Holy

This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday, begins the week we call Holy Week.  Our congregation will celebrate and remember as Saturday brings our Egg Hunt (11am), Sunday brings our Easter Cantata (10am, one service followed by a meal), Thursday brings Maundy Thursday Service (7pm), Friday brings Tenebrae (7pm), and Easter Sunday brings Sunrise Service at First Baptist (6:30am), Contemporary Service (9am) and Traditional Service (11am).  It is a busy time, but we need to dismiss the business and claim the term Holy.

This time is Holy, because it is a time when God's presence, story, provision, and passion fill our lives.  God does something amazing in the Easter story.  Jesus, in spite of torture, betrayal, misunderstanding, injustice, politics, toil, and even death, made all of these things Holy.  They become Holy, because they are part of God's master plan to redeem the unredeemable ... namely, us!  All of the negatives listed above flow from the human heart.  The prophet Jeremiah (17:19) wrote, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?"  The question is a good one, but in that 1st Holy week, Jesus found out the answer.  The human heart brought about the death of God's only begotten son.  And in that death, even death becomes Holy, worthwhile, usable by God, and redeemed.  Do you get the magnitude of that?

For those who feel they are unsavable, Jesus redeemed even death!  For those who feel unworthy, Jesus' presence made all of those negative things used and usable by God! The life, death, atonement, and the resurrection of Christ changed everything.  It is the changing point of human time.  It is the moment when the flow of God's forgiveness is extended to the whole world.  It is an empty cross, an empty tomb, and a full pardon, for all who believe.  It is hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind.  It is Holy!

Does God Change His Mind?

There is a line of religious thought that projects a God that causes all, predestines all, and is never-changing.  Then, there is Scripture that projects a God who relents, has mercy/grace, and weighs situations based on something else.  Which of these is true, and what is going on here?

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prays.  "Father ... if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me (Matthew 26:39)."  In a totally predestined world, why would Jesus ask this?  He knows the Father, and He knows the nature and character of the Father.  I think Jesus remembers when God desired to destroy the people of Israel in Exodus 32.  God's anger burned against the people, and God told Moses to leave Him to His anger and desire to destroy a stiff-necked, disobedient, and faithless people.  Moses tells God, "they are your people."  Moses reminded God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.  Exodus 32:19 says, "God relented."  In the story of Jonah, God tells Jonah to preach destruction to the people of Nineveh, but the people repented.  God relented and forgave the people of Nineveh, And here in Matthew 26, Jesus seems to understand that God, sometimes, changes His plan.  This isn't the southern, traditional view, is it?

I think three things are happening here:

1. In Wesleyan thought, God has an overall plan that is unstoppable.  We say it in the Apostles Creed, when we say we believe in the resurrection (an unstoppable event), the judgment of all people (living and dead), our resurrection with Jesus as believers, and the return of Jesus.  Wesley viewed God as a loving Father ... not a ruling monarch.  But God's purpose, grace, love, and power (in God's character and Spirit), are all universally available to those who believe.  And God's plan will happen, though only the Father knows the when of the future.

2. Jesus is praying knowingly in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Like any other human, Jesus would like to avoid the suffering, the pain, the grief, and the death that is ahead.  So Jesus does what people do ... He asked.  In a song about Isaac's impending death as an offering by Abraham, Andrew Peterson writes, "And even though You take him, still I ever will obey, but maker of this mountain, please make another way."  Abraham's faith was rewarded in another way.  Jesus knows the Father is sovereign, perfect, and wise.  He asks for an alternate plan, but He trusts God to know what is best.  So, within the same prayer, Jesus said, "Yet not as I will, but as You will."

3. The other blatantly obvious part of this passage, is the path to God's plans ... the ones we see, and those that are possible alternatives.  That path starts and ends with prayer ... we give it to God.  That path starts and ends with trust ... we rely on the God who is worthy of our faith.  That path starts and ends with release ... we place the situation, and our alternate ideas, into the hands of the one who knows the whole picture.

How do you pray? ... because this prayer can be prayed in every situation.  Do you have an enemy persecuting you?  Pray God's will for that person.  Do you have a relationship that is perplexing you?  Pray for God's plan for that person.  Are you facing loss?  Pray God's will and plan, so that the loss becomes God's property and God's problem to solve.  And then, maybe the hardest thing ... follow where God leads, even if it leads to a cross.

Do you believe in the God who makes some really big promises?  "I have called you by name, and you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God ... (Isaiah 43:1-3)." BELIEVE!

In The Garden

Have you ever thought about why Jesus went to a garden to pray before His crucifixion?  I hope you will ponder on this question because I think the answers are important.  Let's think together about gardens.

The Garden of Eden is a beginning place.  Eden begins our journey as humans, through time, history, trials, joys, and life itself.  God walked with humans in Eden.  Eden is where we rose up from the dirt, where gender was created and formed, and where we fell as the human race (this is the only 'race' that even matters).

The Garden of Revelation (Rev. 22, right in the middle of the New Jerusalem) is a restoration of all that was lost in the Garden of Eden.  All things are brought back to God's original intent.  This is the place where humanity rises.  All names written in the Book of Life (Rev. 21) will be here.  The Bible calls this the place where "the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them (Rev. 21:3)."

In the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, there is another garden ... Gethsemane.  This garden recognizes the fall and failure of Eden, but it is also a place where a changed relationship is announced.  It begins God's restoration, consummated in Jesus' death and resurrection, and in our full belief in what Jesus did.  Gethsemane is both terrible and wonderful, and it ushers in a new relationship with God.

Between now and Maundy Thursday, April 17th, we will walk, talk, listen, and pray In The Garden.  I hope you will join us, for this small section of the Gospels tells us much about God, God's nature, God's plans, and how we can become better servants and followers of God.  Come join in.  Sit awhile.  Take off your shoes, and sit down your burdens.  Let's listen together, as Jesus converses, prays, and gives us a window into some beautiful truth.  It might just set you free!  Randy

A Relational God

In our world of remoteness ... remote learning, remote social interactions, remote meetings, disconnected people ... I wonder if we are missing something?  There is a story from John 12 that highlights one thing that I believe Jesus would like to speak into our culture and our current society.  It is the story of Mary, Lazarus' sister, also sister of Martha.  Last week we heard a little about the two sisters.  Martha was the worker bee ... the doer ... the "get the dinner on the table" kind of girl. I am sure the entire household appreciated Martha.  She is "hands-on" like me.  Maybe we are both a little too much that way.

As the story in John 12 flows forth, Martha was serving dinner, probably giving orders, arranging the table settings, and being the "kitchen general."  Mary is much more in tune with the attitude and magnitude of what is happening.  Jesus is being sought by all of the leaders in the community.  They are plotting to kill him.  I even wonder if Mary is picking up on Jesus' expectant mood as He enters His last week of walking this earth as a non-resurrected person.  He knows some of what is about to happen.  The Scripture says "Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus' feet (John 12:3)."  When Mary did this, the entire house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  Mary also, in a very personal and intimate act, wiped the perfume on His feet with her hair.

In a house filled with disciples, those who followed and loved Jesus, and friends, one might expect a reaction of approval and even reverence.  But Mary is roundly criticized.  Judas, the disciples' treasurer, Jesus' future betrayer, and a man with his own agenda, says the nard should have been sold and the money (it was worth over $50K in modern dollars) given to the poor.  While Scripture says Judas only wanted to have control of this money, and didn't care for the poor, he does highlight the conflict that arises when the practical collides with the irrationality of relationships.  Let's unpack that a bit.

First, God is explicitly relational in His word.  What is the greatest commandment?  "Love God with your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)."  And, this is followed by the command to love your neighbor as yourself.  God cares how we relate to Him and to other people.  He even cares about our relationship to ourself!  

Second, God is very impractical when it comes to relationships.  What are we spending Lent and the Easter season remembering?  We remember a god who loves us so much that He died for us, still sinners, so that we could be reconciled with Him and live with Him eternally.  There is NOTHING practical about that, unless God really loves the people He created.  But then, love isn't practical.

Finally, Mary's very intimate act (which Jesus endorses) is an expression of her irrational love for Jesus.  And, in a world where we rationalize behavior toward others as transactional, Jesus reminds us that His followers are born again through a rationale that is not of this world.  Peter's confession that Jesus was the Son of the Living God came from divine inspiration.  Paul expresses (1 Corinthians 1) that following Jesus would seem like foolishness to the logic of the world ... but Paul encouraged us to believe anyway.  Martyrs lost both logic and their lives, because Jesus was more important to them than another breath.

This story challenges us and haunts us.  And this is especially true when Jesus commands us, "Love as I have loved you (John 13:34)!"  Relate to others like Jesus related to us.  I know this is a hard command while the world tells you, "treat them like they treat you" ... "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" ...  they, them, etc.  Jesus said, from a cruel cross, "Forgive them (that includes all of us who helped nail Him there) for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)."  He wants a relationship with you!  How will you respond to that?  

Which "If" Are You?

John 11 is the well-known story of Lazarus.  Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus and they were (based on the New Testament) close, and Jesus was at their home several times during the last month of His life.  Martha was like me ... the doer, and the one who was sometimes more attuned to process than relationship. Martha would say, "Get that meal on the table!" while Mary was asking how the family and kids were doing.  They were great people, but different personalities.

In the scene portrayed in John 11, Lazarus becomes sick and dies.  he is even buried, all while the family expects Jesus to arrive before it is too late.  Jesus stays away for two days, and seems in no hurry to spare the family the grief of Lazarus' death.  When Jesus arrives, after Lazarus is dead, the family and friends are in the throes of grieving.  It is here we encounter the "Ifs."

The first "If" is when Martha says, "If only you had been here, my brother would not have died (John 11:21)."  This sounds like a faithful statement, till you break it down a bit.  Martha does express belief that Jesus has the power to heal ... she has probably seen it happen.  This is a statement steeped in positive rhetoric but a negative attitude.  Let me rephrase Martha's words ... "Jesus ... why weren't you here when I needed you?  We sent word that Lazarus was sick.  I thought we all were best friends, but you didn't show up when we needed you most!"  The words of Martha's Scriptural statement are a measured facade, hiding great disappointment and possibly anger at what Jesus did not do.

Do you ever make this statement?  When you don't understand Jesus' overall plan, are you disappointed or angry with Jesus because your plan (or the prayer you prayed) was a better plan?  I confess my guilt here, as I struggle to implement my stellar plan, and don't like where things are going.  "Jesus ... if You would just get into my plan, it would all work out so perfectly!"

Then, Jesus makes a statement that brings me up short.  "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"  This sentence is a challenge to my attitude of faithless resignation.  Because Jesus is asking me if I trust His big plan over my small plan.

So now, as I reflect on this, I remember saying, "Jesus ... if you had given all that I asked for, my project (this could be true for many of my plans and projects) would be done and we would be enjoying the fruit of work we should have been able to accomplish."  Then, with 20/20 hindsight, I take another look.  I see teams forming that are perfectly equipped for getting these projects done.  I see our congregation beginning to open their eyes to the possibility that God is really doing something here.  I see people excited, expectant, and ready for what they see as God's work.  And I think ... "I would have never dreamed God could bring these people together at just the right time and at just the right place!  I am sorry I doubted you, Lord!  I ask forgiveness for those moments and years I failed to trust you fully!  I only ask for one more thing ... to see Your glory, in the fulness of Your plan, as you use Your people to build Your Church!"  I remember what you said ... "You will see even greater things than these (John 1:50)!"  "Lord ... bring on those greater things!  I will wait, watch, and pray!  AMEN

Discovering Power

Lent is a time of discovering.  When we stop, listen, pray, and act we find ourselves in a place of exciting change and new possibilities!  I have spent the week discovering some interesting information about church utilities, especially as they impact several Trustees projects.  It seems that we have a mishmash of different breaker boxes, power outlets, and limitations as we try to implement needed changes.  Here is what I discovered.

1. Water - The water situation at the new Youth and Children's Center is almost comical.  At the current water meter, the flow is measured at 20 gallons per minute (GPM).  At the rear of the building, where one would hook up a hose, the flow is 2 GPM.  It seems that very old pipes and corrosion have restricted the water flow.  Is Jesus' living water flowing through you, or is that flow restricted?

2. Electricity - The electrical system at the Youth and Children's Center, and really at the entire church facility, is (at least) interesting.  Churches are pieced together over time and, thus, are prone to having a pretty complicated system of breaker boxes and outlets.  Matching and labeling these is something that we are discovering is a need for our future.  We need to know where our power is coming from!

So, as a church, where does our power ... your power come from?  What we have?  How well we can  navigate our situation?  Our status in the community?  Here is where Jesus tells us to go for power!

1. Prayer - Over the last month, JD Walt (in his devotional Wake-Up Call) has been Jesus-prayers.  The devotional walked us through 9 of these prayers.  The prayers are beautiful expressions of Jesus' total faith and trust in the Father's provision, protection, and power.  Jesus told His disciples, when they attempted to cast out demons, "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21)."

2. Reflection - Psalm 1 begins with this concept.  "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord., meditating on it day and night."  Did you get that?  It helps our faith walk to be in deep thought about the word of God.  This isn't some "hippie" self-help idea.  Notice, that the Psalmist focuses on advice from a trusted source, "the law of the Lord."

2. Repentance - The long and short-term experiences from the Asbury Awakening (February 2023) have been both documented and amazing. Many people of all ages came to terms with their faith walk.  And this, as often happened with documented meetings in early Methodism, came from praying, reflecting on God's word, and repentance.  And before we get the wrong idea, repentance isn't what we say, or even some idea in our head.  Repentance is action ... turning around ... turning toward God

All of the above things invite the person and activity of the Holy Spirit to become real and powerful in our lives.  Do you want to discover a God of love, life, and power?  Pray ... Reflect ... Repent.  That is a prescription for a wonderful and fruitful season of Lent.  AMEN!

Gates

John 10 is all about sheep and shepherds.  Our society uses the term "sheep" as something negative.  In fact, the insult "You are just a bunch of sheep!" is an insult related to being dim-minded followers.  Jesus doesn't seem to share this aversion to the "sheep" analogy.  Why?

Many of us share a favorite psalm, Psalm 23.  "The Lord is my shepherd ..."  Psalm 23 begins by calling us sheep.  Jesus, in John 10, uses the term often.  "I am the good shepherd," Jesus says in John 10:11.  "I know my sheep, and my sheep know me," Jesus continues in John 10:14.  While our society uses the sheep analogy as a negative, Jesus uses it as an endearing term.  As usual, society is wrong and Jesus is right!

In John 10, Jesus calls Himself the gate.  "I am the gate for the sheep (John 10:7)," Jesus announces.  What does He mean by this?

1. Gates have the obvious function of permitting or restricting entry.  Jesus says he is the passage or entry into God's plan for us.  We enter eternal life, God's plan, purpose, and truth through Jesus.  He is "the way," not "a" way.  Many in our society have issues with this clear, direct, and concise statement.  But Jesus is never "wishy-washy" about this.  "No one comes to the Father, except through me (John 14:6)," Jesus states in John 14:6.  Jesus is THE gate.

2. Gates allow entry and egress.  Jesus is clearly the way into the Kingdom of God, but Jesus also allows His sheep to "lie down in green pastures and walk beside still waters (Psalm 23)."  Jesus gives His sheep freedom.  We sometimes use that freedom to stray from the shepherd or to wander into things that are not good for His sheep.  We have free will, even if we choose to use it unwisely.

3. Gates also protect.  There is one theory about a shepherd's gate that brings home the beauty of John 10.  When the sheep were grazing in remote areas, they were penned up using crude, improvised enclosures.  Rocks or wood were used to build the pen, and an opening was left to allow the sheep to come and go.  At night, the shepherd would actually lie across that opening, both blocking and protecting the sheep.

I love that 3rd point!  I remember a youth trip during which I was in charge of a bunch of teenage boys.  We had a lot of fun, but I knew these boys (one of them was named "critter").  In the La Quinta hotel, I decided to place my cot across the door of the room that night.  These boys weren't going to wander the hotel at night on my watch!  I was the "gate" of those little sheep!

How about you?  Is Jesus your gate?  Do you enter each day through Him?  Do you believe Jesus is the only way to the Father?  Do you pray, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep," as you lie down at night?  Try these things in your prayers and practices.  See if you become less opposed to the idea of being "the sheep of His pasture."  And see if the concept of following the Good Shepherd doesn't become a beautiful way of doing life!  AMEN

Reservoir or River?

In John 7, the plot to kill Jesus, and the hatred of the Pharisees continues in earnest.  Jesus is trying to be low-key, and the religious leaders are watching, listening, and searching for Him.  It is a dance that will end on Calvary (or a new thing that may begin on Calvary).

The context of John 7 is the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot).  The event has (at least) dual meanings.  First, it is a harvest (or ingathering) celebration, observing the temporary housing of the farmer as he works and harvests the year's crops.  There is also an evangelical air to the celebration as there is dancing to represent the "feet" of the Torah, taking the Torah out onto the world.  This 2nd meaning ought to perk our interest as Christians because God desires His word to fill the whole world.  

At the Festival of Tabernacles, Jesus speaks a message of invitation to believe.  "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow within them (John 7:37-38)."  As I read this passage, one question came to mind.  Are we reservoirs or rivers ... and which are we CALLED to be?

Reservoirs are certainly useful and necessary.  They hold water so that our cities and towns have enough to supply our needs.  Without reservoirs, and proper water management, we might have water-related emergencies.  And we must have water to live.

But as Christians, I wonder if we make two mistakes.  One mistake is that we tend to hold in and hoard what we have been given.  Jesus gave us the "living water" of His truth, His Gospel, and His call to believe and follow.  But I wonder if we hold God's message inside ourselves and our church buildings like a reservoir?  The second mistake is that we go to the reservoir and drink a little water, but fail to carry any out with us.  When things become parched and dry, we come back to the reservoir, but what if we are too far away ... and what if there is drought in the world?

Maybe, and this is my theory, we are called to something different.  Jesus told a Samaritan woman (John 4) that the water He gives will be "a spring of water that never runs dry, welling up in eternal life (John 4:13-14)!"  Then, here in John 7, He tells us "rivers of living water" will flow within us!  When Jesus shares this information with the Samaritan woman she replies, "Give ME this living water!" because she wants the water for her needs.  She thinks, "Now I won't have to carry this water from the well, and I will have all I and my family need!"  And THAT is where we miss the analogy!

I think Jesus is trying to create rivers ... not reservoirs!  Each one of us could be a river.  Each one of us could water the dry ground, supply sustenance to a withering plant, life to a dying seed.  For the "living water" of God's Spirit isn't meant to be held in ... it is to be given out!  Isaiah 43:19 spells it out beautifully!  "Behold, I am doing a new thing.  Now it springs forth.  Do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert!"

Will you be a reservoir ... or a river?

What Do You See?

Life, and the world, isn't a petting zoo.  The paradox of beauty is out there to be experienced, but hopefully we can learn a bit of discernment from the animal kingdom.  I was playing golf one day, and as I went to hit a shot, one of those huge fox squirrels came up to my ball.  This thing was creepy!  It was big, unafraid, and I think it had a little smile on its face.  It was next to my ball, and it didn't seem to want to move.  I finally had to scoot it back with a golf club.  And the creepy thing just sat and watched.  I was happy to put some distance between me and that squirrel.  It was looking at me, not as a threat, but more like it would look at a meal.  Can I say again ... creepy!

We know the saying ... "all that glitters is not gold."  Paul reminds us that "all that is popular and possible, is not necessarily profitable (1 Corinthians 10:23)."  The Bible, and common thought, is full of references to seeing past beauty or ugliness and into the real nature of things.  Life is a paradox that calls us to become Biblically-discerning, and to process culture through a Biblical and Spiritual lens.  This is part of the toil of "working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phillippians 2:12)."  Our faith walk requires effort and intentionality!

This paradox is played out in John 5.  Jesus is in Jerusalem for one of the Holy days, and it is the Sabbath.  Jesus, who Isaiah (53:2) describes as unattractive, is encountering an equally unattractive man who has been lame for 38 years.  They are at the pool of Bethesda, which means "house of kindness."  Jesus, with a word, tells the man to "pick up your mat and walk."  The man is healed, and here is where things get dicey.

One would think that this act would be applauded and embraced by everyone.  We have the miracle of healing, the sign of the Messiah, and a beautiful act of mercy.  Yet, the man is questioned by religious authorities and asked, "who did this illegal act of healing on the Sabbath?"  Jesus, ugly by the world's standards, performs this beautiful miracle, and the religious leaders, beautiful by the world's standards, stand in the way of the work of God.  It makes us all wonder, what is rightside-up here?

So Jesus, as is His custom, answers His critics harshly.  "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life.  But the Scriptures point to me!  Yet you refuse to come to Me to receive this eternal life! (John 5:39-40)."

The religion and Scriptures followed by the Jews were beautiful in their place ... but they pointed to an unattractive, direct, and often harsh man named Jesus.  When we truly accept who Jesus is, it is culturally popular to reject His message, just as it was in 30 AD.  Culture calls us to follow the popular, the "exciting," the glitter and those things we find "cute."  To find the beauty in John 5, you must go deep ... deep into the infirmity of a lame man who can now walk ... deep into the Father who gives Jesus authority over illness and shame.  The beauty here is counter-cultural and definitely not safe.  But, like Jesus, it is good.

So ... what are you looking for in life today?  Are you seeking cute?  Are you seeking what is attractive by the standards of our society?  Are you looking for the living among the dead (Luke 24:5)?  Have we welcomed those who "come in their own name (John 5:42)" but rejected the one who comes in the Father's name?

When Life Deals You Lemons

The New Testament speaks extensively about fruit and growth. One of my favorite passages is in John, where Jesus encourages us to live and abide in Him, the true vine. He states, "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener" (John 15:1). He continues, "Yes, I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them will produce much fruit" (John 15:5). According to John, we are called to produce fruit, and the key to this fruitfulness lies in staying connected to the "true vine." 

Over the past few weeks, Lee and I have learned a valuable lesson about fruit. We have owned a house in Freeport for eight years, where we discovered two lemon trees in the backyard. One winter, one of the trees succumbed to exposure, leaving only the lemon tree next to the house. I mostly ignored it until about four years ago when I decided to harvest some fruit to make lemonade. After squeezing a bunch of lemons, adding sugar, and tasting the result, I was disappointed; it was the worst lemonade I had ever made! Despite my efforts, it was inedible. Fast forward to late January this year: Lee looked out to see that the tree was covered with fruit—more than we had ever seen! However, there was something unusual about the fruit; it wasn’t yellow but orange! We picked one of these "lemons" (which were really oranges) and tasted it. To our surprise, it was delicious! Last Sunday, the congregation in the first service enjoyed fresh-cut oranges for breakfast. The tree that had produced terrible lemons turned out to make wonderful oranges! 

From this experience, I learned several important lessons: 

1. **The obvious lesson**: Unripe oranges make terrible lemons. They are so bitter that they couldn't be salvaged. I think about how often people tell young folks, "You can be anything you want to be." That advice can be misleading. Instead of listening to cultural messages, what if we listened to our Creator? God made us, and we thrive when we remain close to the "true vine," Jesus. He understands our design and when we are at our best, living within the "sweet spot" of our purpose. This happens when we abide in Him and align our lives with His will. Be who and what you were created to be! That is where you will find happiness, fulfillment, and fruitfulness. 

2. **The second lesson**: Ripe, fresh oranges are wonderful fruit. As Psalm 139 states, "I was fearfully and wonderfully made." When God created that orange tree, He knew exactly what He was doing. 

3. **Finally**: Fruit is best when it is ripe. The oranges resembled lemons until they reached their peak ripeness. Many of us have faced trials, difficulties, and mistakes throughout our lives. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced some major challenges. Satan often presents us with problems and suggests we rely on the wrong solutions to deal with them. The secret to transforming my faux lemons was to abide in the truth of their creation, design, and destiny. The fruit remained on the tree until it became exactly what it was meant to be. In a world that craves quick fixes, perhaps we should allow God to lead, teach, and help us grow into our best selves. In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to "take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, and you will find rest for your souls." I love that word "rest," as it signifies completion or ripeness. This completion is part of a process of growing in Christ! 

"Abide in Me, and I in you, and you will produce much fruit!" This is Jesus' instruction in John 15. He is the true grapevine, and the Father is the gardener. Why should we do this? John 15:8 reminds us, "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.” When life feels sour, like a lemon, remember to abide in Jesus, and you might just discover you are an amazing orange!

Presence

I have to confess something.  Every time we sing, "Surely the Presence" (you know the song) my memory is drawn to the 1980 movie, Airplane.  I wonder if God is thinking on the same 'plane' (pun intended) and wants to respond, "Yes, I'm here ... and don't call me Shirley!"  But enough of that!  God's presence is serious business that is apparently a bit misunderstood by the Church.  As we move from our New Year thoughts to settling into the seasons of Epiphany, Pre-Lent, and Lent, I want us to stop and consider this important, and often ignored, part of Wesleyan theology, and Biblical truth.

On two weekends in January, we (GMC Board of Ministry members) interviewed candidates for ministry in the Alabama Emerald Coast Conference.  We had some great conversations about ministry, life, and presenting Jesus in the context of Wesleyan Theology.  Some foundational parts of that theology are things like 1) Jesus wants all to be saved, 2) all CAN be saved, 3) all can know they are saved, and 4) all can become sanctified to the point they are, as Wesley called it, "saved to the the uttermost," meaning they approach life in, through, and with the love of Jesus.  Another part of Wesleyan theology is the reverence, meaning, and foundation of our sacraments.  One specific question seemed to be difficult for many of the candidates. We asked, "What makes these sacraments (Baptism and Communion) sacred?"  We generally got the answer, "Because Jesus prescribed them."  While this is true ... that Jesus prescribed and participated in these sacraments with the disciples ... it lacks the completeness of the truth from a Wesleyan perspective.  So ... here goes with a little Wesleyan theology, and a lot of what is missing in the American church.

Wesley believed, and practiced, a very Jesus-centered view of the sacraments, and a Jesus-centered view of how God's grace is conveyed to us in everyday life.  That "Wesleyan Way" is described to us as "Presence."  We just left the Advent/Christmas season.  We used a word during that time called Emmanuel ... "God with us."  At the end of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 28, Jesus said something to us about this ... "I will be with you, even unto the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:20)."  Jesus' story in the Gospels described this presence in every event.

John begins telling this story of Jesus' presence, by describing Jesus as a pathway, gateway, and stairway between heaven and earth.  In John 1:51, John describes Jesus as "the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth."  I could call this a clue to Wesley's theology of the sacraments.  But it is WAY more overt than a clue.  John says Jesus IS the connection between heaven and earth.  When Jesus is with us and in us, as we participate in one of these sacraments, we are in vertical connection with God (through John's stairway) and in horizontal connection with Jesus and the Church (the people) because he is with/in us.  Did you get it ... "on earth as it is in heaven?"  Do you get that the reasons our sacraments are "sacred" are not:

1. Jesus prescribed them;

2. They are symbols of what Jesus did in Scripture;

3.  They are just a "sign."

The reason they are sacred is that Jesus is present ... the Holy Spirit is with us, in the present.  It is the only way for us to be wholly in the Spirit and Truth Jesus describes to the Samaritan woman in John 4.

Why is this understanding important?  Because to have the power of God and the Spirit, we must have the presence of God and the Spirit.  One of many "telling" passages about this happens in the early Church.  In Acts 19, seven sons of Sceva try to "invoke" the power of Jesus by casting out a demon.  The demon responds ... "I know Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?"  We, the Church, cannot be known for going through the motions of being the church.  We can be thoroughly connected to amazing music, beautiful sanctuaries, powerful/eloquent speakers, aesthetic surroundings, and everything that is attractive to the people of our society.  But, when we "get down to business" (the title of my message a few weeks back) we had better be willing to shed all of those things.

I know a young woman ... a friend.  She has had trial after trial.  We have been called upon to be her prayer warriors, her support system, and an expression of a faith she is counting on.  We have moved from the sidelines into the game.  We have gone from the admin tent to the front lines.  How will the demons of infirmity see us?  Will we approach with the signs and wonders of our trappings ... eloquent prayers, appealing songs, stunning sanctuaries, and attractional theology?  Or, will we embrace our friend, cover her with prayers, and allow the presence and person of Jesus to flow from us into her broken body?  Will we understand that the presence of Jesus, in this grace we express and give away, is all we have to offer?  "Surely, the presence, of the Lord is in this place ... I can feel His mighty power, and His grace.  I can feel the brush of angel's wings, I see glory on each face.  Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place!"  Pray in Jesus, the son of the Living God ... and the very gates of hell will not prevail against us!  AMEN

Hoboes and Destinations

I was intrigued by a story I heard at the 30A Songwriter Festival.  The story was about a man named Steamtrain Maury, elected 5 times as "King of the Hoboes."  Most of you are reading this and wondering, "How is a person elected King of the Hoboes?"  Since hoboes are wanderers, it seems structurally impossible for them to elect anyone.  But, there is a Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa (go figure?) and elections are held for King.  So, the title King of the Hoboes.

Maury was a strange, troubled, and complex character.  He hopped countless trains, and still had time to visit 34,000 veterans (he served in the military as a medical technician).  He had a heart for those who had served their country. He lived 89 years.

As I heard Steamtrain Maury's story in song, I wondered ... did he just randomly jump trains, not knowing (or caring) where they were going?  Did he just, on a whim, follow the wanderlust of the rails, thinking that all of these random, seemingly disconnected, journeys were "freedom?"  And, is our spiritual journey any better?  Do we have a solid starting place?  Do we have a purpose in our travels?  Do we have a destination?

I plan to stay in the Book of John in the weeks coming up to Lent.  One of our adult Sunday School classes will be traveling alongside us.  John is a simply-constructed book that focuses on the person and work of Christ.  John, the writer, was in Ephesus in the mid to late 1st Century when the book was written.

John was not a spiritual hobo.  John knew where the Gospel story began.  It started with the person of Jesus who told us our starting point.  Jesus said, "I am ... the light of the world (John 8;12) ... the door of the sheep (John 10:7) ... the good shepherd (John 10:11) ... the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) ... the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6) ... and, the true vine (John 15:1)."  This is where we start our journey.

John knew the journey was filled with stories, testimonies, and opportunities to know Jesus.  The Samaritan woman learned the truth about Jesus and herself ... and she was changed.  Nicodemus learned that we must be born of the Spirit, which has a direction and purpose that "goes where it will!"  Lazarus and his family learned that even death cannot overcome the power of God.  

John also knew where the story ended.  It didn't end on the cross, though the powers of this world thought it was finished.  It didn't end in a cold, dark tomb, though even the disciples feared all hope was lost.  It ended in a very strange place ... with Jesus, the Kingdom, and the very presence/Spirit of God indwelling the earth and God's people (all believers).

We are "pilgrims and strangers, traveling through this world of woe," as the old song says.  But we have a beginning ... Jesus.  We have a purpose ... our testimony of blessing to all the world.  We have a destination ... the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Our special song for the 1st service is called, Glory Bound.  The words say, "Well I don't know which way you're going, and I don't know if you're lost or found, all I know is you've been forgiven, and this train is glory bound!"  Steamtrain Maury didn't always know where he was going.  One obituary said he, dying at 89 years old, had finally hitched a ride on a comet.  But we, God's people, will have a better destination ... the glorious Kingdom of God!  Jump on board! AMEN 

Down To Business

January 13th (WOW, already a half-month of 2025 has gone!) is a reminder of what Gordon Lightfoot writes in a song ... "time doesn't wait for nobody to find what they're after, It just keeps on rolling on down the deep canyons and through the green meadows into the broad ocean." That lyric reminds me of what my friend Jimmy Rane told me one day ... "Daylights a' burning." Time is a finite resource. So ... with a lot of chaos in the world around us, we remember that Jesus said, "You know the saying, 'four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for the harvest! (John 4:35)."

There are 3 instructions in what Jesus tells his disciples in this prologue from the story of the Samaritan woman. They are simple, but necessary if we are to proceed with any urgency toward what God is calling us to do.

1. Wake Up - In his Wake Up Call devotional, JD Walt begins each devotion with a prayer. It says, "Wake up sleeper ... rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!" The prayer comes from Ephesians 5:14, and harkens from passages in Isaiah and Malichi. The Bible is in a constant state of calling God's people to wake up. I did a sermon once called, "I Believe In Zombies." Zombies are, of course, walking, dead people. I see them every day. We walk past the stricken traveler on the side of the road. We walk past the signs, warning us that something is right. We know differently. Last week we sang "Is He Worthy." The first line of the song is a statement and reply ... "Do you think the world is broken? We do!" We see fires, floods, broken people, pettiness, anger, deceit, destruction, and all manners of struggle. Yet, we are content to be a cog in the wheel of time. JD Walt says, wake up! Rise from the dead. We are called and equipped for such a time as this!

2. Look around - Isaiah 43 says, "Behold, I am doing a new thing! Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19)!" We know we are living in this time of wilderness. I think we, if we look around, can see and feel the parched desert. God's word has said this would happen. Amos 8:11-12 says, "A time is coming, says the Lord, when I will send a famine upon the land. Not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord!" We HAVE the word of the Lord in the Scriptures we have been given. We HAVE God's Holy Spirit to open, teach, and unpack the word of the Lord. What we are missing is eyes to see and ears to hear. Notice the passage from Amos says ... 'a famine of HEARING the word of the Lord.' I wonder if this is why Jesus (and John in Revelation) frequently say, "Let he who has eyes see and let him who has ears hear." We are called and equipped for such a time as this!

3. See the ripeness of the fields - Here is what we often miss. In our sheltered settings ... in our pristine buildings ... in our preferred styles of worship ... we forget about the mission and purpose. In 2025 I will pound the mission and purpose into our consciousness. Forgive my repetition, but the Mission is to be God's blessing to the world (not just America, which, by the way, isn't hearing/seeing/perceiving our message) ... Genesis 22:18. Our Purpose is to be part of God's plan to "bring people to Himself (Exodus 19:4)."

Wake up! Look around! The fields are ripe! The Church has a mission. The Church has a purpose. Time keeps "rolling on down the deep canyons and through the green meadows into the broad ocean." We worship and follow the Lord of the harvest. Let's get down to business!

Wise Advice

I have an acquaintance who is in charge of a large school system.  He is a good leader, and, best of all, a wise witness to students who share his challenging upbringing.  He didn't rise to his position easily ... it took lots of effort, education, struggle, and hard work.

One day, a person working with students with discipline and learning challenges asked him to speak to these struggling students. They might listen to someone who had similar challenges in education and life.  Here is what he said was the #1 thing that would lead these struggling students forward.  "Do not be, or allow anyone to make you a victim.  Being a victim is a crutch, a cultural sham, and a lie.  It will cause you to focus on how others are the cause of your situation.  Remember ... you are who you choose to be.  If you become a victim, you will never be accountable for anything.  It will always be some other person's fault, and you will live in anger, mistrust, and falseness.  Live and grow past this attitude.  Make choices that will grow you and challenge you.  Work hard.  Be the person you were created to be, and don't let victim mentality take that away from you!"

John 21:21-22 addresses this head-on.  Peter gets in victim mode as he sees John following while he is conversing with Jesus.  Peter asks Jesus, "What about him?"  Jesus (in what seems to me a snarky tone) says, "If I want him to stay alive till I return, what is it to you?  YOU must follow me!"  What is Jesus saying here?

1. Stop coveting - The 10th Commandment (Exodus 20:17) tells us "Do not covet!"  To Peter, Jesus is saying, "Stop diluting your witness, your walk, and your actions based on what other people are doing ... follow me!"

2. Stop worrying - You get the impression that Peter is still caught up in diva mentality ... he wants to be the top dog.  Yesterday Tyrek Hill, Miami Dolphins wide receiver, said, "I want out ... I'm a competitor and I don't want to just go out there and be there."  My comment to brother Hill would be ... "Are you saying that the other players on your team don't desire to win and compete?  Are you saying you are better?"  Peter is part of something bigger than him ... divas are not needed in ministry!

3. Stop sifting life through your perceptions and feelings - Maybe Peter feels threatened by John's relationship with Jesus.  Maybe Peter feels like what happens to John diminishes what Jesus has to offer him.  For a group of students struggling with school and authority, a wise administrator is telling them to drop the concept of sifting their life through what happens to other people.  Work hard.  Trust leaders who are investing in you.  You are not better or worse than other people, but you are different.  Your gifts, when used by the master, are just what the master needs.  Be taught.  Be led. Be you. Be God's.  Be completed by the only one who can complete you.  Let the other doubts, emotional impulses, and Satan-led (yes, I said it!) perceptions be negated by the God who says, "With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)."

You say, "Ok pastor ... that is what we stop doing.  What do we do?"  We do to others as we would have them do to us (Matthew 7:12).  We live in the thin place of serving God, washing feet, spending time with the brokenhearted, extending mercy, loving justice, and walking in humility (Micah 6:8, Psalm 34:18, John 13).  We worship with all we got (Psalm 150).  We share the Good News with everyone so that disciples of Jesus are made (Matthew 28).  And, we pray a lot, using our 2 ears more than our 1 mouth (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).  This should keep us busily doing what Jesus told Peter ... "You must follow Me!"  AMEN