Chosen…

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:1-10 ESV)

Have you ever felt abandoned?

Like you were left out in the cold?

Recently I was given some news which was so far from what the majority of the people around me thought would be given I was shocked and wondering how we could ever move forward. My family was hanging in the air waiting on news of a possible calling for me. It was going to happen, we all thought. It was what would be. We were making plans to move and telling our friends that we would be moving soon…

Then the phone rang, and I remember the words…

“I had to call but it is not good news…”

Really God! We have given everything and this is what happens?!?!?!

But now wait a minute…

You see God is in control and what we think we need or what we want may not be what God needs for us to do, or what He wants to give us. As Peter tells us, we once were nobody, but God came in and accepted us and made us His people. We need to not be upset when things don’t go our way, because maybe the way we want them to go is not the way that God has for them to go. Maybe we are stumbling over our own thoughts, our own ways. Maybe we are so hung up on trying to do it right that we don;t see the grace for our faith. We can not see the love of God for our wanting to please Him by doing everything “right”.

When we see that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. it is then that we see that we are to be a light to the world and it is not about our needs or our own desires. It is about the community and the world that God sends us to. We need to be ready to go and do and not worry about ourselves. God has chosen us as His own people for His possessing.

So when your world is collapsing around you cling to Him and know that He has chosen you and has a plan for you and your life.

Written on our hearts…

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV)

 

Have the words of God’s law written on your heart? Did it hurt?

People ask me when they see my tattoos if they are real? And I say yes they are real. Then they ask, “Did they hurt?” Uhm, a little needle went in and out of my flesh really fast over and over again. YES it hurt. And yes I would do it again. (Or should that be will do it again…)

Sometimes things hurt. Even figurative things… The cartoon has Jerry asking if God writing His law on our heart is going to be figurative. I thought it appropriate that God replies to Jerry, “Jerry you are cramping my style.” But I always wonder as I read this, if this has happened why are we still teaching each other about God, why don’t we just get it? If God’s law is written on my heart, why do I always seem to get it wrong or muck it up?

See and there in lies the problem. THis equation above is all about me. And none of this is about me. It is about God. God said He would write His law upon our hearts and no more would we have to say know the Lord. He finished this section with “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” You see it is not about us but God. It is not about us getting it right, it is about God forgiving our wrongs and remembering them no more.

We get so hung up on our doing the right thing, following the code, that we can not see the grace for the law. We can not see the gift for the set of rules we have to follow that we can not even get right what the rules actually are. We are hung up on us, and me, that we can not let God be God and give us the grace He wants to give us.

So believe that His law is written on your heart, but believe even more that the grace He has given you covers your iniquity, and He has forgiven them and remembers them no more!

Sight

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” (Mark 8:22-26 ESV)

Have you ever had your pupils dilated? You know where they put the drops in and look into your eyes at an examination to get a good look at the back of your eye. Then you can’t see clearly for a while. I image this is what this man saw. When he saw people that looked like trees, he couldn’t see clearly.

How many of us walk around every day and can not see clearly? Now I don’t mean real eye sight, but the mirror that Paul refers to, now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face, and clearly. Sin has blinded us to the world around us and makes us to focus on ourselves. That is truly the most vile of sins, the ones that make us think more highly of ourselves, and to ignore the needs of those around us. To say we love everyone and allow injustice to take over people’s lives.

How many of us need Jesus to touch us again so we can clearly see? Ask Jesus to help you let go of your looking inward and caring only for yourself, and to clearly see the world around you. Ask Jesus to give you His eyes, so you can see everything as He does…

Jesus the guarantor

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. (Hebrews 7:11-22 ESV)

The law will not get you into heaven.

Interesting though when I say Law, what do you think?

On Facebook today Nadia Bolz-Weber pastor of House for All Sinner and Saints posted this:

OK Lutheran-y peeps. As Sunday is Reformation Sunday, I’m thinking of how I might explain what we call “the Law” to my overwhelmingly NOT-Lutheran congregation. The term “the Law” is insider language. How do you help people know what it means? This is especially important. Ready? Go!

You can click on the text to hopefully go to her page on Facebook and find the discussion if you want it is good stuff. But the Law is an insider term. We use it to refer to the 10 Commandments, or the whole of the Levitcal Law or the Hebrew Scriptures, meaning the Pentateuch (another insider term…). You see even we can not agree or know what the Law is. It means many things.

Now if you were not raised in the church the Law might be the civil order code that we have to follow, like motor laws for the road. It could mean those who make sure the rest of us follow the rules, i.e. the cops.

But even in these cases, those things, the rules, those who help us keep them, can not save us. They can not make sure we do what we are suppose to as if following some set of rules could get us to heaven.

Jesus is the guarantor of a covenant that is not bound by our keeping the rules or acting a certain way. We are created by God to be who we are and uniquely a part of the whole of creation. SO allow the grace that Jesus will give you to be all that you need. Do not try to tell others that they have to follow rules in order to be right with God, but help them to know they are loved by God just as they are.

And Always remember that Grace is not just a girl you met in Kindergarten. It is the most wonderful gift you have ever been given!

Looking for a blessing…

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God  returned Zion’s exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations— “God  was wonderful to them!” God  was wonderful to us; we are one happy people. And now, God , do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Psalm 126 MSG)

Isn’t it funny how when ever our lives are in shambles we search for that thing that will make it all better. How if we are not really practicing our faith we become very active and praying every day that God will come to our rescue like He has every time before. Like God is some cosmic vending machine we only visit when we need something.

People marvel at the way I have held kept my cool and calm over the past 8 months as I have searched for a call. How I have been so relaxed about not obtaining a call quicker. I always commented that God has a plan for us and will take care of us. It was not just something I said but something I 100% believe. Now don’t get me wrong there were times I questioned and yelled ans got very upset with God. But you know what? God is big enough to take it and understand where I am coming from.

I say all of that to say it is OK if you don’t have it all together and your faith is not all that. If you need God to fix you that is fine He can do that and will if you will let Him. I also say that to say that if it were not for my faith and the blessings God has given me in my wife and family I’m not sure I would have made it this far. So don’t think you need something more than God has already given you. The thing you think will make your life great maybe something you already have!

An example…

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:1-17 ESV)

We are so hung up on doing things right. We want to know the rules so we can do what we have to do to get into the club, or be included. We spend a lot of time trying to help others know the rules so that they can follow what needs to be done so that they are included as well.

But we do not have some secret knowledge as followers of Jesus, or do we?

I think we do, but it is not the secret to what we have to do right, or follow to make it to heaven. It is the secret that Jesus lived His life as an example to us. He is the King of all creation. He created you and me and all of the universe, but the night before His death He washed the feet of His followers. To give them an example of how to live their lives in service to others. No one is greater than another. We all need to serve each other and not expect anyone to serve us. we need to give of ourselves, just as Jesus gave of Himself.

Welcome to our church…

So what does a great welcome message look like? What does an awesome welcome message look like?

It looks exactly like what “Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community” Daytona Beach, FL, has in their church.

My friend attended there recently, and got a copy of what they hand out, and here’s what it says:

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.

We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too.

If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!

Guaranteed…

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:13-20 ESV)

Have you ever had someone or some product was 100% satisfaction guaranteed? And if so, were you?

I mean that is a pretty large bill to hold up. That every person that uses/eats this product will be 100% satisfied. I highly doubt we all want to exact same results or tastes even though it is probably clearly states how it will work or taste. We see we will be satisfied and know it will be good…

Not always and the world and its products will let us down. We will not be 100% satisfied with anything the world gives us, we are not hardwired that way.

But the passage above from Hebrews tells us that we cab trust in God. And He has even sworn an oath that the promises He made He will keep. Not just a promise or a guarantee but an oath or a 100% satisfaction guaranteed promise. Not that you will always be happy or get everything you want. But something even better. Everything God promised will be the way He promised and He will always be with us!

Steps…

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land you will look on when the wicked are cut off. I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (Psalm 37:23-40 ESV)

Do you delight in the ways of the Lord?

Do you try to follow His ways but fall some times?

This psalmist says that the Lord establishes the steps of the man who delights in His ways. And the Lord will hold a person so that even if they fall they will still be in the care of God.

Those are comforting words. Even if we fall if we delight in the Lord’s way He will not leave us. Even in our times of trouble He is our stronghold and He saves us from evil. Delight in His ways and your steps will be set.