Archives for posts with tag: faith

Holy Week thoughts

April 2, 2010 //

Those who followed Jesus were looking for a king who would overthrow the oppressive Roman government. They welcomed Jesus as this king, but did not understand that they were being led, and loved, by a very different kind of king.

They didn’t expect to see a God of justice and mercy.
They didn’t expect to be loved completely.
They didn’t expect to watch him die.

We may be different than these followers.
We aren’t looking for a king.
We are happy to rule our own lives.

Most of us are desperately, quietly, trying to keep our lives spinning.

But we do want to be loved completely.
We do want to know there is a loving, just God.
We know—we know—our ‘spinning’ can’t be all there is.

Because Jesus died, we can live forever
Because Jesus came back to life, we can fully live.

We find our greatest fulfillment when living in the way Jesus taught.
We were created to live this way… with Jesus as our king.

So… is Jesus your king?

_______________________________________________________________
This was written for a part of the Good Friday worship experience at FirstMBChurch tomorrow night. Good Friday is a traditional Christian holiday commemorating the day Jesus was crucified and died. Our church has chosen to observe this holiday through a guided journey called the Road to Jerusalem, starting at 7:30pm. It’s a simple, interactive experience where participants will walk with Jesus and his disciples through the last week of his life. The experience has been designed with families & kids in mind, but will be compelling for all ages. If you are in the Wichita area, join us!

Tags faith, God, Good Friday, Holy Week

Categories God, ministry, worship

Recognizing Jesus.

March 23, 2010 //

I’ve just started a new Bible reading plan on YouVersion, a plan that has me reading Matthew/Mark/Luke/John all at the same time. I’ll be immersed in stories about Jesus’ life and teachings… like a blast from a fire hose.

Today, here’s what jumped out at me:

In Luke 2, we learn about Simeon, a devout God-following Jewish man. God had told him he would not die before seeing the one who would save Israel… the Christ. God prompted him to go to the temple on one particular day, the same day Joseph and Mary took their baby, Jesus, to the temple as was the custom. Simeon immediately recognized that this newborn baby was the Christ, saying… my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. (Luke 2: 30-32)

Simeon recognized Jesus because the Holy Spirit led him to do so. He was walking with God closely enough that it was natural for him to recognize God’s ‘salvation’. He saw because of God’s Spirit.

Years later, Jesus, his family, and his disciples (the men he had asked to travel with and learn from him) were all attending a wedding. The host ran out of wine, and Jesus ended up turning multiple jars of water into the best wine of the night (after a little exchange with his mother… which I would love to have witnessed). John 2:11 says this, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Later these same disciples realized that the things Jesus did fulfilled the prophecies in the scriptures they had studied as boys. This strengthened their belief that he was the Christ.

The disciples recognize the truth about who Jesus was by his actions and through the fulfillment of prophecies happening right in front of them. They saw because of God’s word and the experience they were having together.

Our pastor says this over and over… God’s Spirit, God’s word, God’s people. This is how we know God… this is how we live within his will… this is how to live the best possible life.

This is how we can recognize Jesus at work, around us, wherever we are.

Tags faith, Jesus, scripture

Categories God, faith

God’s first act of…

January 7, 2010 //

I was reading this morning, and got tripped up over Genesis 3:21.

And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

This, of course, follows God’s discovery that Adam and Eve had disobeyed his one instruction. He makes clothing for them because they had acquired an awareness of their nakedness, and they, for the first time ever, felt ashamed. And all of this because they disobeyed.

Was this God’s first act of mercy? I asked my pastor this question and his thought was that God’s first act of mercy was allowing them to live after they disobeyed him.

He’s right. ‘Mercy’ extended from God is a little weightier than the mercy we’re usually in the position to extend to each other. Allowing someone to live who deserves death is the ultimate act of mercy.

So, the clothing thing? Maybe it’s God’s first act of compassion or kindness. He took the time (if.. God… has that kind of relationship with time) to craft something to bring them relief from their shame. Shame that they brought on themselves by turning away from Him. They still experienced consequences to their actions. HUGE consequences. But this was an act of kindness from their Creator who loved them, and who must have grieved their pain.

Beautiful.

Tags faith, God

Categories God, faith