Love

Love has become such a trite concept for some people. It has been reduced to almost a greeting card type of sentimentality. For many it has become a concept that is rooted in warm fuzzy feelings. Love is much deeper. It challenges and confronts the self nature and calls us to a reasoned life given to serving others. I have been reading the Gospels and have been struck on how much Jesus commands us to love others. He even makes loving and serving others a test of our love for Him. Jesus said, "if you love me keep my commandments". Another time He speaking to His followers, "a new command I give you, love as I have loved you!" It is the big idea that Jesus would hammer into His followers. Every writer in the New Testament will repeat or expound on Christ's command. Concepts like obedience, honor, service are all rooted in love and carry the price of self- sacrifice.We need to learn how to love. Does God need our fruitfulness? Is he impressed with our accomplishments? I can only conclude that He is not. He is not pragmatic. How we live and our motivations are as important as what we accomplish. Jesus lays out his agenda for greatness and what the disciples should embrace as a philosophy of ministry. Love one another! Live a life that has been set free from the tyranny of self and see others needs.I want to live like Christ. This is what freedom looks like...

Phil. 2:3-11
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not {merely} look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, {and} being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We Exist for God

“We exist for God’s pleasure”, there was stunned looks around the table. So was the scene at a class I teach at Life School here in Salem. One student could not help blurting out, what an offensive concept. Yet this is clearly what the Bible teaches. We were created for God and for His glory. The reality of this offends our self-centered perception of reality. We tend to process this with the idea that God must be totally egocentric. Yet we can’t escape the reality that all things exist and are held together by Christ. We find our very existence completely dependent on the good will of God. We are God’s workmanship, yet still His possession.

I believe that as Christians we must come to grips with the fact that our life is not our own. We were bought with a price. God has the right to direct our life. The apostle Paul’s wrote, “has not the potter the right to make out of one part of his earth a vessel for honor, and out of another a vessel for shame?“

The ramifications of this should cause us to seek God, find his plan for our life and give ourselves to it.

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Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; awe are all the work of your hand.

Driving and Grace

I speak often of the grace of God. It is a subject that thrills me and I always find it a little scandalous that our standing with God is based on who He is and not on what we necessarily do. The word that is translated grace in the New Testament carries the idea of "God's influence on the human heart". I recently had a experience that illustrates this idea. Margi, my wife and I celebrated our 32 wedding anniversary. We spent a couple of days on Whidbey Island. In the course of sight seeing I unwittingly drove through a 35 mph speed zone at 60 mph! Needles to say I was pulled over and faced a very expensive ticket. I was respectful to the officer and offered no excuse. He asked what we were doing in the area and I told him. Off he went to his patrol car and spent what seemed a very long time and then came back to our car. I was sure that I was getting a ticket. Officer Campbell told us that as an anniversary present he wasn't going to give me a 400 dollar ticket. He wished us well and told to me to be careful. As I drove away I could not help but think of the remarkable display of mercy shown. I was guilty of speeding there was no doubt about it yet I wasn't going to pay the price of my guilt. As time has gone on I find my self thinking of this incident and it causes me to be aware of my driving. Officer Campbell influence on my heart is very real! I believe that it is the same way with God. He has shown us mercy and that very act of forgiveness should create in us sensitivity to the Fathers heart. We approach the line of sin and something of God's influence by the Holy Spirit causes us to resist sin, then He leads us into righteousness. King David wrote the the Psalms, "there is forgiveness in you, so that you may be revered." Mercy and grace, I am so thankful for the generosity of our God.

Spirit Life

I believe that many times people get discouraged and lose sight of the Christ’s involvement in our lives. The scripture speaks of Christ as our advocate, our help in times of trouble, the wellspring of life and the one who gives us power. There is a battle to see through the distractions of life and to comprehend how much God is involved with us every day. Jesus spoke to His disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit and he would empower them and comfort them. It is imperative that we are a people of the Spirit. It is when we listen to the Spirit that we gain perspective and insight to the world around us. His role is to lead us into truth and to steer us into the mission that Christ has for us. We become a people of the Spirit when we take on the priorities of the Spirit. George Swinnock, an early American church leader (1623‑1673) wrote, “The main work which God commands and commends to the children of men, is to glorify him upon the earth by exercising themselves to godliness. What is godliness? Godliness is a worshiping the true God in heart and life according to his revealed will.” Worship is more than a song service but how we conduct all of our affairs. Jesus would allude that the father was looking for something more than a religious people when He said, “an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The way we live and relate to one another is worship. It is the whole of our life.

Paul would make the argument that the Spirit life is to be manifested in serving the common good.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." 1 Cor 12:4-7, 11-12 (NIV)

Paul makes the link between loving one another and a walk with the Spirit. The Spirit filled life leads to the fleshly life being freed up to love one another. You can tell a church that is full of the Spirit of God. It is not by flash in the pan revival. It is by the love that is show to each other and to those outside of the faith. Love is the true measure of God’s life flowing through a congregation.

When we look at the gifts of the Spirit and how they operate we see that they are serving gifts. The enduing of power that the Spirit gives is for the encouraging of our brethren. Real fellowship and sense of community is the fruit of life lived by the Spirit of God. Interdependence is an out working of Christ’s nature in us. All the fruits of the Spirit are manifested in the way we relate and walk with each other. It is in the context of fellowship that we are a Spirit filled people. I believe that is vital we develop real and meaningful relationships with those whom God has called us to. George Swinnock also said, "Satan watches for those vessels that sail without convoy." It is important to belong to a home group where you can bring your spiritual gifts to encourage others and others can encourage you. It is when we walk together that we experience God helping and using us. God wants to help His people through you!

Confidence to Approach

I am moved when I see how Jesus responded to people that others would withdraw from. His compassion and willingness to associate with sinners and outcasts stands out like a beacon in a self-serving world. I was reading in Luke…

Luke 7:36-39
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner."

Imagine with me the scene

Jesus and the others are reclining at their meals, on their left side, and their feet, therefore, were extended from the table, so that persons could easily approach them. Jesus was becoming quite a celebrity and there were probably many guests. Simon the Pharisee most likely is well-to-do, he may have had a servant as a porter to check visitors at the door; but religious people often opened their homes for the poor, and the woman manages to get in. In banquets where uninvited people could enter, they were to remain quiet and away from the couches, observing the discussions of host and guests. Yet the must have been quite a stir as this worldly women comes in. The text describes this woman is a "sinner" and may imply that she is a prostitute, or at least a woman known to be morally loose. Every thing about her, her cloths, the way she wore her hair would point to her being a loose woman. She comes in to a hostile environment, one that would be filled with judgment. She approaches Jesus, and standing at his feet behind Him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and then takes out an alabaster box. The box of ointment must have been very valuable, and was possibly the proceeds of her trade. The guests would react to this, even though Jewish people did not consider perfume sinful, but because this woman is a "sinner" and uses the perfume as a tool of her trade, Jesus' acceptance of the gift of perfuming would offend religious sensitivities. Yet Jesus submits to her devotion. She humbles her self in the most dramatic way to show her love for the Savior, and at the same time her humility and repenitence, by pouring forth a flood of tears, and washing his feet in the manner of a servant.

• Albert Barnes wrote…“In kissing His feet she testified her love for the Lord Jesus, and at the same time her humility and sense of sin. There could be few expressions of repentance more deep and tender than were these. A sense of all her sins rushed over her mind; her heart burst at the remembrance of them, and at the presence of the pure Redeemer; with deep sorrow she humbled herself and sought forgiveness. She showed her love for him by a kiss of affection; her humility, by bathing his feet; her devotion, by breaking a costly box-perhaps procured by a guilty life-and anointing his feet. In this way we should all come, embracing him as the loved Redeemer, humbled at his feet, and offering all we have-all that we have gained in lives of sin, in our professions, by merchandise and toil, while we were sinners-offering "all" to his service. Thus shall we show the sincerity of our repentance, and thus shall we hear his gracious voice pronounce our sins forgiven.“

The thing that stirs my heart is that Jesus was willing to be touch and adored in this manner. To let a prostitute caress your feet, to kiss them in a very religious setting was an amazing act of acceptance. Many times we feel unworthy to approach the savior but he is willing, no, even eager to have us come and humble ourselves before him. I want to have the same revelation of Christ and His nature that this woman had. She saw something in Jesus that gave her the boldness to approach. Maybe she heard the story of the woman caught in adultery and how Jesus responded to her. There was a brokenness because she understood her need for Christ. In the same way, even though our sins may be of a different nature they are significant nonetheless. Jesus offer of forgiveness should stir in our hearts love. Love leads to passion and passion devotion. Love is kindled by rehearsing the giving of the other person. Consider when we remember and value the things our spouse does for us, the kind words, the service they give, it stirs gratitude, with which in turn strengthens love. In the same way we grow in love when we acknowledge our need and think of God’s great kindness toward us.

Catching up

Life, has been active at Journey the last few weeks. We just finished the Marriage Alpha Course, had a team out ministering and feeding the homeless and another team going in and serving the library staff at the school where we meet.

At the prayer meeting last Monday night Larry Purdy had a vision that we believe is significant and follows a theme of blessing and promise that prophetically has been spoken about Journey.

During the Journey Church prayer meeting on 06/15/2009, the Lord gave Larry the following vision/revelation:

When a family moves into a wilderness/frontier land to settle it, the first thing they do is dig a well. As they come together and begin to dig, the topsoil is dry and hard. As they continue to dig and press in to the well, they go deeper and deeper, and finally the soil begins to grow moist. As they continue, pressing in and digging, water begins to seep out of the soil and puddle on the floor of the well. As they continue, working together, digging and going deeper, the water begins to burst forth and flow freely, filling the well and bursting over the top, flowing out onto the dry land and providing life-giving water to all it touches. As other families see the life-giving water and the effect it has, they move into the area and join the pioneers as they also settle into the land that was once a wilderness.

This is Journey Church – As we join together as a family of believers, we are like the pioneers. We planted Journey Church in the spiritual wilderness of Salem, and joined together to dig the well. As we join in fellowship and press in to the Lord and dig deeper in the well, we go deeper into His presence. As we have continued to pray and press in to Him, we have reached the point that the soil is moist and the Spirit, the true life-giving water, has seeped through the soil and poured out upon us in small measure. As we continue to press in and dig deeper, we will see the Spirit begin to flow more and more. As we continue, working together, we will see the Spirit fill the well to overflowing, pouring out His life-giving Spirit beyond the constraints of the well and into the surrounding areas. Others will see what is happening and will be drawn to Journey Church to join in, settle with us, and take part in what is occurring.

“Oh taste and see that the Lord is good”!

Martha Syndrome

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have a hard time slowing down to listen to the Lord. Life gets so busy with so many different commitments. Leading a church plant, raising a family and trying to affirm precious friendships all press for my time. Yet I know deep in my heart that spending time to reflect and wait on God is of central importance. I am a doer and troubleshooter at heart and it is difficult to shift gears some times. Even reading the scriptures can become an exercise in gleaning information verses listening for God to speak. Luke in chapter 10 of his gospel records the events at a dinner gathering. Martha invited Jesus and His followers into her home, and proceeded to prepare a meal for the whole company. Mary her sister sat in rapt attention listening to Jesus as he taught. Of course Martha felt slighted and went to Jesus to complain about Mary’s unwillingness to help her. Jesus knowing what is in her heart, tells her not to let worry and distraction cause her to miss what was important. How easy it is to be overly occupied and too busy to sit at Jesus feet. It is interaction with Jesus that fuels passion and mission. Duty can only take us so far. How different life is when we are hearing God clearly and revelation is flowing to us! Springs of living water become a reality!