The story of hope

Want to hear a crazy idea?

The hope of all mankind, all of creation, rests on God become human and humanity becoming humble.

It started with the most unlikely of plot twists. Creator becoming a part of creation. God becoming a part of the world he created. The one who was in the beginning, the one through whom all things were made, entered the world as a helpless baby named Jesus

And if that’s not crazy enough for you, this Jesus would live a life that would result in his execution. Executed for what? For radically loving people, even the people no one else wanted around.

But the story doesn’t end there. As Christ hangs on the cross and breathes his last, we are about to encounter another plot twist. On the third day, this dead man is resurrected. The one who had been killed at the hands of an angry mob and jealous leaders is raised from the dead.

In the days that follow, he spends as much time as possible with his disciples. He reminds them of what he has taught them and prepares them for the next turn in the story. He’s leaving. And they’re left behind to continue the work.

Wait! Isn’t he the Savior? Isn’t it the Messiah’s job to fix everything? Yes. And no. Through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, Christ ushered in a new Kingdom, a new way of life. And while some of the last words he spoke were, “it is finished,” we are not. Not yet.

We must look back to the one who was born in the lowliest of circumstances and a most scandalous situation. The Creator of the universe took the ultimate risk to enter the world as a humble, helpless baby, born out of wedlock.

If we can learn anything from Jesus, it’s that we need to learn everything from him. How to think. How to treat others. How to look at ourselves. How to live.

Within each of us is the story of hope. Through the Holy Spirit, every follower of Jesus is empowered with the ability to share the hope that can only be found in the Kingdom of God. But we will only realize that power when we humble ourselves and boldly obey Jesus’ command, “Follow me.” It is in that following that we will find the hope for all humanity, and in the process, help lead others to it as well.

 

shine!
Jason

Look at me!?

Think about it. What if you were chosen to announce God’s grand entrance into the world? How would you react?

I know how I would react. Hey, everyone! Look at me! While I might not admit it, I would want everyone to know how important I am because I am announcing the arrival of someone important. I would want to be famous by association.

However, that was not John the Baptist’s attitude (which is probably why I would never be chosen for this task, but he was). Consider what the apostle John writes…

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” (John 1:19-20)

While most of us would never claim to be the Messiah, there are probably a lot of us who like to think we are. John the Baptist on the other hand, was quick to deny his importance. As he continued to answer the questions of the Jewish leaders, he turned to Scripture to emphasize his place in the story…

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:23)

John humbly accepted and admitted his role. He was not God, but simply a servant. His task was to prepare the way for the One who was coming. He was not the Messiah, but he was called to be a voice announcing the Messiah’s arrival.

As the Jewish leaders continued to question John the Baptist, he continued to respond to them with humility…

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:26-27)

Oh, that I would have an attitude like John the Baptist. In a world where athletes hope to the make the ESPN Top 10, celebrities seek fame and fortune, and many people pursue popularity and prominence, we find a man with one of the most important jobs in the history of the world – announcing the coming of the Messiah – and yet with one of the most humble attitudes we can imagine.

What can sometimes get lost in the story of Jesus’ birth is the humility of the man who proclaimed the coming of the Savior of the world. Christmas is about the Word becoming flesh, but it should also be a time for us to consider our own pride and self-importance. We all can learn from John the Baptist and his humility.

 

shine!
Jason

Passing on our faith

So often we focus more on our areas of disagreement than we do agreement. This is true in so many areas of our life, including our faith. When parents and teenagers have arguments, it is often a result of focusing on the areas where they don’t see eye to eye.

One of the things I have learned is that when we sit around and talk, we tend to focus on differences, but when we serve alongside each other, we are more likely to focus on our areas of agreement.

As I look back on the words of Scripture and God’s wisdom, I find that passing on our faith to the next generation requires words and action. Consider the words Moses spoke to the people of God…

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deuteronomy 6:1-3)

Carefully reread what Moses said in the middle of this passage: “…so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you…” The way to pass on faith is by living out your faith. Faith is not primarily exclusively a set of ideas to teach; it is a way of life. If we are going to pass on our faith to the next generation, we must live it out.

There are significant implications for this. If we are going to teach our children how to live out their faith, we must begin by examining how we live out our faith, not how they live out theirs. Of course, offering advice and correction to the younger generation is a vital part of our role as parents and teachers, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that they will first and foremost learn from our actions, not our words.

I believe that one of the biggest challenges every generation faces in passing on their faith is modeling what it means to be a follower of Christ. It can be easy for us to tell someone else how they should live. The more difficult aspect of passing on our faith is living it out so it can be witnessed by others.

This will require everyone to practice an extra measure of grace and humility. Grace to extend towards others when they fall short and humility to acknowledge when we fall short. If we can embrace grace and humility with an attitude of love, then faith can be passed on from generation to generation in way that can extend the Kingdom of God until Christ returns.

 

shine!
Jason

Generations to come

One of the most well known passages in the Old Testament is found in the book of Deuteronomy. It is called the Shema and is one of the most important passages in the prayer life of the Jewish people.

These words are often recited at the beginning and end of the day and would be words that many Jews would have committed to memory. Here are the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

I believe that one of the reasons these words are so important to the Jewish people is because they are so foundational to what it means to be the people of God and pass that faith on to the next generation. Let’s consider the implications of this short, but powerful, passage of Scripture.

It begins with the idea that the Lord is our God and that we must learn to love the Lord with all we have and are. Our emotions. Our inner being. Our bodies. God’s love must flow into every aspect of who we are, inside and out.

I think the idea here is that God so fills us that God will pour out of us. And as that happens, one generation passes their faith onto the next generation as a natural byproduct of being immersed in the Kingdom.

Most statistics state that 60%-90% of young people today will leave the church when they graduate. The question so many people ask is why. I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but here are two reasons that I believe are a part of the issue at hand.

The first one goes back to this idea of God pouring out of us. Before we question how passionate the younger generation is about God and the Kingdom, I believe that we should make an honest assessment of our own spiritual situation. Are we so filled with the Kingdom that it naturally flows out of us? I could spend a lot more time on this, but I will leave that question for us to wrestle with.

Second, are we attempting to pass on our faith in a way that is relevant to the upcoming generation? I don’t believe that we change the underlying values of God’s Kingdom, but do we need to be more open to how the Kingdom manifests itself in the next generation? Every generation tends to believe that their way of expressing the Kingdom of God is the best and right way. However, we must be open to considering that it is only a way, not the way. What if we were more open to new methods of living out what it means to live in the Kingdom of God?

These can be daunting questions that are not always easy to answer, but if we are going to be true to the words of Deuteronomy 6, every generation has to honestly consider the two questions above and respond accordingly. When we do, God will be able to do amazing things through us, and the generations to come.

 

shine!
Jason

Something worth dying for

As Jesus prepares to send the Twelve out to spread the message of the Kingdom, he gives them some amazing instructions and some warnings that may seem daunting…

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8)

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.” (Matthew 10:16-17)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22)

But in the midst of all of these warnings and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles before them, Jesus speaks these words to those same disciples…

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:26-31)

Jesus reminds them, and us, that we do have a significant task before us. It may require sacrifice for now, but there is nothing to fear. God will be with us regardless of what we face. We may not have to physically die today, but we have to be willing to die in some other way as we seek to share the Kingdom of God. Near the end of this same chapter, Matthew records the following words of Jesus…

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:38-42)

Are you willing to take up your cross? To lose your life? Jesus said that the reward for those who are willing will be something worth dying for.

 

shine!
Jason

We are the plan

When Jesus came to earth to reveal the Kingdom of God, he turned the world upside down. The meek shall inherit the earth. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Blessed are those who mourn. Love your enemies. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

You get the idea.

But here is the amazing thing. When Jesus left the earth, he left it up to you and me to continue his work. He even said in John 14:12, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world. That’s the plan. There isn’t another plan. If the Kingdom of God is going to spread, it’s up to you and me.

That doesn’t mean that God will not help us. We have the Holy Spirit to lead us, teach us, and guide us. But we are necessary partners with God for his work in the world. Paul says it this way…

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)

We are the feet that bring the good news. We are the ones who others will hear. Sometimes words. Often with our lives. We are called to live lives that preach a sermon on the good news. We must join God in his work in the world.

Are you teaching others about Jesus and the Kingdom? This doesn’t mean you shove Jesus down their throat. It isn’t about guilting people. It’s about living your life in such as way that you, in the words of Jesus, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

 

shine!
Jason

Scripture and wealth

We live in an affluent society. Even many of us who think we live modestly live pretty well compared to the rest of the world. Our society and economic prosperity can often lessen our sensitivity to the words of Scripture as they speak of wealth. The apostle Paul wrote the following…

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Notice that Paul does not say that money is evil. The Bible does not teach that money and possessions are inherently bad. However, that does not mean that our material possessions are disconnected from our faith.

How we handle our finances says a lot about our faith. How we spend our money is a reflection of what we think is important. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus is not saying that we cannot have possessions. Rather, he is saying that our possessions cannot have us. There is nothing wrong with having money and possessions as long as they don’t come before God and His Kingdom. Placed in the proper perspective, wealth can actually be something that helps us reveal the Kingdom of God.

If we use what we have to bless others, God can work in amazing ways. James wrote, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

How does the way you look at your money and possessions reflect your faith? This can be a difficult question to ask. To be honest, it’s a difficult question for me to type. I know that my life and how I look at what I have often reveals my selfishness. I often want to hold on to what I have for my own benefit or security.

I press on knowing that God is a God of grace and mercy where I fall short, but that God is also a God of judgment and holiness that calls me to strive for a way of life that fully reflects His Kingdom. As we consider what we have, let us all find comfort from God’s grace while experiencing conviction from God’s holiness. When we open ourselves to both, we will be challenged to examine our wealth and how we can use it to expand the Kingdom.

 

shine!
Jason

A sent community

When Jesus left to establish his Kingdom in this world, his work was not complete when he left. While he had finished what he intended to do, there was still much work to be done. So, as he prepared to return to the Father, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples…

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

There are three things that Jesus asks us to do as we continue to spread the Kingdom of God: go, baptize, and teach.

Go. We are called to go out and spread the news of the Kingdom. Once we become Christians, Jesus does not call us to sit in our pews and wait for people to show up at our church buildings. Rather, we must go into the world proclaiming in the Kingdom.

This isn’t just something we do with words. The apostle Paul says it this way: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)  When we go to share the good news, we live the good news. We go out into the world and proclaim the Kingdom with our lives.

We are also called to invite people into the family of God. As we baptize those who are drawn to the Kingdom of God, we welcome them into a family - a family where love, grace, and mercy reign. We welcome them into a family where we encourage and challenge one another. Baptism is not simply something that guarantees us a future; it also offers us something now. It is the promise of eternity with God’s people that begins today.

As people who go and baptize, we must also teach. The Kingdom of God must be shared and modeled to others. As new people enter the family, we have the responsibility of helping them learn what it means to be disciples of Christ. We are teachers for the Great Teacher. God has given us the responsibility to transmit the Kingdom of God.

God is partnering with us in his grand work for all creation. The church is a community that is called to multiply. We must go into the world. We must baptize those who believe. We must teach them what has been taught to us. This is what it means to be the church, the living and active body of Christ.

 

 

shine!
Jason

Blessed to be a blessing

We are blessed to be a blessing. This is an idea that has been a part of God’s story since the beginning. From the start, God has blessed his people so that they could bless the world.

In Genesis 12, God goes to a man named Abram and makes a covenant with him. Here are the words of that covenant…

¹The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

                  ²“I will make you into a great nation,

                        and I will bless you;

            I will make your name great,

                        and you will be a blessing.

                  ³I will bless those who bless you,

                        and whoever curses you I will curse;

            and all peoples on earth

                        will be blessed through you.”

 

Notice that God does not tell Abram that he is blessing him because Abram is better than everyone else or because Abram is the strongest. God blessed Abram so that all people on earth would be blessed.

God’s purposes have not changed since then. In the New Testament we see the same idea continuing. As Jesus prepares to ascend back to the Father, Matthew records the following words that Jesus spoke to his followers…

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

In Luke’s telling of the story, we find Jesus saying...

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

God has always been in the business of blessing people so that they could turn around and bless others. We are meant to be his witnesses. Unfortunately, it seems as though many Christians, especially in our country, have fallen prey to the idea that God has blessed us for our sake. Some seem to believe that because we are a powerful nation, God owes us a blessing. And even if they don’t think that, some people appear to believe that we are better than everyone else because God has blessed us in a special way.

Are we a blessed people? I believe so. Are we blessed so that we can enjoy our blessings? Maybe. Is our blessing actually given to us so we can bless others? Absolutely! I believe that Scripture is clear that God blesses us so that we can be a blessing.

As you think about the blessings God had given you, are you enjoying them without using them for the purpose God intended? Are your blessings more about you than about God? Remember that God has blessed people since the beginning so they can bless others and so he can be glorified. Be a blessing because you have been blessed.

 

shine!
Jason

I can do it on my own?

We live in a society that tells us we can do it on our own. Bookstores are filled with self-help books that give us advice on how we can do things on our own. The story of the American Dream says that if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything you want.

While it is true that hard work is important, we can come to believe that we don’t really need God, even when it comes to the things of the Kingdom. We can begin to think that with the right marketing, a great speaker, entertaining worship, and quality programs, that we can accomplish great things for God.

While I don’t want to dismiss those things or call them bad, they reveal our attitude that we don’t really need to rely on God. God doesn’t need clever marketing or talented entertainers to accomplish his purposes. For thousands of years, God has relied on common people, sometimes even below average people, to do great things for the Kingdom.

First, let’s consider when God was seeking a new leader for his people to replace Saul. Each of Jesse’s sons was brought before Samuel, but none of them were the one that God wanted. While Samuel was looking for the one that looked the best on the outside, God was looking at something else…

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

While David made his share of mistakes, some of them huge, God chose the person who had the heart that God desired. God wasn’t choosing a king based on his height, build, or apparent strength. Rather, God was seeking someone who was willing to trust in him.

In the New Testament, we find another person who trusted in God. As he shared  significant struggle he faced, Paul wrote these words about dealing with his “thorn in the flesh”…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

We must learn to trust in God and rely on God. It is an essential part of the Kingdom and one of the hardest things to do in our society. While almost everything around us tells us to trust in ourselves and our own strength, God shows us time and time again that when we trust in him, we can accomplish more than we could ever imagine.

 

shine!
Jason

Hunger for God's Word

Every year members of our youth group participate in the 30 Hour Famine. From noon on Friday until 6:00pm on Saturday, we do not eat any food; we only drink water and juice. Shortly before we break our fast, the parents who have prepared our dinner show up and set things up. It’s in those moments that the smell of food spreads through the house. After more than a day without food, many of us are hungry and ready to eat. It’s always interesting to watch how much a meal is appreciated after not eating for that long.

What if we had that kind of hunger for the Word of God? How might that change our lives? How might that change our approach to church?

It seems as though many people hunger for church because of how it serves them more than seeing it as an opportunity to experience the Word of God. This hunger for the Word is a something that David Platt addresses in his book, Radical.  David asks if the Word is enough for us. Then he continues with these thoughts…

This is the question that haunts me when I stand before a crowd of thousands of people in the church I pastor. What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs? What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? Would his Word still be enough for his people to come together?

How would you answer that question for yourself? How do you think others would answer that question? In a time when it seems that so many look for a church that caters to them, what if we looked for a church that challenged us to grow and learn? Would that change what we look for in a church? And, more importantly, would it change our attitude when we gather with other believers?

The reality is that no church is perfect. If a church was perfect, I am sure that I would change that when I showed up. But at the same time, God is calling all of us to become more than we are, both as individuals and a community.

That change and growth demands that we consider what we hunger for. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” What are you hungry and thirsty for in your life?

I have heard many people complain that a certain church isn’t meeting their needs or it doesn’t speak to them. That makes church sound more like a restaurant or store than it does the body of Christ.

When I go to McDonald’s, I might stop eating there because I don’t like the way the food tastes. But the church is not McDonald’s.

Before we complain about the “flavor” of a church, maybe we should make sure our hunger is for the right thing.

 

shine!
Jason

The cost of following Jesus

This week we begin a two-month series based on the book Radical by David Platt. Our purpose will be to examine how our faith and our culture intersect and sometimes conflict. What does it mean to be a Christian in 21^st Century America?

In Luke 9, we find Jesus’ brief discussions with three different people about the cost of following him.

⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

⁶²Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Following Jesus requires something of us. Sometimes we will have to make the choice that stands in contrast to the demands of our culture. Consumerism and materialism often fight against the call of the Kingdom of God to put others first and share all we have.

Let me share two quotes from David Platt’s book, Radical that address the struggle that I am talking about:

“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”

It is not easy following Jesus, but the easy road is not always the one that is best. And while the cost of following Christ may seem high, it is a cost that is worth the reward. Let’s take the journey together as we seek to discover what it means to be a Christian in 21^st Century America.

 

shine!
Jason

Heaven and Hell

Over the last few months in our teen class, we have tried to refresh our understanding about some basic ideas that shape our Christian faith. Sometimes, what we have discovered has not looked much different than what we knew before. Other times, we have been introduced to new ways of looking at things.

This week, we are considering the ideas of Heaven and Hell. This is fundamentally a study of the Eschaton, the end times. (I just wanted to use a big fancy word in this article…lol)

What will happen when the world as we know it comes to an end? Even within Christian circles, there are a variety of opinions about how to answer that question. Most people can back up their particular understanding with Scriptures and honest study.

But, here’s the thing. In my opinion, your view on the ideas of Heaven and Hell isn’t, well, a Heaven or Hell issue. What I mean by that is that I don’t believe your standing with God will be determined by whether or not you have the right theology about the end times.

Regardless of what you believe regarding Heaven and Hell, the thing we need to remember is that there will be an end times, and we should live our lives in anticipation and preparation for that day. If all we do is sit back, think we’re fine, and wait for Jesus to return, we have missed the point. The same is true if we invest our time in judging others who we don’t think will make it.

What we need to do is both look forward to the future and also bring the future into today. There is a day when all things will be made new and God will dwell with his people for all of eternity. In the meantime, regardless of what we think that future time will look like, we need to live lives today that begin to usher that future reality into the present world.

While the world around us is dying, we should be focusing on what brings life.

While the world around us is suffering, we should be focusing on what brings comfort.

While the world around us is filled with hate, we should be focusing on how we can love.

While the world around us is consumed with the temporary, we should be focusing on that which is eternal.

Regardless of what you believe about the last days, it doesn’t take us long to see that Hell is very much present in our current world in a variety of ways. Rather than simply focusing on what is in our future, maybe we should focus a little more on making Heaven more present in our world today.

 

shine!
Jason

Accepting Christ as Savior AND Lord

For some people, it seems as though baptism is a destination. What I mean by that is that we seem to expend most of our energy on leading people to make the commitment and decision to be baptized. It also seems that we focus so much on the idea of Jesus as Savior that we discount the idea of Jesus as Lord.

Let’s consider what Peter said as he offered his sermon on Pentecost:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:36-39)

We love Jesus the Messiah, the Savior. We want to be forgiven. We want to punch our ticket for eternity. That’s the part of Jesus that we embrace the most easily.

But the Lord part? Sometimes, not so much. We want Jesus to take away our sins, but we want to keep our place on the throne. We want to continue to be the master of our lives and make our own decisions.

But in baptism, our sins aren’t the only thing that Jesus washes away. Jesus also removes our lordship. When we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, someone new has moved in to sit on the throne, God. He will be the one calling the shots and guiding our lives. God, through the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us.

And, in addition to that, we become a part of a family. Our baptism into Christ makes us a member of the body of Christ. We become a part of a family filled with people just as imperfect as we are. We join a community who should collectively be following Christ as he saves us and leads us.

Family can be messy, but when we all follow the same Lord, it can be much easier. I believe that one of the reasons so many churches struggle to make an impact is because they have forgotten who is Lord. Instead of one Lord that everyone follows, we have churches full of lords who want things their way. Each person sits in their pew demanding things be done the way they want or they’re going to leave.

Is that how family works?

Granted, there are times that family needs to part ways. However, I think that there are too many times that we part ways or drift apart over things that aren’t that important. We fail to form tight family bonds because we serve other lords. We miss out on the rich life that God has for us because we don’t fully embrace the commitment we have made.

When we are baptized into Christ we are accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. Not only are we having our sins taken away, we are giving up our lordship and independence. We are committing ourselves to God and the community of God. We are submitting ourselves to something bigger than ourselves.

 

shine!
Jason

The body

We need each other. This is a fundamental truth for humanity and for the church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul uses the imagery of a human body to describe the church. His choice of something that is alive shows that the church is more than a place, an organization, or a bunch of programs. The church is, first and foremost, a living, breathing organism.

When we lose sight of this and start to look at the church more as a place, organization, or a bunch of programs, we can begin to have an unhealthy view of church. I want to consider a few unhealthy understandings of church that emerge from this way of looking at church.

We focus on how we can be served, not how we can serve. When we think that the church exists to serve me, we begin to think that church is about us. This could surface in a number of ways. It might mean that we complain about the songs we sing. If the church doesn’t offer the programs that entertain me or appeal to what I want, we don’t participate.

Our consumerist, market-driven view on life has taught us that if we get bored we can simply change the channel, jump to the next song on our playlist, or simply walk away. As products have become more disposable, so have the intangible things in life. If a relationship isn’t serving my needs, I walk away. If a church isn’t what I want, I change.

It seems as though more and more people shop for a church like they do insurance or a new car. When something better, or newer comes along, they simply change.

That may work with a car or insurance, but that’s not how the church should be. The church is not a club you join or something that exists exclusively for your benefit. It is a family, a living organism, a gathering of people committing to live life together under the banner of the Kingdom of God.

And this brings me to a second unhealthy consequence.

We spend time with people more like us, and neglect those who are different. When church becomes about me and my preferences, then I hang out with who I want to hang out. This could shape an entire church or segments of people within the church.

As a church, we might become a group of people who only really make those who are like us feel welcome. If you’re from a different socio-economic level, have a different cultural background, or if you’re different in some other way, you may not be as welcome.

I realize that this is a challenge for everyone, but it is also something we should be aware of and working on at all times. We should be the one place in the world, where the markings of the world cease to carry the power to divide.

But even if we have a church that welcomes diversity, we must make sure we are not creating clusters of people who are all the same. As Paul says in the
1 Corinthians 12 passage, we all need each other. Hands need ears. Feet need eyes. We all need each other, and if we only spend time with “like parts”, we are missing out on the richness that God created us for.

What does it mean to be a body? It means we appreciate our uniqueness, embrace our diversity, and work together to carry out the calling that God has placed before us. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more than when we are divided.

 

shine!
Jason

Weather, weathermen, and the power of God

I haven't written here for a little while, so I thought that I would write while I sit on a porch in a small town in Ohio watching yet another thunderstorm roll through town.
I love severe weather. Not the damage it does, but the sheer power of it. There is something about watching lightning and hearing the claps of thunder. I am enthralled when I see a video of a tornado.
I remember when I was a child, we had the opportunity to visit one of the Cleveland TV stations during a news broadcast. My dad was friends with the weatherman at the station, so he invited us to sit feet from the set as they did the evening news. There are two things I remember from that visit.
First, I remember that when the newscasters stood up from their desk after the broadcast, they were wearing colorful shorts with their dress shirts and jackets. I still wonder if anchors on CNN, FOX News, ESPN, and other channels still do that. I'm sure they do.
The other thing I remember were the radar printouts.
Keep in mind that this was the late 70's. There were very few personal computers, no Internet, and smart phones weren't even a glimmer in Steve Job's eye yet.
So when the weatherman let me take home these printed images of a hurricane as it trekked across the Atlantic, I was amazed. I took those images home and looked at them over and over again.
So what do newscasters in shorts and severe weather have in common? They both remind us that we only have glimpses of the power of God.
I am a part of a religious tribe that has often thought we have God pretty well figured out. If we "do worship" the right way and follow some rules, then God will be pleased. God loves us because we have figured him out and know how he ticks.
The reality is that God is far beyond our comprehension. When we think we have him figured out, he stands up from behind the desk and he's wearing colorful shorts. The God who seems to command rites and rituals turns a corner and calls us to extend mercy to the people who don't follow the rules we deem so important. To borrow the words of Hosea (that are repeated by Jesus), God demands mercy, not sacrifice.
And in the storms we are reminded of the power of God to create a world beyond our control. I'm also a part of a society that thinks we can control most anything. We pursue medicines to prevent death, and everyone still dies. We perform surgeries to look young, but we still get old. We live in nice neighborhoods and have nice jobs to hide our problems, but even families in the richest neighborhoods have struggles and sometimes fall apart.
I don't believe that God controls the weather so that he can punish people (HERE is an interesting take on this idea). However, I do believe that weather allows a glimpse into the power of God. One of my favorite lines in the movie Twister (I'm sure you can guess why it's one of my favorite movies. Maybe because if I wasn't a youth minister I would be a storm chaser. Some people would argue there isn't much difference.) is when they call an F5 tornado "the finger of God." I don't think it's God tearing people's lives apart on purpose, but I do believe that we get a taste of God's power in those moments when 200-300 mph winds rip across the landscape.
One of the reasons I am fascinated with weather now as an adult is that it makes a great metaphor for life. There are seasons of heat and seasons of cold. Sometimes it's calm and sunny and other times it's stormy and brutal. And no matter how hard someone tries to predict what will happen, they will never get it right all the time.
And so it is on this journey called life. We will all face storms and we will all have days when the sun is out and the temperature is just right. But whether it's weather or life, our God is bigger than all of it. He created us. He created weather. He created life. And the God that made all of that is that God that stands with us in good times and bad.
Sometimes I wonder if God listens to me and wants to respond the same way he did to Job:

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me. (Job 38:1-3 NIV)

May the Lord be patient with me, and with you, in the storms of life. And may we always remember that the power of God is more than we can imagine and the love of God is stronger than we know.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress. (Psalm 71:1-3 NIV)

shine!
Jason

My silent companion

I haven't posted anything for while, but I did a lot of thinking while driving a few thousand miles over the last week.

Most of my thoughts have been about death. Death has been my silent companion over the last couple of years. Whether it was a mom loosing a 5-year battle with cancer, a 31-year-old co-worker dying suddenly, a child tragically killed, a former student in a car accident, or several other untimely or tragic deaths, death has been silently walking with me through ministry for the last few years.

Sure, death happens all the time. But not like this. Not this many people so young. Not so many so close together. Not so many this tragic and unexpected.

I am learning that death does something to you; it works quietly and often below the surface. It brings a veil of darkness and a sense of helplessness. You can't stop it. You often can't predict it. You can't undo it.

This past month, death has gotten even closer. The silent companion who has walked at an arms length as I have ministered to families in pain suddenly decided to pull up next to me on the couch. For the last month, this companion has sat in the living room with me, both figuratively and literally. This unwelcome guest kicked open the door, walked in unannounced, and made himself at home.

I hate death. I really do. I think about death more now than I ever have. I am sure that being in my 40s is a part of that. There is something about hitting the halfway point in life (statistically) that causes one to stop and realize that there is more life in the rearview mirror than out the front window. The destination seems closer. The end is coming and there is nothing we can do to avoid it.

But I also believe that the experiences of the last two years have made death palpable for me. I can't turn a corner where I don't taste death. If I am completely honest, I have thought more about my death in the last year or so than I did in the first 41 years of my life. I think about it when I drive. I think about it when I exercise. I think about it when I fly.

Before you think I am always thinking about death, that's not true. It's just that the thoughts are more present than they have ever been. I don't walk around all day, every day thinking about dying. But I think about it a lot more than I used to.

So why did I decide to write this today? Mostly because I believe there are more people who are or have been where I am than are willing to admit. Or maybe they feel it, but don't know how to put words to it.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am consumed by this cloud of darkness and just projecting it on others. But, after over a dozen years in ministry, I am pretty sure I am not alone.

I hope that these words touch the heart of someone else who is walking a similar journey. If they do, let me share with you words that you have probably hear hundreds of times before, but they are words that shine light into darkness...

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

These are words of peace.

They are words of hope.

They are words of light.

While I get frustrated by Christians who just want to gloss everything over with a Scripture and pretend everything is fine, I also feel for those who have no sense of hope.

In the tension between death and hope we find ourselves struggling to understand. We want answers. We want resolution. We want everything to be OK. But everything is not OK. We live in a world that is dying and decaying. We experience pain and loss. We know that every day could be our last. We never know when death will rear its ugly head into the midst of our reality.

But at the same time, we have the promise of a world free from pain. We live for the day when all will be made new. While we can't stop death and we often can't predict when death will come, we can speak the words that Paul penned centuries ago...

Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthinans 15:55-57)

Yes, death will be my silent companion on this journey called life, and sometimes he will be close than others, but there will come a day when I will begin a new chapter in my journey. When I turn onto that road, death will have to get out of the car, and I will smile as I watch him the rearview mirror and drive away forever.

shine!
Jason

Living in submission

Submission is a difficult topic for us to address. We don’t do well with submission.

In the new Avengers movie, Loki tells a group of humans, “Kneel before me. I said... KNEEL! Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”

His quote raises an interesting thought that came to my mind when I was watching the movie. Are we made to be ruled?

Are we made to be ruled? (Yes, I asked the same question twice, because I want us to really think about it.)

Depending on how you define “ruled,” I think we are.

We are designed to function best when we submit. As beings created in the image of God, we are made to submit in community.

You might think, wait, does that mean God submits? I believe God does submit. But the submission is a choice, not a forced situation. Consider what Paul says about Christ in Philippians 2…

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

            did not consider equality with God

            something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

            by taking the very nature of a servant,

            being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

            he humbled himself

            by becoming obedient to death —

            even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

            and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

            in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

            to the glory of God the Father.

Did you catch that? Jesus submitted himself on our behalf. He became a servant to the point of death. And through that submission and death, he was exalted to the highest place.

If Jesus can choose to submit, why can’t we?

I do believe we are made for submission, but it’s a submission born out of love, not fear. Hope, not dismay. It is a submission where we lay down our life for the sake of the other.

Imagine how much different our world could be if we could all learn to submit in this fashion. Maybe then, the world would look a little more like the one that God created in the beginning. Maybe, as Jesus prayed, it would be on earth as it is in heaven.

 

shine!
Jason

Unlikely brothers

Baptism. Marriage. Sports.
What do these have in common?
They can create the most unlikely of friendships. And in my life, all three helped bring together unlikely brothers.
Today I am mourning the loss of one of my best friends, Jim Luma.
Jim was my brother in Christ. We have shared a faith in Christ. Our baptisms brought us together as brothers for all of eternity. This is the promise that brings hope in the midst of hopelessness.
Jim was my brother through marriage. We married two of the most wonderful women in the world, who happen to be sisters. Jim married Tasha, and nine months later, I married Michelle. For the last 15 years, we have enjoyed holidays together, gone to Disney together, and spent endless hours together. Those memories will bring laughter and smiles, even in the midst of tears.
Jim was my brother in Steeler nation. After God and family, the Steelers are one of the greatest passions in both of our lives. Many times we would watch a game together, waving our Terrible Towels. Sometimes we were miles away, but would call each other to celebrate a game-winning touchdown or commiserate over a tough loss. This coming season will not be the same, but every time I wave my Terrible Towel, it will bring memories of past celebrations with the biggest Steeler fans know.
Who could have imagined 25 years ago that a football star and a band nerd would become the best of friends? When I was in high school, that would have been an unexpected friendship. But sometimes brothers are brought together by unusual circumstances.
While our high school teams were rivals, our common bond in pro football made us fans together.
While we grew up in two different families, our common bond through marriages made us brothers-in-law.
While our lives were traveling different paths in our youth, our common bond in Christ has made us brothers forever.
Jim, you will be greatly missed, but I look forward to seeing you again. Until then, I'll find comfort in the promise of a new world where you no longer have back pain and you are disease free. A world where I look forward to seeing you again.

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:1-5 NIV)

God, breathe on me

I'm writing as I sit in front of a campfire in my backyard. A few minutes ago, I was listening to the sounds of crickets and the crackling of the burning wood, watching the fire slowly lose its strength and turning to glowing embers.
As I leaned over and blew on the glowing embers, a small flame emerged. It was in that moment, that the following passage came to mind...
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21, 22 NIV)
That is what I need. I need God to breathe on the embers of my heart. I need a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to be breathed into me.
I don't think I'm alone. I see followers of Christ whose fire for God has turned to smoldering embers. So often, we seek revival the American way. We try to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps or use our education, strength, or determination to make things better.
God can and will use those things, but they are not the source of life or strength. Like the smoldering embers of the campfire in my backyard, they need something, or rather, Someone, to breathe new life into them.
It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be revived. Whether it's an individual, a congregation, or the church universal, we need to let go of the bootstraps, lay down our self-determination, and drop to our knees in prayer.
God, breathe on me.
God, breathe on us.

shine!
Jason

Living the blessing

In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter writes the following…

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

I think Christians often take this to mean they should attack and condemn those who do not live the right way. We might take the language of “judgment” as an invitation to serve as judge and jury for “sinners.”

What if that’s wrong?

What if we missed the point?

What if Peter’s real point is the just opposite?

What if Peter meant we would suffer for loving the sinner? What if he was telling us to commit to do good to extend grace to the sinner?

Jesus was insulted for eating with sinners and tax collectors. He was looked down on for spending time with prostitutes. He was willing to touch the unclean and socialize with Samaritan women.

The Pharisees seemed offended by his actions and plotted to kill him.

Let’s be honest. The church often looks more like the Pharisees than the one whose name we bear.

Let us proudly wear the name Christian not because we alienate, condemn, or exclude, but because we welcome, love, and embrace.

In Genesis 12, God tells Abram:

I will make you into a great nation,

            and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

            and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

            and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

            will be blessed through you.

 

Maybe it’s time for the people of God to remember that they are not blessed because they are special, but rather they are blessed because they are chosen to be a blessing to the world.

Jesus came to show God’s people what it looks like to be a blessing. May we have the humility and wisdom to, in the words of Peter, commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good.

shine!
Jason

Submission leads to freedom

Submission and freedom are intricately linked. Last Wednesday night we focused on submission as we continued our study of the twelve spiritual disciplines outlined by Richard Foster. Throughout the evening, we talked about how submission leads to freedom.

In 1 Peter 2:16,17, Peter writes, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

Submission frees us to respect people. When we free ourselves from having to be better than others, we can treat them as people, not adversaries. Whether it’s a boss, a teacher, a spouse, a friend, or even an enemy, when we live as servants of all, we can lay down our pride and fear for something significantly more powerful, love.

A little later in the same letter, Peter says it this way…

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

Are you tired of being held captive by the need to put others down?

Does always trying to prove you’re better exhaust you?

Is constantly trying to have your way stressing you out?

Then try the path of submission, love, and freedom. It’s a road that reduces anxiety, fear, and captivity.

Sure, it might be scary at first. If it’s not a little terrifying at times, I would be really surprised. When we are so accustomed to fighting for our own way, letting go can feel a little uneasy. But just let go and enjoy the ride.

Living in freedom allows us to break free from the things that hold us hostage; things like pride and control.

You might think, but wait, didn’t that Scripture say to “live as God’s slaves”? Yes it did.

The reality is that we will always be a slave to something. Our decision is, who do we want to serve?

Do we want to serve a master who will slowly kill us with emotions and actions that take life? Or do we want to serve a Master who will continue to resurrect us through thoughts and behaviors that bring life?

Chose the latter and find the life that can only be discovered on the path which sets us free to live the way we were made to live, in harmony and community with the Creator of the universe and the creation he has placed us in. Live so that, in the words of Peter, “you may inherit a blessing.”

 

shine!
Jason

Chosen...but why?

A chosen people.

This idea of being chosen by God is more of a calling than a privilege, more a responsibility than a right. According to Peter, we are “rejected by humans but chosen by God.” (1 Peter 2:4) However, this does not give us the right to reject humans because we are chosen by God.

A few verses later, Peter writes this…

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

In the midst of a verse that can cause us to become conceited about our status as God’s chosen people and special possession, we find a phrase that can easily be overlooked: “…that you might declare the praises of him who called you…”

Being chosen isn’t the end of the journey, but simply the beginning. God is inviting us into relationship so that we might declare his message of mercy to the rest of the world.

So much of Western Christianity focuses on our individual standing with God. Are we saved? Will we make it to heaven? Do I have a personal relationship with God?

While those are important questions, they cannot be the questions that dominate our understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

Notice that Peter is writing to God’s people as a community, not as individuals. While there is certainly a personal, individual aspect of following Jesus, it is in the context of a larger community that God has called us together. We are not a bunch of islands; we are a nation. We are a gathering of people, linked together through the bond of the Holy Spirit.

More important than me being a chosen person, we are a chosen people. A people chosen for a purpose.

God has called us together to be people of mercy. We have received mercy and we are called to show mercy, mercy towards one another and mercy towards every person we encounter.

If we think that we are chosen because we deserve it, we are misguided and missing the point. We are chosen because of God and God’s unyielding love, a love God wants to share with the entire world. Ultimately, we are not reservoirs for God’s love; we are conduits called to share mercy and love with all who we encounter.

 

shine!
Jason

Living for forever

What does “holy” mean?

Here are a few of the definitions I found: Dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred. (of a person) Devoted to the service of God.

I think a lot of people look at being holy as more about what we are not as opposed to what we are. Being holy means you don’t do all of that bad stuff like cuss, have sex, get drunk, etc.

While purity is certainly a significant part of being holy, if that is all we think it is, we are missing so much.

Consider the definitions I mentioned above. What does it mean to be dedicated or consecrated to God? What does it mean to be devoted to the service of God? I would argue that it’s ultimately about acting as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Consider what Peter writes…

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23)

The Kingdom is built on the foundation of love. Holiness and love are closely related. If we are holy, we love with purity. We don’t live for ourselves, but for the other person.

In addition to living for the other person, we live in such a way that our lives are not focused on today alone, but on how today fits in the bigger story of eternity. As Peter writes in the next two verses, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25)

While our lives on this earth may be temporary, the Kingdom we are called to serve is not. Live in such a way that your life echoes the voice of the One who saves us and sets us free. And as we do that, we will get a glimpse of the future and offer others an opportunity to see that future as well.

 

shine!
Jason

Restored relationships

If we think about it, most of us can recall a relationship that has been damaged. A trust that has been broken. A promise that was not kept.

God is the God of restoration. His desire to make all things new is centered in the idea of renewed relationships. God wants to heal. God wants to comfort. God wants to rebuild what has been destroyed.

There may be nowhere else in all of Scripture that gets as personal about this as the encounter between Jesus and Peter. Consider Luke’s report about what happened on the night Jesus was arrested…

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:54-62)

Imagine the shame and disappointment that Peter must have felt in that moment. In a moment, Peter damaged his relationship with this man, this close friend, that he had walked with for over three years. Even when he said he wouldn’t, Peter still denied Jesus.

For most of us, that would be the end of the friendship. If most of us were in Jesus’ shoes, we would have written our former friend off and moved on. But not Jesus.

It was only days later that Peter was finishing up a night of unproductive fishing that Jesus appeared on the shore. Following the miraculous catch of fish, the disciples joined Jesus on the shore for breakfast. It was over that breakfast, at the start of a new day, that the relationship between Jesus and Peter had a new start.

God invites each of us to join him and find restoration. Whether it’s a division between us and God and us and another person, God wants us to find peace and reconciliation. It is through God that we can experience the ultimate restoration that will bless us in this life and the life to come.

 

shine!
Jason

Spend accordingly

Debt is plaguing our nation. This is true of our government that has a current debt of approximately $15,500,000,000,000. The estimated population of the United States is 312,400,000, meaning that each citizen's share of this debt is almost $50,000. Think about that… $50,000 per person, including teenagers and children.

But it’s not just our government that has a debt problem. According to one study, the average household credit card debt (this doesn’t include mortgage, cars loans, etc.) is nearly $16,000.

There are several times that the Bible speaks to debt. One these is found in the book of Proverbs, where is says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)

Why do we allow ourselves to become slaves to debt?

For many people, it’s the desire to live beyond their means.

Jesus might deal with the same issue in another way…

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:19-21,24)

Our society teaches us to become slaves to debt so that we can amass treasure in this world. How crazy is that? Even though God warns us not to be slaves to a lender and to serve money, many of us make decisions where we do both.

As many of your know, a little over a year ago, Michelle and I finished paying off over $33,000 in credit card debt. It was such a freeing feeling. Looking back, I know we spent a lot of money we should never have spent on things we didn’t really need.

One of my biggest fears for young people today is that they will make mistakes that lead them into debt. Our culture tells us that we form our identity based on what we own. We often allow our stuff to define us and at the end of the day, that means that our stuff owns us; we don’t own it.

Don’t allow yourself to become a slave. Remain free from the master that is debt.

I am convinced that one of the biggest obstacles for people who want to do good is debt. Instead of having money to give those in need, they have to make a debt payment. Rather then tithe at church, they are paying 10% or more of their income for the credit card’s minimum payment.

The less debt you have, the more you can do for the Kingdom. It often reduces your stress and releases your money for other things. Here is something to think about…

If the average household credit card debt is $16,000, and your minimum payment is 2% of the balance (a typical amount), your monthly payment would be $320 per month. It would take you 704 months (almost 60 years) to be rid of your debt and in that time, you will pay approximately $46,000 in interest.

Even if we disregard the original $16,000 that you spent, think about how much you could have done to serve others with almost $50,000. Your slavery to debt would have made you a servant to another master and your opportunities to serve the Lord would have been severely reduced.

Decide now what master you want to serve, and spend accordingly.

 

shine!
Jason

Rich toward God

Obey your thirst.

Life is short. Play more.

Just do it.

Hungry? Why wait?

All of these slogans above seem to focus on the same idea. Life exists for your pleasure.

While I believe that God desires for us to live an abundant life, I don’t believe we were created to live a life focused on entertaining and pleasing ourselves.

But you might think to yourself, aren’t those the same thing?

No. But our commercialized, market-driven, consumeristic society would want you to believe that. How else would they convince us to spend billions of dollars every year on things that we don’t really need?

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not advocating that we all have to go home and get ride of every television, video game system, cell phone, and every other item that provides us with entertainment and recreation.

Rather, we need to consider how our spending and consumption align with the Kingdom of God. God has not provided written rules about what you can own and what you can’t. The Bible does not tell you what level of financial accumulation is right and what level is wrong. But, God does have a lot to say about what we do with our blessings, including this parable told by Jesus in Luke 12…

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

The heart of the matter is, well, the heart. Life is not about taking it easy, eating, drinking, and being merry. Rather, life is about being rich toward God. And what does being rich toward God look like?

I would guess it looks a lot like the life of Jesus.

 

shine!
Jason

The best investment

I have to admit that if I had been in the room when the woman poured that perfume on Jesus’ head I probably would have said the same thing. The Gospel of Matthew says that, “When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’” (Matthew 26:8-9)

Why is it that we so often value stuff over people?

I was raised to respect people’s property. It was one of the key values that I learned as a child. I still continue to live by that principle, but I have to be careful not to let the thing become more valuable that the person.

Living in a society where our value is often determined by our possessions really blurs the line. Rather than valuing the thing because it belongs to another person, we often allow ourselves to value the thing above the person.

Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to our stuff. How often do we allow our things to come between us and other people? Whether it’s coveting what someone else has or being so protective of our own things, we can allow what we have to become more important than another person.

In Act 2:44-45, Luke writes, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”

Imagine how much different things could be if we lived this way. What if instead of every person buying a lawnmower, a group of people bought one that they shared? What if a group of people decided to share a car instead of each of them having an extra vehicle?

Last year, I spent a weekend with the Rutba House community in Durham, North Carolina. This community lives in two houses near the campus of Duke University and they are committed to sharing life as a part of the New Monastic movement. In each of the houses you find a collection of people of different ages and life situations. From young singles to complete families, each house shares responsibilities, finances, and much more, and all under one roof!

I wonder what would happen if we could embrace some of these attitudes in our lives. Our society teaches us to build houses filled with empty rooms and furniture we seldom use. We own things that we could easy share with others, but we are led to believe that everyone needs one in their garage, kitchen, or basement.

We want to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on others, so we purchase possessions to enable us to take care of ourselves. How much consumption and accumulation would be unnecessary if we could change our views on stuff? Not only could it help us own less and be burdened by less, maybe it would help us learn how to live in connected community where we actually learn to value and depend on each other more.

 

shine!
Jason

Real hospitality

I believe that we often sell hospitality short. When most people think of hospitality, they think of someone decorating their house nice for some guests or providing a delicious meal. While this is part of hospitality, it is so much more.

Hospitality is an openness, a willingness to be vulnerable and available. This can be hard in a world that values privacy and private property. Let me share with you a paragraph from an essay I wrote a few years ago:

In our current society, hospitality has become a lost art in many ways. We live in a world of microwave ovens, text messaging, and iPods. Food can be prepared with little human interaction or need for others. We can communicate with one another without ever having to speak a word or look someone in the eye. We are able to enjoy our own, private entertainment without little need to consider the desires or tastes of others. In this world filled with self-centered, sometimes impersonal interaction, we must provide an example of authentic community. This requires us to display an openness towards everyone we encounter. We cannot and should not necessarily return to the specific methods of hospitality from centuries ago. However, we can show ways to engage in meaningful relationship that includes hospitality. In a world where people often close themselves off from others, we can be the ones who open our lives and make a difference in a world filled with loneliness and isolation.

Hospitality, at least in the Kingdom of God, requires us to open our lives to others. It cannot simply be something we do, it must become a part of who we are. We must strive to be people who open our lives to others.

This starts with an openness towards God. Are you welcoming God into every aspect of your life? Or do you only allow God access to certain parts? The more open we are towards God, the more open we will become towards others.

In a society that tends to build walls, avoid transparency, and cherishes the privacy of the individual, we have developed a high sense of loneliness. People are more opportunities than ever to communicate, but our communications are becoming more shallow.

If we are going to practice deep and significant hospitality, we must open our lives to God and other people. We must create margin in our lives and not be so busy. We have to have room for random, spontaneous moments where God can show up in powerful ways. Hospitality is more than serving up a fancy meal, it’s serving others through offering them all that you have and are.

 

shine!
Jason

Suffering

Sometimes suffering is a result of our decisions, sometimes it is the result of the decisions of others, and sometimes it can’t be explained. While the first two are easier to understand, the third one can be very challenging and difficult to deal with.

As we consider James 5:7-20 this week in our classes, I believe there are several lessons we can learn. The first is that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. I do not subscribe to the idea that God makes things happen so we can learn. However, I do believe that because of freewill, God allows things to happen. When they do, God can use them in several ways.

First of all, while God doesn’t will that things happen for us to learn, I believe he can use things that happen for us to learn his will. I once heard it said that the will of God is not what happens to us, it’s how we react to what happens to us. Difficult times will often force us to reconsider our priorities and change our behaviors.

In addition, God can use suffering to draw us closer together. When someone mourns, we mourn with them. When someone struggles, we help them with their burden. When someone hurts, we help bandage them up. Community is often strengthened through difficult times.

I remember watching the news coverage on September 11, 2001. On that day, as our nation suffered on the world stage, the members of Congress gathered together as a sign of unity. Democrats and Republicans stood together and sang together, putting aside their differences.

Maybe one of the reasons the Western church has lost its fire is because we don’t have to suffer much. I don’t mean that we don’t all have times of suffering. Loved ones die. Friends get sick. People lose jobs.

Rather, I mean that we don’t suffer much for our faith. While I believe it’s questionable if we live in a “Christian nation,” I also believe that we have it pretty easy. There is currently an Amercian pastor in Iran who may be executed simply for converting to Christianty and refusing to renounce his faith.

How would most Christians in America react if they were given a choice to renounce their faith or face execution? Many of us, if we’re honest, often renounce it a little bit at a time for significantly smaller reasons.

Let me finish by sharing James’ closing words in his letter…

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

 

shine!
Jason

Blessed to be a blessing

This week in our student classes we encountered one of the most confrontational parts of James letter. He “gets in the face” of the rich and challenges them about the ways in which they use and abuse their riches.

Most of us would not consider ourselves rich. I mean, think about it, we don’t live in mansions. We don’t drive $100,000 sports cars. Rich people are people like Bill Gates and Mike Ilitch.

But think about this…

According to a recent statistic, more than 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 per day, or $3,650 per year. While we may not see ourselves as rich, I am sure that almost all of us live on more than $3,650 per year. That means we are richer than at least 80% of the world.

I think that James words speak directly to us and challenges us to consider our stewardship. While there are hundreds of ways we can help those who struggle to survive every day, I want to suggest one.

World Vision is an organization we have worked with for several years through our 30 Hour Famine. They also offer opportunities to adopt children and make a different in the lives of those who are not as blessed as we are. Here is some information from their website about sponsoring a child:

Child Sponsorship is an opportunity to personally connect with a child and walk alongside their family and community as they work on lasting solutions to the causes that keep vulnerable children from reaching their God-given potential.

When you become a child sponsor, you will be connected to one special child who will correspond with you, including sending a letter to introduce themselves. We encourage you to continue this relationship and get to know your sponsored child better by writing letters or sending cards. It is very exciting for a child to receive a letter from their sponsor knowing that someone far away cares about them and their future.

Your sponsorship donations will help build a stronger community and give children and their families access to programs that will provide greater opportunities. For just $35 a month, you will help your sponsored child and children in their community enjoy good health, be educated, cared for, protected, and participating in making their community a better place to live—and to love God and their neighbors.

The well-being of children is the focus of all the work World Vision does. Your donations, and the donations of other sponsors like you, work together within the community to address the needs and conditions of children and families and have maximum impact in the lives of children, families, and communities.

We help to change a child’s life by changing the world in which they live. The well-being of your sponsored child is tied to the well-being of their family and community. We work with the whole community to address issues that are important to them so they can better care for their children. The best solution to poverty, one that will last, is not about giving people handouts or doing the work for them. It is about working alongside them to build a better community. We work with many people that contribute to the well-being of a child, including their families, organizations, groups, churches within their community, and their government.

Each community that we work with faces different challenges and has different needs. Therefore, the way that we do our work is unique to each community. World Vision listens to the people in a community to understand what hinders their children from reaching their full potential. We then help to improve the lives of children by working with their community to address the needs they have identified.

As you consider the words of James 5:1-6 this week, consider whether sponsoring a child might be a way for your family to be a blessing to a child (and his or her family) living in poverty.

shine!
Jason

Love is more than a feeling

This week we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is a day centered on the love. Everywhere you look you will see hearts and a variety of other symbols that express the concept of love.

While romantic love is important, it is not the most important type of love. Our culture often waters down love to be about feelings and passion. While those are important parts of love, real, life-giving love goes much deeper. Paul describes that kind of love like this…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Another early Christ-follower, the apostle John, has this to say about love that is anchored in the character of God…

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:7-21)

As we hear a lot above love this week, remember that the love that emerges from the Kingdom of God is more than just a feeling; it’s a way of living life.

 

shine!
Jason

Which wisdom?

There is a lot of “wisdom” in the world. All you have to do is go to a library or bookstore and you can find hundreds of self-help books telling you how to succeed, be transformed, or change your life.

The reality is that while some of these books contain good advice, the best advice comes from God. Before we try harder, read another book, or Google “becoming a better person,” we should turn to God for guidance.

The first key in gaining wisdom is to submit to God. As James says, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

While people spend millions – if not billions – of dollars every year seeking to discover wisdom, the best place to start won’t cost them much at all, at least financially.

I believe that the problem with some people is that they are willing to give up money for wisdom, but they’re not willing to give up their desires. We live in a world driven by desire and selfish ambition. According to the world’s standards, the wisest people are often the ones who know how to manipulate, scheme, and do whatever it takes to be successful.

In the Kingdom of God, things are the exact opposite. The first will be last and the last will be first. The greatest among you will be your servant. These are the signs of true wisdom; wisdom born of God.

Unfortunately, it seems as though many Christians subscribe to the world’s attitude about wisdom. We come to church asking what’s in it for me? We complain when the church doesn’t meet our needs. When we are not being served, we might look for a church that provides what we want.

I wonder how much different the church in America would be if followers of Jesus gathered to ask what they can give and what they can do for others. How would it affect our attitude about the hymns we sing, the programs we offer, and a variety of other issues that churches so often fight about? Maybe one of the biggest problems for the church is that we’re living according to the wisdom of the wrong kingdom.

 

shine!
Jason

Faith and works

It seems like people often swing back and forth between extremes in many areas of life. I believe this is true in the area of faith and works.

I am currently in the middle of watching a documentary about the life of Martin Luther. What I have watched so far has shown what led him to write his Ninety-Five Theses. (If you’re not familiar with what I am talking about, I recommend taking a few minutes to look into this. It’s one of the most significant events in the history of the Church). One of the biggest catalysts was his realization that our salvation is not based on our works, but on faith in Christ.

We have to realize that Luther came to this conclusion after years of serving in a church setting where everything was about doing enough works to deserve salvation. He was coming from one extreme of the spectrum.

Unfortunately, some have taken the ideas Luther espoused to the other end of the spectrum and would argue that our works have little or nothing to do with our salvation. They would say that all you need is belief.

The reality – as is often true – is actually found in the middle. While our works do not earn our salvation, they are certainly an essential part of our walk. Without them, we are dead. We are not dead because we didn’t do enough. Rather, we are dead because the fruit we bear (or don’t bear) reveals our attitude and the depth of our faith.

I like to say it this way: We don’t do works to be saved. Rather, we do works because we are saved.

If we have truly encountered God and seek a relationship with him, our lives should reflect the character and nature of God. Our works should naturally flow from within as the Spirit fills us and pours out into our lives.

We should not think of the Christian faith as a list of rules to follow. That is selling things way too short. But at the same time, the Christian faith is not simply agreeing to some idea so we can have the promise of eternal life.

The Christian faith is a life-long pursuit of God in which our lives should continue to bear more and more fruit of the Kingdom of God as we are transformed. Our works are not the ticket to eternal life. They are the evidence that we are living lives according the Kingdom that will reign forever.

shine!
Jason