Out Of The Box.

"You know, some people don't even buy a Bible. They just buy a promise box." -Rev. Dr. Sam Vassel

In this past Sunday's sermon, our pastor noted that, generally, the promises of God are presented in tandem with certain prerequisites. In order for our fasting to be effective, we must live our lives in obedience to God's will.

Isaiah 58:3b notes: "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers." These two factors, selfishness and exploitation, move the people of God into positions where they no longer meet God's prerequisites for effective fasting.

There's nothing wrong with buying a promise box, and nothing wrong with memorizing encouraging Scriptures. But I pray that we all will also take heed of the prerequisites that will bring God's promises into being. Isaiah 58:6-7 informs us: Loose the chains of injustice. Untie the cords of the yoke. Set the oppressed free. Break every yoke. Share food with the hungry. Clothe the naked. Do not turn away from your relatives.

Do we want our light to break forth like the dawn?
Do we want our healing to quickly appear?
Do we want our righteousness to go before us?
Do we want the glory of our LORD to be our rear guard?
Then let us honor the prerequisites God has set into place.

Pulling Compassion Out Of Depression.

Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives. (Isaiah 58:7)

The crowds asked John, "What should we do?" John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else." (Luke 3:10-11)

As we continue our reflections on the issue of oppressive systems, we are challenged with Isaiah 58:7.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, my grandfather would always be sure to cook extra food at each meal. Though he was a widower with six children to care for, he had a heart of compassion for the people who would wander from town to town looking for any kind of work. So, though he did not have work for them to do, and though he did not have money to share, he did what he could for them: he provided a hot meal.

Here we are, some eighty years later. I believe we can make plenty of reasonable arguments for opting not to help others. After all, times are hard. People are untrustworthy. It's enough of a challenge to live through our own problems, let alone share the burdens of others.

But God has set forth His criteria concerning the type of fast He pays attention to, and part of that criteria involves compassionate care for persons in need.

Perhaps my grandfather can be a case study for us today. Instead of hoarding his resources for just himself and his children, my grandfather gave as liberally as he could. He could not host a dinner for thirty people, but he could freely share a bowl of soup and a biscuit, or a plate of food. At that point in his life my grandfather had a small plot of farmland, and he could cook, so he did. That was how he participated in the fast God has chosen.

But what does Isaiah 58:7 look like for those of us who are unemployed, or homeless, or hungry, but still want to be a blessing to others? How can we become blessings to others in light of our own lack? Is there any way that we, too, can participate in this act of engaging God's chosen fast?

Maybe we, like the churches at Macedonia, could adopt a principle of compassionate care that begins in our hearts. The apostle Paul recorded the testimony in Second Corinthians 8:1-5:

"My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others how kind God is. Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do."

How can we avoid participation in a system of oppression? By giving ourselves to God first, and by joyfully doing what we can (no matter how small) to bless others.

Lord God, please show us what we are able to do. We trust You to multiply and bless our small efforts. We reject the spirit of self-preservation and embrace acts of compassion. Lord God, open our eyes and guide our feet. Take us into the fast You have chosen.

Causing Pain, By Numbers.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6, New International Version)

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam shared with us some examples of the subtle means by which we become participants in maintaining a system of oppression. One such example is found in lotteries.

As participants in a lottery system, we promote injustice through greediness: seeking quick, huge returns on minuscule investments, without any labor or effort on the part of the gambler.

As participants in a lottery system we promote injustice through covetousness: seeking to gain what others have, without consideration to the ways in which God blesses His people at every level of society.

As participants in a lottery system we promote injustice through stealing: if indeed a lottery is won, the winnings are funded by the millions of persons who purchased losing tickets.

How can we, personally, loose the chains of injustice? By choosing to walk away from unjust systems.

Lord, help us to wait for Your reward. (see James 5:7)
Lord, help us to be content in every circumstance. (see Philippians 4:12)

Not So Fast.

During yesterday's morning services, Pastor Sam continued his series on prayer and fasting. We took time to reflect on Isaiah 58:6-9a.

Let's re-read those verses today, keeping in mind some of the questions that were raised during the sermon:

• Are we, intentionally or unintentionally, supporting oppressive systems by our personal actions?
• Are our prayers in alignment with God's will, or are we attempting to move God towards doing our will?
• Are our desires selfless, or are they selfish?

Isaiah 58:6-9a (New International Version)

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

Prayer. Presence. Power.

In sharing from Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 11:5-13 this past Sunday, Pastor Richie reminded us of a few points we can reflect on today.

• Nothing is impossible for God.
• It is ineffective, and sometimes even dangerous, to attempt to "stand in" for God in situations which can only be resolved by God's presence and power.
• Our best prayer request? The request to be given the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• The indwelling of the Holy Spirit equips God's people to see and understand situations according to God's perspective.
• According to the word of Christ Himself, there are some situations that will not be resolved unless they are first addressed in extended, disciplined prayer.

After Pastor Richie's sermon, Pastor Althea stood and led the congregation in a time of prayer. Perhaps we, today, can also make time to pray to our God and King.

Let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray to know God's perspective.
Let us pray for renewed confidence and faith in God's ability to act.
Let us pray for deliverance of all who are held captive by the evil one.
Let us pray prayers of thanksgiving and praise to our great God.

Amen.

My Life In The Fishbowl.

The crowd had gathered around the nine disciples... the teachers of the Law were arguing with them.

In Scripture, particularly in the New Testament narratives concerning Jesus, we often see that large crowds would make their way into whatever region Jesus happened to be present. The Mark 9:14-29 passage, though, is interesting: although Jesus was not present, the crowd still gathered. It seems the presence of Jesus's followers, along with the presence of a young man attacked by an unclean spirit, was more than enough to draw a crowd. Perhaps some of us in this twenty-first century have also experienced the pressure of being in the gaze of modern-day crowds.

The father said... "Your disciples could not."

In the absence of Jesus's physical presence, the father in the Mark 9 account had gone to Jesus's disciples. It appears that the father's disappointment was deep, because he went on to say an astounding thing to Jesus: "If You can." It is a scary thing to know that our personal failures can have the powerful effect of causing other people to question the power of God.

Jesus replied... "'If'? All things are possible to those who believe."

I wonder if any of us are harboring areas in our lives where, whether due to the pressure of the crowd or the pain of seeing no "results" from spiritual interventions, we have said the astounding thing: "If God can." My prayer for us today is that, regardless of the level of crisis we face, we will never question God's ability to act.

The disciples asked Jesus privately... "Why couldn't we cast it out?"

Some years ago my husband shared a comment on this verse, and I have never forgotten it: The reason the disciples were able to ask this question was because they had cast out demons in other situations. They were not novices in ministry. Jesus had empowered them to engage in deliverance ministry, and they had done so successfully (see Mark 6:7-13), but the disciples' lack of a consistent prayer life rendered them ineffective in this encounter with a more powerful demonic spirit than they had previously known.

Jesus said, "Only prayer and fasting can force out that kind of demon."

God has asked for our participation in this specific spiritual discipline, which Jesus indicated is the key to resolving difficult spiritual problems. Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene is continuing to carry out its forty-day prayer assignment... and, yes, a crowd is watching. Some in the crowd might even be argumentative. My prayer for us all is that we will press forward in faith and obedience to His word.

May God give us the strength to continue in prayer and fasting.

May God grant us hearts that believe in His power to heal and deliver.

God, as people are watching us, please use us to turn their eyes towards You.

Panorama.

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech." (Mark 9:17, New International Version)

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the impure spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," He said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." (Mark 9:25, New International Version)

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Richard pointed out that the father in this narrative had a partial understanding of his son's problem: My son is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. However, when Jesus addressed the spirit, He addressed it with a complete understanding of the problem. Jesus's name for the spirit? Deaf and mute.

In prayer, we often seek to name our difficulties. We can't afford groceries. I have to go to court today. My boss is a tyrant. Our requests often center around what we can see with our physical eyes. Our requests often center around what we consider to be immediate, urgent issues. Our requests are often spoken out a partial understanding, because we have not taken time to seek God's perspective on the issues we face.

As Pastor Richard shared, this is why we are so in need of being submitted to the Holy Spirit of God. Spirit-led prayer is the only way in which we can pray with complete understanding. Why? Because in Spirit-led prayer it is God, not us, who sets the prayer agenda. Our pastor said that we might be earnestly praying for a new home or for healing in our body, while God is urging us by His Spirit to pray for forgiveness in relationships or for obedience to His will.

For a few minutes in Sunday's second service we were able to see a practical application of Spirit-led prayer through another pastor. As Pastor Althea stood and addressed specific problems and difficulties by name, she made it clear that no human being had spoken to her. She simply was in a process of saying aloud what the Holy Spirit had said to her heart. Prophetic prayer is not reserved for pastors: it is God's desire that all His people pray with accuracy and complete understanding. This is a prayer stance that is impossible to achieve apart from the indwelling presence of God's Spirit in us.

In Mark 9:14-29 we have a narrative that shows how ineffective ministry becomes when it is engaged without a full understanding of the issues at hand. Perhaps this is why Jesus, as noted in Acts 1:4-5, directed His disciples to do no ministry until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Is our ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit in us, who knows all things, or are we simply operating out of our own, partial, limited understanding?

#DiscipleFail

When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back down from the mountain, they saw a large crowd around the other nine disciples. The teachers of the Law were arguing with the nine. (Mark 9:14, paraphrase mine)

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Richie noted that at times we seek God for the wrong purpose: rather than seeking to do His will, we seek for Him to "co-sign" on our own desires. Our pastor shared that, in such moments, it is not surprising that God ties our hands behind our backs. Or, to say it another way, God arranges our circumstances so that we are incapable of contributing to our perceived solution for the problem at hand. To paraphrase our pastor, In such moments, God makes sure that all we can do is pray.

We see this in the life of the nine disciples who attempted to bring healing and deliverance to a young man. Their attempts failed, and instead of being instruments of healing they became embroiled in an argument with local religious leaders. When Jesus came onto the scene, His rebuke was leveled not at the sick person, nor at the leaders, but at His disciples. Jesus's rebuke revealed the reasons for their failure to heal:

A lack of faith. Although the nine disciples were engaged in the ministry of deliverance, they did so in a spirit of unbelief. They did not carry in themselves the faith necessary to engage the task. (see Mark 9:19)

A lack of prayer. Jesus, in saying "This kind can only come out by prayer" (see Mark 9:29), indicated that the nine disciples had not prayed prior to engaging in ministry.

Well, that was then, and this is now. Where do we stand in our Christian walk? Are we people of faith? Are we people of prayer? The Mark 9 narrative serves as a warning to us: simply following Jesus without following His ministry strategies will set us up for failure.

It is God's will that we pray. Let us pray.
It is God's will that we have faith. Let us have faith.

Hustlers Anonymous.

In yesterday's morning sermons, Pastor Richie noted a characteristic of hustlers: they seek short-cuts and quick fixes. Often this is viewed in a negative context, but we as Christians have the privilege of knowing a "quick fix" to many of our personal prayer requests. Our short-cut is to abandon the appeals for God to respond to our prayer concerns, and instead to appeal to God for the presence of His Spirit in our lives.

Our pastor referenced Luke chapter 11. In Luke 11:1-4 we have record of what is commonly termed The Lord's Prayer. However, that prayer is followed by several verses in which Jesus tells His disciples that God can be understood as a caring Friend and loving Father. Then Jesus closes with a question (paraphrased here): If we, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, then how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (see Luke 11:5-13)

Pastor Richie shared with us that the presence of Holy Spirit is the real answer to our varied prayer requests. Why? Because the Holy Spirit, in addition to being the best Person we can know, is also the Person who knows what is best for us.

This is not to belittle the seriousness of our personal situations. We in the body of Christ, at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene and at other churches, are suffering. We are dealing with terminal illnesses, evictions, financial ruin, unemployment, hatred and bias, violence, famines, and so many other issues and systems that burden our souls. Our prayer lists are long, and rightfully so. But Pastor Richie has thrown down a gauntlet, and I believe the Spirit of God has made an offer through our pastor's sermon: In this season of prayer and fasting, why not fast from the urgent prayer requests and instead pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit of Christ, the One who is seated above all urgency?

That's not an easy task. But I pray we will be found as people who seek after the Spirit of God.

"But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what He wants.  Then the other things will be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33, Contemporary English Version)

"The kingdom of God is not about food and drink; it is about the righteousness, peace, and joy which are found in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17, paraphrase mine)

Reset.

During this past Sunday's sermon, we had a chance to review Isaiah 58:1-5. Today, our reflection is on the entire chapter. I pray that as we read these words, our loving Lord will reveal His desires to each of us.

Isaiah 58 (New International Version)

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

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

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

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

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

The Compromised Heart.

"Get it out of your mind that this is about you, where you now will be able to get something that you want... God is drawing  you into Himself so that you might understand who this great God is, how powerful He is, and how loving He is, and how He wants you to experience His grace and love and be an avenue of that grace and love." -Rev. Dr. Sam Vassel

What are the markers of a compromised heart?

Asking in ignorance. Our wisdom, at best, is finite. There are occasions where we really have no idea of the future consequences of our request. As Pastor Sam said, "If God should give you everything you ask for, you would be in so much trouble."

Mixing faith with doubt. If we are engaging the process of prayer while at the same time thinking that God is unable to address our prayer, then our prayer will not be heard. (see James 1:5-7)

Concern with personal will instead of God's will. This involves engagement of spiritual disciplines (tithing, prayer, etc.) not for the purpose of worship, but in an attempt to manipulate God into giving us what we want. As our pastor noted, "That is the attitude of the witch doctor."

The rationalization of disobedience. Pastor Sam referenced the error of King Saul, in which Saul decided to disobey God's order as a means of acquiring what was pleasant and convenient for himself (then explained away his disobedience as an act of worship). (see First Samuel 15)

As we engage the spiritual work of prayer and fasting, let us remember that we are not involved in this prayer effort to acquire what we want. We are in this prayer effort to understand what God wants.

Lord God, we are praying... and we are listening.

Got Tired?

"Sometimes, you know, you get a little tired. It doesn't seem like it is working so well; and there are all kinds of forces saying 'Give up, take it easy, work it out yourself-- God is not working.' But this is a time for you to recommit to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding." -Rev. Dr. Sam Vassel

*God hears and answers prayer.

*God is completely trustworthy.

*God knows everything.

For the Christian, the above statements about God are not up for debate. Yet, we still get tired of engaging prayer. Our pastor noted, though, that we should encourage one another: to have faith, and to believe that God is able to do above and beyond what we can ask or imagine.

Is there something, or someone, that you have decided is no longer worth the effort of prayer? As we go through these forty days, let us regain our strength and return to this discipline of prayer. But as we pray, let us remember a few things:

*God is not bound to our concept of time.

*God's will supersedes ours.

*God will not address prayers and fastings borne from a compromised heart.

Tomorrow, we will reflect on the role of the compromised heart in unanswered prayer.

Embracing The "No".

During this past Sunday’s sermon Pastor Sam shared about a time in his life where he was praying earnestly for God to answer prayer in a particular way, but the answer he received was not the answer he longed for.

Perhaps some of us can relate to our pastor’s experience. We rest on verses like “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). We believe that we are walking with God, and that we are on His wavelength… but then those moments come when our world crumbles, and we are shocked that God has not answered our prayer in the way we anticipated.

Pastor Sam noted that we operate out of partial knowledge, but God operates with complete knowledge. Our prayer, therefore, must be a humble disposition before the Lord. Our pastor said: “We are saying, ‘Lord, we do not trust ourselves, we do not know what to do by ourselves. We are depending on You.’” We embrace a disposition of dependence and hopefulness. We acknowledge that we cannot fully know the mind of God, but we can fully depend on God to do what is right and good.

Why are we praying?

Is it for God to do what we want Him to do for us, or is it for God to do what He wants to do in us?

Welcome To The Worry-Free Zone.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..." (Matthew 6:25a)

Pastor Sam shared with us that, in general, careless people are not at risk of falling into worry; rather, there is a slippery slope that causes conscientious people to become concerned, and concern left unchecked morphs into worry. However, our Lord has instructed us not to worry about anything.

Further, worry is an affront to God. Our pastor said, "Sin is when you ignore, deliberately or otherwise, what God has expressly said... There is no way you can read the preceding verses of Matthew chapter 6 without understanding that Jesus has said 'Do not worry.' So if you and I are worrying, it means we are in disobedience."

How do we establish a "worry-free zone" in our lives? We pray. Earlier in Matthew 6, Jesus instructs us to pray for an understanding of the kingdom of God, and for the realization that our God reigns and rules: "Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10). As our pastor shared, this allows us to avoid the trap of worry. How? By causing us to know that even our trials and difficulties are ultimately used by God for our good (see Romans 8:28).

The Lord, our Christ, says "Don't worry." I pray we will believe and embrace His word today.

The Intensity.

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam recounted an incident that occurred during his doctoral studies. A particular professor had informed the class that no one would earn an A grade, and our pastor gave himself over to intense study in order to earn an A in the class. He earned the A, but it cost him: effort, time, and even health were expended in order to do his best.

Pastor Sam then asked a question (paraphrased here) that only he can answer: I wonder if my wife will see me seeking after God as intensely as I sought after that A in the class.

I think we all have our own version of the question. Is seeking after God something we give ourselves over to, completely? Is the presence of God the thing we crave above all else? Are we willing to sacrifice time, sleep, or whatever else seems "necessary", in order to hear the voice of the Lord?

As we noted in yesterday's post, it is extended time in the presence of God that assists us in recognizing the will of God. As we pray and fast between now and February 9, we let go of certain things in order to focus on God. Pastor Sam shared with us that this giving up of temporal things, things that are necessary and normal, allows us to turn our attention to the eternal.

My prayer is that seeking God is worth much more to us than everything else we pursue.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Take Off Your Watch And Go "On Watch".

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

"What He wants is not the problem, you know. For most of us, it's not that we don't know what God wants. The problem with us is that we know we don't want what God wants." -Rev. Dr. Samuel Vassel

There are some prayer concerns that have so burdened us that we have opted to pray for immediate relief instead of taking time to seek out the will of God. Pastor Sam shared with us a sobering example of a prayer that was inconsistent with the desire of God: it was a prayer prayed by Jesus Himself. The agony and passion He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane was so intense that Jesus asked the Father to exempt Him from having to go to the cross.

But, an interesting thing happens in Matthew 26:36-45. As we read, we see how Jesus's extended time in prayer serves to shift the tone of His prayer request. Let's look at the difference between Jesus's first and second Garden prayers (New International Version, italics mine).

Prayer 1 - Matthew 26:39: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."

Prayer 2 - Matthew 26:42: "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done."

Our pastor shared a point that I pray we will take to heart: If you don't linger in prayer, you won't close the gap between your will and God's will.

Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, today, is on Day Seven of a forty-day period of prayer and fasting (January 1 through February 9). As we take this time to linger in prayer before God, we trust that He will turn our hearts to His perfect will.

We do have a challenge, though: not everyone in our community is opting to pray. If you are one of those persons who has not been praying, I urge you to change your mind and join with the community of faith. The Spirit of God has called us to make short-term adjustments to our normal routine in order to seek Him more earnestly. It is for our growth and for our good. Will you take a walk in the Garden?

How's This For An Epiphany?

Yesterday, the four services at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene carried the theme of God as our Provider. It is He who offers us life, food, shelter, clothing, spiritual gifts, Divine guidance, dominion, and the list goes on.

In the first two services, Pastor Sam's sermon was titled Putting First Things First. The title lends itself to reflection: Are we indeed prioritizing the things God has asked us to prioritize? Do we even know what God wants us to do? Are we careful to avoid what God has asked us to avoid?

Today, let's re-visit part of the Scripture that was referenced during those services. Jesus, while teaching His disciples and the crowds that gathered to hear Him, spent some time instructing them to avoid falling into the sin of worry. I pray that as we read His words, we will be encouraged to renounce worries over self and instead embrace trust in God.

God is my Provider. I will not worry.


Matthew 6:26-33 (New International Version)

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith?

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Field Day!

Will you be remembered as someone who stayed seated and complained? (Rev. Martha Fajardo, translation paraphrased)

Reverend Martha Fajardo, lead pastor of Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene's Latino Ministry, asked the above question during this past Sunday's combined-language services. It's a great question for us to contemplate today.

The easy thing to do is to stay seated and complain. The difficult thing to do is to work faithfully while exuding joy.

Working for the Lord is not easy. In Scripture, it is likened to laboring in a field. The analogy brings up images of aches and pains and exertions. The ground has to be broken up. Many, many seeds have to be planted. Young plants must be tended. Ripened fruit must be harvested. The seasons bring extremes of cold, heat, rain, snow, and ice. There may be floods or droughts. And through all these events, the work must continue.

And there is more to contend with: we have an enemy, the devil himself, who makes it even more difficult to do works of service that are pleasing to the Lord. Our enemy uses people, systems, circumstances, and trials in repeated attempts to discourage us from continuing the work. The field is vandalized. Seeds are snatched up before they can take root. What once looked like healthy wheat is later found to be poisonous tares. And through the opposition, the farmer is tasked to labor on. Staying seated is not an option.

Pastor Martha noted that, in church culture, we sometimes assume that it is only the pastors who are tasked to work the fields. That assumption is false. Every Christian has a work to do. The Spirit of God has given particular gifts to each one who names Jesus as Lord, and each one is tasked to use those gifts to build up the body of Christ. We are a community where each person may do something different, but all work in concert to farm the land. Some break up the hard ground. Some plant seeds. Others care for the fruit. It takes everyone to get the job done.

Our pastor also reminded us that, on our own, we don't have what it takes to get this job done. She said (paraphrased here), You can't. But God can. The Spirit of God is present to teach us and to help us do the work that supports God's kingdom. Pastor Martha referenced Ezekiel 11:19: God says, "I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them; I will remove the hearts of stone from their flesh and I will give them a heart of flesh." A heart submitted to God is the key to working the works of God.

Are you seated, complaining?
Are you working, joyfully?
What sort of heart do you have?

Take A Hike.

Today let's consider another thought from Pastor Martha's sermon (translated here):

"If we walk independent of the Spirit then we are going to be in sin... The failure to forgive; pride; hypocrisy; adultery; what is there? What is it inside of us that is not allowing us to live in the power of the resurrection? Jesus was raised because He did not sin. He conquered death."

Our pastor noted that Christ is the only One who had a guarantee of resurrection because He was without sin. Our only hope for experiencing new birth is to submit ourselves to the Spirit of Christ. She noted, "If we were united to Christ in His death, then we will be united to Him in His resurrection."

Pastor Martha used some terms that we can reflect on today: That old layer. Chained feet. Chained hands. And she encouraged us to do something simple and practical: Shake yourselves. Shake off the chains.

*Is there an old layer of sin that continues to smother your true purpose?
*Are your feet still chained, destined to take you to places God no longer wants you to be?
*Are your hands still chained, connected to behaviors or systems God has released you from?

We are made new in Christ, and in this new life we have no need to remain in our old sins. The Christ is come! The enemy is destroyed. We have been set free.

The prison doors are opened. The Master has freed every captive. You are free to leave the power of sin... and freed to live by the power of the Spirit.

Free!

On Sunday Pastor Martha shared (paraphrased here): We need to start identifying ourselves as part of the kingdom of God. If we are the sons and daughters of the King, if we were called to Him because we believed in Jesus in faith, then as children we have the right to an inheritance. The inheritance belongs to the children. The word tells us that freedom is the inheritance of the children: our Savior came to make us free.

The kingdom of God is a place where we have freedom.

The freedom to say no. When faced with the pressure to conform to world systems for the sake of economics or expedience, the Christian can draw strength from Jesus. He is the King who has promised to supply all that we need. He is the representation of true love, the love that led Him to give His life for us. His self-less sacrifice has opened the door for us to also "die" with Him; because we are dead to our own selfish desires, we are freed to say no to sin (see Romans 6:5-7).

The freedom to say yes. In Christ Jesus we have the example of what it means to be transformed from death to life. Because He conquered death, we can rest in His resurrection life. As our pastor said, we have not been left alone. Jesus sent His Spirit to work in us. As we say yes to His righteous desires, He equips us to live righteous and holy lives for the sake of His kingdom (see Romans 6:22).

We are children of the King.
We are freed from the grip of sin.
We are free to serve Christ in love.

Keys To Unlock Every Door.

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Martha shared a point that we can reflect on for today (paraphrased here):

The life of Jesus is marked by two impossibilities. The first is the Virgin womb; the second is the empty tomb. In the Virgin womb is a sign that says "No entry"; in the tomb is a sign that says "No Exit".

In the Virgin birth and in the resurrection, Jesus defeated and destroyed the enemy of our souls. Jesus accomplished the impossible. And in this execution of the impossible, we are encouraged to follow our Lord's example. As our pastor shared, "We can't; but God can." How do we accomplish the mighty works of God? The power to do so is available to each one of us: it is the power of the Holy Spirit.

During His earthly ministry and at the time of His ascension, Jesus instructed His disciples to do seemingly impossible things: Heal the sick. Preach the good news. In our time we are called to do the same. But, as our pastor shared, these are things we cannot do unless the Holy Spirit is present and active within us. My prayer is that the Spirit of God has found a welcoming space in our hearts and souls.

Does the Holy Spirit have full access to you? Have you submitted your will to the will of God?