Bethel Fellowship

Last week we had our first baptism at Bethel Fellowship.  It was a milestone for the church to be sure, and one of many wonderful "firsts" we will no doubt experience in the days to come. 

I don't know that I have ever seen an entire congregation moved to tears quite like that.  From the touching words of a proud mother, to the heart-felt prayers, to the magnitude of the moment itself, God's mighty hand was evident, I think, to all of us.  

But whatever that first baptism may have meant for us as a church, it is nothing compared to the meaning I hope it had for the young lady who made the decision to be buried with Jesus in his death and raised with Jesus again in his resurrection.  I hope that whatever significance that moment had for the church, that it meant a great deal more to that young lady's family, to her friends, and potentially to generations yet to come.

There was a time in the early days of the church when baptism was taken quite a bit more seriously than it is often taken today.  Once upon a time baptism came only after a meaningful time of instruction and preparation -- the person being baptized knew in no uncertain terms the seriousness and meaning of the moment.  Even then, both the person performing the baptism and the one being immersed were asked to fast at least a day, and preferably two, before the event.  The question, I suspect, to be pondered and prayed about was whether one as truly willing to die to self and to be raised a new creation in Christ.

The truth is that in order to experience the new life that we have in Jesus we must first experience death.  The old must die in order to make room for the new.  Our old sinful life must be left behind, a new life birthed into the world evidenced by obedience to the voice of God.

Baptism is, in essence, a covenant with God.  It is our agreement to allow the Holy Spirit to take the reigns of our life and to begin the hard work of conforming us to the very image of Jesus. 

I hope and pray that at Bethel Fellowship we never lose sight of the awesome responsibility that comes with performing baptisms.  I hope we keep our eyes focused on the prize and the magnitude of each of these moments.  I am afraid that a casual prayer followed by an emotional decision to be baptized too often results in "faith" without transformation -- faith that never grows to maturity.  Grace is costly, and through baptism we must count that cost.


Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.
                                                                                                         Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.  For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
                                                                                        Romans 6:1-14

Thank You Heartland Church

Dear Heartland Church:

It is with both sadness and great excitement that Pam and I let you know that after nearly seventeen years (eleven on staff) our time at Heartland Church has come to an end.

We are eternally grateful for your encouragement, support and prayers over all of these years and, even more so, for your love.  You shared in many of the most joyous times in our lives and, of course, the most tragic time in our lives, and we will always thank God for each of you.  In the worst of times we do not know how we would have survived without you.

At the same time, we are so thankful for the opportunity we have had to serve so many of you, and are still humbled and amazed at the many times you allowed us to be a part of the most private, intimate and important moments of your lives.  It has been incredible to see God's hand at work, and we will always count serving you as one of the greatest pleasures of our lives.

Thanks to the entire church staff for your friendship over these years.   There is not enough room here to say all the things that should be said to each of you.  In fact, I am still looking for the words to try to explain the impact you have had on our lives.

We are particularly indebted to Pastor Dan for recognizing the calling on our lives, and for his mentorship and friendship over the years.  If there is one thing we have never doubted it is Pastor Dan's love for God and his love for God's people.

Still, in the past few months we have seen the unmistakable footsteps of God leading us to somewhere new.  I have accepted a job in the legal department of an incredible company and will be working with an amazing and talented group of people.  As we are all commanded to do, it is my intention to work at this new position wholeheartedly, as if working for God himself.  Colossians 3:23-24. ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." )

And, by doing so, I will also be able to continue serving God without being a financial burden on God's people.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with being in full time ministry, there is also an incredible blessing in being able to preach the Gospel for free.  Pam and I know that God is not finished with us just yet, and we are extremely excited about the plans He has for us.  We are anxious to share more about those plans in the days ahead.

We have tried, to the best of our ability, to serve you in love -- proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the whole truth through the Word and through our way of life.  Know that Pam and I love each of you -- and always will.  Keep watch over yourselves and continue to draw close to God.  Follow Jesus alone.  We pray that God would continue to build you up so that you may attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  See Ephesians 4:1-13. 

Love you all.

John and Pam

P.S., Just because we are transitioning doesn't mean we need to stop seeing the people we love!


As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.   Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.  This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?   He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)   So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

                                                                                 Ephesians 4:1-13. 

 



 

June 10, 2017

If life had continued as we had planned, hoped or thought, tomorrow we would all be celebrating Jonathan's 31st birthday.  Perhaps right now Pam and I would be frantically cleaning the house.  Or maybe she would be in the kitchen baking a cake or in her office wrapping a carefully selected present.  We might be anticipating spending tomorrow as a family, preparing for Jonathan to come through the door with his latest girlfriend -- or by now maybe even with his wife and our grandbaby in tow.

But, of course, life did not turn out as we would have wanted.  There will be no cake and no celebration.  There will be no daughter-in-law, and no grandchild for us to play with.  And, worst of all, there will be no Jonathan.  It is still hard to accept sometimes -- still hard to believe that its not just a bad dream.  It is a reality we must try to accept again daily -- he was taken from us and he will not be coming back.

From time to time people will say, particularly of my wife, that they cannot believe how strong we have been in the face of all that has happened.  There is a part of me that wishes that were true.  The truth is, though, that we are both still frail.  If only it were possible to peel back the exterior and feel what we feel.  You would experience an unbearable anguish -- a brokenness from which I doubt either of us will ever fully recover.

For many of us the burden of life can become overwhelming at times.  For all of us, there will be days when it seems like just getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other requires every ounce of strength that we have.  When those days come -- and they will -- I hope you have a little grace for yourself.  And, I hope that you find the faith to believe that God has something better for you in the future.

It is interesting to me that great men of God, who had far greater reason to trust God than most of us do, where nevertheless overwhelmed by the stress of life.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth not only about the hardships and suffering he and others were experiencing, but also about the emotional toll it was taking on them -- they "despaired even of life." 2 Corinthians 1:8.

Moses heard God speak from a burning bush, bring plagues on Egypt, pour water out of a rock, part the Red Sea and feed the Israelites with manna from heaven -- to name a few reasons why Moses might have been unwavering in his faith, strength and confidence.  But despite all of this, Moses was rarely in a place of comfort.

In fact, despite all that Moses had seen the Lord do, the burden of serving God often overwhelmed him. One time in particular the people were grumbling about, of all things, having to eat manna instead of the meat, fish, cucumbers, melons and other things that had been available to them in Egypt. And, Moses had enough -- the burden had become too great and he asked God to put him to death!

He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?  Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors?  Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’  I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.  If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Numbers 11:11-15.

Elijah, too, had seen God do many things. In First Kings, we read about Elijah's epic battle against the prophets of Baal. See, 1 Kings 18:20-39. You probably know the story. Elijah, the lone prophet of the Lord, challenged the four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a kind of duel.

In the end, Elijah saw his prayers answered, as the fire of the Lord fell on Elijah's sacrifice -- burning not only the bull, but the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in the trench in the process. The four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal lost their lives that day. 1 Kings 18:40.

Yet, shortly after this incredible encounter with God Elijah was running for his life. Like Moses, Elijah had enough, and asked God to take his life.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

1 Kings 19:3-5.

In the end, though, Moses and Elijah persevered, and God honored His promises to them.  And, both of these men ultimately found themselves on the mountain top in one of the most powerful moments recorded in the New Testament.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.  Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:1-5.

As I write this today, it is impossible to see Pam and me on any mountain top.  It is just not a place my imagination can take me.

Yes, tomorrow will come and go.  But many June 10ths will follow.  We will still have many Christmas mornings and Easter Sundays without him.  Every milestone in the lives of our other children promise to be bitter-sweet.  We will watch his friends have families of their own, and our joy for them will be met with a tinge of sorrow.  This is our reality.

But still, we have faith.  We cannot see it, touch it, or even imagine it -- but we believe God has a better future for us.  Maybe even an unimaginably good one. 

God

For both Pam and me the last few years have had, as you might imagine, a profound impact on our relationship with and understanding of God.  And, while I have on these pages written many times about the journey from my point of view, today I hope you are blessed by hearing from my wife's perspective.  We love you all.

By:  Pamela Crews

Below is a link to an article that a good friend, Kathryn Jankiewicz, sent to me this morning. I really think it is worth a read. I agree wholeheartedly with what she says (UNTIL she gets to the part where she says she had to invent new names for Him...but I'll talk about that later).

I think there are way too many people in the world who have turned their backs on God; people who have been unable to forgive him for bad things that have happened to themselves personally, or in the world generally, and people who have been disappointed when he failed to deliver on what they believed he promised to do for them. How many times have any of us heard, "I don't believe in God. How could a loving God allow ________"?

Maybe in the midst of pain, frustration and confusion...the things can that often leave us most vulnerable....we forget to consider that it is not actually God who is the problem. We fail to consider the fact that God, as we have each chosen to personify Him (our own perfect, individually tailored, made-to-order God who fits perfectly within the confines we each individually need Him to be, based on our own interpretations of the specific parts of the bible we choose to embrace, specific sermons that "resonate" with us, hurts we have endured, fears we harbor, and our hopes and desires for the future) is NOT BOUND to act within the confines of our understanding of who He is. 

Duh. We all say that. But are we REALLY prepared and WILLING to meet God on His terms?

Before Jonathan was murdered, I felt like I had a very close relationship with God. Very close. I thought I understood his "nature,"...that I could predict His actions, within reason, based on my level of faith and my willingness/ability to follow His commands...plus a couple of other factors which might be figured in like some mathematical equation far beyond my ability to compute. Sure, I knew that bad things happened to everybody in life...but I believed that if I simply prayed for certain things, with absolute faith, God would make them happen. Isn't that what the bible says? Turns out, "Not exactly." WHAT?!

Well, what about this thing called "FAVOR" that we are taught is one of the biggest PERKS of "joining" the Christianity club? Doesn't God save the highest paying, most prestigious jobs for the members of His club? Not exactly. WHAT!? 

But at least it comes with the best health plan. I mean, if we or somebody we love get sicks, it's pretty much not a big deal, right? Because we can just pray for healing and "if we have enough faith," POOF, a healing miracle will be delivered, right? Not Exactly. WHAT!? 

Parking places. At least we will get inexplicably great parking places and other meaningless VIP crap, right? Nope. WHAT?!

So, what's the point, really? What kind of a stupid club is this? A lot of very restrictive rules (I mean, there's not even a limited exclusion for infidelity if you get that once-in-a-lifetime invite from your most coveted movie star!) and not many take-it-to-the-bank benefits. What's the attraction? Why should I "choose" this God out  of all of the other very attractive god options out there?

Oh, I get it. It's the emotional benefit. Like, when something really bad happens, at least God will protect me from being too sad about it, right? Not exactly. WHAT?!

So what's the point? What is the return I can expect for the considerable investment I am asked to make? 

Well, many will tell you that the investment is really not all that much...despite what you may have imagined...and the main perk comes down the line...kind of like a spiritual 401K. Turns out you just have to repeat a certain prayer. You don't even have to memorize it, apparently...just repeat it after somebody else. (You can, at your own discretion, choose to put your hand on your heart or raise your arms to the sky…or not. It’s all good.) Oh, and depending on where you go to church, there will be water...either dabbed on your forehead in the shape of a cross or in the form of a complete dousing...and POOF you get excluded from going to hell when you die! Now that's something good for sure! At least the bible promises us that. Not exactly. WHAT?!

No wonder so many people are mad at God! They are promised all of these wonderful perks and He doesn't deliver! Babies are dying by the thousands! Who is more innocent and deserving of mercy than babies? There is no earthly way to excuse a God who would allow this! So we get mad. Because all too often our willingness to walk with God stops at our ability to see past our earthly desires and our limited understanding of who God REALLY is. Despite wanting to have complete faith in God, we fail too often to have faith in the reality that His ways are better than our ways. His understanding is so far beyond our ability to comprehend...and yet we try to limit him to understanding only what we understand.

God is not a democracy. He simply IS. He doesn't change with "the times." Would you REALLY WANT a God who did? His existence in our lives does not depend on our belief in Him. We are so arrogant as a society to think that we can ERASE Him because He does not conform His commands to the latest popular vote! Good luck with that. I am afraid to see how He is going to deal with this...and yet not afraid at all...because the worst that can happen is my body will die. And, as it turns out, God is a lot less interested in my mortal body than He is in my soul. And now, so am I.

So who IS God? That is obviously way too big a question for me to answer here. And I don't know…not exactly anyway. Nobody can know all of God….and I have not yet run across anybody who can give an adequate description of all that He is.  But I do know that He is not most of the things I learned from a lifetime in a variety of different churches. He is so much BETTER!

As much as I thought I knew Him before, I have learned over the last three years, since Jonathan's death, that He is not very much at all like the God I knew before. I did have a relationship with him before...but not like I do now. I understand Him more than ever now...even though my understanding now includes knowing that I will never on this earth fully understand Him, and realizing for the first time ever that I have no right or ability to predict or expect Him to do any certain thing in response to my level of faith, time spent in prayer, or acts of service. He does as He does. He blesses who He blesses at His own choosing, based on His desires, not mine. He sends rain on the just and the unjust, at His choosing, not mine. And at His time, not mine. He heals who He heals and He lets die who He lets die.

That’s not to say that I don’t still pray for things, but I pray with a different heart now. I used to use prayer as some sort of “amulet,” but now I know that although God will certainly listen, He will probably do what He knows is best instead of what I want. And I’m grateful for that…most times. (I’m still working out that “be perfect” thing.) Or He may not like what is happening either, but choose not to interfere in the evil some other person is exercising in his or her free will. I pray for healing when my friends and family are sick…but I know that no matter what my level of faith is, God may have a different plan, and I accept that. I prayed every day for my children’s health, safety and protection…and my son was still murdered…and literally just minutes after the last time I prayed those things for him. Possibly even as I was in the midst of praying.

Have I ever blamed God for not answering what I consider a VERY faithful and diligent prayer? No. And I credit that entirely to Him. Why? Because “No weapon formed against me will prosper.” I know now that that passage has nothing to do with what weak, human me might have once secretly desired…what the world thinks of as “instant karma”… smiting people who gossip about me or giving the person who cuts me off in traffic a flat tire. I know now that it means that I belong to Him and He is not going to let the part of Him who lives in me be killed off by the liar who hovers over this world and wants to turn my heart hard. He protected me even from questioning Him! In my weakest moments, I have protection from weapons aimed at my soul. That is a pretty awesome if you ask me. And there is so much more! But I can’t begin to tell you. Nobody can. Not in a way that will make it real. It’s only real when it’s living inside your heart.

So how CAN you make THAT happen? Ask Him. That’s the kind of prayer I have a feeling He likes to answer. The answer may come in ways you never imagined. And you probably won’t be fond of the entire “journey” (“The Bachelor” as given me a new found distaste for that word…and I don’t even watch it…but it’s too appropriate to leave out here)…but once God has taken root in your heart…really taken root….you will always be thankful!

So….here’s that article (which you may be too tired to read by now. Sorry). That last part…the part that I disagree with…is her decision to reinvent God on her terms, and discard His name. I understand where she’s coming from on a personal level, but I think that by using euphemisms to describe God, she may inadvertently rob somebody of the opportunity to know the one true God. There are so many different (apparently over 3300, according to her) options to choose from for one who is shopping for a god in this world.

I feel like referring to Him in terms of what she personally gets from Him instead of His name may not only give the impression (once again) that we want to believe to receive something, but that one might be safe in “shopping” for the god that best suits whatever it is they are personally seeking. Use His name. How else is anybody going to know who it really is who created the universe?

By the way, many names for God can be found in the Bible, when in doubt "Jesus" will always do.

That is all. : )

http://christablackgifford.com/my-journey-into-atheism/

The Law and the Prophets

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." 

                                           Matthew 5:17-20.

We know that we are saved by grace, and not by observing the law.  See Galatians 2:15-16.  And, because of this we may be perplexed by Jesus saying that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them.  We might even strain to figure out which part of the law we must still follow, and from which part have we been relieved.  Is it just the moral law that we must follow, or must we follow dietary or ceremonial laws as well?

To an extent, I think this kind of an examination misses the point.  In fact, I suspect that (like much of the Bible) when we examine the law in this way it is not so much to determine what we should do to be good followers of Jesus, but instead to figure out the minimum we must do in order to be accepted by God.  What we want to really figure out is what is the least we can do and still please Him.

The truth, though, is that we can never do enough to please God.  Or at least, there is never enough that we can do to be seen as righteous in His eyes.  Instead, our righteousness comes solely from Jesus and through Jesus.  We are made righteous in His eyes, but only because He Himself made the ultimate sacrifice to cover our sins.  We are made righteous by His blood; and by His blood alone.  See Hebrews 10:1-18.

At the same time, if we are truly made righteous by the blood of Jesus, what started as an internal transformation begins to be reflected externally as well.  If we really love Jesus, that love will be manifest in how we, in turn, love others.  Conversely, the absence of external obedience to Jesus tells us it is likely that nothing actually changed on the inside either.  We may profess Christ, and yet never actually have allowed Him to become the Lord of our lives.  

And so, Jesus continues His great sermon.  He warns us that we will not inherit the kingdom of heaven unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.  What we do externally will never be enough.

How deflating those words must have been to the crowd around Him.  The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law were the spiritual elite.  They were the ones who followed the law meticulously.  They were the ones who had cornered the market when it came to righteousness.  The question on the minds of those in the crowd must have been if not the Pharisees "who then can inherit eternal life?"

At this point we might hope that Jesus would preach the message of grace.  We might hope that He would say something -- anything -- to let the crowd off the hook.  But instead, he drives the point home.  “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment."  Matthew 5:21-22.  

Rather than bringing relief from the law, Jesus has brought to the surface its fullness.  Not only will murder bring judgment on you, but even just being angry with your brother.  Hearing this, much of the crowd must have walked away sad.  Indeed, by the end only about 120 believers would remain.  See Acts 1:15.

In the end though, mercifully, those who stayed the course would come to understand that it was never about our ability to live up to the letter of the law, but instead it was about our willingness to live by the Spirit of God.  Both our internal and our external righteousness, as it turned out, would depend entirely on Jesus.

As a point of departure we looked at the Commandment to observe the Sabbath.  The Pharisees had added their traditions to a simple commandment of God.  They had made it a matter of not exerting themselves on the Sabbath and in the process had "neglected the more important matters of the law -- like justice, mercy and faithfulness."

The Command, after all, was to keep the Sabbath holy.  And, I wonder -- what could be more holy than feeding someone who is hungry, visiting the sick or imprisoned, or telling someone who is lost about Jesus?

"At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.  Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?  I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.  If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.  But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."
                                                                                      Matthew 12:1-14.

Oh Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

Contributed by Heath Brown.

God's direction, message, and focus has been the same from the very beginning.  He is not a confusing God, and He is very clear in what His will is.  God's will is to seek and to save that which is lost.  It is not His will that any should perish and God wants all to come to repentance.  He is also very clear in what His will is for our lives.

As we approach the Sermon on the Mount that begins in Matthew Chapter 5, we see Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues and He is spreading the truth to all that will come.  He is also confirming all that is said through miracles of healing and deliverance.  The world is encountering truth and power.  Jesus continues gathering the attention of all surrounding areas by preaching the gospel and performing mighty works, and multitudes upon multitudes are now following Him.  When He sees the crowds, Jesus goes up into a mountain and begins to teach.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt 5:3-11).

These are not merely good attitudes we should strive for.  These are commands to all people in order to be have the "kingdom of heaven", to be "comforted", to "inherit the earth", to be "satisfied", to "have mercy", to "see God", to "be called the sons of God", and to have the "kingdom of heaven."  The reward of each command is more than what an attitude can accomplish, and together they are only possible through God...and it is through following God in these "commands" that we are blessed.

Jesus then continues preaching by saying, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:13-16).

It was brought to us Sunday morning by Joel and Kim that salt cannot loose it's saltiness in it's original crystallized form.  The only way salt can lose it's saltiness is when it is added to water.  In this instance, the chemical is broken down and the saltiness is basically attached to the water molecules.  When water is then removed, the crystallized substance left is no longer salty and is worthless.  Jesus is reminding us that we have the flavor and taste of life, but we cannot water down the direction He has given us from the beginning ... and yet we did.  In addition, Jesus tells His people that we are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  The light's purpose is to be placed in a way that can be seen by all ... showing our good works so that all can glorify God.  We are the light of the world that cannot be hidden, and people will follow us.  Jesus also tells us that we must be "careful lest the light in you be darkness" (Luke 11:35).  So, He is telling us that we will shine a light ... it will either be "light" light or "darkness" light.  And so, Jesus is instructing us not to water His word down and not to shine darkness as if it were light ... because it will not give the right direction to this world.  Again, this has been the message of God from the beginning.

In Genesis, man fell.  God made us ALL to have communion and fellowship with Him, while always worshiping His glory and beauty.  But we allowed sin to come in between us and our Lord, and the wages of sin is death.  We separated ourselves from God, and yet God was redeeming us from the beginning ... and "us" means the "whole world".  It was God who made us in His image, the image of Him who was to come.  And it was God who made the first sacrifice to cover our sin with the coats and blood of animals.  God's redemptive plan continued, and His focus never wavered (and never will).  As stated before, God's will is very clear from the beginning - seek and to save that which is lost.

As we read Genesis 12:1-3, we begin to see the very clear will that God has for His Church when He calls Abram.  “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  

First, get out from among them, be ye separate, and go and do what I will show you.  Leave your father, mother, brethren, comforts, all ... hate it all ... by doing so you will really love them because there is no greater love than laying down your life for your friends.  Second, by becoming separate and doing what I ask in faith, you will be a great nation, your name will be great and I will bless you.  Third, I will make you a great blessed nation so that all of the families of the earth may be blessed.  How will the families of the earth be blessed?  "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).  God is using Israel and His people to be separate, to be a great and blessed nation SO THAT all of the families of the earth will be blessed ... giving direction of right and wrong, making straight His paths, and preparing the way for our Lord Jesus.  The will of God's Church is to proclaim ... "oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Now back to the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus tells us His mission has never changed ... it's a mission of souls.  And, His will for us hasn't changed either.  Come out from among them and be ye separate ... be poor in spirit, mourn the separation from God and souls, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, be a peacemaker, and be persecuted.  In doing so, you will be blessed by God Almighty and be made great in His eyes.  We will be blessed SO THAT we will be a light and a blessing to all nations. Don't water down what I've told you from the beginning, and don't give the world the wrong direction from what I've shown you from the beginning.

And Jesus wasn't done with His "reminder" when He tells the people "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:17-20).  We cannot relax His word and we must "do and teach" all His commands.  And what are the greatest of His commandments?  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:37-40).  Love God will all our might, love all others more than ourselves ... how ... by being separate and showing the way, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, being blessed of God so we can show the world who our God really is.  And in doing so, our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees.

These individuals were self righteous religious leaders that were supposed to be guides to the people of God, who were supposed to be guides to the world ... guides to God.  God's focus was on souls of sinners, and His mission was to seek and save them.  And yet, this was the righteousness of the Pharisees. "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:1-2).  The same people that were sent to be guides to the sinners were rejecting the sinners.  And so Jesus began to show them how valuable a soul is in heaven and how much rejoicing there is over one sinner through one lost sheep and one lost coin.  And then He continues the parable about a father with two sons, both receive an inheritance, one becomes lost, and the other never searches for his brother.  In the return of the lost soul, the brother didn't even accept him as a brother and was angry with the father.

God's will from the beginning is to seek and to save all that are lost and He wants not one soul to be lost.  And His will for us has never changed.  We are to love Him with everything that is in us and laying down our lives for the souls of this world: coming out from among them to be separate and blessed.  To be the flavor of the life, and to shine our lights (His light) for all to see.  We are not to water down His gospel, nor are we to direct anyone to sin.  It must be our will that none should perish and all come to repentance.  Our hearts must yearn for souls not be separated from the presence of God.  And our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.  

"Souls of this world, oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Heavenly Compassion (a/k/a Mercy)

Throughout the past several months, God has been so gracious in directing each of us (His beloved Church) toward what love really looks like.  This is for us, and also for us to show others.  God has given us the secrets to the Kingdom of God, and He is showing us how to become more like Him.  The Church is being brought into the true light in order for us to also be a reflection of His light.

In the messages we have been given, God has taken us back to the foundational teachings of the Beattitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.  Personally, I'm afraid we have allowed the term "...attitude" to direct us away from how we should truly treat these passages.  These are not just good ways to live by, but are directing guides and commands from God in order to show this world what is required of us.  Yes the word "blessed" gives each of us hope in knowing how God feels for each of these "attitudes", but we are truly only blessed when we take action on the command.  And, the action is a blessing for us and a blessing to this world.  This is shown directly after the Be-commands (aka. Beattitudes) when Jesus immediately tells us “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5:14-15).

The Church is to be the light of the world, as cities set upon hills which can't be hidden.  Our lights will be seen by all those around us, and this light will be either light or darkness.  Jesus explains this further by reminding us "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light" (Luke 11:35).

So, as we travel back to the foundation of the Be-Commands, we see that we are to be merciful unto this world, for we will receive mercy.  Let's look at our heavenly example for confirmation in this passage.  In Matthew chapter 9, we see Jesus reclining at a table in a house and tax collectors and sinners joining him, and they were reclining as well.  When the Pharisees (the religious leaders of that day) saw this, they questioned the disciples of Jesus as to why he was not only associating with these "dogs", but also reclining at table with them.  Having fellowship and community with them.  When Jesus heard this, he responded by telling the Pharisees that the well need no physicians, only the sick.  And then he states, "Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13).  God truly desires mercy over sacrifice.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

I truly believe that mercy can be defined as "providing heavenly compassion in the eyes of eternity without repentance."  Forgiveness is given when repentance is present, but mercy is providing compassion and love in the eyes of eternity.  Who are we modeling our lives after?  Are we still of the opinion of the Pharisees in certain areas and with specific people in our lives?  Do we require these people to provide some sort of sacrifice before we are merciful?  Or, can we say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do?"  It's not about being right in our daily arguments, it's about showing others how to be right in the eyes of a Holy and loving God.  It's truly about loving others no matter what, and letting God do the rest.

In closing, there is a paradox to this whole matter.  God is telling us that we must love Him with all our might, and to love others as ourselves ... loving others as He has loved us.  Becoming the actual neighbor and everyone else to be the focus of the story of life.  And I must confess to you, we can't do it.  There is no way you and I can determine in ourselves enough to love like this command ... it's impossible.  But, it's not impossible with God.  For all things are possible to Him.  And so how do we accomplish this?  Well, this is truly to glory and wonder of God ... we are to ask.  For Jesus teaches us that everyone that asks - it will be given, for everyone that knocks - the door will be open, and for everyone that seeks - they will find.  "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).  Wow!

There we have it Church, God is asking us to love like He loves ... a task that is truly impossible for us in ourselves, but if we ask/seek/knock for His Spirit ... He will fill us with His Spirit.  Praise God!  We must be willing to get out of the way and let Him who holds the world in His hands to do it all.  We must be crucified with Christ, living, not us but Christ that is living and moving within us.  By doing this, we can then truly live our lives by and say ...

WE DESIRE MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE!

By:  Heath Brown

The Long Drive Home

One Saturday afternoon almost three years ago my wife, Pam, and I were driving home from church.  As far as I can remember the drive was relatively uneventful and quiet -- neither of us really wanted to talk.  We were both, I am sure, exhausted and to an extent lost in our own thoughts.

The route we took is the same one I take five or six days a week, so it is more than familiar to me.  And, there is one intersection in particular that is a bit odd, and so I normally approach it with a little extra caution.

For some reason, despite a clear dotted line on the road, drivers occasionally get confused -- thinking they can enter the middle lane on Denton Tap from the right of two left turn lanes coming off the 121 frontage road. (See the picture to the right).  So, when I turn properly into the middle lane from the left turn lane I always watch for confused interlopers.

On this particular Saturday my mind was definitely elsewhere, but nevertheless I fortunately noticed the dark SUV that wrongly, and illegally, encroached into my lane as I turned left.  The cars never actually came all that close to colliding, but even so the lady in the SUV was furious.  She began honking her horn at us and yelling words I can only imagine.

In a way it was almost comical at the time -- to see someone so angry and also so completely unaware that she was the one in the wrong.  How could she be so angry about such a trivial matter?  I mean, no harm was done to either vehicle -- they never even touched.  What in her life could have caused such an overblown reaction?

And then I wondered -- Pam and I both wondered -- how that lady might have felt about the way she was acting if she had known that we were driving home from our son's memorial service.  How might she have acted if she had known we were just trying to make it through the worst week of our lives?  She was angry because she thought I had violated her space on the road.  Our entire world had been destroyed.  She was worried about her rights.  We were worried about surviving the worst disaster any parent can imagine. 

On this one occasion, at least, Pam and I were on the receiving end of insensitivity -- indeed an insensitivity beyond anything this woman at the time could possibly have imagined.  At the end of the day, though, she didn't need to know what was going on in our lives in that moment in order to do the right thing.  She only needed to know that her duty -- if she was a follower of Christ -- was to love us -- to be patient and to show us kindness.  I suppose there is a lesson in this for all of us.     

The Pure In Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.

                                  

                                         Matthew 5:8

Although Matthew 5:8 is often rendered "for they will see God," it is probably better rendered "blessed are the pure in heart, for they continually see God."  It means something akin to being "admitted into the more immediate presence of God."  In other words, for the pure in heart the promise to see God is not simply a future promise -- it is also a present reality.  As our hearts are purified by the power of the Holy Spirit, we see and experience God more consistently.

The Greek word that is rendered "pure" in English is καθαρός (katharos), and none of us would be surprised to know that it means "clean, pure, or unsoiled."  But it also implies "undivided" or "unmixed."  A pure heart is focused on God and his righteousness, and not on the world.  Cf. James 4:4.

If our walk with Jesus seems confusing at times it is not so much that Jesus is confusing as it is that our own hearts are confusing.  The heart is, after all, deceitful above all things.  Jeremiah 17:9.  The heart resists purification and, in fact, is usually content to be divided.  And so, we struggle between the things that please us and the things that please God.  And, we allow ourselves at times to be confused about both what God wants for us, and what God wants from us. 

As I was thinking about all of this two scriptures came to mind.  The first is where Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats.  He tells us that about the righteous -- those who take care of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned.  And, He tells us about the unrighteous -- those who do not do these things.  Matthew 25:31-46.  And, if we are not careful we will conclude from this that the secret to eternal life is about what we do or do not do.

But Jesus also told us that there will be those who prophesied in his name, who cast out demons in his name and did many miracles, but Jesus will nevertheless deny knowing them.  Matthew 7:21-23. And so, we might conclude from this that "doing" will not be enough to earn us a place in heaven. We might be deceived into thinking that something more is required.

Hopefully, we know at the end of the day that it is faith alone that saves us.  And, we know that true faith will lead to purification of the heart.  Then, and only then, will the things we "do" matter.  They matter then because they will be motivated by a pure heart.  We do the right things not out of discipline or duty, but because a pure heart desires to do good.

The past couple of weeks -- not thinking about God bringing us to this place -- I have been searching my own heart.  And, I have not always liked what God has exposed.  It is never a fun process -- but it is necessary to do on occasion.  Among other things, I think there have been times when I have been more concerned about being right than I have been about being godly.  There have been some things to repent about.

We all have them.  They are often easy to find.  One way is to ask ourselves if others see the same "me" in every context.  For me, and for many of you, I need only ask myself if I am the same person at home (or anywhere else) as I am at church.

One of the problems the Pharisees often had was that they externally looked like lovers of God, but internally they were lovers of themselves.  They were a lot more like us sometimes than any of us care to admit.  The problem is always the same -- God is not looking at the externals; he is looking at the heart.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;  they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;  they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
                                                                                     Matthew 23:1-7.


“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
                                                                                         Matthew 23:23-28.