God's Favorite Number

As Jesus passed the Kingdom baton to his disciples,  (John 17:6-19) he prayed that they be one. They were an eclectic group. They were very different in background, occupation, and personality. But he clued them into the fact that if they could be one in the kingdom purpose, the resulting body of believers who were receiving this holy baton would be blessed in the mission. Jesus passed on more than just a set of skills. He gave a purpose. The purpose was timeless. But the application of the purpose would be ever unfolding in each time and place. The purpose would be hammered out in each of us as believers in an unchanging God, who is present with us as we face new circumstances.
Our personalities and opinions are a wide variety. But even in our uniqueness, our purpose and focus is on the kingdom, which Jesus described to us. As John Wesley reminded us: in essentials, unity, in all else,  charity.  Let’s practice God’s favorite number!

All in the Family

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 Mother’s Day cannot help but bring back many memories of family. I remember in 1971 when our family sat down and watched another family: the #1 Neilson rated All in the Family. Millions tuned in and laughed at how Archie (played by Carroll O’Conner) embodied so many forms of blatantly bigoted behavior. As America laughed, it took a look at itself and how it treated each other.  America resonated enough with the themes to keep it at the #1 spot for 1971-1976, a record for the time.

Acts 10:44-48- takes another look at how one group has looked down upon another in our religious ‘family.’ It represents one of many ways in which we could fail to see our family resemblance and our common position as receivers of the love, blessings, and gifts from our heavenly Father.

Life is full of opportunities to see each other as brothers and sisters, with one heavenly father. And if we will all take a good, long, honest look at how we draw our lines as the family of God, we have a long way to go.

Let’s all pray for God to change our hearts. The power of his reconciling love can overcome the long-standing walls we have built. He designed us to truly be all in the family. Let it be! (It’s more than a John Lennon song!)

Are You Ready for a Miracle?!

Are You Ready for a Miracle?

IMP awards Rick Law-PJC

In the 1992 film, Leap of Faith, phony faith-healer Jonas Nightingale (Steve Martin) is stopped in his tracks when a real miracle occurs (see clip: Leap of Faith) It's a touching story about the power of faith to perform miracles, including a physical healing and an end to a natural disaster, drought. As inspiring as these miracles are, we are reminded in Acts chapter 8 of a greater miracle.
Phillip, and the rest of the believers, have come under intense persecution, and they have even seen one of their own stoned to death. Even so, people were receiving physical healings. Enter into the story an 'Etheopian Eunic' who has traveled a great distance to find answers to life, and is returning home, still not coming to any understanding of any good news for his life. How out of place would one feel if they are not even known by name, but just by ethnicity and the inability to have children by surgical procedure?! The encounter between these two, both with struggles and heartaches of their own, both outcasts of some sort, is a miracle. They are at the same place at the same time for the same purpose. The spirit of God orchestrated the meeting. The Word of God was the guiding truth that got explained. It was the working together of spirit and truth. And the healing that took place was this: a searching heart found peace with God.
This is God's plan of salvation: that we live daily by both spirit and truth, that all may know the healing that lasts forever! Are we ready for some miracles?!

The Cure for Post-Pardon Depression

 How ironic is it that after the resurrection of Christ, his disciples initially were down and depressed? Just picture the disciples on the Emmaus road, so distracted by their own issues that they could not recognize Jesus walking beside them. The greatest event of all time, our pardon thru the Christ event, had just happened, and these two disciples are talking about how disappointed they are!
It’s merely being human to be disappointed, and see that the world, even post resurrection, looked, and still looks, unredeemed! Just because we begin a relationship with Christ, and accept the pardon he paid for, does not mean that the world in which we live will be an encouraging evidence of completeness! But if we can get our mind around the fact of what Christ did, and choose daily to allow the Lord to give the eyes of our heart his vision, we do not have to be depressed! We can choose to believe, and let him explain to us the way things really are, just like the two disciples in Luke 24:13-32 then we can have a kingdom perspective on life. We can see thru his eyes the reality of complete pardon, even while living in a world not yet complete in regeneration. We can walk out our faith choice on our road. This Christ-given insight into the walk of faith is the cure for our Post Pardon Depression! So, today, let’s not start with our day informing us how incomplete it is, let’s begin with letting Christ reminding us how complete is his redeeming work!  

Road to Blessing!

In the 133^rd Psalm, a song on the road to the Holy City, David says how great it is when we all get along! It is a short Psalm, and has the tone of a dream to be realized, a far-off land which we long for, and seek, but do not often find. Our scripture is an honest look at our human condition! Scripture chronicles the many attempts we’ve made in trying to become one, both failures and some levels of success. In the book of Acts, high levels of unity were achieved, and sustained for a time, with phenomenal results. Unity is a lofty goal. When we realize that we really can progress toward this goal, real progress, then we will be much closer to that state of being. And, yes, it is a goal which God promises to bless! And, surely our steps of progress in this direction are blessed steps, well worth our diligent efforts!

Just Like I Said

 “Like I said…” It’s probably not been long since you’ve said this or heard this! It’s not easy convincing people of some things. Sometimes they just have to experience it for themselves. Then they are surprised that things are just as they had been told! I’m sure you could fill in several examples here!
It’s exactly the case with Easter. The disciples and other friends of Jesus were shocked to find out that Jesus was alive. It’s not that the scriptures were devoid of descriptions of the event. And Jesus himself gave a precise description of the events leading up to, and including, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. But it still took them by ‘surprise’! We look back and wonder how anyone could be surprised, but don’t we do the same thing?
The story of life is told in detail: here’s how life works. Here’s where we came from, here’s where we are heading, here’s how redemption comes, from God through Christ. Life does get complicated, but at the core, it really is just as we are told!

The ‘just like he said’ idea in this blog may be seen (among other places) in Mark 16:1-8

The Door Buster



Damascus Gate. wayfaring.info

 A couple of days ago my wife and I heard a loud bang at 5a.m.  It was the back door of our back porch. Our beloved dog, Lili, had just jumped on the door and burst right through it! At about 78 pounds of raw instinctive might, she had apparently just seen a squirrel or cat, and decided to save the world single handedly (paws actually.) Her instinct to get through that door was amazing!  (I caught her before she had a chance to get at any small creatures-no animal was harmed in the illustration of this blog.)
We all have times that we must wait for God to open the door to the next chapter in our life. We want to bust it open, pray it open, wish and hope it open, but really it takes an act of God!
As Jesus burst through the gates of Jerusalem to face his life’s mission, the real work was not just a happy entrance through that door. It was in his life’s work in the days to come after going through that door.
It’s the same with us. God makes a way for new chapters. But then, there is plenty of work for us to be about, as we follow (not lead) our Savior in the work of the kingdom. Jesus is the door Buster. We’re the followers and servants. It’s a great arrangement!

For the story of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, see John 11:1-11.