From Fallen Stones

This week, on Wednesday at 6:30 pm (meal at 6 pm), we will have our first full Charge Conference as a Global Methodist Church. Liberty Methodist will join us, and we will have a meal, fellowship, conversation, and celebration of life together. Wesley described this as Christian Conferencing. Wesley loved this time, which he kept brief, as a means of God's grace poured out on God's people. Wesley would have treasured this as a blessing.

Is such a thing Biblical? Emphatically, yes. In Acts 15, the Apostles are meeting in Jerusalem. The issue at hand was that some Christians thought new Christians needed to become Jews to join in the new fellowship of the "People of the Way" (the early Church). When I read this chapter, I was compelled by James's words describing the rag-tag people who were called into the early Church. "After this, I will build again from the fallen stones. I will set (God's building) up again. Then all the nations may look for the Lord, even the people who are not Jews, who are called by my name" (Acts 15:16-17), a reference from Amos 9:11.

Two groups of people are spoken of in this passage. The first are those Jews who were part of a broken building, called "fallen stones." This should resonate with us as Global Methodists, coming from a broken house fractured by division and understanding of Biblical authority. But, as "sinners," we also identify as "fallen stones" as we have been lifted up by a master builder who will take our ruins and build something beautiful and useful.

The second group in this discussion are the Gentiles. James makes the point that "we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." James realizes that God has opened this door, and our rules, regulations, and structure should invite, not restrict, the Gentiles who desire to come to the faith.

Aren't we all "broken?" Aren't we all sinners redeemed by the goodness and grace of God? Haven't we all been raised up as shattered stones and placed into the beautiful Church God is building? Isn't this part of the best news ever? We CAN be restored! We CAN be used by God! We CAN be "born again!" Praise the Lord! AMEN

Tricks and Beliefs

In today's world, there's lots of trickery happening.  Listen to a presidential candidate speaking, and you will hear some trickery.  Things will be promised that (if you stop to think) aren't exactly in control of that candidate (whichever candidate you support).  Read posts on social media, and you will soon get caught up in something you want to believe, but it is really only trickery. I have discovered, sadly, that two of the faith stories I used for years were really not true.  Trickery!

So, how do we keep from trickery?  How do we know what to believe and what not to believe, even as we try to rely on a pure and holy God?  How do we discern the truth?  I ask questions.  And the main question is, "Who benefits from my belief in something?"  There are a huge number of posts that are created by artificial intelligence.  Others are created by foreign powers that want to promote their interest or influence our upcoming election.  If you ask the "who benefits" question, you will find that many of these posts are good for Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Russia.  Do these people promote our interests, or are they mortal enemies who wish us ill?  Are they for chaos, while our God is a God that brought order to chaos (Genesis 1)?  Who benefits?

In Acts 19, there are serious challenges to the People of the Way (the early Church).  The Chapter is all about what people believe.  Do they believe in the Gospel message or, do they oppose the Gospel message?  Will they leave their belief in Artemis (the Greek goddess of hunting and wild animals) and follow the truth of the Gospel?  And, are there deeper and more sinister things in the undercurrent of the story?  Those who are caught up in the commerce of the Temple of Artemis stand to lose money if people join Paul's movement and Jesus' Church.  Jews caught up in the commerce of the Jewish Synagogue stand to lose if the people learn about Jesus.  When people follow Jesus ... truly follow Jesus ... it changes everything!  The Jewish sacrificial system is out of business.  The "merch" of the Artemis movement becomes worthless when people learn Artemis isn't real.  Who benefits from what people believe?

If you think this is just a story from Scripture, think again.  Who would benefit and who would lose if we (Christians) became so caught up in following Jesus we actually allowed that belief to change our lifestyle?  Music sales, the football industrial complex, alcohol sales, and a fair number of political icons, would lose followers ... because the people would follow a God named Jesus.

The preacher, Tony Evans, made a promise years ago.  I hope he has kept it.  He said, "I will not let any expense (cost center for you accountants) be greater than what I give to God's kingdom."  The decision impacted where he lived, what he drove, and what he did for recreation.  It even impacted his family, as children and grandchildren were no longer at the top of the spending plan.

I hope you are getting the point.  Acts 19 is full of what happens when people choose to follow Jesus, and what happens when these choices come into conflict with societal norms and Satan's plan to oppose Jesus at every turn.  The choice, here, comes down to asking a question, answering the question, and following the answer you have chosen.  Who benefits from our beliefs, and who we choose to follow?

More

This coming Wednesday, we will have the blessing of hearing a beautiful message from Rev. Carolyn Moore, one of the newly elected interim Bishops in the Global Methodist Church.  I have had the privilege of meeting Bishop Moore, and have enjoyed ministerial interactions with her over the past couple of years.  Rev. More is a real-deal, Spirit-filled, and Jesus-led person.  But she does have one character flaw.  She is relentless and passionate about her vision that the Church (in our case, the Global Methodist Church) needs to hunger and thirst for a God that desires to give the Church more than we have sought in recent years.  Her question is ... "Have we become satisfied with an institutional church, when God's plan and desire is for us to have a transformational Church (note one is capitalized and one is not).  Here are three questions that haunt me, and make me restless for fresh wind and fire.

The first question is ... are we zoo keepers or liberators?  To a God, who has proclaimed that when Jesus comes to town, captives are freed, are we content to make the prisoners content and passive?  A preacher visited a zoo and saw the animal enclosures.  He asked a similar question to the one above.  Do we do to people what zoos do to animals?  Most zoo animals, I believe, would rather be free, even if it means that they would be exposed to the elements, predators, and danger.  I can't answer that question for the zoo animal, but I can answer it for me.  And what would your answer be?  Is your spiritual life one of contentment, or do you hunger for the wild ride God has planned?

The second question is ... is our mission words or wonders?  In Acts 19, God's word says that Paul was so Spirit-filled that "when handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, their illnesses were cured and evil spirits left them."  WOW!!!!  Paul and his team preached Jesus, and spread the Gospel.  They were known for the wonders God did through their ministry.

The last question?  Are WE obstacles, or opportunities?  One of my team members and I have been conversing about this very thing.  What if some of our ministries are hampered because we are only invested in the plan we have made and the picture we have painted?  When I read Acts (go read Acts 19, for example) I see the unbounded and powerful manifestation of God's Spirit.  Do we want that?  Does that scare you?  Are you down for more, or are you fine with the same?

Maybe it comes down to this.  You and I have painted a picture, maybe even a vision, of how we think our church and our ministries should operate.  Our pictures and visions might be just fine, but how is "just fine" working for us?  Rich Mullins writes about this ... "Joy and sorrow are this ocean, in their every ebb and flow.  now the Lord, a door has opened, that all hell can never close, here I'm tested and made worthy, tossed about, and lifted up, in the reckless raging fury, that they call the love of God."  Do you see it? Maybe God's plan, word, and story are filled with wildness, beauty, and a passion that died for us!  That isn't logical, manageable, or confinable.  IT is more of God, bursting into a world that needs a great and holy God.  AMEN?  AMEN!!!

Nice Things

I can't have nice things.  I am not worthy of them, and I am prone to break or lose them.  Watches, sunglasses, reading glasses ... you name it!  

Yesterday, a pair of glasses fell in the driveway.  So I drove over them.  A few weeks back I was playing golf, and my sunglasses fell off ... I destroyed them with my driver.  Lee used to get me watches.  Every single watch was broken within a month.  That's how I roll!  

When it comes to nice things, I settle.  One thing I settle for is cheap.  My rule with sunglasses is one of my coping mechanisms.  I will not pay over $10 for a pair of sunglasses.  Whenever I have violated this rule, I sit on them, crush them, or break them.

When it comes to nice things, I fear them.  I am afraid I will somehow mess them up.  I fear the inevitable time I crush them, lose them, or mangle them.  They are nice but useless.

When it comes to nice things, I protect them.  They become like a trophy that sits on the shelf.  They are part of my past, but have nothing to do with my present or future.  They are something that happened, but is not happening now.

God gives us nice things.  He gives grace we don't deserve.  He gives forgiveness that we don't receive or pass on.  He gives salvation we fail to embrace and enjoy.  Instead, we settle ... we fear ... and we protect.  How do we change this pattern of shielding ourselves from the very blessings God gives us?  Here are a few thoughts.

Dealing with nice things is addressed in the Bible.  In Matthew 25:14-30, we find one of several stories about how we will be judged by God.  Most of us might not like that image, but it is right there in the Bible!  Three people are given "talents" to invest ... they are given a chance make good use of their gift, and 2 people invest wisely.  The third person is a lot like me and nice things ... he settles, fears, and protects.  He settles for rolling along, doing life in the safe, slow lane.  This is the "cheap" alternative, "but doesn't the Master want us to be thrifty?"  He fears what might happen to him if he loses or misuses what has been given.  He is afraid of how all of this might come down on him.  And, he rationalizes that he must protect the gift.  So he buries his gift/talent in the ground, safe from enemies and safe from use.

All of the above reactions, leading to becoming separated from God, are based on "self."  "I don't want to fail, I don't want to expend energy/time/resources, and I don't want to risk."  What begins each of those statements?  I!

Do we realize what should be obvious to every Believer on the face of the planet?  We are called to reflect the image of our Master.  He invested (into this world) the most precious thing in the universe!  Jesus!  He didn't give what was cheap! He didn't give in to fear!  He didn't place Jesus on a useless shelf!  He placed Him on a cross.  So we should give and love and risk, because the nice things we have been given weren't cheap.  We should serve and sacrifice without fear.  We give Jesus away, because we aren't in charge of protecting Him ... He is perfectly capable of protecting Himself.

Do you want nice things from God?  Then invest and risk and live!  AMEN

 

Weiners or Steak?

As I watch what is happening all around me, I wonder if a societal disconnect has happened?  I am growing a little suspicious (really kinda disgusted) at our sports channels and a fair number of our athletes.  On College Gameday, there is a segment on "fashion," as the commentators evaluate the virtues of college uniforms and whether they meet the "style standards" of our day.  I watched the pre-game show on one of our NFL games, as they showed clips of famous athletes parading in wearing, in my opinion, ridiculous outfits.  There was more fur and froufrou than one would see in a high-class Parisian bar.  And, added to this, football players are crying over losing games!!! Dick Butkus and Ray Lewis would have their faces buried in their hands, shouting ... "there's no crying in football!"

I wonder if this 'attitude' has permeated society.  That's how I came up with this blog title.  Let me elaborate.  Would you rather have weiners or steak?  That is an easy choice for me!  While weiners are fast, easy, and pretty tasty, they are also unhealthy.  Hot dogs are a bit like Federal Legislation ... sometimes the end product works out OK, but you don't want to be around to watch the process.  What goes into legislation and weiners would not be part of what we would choose to ingest.  In fact, emulsified meat trimmings, seasonings, preservatives, and fillers don't sound appetizing to me!  Steak, on the other hand, sounds really good.  It is straightforward meat.  You see what you get, with few frills and just the right seasoning!  I am a steak person!

You are probably, by now, asking what this has to do with Church?  Here are a few thoughts.  I wonder if many of our congregations have become froufrou and fur, rather than straightforward Gospel? In Acts 13:46, Paul and Barnabas "waxed bold (KJV)."  They said, "It was necessary that we first preach the Word of God to you (the Jews).  But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles."  That statement isn't formed to be froufrou or fur. It isn't a spiritual "hot dog."  That is steak ... straightforward and direct.  Let's pray we will "wax boldly" and tell the truth in love (Ephesians 14:15).

I wonder if our men (that's us dudes!) have been drawn into a gray culture of middle-ground, watered-down truth and "maybes?" I heard our political leaders described as, "grins with a body behind it." Are we like that?  If we examine the Paul and Barnabas of Acts 13, we would use terms like, sincere, "what you see is what you get," bold, structured about God's truth, decisive, and real.  I love that last one ... real. While most weiners aren't Kosher, I wonder if the Jews that ran Paul and Barnabas out of Antioch of Pisidia were Kosher?  When Paul confronted them, God's word said they incited a riot using influential women and 'important' political leaders. They sound like the ingredients in hot dogs ... filler, preservatives, meat byproducts (not actually meat) ... I think you get the analogy! In our era of fur wearing, froufrou-bearing, crying football players, trying their best to be "tough," the real tough guys are just folks ... folks that Jesus taught to "let your yes be yes and your no be no ... anything more than this comes from the evil one (Matthew 5:37)."

So back to my original thought.  Would you rather have weiners or steak?  Do you want real substance or the fur and froufrou of our culture? Do you seek the boldness of Paul and Barnabas, or the deception and back-biting of the Jewish leaders? Do you want perception or truth? Do you desire the fleeting peace of the world, or the sustaining peace of Christ? Will you live in Jesus' kingdom, where He is King, or in culture where Satan is "the Prince of the air (and airways)".  I am a steak person!  AMEN

Trickle

Last year there was a slight little noise coming from the water tank behind one of the toilets.  I tolerated it for awhile, ignoring it for a couple weeks.  Then, upon receiving the water bill, I was motivated to fix that little leak.  The "trickle" became real when the water bill was over $30 more than usual!

There are two Biblical examples of this analogy being played out.  One is negative.  In Galatians 5:6, Paul warns the church at Galatia about pride.  He reminds us that pride is both "not good (Paul's words)," contagious, and destructive.  "Your boasting is terrible!  Don't you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?"  Pride starts small, but it eats away at the structure of the church.  Paul says, beware!

Another example of a trickle describes the church in the world.  In Ezekiel 47, a trickle of water leaves the temple, flowing to the Dead Sea.  It begins small, but it quickly expands to a river too vast to cross.  It flows from the temple all the way to the Dead Sea, refreshing and renewing all it touches along the way.

In the Pre-Christian world, where people don't know about Christ, aren't aware of His saving power, and are blind to the Kingdom Jesus is bringing "on earth as it is in heaven," we are that living water.  We are the river from the temple!

I know you are feeling a lot like that trickle, making a little sound and adding just a little water to your world.  But take heart!  You are the "strong and mighty warrior" from Judges 6!  You bear the little child that entered this world through a manger in Bethlehem.  And, you carry the power of the Holy Spirit, who is able to fill the whole world with life-giving sustenance.  Let God's river flow through you!  AMEN

Not ME!!

A few months back, I was in Walmart in Eufaula.  I was taking a shortcut to the back of the store and I passed through the pharmacy.  As I walked near the pharmacy window I overheard a woman who was obviously a little fearful of getting what I think was a flu shot.  Being the "nice guy" I am, and wanting to be encouraging, I said, "Oh ... those are nothing.  You won't even feel it.  You can get through this!"  The pharmacy lady looked over at me and said, "Would you like to get your flu shot too?"  My response was quick, decisive, and bold ... "Not me?!"

As I continued my trip to the back of the store, a Biblical image came to mind.  Moses, who encountered the burning bush in Midian, and heard God's voice say, "I am sending you to bring my people,  the Israelites, out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10)."  Moses replied, "Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring your people out of Egypt (Exodus 3:11)?"  The English translation here is, "Not ME?!"

Here is where we should look a little closer at this story.  1) Moses wasn't chosen because going to Egypt, rescuing the Israelites, and leading the Hebrew nation was HIS plan ... it was God's plan.  "Yes, Moses, YOU!" 2) Moses wasn't chosen because he was qualified for the job ... he was chosen because God would equip him for the job ... "Yes, Moses, YOU!"  3) He wasn't chosen because of his timing ... he was chosen because of God's timing ... "Yes, Moses, YOU!"

What is your plan?  What are your qualifications?  What is your perfect timing?  Do you/we arrogantly think that these are God's criteria for choosing us to meet a need, do a task, or embark upon a journey? Or do you really believe the prayer Jesus prayed in Gethsemane ... "Not my will but thine?"

It was far easier for me to commit that lady to getting that shot, than it was to submit myself to getting that shot.  Maybe the next time God's Spirit tweaks my spirit to act, maybe I should ask, "Why not me?"