Lenten Preview: T Minus 31 And Counting.

Friends, in a month we begin the season of Lent, a time during which we reflect on the passion of Jesus our Lord as He finished out His earthly ministry and prepared for His return to glory via death on a cross, burial, and a resurrection witnessed by hundreds and documented in Scripture.

I'm mentioning this a month early for a specific reason: I am asking you to seriously and prayerfully consider going on an extended fast during Lent. It's an opportunity to seek the face of God more intensely than through prayer alone. It's an opportunity to demonstrate to yourself that you are taking authority over your body and your appetite as you pursue the presence of the Lord.

If you are asking in your heart "What will I gain?", then perhaps fasting is not for you at this time. This endeavor is not about getting anything; it's about giving more of ourselves, more of our attention, to the almighty God who saves us and keeps us saved.

Please, over the next month, pray about this and ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to do. And, when He shows you, be sure to obey Him completely and joyfully.

Take care my friends. See you next Tuesday, Lord willing.

You Two? Again?

"But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?'" (Acts 5:3)

Well, just when I thought everything was cool and copasetic, there it goes... the resurfacing of the Ananias and Sapphira problem. Is anyone besides me wondering why the Holy Spirit keeps mentioning this from the pulpit of Bronx Bethany?

Friends, let's heed the warning. God really does not like it when we present a partial gift as if it's the whole gift. And this goes way beyond money. Remember Psalm 50? "What right do you have to speak my laws and declare my covenant, seeing that you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you?" (paraphrase of Psalm 50:16-17).

Pastor Sam reminded us of the responsibility we have when offering our gifts to God: whatever we present to God must be flawless, first-class, not fraudulent, and not free. When we consider the price that Jesus paid on our behalf, how can we offer less than our best? How dare we offer God leftovers? What would cause us to do something so foolish as to lie to the living God? How could we offer Him a "gift" we didn't even pay for? Is that the way we say "I love You, Lord"?

Ananias and Sapphira. Participants in the ministry, but unfortunately they were a couple in leadership with a big problem: in their zeal to retrofit themselves into the move of God, they pretended that they were on board with God's program. But the Holy Spirit knew their hearts. And, in the space of about three hours, God publicly dealt with a man, and his wife, who conspired to look good in the eyes of men.

You know, this past Sunday is not the first time that the Lord has given a prophetic warning that specifically referred to those of us in Bronx Bethany who are involved in music ministry. It seems that, for a long time, music ministry at Bronx Bethany has been a paradox, an "overt cover"...a hiding place for some who are not on board with God's agenda, are not obedient to His commands, but who seem more than happy to sing His praises. If that's you, sweetie, mark my words: "mene, mene, tekel"- your days are numbered, you are weighed and found lacking in substance. Watch out... when worship is used to cover treachery, judgement is inevitable. I, and others, are fervently praying that you will repent and turn, completely, to the Lord.

Confession.
Repentance.
Obedience.
Time is running out.

Perfect Love In The Upper Room.

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." -John 13:17

The full extent of Jesus's love (see John 13:1), expressed in the humble act of washing the feet of His disciples. Does that surprise you?

Our question for today: what would it look like if we, lovingly, washed each other's feet?

Pastor Sam gave a modern analogy which we would do well to reflect on. There are some of us who are more than happy to give a dollar to a person in need. But, when we are the person in need, we are too embarrassed or too proud to accept the dollar from someone else.

I had to be at Bronx Bethany last Saturday for a couple of meetings, and only had enough money on my Metrocard for a one-way ride to church. As I left my apartment I grabbed a fistful of nickels and dimes out of my coin cup, praying that it was enough to get me back home. Pastor Benji saw me counting my coins at the end of our meeting, and he blessed me with a couple of dollars. I'm sure he had other things to do with his money, but he chose to "wash my feet". And me? I chose to be a grateful recipient. (I must admit, that wasn't easy for me to do. But I'm learning.)

Glorious Jesus, Lord of the universe and everything in it, has given us the roadmap: "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:15).

Yes, Lord, I am happy to do the work that others call "menial".
Yes, Lord, I am willing to give up everything for those I love... and even for Judas Iscariot, the one I love who plots my downfall.
Yes, Lord, I am happy to accept the gifts You send, and will not allow pride or shame to rob me of the wonderful blessing of love shared in tangible forms.

Friends, let's demonstrate this perfect love of God as we give, and receive, to His glory!

A Divine Detour.

During Pastor Sam's sermon this past Sunday, one of the Scripture references included the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

There's an interesting opening to that passage, one that we often gloss over in our zeal to get to the heart of the story. But let's park our mental cars at the opening verses today, found in Luke 10:25-28.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher", he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: "'Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

"Do this and you will live". It's an amazing thing to consider, this snapshot of what really matters.

In his attempt at testing Jesus, this expert in the law was ultimately the subject of his own test. And, in terms of theoretical knowledge, the lawyer passed the test. He gave the right response, a two-part answer firmly grounded in Scripture: love God, and love your neighbor. Simple enough.

But then there was the practicum, the moment where theory falls to the side and gets replaced with an expectation of performance: "Do this and you will live." In other words, do the uncomfortable thing. Pastor Sam shared an interesting point: The Samaritan set aside his own agenda, delayed his own journey, spent his own money, and risked his own health and safety to help a man he didn't even know. Let's keep that in mind: this business of loving means that sometimes we will need to take risks and face inconvenience.

Friends, our question for today: How many of us get an A+ in theory and a failing grade in practicum?

Love, Pure And Simple.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." -First John 4:18

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam reminded us of the elements of our mission and vision statements. I'm reminded of Second Peter 1:12. "So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." Friends, it's a very good thing to be reminded.

And, it's a very good thing to be reminded at the beginning of the year. Why? Because, frankly, some of us may have forgotten why we are attending this church in the Northeast Bronx. Or, worse, some of us may be attending for the wrong reasons.

As we begin this week's blogs, let's ask some hard questions and answer them honestly. Here's one for today.

-If you are attending this church in the Bronx but you live in, say, Brooklyn, how do you express the love of Jesus to the local community that surrounds our church? How can you be influential if your only contribution to the community is taking up a parking space for a few hours on a Sunday?

By the way, this question also applies to those of us who live in the Bronx. We must have a voice, a presence, an influence, that is outside of the four walls of the church.

The love of Christ, His unending love, extends not just to those we know. As Pastor Sam shared on Sunday, we are called to love the unlovely; to give gifts to those who despise us; to bless those who curse us. It's easy to do when the love that is in you is the love of Christ. The Scripture says, "Whoever loves God must also love his brother" (First John 4:21): there are no qualifiers, no list of exceptions.

John, we love you.
Simon, we love you.
Judas, we love you.
Herod, we love you.
Why? Because Jesus loved us first. That is why we love you without regard to whether you return the love.

Love. Pure and simple.

Now This Is Soul Food.

Friends, we have been called to get our priorities straight.

During Wednesday night's prayer meeting (1/6/10) Pastor Joy shared some of the notes she had taken during Pastor Sam's sermon. Below are just a few of them.

-Know the difference between the urgent and the important;
-Remember the parable of the rich fool- he paid no attention to his essential being, his soul;
-The only thing we can keep is that which is rich towards God (the content of the relationship that we have with God).

I hope we can all take away something from the sermon that will serve as a barometer for us as we go through this year. For me, it will be the reminder of Mary, Martha's "radical" sister whose heart for Jesus led her to defy cultural conventions. For you, it might be someone or something else.

My husband and I have been talking about this sermon all week, and it's been exciting to not just talk it, but start to live it. God is moving in Bronx Bethany, and we are on the verge of great and profound things... but it sails or fails based on our response to God. I urge you, I urge myself, be rich towards God.

That is our priority.

See you online next Tuesday, Lord willing.

That's Not What I Ordered...

As we near the end of the first full week of 2010, let's reflect on Pastor Sam's sermon one more time. Today, we'll talk about the indictment of doing the right things in the wrong order. (Some of these points are from the sermon, and some are add-ons.)

Cain had that problem. He brought an offering from his farming efforts. But God had mandated that the sin offering be presented first, and the sin offering required the sacrifice of an animal.

Martha had that problem. She had a strong gift of hospitality and serving. But in her act of service, she missed the chance to sit at the feet of the One who had given her these wonderful gifts.

The rich fool had that problem. He demonstrated himself to be a man of wisdom and industry. He could boast the honor and prestige of personal profit, but there was no proof that he had honored God.

The disciples had that problem. In a moment, they could transition from acknowledging Jesus's miraculous works to questioning His character and sensibility.

I have that problem. In a world that pushes for fast answers, I get nervous and agitated if weeks go by with no prophetic word from God. And in that agitation, sometimes I say things that shouldn't be said (or do things that shouldn't be done). As if God has to reply on my timetable.

Maybe you also have this problem, this challenge of living a "God first" life in a "me first" world.

The good news is, we are still alive! We can ask the Holy Spirit to evoke change in us! And we can witness the miraculous as the Lord turns our hearts towards Himself, and He becomes all in all. May God help us to do so.

LORD, help us to get the order right: You are first.

Overflow Or Undertow?

"A furious squall came up..." (Mark 4:37)

Friends, are you familiar with squalls? They are brief, sudden, violent storms that are famous for having high winds. Here in the Northeastern United States we are accustomed to snow squalls: one moment everything is just fine, then in a couple of minutes visibility plummets as the wind blows snow; it's a wind so strong that the snow seems to be a horizontal precipitation instead of its usual serene descent from sky to land. And then, in a few minutes, it's all over.

Perhaps that's a good analogy, a good lens through which to view the account of Jesus at the home of Martha.

Martha, as we heard on Sunday, was busy. After all, a social "squall" had come up. Jesus dropped by the house, and apparently no one gave Martha advance notice that He would be stopping by. So Martha stepped up to the plate and started preparations so that proper hospitality could be shown to Jesus and His disciples.

Mary, the sister who gained some notoriety for an incident involving herself, Jesus, and some perfume (see John 11:1-2), was at the feet of Jesus. She sat at His feet and listened to what He said (Luke 10:39). And for her, there seemed not to be any squall afoot.

In a culture where women did not study with men, Mary seized an opportunity to learn from the greatest Teacher who was also her Savior and Lord. And Martha seized an opportunity to do what was culturally correct. But in her zeal to be a great hostess, Martha dared to give Jesus an order: "You tell Mary to help me!"

Wow.

And Jesus seized an opportunity to teach another lesson. "Mary has chosen the better part."

Mary, tradition-breaker Mary, radical-worshiper Mary, extravagant-giver Mary, got it right. We would do well to follow her lead.

It's Called "Epiphany", Baby.

"Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12:20)

Pastor Sam asked a question during this past Sunday's sermon that we would do well to reflect on, particularly today as we recognize the day of Epiphany: what does it mean to be rich towards God?

In describing the fate of the rich fool, Jesus warns us: "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God" (Luke 12:21). What sort of "rich" can we express to the One who owns everything? What kind of love can we lavish on the One who loves like no other?

Perhaps a flashback to Psalm 116 might be in order. "How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people."

Lord, I will worship You.
Lord, I will praise You privately and publicly.
Lord, I will seek Your face in prayer.
Lord, I will give to Your house and support Your agenda.

Wise men came from the East, spending money, labor, time, and precious resources to seek out the King of the Jews. When they found Jesus, they didn't complain about the length of the journey, the abject poverty of the family, the madness of Herod, nor the tyranny of ancient Rome. They simply knelt before Jesus and presented Him gifts. Can we, who have also come to Jesus, do any less?

Bronx Bethany, wake up to the epiphany: be rich towards God!

Had This Been An Actual Emergency...

For the blog "2010: Restless in the Second Row" (posted 12/31/09), I ended with a reference to the accusation of the disciples in the face of the raging storm: "Master, don't You care that we perish?" (see Mark 4:35-41)

God is so amazing. I had no idea that the same theme would make a cameo appearance during Pastor Sam's sermon this past Sunday: "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?" (see Luke 10:38-42)

Let's translate. "Jesus, if You really cared about me, then You would do something to change my situation immediately." That is the theme.

In the examples noted above, Jesus had been busy doing profound ministry: healing, teaching, commissioning disciples, and debating the religious leadership who challenged His works and word (see Luke 9 and Mark 3 for context). And then, when it was time for Him to just rest in the company of those closest to Him, what commendation did they bring? What comfort did they offer?

"Jesus, You really told those Pharisees what's what!" No.
"O Lord, I saw You move in power when You cast out that demon!" No.
"You know what, Jesus? You don't really care what happens to me, do You? Can't You see what's going on here? Do something!" Yes, that is our response in the face of profound miracles, profound teaching, and a profound defense of the work of the Christ. Sheer selfishness and self-preservation.

Well, this is how we begin 2010: it's A CALL TO GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. It begins with an appeal to stop pulling the emergency cord. When we panic over things that seem urgent, we lose sight of the things that are truly important.

Lord, what can we say? We are guilty. Forgive us, please, and teach us to expel the urgent things in order to embrace the important things. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.

A Day To Pray VII.

Friends, will you join me in prayer and fasting? I cannot give you any particular request right now, but I hope that the activity of worshiping the Lord through prayer and fasting is appealing enough for you to do without a long explanation of why you're doing it. I hope you'll trust me. (More so, I hope you'll trust the Lord!)

God bless you. Lord willing, we'll be back blogging next week, Tuesday through Saturday.

Love,
G.

2010: The Rising Flood.

"The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house..." (From Matthew 7:25)

Friends, it's still true. Rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. And you may well find yourself in a torrential downpour that permeates your experience of life in 2010.

Some time ago in my blog I warned of the cessation of prophetic warnings as a sign of impending judgement: the Lord speaks graciously and tenderly, for months and years and decades, but the day comes where our time is up. The warnings stop. The gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit fades away. And the rebellious heart is left in its rebellion, to suffer the consequences of not heeding the call of God.

A praying remnant has done its part to intercede on behalf of individuals and institutions, and God has responded with an extension of His mercy. But the Scripture speaks loud and clear: "Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, they would only deliver themselves by their righteousness, says the LORD God" (See Ezekiel 14:14). In other words, when God ends the mercy and starts the judgement, not even the great men and women of God will be able to push a "pause" button. Judgement will indeed visit our house.

America has been desolate before. America now stands on the edge of desolation again, 80 years after the advent of the Great Depression of the 1930's. The rain falls, the flood is rising. And we have two options: we can stand in the company of those who are firmly anchored in Jesus Christ, those who meet His criteria: hearing and doing what He says (see Matthew 7:24). The other option is to not hear Him and not do what He says, which would place us in the company of those who perish.

If you're not sure where you stand, make sure. It's pouring rain.

2010: Restless In The Second Row.

"...I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?' And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season..." (from Revelation 6:9-11)

The heavenly word came from the Lord to the slain saints of old: "You wait. Relax. There are others who must meet their destiny of being killed for their faith, just as you were."

In our zeal to see God do something, we sometimes forget that we are not the only piece in the puzzle. God's plan and program involve the whole world. Saying yes to God may mean that we have to enter a period of waiting; a period in which we see bad people prospering, good people suffering, and it might even seem that our prayers are going unanswered.

What is the prophetic word that comes in the face of restlessness? Wait. Wait for the Lord, wait on the Lord, wait in His presence, experience His peace. Perhaps we are a bit contradictory, we Christians who have half of the Psalms memorized and who know how King David would sit before the ark of the Covenant. Perhaps we have one set of rules for what we say to encourage others, yet we don't use the same strategy to encourage ourselves.

Unless you're a rank novice, you know what to say: "Trust in the Lord, He will see you through"... in the face of your restlessness, saint of God, please say the same thing to yourself. Your 2010 will be less turbulent if you learn to rest in the love and peace of Jesus, our King.

Yes Jesus, I see You, sound asleep in the back of the boat while the storm rages and the disciples awaken you in agitation and fear. Yes, I see You as they accuse You of neglect: "Don't You care that we perish?" Please forgive us! How can we say such a thing to You, the One who breathed life into us and gave us a future and a hope? You, who even allow us to see glimpses of the future? Lord, we look forward to demonstrating Your peace, passion, and power in a restless and agitated world. Help us to do so faithfully, to Your honor and glory. We pray this in Your name. Amen.

2010: Attacking Panic.

"When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:3)

None of us who are reading this were alive two thousand years ago. But we have historical record of the tyranny of Rome; we perhaps have seen documentaries or fictionalized accounts of the madness of political leaders of that era; and we understand that insecure leaders can do rash things that sometimes cost lives.

The account in Matthew 2 shows us that residents of Jerusalem were concerned upon learning of Herod's angst. An uncomfortable Herod had the power to make life uncomfortable for the entire community. Matthew 2:16 shows us the consequence of Herod's state: the intentional killing of all males who were up to two years old.

Can we say that Herod panicked?

At minimum, he seems to have felt threatened at the prospect of another king being present in his territory. Not just any king, but "the King of the Jews". A royal representative for the disenfranchised and oppressed. And this Herod, who history says had killed his own son in the quest to avoid losing the kingdom, had no problem killing the sons of strangers.

But this was so long ago. How do we reflect on this as we approach 2010?

-When political leaders are in a panic, our Christian faith should keep us in a state of peace. Even if our leaders make panic-driven decisions that result in the hurt and destruction of people or programs, we can still rest in the assurance that God promises are faithful and God's program will move forward unhindered. Just as the slaughter of infants and toddlers had no effect on the ultimate plan of God, we must know and believe that the death of our hearts' desires does not signal the death of God's agenda.

Lord, You have given us spiritual weapons of defense, and a weapon for offense: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Thank You: when crisis comes You give us the strength to not only endure in a panicked world, but also to overcome. Thank You that we can attack fear and panic with Your word: "Fear not". You are with us, Emmanuel, and we will not be afraid. We stand firm in the faith in spite of the decisions of Herod. Thank You, Lord, for showing us Yourself as the true and only King. In Jesus's name. Amen.

2010: Expression In The Chaos.

"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)

Disorder, unpredictability, turbulence, utter confusion. Chaos.

We approach the new year in the same way we approach each new morning: we have no idea what the day will bring, but we trust God to bring us through each day.

The account of Creation in Genesis 1 is a powerful expression of the work of the Holy Spirit. He manifests His presence and His power even in the face of an earth "without form".

There's an old chorus that goes something like "Move Holy Spirit, move in my life, move Holy Spirit, make me like Christ". And it begs the question, do you really want Him to move in your life?

The earth was disorganized, and the Spirit of God was on standby, ready to act when the opportune time came. And when God said "Let there be light", light was. And light has never stopped being. A word spoken once; a word acted upon in the world; a world changed forever.

When the Lord speaks a word, and when the Spirit does a work, and when you respond in humble obedience, you are changed forever.

One warning: when we dare to say "I am the servant of the Lord; let it be unto me according to what you have said", it may mean that we will be thrust into hardship, misunderstanding, suffering, and perhaps even chaos. But the Spirit of the Lord is there: hovering, brooding, moving, fully prepared to do that thing which will change our lives forever.

Yes, Lord, it is worth the hardship, disgrace, and misunderstanding! It is worth experiencing turbulence and uncertainty! Your Word shows us that at the right time, You will step in and do amazing, profound things that will effect permanent change in us. Help us, Lord, to look at a chaotic world through the eyes of faith, knowing that Your Spirit is standing by. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.

Watching and Waiting.

Friends,

As we did last year, we'll spend the final week of the year considering what the Lord Christ would have us to focus on as we enter 2010. You may recall that the prophetic word I blogged on to start 2009 was "The Year of the Open Show", a season in which hearts and motives would be revealed for all to see: some for good, and some for ill.

Please pray with me that whatever I share for 2010 will be honest, authentic, reflective of the heart of God and the Word of God, and that it will not be for shock value or chastising, but that we will simply hear the Lord and respond to Him appropriately.

Spirit of God,
Speak to our hearts,
Show us Your way,
Give us the mind to obey You.

Where There's Not A Place For Everyone.

"And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (Luke 2:38)

This verse, the final sentence we have in Scripture in relation to the prophetess Anna, holds a sobering reminder of the story of Christ's arrival: in spite of the oppression of imperial Rome, in spite of regular attendance in the synagogue, in spite of accessing the privilege of worshipping at the temple in Jerusalem, not everyone was interested in being part of the redemption story.

Anna had a mandate as a prophetess: she "spoke of Him to all them that looked for redemption". Apparently, some folks were looking for redemption and some folks weren't. And Anna didn't bother wasting her time with those who weren't interested in being redeemed.

Let's bring this into our time, even as we face the end of 2009 and the advent of 2010. Let's even make it a personal question for you. Why are you at Bronx Bethany? Why do you come to worship?

-Some people only show up to sing. They sing beautifully, and then when it's over they are out of the door. If it's not their turn to sing, they're not in the building.

-Some people show up out of ceremony. They wander around for the entire service, they never give an offering. They complain about how long the service is, then they stand in the hallway for another forty minutes after service to talk with their friends. Their church attendance is just empty tradition, because their behavior clearly underlines their disinterest in actually hearing from God.

-Some people show up because they are hungry and thirsty for the word of God. They long for Christian community. They long to worship the Lord with other members of the body of Christ. They long to hear the word of the Lord preached by men and women who have given their lives for God's service. And guess what? Those people are the people who will receive the prophetic word. Those are the ones who will experience God's salvation, redemption, and deliverance.

In seven days we start a new year. Perhaps this is a good time to reflect on who we really are, who we really serve, what we really long for. For some of us, perhaps this is the time to do as Anna did, and serve the Lord through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting. My prayer is that we each will be authentic before God, and that He will find in us hearts that long to see Him. Lord, may it be so!

Domine, Nunc! Dimittis!

"Lord, Now!"

Simeon and Anna were simply senior citizens who faithfully made their way to the temple everyday. They were worshippers of God, and they waited patiently for God's promised Messiah.

Joseph and Mary were simply another Jewish couple, coming to the temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law... but wait.

Joseph and Mary were not just any couple. Simeon and Anna were not just any senior citizens. God ordained the steps of these four people, and a "kairos" moment, an opportune time that had to be acted upon,occurred.

"Domine, nunc! Dimittis!" "Lord, now! Dismiss me!" Simeon knew what God had said: the advent of the Christ signalled the end of days for Simeon. "And it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:26).

What a thing to consider: Simeon had seen the Lord Jesus, and upon encountering Him Simeon was ready to die. In other words, Simeon was not changing the deal. We are often guilty of trying to pull a "shell game" with God: "God, if you just let me see my child finish high school then that's enough for me"... "God, let me see them finish college"... "God, let me see them get married... establish independence... get their first house..." or, in other words, "God, I am not relinquishing my right to myself. You just keep doing nice things for me and my family, keep letting me live in prosperity, let me keep switching my story. God, I'm not really interested in giving my life to You."

Lord, what can we say? You call us to die to self, to lay our lives before You. Help us to say with Simeon, Yes! Take me out of the temple, take my life, take my agenda- You have promised I'd see this day, this day has come, and I have seen You up close and personal. That's enough for me! Do what You please! Thank You for allowing me to experience Your salvation, Your Light, Your Glory. Thank You for allowing me to share a prophetic word with the purpose of giving light and understanding to others who are serving You from a heart of obedience. We relinquish our lives to You. Keep us, send us, destroy us, promote us... Do what You see fit. Whatever it is You want, that is what we want. Search our hearts and reveal Your truth in us. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Where's My S.C.U.B.A. Gear?

One of the joys and hazards of hearing Pastor Sam preach is that he has this habit of saying something profound; something you've heard or read before, but somehow you never realized the implications- that is, until you've heard him say it from the pulpit. Somehow the Spirit of God enlightens our understanding and we are astounded.

This past Sunday's sermon contained a few of those "aha" moments. One of those moments revolved around Leviticus 12:1-3. In his reflection on the process of birth and baby dedications in the culture of ancient Israel, Pastor Sam mentioned in passing a couple of numbers inherent in the birth of a male child: 7 days of being ceremonially unclean, and an additional 33 days for purification.

Let's see... yes, that would be forty days. And it was at this point in the sermon that I had to reach for my virtual oxygen tank, because our senior pastor had gone to the bottom of the ocean. I mean, deep.

Who knew? I mean, we all know about the 40 days and nights of rain in Noah's time... the 40 years of ancient Israel's wandering in the desert... the 40 days that Elijah fasted (apparently on two occasions, but we'll deal with that theory some other time)... and all along, right in front of us but somehow unseen, we have Jesus. Not the adult Jesus fasting for 40 days in the wilderness, but the infant Jesus in a 40-day waiting period, because his mother could not enter the temple courts until she had observed the 40 day waiting period required under Jewish law.

And as some of us know, interesting things happen when we have been waiting on something for 40 days. Mary and Joseph got a taste of the incredible when, after the forty days were finished, they went to the temple and met two senior citizens- one man and one woman who waxed prophetic and who said some amazing things about the son who was their Lord. We'll take a look at them tomorrow.

Obstacle Course!

On Sunday, Pastor Sam reminded us that the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was full of risks for Joseph and Mary.

It was a pathway full of obstacles:

The financial challenge of having to come up with the money to pay taxes to Rome. This was a newly instituted manadte, and I would imagine that most families in ancient Israel were not prepared to pay tribute to Caesar.

The physical challenge of having to travel. There was no airplane, no bus system. Does the Bible tell us whether this couple even had a donkey for Mary to ride on? (That's for you to research.)

The physiological challenge of giving birth to a child. Scripture does not inform us of whether there was a midwife, or any other assistant. But we do know that Mary and Joseph had lodging in a stable, apparently the only available space since "there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7). In the worst of sanitary conditions, there they were.

Was there a racial obstacle? Was there ethnic bias? We don't know, but I do wonder about that phrase "there was no room for them". Would there have been room if they had a lot of money, making a grand entrance with camels and horses and famous relatives?

Ah, but the good news is that in spite of these obstacles, God's work was still accomplished. As Pastor Sam shared, "Obstacles do not present a credible barrier to the purpose of God." And perhaps that is a good note to end on for today: when faced with the pressures of life, we can know without a doubt that God's work will nonetheless move forward. Amen!