Empty Wallet. Full Heart.

On our refrigerator there is a magnet with Jeremiah 29:11 written on it. It is my least favorite magnet. Well, let me rephrase that: I don’t like the magnet.

That little magnet is not just a reminder of the goodness of God. It’s a reminder that, whether through my own disobedience or through the frailty of mankind, I experience seasons during which God allows me to be beaten down by awful circumstances. And though the exile may not be seventy years long (as was the case in Jeremiah’s day), I still feel the pain.

And in the midst of the pain, God shows up and says, “I know the plans I have for you.”

Pastor Art gave us a wonderful example of an honest prayer response in such cases: “God, You ambushed me! Why did You send me here?” And so it is. God, who sees and knows everything, who never gives us more than we can bear (First Corinthians 10:13), puts us into some really tight situations from time to time. And He expects us to still worship Him in spirit and in truth.

But God, seventy years?

My little Jeremiah 29:11 magnet is a reality check. Yes, God loves everybody. Yes, God does all things well. Yes, God saves and delivers. But this same God, out of His love, also brings afflictions, losses, and sufferings. He does so with the promise that He will prosper us. Our futures are filled with hope.

And what shall we do? Job said it well: “Shall we accept good from the hand of the LORD and not evil?” (Job 2:10) And the Scripture tells us that this statement is evidence that Job did not sin.

So, perhaps we should remember that a life of submission to Jesus is not all about ease and surfeit. Some of us have been suffering for seven months and it kind of feels like seventy years. Some, like Job, have buried children and lost properties. Yet we hold on to the hope: God is with us. And we Christians smile not because of what we have, but because of who God is.

So I keep the magnet. And I am encouraged.

"I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You; o my soul, rejoice!" (Laurie Klein)

Ora Et Labora.

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” (Jeremiah 29:5)

During Sunday’s sermon Pastor Art said, “God can draw straight with crooked lines.” In this experience of exile, when we feel like everything is thrown out of sync and we are mourning the loss of the familiar, God calls us to continue walking on the straight path of obedience and submission to His will.

For some of us, the honest truth is that we don’t want to settle down in Babylon. Why does God call us to establish residency in the land we hate? Why does He tell us to sweat and labor and till the cursed ground?

But there’s more than sweat involved: in tandem with the work, the people of God were called to pray for the land in which they had been exiled. “Pray to the LORD (for the prosperity of the city), because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7). Perhaps the hard work is a way of putting ‘hands and feet’ to the prayers, a tangible way of saying to God and to the world, “Yes, I am fully invested in God’s project. Though He has exiled me, I will honor Him by being a good neighbor in this strange community. Though my heart longs for Jerusalem, I will be a productive, praying resident in Babylon.”

Exile still hurts. And the building of houses and the cultivating of gardens, whether actual or metaphor, aren’t overnight processes. They take time. Effort. Planning. Patience. But the day will come when we can enjoy the home, enjoy the food, enjoy the beauty that emerges out of the pain of being exiled.

In the meantime, work and pray.

Three-Word Warning.

During Sunday's sermon, Pastor Art reiterated that it was the LORD who carried His people into exile. The people were removed from Jerusalem, their beloved homeland, and planted in a strange place.

Pastor Art shared that we, in this twenty-first century, may also experience the discomfort and uncertainty of exile. We may have left the towns in which we grew up. We may have had to leave jobs or churches or loved ones. Things change. People change. Life happens and we find ourselves standing in the middle of an environment where we don't know the lingua franca.

What can we do?

Well, our guest pastor gave us a loving, serious warning: Don't look back.

And while his point about not looking back was reinforced by his references to Jeremiah 29 and Proverbs 3:5-6, I'd like to take the liberty of bringing another Bible verse into the mix.

Jesus tells a true story about the end of the age and the tendency of man to desire the familiar even when the familiar is destined for destruction. And in the middle of His talk, He says, "Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:32)

He didn't say, "Remember Noah's neighbors" even though they'd been mentioned earlier in Luke 17. Perhaps that's because Noah's neighbors didn't have the privilege of Lot's family. Lot had two destroying angels come into his home, announce the impending destruction, and lead the family by the hand into a safe place. What grace was extended!

But for Lot's wife, the safe place did not hold as much attraction as the unsafe place. She longed for the familiar, and her strange death has made her become a byword and example of how dangerous it is to covet the thing that God has condemned.

Are you in Babylon? Then be in Babylon. Don't look back.

Art-istic.

This week’s blogs are grown from the good sermon soil of our dear friend and district leader, Reverend Art Alexander. Pastor Art spoke to us from Jeremiah 29:11-14, a very familiar passage to some of us.

Pastor Art reminded us that the passage is given to us in the context of a people in exile, those exiled because of their repeated disobedience to God. Yet, though exiled, God gives them two things:

-a promise for eventual deliverance; and
-instructions on how to live while in exile.

In essence, God used Pastor Art to continue the message that we were given last week through Reverend Cole. And it is a message God has sent to us before. God is saying to us, unequivocally, that we as a church body are going to experience some uncomfortable situations.

My task this week is to remind you of some of the details from Pastor Art’s sermon. Today, we’ll start with just a recap of the Scripture. If you can, it would be more beneficial to read several chapters of Jeremiah (like chapters 26 through 29) or, if you have the time and discipline, to read the entire book of Jeremiah during this week (52 chapters). But this is what we read during the service:

'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the Lord. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,' says the Lord. 'Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,' says the Lord. 'I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.'

Pack your bags, baby. We’re going to Babylon.

Interlude.

You must not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

(Moses) called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites, and because of their testing the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7)

What would cause a person to challenge God's authority?

a. Fatigue
b. Thirst
c. Hunger
d. Anger
e. Sheer stupidity

As tempting as it might be to say that a person must be stupid if they're accusing God of not being present, choice "e" is not the answer to the question. It's "b".

In Exodus 17, we see that the Israelites contended against Moses (and by extension, according to Scripture, against God). Now, it was not unusual for the people to be cantankerous. They had been complaining for a long time. But the incidents of Massah and Meribah stood out, so much so that they're mentioned several times in Scripture (Numbers chapters 20 and 27; Deuteronomy chapters 6, 9, 32, and 33; Psalms 81, 95, and 106; Hebrews 3).

These were two major occasions involving a need for water (I will not count the third, Marah, in which water was present but undrinkable due to its bitterness). On the first occasion (Exodus 17:1-7), Moses struck the rock as he was instructed and water flowed. On the second occasion (Numbers 20), Moses was instructed to speak to the rock but instead disobeyed in two ways:

*He did not speak to the rock, but struck it instead.
*He attributed the miracle of water not to God, but to himself. (I must credit Pastor Sam here, as it was he who turned my attention to Moses's statement "Must we bring water out of this rock for you?")

That was then, and that is now. Times are hard. And we are thirsty. There is a strong temptation to question whether God is aware of our plight. In light of God's goodness, greatness, and His track record of provision, what shall we do? What do we say as He takes us on this walk through the wilderness?

He knows you don't have any water. Praise Him anyway.

Swan Song.

But God was angry with me because of you and the things you said. He swore that I'd never cross the Jordan, never get to enter the good land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance. This means that I am going to die here. I'm not crossing the Jordan. But you will cross; you'll possess the good land. (Deuteronomy 4:21-22, The Message)

Moses knew he would not step into the promised land. But he remained faithful in his leadership assignment: he taught the people the law of the LORD and implored them to obey Him.

He also instructed them to teach their children about the goodness and greatness of God. "...the Lord showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers." (Deuteronomy 6:22-23)

In effect, Moses modeled the behavior that the people of ancient Israel were to imitate. He was not perfect. But he left them some valuable keys. Here are a few from Deuteronomy 6:

*Hear, observe, and obey God's commands.
*Love the LORD with every fibre of your being.
*Teach your children about God's wondrous works.
*Remember what the LORD has done for your people throughout the generations.

Moses knew that his days were numbered. While he lived, he did all he could to teach God's people.

How about you?

In Full Effect, Part Two.

[Guest blogger: Rev. Ronald Benjamin]

We are rather cautious about the subject of riches, especially when it is connected to godliness. Jesus has said some of the most cutting things about the potential of material possession. He was not apologetic or afraid that others would be offended when he said "You cannot serve God and money".

You can tell what one's god is by the place it is given in conversation and thought. "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also." The sin of idolatry has not disappeared. The gods are increasing and more people are pledging their allegiance to them.

What is rather tragic is the embracing of idolatry under the guise of Christianity. Simply put, when one desires the blessings instead of the "Blesser"; sees the things received as more valuable than the One who has given them; is grateful for the product instead of being thankful to the Provider, that person is in the throes of idolatry. No apology.

RB

In Full Effect.

And it shall be, when the LORD Thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

Reverend Cole made an interesting statement regarding the above passage. He said: "Sometimes we end up in a better place economically, but a worse place spiritually." Amen.

Verse eleven gives us an important phrase. "When thou shalt have eaten and be full...beware." It is a thought echoed again in a famous quote from the book of Proverbs. Agur, speaking prophetically, says: "Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord'?"
(Proverbs 30:8b-9a)

And perhaps this is why Jesus reiterated to His disciples that it is so difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The presence of surplus is, it seems, a precursor to self-destruction. We are happy, though, for the encouragement of Christ: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

Lord, cause us to crave the fullness of Your Spirit and abandon the excess of the world.

Won't You Help To Sing?

During Sunday's sermon, Reverend Cole used alliteration to describe the condition of ancient Israel following the exodus from Egypt. The people of God were:

*Free, and wandering;
*Free, and wasting;
*Free, and wanton.

They had been liberated from captivity. But, as was shared on Sunday, they became bound in other forms of slavery. They wore the chains of grumbling and complaining against God and His leaders. They wore the chains of longing for the land and culture of their oppressors. They wished they'd remained in captivity.

I find myself reluctant to pull this text into the present, because I don't know anyone who enjoys being indicted. But we must contemplate the Egypt in us.

Have we preferred feasts to fasts?

Is prayer a regular habit, or is it reserved for "Red Sea" emergencies?

Are we still embracing the things (or people) that God has urged us to leave?

The worship team, in one of their songs, sang the refrain "I'm never going back!" Amen. God has set us free. Why go back to slavery?

A Question From The Real Director Of Worship Arts.

I don't usually discuss service music on this blog. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the way in which God orchestrated the musical choices of the worship team and choir which were on duty this past Sunday.

On a human level, there was no coordination nor consultation. The worship team rehearsed on their own; the choir director independently chose the selection that his group sang; the organist played the hymns that had been designated for the day. No one knew what the guest speaker had prepared as the theme of his sermon.

The Spirit of God, though, had a message to send to the people of God. And it is He who guided the music and preaching decisions in light of that message. End result? A service of worship carefully knit together by a loving God, who used our sung and spoken words to confront Bronx Bethany with a question He has asked us before.

Do you love Me?

Our guest speaker, Reverend Donovan Cole, spoke on the wantonness of ancient Israel during the exodus from Egypt. In spite of the goodness of God shown through deliverance and provision, the people indulged themselves in idolatry, immorality, and excess.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century. As was indicated by Pastor Sam during the altar call, there are persons who have logged many a year in their beloved church pew. They have eagerly absorbed the benefits of God's grace without surrendering their lives to Him.

Do you love Me?

We are perhaps (in a sense) cursed with talent, good music, and good looks. We can "do worship" and it seems to be anointed and authentic. Bronx Bethany is among the highest-ranked churches in the Metro New York district, according to the standards of men. But God, once again, is asking us to join with Him in a real love relationship. How sad that He has to keep asking. God help us.

Do you even like Me?

L.P.

This past Sunday's sermon was based on Deuteronomy 6. Today, let's consider the first two verses of the chapter.

Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgements which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.


Lands Possessed. God promised the children of Israel a geographical inheritance. "A land flowing with milk and honey" has long been regarded as a metaphor symbolizing God's favor, displayed through His provision of fertile land as an inheritance.

Lives Prolonged. The experience of long life is shown here as a consequence of obedience to the commandments of God. While we are familiar with the commandment "Honor your father and your mother" and its association with longevity (See Deuteronomy 5:16), the opening verses of chapter six imply that this blessing also extends to those who keep all the commands and laws set into place by God.

Speak, Lord, Your servants are listening.

A Day To Pray VIII.

Please pray for our pastors and leaders in the church locally and around the world.

*Pray that they will not lose their vision for the lost and hurting of society.
*Pray that they will preach the Gospel boldly.
*Pray that they will not be subsumed by ministries which have abandoned the call to holiness.
*Pray that they will be continually filled with the fruit of the Spirit, distinguished by a heart of love.
*Pray that they will not lose their joy under any circumstance.
*Pray that they will be protected from the strategic plan of the enemy who seeks to destroy them.

I encourage you to pray for them by name:

*in your district/region
*in your local church
*across the world

Lord, we embrace this opportunity to lay Your servants at Your feet.

Shiloh, 2012.

Shiloh is the poster child for compromised worship.

If God's response to Hannah's prayer were based upon the worship activity of the priests Hophni and Phineas, then she would not have had a chance of having her prayer answered. The priests were corrupt beyond repair (see First Samuel 2:12-25).

And we Christians in America see Shiloh's shadow cast across our nation. It is a shadow that has been expanding over the centuries, compromising the Eternal Light found in our Lord Jesus.

I'd like to clarify that this shadow hangs squarely over the church. Remember, our analogy is Hophni and Phineas "doing worship" in Shiloh. And our scripture tells us that judgement begins first at the house of God (Ezekiel 9:6).

When a governing body such as a local church or denomination states that behaviors condemned by God and canon are permissible in the postmodern age, what is a Christian to do? How do we embrace a liturgy being administered by those who preach the canon, but don't obey God?

Hannah, in First Samuel 1, gives us an example of how to conduct ourselves.

*She went to the house of the Lord to worship Him.
*She brought sacrifices to offer to the Lord.
*She shared a fellowship meal at God's house.
*She prayed.
*She received a prophetic word from God through Eli and took it seriously.
*She dedicated her son to full-time ministry.
*She returned to God's house to give Eli a testimony of God's faithfulness.

In other words, Hannah kept her focus on God. She was not the person called to indict Eli and his sons. God had two other people lined up for that task.

"Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD...the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house...all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.' " (see First Samuel 2:27-34)

"Then the LORD said to Samuel: 'Behold, I will do something in Israel...I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.' " (see First Samuel 3:11-14)

Friends, we live in Shiloh's shadow. But we will faithfully worship our great God. And He will speak and act according to His word.

Press For Success.

"Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk." (First Samuel 1:13)

So, why couldn't Hannah just pray out loud?

Maybe Peninnah or Elkanah were close by and Hannah didn't want them to hear. Maybe the anguish of Hannah's soul was so deep that she thought she would burst into uncontrolled sobs if she talked out loud. We can hypothesize, but we really don't know why Hannah opted to speak "in her heart" as opposed to speaking audibly.

What we do know, though, is that God heard her prayer. And that is immense encouragement to us, a thing to remember when we are in the throes of anguished prayer.

Perhaps not everyone has had situations in which they were unable or unwilling to give voice to the prayer of their heart. But for those of us who have experienced it, we can nod in silent agreement and understanding with Hannah's petition to the Lord. There is a heaviness in prayer: an effort so taxing, an anguish so deep, that the person in prayer is unable to verbalize their request.

The New Testament helps us with this idea: "But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:25-27)

So, if your anguished prayers are being misinterpreted by friends and loved ones, take heart. You just might be on the fast track to seeing your requests answered.

Trump Card.

"But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him,that he may appear before the LORD and remain there forever.' " (First Samuel 1:22)

From time to time, prophetic action involves not doing something. Hannah, in keeping her promise to God, resolved that when she came back to the house of the LORD with Samuel, he would stay and she would return home without him. So, she waited until Samuel reached an age where her physical presence was not needed to sustain him.

This is a challenging thing for those of us who were raised to believe that, unless we are sick or dead, we must be in church every time the front doors open. And certainly we must be sure that it is the Lord leading our actions. But Hannah's life indicates to us that, on occasion, prophecy trumps tradition. And that's okay.

Though Scripture is silent, I imagine that there were some in Hannah's community who didn't understand why she would stay home with young Samuel, rather than going back to Shiloh where her prayer was answered. Sometimes our prayer triggers a chain of events or behaviors that may seem weird to the casual observer. Elkanah's response to Hannah, though, captures the heart of the issue: "Only let the LORD establish His word." (First Samuel 1:23). In other words, make sure that you do what you promised the LORD you would do.

What prophetic actions are you engaged in, towards the goal of fulfilling your promises to God?

God And The Babysitters.

"...I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life..." (First Samuel 1:11)

Hannah's prayer was really radical. And, on the first read, her prayer seems counterproductive. She had spent years in anguish because of Peninnah's bullying tactics. Why would Hannah promise God that her son would be given over to Him? How would anyone know that Hannah even had that one, if he were not in her home? Who would educate her son in the ways of the Lord?

But such it was. Hannah makes a transaction with God, Samuel is born and weaned, and given over to the care of... Eli?

Chapters 2 and 3 of First Samuel give details on the condition of Eli's heart and household. Suffice it to say that no spiritually sensible parent would drop off their young son into such an environment. But Hannah's promise was made with no strings attached! Samuel's place was in the house of the LORD, and God's power would not be compromised by the deviance of Eli and his sons.

It's a story for today. We have many pastors and leaders working in the company of "colleagues" who, like Eli and his sons, have given themselves over to thievery and sexual immorality. Our prayer is that, as in the case of Samuel, we will see godly men and women holding tightly to God's truth even as their co-workers fall away.

Hannah was not worried because she had a sure word from the Lord.
Have you heard from Him today?

"Peni"-ante.

There are a few people in the Bible that have the distinction of being known for their bad behavior. Parents, at least parents who know their Bible well, generally don't name their children Korah or Achan or Jezebel or Vashti. Or Peninnah.

Peninnah's "fifteen seconds of fame" appear in the first few verses of First Samuel chapter 1. She was married, she had sons and daughters whose names we don't know, and she consistently provoked Hannah over a period of years.

But the cloud of harassment had a silver lining. Because Peninnah subjected Hannah to years of sadness (the King James version uses a stronger term, "anguish"), Hannah drew ever nearer to God in prayer. And, ultimately, Hannah's prayer was answered.

So here we are in the twenty-first century. Is someone harassing you and provoking you? Are their words and acts a continual indictment against what you lack, whether children or beauty or expertise? Has the barrage of criticism reduced you to tears? Have you been driven to prayer?

Hannah prayed, received a word from the Lord, and "her face was no longer sad" (First Samuel 1:18). Hannah's first son, Samuel, was respected throughout ancient Israel as a true prophet of God. And Hannah stands in perpetuity as a reflection of the heart of God, as she kept her promise and offered her son's life in faithful service to the Lord.

Thanks, Peninnah.

The Affliction.

As is the tradition on Mother's Day, our sermon took another look at the first chapter of First Samuel.

This year, Pastor Sam commented on a phrase we tend to overlook in the story of Hannah: "the LORD had closed her womb." The phrase is repeated in verses 5 and 6 of chapter one.

A number of years ago, I received a very critical letter (from a solid Christian, by the way). What was the criticism? Well, to summarize, the person's philosophy was that "complete women" (huh??) have sons, and since I didn't have any sons I was therefore an incomplete person.

I imagine that Hannah endured similar comments in her day. And, unlike me, Hannah didn't have the advantage of ignoring the comments. I grew up in the shadow of Roe v. Wade, in an era where children were devalued and pregnancies could be classed as "unwanted" and easily dispensed with. But Hannah was part of a culture that valued children highly. Children were a sign of God's favor upon a household.

And the text jumps off the page: "but Hannah had no children" (First Samuel 1:2). It does not say that Hannah was barren or infertile, or that she was suffering the consequences of a life of drugs or sicknesses. It was simply God at work in her, receiving glory through her lack.

Has the LORD delayed something that you have been longing for? Take encouragement from Hannah's story. Her affliction was addressed by God on His timetable. Be assured that God knows our needs, and is behind the scenes: working not only for our behalf, but also for the sake of His kingdom.

God Bless You Mommy.

A blessed Mother's Day to all women, all over the world, who have faithfully and lovingly cared for their children. God bless you.

An excellent wife, who can find? for her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household and portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
“Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

-Proverbs 31:10-31

Building The Ark...

Congratulations to our brother Haughton and sister Amalia, who have been granted their local ministers' licenses!

For the past few years they have served faithfully as part of the Spanish-speaking ministry team at Bronx Bethany. In addition to their pastoral roles in our Latino ministry, they've also provided simultaneous translation for several of our combined English/Spanish events.

We pray that God will continue to use them for His glory.

Total Loser.

Nazareth?

Sometimes our background precedes us. People may hear that we were born in a certain place, or that we live in a certain neighborhood, and they may make value judgements based on our geographical location.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Dr. Busic shared a profound insight with us this past Sunday: Nazareth is a place for losers.

The prophet Isaiah seemed to have picked up on this concept of the "loser" from Nazareth. Isaiah paints a stark picture of Jesus. It's a picture that we tend not to talk about, much less embrace. "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him" (Isaiah 53:2b-3).

But this Jesus, despised and rejected, Jesus without form, Jesus with no beauty, this Jesus is the One we love! And we are so happy to be associated with the ultimate Loser, who gave up His Glory in order to save our wretched souls.

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
"Come and see." (John 1:46)

Bum Rush.

"I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

Dr. Busic, who has a wonderful sense of humor, had us laughing at his tongue-in-cheek commentary on gates as offensive weaponry: "Don't make me bring out the gates!"

We know that, in reality, gates are not an offensive weapon. They are stationary objects, designed to protect and withstand forces. Gates don't beat us down. But how often do we speak as if "the gates of hell" are chasing us up and down the corridor?

Guess what? It is we who are on the offensive. We cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We who comprise the church around the world are called to put pressure on the gates of hell. And when we exert pressure as a collective, corporate, unified force, no enemy can withstand us. The gates will be torn down.

How do we tear down these gates?

*Obedience to God
*Faith in God (& in what God has said)
*Corporate prayer and fasting
*Corporate worship
*Appropriation of God's Word

"Bum rush" is a slang term used to describe the action of a group of people on the attack against a common foe, fighting with all their might. Pushing, shoving, exerting force. Fighting together as one. And fully expecting to win the fight.

Sounds like the church to me.

Back In The Day...

Dr. Busic, in his sermon this past Sunday, mentioned some names. Names of Christians that some of us had never heard of: men and women who, in the early twentieth century, caused their light to shine brightly in the world by reaching out to the "unwanted" of society. Their ministry was not engaged in for any sort of accolade. They just simply did what God asked them to do, His loving commendation their only reward.

And here we are, some one hundred years later.

Not everyone has the capacity to run an orphanage or to give compassionate care to hundreds of unwed mothers. But I'd like to believe that every one of us has something valuable to offer in joyful, exuberant service to God. Not for accolades, but simply because we love as He loves.

We do our ministry work as an offering of gratitude to God.
What has He asked you to do in His name?

Repeat Sign.

This past Sunday, we enjoyed the presence of two guests from Nazarene Theological Seminary- Dr. David Busic and Dr. Jerry Lambert.

We can go in a number of directions this week, because Dr. Busic's sermon was filled with points that are well worth reflecting on. For starters, though, let's consider one question.

What does it mean to be a true Nazarene?

Dr. Busic shared some things that Pastor Sam had already shared with us over the past few years. It seems God saw fit to remind us. And the reminder is really useful, especially as we are in our capital campaign for building a community center for children and youth of the northeast Bronx.

*True Nazarenes are friends of the disenfranchised.
*True Nazarenes are cross-cultural ministers.
*True Nazarenes engage in prevailing prayer as a means of transforming the world.

True Nazarenes live like their Lord Jesus, who grew up in a disrespected town called Nazareth. "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). To be Nazarene in this twenty-first century is to be a Christian who seeks to reflect the goodness of Jesus.

*Jesus was criticized for being a friend of sinners.
*Jesus was misunderstood because He ministered to Samaritans and Roman soldiers.
*Jesus was consistent and intentional in His personal prayer life. And He indeed transformed the world.

Are you a true Nazarene?

"Ben"-Edictus: Watch Out, Watcher.

Today's post is written by guest blogger Reverend Ronald Benjamin, who has graciously agreed to contribute to Glossa Water as his schedule permits.

One of the paradoxical features of life is that every grace has a disgrace. Every occupation has a hazard. Persons who feel led into the ministry of intercession must be aware of the occupational hazards of intercession.

Let me mention a few that come to my mind:

1. pride
2. belief in the prayer prayed rather than in the One to whom prayer is offered
3. taking credit for what God does
4. A sense of superiority
5. territorial
6. be more engrossed in speaking to God than in listening to Him.


There is the danger of feeling that this is one's area of expertise. It should be noted that prayer, any kind, is to be offered from a relational position, a relationship with our Father, through our Lord Christ Jesus. And every gift that has been given has been graciously bestowed, even the gift of intercession.

Let us pray for one another.

Labor And Love!

Congratulations to Reverend Dr. Samuel C. W. Vassel on completing twelve years of ministry at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene

Sunday May 7, 2000 - Sunday May 6, 2012

Lord Jesus, we are so happy to be under the watchcare of Your servant.
Have Your way in Pastor Sam and in us.

Nice Report Card.

Daniel and his friends Mishael, Azariah, and Hananiah give us a wonderful snapshot of how to live life successfully in exile.

They excelled in their Babylonian studies. Pastor Martha reminded us that these young men were required to be educated in the ways of the Babylonians, and they were obedient. They were expected to know the language, the literature, the astrology, and the politics of the land in which they were exiled. They participated fully in their educational process. Grade? A+.

They failed in their Babylonian worship. When given the opportunity to engage in activities that would cause them to be defiled by Hebrew standards of holiness and worship, they declined to participate. They did not eat the rich foods that were presented to them. They did not bow to the idolatrous Babylonian statue. They did not abandon their worship of God. Their grade for adapting to Babylonian worship? F.

And that is a good report card to have. It's a good thing to be bright, to know "the lay of the land" that we are exiled in, and yet not to fall into the idolatry of worshipping people and systems that run counter to the plan and program of God.

Be smart. Get an A and an F.

In Memoriam

On Thursday evening (May 3) we learned that our sister and mother in the faith, Dorothy May Cole, went home to be with the Lord after an extended illness.

Our prayers are with her widower, our founding pastor and Pastor Emeritus, Reverend Dr. V. Seymour Cole.

If death my friend and me divide, Thou dost not, Lord, my sorrow chide,
Or frown my tears to see;
Restrained from passionate excess, Thou bidst me mourn in calm distress
For them that rest in Thee.

I feel a strong immortal hope, which bears my mournful spirit up
Beneath its mountain load;
Redeemed from death, and grief, and pain, I soon shall find my friend again
Within the arms of God.

Pass a few fleeting moments more and death the blessing shall restore
Which death has snatched away;
For me Thou wilt the summons send, and give me back my parted friend
In that eternal day.

-John Wesley, 1762.

Seeking Intercessors: Interlopers Need Not Apply.

What’s the difference?

Interlopers are famous for sticking their noses into other people’s business. It’s like when a “colleague” steps in to work on your project that they were not assigned to. And if the project fails, the blame falls on you, because the colleague was never officially charged with executing the task. Interlopers love to appear as if they have been selected to participate in areas in which they lack expertise, and as such they demand inclusion even in the face of their inexperience.

Intercessors are famous for staying in the background. In the book of Daniel we see a clear layout of what I’ll call “the characteristics of the intercessor”:

They don’t broadcast their business. Pastor Martha made a point that is well worth further reflection: Daniel often did his intercessory prayer work at home, staying away from the people and projects for which he was praying (see Daniel 2:17-18; 6:10-11; 7:1).

They don’t promote themselves. Daniel, throughout his exile, never sought to gain position or promotion based on his work of intercession.

They suffer. As we mentioned in an earlier blog, Daniel's work of intercession brought him physical and mental exhaustion (and, sometimes, even illness).

Interlopers on one end, intercessors on the other. Friend, where do you fall on this continuum?

Expend-sive.

"Yes, while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, around the time of the evening offering." (Daniel 9:21)

Pastor Martha mentioned in her sermon that we, like Daniel, should take our role in prayer seriously. Chapters 9 and 10 reveal that Daniel was intentional in lifestyle choices which he engaged as part of his prayer stance. I see seven components (though there may be more):

*Prayer sessions measured in days and weeks, not hours
*Fasting
*Mourning
*Change In Attire (Sackcloth and ashes)
*Change In Personal Care (Did not anoint himself with oil)
*Reading Scripture
*Change In Diet

Without getting into a deep discussion of asceticism, it seems that Daniel was somewhat ascetic in his approach to prayer. Scripture informs us, several times in the text, that Daniel's prayer life drove him to exhaustion. He went beyond just spending time in prayer, and spent himself in prayer. And what was God's response? "Lighten up, dude"? No. It was, "You are highly valued!"

Daniel, we are taking notes.

No Complaints. Just Complines.

This past Sunday, Pastor Martha turned our attention to the life of Daniel. She shared some insights about the types of prayer detailed in this book:

The prayer team. "Then Daniel went to his home and informed his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the matter. He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven..." (Daniel 2:17-18a). In crisis, it's a good thing to have partners in prayer who will appeal to God alongside us.

The daily office. "When Daniel realized that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously." (Daniel 6:10) Daniel demonstrated a consistency in prayer that was non-negotiable.

Intercessory prayer. "So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes." (Daniel 9:3) In a context where it would have been easier for Daniel to lament his decades of captivity, he instead petitioned the Lord for mercy on behalf of the nation of Israel.

What forms of prayer are you engaging from day to day?