In the Meantime

"Christmas Time" is funny.  Funny in the way you have to laugh to keep from crying or punching a wall.  I can not speak for other countries, but here in good ol' America, it's consumerism at it's best.  Best of course meaning worst.

But this is not about that.

It's not even about how December 25th really isn't the calendar day Jesus was born.  (Many scholars believe it to be some time in the spring.)  It's not about Christmas Trees having nothing to do with Jesus.  If anything they are related (by way of stage plays) to Adam and Eve.

It's about your heart, my heart, and the heart of God.

We see slogans all over the place from well meaning Christians: "Keep Christ in Christmas," or "Jesus, the Reason for the Season."  I see many people get bent out of shape because someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

Where is your heart this season?

Is it caught up in buying the perfect gift?  Are you worried about what you'll get this year?  That one more thing will finally make you happy?  Today, in concept, is not about what is under the tree for you, or what you put there for someone else.  But what about better to give than receive?  Yeah that is good, so long as you're not giving to make yourself better.  (Besides, Paul uses that concept in Acts to show we need to help the weak.)

Is your heart torn to pieces by where you are in life right now?  Is it angry?  Hurt?  Lost?  It would be shallow and mean spirited of me to say, "get over it."  But I will say do not wallow in that pain.  There is Hope.

What today, "Christmas," represents is the physical collision of the Spirit of God with humankind. 

For God so loved the world that he sent his only son,  so whoever believes in him will not perish, but have life eternal.  He did not send his son to condemn the world, but that through him the world could be saved.  (John 3:16-17)

This is God showing us his intentions toward us.  He's saying, "Hey you, World.  I love you.  I want to be with you.  So here I am.  For you."  It's the greatest love story ever.  Nickolas Sparks, Stephenie Meyer, and Shakespeare can't hold a candle to the Author of Creation.

Jesus grew into a man.  He performed miracles.  He called his disciples.  He taught.  He healed.  He turned the tables.  He told stories.  He died.

He lived.

For you.  For me.  For that lady we cut in front of at the store this week.  For the guy we cussed out from the safety of our car for not giving us the right of way.  For the parent who just doesn't understand.  For the friend who doesn't want anything to do with God.  For the young family around the corner that is not married.  For God so loved the World.

That is what has been given to us.  We accept it or we don't.  If you accept it, the story doesn't end there.  In fact it's only the beginning.  If you call yourself a Christian, follower of Christ, or whatever the label du jour is, you do get a happily ever after...at the end. 

In the meantime, there is work needs doing.


Jesus gave us a lot to do.  In a few seemingly simple sentences he gave his disciples a monumental task.  The greatest commandment is to Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  Then, love your neighbor as yourself.  He later said to go into all the world making disciples and baptizing.   Also to teach them everything he commanded.

Simple yet massive.  Christmas is about remembering what Jesus came to do.  His birth and life are not just to be celebrated one day of the year.  As followers of Jesus, it should be our daily directive.  Celebrate him by living out what he asked us to do.  By loving him, our neighbors...and yes, yourself.  Not in a self serving way.  But see yourself as the fearfully and wonderfully made creation he intended you to be.

Christmas isn't a holiday.  It's a way of living everyday.  Let us get to work doing our father's business.  Cause the happily ever after will come, but in the meantime...

Happy Christmas!
-Bear

Confession of a former deacon

I just finished reading an email news letter written by a fellow M28 Ministry staff member. In the letter he mentioned a quote attributed to St. Augustine.

“Hope has two beautiful daughters: Anger, at the way things are, and Courage, to work for change.”

My fellow staff writer goes on to write (and I quote),

"This sums up where I (we) am (are) these days and why I grow more passionate about Jesus. He is the hope of the world—you know. Without hope, all is lost. This is why I have become angry at how I have wasted so much precious life doing things that don’t matter. Anger can be a useless passion if it is not harnessed in the right direction. When it is, it can change people, places and things. It does not allow you to remain silent, absent, immobile or with excuse. I thank God for righteous anger. But what I need most is courage. Courage to think, to be, to do what needs to be done—to do what Jesus did. It is courage that I pray for most.

What he said resonates with me. I pondered what he said and realized I'm angry too. I'm angry how I have wasted time doing what I thought were "churchy" things: serving on the deacon board, playing in the worship band, serving as a leader in various sub groups of the church- things I thought were necessary to advance the kingdom of God that Jesus mentions so much when He spoke to his disciples in the Gospels. I believed it was my "ministry" to help keep the church finely tuned allowing it to be "attractional" to the "lost". I believed this was God's plan for me and this was necessary so they ("the lost') would come to a church service, listen to the pastor "do his job" (since I already did mine) by preaching a rousing sermon, and then at the end they would "make a decision" for Jesus by repeating a salvation prayer at the end of the service. This was the means to the end. From there they would join the church (and maybe a small group or a Sunday Bible class) and come faithfully every week. Then maybe once in awhile invite a co worker or a neighbor to a church service. Please don't read me wrong-It's important that everyone comes to a faith decision concerning Christ, but is this where it ends? Is this what Jesus was talking about concerning the advancement of the Kingdom? Jesus admonished us to go (Matt 28:19). His instruction wasn't getting people to come to church. I'm not down on "coming to church", I'm down on this being the primary exclusive role of the church. In the book, "Right Here, Right Now", the authors mention there is no distinction between the NT phases kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven. It should catch our attention that these phrases are used over eighty times in the Gospels regarding Jesus' message, while the word church is used a mere three times in all the Gospels. It is also intriguing that the word disciple is used over 260 times in the Gospels alone. The author points this out because of the undeniable fact that the vast majority of Christians and their leaders emphasize church but give scant attention to the kingdom of God and disciple making. I pray we all have the "courage" to be disciple makers and to what Jesus commands us to do-GO!

Size Matters Not

In my favorite movie of the Star Wars Saga, The Empire Strikes Back, the hero Luke is on a swamp planet training to be a Jedi Knight.  It is here that he meets the great Jedi master, Yoda.  Yoda is this little green creature with big pointy ears.  Not what Luke (or the original audience was expecting.)

During a bit of training Yoda is teaching Luke to use the Force to lift his crashed ship out of the swap.  After struggling Luke gives up and says, "I can't. It's too big."  Then Yoda says this,

Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.

Yoda, who was hardly as tall as Luke's knee proceeds to lift the ship out of the swamp on to dry(er) land.  Luke, astonished say, "I don't believe it."  Yoda replies, sadly, "That is why you fail."

Ok, keep that in mind cause I'm gonna diverge a bit here.  I recently saw a magazine for church leaders with a cover article along the lines of "Is Small Church the Next Big Thing?"  Now I wasn't able to read the article to see what they were saying.  So I'm passing no opinion of the actual material.  But one thing is very clear to me.

Size Matters Not.

Yoda was able to lift something much larger than himself because he believed.  Luke, by all appearances was more capable.  Looks are deceiving.

What I'm getting at is not that small churches are better than big churches.  What really matters is the hearts of the people gathering.  Small churches may be more like what happened in Acts.  I personally don't like attending mega-churches.  I've had a hard time keeping my attitude toward them in check.  But God kinda smacked me in the back of the head recently (like a loving father) and I realize that the size of the church is wholly, utterly, completely irrelevant.

A small group of 20 that meets on Sunday just to listen to a person lead a discussion or message, sing songs with out a worship team, and go through their week not living out what they discussed is no different than a mega-church that has 4,000 people, two worship teams, and a parking lot to embarrass a football stadium where the people don't live out during the week.

The revolution that followers of Jesus need to see is not about the size of the church they are in.  It is how we live our life between the services and sermons.

We can't wait for our pastors or whatever title you like to tell us to go to our neighbor with a 3 step plan of conversion.  There doesn't have to be a massive event to bring Jesus into the life of your co-workers.  Invite them into your home, into your life.  Make the time.  Skip a church event or 2 and go get to know these people.  Listen to them.  And don't jump right into your church no matter how wonderful it is.

Show them Jesus in YOUR life.

Size matters not.  The size of the congregation doesn't matter to Jesus.  He left us a few specific instructions.  Go into all the world, baptizing, and making disciples of all people.

So let's go.  You and me.  Out into the world.  Away from the pews and couches and live life along side others. 

Jesus is out there, lets go take him a drink of water.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Redeemed failure

The coolness of the morning is gone along with the camaraderie of the women who gather at the well. Upstanding women come for water during the cool of the morning or evening.
Noon not only brings the hot sun, but a reprieve from the stares and whispers for women like me. My hopes and dreams seem to have fallen into the depths of the very well that was meant to bring life through its water.

I hear the jeers. I see the disappointment and disdain in the eyes that do venture to look into mine. Second chance!? I guess after five failed second chances the stakes become higher to deserve another new beginning.
Funny no one ever asked me, “why?” Guess it is easier to discard than take a risk and invest.

Good, no one is at the well…wait. What is that man doing there? He is asking me…what??? He must be new around here. You a man AND a Jew are talking to me, a Samaritan…asking me for… a drink?”
Who is this man? This claim he can give me “living” water! This well has been part of our history for years. It is the best water around. Who does he think he is to offer me something better than we already have? How can he give me water when he doesn’t have a rope or bucket? Doesn’t he know how deep this well is? Oh, I get it. Another man who wants something from me!
I wonder who he talked to, who told him I would be here…told him about me. Here I go again…..
Oh sure, I’ll never have to come here again for water?! I won’t have to be humiliated day after day?!
This is going to be good…ok, I’ll let him talk…let him have his fun!

"Alright, Sir,give me this so-called living water so that I won’t have to come here ever again…this spring that just keeps filling my jugs without coming here.”
Wait, he’s asking for my husband! “I am not married.” There, is that what he wanted to hear!
GASP!!! He is telling me about my failed marriages…details that no one else would know! I certainly haven’t told anyone that!
Something resonated within me when He said, “I am the Messiah.”
It was like a fresh rain poured down and cleansed the dust from my inside
out. For the first time in a long time I feel…strange… hopeful.This adaptation is taken from the story in the Bible of the woman at the well in John 4. Read it and you will soon discover this woman’s impact on her community drastically changed because of her encounter with Jesus. Jesus went out of his way, out of the “norm” for his day, and talked with someone who was viewed as unworthy and as a discarded piece of trash.

Are we not to do the same as Jesus did? If we just open our eyes, ears, and hearts and slow our pace, it wouldn’t take long to see people all around us who yearn for acceptance, hope, peace and restoration. Jesus met this woman at her need and didn’t try to clean her before he invested his time in her. He spoke truth to her and allowed the truth to set her free. He calls us to do the same, will we?

Out of Steam?

Sometimes is feels like we get all excited about something for a short period of time and then fizzle out.  Like this whole revolution thing.  Let me assure you, that as far as I am concerned this is just getting started.  I know there are many of you out there who share this idea.

Where are you?

Let us hear from you.  This is not about me.  This is not the Bear Show.  I'm blogging and writing because I have the time and this comes relatively easy to me.  Your story should be heard as well.  Tell us what you are doing.  Not as bragging, but a way to share what God is doing in you.  How he is transforming your life, and how that could be effecting others.

The Church is a community.  A body of believers.  Let's build that body up any way we can.  Some of you may be in other parts of Pennsylvania, or the other side of the country.  Some may even be on the other side of an ocean or two.  We can have community through the web.


Let us encourage one another!

For me today, I will say this.  Temptations.  They jump out at me all the time.  Some are new.  Some are old.  Habits, addictions, attitudes.  Things I thought I had walked away from.  I'd be lying if I said it was getting easier to turn them away.  To not give into them.  And they come everyday.  To buy more stuff that I don't really need.  To go to that website.  To get angry and lash out, or say hurtful things.

It's not easy to refuse them.  But the more I get to know Jesus.  The more time I spend learning the Father's voice.  The easier it is to run to him.  To cling to his words, the Word, and in doing so not give in to the temptations.  It is him who protects.  He is the Shield of Faith that puts out the fiery arrows of the enemy!

Please hear what I'm saying there.  It's not about me.  This is about God's work.  What he does in us when we draw closer to him.  And I for one have a very long way to go.  But his promises are true.  He is good.  He did give us the Comforter to help us and guide us.

When we run out of steam, it's because we're trying to fight sin with our own strength.  And that is like trying to out run a speeding train.  It's impossible.  But with God, all things are possible.  He is our strength.  Our deliverer.  Philippians 4 (12-14)

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

It doesn't matter if we have everything we need in life, or nothing.  Jesus is who we need more than anything.  And a supportive body of believers doesn't hurt either.  Paul says he knows how to survive, to carry on, but he encourages the Philippians for helping in his difficulty.

So, today, if God is doing something in/through you.  Share it.  With a humble heart to encourage us.  If you are struggling, or going through a difficulty, Share it.  At the very least (which isn't the least at all) we can pray for each other.

Have a day, be a blessing to those around you.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Seedless, Part III

What is the point of fruit that doesn't have seeds?

Well, in the context of literal fruit, it makes them easier and by some standards more enjoyable to eat.  It's so annoying to spit them out, or pick around them.

That can so easily be transplanted to the life of a follower of Jesus.  Sure, we can bear the fruit Jesus talks about without seed.  We can share some of the things he taught without the annoying little truths at the core of them.  We can love the people around us at our places of worship.  We can help our friends and family out.  It's easy to join in whatever the next outreach at the "church."

And those are all good things.  But it's not enough.

These are things that Jesus said even the "Gentiles" did that.  (Matthew 5:43-48)  It's not enough to love those we are supposed to love.  Or that love comes somewhat naturally.

For too long the "church" (and I include myself in that) has been trying to see Jesus by gazing toward the pulpits, lecterns, or relevant cafe table with a tall chair.  Please do not misunderstand.  I'm not condemning pastors or speakers or any of that.  Some of my dearest friends are pastors, and I highly respect them and what is in their hearts.  I don't know where I'd be in life if I hadn't 'gone to church," or been in a youth group.  But it's time for the congregation to stop congregating and start conveying.

It's time we turn from the pulpits and go to the people.

If we are to bear the fruit Jesus wants us to produce, we can't just gather once or twice a week for an hour.  We can still do that, but we must do more.  We have to be the Church when we leave the building.  We have to be the Church when we go to work, the store or at home.

We also won't really become the Church if we only go to those places either.  Remember what I posted the other day.  More importantly what Jesus said about the least of these.  We have to go places we wouldn't normally go.  Prisons.  Hospitals.  To the homeless.  To the widows and orphans.

Gasp, even across the imaginary property lines (or real fence) to our neighbors!

Our goal is not conversion.  You and I cannot "save" someone.  Nor is that our mission.  Jesus didn't say, "Go into the world and get people to convert."  He told us to make disciples.  To baptize.  There is nothing about us delivering salvation.

That is for Jesus.  And he said, "It is accomplished."  My sins, your sins, the sins of the world have been forgiven.  Jesus and his Spirit are the powers behind that.  They are the one who will change peoples lives.  He is the one who will move someone to cry out for salvation.  Not a clever conversation, witty video, or compelling 3 point sermon complete with a power point.

Not you.  Not me.

What you and I can do, is see Jesus on the face of every person we meet.  Sure, that might slow us down a little bit.  But what's the rush?  What do we need to race to so fast?  I know I would appreciate life slowing down a little bit.  And like I said, I'm working on it.

Maybe you're thinking, hey dude, quite writing about this stuff and put your money where your mouth is.  And you're right.  There have been a few things popping up lately that I'm pursuing, but they are not to a sharing point yet.  But I will.

We may not be able to save someone.  But we can be the hands of Jesus that bring them water when they are thirsty.  We can be the ears that listen to our neighbor, and really hear what they are saying.  We can be the smiling face in the store, either as shopper or employee.

Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."  I agree.  If we want to see people follow Jesus, we need to follow Jesus.  Where ever he takes us.  To the projects of D.C., to the suburbs of Chicago, orphanages in Africa, and neighborhoods in Pennsylvania.

I'll change Gandhi's words, and maybe someone else has already said it, but, "Be the Jesus you want to see in the world."  A revolution requires change.  That change needs to happen in those moving the revolution.  I'm praying I change every morning.  To be more like Jesus.  To be not seedless.

Be full of seeds.  Share them.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Seedless, Part II

So what's the big deal with seedless fruit?

There's nothing wrong with it.  Right?  I mean it doesn't cause mutations or anything like that in the people who eat it.  Well, I hope not.  But, fruit was designed to produce seeds.  It's how they reproduce.  You know a fruit bearing plant is healthy when it produces fruit that contains seeds.  That way, it will continue on.  God said it was good for this to happen.

But my real issue isn't with items in the produce aisle.

It's with myself.

And others like me.  People who say they are followers of Jesus but don't really produce fruit.  Or if we do it's just the stuff that tastes good but doesn't result in more fruit.  Jesus was pretty specific about this.  In John 15, where he talks about being the vine and branches, he tells the disciples this;

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

He cuts off every branch...that bears no fruit.  Jesus was talking to them in words that were very clear.  They were understandable references.  It shouldn't be that hard for us to understand this.  But I suppose in the "church" there has been a tendency to over complicate the Bible.  Everything gets really deep and super spiritual.  There's lots of flavor, and no hard bits to really work around.

Sure there are the tough subjects, but they don't relate to me, they are about someone else.  And thanks to this speaker who has had years and years of training and education, I am now more enlightened about this issue, topic, what-have-you.

We can go to "church" every week and learn more and more about Jesus and never really change.  No change in us, no change in the world around us.

Seedless.

What does it matter what you know?  What does it matter what I know?  Knowing isn't enough.  Knowing didn't spare those who mocked Noah.  They laughed at their impending doom.  Knowing Jesus died for us, that he showed us how to live in the kingdom now doesn't count for a hill of beans.  When we hold all that knowledge in, were like the servant who buried the gold because he was too afraid to invest or take a chance with it.

You remember what happened to him?  What he had was taken, and he was kicked out.  Or to use the words of Jesus from John 15 he was a branch that was cut off.  Please don't misunderstand.  I am not talking about money, tithes, or offerings.

This is about life and not sharing it.  My life.  Your life.  Jesus' life.

Think about this.  Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road when Jesus sees a fig tree.  When he sees it doesn't have any fruit, he curses it and it dies.  Sounds extreme right?  But there is a lesson in this that is easily lost on a culture like ours that doesn't understand the created world we live in.  Jesus' actions have a reason.  In the scripture the fig tree was said to have produced leaves.  And based on the time of year of this story, a fig tree with leaves should have had fruit.

It didn't. 

A fruit bearing tree without fruit, when all evidence suggests it should have, is pretty much worthless.

Do you have leaves?  Do I?  Am I producing fruit?  If I do, it's not enough.  I'm working on that.  I can't keep going to "church" whether it is in a home, a coffee house, or million dollar facility and gorging myself on another good sermon or series. 

Something needs to change in me.  How I look at what it means to really follow Jesus.  This isn't just a rant about "mega-churches" or that sort of thing.  This is about the body of Christ and how we live.  Rather how we don't live.
 
It's time to change that.  It's time for a revolution in the Church.  A transformation in the Body of Christ.  It's time we start bearing fruit with seeds in it.


to be concluded...


grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Seedless, Part I

It was a typical Monday morning.  Wake up, get ready for work, rush out the door without breakfast.  But I did grab some fruit out of the fridge.  Fruits are incredible.  From apples to grapes, cantaloupes to tomatoes*, fruits just plain and simply rock. 

(*Botanically speaking a tomato is a fruit, the US Supreme Court can go sit on an egg.)

During my break I retrieve my branch of grapes and orange and begin consuming them.  It's going really well until I realize they are seedless.  Which normally would have made me very happy.  But I suppose something is changing in my opinion on the matter.

At a house gathering in Harrisburg (PA) last night we read through the Creation account in Genesis.  Then we watched Rob Bell's video Everything Is Spiritual.  Couple that with recent readings of the Gospels and I came to a conclusion.

There is something wrong with seedless fruit.

Look at what Genesis says:  (Chapter 1)

11Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 

Yeah.

God made plants and trees with intent of bearing fruit with seed.  Now, I'm no botanist, but if my memory serves correct, seeds are how plants reproduce.  With out apple seeds folklore legend Johnny Appleseed wouldn't have a last name or story.  I know there are ways to grow some plants by grafting and all that stuff.  But that is essentially cloning (and I'm not jumping into that today.)


The fact is that plants are supposed to grow fruit that bear seed.

I've decided that I don't like seedless fruit.  I won't be wasteful with what I already have.  But I'm not going to intentionally purchase seedless fruit any more.

Some might say to me, "Dude, you're being way uptight about this."  And maybe I am.  But there is another side to this seedless thing that bothers me.  Something that is at the heart of this revolution.

And that will have to wait for tomorrow.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Light the Fuse

Control.  It's an illusion that none of us can seem to separate from reality.  Parents think they have control over their children.  Governments assume they have control over their people.  Religions think they have control over what ever it is they think they have control over.

Ok, so maybe by strict definition they do.  But control can be resisted, removed, rescinded, refuted, reneged, you get the idea.

This is not me supporting anarchy.  I am not anti-control.  Depending on where the reigns of that control rest.  I don't want to get too deep or off course and delve into the semantics and politics of all of that.  What this post and revolution are primarily concerned with is how we conduct ourselves no matter what "control," is over us.

As far as I am concerned, there is only one ultimate source of control.  One authority that will take all our decisions and actions into account.  The choices we make yesterday, today, and tomorrow will be laid out before us some day.  How we handled those choices in regards to that sovereign authority will be our undoing or remaking.

Let me make this perfectly clear.

There is one God.  His name is "I Am."  He sent his only son Jesus to redeem the whole world from death.  He speaks to us, now, today, through his Spirit.  Here and here alone rests the final authority for all life.  For me, that is irrefutable fact.  It is upon that authority that I rest all of what I believe, say and do.

If you are starting to wonder what any of that has to do with this revolution.  I've been alluding to, well here is where they meet.

Those who claim to follow Jesus (I would be among them) as a whole, have been lulled into a crippling illusion that going to a building on Sunday in nice clothing, singing a few songs, putting money in an offering, and spending about an hour and a half together, is what he imagined the Church would be.
 

I will not apologize for thinking we have bastardized his dream.

The Church is not a building.  It is not a program or a pulpit.  The Church does not succeed or fail because of a board of directors or a philandering pastor.  It does not rest in the man made authority of pointy hats, white collars, or tailored suits.

The Church is people.  The guy in the corner of the coffee shop.  The woman across from you on the train.  You.  Me.  The Church succeeds because Jesus is it's authority.  It will grow in the soil full of the best crap.  The Church doesn't fail because Jesus doesn't fail.  (What fails is us, or our expectations.)  It's authority rests in the safest place.  The nail scarred hands of the Messiah.

The Church is so much more than we mortals have restricted it to be.

The revolution is to become the Church Jesus wanted us to be.  To feed the hungry.  Quench the throats of the thirsty.  Make the stranger a guest.  Clothe the naked.  Care for the sick.  Visit the prisoner.  To look after orphans and windows.  To remember his teachings, and make disciples.To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

It starts inside each of us.

Get on your knees.  Cry out to God.  Ask him to strike the match, and light the fuse.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Rebels

This revolution thing is serious.  At least for me.  I'll be making a considerable statement on what I'm talking about soon.

Tomorrow.

For today a brief example and then a question.

I had a revelation recently.  I love rebels.

A majority of my favorite stories, be it books, movies or even comic books, have always been about rebels.  From my early childhood I latched onto Star Wars.  The Rebels vs the Empire.  There was just something in that concept that attracted me to the cause.



Perhaps the most famous rebel of all, Robin Hood?  So many different takes on his story.  And I've loved nearly all that I've come across.

How about the American Revolution?  I remember seeing old movies that I can't remember the names of that stirred not just a sense of patriotism but the call to a cause.

Braveheart.  I know there are a lot of historical inaccuracies in it, but seeing that movie was a life defining moment for me.

There have been so many others over the years that have become close to my heart.  Harry Potter, Gladiator, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Equilibrium, The Matrix, The Three Musketeers, Defiance.  Even a movie like Moulin Rouge, has a theme of revolution woven into the love story.

Most recently, The Hunger Games.  (This is a fantastic series and I can't believe it's taken me so long to dive into it.)  It's a futuristic version of North America ruled over by a totalitarian government known as the Capitol.  There are 12 districts that support the Capitol with everything.  And once a year each district is forced to send two teenagers to an arena to fight to the death against the others.  Only one person survives.  This is to remind the population that rebellion is bad and the Capitol has control.

It's a similar story throughout history.  Those who have control constantly reminding it's population that they are in control.  By acts of fear, intimidation, propaganda and on and on.  And I'm not talking about the books now.  But they never really do have the control do they?

It's a lie.

That's why they lord that concept over their citizens.  If you tell a lie as truth enough times people will believe it.  Maybe even embrace it.

So.  My question to you is, (without giving away spoilers) what is your favorite story of revolution, or rebels, and why?

grace, peace + hope
-Bear

Clearing the Fog

Revolution.

That's what we are talking about.  But I'm not quite ready to fully dive into what exactly I'm talking about.  But maybe I can clear out some of the fog from yesterday's post.  First of all, a definition.  From this point forward the following definition is how I am referring to revolution.  

nonu -  a sudden, complete or marked change in something

I am not inciting anyone to pick up arms, start fights, or anything of that nature.

This is not another Occupy Wall Street type movement.

That said this isn't going to be easy.  It's not going to be all flowers and sing-a-longs.  Those who participate will be misunderstood.  Antagonized.  Insulted.  Possibly even feared and hated.  I can not promise the absence of pain or suffering.

What I can promise, is hope.  And it's not even my promise to make.  It's already there.  Waiting.

Hope that things can be different.  That chains and repressions that have been unacknowledged or ignored for decades, and longer, can fall away.  Hope that tomorrow can be a better day despite the challenges that may come.

Hope.

So, as a question today I leave you with this.

Are you willing to endure what may come?

grace, peace & HOPE

-Bear

How Many Licks?

The old Tootsie-Pop commercial came to mind while I was ruminating over this post.  The one where the kid asks how many licks it would take to get to the middle of the Tootsie-Pop.  It always frustrated me that the owl stole his candy to answer the question.  I have a question, so don't steal my candy to answer.

Perhaps that's not the best way to approach the concept today.

But I wonder.

No big rambling.  Just a question.  A question I'd like to hear some of your thoughts.  So get off your butts, well um, lean forward in your desk chair, or hover over your mobile device and let me see some serious feed back.


The question is transformational.  Life altering if taken seriously.  In a world that threatens control, over how we live, what we think, say and do: do we accept this or not?


If you do accept it, read no further.  You've taken the blue pill and stay safe in your bed.


If you don't accept it, here's a glass of water to go with the red pill.


The question is:

How do you start a revolution?


(more about this idea next time, but until then, please leave a comment!)

grace, peace & hope
-Bear

Hold On To What You Believe

Music is a powerful thing.

The same song can take different people to different places.  One of my favorite bands is Mumford & Sons.  I'm not here to advocate that they are for everyone.  But I find many of their songs to challenge me and encourage me on in my faith.  (If you want to discus "spiritual vs secular" feel free to email me through my profile.)

For everyone else curious about how this ties to discipleship, read on my friends, read on.

This week I stumbled upon their live album and a new song that wasn't on their debut release.  The title bears the same name as this post.  Hold On To What You Believe.  Everything about this song just gets into my skin.  From the swelling intro, the mellow yet pacing verses back to a swelling wave of the chorus.  The chorus is made up of two simple lines:

"But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight"

I haven't been able to get those words and that thought out of my head all week.  When darkness robs you of your sight, hold on to what you believe in the light.  It makes me think of Joseph.  The seven years of plenty, followed by the seven years of famine.  Or maybe it's Jesus telling his disciples that he will soon be leaving and that their lives will get very difficult.  (John 15)

They need to hold on to what he taught them.  To how he showed them how to live.  To hold on to what they experienced in the light of his time with them, because the darkness was coming.

We've discussed before that being a disciple is essentially being a student.  Once we become a disciple, we are to make disciples of others.  Teaching them the things Jesus taught us.  That's the basis of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).  (Note - that's where our name "M28" comes from!)

Just before Jesus tells the disciples about the difficulty they will soon face, he tells them that they are branches, and he is the vine those branches belong to.  He encourages them to "remain in me."  Or if I may paraphrase;

 "Listen, there's a storm coming.  You're going to face all kinds of trouble because of me.  The world is going to hate you.  But that's alright cause they hated me first.  You don't belong to the world.  You belong to me.  And no servant is greater than his master.  If they persecute me, believe that they will persecute you too.

Think of it this way, I'm this vine here.  You are these branches.  If one of them is cut off, it won't produce fruit.  They have to stay in the vine to produce.  Just like you.  You have to hold on to me.  Hold on to what I've taught you.  Cause there is a darkness coming and soon I won't be here.  Hold on to what you believe in the light when the darkness robs you of all your sight.  Remain in me."

 In a way, the words of this song, especially the chorus come through my speakers or headphones as an encouragement from Jesus himself.  "Hold on to what you believe!  Hold on to me!  Hold on!"

So take that encouragement from me, and from Jesus, and if you have fellow followers of Jesus around you share it with them.  Encourage each other to hold on to Jesus.  To what he taught you.  And teach those things to others.

Hold fast, hold tight...hold on.

Grace, Peace & Hope
-Bear

On My Knees

In my last post we defined what being “lost” means. We also learned some easy ways to partner
with people and support them in their spiritual journey. But, sometimes it feels like we pray so hard
for an opportunity and yet, no one seems to cross our path. You are not alone in this! I believe as followers of Christ, we have a desire to partner with people and help them, with God’s help of course. We can’t change people, only God can.

Discipleship, as defined by the dictionary, is the making of a person who is a pupil or devotee of a doctrine (Christianity in this case), or a follower. At M28 we believe in the divine mission to find desperate or lost people. In fact, you will find resources and advice on the M28 website. Ok so enough about the obvious.

If you’ve been praying but do not have a disciple now, be continuously passionate in your prayer for the lost to cross your path.  We may never see the full harvest, but this is our divine mission. Pray continuously, and God will provide the right person in his timing, not our own.

I’ve been part of M28 since it began and I have not had the opportunity to partner alongside a non-believer. I pray continuously for God to bring the right person across my path. I keep asking God why, but then I’m reminded of some of the fruits of the spirit: faithfulness, selflessness and patience.
Am I truly being faithful in my prayer?  Am I praying for someone to cross my path because I truly want to lead someone to Christ? Or am I just doing what I’m “supposed” to do. I have to remind myself to be patient and faithful when I spend time on my knees in prayer for those that are desperate and in need of the Lord.

We all most likely know someone who is desperate.  Are they waiting for us, as believers, to make the first move? I pray that you spend time in prayer daily to complete the great commission God assigned to us. If you do this, God will provide opportunities for you to plant seeds. Maybe it won’t happen in the next month or two, but remember God wants us to exhibit perseverance and not give up because we haven’t had the opportunity yet. In 2 Chronicles 15:7 it says, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

We should want God to orchestrate the “how, who and when” of these opportunities. So be fervent and habitual in your prayer life. God is faithful and as he calls us to be disciple-makers, start with prayer, add a sowing of the seed, and pay attention to who may cross your path. God promises to be by your side and help lead you with the right words to say. God will provide and equip you to do his
work. His word says that he will never leave us or forsake us.

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not for yourselves, it is the gift of God.” So get on your knees and pray fervently for those who are desperate, so that they too can receive this gift.

Lost

Lost

The season premiere for ABC’s television show ‘Lost’ posed this question; can people from
a plane crash survive on a (supposed) deserted island until they are rescued? After being on the island for several weeks, the survivors try to hold on to hope. However after weeks of no signs of being
rescued, they end up taking things into their own hands.

Jesus also tells us people are lost. But what did he mean? If you are familiar with the show Lost, you know that people on the deserted island were waiting to be rescued and returned back to their homes and lives.

I believe Jesus uses the word ‘lost’ to explain people who lost their way and are desperate to find their way home too. Have you ever been lost in the woods? I have. You wander around wandering what
direction to go to find safety. I can tell you that you get this panicky feeling because you have no idea where you are or where you are going. You lack control but have to rely on some hope that someone will find you and show you the way. It’s a risky situation but you hold on to hope that you will be
rescued someway or somehow.

As believers, we are assigned the divine task of showing the lost their way. But we must also acknowledge that most people don’t always know they’ve lost their way.  They must come to a personal realization that they need more and cannot do it alone. It can be nerve racking, awkward and risky for us to share our faith. We ask ourselves: Why won’t people listen? Why is it so hard to let
someone else show them the way?

People are stubborn, prideful and resistant to the idea that there is someone that can help them. Pride can get in the way and overshadow the true meaning of discipleship.  We can be our own worst enemies because we feel weak when we allow someone to help us. But, God provides strength, courage and wisdom in difficult times if they seek after his word.

So what do we do to help people find their way? First you need to pray that those who are lost
are put into your life (1 Tim 2:1). Then, they have to want to be found, as strange as that may sound. You know that if they aren’t desperate enough to find something or someone to show them the way, then they are not ready to hear how they can be helped.

Next, you need to take time and invest in them and do life with them. You need to be authentic. You need to be an example and show Christ’s love. People need this example, especially those who have bad habits and slip into old ways.

This takes a personal investment.

Lastly, once they have found Christ, then they need to help others find their way. Our job
is to plant the seed of discipleship into their hearts. Think about the multiplication and effectiveness that God’s word can have if those of us who have found the Lord take on this divine mission.

I know that sometimes this can appear to be a large task.  However, you already know that with God’s help everything is possible. It’s easy to pray for the lost to come into your life, but when they do, you need to be ready. Pay attention to the people around you.

The Arctic-Tropic Juxtaposition

It's story time again.  So put on your imagination caps and close your eyes.

No, don't really close your eyes cause you won't be able to read.  But, you know, mentally close your eyes and follow my lead.

You and some friends are on a gorgeous tropical island.  You're going for a hike to explore.  There is little human civilization around.  You're basking in the warmth of the sun and smell of the exotic flora, and you enter a small clearing with tall green grass.  Your companions are all chatting when you hear it.

A vicious roar.

Everyone freezes in fear for a moment.  Then you hear a crashing as a large animal approaches through the tall grass.  You can't really see it, but there is a white blur in the green.  Every one starts to run away.  Then with deafening bellow it emerges, and one of the guys shoots it with a handgun.  Suddenly it gets quiet.

Really quiet.

Someone in the group comments, "That's a bear."  You look at it, realizing what it is, but you can't comprehend.  You mutter, "It's not just a bear, it's a polar bear."  No one says it, but everyone thinks it.

What is a polar bear doing on a tropical island?

Let me say that again.  Polar bear.  Tropical Island.

Icebergs or Palm trees.


That is a scene from early in the first season of the show Lost.  If you've never watched the show, don't worry, this blog will make sense.  Hopefully.  I won't tell you why the polar bear was there.  That's not the point of the story.  The point is that after the bear showed up, everyone wanted to know why.  Why is this thing that doesn't belong here in this place at all?  It's not an "A-ha!" moment, it's a, "Huh?" moment. 

J.J. Abrams and the writers of Lost were extremely gifted in this.  Almost every episode, sometimes multiple times an episode there were moments like that.   Moments that made the audience wonder, now how in the world does that make any sense.  Those, "huh?" moments were a trademark of the show.

It seems to me that as disciples of Jesus we should frequently cause, "Huh?" moments.

Moments that really make people wonder what we are about.  Why would this person who doesn't know me come visit me in the hospital?  Why would they bring homeless people blankets?  Why on earth would anyone go into a prison and visit criminals when they don't know them?   How can she still praise that Jesus of hers when she lost her job, her husband left her, and her car got stolen?  Or even just, what are they smiling about?

Hours before Jesus' execution he prays to his Father for the disciples.  In turn I think that means he was praying for us too.  In John 17 he prays this,

13“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

He sent them into the world, they are not of the world.  The polar bear was not of the tropics, but he was there.  As we each follow Jesus and become his disciples, not just in our learning, but also in our doing.  We have to interact with the world around us.  If the bear hadn't come into the clearing, the group of people would probably have never known it was there.  .

Likewise with Jesus' disciples.  If we stay hidden, if we choose to not step out we might as well not exist.  So be out there, in the world.  Make the people around you say, "Huh?"  Now, don't dress up as a polar bear and run through the mall or anything as dramatic as that.  Be a living example of Jesus' life to those around you.  Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.

Last week Billy talked about finding the moon-walking bears, this week be challenged to be the polar bearBe the arctic juxtaposition in the tropics.

Thanks for reading!  If you liked this, and have a Google account, please +1 it below!  Feel free to subscribe and share us with others.  Don't forget to visit the M28 website!


Grace, Peace & Hope
Bear (the blogger formerly known as Jersey)

Moonwalking Bears

You know (or maybe you don't know) how you can read a portion of the Bible and it means something one time, then out of the blue, you discovered something you completely missed because you were so concentrating on what you (or everyone else) thought that passage meant?

Last Sunday as our disciplining group was talking about what Matthew 25:14-30 meant to each of us, we came across many "moonwalking bears". What I mean by this can be best explained by viewing this one minute Youtube clip. The conclusion is this: It's easy to miss something you're not looking for.

This passage of scripture sometimes is referred to as the Parable of the Three Servants. Many think this parable and the one before it about the Ten Bridesmaids refer to the end-time judgment. After Jim, our discussion leader, showed the clip he asked us what other "take-aways" we saw as we read these two parables as it relates to being a "missional" disciple.

We discovered some moonwalking bears:

1) One thing important to a disciple is to do the will of the Father. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says we are part of His family if we do His father’s will. If we are part of the family, we should have the same characteristics of Jesus and seek to be more like Him. Matthew 7:21-23 implies that we need to “do” the will of God which implies actions and not just words. We need to be obedient to the call to “go and make” disciples and not rely on “ministerial success” as the standard by which one judges their relationship with Christ.

2) God gives each of us talents and abilities. He gives some more than others. What’s important is not how many talents we have but what we do with them to advance the Kingdom.The first two who doubled their talents received the same praise from their Master. The last one who was given one talent and hid his, received a harsh reprimand from the Master. All three made a choice of how much they were willing to risk. The first two were rewarded a 100 fold in their investment whereas the third who hid his talent was afraid to take any risk and earned zero percent. We learned that one must be willing to take risks if one wants to advance God’s Kingdom.

Like I said before, we all make choices on how we use our talents represented by our abilities, our time, our resources and our opportunities and how we use them to advance the Kingdom this side of heaven. In the short time we have we need to ask ourselves what are our priorities. Do we seek His Kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33) or do we seek the things of the world. Do we pray for “desperate” people to come into our lives? Do we make time and develop relationships with these desperate people by doing life with them on a weekly basis? Take time and allow God to demonstrate His kingdom power by sharing the love of Christ through our actions not just by our words. Let us be missional disciples for Him.

The Forgiveness Paradigm

Once again I come to you with an introduction from movies.

Imagine with me if you will...

You are the father.  A young man has just moved into the town.  You knew his father before he was killed and you are certain the son will be the same type of trouble.  Especially when he asks to see your daughter.  You refuse him at first.  Later you warm to him a little and tell him that if he can stay out of trouble he can see your daughter.

He seems to do just that.

Then one day your daughter was executed in the village square.  Your world crumbles.  Rage and anger sweep over you at the person or people who brought your daughter to that end.  Soon you learn that she had married this man in secret.  And for some reason they had attacked soldiers in the village.  You want vengeance.  You want blood.  His blood.

The next morning at your daughter's burial you see the young man.  He approaches the grave and weeps.  Then he stands before you and kneels.  You are ready to strike him.  To pour your anger and rage into hurting him.  Your hand reaches out.

You hesitate.

Your trembling hand convulses as it lingers above his head and you feel the anger and rage, but you open your fist.  and gently place your hand on his head.

You forgive him.

The anger and rage slip away.  The pain and loss remain.  Your tears come.  But the forgiveness washes away the rest.

This is taken from Braveheart.  The movie doesn't play out exactly like this because the perspective of the father is not the focus of the movie.  However the scene with him putting his hand on the young man, William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson,) is a scene that has stuck in my mind as an overlooked scene of forgiveness since I first saw the movie in 1995.

Now, how does any of that relate to biblical forgiveness and discipleship.  Stay with me a little longer and you will see.

Forgive.  To cancel or remit.  To pardon.  To cease feeling resentment.  Absolve.

Did Jesus ever mention forgiveness?  How about the time a paralytic man is lowered before him from the roof, Jesus tells the man, "Take heart son; your sins are forgiven."  Or when the woman who anoints his head with oil?  In fact there are many times that Jesus talks about forgiveness.

Another time is when he is teaching his disciples how to pray.  He says, "And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors."  He tells us to forgive not once but continually in Matthew 18:22.

So I think it's fair to say that Jesus thought forgiveness was important.  Something his disciples should know, understand, and practice.  So if Jesus taught it to his disciples, then we to should be using this concept.

All this comes before his death and resurrection.  Forgiveness was part of the total plan.  To absolve us from our sins.  To teach us forgiveness so we might show forgiveness to others.  Like the father in Braveheart.  He had every justifiable human reason to want to seek blood from Wallace.  But he did not.  He forgave him.  In a similar way, God has every reason and right to judge us.  But he offered forgiveness to all of us.

As his disciples we must put the practice of forgiveness into our lives.  From minor insults to big issues.  It doesn't matter what was done to us.  Jesus wants us to forgive.  If we are his light in the world, and we don't forgive...what light can others see?

Forgiveness is hard.  Because we must give more to someone who has in a sense already taken from us.  But remember, Jesus already provided a way to forgive all sins and wrongs.  When we forgive, we allow a little bit more of Jesus into our hearts, and his light shines a little brighter to those we forgive.

So if you have need of forgiveness from someone, seek it out.  If someone seeks forgiveness from you, give it.  Jesus forgave.  He forgave all.  As his disciples we should also forgive.

Until next time,

Grace, Peace & Hope

-Jersey

Meant to Be

In my mind, one of the greatest moments in a character's story is when they are challenged to become what they were meant to be.

When Peter Parker swings across the page or screen in the blue and red tights for the first time.  Or Bruce Wayne pulls the cowl and cape on and leaps into the night as Batman.  Maybe one of the most iconic is when mild mannered Clark Kent rips open his dress shirt in the phone booth revealing the red and yellow 'S' shield of Superman.  There are hundreds more across books, film, and real life.

Please feel free to share your favorite "meant to be" moment in the comments!

For me, one of the most impressive "meant to be" moments is in The Return of the King.  (I'm talking the film adaptation not the classic book for this example.)  Aragorn, the long lost descendant of the royal line, is for lack of a better word, still lost.  He does not want to assume the mantle of king.  Why?  Because his ancestors were weak.  They failed the world when they were needed most.  They were seduced by power, and fell.


Aragorn does not want to be like them.  So he avoids the responsibility.  He is still noble, and brave and acts with courage and a good heart, but he avoids what he was born to be.  His moment comes at what would appear the worst time.  A massive army has been gathered to battle great evil.  He is looked at as a hero and captain among them.  In the night he is summoned to meet a mysterious stranger.  This stranger is revealed to be his foster father, Elrond.


Elrond holds in his hands the reforged sword of the kings, a blade that is rightfully Aragorn's.  It had been broken for generations, but was reforged for him, now.  With a simple statement Elrond challenges Aragorn,

"Put aside the ranger. Become who you were meant to be."

 A challenge he accepts, and rises to.  He succeeds where his ancestors failed and he becomes a good and just king.


There is a moment in every Christ follower's life like this one.  Where we are challenged to become who we were meant to be.  Jesus didn't come to earth, live, die and rise so that we could live our lives in quite exile, working from the shadows, and being less what he called us to be.


When he gathered his disciples he said, "Come, follow me.  I will make you fishers of men.  Leave behind your nets and boats and follow me.  Become what I am calling you to be, what you were meant to be."


I'm not getting into destiny and fate and all of that, but if you call Jesus 'Lord,' he has called you to be a fisher of men.  So put aside the accountant, the CEO, the janitor, the housewife, the athlete, the artist, musician or whatever you 'are.'  Put that aside, and become what you were meant to be, what you were called to be by Jesus.


A disciple.  A fisher of men.


Someone who follows after Jesus with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loves their neighbor as themselves.  Some one who does as Jesus talks about in Matthew 25: 35-36

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Becoming who you were meant to be is a life long task.  To follow after Jesus and learn what he taught, how he lived, what he did, and putting those things into action.  To feed the hungry, clothe those who need clothing, look after the sick and so on.

It's not just a magical moment, frozen in time.  The decision is.  But the becoming goes on long after.  You can't be a disciple if you don't learn.  If you don't learn how to disciple, you can not be a fisher of men.  If you can't be a fisher of men, you can't be what Jesus meant for you to be.

I'm not writing this as someone who thinks they've 'become.'  I'm still on the path, I'm still learning.  I'm still becoming who I was meant to be.  Who Jesus wants me to be.

So I challenge you to hear the words of the Messiah, Jesus, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." 

Put aside the _(fill in the blank)_ and become who you were meant to be.

Grace, peace & hope
-Jersey

Uninvited

Have you ever planned a party or event just to have no one you invited show up?

Yes?  Good then I'm not alone in that department.  If your answer is 'no,' well, keep reading anyway.

Jesus gave his disciples a parable that featured this concept.  It was an allegorical story painting a picture of the kingdom of heaven.  I want to point out that the phrase kingdom of heaven is lowercase here, so it's not a physical place we can go to.  It's more like a state of being.  A way of life.

In Matthew 22 Jesus tells this great story about a king throwing a wedding banquet for his son.  He sends out invitations and prepares the event.  When the time came he sent his servants to gather those who had been invited.  They refused to come.

So the king sent more servants.  They were to let the invitees know that all was prepared, the food was ready and all that was needed was their arrival.  The still refused to come and mistreated and killed the servants.  (They really didn't want to go!)

Then the king says to his other servants, "Those who were invited did not deserve to come, go out into the streets and invite anyone you find there."  So they went and brought anyone they found to the wedding banquet, good and bad, and filled the banquet hall.

Now the story goes on (follow the link above to read all of it) but I will stop there for now.

I know this parable is not directly tied to discipleship but it has a principle we can apply to that concept.  When we want to disciple, we might want to reach out to those we know, those we would invite to a party.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  We should reach out to those we know.  But they refuse to come, time after time, stop spending time trying to get them to come and move on.

Invite those you don't know.  Reach out.  Be bold.  I know that it's easy to say that sitting behind a computer screen, but it's not impossible.  To go with Jesus' parable, if you're the servant getting sent to invite someone to the banquet, you know it's going to be a good time right?  Of course.  So why not tell others about it?

The challenge is determining how to invite those you don't know.  How to approach them and share with them what you know to be good.  There are many ways to do so.  Check out M28's website for more info and ways to do this.

And for those who refuse the invitation, remember this, we are not the king.  We don't have the final say.  So don't give up on them in your behavior.  Keep praying for them.  Keep showing them love and kindness.  But you don't have to keep 'barking up the same tree,' for lack of a better expression.

Reach out to the uninvited.  You may be surprised what doors God opens up in their life, and your own.

Grace, peace and hope
-Jersey

COME IN…GO OUT…FIND PASTURE…GO! Part II

John 10:1-10 (NLT)………….They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

GO OUT…the sheep were never expected to stay in the sheep pen for ever. Food would become scarce pretty quickly because this was only designed to provide safety and rest for a time. Tempers could get out of control because of the limited space to move about or work. Chaos could even be a threat to the peace and safety of the pen.
Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
The reason the laborers are few is the sheep pen has become too comfortable for the sheep. Routine and complacency replaces vision and energy. Rejuvenation comes to fulfillment. There is a sense of completion, purpose and fulfillment OUTSIDE the sheep pen…in the harvest field (the world).

FIND PASTURE…The sheep don't leave the sheep pen on their own. The shepherd walks AHEAD of them and they FOLLOW by listening to his voice. As we go into the harvest (the world) we are fed and energized to continue doing the work God has called us…no, has MANDATED us to do. Together, we work the fields alongside the Owner of the field. Paul tells us “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. (1 Cor 3:7-9) We don’t have to wander aimlessly, confused, hopeless. People are waiting, ready to receive…but we MUST get out of the sheep pen.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? (Romans 10:13-15)
I find it interesting that immediately following COME IN, GO OUT and FIND PASTURE is the warning, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

…The thief will ALWAYS try to steal the results of the COME IN. Steal the release, the freedom from our past bondages, misconceptions, control, pride, indentifying our worth with our works. Confusion of God’s yoke (teachings) to be hard, unattainable rather than easy, times of doing at times instead of times of just being.

…The thief will try to kill the joy of “going out.” He will put fear into our hearts. Fear can kill. Fear can be masked as inexperience, I-don’t-know-the-bible like so-and-so, arrogance or condescension “they will never receive what I have to say, or they are too bad a person.” The enemy is the wolf that attacks the flock, scatters and kills it through jealousy or entitlement.

...If we listen and follow the doubts the enemy attacks us with, the pastures…the privilege of the harvest we have been called to could be destroyed. While we each are accountable for our actions and decisions, I fear the day I am chose inaction, when I should have spoken a word and I didn’t. What excuse could I give that is greater than obedience? This is destruction at its core.

This is the promise after the warning:
“I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL.”
The only way we are going to have life and have it to the full is to get out of the sheep pen EXPERIENCE
the energy and food of the pasture, EXPERIENCE the harvest.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO… Therefore GO… Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” MATTHEW 28

REFLECTION:
Our walk with God is a process, none of us ever "arrive" at a point where we can go it alone, we need each other. Where are you in this process and where do you want to be? How can we journey together out of the sheep pen and into the harvest?
A fellow sojourner who sometimes needs a kick to GO,
Kay

COME IN…GO OUT…FIND PASTURE…GO! Part I of II

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:1-10 (NLT)

Ever sense a tug or an aching in your heart that you just couldn't explain or get rid of? Ever sense a disconnection or possibly a disbelief of God or of Jesus? We have all felt this from time to time, you are not alone! The Good News is even before we were born God put the thoughts of eternity and the “chip” in our DNA that recognizes we belong and long for our Creator. God is pursuing each one of us however we tend to fill this longing with other things that only bring temporary satisfaction, never totally fulfill the missing pieces of our lives until we surrender. If you are like me surrendering in not easy! I want to be in charge, be in control of my decisions and life. Surrendering takes courage sometimes even desperation to be willing to lose control in order to gain freedom.
In the above verses the Gatekeeper (Jesus) has walked through the sheep pen prior to calling the sheep to follow him. We don’t have to enter with fear, because we have learned to trust the Gatekeeper. He has told us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, “I am with you always.” In biblical times and even now in some places there are multiple shepherds who use the same sheep pen to protect their sheep. But the sheep will always recognize their particular shepherd’s voice. We live in a world sheep pen with multiple shepherds overseeing a variety of flocks. Not all shepherds lead with the same purity, sincerity and the best interest of their flocks as our Shepherd does. Some shepherds even delegate the privilege of leading to hired hands that run and abandon the sheep when they experience danger or difficulty.
The purpose of the sheep pen is not for the sheep to remain permanently but as a retreat for a specific time. At night, when the danger is more prevalent from wild animals a sheep pen provides safety and salvation for the sheep.
Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
But he also said, “He (the sheep) will COME IN, GO OUT and FIND PASTURE.”
Let's look at these three actions:

COME IN… Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
Our COMING IN is a time of release from the past—its pain and bondage, from misconceptions, from the labor of our control, pride and our works. It is a time of leaving behind; a time of temporary and not permanent staying. We all need times of retreat, rest and renewal in order to go back out into the pastures. Throughout our lives there will be multiple COME IN’s. Jesus had multiple times of COME IN when He sought times of refreshing with God. COME IN is a preparation for......GO OUT.

(Part II coming......)
Blessings,
Kay

The Dagobah Perspective

I love Star Wars.  Yes, even the prequel trilogy.  But that's a different post for a different blog.

One of my favorite scenes in the original trilogy happens in Return of the Jedi.  (Warning, possible spoiler alert if you haven't seen them.)  Luke is in the middle of a swamp on a planet named Dagobah.  His teacher has just died and he is searching for answers.  It's then, that a translucent carbuncle of his previous teacher, Obi-wan Kenobi, arrives and explains somethings to him:

    Luke: Ben! Why didn't you tell me? You told me that Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father.
 
    Obi-Wan: Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin
        Skywalker and "became" Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father
        was destroyed. So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view.

    Luke: A certain point of view?

    Obi-Wan: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own
        point of view...

 Now, don't get all caught up in words like Dark Side, Force, and Skywalker.  The concept we're looking at here is perspective.  Let me ask you a question:

Can truth be dependent upon your perspective?

I don't want to get into a discussion of semantics or existentialism here, but let's go to a simple example.  You and I are standing next to each other in the woods.  You're standing behind a tree.  I am not.  I tell you there is a bear running straight toward us.  You tell me, there isn't.  The only way I can convince you this is a truth (before the bear reaches us) is to somehow get you to move from behind the tree and see the bear.

What bear?

Let's put this in a different context.


You have a friend that is addicted to porn, drinks like a fish every night, and gambles whatever money they have left over.  They need to hear the good news, you want to share the love of Jesus with them, but they are confident they want nothing to do with him, or church.

Or maybe you know someone who volunteers at a soup kitchen three nights a week.  They don't do drugs, they are responsible with their money.  They are also devoted and faithful to their family, and help their neighbors out regularly.  They've heard the typical "Christian" spiel.  And are not interested.

What does the first friend need from Jesus?

Ok change your perspective and look through their eyes.  They are having fun.  Or at least think they are.  It's their money, their body, they can do what they want with it.

How about the second friend?  See it from their eyes.  Church has nothing to offer them.  They are as the expression goes, "good people."


So, what do we do about this?  How do we change their perspective.  How do we get them to see what we see?  Well, I don't have a solid answer for you.  My response is, change your perspective.

Leave your comfort zone.  See the world through their eyes, or at least closer to their perspective.  Now, I'm not suggesting that anyone start drinking, gambling or doing other things of that nature to better understand a friend.  Open up to them.  Hear what they are really saying when they talk.

For Luke, Darth Vader was the man who murdered his father Anakin.  For Obi-wan, Vader was always the man who had been Anakin.  But Luke had the wrong perspective.  In his example, that wasn't his fault.  It was what people had told him to that point to give him that perspective.

Jesus changed his perspective for us.  He left the splendor that is Heaven to see the world how we see it.  To live like we live.  He came and felt the sun on his face, water at his toes.  He smelled the sweet and the pungent.  He felt with hands like yours and mine.  Philippians 2 says it like this:

        5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

        6Who, being in very nature God,

        did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

        7but made himself nothing,

        taking the very nature of a servant,

        being made in human likeness.

        8And being found in appearance as a man,

        he humbled himself

        and became obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

So, since you're changing your perspective to see life from a friend or neighbors point of view, try and see that same friend from Jesus' perspective.

Jesus didn't see fishermen, he saw disciples.  He didn't see a woman caught in adultery, he saw a woman to forgive.  He didn't see a lost cause, he saw his cause, that was lost, and he came to bring us back.

Try changing your perspective, and experience life with the people around you.  Remember what Obi-wan said (yes I know he's a fictional character but his words ring true,)

"...many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view..."

Then remember the truer words Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16.  Try to show them something their perspective can see.

Christ living in you.