Connected by Love

As human being, we were made for connection. Right now, we long for company, hugs, handshakes, and close interaction. Right now, many are dejected because your “hoped-for” life story is not going as planned. Things took a different turn. There was a curveball thrown and now you’ve had to make different plans.

Similarly, that first Easter weekend was the same for those who had followed Jesus. Many had placed their hopes in him only to see those plans and hopes dashed with nails on a cross. What do we do now, they asked. How do we move through life since Jesus is no longer with us?

In Luke 24, we find a couple who are asking these questions on their way home to Emmaus. They are walking the 7-mile road home when suddenly a stranger joins them on their journey. It just so happens to be Jesus himself but the text tells us God prevented them for recognizing who he was. You see, when your eyes are downcast, you miss a lot.

Their posture was one of disbelief and disconnection, much like many of you today. Seniors are missing spring sports and graduation ceremonies. Couples are changing wedding plans. Some are getting creative on how to put food on the table due to the loss of job. Others in the medical field are missing their families because they are working long, hard hours on the front line of fighting this virus.

This couple in Luke 24 are telling Jesus about how hopeless they are; how and what Jesus endured in Jerusalem that weekend. They had “hoped” for something different. They thought the Messiah was going to be different. They wanted a political coup but Jesus was planning a spiritual revolution. Notice the past tense of “We had hoped…”

You had hoped for something different too. You had hoped the marriage was not over; the judge would show mercy; the tumor had shrunk; your child would come home; you could have children; you would not lose the house; your hours would not be cut. But like Luke 24, we must realize that God is still in control although things may not have turned out like you hoped.

As children of light, people who have declared Jesus is risen, we must remind the world, despair doesn’t have the last word when God is writing the story! Satan wants you to stop looking at Jesus and look at the waves. God says, “Wait—you don’t have the last say. It’s not over.”

The couple finally reach their home, still unaware of who is traveling with them. Jesus indicates he’s moving on but they invite him in their house for a meal. It’s a reminder, when you invite Jesus in, He’ll always say “yes”. And it’s in community, in the breaking of the bread, Jesus is revealed to this couple and to us. It’s a reminder that He’s with us on our journey, even in moments when we can’t see him.

So, may you know the Prince of Peace. May you feel his presence. May you feel comforted knowing He’s traveling with you. May your hope be in nothing else but the risen Savior and King of kings, Jesus the Christ. Blessings on your journey.

Connecting through the Noise.

I know you’ve all experienced a parade and a marching band. It can be quite loud. The crowd there may obstruct the view of the float, the ride, the person you had hoped to see in the chaos. And in our current crisis, you may feel a struggle to see Jesus…to think He even hears your voice.

It reminds me of a terrific story of faith in Mark 10:46-52. A blind man named Bartimaeus (I’ll call him Bart) sits by the road when a great crowd comes in front of him. In the middle of the loud, dusty, boisterous group is Jesus. He is leaving Jericho on his way to Jerusalem to give his life for you and me.

But Bartimaeus’ lack of eyesight and seemingly small, frail voice on the day did not deter him from connecting to Jesus. There are certainly some things we can learn from him as we try to hear the voice of peace in our own lives.

Bart’s life was not perfect. Most people did not even pay him any mind. But we learn that one’s life doesn’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. Some of us try to get everything in order first, then run after the rabbi from Nazareth. But Jesus has already said come to me and I will give you rest.

We also need to concentrate on what we have rather than what we don’t have. Bart could have resolved to wallow in self pity about his eyesight but he decided to focus on what he had instead. He also chose not to be swayed by public opinion. The crowd was telling him to be quiet. “Why would the King of kings want to talk to you?” Bart paid them no mind and repeatedly called out to Jesus. He needed a miracle but there are those who would try to quiet you in your faith as well.

There are three kinds of voices that I’ve discovered try to still my faith in my risen Savior. One is the faith-sucker. People who try to tell you it’s no use. Jesus isn’t going to listen to you. There is also the faith-intimidator. Those people who try to bully you into believing something other than Jesus wants to know you and to be with you. And finally, the faith-mocker. Those are the people who make fun of your faith in Jesus, the miracle-worker. Faith can look silly to the world. But we know faith believes God is going to do something that just hasn’t happened yet.

Eventually, Bart throws off his coat in order to get to Jesus. It begs me to ask the question, “What do you need to throw off to get to Jesus?” Could it be pride and faith in yourself rather than faith you should have in Jesus? Could it be anger and resentment for our current crisis? Maybe it’s the worry and anxious spirit the current situation has created within you. I don’t know what it is but throw it off and embrace Jesus.

This story reminds me that even when there is noise…a crowd…a “band”…Jesus hears the cries of desperate people. And he hears your cries as well. Know Jesus hears your voice through the noise. He’s reaching out his hand to you. He wants to give you his peace, his love, his forgiveness, his companionship. Respond by going to him. He’s waiting. Blessings on the journey.

Perspective on Anxiety.

I know you’ve been worried about things in your past. Worried if the girl would say “yes”, worried if the job was yours, worried if you passed the test. We are all a little worried right now. We are concerned about staying safe from this virus and pandemic, we are anxious about our jobs and incomes, we are worried about finding toilet paper on the shelf at the store.

Worry reveals a couple of things for each of us. Worry reveals some priorities in our lives and where we place our faith. See, whatever you worry about most reveals what you value most. Equally, whatever you worry about most reveals where you trust God the least. Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God.

Paul addresses this very idea to those who follow the Rabbi from Nazareth. Paul is writing the Philippian Church about 62 AD. He’s writing from prison. Paul’s been arrested for following Jesus. He’s been placed under house arrest and is chained to a Roman guard. But even here, Paul sees the faithfulness of God.

He’s seen God’s faithfulness when he was stoned and left for dead, when he was shipwrecked on the open sea, when he was hungry, and the numerous times he was in prison for the cause of Christ. Oh, he knows the blessing he has in Jesus Christ.

As Paul winds down his letter to the Philippians, he says in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything but pray to God about everything…then, you’ll have the peace of God in your life.” Paul reminds us some 2000 years later to lean into Jesus and not worry about what the world is throwing at you right now.

Oh course, you and I are going to do everything we can to stay safe. We are going to shelter in place, order most things through the web to be delivered. We are going to love on our kids and our spouse. We are going to be a good neighbor. We are going to do everything we can and give the rest of it to God. How many of us can add one hour to our life by worry? None of us. So, we’ll do what we can do but leave the rest to God.

Paul goes on in that chapter to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And a greater truth was never spoken. In Jesus, we can conquer anything. Through his powerful Spirit, we can and will overcome what we are currently experiencing and whatever else is to come.

Paul says I rejoice in the Lord whether everything is going my way or I’m chained to a Roman guard. Jesus will meet all your needs. It’s so very true. God has given so many promises to take care of his people. We should relish each one. We are called to “trust in the Lord” (Psalms 11:1; Proverbs 3:5-6). We are called to “delight in the Lord” (Psalms 37:4). We are called to “take refuge in the Lord” (Psalms 118:8).

So today, what are you carrying? What are you concerned with? What are you worried about? Trust in the Lord and then you will have His peace! This crisis will pass. Continue to be the light with your family, your co-workers, your neighbors, and your church family. Practice the spiritual disciplines of reading God’s Word daily, being in prayer together, be a good neighbor and live in his peace.

May you be safe and sheltered. Blessings on your journey.

Serve's Up!

Do you know what 54% of teens want in life? To be a celebrity. Now, we all would like a little bit of celebrity life. Just in the spotlight for a moment. It’s ingrained in us as Americans. We don’t mind being the life of the party, at least most of us. We would like to be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in our particular field.

But Jesus’ kingdom is upside-down. Jesus says in Matthew 23:11, “If you want to be the greatest (in my kingdom) you must be servant of all.”. Now that’s a total opposite of what the world says.

I mean, how do you want to be remembered? In Acts 9, there’s a woman who passes away. Everyone in her community was weeping. She was so kind, compassionate, and giving of herself. She made clothes for everyone and gave them away. She was such a servant hearted person.

So, during this current crisis, we, as people who claim to follow Jesus Christ, must deny ourselves and be like Jesus. Most of the time, being the greatest in the kingdom means working behind the scenes, doing things that seem invisible, and never self-promoting.

Like David in 1 Samuel 17. This is the chapter when he kills Goliath and becomes a household name in Israel. But before he does that, he is simply serving behind the scenes. Jesse, David’s dad, knows his other sons are serving in the army of Israel and they are out on a campaign. So, he sends David with food to his brothers. Here is the future, greatest king of Israel, serving meals behind the scenes.

Or the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem in Luke 19. He tells the disciples to go into town and bring him a donkey to ride into town. This will fulfill a prophecy made by Zechariah some 550 years before the event. So they go and find the donkey, untether it and the owner asks, “What are you doing with my donkey?” The disciples explain that the Lord, the Messiah, needs it. So, the owner tells them to take it and use it. We don’t know his name even but he wants to be a part of the story with no fanfare. He’s quietly sharing what he has.

Then there’s Jesus on the Thursday night of his betrayal in John 13. He’s in the upper room with disciples eating the Passover meal. The disciples are at the table arguing over who is the GOAT, who will be the greatest in Jesus kingdom. Jesus hears the discussion, looks around the table, sees proud hearts, and gets up to serve. He begins to wash the disciples feet. The Creator of the Universe and King of all kings is down on his knees humbly serving.

As we follow Jesus, we look at these stories and realize we too are called to humbly serve. We are not looking to be the greatest but simply to be Jesus. So, during this current crisis in our community and certainly after this is all over, find ways to bring a lunch, offer a ride, or carry a towel. There are so many ways you can be an encouragement over social media. Rather than becoming part of the anxious noise, be a calming voice of hope and peace. Find ways to serve those who are 65 years and older. Do they need food, meds, a hand? Give those you know in this category a call and offer help. When you find yourself out in town, be kind and compassionate.

Church, it’s our time to shine. Our time to practice what we preach. Our moment to show the world what they are missing in Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. May you find ways to be Jesus in this chaos. Find ways to help calm the storm. Discover who you can serve and lift up. Blessings on the journey.

Can I Get a Witness?

I am not sure what you have ever been afraid of. Maybe asking that good looking girl on a date. Or staying out too late and you knew your dad was waiting up. Or maybe that spider you saw in your summer camp cabin. I’ve been scared many times but one moment was in 1989 when I got off the bus at Air Force Basic Training. The drill instructor was yelling in my ear and he didn’t stop for about 8 weeks!

I’m not sure I’ve know fear though like the disciples, though. They had been with Jesus for 3 years and had seen him multiply some kids lunch, heal the sick, walk on water, and raise the dead. They knew Jesus was the Messiah. But then he was arrested and killed.

In John 20:19, it says the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. They were afraid, scared, anxious, and worried. That sounds a lot like us today with the COVID-19 scare. We too are finding ourselves hiding behind locked doors wondering if we are next.

But only five chapters later in Acts 4, those same disciples are boldly telling the story of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. They are also doing miracles which gets them arrested. While they are interrogated, they tell the authorities all about Jesus, the Name above all names.

Those authorities recognize a couple of things about the disciples in Acts 4. One is that they spent time with Jesus.

I want to encourage you to spend more time with Jesus and less time watching the news or scrolling social media. When we read about how incredible Jesus was and is through his Gospel, we become challenged and encouraged to be different than the world around us. Indeed, we become more emboldened to look and act and speak like Jesus. So, find time to be in God’s Word and take on Jesus’ personality.

After I get ready in the mornings, I jump into Jesus’ story. I start my day that way. It’s some assurance that no matter what I face when I walk out that door, Jesus is with me and I know what my responses are going to be. Are we going to take precautions? Of course. But we are going to imitate Jesus as closely as we can. As a disciple, that is the promise you made in those waters of baptism.

Secondly in Acts 4, we see those disciples asked God for boldness. So we want to be in prayer. Use that social media account to flood the internet with prayer for the sick, prayer for our medical teams, prayer for hospital staff, prayer for church ministers, prayer for children, prayer for quick healing, prayer for peace and a non-anxious spirit. We need to pray for boldness to find ways to serve other people.

As we all get unplanned time at home, it’s a great opportunity to find others you can serve. Check on those older members of your neighborhood or church or workplace. See if they need anything you can drop by their home. There are lots of ways to serve those around us.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he’s done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings on your journey.

Cannonball!

Summer is coming. And with that, swimming pool time. I know if you’re like me, you love to do a cannonball. That’s when you leave the edge of the pool running full sprint, leap in the air, tuck your legs under you and plunge into the water. You are going under and there is going to be a major splash.

That’s how God has called us to love people. You see, Jesus put no qualifiers on his statement in Mark 12. He simply said, “Love God. Love people.” He called us to love all people. Yes. those who have a different hair style or skin color or accent or worship style or have no eduction or more education…well you get the idea.

Jesus says that the love he offers is for everyone. Paul says in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.”

Think about what Peter said, the disciple handpicked by Jesus and who led the church in Jerusalem. In his great sermon on Pentecost, Peter told everyone that Jesus was for, well, everyone. Toward the end of the sermon, Peter reminded all those who were listening, “This promise [of salvation] is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called…”

As one reads through the letters of Paul, it is undeniable that Paul is hoping to get all his readers to see that God’s bubble is huge. God doesn’t want to lose anyone. God wants his entire creation in relationship with him. Paul wants all of us to see what it looks like when we choose to pop our bubbles and enter into the inclusive story God is creating in the world.

You can almost feel the emotional urgency Paul uses as he writes these words for us to live by in his letter to the Romans:

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:9-17).

So, today, live in such a way that those around you will say you follow Jesus. Love and be active in that love. Create a cannonball of love that will splash on everyone around you. Choose your words. Choose your actions. Choose a life that screams you’re in love with Jesus and with his creation. Blessings on the journey.

Turn on the Flashlight.

Did you ever follow anyone into a place with which you were unfamiliar? There has been more than one time when I was so glad someone was with me who knew where they were going…they had been there before and It saved me a lot of heartache and disappointment.

Life can be that way too. We all must grow, mature, learn, travel, experience and learn. If we don’t, we die. Now, you’ve had people in your life who have showed you a few things. When my boys were in junior high, I taught them how to pump gas, change a flat tire, remove and change out a car battery, and check the oil. These are basic things one needs to know to operate a vehicle. They could have learned on their own but because I was invested in them, had a relationship with them, wanted them to succeed in life, I showed them these things without them asking.

There are other, more important things we should be teaching as well. But in order for the teaching to be received well, we need a relationship or built rapport with that person. We create credibility with people through shared life experience and developing trust along the way. We typically see this most often with our spouse and children, but it can extend to friend-circles and coworkers.

I mean, how do you know someone is compassionate or honest or thoughtful or tender or real or grounded? It happens when we have a relationship with them and the deeper the relational tie, the more we see these things. This happens when we choose to be with others and travel with them.

Jesus showed us what that really looks like. Matthew 9 tells us Jesus had compassion on the crowds. His actions in his life tell us how compassionate a person he truly lived out. Matthew 20 is an example of him physically touching someone to heal them. We all need human interaction, especially touch, to be reminded someone cares for us. We learn how to comfort and be compassionate by looking at Jesus’ life and in turn we discover how that looks as we interact with others.

So, take time to build relationship. Go slow and see whose path you can light. Others around you are looking for a caring, compassionate person to help light their way. Pick one person and change how you interact with them. Choose three people over the course of a year to walk with. Take time to give hugs and handshakes. Affirm those around you with positive, encouraging words. You’ll find that as you take the time to imitate Jesus and lift others, you will be lifted as well. Blessings on the journey.

You have MUCH power here.

Some of us like down time. You know, when it’s quiet and you can collect your thoughts. However, we can’t stay there very long. We were created to be in community. Think about the last time you laughed with a friend so hard you stomach hurt. What about the late night shenanigans moment when you toilet papered someone’s yard…What about the moment you told something that was very private to a close friend and they hugged you up in affirmation?

Yes! We’ve all got moments that we remember when we lived heartily in community. We were made for community…to be together. Now, there are no promises it will always be light and airy with the people we chose to live out life with but tough or easy, we were made to journey together.

God have us family, both physical and spiritual. And in those families we learn what it means to live out loud. There are people in your life that you can name right now that helped you be the person you are today. Go ahead. Say 4 names out loud that poured into you, affirmed you, walked with you, held you up, and cheered for you. Do you remember how you felt? Like someone cared and knew you. But living in community isn’t always about receiving. It’s also about giving.

So now, it’s your turn to pour. Who are the 3-4 people right now that you are walking with? Who are the people in your life that you are affirming and cheering for? You do you pour into?

As people who have been gifted by God, we are equally called to share that giftedness with others. Now, it stands to reason that of course you’d cheer for your kids or grandkids. You no doubt are affirming your spouse. Those are given. I mean if you aren’t pouring into them, who will. So beyond those people, who this year have you chosen to walk with.

You know, Paul in Ephesians 4:11 reminds us that we have gifts and it’s our responsibility to equip God’s people to do his work and build up other Jesus followers. If you find yourself creating excuses of why you are not doing that, I feel you. We all could create multiple reasons why we can’t cheer for, affirm or pour into anyone. But then, I’d look like every other person in the world but we’re called to be different.

No matter where you are, decide today, right now, in this moment, you’re going to be different…that you’re going to pay it forward. Someone lifted you. Now, it’s your turn. May God grant you the vision to see who you can walk with. May God allow room and margin on your calendar to find someone to affirm and cheer. We were made for community. The call as a follower of Jesus is to live that way. Blessings on your journey.

Light it up!

You know, no one ever wakes up and says, “Today is the day I ruin my spouse’s life.” It just doesn’t happen like that. If there is disappointment, it is usually slow and subtle. But every decision we make today, for good or bad, will have ripple effects that will effect our spouse, our kids, our friends and those we hold dearest.

It’s like the garden scene in Genesis 2-3. Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden and told by God they could do anything except eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We don’t know how long they were in the garden but eventually, Satan entered, he tempted them both, they ate of the tree and sin entered the world along with shame and guilt.

Have you have felt ashamed of choices you made? Have you ever been guilty of something? Well, yes. We all have felt both of those things in our lives. Because of sin, we feel shame and guilt. But there is a remedy.

We discover in Ephesians 5:8-11 that before we met Jesus and accepted him as Lord, we lived in darkness. We were dark-living people. What is so true is that shame grows in darkness and healing only happens in the light. See, Satan, wants to keep us in the dark. He wants to isolate us. He wants to convince us that we can journey alone and we don’t need community. And the shame and guilt we feel when we make poor choices, Satan would say it’s part of our identity. It’s who we are. When we are alone, in darkness, we begin to believe his voice.

I’m reminded though God has already told me who I am. He says I’m made in his image. I’m his child. I’m part of his family. God is light. Jesus is light. We are called to be people of light…to live in the light. Satan wants us to live in secrecy but we discover that secrecy is the enemy of intimacy in all our relationships.

So, if you are struggling in your life, use truth with your spouse and with God to come into the light. Healing only happens in the light. See, we confess our sin to God for forgiveness and we confess our sin to people for healing.

Gather our accountability group. Get into and read God’s Word. Become part of a faith group. Begin speaking to God through prayer. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy. If you want the burden you’ve been carrying to be removed, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest.” What are you waiting for? Press through the pain of truth to get to the peace of healing. I know you are ready. It’s time to live as people of light. Blessings on your journey.

We go together like...

When you’re dating it seems many times, opposite attract. However after years of being together in marriage, those same qualities can attack. Maybe you started out by talking about how laid back they were but now, they are lazy. Or how put together they are and organized but now they are so controlling. The same characteristics that seem to attract now attack.

God uses our differences to enhance our marriage but Satan can use those differences to tear us apart, especially if we are not intentional about some priorities we’ve set for our marriage.

First, we must make God our ONE and our spouse our TWO. If we set this as the priority in our life, everything else will follow. Now, we are still going to disagree and have conflict. We are not going to see eye to eye on every issue. There may be days that you just need some distance to reset but if we make God our priority, we’ll always come at our partnership selflessly.

We also have to pursue our two and state daily in words and action that marriage is about “we”, not “me”.

What we must realize is our marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Here’s the difference. A contract is based on mutual distrust. It’s the idea that I’m in this as far as you are in. I don’t trust you enough so I want you to sign a piece of paper to promise me you’ll do what you say you’ll do.

A covenant is based on mutual commitment. Go to Genesis 15 when God cuts a covenant with Abram. He doesn’t have any kids yet but God says he’ll have more kids than the stars in the sky and the world will be blessed through his lineage (a foreshadowing of Jesus). God makes a promise, more than a contract, to Abram. It’s serious stuff.

So in our marriages we say “for better or worse…until death do us part”. However, many times at the first difficult season, we part ways and say good bye. If we are truly making our life based on our love for Jesus and following his character, then we’ll follow biblical examples of healthy marriage.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:21-33 what a healthy marriage looks like. He reminds us a covenant partnership is Godly leadership and mutual submission. Now that doesn’t mean ordering someone around and demeaning a spouse. Paul calls us to mutual submission and to husbands to love our wives like Jesus loves the church…to the extent we’d give our lives selflessly for her.

Paul reminds us of the key in Ephesians 5:33, “the husband loves his wife and the wife respects her husband.” The more I truly love my wife, the more she will respect my position as the spiritual lead in the family. The more she respects me as a man of God, the more I am compelled to love her in multiple ways. It’s a beautiful cycle once you get it moving in the right direction.

So, who begins? The one that’s more mature. Your marriage will be as good as both of you decide it will be. You can only change you so why not begin today? Loving your spouse; being committed to your promise; deciding to change for the better…these are all choices you must make daily. Every morning I put my feet on the floor I make a choice: “Today, I’m going to honor my wife. Today, I’m going to live for Jesus.”

The marriage journey is a fantastic one to take. There are ups and downs. But nothing is more rewarding than pouring into your TWO and having a life-partner you can fully depend on and love. Enjoy the journey. My hope and prayer is God will bless you in so many ways.