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.

Prophetic Warning #6: The Cessation of Intercessory Prayer.

"Do not pray for them; do not cry for them; do not intercede for them; I will not hear you" (Jeremiah 7:16, paraphrase mine).

God promises to punish wickedness and idolatry, and we see that scenario played out over and over again throughout scripture. This passage in Jeremiah, however, reveals another side of God's process of punishment: the call for intercessors to stop interceding.

For an intercessor, this is the worst sign to encounter. When God says stop praying, it's an indication of a set decision. Destruction is coming, and the man in the gap is relieved from his prayer assignment: It's over.

Jeremiah 7:16 gives us a summary of the prayer process of the intercessor:

Pray. We seek the face of God concerning a situation we may not have direct knowledge of, but that we sense God wants us to bring before Him.

Cry. As we understand the nature, gravity, and urgency of the prayer need, our prayer shifts from mere intellectual exercise and is joined by an emotional response: we feel the need, and we cry out to God because we know that if God does not step in, then disaster will result.

Intercede. Intercession involves a deep identification with those who are the subjects of the prayer. The book “Rees Howells: Intercessor” contains excellent examples of the lengths to which an intercessor goes in identifying with the subject and/or prayer need. A shorter text, “Daniel Nash: Prevailing Prince of Prayer” chronicles the work of Daniel Nash, an intercessor who was part of the prayer power behind the ministry of Finney. I highly recommend both texts.

Sometimes the work of intercessory prayer is accompanied by fasting. Sometimes it's accompanied by watching (choosing to deny ourselves sleep in order to wait before God in prayer). But, at the end of the day, it's always God who has the final decision on matters. We can't guarantee that our fervent prayers will change God's mind... but we still pray. That is, we pray until God says stop.

There are some who continue to live as if life has no deadlines- as if they can always get an extension granted from God and continue to defy His mandates. What does God say? It's over. No more extensions.

But if we plead, who knows if God might hear us and delay our punishment (see Second Samuel 12:22)? Bronx Bethany, keep praying- perhaps our prayers can hold back the judgement that sits at our doorstep. Pray, cry, intercede...