibles translate as "witnesses" is the word marturios, which is the source of the word martyr. Marturios also gives the connotation of testimony, as if a person were on trial. Do you really want to walk where Jesus walked? It's not about taking a flight to Jerusalem. It's about demonstrating the miracle-working power of God and joyfully suffering the consequences, just as the Jesus and the early apostles were questioned and maligned for speaking the truth and healing people.

Well, I hope I have not been too radical by blogging about absolution and martyrdom and speaking the truth and healing people, but I encourage all of us to reflect on this. If we are (as Pastor Sam said during last July's Nazarene conference) "preoccupied with the ministry of the Spirit", then we would do well to meditate on the scriptures that clue us in to the way the Spirit operates. And, just as the apostolic community of the first-century church experienced this amazing outpouring, we too have the privilege of experiencing God in this twenty-first century... with power to forgive from the heart, power to to be used in the miraculous, and power to witness for Jesus even if it costs us our lives.

So... are you one of those Apostle guys? Don't you wish everyone was?

I Want More, I Want More.

Today let's begin digging into John 20.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!"
Have you ever had to tell someone the same thing over and over again? In scripture we often see this Judaic way of being emphatic- that is, saying the same thing twice. A more famous example of this effect is "Verily, verily (truly, truly)". Jesus is saying something important... Peace (20:19)! Peace (20:21)! Don't be agitated or afraid.

"As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Jesus named the successors to His earthly ministry: Us (20:21). Disciples across the ages, in every nation, have been commissioned by Jesus to carry on the work He began. If we are being sent, then it is disobedience to remain behind locked doors (20:19; 20:26).

And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Do you think the disciples remembered the promise Jesus made before the crucifixion (John 14:16)- the promise of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit who indwells us and teaches us and convicts us? Well, whether or not they remembered, Jesus certainly remembered and kept His word (20:22).

Tomorrow we will continue our reflection by focusing on the impartations of the Spirit recorded in John 20 and Acts 2.

Meet My Friend!

Yesterday our guest speaker, Pastor Oliver, spoke on the experience of the disciple Thomas as recorded in John 20:24-28. I thought it might be an interesting parallel if we each spent some time today thinking of Biblical figures that we would be able to speak of as a friend, encouragement, inspiration, et cetera. If you have the time and inclination, you might want to even write out your reflections on whose stories resonate with you and why.

So, in light of Pastor Oliver's reflections on his friend Thomas, the disciple who doubted, I'd like to take a detour from the usual blog format and share reflections with you today about my friend Job.

Yes, bad things happen to good people. As the scripture says, rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. There is not always an easily definable pattern of cause and effect: we can think of Job and his perspective on the calamities that he experienced. Job was not privy to the heavenly dialogue that preceded the destruction of his family and livelihood (see Job chapter 1), and so from Job's perspective there may have been confusion and cognitive dissonance in seeing his lifestyle of humility and contrition "rewarded" with economic and familial disaster.

There is a challenge in whether we can say “God causes...” or “God allows...”. In a case like Job's I am inclined to say that God caused his experience, because it was God who pointed out Job to Satan (Have you considered my servant Job?). What can I say to that? Lord, how I want to stay in the background, but You have not called me to the background- sometimes people have to see how I respond in a crisis, how I worship You in the midst of a struggle, how I come back to You after falling into error....

Through the process, though, God has a way of showing up that makes it worth the crisis and the struggles that come our way. I believe He is glorified and greatly pleased when we as His children react in kindness and love when we have been bombarded with adversities. My prayer is that, when these situations occur, we as children of God will be aware and awake to recognize the hand of God in the midst of our struggle.

A Day To Pray V

This is our fifth "Day To Pray", and in keeping with this past Sunday's sermon let's pray that our congregation and our leadership will be willing to humble themselves before the LORD so that He will lift us up at the appointed time (James 4:10).

Specifically, let us pray that everyone will be willing to review (or, for some, learn for the first time) these things that the apostle Paul termed "the elementary teachings of Christ" (Hebrews 6:1-2):

Repentance from dead works;
Faith in God;
Baptisms;
The laying on of hands;
Resurrection and eternal judgement.

Bronx Bethany is going Back To Basics. The Bronx and the world will never be the same again.

When Presence And Power Are Not Enough.

Some time ago we talked about the indictment against "the many" (see Matthew 7:22-23), and today I'd like to revisit that in light of this past Sunday's sermon.

There are some churches that are full of bench-warmers. People come in, they listen, and at the end of the service they go home. But during the week there is no evidence to support their claim of faith in Jesus Christ: they are tyrants at work and at home, they don't pray or read scripture or engage in spiritual disciplines... yet there they are, back the next Sunday, sitting in that same row, as if the act of being in church once a week is sufficient to save their souls.

Being present is not enough.

To compound matters, the Matthew passage indicts not the bench-warmers, but the first-string players. The ones who have prophetic giftings. The ones who can exorcise demons. The ones who can do miracles. The ones who have won the respect and love of the congregation because of the marvelous gifts being used among God's people. What does Jesus say? Get out of My sight; you are not on My team.

Being powerful is not enough.

What is God looking for?

Growth. Growing in grace, being submitted to the Holy Spirit who teaches us to say no to ungodliness (see Titus 2:12), learning to recognize the voice of God and be swift to obey Him.

Love. Our demonstration of love for God and love for each other points the world to Jesus, and prevents us from stumbling into sin (First John 2:10). Additionally, our increased love for God leads us to obey Him, and to reject any love for the things of this world (First John 2:15-17).

Certainly there are other things God expects of His children, but for today let's just reflect on these: to grow in the grace of God, and to demonstrate God's unconditional love. Two acts of humble obedience that far surpass our presence and power in ministry.

Samuel's Words Don't Fall To The Ground.

Short blog today...

In Sunday's sermon we were reminded of the error of King Saul, who rebelled against God through his indifference to the counsel of the prophet Samuel:


Samuel: What is all that noise?
Saul: Oh, just some stuff I'm gonna sacrifice to God.
Samuel: But God said destroy everything.

When God speaks, whether directly to us or through a prophet, what do we do?

We listen; and we obey. My prayer is that you will hear and follow the word of the LORD, even if it means you get a little hate mail from those who are not in line with the logos and rhema word of God.

Has God given you instructions through His servants? Are you listening, or are you on the brink of making unauthorized sacrifices (First Samuel 13)? Be very sure that the counsel of God is the thing that captures your heart- nothing else, no one else, can ever take a front row seat- God is in charge.

God has given a word to His prophets. And He has given us a choice: follow the plan and program of God set forth through His prophets, or just go off and do your own thing, knowing that there is no reward for disobedience- in fact, judgement waits at your door. The choice is yours.

Family Yes, Society Yes, Deity No... You Lose.

Today we continue our journey through the parables mentioned in this past Sunday's sermon. Let's dig in to the parable of the rich young ruler, which is found in three of the four gospels (Matthew 19:16-26; Mark 10:17-27; Luke 18:18-27).

This is my condensed version:

The ruler: "Lord, what must I do to obtain eternal life?"
Jesus: "Keep the commandments."
The ruler: "Which ones?"
Jesus: "The ones relating to family and society."
The ruler: "Been there, done that. What else?"
Jesus: "We have to have a talk about idolatry. You can't be complete until you sell your earthly riches. They've become a stronghold in your life and you need to let them go."
The ruler: (walks away)

My friends, let's talk about idolatry.

The scandal of the rich young ruler was that his love of wealth and property was a violation of God's commandments relating to Himself: do not place any gods before the Almighty God (ordination); do not make a physical representation of an idol (creation); do not bow down to an idol (veneration); do not worship an idol (adoration) (Exodus 20:1-6).

Keep in mind that the ruler's wealth, in and of itself, was not the problem. Scripture informs us that it is God who gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), so if He equips us to be wealthy then that's great, we thank God for it. However, the apostle Paul warns us that the love of money is the root of all evil; the desire for riches opens the door for temptation and snares (First Timothy 6:9-11).

The temptation surfaces in the identification: the rich young ruler. Do you hold identifiers that are snares to your soul? Your school... your socioeconomic status... your home... your church affiliation... anything that has captured your heart and dulled your ears to the voice of God? Do you know what it is? Are you willing to let it go?

Crazy Faith

Let's talk about mustard seed faith. I'd like to start this blog with a quote from Pastor Sam's sermon: "It's not the size of our faith, it's the size of the God we put our faith in."

On Sunday I picked up a new Forward in Faith pledge card, and for part of today I will be in the sanctuary at BBCN to talk with God about increasing my pledge for 2009 and beyond. As we were reminded on Sunday, the whole point of Forward in Faith is that we realize there's no way we can accomplish our capital campaign outside of a miracle from God. I don't want to be arbitrary or reckless, but I do want to see God do amazing things. BBCN is stretched to the limit. Anyone who works or volunteers at BBCN during the week can tell you that we are in desperate need of more physical space.

We are so good at lip service. We talk about God opening the Red Sea, or the time we had no food and God sent someone to our door with groceries, but it seems we don't want to "impose" on God for less dramatic demonstrations of His power (if I may dare to rank-order miracles). A ten-million dollar physical plant, in comparison to turning back time (see Second Kings 20:9-11), is a small thing to ask. But are we asking in faith?

Let's be real. Not everyone is on board with the Forward in Faith campaign, and my guess is they won't be too keen on Back To Basics either. Both programs have at their core the concept of God's sovreignty, and therein lies the challenge for some who don't want their mental sand castles knocked over. But guess what? There is only one King in the kingdom, and what He says goes. You can fight Him if you want, but you might not live to tell the tale. You and your little sand castle can be swept away by the slightest wave from God, so take care in how you approach His servants who are just telling you what He has told them.

"Mountain, be cast into the depths of the sea" (see Matthew 17:20; Mark 11:22-24). Have you ever spoken a word like that, confident of God's ability to bring it to pass? Wait. Let's rewind the tape a little further back, to that classic question Pastor Sam always asks: Has God given you a word on a particular matter? What has God said? According to Hebrews 11, God is in the habit of telling things to His beloved children: Noah, I'm about to break out in judgement. Build an ark- I'll give you the specs... Moses, stop making excuses. You're My man and I'm using you to free My people from bondage... Gideon, your army is too fat. Let's trim it down to 300 men.

What has God said to you? Well, I know what God has said to me. And some of it is scary, but God has sent a companion word: Fear not. I see from reading scripture that Moses, Gideon, and others were initially reluctant to accept the assignment given to them by God. But how can we say no? God, who does not have to prove Himself, has graciously proven Himself over and over again. He does not make mistakes, and we can trust Him. Our faith might look crazy to some, but it's actually the most sensible action we can engage in.

Make Pastor Sam's question your own question: What has God said? I hope, that as you reflect on the things that God has told you, you will be encouraged to walk in obedience to His call on your life.

Sand Castles

This past Sunday, Pastor Sam introduced us to BBCN's "Back To Basics" series. We believe that the LORD wants us to make sure we're firmly grounded in Him and in His word. Let's spend this week's blogs looking at some of the scripture passages that were mentioned during the sermon.

We'll start with a parable that you may already be familiar with: the parable of the two foundations (also known as the parable of the builders). In Luke's account of this parable, Jesus begins this parable with a question that we often are challenged with at Bronx Bethany: "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46-49)

I hope we're all listening, as God keeps hammering home this simple fact: God has a problem with duplicity. We cannot claim to know Him if we're ignoring His counsel and His mandates. Part of the sensibility behind "Back To Basics" is the idea of making sure that everyone at BBCN is building on a solid foundation. As is reflected in Hebrews 5:12, every believer must know the elementary teachings of Christ before moving on to more difficult concepts and tenets of the faith. As Pastor Sam stated so clearly, how can we embark on a discussion of sanctification if there has not been an experience of repentance from sin?

Getting back to the parable, let's remember the key word: "When". When the floods rose. When the torrent burst against the house. Not "if", but "when". We've gone through this in a previous blog but it bears repeating. The point of having a firm foundation is so that storms and torrents can be withstood. What are your storms? Economic crises? Family crises? Challenges related to employment or lack of employment? Perhaps a combination of these and other concerns?

"... the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock" (Matthew 7:25). What is Jesus saying? Your house is going to be tested with external elements- tested by things completely outside of your control- and then you, I, your neighbors, and everyone who knows you will see whether your walk with God has any substance, or whether your "church life" is just a bogus routine with no depth of relationship to Christ.

Where are the real saints? Is there anybody here who loves my Jesus? Don't bother raising your hands. I'll know who the real saints are when the tsunami hits shore.