Following...

We live in a society where we see every ones “Highlight reel”… let me try to explain.

When we scroll through our social media feeds, most of the time we are reading about the good things, the cool things about what people are doing… and then something happens inside of all of us… we compare our lives with other people— sometimes these are people we will never meet in our lives— but we still end up comparing our lives with other people. 

There are a few problems with that, the first and most obvious one is: You are not that person. God has not called you to be that person. He has called you to be you, and like it or not, your story will be different than their story. 

The second problem with comparing our lives with people on social media, is that we are only getting a sampling of their lives… we only see the good parts. Sure, some of us might post that we are not feeling well on a particular day, but for the most part what we see on someone’s post is their “Highlight reel”.

God has created you to be you. He wants you to be you. He wants you to do what you can do. He wants you to do what He has called you to do. Only you can be you. You can’t be someone else. You shouldn’t be someone else. 

After Jesus’ resurrection, He was sitting on a beach with his disciples and was taking with them, and all of a sudden He started in on Peter. He asked Peter 3 times if Jesus loved Him, and 3 times Peter responded with Yes, Lord. (You can read this exchange in John 21)

What I am particularly fond of is the exchange that took place AFTER Jesus restored Peter. He proceeded to tell Peter what kind of Death he would die, and I imagine that Peter got a little bit uncomfortable…. you can read it for yourself: 

“Joh 21:8 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."

19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")

 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

 22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (NIV)

It’s verses 20-22 that I’m trying to get at here… When Peter got news of the death he was going to die, he immediately turned and looked at— and asked— what about John!?

Jesus responded with: Leave Him alone— you follow me. 

This is what each of us should be doing. Following Jesus. 

There is nothing wrong with celebrating with those who celebrate; its quite biblical, but we shouldn’t wish that we were/are doing what someone else is doing, because Jesus has called all of us to be us; to follow Him. So Let’s get busy doing just that.

Mt 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Too Many Words...

I was talking with friends of mine not too long ago and I made the comment that we are too wordy. (Not worldly, although a case could be made for that, but I digress) 

Think about it for a few seconds:

There was a time the “Fredericton Regional Solid Waste Commission” was called the Dump.

There was a time when, if you happened to disagree with someone/something, we would simply say: “I disagree”. Now if we disagree with someone we have to say something like “I disagree in the strongest possible terms” Or, “I vehemently disagree”. (I admit I had to look how to spell that…)

I recently finished a book called “Encountering God” and in the conclusion, the authors gave “six handles” and “seven principles” towards having an encounter with God. 

At my count, that’s 13 things that I am to remember in order for me to have an Encounter with God.  

Whatever happened to praying a simple prayer, such as the one recorded in 1 Samuel 3:9: “…Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”? (NIV)

When someone is found to have done something wrong, they used to be able to say I’m sorry…..but today, they issue a 5 page document that expresses their deepest and most sincere apology…. 

So, to spare you from even more words, allow me to get to the point. 

Sometimes people in the church world like to make things difficult. We say that in order to know God, you have to jump through hoops, you have to dress a certain way, you have to talk a certain way… But that’s not how Paul describes it. 

Take a read from selected verses found in  

Romans 3:  22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. 

That’s the secret. People are made right with God by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. Then, once we come to Jesus, He will clean us up. He will change how we act, He will change how we speak, He will change how we think.

That’s the Gospel. And it’s not too wordy. 

Just an ordinary day

There is an extraordinary scene that takes place on Ex. Chapter 3. Specifically, the first 10 verses. 

Moses is out in the field, tending sheep, doing ordinary work. It probably stinks, it's probably hot. It's probably not how I'd like to spend my time, but I digress. 

In the midst of the ordinary, something extra ordinary occurred. 

Off In this distance, Moses noticed a bush that was on fire, but wasn't burning up. 

He decided to investigate, and as he gets closer, a Voice from within the bush speaks to him and tells him that the very place he was standing on was holy ground. He removed his shoes, and the two, Moses and God had a conversation, and God would ultimately call Moses to help lead his people out from oppression.

What interests me in this passage, Is the simple fact that Moses was doing his work. Nothing special, he wasn't looking for a God encounter, he was just being obedient to what his FIL had asked him to do. 

Most times, this is how God will show up in our lives, in the ordinary. When we are walking our dog. When we are washing dishes. When we are playing with our Kids. When we are doing the everyday ordinary things, God will show up and speak to us in extraordinary ways. He might not ask us to lead a million people into a new place to live, but He will ask you to be obedient to Him, and that is all he is looking for. Obedience. 

Romans 12 in The Message says is quite nicely:  "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

May God take our ordinary lives and use them for His extraordinary purposes. 

The Greatest Rule

There are tons of rules. Some of them we (for the most part) observe.

Generally, when we walk into someone else’s home, we remove our footwear.

We follow the rules of the road. In most cases. But you are not yet dead, so you chances are pretty good that you did not cross the centre line— whatever colour it might or might not be— and you kept your car in “your” lane. 

For the most part, we generally follow the posted speed limits. they are posted to keep us safe.

We follow our dentist’s advice and brush, floss. Ok, maybe that one is a stretch. 

For the most part we play by the rules that have been set in place to keep us safe. In my house, keeping the toilet seat down has kept me safe for years, but I digress…

One day some Religious people came to Jesus to “ask” him a question. This was not the real reason they went to Jesus, they went to try to trick him; but the fact of the matter is they still went to Jesus, which is always a good idea. 

The religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

(Matthew 22:36, NIV)

Now, talk about a loaded question. According to tradition, there were hundreds of Laws that people in that day were supposed to abide by. Hundreds. At the same time. You were very fortunate if you made it throughout the day if you didn’t break one. Or five. To make matters even more interesting, some of the real religious big-shots sat around and shared their opinion as to what the greatest commandment— rule— was. I can imagine these became yelling sessions; only because I yell at my TV when a rule is presented that I don’t like, but again, I digress. 

Wether Jesus thought very long about the answer to this question or not, we are not told, but we are told that the greatest commandment in all of the world— then and today— is this: “Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (NIV)

FULL STOP. 

Read that again. Go for it. 

Jesus summed up the entire Old Testament and all of the “other made up rules” and told everyone everywhere, that the greatest thing you and I can ever— will ever— do, is to Love God and love People. 

Come again Jesus? 

You read it right. The best way that we can live our lives is by Loving God and Loving People. 

If we get those two things right, we’ve done right. But the (sad) fact is that we only get one of these right, and then maybe not. 

Someone once said: “Earlier in this century someone claimed that we work at our play and play at our work. Today the confusion has deepened: we worship our work, work at our play, and play in our worship.” (To find out who said that, click here.)

If only we had a true desire for God and for the things of God. If only we had would/could love our neighbour as ourself. Is it hard? Absolutely. there are days when I do not like myself, let alone love myself. This is where God comes in to the whole equation.

We have Almighty God on our side all we have to do is cry out to Him for help. We can and probably should pray each day like this: “Lord, I have no idea who you are going to put in my path today, but help me to love them as you love them.” 

I’m convinced if we did this, if we Loved God and Loved people, less people would be dead and more people would be in church. 

Who do you need to love today? That dude at work that no one talks to? That sister at school who sits alone? 

God? 

Of all the rules and regulations we have in our world today; we must Love God with all that we have and love people as we love ourselves. 

May God help us all

Waiting

If there is one thing I don't think I’m good at, it would be waiting. I hate it…. ok, ok hate is a pretty strong word. I dislike it very much. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. 

Just before I was to write this blog post, I had to wait for my computer start up, and I was slightly irritated by that. 

When my “High Speed internet” turns into slow speed internet, or not-at-all-internet I become disgruntled.

I had to go to the hospital yesterday and I ended up… you guessed it.. wait. A

Again. 

I don’t like to wait.

Chances are, you don't like to wait, either. 

We’re all used to an instant society; we want what we want when we wants it. We don’t like to wait. 

But, in God’s economy, life often times means waiting.

I was reading these words in in Psalm 40 this morning: 

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

    and he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

    out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

    and steadied me as I walked along.

3 He has given me a new song to sing,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

    They will put their trust in the Lord.

4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

    who have no confidence in the proud

    or in those who worship idols. (NLT2)

God does something to us, rather in us, when we wait. 

TBH, waiting is no fun. I’ve been waiting for something for a very long time, and it still hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure when/if it will ever happen. 

It seems that I am literally stuck in the first two words of this psalm: “I waited.” I don’t think I can even go any farther. I can’t say that I waited patiently; because sometimes I simply don’t. 

But I want to. 

I want to be in a position where I do wait for the Lord, on the Lord. 

I want to be in this position, because this is where God is.

In the waiting. 

Ps 34:18 "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”(NIV)

Ps 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Isa 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?

 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)

God is close to each one of us who are in the waiting. God has His arms open wide, waiting to embrace those of us who are waiting, and He invites us to come, just as we are, and He will give us what we need. Himself. 

And getting God Himself is better than what we were originally waiting for. 

Lord, help us as we wait. Help us to See you in the waiting

He is Alive!

So, It’s Thursday, not Sunday. But that doesn’t diminish what happened on Sunday: read these words from Matthew’s Gospel: “Early on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” (NLT2)

What you have just read is the account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ… 

I have delayed in posting this for a few reasons… I’ve been experiencing some liver-related complications; but more importantly than that, the Resurrection of Jesus is just as meaningful today as it would have been if I had posted something on Resurrection Sunday. Because Jesus is alive, every day is resurrection day. Every day is a day to celebrate! Jesus rose again from the dead and He is alive and He is sitting a the right hand of the Father at this very moment! We can rejoice. 

He offers us hope each and every day of the week. Because of what took place on a Sunday morning so many years ago, we can live our Thursdays and our Friday’s and every other day of the week. 

Rejoice, for Jesus is alive!