What is my idol?

Isaiah 46:5-10 “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

I cannot imagine myself taking gold to a jeweler and asking him to fashion a god for me to worship.  That would certianly not make sense to me nor would it to many people today.  However, we put our trust and confidence in other material things.  Our economy is at its lowest ebb since the great depression.  People who had had stable jobs and good salaries are now on unemployment.  They had put their trust in something other than God and they are devastated.  We can be out of work and have lost materal things but still have hope if we put our trust in the eternal God who promises that His purposes will be accomplished.  I have to wonder if this has not been His permissive will so that our nation will turn back to Him in these desperate times.  During the depression the churches were full.  I am waiting to see if that happens again.  God will accomplish His purposes.  I do not believe that he brought this on us.  It is obvious to anyone who has paid attention that we brought it on ourselves.  I do believe that God can use it to bring about His purpose in our nation and in our world. 

New Beginnings

Isaiah 43:19a “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? “

In God’s world new beginnings are available all the time.  We can have a new beginning in our relationship with God, with other people and with our church whenever we come to the realization that we need it.  There is always that opportunity no matter how young or how old we may be.  “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is simply not true in God’s world.  All that is required is willingness.  Our church has launched a new outreach program, Celebrate Recovery for people with hurts, habits and hang-ups. It is the most ambitious ministry that this church has begun in many years.  We may not personally feel that we need this program but because it is a way to reach others for Jesus Christ, we can support it with our prayers, our presence to show that support , our gifts to finance the ministry and our service in the meal or in the worship service.  What new thing does God want to do in your life?  Is he calling you to begin anew with a Bible study or by getting involved in Celebrate Recovery or KAIR?  “See I am doing a new thing!  Do you not percieve it?”  As Reuben Job says in A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, ” Follow the promptings of God and launch a new beginning in this new day!”

Do not be afraid

Luke 12:12 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”  We are in hard economic times.  Every day on the news we read and hear about the world economic crisis.  Our President-elect himself has said that the road would be long and the climb steep before we begin to recover.  Just preceding this verse Jesus said not to be anxious about our food or clothing.  These are comforting words but when we are sitting down to pay the bills and trying to cut back on expenses it is easy to forget these words.  Notice that Jesus said, Do not be afraid, little flock…..  He was talking to his followers, his disciples.  God has promised to take care of his children.  He has always taken care of his children.  Throughout the Bible story God cared for and protected Israel.  They were in desperate circumstances time after time but he always brought them back and restored them.  No matter how dark the times are today, Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid.”  He will take care of us in the midst of trials.  We cannot avoid them.  We will not be spared difficulties but he says, “Don’t be afraid, the father has given you the kingdom. ”  This life is full of pain and sorrow but with God’s help we can rise above it and we have a hope in the future of life eternal with Him.   When Peter wanted to walk on water, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he did the impossible.  When he looked at the waves, he sank.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.”

The stone

Mark 16:1-3

1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

As I pondered this scripture this morning, I was struck by the phrase, “who will roll the stone away”.  The women were trying to get to Jesus but they perceived that there was a barrier preventing him from reaching Jesus.  But if you read on, the stone was already removed.  God removed the barrier between him and us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The stones that become barriers now are the ones that we erect, stones of selfishness, pride, fear, unforgiveness and (fill in the blanks).  Because they are ours, we must first recognize them then be willing to have them removed and finally ask Him to take them away. 

What are they saying?

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia–your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Yesterday I met with a young couple who came to me because they wanted me to perform their wedding.  They are not members of my church or any church in Marathon.  Yet, they wanted their marriage blessed by God and performed by a minister.  I asked them why they chose to come to me.  They admitted that they had approached other pastors in the community and had been turned away because they do not profess the Christian faith and did not plan to become members of the church of the pastors that they approached.  Yet.  They told me that they had heard about me from others in the community.  They had gone to our website and read my bio and decided to come to me.  That is a wake up call to all of us who claim the name of Jesus Christ.  People outside are looking in and they are making decisions about the church and about Jesus Christ based on what they hear about us.  Their wedding date is actually at the end of a week that I plan to take as a vacation week.  I had a very good reason to decline and had been considering doing just that…..until I talked to them.  What kind of opinion of the church universal and our church specifically would they have had if I had turned them down too?  I had an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them.  To give a cup of cold water in his name.  They may never come to our church or any other.  But what if I have planted a seed?  That is all that Christ is asking of us, to reach out our hand.