A fine mess...

So,

"Two men went to church on a Sunday morning.  One was a deacon and the other a closet homosexual.  The deacon called the service to order and prayed, "God, I thank you that we are a strong and growing church that is unashamed to take a stand on abortion, X-rated movies, and divorce.  We fear for our country, Lord, with all the blatant homosexuality being glamorized in the media and defended by our politicians.  I'm truly grateful for the youth ministry here and that you have taught us to be generous enough to send our teens to help rebuild a school in quake-ravaged Haiti."

Meanwhile, the gay man was sitting toward the back of the sanctuary and didn't think he was good enough even to join in the prayer.  He was so miserable over the conflicts in his heart and life that he could only whisper, as a tear rolled down his cheek, "God, have pity on me!  I am such a sinner.

Then Jesus said, "When the two men went home that day, it was the homosexual and not the deacon who was pleasing to God.  If you put yourselves above others, you will be put down.  But if you humble yourself, you will be honored."

This is Rubel Shelley's paraphrase of Luke 18:10-14 (I Knew Jesus Before He Was a Christian, 2011).  Yes, it offends our modern (Christian) sensibilities.  I think probably the original offended the Pharisaically modern sensibilities of the day.

Imagine, the scandal of the gospel, that sinners could be made right with God under the blood of Christ, and can continually be brought to humility and repentance until that day when the faith will be made sight.

If that is the hope we communicate, then the 25000 reasons in our county that are walking without or away because they misunderstand the gospel of peace will be drawn back by messengers (us'n's) who are transformed by the message - or, even better, have become the Message.

If we remember our first love (Jesus), we can't help but get that message out there.  But if our message is simply, "You can get socially acceptable and cleaned up by respectable society's standards," we've lost the heart of the gospel - that The One True God reached into us and said, "I want you.  I call you Sonny not because you shine, but because you are mine," (James Ford, Jr.).

So - this is not a blog about gay rights (the homosexual was repentant), church piety (the deacon was puffed up), etc, this is a blog about you and me being the transmitters of eternal hope.  Evangelism isn't a program for participants to choose, its life to the lost, and each of us were that at some point.

Grab hold anew of the life raft, and extend a hand to others!

in Christ,
Jim

Adjusting Jesus

Ever think Christianity just doesn’t work?  Have you ever, deep down, didn’t want to share your

faith, because you weren’t sure you had any, really?

There’s a series on RightNow Media, 8 Reasons Why I am Not a Christian, that has, as its first session, a clip titled, Christianity Doesn’t Work.  It got me thinking about a couple things I want to share with you.

First, when we think about what Christianity promises – peace, blessing, hope, etc – and we compare it to our lives, we often find what we think of as Christianity to be sorely lacking.  Sufficiency?  Don’t talk to me about that when I can’t make my mortgage payment.  Peace?  In the face of my diagnosis?  And even that – why do I get sick?  I’m basically a good person.  Hope?  For what?  Heaven someday, because if there is a God, He’s letting me go through hell right here.

We wouldn’t say those things out loud, but they float around in any given Christian’s head moment by moment.  Why?  Could it be that we’ve missed the heart of the gospel?

John 3:16, you say.  Yes, but what about Matthew 4:17?  Ever heard of it?  “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’”

You see, we start adjusting Jesus when He doesn’t meet our expectations, because our expectations are born of a desire for salvation without repentance.  But foundational to the gospel message is the idea of turning from our old way of life to grab hold of a new way of life.  Life without end.  But only in repentance, only in submission to God, can we find the gospel to “work”.

Now, the “work” word can be a taboo in our church culture of 2015.  It should be, if work is understood to be the means by which we gain salvation.  Jesus finished the work of salvation, but it doesn’t absolve us from following Him.  Maybe though we don’t gain salvation by work, we find our salvation in work.  Meaning and purpose come from turning from the old man and grabbing hold of the new.  But we can’t hang on to both.  Something has to give.  And that is the point of frustration for many of us who would utter in our minds, “Christianity doesn’t work.”

If you find yourself just like “everybody else”, then maybe you haven’t given your foundation adequate thought.  Maybe what’s missing is your participation in your own salvation story.  Maybe you are desiring redemption without repentance.  So while you can pray a prayer, be baptized, go to church for a month of Sunday’s, serve at a mission, etc – without repentance, you are left with empty religion.  And that, for sure, doesn’t work.

So – re-read Matthew 4:17.  Read the first 7 chapters of Matthew to get a really good feel for what is important to Jesus.  Then get on board.  You won’t do it perfect, but He has, so you are off the perfection hook.  He says repent, then tells us how to live.  Let’s do it!

Peace in Christ,

Jim

The Blessing

Every day, I try and spend a few minutes reading my bible study plan.  It usually is two or three Old Testament chapters, and one chapter from the New Testament.  Sometimes, I will see a thread of thought that runs through the Old and the New.  Well, it happened today.  Let me explain...

When the Israelites marched into the Promised Land, God promised them victory.  He told them that He would be with them at every turn.  They started by conquering the land of Gilead, where two Amorite kings named Sihon and Og ruled.  Israel defeated them quickly, and it made a fantastic impression on all the people who lived there.  One of the natives said their victory over the Amorites "made their hearts melt and their courage fail".

The walls of Jericho fell.
They defeated an alliance of Southern kings.
They swept through an alliance of Northern kings.
85 year old Caleb conquered a city of giants - trusting God for strength.

And God delivered.  Again, and again, and again.

Joshua 21:43-45 says, "So the Lord gave the people all the land he had promised their ancestors.  The people took the land and lived there.  The Lord gave them peace on all sides, as he had promised their ancestors.  None of their enemies defeated them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them.  He kept every promise that he had made to the Israelites; each one came true."

Look at the first part of that verse again... I think the phrasing is interesting.  I underlined it and made it bold.  God gave the land... the people took the land.  I believe that the author is saying that the Promise was only fulfilled when the people took action.  It's a sure thing, but you have to do the work.

This was the same arrangement Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden.  They were told to work the land, but that their work would always be productive.  When they sinned, they are cursed with work that doesn't always produce.  Thorns and thistles were the result of sin, but work was always part of the plan.  God will give his people victory, but they still have to move forward.

So it was with the Israelites.  God kept every promise.  If they moved forward, he would give victory.  Now, if you read through the book of Joshua, you find that the Israelites didn't always move forward.  Sometimes they refused to keep fighting.  Sometimes they were too afraid of the obstacles.  God doesn't punish them for it... other than the punishment of unfulfilled destiny.  There were blessings to be had that the Israelites never received.

That was my Old Testament reading.

Then, in the New Testament, I read about the church in Corinth.  They were fighting about their rights.  Some believed that it was morally inappropriate to buy groceries from idol temples... all the profits were subsidizing false religion.  Others believed that you should buy your groceries wherever they were cheapest.  If that money went to bad stuff, well, it couldn't be helped.

So the argument was about freedom.  Are we, in Christ, free to do whatever we want?  Here's how Paul answers...

"I have the right to do anything," you say - but not everything is beneficial.  "I have the right to do anything" - but not everything is constructive.  No one should seek their own good, but the good of others... Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God - even as I try to please everyone in every way.  For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.                                                                                            - 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

Yeah, Paul says, you have the right to do anything.  You are free.  But then he asks them to remember the bigger priorities.  There are bigger fish to fry here than saving a dime/pound on cube steaks.  Paul says that in everything we do, we want to advocate for God's glory.

It might seem too hard.  You might think that it's just not worth it.  But God's glory is where we are most blessed.  God honors those who honor Him.  As we lay our lives down, He lifts us up.  As I reach more and more people for the Lord, I am empowered with joy, peace and purpose.  He fills me up as I use myself up for Him.

I thought about the ancient Israelites.  All of the Promised blessings were there, they just had to move forward.  But they didn't.  It seemed too hard.  It seemed too scary.  They chose momentary comfort over a fully delivered Promised Land.

If I want to receive the blessing of a strong spiritual life, I might have to lose some of my comfort, time, energy, money, reputation, and influence. I will certainly have to lose some control.  I believe that the rewards will be worth it!

Sermon on the Mount Wrap-Up... Or Can We?

In Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water, he says, "If you seek holiness of life, I encourage you to make a friend of the Sermon on the Mount.  It is an expanded commentary on the royal law of love.  And Jesus' life is an expanded commentary on the Sermon on the Mount...  Always appropriate.  Always able.  Always giving the touch that was needed.  Always speaking the word that was needed...  We see Jesus consistently doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done."

He goes on to say that this is purity of heart, and in talking about various things related to Jesus' embodiment of the Sermon on the Mount, he touches on the utopian idea of social justice and our role in it.  Then taking a step back, Foster looks at the whole of Jesus' life and says maybe Jesus was living a utopian dream.  "Perhaps.  And yet this is exactly how Jesus himself lived...  Compassion... Cleansing... raising a child from the dead...  says Jesus, the messianic kingdom of perpetual jubilee is indeed coming, but in a way no one would have guessed."

Would anyone guess that YOU might proclaim freedom to them?  Would anyone guess that YOU would have courage in the face of adversity?  Would anyone guess that YOU would heal, or cleanse, or speak life into someone else?  That's what he's talking about, you know.  He's talking about you and me and regular folks like us proclaiming this freedom that comes from knowing He's got you covered!

So as Easter approaches, and we start looking around our community, let's think about how we might be the proclaimers of freedom for folks wrapped up so tight in the bondage of darkness they get no glimmer but YOU.  Then be light.  Have courage.  Be kind.  Love like Jesus loves!

in Christ,
Jim

p.s. there are a ton of resources on RightNow Media that deal with talking with your neighbor about the Lord, living it out.  Search on outreach, evangelism, or just look up "Perfect Blend".  Work through the videos on your own or with a friend.  Let me know how you are doing!

Get RightNow, right now!

So we have put out there a new media library partnership that MPCC has entered with RightNow Media.  They are a non-profit ministry dedicated to putting Christian content in everyone’s reach, 24/7.  To that end, they are constantly adding small group studies, training videos, and even Christian conference videos to their site.

So how do you use this thing?  I know if you’ve jumped in to look at it, it can be pretty daunting.  6,000+ videos, including kids content, so where do you begin?

 

First, you got to go get the thing! 

http://www.rightnow.org/account/invite/MtPleasantChristianChurch

Then, get in there and play around a little - at no point will RightNow ever ask you for a credit card or any kind of payment, so jump in there.  You can do this on your computer, phone, or if you have a Roku stick or apple tv, you can watch it on your bigger screen.  If you are technically challenged, we have our own tech support folks at MPCC (translation - eager to serve teenagers) who will help you!

There is a little spy glass looking thing up in the right hand corner that will let you search on various topics, authors, or titles – and is it ever thorough!  So, for example, you like geography and history, and you want to learn more about the area of the New Testament church – you could type in a search on “geography”.  Or maybe you know that Ray VanderLaan has a lot of good geo-historical material, so you search on his name.  Or maybe you know the title of such a study.  It’s a lot like using the card catalog in a library, because, well, that’s what it is.

Maybe you need some help in a sin area like pornography, or drug or alcohol abuse, or anger, or pride – these are all topical searches you can do.  Maybe your marriage needs some help.  The system is anonymous on purpose – no one knows what anyone else is viewing or searching on (with the exception of targeted training posts that we send you).

RightNow is also an outreach – you can add anyone you want to without raising the cost to the church.  Our hope is that you use this as a missional tool with friends and family.  So maybe you are in a conversation with someone about one of the video series that has helped you.  They say they would like something like that.  You can give it to them right on the spot.  It is a pretty awesome way to engage others without feeling like you need to have all the answers.

Finally, it is our hope that our small group leaders will use this tool to pull their curriculum from.  A couple reasons – first, it is paid for in full, so there would be no additional expense in bringing new folks in.  Second, if you are in a group, you know how the time flies by, you have more questions, you’d like to view a part of the video again, etc.  By being in a group that uses RightNow Media for curriculum, you will be able to go back and review what you needed to.  And if you miss a session, you won’t have to chase dvd’s around, you can view it when you can.

If you haven’t jumped in yet, I encourage you to follow the following link, take advantage of this, and change your viewing habits.  What you put in your head is not neutral – put good stuff in, and you will bear good fruit!

http://www.rightnow.org/account/invite/MtPleasantChristianChurch

Jacob & Esau

From the time they were born, Jacob knew what it was like to be second best.

His twin brother Esau was an athletic marvel.  His father bragged on him to all his friends, the same way a dad might boast today.  His boy Esau was the strongest, fastest, bravest kid in school.  He was shaving daily in second grade!  I imagine he never lacked for female companionship.  He was loved and admired by all his peers.

And Jacob was his brother.

Jacob was smooth skinned well into adulthood.  While Esau was fighting women off, Jacob had to work years to get a woman to pay attention to him.  Jacob was less strong, less fast, and less brave.

Jacob was less.

And he was sneaky.  Perhaps it was because of his brother's large shadow, but Jacob was always proving himself to everyone.  He wanted to have the things that Esau had.  I suspect it was a bit of an obsession for Jacob.  He would've given anything to have his father's approval, even for just a few moments.

The Bible says that their father, Isaac, had been chosen by God to be a blessing to the whole world.  One day, he would pass that mantle on to one of his sons... the responsibility to be God's ambassador to the world.  In Isaac's mind, that son has to be Esau.  He was the oldest (by a few seconds), but he was everything you would want in a leader.  Esau was bold, well-balanced, honest to a fault, and imposing.

And Jacob was less.  

The confusing part of this story is that God chooses Jacob.

In spite of his flaws.

In spite of his weaknesses.

In spite of him being second-best.

In spite of his sneakiness.

In spite of the fact that Jacob didn't really even believe in God.  It takes a powerful vision of a stairway to heaven ("Jacob's Ladder") that inspires him to seek God at all.  But God chooses Jacob to be his standard bearer.  And I have to confess, it's always been a little confusing to me as to why God chose as He did.  I would have picked Esau.  Sure he was overly hirsute, but he seems more reliable.

Over the course of one long afternoon, Jacob cheats his brother and lies to his father in a way that did powerful damage to their family.  The kind of damage that makes you have to move away from home for 20 years.  On the way home, while he is terrified about meeting his family again, he spends a whole night wrestling with an angel of God.  At the end of the night, as the angel is about to leave, Jacob - in great pain - refuses to let go until he receives a blessing.

It's a metaphor of Jacob's whole life.  He was always striving, always wanting to be someone different... something MORE than what he was.  Now, on this quiet night when he is all alone, he discovers it is really God that he has wrestled since the day he was born.

It was God who made Jacob who he was.  God is the potter who makes us into what He decides.  Jacob, like Paul would a thousand years later, had used every waking hour to kick against God's plans for him.  It's like he finally realizes it, and he lays down his pride and begs God for a blessing.

Jacob gets a new name.  He will now be called Israel, which means "he struggles with God".  It is said that Jacob has struggled with men and with God and prevailed.

This is likely the reason that God chose Jacob to begin with - his willingness to stubbornly hang on.  Jacob would wrestle with God, while Esau never gave it too much thought.  Jacob's faith is messy, but it's real.

I think God meets us where we are,  He recognizes how our past scars can drive us to new poor decisions.  He sees how our hunger for approval will sometimes push us to seek it from the wrong people.  He knows all that.  Yet, he can see deeper into our hearts than anyone else - He knows us better than we know ourselves, I think.  He keeps calling.

When I learn to lay down my pride, and hang on to him, then in my weakness, I am strong.

-- Jeff Hudelson

(Re)Lent...

.

As Easter comes towards us, I always tense up. I love the focus on Christ, His centrality in our lives, the undiluted gospel of peace that restores us into a right relationship with God, and even the commands to love and make disciples, to obey, teach, etc. It seems like when that is the focus of our lives, we are headed someplace. Its like we are looking through binoculars, headed for that next hill to climb, going someplace beyond the sunset, as the old hymn goes.

And then Easter comes. We celebrate big, and lots of people come. Jesus never had much trouble drawing a crowd. And often, our celebrations water down the very gospel we are coming together to proclaim.

 Now, before I get too far ahead of myself, let me explain what I mean by "watered down". When we present a gospel that speaks only of the gift, and not of the sacrifice, when we speak only of love without truth or obedience, when we speak only of the empty tomb without the weight of an occupied cross, we do the "visitors" a huge disservice. I need the whole gospel, the 1 Corinthians 15 gospel parsed out, written every word in red on my heart, because I so easily get sideways!

And often, when Easter is over, when all the ham has been eaten, when the deviled eggs have been digested, it comes down to a nice spring festival, complete with bunnies and candy and ham and eggs, and hunts for all kinds of things other than the risen, victorious, redeeming Christ. I mean, we did our hour and a half of homage to the bringer of spring-tidings, but we have no real intention of actually obeying the gospel of peace, the truth that demands an answer of us.

Many would disagree with me, and that's ok, as I don't pretend to have all the answers on this. It just seems that as lent approaches, we (and in that we is a healthy dose of me) don't have a very good idea of what it would mean to (re)lent. To really surrender. All. Like the hymn.

So - instead of ending as a rant, I want to end with encouragement. Jump in! Really press in to the reality of a risen Christ Who loves you and gave Himself for you, so that He and His Father and His Spirit can and will dwell in you right now! Don't let your focus get askew in all the trappings of spring, only to culminate in a celebration of something other than Him. He is sufficient, He is enough, He is worthy to be celebrated. If you do all those other things, do them to the glory of the One Who made you, not to any other glory. Be impressed with Him, be moved by Him, be taken captive by Him. Love Him. Obey Him. 

And don't be afraid to talk with others about Him.  In fact, if this risen Christ is real to you, you won't be able to help yourself.  It will come out.  Naturally, intentionally, and wonderfully.  Oh, and yes, sometimes even a little confrontationally (the cross confronts the sin).  But always lovingly. 

(Re)Lent!