Focused on the Past, Present, and Future

Yesterday I was proof reading our bulletin when I came across our Affirmation of Faith. This is the time in our service when we recite together as a congregation what scripture teaches us to believe. Sometimes the Affirmation of Faith comes from scripture (i.e. Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Corinthians 15:3-10) or it might be one of the Confessions in the PCUSA's Book of Confessions (i.e. Apostles Creed, Brief Statement of Faith). The Affirmation of Faith I have chosen for this Sunday is from A Brief Statement of Faith, 10.2-1-.5: "We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed...We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God's image male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community... We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the church... With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen."
What struck me as I read over this statement (and this hits me with other Confessions as well) is that we don't have to reinvent the truth. Christians of all time have been struggling together to understand God's word and God's ways. The Book of Confessions is a collection of these statements of faith that sought to solidy the Christians of that time period when they were being attacked by outside influences.
So why do I write this? I write this because we are attacked today by all kinds of influences (liberalism, political correctness, materialism, etc..). And it is comforting for me that as a Pastor I don't have to establish a new statement of faith for myself or my congregation. There are many great statements that are biblically sound and lead us to the truth of the gospel.
My encouragement to you is to take heart that we are continuing the tradition of being faithful to God through our words and actions. Don't be discouraged, God is always there in this struggle. Tell me what you think. Pastor Chris

This morning I was reading Romans 15:30, which says: "I appeal to you, brother and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf." As I read this it made me think of those who say to me: "Pastor, I wish I could do more for the church, but all I can do is pray." All I can do is pray! Why do so many people think that praying is not an effective service to God. Here in Romans 15 the apostle Paul is asking for prayer as he deals with unbelievers in Judea and for his ministry in Jerusalem. Paul believes prayer is powerful and effective. And how about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene when he takes Peter, James and John to pray with him. And when they fall asleep He says to them in Matthew 26:41- "Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial..." Jesus believes that prayer is important and powerful. So many times in the New Testament we see Jesus taking the time to pray. So my challenge to myself, and all who read this, is that we need to be people who are committed to prayer. Don't let the fact that you can't always see the visible results of prayer keep you from praying. Don't let the thinking that prayer is just a bunch of words keep you from believing. Follow the challenge of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." Let the first words that you say in the morning and the last words before you go to sleep be prayer. I believe that if more people pray more often, and more fervently, they would experience the love and blessings of God more. And if you need prayer, please write your request on the comment section (which goes to my e-mail address first), and I will pray for you. Let us join together in fervent prayer. Tell me what you think. God bless.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. And as I was contemplating what to write on my blog, I thought it appropriate to at least say something about 9/11 today. My first thought is that for many like me who are far from where 9/11 took place (I am in Southern California), it is easy to only think about this event when someone talks about it, or when an anniversary approaches and it is on everyone's minds. I have to confess this does happen some. And yet, a second thought is in regards to people's response to the event five years ago. It seems that for many, the response was to seek out a church soon after the event (anywhere from the day of the tragedy to the Sunday following). I know that we had a prayer vigil the evening of 9/11/01. Why was this? I believe this terrible event left us feeling vulnerable and not in control. I believe that people were seeking out a spiritual answer or spiritual healing to this event.
I am grateful for my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I am thankful that God is there to walk with me, and comfort me, and strengthen me, and guide me in the difficult times of my life. And I hurt for those who don't have this in their lives. I hurt for those, who when tragedy or trials come into their life, they don't know where to go or what to do.
That is why I believe that an anniversary like this should challenge Christians to make a commitment to daily be aware of those around them who might be burdened. I believe we need to take the steps to reach out to others who are hurting and talk with them and pray for them. And yet, this should be done in love, not with any kind of judgement.
Yesterday I preached on the text from the gospel of John, chapter 4. And one of the aspects of this text that spoke to me was how Jesus reached out beyond cultural barriers and without judgement was there for this woman, loved this woman, challenged this woman, and gave her spriritual direction that helped her to get past her bondage.
As we live out today, and every day, may we seek to reach out to those who are lost, who have gone astray, who are struggling, and share God's message of love and reconciliation. Tell me what you think.
Lord, I thank you for being with me. And because you are with me, you help me to care for those around me. Thank you for giving me a heart that cares for those who are struggling and hurting. Thank you Lord that I can share with others the love and comfort You give to me. As I think today on the 9/11 tragedy, may I relinquish control to You, and know that as I trust in You, You will lead me in right paths; You will guide me and lift me up to that place You have for me. Come and be upon all those today who have a heavy heart, and may I seek to be available to others for Your name and for Your sake. This I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who enables me to even come to You in prayer, and the One who gives my prayer power. Amen.

Tough Questions

Yesterday I came across a sermon by O. S. Hawkins (for the full sermon go to www.preaching.com/hawkins) that caused me to stop and think. The subject wasn't anything new, but it brought up what I believe are tough, yet important questions. These tough questions come to us from Jesus. The first tough question is Who do men say that I am? (Matthew 16:13) This is an important question, because we live in a society that is becoming more and more liberal, politically correct, and, pluralistic. Meaning that for people, there are no moral absolutes and there is no One True God. So people are answering this question "Who do men say that I am?" with whatever they choose to believe and follow. This can make it tough for the church and for Christians because we are encountering people who come from a different way of thinking. We are dealing with a society that more and more doesn't believe church attendance and church affiliation is important. Which brings us to Jesus' second tough question: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15) As Christians, I believe this is a question that we have to ask ourselves everyday, at the beginning of each day. I say this because each day we will encounter people and forces around us that challenge our beliefs, and challenge the way we live as Christians. Don't you find this to be true? Whether it is in the car, at work, taking the kids to school, or choosing a movie to go to, there are many forces at work challenging our faith and our witness. I believe that as a Christian, as a minister, as a leader of my church, as a part of a denomination, I need to stay firm in my answer: Jesus is my savior, the head of the body (which is the church) and the way and truth and life. I hope that every day I can answer this question with conviction, and then live it out for God's glory. Tell me what you think. God bless.

Clay Balls and Jewels

When you look at others, what do you see? Do you tend to classify them and judge them? Jesus didn't. When Jesus looked at others He didn't see a tax collector, a prostitute, or a fisherman. He saw sinners in need of salvation; He saw children in need of love; He saw a precious treasure. It is like the story of a man who found some clay balls. They didn't look special at all, but when he broke them open he found inside a precious jewel! Inside each person is a hidden treasure. But we can't see it until we take Christ's passion on ourselves. Christ's passion was people. "Jesus came to seek and to save the lost." Jesus cares about people's eternal well being. So should we. It is not enough to be saved. We must understand that there are others who are lost and need Jesus. As Philippians 2:4 tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
All too often we get caught up in what we think we deserve (our privileges), or how we like things (our preferences), or what we want to pursue (our passions). We get too self-centered; too caught up in ourselves, instead of realizing that Jesus calls us to look beyond ourselves just as He did. Philippians 2:8 reminds us that Jesus Himself sets for us an example: “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Jesus lets us know that even God Himself cared so much for the lost that He left His preferred place in heaven to come to this earth to share the love of God and to die for our sins.

So I leave you with this for today: How can you reach out beyond yourself and share God's love with someone else? Who is someone that God is calling you to reach? Know that even though we deserve spiritual death (Romans 6:23a, "For the penalty of our sin is death..."), God sent Jesus so that we could have life (Romans 6:23b, "...but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.") If God has so graciously given you this gift, don't you think others deserve it as well? Tell me what you think.