Glossa Water

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Real Confidence Monitor.

But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (Matthew 13:6)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Martha said something that I’d like us to reflect on today. She said (paraphrased here), It’s not our complaints that move God. It is when we declare the word of God that God responds. She then asked us: How can we declare the word of God if we’ve never read it, or if we aren’t sure of what it says?

As we learn the word of God by reading Scripture, rehearsing it through meditation, and declaring it with our mouths, we can be confident that our Lord will fulfill His word in the earth. However, if we don't learn His word, we won't grow in faith and we won't increase in our knowledge of God. We must remain aware that our depth of devotion to God impacts the confidence with which we can declare His word.

Let's consider the parable of the sower, found in the books of Matthew and Mark. We see in the narratives that the process of seeds developing into mature plants could be cut short by various things: the soil, the sun, the roots, the rocks. Seeds grounded in deep, fertile, rock-free soil had a better end result than those that fell along the path. We also see in these narratives that Jesus used the parable to describe the ways in which people develop spiritually (see Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20).

How are we doing in terms of our spiritual development? Do you and I carry, in our hearts and minds, a knowledge of what God’s word says? Do we live in obedience to His word? Do we rejoice in the expectation that God will fulfill His word? Are we committed to being “deeply rooted” in the word of God? Are we willing to extract and discard the things that are harming, stunting, or otherwise blocking our spiritual development?

Recitation. Meditation. Declaration.

Isaiah 55

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Are You In The "D" League?

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us the need for every believer to be committed to discipleship.

Our pastor noted that, for many Christians, there is a tendency to ignore or postpone spiritual disciplines that ought to be central to our lives. If we are not devoted to personal development as disciples, it becomes virtually impossible to effectively disciple others.

Pastor Martha reminded us of Jesus’s words: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19a). And, in reminding us, our pastor also cautioned us. She said (paraphrased here), We were not told to go and make believers. We were called to go and make disciples.

So, as we continue our faith-life, let us be diligent in obeying our Lord. If we are aware that our current state of spiritual development is not where it should be, we have an opportunity today to draw nearer to God.

Read the word of God, every day.

Pray, every day.

Look for opportunities to share His love, every day.

Will you, believer, live the life of a disciple?

Lord God, please forgive us for having drifted away from Your presence. Renew in us the desire to do Your will in the simple, basic, necessary acts of the Christian faith. Help us to connect with You: not merely in times of crisis, but every day. Help us to be true disciples, so that we can make true disciples. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Clarion Call

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:50-53)

Pastor Sam shared with us that Jesus responded to the disciples’ doubt with a clarifying mandate. The mandate was to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a). The Luke account of the disciples’ commission describes how the disciples returned to Jerusalem: “with great joy” (Luke 24:52b). Their ministry was launched not in fear of the Pharisees and religious leaders of the time, but with praise to their Lord.

We, too, are called to go and make disciples. It is not solely a call to those who hold the ministry office of apostle, evangelist, or pastor. Every Christian holds this call to share the gospel.

Let us approach our evangelism mandate with great joy.

Let us praise God, completely freed from the fear of man.

Let us share, everywhere, the truth of the gospel.

Lord God,

You have called us;

You have saved us;

You have sent us.

We praise You!

We rejoice in You!

God, search our hearts and find no fear.

Find in us pure adoration of Your Grace.

Find in us pure desire to do what makes You smile.

We love You… and we will go wherever You send us.

Empower us to draw the world to You.

We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Thomas And “Them”…

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)

On Sunday, Pastor Sam gave us an encouraging word: there can be authentic worship even in the face of doubt.

When we think of the word “doubt” in Scripture, most Christians familiar with their Bibles tend to default to Thomas, the disciple who had missed the first post-Resurrection meeting between Jesus and the other ten disciples. Thomas was very vocal about his unbelief concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But Thomas was present for the second encounter, and he believed. These eleven disciples then met the Lord in Galilee, having walked about 90-100 miles from where they had seen him in Jerusalem (see John 20:19- 21:14).

So, we have this curious post-Resurrection situation: Thomas had seen Jesus twice. The other ten disciples had seen Him three times. And, in the face of these multiple appearances, there was still doubt… and not just in the heart of Thomas. Other disciples felt it too.

What about you? Do you feel it? Have doubts clouded your discipleship? Do you have things happening in your life that make you question whether you've really had an encounter with the living God?

The prescription for doubt is authentic worship. Pastor Sam said (paraphrased here), If you are obediently worshiping instead of disobeying by staying away, if you are doing your best even in the face of doubts, if you are engaged with God through sincere worship of Him, then your doubts will be addressed by the resurrected Christ.

We serve an amazing Lord. In the Matthew 28 account, Jesus responded to the doubt with a declaration of His power and with a dispatching of His disciples: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18-19a). In other words, doubt could not disqualify the disciples from service so long as they were found obedient in worship.

Is there doubt in your heart today? Don't let it deter you from your devotion.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Easy Money?

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24)

I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

“You should take warning so that when the disciples gather, it is not “eleven” with you missing.” –Rev. Dr. Sam Vassel

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam spoke about the tragic problem of small, private compromise inevitably becoming public betrayal. We learned that Judas’s downfall was rooted in his belief that he could continue in seemingly minor indiscretions while continuing his life as one of the Twelve. And, although Judas heard the same teachings and warnings as the other disciples, he continued his indiscretions.

In reviewing the details of the betrayal, our pastor indicated that Judas was being asked to betray Jesus by doing a couple of simple things that Judas did every day: identify Jesus, and greet Jesus. In agreeing to do this, Judas received thirty silver coins. It was a small amount in comparison to Mary’s extravagant offering of perfume worth a year's wages. It was a big amount in comparison to the two simple things he was being asked to do. It was a prophetic amount: Judas's agreement fulfilled the word of God that had been revealed in Old Testament scriptures.

On the surface, the betrayal of Jesus by Judas had presented itself as just another minor indiscretion. But, as we learned on Sunday, it blew up into something much greater. Pastor Sam noted that, in reading the text, we can infer that Judas’s suicide was an indicator that Judas did not really expect Jesus to be condemned to death. We see this inferred in Matthew 27:3-5:

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Judas, who had expected to keep both the money and his Lord, lost both.

But, what of us today? Are we walking through our discipleship while maintaining secret devotion to selfish gain? Are we, as our pastor said of Judas, playing with “little compromises” that are preparing us for massive betrayals? Or, worse, are we justifying our indiscretions by claiming that Scripture shows that some will be lost? Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase here, Certainly all Scripture will be fulfilled. But God has given everyone free will, and we can choose to do what is right.

You don’t have to be the Judas of your day.

Lord, You are more precious than silver;

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares with You! (Lynn DeShazo, 1982)

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Unexcused Absence.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

As we read Matthew 28:16, we see that Jesus told the disciples to go to Galilee. In the narrative, though, we see that Matthew begins the verse with a significant head count: “Then the eleven disciples…”

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam encouraged us to reflect on a question: Who is missing, and why? Most people familiar with Christianity know that Jesus called twelve disciples, and that Judas Iscariot was the disciple who was missing from the head count. But, have we taken the time to really consider the “why” of Judas’s absence?

It is not simply that Judas had committed suicide after his betrayal of Jesus. Pastor Sam noted that, prior to the betrayal, Judas exhibited certain behaviors that indicated he was not exclusively devoted to our Lord. We were asked to remember the story of Mary’s offering in John 12:3-6. It says:

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Let’s consider three points that our pastor shared:

Judas loathed authentic worship. In the face of Mary’s offering, Judas responded not with praise of God, but with a harsh criticism of Mary’s worship: Why did she give to Jesus what could have been given to someone else?

Judas lied about his motivation. Though his mention of the needs of the poor seemed noble, Judas was using the plight of the poor as a cover for his own indiscretions.

Judas lived a life of compromise. Entrusted with the role of treasurer, Judas had grown comfortable with embezzlement. He maintained his position as a disciple while also being able to satisfy his desire for money.

Pastor Sam gave us an important warning (paraphrased here): Judas was a ranking disciple, and yet he was derailed by his unwillingness to renounce his love for monetary gain. And so we ask ourselves the hard questions:

v Are we, at the risk of our soul’s salvation, modeling the way of Judas?

v Is there something, or someone, that we have permitted to overtake our desire for Jesus?

v Is there something, or someone, that we have decided to embrace even though we know our decision is in disobedience to the commands of Christ?

Saturday, April 18, 2015

A Witness To Sufferings

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)

“We understand that in a broken world there will be suffering. But our God promises to be with us.” –Reverend Richard Griffiths

During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Richard gave voice to the thought that resides in the hearts of many Christians in the western world: I’ll take power and I’ll take blessing, but I’m not taking suffering.

Why embrace suffering? Our pastor reminded us of the beginning of Romans chapter 5. In the first five verses of the chapter, the apostle Paul encourages believers to view suffering as a catalyst to hope. The embracing of suffering for the sake of Christ is the first step in a developmental process. What does suffering develop in us? Perseverance; character; hope.

The world, though, lives in opposition to the word of God. The world says that we ought to be free to be, say, and do whatever we please. The world says that if we don’t like something, we ought to drop it-- after all, why suffer? That is the way our world operates.

However, there is a more dangerous opponent of the tenets in the book of Romans. That opponent is found in the church. The model of suffering has grown odious in some spiritual circles. So, instead of a call to suffering, there are pockets of church culture in which Christians are told that the evidence of their spiritual prowess is found in their avoidance of suffering. But if we seek to avoid suffering, then how will we develop spiritual maturity?

Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. Much of his apostolic influence came not from his in-person visits to churches, but from the precious letters he wrote while imprisoned and held under house arrest. His transparency about the sufferings he endured served as encouragement to his fellow believers... and to us as well! Here we are, thousands of years later, still learning and growing from this example of a man who was happy to embrace suffering as a catalyst to spiritual growth.

Are you willing to suffer?

Lord God, help us to joyfully embrace the fellowship of Your sufferings.

Friday, April 17, 2015

A Witness To Salvation

This past Sunday, Pastor Richard shared that religious activities and rituals don’t ensure right relationship with God; rather, it is faith in Jesus Christ. Our pastor said, and we ought receive it as a creedal truth, “What has been accomplished in Christ Jesus is complete.”

Do we believe that Jesus’s death and resurrection have procured salvation for us? Or are we trying to add on our own “salvific” efforts to the work He has already done? Pastor Richard noted that as Philippians 3 begins, the apostle Paul speaks out against the spiritual leaders of his day. These leaders held the notion that new believers could not claim authentic salvation unless they also embraced the ritual of circumcision, which was a central component of Judaism. As Paul refuted this notion, he said, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)

What were Paul’s gains in regard to his religious life?

v Legacy: Paul could boast that his parents circumcised him in infancy, on the eighth day of his life, in keeping with the Mosaic law.

v Lineage: Paul had been born into the tribe of Benjamin, and had a proud heritage as a Jew sold out to Judaism.

v Legalism: Paul had been taught and trained by Gamaliel, the most gifted Pharisee of his day, and was highly educated in religious law.

v Leadership: Paul had been an influential leader, persuading other Jews in and around his region to persecute Christians.

v Lifestyle: Paul had been diligent to maintain all the religious regulations and expectations common to Pharisees.

But, as our pastor said on Sunday (paraphrased here), God can change everything in a moment. For Paul, that moment happened on the road to Damascus. Years later, Paul continued to share the testimony of how that encounter with the living God changed his life forever (see Acts 26). Life was no longer all about religion: it was all about Jesus.

Let’s consider what Paul said in Philippians 3. The apostle never denied his religious education. He never denied his spiritual heritage. He never denied that he was well-versed in the rituals common to his life as a “Hebrew of Hebrews”. But he said, in effect, Compared to all that Christ is and all He has done, all my personal efforts at religious ritual are like dung—I dare not put them on display. I know that my rituals did not contribute to my salvation!

In all of Sunday’s English-language services, Pastor Richard quoted from a hymn that has the following stanza:

“My faith has found a resting place—not in device nor creed:

I trust the Ever-living One – His wounds for me shall plead.” (Lidie Edmunds, ca. 1891)

For our reflection today, let’s ask ourselves: Where does our faith rest? Is it resting on Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, or is it resting on the unstable frame of our own religious efforts?

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A Witness To Deliverance

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:14-20)

“Just stay a little longer in the presence of God. He’s taking it away right now. I know some of you can’t see it. But I can see it. And He’s releasing some things right now, and He’s delivering some people right now.” – Rev. Richard Griffiths

In Sunday’s sermon Pastor Richard noted that, sometimes, hard times come after having had a high experience. We who serve the Lord Jesus have experienced the “high” of Lent, Holy Week, and the first Sunday of Easter. But by the second Sunday in the Easter season, Christian individuals and organizations often experience a “low” on several fronts: decreased attendance, a reduction in giving, fatigue from having done the extra services common to Holy Week, increased spiritual attacks from those opposed to God’s agenda, and so forth.

Our pastor referenced the experience of the three disciples who had been with Jesus as witnesses of His transfiguration. After the “high” of seeing Jesus in dialogue with Moses and Elijah, these disciples descended the mountain and immediately encountered a “low”: a demon-possessed child, a distressed father, a crowd of spectators, and the confusion of fellow disciples who couldn’t understand why their attempts at deliverance were unsuccessful. (see Matthew 17:1-20; Mark9:2-29; Luke 9:28-43)

This past Sunday, we experienced what it means to minister and overcome in the face of the “low”. In our second service we heard specific testimonies of how some of God’s people had suffered. But, in the face of discouragement, they emerged victorious. God released them from their burdens! And just as Jesus was present to exact deliverance for the child who was under oppression, His Spirit is present to exact deliverance for us today. We, as His disciples, have been given the authority to speak words of healing in the name of Jesus. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit who has given us grace-gifts. When we are united in faith and love and purpose, our gifts serve to glorify God; and, as happened on Sunday, we can partner with God in lifting the burdens of the oppressed.

I have been doing church life for a long time, and I confess that over the years I had fallen into the trap of expecting the second Sunday of Easter to be a “low”… but this past Sunday changed all of that. I am happy to report that this time around, for me, it was as dynamic and inspiring as the first Sunday of Easter. I have experienced a resurrection of faith and expectation. I’ll never be the same again.

Let's follow our pastor's lead: Stay in the presence of God. Wait on Him as He works in us. Look with eyes of faith and see deliverance, even if the spectators and naysayers only can see discouragement. Praise our King who does all things well.

By faith, I see the deliverance... and I am rejoicing. How about you?

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

A Witness To Process

“We resign to the Holy Spirit, but He calls us to divine partnership.” – Rev. Richard Griffiths

I have been struggling with how to begin this week’s posts.

This past Sunday was unusual, and yet at the same time it has been in keeping with a pattern of the unusual way that our God has been working through Pastor Richard in recent months. For those who don’t worship at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, I’ll try to explain.

Over the past several years, Pastor Richard has been the pastor from whom we’ve expected certain things: witty anecdotes, brilliant insights, and the ability to preach short sermons (that is, “short” by Bronx Bethany standards) while maintaining the depth and profundity we experience from all our pastors. But, in the last few times Pastor Richard has come to the pulpit, we’ve seen God move our pastor to speak and act in ways that are very different from what we were used to experiencing. The sermons are longer. The anecdotes are fewer. The amazing insights that our pastor has gained from his studies are being made to take a back seat as the rhema word of the Lord takes precedence. And, as God has been moving, our pastor has responded in obedience—even though the obedience requires that he do things that are vastly different from his personality, personal preference, and pastoral training.

So, on Sunday, before the sermon, a number of different things happened. Our pastor called us to prayer for releasing people from the burdens they were carrying. Our pastor led us in worship and praise and adoration of God. Our pastor called people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And our pastor suspended his concern with time, because he realized that God was changing the ministry agenda to suit His divine purpose.

In light of what we see God doing in and through our pastor, will we follow his example? Will we embrace the act of complete obedience to God? Will we set aside our own agenda in favor of God’s agenda? Will we let go of our skill sets and comfort zones in order to make a clear path for God’s glory to move through our midst?

We’ll be focusing on Pastor Richard’s sermon in the remaining posts this week, but I want us to reflect on his sermon in light of what happened before the sermon could be preached. So, let’s re-read Philippians 3:1-14 with a recollection of the awe and reverence we experienced in our services: an awe and reverence that our God demands and deserves.

The God who can change the order of our worship service, and who can call us to prayer, and who can inhabit our praise, is the God whose resurrection power is available to us. As we learn of Him, let’s worship Him.

Philippians 3:1-14

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Please, Don't Just Grab Something And Wave...

“He is our King. Where are your gifts?” – Reverend Andy Rubin

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)

I was asked a question this morning by a worship leader from another locale. She asked, “Why is it that when I begin worship, the people are not involved?”

Well, there’s several possible answers to the question. It may be that the people don’t know, or don’t like, the chord progressions (or musical instruments, or musical styles) being used to support the worship atmosphere. It may be that the people don’t want a woman, or don’t want this particular woman, leading them in adoration of our Lord. It may be that the attendees are not present for worship, but are merely present to give moral support to a family member or colleague who’s being baptized (or given an award, or granted some other distinction) during the service. It may be that there is some competing event in the room, or in the minds of the people, that has distracted them.

But, I believe there is an answer that cuts to the core of the issue: It may be that the people do not view their worship as their personal offering to God.

As we learned on Sunday, attendance at a worship event is not the same thing as personal engagement in worship. In John 12:1-19 we read of two worship events that took place shortly before the Passover feast. And, as Pastor Andy noted, there were distinct contrasts between these two expressions of adoration. A few are summarized here:

v One featured a woman; the other involved crowds.

v One was expressed in tears; the other in shouts.

v One evoked disdain from fellow believers; the other evoked distress from unbelievers.

A key contrast, though, concerned attitude, motivation, and expression. In Sunday’s sermon Pastor Andy made the following point (paraphrased here): The crowd waving palms gave a worship that cost them nothing. The woman gave a worship that cost her something.

Mary’s worship stands as an incredible example of adoration. Her focus was on Jesus, and Him alone. There were plenty of other people and things in the room that could have distracted her, but she entered the space with an agenda to worship her Lord. And, she did not merely pour tears onto Jesus. She poured out a container of perfume: an expensive, carefully considered gift, worth a year’s salary.

The crowds, in contrast, carried a mixture of agendas. One crowd was present because they had wanted to see who healed Lazarus. The other crowd was asking Jesus to declare His Kingship and save them from Roman oppression. The Pharisees were simply spectators, watching the procession without participating in the worship. The palms were a handy, convenient article: impulsively grabbed, and summarily tossed, free of cost.

What about us today? Are we as intentional as Mary, or as bothered as the Pharisees, or as fickle as the crowd?

Where is your worship, and what does it cost?

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Are You Still Tied Up?

“The danger is to be out of the grave, but not being loosed.” –Reverend Andy Rubin

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:38-44)

For me, the most compelling part of Sunday’s sermon was the moment when Pastor Andy illustrated the plight of Lazarus. Our pastor took a long strip of fabric, symbolic of the cloth that would have been used to wrap Lazarus, and began wrapping a man. As Pastor Andy bound the man in the cloth, he spoke of the things that bind, cripple, and ultimately kill people.

After sharing with us the reality of Lazarus having been called out of the grave, Pastor Andy shared a second point that was critical: Lazarus was alive, but Lazarus was still bound. And this is where we, as people of God, are warned. There are forces, seen and unseen, that have a vested interest in keeping God’s people bound.

We have an enemy whose goal is to destroy us, and many in the body of Christ are as tightly bound as the volunteers Pastor Andy wrapped in our two morning services. Some people are physically ill. Others are under the curse of witchcraft. Still others are in psychological crisis. And, as in the case of Lazarus, it has been “four days”: that is, it seems as though it’s far too late for anything to be done.

But it’s not too late! Our pastor shared another point during this illustration that I have received as personal encouragement. It is this: Although Jesus could have done the unwrapping Himself, He told the people standing by to unloose Lazarus. The Lord has invited us to be participants in the process of setting people free from bondage. What a privilege we have! Though we may have stood by helplessly as we waited for Jesus to work a miracle, we are now commissioned by our King to “unloose” those who are bound. We have seen the power of the Lord as He calls people from death to life, and we have been authorized to appropriate His power as we call people from bondage to freedom.

Do you know believers who are still tied up? Don't stand at the edge of their grave as a spectator. Loose them.

Lord God, thank You for empowering us to speak Your word of deliverance to those who are bound. Help us not to be discouraged by the number of years gone by, nor to be fearful of the depth of their bondage. We know Your word can break every stronghold. So we rest in Your word, we stand on Your word, and we speak Your word to a world that is tightly bound. We rejoice in anticipation of complete deliverance of Your people, to the glory of God. In Jesus’s name we pray in expectation. Amen.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Time Peace...

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Andy shared from the eleventh and twelfth chapters of John. Today, I’d like us to reflect on something that our pastor shared (paraphrased here): Jesus is not compelled to honor our idea of “timeline”.

As we read John 11 and 12, we notice a theme that threads through the account of Lazarus’s sickness and the account of the crowd witnessing Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. It may be your theme as well. It is a theme that pleads, “Jesus, do something now!”

In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus of Lazarus’s illness, believing that Jesus would come and heal him right away. Their disappointment at Jesus's delay was expressed in a simple sentence: “Lord, if You had been here, our brother would not have died.” (John 11:21; John 11:32)

In John 12, the crowd shouted for Jesus to save them. Our pastor noted that the crowd was expecting Jesus to rescue the Jewish people from the political oppression they experienced. Their disappointment at Jesus's delay was also expressed in a sentence: “Give us Barrabas!” (see John 18:36-40)

Though Mary, Martha, and the crowd longed for Jesus to respond to their sense of urgency, Jesus instead showed that His power to heal and deliver was not bound to man’s sense of time. As Pastor Andy noted, Jesus has the ability to change situations that seem hopeless. Mary and Martha experienced the joy of having their brother brought back to life. The crowd was given the offer of a spiritual rescue through eternal life in Christ, a deliverance far more valuable than a short-term respite from Roman tyranny.

Are you in an urgent situation? Are you wondering why Jesus is taking so long to respond to your prayer? Do you think that it's too late for God to act on your behalf? Be encouraged. We serve a God who stands outside of time, whose timing is perfect, and who knows what is best. Trust Him today.

Lord Jesus, give us grace to trust Your timing.

Friday, March 27, 2015

So Excited About "Tomorrow..."

At the beginning of Pastor Joy’s sermon on Sunday, she reminded us that chapter 7 of Second Kings continues a narrative that began in chapter 6. In the middle of the sixth chapter, we see that the siege against Samaria caused a severe famine. Towards the end of the sixth chapter we read that the king is wearing sackcloth (a sign of contrition and repentance). However, the words he spoke had no connection to the symbolism of the fabric he wore.

Decapitation of God’s prophet. He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!” (Second Kings 6:31) The head is where God has placed the means of communication (brain, eyes, ears, mouth). By removing Elisha’s head, the king would have removed the source and symbol of prophetic communication to the community (the means by which the people of God received the word of God).

Dismissal of God’s process. The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (Second Kings 6:33b) The king, faced with the sufferings of his people, was frustrated at the length of the siege and the severity of the famine. He was ready to take matters into his own hands, beginning with the removal of God's authority in his realm, so that he could act without waiting on God.

Well, that siege was thousands of years ago... and yet it's not so far away.

Though we are not currently experiencing nationwide famine here in the U.S.A, we do have “pockets of crisis” where communities are suffering unimaginable things. You may even be experiencing personal, multiple crises that are painful, and that have been going on for years. Do you think that God is taking too long to rescue your community from disaster? Are you tempted to ignore God’s voice and God’s timeline for your deliverance? Pastor Joy shared something (paraphrased here) that I’d like us to reflect on today: We are called to have faith. We are called to refute the thoughts that are sent from the enemy. Amen. Let’s pray that we, today, will not permit the trials of life to shake our faith in God.

Lord God, please help us. It’s so easy to forget You when we are in the middle of hardships. It’s so easy to take out our frustrations on Your ministers of grace. It’s so easy to ignore Your timetable for deliverance and restoration. It’s so easy to give up. But You have given us a word! “Tomorrow, at about this time…” Yes. We trust You. We embrace You. We know that it is You who gives us grace to endure hardships. We thank You for walking with us, even as we starve under siege. We hunger, and yet we live in joyful expectation of all that You will do. We will not move prematurely. We will wait in expectation of “Tomorrow”, with full confidence that Your timing is perfect. Thank You, Lord.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Four, By Two.

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” (Second Kings 7:3-4)

It’s very interesting that over the past two Sundays, our morning sermons have featured four unnamed men. On March 15, we considered the Mark 2 account of the paralytic whose healing was appropriated through the faith of four friends. This past Sunday, we read the story of a nation rescued from famine by the hope of four men. As we continue this week's reflection on Second Kings 7, let’s take time to consider one of the points shared by Pastor Joy (paraphrased here): When we are besieged, and it seems there is no way out, we must remember that the Lord is nigh.

Our pastor noted that these four men found a “ray of light” in the midst of famine and despair. On the surface, it was a crazy idea: go and surrender themselves to the enemy. But their hope was evident in their logic: If they spare us, we’ll live. If they kill us, it’s okay—we were going to die anyway.

Pastor Joy reminded us that we are able to have hope even in the darkest situation. The four men certainly could have focused on the sufferings they had endured: they were lepers, they were outcasts, and they were starving to death. Their choice to take hold of hope changed their outlook on life.

What a radical hope they professed: There's a possibility we might be sustained by our nation’s enemy for the duration of this siege. The four lepers didn’t add on hopes for healing, or acceptance, or understanding. They simply expressed their hope for a basic need, food, and God came through with far more than they had hoped for. I wonder if we, today, would express a hope so bold… so simple… so radical.

Are you hopeful?

Lord God, You are the God who moved four men to make a radical move that saved not only themselves, but their nation. Help us to have hope so that we, like them, will see a “ray of light” emerge out of our darkest circumstance. Help us to understand that You can provide sustenance from our enemies just as easily as You provided manna from heaven. Help us to petition You with the words You gave us: "Give us this day our daily bread." Help us to be one of the "four" whose hope can save a nation. We ask this in Jesus's name, thankful for the basics, and conscious of Your ability to do the miraculous. We love You, Lord.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Oh Yes, There Was Lack...

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” (Second Kings 7:1-2)

It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died. (Second Kings 7:18-20)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Joy noted that the seventh chapter of Second Kings begins and ends with the same form. We read of a prophetic promise, an expression of unbelief, and a pronouncement of consequence.

As we have spent this Lenten season in reflection on temptation and its role in the life of the Christian, we must remember that God allows temptation to serve as a “litmus test” of our relationship with Him. Our external response to the temptation is the evidence of the thoughts and motives at work inside of us.

In the case of the king’s officer, we see that he gave in to the temptation of focusing on his years of lack instead of embracing God’s promise of plenty. The response of the king’s officer to the prophetic word, when boiled down to its core, was a response of unbelief: God can’t do that. His negative response to the prophetic word was the evidence of his lack of faith and trust in what God had said through the prophet Elisha. And the end result was that the officer experienced two profound phenomena: the experience of seeing the promise come to pass, and the experience of losing any chance of participation in the promise.

How have we responded to the men and women God has sent with a prophetic promise? Have we embraced the word of the Lord, anticipating the miraculous, or have we dismissed His word as ‘no longer possible’?

God, in one day, can change everything. Believe it.

We thank You, God, because You still speak, and You have spoken to us. Give us the wisdom to listen. Give us the wisdom to align ourselves with the word You send through Your prophets, men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in accordance with Your word. Please help us to agree with Your word regardless of what others might be saying or doing. We thank You and we look forward to the fulfillment of the promises You have spoken to us. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Of Course.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” (Matthew 18:10-14)

“They’re just ninety-nine ‘ones’ anyway.” –Andrew Palau

During Sunday’s sermon Andrew Palau noted that, as we expend great effort in seeking the lost, we must remember that all of us at one point were lost. There is no reason for those of us in the “ninety-nine” to hold animosity toward the one who has not yet returned to the fold of God.

In Matthew 18:10, we are warned: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” Who are the little ones? They are not just children in terms of chronological age. In response to His disciples’ question about greatness, Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3, emphasis mine)

Little children sometimes have a tendency to wander, and we find this is also true in our faith-journey as children of God. Sometimes we take wrong turns. Sometimes we try to operate in realms where we lack understanding. Sometimes we just, as Isaiah 53:6 says, “go our own way.” And as we wander, our gracious Lord seeks us out in love, and He gently corrects us and leads us back home. Who does He use to correct us? Angels. Ministers. Family. Friends.

Since we are called not to despise the wandering sheep, how do we treat the little ones? What is our evangelism strategy for them? As Andrew spoke on Sunday, he recalled how his own years of wandering from the faith were addressed by his parents and family. There was patience. There was love. There was prayer. There was testimony. Their word to him was: We love you. Jesus loves you. Let us share His grace with you. And, though the process took years, Andrew was reconciled to God.

Have you noticed someone wandering from the fold? Don't despise them. Leave the ninety-nine. Seek the one.

God, I was the “one” once, and You sent people to rescue me. Please give me the grace to do the same for others. Cause me to pour Your love into them and to point the way back to You. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Martha. Mary. Michael. Henry. Delia. Samuel. Ronald. Joseph.

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. (Mark 2:1-4)

During Sunday’s sermon, Andrew Palau asked us a question: “Who are your ‘four’?”

It’s a great question. Some of us know, by name, men and women who were instrumental in bringing us into contact with the presence and power of Christ. Others of us may have forgotten names, but we remember a face, a moment, a God-ordained and God-arranged encounter that changed our lives forever.

In the Mark 2 narrative, the four men who carried their friend to Jesus displayed certain characteristics:

v They were unified in objective. Their purpose was to carry their friend into the presence of Jesus. This endeavor required the agreement and cooperation of everyone involved.

v They were unfazed by obstinacy. Instead of being angry at the crowd who would not make way for their friend in need, the men instead turned to their own resourcefulness to get into the home.

v They were undeterred by obstacles. While the narrative does not contain any dialogue between the men, the actions recorded indicate that these men overcame every challenge they encountered.

Time has passed… methods have changed… but we still have the privilege of being instruments of God. We can have a role in bringing others to the Lord for salvation, healing, and deliverance. And though Sunday’s question was “Who are your ‘four’?”, I’d like to flip the question for our reflection today: Is there someone that you have carried, lifted, and placed at the feet of Jesus?

Lord God, we have looked back on our faith-journey and we are so grateful for the men and women You used to draw us to Yourself. Lord, how we pray that You will use us to be one of the “four” for someone else. Give us Your grace to bear the burdens of others. Give us Your grace so that we are not discouraged by the insensitivity of those who block the path that leads to You. Give us Your grace to stay on task, not giving up until we have placed at Your feet those who need Your word spoken into their lives. Thank You for helping us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.