Are you greater than John?

 Luke 7:24-28

After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,

who will prepare Your way before You.’

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

This scripture is a reminder that those in the new covenant are so much more than those in the old. We think Moses had a great relationship with God, or Abraham, or Isaiah but these are less of a prophet than John according to Jesus and what does Jesus say? 

You're greater.

Think about that.

What you have in Christ is greater. What God has and can do in you is greater! 

Wow! That is amazing.

Not my Rights

I enjoy my rights and I want what is "right" but I also remember that Jesus said:

Matthew 5:38-48 "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.q Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,s that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I have to admit this version of perfection is hard. I like my "rights." What about you, is it hard?

Giving Sacrificially

 

 When I think about Christians sacrificially giving, I remember the times when Michelle and I gave to others anonymously and when they knew we did it. I remember many times when people would give of their time and money to help us and others. My life experience says that truly Christians give sacrificially of their time, their talent, and their treasure without seeking anything in return.  Sure, there are exceptions but as Elisha told his servant there are more with us than against us. I testify today that real Christianity is overflowing with loving and sacrificially-giving people. When it came to thinking of a time when someone gave that it meant so much and I have to be honest there are too many.   

As I thought this week however the most giving thing that stands in my mind is something the person who did it may not even have recognized as giving. What they gave helped me even more than I realized at the time.

When I started in ministry I was an odd duck. I didn’t grow up in the denomination. Originally, I went through the course of studies to get my ordination, a program that many considered second-rate, but which I found harder than college. I was preaching at a church of maybe a dozen people on a great week and I was working full-time. I couldn’t attend all the functions our denomination had and since I wore a suit this was even before I wore a clerical collar, I was accused by one pastor of being no better than a pharisee. To say the least, I felt less than a real minister, and sometimes real, or imagined I was treated that way.

I was invited to attend a meeting of pastors to pray. These pastors from various denominations were gracious, loved God, and loved each other despite the huge doctrinal differences between them. Pastor Paul Carey an experienced, well-educated Baptist pastor repeatedly treated me with respect and graciously listened to me as if I was his equal, I wasn’t. This gracious gift to a young pastor did and still does encourage me that God called me. His gift wasn’t money or talent, it was time and attention, and though he might not have thought much of it. It is one of the greatest gifts, I ever received. It flowed from his Christ-centered life. 

With Mothers' Day just finished and Fathers' Day fast approaching I wanted to consider Ephesians  5 and what it means to us men specifically. Often verse 22 is taken out of context to keep women silent and to make them little better or no better than a slave. The first issue that is overlooked is the command to listen to their own husband. I take this to mean, they were not supposed to be looking to other men for things that they should be looking to their husbands for (there is a lot to unpack in that and I won’t spend time here doing it). The second is the words “as unto the Lord,” to me this makes it clear that if a man is asking something God wouldn't they shouldn't. Just as with the government, you don't do anything God wouldn't be pleased with.

 

The other side of this is Paul's command to the husband. The husband can't demand obedience if he isn't doing his part. Loving her as Christ loves the church. Christ died to save the church. Most men say they would die for their wives so I'll give them this one (barely). Christ gave us the Spirit so that we can be all we were designed to be. Okay, so if your wife has the abilities to be a great CEO, are you as a husband supporting her in this? This is where most men fail or just refuse. They are supportive of the woman as long as they get something they want or they get the glory, but not the other way around. 

Jesus also listens to the church and asks us to bring all of our concerns to him. So are we really listening? Are we doing what is best for them not just what we think is best? Jesus is.

 

I could go on, but I will leave with this.
Pastor Charles

The Conditional Prayer

"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 I have been intrigued by the fact in the prayer Jesus taught as the model prayer of praise and petition has a condition in the middle of it. The petitioner asks don't do something unless I do it to others. Is God really so picky that he forces us to pray not to forgive us unless we forgive others?

The answer is no. Jesus isn't just offering a trade you forgive and then I will forgive you. God knew what science has recently proven and common sense has known for years; if you are full of unforgiveness, bitterness, and anger your life will be miserable. I might add the lives of those around you too.

One of the reasons, Jesus gives us this reminder in the middle of this prayer is because if we are going to know the freedom found in forgiveness then we have to forgive others. He isn't saying we pretend people did no wrong. He is saying that we can not hold on to the anger and bitterness and have a good life. So in this prayer, he places this reminder, if we are going to know the freedom that comes from forgiveness of our sins, we have to be willing to forgive others.

So let's find the greatest freedom God has and forgive. He never said it would be easy but God doesn't ask us to do anything he will not give us the grace to do. 

 

How do you cook, denominations?

 

How do you cook, denominations?

No! I'm not saying we should cook denominations. I want to look at how cooking and denominations are the same. Indulge the chief if you will.

There are people who will claim that their denomination is right and everyone else is wrong. They may even say that others are of the devil. It sounds crazy sometimes but consider cooks or if you prefer chefs. Ask one what makes spaghetti and you may get meat, sauce, and pasta. Another may say you only need pasta and a sauce. Another may claim it's only pasta and marinara if there isn't meat, or if the sauce isn't made a specific way. In fact, you might get some die-hard foodies into a fight over the matter and this isn't even touching what makes a pizza. 

I think you get an idea. Chefs, cooks, and foodies often have criteria of what makes a specific dish that dish. The problem comes when different people want a perfect definition or when people think they have a perfect definition. What sometimes happens is our preference becomes our perfect definition. If someone wants to add red pepper flakes to our spaghetti, some may claim it's false, or pasta heresy. (It's neither, but it is strange) 

Is there food heresy? YES. If someone claims it's an all-beef burger made with turkey. It's not an all-beef burger, it's a turkey burger perhaps with beef flavor, but it is not beef. I'm not saying turkey burgers are bad, they usually aren't but they aren't beef.  

 I don't think anyone would say raw pasta is spaghetti, or a pound of cooked ground beef is spaghetti sauce, but then again we all know some people who would want to, if only so they can argue. We have to decide what is real and what may be a preference.

People can really get heated up on this issue, but then ask them about changes in the rules of their favorite sports and I bet the debate will get even more heated. The disagreement doesn't make them bad people just perhaps a little immature, but we all have areas we need to grow so give grace.

HOWEVER? 

What if someone claimed only McDonald's was real food? or only food created by Julia Childs? We would say they are crazy. 

On the other hand, I think that we could all agree that pasta with a tomato-meat sauce laced with cyanide isn't food, it's poison. 

This is where denominations come in. Some, I might say, most denominations are variations on a recipe in the Bible. Some emphasize some points others don't. It doesn't make them wrong only different. The problem comes in when an entire vital doctrine/s are left out or if poison is put in. You may think red pepper flakes are poison but they aren't, hemlock is. 

If something is wrong there is a time and a place to point it out. People's spiritual, eternal, lives are on the line. On the other hand, let's give grace to a change in the recipe. 

Perhaps, also give grace to those who only see grandma's secret recipe as the only right way. Because ultimately, the great creator chef will teach them when the time is right. 

Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash 

LCD or GCF

Which do we want?

I don’t know about you but when I was learning math I had a difficult time trying to remember if I needed the least common denominator or the greatest common factor. Luck for both of us is this is not what I’m going to talk about today. I am thinking about where we put our focus. What are the least or the greatest things we have in common?

For some, the idea is that a church should be a place for everyone, and in some ways that is exactly true. However, in the church are we focusing on what is the least or the greatest? For some, it seems to me (this is my post after all), that they want to focus on the least. The ideas that I see in the modern church, in the least category are; we all believe in a God, we want to feel good about ourselves, we want social change (for either side of the debates), etc. These may be good things but is this what a church should focus on? I don’t think so.

The church that Jesus established was to be focused on Him and it was seen in the apostles (Acts 4:13). This church’s greatest common factor was Jesus himself, his life, his teaching, and his promise not just to save us from sin but to transform us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). We may not all agree on some of the minor details (food, holidays, etc) according to Paul but we all need to agree that the purpose of the church is to teach the life-transforming message of Jesus. If we aren’t doing as Jesus said, “making disciples”(Matthew 28:19-20) then are we really part of Jesus’ church?

I understand that people in the church aren’t perfect. The church as an institution has made mistakes, however, are we now trying to be what Christ wants us to be? First as individuals and then once we deal with that (get the beam out of your own eye, Matthew 5:7), then we need to ask ourselves, how do we help our church be a place where Jesus’s mission is being carried out?