Supernatural

I saw the title to an article by Francis Chan asking a question about whether we have a Supernatural Ministry.  My thoughts immediately went to a time in my life when seeking out the supernatural was so very important.  Trying to do things that were bound to fail unless God intervene and praying for healing with a confidence in God doing whatever God desired.  There are other times when all of that confidence in God doing something spectacular and miraculous disappears and I depend upon myself making something happen. 

As I read the gospel of Mark I am reminded that when Jesus sent out his disciples he sent them with nothing except supernatural power to heal and cast out demons.  Jesus fed the 5000 (and 4000) with just a few loaves and fishes.  That's Supernatural! People were healed by touching Jesus, bringing nothing more than their hope and faith.  That's Supernatural!  Do we believe enough in the Supernatural power of God as we do ministry and preach that people should repent (Mark 6:12-13)?

I think this is a matter of trust in God and His Calling.  Supernatural isn't only healing, but involves participating with God in doing things that only God can do.  A person who gives their life to Jesus is a supernatural act.  Discipleship is a supernatural act.  Worship is a supernatural experience.  Where does your life and the Supernatural connect?  Do you trust that God can do anything?  I mean really trust that the Creator God, the Lord of the Universe, can do anything in your life?

Who's In Charge of your Rest?

OK.  This may be meddling a little bit into your life, because this thought has actually caused me to make sure that a certain part of my life is also surrendered to Jesus.  Did you know that the Son of Man (Jesus) is also Lord of the Sabbath.  Now if we understand the Sabbath to be that rest that God commands for us to take regularly (weekly), that means Jesus is in charge of our rest.  That Sabbath rest is not an escape FROM Jesus, but a retreat INTO Jesus.  Think about how we do this.

We often take our Sabbath as our "day off." This is our time to do whatever we want to do.   Do we give Jesus control of this time, or do feel we are Lord of this time?  We know best how to rest.  We know best how to restore ourselves.  I actually think we often get more tired, using our Sabbath to continue to run around just like we do the rest of our week.  It's our time to do fun stuff.  Have you asked the Lord of the Sabbath what you should do with that time?  I am asking myself this today.  How about you?

Warnings!

I have a calendar that each day had a label, directions or sign that is humorous.  Here is today's:

From the PillowSac Rocking Chair - Do not eat The Rocker or anything included with the Rocker, including, but not limited to, nuts, bolts, tags, cardboard, packaging, plastics bags, plastic pieces, Styrofoam, unpopped popcorn kernels, etc.  Attempting to eat these things may result in injury, death, or at the very least, discomfort while passing these items through your digestive system from entry to exit."

My first response to this was wondering what do someone actually do that would cause the company to have their attorney write up this statement?  Did someone actually eat the rocking chair?  Or the cardboard?  These things are such no-brainers to me that I don't know why a statement is needed.  But those who made the rocking chair wanted to make sure that people were safe from themselves.  So they wrote that statement.

In the same way, some of the laws and decrees from the Old Testament seem to be no-brainers, but God needed to state them. I couldn't even conceive of doing some of the things that are prohibited.  Just read Leviticus 18.  God was warning His people that certain actions are harmful to the community and to their relationship to God.  As the creator of humans, He desired that we be safe.

God then ended many of the decrees with: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.  As much as we want to question God's rules and laws, we need to constantly remember that this is God speaking.  He is the Lord.  When we are tempted to break these rules, we must keep in constant thought that God wants us safe, secure and living well. 

They Doubted? How Can That Be?

One of the most intriguing passages of Matthew for me is the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:16-20.  It's not the sending that catches my eye but verse 17, which says,

"When they saw him, they worshiped him; BUT SOME DOUBTED!"   

How can this be?  These are the ones who saw Jesus feed thousands with a few small fish and loaves of bread.  They were there when Jesus healed and stilled the storm (wind).  They not only witnessed Jesus rebuking demons and saw those demons leave, but they were given power themselves to cast out demons and heal as Jesus sent them out.  They saw Jesus violently killed, and then for 40 days (according to Acts 1) saw the resurrected Jesus eat food and teach them.  And yet they still had doubt.  I wonder when this went away?

Maybe the better question is, "When did their faith kick in and they saw what was happening through different eyes?"  Perhaps it was when the Holy Spirit was sent to them.  But the Holy Spirit didn't keep them from disobedience or fear or other emotions that must have occurred on their journeys.  Maybe it was when they actually stepped out to do the mission God called them to do.  Maybe there were other events and meetings in their personal spiritual development that brought this doubting to an end.  Or just maybe this doubting was a constant fight when God didn't do what they wanted him to do in the timing they wanted it done?

I am not sure I would doubt after seeing the things they saw and hearing the things they heard.  But then again, maybe if they experienced what I experienced in my life 2000 years later, the disciples would wonder why I have times of doubt.  Perhaps we simply need to acknowledge times of doubt and realize that these doubts that comes to us do not change the truth of Jesus, but signifies our fear and lack of trust in what Jesus has told us. 

In spite of their doubts, the disciples still worshiped Jesus and still followed his mission.  And they became ferocious in fulfilling the Great Commission, most of them giving their very lives in order share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Doubt becomes an issue when it paralyzes us.  The disciples doubt didn't do that.  We cannot allow our doubt to keep us out of the battle or away from our mission. 

The Standard

In preparing for tomorrow's message I have heard or read so many different opinions about hell and the nature of God.  Some of these opinions are "off the charts," and as I try to figure out where they came up with such an idea I realized that so many people are creating their understanding of God from logic, or experiential things or philosophy.  None of these things are verifiable and even to have a discussion about these opinions is difficult, because there is not one similar standard for measuring against these things to discover which opinion is more correct than others.

That is why the importance of a standard for the Christian faith was such an important decision in the fourth century.  There were so many different thoughts about defining the Christian faith and it caused continual disruption and pain within the church.  So the gathered leaders decided on a Canon (standard) of writings which defined the teachings of Jesus and the Christian understanding of God.  With this Canon, we have a common base from which we can discuss and decide on important issues of theology and faith. 

Of course, there is still disagreements on interpretation, but ultimately there is Standard and throughout history Christians have gone back to this Standard (Canon) to solve these disagreements and discuss differences.  But is this Standard is not the authority, real discussion cannot happen because someone can just use their own thoughts, or quote a famous person to gain authority for their position.  We must go back to the Bible constantly for our beliefs, otherwise we will continue to create God in our own image, and create spiritual understandings that cannot stand. 

Do you know the Standard (Canon - Bible)? 

Looking at Hell

This Sunday I am preaching on Hell.  In my mind I have the picture of an Evangelist of my youth screaming about God's love and warning us in increased volume and seriousness that if we don't accept that love we are doomed to the fiery pits of Hell.  Some responded to that kind of message and honestly, it helped them at times to stay on the "straight and narrow" way.  For me, though, it was the loving, forgiving nature of God that I always focused on and I put Hell to the back of my mind because I desired to please God not out of fear, but out of gratitude.

There is a current debate in Evangelical circles on whether Hell exists as a fiery place of eternal punishment.  One person said this, "The whole idea of hell is incongruent with the nature of God.  God is goodness.  God is righteousness.  God is peace.  God is harmony.  God is balance.  God is all good things."   She went on to say that she couldn't believe in a God who sent people to hell.  When I heard this I was saddened by we humans who seek to create God in our own image.  It's as if we say, "if God doesn't believe what I believe in, or do things by my definitions, I will not follow Him - and I will create God in my image."  Is this the creatures re-creating the creator? 

Francis Chan put it this way in a video -(Not an exact quote but very close)  "Do we really think we know better than God?  That our thoughts on eternity, love justice and judgment are more developed and thought out than God.  Maybe God knows something I don't know!"

As we look to the scriptures this Sunday, I pray we can get a picture of what God intended in judgment, heaven and hell.

Fearing God

As I continue reading through the Exodus I am meeting a people (Israel) who are just getting to know God.  Although they have cried out to the God of their fathers for freedom from their slavery, they really didn't know God at all.  What I find very interesting is that the closer they get to God, the more afraid of God they become.  The more they saw God, the more physical distance they kept between God and themselves.  They were so afraid they asked Moses to speak to them instead of God because they were afraid if God spoke they would die.  They saw a picture of a big God.

Moses did let them know that God wanted to "test" them so that the fear they have of God will keep them from sinning. (20:20)  This test I think was giving them the understanding of how large God actually was.  God had the ability to not only fight for them to defeat their enemies, but also fight against them when they disobeyed.  This was not some sort of God who could be manipulated into doing what Israel wanted.  This was not a God who could only be followed when they needed something.  They could not pick and choose what they obeyed based on convenience or time and desire.  God was the Lord Almighty!  And a healthy fear of God both protected them from their own desires to sin and give them confidence that God can do anything for them. 

And yet they had so much more to learn.  This fear didn't keep them from sinning, as they did build the golden calf.  This fear did not keep them from being afraid of their enemies, as they were so afraid of the enemies in the promised land they didn't do as God told them and the whole generation was kept from the promised land.

I think a healthy fear of God needs to go along with a commitment TO God.  That is something that it took Israel 40 years to figure out.  If fear is the only part of your relationship with God, you are lacking a wonderful opportunity to also be committed to God.  With that, you gain confidence IN God to fight for you when you stand firm.

Will We Turn Back?

When Israel was being led away from Egypt, God do not take them through Philistia, which was the shortest route.  Exodus 13:17 tells us that this was because if the Israelites faced war they might change their minds (about freedom from Egypt and slavery) and turn back.  This was true even though they left Egypt armed for battle.  There is something about war and battles that, if we are not ready for them, it is easy to become discouraged and turn away from the path you are walking on.

I have seen this in new believers who experienced battles after their conversion and fight the desire to return to their former way of life.  If it becomes too difficult it seems we want to take the shortest route back to the lack of war or battle.  The spiritual battles we fight cause the same issues for those of us who have been Christians for a long time.  When the battles come we shrink back wondering where God was in our lives.  When the battles come we become discouraged and somewhat cowardly.  Instead of steeping into the fray was armor shining and weapons ready, we seek to hide in the crevice of a rock.  How little we believe in the power of God's protection and provision!

Since Israel took the long way to the promised land, the Egyptians had time to change their minds and decided to go and bring back the Israelites as their slaves.  As the Egyptians army was seen nearer their camp the people of Israel grumbled and complained.  But Moses said,

"Stand firm and you will see the deliverance  the Lord will bring you today...the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

To be still doesn't mean to do nothing, but it does mean to still your heart (from grumbling) and still your mind (from over-thinking) and to be still from allowing fear to run the decisions we make.  Moses also said to stand firm, immovable, on the front line, with confidence, watching what God will do with expectation.  I think we usually find a place to hide and cover our eyes (and the eyes of our children), praying that when we open our eyes everything will be o.k.  

Attacks seem to be all around us and Satan is trying very hard to have us back on our heals focused on the armies coming after us.  After 6 months of this I am sick and tired of doing my share of cowering.  It is time to stand firm and look for the deliverance of the Lord, and still the voices inside of us that are influencing our reactions.  Let's stand firm, be still and let the Lord fight some battles.  

Wednesday night prayer is a place for all of us to start: 6:30 at the church.

Vows

After this morning I will have done something i have never done in 25 years of being a Pastor - performed 3 weddings in one week.  These couples were all people who had no connection to the church (one individual had attended for a short while) and I was just trying to serve them at a point of need.  I shared with each person the importance of these vows and how they really need to be kept - not as some legalistic process but in the Spirit of commitment.  Commitment.  That is not an idea that is common in many places.

Our culture seems to through out the idea that if it doesn't work for you, change to something else.  Commitment to a relationship is tossed away like we change our commitment to a Brand name or  business.  Some examples that we do this are:

• Favorite sports team.  If my team doesn't win or if they trade my favorite player I won't cheer for them any more.
• Contracts - If I don't like the contract any more I will either (1) cause trouble until the contract is changed or (2) not do my part of the contract until I get a new contract.  What has happened to honoring the contracts we sign?
• Church - many people do not commit to a church, they attend and participate in a church until the church doesn't meet their needs and does something they don't like.
• Marriage - Things are not going well so we just simply give up and decide not to work through the problem we have.  Til death do we part isn't real for many people.

We focus on the marriage like we do a wedding.  We are more concerned with what looks good (dresses and tuxes, flowers, decorations, etc) and what tastes good (food, duh!) and sounds good (music, readings, scripture and pastor's words).  The only reason everyone had gathered, though, is to witness the vows.  Everything else is secondary to the vows.  That is how it should be in marriage, but we switch things around in the busyness of life and forget that the vows are the key.  Once we understand that we can work through whatever issues there are without fear.  Our security is sure.

Let's look to the vows - and really hold them as primary.  it really helps!

What Will It Take?

We can be so stubborn sometimes.  How often has God made perfectly clear what he expects from us, and yet we continue to refuse or negotiate with God?  Looking from the outside we are pathetic!  Think about it: The Creator of the Universe, God Almighty, who with one thought creates and destroys, had given us instructions and we say, "I'll think about it?" 

I was reading in Exodus today about the plagues that were placed on the Egyptians.  Moses tells Pharaoh to let God's people go so they can go out into the desert and sacrifice to God.  As Pharaoh refused and met plague after plague he got closer and closer to doing all that God had said, but it was only inch by inch: "you can sacrifice in this land" and "only then men can go."  Pharaoh finally relented under the powerful hand of God, but then reconsidered and sent his army after the Israelites, only to have his army destroyed by God.

We do the same thing.  God tells us to do something and we go through a process:

1. Refusal - either through "forgetting" or outright defiance
2. Counter-offers - negociating with God on what we are willing to do
3. Agreement - but not following through
4. Either obedience or disobedience at the end

I wonder if our responses would change if God sent the plagues on us.  Would a plague of frogs (both living and dying) filling our home bring us to obedience.  What about living with gnats or flies always flying around us or landing on us?  Would we be more willing to do what God asks us to do?  Perhaps boils covering our body or locusts or hail would do the trick.  What about the killing of our first born? That's what got Pharaoh to agree, at least temporarily.

What would it take for you to actually do what God wants us to do?  Remember who God is before you decide not to obey.

Why Is This So Hard?

As I was reading in Matthew and Exodus last week I wrote down a question that has caused me to think deeply about my reactions to the things around me:

   Why do we think that doing what God asks us to do will be easy?

Moses understood the monstrous task he was being given even as he tried to run away from God's calling.  But even though God enabled the miraculous to be done through him, Moses had a tough time.  He dealt with a people who grumbled constantly (or so it seemed).  They traveled through, and lived in, a vast desert.  He had to deal with the various interpersonal issues the community had.  He constantly sought out the directions of God and followed them, even when the community rebelled in his absence.  God never told Moses it would be easy.  God just promised He had a plan to free the Israelites.

When Jesus told the disciples he would have to die and be raised to life,  Peter rebuked Jesus (imagine that!) and said this isn't going to happen. Jesus' response was that if anyone would follow him, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.  That doesn't sound easy.  Peter, like us, want to believe that the way of God is an easy road of joy, worship and love all tied up in a nice little community where nothing bad ever happens.  This is at the best naive and at the worst complete denial of the reality of life and human nature. Jesus never told Peter it would be easy, but that he had a plan for new life.

There will always be obstacles, enemies, difficult situations, grumbling people, hard choices and failures that get in the way of doing what God asks us to do.  But we do not quit or give up when these things happen.  We understand our calling the way Paul did:

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed....

Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly

we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being

renewed every day."  (2 Cor 4:8,9,16)

Living the life of Jesus is not always easy.  Jesus never said it would be.  But we do have forgiveness through the cross, life through the resurrection and power through the Holy Spirit.  I think that gets us through the tough times.

Why Are We Such Cowards?

As we were praying and worshiping near the end of the service on Sunday I had this strong impression (I believe it was from God) which posed a question that I felt God wanted me to share with the congregation.  I didn't want to say it.   It felt condemning and, in some ways, like a judgment that God was bringing to our attention.  I really hate doing those things because by nature (as a middle child) I am a people-pleaser and would want to put things in nicer way as to not offend those who who hear.  God and I wrestled for a few moments.

• I hoped the song would go a little longer. 
• I hoped I had heard wrong. 
• I waited for a change in directions. 
• I tried to rationalize by thinking this was just my thought.
• Then I felt the anger and sadness - just a glimpse - as if God was wanting me to know that this was what He was feeling and the words needed to be said.

So I said what I was supposed to say - Why are we such cowards?

We tend to fail in our Christian lives not because we have no teaching or Christian fellowship or belief.  We fail to live the Christian life not because we are ignorant or unable or do not have desire.

We tend to fail in our Christian lives because

• we are afraid we are missing out on something
• we are afraid of what people might think
• we are afraid of failure
• we are afraid of allowing the Holy Spirit to really have access to our lives
• we are afraid of what God might want us to do
• we are afraid of everything except the consequences of displeasing God

Maybe we are really missing out on a healthy form of the fear of God - seeing God as He really is in totality instead of just taking a small taste of God and then doing what we want.  We fear so many things and it keeps us from what God has for us.  We are such cowards.  Why is that?

Surprised by God's Power

They waited 10 days, with no end in sight for receiving what Jesus had promised.  On that 10th day some very specific physical things happened - A load sound like a rushing wind and tongues of fire on their heads.  The reaction of the disciples was not given, but suddenly they could speak in languages they did not learn and they declared the praises of God in those languages.  Then followed the gathering crowds, the mocking of some, Peter's sermon and the huge response who became followers of Jesus Christ.  Wow!

But I wonder - were the disciples surprised by this?  I honestly don't think they were.  After all, they had been around Jesus for 3 years and saw some amazing things.  They had been sent out to share the gospel and could heal and drive out demons.  This was, well, just more of the same, except that Jesus wasn't present with them.  Or was he.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is really just a continuation of Jesus ministry, with the exception that we do it in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit living in us!  So why are we surprised when God does something powerful?  Why are we surprised when prayer is answered?  Why are we surprised when an critic of Christianity gives his life to Christ?  Why are we surprised at healing or God's unexpected provision in miraculous ways?  Why are surprised when God leads us?  Why are we surprised at God's voice speaking to us?  Why are we surprised when God works in us to do something we thought we could not do?

We should never be surprised by what God does.  Thankful, YES!  But surprised, never.

Courage

The thing that changed the most about the disciples at Pentecost was not the miraculous things that happened through them by the Holy Spirit. Jesus had already given the 12 and the 72 he sent out the power and authority to do those things already and they were amazed (Luke 9:1 and Luke 10:17).  The disciples knew the power they had through Jesus.  They had experienced what it was like to pray and see healing happen before their eyes.  They had commanded demons to flee and they did.  What was transformed about them at Pentecost was not a miraculous holiness because the disciples would fail again (Peter in Galatians 2:11-14).  They did not become perfect when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

What was needed by the disciples, was a healing from the very thing that caused them to deny Jesus, betray Jesus and run away when things got tough.  The disciples had been afraid of so many things throughout the time Jesus was on earth.  The feared the religious leaders.  They feared failure.  The feared for their safety.  They feared they couldn't do this without Jesus' presence with them.

When the Holy Spirit came, Jesus promised the disciples they would receive power to be witnesses.  Did that include the miraculous?  I'm sure it did.  But I wonder if the more important part of what they received was courage that comes from the confidence knowing that God (through the Holy Spirit) was with them to give guidance, instruction, fruit and gifts.

The power of Pentecost was that cowards were transformed into the Courageous, and those who fled in fear now stood firm in their faith. 

Don't Seek an Experience, Seek the Spirit

At a conference I was at over 15 years ago an Assembly of God pastor answered a question about someone who was wanting to "speak in tongues" with the statement: Don't seek an experience, seek the Holy Spirit.  Maybe the reason it seems the Holy Spirit is quieter these days is because people are seeking from the Holy Spirit what they can receive instead of how they can be used with the power of the Spirit in their lives.

Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power  WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON THEM AND THEY WILL BE JESUS WITNESSES.  Jesus does not say they will receive a glorious experience when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.  Jesus does not say that their faith will be affirmed when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.  Jesus does not say there will be great worship, healing or a peace that passes all understanding when the Holy Spirit comes upon them (although all of these things can happen as a result of the Holy Spirit's presence or operation). 

Jesus does say they will be WITNESSES.  Maybe what is missing is that we are focused not on taking the power given to us and being the witnesses we are called to be, but on whatever we can receive to make us feel good or spiritual or at peace.  Perhaps if we use the power of the Spirit in the way it was intended - to reach out beyond ourselves - all these others things will be the result.

Do We Really Believe What Jesus Said?

After his resurrection, Jesus teaches the disciples for 40 days about the Kingdom of God and then ascends to heaven, promising that they would receive power to be witnesses.  So with great expectation the disciples go back to where they were staying (after staring at the sky long after Jesus ascended into heaven) and proceeded to pray constantly.  For 10 days they waited, prayed and spent time together.  Would we be so patient in the promise from Jesus that we could wait 10 days for something we didn't understand, not knowing how long it would actually be until they received this power?  I tend to think we want what Jesus promised NOW.  And even then it is a little slow.

What is it about us that has so little patience for God? We quickly feel anxious, lost, unloved, alone or even angry when God doesn't deliver his promises on our time table and in the manner we think it should come?  To wait on God for His promises demands from us a trust that for us sometimes runs dry.  We have faith in God, but we sometimes do not trust God.  Maybe that is why we really do not try to tap into the power promised to us to be witnesses. 

During this week before Pentecost, pray that God would send to you Power to be His witness.

And trust that He will give it, or help you to tap into it.

Pentecost

I asked the leadership of the church what they felt I should preach on during the Sunday and received some great thoughts on what they would like to hear, and what they thought the church needed to hear.  One leader made mention of the Holy Spirit and said he was always "amazed by Pentecost and what happened then and how it changed lives.  How would it have affected us had we been there?"  What a great observation and question!

With Pentecost Sunday coming this week I think it would be a great thing to talk about all week long, and then teach about that on Sunday.  So I am asking today:  If you had been there, how do you think it would have affected you?  Read Acts 2 in particular, but I would challenge you to read Acts 1-6 (or even all of Acts).  What would be different about you?  

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

Each Monday there are several numbers that I check out.  I wonder what the attendance count was, even though our system is very imprecise.  And I look to see the offering number, which is increasingly important as our finances are getting stretched. I have always done this because I was taught to some degree that these numbers either measure the success of the ministry, or are at least indicators of what is happening.  Numbers tell us some things.  But numbers do not tell us everything.

As a staff, we also discuss who we saw (or met) who was new to Judson, who we noticed was missing, who came forward to make decisions and if there were any "people issues" (needs, etc) that need to be addressed.  Beyond that I always wonder how people have grown from week to week either in their personal devotion or through the ministry of Judson.  There are always people who share with me on Sunday what they have learned or how a message or teaching has helped them, and those things are helpful as I seek to lead the community. These people tell me some things.  But they don't tell me everything.

I wonder about everyone I don't hear from?  Who is in silent agony, not sharing with anyone the painful things in their lives or their internal struggles with sin?  Who are the ones who put on the face of spirituality but really spend little time on their faith and in their secret moments have many doubts about faith that they deal with?  Who are the ones who are angry at me (or the church) because of unfulfilled promises or hurtful words?

Numbers tell us some things, but not everything. When the numbers are too big those who need attention get lost in the crowd.  Connect groups are great places to work out those things in faith that need dealing with.  In a numbers game, the smaller numbers of these Connect Groups can be instrumental in a healthy walk with god and others.  But not just Connect Groups.

I desire to Connect with those who struggle.  I just need to be more proactive in asking people the right questions so they can be open, real and authentic.  Numbers tell us some things.  They don't tell us everything.