Thursday, March 28, 2013

"Look in the Mirror"

In the mirror I see what all of you have to see...sorry about that...I see things that I would rather not see.  Like, all the gray hairs that have sprouted.  Even my nose hairs are turning white. And why do I have more hair growing in my ear than on top of my head?  I may not always like what I see, but a look in the mirror keeps me honest.

What if that is what these next few days leading up to Easter are suppose to be about? What if Jesus' last supper, his prayer of surrender in the garden, the kiss that betrayed him, the false trial that condemned him, the beating and mocking, the cross walk through Jerusalem and the hanging on Calvary are all about?  What if starting today through Sunday morning the only way any of it will mean anything is if we are willing to let Jesus' journey to and death on the cross serve as our mirror?

Go ahead...take a good hard look at your reflection through the blood of Jesus sacrifice.  What do you see?  I'll tell you what I see...In view of His selflessness I see my selfishness.  In view of His love, I see my hate.  In view of His mercy, I see my resentment.  In view of His obedience I see my disobedience. In view of His submission, I see my rebellion.

Come on...take a good hard look.  This is important. This is not about beating yourself up.  It is about getting honest about who you are so you can be honest about what you need.  You, like me, need a savior.  You never outgrow your need for grace.  Its not just others who are a mess, so am I and so are you.  Can you see that?  Will you admit that?  If not, then you are living life blind.  You might as well walk off into the ditch now because you are headed no place but  into the dark.

As uncomfortable as it is, if you will dare to look into the mirror of Jesus sacrifice and see yourself as you truly are without him, then you will come to see that in view of his death, you now have life!

Why not take some time to read and meditate on Jesus last supper and crucifixion tonight and tomorrow? Why not use what you read as a mirror? 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

"A Wee Little Man Was He"

"Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he.  He climbed up in a sycamore tree for Jesus for him to see.  Jesus said,'Zacchaeus, come down!  For today you will eat with me.'"

I can remember that childhood Sunday school song.  Each time we would sing it I could see this little guy, climbing a tree thinking he was going unnoticed, just to be called out by Jesus.  Like the song, the Bible's account of Zacchaeus ends as quickly as it begins.  We do not hear of this wee little man ever again and yet over 2000 years later his story is heard every time someone reads Luke 19:1-9.  (Before I share anything else, I want to ask if you would please read the account of Jesus encounter with Zacchaeus in preparation for Sunday.  See if you can figure out what the story has to do with the toxic sin called sloth).

Luke tells us Jesus encounters Z. right before Palm Sunday.  Jesus is headed to Jerusalem to face death and along the way he sees Z. in a tree.  He calls him down and invites himself to his house.  Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to save the word and yet he had time to see a man that others would not step aside to let him see Jesus.  Jesus ignored the prejudices of the day and referred to him by name not as a chief tax collector, which was a position the Jewsih people despised because tax collectors, including Z., worked for the oppressing government and took money for themselves. Jesus was not saying what people like Z. did was right, but that did not stop Jesus from seeing the man behind the sin.  How are you and I doing with that one? 

Then Jesus, who had plenty of more important things to do--like saving the world--makes time to spend time with him in his house.  Eating with someone in their house was a cultural sign of bonding in friendship.  Z. was not just a tax collector sinner, but now he was being invited to be Jesus' friend.  That is encouraging and convicting.  It is encouraging to know that Jesus befriends sinners and it is convicting to know that Jesus asks us to do the same.  The longer we are Followers of Christ, the more the temptation will be to surround ourselves with other believers to the point that we isolate ourselves from those who do not know Christ.  Jesus shows us that itself is a sin.  If we cannot name one person you have a personal friendship with who is not a Follower of Christ, it is time to pop our Christian bubble and quit pretending we are living for Jesus. We might as well be among those who talked behind Jesus back and said, "Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner."

It is easy to say I am a friend of Jesus, but it is anotehr thing to let Jesus friendship lay claims on my life.  Z. has one meal with Jesus and he then says, "Look , Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything I will pay back four times the amount."  Wow!  Praise God!  This is what it means to be a friend of Jesus!  To be his friend means we let him change us.  The extent to which I believe in Jesus is shown through the extent to which I let him change me.  So, how much do you and I believe in Jesus? 

The last several weeks we have witnessed several people be befriended by Jesus and let him begin to change their lives.  Praise God!  Perhaps, even now, Jesus is inviting you to allow you to be changed by him.  I invite you, just as I and many others have done, to consider some of these opportunities through which Jesus is bringing lasting change in people's lives:


Are you dealing with something that is toxic in your life…a relationship…a habit…a sin…a hurt…a fear…anger?  We invite you to consider experiencing the healing and freedom God has for you through one of these options available to you:  Celebrate Recovery (A Christ-centered recovery ministry for any kind of hurt, habit or hang-up), Prayer Ministry for Inner Healing (intercessory prayer led by a trained facilitator through which lies are exchanged for truth), Divorce Care (for any one who is going through or has gone through a divorce), Freedom from Anger for Women ( a one-on-one study for women), Miami Valley Pastoral Counseling Center (Professional counseling for LH Members for only half of the out of pocket expense).  To learn more make a note on your information card or go to www.elivinghope.com.




Wednesday, March 13, 2013



On Sunday we said, "Take greed to the cross and let Jesus detach who you are from what you do or do not have."  It is one thing to preach it on Sunday and another thing to live it on Monday. 

Monday evening I walked down to our basement to discover somewhere between Sunday night and then our sump pump had quit.  O, yes, it was wonderful! 

The company extracting the water said, "Wow!  This is the most water we have ever extracted from a house whose sump pump quit working just the night before." 
"Well, thank you sir," I thought to myself, "Where do I pick up my prize?"

When I first saw the water, I thought, "O, no, what a mess!"  But then I heard God whisper, "Aren't you glad who you are is not attached to what you have?"  

"OK…OK…Lord, I get it, but, Lord, how do I live it?"

Immediately God brought two things to my mind that pretty much apply to every sump pump failure surprise of life:  Perspective and gratitude. 

On my way up the steps to share the news with Kimberly, I began to gain perspective...you see, I know a lot of families and individuals who wish a basement flood was the worst thing they had to deal with. As I was cleaning up the mess, I kept thinking of folks I know who are really struggling.  I thought about families who have a loved one fighting cancer. I thought about a family who just had the funeral of their 15 year old niece. I thought of single mom who has left behind her old life and is now learning to trust God one day at a time in her new life and it is anything but easy.  I thought of a man who has been out of work for two years. I thought of the reality that 30,000 children died from starvation while my basement was flooded.  I thought of 27 million people in the US and around the world who are held captive to human trafficking.   
Pretty soon, I was not just thinking about these people in need, I was praying for them.  I admit, like some of you perhaps, I struggle to maintain perspective some times, especially when basements get flooded.  But, God is faithful and he is always present and willing to turn our perspective to him and others if we will let him.  And his perspective on things changes everything.

The next day as I wrote in my prayer journal and I began to thank God for all he gave me during this unexpected hassle. Kimberly and I have not fought through this, but simply worked together, talked and even laughed as we cleaned out the basement.  What a gift!  (You know a few years ago, I would have been a bear to deal with this and would have made it hard on her. Friends, if God can change me, he can change any body.)  I began to thank God for a wife who is not all wrapped up in material things.  I thanked God for a trustworthy company to do the water mitigation. I thanked God for my dad who, though he did not give me his fix-it genes, volunteered to help me install a new sump pump.  I thanked God for knowing our needs before we know what they are--just last week Kimberly received a bonus check from work which ended up taking care of our deductible.  And get this I have a whole lot more to be thankful for than what has to do with our basement.  

Perspective and gratitude are gifts from God that loosen the grip of greed in our lives.  What does God use to detach who you are from what you do or do not have in your life?  I would value hearing your story. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Washing Feet

On Sunday we closed by looking at John 13 in which Jesus washed the dirty feet of the disciples during their last meal together before his crucifixion.  At the end we asked, "What if Jesus is showing us the best way to receive God's unconditional love is to give it away to others?"  This question is made even more powerful when we realize that one of the people whose feet Jesus washed was Judas his betrayer.  We then received the challenge: Will we wash some one's feet this week?

On Sunday, during communion, I told God I was willing to wash the feet of anyone He led me to this week.  On Monday I received the news of some one's plan to try to hurt me.  I was hurt and I was mad.  That evening during my walk, I began to really talk to God about the situation.  I knew God was at work in me, but I was not yet free.

The next morning I woke up and began to do what I do every morning.  When I first wake up, I lay in the bed and I give God thanks.  But that morning my thanks was cut short with the name of my "Judas."  I prayed, "Lord, what do I do about this?"  Then it was clear that this is the person whose feet he wants me to wash this week. "But how do you wash some one's feet who won't even talk to you?"  I prayed.  The response was clear, "You pray and forgive."

I began that moment the washing process.  To be honest...at first it stunk. But by the end of the day I was feeling free.  Then this morning I woke up and began to thank God and suddenly I realized the hurt and anger I felt toward my "Judas" was gone.  I am free. Now I can wash his feet by simply praying for him.  And today it does not even stink.

It makes me wonder about a good question I heard asked many years ago:  What if God can even use a Judas for good in our lives?

I don't know what you think of that, but I believe that God can.  God has done that in my life even this week 

What about you?  Do you have a story of how God has called you to wash some one's feet this week?  I would love to hear your story.  Thanks for listening to mine.