Between the Waves

If you have been hanging out in the Methodist Church, you should know that there are seasons in the Church year.  Some of these are pretty obvious.  Christmas, Lent, and Easter should be very familiar to you.  Also, Pentecost should be an important day/time in your view of the Church.  But the season we are in, Eastertide, isn't talked about a lot.  Eastertide is the season between Easter and Pentecost.  It is a 40-day period that happens between two very important high points of our liturgical year.  Easter is an obvious peak, as we celebrate the risen Lord.  Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Church, recounted in Acts 2.  So Eastertide is a "between the waves" time.

When I was little, our family would travel to Myrtle Beach every summer.  Dad and I would fish, and Mom and the rest of the family would bask on the beach.  I wasn't much of a beach person, but when I went out on the beach, I would body surf (we couldn't afford a surfboard).  It was a lot of fun to ride those waves in on a windy day, and I was skinny and wiry (not like today) so I was pretty proficient at body surfing.  But in looking back on those days, there were moments of the "high" of riding the waves, and hours of swimming back out, fighting the waves, to get to the next euphoric wave.  Most of the beach time was spent trudging through the push of the waves and the pull of the backwash.

I think that is a bit like life!  We love the peaks.  Waves, vacations, Easter, Pentecost ... the high moments and mountaintops.  But a lot more time is spent in the work and life between the peaks of the waves.

11 disciples are between the waves.  They get glimpses of the glory of God, manifested in the resurrected Jesus.  But these glimpses are moments that happen amid a life that involves uncertainty, peril, persecution, and waiting.  For these 11 disciples, and numerous other followers,  life between the waves can be frustrating.  "When will we see Him again?" "What did He mean when He said He is sending the advocate (John 14:26)?"  "Is there a message embedded in His appearing to us on the seashore (John 21)?"

Between now and Pentecost we will examine life "Between the Waves."  We will look at how we can learn to enjoy, relish, and thrive in these times in the valley of life.  I hope we can learn together, and I hope we will come to find the hope and joy in doing life together ... "Between the Waves."

Where Did The Blood Go?

We, as Christians, and particularly Southern Christians, might be a little focused (maybe rabidly) on the blood of Jesus.  We sing Precious Blood, Nothing But The Blood, Oh The Blood ... you get the point.  Jesus' blood is precious, healing and cleansing.  I had a strange thought as I was reflecting on Easter, the Crucifixion and upon passages like Revelation 12:10-11 ... "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now is come salvation and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night.  And they overcame them by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives, unto the death."

Three things stand out from this apocalyptic passage from the middle of a great conflict in heaven and on earth.  The first is the term, "they."  Who are "they?"  My answer ... The Church! Jesus lived, loved, and poured Himself into this mission to save the world through His sacrifice, and the vehicle that He brings into existence, beginning with Matthew 16 is, the Church.  His blood flowed into the ground at the foot of the cross, but His lifeblood flowed into the Church.  And, in Matthew 16, Jesus said, "and the very gates of hell will not prevail against it (the Church)."  Jesus blood flowed into the Church, and they (the Church) overcame them (the minions of evil) "by the blood of the Lamb."

Jesus' blood also flowed into the words of faithful testimony.  Another component of the victory in Revelation 12 is the "testimony of the Saints."  This, to me, highlights the value of the parts of our worship where we share our "stories."  It is the very act of being "living stones" which are witnesses to what God has done.  In the words of Kim Hill, "When I remember what You've done, when I remember the shedding of Your blood, I can't help but worship you!"

She is witnessing to the truth of God's salvation through Jesus!

Finally, Revelation 12 reflects the need to love and live beyond our narcissistic tendencies.  If life or Church is about us, it is not about Jesus or the Bride of Christ.  We are constantly choosing the smallness of self and "ME" or the vastness of God's Kingdom.  The voice from heaven in Revelation 12 proclaims, "Now has come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of God."  Our salvation and the strength to do life, comes from Jesus and being "in the Kingdom."  The Church does life in the beauty and depth of the Kingdom of God (on earth as it is in heaven).  Jesus' blood flows through the river of His Kingdom.

David said, in Psalm 118 ... "The Lord is my strength and my salvation."  The Church of Revelation 12 accepts and applies this strength and salvation by being covered by the blood of the Lamb, by sharing their testimony about the goodness of God, and by living in His Kingdom amid a warring and troubled world.  I don't know about you, but I choose the blood of the Lamb that was slain ... the one who is salvation ... the one who takes away the sins of the world!  AMEN!

The Last Stone

During Lent, we (Wednesday and Sunday) immersed ourselves in the idea of building an altar.  We shared thoughts on God's desire to provide us space to encounter, embrace and worship Him.  It was a time of depth, self-searching and lots of "holy conversation" as we gathered for worship and Bible Study.  This week I want us to think about the last stone on the altar.  What will "top off" this season of reflection and send us off in our journey from Easter to Pentecost?

I had two thoughts about this idea of a final stone to express our love and devotion for Jesus, our Lord and savior.  The first thought is to look into what Jesus did as He also made the journey to the cross and beyond.  Jesus provided a beautiful example of being "all in" to life with His Church, His foot soldiers and His ambassadors.  Jesus laid Himself on the altar.  We heard about it during Holy Week as we remembered.  We cried on Good Friday, as we thought about Jesus carrying our sins and the weight of our transgressions to the cross.  We heard His voice as he cried, "It is finished!"  Jesus' final stone on the altar of total devotion to the Father was Himself!

The second thought (for those of us following "Wake-Up-Call") revolves around Paul's expression of God's love in Ephesians 3:14-21.  In this passage, Paul expresses his desire for the Church to "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."  Paul wants us to spend time investing in knowing this Jesus that loved us so much He laid His own body down in death to rescue and redeem us.  Paul considers this endeavor a life-long laying down of self so that he can become more and more rooted in Jesus.

While I don't particularly like the song, the first words of "Are Ye Able" capture Jesus' question to the disciples in Matthew 20.  The song says, "are ye able, said the Master, to be crucified with me?"  In Matthew 20:22, Jesus says, "Are ye able to drink of the cup I drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"  I think Jesus is asking, "are you willing to get up on that altar with me, sacrifice self and become what I am making you?"  In doing this, we can become so rooted in Jesus that everything else becomes unimportant.  Everything else becomes secondary.  Everything else is placed in its proper priority, and Jesus takes the place He deserves ... first.  By placing yourself on the altar, and giving your will to Jesus, "the things of the earth become strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

We (I, me, self) are the last stone!  Randy  

A Long Run

When I was training to run a marathon, I had 2 young children (around 4 and 7).  This presented an obstacle.  We were living in Louisiana, and all of that running didn't always fit into our schedule.  So, I had to get creative.

To get in my training miles, I decided to do something pretty drastic.  I would go to work in the morning and would run home (a little over 10 miles) after work in the Louisiana heat.  It was oppressive and grueling, but it got the job done in the window of time I had available.  I ran and finished that marathon!

In Church work, when Easter is over, most of us take a deep breath and say, "That was wonderful, but I am glad that season is done!"  When I began ministry, the Methodist preachers even had an Easter Monday golf outing in Bonifay.  It was our expression of, "Whew, I'm glad that is done for another year!"

But the story of Jesus reminds us of something this "deep breath of relief" missed.  Easter is not an end ... it is a new beginning.  On Easter morning I preached about the response of 2 women (Matthew 28).  The women meet the resurrected Jesus and they 1) run to Him, 2) embrace Him and 3) worship Him.  This is the 1st of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances and it marks, for us, an example of our response to what Jesus has done.  For the race is long, and the road ahead is filled with the toil of that long journey ahead.  How will we handle that race?

I think we remember this response on Easter morning by 2 women.  In the book of Acts, there is a theme in Luke's writing.  The theme is "continuance."  The early Church doesn't just do one thing and then change to another thing.  They do things continually and repeatedly.  They continue to "run to Jesus" by meeting/worshipping together, studying the Apostle's teaching, and praying.  These are ways this church "startup" and 2 women "run to Jesus."

We run to Jesus ... and we embrace Jesus.  Tell me about the week you have planned.  Do you embrace Jesus with these activities?  If Jesus is "friend," "your solid rock," your "all in all,"  how are you showing that?  In the resurrection, Jesus embraces the whole world with the possibility of forgiveness and eternal life.  He asks for us to believe and embrace Him.

The 2 women worshipped Jesus.  I believe Jesus intends this as a primarily corporate endeavor.  In Acts, the Church is often shown in the context of being "together."  They were together in the Upper Room, awaiting the Holy Spirit.  They were together as they prayed for Peter's release from prison.  they were together when a blind Saul comes to receive sight and a new name, Paul.  We worship Him, and we share the context of fellowship as we share life, light and Jesus.

Life in Christ isn't an event where we make some statement and then go our independent way.  Life in Christ is a journey ... training ... a race.  The race is long and filled with obstacles.  But Jesus, and His Church share that race with you.  And remember, those women had a short-term and long-term destination.  They ran TO Jesus, then and there.  But Jesus was heading off to Galilee, to meet up with His disciples.  That was a destination too!  Then (Acts 1) the disciples are sent to wait together for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit comes the early Church experiences joy, fellowship and a massive persecution ... no good deed goes unpunished, I guess!  But they keep on running the race, even when the course morphs into struggle.

I remember the words of an old Petra song ... "There is a way, that leads to life, the few that find it never die, past mountain peaks, graced white with snow, the way grows brighter as it goes, sometimes a shadow, dark and cold, lays like a mist upon the road, but be encouraged by the sight, where there's a shadow, there's a light."  We have an everyday destination ... Jesus.  We have an eternal destination ... eternity with Jesus.  Let's continue in the faith together!  AMEN 

Do We Get It?

I think all of us love our Easter Music and our Easter rituals.  Here we say, "He is risen," and the enthusiastic response is, "He is risen indeed!"  I love that!  We bring flowers for the cross (please bring lots so the cross will be beautiful).  Jim Carter and I will assemble the tomb, and Jim will place chicken wire on the cross so that the flowers can be placed.  There will be flowers, songs, lots of good music as we gather at 7am for the Sunrise Service, 9am for the Contemporary Service and 11am for the Traditional Service.  There will be a lot of preparation and work that will happen during the week as Andy practices, the Praise Team gathers to make sure all is good, Tina gets our 11am service stuff together, Monica does bulletins, and all of the "behind-the-scenes" things are done.  Most of you never see these things, so I encourage you to tell the participants, "Thank you!"  But in the midst of all of these things, do we get it?

Do we get the magnitude of the resurrection as we sing, "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today ... Lives again our Glorious King, Where O death is now your sting?, once He died, our souls to save, where's thy victory, boasting grave?"  Is this worth our devotion, our priority, our worship?

Do we understand that this event is the culmination of the Good News of the Gospel?  "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)!"  God has brought us new life, new hope and He has allowed us to put away our old proud, greedy, self-focused self!  Have we put away pride, greed and self?  Has our life in Christ changed our patterns, or do we revert to that person who is supposed to be dead (the one who leaves Christ and follows our emotions)?  Do we get it?

Do we enbrace Christ, or do we embrace our culture that sees Holy Week as a chance to "take a spring break?"  Our community has decided it is a good time for the circus to come to town!  Do we treat Christ and the Church as the driving force, or do we treat them both as an afterthought?  Do we get it?

I am sending this blog early this week.  There will be plenty of details to "put to bed" as next week travels from "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him" to "He is risen, He is risen indeed."  I hope to see all of you, and sing the praises of the Lord Most High!  We will meet for communion Thursday (7pm), and remember His betrayal.  We will meet Friday (7pm), and remember His crucifixion.  We will wait expectantly Saturday and hope in the promise of His resurrection.  We will meet Sunday and sing those beautiful songs that some think are worth their twice-yearly journey inside the doors of the church.  

My prayer for us ... our body of Christ ... our congregation, is this.  That we get the God who is above our culture, above our petty patterns, and, above even death!  That we come, serve, worship, smell, taste and touch the God who is calling, "Come home!"  "He arose!" "He is alive!" And we are the plan to tell the world this Good News!  Will you join me and His Church, as you leave self and follow Him?  Will He change you ... will you get it?  Thanks for listening!

Struggle

We are entering the last week of the Lenten season as we make our journey to the Cross and the Resurrection.  I am mindful and reflective of what a struggle Jesus encountered as he made His way back to Jerusalem and back to a week of shallow praise, deep evil, and beautiful sacrifice.  We will share, together, the stories of this week.

In my devotional time, I read the story of Jacob's wrestling match with God, as Jacob struggled with every aspect of life.  Jacob had brother issues.  Jacob had family issues.  But Jacob also had an identity issue.  In the wrestling match from Genesis 32, Jacob struggles with God all night.  The match ends with God blessing Jacob, but also changing his name to Israel.

As I thought about this story, I thought about something that I hadn't before.  Why did God change Jacob's name?  Here's what I think!

The passage says, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome (Genesis 32:28)."  I think this passage can apply to all who read it.  We all struggle with God.  We all struggle with people.  We all struggle with ourselves.  And, I think the greatest struggle is deciding exactly who we are and who we belong to.

Jacob's name change was a reminder that he was part of something bigger than himself and all of his little issues.  Jacob had a big God with a big picture view of the world, and Jacob's life/responsibility stretched over generations and over the whole world.  Israel was called as a witness and blessing to all nations.

Jacob's name change was God's claim on him.  Jacob was a man with lots of problems.  Israel was a father of great nations that would produce one who was the savior of that whole world.

Jacob's name change was a call to see himself as part of a great movement of God.  That movement, as Jesus comes to Jerusalem, sees God's plan overcome even death, as Jesus is praised, betrayed, crucified, buried, and resurrected, all in the span of a week.  And the movement of God's salvation plan moves from the temple, out into the whole world.

Are you willing to be renamed by God?  Are you willing to move from your petty struggle just to exist, into God's plan to bring the whole world to Him?  Can you, just for a moment, place your pride, distrust, and self on hold, so you can grasp what Paul (also a recipient of a new name) meant when he said ... "and may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is."  Maybe we should grapple with that, rather than our pettiness!  AMEN

Renewing a Promise

Have you ever been in a high and holy moment?  Not a contrived time to elicit your emotions, or a time when you are basking in something good that has happened to you.  I am speaking about a time when God's presence is so evident that you can taste, feel, and touch it!

I can think of several of these times.  There was my 1st real experience with God, when I came to the altar as a 7-year-old.  I knew God was there!  There was a time, on a mission trip to Brazil, when we worshipped at the exact center of the South American continent, and looked out on a beautiful vista.  I remember thinking, "Lord, you are truly God above all!"  There have been moments in time when, in that high and holy experience, there is an intense need to reset my relationship with God and with the people God has placed in my life.

In Joshua 8:30-35, we find the Hebrew people in a state of change.  Moses has died, and Joshua has just achieved a great victory over the King of Ai.  But that victory was not the high and holy moment.  After the Hebrews had prevailed, they built an altar and offered a fellowship offering.  This was done as a pause in the fight to take Canaan, the land promised by God.  It was a reset to consider 1) who had brought the victory, 2) how they could continue to be connected to God as the battle continued, and 3) who they were as a people.  It is very interesting how Joshua reinforced these three things.

First, he built an altar, "according to what is written in the Book of the Law."  I love this "first" act, because what we do first conveys what is in our hearts and minds.  They had a massive worship service and made burnt and fellowship offerings, focused on a reset of their relationship with God and one another.  Pretty amazing!

Second, Joshua copied/re-wrote the law of Moses that had been given by God.  And, they had no copy machine!  All of this was in the context of a worship service.

Third, the worship time continued as Joshua "read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses."  I wonder if he preceded his reading with, "I've got good news and bad news."  This must have taken days!

Finally, Joshua made sure that every human ("the whole assembly of Israel") heard what was read.  Men, women and children ... foreigners living among them ... all the people.

How could Joshua assemble such a group, and make sure everyone was present and listening?  They were all focused on one thing ... following the commands of God.  They owned the mission, owned their part in the mission, owned the leadership God had provided and they believed in the source of all, the God of Israel.

How can we reset?  We can renew our promise and live into God's promises!  Maybe we can place the commands of God as our focus and priority.  Maybe we can own the mission to "take the land God has given" by making disciples of Jesus who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.  Maybe we can realize that these things happen when we are participants, and not bystanders.  Maybe, we can decide to engage and encourage our leaders, and become the leaders God has called us to be.  Maybe, we can become believers in Christ so much that we actually decide to follow Him!

Finest

Each year I marvel at the Missions Auction that takes place in our Family Life Center.  I have learned that we can approach this event with different perspectives.  Some come to this kind of auction hoping to find that 'deal' that is a diamond in the rough.  I understand the attitude.  Things are costly, and every dollar means something.  But some come differently.  They come to see how we can help out with missional needs in our community and all over the world.  I am not writing to condemn one or praise the other.  I have just been challenged by the Wake Up Call devotionals I have read, and am especially convicted/convinced by today's episode about bringing the finest.

The attitude of bringing the finest to God can relate to our stuff.  I have a pastor friend who had a member knock on his door.  When he opened the door, the man stood on the front porch with an old TV.  The man said, "God told me to give this TV to the parsonage."  My friend (after seeing this attitude for many years of ministry) finally broke and said, "No He did not!"  "Let's see ... you are telling me that you have this old TV taking up space, and you want to get rid of it.  I suspect you probably have a newer/better TV at home.  So let's see ... you want to give this to the church, while you reserve the good stuff for your use?" The man left in a huff, and my friend figured he was about to be in trouble with the leadership of his church.  Later that day, he heard another knock on the door.  He opened the door, and there stood the man with a new TV.  The man simply said, "You were right."  He left the TV and walked off.

While this amusing story might give us the chance to scoff at this man and his attitude, I wouldn't be so fast to criticize.  Do we give God our finest?  Of our resources?  Of our talents?  Of our time?  Of our creativity?  I certainly fall short on this at times, and I am glad the Wake Up Call has reminded me that God called the Hebrews to bring the finest flour as a grain offering.  The offering was given to remember the covenant made at Mt. Sinai ... this is where God claimed the Hebrews as His people and they claimed Yahweh as their God.  This offering was both an act of worship and a way to provide for the priests who served God.  The grain offering was to be of the finest flour and was an act of worship and ongoing relationship with God and His people.

So, how do you come to the altar we are building?  For we come 1) entering God's place and presence (what an honor!), 2) rejoicing in our relationship with God, 3) excited that God has provided leadership that loves their people, 4) remembering God's kept promises, and 5) expectantly looking forward to God's work that is to come!  It is worth our finest!  So we bring our open hearts.  We bring our repentance!  We bring our humility!  We bring our children!  For we offer what is dear to us ... our finest!  Because God gave us the very best He had ... His name was/is Jesus!

Holy Is The Lord

There are 2 stories in Scripture that capture the nature of offering and the way we are supposed to offer freely and completely to God.  They are seemingly harsh stories, because the main characters in both stories are in deep personal strife as God comes to them.  The stories are both misused and misunderstood.

As I remember these 2 stories and the related Scriptures, I find myself thinking about how I offer to God.  The words partial, guarded, selfish, incomplete, insufficient and comfortable come to mind.  I wonder if giving the leftovers to God are the things that block God's desire to give us the blessings and abundance He offers freely?  And I wonder if what we venture/invest has a direct relationship to what we receive?  These are deep questions that make me squirm in the presence of God.  Here are a couple of stories of 2 people who have a very different attitude than me!

In 2 Samuel 24, David is under punishment by God for disobedience.  David is instructed by Gad (the prophet) to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  David speaks to Araunah and tells him he will buy the threshing floor.  Aranuah tells David to take it, at no cost.  But David insists on paying for the floor, saying, "I will not offer to God what costs me nothing!"  David understood, there is a reason the offering is called a sacrifice.

And now for that strange and misunderstood story about Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is living life with the improbable birth of Isaac, the long awaited son (Abraham was 100 years old).  In Genesis 22, Abraham is commanded to sacrifice the treasured son as a burnt offering on the mountain God leads him to.  The story says Abraham loaded up firewood and went "early the next morning."   As Abraham places the boy on the altar, God says, "do not lay a hand on the boy."  I expect in great relief, Abraham sees a ram caught in a thicket, and he sacrifices the ram as an act of devotion, thanksgiving and atonement.  He calls the place, "The Lord will provide."  God then speaks a blessing on Abraham and Isaac.

I will leave each of you to consider the words you will place on these stories.  The first reminds me of devotion to a Holy God that deserves my offering that is costly.  Not the last fruits, but the first fruits.  The second makes me ask, "do I trust God so much I would offer Him anything?"  Ponder these thoughts and see what God reveals to you as you allow God's word and Spirit to alter the way you serve, worship and love.  AMEN

Fire

The Bible has many references to fire as a manifestation of God's presence.  The burning bush (Exodus 3), the smoke and fire on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) and the fire of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) all come to mind.  In our series about altars and being altered by the true and living God, we will talk a lot about God's presence and about intentionally opening a door of space in which God can indwell us. "Lord, prepare me, to be a Sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true."

It is interesting to watch our children every Sunday morning.  As they gather before the 2nd service, they all want the 'best' job ... to bring the fire.  The term, bring the fire, was invented by one of our little guys way back there, and it has stuck in our minds.  They are honored to be the one chosen to carry the candle lighters, and are especially intense when they are lighting the candles.  I enjoy watching their faces and wonder if our adults can ever be that focused and intense when they consider the magnitude and awe of God lighting that flame in us!  It is a beautiful perk of sitting near the altar each Sunday morning.

Let's focus on one instance of fire, altars and images this morning.  In Leviticus 6:8-9, God's Word says, "The Lord said to Moses: "Give Aaron and his sons this command: 'These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar."  This begs the question, "How do we keep the altar fire burning?"  Here are a few ideas:

  1. Choose following vs believing - Our society uses the word 'belief' a little too lightly.  In the Greek of the New Testament,  the idea of belief was being invested in what you believe in.  When Jesus said, "believe" Jesus meant that belief was being all in, including every sacrifice needed to "keep the fire alive."  In modern terminology, a better word would be "following."  Followers are not merely fans of Jesus (they like Him).  Followers put all their chips out there to say, "Jesus is not only the #1 option ... He is the only option."  The demons believed in Jesus.  Satan believes in Jesus.  We (Christians) follow Jesus wherever He goes (though we know "the son of man has no place to lay His head [Matthew 8:20]").  Following keeps the fire stoked!

  2.  Choose submitting vs controlling - The passage from Leviticus expresses the will of a God who actually cares about the fire.  Paul says not to "quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5)."  I quench God's Spirit when I have to be in control, orchestrating all things.  When we orchestrate, we get upset or disappointed when things don't happen our way.  When we "let go" we allow for the mystery and beauty of God's plan.  Let God bring you/me to the altar.  Let God make your heart and mind a place where His good plans come in like a welcome breath of cool air on a hot summer day.  Expect God to do things you can't even fathom!

  3.  Choose fire vs safety - Fire isn't safe.  When the fire of God's Spirit is moving and working, strange and beautiful things happen.  Fire consumes (Hebrews 12:29) ... be swept away by the fire of the Spirit.  Fire refines (Proverbs 17:3) ... allow God to purify your heart in His fire.  God invites us to the fire of His Holy Spirit so our old self and our old desires are burnt away, leaving the refinement of sanctification.

Following and submitting to fanning the flame of God's holy fire require work, effort and intention.  Aaron's sons needed to watch, work, feed and fan the fire of the Leviticus altar.  Are you feeding the fire or quenching it?  I hope to see you all on Sunday, where we will listen and be expectant for what God is doing!  

Alterations

In her introduction of the series Altar'd (the one we will spend Lent exploring), Susan Kent offers an image of God as a master tailor.  Most of us have experienced a time when our clothing needed to be altered.  All my life I have moved in and out of my "fighting" weight (more out than in) and have seen/felt my clothing either comfortably loose or uncomfortably tight.  Maybe you have too, but I think we get the picture!

Here is how my mind wraps around the image of God as a master tailor, clothing us for a righteous and holy life, in the image of Jesus.  First, we must ask, "how much we trust the tailor."  We live in a world of options and possibilities.  What kind of fabric?  Which colors do I wear?  What will either attract attention or blend in?  But, what if we asked the tailor, "What looks best and fits your design of me?"  "How can I dress for the plans you have for me (Jeremiah 29), and for the work you will have me do (Philippians 1:6)?"  Will we let the master tailor be in total charge of the design, the fabric, the color and the texture of our garment?

Second, how does the fitting happen?  When you go to a tailor to get fitted for clothing, what uncomfortable thing must you do?  You must stand in front of the tailor, allow the tailor to look at you, and be still while the tailor marks the fabric (Psalm 139:23-24).  These things are necessary if you want the finished garment to fit properly.  And, I admit, I am not very good at these things, especially that "being still" thing.  "Be still and know that I am God" ... Psalm 46:10 comes to mind.

Finally, we must remember that the making of the garment is a process.  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14)."  If God is the master tailor, the master builder and our Lord, we accept "process" as part of the deal.  I remember singing, "God's still working on you!"

Every week I resemble an impatient, fickle and demanding customer of the master tailor.  I want the garment now.  I don't want to stand still.  I want to be in charge.  I question my wonderful creator, rather than kneeling at His altar and saying, "You are the potter and I am the clay (Isaiah 64:8)."  So I will leave this blog with a prayer ... "Lord, we are made for Your purpose and Your Kingdom.  Mark us so we can be clothed in Your righteousness.  Clothe us so that we will be dressed for battle, helping, healing and heaven ... whatever you choose.  You pick out the fabric, the design and the way You want the garment to look.  For You are the potter, and the clay isn't supposed to tell the potter what to do.  I trust You.  Help me with my doubts, encourage me when I fail, and thank You for loving me when I fail to be still enough to know You.  I give this day to Your plan and Your Kingdom. AMEN!"

The First Stone

Stones have a prominent place in Biblical teaching.  There is the "Let he who is sinless cast the first stone" in John 8:7, where we learn nobody qualified to stone a sinful woman.  There is   "You are like living stones (1 Peter 2:5) where we learn to become places/people that mark a place where God's work/goodness happens.  There is Jesus as "the stone that makes them stumble and the rock that makes them fall (1 Peter 2:8)" where we remember that failure to obey Jesus' teachings causes us to stumble and fall in our life of faith.  Then, there is the stone that builds an altar (found throughout Scripture).  Over the next couple of months we will be studying how to build and become an altar, built to worship, honor and point to God.

The title of the Bible Study (we will begin this subject on Ash Wednesday [February 14th] as we enter the Lenten season) for Lent, which we will share on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, is Altar'd.  The idea of this study is to 1) learn about Biblical altars, 2) get God's guidance on how we and our church can be an altar and, 3) how our devotion to Jesus can/should alter our lives.  I am really looking forward to where we will go with this time together!

As I begin to think about altars and stones, I remember (about four years ago) when I decided the planter areas at the house in Freeport needed more definition.  They didn't look good and they were not well-defined.  The plants, the mulch and the intrusive grass went pretty much where they wanted.  So I went to a stone place in Dothan and loaded my truck with a lot of pretty big river rocks.  I used the stones to outline and define the planter areas.  The stones kept my mulch and soil where it was supposed to be.  It also kept intrusive weeds and grass out of the planters.  The river rocks also looked attractive.  The end result made my yard look better and much easier to maintain.  The project was a success.

Building an altar has a similar effect on our life of faith.  Altars point to who we worship and they are built for the one we worship.  They are places of devotion, worship and sacrifice.  They frame the places we can grow best.  They hold in the fertile soil, and keep out the invasive weeds.  We go there to find nourishment, but we also go there for one very important thing.  The altar is where we (at least figuratively) enter the presence of God.  God's presence is the only thing that makes the altars in our church holy.

This week I want you to think of a word.  The word is Sanctuary.  Think about what this word means.  And, I want you to think out of the box a bit.  Think about what that word and that place might mean to God.  What is God's purpose in giving us this place?  How does this place further God's mission in the world He created?  Why did God (from the beginning) give humans a place to both worship and meet Him?  What does this say about God and His relationship with people?  See you Sunday!  Randy

Rejection or Rejoicing?

How do you react to Jesus?  Do you say, "My relationship with God is personal and private, so I keep all that stuff to myself."  Do you say, "That 'religious' stuff is a bunch of mumbo, jumbo ... so I just come on Sunday, maybe go to Sunday School and spend the other 166 hours (that is 1.2% of a week) doing my own thing.  Or, do you consider each hour and each moment a chance to witness, serve and "never tire of doing good (2 Thess. 3:13)."

I have an old Video study called, "They hate the Church, but they love Jesus."  At first I kind of liked this thought.  And then I started to think about what this says.  Can we hate the bride of Christ (the one He loves, died for and will return for) and say we love Him?  I don't think so.  That is not how we react to Jesus, or the Church.

In Luke 4, there is a story about reacting to Christ.  Jesus quotes Isaiah 61, proclaiming that God's Spirit is upon Him, that He has been sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.  I guess the crowd caught on to that last phrase, "the year of the Lord's favor," and they liked that idea, for they all thought they were God's favored (chosen) people.  But as Jesus continued to talk, He began explaining that He didn't necessarily come to lift up the chosen, affirm the religious authorities and endorse the status quo.  He really meant that stuff about the oppressed, the captives, the infirm and the poor.  The people looked around and remembered that they missed that particular list.  Then He really got them upset.  He reminded them that God heals who God chooses to heal, not basing His work on the pedigree or the position of the people.  The reaction?  The authorities and the people in the Synagogue got so mad, they wanted to kill Him!

Before you start pointing fingers, think about how Jesus is treated in this present darkness.  His bride is roundly opposed and ridiculed.  His teachings are ignored.  His word is dismissed as archaic, outdated and mistaken.  People say they love Jesus, but they tend to add a lot of corrections, modifications and misrepresentations.  That is how people react to Jesus, who brings good news, freedom and healing to those who follow and accept Him.

But, in the final analysis, all of the media, all of the culture and all of the naysayers really don't matter.  The question is, do you follow Jesus, or do you modify Jesus to create a God you can put in a box and carry around?  The question is, how do you react to His Lordship?

In verse 4:34, the impure spirit reacts ... "have you come to destroy us, the Holy one of God?"  In verse 4:35, that same spirit obeyed and left the person it was inhabiting.  In verse 4:42, the people tried to keep Jesus from leaving them.

So, is your reaction to drive Jesus away, because you don't like His message, or do you want Him to stay, because you know His word and His presence brings healing, wholeness and life?  Do you reject Him, or do you rejoice?

Let's unpack this on Sunday!    

What's the Point?

I wonder if our society/culture treats the issues of faith with a "what's the point?" attitude.  I ask this question because it seems clear that several things have happened to Christians over the years.  Those things can be summed-up with two words ... priority and community.

Schools (including Christian schools) once placed the local church and local congregations at the forefront of the planning process.  Now, schedules (Wednesday nights and even Sunday mornings) generally ignore the happenings in the local church.  Sporting events have long ignored even the presence of a faith community.  I could add the schedule pressures of recreation, pastimes, hobbies, family events to this list that has raised all of these things up above the work and worship of the one we call "our Lord."  One wonders about that Lordship thing.

I saw a post last week from a pastor I know.  It said, "I hope all of you are thinking about your attendance in church tomorrow!"  My thought was a quote from a retired Bishop who was asked about his plans for Sunday morning.  He responded, "I made those plans and those decisions when I became a Christian.  I said I would support my church and my Lord with my prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness."

As Paul (and his writing crew of Timothy and Silas in 51AD) writes to a confused, scattered and discouraged group of Christians in Thessalonica, Paul reminds the people of 2 things they/we must do when we get off-course in our understanding and application of faith.  Paul says 1) "remember what I told you when I was with you (2 Thess. 2:5)" and 2) "Hold fast to the teachings you received (2 Thess. 2:15)."  Good advice I think!

1. Remember - There is a beautiful thread that runs through Scripture and our faith.  It is this little word, remember. God tells the Hebrew people, remember what things were like in Egypt, remember I brought you out of Egypt, remember I gave you a land with cisterns you did not dig and vineyards you did not plant, remember the command to not follow the gods of the nations, do this (as often as you drink it) in remembrance of me.  This thread of remembrance is something we can count on when life gets dicey, and something we can reference when we need guidance out of a difficult place.  God's word is given to us to learn and remember.  I watch the little girls on our front row in the 2nd service as they all recite the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles Creed and "the word of God for the people of God."  I hope one day, when faced with choices about priorities, they will remember their foundation of faith and their solid-ground of beliefs that they learned while here in this place.

2. Hold Fast - Paul says hold fast to the teachings you received. God's word is our foundation.  God's word is truth ... and we can count on it.  God's word leads us into consistent, committed corporate gathering, worship and life.  We remember and hold to this when we are making our decisions on our priorities.  We remember and hold fast to God's promises as we structure our time, finances and family time.  "Nothing in my hands I bring, only to the cross I cling."

In the 1st service this week, we will sing a song called "Pass the Promise."  The words go, "Pass the promise to our sons and daughters, God most high, God our father, we bear witness."  So let me remind you of those last 3 words ... "We bear witness."  How we remember and hold fast as we express our faith in the corporate body of Christ, is how they will remember and hold fast.  It is our joy and our solemn responsibility.  We are telling our community that the life, death and resurrection of Christ is important, vital and the center of our life.  That's the point!  Randy

Appointed

Do you feel appointed?  Here for a reason and a purpose?  And, do you wonder why grasping that purpose and reason seems both fleeting and just out of reach?

I think we are a society, maybe a world, that is sleep-walking through time.  We need direction ... we need focus ... and we need God!  The Apostle Paul knew this, and he saw this attitude manifested in his world in 51AD.  He wrote to the church in Thessalonica about several topics, including "the day of the Lord."  And just like today, his letter was misunderstood.  Where Paul was telling the people about living out Jesus' vision of life in a world that seemed to be crumbling around them, people got all excited about placing their focus on end times  (after all, it is easier to dream about the days to come than it is to live in the present struggle of life).  But let's read 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 5, a little closer.  For with Paul, remember his writings are arguments and apologetics that end in conclusions.  What did Paul conclude here?

"He died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.  Therefore, encourage one another and build each other us, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11)!"  Whatever we are doing and whatever life sends our way, we live in Christ!  We are people of light and hope.  I preached Sunday evening in Montgomery that we are the people that bring God's light into a world that sells darkness.  We give away light while Satan sells darkness.  We offer living water while Satan offers intoxicating delusions.  Paul says, "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)."  We offer the hope of salvation through faith in Jesus, while Satan offers the illusion of pleasure through the chains of distraction, addiction and being drunk (Paul's words) on falseness.

Here is my last observation.  Paul uses the words ... "together with Him."  My question for this week is ... "What takes you/me away from being together with Jesus?"  For He is found with His bride, the Church.  He is found with the poor and the powerless.  Wesley said He is found in the Sacraments, fellowship with other Christians, accountability with other Christians and encouraging one another, building something strong that can withstand "the day of the Lord."  If (as we sing) He Is Worthy, He is worthy of our time, energy, investment, giving, presence and witness.  And you are appointed to be that light that will bring Christ into every dark place.

What If? A New Year's Thought

These days, a lot of people are talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it will either improve or destroy as it becomes more embedded into our society.  AI platforms like ChatGPT and other writing assistants are being sued by the Wall Street Journal because AI isn't properly referencing plagiarized excerpts.  And the ad for ChatGPT says, "Ask AI to write anything and get instant answers!"  Seems to me we are awful trusting of those "instant" answers as truth!  Maybe we should lean on something more solid that "intelligence" generated by a computer!  What if we did?

Here are a couple of "what ifs" I thought of as I was writing this blog (and I didn't ask AI to do it!).  Here goes:

- What if 2024 becomes a year of focus on our youth and our children?  Do our parents actually know how to follow Proverbs 3:5-6 ... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding."  Do parents, grandparents and guardians realize that learning God's Word is a little like math ... one part builds on another.  Consistency is important!  Being there every week (not just when it is convenient) is important.  Bring your children and youth to church!  Bring them to learn.  Bring them so that they will know the songs we will be teaching during Sunday School time.  Bring them so their spiritual house will have a solid foundation and won't fall when the going gets rough!  I saw a post that said, "If you are not spiritually-fed you will be emotionally-led."  Trust God ... stop leaning on your own understanding ... stop the nonsense of basing your Sunday morning decisions on how you feel that day!  John Wesley would ask, "Have you faith?"  What if the answer was "yes" accentuated by what faith should be about ... action!?  What if we choose Jesus!?

- What if Jesus altered our behavior and our daily choices?  I heard an amazing statistic about our habits.  During 2023, according to Forbes, of the 100 top-watched programs in America, 93 were football-related.  Let that sink in a moment!  Where are our priorities?  The old sayings are, "we eat first with our eyes" and "you are what you eat."  What are we consuming?  The second half of that Proverbs 3 passage is "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight."  What if we did that?

I give you these two thoughts because we are embarking on a year of opportunity of focusing our time, our children/youth and our lives on something of value and worth.  The Agape Sunday Group is studying Proverbs.  Nicey's class is into their book series.  My class is studying Psalms.  The Youth are studying Old Testament Foundations.  On Wednesday nights we will (January till Lent) study 1,2 Thessalonians. During Lent we will study "Alter'd," which is a study on making Jesus central to your daily life of faith.  Our children will be learning songs and season-based truths about Christ, to build their faith-foundation.  My sermon series, between now and Easter, will be about how we build a strong altar of faith in our lives, following the "Alter'd" study series.  What if we all did that?

The old song, How Firm A Foundation says, "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith, in His excellent word ... what more can He say, than to you He has said, who unto the Savior, for refuge has fled."  Maybe, if we build on His firm foundation, we won't have to rely on intelligence that is "artificial!"  What if we trusted God and real truth?  Randy

Opening the Treasure

When I was a boy, I would roam the gentle hills around Derita, a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina.  There were fishing lakes, open pastures and sometimes treasure troves.  One of my favorite haunts was The Brown House Lake.  We called it that because a brown house was near the center of the lake.  I caught many 'a fish' and ran from many 'a snake' at that wonderful place.

Above the lake, and near one of the local highways, was an old homestead.  It was, at the time I knew it, (using the words of James Taylor from the song Copperline) "tore up, and tore up good!"  One day, while scrubbing in the dirt, I discovered an old garbage pit behind the homestead.  I started digging, and found rotted out tin cans, old trash that had been thrown out, and a large number of old milk bottles bearing the names of local dairies.  I took one home and discovered, from my dad, that the old bottles had some value.  I brought them home and dad took them down to a flea market and sold them.  He gave me the money and I bought my first really good fishing reel and rod.  I thought the bottles were valueless, but someone that knew more than me saw, and realized, value in them.

We live in a world that likes to bring us down. It tells us we have little or no value.  Humanists tell us we are just high-level mammals with opposable thumbs.  Culture tells us we should seek our value in money, fame and the approval of people ... and this de-values us even more.  So, where do we find our real worth?

2 Corinthians 4:7 reminds us where to find real value.  "For we have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."  What does this teach us?

1. We have great treasure

2. We hold this treasure in fragile clay (our earthly bodies)

3. Our treasure has/is light and power

4. Our treasure is a gift ... it doesn't come from within, but without.

Let's talk about treasure this Sunday!  How do you think our treasure is opened?  What else does the Bible say about treasure and us?  

Read Deuteronomy 14:2, 2 Corinthians 4, Matthew 6:21 and Matthew 13:44.  We will talk!  Randy