Magnetic Faith!

I'm intrigued by magnets - by the power of of a substance the greeks called "magnatas stone".

Magnetism is an invisible force that attracts or repels, dependent upon which side or "pole" of the magnet is employed. There are coils of wire that act as magnets, as long as there is a current running through. Even light can have the properties of magnetism. The "Fish Magnet" is a green phosphorescent bulb that can be submerged underwater at night to attract fish - or at least the stuff fish feed on. Light as a magnet is the strongest connection we have to the magnetic nature of faith. Isaiah 60 says "Arise, shine, your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." This, friends, is the message of Christmas and now the message of Epiphany. Epiphany, another Greek word that means to appear and to give light. God's epiphany for us is Jesus Himself - the Light of the world come to illuminate the darkness of our minds and our hearts with the shining light of God's grace and mercy.  We cannot forget that most of our lives are lived in darkness - just look at the news if you need any confirmation. Missiles in Gaza, rampaging Santas and dismal retail numbers all remind us of these dark times. But that's not all. For Isaiah, it was a seeming absence of God, even though the people returned from their exile. A darkness that extends beyond daily circumstances into the very fabric of our being - the darkness that is sin. Arise and shine - a Light pierces this darkness as nails pierced flesh. The Epiphany of our God is as much in wise men and star as it is in cross and nails. The Epiphany of our God illuminates us in faith, so that there is a change in us that attracts others to the Light of Christ Jesus. But, as with any magnet, there is danger in it's use. Which end of God's magnet are you using? Are you using the end that just gives lip service to the gift God has given you? Are you using the end that causes others to question, "He's a Christian?" Are you using the end that REPELS, or the one that attracts? 1 Peter 2:12 says this, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." That means, let your faith be a magnet - by DOING the faith to others, by walking in the Light of God as your new way of life. It's hard to doubt a God that changes a life like yours and mine - it's hard to doubt a God that forgives all our sin and leads us into a life of abundant love in Christ Jesus! 

True RULE

The whole world seemed to celebrate en masse back in November as the U.S. elected it's first African-American President. Running on a platform of "change" and of "hope", Barack Obama's message obviously resonated not only in this country, but in all of those places where times are stagnant and dismal. As we rapidly approach the launch of the Obama administration the test will be whether or not true change comes - whether or not the hopes of those who have placed there trust in this man come to fruition. When he takes the "crown" of leadership there'll be no shortage of pressure, right? Well, how about the pressure placed on Solomon, King David's son, as he was given the crown of Israel? Not only would he taking the seat of a beloved King, but he would be expected to move this Kingdom forward under the watchful eye of the people. More properly, he would be expected to lead under the watchful eye of God. What prepares one for such an enormous task? Well - it begins with realizing that there is leadership that extends beyond the capabilities of any man. Solomon's wisdom is rooted in the fact that he knows that God is God - and he, Solomon, is not! In Psalm 72 this new king hits his knees and prays to God for the gifts that will make him a leader with God's own heart. Solomon prays that God will give him the justice and the righteousness with which God alone has. Justice for the poor and righteousness for all the people! That's REAL change! That's REAL hope! An guess what? Solomon well knows that it can only come from God Himself! Solomon knows that through his royal line will come a King that IS justice and IS righteousness. For YOU, friends, this King has come and will come again, even though the people crowned Him with thorns which His Father turned to gold. His name was, is and will be the only name that endures forever -the Name above all Names - Jesus! In Him is REAL change - His life for yours. In Him is REAL hope - blessing YOU now and into eternity! See the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and put your trust in Him! He has come for justice and righteousness. He has come...for YOU!

A choice..

"Mary, did you know.." the song goes - 

Did you know your baby would walk on water? Did you know the blind would see, the lame walk? did you know you held the Lord of creation, ruler of the nations - the perfect lamb? Mary, did you know? Better yet - Mary did you have a choice? Did you have a choice to endure the shame of being found pregnant, yet unmarried? Did you have the choice of giving birth in the comfort of home rather than a strangers cave? Did you have the choice to flee a king, to return an exile, to lose a son? Mary, did you have a choice? Friend - do you? The reality lies before you each day, do you follow the wisdom of the world or the foolishness of God? The story itself is unreal - all angels declaring, virgins giving birth, stars in the sky and wise men from the east. It's all a stretch to our minds that would like to choose a much different path. In the narrow view the choice is easy -I can take or leave the details as long as I accept and follow Jesus and His teaching...right? Wrong. Dead wrong. The eternal deal breaker is whether or not God is God, with plans greater than our knowledge and our imagination - a God greater than our personal choice. "I am the Lord's servant, " Mary says, " Let it be done to me as you have said." Just as God would build of David a house, so too would God knit in the womb of Mary something she did not choose - a child that would be called Jesus, because He would save His people from there sins. The "choice" is empowered by the Word of God, the promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us, but give us instead the gift of eternal life. Did you choose? No, God chose you - to be His own through the sacrifice of His Son and to give you life by His Spirit dwelling in you. 

Another voice

It's all about me.

Spend any time with pre-school aged kids and you come to know this truth. They think...hey...it's all about me....deal with it! Unfortunately, we don't grow up out this attitude too readily or too quickly. Most conversations we have are one sided - ours being the prominent voice, so ready to tell "all about me".

When Jesus cousin John came into the Judean wilderness to preach and to baptize, he could have easily talked all about himself. He was a striking character - one who had shunned the comforts of this world for the message of God. He had a way of drawing people to himself...wooing they call it, and prompting repentance and the confessing of sin. In the fourth Gospel, John relates another opportunity for the Baptizer to point to himself. The Pharisees ask - "Are you the Christ? Elijah? The Prophet?" to each of these, John answers "No." He is but a voice-  calling in the wilderness - prepare the way of the Lord. As they try to trap him in a theological debate about Baptism - John refuses to get off message - He points instead to Christ. This voice, the one that points to Jesus alone is the voice that needs to trump all the other voices in our heads...particularly our own. Our own voice that speaks only in the darkness of our sin - our voice that tries to justify our behavior, that tries to make excuses, that tries to place ourselves above others - our voice is silenced by the voice of the one who points to the one true Light, Christ Jesus our Lord. Is it all about you? Yes, in a sense it is! All about you being delivered from darkness into the light. Yet when we speak, we speak not about our own victories and accomplishments, but instead about the victory of Christ and His cross FOR us! This is your NEW voice! Open your mouth...let it speak, shout, sing of God's love for YOU and for His world!

Who leads the church?

We talk a lot about leadership in the church. We talk about those who are called to lead, those who are equipped to lead and those who are chosen to lead. We even question leadership in the church - is he capable? does she "get it"? are they actually leading?  As Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he talks about how leaders are to be assessed and treated. To get a full picture, we must first look at the makeup of leaders themselves. The responsibility of leaders, according to Paul, is to be examples to the believers in Christ Jesus. Imitators of Paul and his brother church planters would declare only the Gospel of God in Christ, keeping far from error or impurity or attempts to deceive. This is the core of "servant leadership" the only model that Jesus gave His followers. Leaders who have been "approved" by God and "entrusted" with the Gospel are not to please men - but to please God alone - to serve Him. It makes the job really tough. To never seek glory from others is the trap of leaders, particularly those who are often flattered with words designed to sway the leader away from placing Jesus first. Paul points to his own behavior among the Thessalonians, describing his behavior much like a mother to a child, in other words, much like a servant. He goes on to say that as leaders they were ready to share not only the Gospel, but themselves. Hmmm...how many leaders among us can honestly say the same? The struggle we have as leaders and as those who are led is the sense that all is well as long as we get our way - but as soon as it doesn't go our way - well... the church becomes something other than a place of joy, prayer and thanksgiving. Friends- as those who lead and those who are led we must remember only the model of Jesus and His disciples. Our Lord said these words in Matthew 20:25-28:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as ransom for many."

This is the leader that shall be honored by those led - the one who garners "respect" because God's Word comes first. The reason? Simple - so that the people of God will remain at peace with one another. Leaders who serve by the power of the Word of God - lead by a Word that "admonishes" "encourages" and "helps" with "patience" for all. As the church leaders seek to do good to all, so all those who choose to follow must trust that the leaders will serve God first and men second. This, friends, will be the only way a church can "rejoice always" living lives of prayer and thanks to God  - this is the only way Spiritual gifts can be lifted up for the sanctification of soul and body. Servant leaders and Servant followers are one in the same - those touched by the Gospel and called to the one eternal faith - life in Christ Jesus!

Restored to be restored

For all of us who live in the dry, desert like climates of this country, we await the winter rains to restore life. Even with the small amounts of rain and the slight increase in humidity we've experienced, I've already noticed a greenish tinge to the dry, brown, summer scorched hills. I took a ride into those hills yesterday, noticing the restored patches of green and thinking about the way God restores our lives just the same. Psalm 126 is a Psalm of Ascents - meaning a liturgical song sung by pilgrims approaching Jerusalem for worship. This Psalm sings of the restoration of a people that seemed too good to be true, almost like a dream. That even in the light of great sin, of exile into the deepest, driest wilderness of shame, God restored the fortunes of His people. He brought them back. Back into the land He had promised. This return, this restoration filled mouths with laughter and song - praises for all God has done. Then, just as they do today, the seasons change. Things got dry again. Remembering what God HAD done was OK, but the people needed to look forward to what God would do. That God Himself would cause rivers to flow in the desert of our lives again is the promise God made of His Son, Jesus Christ. That while this life would never be easy - in fact it will be full of tears - God, our God would make us joyous once again. Each time I feel a little dry, at the point of wondering "Where is God in all of this?"  I remember that just as rain will fall on the desert, making it green - God's gracious love in Jesus has fallen and will continue to fall upon my life, giving me comfort today and hope for a future of eternal joy with Him! 

A dream

I had an odd dream last night that sort of went like this-

We were in a large, kind of perfect mall like structure. I wasn't sure of what this place was, other than it was reminiscent of the mall in the town where I grew up. There was a tremendous noise, shouting and splashing coming from the floor above us. Cassie and I went up the escalator to find that the structure was actually a huge church - we were facing a large fountain and pool area where fifty or so people were gathered for baptism. The pastor moved back and forth in chest high water, lurking behind an obviously frightened woman. Speaking unintelligible words he pounced on her, taking her to the bottom of the pool. As they came up together, spitting and coughing - she screaming - "Lord, help me Jesus!" The crowd shouting , "Amen! Hallelujah!" and the pastor taking her to the bottom once again. We moved through the crowd for a better look - as she came up out of the water, soaked and crying, into the arms of her family. Next up was a older man who went down without struggle or complaint. The pastor boldly declaring - "Come to the waters sinners! Repent you sinners, Repent!" A large, strong young man came reluctantly into the pool with his parents by his side. As the pastor took hold of his arm, we could tell this would be a monumental struggle - once again, like a pro wrestler, the pastor waded through the water behind the boy. With great noise and effort the pastor jumped the boy, trying to take him into the water. Defiant, the young man moved through the water, dragging the pastor behind to the other end of the pool. I moved even closer, opposite the action to the other side, near steps that led down into the water. Sitting on these steps I watched the pastor try again to take the boy down - to no avail. They moved around the pool in an odd dance of the baptizer and the one who would not be baptized."Out Satan!" the pastor shouted, "To the depths of Hell!" The struggle intensified. As the boy finally shook off the incredulous pastor and swam towards the steps on which I was sitting. He grabbed hold of my leg and pulled me toward the water. Shocked I tried to pull back, but he had me by the ankle and I couldn't break free - "What do you want with me?" I said. "Now." he replied. "Do it now." I found that I was not in a struggle with the boy but beside him. There was a moment when I looked into his eyes and saw only the look of  the helpless. I slowly reached down and took up a handful of water and said -  "You're baptized, in the name of the Father." He looked at me quietly. I took up another handful. "You're baptized in the name of the Son." Tears streaming, the boy calmly waited. "You're baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit." I noticed then not only the boy's attention, but the attention of all the others. "Amen" someone said in a whisper. "Amen. Amen. Praise God. " other voices joined. I looked away from the boy to see a line forming from the steps into the water. Someone said John 7 and I awoke. After thinking and praying on this dream, I went a opened my Bible to John 7. My eyes fell to the following verses; 7:16-18 - Jesus said, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him."