What Matters Most

Where is Jesus hanging out today?

Jesus is an interesting word/name.  It elicits various degrees of response ranging from extreme excitement to antagonistic anger. 

For the believer, the name of Jesus symbolizes salvation, comfort, trust, and the assumption that if He came back today He would want to be with them.  For those who have not bought into the whole idea of needing a Savior, the name of Jesus often symbolizes the need for a crutch, judgmental attitudes, the feeling of never measuring up, and the assumption that if Jesus came back today He would not want to hang out with them.  Both sides hold to their assumptions and these beliefs perpetuate their image of who Jesus was and is today.

If Jesus were to come back today and hang out who would he spend his time with?  We can get a good idea by going to the journals of one of Jesus' close friends while He was on earth the first time.  Matthew, a Jewish tax collector, was despised and hated by most of his fellows Jews. By the church goers of his day he was considered an outcast.  Matthew records an amazing incident where Jesus was invited to his house.  His journal records this:

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.  But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”  When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’  For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

From this we can deduce that Jesus enjoyed hanging out with those who society considered outcasts.  In fact, He says that is why He came the first time - to hang out with those who needed him the most.  The Bible often records just the opposite of what we see today.  Jesus spent a great deal of time hanging out with "sinners" and often got into trouble with the "religious church goers".

I have this challenge to all my readers. If you are a non-believer please know this.  If Jesus came back today to hang out, He would want to hang out with you!  He loves you and doesn't judge and actually would prefer your company.  If you are a follower of Jesus understand something.  Jesus loves you deeply but would probably not hang out with you but encourage you to hang out with Him and those who feel disenchanted and disillusioned by the church.

To put it plainly, If Jesus were here today, he would be hanging out with those who think he wouldn't and not hanging out with those who think he would!

HMM.... Your thoughts?

Chuck

Happy New Year?

It is hard to believe that is has been less than 3 weeks since we all ushered in the new year!  For most of us, we anticipated that the new year would be full of good things. 

Not even a month later, as a world, we are dealing with one of the worst natural disasters in our history - the earthquake in Haiti.  Many are touched by the devastation and we wait with anticipation and dread to hear about the lives of missionaries, friends and the masses of people who are effected by the earthquake.

This horrific event is a stark reminder that we are not in control of our lives.  Each day is a precious gift from God above and we are reminded that life is special and fragile.

I look forward to the partnership we will have this year as we work together to help those in our community receive not just a hand out, but a hand up.  Together we will rescue lives that have been devastated from the ravages of poverty.

The Valley of Disappointment

The Bible states that the three greatest virtues one can pursue are faith, hope and love.  I do not think any of us would doubt the immense value of these three great virtues.  We are all looking for something to have faith in, something to give us hope and someone to love.

Unfortunately for so many forging ahead with faith, holding tight to hope and leaning hard on love feels like a waste of time. It just does not exist and they get bitter at those who offer these meaningless cliches out to them.

Weekly I am confronted with those who feel isolated and alone and no where to turn.  My heart breaks for them.  These are real people with read needs.  They:

• are dealing with loss of a loved one
• have just received an eviction notice
• have had their utilities turned off and will have to flush their toilets with buckets of water
• have just been beaten by a spouse or parent
• are depressed and having anxiety attacks
• cannot find a job
• are calling a trailer home
• are addicted to the emptiness of their only friend - a bottle or a hug

They do not need another religious pat or trite answer.  They need substance. They find themselves in the valley of disappointment and depression and have given up on the idea of faith, hope, and love.

What good are we if all we do is look at ourselves and take care of our needs?  When will those who have faith show their deeds? When will those who have hope share it with those who need it? When will those who have love show love to someone who is alone?

If you want to help those in need then respond to this or let me know.  There are so many who are waiting for faith, hope and love.

What will I do today?  What will you do today?

Jesus the Condemner?

I find it intriguing that God gave us John 3:17 right after John 3:16.  I mean, John 3:16 says it all doesn't it?  The most popular verse in the Bible reads "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not die but live forever."  What else is needed?  

But for some reason God also gave us verse 17 which completes his thought.  Not that I claim to know what God thinks but it is as if he was thinking "They are going to get it backwards so I better remind them that I came to save (rescue from danger) and not to condemn (to judge unfit for something)."  Perhaps God knew that some 2000 years later we would be so much better at condemning and not saving.

How about you?  Do you find it easier to look at people and make a judgment call rather than see and love people as Jesus does?  Why are some people rejected by the church but loved by the world.  Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Who can you begin to love today instead of condemning?  Do this and you will understand what matters most!

I Shouldn't Be Alive

Last night I sat on my couch captivated by the show on the Discovery Channel called "I Shouldn't be Alive".  Four men were flying over the ocean when their plane crashed at sea.  They spent 18 hours at sea surviving sickness, sheer fatigue, stormy waves, squid, and jelly fish before they were rescued.  What amazed me most about this show was how it showed the men praying to God for help but when they were rescued, God wasn't given the credit.  The one man who swam to shore for 12 hours to get help was the hero.

I wonder how often you and I do that?  When God shows up to help us, we take the credit.  How often have we been guilty of using God as a magic 8 ball and when he delivers we fail to give him the credit.

Why don't you take some time right now and reflect on how God has helped you recently.  Take time to thank him and acknowledge that you cannot do anything without his intervention.  Find someone that you can share with so that you can credit God with the working and not bask in the glory which isn't yours.  In fact, why not respond to this blog and give God credit for what he is doing in your life.

For without the grace and mercy of all-mighty God in our lives, we shouldn't be alive.

Chuck

Successful Christ-followers?

Our society measures progress by more money, prestige, position and control. Unfortunately, God doesn’t measure success that way. So how are we to measure our spiritual progress? Are we successful Christ-followers?

Peter Scazzero, in his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, gives us 4 characteristics to consider in measuring our progress spiritually. Below is an adaptation of his information sprinkled with my own thoughts.

1. A Greater Level of Brokenness. Instead of exercising the right to determine good and evil in others, we leave this to God. We become free from judging others. One way to measure this is to consider how often we are offended. When criticized, judged, or insulted our response should be “It is far worse than you think!” Our daily prayer ought to be “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13)
2. A Greater Appreciation for Holy Unknowing (Mystery). We like to know what God is doing, where He is going and what He is up to. It is part of our controlling nature. However, God is beyond every concept we have of Him. He is incomprehensible. The more we know Him, the less we know Him. God is not ours to figure out nor is what we are going through. We can rest easy knowing that God is in charge and worthy of our trust. We must stop trying to figure our what is going on, why it is going on and what to do about it. Instead, enjoy the unknown and let God work it all out.
3. A Deeper Ability to Wait for God. An outgrowth of brokenness and holy unknowing is a great capacity to just wait on God. We must break that driving desire to make something happen and to get it done. We must embrace the notion that less is more. Abraham learned to wait. Moses learned to wait. David learned to wait. Hannah learned to wait. Jesus learned to wait. You and I must learn to wait.
4. A Greater Detachment. The real question we must ask is not “Am I happy?” but “Am I free? We must live as if the things of this world, our material possessions, our achievements, our relationships - these things in themselves are not our lives. We are to be marked by eternity, free from the dominating power of things. In fact, detachment is the great secret of true peace. We don’t need these things, we need God. To really detachment from things means to be able to believe these statements:
⁃ Life is hard
⁃ I am not that important
⁃ My life is not about me
⁃ I am not in control
⁃ I am going to die

I pray that you will ponder these thoughts and embrace them in your life. It is part of pursuing Christ-like living and will help us all be able to ”render the sinful nature powerless“. (Romans 6:6)

Winter Retreat '08

I just got back from a winter retreat with with 19 teenagers and 6 adults. This is nothing new. I have been taking teenagers to winter camp for 20 years. Each year, I would take a group of teenagers hoping to get a non-christian or two to attend. This year was different. This year 18 of our teens were unchurch, non-Christian teenagers. We take our teens to Camp Orchard Hill in Dallas, PA because COH understands what matters most and does an excellent job at accepting our teens where they are at and for who they are.

I gotta tell you what an awesome time we had. It was refreshing and draining all at once. It was refreshing to be around non-christian teenagers. After working with teenagers for 20 years I have found non-Christian teenagers to be more honest, more open, and more real than christian teens. It was draining because I had to be on my toes at all times. Their ideas, comments, language, desires, etc were not always comfortable to see, hear or experience. Nevertheless, I would not have missed any moment of the weekend.

There was one thing that disappointed me. It was apparent that our group was seen as the "different" group by some of the church youth groups. There was very little interaction from the church youth groups. Why did it come across like we were different? Perhaps it was our "Cig Mobile" (everyone had to make a cardboard sled and compete in a race. Ours had cigarettes on it and our mottos were 'we smoke the competition' and 'come take a drag with us'). Perhaps it was the comment from a youth leader who meant well but her comment that it was a good thing what we were doing came across more like were were saving whales then building relationships. Perhaps it was the youth leader who was afraid when one of our guys sat next to one of his girls at the session so he squished in between the two of them where they wasn't even a seat for him to sit in. Maybe it happened and I didnt see it but i was not aware of one group that was on their knees praying for our group and asking God to give them ways to reach out and minister to our teens.

Wasn't it Jesus who said he came not for the healthy but for the sick? Wasn't it Jesus was criticized for hanging out with the less fortunate? Wasn't it Jesus who came that everyone might have life - the downcast and the trodden too? Wasn't it Jesus who healed the leper by not just speaking to him but touching him too? Wasn't it Jesus who ate with the down and out of his day?

Have you ever noticed that many Christians feel more comfortable around fellow believers than they do the lost? Have you ever noticed it is easier to place money in an offering plate than into the hand of someone in need? Have you ever noticed that it is easier to pray "Thy will be done" than to just do His will? Have you ever noticed it is easier to memorize James 1:27 than to just do it?

As believers who have the hope of Jesus Christ, why are we so uncomfortable in letting our hope ring loud and clear?

Click below on the word comment and leave a comment for us all to chew on!!

Chuck

Peace and Hope - in what?

Well there are only 4 days until Christmas. It's hard to believe yet another holiday season has almost come and gone. Around this time of year it is customary to send out Christmas cards. Most of the cards offer holiday wishes of peace and hope.

However, this year I must confess something to you. I have been forced to think through what real peace and hope look like. In our world, or at least in our country, we are taught that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining and under every rainbow there is a pot of gold. Even television offers us a nice hour (40 minutes with Tivo) show that has problems and pain but ends in a nice resolution of justice triumphing over injustice and evil.

What does it mean to have peace and hope? Is that possible on this side of heaven? I have met numerous people who have never seen or will ever see that silver lining, that pot of gold, or even justice saving the day. I think of friends dying of cancer, losing a baby, losing a loved one. I think of loved ones like my son staring this holiday season at an empty cell and a hopeless void where peace has not been allowed to stay.

How do you tell someone who has just lost a loved one or is scared of losing one soon that they should hold on to peace and hope? What does that even look like? What are people really saying when they say to someone who has just tasted the nasty stink of pain and injustice that "God will work it out" or "hang in there, God will make it better"?

Why does God need to work it out? Isn't God still good even if it doesn't work out? Is God the great troubleshooter in the sky who makes everything better? Why does everything have to end for the better? I got news for you. The world I live in and the world of those around me does not always end up for the better. So the question I have wrestled with is this, "What is real peace and hope?"

For me, it is the hope of heaven and the peace that I know that no matter how bad it gets for those who trust in God they can have peace that this ole earth is not our home. As the old hymn says "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through". Why not click on the link below and listen to the song and read the lyrics.

This World is not my home

I especially like the verse which says:

They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know.
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go.
I know He'll take me through, though I am weak and poor.

Thats real hope and peace! It's not about knowing that things will get better tomorrow or next year - they might not! It's about things getting better when we get home!!

Want to Ponder with me?

“…But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:19

When the shepherds saw the baby Jesus they began to tell everyone in the town what had happened and what the angel had told them. The Bible records that all who heard the news were astonished. Apparently Jesus mother, Mary, had a different response. Each time she heard a prophetic proclamation about her son being the Savior of the world she would tuck it away in her mind and think about it often. What a great deal she had to think about! Each time someone was unfortunate, had a need, was in trouble, or whatever it might be, I bet Mary wondered how Jesus would impact their life or situation. I imagine to Mary each need was a chance for Jesus to show that He could fix any problem (remember what she said at the wedding in Cana?).

I too find myself pondering things in my heart. I hear of so many needs and I wonder how different life would be for the teens and families associated with The Factory where I am the director. How can Jesus help make these peoples lives filled with hope?

Each person represents a story of a life where someone needs to know there is a Savior who can give him or her help and hope.

Will you ponder about your friends and neighbors?

Crappy Weather

Have you ever been greatly disappointed? Today i woke up and expected to see snow on the ground and all we got was rain. What a disappointment. In fact, to be honest, it almost put me in a rotten mood.

I got to thinking... why did it bother me so much. My answer? Expectations! I expected it to be one think and it was another. Isn't life like that? We expect things to be a certain way and when they do not end up the way we wanted we are disappointed.

I can deal with the lack of snow, but what about when our disappointments go deeper than that? What about when we expect certain things from our parents, friends, spouses or kids? How do we handle those disappointments? My guess is that we are not very nice to those who disappoint us. My guess is that if you are in any way as human as I am that it ticks you off and makes you less than desirable to be around.

If you are feeling disappointed today by some unmet expectation then let me encourage you. God is someone who you can expect much from and never be disappointed. Oh, it might not go exactly the way you want but you can rest assured that whatever you are facing today, God knows it and is big enough to take care of it.

Why not let God far exceed your expectations today?