Great Thanksgiving Quotes

I got these off one of my pastor websites and thought I would share them in my blog. Which one is your favorite?  I'm pretty fond of John Wooden's. I hope and pray all of you enjoy your Thanksgiving and remember to change the "g" to an "l" and have an attitude of thanksliving the rest of the year.

"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." ~ William Blake

"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good; if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country." ~ C. S. Lewis

"Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books—especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day." ~ John Wooden

“You can't be grateful for something you feel entitled to." ~ Steven Furtick

"It must be an odd feeling to be thankful to nobody in particular. Christians in public institutions often see this odd thing happening on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in the institution seems to be thankful 'in general.' It's very strange. It's a little like being married in general." ~ Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

"Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing—a grateful heart!" ~ George Herbert

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."~ Charles Spurgeon

"Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of vices." ~ Thomas Fuller

"If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God." ~ Thomas à Kempis

"The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

"We have received too much from God to allow ourselves opportunities for unbelief. We have received too many gifts and privileges to allow a grumbling, murmuring heart to disqualify us of our destiny. In contrast, the thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress." ~ Francis Frangipane

"Gratitude ... goes beyond the 'mine' and 'thine' and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy." ~ Henri J. M. Nouwen

"God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart."  ~ Izaak Walton

"It’s not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, that is the true measure of our thanksgiving."  ~ W.T. Purkiser

"It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others."~ James Smith

Got Church? A Blog Message to my Unchurched Friends

Okay, here’s the deal.  I am a Pastor and I am also the son of a Pastor so I may have a little bias when it comes to attending church, but I hope you will hear me out on this one.  I know you’re busy.  Who isn’t these days?  And Sundays certainly aren’t what they used to be.  Stores are open and more and more businesses are opening, which means more people have to work.  And don’t even get me started on the whole sports thing.  Having two kids who are into sports myself, games on Sundays is an issue we’ve had to deal with.  Whatever your activities are on the weekends, ultimately attending church is about making it a priority.  We all have time for what we prioritize.

Then again, maybe your reason for not attending church has nothing to do with how busy you are.  There are plenty of other reasons out there.  As a matter of fact, I’d like to list a few of those reasons and address them from my perspective.

1.     “Church is full of hypocrites” – Okay, you’ve got me on that one.  Every church is always going to have some hypocrites in it; people who act one way on Sunday mornings and then live an entirely different lifestyle the rest of the week.  But if you want to learn about the Christian faith should you really let someone else’s shortcomings stop you?  And remember one other thing; there will always be hypocrites in church because everyone is a sinner.  At the very core of the Christian faith is the idea that all of mankind is far from perfect, and this has separated us from an all holy God.  But that God loves us so much that He showed us His grace by giving His son to die for our sins so that we can still have a relationship with Him.  So because God has loved us so much we can choose to live our life for Him following the example of His son Jesus Christ.  So if you are wondering about Christians, please don’t think they think they are somehow better than you, because they are not.  They’re just forgiven.  And we go to church to learn more about loving God and to learn more about loving others; nothing too hypocritical about that.

2.     “Churches are always asking for money.” – Okay you got me on that one too.  But when you come to learn what the Christian faith is all about, you’ll stop seeing it as asking for money and you’ll start seeing it as opportunities to give.  At my church we have lots of opportunities to give.  You can give to our local food pantry, you can give to help former inmates get their life on track, you can give to help programs for those struggling with addiction, you can give to people who are helping those in need around the world and sharing the truth about Jesus Christ, you can give so needy children around the world can have Christmas presents, in some cases for the very first time, you can give to help young mothers afford diapers and other baby needs, and of course you can actually give to our church which supports and promotes such causes and more.  I’ve missed a few, but you get the idea.  As one grows in their Christian faith, becoming more generous is a very natural part of that growth.

3.     “Church is boring.” If that’s your impression then you’ve obviously been to church in the past, and let me respectfully suggest you were going to the wrong church.  There’s a famous Christian leader who once said “it is a sin to preach a boring sermon.”  I don’t know if I would take it that far, but I get his point.  If you haven’t been to church in a while, you will find that many of them are not your Father’s church.  A lot of churches have full bands to lead the songs, provocative video presentations, and sermons that are actually interesting and relevant to the life you are living.  If you decide to start looking for a church to attend these are great things to look for, but let me add two more things when it comes to what the Pastor is preaching.  1. He or she should actually be preaching from the Bible.  It’s the bestselling book of all time for a reason.  It’s withstood the test of a couple thousand years and its going stronger than ever.  It’s full of amazing wisdom and practical life application.  And oh, by the way, some of us actually see it as God’s Word given to mankind.  So why in the world would you ever want to listen to some “feel good nonsense” when you can hear from God’s truth in His word.  2. He or she should actually preach about Jesus Christ.  If you try out a church for a couple weeks and the Pastor has yet to mention the name of Jesus Christ, stop going to that church.  A Christian church should be exactly that; Christian.  And you can’t be a true Christian church if you’re not talking about what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

I’m sure there are other excuses for not going to church.  Those were just the ones on my mind today.  Those of you who know me know I’m not some kind of religious nut job.  I’m actually pretty normal.  You might be surprised how many of us normal folks are going to church.  We’re your co-workers, friends, fellow sports team parents, school mates, and more.  We’ve just realized how valuable it is to commit to a church that teaches about the Christian faith.  It’s brought us peace, contentment, and joy, even in the midst of difficult life circumstances.  So give church a try.  You might be surprised by just how much you like it.  

Pete Axelson - Pastor..... Blogger..... and Habitat Renegade

I got in a little bit of trouble today.  Well maybe I wasn’t so much in trouble as I was spoken to.  You see one of the things I take great joy in doing is giving the devotion at one of my local Habitat for Humanity sights.  I thought they were going great; until today that is.  I knew something was up when one of the leaders walked by me and said “are you going to keep it short, sweet, and non-denominational today?”  Oh no!  What did he mean by non-denominational?  I always give a message from the Bible, and most all denominations use the Bible to some degree or another.  Whether he wants me using the Bible or not, evidently I’ve also been a little long winded (it’s a good thing this guy hasn’t heard any of my Sunday morning sermons).  I immediately started worrying about the text I thought I was going to teach from and changed it over to something I thought would be not so offensive.  I had planned to talk about the Cretans mentioned in Titus 1.  What if they got confused and thought I was calling them no good lazy gluttons (you’d have to read it).  So instead I read the parable of the Prodigal son and talked about God’s love for us as lost people.

Once I was done, one of the ladies approached me to talk.  Oh boy.  Turns out she is Jewish, and the guy with the helpful suggestion up front was her husband and is Jewish too, and I’ve been talking about Jesus way too much.  Wups.  We actually proceeded to have a very civil and nice conversation.  To sum up her thoughts she wanted me to be less preachy, use less of the Bible, to not talk about Jesus, and to simply give some nice thoughts appreciating the workers.  Oh yea; and to do all of that in less time. (Turns out she timed me and 7 minutes was still too long)  My initial response was “I don’t think I can do that.”  Keeping Jesus out of my messages is a completely foreign concept to me.  When you believe the words of scripture claiming Him as the Way the Truth and the Life it’s kind of hard to keep Him out of your teachings.  I didn’t want to come across as arrogant and I tried to humbly explain my convictions and we had a good discussion about whether or not I could continue to share devotions there while still keeping to my convictions.  I’m still not sure if I can, but I’m going to give it a shot.  I’m going to give it a shot because despite my new critics I also know there are many who have been captivated by what God has given me to share.  Two devotions ago I had a man come up to me afterwards to pray for something very personal going on in his family.  I know he would not have asked me that if he didn’t see me as someone with convictions about what I was sharing.  I think God is making a difference through me in these short devotions.  So I’m going to see if I can pull it off because if I give up, than that’s one less Jesus loving preacher Habitat has to give their devos.  I think next time I’ll go with the two greatest commandments; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  At least that can be found in the Old Testament, and I’ll keep quiet about you know who saying that’s what sums up all of the law.  Hopefully they will be okay with me talking about the one true God of the Bible, and I’ll do my best to keep it to myself that the one true God includes His Son.  Because that’s where my line is drawn.  I’ll keep opening the Bible, and I’ll keep talking about the one true God, and if that’s still not good enough for them, then that would be a darn shame, because all that would be left is false teaching.

Bigger Barns

So I recently preached on the parable of the rich fool who had to build bigger barns for all his grain and goods.  As I was preparing for it I came across some very interesting statistics.

-         Average home size in 1970 was 1400 square feet

-         Average home size in 2009 was 2700 square feet

-         Even though the average family size has gone down by 1 during that time span.

-         In 1950 1 in a 100 homes had 2.5 baths.  Today it’s 1 in 2.

-         14 million households own 4 or more TVs

-         1 in 5 new homes are larger than 3000 square feet – the size at which it starts becoming unmanageable to clean without hired help.

-         The average cost for a luxury kitchen remodel is $57,000.  That’s $10,000 more than the average Habitat for Humanity home.

-         And finally, since 2001 the number of people who have bought second homes has increased by 24%. 

So yea, I think it’s safe to say in America we should be able to identify with the concept of bigger barns.  I hate to admit it, but my own family represents that national average when it comes to the number of TVs in our house.  We have one in the basement the kids use for their Xbox, one in our den where we often have house guests stay, so we think it’s a nice thing for them to have a TV, and the wife and I have one in our bedroom if for no other reason than the simple fact that she prefers to have noise to fall asleep to.  And finally we have one in the family room. That’s the one that gets used the most.  Did it sound like I was trying to justify having 4 TVs just now?  It should have, because I was.  But really there’s no real justification, in many ways we represent the bigger barn mentality of America just like most folks.

So does this mean that we are all a bunch of covetous sinners in America simply because we happen to have large homes and plenty of possessions?  I’m thankful to say I don’t think that’s the case.  What I found interesting is that most of the commentaries I read on this passage go straight to money and wealth and all but declare that if you are rich than you are in sin.  But if that were truly the case then most everyone in our country would be in sin by virtue of being American.  Relative to the rest of the world, there are very few Americans who are not rich.  Even our poor are rich by comparison to many other countries.  One of the other interesting statistics I came across was based on socioeconomic status; those at the poverty level in our country have the highest obesity rate.  In most countries obesity and poverty are two words that simply do not go together.  So yes, we do have a great deal of resources and possessions at our disposal, but that doesn’t mean we are all knocking on the door of Hades.  The main concern of this passage is found in verse 15 where Jesus Christ warns us to be on guard against greed and/or covetousness (depending on your translation).  Is there plenty of greed and covetousness in America?  Of course there is; but then again there’s plenty of greed and covetousness everywhere.  Its part of the sin condition in this world we live in.  Really those two vices have nothing to do with how well off you are.  As I shared this sermon with my congregation, one of my biggest warnings was to the yard sale types among us.  Many people are simply addicted to getting more; even if it’s more junk.  They covet what they don’t have.  It doesn’t have to be about the Beamers and the boats; sometimes it’s about the knick-knacks and trinkets. 

Per usual Christ gives us a great remedy for the dangers of greed and covetousness.  It’s in verse 21 of Luke 12 is a call to be rich towards God.  Yes, there’s no doubt about it, Americans are rich.  What we need to be more of, is rich towards God.  In other words, do the opposite of what the rich fool did.  Always have a thankful attitude for all that you have.  The rich fool never expresses thanks for his bumper crop, even though it came from God.  Remember to be generous with what you do have.  Needless to say, the rich fool wasn’t generous either.  It never once occurred to him to share what he had.  Part of being rich towards God means having a loose grip on our possessions, or as I’ve sometimes heard it put, we shouldn’t let our possessions possess us.  I recently got back from an amazing local mission trip to Vermont with some of the youth in our church.  That trip became very affordable for all of us when one of our members out of the blue donated his Laser sail boat to our cause.  We sold it for 2 grand on Craigslist and in addition to some other fund raising that made it so all the parents had to pay was their initial 60 dollar deposit.  What an absolute blessing that was; all because someone had a loose grip on his possession.  How is God calling you to be rich towards God?  It might mean giving something away, or it might mean giving some of your time to him in some kind of ministry or service.  Just remember, whether it’s time, talent, or treasures, if you profess Jesus Christ as your Savior, all that you have is His.  And the more you give it in richness towards Him, the more blessed you will be.

One Pastor's Mixed and Muddled up View on Homosexuality

I must be crazy.  Why in the world would a pastor come out and take a position on homosexuality in today’s day and age?  It would be a lot easier for me to keep my mouth shut and avoid offending someone, because I can guarantee you regardless of which side I fall on someone will end up being offended.  The recent news of long time N.B.A. player Jason Collins coming out is the impetus to this blog entry.  I’m a sports fan and I’ve always known it was just a matter of time before some active player in a major professional sport comes out.  From my own perspective I think the overall response has been encouraging, with the exception of a couple Christian callers to sports radio this morning whose hearts were in the right place but were having a hard time communicating the message.

So what’s my message?  What does Pastor Pete have to say about all of this?  Are you ready?  Here I go…….  I just don’t know.  How’s that for taking a stand?  When I say I just don’t know I’m referring to the whole “is homosexuality a sin” argument.  I know some of you are immediately thinking this guy is a pastor and he doesn’t even know?!?  Doesn’t he read his bible?  Of course I read my bible and I do so faithfully, and I am aware of the 6 or so passages that refer to homosexuality being a sin.  And if that’s the stance you take based on those passages I have absolutely no problem with that.  Let’s face it; they do seem to be pretty clear.  I might also add that I believe the entire bible to be God’s word and I’m not in the habit of picking and choosing what I want to believe and leaving the rest behind.  But can we all just be brutally honest for a moment and acknowledge that sometimes understanding and interpreting the scriptures can be a difficult thing.  For instance, during the Civil War both sides were claiming they had God and the bible on their side.  And who doesn’t struggle sometimes with the brutality of how God had the Israelites wipe out the Canaanites and others as they moved into the Promised Land?  I could go on, but the point is it’s not always as easy as it might seem to understand and interpret God’s word and how it should be applied.

So what about those verses that refer to homosexuality as a sin?  It’s my understanding that those who approve of homosexuality make both cultural and interpretation arguments.  They would argue that these passages are primarily referring to sexual abuse of men on boys (which was indeed a cultural concern in that day) and not a monogamous relationship between two same sex adults.  I’ve been introduced to these arguments but I would like to read up a little more on them.  So far they seem to me to be a little weak.  I will say though that I am open to cultural arguments as to what constitutes sinful behavior in scripture, and before you tell me I shouldn’t be, you better make sure all the women in your church are not wearing gold, pearls, expensive clothes, or braids in their hair this Sunday if you want to be consistent (1^st Timothy 2:9).  The question is does a cultural argument work for the issue of homosexuality, and finding out is a journey I’m still on.

Here’s what I do know; assuming it is a sin, it certainly isn’t an unforgivable one.  Here is what I mean.  I’m thinking of two of my Christian friends; one would say he was gay and is now happily married to a woman, and the other who would say he is gay and believes that’s okay so long as he’s applying the Bible’s teachings on sexual immorality just like a heterosexual person would; as in only sex within the bounds of marriage (or the gay equivalent) no adultery, etc.  I’m okay with and I love both of them.  I don’t condemn the former for his past and I don’t condemn the latter for his present; and I believe Jesus doesn’t either.  I’m reminded of the well-known story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8).  After all those who were about to stone her left having realized their own sins Jesus asks her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  And she responds “No one sir.”  And Jesus says “Then neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin.”  When I think about my two friends, along with Jesus I don’t condemn them.  It’s also my desire that they would heed the words of Jesus and not live a life of sin.  It’s my opinion that they are both doing their best to follow those words of Jesus.  Should my second friend at some point get involved with another man and pursue the equivalent of a monogamous married relationship with him I still won’t condemn him.  It’s just not my place.  I’m thankful to say I’ve never had to deal with the confusion he did, growing up in Christian evangelical circles and having homosexual desires.  Like many in his position he has suffered a good deal of pain and rejection from the Christian community, and I just don’t see how that is Christ-like. He’s a good God fearing Christian man and I’ll let him continue to grapple with God and the Holy Spirit over his orientation. 

Here’s another thing I’m sure of.  Any homosexual man or woman is more than welcome to worship at my church and to be a part of our church community.  Whether homosexuality is a sin or not, we’re all sinners in need of God’s grace and His saving relationship through Jesus Christ, and Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17).  I want my church to be a place that pursues God’s truth as best we can and to do so with lots of love and grace.  I alluded to it in the beginning, and I’m sure I’ve offended some of you by now.  These views may be too wishy-washy and muddled for some of you, but it’s where God has brought me, and I hope you can at least appreciate my open and honest expression on a very controversial topic in the church.  If you should desire to respond, please do so in love. 

On the Passing of Rick Warren's Son

It's hard to imagine the pain Rick and Kay Warren have been going through this past week.  I hope you will appreciate Mark Driscoll's blog entry on their son's death, the Godly man Rick Warren is, and the unfortunate criticism of some.  I'm happy to have such a heartfelt honoring of Rick and his family represent my blog entry for this week.

http://pastormark.tv/2013/04/10/rick-warren-critics-and-the-hope-of-god-s-son?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pastormark&utm_campaign=Pastor%2BMark%2BFacebook

How to Obey God Rather Than Men

We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29a

I’ve been wondering a lot lately about how we apply such a verse.  What does it mean for those of us who live in a free nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles?  It’s not like any of us are ever going to be the next Polycarp.  We are free to express our faith and to openly worship God, and specifically for Christians our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  There is nothing currently that forces us not to worship Him, or to live our lives in a way that would be disobedient to Him.  Don’t get me wrong, I realize in some ways we have lost some of our religious freedoms and there is always legislation being discussed that could make us lose even more, and we certainly should be engaged in the political process of fighting such battles, but let’s just say I’m still thankful to live in a country that for the most part gets religious freedom.

Our issues revolve more around what separation of church and state actually means and how we handle the expression of our faith in that context.  Things like invocation prayers at school events or having nativity scenes on town property.  I’m sure you have an opinion on such things, but to use a verse like Acts 5:29 as a reason to defiantly open a school commencement with prayer is probably taking it a little out of context.  I like the idea of having prayers at graduations but we can still obey God and not man without them.  I think for us, one of the best ways to make sure we are obeying God and not man is to follow the example of the apostles at the end of chapter five. They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (vs. 42).  Earlier in Acts they were told to be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (1:8).  Wherever you live is your Jerusalem.  My hunch is if we focused more on the daily proclamation of Jesus as the Christ in our work places, schools, and neighborhoods, the church would be a lot better off.  If you want to fight publicly for our religious freedoms, then I think that’s great, just don’t forget the more important daily proclaiming of the good news that Jesus is the Christ.  You have His light, now go and let it shine. 

Christ is Risen! Now Live Like you Believe It!

Luke 24:1-12

HE IS RISEN!........... HE IS RISEN!............ HE IS RISEN!  Did you yell back He is risen indeed?  Oh what joy there is in Easter.  It’s my favorite holiday for a lot of reasons.  I love the timing of Easter in early spring with new life springing up all over the place and the obvious analogy to Christ’s resurrection and our new life in Him.  I love that we have been hosting Easter in our home for many years now.  We always do our best to invite lots of family and friends.  Our guest list often ends up being in the twenties.  This day is always full of lots of laughs and lots of food; two of my favorite things.

In Luke’s resurrection account such a celebration isn’t quite so immediate.  At first they don’t believe it, and even after Peter runs to the tomb he comes away perplexed.  Christ’s resurrection was taking a little while to sink in.  But the good news is it did sink in; for all of His disciples.  For Peter, later in John 21 we get this beautiful post resurrection account of Jesus asking three different times if Peter loves Him.  Of course Jesus knows Peter loves Him but it’s like He’s giving him the chance to profess his love 3 times to help make up for his 3 earlier denials.  And Peter sort of gets frustrated with Jesus and says “you know that I love you Lord.” And then Jesus says “then feed my sheep.”  Peter as we know was a disciple of Jesus, but in this call to feed His sheep Peter takes his discipleship to a whole new level.  Peter is a changed man because of the resurrection.  The Holy Spirit comes and anoints Peter’s ministry as he tells anyone and everyone about his risen Lord and Savior.  On the day of Pentecost he preaches and 3000 people become Disciples of Christ.  He heals lame beggars and he boldly calls out the Sanhedrin.  He’s on fire for the Lord and he’s hotter than Florida Gulf Coast University.  Like Peter, Christ’s resurrection changes us forever as well.  He is risen!  Now go live your life like you believe it.  Happy Easter!

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus I thank you for this day.  Not just because spring is in the air, and not just because I will enjoy time with family and friends, but because I have the privilege of loving and serving you, my risen Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Personal Note

Well this has been quite a fun and time consuming exercise.  I’m so thankful I did it.  It’s my hope and prayer that God has spoken to you through His Word and through my response to it in this blog.  Needless to say, going forward I won’t be writing an entry most every day.  That was just an exercise for Lent.  I think once a week sounds about right.  Thanks for reading though.  I’ve never thought of myself as a very proficient or eloquent writer, but I know what goes in this blog comes from the heart of a man who loves God and loves others, and I hope that will shine through should you continue to read it.

What to do With Holy Saturday

Luke 23:50-56

I’m never quite sure what to do with Saturday on Holy week.  It’s always the same.  I’ve come off a very power Good Friday service the night before that has left me pondering Christ’s passion and death.  And now it’s Saturday and the waiting begins.  It’s nice knowing what’s coming.  For me and I suspect like many of you there is great anticipation in Holy Saturday.  We have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight knowing the good news of Christ’s resurrection.  Joseph of Arimathaea and the women who had followed Jesus didn’t know what was coming.  So they were left to do what they thought was the right thing as a way to honor Jesus in His death.  N.T. Wright poses a possible dialogue between Joseph and his wife.

Joseph’s Wife:  Come back into the house, it’s nearly Sabbath.

Joseph:  But someone has to do it.

J.W.:  Do what?  Are you crazy?  You’ll get yourself killed.  Anyway the body will get eaten by dogs before you know it.

Joseph:  Exactly, that’s why someone needs to bury it.

J.W.:  But where?

Joseph:  In our tomb of course.

J.W.:  Our tomb?  But that’s meant for you and me!

Joseph:  Not now it isn’t.  And anyway, I’d rather we shared it with Him.

And off he goes to do the right thing.  We don’t know a lot about this Joseph of Arimathaea, except that it says he was a good and righteous man.  I’m wondering what good and righteous thing I might do today in anticipation of my Savior’s resurrection.  In many ways it will be a typical Saturday.  I’ll do a little work in the yard, help get things cleaned up for all our company tomorrow, and coach my daughter’s soccer game.  In the midst of that and whatever else the anticipation will continue to build.  As we all anticipate let’s be mindful of how we can share with others why we’re so excited about tomorrow.  That seems like a good and righteous thing to do.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m thankful that I know what’s coming.  Sunday’s coming!  Easter Sunday!  May my anticipation be known to all.  Amen.

* Just a reminder, that unlike previous Sundays there will be a devotional tomorrow for Easter Sunday.

The Good Forgiveness of our Savior

Luke 23:26-46

Today on this Good Friday we read about the Passion of our Christ.  It’s something most of us have read many times, but it seems like I always come away with something new.  Today I find I am amazed by Jesus’ attitude of forgiveness all the way till the end.  We see that distinctly with His famous words in verse 34, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  In saying those words Jesus fulfills His own teachings about loving one’s enemies.  So who do you suppose Jesus is referring to when He says “forgive them?”  I think the question might be better put who is He not referring to?  There’s the obvious people involved with the crucifixion itself; the ones who flogged Him and nailed His body to the cross, but it goes way beyond that.  There were both Jews and Romans involved in His hour of suffering, and I think He’s referring to all of them. 

Jesus was right in acknowledging that they did not fully understand what they were doing.  They didn’t understand that He was indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  I suppose many of them didn’t really want to understand.  Their hearts were too hard towards Jesus.  And yet Jesus is still practicing what He preaches in asking the Father to forgive.  Jesus forgives one other person in our account today as well.  It was the criminal hanging next to Him who asked “remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  And Jesus responds with those wonderful words “today you will be with me in Paradise.”  I think there’s one very important thing that criminal did before Jesus responded with those words though.  He first had to acknowledge his own sin.  He did so in chastising the other criminal who was mocking Jesus.  He knew he was guilty and said so when he said “we are receiving the due reward for our deeds.”  That criminal may have died that day alongside Jesus, but he’s living forever with Him in heaven.  We too will die someday, but if we’ve repented of our sins and given our life to Jesus we will be with Him in paradise too.  That’s why they call it GOOD Friday.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus I thank you today for Your forgiveness.  I thank you that I can look at the terrible suffering you had to go through as You were beaten, flogged, and nailed to a cross, and as hard as it is to think of such suffering, you did so and died in my place for my sins, and I call that good.  Amen. 

Rejoicing in Christ's Body and Blood

Luke 22:14-38

Today is Maundy Thursday.  Next to Easter it might be my favorite day of Holy Week.  It commemorates the last supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples that we read about in our scripture passage.  I enjoy it so much because of the tradition we’ve started at our church.  We have a simple soup and bread meal and after the meal we read some of the scripture passages leading up through the last supper and then we share in communion as a church family.  It’s a very meaningful time, and I love having all our families gathered around the tables taking communion together in such an intimate setting.

Sometimes communion can become more of a rote ritual, and that’s the last thing it should ever be.  When Jesus takes the bread and says “this is my body given for you”, and He takes the cup and says “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” these are powerful life changing statements.  When Jesus says “new covenant in my blood” He’s saying it’s no longer about the old covenant; as in the one God made with His people, the one that involved animal sacrifice for one’s sins.  Under that Covenant the sacrifice was said to cover our sin, Jesus’ death on the other hand removes our sins all together.  There is no more need to sacrifice animals because Jesus is our forever sacrifice.  There is great freedom in this new covenant of Christ.  There is also great joy in knowing His sacrifice has removed our sins. 

I encourage you to find a new way to take communion today.  Maybe your church also does something like mine, but if not there’s nothing in the Bible that says you have to take communion from a priest or a Pastor.  Maybe you could even do something around your dinner table with the family.  Whatever you do, take the time today to be thankful His body was broken for you and His blood was shed for you.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus I thank you for Your New Covenant.  I’m thankful for your shed blood.  Help me to always remember Your sacrifice as I live my life in joyful thankfulness to You.  Amen.

Our Fortune in Christ

Luke 23:2-25

I’ve always found it interesting how much Jesus gets bounced around in His final hour; first the council and then Pilate, and then Herod, and then Pilate again.  By hook or by crook this mob was determined to see Jesus crucified; so much so that they were willing to release a murderer in His place.  There was a custom of releasing a prisoner at the time of Passover so you would think it might make sense to let Jesus go.  You know, the guy who was performing miracles, healing the lame, raising the dead, loving on others, and preaching and teaching a new message and a new way with great authority.  It makes perfect sense that Jesus should be the one who gets released at this point.  Unfortunately this mob was not about making sense.  They were more about protecting their own interests and power structures.  As I write I’m realizing my use of the word “unfortunately” was perhaps not the best choice of words.  I say unfortunately thinking of the pain, suffering, and shame, he’s about to go through, but it’s quite fortunate for us that He did.

I wonder if Barabbas ever came to realize just how fortunate he was.  He might have escaped death that time, but it’s still coming.  If Jesus died for the sins of all mankind then He died for the sins of Barabbas too.  I hope for his sake somewhere along the way Barabbas realizes that not only did Jesus save his life in that moment, but that Jesus is also the one who can save his life for all eternity.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, because of the unfortunate circumstances of Your death I am most certainly fortunate today.  I’m thankful that in Your divine will and sovereignty they released Barabbas and not You.  You loved me that much Lord Jesus, and I’m forever thankful for such great fortune.  Amen.  

Choose Wisely

Luke 22:66 - 23:1

Here it is again, Jesus claiming to be the Son of God.  Luke first records him doing so early on when He is rejected in the temple by His own hometown people of Nazareth.  It happens many more times throughout His ministry and now here He is again saying He will be on the right hand of God.  This is what ultimately brings Jesus the death sentence.  So in the end, Jesus is going to be put to death for telling the truth. 

So who is Jesus to you?  Is He the Son of God who came to this earth to save us from our sin, or was He just a good man, or a prophet?  I would argue those last two options are not really options at all.  Jesus really didn’t leave us with that choice.  He was either who He said He was, or He was a lying lunatic.  The choice is yours to make.  Pray about it, and choose wisely.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m thankful that You are who You say You are.  I’m thankful that You did what You said You came to do.  I’m thankful that you sit on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  I pray that the truth about You will go forward this Easter Season like never before.  Amen.

How do we Deny Christ?

Luke 22:54-65

I’ve always found the account of Peter denying Jesus a tough one to read.  If you’re like me, it makes you wonder what you would do if you were in Peter’s shoes (or sandals).  Some might have a self-righteous attitude towards Peter and ridicule him for his lack of courage and conviction, but I just can’t do that.  The fact of the matter is I don’t know what it’s like to be in his shoes.  I’ve never been in a situation where my life might be in danger if I didn’t deny Christ.  I think I wouldn’t do the same as Peter and I can say so, but it’s nothing more than cheap talk.  All I know is that I’m thankful Jesus had the courage that Peter didn’t seem to have in that moment.  At any point Jesus could have bowed out, but He had already said to His Heavenly Father “not my will but yours.”  Jesus was going to that cross whether Peter would be there to support Him or not.  And on that cross He died for all of Peter’s sins, not just his denial that evening. 

I know Peter was thankful for His Lord’s forgiveness.  After His resurrection Jesus asks Peter three separate times if he loves Him.  Of course Jesus knows Peter loves Him, He’s just giving Peter the chance to declare His love for Him three times, almost as if to make up for Peter denying Him three times.  And Peter will go on to be a mighty disciple for Christ feeding His sheep and being the rock on which Christ builds His church.  Kind of makes you glad Jesus doesn’t hold grudges.  Like Peter, we can do great things for the Lord despite our past sins and failures.  For me it’s about making sure I’m not denying Him in the little opportunities.  If I have a chance to share about my faith in Christ with someone and I pass it up, I feel like I’ve denied Jesus.  For that matter I’ve also denied someone the opportunity to hear His life changing message.  If I have a chance to serve someone else with a simple act of love or encouragement and I pass it up, I feel like that’s a denial too.  Let’s face it, unlike Peter our opportunities to represent Christ to others will not have life or death ramifications for us.  For that we should be thankful, but Jesus still wants us seizing those opportunities for Him. 

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, help me not to deny you in the little things of life and to represent you well both in my words and in my actions.  Amen.   

Leading Up To and Including His Passion

Luke 22- 23:49

Today we read through the entire account of Jesus’ passion; from Passover to the last supper, to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, to His arrest and trials, and to His flogging and crucifixion.  It’s good to read the whole thing as we head into Holy week.  For now I’m not going to elaborate on any of it.  Just take it in.  In the coming days we will talk in more detail about the specifics of Jesus death and resurrection, but for now I simply encourage you to get to know every intimate detail.  And remember He did this for you.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray I will know Your presence in a powerful way as I ponder the passion of your Son in these coming days.  Amen.

Be Ready

Luke 21

There’s a lot of doom and destruction in chapter 21 isn’t there.  It would be nice to take the easy way out and talk about the widow’s offering, but that’s just a small part of the chapter.  Most of it is wars, persecution, destruction, and being ready.  It’s great “stand on your soap box and declare it” kind of stuff.  Like what you would probably hear from the crazy guy in the middle of downtown crossing in Boston (or name the spot in your local city).  But here’s the deal.  It’s real.  How about we start with Jesus foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem?  It happened in 70 AD.  Think what you want about the Bible, but you really don’t want to mess with prophecy about Jesus Christ and the prophecies He told Himself. 

I suppose when you think about it, nothing in this chapter should really surprise us.  I mean our world has seen plenty of earthquakes, famines, and pestilences.  And the persecution of Christians is happening all around the world.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this website.   http://www.persecution.com/  Even here in the land of the free we are slowly losing our religious liberties.  For those reading this who know me, you know I’m not a “hell fire and brimstone” kind of preacher.  But I am a preacher of God’s Word, and Luke 21 is a part of God’s Word.  So what are we to do with all of this?  Pack up buy a few years’ worth of canned food and live in some shelter in Montana?  That might be getting a little carried away, but I do think we need to watch ourselves and be careful as it suggests in verses 34-36.  If we are following God we need to remain faithful to Him.  Sometimes the cares of this world can easily draw us away from Him.  Unlike some preachers, I don’t really think we are living in the end times, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be faithful to God any less.  God wants our best for the short time we are on this earth.  Why not give it to Him and be ready.

Prayer

Dear Great and Almighty God, You put our world into place and You oversee it.  Help me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, always being ready for that day when Your Son comes again to reign in Your kingdom.  Amen.

Who's Your Cornerstone?

Luke 20

Whenever I read the parable of the wicked tenants I get very frustrated with that vineyard owner.  Doesn’t he get it?!?  When he talks about sending his son I literally want to yell out “DON’T DO IT!  Then I have to remember it’s just a parable, and like all parables it’s told to make a point.  Here’s a quick, highly accepted interpretation of this parable.  God is the vineyard owner and the three servants He sends represent Old Testament prophets.  The son being sent of course represents Jesus.  Jesus actually uses the words of His Father at His baptism when He says “my beloved son.”  When the son is sent, things only get worse.  It’s no longer a beating, they actually kill the son.  The obvious parallel is Israel’s wide spread rejection of Jesus Christ.

In this parable the vineyard owner gives His vineyard over to new tenants, just as God’s lifesaving message through Jesus Christ is also given to the Gentiles.  In verse 17 Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  Jesus Christ needs to be our cornerstone.  The cornerstone as the foundation of any building is the most important stone to be laid.  Everything else works off of it.  Like that cornerstone we need Jesus Christ at the foundation of our lives.  Just for kicks I googled “cornerstone church.”  I got 3,310,000 results.  That gives you an idea of how important Jesus Christ is to Bible believing churches.  Don’t reject the cornerstone.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, like a building needs structural integrity I want my life to have integrity too.  Help me to keep you as the cornerstone of my life.  Amen.

  

A Great Big Lesson from a Wee Little Man

Luke 19

Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost (from verse 10).  I sense a theme as we continue to read through Luke.  We’ve already heard the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and the prodigal son, and now Jesus is talking about saving the lost again.  This time it’s Zacchaeus.  How many of you like me grew up in the church and the minute you start reading about Zacchaeus you can’t get that silly Sunday School song out of your head.  You know the one about Zacchaeus being a wee little man.  Now it’s going to be stuck in your head.  That makes me happy.  We call that “music cooties” in our house.

So who was this guy Zacchaeus anyway?  He was another one of those tax collectors we keep hearing about.  Except this time it’s not just a tax collector but a chief tax collector.  As the text indicates, this pretty much means he was rich.  I’m not exactly sure how it worked, but my hunch is he got a cut of the action on all the tax collectors working under him who were busy extorting the masses.  But we see real transformation in Zacchaeus.  That’s what Jesus does; He transforms.  2^nd Corinthians 5:17 declares, Therefore if anyone is in Christ He is a new creation.  The old is gone and the new has come.  How do we know Zacchaeus was transformed into a new creation?  We see it undeniably in his actions.  He didn’t just start living in a new way; he also made restitution for his old ways.  When he said he would give half of his goods to the poor, that’s not just his money, but his possessions too.  And to restore people fourfold for whom he had defrauded; that was going to make some unexpected folks very happy.  I would love to see Zacchaeus doing that.  I bet he did it grinning from ear to ear, because His life was no longer about wealth and acquiring possessions.  His life was now about something much greater; following Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Dear Lord help me to remember my life is not about acquiring wealth and possessions.  For true contentment does not come from such things, it only comes from You.  Amen.     

Follow the Right Example

Luke 18

I always get a hoot out of the parable of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  When I picture it in my mind’s eye I can’t believe the gall of the Pharisee.  It’s one thing to mention the extortioner, the unjust, and the adulterers, but to call out the tax collector right next to him is a tad on the obnoxious side, don’t you think?  Hopefully none of us pray that way but I wonder if we sometimes play a similar comparison game.  If we do, who are we comparing ourselves to?  You may figure you’ve lived a good life, paid your taxes, given to charities, worked hard at your job and raised your kids as best you can, so you might think you compare quite well to others who haven’t done the same.  The problem with that thinking is that God isn’t concerned with how we measure up to the rest of a fallen world.  He’s concerned with how we measure up to Him.  To put it quite simply, we don’t.  Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  So maybe you haven’t murdered, or done drugs, or given your body to prostitution, or stolen merchandise, or beat someone up, or committed adultery. Good for you, but you’re still a sinner.  I’m sure you’ve still envied, gossiped, told lies, coveted, been prideful, lusted, and in general fallen short of God’s standard. 

Thankfully things are not as hopeless as they may sound.  To quote Jesus a bit later in our chapter when speaking to the rich ruler, what is impossible with men is possible with God.  God through His son Jesus Christ declares us righteous not because of anything we do but because of what Jesus has done.  He was the perfect sacrifice who paid the price for our sins.  All we need to do is accept this truth and choose to live our lives for Him.  In so doing, like the tax collector, our sins are forgiven and abundant and eternal life is given.

Prayer

Lord I thank you for the example You have given; not of the self-righteous Pharisee, but of the tax collector, a humbled repentant sinner.  Thank you for forgiving my sins, whether big or small, Your Son’s death covered them all.  Amen.

The Thankful Leper

Luke 17

I’ve enjoyed coaching my daughter’s soccer team for a couple of years now.  These girls are currently finishing out the 7^th grade.  Keeping track of them all and keeping them focused is a little bit like trying to herd cats.  Not an easy task.  But I still love them all.  There is however one girl in particular I am especially fond of (besides my daughter of course).  I appreciate her so much because for two straight years of Spring and Fall soccer after every practice and every game she gives me a “thanks coach.”  Some of the girls think to thank me some of the time, but this one thanks me every time without fail. Talk about an attitude of gratitude!  I think she truly understands the time and effort I put into that volunteer position, and she doesn’t take it for granted.

We see an attitude of gratitude with the leper who returns to thank Jesus for healing him in our text today (vs. 11-19).   Only one out of the ten turned back to thank the Lord. This one, interestingly enough, was a Samaritan, one of the despised neighbors of the Jewish people with whom they had no dealings. He fell down on his face—the true posture of worship—and at the feet of Jesus—the true place of worship.  It’s hard to imagine what the other nine were thinking.  Or maybe it’s more the fact that they weren’t thinking at all.  They just took their healing for granted and were on their way.  Commentators speculate that those nine were only healed of their disease, but the thankful leper was saved from His sin as well.  If you profess Jesus as your Lord and Savior He has saved you from your sin too.  Take a moment today to be thankful.

Prayer

Dear Lord I thank you that You are the Devine Healer.  You heal us physically, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually.  Thank you for Your healing in my life; past, present, and future.  Amen.

An Extravagant Gift

John 12:1-8

We’re taking a brief detour into the Gospel of John today.  For those who are not aware I’m simply following daily readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Have you ever been on the receiving end of a major, extravagant and unexpected gift?  If you have, how it makes you feel is almost too hard to put into words.  You’re sort of just blown away.  I’ll never forget the day I graduated from college.  It was a great day.  I did the walk, got the diploma, and exchanged lots of hugs with friends I had been developing over the past four years.  Of course my parents were there too enjoying the whole celebration.  Caught off guard would be an understatement to describe my feelings when we went out to the parking lot for my parents to go home.  I noticed they had two cars instead of one.  Being a little slow on the uptake I asked my dad why they drove two cars up.  To which he responded “happy graduation son.” 

I was the proud new owner of a 1981 Ford Tempo.  It had plenty of miles on it already, but it was in good running condition, and the best part was a kickin aftermarket stereo system.  Finally those woofers and tweeters would be put to good use.  That was my first car.  I was one of those lucky ones who managed to go through all of college without owning a car.  I rarely even brought up the possibility of a car to my parents because I just didn’t think it was something they could afford, and all my summer work money went towards my tuition.  I was blown away by that gift.  I felt like my parents were exceptionally generous in giving it. 

Our passage today is another example of extreme generosity and extravagant gift giving as we hear about Mary anointing Jesus with perfume.  In so doing she was showing her adoration and devotion to her Savior.  Contrary to what Judas was saying, this was no waste at all.  Like saving a high quality expensive bottle of wine for a special occasion, in a way Mary was doing the same thing.  Just 6 days from that point Jesus would commence His journey toward the cross.  In a servant-like posture Mary gave her gift to Jesus pouring expensive Nard on His feet.  It was an extravagant gesture fitting for our Savior. 

Like Judas (although his motives were certainly not pure) some people get bogged down in thinking it was wasteful and could have been put to better use for the poor.  But the thing to remember is it’s not an “either or” kind of situation.  Mary could very well go out and help the poor the very next day and do it in Jesus name, but that day, her gift to Christ was honored.  The same is true for us.  We should be doing things to help the poor on a regular basis.  In our church we take four special offerings each year that go to missions, disaster relief, and local charities to name a few.  We also regularly donate to our local food pantry and we also give out gas and grocery cards to those in need in our community.  In these ways and others we help the poor on a regular basis.  We also will someday soon need to buy new chairs for our sanctuary, and replace our roof and air conditioning system.  And we will do all that in addition to the things we are doing to help the poor. Good stewardship of our resources doesn’t’ focus on one or the other; it focuses on both.

I encourage you to find a way you can follow Mary’s example and be an extravagant gift giver, and I also encourage you to find ways to help the poor.  I’ve discovered one way to do both.  We’ve been encouraged lately to bring coffee to our local food pantry because it’s more of a special item they don’t often get.  So that’s what I’ve been doing; but instead of picking up a pound of Folgers I like to grab a bag of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.  I figure I wouldn’t be all that thrilled about the cheap coffee so why would anyone else?  It’s a small example I know, but it makes me happy to buy a nice bag of coffee to give away.  What can you do?

Prayer

Dear Lord I thank you for the wonderful example of devotion and worship you’ve given us through Mary.  Help us to represent You as extravagant gift givers to a world in need.  Amen.        

Who's Your Master?

Luke 16

There Jesus goes talking about money again.  He sure makes things personal sometimes doesn’t He?  Allow me to skip past the parable of the dishonest manager and get straight to verse 13.  No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.  Notice how it says cannot as opposed to should not.  In other words serving both God and money is not even an option.  It’s an impossibility.  As a disciple of Jesus you have to make a choice.  Either Jesus is God or money is God.  This gives weight to the potential money can have as an idolatrous place in our lives.

I can sum up how not to commit idolatry with our money in one word; tithe.  For those reading who may not be familiar with the concept of a tithe it’s simply giving 10% of your income back to the church and the work of God’s Kingdom.  When you tithe you are supposed to give that ten percent right up front as opposed to giving what’s left over.  Of course if you wait to give what’s left over you probably won’t have a full ten percent available.  When I tithe it’s a way of acknowledging all that I have is Gods, and I’m giving ten percent back to him as an act of worship and thankfulness.  For some of you tithing ten percent may seem impossible because your finances are way too tight.  If that’s the case then I recommend regular percentage giving.  Find a percentage that hurts a little and tests your faith by giving it regularly off the top of your paycheck before you pay any other bills.  If you do it I know you’ll be blessed.  Even if you are not a church goer, and you’re not so sure about this whole Christianity thing, my recommendation for you is to find a charity you like and start giving regularly to it.  It helps to get your priorities straight when it comes to money. 

Tithing is fresh on my mind today because I just finished adding up our charitable giving for 2012 (April 15^th will be here before we know it).  Between tithing to our church and a number of other missions and charitable organizations that we regularly give to I get caught off guard by the amount of our total giving.  I hope that doesn’t sound like bragging.  I’m sure there are plenty of people who give a higher percentage of their income than we do.  My point is, I see that number and it makes me thankful for God’s provisions and blessings in my life, and it makes me excited to keep on giving.    

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father I thank you for all Your provisions; for food on the table, for a warm home, for jobs, for family, for everything.  Help me to remember that all good things come from You, and to keep on giving joyfully and sacrificially, knowing the ultimate sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ on my behalf.  Amen.

The Heavens Rejoice

Luke 15

It’s important for us to remember why Jesus told the three parables in chapter 15.  He was hanging out with those tax collectors and sinners again.  It’s always funny to me how the Pharisees would refer to the sinners.  Like they aren’t sinners too.  But these were the people who were perhaps more known for their sin. That’s why tax collectors are also included, because they were so notorious for extorting money.  So whether it’s the tax collectors or the rest of the sinners, just think of a group of people with reputations for their sinful ways.   The sins more associated with the dregs of society rather than the sins of the religious elite.  And to sit down at a table and eat with such people was to indicate acceptance.

Jesus goes on to tell not one but 3 parables to make his point.  The most well-known being the prodigal son, which I’ve already written on, but we still have the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin.  These two parables express the immense joy of finding the lost sheep or coin, and compares that to the joy there is when a sinner repents.  That sinner once was lost, but now is found, and the heavenly realms rejoice.  Perhaps for those of you who can point to a particular moment when you gave your life to Christ, you may remember someone explaining to you how the angels were rejoicing over the decision you made.  This is where that comes from, when we see the angels rejoicing over the sinner who repents.  These two parables tend to focus a bit more on heavenly angelic rejoicing, while the parable of the Prodigal Son focuses on the attitude of God himself.  One thing is for sure.  They are all about God’s grace and love for the lost. 

There’s a story that speaks of a conference on comparative religions; experts from around the world debated, what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions.  Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”  The people at the conference had to agree. The idea of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct we have.  The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and Muslim code of law, all of these offer a way to earn approval. Only Christianity shows us that God’s love is unconditional!

Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for Your unconditional love and Your boundless grace.  I’m thankful for Your forgiveness, and I’m blown away by the thought of Your joy and the angels rejoicing when I came to saving faith in You.  Thank you Lord that I will never be lost again.  Amen.

Counting the Cost

Luke 14

I have to admit it.  Sometimes I read the words of Jesus, and I think to myself this doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun; verses 25 – 33 on the cost of discipleship is one of those times.  The term discipleship refers to being a lifelong follower, pupil, or learner.  In terms of following Jesus as a disciple it means we pattern our life after His.  We say yes to Jesus and no to anything outside His teachings.  We say “oh that’s what you say about relationships, than I’m going to do that.  That’s what you teach about forgiveness, than I’m going to forgive that way.  That’s what you say about finances, than that’s how I’m going to handle my money.”  It’s all in.  In today’s passage Jesus tells us to count the cost.  To know what it is we are getting into.  

In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship” one of his most famous lines is When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.  It’s typically not a literal death, it’s a death to self.  It’s about saying I’m no longer going to do things my way, I’m doing things His way.  And there’s always a cost.  For us in America it could have to do with friendships or reputation, or maybe some might lose their job or not get a job in the first place because of their faith.  In other parts of the world the cost can be far greater.

Depending on which translation you’re reading it may have also said you have to hate your family to be Christ’s disciple.  A more accurate reading would be that you must love your family less than Christ.  I try to keep my life priorities in the following order; God, family, and work.  Seeing how my work is being a Pastor which has a thing or two to do with God, and my family is deeply involved in our church, those lines of priority can sometimes get blurred. But I think you get what I mean.  If God is not first then all the rest starts to fall apart.  Being a disciple and counting the cost is not always easy, but it’s big time worth it.  It’s ultimately what leads to the abundant life Jesus has promised through Him.  Or as Bonhoeffer put it, “it gives a man the only true life.”  

Prayer

Dear God help me to love you first and to love you most.  Amen.

Enjoy Yourself and Enjoy your Lord on the Sabbath

Luke 13

Do you ever find yourself pumping your fists as you read God’s Word?  I know, I’m a little strange, I get that.  But you have to admit verse 17 is a pretty exciting verse.  As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.  Game, set, match.  Jesus had just put the ruler of the synagogue and other present adversaries in their place as it pertains to healing on the Sabbath.  Another time when dealing with critics on the same issue he would say “man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man.”  He was telling them we need to be done with all the crazy rules and regulations surrounding the Sabbath.  We should still treat it as a day of rest and worship, but we don’t have to be so legalistic about it.  If someone needed healing on the Sabbath then it was a pretty good idea for Jesus to heal them. 

What do you like to do on the Sabbath?  I’m a pretty big fan of the Sunday afternoon nap.  I watch a lot of the first half of ball games, and I miss a lot of 2^nd halfs.  Some people like to get outside and work in their yards or gardens.  If that brings them a level of relaxation, then I say more power to them.  If you’re not in the practice of observing the Sabbath, then I think you’re missing the boat big time.  We all need to recharge.  It certainly doesn’t have to be a Sunday.  As a Pastor a good chunk of my Sunday is not a Sabbath, and you may have to work on Sundays too.  The important thing is to take time weekly for rest and worship. I also think we should have daily Sabbaths; maybe 15 minutes of rest and meditation on the Lord.  Be careful about doing it after lunch though or your 15 minutes could turn into something a lot longer (not like that has ever happened to me).  We should have monthly Sabbaths with a couple days off in a row, and yearly Sabbaths where we get away for legitimate restful vacations (i.e. not Disney World with young children).  This concept of practicing a Sabbath really does make us more productive the rest of the time.  If we’re remembering the intentional worship part it also draws us closer to God. It was God himself who gave us the Sabbath model, creating the world in six days and resting on the 7^th.  If it’s good enough for Him, it should be good enough for you.

Prayer

Lord I thank you for Your good example of work and rest.  May all I do be an act of worship to You; working hard, playing hard, and resting well.  Amen.

Spiderman and End Times

Luke 12:35-59

When speaking of when our Lord will come again my old pastor always used to say “it’s closer today than it’s ever been.”  How true, and with each passing day it gets that much closer.  There’s a lot in our passage today about being ready for His return.  That’s really what all that talk about servants and masters and coming home from wedding feasts is all about.  We don’t know when it will be, but scripture speaks of Christ glorious return to take His people home to His heavenly kingdom that He’s been preparing.  And this time it won’t be as a humble lowly babe in a manger.  He’ll be on a horse with a sword as the reigning King of kings and Lord of lords.  So what about you?  Are you ready for His return?  Will you be awake?  Jesus gives us an image of not sleeping and being awake, dressed, and ready.  I know I want to be ready.  I don’t want to be living a lukewarm half asleep life for my Lord when He returns.  As a matter a fact, I want to be the one of whom the Spiderman reference is given in verse 48.  To whom much is given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more.  You have to admit that sounds an awful lot like Uncle Ben’s words to Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility.  Like Spidey, we have been given a great power too.  Ours is from the Holy Spirit (2^nd Timothy 1:7) If you love God, don’t you want use His power to do all you can for Him in your short time here on this earth?  Don’t you want to be entrusted with much, so you can do that much more for Him? 

Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you that as Your word says, I have not been given a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, and of love, and of self-control.  Lord, help me to be vigilant and awake, and to use Your Spirit’s power to serve you well and love others in Your name until we meet face to face.  Amen.

It's Good to be Found

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

When we hear about the older brother at the end of this parable I suppose we could respond in one of two ways.  We might be put off by the older brother, understanding God’s forgiveness and grace, or maybe in an honest moment, we might say “yea, I identify with that older brother just a bit.”  I would dare say the more we’ve grown up in the church, and the more we’ve been brought up in a Christian family, the more tempted we are to identify with this older brother.  Maybe you’re thinking “okay I know it’s good that the father forgives him, but couldn’t he do a little penance first?  You know maybe make him work in the fields for a few weeks, and just feed him some bread and water for a while, and then eventually allow him back into the good graces of our family.  I mean after all, he really blew it big time.  Shouldn’t there be some kind of punishment?  He doesn’t deserve all this royal treatment.  What about me?  I’ve been here all along.  I’m the good one.” 

Do we sometimes slip into that same false notion as Christians?  The “I’m the good one” mentality.  I’m the one who’s always gone to church.  I’m the one who sings on the worship team.  I’m the one who went to all the bible studies.  Like we’ve somehow arrived and we should have some sort of say as to who is deserving of God’s grace.  Of course what I just wrote is an impossibility.  If any of us are deserving of His grace, than it’s not grace we are talking about.  You can’t deserve grace.  Grace is given when we are not deserving.  God’s grace is scandalous.  It defies all earthly rules and conventions.  The economy of Gods boundless grace can surprise and even offend us sometimes in its extravagance.  Haddon Robinson says it best, "With Him the calf is always the fatted calf; the robe is always the best robe; the joy is always unspeakable; and the peace passes understanding. There is no grudging in God’s goodness. He does not measure His goodness by drops like a druggist filling a prescription. It comes upon in floods.”

I’m afraid the mentality of the elder brother, and I think a lot of the Pharisees that were there, and maybe a few church folk today, is that God has a limited pie of his love and grace.  Maybe the older brother was concerned about all the attention lavished on the younger son, because he didn’t think he would get the same attention from his father.  But the father dispels that and says “you are always with me.  All that I have is yours.”  From our Heavenly Father’s perspective it’s like He’s saying “All my love, all my forgiveness, all my grace, it’s all yours too.”  Our God has enough love grace and forgiveness for everyone who will seek it. 

The story is told by Ernest Hemingway of a father and his teenage son who had a relationship that had become strained to the point of breaking. Finally the son ran away from home. His father, however, began a journey in search of his rebellious son. Finally, in Madrid, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in the newspaper. The ad read: “DEAR PACO, MEET ME IN FRONT OF THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE AT NOON. ALL IS FORGIVEN. I LOVE YOU. YOUR FATHER.”  The next day at noon in front of the newspaper office, 800 “Pacos” showed up. 

Sounds like Paco is a pretty familiar name in Madrid.  Sounds even more like of lot of guys desiring the love and forgiveness of their father.  And with our Heavenly Father it’s not just 800.  It’s not even 8 billion.  It’s all mankind for all time, and He offers that forgiveness and grace through the person and work of His son Jesus Christ who was telling this parable.  The Pharisees were in that crowd, and they really seemed to struggle with this sort of message.  They really thought God’s love should be doled out to those who earn it.  They had a whole list of extra-biblical rules and regulations on top of the already existing law to get you there.  But all it did in the end was to make following God burdensome and nearly impossible.  That’s not how God wants us thinking at all.  He’s our gracious loving Heavenly Father, and He’s much more interested in our following Him, than following a bunch of manmade rules.  When we stray from Him He longs for our return, and never forget, that like the prodigal son, we can never go so far away that we cannot find our way back to His love and grace.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your love and grace in my life.  I thank you that in those times when I’ve strayed, You have welcomed me back with open arms, and You forgive my sins when I repent.  I thank you for Your overwhelming goodness.  Amen.