On (Christ) Purpose

Dr Myles, Ruth Ann Munroe
pic-roberthouston.org

My heart hurt to hear the news of a pastoral couple who lost their lives in a tragic plane crash, on their way to be in ministry. I read of their two children left behind, and my sadness deepened. My heart went out to the children, and when I saw the picture of the couple’s smiling faces in the Forbes article online, (‘Internationally Renowned Preacher and Transformational Leader, Dr. Myles Munroe Killed in Bahamas Plane Crash’ 11-10-2014) I just wanted to cry. Then I read to the end of the article, and my heart was so inspired to read: ‘Dr. Munroe died living out his purpose in life; spreading the gospel of Christ’ How awesome to read in mainstream press! And how fitting for any of us to aspire to. And how fitting to ponder, as we celebrate this (Christmas, Advent) season. Jesus was born for, lived for, died for, rose again for, and reigns for, the purpose of knowing him now and forever. Living knowing this, our purpose, means we live on purpose. Let us pray that through all that we do in this and in all seasons, that we remember and live out our purpose: knowing Christ, that all may know Christ!

Family Ties

Jesus surprises us in Luke 13. He speaks to the crowd, the large group of people willing to hear the

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message. He doesn't candy-coat the price they must be willing to pay to go from a mere crowd-follower to a disciple-follower. He says that you have to be willing to put everything else 2nd. Everything. Including the things dearest to your heart, including plans and family. It's hard to imaging for those who desire to put family first that we would be made to make this choice. It sounds harsh and even 'un-Christian'! But let's unpack this. Jesus did not practice his ministry in a way that disrespected his family. When he wanted to stay and listen to the teaching in the temple, he followed his parents when they came back for him, even though he surely wanted to stay longer. He began his public ministry earlier than his desire would have been, when his mother made her wishes known that Jesus could fix the party problem of not enough wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Even when dying on the cross, his desire to see his mother taken care of took precedence, and he made arrangements for her to be taken care of. But he did show us what he was talking about here when his family tried to pull him aside in Luke chapter 8. He was in the middle of his ministry of speaking, teaching, and healing when his family apparently wanted to adjust his priorities and schedule. ("your family needs a word with you!") His response was surprising. "My family are those who hear and do God's will." Jesus did not go out and set his family straight. He just stayed focused and kept on speaking, teaching, healing, and fulfilling his purpose; including dying on the cross to save the same family members who thought they could straighten him out! And in doing so, he set us an example. Staying focused on doing the father's will, we all do family in ways that bring joy to our heavenly father first, and, in the long run, to all of us, too.

Jesus Sounds Like Mom!



thewearypilgrim.typepad.com

I remember one daily recurring theme for my mother: will we all be at the dinner table at the same time? After school activities, work schedules, and just plain old life all seemed to creep in on this important time. Family time.  All the family at one place at the same time.  A place to share the happenings of the day. Catch up on what’s happened and what’s happening. Getting everyone together is what Jesus spoke of in John 17:20-26. He prayed that all his children would get on the same page, for God’s sake. That all who believed would be of one heart and mind, and many more would believe. Each of us with our God-given unique personalities, our differing takes on just about everything, have many excuses to grow apart. But Christ prayed that we be one. And he gave us the unifying answer: himself. The unity he spoke of did not depend upon agreement on other views. It was agreement on one thing: belief in Jesus, the perfect Savior of the world. It is this belief, this faith in God coming to us in human form, which is bigger than all of life’s other issues, if we will let it be.

Everyone all together, all saying thanks, at one table. Mom’s dream.  Jesus prayer. Let it be!

Hungry for Shalom

newsfeed.com greiving Sandy Hook tragedy

In Revelation 7:9-17 we see a glimpse of life as it is intended to be. Every kind of person is there. Everyone is on the same page. All are worshiping the Lord. There are no conflicts, no worries. How our hearts long for living in this peace, love and joy! Our national and international turmoil and grief are at such a high level. We hear more commentary and speculation on our condition and how we got there than on a clear solution. But here is our clue into achieving the state of being we seek: salvation comes from the blood of the Lamb. Salvation, honor, and glory come from no other. This state of being does not come easily, but by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, we can start to live into it. ‘These are the ones who have come out of the great ordeal’ John’s revelation tells us, these who have complete joy in that place-a life of perpetual worship of their Savior. We face the great ordeal of a world with little peace. But as we humble ourselves before the Lamb, we can be put in process to have our limitations on how to live increasingly overridden by the surpassing power of Christ to transform us. Even now we can begin learning how to live in Shalom, at peace with God, and at peace with our brothers and sisters. Heaven is a paradise and state of being that we begin to live into here and now. And whether it’s Boston in the wake of the Marathon tragedy, Texas and the terrible explosion, or any where across our war-torn globe, or the parents of children taken before thier time, oh how hungry we are in this world to taste and see how good it is to live at peace! 

As Easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3!!!

eatingwell.com

John 21:1-19

Several years ago, I was listening to our Missionary, Ken Vance. He showed us the picture of a Congolese girl, Grace. She appeared to be about 9 years old when the picture was taken.  Grace fell ill while the nation was in the middle of a military conflict, which kept her from receiving the simple medical care which would have easily cured her. She had fallen ill, by a disease common there and here, preventable with a pair of shoes.  Grace died. I asked myself, whey should she and others die on account of an illness preventable with a pair of shoes, when we on this side of the ocean have shoes to spare?! The message was clear to me: they need shoes; we have shoes; SEND SHOES!!! Many of us did.  

The solution was simple. The answer was in front of us. We just had to put 2 and 2 together.  We just had to take the simple solution and put a bunch of sweat into it! Jesus spoke to his disciples three times after his death and resurrection, pointing them to their purpose. The message: 1) I Live 2) You believe 3) Follow Me

The ‘Follow Me’ he illustrated simply. He fed them bread. He said feed my sheep; do with them like I do to you! How much clearer so we need to hear ‘You’re all HUNGRY? I’m the bread! Let’s all Eat!’

It’s so simple! We may see life as very complicated, but thank God, our purpose is simple, and clear! So let’s put some sweat into it! Let’s take the message of the Bread of Life, Christ, to this hungry world!

Promise

John Calvin, coventer.org

“It is a promise which eminently deserves our observation that all who are united to Christ and acknowledge Him to be Christ and Mediator will remain to the end safe from all danger, for what is said of the body of the Church belongs to each of its members since they are one in Christ.”
― John Calvin

 

Can we count on a God who makes good on his promise(s)? Of course we want to answer ‘Yes’!  But if we honestly look at ourselves, don’t we sometimes let our faith slip, and doubt God? Or maybe even argue with God about how he doesn’t keep his promises? Let’s be honest! In Genesis chapter 15, Abram challenges God in the promise of a future. Abram assumes that since he has not had children, and God’s promise of blessing must, in Abram’s mind, come that way, that God isn’t coming through with his promise. God reassures Abram that the promise will be made good, but it takes Abram a while to get it. (To get the children, and to get it, as in getting a clue!)  Abram does get to the believing part. Let’s do the same! The longer we spend arguing with God (do we really think we are going to win?!) the longer it takes to get to the good part of our story: faith! Faith that says: my Savior’s promise of my future is a good one! Despite a church history that unfortunately includes arguing with God and each other, let’s remember the other part: ‘and he believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness’! God always keeps this promise!

Live The Dream

impa.com

It was hard to believe, with the classic book being over 150 years old, the Broadway musical getting ready for its third run, and over 55 million people seeing it, [dailytrojan.com  June 21, 2011] that someome actually might seriously (not jokingly) call Les Miserables ‘Less Miserable.’  But they did. As we wanted to see the blockbuster new movie, the movie phone announcement went through the whole list of movies and show times, and for this movie said, ‘and the show times for Less Miserable is….’.  I guess not everyone is into the genre (musical or opera.) That’s ok. But the theme is something we can all get into. The heart’s desire within us all is to overcome injustice and oppression. We are born knowing that freedom and living life to its fullest is our destiny. We seek it. We can get discouraged in the quest, but deep down is the spark for soaring in life, ready to be fanned into flame. See the movie if you want to see this masterfully portrayed by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway. But if you want to truly ‘live the dream,’ it takes more than a couple of hours in the theatre, and will cost more than $8-12. It’s a lifelong pursuit. Just as the magi had a long, tiring journey to get to the Christ child, and had to leave their nice dwellings to go to a stinking barn in a small crowded city, and share the space with shepherd outcasts, our journey will take all we have and our whole life. But when we seek we find. The light of life dawns as we seek Christ, find Christ, and the joy in the journey is priceless. I have found this to be true! Have you? Leave a comment if you wish, and tell me how you’ve found joy and relief in life as you journey toward Christ- I’d love to hear about it!

Security- Jesus!

As our country deals with the difficult and complex issues, we seek security! Social security, national budget, cooperation on our nations’ direction, all these issues will take cooperative effort over a long period of time. These are all on our minds, and rightfully so. As we seek security in the programs that we depend on, we could lose sight of how to find ultimate security. We live, work, and play in a sea of human relationships and networks. We work toward finding common ground and the best solutions possible. But if this is our only security, then we are not very secure! As we listen to the voices of scripture, we hear the prophets foretell of the coming security of a coming King. Christ came to bring us a security that we seek but do not fully find from human sources. We may ask for our Lord to give us security, but he wants us to know that he is our security. There is a difference. We find a level of security as our Lord helps us in our human relationships, but it is in realizing our security is in the person of Christ that we find the peace in trusting him. Peace can grow among our brothers and sisters, as we trust him, but on this side of heaven is perfectly found only in the person of Christ. Let us not stop seeking peace and security in our society, while realizing that Christ is the one on whom it is found!

Need Some Space?

“I need some space!” You might hear this from someone who wants you out of their personal space so that they can have some alone time. We are created as people who have both needs, social and personal. We are healthiest with some of both, a balance. In the world around us, we have relational space everywhere we go and in all we do. The time and ‘space’ can be used to relate for different purposes. Some spaces are used by habit for particular purposes. We go to public spaces with people to socialize, to relate to each other. We create space for purposes. David had the desire to create sacred space for worshipping God. The tabernacle, the temple, the synagogue, the house church, and the modern church are all examples of making space for the sacred- relating to God, and God relating to us, together, relating to each other in the presence of God. But sacred space is always in transition! The tabernacle arose out of the need to have traveling sacred space for a traveling people. The temple was a located sacred space for a more located people. The house church developed, the modern church developed, and is still developing. Anywhere we gather in the name of Christ, we create sacred space. Today we have a challenge as God’s people: will we be able to think creatively about how we create sacred space? Can we not only come away into the places that we have known as sacred, but go out and make sacred the places and spaces where the sacred can be accessible? I trust that we all can allow ourselves to ponder this, and see the opportunities around us for making space for the sacred to unfold.

Uncompromised God in Our Compromised World

In our world of compromised motives and actions, the real mystery is the uncompromised promise we have of love and faithfulness. In the Old Testament book of Ruth we see every character with flaws  and double-speak conversations. People say one thing, imply another. They misspeak what others have said for their own advantage. Basic human dignity is compromised by unjust social, religious, and relational systems. Even the motives of God come into question, even if by mere implication. For example, the story begins with Bethlehem, ‘house of bread’ that has no bread. In a world where support for family comes from the man, all three major male characters die and leave three women without the support system upon which they for the most were forced to rely. The social and religious system for dealing with support of widows shows itself to be manipulated for personal gain. The mother and daughter-in-law relationship is one of manipulating each other (not that this is totally unimaginable!) The list goes on. We can relate to the situation of compromised motives and ethics in our world today. If we truly believe that ‘all have sinned and fallen short’, then we can see that it is truly amazing that we have the unconditional love relationship of our heavenly Father! How our Lord redeems our lives and our multiple issues is enough to inspire us to have faith and hope for our future! How is it that our nation, our church, our lives can be redeemed? Only through the only one who is uncompromised: our Holy God!

Sustainability

earthtimes.org

‘Derived from sustainable sources’ is a phrase we see on products. Paper from sustainable forests. Ingredients from sources that renew themselves, and won’t run out. Sustainability is a big word now. We want a Federal budget that is sustainable. We want a social security system that is sustainable. We want communities with a sustainable source of needed resources. And we are concerned that if we do not find sustainability in all these areas, we will run out, run short, or stop functioning. It’s a big deal! We have to live with an eye to the future!

In the same way, our life is sustained by our Lord. It is only by his power and hand at work in our lives that we do not just endure, but live a constantly renewed and revitalized life!  As I’ve been reading about church history, especially in the first couple of generations after Christ, I see how difficult life was as our ancestors in the faith had their lives tried and tested with persecution, social upheaval, and inter-faith strife. It is amazing that their faith endured. But, it more than endured, it thrived! I want to live like that! I want our generation(s) to know the renewed and revitalized faith that can only come as we rely on our Sustainer, Jesus Christ! May these trying times so strengthen our relationship with Christ that His church shines bright!

Global Glue

home.howstuffworks.com

Hebrews 1:1-4

Falling apart seems to be what much of our world does best! Governments fall apart, international relations break off, politics degrade to name-calling, and we deal with the brokeness accross the entire spectrum of life! But just as 'things' seem to fall apart in our world, we are reminded in Hebrews that Christ holds everything together! His powerful words speak thruth and wisdom for us. We have the power of our maker behind us as we face the powers of our world. We are held together, and so are our lives, as we follow Christ together. The glue of life is Christ, and we find him not just on our own, but together as his body. This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. It is such a privilage to belong to this family, and be welcomed to the table of life and salvation where no one is turned away, and our lives are mended and healed! This wonderful good news is that Christ is the true global glue!

Life- We have an App for that!

James 5:13-20

abcnews

Apple recently came out with the iPhone 5. In a few days, over 5 million were sold! I do not have one, but have talked to some owners of iPhones, and the connection (no pun intended) they have to their phone is nearly a religious experience, as is evident in the overnight lines people waited in to be first in line for the newest model. It has a big, bright screen. It does lots of neat things. But the large number of applications available (‘Apps’) seems to be one big reason for its usefulness. There’s an app for almost everything! Apps for fun. Apps for business and accounting. But a major drawback is its application for navigation. As I understand the conversation going on about this- the GPS navigation maps are incomplete! A simple trip in which you use the phone to get you to your destination may not get you to your destination!

In life, we have many issues through which we must navigate. We have sorrows to pray through. We have joy to propel us into singing. We have sickness for which we approach our Lord for healing. We have oppression and violence in this world for which we cry out to God for justice and peace. All of this happens in our daily walk with the rest of the body of Christ, the church, the congregation. Our App for real life occurs in our spiritual family, the church. We come with our brokenness, and we find a life of healing and recovery of the joy of living. Our navigation system is not a new model, but a very old one, which can testify: this App, it works!

Live Well

How do we live well in a troubled world? This has been our human pursuit for millennia. Today 'Live Well' is a pursuit that includes a network, an app, a Facebook page, and more. Something tells us that there is a better way to fo life! So, we look to the advice of those whom we respect, and make note of the knowledge of how to live well that they have gleaned over a lifetime. We call it wisdom. We need it today as much as any time in history! In the third chapter of the New Testament book of James we hear that wisdom includes living well, living wisely, living humbly. It’s this humbly part that we need so desperately! Behind all the current violence and war, political bashing, and every kind of verbal wrangling, there is an atmosphere that is far from humble. And it is this that leads to skirmishes. That’s the situation that the letter of James addresses, and it reads like a prescription to today’s headlines! True wisdom, truly living well is shown in how much we understand that to live well we live at peace with each other. We seek mercy and blessing, and we find it if we choose to live it! We don’t find it in finger pointing, but we find it as we each, and we together, decide that as far as it depends upon us, we will live in peace. Jesus showed us this life of peace, of a Shalom that our hearts desire. Lord, give us the wisdom to live well, live wisely, live humbly! This is my prayer.

Captivity and Release

As I write this, police in bullet-proof vests are patrolling my neighborhood in hopes of apprehending, taking into custody, and eventually (it must be presumed) putting in captivity a crime suspect. It is disturbing! If this man is eventually taken captive, it is captivity by his own choice. If we break the law, we choose to put ourselves in the position of being captive for the offense.

anglicansablaze.blogspot.com

Breaking the legal law of the land is not unlike breaking other relational agreements- a covenant between two people. We make choices on how we live- to keep or break our relational ‘law’ or relationship agreements. In 1 Kings Chapter 8 we hear Solomon address the people in terms of our needing to have God restore us from our relational trespasses. We all fall short, and are in the captivity of our poor choices. But God offers restoration. And this restoration is available to us by God’s design. In Solomon’s day, it was his request that God do this in the temple which he built to God’s glory. Much later, Jesus tells us that he will build his temple among us- we are the temple, all of us as his body, the relational space and place within which grace and redemption can happen. When we are this body of Christ, we offer a relational space where people are set free by the spirit of Christ that is dwelling among us. God is so ready to make a home among us! His spirit is so able to be the healing and restoration! As I end this blog, the authorities are still chasing our suspect, and resolution does not seem close. But just as I pray for our officers, the suspect, and a safe resolution, I pray for God’s restoration of us all. It’s a process, and as God’s people, may we all see that we all play a role in God’s redemption coming into this world!

Filling The World With A Love Song

Where were you on April Fool’s Day 1976? I remember well a song that was released that day. It was written by Linda and Paul McCartney, and performed by Wings on their album Wings at The Speed of Sound (see Wikipedia.) If you haven’t guessed by now, these lyrics will give it away:



en.wikipedia.com

You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs.
But I look around me and I see it isn't so.
Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.
And what's wrong with that?
Id like to know, cause here I go again
I love you, I love you,
I love you, I love you,

it’s Silly Love Songs.  I remember the first time I heard it. It made me pause and think about how we are stuck on love songs.  According to  wiki.answers, 78% of top songs are love songs. It’s 60% according to a 2007 study by the University of Florida, as published in the May 31, 2007 article in the Gainsville news.

We crave songs about love. Being loved. Loving someone. Finding the words to say I love you. Even some silly, foolish songs about love can be very popular. Justin Beiber is expected to sell over 400,000 copies of his recent Believe album, with a style of music including lyrics such as “Baby, baby, baby; baby baby, baby.’ Not especially imaginative. But oh how we crave a love song.

We are wired to love. To give and receive love. To live with love as our emotional, physical, and spiritual atmosphere. Of all the things that our culture may get wrong, innately sensing the need for love is something that we can get right, even if our society sometimes does not express it in a particularly holy way.

But it is this holy love that will not let us go that we hear in the Psalmist as we ready Psalm 111. We hear of a love that is well deserved. As we ‘sing’ this Psalm, we remember all the good reasons to be in love with the one who loves us best. This is the atmosphere we were meant to live in. This is the kind of song we can sing over and over and never tire of.  Maybe it’s our job, or privilege, those who call on the name of Jesus, to so live in love that our life speaks like the lyrics of a beautiful love song.

News We Listen To

people-press.org 2009

It’s been an exciting 30^th Olympiad in London! To see the Fabulous 5, Mark Phelps, and Missy Franklin win has been welcome news that we love to listen to. But in recent years we haven’t been listening as much to the traditional sources of the news. Newspaper sales are down. Many news agencies have cut back considerably, and fewer reporters are being sent out now to collect the reports. People don’t believe in the accuracy of much reporting. According to people news, people are believing less of the news (see chart.) But there is more talking going on electronically now. People are less willing to listen to ‘experts’ on the news of the day, but want to listen more to people they know and choose. So what? It means that we have more opportunity now than ever in being speakers of good news. And we have the opportunity to tell the good news truthfully. Since the truth of our Lord sets us free from the darkness of life, we have more power now than ever to witness to the light of Christ, to a world that wants, needs, and longs for the healing that Christ brings. So let’s not grow weary in speaking the truth of Christ in love, the world really is listening for some good news!

Rescue

msnbc

What a news story! Julie Ogden, from New Jersey, drove all the way to Hinesville, Georgia to bring a lost dog back home. Juile had seen that the dog was 2 hours from being euthanized if not adopted from a shelter, and took the dog home. Then, when she saw that the dog’s owners were looking for their dog, who had gotten out of their back yard when a storm blew away the fence, she just had to get her back home. A whole caravan of people- cars, vans, motorcycles, all took this dog back to Belinda and Terrel Stevenson’s home. Belinda’s husband, Johnny ‘Pops’ Brooks Stevenson, Jr., had lost his life serving in Afghanistan. Their dog, Savannah, was very close to Pops, and was a sweet reminder of him after his untimely death at age 51. The extent to which people would go to get this dog home, and comfort this family, was a big enough news story for the NBC nightly news. Homecomings are big news! It is just like our heavenly father, whose heart is longing for us and has made a way for our return. No barrier is too big for our God to bust through and get us home, if we will let ourselves be rescued by the one who loves us best!

Designed to be Loved

Home Design. Interior design. Designer clothes. I remember when designer jeans were the hot new rage! The idea is that special attention went into a special product. In Ephesians 1:3-14 we see that we were especially designed to be loved by God! Even before the incredible beauty of our earth was thought of, we were thought of! How awesome! It’s so inspiring to look at the way our earth was designed, how breathtaking the views that only his intelligent design could create. But to think that we were in mind before any of this, is enough to humble me, and make me pause in the wonder of it! Take time today, and pause in the wonder of the love of our heavenly father, who took great pleasure making you, to love you now and forever!

The Second Leap of Faith

Choosing to believe is like opening a door to a multitude of possibilities! In Mark 6:1-13 we see Jesus in his own hometown. Though he did many miracles in other towns and cities, he did few here. Why? Because they said, ‘He’s just that little kid we watched grow up!’ (Rough translation!) Jesus had just spoken eloquently at their meeting place. They were initially impressed. But the people let their preconceived ideas about Jesus close the door to all the wonders that could have been through the Son of God! How often do we do the same?

We limit what God can do when we do not believe in him. God is ready to do more than we could think, ask, or imagine. But for those of us who have made the leap of faith to really believe in God, do we still limit God when we refuse to make the next leap of faith to see the Jesus in his children? Yes. How many things does God want to do through all his children around us? Only God knows. And if we want to know, see, and experience all these kingdom possibilities, then let us pray that the Lord opens the eyes of our hearts to see that no one is just [fill in the blank!]. May we believe in God, and his children!