Foundation for Good Self-Esteem; John 5-7

May the mumbling commence!

Where do we get our sense of approval – our sense of self-esteem?  I will often find myself slipping into a people pleasing mode.  Is that okay?  It is not okay when I set my sights on being a Christian.  Read from John chapter five:

"Now you have never at any time heard what he says or seen what he is like. Nor do you really believe his word in your hearts, for you refuse to believe the man who he has sent. You pore over the scriptures for you imagine that you will find eternal life in them. And all the time they give their testimony to me! But you are not willing to come to me to have real life! Men's approval or disapproval means nothing to me, but I can tell that you have none of the love of God in your hearts. I have come in the name of my Father and you will not accept me. Yet if another man comes simply in his own name, you will accept him. How on earth can you believe while you are forever looking for each other's approval and not for the glory that comes from the one God?

There is no need for you to think that I have come to accuse you before the Father. You already have an accuser – Moses, in whom you put all your confidence! For if you really believed Moses, you would be bound to believe me; for it was about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say"? (37b-47)

According to this passage, what is the key to approval and good self-esteem?  Have the love of God in your heart.  If we do not welcome the love of God into our hearts, we will try to fill our hearts with all other kinds of things – and all of this to no avail.  We might try to fill our hearts with possessions or friends or approval of our peers. 

We might even try to be the greatest experts on the Scriptures.  But, if we neglect the love of God in our lives and neglect to share that love through the way we live our lives, we will not construct a good self-esteem.  A good self-esteem is based solely on the love of God.

And this message of the love of God is something that has been around for all ages.  It is evident in the Laws that the Lord handed down to Moses.  The Laws speak of the love of God and foreshadow the coming of Jesus Christ.

Let us accept this wonderful gift of love and self-esteem built upon the approval of God through the life and work of God’s Son, Jesus.  May we follow in the pattern that Jesus has left for us.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Witness in Spirit and Reality; John 2-4

May the mumbling commence!

How many times have we passed up the opportunity to witness for Jesus?  We have our excuses – like rejection aversion or not knowing what to say.  You and I are broken after all, right?  Well, God uses broken people.  God has used broken people since the beginning of time. 

We may have our excuses like the ones mentioned above or more like them – I don’t want to stick out – but none of the excuses are legitimate.  Think about the Samaritan woman at the well.  Read some from John chapter four:

"I haven't got a husband!" the woman answered.

"You are quite right in saying, 'I haven't got a husband'," replied Jesus, "for you have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband at all. Yes, you spoke the simple truth when you said that."

"Sir," said the woman again, "I can see that you are a prophet! Now our ancestors worshipped on this hill-side, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

"Believe me," returned Jesus, "the time is coming when worshipping the Father will not be a matter of 'on this hill-side' or 'in Jerusalem'. Nowadays you are worshipping with your eyes shut. We Jews are worshipping with our eyes open, for the salvation of mankind is to come from our race. Yet the time is coming, yes, and has already come, when true worshippers will worship in spirit and in reality. Indeed, the Father looks for men who will worship him like that. God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality."

"Of course I know that Messiah is coming," returned the woman, "you know, the one who is called Christ. When he comes he will make everything plain to us."

"I am Christ speaking to you now," said Jesus.

At this point his disciples arrived, and were surprised to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked, "What do you want?" or "What are you talking to her about?"

So the woman left her water-pot behind and went into the town and began to say to the people, "Come out and see the man who told me everything I've ever done! Can this be 'Christ'?"

So they left the town and started to come to Jesus. (Verses 17-30)

Though Jesus did know the woman’s history, there was a deep theological discussion about proper worship of God – a point of vehement disagreement between the Jews and the Samaritans.  Jesus answered the proper worship question in a way that opened the Samaritan woman’s eyes to the remembrance of the teachings of the coming Messiah or Christ.

And Jesus revealed himself as the Christ to the woman.  What a thing to talk about!  Divisions between the Jews and the Samaritans would become history in the proper worship of God in spirit and reality.

But what did the Samaritan woman say to her neighbors?  Come out and see the man who told me everything I’ve ever done.  That is not exactly eloquent gospel witness.  It misses the most important part of their conversation.  It made Jesus out to be some magician.

So the people did not come, right?  Why would they come to see a charlatan who could read minds and appearances quite well…?  But they did come.

The Samaritan woman was broken.  She had no fear of rejection – something she most likely faced every moment of every day.  She didn’t allow any fear of saying the right or wrong thing stop her from speaking.  She did not let the fear not wanting to stick out stop her either.

And the whole neighborhood came.  And they learned for themselves at Jesus’ feet.  They welcomed Jesus to stay – unlike the people of Gerasenes, where Jesus healed the man with a legion of demons in him.  Read another passage from John chapter four:

Many of the Samaritans who came out of that town believed in him through the woman's testimony - "He told me everything I've ever done." And when they arrived they begged him to stay with them. He did stay there two days and far more believed in him because of what he himself said.

 As they told the woman, "We don't believe any longer now because of what you said. We have heard him with our own ears. We know now that this must be the man who will save the world!" (Verses 39-42)

What a testimony!  Why doubt again the power of the Spirit of the living God to work through us?  It is our brokenness that makes the testimony great.  Let us go out and testify to all who come along our path.  Let us be in sync with the Spirit and bring the Good News to everyone.   

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Setting Up Camp With Jesus; John 1

May the mumbling commence!

O, the joys of setting up camp!  In the first chapter of the gospel according to John, the Word of God lived among us.  That Word of God is none other than Jesus of Nazareth.  What did Jesus use to set up camp “in our neighborhood”?  Read from John chapter one:

So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth. And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!" Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches – there is a grace in our lives because of his grace. For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known. (Verses 14-18)

The word translated “lived among us” is a Greek word that literally means tented with us.  What a rich symbol for the Jewish people, who knew the stories of the Tabernacle of God through the wilderness wanderings!  The tabernacle had many images that helped to define the Lord God to Israel.

So, what ways did the Word of God define the Lord God of Israel – indeed the Lord God of all creation?  There is truth.  Truth is important to the author of the gospel of John.  Truth is too easily censored and bent to the will of humanity.  Truth came through Jesus.

Sometimes truth hurts.  Sometimes that hurt is necessary for healing to happen – a necessary surgery for health.  Sometimes hurt is meant only to tear down.  This type of hurting “truth” neglects the other things that Jesus set up camp with – grace and love.

When truth is tempered by grace and love, the hurting is only for a while and is for the good of all creation.  What is grace?  It is undeserved favor.  God, through Jesus, extends to us an amazing grace.  Even as we sought to tear down the will of God, God reached out to us to heal us in the only way possible – through the obedience of Christ and his sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus lives through resurrection.  What an amazing grace!

Then, there is love.  Sometimes love hurts.  It is no surprise that there are popular songs that teach us this truth – albeit in a less than accurate way.  True love hurts in a healing way.

These are the riches of God – love, grace and truth.  All three came through Jesus Christ – the Word of God.  What a beautiful camp set up in our neighborhood.  Let us join this camp rather than the camps of this world where bickering and division and partial truths are the hallmarks.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

On Guard! Luke 20-22

May the mumbling commence!

On guard!  Be on guard at all times.  Do not worry about the timing of the years or months or days or hours.  Be on guard not in any chronological sense.  Rather, be on guard for that special moment in time when Christ will return.  Whether we are on guard or not will help to determine if we can stand in Jesus’ presence when he returns. 

What does it mean to be on guard?  Read from Luke chapter twenty-one:

"Be on your guard – see to it that your minds are never clouded by dissipation or drunkenness or the worries of this life, or else that day may catch you like the springing of a trap – for it will come upon every inhabitant of the whole earth.

You must be vigilant at all times, praying that you may be strong enough to come safely through all that is going to happen, and stand in the presence of the Son of Man." (Verses 34-36)

To keep a steady guard we need a clear mind.  That means not clouding our thoughts and attitudes with spirits other than the Holy Spirit.  It could be the spirit of addiction – to drugs or food or shopping or sex.  We could also have the spirit of anxiety and wanting all the luxuries of this life.  These things will demand too much of our attention.  We will miss the warning signs.

And, if we miss the warning signs, we may be taken by surprise.  To be on our guard means living as the Lord Jesus calls us to live NOW.  I know it is easy to be the procrastinator.  I can start living the righteous life when I start seeing the signs of Jesus’ return.  Yet, when we are distracted by our various spirits, we miss those signs that would be easy to see if we were living as we ought – as we were made to live.

You may ask: Well, what about my needs?  Yes, we have needs.  God knows it and will take care of us.  One of the needs is relationship with God.  We also need relationship with the children of God.  Relationship is hard.

This difficulty is why prayer is called for – prayer not for our wish lists but prayer for the change that we need in the very heart of our attitudes.  Make us strong, O Lord.  Bring us through safely so that we may stand before Jesus without shame.

All of this to the glory of the Name of our Lord!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

The Watched Pot; Luke 17-19

May the mumbling commence!

A watched pot never boils.  That is the saying anyways.  Though a watched pot of water will eventually boil, it will seem like forever if you watch it.  First, the small bubbles start to form – one here and one there.  Then the bubbles start to come in bursts.  The bubbles get bigger and bigger until finally the water begins to do a rolling boil.

Yet this will happen only if you turn the correct burner on.  I learned this valuable lesson numerous times on our stovetop.  The heat source – be it fire or electric current – is what causes the water to boil.  The temperature of the water rises and rises, until it gets to the point where the water begins to steam – turn into gas.

Boiling is actually a cooling process.  Did you get that?  Boiling is actually a cooling process.  Isn’t water remarkable?

If we study, we can learn the signs of water coming to a boil.  Humanity has learned to see the signs of a number of things.  I marvel at the way we can predict hurricanes and tornadoes.  Even so, we are nothing but idiot savants.  We miss the obvious – especially in the spiritual realm.

How about this question: When will the Kingdom of God come?  It is a question that the Pharisees asked Jesus.  Read the recorded response of Jesus from Luke chapter seventeen:

Later, he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he gave them this reply:

"The kingdom of God never comes by watching for it. Men cannot say, 'Look, here it is', or 'there it is', for the kingdom of God is inside you." (Verses 20-21)

The kingdom of God is inside you.  Why are we waiting for the kingdom?  It is here.  It is in our DNA.  We may not see it because it takes a different form – like water.  It may be ice when we are looking for water.  Or it may be water when we are looking for steam.

I think the present kingdom is most like steam.  It is hard to see with our eyes.  But, when we come into contact with it, it is hard to miss.  Ever had a steam burn?  There is not burn quite like it.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

It is better to flow with the steam than to flow against it.  Let us use all our God-given senses together so that we may discern how the Holy Spirit is moving the kingdom of God in this world.  Let us join with this movement and celebrate. 

If we don’t search for the Spirit’s movements, we will likely end up with a bad burn.  And that burn will come from looking for the Spirit in all the wrong places.  The kingdom of God begins in the hearts of the church, Christ’s body.  Then it grows from there.  Then, the church will be able to better discern the Spirit’s movement beyond the borders of the church.

Let us look inside and introspect so that we can see the world in a new light – the light of Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Do I Have Enough? Luke 14-16

May the mumbling commence!

How much is that?  Have you ever asked that question?  I have. 

I remember one time going to a store to get a prized toy – I think it was when the Transformers first came out.  I had a pocketful of change from my piggy bank.  I went to the store (which will remain unnamed) and picked out the toy I wanted to buy.

I took it to the checkout counter.  I put the toy on the counter and the toy.  I asked the cashier, “Do I have enough for this?” 

She did not look happy.  She counted through the quarters and dimes and nickels and pennies.  I was a little bit short.  I walked away in disappointment and embarrassment.

Well, Jesus wants us to count the cost of something much more important than a toy.  Jesus wants us to count the cost of following him.  Read from Luke chapter fourteen:

Now as Jesus proceeded on his journey, great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and spoke to them, "If anyone comes to me without 'hating' his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine. The man who will not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps cannot be my disciple.

If any of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn't he first sit down and work out the cost of it, to see if he can afford to finish it? Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and found himself unable to complete the building, everyone who sees it will begin to jeer at him, saying, 'This is the man who started to build a tower but couldn't finish it!'” (Verses 25-30)

Take up your cross and follow Jesus.  That is the path to discipleship.  It sounds simple, but it is so difficult to accomplish – a whole hearted acceptance of the call of Jesus without any reservation whatsoever.

It is this difficulty that prompts Jesus to tell his would be disciples to count the cost.  There is nothing as embarrassing than starting a job that you cannot finish.  Count the cost well.

How much will it cost to follow Jesus?  While the cost can be thought of in a purely monetary sense, that does not even scratch the surface of the actual cost.  We can quantify our offerings and know that Jesus calls us to give a minimum of ten percent of our income to God.  But that is a minimum.

There is also a social cost.  If we are serious about Jesus’ way of living, we will not live as the world lives.  We will stick out like sore thumbs.  People may not like the stands that we take on issues.  In some circles, we will feel like outcasts.  And sometimes those circles that we feel outcast in are formed in the name of Christ.

There is the purely personal cost of relinquishing control of our lives to God.  We no longer have control of our lives.  In fact, we will soon come to realize that most control that we felt that we had was merely illusion.

Let us count all the costs and be ready to pay the price.  What is that final price?  Everything I am and all I have.  All is relinquished to God.  And it will be in the best hands of all.  We will become free to be who God created us to be – worshipping God in full relationship with God and all creation.

What a glorious image!

Praise the Lord!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Great Expectations; Luke 11-13

May the mumbling commence!

How do you respond to great expectations?  As we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we are given more and more spiritual wisdom – more and more each passing day.  Godly wisdom is beautiful.  It can lead to beautiful things, if we follow its call.

Godly wisdom can also be daunting.  As we gain more and more godly wisdom, more and more is expected of us.  Read from Luke chapter twelve:

But the Lord continued, "Well, who will be the faithful, sensible steward whom his master will put in charge of his household to give them their supplies at the proper time? Happy is the servant if his master finds him so doing when he returns. I tell you he will promote him to look after all his property. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master takes his time about returning', and then begins to beat the men and women servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, that servant's lord and master will return suddenly and unexpectedly, and he will punish him severely and send him to share the penalty of the unfaithful. The slave who knows his master's plan but does not get ready or act upon it will be severely punished, but the servant who did not know the plan, though he has done wrong, will be let off lightly. Much will be expected from the one who has been given much, and the more a man is trusted, the more people will expect of him." (Verses 42-48)

Together, we are making a daily journey to knowing our Master’s plan.  What will we do with the knowledge?  Many years have passed since the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It can be tempting to say, “My master is a long time in coming.”  It is all too easy to start living our lives as we see fit – rather than conforming to Jesus way of living.

To choose our own way like a stubborn sheep or goat would be disastrous – largely because of what we know.  There are many people who do not choose Jesus’ way of life, but many people are not given the wisdom that mature Christians have – through community and Scripture and worship and service and prayer.  Those who are ignorant will be let off with a slap on the wrist.

But, we who know our Master’s plan will be punished severely for choosing our own ways.  We are coming to know our Master’s plan, so let us use that Master Plan to form everything in our lives – whether Jesus will come again later today or not in our lifetimes at all.  It is simple THE way to live if we are to be obedient to God.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

God's Love Remains; Luke 8-10

May the mumbling commence!

Did you know that there is nothing that we can do to change God’s love for us?  I see this unchangeable fact in what Jesus told the seventy in Luke chapter ten.  He told them what to do and tell people who accepted them and what to do and tell people who rejected them.  Read from Luke chapter ten:

"Whatever town you go into and the people welcome you, eat the meals they give you and heal the people who are ill there. Tell them, 'The kingdom of God is very near to you now.' But whenever you come into a town and they will not welcome you, you must go into the streets and say, 'We brush off even the dust of your town from our feet as a protest against you. But it is still true that the kingdom of God has arrived! I assure you that it will be better for Sodom in 'that day' than for that town.” (Verses 8-12)

When we welcome God into our lives, God will sit and fellowship with us.  We will find healing and become aware that God is very near us.  His Kingdom is here and coming.  Praise the Lord.

When we do not welcome God into our lives, God will not impose on us.  God will leave those who want to be left alone left alone.  God is the ultimate gentleman.  Whether we are aware of God’s presence or not, God is still very near us.  God’s Kingdom is still here and coming.  Lord, have mercy.

Yes, Lord, have mercy.  It will be better for Sodom than for those who reject God’s children.

Why would we choose to cut ourselves off from fellowship with the Lord and all the healing that comes?  Why would we hide our heads and deny the presence of the Lord in our lives?  It would be plain insanity to do so.  But the world sells insanity as the greatest of wisdom.

Whichever way we choose, God will always be near to welcome us into full fellowship – much like the forgiving Father from the “Prodigal Sons” parable that Jesus tells in Luke (15).  Let us choose fellowship and healing.  Let us choose to praise the Lord.  Let us accept the Lord’s great mercy. 

For at one time or another in our lives, we have been on one side or the other – welcoming or not welcoming.  Let us remember that fact as we reach out to those who may not welcome the words that we bring.  Help us to be patient, O Lord!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Monumental Times, Fervent Prayer; Luke 5-7

May the mumbling commence!

There are times when we recognize in our lives that are monumental.  I think that every time I prepare to preach before my church family.  It is a daunting task to bring the Word of God to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I quake to think about it.  I will be preaching this coming Sunday.

On what do I rely to form my words?  I rely on Scripture reading and meditation first and foremost.  I rely on the relationship that I have built with the congregation. I rely on the relationship that my wife and I have built for preparing to preach.  I rely on the wisdom of biblical scholars.  I rely on the wisdom that comes from the mouth of babes – sometimes even from my four-year-old son Micah.

But none of these things alone or all together will mean anything if they are not bathed in prayer.  I take my cue from Jesus.  Read from Luke chapter six:

It was in those days that he went up the hill-side to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God. When daylight came, he summoned his disciples to him and out of them he chose twelve whom he called apostles. They were Simon (whom he called Peter), Andrew, his brother, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon, called the patriot, Judas, the son of James and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.

Then he came down with them and stood on a level piece of ground, surrounded by a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. (And even those who were troubled with evil spirits were cured.) The whole crowd were trying to touch him with their hands, for power was going out from him and he was healing them all. (Verses 12-19)

Jesus had an awesome task to do.  He was choosing the people who would be the closest to him – those who would help to continue his ministry when he returned to his heavenly Father.  So Jesus spent the whole night in prayer – from sundown to sunrise.

I am sure that Jesus prayed for guidance on who to choose.  I am sure Jesus communed with his heavenly Father on how to begin the important work of teaching them.  I am sure that Jesus prayed for the men that he decided to choose.

We have the list of the disciples to prove Jesus’ work in prayer with God.  We also see the fruits of Jesus’ prayer in the healing of those who simply showed faith by reaching out and touching him.  And the fruits of Jesus’ prayer were also evident as he taught the people.  This passage is followed by what is commonly known as the “Sermon on the Plain”.  This sermon has much in common with the better known “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew (5-7).

I pray that my life this week will be a prayer unto God.  I pray that I hear the voice of God through Scripture, through prayer, and through all my relationships.  I pray that God will anoint the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart.  I pray that the words of my mouth are blessed with the power of God’s Spirit. 

And I pray for those who will hear these words.  God, protect my hearers from any misspoken words I speak.  And open their hearts and ears and minds to hear your Word through my sermon.  May my breath be supported by the breath of God – the living Holy Spirit.

And God’s people say, “Amen”.  So be it.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Recognizing and Naming Beautiful Words; Luke 2-4

May the mumbling commence!

What do we do to recognize the gifts of people that we have grown up with?  We have to make a concerted effort to recognize the gifts of our neighbors and family members and church family.  It is all too easy to miss God’s gifts in those closest to you.  You have known many of them since they were snot-nosed babies.

Jesus knew this hometown affect well.  Read about the struggle that Jesus had in his own hometown.  Read from Luke chapter four:

And now Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, - and news of him spread through all the surrounding district. He taught in their synagogues, to everyone's admiration.

Then he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and, according to his custom, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read the scriptures and the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book and found the place where these words are written – 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord'.

Then he shut the book, handed it back to the attendant and resumed his seat. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed upon him and he began to tell them, "This very day this scripture has been fulfilled, while you were listening to it!"

Everybody noticed what he said and was amazed at the beautiful words that came from his lips, and they kept saying, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"

So he said to them, "I expect you will quote this proverb to me, 'Cure yourself, doctor!' Let us see you do in your own country all that we have heard that you did in Capernaum!" Then he added, "I assure you that no prophet is ever welcomed in his own country.” (Verses 14-24)

How do we respond when someone that we have grown up knowing says something beautiful and true?  Do we treat that beauty and truth with respect, or do we mumble about who the person is?  You know, “I watched that kid in the nursery.  I changed the kid’s dirty diapers.  How could so-and-so’s child amount to anything?”

It is no wonder to me that many young adults choose colleges safely away from their hometowns.  People want to be viewed without their history and family baggage contorting the views of their teachers and peers.  People want a fair chance to develop their God-given gifts without people pre-judging them.

I wish it wasn’t true – gifts being unacceptable to hometown people.  But it is.  I believe it is part of the reason for the mass exodus of grown children from the congregations of their childhoods.

So how can we create an environment safe for our own children to excel and try out their wings with their God-given talents?  I do not think it is often because we cannot see those gifts.  Indeed, Jesus’ hometown people saw his gifts very well.  The better question is how do we give voice to our observations without being condescending or coddling?

We have to open space in our lives so that the youth of our congregations can serve us.  Yes, we need to be served by the youth at least as often as we serve the youth.  We need to be genuine in our words and body language and tone.  Youth can detect a sham from a mile away.  We need to see youth as our equals and treat them that way.

Then we can open up pathways for ministry between the generations.  Pathways will open opportunities for everyone to serve as God intended them to.  Pathways will open opportunities for learning to happen across generations.

There are enough pressures keeping young adults from staying connected with their home congregations.  We do not need another factor to drive away people that are vital to the lifeblood of any church body.

Let us recognize the beautiful words of our closest family.  Let us express that recognition with genuine gratitude to those who serve us in ways that we did not expect.  God will smile, and we will begin to tear down the dividing walls between those God has gifted and their home communities.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Heroism Redefined; Mark 15-16

May the mumbling commence!

Are you holding out for a hero?  If so, what would that hero look like?  How would a hero act?  If we base our idea of a hero on what Hollywood teaches us, we will expect someone of violent action.  Apparently, not much has changed over the years.  Read from Mark chapter fifteen:

Now it was Pilate's custom at festival-time to release a prisoner – anyone they asked for. There was in the prison at the time, with some other rioters who had committed murder in a recent outbreak, a man called Barabbas. The crowd surged forward and began to demand that Pilate should do what he usually did for them. So he spoke to them, "Do you want me to set free the king of the Jews for you?"

For he knew perfectly well that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him through sheer malice. But the chief priests worked upon the crowd to get them to demand Barabbas' release instead. So Pilate addressed them once more, "Then what am I to do with the man whom you call the king of the Jews?"

They shouted back, "Crucify him!" (Verses 6-13)

Jesus did not meet the expectation of the people of a hero – and certainly not of the Messiah, the greatest hero of all time.  Jesus did not stand up and fight to defend his right to the throne.  Jesus did not train his disciples as warriors.  Jesus simply went to his arrest and trial peaceably.

The Jews of Jesus’ day expected a military Messiah who would deliver Israel from the hands of the Romans.  Who was this Jesus?  He seemed subject to the very authorities the people were hoping and planning to overthrow.

The Scripture says that the chief priests influenced the crowds to ask for Barabbas, who joined with rioters and murdered.  I cannot believe that the people would need too much convincing.  Barabbas spoke the language of violent revolution that they wanted to hear.

The people of Jesus’ day chose violence over truth and peace.  In many ways, we make the same choice every day.  We choose to use violence or the threat of violence to maintain order.  It is the voice of the military that rings loudly in our capital city.  It is the voice of corporations that arm the military.  It is the voice of drill, baby, drill – regardless of the cost to the planet. 

It is also the choice that we make when we shop at stores like Wal-Mart, where the violence of under-paid workers across the world.  It is also the choice we make when we decide to do transform conflict the only way we seriously try – the only way we are willing to sacrifice lives and lifestyles.  What if we were to take that same dedication and willingness to sacrifice to the table?

What peace and truth we would discover!  Think about it.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Buy Into God; Mark 12-14 (Rev 3)

May the mumbling commence!

Back to school time is here again.  This week marks the first full week of school for our local schools.  Many children and young people are wearing some new clothes and shoes for the school season.  It was one of the great things that I remember from my childhood.  There is nothing like wearing something new.  I know – I was the youngest of eight children and very rarely did I get a new shirt or pair of pants.

Where is the place to get the finest of clothing?  This question makes me think of the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.  Sometimes the new fashions leave us naked in the eyes of the Lord.  Think about this passage from Revelation chapter three:

“While you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and there is nothing that I need', you have no eyes to see that you are wretched, pitiable, poverty-stricken, blind and naked. My advice to you is to buy from me that gold which is purified in the furnace so that you may be rich, and white garments to wear so that you may hide the shame of your nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes to make you see.” (Verses 17-18)

Away from the light of God we do not realize that we are wretched, pitiable, poverty-stricken, blind and naked.  It makes me think of the passage from Mark chapter fourteen:

Then all the disciples deserted him and made their escape. There happened to be a young man among Jesus' followers who wore nothing but a linen shirt. They seized him, but he left the shirt in their hands and took to his heels stark naked. (Verses 50-52)

Many scholars think that the author of Mark was referring to himself when he writes of the young man who ran away from the arrest scene naked.  When we deny the need for Jesus in our lives, we too will find ourselves stark naked.  There is only one place to get the finest of clothes.

Buy from God.  Buy into God.  Buy into what God has set before you.

The more that you and I buy into what God has set before us, the more we will become rich.  Our clothes will be of the finest white linen and our nakedness will be covered.  And salve will open our eyes that we may see with the eyes of Jesus.

May we sell all that we have so that we can buy into what God has set before us.  It is the best thing for us!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

                       

Serve Together; Mark 9-11

May the mumbling commence!

In mission, there is no competition – only cooperation or duplication or omission.  As human beings, we have a hard time grasping that concept.  Various Christian denominations have muddied the waters even further.  But even in Jesus’ day, people saw other people on a mission as competition.  Read from Mark chapter nine:

Then John said to him, "Master, we saw somebody driving out evil spirits in your name, and we stopped him, for he is not one who follows us."

But Jesus replied, "You must not stop him. No one who exerts such power in my name would readily say anything against me. For the man who is not against us is on our side. In fact, I assure you that the man who gives you a mere drink of water in my name, because you are followers of mine, will most certainly be rewarded."

"And I tell you too, that the man who disturbs the faith of one of the humblest of those who believe in me would be better off if he were thrown into the sea with a great mill-stone hung round his neck!" (Verses 38-42)

Someone else is working in Jesus’ name!  And they’re not one of us.  Do they need to be stopped from unauthorized mission?

Stop someone else from ministering in Jesus’ name?!?  Why not join them in serving in Jesus’ name?  If Christians do not work together for Christ, then how will the Message of Christ’s love get out?

Just think how much better ministry would be if Christians would work together!  Unnecessary duplication would be eliminated so that new efforts might be extended to the forgotten and vulnerable – these invisible people would no longer be omitted from the mission effort.

And there’s even more to behold.  We will discover more and more of Christ Jesus as we serve those in need.  We will see Jesus in those we seek to serve as they provide us with hospitality and “a cold cup of water”.

Jesus never meant mission to be a one way street.  As Christians, we do not bring Jesus to those who do not have him.  As Christians, we discover Christ with those we come to serve… and find ourselves getting more from our ministry experiences that we ever gave.

That’s right.  No matter how hard we try, we cannot out give God.  That, my dear friends, is impossible.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Cleaning from the Inside Out; Mark 6-8

May the mumbling commence!

What does it mean to be clean?  We spend much time in the country to keep clean.  We shower.  We brush and floss our teeth.  We wash our dishes (or put them in a dishwasher).  We wash our hands before we prepare a meal.  We wash our hands before we eat a meal.  We wash and disinfect our homes.  We do all these things and more to promote cleanliness.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”  We have all heard this saying.  How do we as Christians put this into practice?  In Mark chapter seven, the Pharisees have a confrontation with Jesus over the washing of hands before a meal.  Jesus accused them of being hypocrites – forsaking the commands of God for the traditions of men.

When we think of our human traditions of cleanliness, we always clean from the outside in.  And usually we don’t go too deep when we clean.  Even in a thorough cleaning like spring cleaning, we often neglect all the nooks and crannies of our lives.  Jesus calls for a different level of cleanliness – one that cleans from the inside out.  Read from Mark chapter seven:

Then he called the crowd close to him again, and spoke to them, "Listen to me now, all of you, and understand this, There is nothing outside a man which can enter into him and make him 'common'. It is the things which come out of a man that make him 'common'!"

Later, when he had gone indoors away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this parable.

"Oh, are you as dull as they are?" he said. "Can't you see that anything that goes into a man from outside cannot make him 'common' or unclean? You see, it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, and passes out of the body altogether, so that all food is clean enough. But," he went on, "whatever comes out of a man, that is what makes a man 'common' or unclean. For it is from inside, from men's hearts and minds, that evil thoughts arise – lust, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, arrogance and folly! All these evil things come from inside a man and make him unclean!" (Verses 14-23)

Clean the attitudes of our hearts.  Then we will see results.  Then we will think differently, see differently, understand differently, speak differently, and act differently.  In other words, we will think and speak and act because of who we are.

Lysol or Mr. Clean cannot help us in this kind of in-depth cleaning.  Dove or Dial soap cannot help either.  There is only one way to become clean.  Approach Christ Jesus and dwell in him – abide in him.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your life in its entirety.  Make sure the Word of God has preeminence over all the traditions and wisdom of this world.

When we clean at this depth, there are no longer any nooks or crannies in our lives for unclean attitudes to retain a foothold – lustfulness, covetness, hatred, unfaithfulness, selfishness, wickedness, deceitfulness, lewdness, enviousness, arrogance or folly.  Leave these things and things like them behind.

Let our prayer be: “O Jesus, clean us from the inside out in the power of the Holy Spirit.”  And all God’s people said, “Amen.”  So be it.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Unforgivable Sin; Mark 3-5

May the mumbling commence!

What is unforgivable – even for God?  Is there anything unforgivable?  Read from Mark chapter three:

Then he went indoors, but again such a crowd collected that it was impossible for them even to eat a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, for people were saying, "He must be mad!"

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying that he was possessed by Beelzebub, and that he drove out devils because he was in league with the prince of devils.

So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in a parable – "How can Satan be the one who drives out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot last either. And if Satan leads a rebellion against Satan – his days are certainly numbered. No one can break into a strong man's house and steal his property, without first tying up the strong man hand and foot. But if he did that, he could ransack the whole house.

Believe me, all men's sins can be forgiven and their blasphemies. But there can never be any forgiveness for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. That is an eternal sin."

He said this because they were saying, "He is in the power of an evil spirit." (Verses 20-30)

“There can never be any forgiveness for blasphemy.”  Never is a long time.  I know of people who have read this passage and wondered if they have committed this unforgivable sin.  I was told by one of my spiritual fathers that if you are worrying about committing this sin, then it is highly unlikely that you have fallen in this way.

But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?  In the context of this passage, the scribes were accusing Jesus of using the power of Satan to drive out demons.  Jesus was actually using the power of the only living God – the power of the Spirit of the only living God.  The scribes misnamed the working of the Holy Spirit and had fallen into the unforgivable sin…

Should this passage not give us pause to criticize the work of another Christian?  Think about it.  If we brashly claim that another Christian’s ministry is powered by Satan and we denounce it as such we run the risk of an unforgivable sin.

In these circumstances, we must stay the tongue and listen for the Spirit.  It is better to err on the side of silence than it is to speak boldly against another’s ministry that actually has been done in the Spirit.

Help us remember, O Lord, that our Christian lives are not lived in competition with one another but in collaboration, cooperation and compromise.  Let us listen together for the Spirit of God to speak through the Scripture, through tradition and through one another.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out