"Will You Allow God To Use You?"

To be a Christian is to anticipate God’s surprises.  God chooses to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  In the Old Testament, David hardly looked like royal stock.  Yet, God allowed him to serve as King of Israel.  He even referred to him as a man after his own heart.  Imagine that – a murderer and an adulterer!

St. Paul was no saint!  He abused Christians before his Damascus Road experience.  Yet, God used “the chief of sinners” to spread the gospel over Asia and Europe.

Peter did not deserve a halo!  He cut the ear off of the High Priest’s servant and denied his association with Jesus three times.  Yet, God saw fit to use him as a witness to the transformational power of the Holy Spirit.

If you claim to be a “new person in Christ”, you are a catalyst in the Kingdom of God.  God wants you to fulfil a role that is uniquely yours.  We do consist of knowledge, will and emotions.  The will is important.  Will you allow God to use you?

I Corinthians 1:26-29 states, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.”  God does not just tap the wise, the powerful, or the privileged on the shoulder for Christian service.  Rather, the Lord chooses the foolish in this world to shame the arrogant, the weak in this world to embarrass the strong, and the despised to put the powerful in touch with humility.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These nine characteristics of the Spirit-filled person are enough to make a difference in this world.

Blessings!

"A Sacred Trust"

As a Christian, I attempt to begin each day with an expression of gratitude to God for another new beginning. I pray, with a sense of anticipation, that I will be a catalyst for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians 1:3 & 4 reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.”  How many times is blessed used in some form in these verses? The root of “bless” has to do with that which is GOOD! We do have it good. We are blessed.

These verses sight two specific gifts of which we are recipients. Mind you, these are good gifts! First, acceptance is on our label. What is the opposite of acceptance? Rejection! To experience rejection is common and the accompanying feeling of alienation and loneliness is devastating. In Jesus Christ, we are embraced by a love that never gives up on us. No matter where we are, what we are doing, or who we are the love of Christ persists.

The other gift sighted in Ephesians 3 is that God has big plans for us. “Chosen” on purpose for a redemptive purpose. We are not on this planet just to pursue comfort, control and consumption. We are to be Christ-like in all we do and say. A sacred trust is our agenda. To begin each day with gratitude and praise is our privilege.

Blessings,

"Reformation Sunday"

Sunday, October 29, 2017 is Reformation Sunday.  That day we celebrate the 500^th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.  In 1517, Martin Luther led a theological revolt against the abuses and the totalitarian control of the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a stubborn monk and a brilliant intellectual.  He published his 95 theses of complaints against the Catholic Church by nailing them to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.  Others like Hus, Zwingli, and Calvin were also leaders for the Protestant Reformation.  “Protest” and “Reform” are key to understanding this movement.

This 16^th Century cultural, intellectual, political, and religious upheaval splintered the church in Europe.  It was a momentous religious revolution, the consequences of which we live with today.  It transformed millions of people’s understanding of their relationship with God.

In addition, the Reformation argued for a redistribution of power that impacted art, music, education, politics, and economics.  There were numerous positive repercussions – the music of Bach, the art of Rubens, the university systems in Europe, and the capitalism of the Dutch Calvinist merchants.

Salvation by good works was rejected along with indulgences and the Bible only being available in Latin.  Luther translated the Bible into German.  People read the Word in their own language for the first time.  No longer were priests the only authority for Biblical interpretation and understanding.  This disruption triggered persecution and even wars.  Luther’s creative use of the printing press was the technical catalyst for the movement.

Lutheranism became the state religion of Germany.  Its influence spread to Switzerland.  John Calvin in Geneva gave intellectual credence to the movement.  Through his influence, Protestantism then spread to Scotland, beyond, and ultimately to America.

Happy 500!

Blessings!

"The Principles of God’s Word"

The Principles of God’s Word keep me affirmed and disciplined. The Principles apply to all the decisions that we make on a daily basis.

These are the questions I ask myself. I encourage you to ask these questions for your own affirmation and discipline:

1. Can I do this in the name of Christ? Colossians 3:17

2. Can I imagine Jesus doing this? 1 John 2:6

3. Will my action glorify God? 1 Corinthians 10:31

4. Am I an embarrassment to the Savior? 1 John 2:28

5. If my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, is what I am doing OK in God’s sight? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

6. Does my behavior hinder my spiritual maturity?  Hebrews 12:1

7. Am I tripping up other Christians? Romans 14:21

8. Do my decisions make Christianity unpalatable to non-Christians? Matthew 5:16

Wow! These questions sobered me up. How about you?

Blessings!

"Every Human Is Unique"

I really believe that every human being is unique. There is no one else exactly like you. Your DNA says that. Your fingerprints say that!

Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. Without hesitation, the Psalmist affirms that God is omniscient. God knows us. Could it be that you are irreplaceable? We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Verses 13 and 14 make the point, “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.”

God formed you in your mother’s womb. The Hebrew word for this concept is “embroidering”. It suggests you were sewn together by the hand of the Lord. Through the cross of Calvary, we were bought with a price for a redemptive purpose.

God has given us life – the ability to develop our potential and use it creatively. Could it be that even our strengths and weaknesses do not surprise God? In spite of bad choices, laziness and sin, the Savior is up for giving us another chance, another opportunity to pick up the pieces and go on. That allows us to embrace humility. God loves us enough to correct us and not reject us.

The hinge of history says that the love of Jesus Christ will not let us go, is not diminished and does not give up on us.

I Corinthians 13:13 puts life in proper perspective, “Faith, Hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Blessings!

"Repentance"

Why do we need a weekly time set aside for confession? Because we need to repent of our sins. For Christians, to maintain a mature relationship with the Lord, we need to clean up our act and repent of our sins.

Luke 13:3 says, “Unless you repent, you will all perish.” Harsh, isn’t it?  No diminishment of the cost of Calvary. Repentance is so much more than regret. Even remorse does not capture the essence of repentance.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word SHUB is use for repentance – it means turning back, retracing one’s steps to get back on the right track. In the New Testament, the Greek work METANOIEN is used for repentance – it means a change of mind that culminates in a new way of thinking.

Repentance for the Christian today means an about face, a 180° turn. There is nothing temporary about it. In the eyes of Jesus, we are all sinners, in need of repentance. It is important for the cleansing of our psyches. It leads to forgiveness.  In order for our Christian faith to have credibility, we must turn away from our sin. Repentance is an ongoing prerequisite for peace of mind – for that peace that only the Prince of Peace can provide, that surpasses human comprehension.

Blessings!

"World Communion Sunday - A New Beginning"

The sacrament of Holy Communion has a variety of names; The Lord’s Supper, The Agape Feast, or The Eucharist.  On the first Sunday in October, the Christian community around the planet celebrates World Communion.

The elements are carefully prepared, presented and served.  The Holy Table is set for us.  The Lord is present and ready to welcome us with love and forgiveness. To break the bread and drink the cup means laying aside the cycle of condemnation.

The body broken and the blood shed remind us of the costly grace through the cross of Christ extended our way.  By the power of the Holy Spirit we are accepted, forgiven, and granted peace.  The raw material of our future is transformed, shaped into something “significant and splendid.”

The first Sunday in October, World Communion, is a new beginning, a fresh experience of unconditional love.  We dare not live apathetically with these riches.  Hoarding leads to moral deterioration.  We cannot build a different world with indifferent people.  The good news of the gospel of Christ must be shared.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

The Holy Table is a healing place, physically and spiritually.  We dare not leave the table the same as we came.  We conclude the celebration of Holy Communion with the experience of Christ at work in us.  The Lord does make all the difference in this world.  Because of him, we live with more conviction, with transparency, and with authenticity.

Can the Lord make a difference?  Only if we invite and allow him to make a redemptive difference through us.

Blessings!