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In yesterday's sermon, titled "God's Facebook Posting", Pastor Andy shared with us concerning the prophetic word of God in Daniel 5. Let's begin our week of reflections by reading that chapter in its entirety.

Daniel 5 (NET Bible)

King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all. While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels – the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem – so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. The king was watching the back of the hand that was writing. Then all the color drained from the king’s face and he became alarmed. The joints of his hips gave way, and his knees began knocking together. The king called out loudly to summon the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple and have a golden collar placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king. Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. His nobles were completely dumbfounded.

Due to the noise caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother then entered the banquet room. She said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken! There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have insight, discernment, and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners. Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. Now summon Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom. Now the wise men and astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message. However, I have heard that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.”

But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its interpretation. As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. And when his mind became arrogant and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.

“But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control your very breath and all your ways! Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEQEL, and PHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the words: As for mene – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. As for peres – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.

The Grand Illusion, Remixed.

Jesus said to another, "Follow Me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-60)

Pastor Shane made a profound statement concerning Luke 9:59: The man who asked to first go and bury his father was himself dead: not physically, but spiritually.

In considering the importance of having Jesus as our first love, we must also keep in mind the danger of holding to the illusion of religious duty as an expression of love. Our pastor noted that, although we might be in church, our presence is no indicator of our depth of love for the Lord. He gave an example from his days as a gang member, during which he faithfully served as an usher in the church while keeping his gang flag hanging visibly from his pocket. The message represented by the gang flag was this: He's here in church, but he's not sold out to Jesus: it's the gang culture that has captured his heart.

There came a day when the Spirit of the Lord caught Shane's attention, and the ensuing years have been a joyful testimony of the power of God to change a man from the inside out. And just as God transformed Shane from a gang member to a pastor, God longs to transform all of us into people who reflect His character and His love. Our pastor has implored us to transcend the concept of mere church attendance, and to embrace the concept of loving God: a love that makes all other loves pale in comparison.

In the Luke passage, Jesus had a message for the man: "Follow Me." It was a message with an undercurrent of urgency. Jesus was, and is, seeking people to become citizens of the kingdom of God. And there is a time limit on the offer. The world has painted the illusion that humanity has all the time in the world to make decisions that involve the state of our souls. But we are finite beings. As Pastor Shane said, now is the time for us to 'get with the program.' We are not promised tomorrow, nor even the next hour.

Is your love of Jesus a present reality? Or are you living an illusion?

Price Tag

As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus said to him,  "Foxes have dens and birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Luke 9:57-58)

This past Sunday, Pastor Shane shared a prophetic inquiry from the heart of Christ: Are you ready? Do you understand the implications of what it means to follow Me?

Christians are tasked with reflecting the goodness of God in a sick and wicked world. But as we endeavor to do so, we may encounter hardships and circumstances that are designed to discourage our hearts or distract us from honoring God with our lives. The Luke 9 passage reminds us that, because God's kingdom is not of this world, there are some things that are not guaranteed to us in this world. Pastor Shane exhorted us to realize that material security, financial stability, and perfect relationships are not always found in our lives. As members of God's kingdom, though, we are assured that our God will supply all our needs as He sees fit: not according to our timetable, but according to God's timetable.

Our challenge, and our calling, is to be a consistent example of the love and grace of God without being derailed by our circumstances. Sometimes our most powerful testimony is not our recounting of spiritual victories, but our joy and our worship of God in the midst of severe struggles. Are you experiencing hardship today? Remember that our Lord sees, He knows, and at His appointed time He will act. Rejoice in the Lord; rest in Him; trust Him to do what is right and good.

May we always be willing to follow Him.

What God ordains is always good: He is my Friend and Father.
He suffers naught to do me harm, though many storms may gather.
Now I may know both joy and woe:
Someday I shall see clearly that He hath loved me dearly.
-Samuel Rodigast

F.M.

And Jesus said to another man, "Follow Me." But the man replied, "Lord, please let me go and bury my father first." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but you, you go and proclaim the kingdom of God wherever you go." (Luke 9:59-60, paraphrase mine)

As I walked through downtown Brooklyn yesterday, I met a woman who had come to New York City from Illinois. She came to New York to pray.

She was not alone. Hundreds of Christians, who are not from our city, are currently in our city as part of a parachurch prayer effort. Spread Truth is committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. They are serving, they are teaching, and they are praying.

I had the honor and privilege of engaging in conversation with this sister in the Lord, and her prayer for me was filled with grace and faith. As we said goodbye and I continued on my way, I was reminded of Pastor Shane's sermon this past Sunday. In the middle of the sermon Pastor Shane addressed the concern of many a Christian: What is my purpose? What is God's desire for my life? The answer is found in a succinct directive from our Lord: Follow Me. The expectation of Christ is that His people will follow Him. Our pastor pointed out that if we are following Jesus, then it is He who will instruct us regarding where we go, what we do, what we say, and how we pray.

Follow Him from the Bronx to Brooklyn.
Follow Him from Illinois to New York.
Jesus is the Leader. Will you follow?

Today, Lord, give us grace and a deep desire to follow You: not because of what we will get in return, but simply because we love You.

Err Space.

Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing a powerful , timely message from Pastor Shane. Our youth pastor shared from the book of Luke:

As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)

This week, we will consider some of the points that our pastor shared in the sermon. Let’s begin with reflection on our own spiritual state. During the sermon, Pastor Shane noted that some people have been claiming to be Christians for a very long time, while others consider themselves to be new in the faith. For all of us, today's question is the same: Do we really love Jesus?

The Luke passage shows us that, in addition to Jesus, there are other loves we may hold in our hearts. We love the security of having a place to live. We love the honor and accolades that come with bearing responsibility for handling the final arrangements of our loved ones. We love the prestige and sympathy that arises when people realize how much we have given up for the sake of our faith-walk. But our pastor’s sermon carried a strong warning: Jesus is not in a competition. This Christian walk is an all-or-nothing deal. If Jesus has to wait for you to handle some other issues before you turn your attention to His call, or if Jesus has to wait for the applause of men to settle down before you're able to hear Him speak, then there’s a problem.

Does the Lord have your full attention today?

Molech 2.0

"They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech.  Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered My mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment." (Jeremiah 32:35)

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Althea spoke of the modern-day equivalents of child sacrifice. Though we may not see individuals placing their children onto bonfires, and we may not see individuals taking knives to slay their children, this twenty-first century offers forms of sacrifice that are more subtle, but no less dangerous.

Our pastor noted that modern-day Baal worship is marked by a love for money and a desire for the trappings of prosperity. For decades, if not longer, many cultures have been sold the lie that it is appropriate to neglect the supervision of the young. As parents have left children to fend for themselves, children have been exposed to all sorts of evils. As parents have failed to express love to their children, those children have fallen for cheap substitutes of “love” in gangs and in illicit relationships.

Today, what do our hearts look like? Are our hearts devoted to God alone? Have we given ourselves over to the worship of Baal? Have we left our children to be consumed for the appeasement of Molech? If we find ourselves in a position of having personally  left the next generation to care for themselves, then let us repent and do our best to make amends. Perhaps it is not too late for us to have a godly impact on the next generation.

God, You know our hearts. Forgive us for chasing income at the expense of our children and the children in our communities. Forgive us for not trusting You to provide for us as You see fit. Forgive us for buying into the lie that our identity is grounded in our bank account, our wardrobe, or our personal connections. We believe that You are all that we really need, and that You will be faithful to meet our needs. Give us grace to live in light of what we believe. 

Wiccans In The House

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Althea noted that it is foolish and dangerous to claim to be a Christian while engaging in religious practices that run counter to the word of God.

Jeremiah 32:33-35 reveals the controversy of God against the people who have ignored His commands: "They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin."

What is it that we believe? What does our behavior say about our faith? What does it mean when a Christian consults a spiritist or a necromancer? What does it mean when a Christian engages in pagan rituals? God Himself has answered that question: it means that the person has turned his back to God. In other words, the person is telling God, "Kiss my behind. I don't need to behold Your glory. And I don't need to 'wait on the LORD': I can get what I want, immediately, from some other source."

Pastor Althea warned us that, although there may be historical and cultural pressure to engage in certain "religious" activities, we must be extremely diligent to reject every act that has its roots in the occult. Both the Old and New Testament scriptures warn against idolatry: not just the presence of a carved statue, but the presence of heart-thoughts and actions that show we have not given God the first, best, and only place in our lives.

Below are some passages for our reflection today. I pray that as we read, we will be even more encouraged and empowered to obey the word of God.

Leviticus 20:1-8
First Corinthians 10:1-14

Lord God, we long to worship You extravagantly and exclusively. Deliver us from the evil one who seeks to turn our devotion away from You.

Hope In The Face Of A Hopeless Case

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Althea shared with us from Jeremiah chapter 32. As we begin this week's reflections, let us take time today to read the chapter in its entirety.

Jeremiah 32 (NASB)

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed”’?” And Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.”’ Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the Lord and said to me, ‘Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

“I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’

“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the Lord, saying, ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them. Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. You have said to me, O Lord God, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”—although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares the Lord. “Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

“Now therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.’ Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. For thus says the Lord, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,’ declares the Lord.”

Represent.

As Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene celebrated Pastor Richard's ordination and held his robing ceremony, the testimonies and words shared revealed a stark contrast. The recollections of Richard's early years were marked by comments that described him as, to put it kindly, a challenge to manage. Though Richard knew the ways of the Lord, he had chosen to life a worldly lifestyle. In contrast, the later years were marked by comments that described Richard as a responsible Christian, a man who sought to live a life of holiness and godly character.

What made the difference? For those of us who heard Pastor Richard speak, we learned that the difference was not an issue of "what", but an issue of "who". God Himself stepped in. Our pastor spoke of the moment where, after a night of partying, he heard a clear message from the heart of God: "I did not build you for this." That revelation was followed by years of Richard engaging in prayer, study, and seeking after God. And though he is now an ordained Elder, the journey is not over for him. It's not over for us either! Scripture assures us that, as people of God, we move "from glory to glory" (see Second Corinthians 3:18). Each day, we have opportunity to draw nearer to Christ. 

Our pastor made an important point: Holiness and godly character must be present in us. Holiness is not a lifestyle reserved solely for pastors and leaders; it is for all who claim to belong to Jesus our Lord. If you belong to Christ, then draw near to Him today. Let Him transform you into His image.

Lord God, we kneel before You in awe, reverence, and adoration. We love You and we long to look like You. Draw us closer to You today; make us clear reflections of Your glory. When people see us, let them see a true representation of You.

Meanwhile, Four Miles Away...

Last night I went to a prayer and Bible study at a church not far from where I live. As the evening was winding down, a young woman asked me a question: "There's a guy at your church who has long dreadlocks, he made us feel so welcome when we visited your church a few years ago, he knew a lot, and he had a lot of people around him. I think he's on the staff. Do you know who he is?" After a bit of thought I replied to her, "Well, his hair is shorter now, and he doesn't have locs anymore, but you're talking about Pastor Richie." She then said a wonderful thing: "I've been thinking about him lately."

Sometimes, our experience of "the community of faith" leads us to believe that every local church is operating in a vacuum, and that our prayer needs are limited to the people who we spend most of our time with. That's not true. God is not limited by geography, nor culture, nor anything else. Though God had not given this young lady our pastor's name, He had given her a vision of Richie as she knew him five years ago, and she prayed in faith even though she didn't know his name or title. When I told her that Pastor Richie had recently been ordained an Elder in our denomination, and that his robing ceremony had just occurred this past Sunday, she nodded: "Now I know why God put him on my heart."

Consider God's action. He was looking for someone to pray for our pastor, and He found a willing intercessor: a woman who never sat under our pastor's ministry, met him only once at a leadership event, and never saw him again since that day. God chose to remind her of him.

Think about it.

Speakers Of The House...

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5, NLT)

On this past Sunday, we had a robing ceremony for Reverend Richard Griffiths (our local church's newest ordained elder). As our other elders spoke words of congratulations and encouragement, a particular theme emerged: You are a prophet to the nations.

The directive to be a prophetic voice in the world is not only for Pastor Richard: it is for all of us who claim to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ. An interesting point about ambassadors is that they do not speak from their own initiative: rather, they speak the words, opinions, and intentions of the nation they represent. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to share the way of God with the world. As Second Corinthians 5:20 says, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

Are you an ambassador?

Lord, whenever we speak, please help us to represent You and Your kingdom authentically.

Service Charge.

"God gave me the word for this sermon two months ago. I didn't know that today was going to be the launch for Summer Serve... but God's plans are perfect." -Pastor Martha

At Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, we are blessed to have a group of pastors who are faithful in hearing and obeying the word of the Lord. The experience of Isaiah, which was the subject of Sunday's sermon, is also the experience of our pastors. Pastor Martha obeyed God's instructions by preaching from Isaiah 6:1-13, and Pastor Althea echoed the theme as she gave an overview of Summer Serve 2014.

As we re-read the Scripture passage and as we prayerfully consider the opportunities for ministry over these next several weeks, there are a number of points we can reflect upon:

• The Lord God rules us. He is King over all that exists. He is adored and reverenced by all who have caught a vision of His glory.
• The Lord God hears us. His ears are open to receive our praise of Him and our confession of our own unworthiness.
• The Lord God cleanses us. He is the only one strong enough to break the chains of sin, sickness, and occultic bondage.
• The Lord God calls us. He takes the initiative to seek out men, women, and children who are willing to serve Him.

What is God saying to us? He has called us to speak His truths in a time where people are reluctant to heed His word. He has called us to share His message in a spirit of love. The ministry we are doing this summer is not done to evoke a particular response from the people we serve: we simply do the work because it is what God has called us to do.

Today, wherever you are in life, and wherever you are in the world, take time to worship God. As you take the time to honor Him, He will take the time to reveal His desires to you. And, He will equip you to do whatever He asks.

What is God saying to you?

Hearing... And Responding.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

You may have heard the old joke: "Lord, here am I... send someone else!" Sadly, though, it's not a joke for everyone. There are countless stories of Christians who, in the face of hearing a call from God, opted to respond with a resounding "No."

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us that hearing the voice of the Lord should evoke within us the desire to obey His voice. A key component of obedience is availability: if we truly adore the One who is King, then we will want to please Him. If we truly love Him, then we will want to be found in His presence. If we have taken His interests to heart, then we will want to participate in carrying out His agenda.

As we reflect today, we must ask ourselves whether our worship of God is authentic. Worship is not measured by the beauty of our singing voice, nor even our participation in ministry events. The Scripture reminds us that God examines our hearts (see First Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 29:13-14): He takes note of our motivations and inner thoughts. Isaiah's response, "Send me!", was not a begrudged acquiescence to the call of God. Rather, Isaiah was excited. Isaiah was eager to do something for this great King of kings. Isaiah wanted to be a part of God's program, and he said "yes" to God even before he learned what his specific assignment was.

What about us? Are we responding to the voice of God with an eagerness to go wherever He sends us? Or, are we asking Him to lay out every detail of our life-path before we say 'yes'?

O Master, let me walk with Thee in lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.
(Washington Gladden)

Seeing... And Recognizing.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1, NIV)

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha encouraged us to keep in our minds this vision of God as the One exalted over all.

The prophet Isaiah had experienced a deep loss: King Uzziah, who had reigned for decades, was now dead. Yet, in the face of death, God opened Isaiah's eyes to recognize the Lord God as the King who lives forever.

In the narrative, Isaiah shares a profound description: The train of the Lord's robe filled the temple. The Lord had spread His covering over every person, every action, and every object in that worship-space. In Isaiah's vision, the presence of God overshadowed everything, including Isaiah's mourning: when the prophet recognized the King of kings and Lord of lords, all thoughts of Uzziah were laid aside.

Are we covered? Does His train fill our temple and overshadow our despondency? Scripture says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" (First Corinthians 6:19, NASB) When our eyes are opened to see the greatness and majesty of God, we are drawn in to His loving embrace. We are inspired to find our rest in Him. We are shifted from mourning our personal losses to marveling at God's majesty and power.

Lord God, today we choose to turn our eyes away from our circumstances; we choose to turn our eyes towards You. Astound us with Your majesty! Embrace us with Your love! Open our eyes to recognize You as the King Eternal. Great King, fill us with Your presence.

Breathing... And Conscious.

In this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Martha shared with us from Isaiah 6:1-13. The prophet Isaiah had a profound worship experience, and in the atmosphere of worship he became conscious of his own unworthiness. As he confessed his sins and the sins of his people, the LORD purified Isaiah and gave him a ministry assignment.

In this narrative we find that Isaiah received clear instructions after engaging in adoration and confession. What was true for Isaiah can be true for us! As we become intentional in taking time for worship and repentant prayer, our God is faithful to open our understanding and point us in the direction He wills us to go.

The atmosphere of worship is not an event reserved for chapels and sanctuaries: it is something we can experience every day, wherever we are. Today, as we go through our day, let us praise God. Let us pray to God. Let us confess to God. Let us wait on God. Let us love God. Let us call to God.

I just want to be where You are,
Dwelling daily in Your presence!
I don't want to worship from afar;
Draw me near to where You are.
(Don Moen)

Wait-er?

"There are some things we can only learn in God's waiting room." -Rev. Dr. Bud Reedy

So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. (John 11:6)

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)


In John 11:1-44 we have the account of a family that experienced God's Waiting Room. When Lazarus became ill, Martha and Mary did the best thing they knew to do: they called for Jesus, their Lord and Friend, and they waited. Jesus waited too. And, from the perspective of Martha and Mary, Jesus waited too long. The sisters buried their dead brother. When Jesus showed up, Martha was reluctant for the tomb to be opened after such delay. But Lazarus, who had been in the tomb for four days, was brought back to life by the word of the Lord, and the community was astounded at the powerful miracle.

Fast-forward to June 27, 2014. Some of us are asking the Lord to show up on our behalf. Some of us are experiencing the pain of God showing up "too late". Some of us are asking the Lord to not open the tomb where our lost hopes are buried. And some of us are on the edge of witnessing a profound miracle.

O Lord, our Lord, we submit to Your schedule; we trust Your timing; we wait with believing hearts. 

Dead Wait.

During Sunday's sermon, Reverend Dr. Bud Reedy shared part of his testimony with us. Near the end of the testimony Pastor Bud made a profound declaration about his experience of God's faithfulness: "That which I have surrendered, He has kept."

"Surrendered." It's a word that we often associate with defeat. But for the Christian, the act of surrendering our will and our desires to God is an act of victory. We are no longer ruled by our circumstances. There is no longer any earthly situation that holds our hearts captive. Fear cannot paralyze us anymore.

Let us surrender ourselves, and our concerns, to the Lord who loves us. When we give all we have (and all we are) to the service of our King, then He becomes our focus. When we are convinced that God knows everything (and knows what is best), then He becomes the Director and Governor of our lives. When we trust His timing (and patiently wait for Him), then He responds with a love that never fails to astound us.

The apostle Paul said, "I've been crucified with Christ, and yet I live-- but no! It's not the old me that lives: it's Christ Jesus who lives in me. This life I live in the body is lived through the faith of the Son of God, the One who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, paraphrase mine.) If our old self has died, then we have made room for the Spirit of Christ to empower us to wait on God. We have no need to take matters into our own hands, because we have placed every matter into the hands of God.

• Have you died to self, selfishness, self-centeredness, self-sufficiency?
• Are you convinced that God can handle your life-situations better than you can?
• Do you see your circumstances through the eyes of Jesus, the One who always operates out of love and never operates out of fear?

Wait patiently for the LORD!
Wait confidently for Him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,
A man who carries out wicked schemes!
(Psalm 37:7, NET)

Privilege Can Wait.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)

Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Reverend Dr. Bud Reedy brought up an important question for us to consider: When we are in crisis, do we expect that Jesus will grant us special favors because we are “tight” with Him? There is a prevailing notion that our joyful tithing, our presence in church, our participation in ministry, and our faithfulness in prayer are tokens that garner privilege with God, and that therefore He is somehow “obligated” to immediately rescue us from every crisis that comes our way.

In the John 11 narrative, Martha and Mary expressed a sentiment that is not unusual in Christian circles: Jesus, if You had shown up when we asked for You, then we could have been spared from this tragedy. As Pastor Bud noted, there is a sense that Jesus is supposed to “drop everything and come running” when we call Him. But let us consider Jesus. His desire is to obey His Father, even if the path of obedience brings pain. He did not refuse the way of the cross.

“Jesus responded, ‘Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40) Sometimes, our experience of God’s glory is birthed through tragedy. Sometimes, our “privileged” status as lovers of Jesus even makes us a target for tragedy, as Satan seeks to turn our devotion away from our Lord (see Job 1:9-11). When those tragic moments touch our lives and break our hearts, let us continue to rest in the goodness of God.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who can reach into tragedy and extract Glory. May You be glorified in us today.

Dinner Can Wait.

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Bud Reedy read the above passage and noted that Jesus would go to the village of Bethany to “chill”—that is, to take a break and relax in the hometown of his friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In the Luke 10 account of Jesus’s visit to Bethany, we note that Martha and Mary had very different responses to His presence.

Mary chose to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to what He was saying. Martha chose to make preparations, working around the house.

What do you do when a guest shows up?

It’s an interesting dynamic to consider. If Jesus shows up and our response is “a guest is here,” then it’s easy to fall into the pattern of what folks traditionally do when a guest shows up. There are guest towels in the bathroom, guest soap in the dispenser, special meals or special desserts that the family doesn’t experience unless a guest is present. Sometimes, we’re so busy preparing special things for the guest that we don’t even get to talk to him. We, like Martha, become entrenched in the processes of preparation.

But, if Jesus shows up and our response is “our dear friend is here,” then there is a different atmosphere! A dear friend is not present for the gourmet desserts nor the fancy teacups. A dear friend has not shown up to see what amazing culinary and home decorating skills we have. Our dear friend has stopped by to visit with us. Mary, who knew the immense value of the friendship, opted to spend her time in the company of her Lord, who was her Dear Friend.

What do you do when Jesus shows up?

Do you busy yourself with sprucing up the décor of your heart? Do you, figuratively speaking, serve the sorts of foods you think He wants to eat? Do you make yourself into something you usually aren’t… only to revert back to your old ways when His presence becomes less palpable?

Today, let’s consider the example of Mary. There was plenty of work that could have been done, but she wasn’t doing it when Jesus showed up. Instead, she sat at His feet and listened, allowing His words to do a work in her.

Jesus, Dear Friend of ours, this is Your time; we sit at Your feet and we listen; everything else can wait. Speak Your word to us. Share Your heart with us. Teach us to love as You love.

"Wait"-Bearing...

In yesterday’s sermon Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene was blessed to hear the message of the Lord through Rev. Dr. Bud Reedy, a Nazarene pastor and our brother in the Lord. Our guest speaker shared with us from John 11 and Luke 10, and we took time to understand the love of God expressed through the discipline of waiting.

As we go through this week, we will take time to consider points from the sermon. For today, though, I would encourage all of us today to re-read the Scripture passages from yesterday. One of the dangers of “familiar” passages is that we tend not to read as closely or as carefully as we do when approaching new material. But I hope that today we will come to the Word with the expectation that God will reveal something new to our hearts.

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

John 11:1-44

Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days.

Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples replied, “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After he said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.” Then the disciples replied, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” (Now Jesus had been talking about his death, but they thought he had been talking about real sleep.) Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”

And when she had said this, Martha went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” So when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) Then the people who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw her get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Thus the people who had come to mourn said, “Look how much he loved him!” But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

Who Are You...And Who Is Your Father?

John 8:25-59 (NET Bible)

So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, “What I have told you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the Father who sent me is truthful, and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.)

Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do those things that please him.” While he was saying these things, many people believed in him.

Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied, “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be really free. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you want to kill me, because my teaching makes no progress among you. I am telling you the things I have seen while with the Father; as for you, practice the things you have heard from the Father!”

They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! You people are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Jesus, “We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself.” Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me. Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept my teaching. You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I am telling you the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin? If I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? The one who belongs to God listens and responds to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, because you don’t belong to God.”

The Judeans replied, “Aren’t we correct in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor my Father – and yet you dishonor me. I am not trying to get praise for myself. There is one who demands it, and he also judges. I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.”

Then the Judeans responded, “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching, he will never experience death.’ You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area.

My Father Calls me Into Maturity.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam shared that God's intent is for children to grow up. And while this thought may seem to be an obvious statement on the first read, the issue of development is a serious issue in the body of Christ.

We begin life as infants. Infants are famous for their dependency. As Pastor Sam noted, even a baby's strength to cry is influenced by the nourishment he or she has received. No one ought reprimand a baby for being a baby. But if a person who is fifteen years old manifests a level of dependency that is common to infants, then the general consensus would be that something is wrong. The expectation is that, as persons move from infancy to adolescence, they move from dependence to independence.

Similarly, our society holds the expectation that as adolescents grow into adulthood, there is a shift from independence to interdependence. There is the realization that life is not "all about me", but that collaboration and teamwork are critically important to the functioning of families and communities. A selfish, self-absorbed fifteen-year old is given much grace. A selfish, self-absorbed fifty-year old is not. Why? Because there is a prevailing notion that people who are matured in years are willing to engage in sharing, perspective-taking, and understanding of the opinions and needs of others.

God, our Father, has designed us to grow up... not just biologically, but also spiritually. The Bible notes that Christians who are new in the faith, like babies, should be given spiritual milk-- the basic tenets of the faith. Older Christians who have logged more years in the faith ought to be able to handle spiritual meat-- deeper conversations concerning the things we know and believe (see Hebrews 5:11-6:3). People of God, we are called to grow up. May God help us all to grow up in Him.

How old are you in the Lord? (For how many years have you embraced the Christian faith?)
Are your faith-years a true representation of your spiritual age?
Does your spiritual behavior tag you as dependent, independent, or interdependent?

My Father Carries Me Into Jubilee.

Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. (Leviticus 25:10, NIV)

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam took time to speak of the father wound: there are some of us whose experience of fatherhood has been an experience not of compassionate support, but of abuse, neglect, or rejection.

We bear the risk of expressing the negative behaviors to which we have been exposed. The father wound is found in us as we live lives of apathy, anger, or alienation toward those around us. As Pastor Sam said, "The devil has conspired with history so as to produce a people who have to protect themselves by not feeling... it is the manifestation of the reign of sin."

However, there is good news: God our Father has promised healing to us! And for Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene in particular, as we celebrate our fiftieth year of ministry, there is a sense of kairos: we are in a jubilee season where God is pouring out wholeness and healing and grace. Our pastor made a wonderful point concerning Psalm 27:10: God steps in "...when father forsakes me...and when the Lord takes me up, that is going to represent healing to the father wound."

In the Jubilee year, ancient Israel experienced a profound shift in status. Debts were released. Lands were restored. People were set free from bondage. It happened then, and it can happen now. Today, as we submit ourselves to the Spirit of God, His presence and power releases us from our own bondage to apathy, anger, and alienation that had been built into our spirits.

God, our Father, is the Lord of Jubilee. Let your burdens go, and let your Father carry you into His grace, healing, and release.

Do you want to be free? Lift your chains, I hold the key!
All power in heaven and earth belongs to Me:
You are free!
(Mark Hall/Bernie Herms)

My Father Cares For Me In My Loneliness.

Though my father and mother have abandoned me, the Lord will gather me in. (Psalm 27:10, NET translation notes)

God, our heavenly Father, gathers us in. We who belong to Him have this privilege of being held by Him. As Psalm 27:10 indicates, the presence and company of God is so powerful that it even soothes the soul that has been abandoned by parents.

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam shared the example of a child who raises her hands as an indication that she wants to be picked up and held. Have we raised our hands to God today? Have we asked Him to pick us up?

When God picks us up, we are held and embraced by His love.
When God picks us up, we are raised so that we can see Him more clearly.
When God picks us up, we are placed in a position to see things from His vantage point.

Today, as we reflect on the goodness of God, let us boldly ask Him to pick us up once more.

God, loving Father, I raise my hands to You!

My Father Cares For Me In My Frailty.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14, NIV)

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam shared with us various characteristics of fatherhood as revealed in Scripture. Today, let's reflect on the example found in Psalm 103.

Verse 13 of the psalm reminds us that fathers have compassion. What is compassion? Dictionaries describes compassion as a feeling, an emotion that indicates one's consciousness of another person being in need or in distress. Further, that emotion moves one to provide help for the person.

Psalm 103:14 shows us why God, our Father, demonstrates compassion towards those who fear Him: because He remembers that we are dust. Though we reverence God, we in and of ourselves do not have the capacity to live as His faithful, obedient children. Our frames are weak. We find ourselves completely dependent upon Him. And He, in His compassion, reaches out and aids us in our need and our distress. He walks with us and keeps us from stumbling. His Spirit in us teaches us to do what He says. He fathers us.

God of compassion, we have no greater resource than You. Cause us to leave off our weak attempts at self-sufficiency; give us the wisdom to cling to You.

It's Genise's.

"And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously. (Acts 4:29-31, emphasis mine)

Lord, pay attention to their threats...

We do not deny that there are persons in the world who want us to ignore God's agenda, and who have threatened us with harm. However, our response is not to condemn them; our response is to ask God to take note of what His detractors have said and done.

...grant to Your servants to speak Your message with great courage...

God's message is not a message to be whispered apologetically nor timidly. Our great God, who does all things well, has tasked us to share His message confidently. This is not a confidence in our own ability to deliver His message; rather, it is our confidence in the truth of His message.

...while You extend Your hand to heal...

In the book of Acts in particular, we find a connection between the word of God and the power of God to heal. The disciples asked God not only for the boldness to speak, but for His healing to be experienced by those who heard the testimony of the apostles.

... and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.

As we see in Acts, the disciples did notable miracles in the name of Jesus. However, we also note that persons who invoked the name of Jesus without knowing Him were overcome by demonic powers (see Acts 19-11-16). It is imperative that we who claim to be Christian not only know the name of Jesus, but that we know Jesus (and that He knows us).

Acts 4:31 is such an encouragement to we who pray! "And when they had prayed...". Some things happened when the disciples prayed. Amen. Earnest, authentic prayer is never an empty exercise. The prayers ascend to God, and God responds. Like Acts 4:31, the response may be instant. Or alternately, as Daniel 10:12-13 indicates, the response may delayed by a conflict between spiritual forces. But, either way, God answers. Let us be renewed in the light of that truth.

Have you prayed today?

Climate Control.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam noted that spiritual gifts are exercised in the climate of faith. Our pastor reminded us of the passage in Scripture that speaks of the atmosphere of unbelief in Jesus's hometown:

Now Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house.” He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught. (Mark 6:1-6, NET, emphasis mine)

Pastor Sam also shared that what Jesus was not able to do in His hometown, He was able to do in Capernaum:

After Jesus had finished teaching all this to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, because he loves our nation, and even built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!” So when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well. (Luke 7:1-10, NET, emphasis mine)

What a contrast. The "insiders", the men and women of Jesus's neighborhood, took offense at His presence in the synagogue. They refused to acknowledge His status, instead referring to Him as a common laborer. The "outsider", a Roman centurion, recognized that he was not worthy to bear the presence of Jesus in his house. The centurion referred to Jesus as Lord, the One with the authority to impart healing, and the centurion even realized that Jesus could command healing without having to be physically present-- just say the word, Lord, and by Your word healing will occur.

When we speak of Jesus, what sort of climate rules our speech? Is our Lord amazed at our unbelief? Or, is He amazed at our faith?

Ordinary Me. Extraordinary God.

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam noted that unusual and unexpected abilities are found in the person who is being made competent by the Holy Spirit.

In the account of the healing of the man who had been lame from birth, the narrative records the response of the religious leaders to Peter and John's defense: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, emphasis mine)

Our God is not restricted by our frailties. He is able to use us to do amazing things-- things that are not contingent upon our education nor our training. And, in using us to do things that we know we cannot do in our own strength, God ensures that only He gets the credit.

How does God bring this about? By the power of His Spirit in us.

Lord God, I submit myself to Your Spirit. Take my ordinary life, and do extraordinary things, for the glory of Your name. Amen.

Perhaps It's Not Too Late, Baby...

"For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old." (Acts 4:22)

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam noted that the experience of redemption is life-giving: the consequence of the disciples' ministry work was edifying to people and glorifying to God. Our pastor used a passage from Acts as an illustration: a man who had been lame from birth, and had spent over forty years as a beggar, experienced a healing that caused people in the community to give glory to God. (See Acts 3:1-4:22) The Holy Spirit, working through Peter and John, brought deliverance.

I wonder if any of us are dealing with a challenge we have encountered, every day, for over forty years. I wonder if any of us are dealing with an issue that has, literally or figuratively, crippled us from birth. I wonder if any of us have spent a few decades as spectators, glancing at people who are sick in body or mind or spirit, passing them by on our way to worship, and having nothing to offer apart from sympathy... or words of dismay... or pronouncements of hopelessness.

What does it mean when a Christian has given up on God's power to change lives? What if Peter and John had assumed that because the lame man had been lame for forty years, it was therefore 'too late' for God's Spirit to intervene in his life? We are blessed to have the Acts 4 narrative as a proof and a reminder of what the Holy Spirit is able to do, and as a proof and reminder of the consequences of divine action, and as an encouragement to believe God is not bound by time, and as an impetus to move us to hear and obey the Holy Spirit's direction in regard to prayers for healing and deliverance.

Pastor Sam, from time to time, has shared a few words that I've paraphrased (below) for us to reflect on today. We can consider it a creed of sorts. We can memorize it, or not, but perhaps the better thing is to pray that it be our lived reality.

The Holy Spirit has come and has made Himself available to us.
The Holy Spirit is present to accomplish God's desire in us.
The Holy Spirit is able to manifest His works through us.

My prayer for us today is that we, like Peter and John, will experience the fullness of God's Spirit, and that His presence and power will overflow as a healing agent to those around us.

Lord God, cause me to see life through the eyes of Your Spirit. Give me the grace to engage prayers for healing and deliverance. Cause me to be prompted not by what I see, but by what You say. Holy Spirit, fill me again, so that You can use me as a worker in Your kingdom. Amen.

Absolutely Distinguished.

"We're not satisfied to just 'go through our liturgy'." (Pastor Sam)

During yesterday's pre-sermon prayer, Pastor Sam recalled the petition of Moses:

Then Moses said to God, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? (Exodus 33:15-16)

The word distinguished is one that we can reflect on today. What is it that makes a Christian stand out from the crowds of people from other faiths, or from those who claim to have no faith? It's not the engagement of the worship that sets us apart. Back in Moses's day, people who were not worshipers of the God of Israel were nonetheless quite engaged in the worship of the gods they knew. Further, it was not even the experience of the wonders that set God's people apart. In the early stages of the Egyptian plagues, there was a cadre of magicians that had no problem duplicating the signs (see Exodus 7:8-12).

The people of God, then and now, have a distinguishing mark. It is the presence of God. God Himself is found in our community. God Himself is found in us. There is the evidence of the Word: it is God in us, His goodness expressed through our lifestyle and ministry, that catches the attention of the world.

Let's take inventory today, especially those of us who "do church" as part of our life-routine. When people hear our speech, or see our works, or read what we write, what do they walk away with? Is their heart filled with the joy of the Lord? Are they inspired and moved to draw closer to God?

Lord God, give me the experience of You in a deeper way today... I want to bear a distinguishing mark that identifies me as belonging to You. Do Your work in me today, I pray, so that You will be glorified. Amen.

Let's Get It Together!

One of the drawbacks of blogging is that it's easy to think of each post as a stand-alone commentary, rather than as being a small part of a larger work.

In that context, let us remember that this past Sunday's sermon was actually the second in a series of sermons about Pentecost. Below are links to a few Scripture passages from the first two installments. Thoughts shared by Pastor Sam are in italics (paraphrase mine). I encourage all of us to take time to read and reflect on the verses and statements below.

I. The Promise-Fulfillment of Pentecost (May 4, 2014)

If the promise of Pentecost has been fulfilled, then it ought be fulfilled in us.
First Corinthians 6:19-20

Sometimes, what God is doing requires a prophetic interpreter.
Acts 2:14-18

To what extent are we fulfilling our experience of this promise?


II. Embracing The Promises of Pentecost, Part 1 (June 1, 2014)

The promise is to "as many as the Lord shall call"... but what is the promise of Jesus?
Acts 1:8

Witnesses have had a transformation of character: not in their own strength, but because of the power of God.
Second Peter 1:3-4

The Spirit-empowered Christian witness has an observable character profile.
Matthew 7:15-20

Lord God, please help us to tell others about the power and love of Jesus that radically transforms human hearts.

Call Waiting?

In this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam made the following observation (paraphrased here): We are not Gnostics. Our Christianity is not just about what's hidden in our hearts; it's observable.

Our pastor referenced the epistle of First Peter. In the first chapter of this letter, we learn that Christians' lives, more than their words, indicate what they believe. Peter writes: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy because I am holy.'" (First Peter 1:13-14, emphasis mine)

Conformity, in some form, will be found in all of us. The question becomes, to what are we conformed? According to the First Peter passage, Christians ought experience a shift: the soul that was once conformed to worldly lusts is transformed, and as a result it becomes conformed to God's likeness. What does this look like in a practical sense? It looks like the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). As Pastor Sam shared, and I paraphrase here, it is neither more seminary nor more philosophy that will help us become "better" Christians, but more of the Spirit of God. A confession of faith, accompanied by actions which demonstrate the love of God in a fallen world, paint a picture of authentic Christianity.

Lord God, you know the confessions of my mouth, the actions of my body, and the intentions of my heart. May every part of me be managed and directed by You. Please conform my will to Yours by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.

The Know-Do Dichotomy.

"There might be persons who are worshiping faithfully... and many of them know exactly what God wants. The problem is, in their hearts, they have now come to resign that you can't do what God says. The old lie is still reverberating." (Pastor Sam)

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam spoke of the danger of Christians being found to be ineffective or false witnesses. In particular, as we live in this world that is cynical and skeptical of the Christian faith, we must be able to not only speak truth, but also to live truth so that the world can have a true vision of what Christianity is all about.

Some Christians have had an experience of salvation, but have not been radically transformed by the Spirit of God. That is, they know God, but they are not doing God's will because their lives are not governed by God. But, for Christians who are authentic, credible witnesses, the Spirit's character transforms their character.

Our pastor shared the question from Acts: "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" (Acts 19:2, italics mine) God calls us into synergy with Himself, and this synergy is accomplished not through our determination, but by the work of His Spirit. And when the Spirit is present in us, His character is expressed through us, and the will of God is done by us.

For those readers who know that their character is indicative of a lack of authenticity, today's prayer is paraphrased from the end of Pastor Sam's sermon. I pray that, as you pray, you will experience God's Spirit helping you to become a credible witness.

Spirit of God, if anything is to happen in me, it will only come through You. I surrender my efforts to You so that You can do what is needed in me. Amen.

In Character.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a, NET)

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam shared with us that the credible, Spirit-empowered Christian can be identified by their character profile. In yesterday's blog post we took time to consider the words of Jesus in regard to authentic prophetic ministry. Today, let's take a moment to reflect on the words of the apostle Paul regarding Christian character.

In Galatians chapter 5, Paul encourages Christians to understand their freedom in Christ not as license to sin, but as license to love others in the way Jesus Christ has loved us. Paul says, "If you are continually harming and exploiting each other, beware! You will destroy each other! But I tell you, walk according to the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:15-16, paraphrase mine)

What does it look like when a person loves in the same way God loves us? How is this Spirit-walk of love expressed in the world? It looks radical. Why? Because, as Pastor Sam noted, it is a love that cannot originate from us. On our own, we are incapable of loving our enemies through our own strength. It is only the Spirit of God who can instill in our hearts the capacity to love the unlovely. And, when this love of God is demonstrated, it shows the world a particular 'character profile' that is unusual and attractive... it shows the beauty of Christ's love expressed consistently and authentically, even in the most painful of circumstances.

Is your testimony supported by your character?

Fruit Dupes.

Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. (Matthew 7:15-16b)

In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus shares with His disciples an important key to ministry assessment: Check the fruit. It is the fruit that demonstrates the heart. It is the fruit that reveals the true motives and character of men and women.

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam noted that our experience of the Christian faith is not simply an internal, private devotion to God. Our faith influences our day-to-day living. If we are filled with the love of God, then that love will flow out of us and cause us to express God's love to others.

We live in a world where the prophetic is easily counterfeited. And, this is nothing new: in ancient times, the magicians of Egypt were able to perform several of the wonders that Moses and Aaron did (see Exodus 7:8-11). We must take heed to this age-old reality. If our assessment of the prophetic is limited to the observance of signs and wonders, then we will place ourselves in a position to be deceived. God, through Jesus Christ, has pointed out the one distinctive we can count on: character.

If someone were to assess your character today, what would they say?