Homecoming Story

One of my favorite secular singers is Gordon Lightfoot.  He writes a song about longing for home called "Did She Remember My Name."  A line of the song says, "Is the home team still on fire, do they still win all the games, and by the way ... did she mention my name."  It resonates with the serendipity of remembering the fond things about days gone by.

Some of us are thinking about our homecoming this week (10am in the Sanctuary), and we are remembering the stories about what has happened at Abbeville Methodist.  I am sure there are many stories I haven't heard, and a few I have heard.  Jimmy Rane shared with me one day how he came to this church the 1st time.  A few of you have told me you have been here since birth.  Those are fun and fond memories.  But I think God's plan about this congregation has a connection to the past, an assurance in the present and new hope for the future.  And maybe we need to focus on something written in God's word.

1 Peter 2:5 says this: "You are living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  Living stones are living monuments to what God has done, is doing and will do because He is consistent and constant in His love for us.  A spiritual house means we are all about focusing on God's view of the world ... not the world's view of God.  A holy priesthood means we are dedicated and devoted to worship and God's plan for our congregation.  Spiritual sacrifice is a reminder that our worship, our work and our applied-faith is sacrificial and beyond what is convenient and easy.  Acceptable reminds us that what we do needs to have value in God's eyes ... not necessarily the eyes of people.  And all of this is to further the Kingdom of God that has been brought to earth from our savior, Jesus Christ.

Sunday morning we will share a testimony about what God has done here ... we will be living markers of God's blessing and goodness.  We will praise a good and sufficient god because He has been "our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, a shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home."  Come ... for God's table has been made ready!  Randy

Testimony

I wonder if the young people who are involved in the Asbury awakening(s) are seeing and experiencing something that we talk about, pray about, but have trouble believing.  Here is a testimony from a young lady from the Santa Rosa Beach area (Facebook post).  I won't use her name, but do you think she is experiencing this event in a different kingdom than we think is the "real" world?  What if she is seeing past the facade and into the very presence of God?  Paul said it like this ... "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (! Corinthians 13:12)."  And earlier in that chapter ... "when the perfect comes, then the partial will pass away (! Corinthians 13:10)."

"I left Santa Rosa Beach yesterday at 4:30 am .. drove 10 hours .. stood in a line for 3 hours in 23 degree snowy weather and then went into Hughes Chapel and worshipped for 4 hours.  There are NO words to describe this experience.  I hate to drive and was unsure if I was capable of a solo 10 hour drive ... but it flew by, like a 3-4 hour trip ... Holy Spirit.  I would have thought after a 10 hour drive I would be spent, but instead I happiny got in line.  3 hours flew by and I met some of the most amazing "line buddies."  The Salvation Army was giving out free pizza, water, snacks and hot chocolate.  There were large space heaters every 10-20 feet along the line.  Surprisingly I was not miserably cold ... Holy Spirit.  When I made it to Hughes Chapel - this is where I am at a total loss for words - but I will try - it felt like a warm blanket wrapped around me while I remained covered in chill bumps most of the time.  The Holy Spirit was palpable in that space ... like NOTHING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED!  I kept moving my pick up time because I didn't want to leave ... I can't believe 4 hours passed!  The question that kept coming to mind was ... is this what heaven is like?   The answer ( I think) is heaven will probably be a million times better and that I truly can't imagine.  I didn't meet one local person ... the people were coming there from all over the world!  I would do this every day if possible ... it was such a privilege to experience!"

The mirror and the dim view was pulled back for a moment.  Through prayer, confession, repentance she was both known and knowing.  The unseen became seen and reality was changed forever.  On earth, as it is in heaven!  Lord ... make it so!  Randy

We Want That!

Sunday I talked about the amazing things happening at Asbury College, also spilling over to the Seminary.  I am always reluctant to call things like this a Revival.  This is because Revival is something routine, normal and event-related in our Southern vernacular.  WE plan and hold a Revival.  What is happening at Asbury College and Seminary is more like a sleeping giant awakening from slumber, ready to take Jesus into this fallen world.

When we read this story, I think we all say "We want that here!"  I do too!  I want God's Spirit to enter every heart, every home, every life and every community.  I want all of us to get out of God's way, and get into what God is doing.  I want us to stop listening to the nonsense of "Find your/my purpose" and start being open to "Following God's purpose."  All of these things ... good things for sure ... require something I speak about when I go out to our local congregations and talk about what is happening in God's Church.  It is getting to the point, I am talking less about the Global Methodist Church and more preaching that we must be ready to give the church back to the Jesus that gives it power, presence, purpose and persistence!  How do we give the Church back to Jesus?

In Seminary this subject is called Ecclesiology.  It is the doctrine of the Church, the Ecclesia ... those who are called-out.  The church, without Jesus is powerless, presenceless, purposeless and temporary ... "Upon this rock (the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God) I will build my Church (Matthew 16:18)!"  The simple truth built into this short statement is ... we must believe what Jesus said about Himself!  Not our reconstruction of Jesus from whatever perspective we like or have chosen for ourselves.  Tha ad campaign says, "He gets us!"  I applaud the desire to tell people from all walks of life that they can trust and have a relationship with Jesus.  But I hope we are not domesticating Jesus into our pal who is here to be all about us.  Jesus expressed love to all he met ... but sometimes that love was pretty tough!  He called the church leadership of His time vipers and whitewashed tombs.  He called a woman who was guilty of adultery to "Go and sin no more."  He told us that if we called Him our Lord and savior we would be persecuted, possibly homeless, at odds with our families, challenged by the authorities, and (John the Baptist as an example) even killed.  He said we must give up our life to save it and if we try to save our life we will lose it.  So ... I ask you ... do you still want that?

I do ... and I hope I am willing to offer up to God what will make this happen.  So I leave us today with a prayer ... "Lord ... I am no longer my own but yours.  Put me to what you will.  Place me with whom you will. Put me to doing.  Put me to suffering.  Let me be put to work for you, or set aside for you ... praised for you or criticized for you.  Let me be full. Let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing.  I freely and full sacrifice all things to your glory and service.  And now, O Wonderful and Holy God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.  You are mine and I am yours ... so be it! And the covenant I have made on earth, let it also be made in heaven.  Amen."  All of my Wesleyan's should know this Covenant Prayer of John Wesley.  Let it be ours, for all of us "who want that!"

Kingdom Come

Do you ever use those words?  If you are here in either service, we say (together) the Lord's Prayer.  In that prayer we pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  I think most of us pray that in rote voice, as we say something learned, but distant from reality.  But God is intentionally serious about those words.

The words are from Matthew 6:10, and are from the Sermon on the Mount.  The sermon is all about how we, when we belong to God, are not part of the systems of the world ... we are part of God's present and future Kingdom, here now and coming with certainty and power.  The rules of the people of God ... the rules of the Church ... are different from those of the world.  Jesus' sermon repeats the phrase ... "You have heard ... but I say."  The Church of Jesus' time (and we as the Church of the present) is confronted with a choice.  The choice is all about where we choose to live.  By which system will we operate and do life?

God is bringing His Kingdom, whether we buy into it or not.  God is God, however our little minds try to confine Him.  And God has called us as people of blessing (Abraham's Covenant) and Jesus-followers, whether we accept that call or not.  We are Plan A and there is no Plan B.

As the Church in Abbeville. Alabama, we are called to be heralds and ambassadors of the Kingdom that is here in Christ and that is coming in power, love and justice.  So, are you up for that?  Are you willing to place God 1st?  Do you believe Jesus, as he stands before the Caesarea Philippi of this world, and says "upon this rock I will build my Church, and the very gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matthew 16:18)."  I do ... and I want to be part of a Church like that!  Randy

2 Sauls

Do you ever watch Iron Chef on TV? It is a cooking show that features 2 expert chefs trying to best the other using an ingredient revealed at the beginning of the show.  Food is judged on taste, presentation and use of the secret ingredient.  Last week the chefs were locked in culinary combat in Battle Liver.  As I watched, I thought ... "There is no way they could cook liver that I would like it or even taste it."  I turned it to another channel when one of the chefs cooked a dessert made with liver ... that's just wrong!

I reflected on the unpleasantness of liver and wondered if we treat Bible passages like I treat liver?  I watched a video last week that asked if we had "domesticated" Scripture so that it fit with our worldview, our likes/dislikes and our sensitive palate.  Yet Scripture faithfully serves up literary dishes that are both beautiful/tasty and ugly/unpalatable.  Yet Paul writes, "All of God's word is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness."  I believe this is true, even for those "liver" passages.  So, here goes for 2 passages that relate to persons named Saul.

There is the Old Testament Saul, who was King from 1021-1000BC (according to 1 Samuel).  Saul loved his power and became jealous and paranoid about keeping in power.  Saul also was terrified of his enemies, the Philistines, and decided he would trust in cunning, wits and the spirit realm to defeat his enemies.  So Saul, in disguise, visits the witch of Endor and has her contact the deceased Samuel for advice.  Samuel's words for Saul are these ... "The Lord will hand you over to the Philistines.  Tomorrow, both you and your sons will be with me.  And Israel will lose the battle (1 Samuel 28:19)."  So much for this being a good idea.  God has boundaries we are not permitted to cross without God's permission.  Saul paid the price for his disobedience ... his life and the lives of his sons.

Then, there is the New Testament Saul.  Saul raged against "The people of the Way (the first name for the Church)."  In Acts 9 Saul is traveling to Damascus to arrest the "followers of the Way."  Saul is knocked from his horse, a bright light flashes, and he hears a voice ... "Saul, Saul!  Why are you persecuting me?"  "Who are you lord," Saul asks?  The voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what to do (Acts 9:4-7)."  Saul obeyed, he is called/ordained to preach the Gospel, his name is changed to Paul, and he becomes an Apostle, a great church planter, a missionary and a martyr for his Lord, Jesus.

Both Saul's encounter the unseen realm of God.  Neither experience can be explained by science or logic, yet both encounters are following the plans God has to redeem His people and eventually bring them to Himself.  One story ends in disobedience and death, the other in restoration, new life, new purpose and a new name.

God has boundaries ... follow them.  God has authority over the heaven's and the earth, and over the seen and unseen realms ... be in awe.  God's word reminds us our worldly vision doesn't allow us to see God's activity until we receive God's "eyes" and God's blessing.  And these stories remind us that we can either follow our own path to destruction or God's path to life.  Michel Card writes that this new revelation is ... "Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind!"  That is my prayer for you and me!  Randy

Revealed

Do you believe Jesus IS revelation?  And why would God do this?  Good questions!

One of my professors in college told the class ... "My task is not to impress you with what I know.  My task is to impart to you as much of my knowledge as possible."  I liked that professor.  He made the subject matter human, understandable and applicable.  I still use things I learned from him.  Ironically, his name was Dr. Lord.

Revelation 1:1-2 says, "A Revelation of Jesus, the Messiah, to make plain to His servants what is about to happen.  He published and delivered it by angel to His servant, John.  And John told everything he saw: God's Word, the witness of Jesus Christ." We can learn some good things from this little passage.

I hear lots of people who say they have difficulty understanding God's Word, especially The Revelation.  There is a clue in this verse, but it is a convicting clue.  It is the word, servant.  The book is written ... well conveyed ... by John as John heard it from the angel and as God intended for us to see it.  But it is sent to God's servants.  Those who are into serving God.  Those to whom Jesus is Lord.  Those who are submissive to God in their willingness to open their hearts, minds and lives so that God can speak to them.

Here are 3 questions about God's revealed word:

1. Whom do you serve?  With your time?  With your creativity?  With your energy?  With your resources?  If you want to know about God's revelation, you need to be willing to serve Jesus.  Being in the posture of servanthood places you in the position of hearing, seeing and learning God's word.

2. Are you servant-minded enough to work through the Bible's context to know what it actually says?  Jesus tells stories that were meaningful to 1st Century Jews.  Jesus is revealed through the journey of a Hebrew nation through the world in which they lived.  Do you read God's word in the world view of 2023 America, or do you understand that we are contextually removed from the world John writes about?  If you do, you are missing much in translation.  Bible Study is both work and openness to God.

3. Remember that John is presented here as a servant.  John is confounded by things that he sees and reports.  But he reports them anyway.  He tells 7 churches where they stand with the true and living God.  As any prophet, that truth is stark to John and (I am sure) to the churches who receive truth from a God who loves them but wants them to thrive, not fail.  John, the servant, bears the weighty words and faithfully speaks truth to his world.

If you want to receive revelation, serve .. submit ... open yourself.  Jesus came, not to impress you with what He knows (because all things were made through Him).  He came to impart His word into His servants, so that they could do what John did ... tell all we know from God and witness to God's Word, revealed in Jesus Christ!

Do You Believe in God?

"Do you believe in God?" This is the very first statement/question in the Global Methodist Catechism.  Most of you will, probably as a reaction ingrained in your being from an early age, say, "Of course I believe in God!  What a silly and simplistic question!"  I agree the question is simple ... I would take exception to the simplistic nature of the question.

Last week we conversed about salvation, and about the only source of our salvation, Jesus Christ.  But if you answered the above question, "Of course," tell me a little about the God in whom you believe.  Does your God have the power and grace to forgive your sins, or are you living inside your guilt?  Has your God sent your sins "as far as the east is from the west" or has God left you to be weighed down by your past?  Has your God overcome the world, or does the world direct and modify your definition of God?  Is your God the "truth, the way and the life" or is your god part of the truth, one of many ways and just a little part of your life?  Does your God define, direct, modify, grow, inform, inspire and empower your life, or does your life define, direct, modify, grow, inform, inspire and empower your god?

Now ... do you believe in God?  It is a good question, isn't it?