Advent = A period of expectant waiting
Did you know that is the primary meaning of "Advent"? We've all been in a state of advent then haven't we? We've all waited with expectation that something good would come...something bad would end...something hard would relent...something painful would cease...something promised would come...we've all waited patiently, with expectation, with faith, with hope, with fear, with wonder, with confusion, with frustration...we've all waited like that at some time in our lives, haven't we?
Joseph and Mary certainly could relate to the concept of a period of expectant waiting. Think about the emotions they must have experienced:
Mary's Fear: How can I be carrying the Son of God? What will people say? Will I be killed?
Joseph's Anger: How could Mary be pregnant and I'm not the father? How could God do this to me?
Confusion: How can any of this really be happening? Why me, why us? Why now?
Along with many, many other emotions and feelings that must have kept them wondering, praying, and seeking answers!
In the midst of this roller coaster of emotions think also about the decisions they made:
Mary: "May it be to me as you have said" - Her words to the angel of the Lord
Joseph: I will still take Mary as my wife - I will do what God's asked me to do
Can you relate to this story? Coming against something in life that causes fear, confusion, wonder, anger. Causing you to make some very difficult decisions. How did you respond to God during these times of your life? Did it resemble Joseph and Mary's response? And yet give special attention to the outcome of Joseph and Mary's actions! New Life! Salvation! Joy! Increased Faith! Peace! HOPE!
A couple of young adults hang in, obey God, endure through very trying, difficult times and the result is that GOD CHANGED THE WORLD THROUGH THEM! Did you hear that? GOD CHANGED THE WORLD THROUGH THEM!
Lord, help us to strive toward lives that are recklessly obedient to You even in the confusing, difficult, trying times! Help us to be carriers of new life to people all around us! Help us to love You so much that when You call we simply say, "May it be to me as You have said"!
Thank you for life...thank you for grace...thank you for love...thank you for Jesus! Help us to wait with expectation to what You are about to do in the world through us! AMEN!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Ideal Church
One of my favorite questions asked during the Q & A session of the candidating weekend wondered what my ideal church would look like. Here's a brief but powerful description of the kind of church I want to be a part of...
[42] They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
Here's the power in what I see in these words: That most of the activity described was how the believers lived life together, served each other, sacrificed for each other, loved each other, and yet look at that last line of verse 47..."And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved". Wow! I know these people were sharing their faith with non-believers, I know they were serving in their community, I know they were doing evangelistic activities, but the power in those words is that the way the believers loved each other so impacted the non-believers who witnessed it, that they couldn't wait to come to know the Jesus these believers knew!
Lord, make us a church like that! Do whatever is necessary in us so that we can love God, love others, love ourselves, but also love each other in such a powerful way that it will draw people who don't know You to that Love...Your Love...You! AMEN!
In His Grip
Pastor John
[42] They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
Here's the power in what I see in these words: That most of the activity described was how the believers lived life together, served each other, sacrificed for each other, loved each other, and yet look at that last line of verse 47..."And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved". Wow! I know these people were sharing their faith with non-believers, I know they were serving in their community, I know they were doing evangelistic activities, but the power in those words is that the way the believers loved each other so impacted the non-believers who witnessed it, that they couldn't wait to come to know the Jesus these believers knew!
Lord, make us a church like that! Do whatever is necessary in us so that we can love God, love others, love ourselves, but also love each other in such a powerful way that it will draw people who don't know You to that Love...Your Love...You! AMEN!
In His Grip
Pastor John
Foundations for a World Changing Church
Changing the world is ultimately God's work. However, God has created, called and equipped us to work with Him in the effort to reconcile the entire world to Himself! As Henry Blackaby (Experiencing God) has instructed, our job is to ask this question, "God, what are You doing in the world and how can we join You in it?" If we are to join God in His reconciling work we must commit to obeying God by allowing these three foundational elements to be powerfully present in our daily lives:
1. Lead from our knees
This is committing to a life of prayer. Not just verbally offering up platitudes to God, but pursuing God's manifested presence in our life! Striving toward such intimate connection with God that hearing His voice and sensing His desires becomes one of our highest priorities! Consider reading about Daniel, King David, Nehemiah or many other biblical examples of leading first from our knees so that we can then lead from a position of spiritual strength and confidence!
2. Choose to lose
This is choosing to serve instead of expecting to be served. This is living out the words of John the Baptist when he said of Jesus, "he must become greater, I must become less". This is willingly giving up our need to be right, our ego, our pride, our desires, even our hopes and dreams, if it will further the expansion of God's kingdom! Read through the gospels and look at the life of Jesus. His entire life was an example of choosing to lose so that something greater could be accomplished!
3. Live to love
This is making the Great Commandment the centerpiece of our lives! To love God with everything that we are and then to love others and ourselves! Speaker Jared Jones recently said these words, "Your love for others is your love for Jesus gone public"! That's what God wants us to live! He wants us to learn to love Him with all that is within us! Then He wants us to let that love overflow out of us to a world that longs to be loved! Another key part is for Jesus followers to love each other. Jesus clearly said that the world would know that we love Him by how we love each other! It's not cliche to say that Love changes the world, because "God is Love"!
Pray - Serve - Love: These are the foundational elements to being a world changing church! There are many, many other things we can do, be and strive towards, but if we can begin with these three, we will be well on our way to being the agents of reconciliation that God longs for us to be! Let's change the world together...one community...one family...one person at a time!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
1. Lead from our knees
This is committing to a life of prayer. Not just verbally offering up platitudes to God, but pursuing God's manifested presence in our life! Striving toward such intimate connection with God that hearing His voice and sensing His desires becomes one of our highest priorities! Consider reading about Daniel, King David, Nehemiah or many other biblical examples of leading first from our knees so that we can then lead from a position of spiritual strength and confidence!
2. Choose to lose
This is choosing to serve instead of expecting to be served. This is living out the words of John the Baptist when he said of Jesus, "he must become greater, I must become less". This is willingly giving up our need to be right, our ego, our pride, our desires, even our hopes and dreams, if it will further the expansion of God's kingdom! Read through the gospels and look at the life of Jesus. His entire life was an example of choosing to lose so that something greater could be accomplished!
3. Live to love
This is making the Great Commandment the centerpiece of our lives! To love God with everything that we are and then to love others and ourselves! Speaker Jared Jones recently said these words, "Your love for others is your love for Jesus gone public"! That's what God wants us to live! He wants us to learn to love Him with all that is within us! Then He wants us to let that love overflow out of us to a world that longs to be loved! Another key part is for Jesus followers to love each other. Jesus clearly said that the world would know that we love Him by how we love each other! It's not cliche to say that Love changes the world, because "God is Love"!
Pray - Serve - Love: These are the foundational elements to being a world changing church! There are many, many other things we can do, be and strive towards, but if we can begin with these three, we will be well on our way to being the agents of reconciliation that God longs for us to be! Let's change the world together...one community...one family...one person at a time!
In His Grip,
Pastor John
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