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Friday, December 16, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 7

“If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden

The controversy over the organ continued to be played out in church circles for years.

John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist movement, were both song writers. Charles Wesley was the most prolific. He wrote 6,500 songs during his lifetime. He often used bar tunes as the musical background for the songs he wrote. Many of the songs that Charles wrote were paraphrased from the Church of England’s Prayer Book.

John Wesley was said to have commented about the organ: “I have no objection to the organ in our chapels provided it is neither seen nor heard.”

During the 1860’s Charles Spurgeon refused to place an organ in his 5,000 seat Metropolitan Tabernacle out of fear that people would come to hear the music, and not the message. Over time though the organ and the style of music the organ was suited for became the tradition of the church.

On the other end of the spectrum of the discussion and controversy over church music, worship style and instruments, William Booth (1829-1912), founder of the Salvation Army, used brass bands on the streets, which he was criticized for. His response to the criticism was, “Why should the Devil have all the best music?”

The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 8.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 6

“If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden

One of the most prolific worship song writers of all time was Isaac Watts (1674-1748). He has been called the “Father of English Hymnody.” During his song writing career he created a stir by paraphrasing Scripture into his ‘man-made’ hymns.

Watts was brilliant as a young boy, having learned five languages by the time he turned twelve. As a young man Watts was distressed by the dry singing in the English churches. His frustration motivated him to produce over 750 hymns. His derision for the existing church music moved him to remark, “The singing of God’s praise is the part of worship most closely related to heaven; but its performance among us is the worst on earth.” The influence of the hymns that Watts wrote on the English churches of his day compares to the impact that ‘contemporary music’ has had on the church in the last 50 years. In Watts’ time churches often split due to the conflict between traditional church music and the sacred music. Much of this conflict was directly related to the songs that he wrote.1

The sacred music that Watts wrote once again allowed people to move from being audiences of great works of music to participants in the worship service. Throughout the 18th century, composers "borrowed" common melodies of popular non-church songs as the tunes for worship music. The worship lyrics were sung to the popular tune. During this period hymns, anthems, and choruses, as the church has come to call them, were written by musicians, clergy and lay people.

The controversy around music continued!
Stay tuned for Part 7.
Matt

1. (Resource: THE PHILOSOPHY OF CHURCH MUSIC AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE EXPANSION OF THE CHURCH -- A Paper Presented to Dr. Thom Rainer - The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 5

“If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden

Today it is unusual to find a musical instrument that at one time was in the forefront of the worship controversy – the organ! It is not unusual for a church to get a call from someone who would like to donate an organ that is no longer wanted. In some church circles the organ is seen as a symbol of the ‘good ole’ days and the lack of one as a capitulation to the ways of the world. This was not the way it was historically.

Reformed churches fought against the use of the organ given that it was a ‘worldly instrument.’ The father of the ‘Reformed’ movement, Martin Luther, rejected the organ as an “ensign of Baal.” John Calvin, another one of the reformists, said of the organ in worship “it is no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of tapers or revival of the other shadows of the law. The Roman Catholics borrowed it from the Jews.”

Though the Reformers were against the use of the organ, some 17th century churches began to use it in their worship gatherings. Employing the organ was using the “world’s” methods, so this practice caused quite a stir. Controversy and division ensued for an extended period of time. Eventually the organ became part of ‘proper’ musical instruments to use in worship.

The celebration of the Eucharist [Eucharist means ‘thanksgiving’ and is the official name for Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Church] in the Roman Catholic Church service is called ‘The Mass.’ In the 17th and 18th centuries some of the world's greatest composers contributed to the music for
‘Mass’ or the church services. Bach composed a Mass in all twenty-four keys! Handel created the Oratorio ‘the Mass’, a sacred opera with a narrator. Handel's most famous religious composition was "The Messiah." Schutz composed "The Seven Last Words." Mozart wrote eighteen ‘Masses.’ Haydn penned fourteen ‘Masses’, all positive and happy, focusing on faith in God. Most of this worship music was for the congregation to watch and observe as spectators and not for participation.

These spectator driven concerts [Masses] became controversial and led away from the common person worshipping as God instructed.

The controversy around music continued!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 4

If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden

In the early 14th century, Pope Clement the V wrote that "many ministers of the Church,” in addition to neglecting their prayers in favor of sports like falconry and fox hunting, "do not fear to dance licentiously in the church cemeteries, and at times sing silly songs." To correct what was becoming an accepted practice, he decreed that the liturgy should be "devoutly chanted" in all Cathedrals and churches. Once again what was sang and how it was sung was mandated. The singing moved away from hymns and songs to ‘devout chants.’

John Wycliffe (1328-1384) was interested in the common person being able to understand and participate in every part of what was happening in the church world. His life ambition was to provide the Scriptures so that the common person could understand them and apply them. Regarding the singing or chanting that was common in the church, Wycliffe complained: “No one can hear the words, and all the others are dumb and watch them like fools.” The singing had again moved back to chanting by professionals. The average person was a spectator and not a participant. The sound had taken over the message. Instead of God as the ‘Audience of One,’ the congregation had become the audience.

At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), church leaders met to address the problem of the difficult and extremely varied music that was being sung throughout the church world. At the Council of Trent the first official manual giving basic instruction in music and singing was formulated. It was decided that the music for worship must be within reasonable scope. The complexity of the music had to be at a level that did not keep the congregation from participating. The emphasis was moving back towards the participation of the congregation.

Martin Luther composed a number of hymns in the 16th century. Many of the hymns he wrote borrowed their melodies from popular tavern drinking songs of that period. As a young student, Luther earned money to pay his school fees by singing in the streets of Eisenach. Luther played the lute and sang. Music and singing was an important part of his life.

One of the three main tenants of Martin Luther’s Reformation was the restoration of congregational singing. The Reformation Movement defied the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that only ‘professionals’ were allowed to sing worship songs in public.

The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 5.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 3

If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden

Until the AD 300s almost all church music consisted of psalms chanted. A ‘cantor’ or leader would sing or chant a line and then the congregation would repeat the line. From Solomon’s Temple in 950 BC to the cathedrals of the 1300s music was handled by trained ‘professionals.’ The average person could only participate in the music and singing part of worship service by responding to the cantor. One of the dilemmas birthed in this practice was that the importance was put on the sound and the tone of the music and not on the message or on the involvement of everyone in worship.

In the 4th century, St. Augustine complained that sometimes music in church seems "directed to the sound rather than the sense" of the faith, in which case he "would prefer to hear no singing at all." Augustine was bothered that the music had become more about personal taste, likes and dislikes and quality then about the conveyance of truth. The ‘truth’ was there in the songs but it was buried under the highlighting of the cantor and the vocal gymnastics.

In the 9th Century Pope Leo IV discovered that the most important monastery in the region had quit singing the Gregorian Chants because the Abbot disliked the music. He sent orders to the Abbot: “We command under sentence of excommunication that, in the singing and readings in your churches, you carry them out in no other way than that which Pope St. Gregory handed down, and we hold that you cultivate and sing this tradition [Gregorian Chants] always.”

With the development of polyphonic singing (music in which two or more strands sound simultaneously), a new problem arose. Singers were improvising and singing their own songs during church services. They were no longer following the ‘handed down’ music. In the 12th century, the Bishop of Chartres complained that much singing in church is "full of ostentation." "Such is the facility of running up and down the scale," he wrote, "the ears lose their power of judging." He called on singers to return to tradition.

The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 4.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? [Part 2]

If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden

The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening. Some of the history is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.

The use of musical instruments also has a rich history. The first record of musical instruments is found in Genesis 4:21. “His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.” Musical instruments have an integral part of the worship of God’s people. Even a cursory reading of the book of Psalms reveals an assortment of instruments used in worship.

The history of instruments is not only rich but at times has been controversial. In 200 AD musical instruments were abandoned and banned in church settings. Church leaders felt that instrumentation distracted the mind from thoughts of God and turned the worshipper towards the ‘self.’ Other church leaders saw the use of musical instrument as “debauchery and immorality.” The stringed instrument called a ‘lyre’ was seen as ‘pagan’ and associated with prostitution.

For the next 500 years worship was 'a cappella.' 'A cappella' is an interesting term. It is Italian for ‘in the manner of the church’ or ‘in the manner of the chapel.’ The way of the church until the 8th century was to sing without musical instruments. Instruments were not used regularly by the church until the 8th century.

The controversy around music continued!
Stay tuned for Part 3.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? [Part 1 of 10]

“If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden

The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening; some is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.

Over the last 200 years various segments of the church has sought out opportunities to sing Christian music in secular settings as a form of outreach. This has not always been the practice of the church.

The first documented case of controversy about worship or church music comes from the 1st century. Pope St. Clement discovered that in various regions church musicians were singing psalms from the Christian liturgy at pagan festivals. These psalms were being sung in public, non-sacred settings and most likely the singers were profiting from the music. The Pope found this practice scandalous and intervened, forbidding the practice. His fear was that Christian musicians would appear as "wandering minstrels, singing tellers of tales of high adventure, who perform their art for a mouthful of bread."

In the early centuries of the church, Christians sang together as a type of mass choir. The music or words were never written out, but simply transmitted audibly and orally. There were no hymnals, song sheets, overheads or PowerPoint. All the songs were memorized by the average person.

As the centuries progressed though, the lyrics of the songs began to be sung in Latin by a chosen few. The average person did not speak, read or understand Latin and therefore was unable to join in the singing and was relegated to being a spectator.

How’s that for a little spicy history on the discussion of various forms of worship?

Stay tuned for … more of the story.
Matt

Monday, October 31, 2011

True Worshippers

The Apostle John records the event of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus asks her to draw water for him. This begins a dialogue about water, living water, the Messiah and what correct worship consists of. The woman asks about the place and the manner of worship. Jesus answers her not about the place and manner but about the heart of worship.

… true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24 NLT)

The idea that there are those who worship in ‘spirit and in truth’ exposes the reality that there are those who worship but not in ‘sprit and in truth.’ The ‘Father is looking for those who would worship Him in that way’ because there are those who would NOT worship in that way.

Thousands of years ago, King David declared: "How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You. We have never even heard of another God like You! (2 Samuel 7:22 NLT)

That is worship in ‘spirit and truth.’ That is the kind of worship that the Father is looking for. Worship in ‘spirit and truth’ is worship that recognizes, affirms, proclaims and surrenders to the bigness of God. Worship in ‘spirit and truth’ is worship that recognizes, affirms, proclaims and lives in the reality of the smallness of man.

Bible teacher Louie Giglio puts worship in ‘spirit and truth’ in perspective with this statement:
God is looking for men and women who are willing to be small because they know how big he is---and understand who they are not!

Harry Fosdick writes: God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things done.

God is not a ‘cosmic bellboy.’ There is no one like Him. There is no one so awesome, so immense, so potent, so imaginative, so magnificent and so all encompassing. There is no one so caring, so involved, so loving and so sacrificing as the One who came to this earth to free mankind from the plague of sin, shame and death.

Father, teach us to worship in ‘spirit and truth.’ Amen

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Spiritual Cholesterol

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

We have been constantly reminded over the last decade about cholesterol. There are warnings about cholesterol numbers and getting cholesterol checked at physical time. We've heard about diet; the foods that raise cholesterol and foods that lower it. We have heard volumes about how exercise can lower the numbers.

When too much 'bad' cholesterol is circulating in the blood stream, it can clog the arteries and lead to significant impact, and ultimately lead to heart disease. There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, only symptoms caused by the damage it is doing to the body.

There are common emotional reactions that, if left unchecked, will act spiritually just like cholesterol and damage a person's spiritual circulatory system. Fear, sorrow, anger, hurt, worry are some of the common emotions that each of us experience. Theses emotions have beneficial uses. Life could be difficult and at times confusing without them.

When there is too much of these emotions, there can be clogging of the spiritual arteries. Too much of each of these can actually bring about emotional paralysis.

Solomon's advice to 'guard your heart above all else' was not about cholesterol. His admonition was about spiritual cholesterol. It was about guarding against emotions run amuck. His warning was about fear that becomes chronic, sorrow that becomes depression, unchecked anger that becomes rage, hurts that without forgiveness become bitterness, and worry that can become paranoia.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is 'high cholesterol' medicine. The Holy Spirit wants to grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in us. These fruits combat high 'spiritual cholesterol.'

Holy Spirit, grow your fruit in us. Combat the high spiritual cholesterol in us that clogs our spiritual circulatory system. Amen.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Guard the constructive. Guard against the destructive.

People often think of the past as a less complicated, simpler way of life. Schedules were much less complicated, if they even existed at all. Economy was built on needs and bartering, not wants. Transportation was so simple, and yet difficult, at the same time. Moving around was so difficult that people for the most part simply didn’t travel. Technology as we know it - radio, TV, Internet and iEverything - just didn’t exist.

Almost 3000 years ago King Solomon wrote: Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 GW) Guard your heart from what? Not TV. Not the News. Not movies, Internet or iThings. None of that existed. So what was a person to guard from ‘more than anything else?’

Solomon was coaching his son to guard his heart from things that are much more rudimentary. He was coaching his son to guard his attitudes and thoughts. Attitudes and thoughts become driving forces in a person’s life. Attitudes and thoughts, over time either become constructive or destructive. They either build a person or they destroy a person. They either build relationships or they destroy relationships.

He was coaching people to guard against greed, lust, bitterness, anger, jealousy, cynicism and criticism. These attitudes become the driving force in life. He was also coaching people to guard integrity, honesty, humility, kindness, forgiveness, and gratefulness. Guard the constructive. Guard against the destructive.

Paul talked about attitudes in what is called ‘The Love Chapter.’ Here are the attitudes he writes about - Love is: kind, patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude, isn't selfish, quick tempered, doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do, love rejoices in the truth, is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. (1 Cor.13:4ff)

What constructive attitude do you need to guard today? What destructive attitude do you need to guard against today?

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Guard Your Heart

More is known about the human heart today than during any other time period in history. There may be more that has been discovered about the heart in the last 50 years than was known in all of the other centuries combined!

Doctors and researchers know how the heart functions, what clogs the heart up, what medicines can be used to help a heart that is beating irregularly, how to hook up a pacemaker that keeps the heart beating at the correct rate, how to install an internal defibrillator to restart the heart instantly when something goes wrong, how to do by-pass surgery and heart transplants. Is there anything that medical science can’t do for the human heart? Yes!

All of the procedures mentioned above have complications and side effects. Most of the procedures require constant monitoring, tweaking and follow-up. They are not permanent solutions. Transplant recipients are relegated to a life on immunosuppressive drugs to keep their body from rejecting the transplant.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a person’s spiritual, emotional and psychological heart could be fixed in the same way? Life would be so different if we could take a pill, have a bypass or have a transplant. If solving ‘heart problems’ happened that simply, we would never have to ‘guard our hearts.’

Solomon wrote: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)
The Message Bible says it this way: Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.

How many times have we heard that we need to watch what we eat, watch our salt intake, exercise, etc? All of these have a direct impact on the heart. Medical Science would say: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life!

Guard your heart above all else! Guard what your heart thinks about, the assumptions it makes, what is allowed access, what your heart feels, judgments that are made, worries, perceptions, etc. The list could literally go on and on. Guard your heart above all else – your life depends on it!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Wise People Put Into Practice Jesus' Words

If people were asked: Do you want to be wise? Most people would say something like: Of course! Who doesn't want to be wise?

Almost no one would choose to be a fool or live foolishly. Foolishness is not a desired quality. Jesus taught about wise and foolish people. He said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, 25 NIV)

Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. Wise in this situation is not just hearing the words – you must ‘put them into practice.'

Everyone who hears His words and doesn't 'put them into practice' is like 'the foolish man who built his house on sand.'

The wisdom isn't in the hearing or knowing, the wisdom is in the 'putting into practice.' The problem is, as people, we are pretty good about hearing but we are not so good about 'putting into practice.'

Right from the very beginning of the human race Adam and Eve heard BUT they couldn't 'put into practice.' People have been following the path just like the foolish man.

Jesus, teach us to be people who hear AND who 'put into practice.' Amen

Friday, September 23, 2011

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

I was recently reading an interview of the author of the Message Bible, Eugene Peterson. In the interview he was asked questions about living the Christian life. One of his answers was very profound.

He described the Christian life as “a long obedience.” He has also described following Jesus as “a long obedience in the same direction.” That is a great explanation and description of what it means to follow Jesus.

‘A long obedience in the same direction.’ Following Jesus is not a one time commitment. It is not raising my hand and responding to a prayer at a church service, concert or Christian event. Following Jesus is a way of life. It is an obedient way of life. It is a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month and year by year obedience in the same direction.

Three hundred years ago Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, wrote about giving care to the minutes of life and not just the years of life. He wrote: “I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.” Minute by minute obedience in the same direction.

A few years ago Mother Teresa wrote similar words regarding giving care to the small things in life. She said:
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Faithfulness in the small things of life in the same direction.

It is easier to say and to talk about than to live! As we each seek to navigate living as followers of Jesus in a very conflicted and complicated world, it is difficult to continue to keep these ideas in mind and to practice.

In the middle of the confusion and frustration that seems to be part of the package of life, some throw up their arms and conclude that how life is lived really doesn’t matter. The conclusion is that sincerity is what really matters in life. Sincerity takes care of everything else in life. You just have to be sincere.

Sincerity plays a part but it is only a part. Following Jesus is ‘a long obedience in the same direction’ and ‘taking care of minutes’ and ‘faithfulness in the small things.’

Friday, September 16, 2011

Reinforce Your Marriage

I don’t have to explain to any of you the pressures that people are under in our world today. There is pressure from the stateside circumstances that we are all living under, and the entire world is feeling pressure from the economic and political climate of the countries of the world. Some of the pressure comes from conflict in the Middle East and North Africa or the economic pressures from what is happening in Greece, England and other corners of the European continent. Some of the pressure comes from the economy, inflation, unemployment, the decrease in housing values, the roller coaster of the stock market, and the political landscape pressures of what is happening in our country, state, county and tip of the Island.

Physical pressure bearing down on an object, over time, reveals the areas of weakness in that object. In the same way physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and mental pressures that a person is under will, over time, reveal weaknesses in a person’s life and relationships.

When people are under the pressure they find themselves in today, ‘something has to give.’ Unfortunately the area that begins to fracture and, even worse, explode or implode is the relationship of married people. The pressure will take its toll in the area that is weak and the areas that need to be reinforced, but have been neglected.

People in our church, in our community and around the Island are experiencing the fracturing in their lives.

The Elders of SWAG have been praying and planning for a few months about these pressures and the fracturing that is occurring. We have a strategy to address some of the areas that need to be ‘reinforced’ in people’s personal lives and relationships.

Here is the basic information of two free training and reinforcement events that will be happening on the SWAG campus. Complimentary meals and childcare will be provided. The times will be fun, challenging, stretching, and will reinforce needed areas in each of our marriages. I hope to see you here.

Securing Your Marriage: Friday, Sept. 30th, 6:30–9:00 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1st, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m..

Storm-Proofing Your Marriage: Sunday Evenings, Oct. 9, 16, 23 & 30. 5:00–7:00 p.m..

You will find more information online at www.swag-online.org. Registration is required and can be done online or by calling South Whidbey Assembly at 360-221-1656.

Friday, September 9, 2011

National Conscience

Woven throughout Scripture is the theme of CONSCIENCE. The Bible talks about David’s conscience being bothered. It also talks about having a clear conscience, a good conscience, an evil conscience, a seared conscience, a corrupt conscience, a weak conscience and someone being conscience stricken.

What is the conscience? Conscience has been defined as: The sense of right and wrong that governs a person's thoughts and actions. The English word conscience comes finds its roots in the idea of being conscious of what will happen or conscious of guilt. Conscience is derived from: ‘con’ = with + ‘science’ = knowledge or with knowledge.

The conscience, when it is working correctly, is like the screeching of car wheels when the brakes are worn out or the indicator light that comes on to tell you better get gas, the buzzer that tells you your seat belt is not connected, the chirp of the smoke detector that beeps to tell you that the battery needs changed or the warning pop-up that says you are about to open a virus infected email or website.

People have a conscience. They can bury it, change it, sear it or disable it but it is still there. One aspect of a follower of Jesus is the reactivation and continual recalibrating of the conscience that happens.

Benjamin Franklin said: “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”

Not only do people have a conscience but groups and nations have a conscience. That conscience can be continually renewed and re-calibrated or it can be calloused over and ultimately seared.

Our first President George Washington said: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.” In recent times we have not done that. As a people we have not labored to keep alive the spark of celestial fire.

Social and political commentator Will Rogers said: “People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.”

What will it take to renew our national conscience? What will it take to recalibrate what has been confused and lost?

Friday, August 26, 2011

Bob the Bull

We bought another bull! This is our third bull! I said to someone that we were starting a herd. They responded that we can’t start a herd with bulls and you can’t start a herd when the bulls are turned into hamburger.

If you are new or if it slipped by you let me help you understand. In the last year we have had the opportunity as a church family to purchase a couple of bulls and have them butchered. The meat was given to the Good Cheer Food Bank. The food bank has gotten about 2500 lbs of hamburger so far. This is a huge help to them in this season in our community when they are serving close to 1000 families a month.

A couple of weeks ago we received a call about another bull that was for sale. This bull is by far the biggest of the three. His name is Bob and he weighs in at 3000 lbs. The food bank will receive another 2000 lbs of hamburger and soup bones. This will feed families in a significant way.

You have done this: You who have given to SWAG, you who worked at last year at the fair and you who worked at this year at the fair. You have done what Jesus said: “Whenever you give to the least of these you have given to me and whenever you have fed the hungry you have given to me!”

One of the key verses that have guided decisions for us over the years is found in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. The word of the Lord given to Jeremiah was: Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7 NLT)

We are part of this community called to work for the peace and the prosperity of Whidbey Island. We are to pray for this community. The welfare of this community will determine our welfare.

Thanks for working and giving so that God can work in this community!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Early Christians were called Atheists

Something I have found interesting over the years is the way that words change in usage. The list might include: hot, bad, rad, cool, far-out, wicked … the list is almost endless.

A word that has changed is ‘awful.’ Historically and etymologically, ‘awful,’ meant ‘full of awe.’ When someone said something was awful, they meant that it was full of awe; it was wonderful, delightful, and amazing. Over time the word has evolved to mean exactly the opposite. Isn’t that awful?

It is interesting that early Christians were referred to as atheist. In the Roman world of the early church years the emperor was believed to be ‘a god’ and there were literally hundreds of ‘gods.’ The early Christians rejected, and didn’t believe in, the emperor as god and they rejected the pantheon of gods. They were, therefore, referred to as atheist. A pagan Roman citizen might have referred to a disciple of Jesus by saying: He’s an atheist.

This, of course, is totally different than how the word is used today. An ‘atheist’ is someone who believes or is convinced there is no such thing as God or gods or anything outside the material realm. An atheist and a Christian are on opposite ends when it comes to anything that might smack of a belief in a god or a higher power.

The early Christians didn’t just reject the emperor god or the pantheon of gods. They rejected anything that had got in the way of, or was opposed to, a life that honored God through living for the resurrected Jesus. If it meant a loss of livelihood, shelter, food, acceptance and even life – they were not going to capitulate and were proud to be called ‘atheist.’ They were proud to reject anything that hindered them in the service of Jesus.

I have to ask myself: Is there anything that I am allowing to hinder me in my service of Jesus?
What about you?




Friday, July 8, 2011

Communication - Quick to Listen

I have been writing the last few weeks about communication. I started by writing: Communication is an interesting and confusing dynamic. It sure doesn’t seem like communication should be so perplexing or complicated. The truth is though – communication can be most difficult.

Communication is often misunderstood because people see it as a one-way activity. People tend to believe that communication has happened when something has been said. Communication is not a one-way activity though –it is a two way activity. It includes speaking BUT it also includes listening. Of the two sides, listening may be the more important side.

It has been said that since God gave us two ears and one mouth it should be obvious that we should listen twice as much as we talk. This isn’t always the case though. Listening is not something that comes naturally or that everyone does well. Listening well is so rare that when someone is a good listener, people will comment about the skill.

The Bible has over 500 verses that deal with listening. The verses are scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments.

One of the most direct verses in the Scripture was written by Jesus’ half-brother, James. He wrote:
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19 NLT)

Be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” If we as human beings could practice just those two things, communication world-wide and in every societal structure would change. Work would change, home life would change, neighborhood associations, political groups, church groups and even entire nations would change.

I tell teams that I coach: You play what you practice. If we all practice listening, the game of life would be better because we would play the game of life as listeners.

Communication - Good - Helpful and Encouraging

I started my thoughts last week with this idea: Communication is an interesting and confusing dynamic. It sure doesn’t seem like communication should be so perplexing or complicated. The truth is though – communication can be most difficult. Then I wrote about honesty and the two sides of honesty.

There is a little saying about honesty that I learned over 20 years ago from Win Anderson.

Not everything that is honest needs to be said but everything that is said needs to be honest.

This is an impacting idea. If I spoke everything that came into my mind – honest thoughts – it would not be good for me and it would not be good for others.

This idea was illustrated a few years ago in the movie , “Liar, Liar” starring Jim Carey. In the movie the father is an attorney who has trouble telling the truth and keeping a promise. His son, Max, decides to make an honest man out of his father by making a wish that for one whole day his dad would not be able to lie. The wish comes true and all his father can do is tell the truth no matter whether it should be said or not.

There is a truth found in Scripture that gives guidance regarding WHAT to say.

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

What is said not only has to be true but it has to be good and helpful. What is said has to be an encouragement to the hearer.

The teaching of God’s Word is that each of us is to be committed to being truth tellers and truth hearers. That is only part of the teaching. The rest is to speak good, helpful and encouraging words.

We are called to tell the truth when it is good, helpful and encouraging!

Communication - Honesty Both Ways

Communication is an interesting and confusing dynamic. It sure doesn’t seem like communication should be so perplexing or complicated. The truth is though – communication can be most difficult.

One of the aspects that make communication complicated is the area of honesty. Though honesty is the primary building block of communication, it is often missing or only partially present. Being honest is often not as easy as it would appear to be. “Just tell the truth!” Easier said than done – yes?

Honesty is complicated because honesty is not one sided -- it is two sided. Honesty requires the person ‘communicating’ to tell the truth. Honesty also requires the person ‘receiving the communication’ to permit honesty. When the sender is less than honest or the receiver doesn’t allow complete honesty, there is faulty communication. Healthy communication cannot occur in that kind of environment.

People will sometimes ask someone else, “Can I be completely honest with you?” Why do people ask that question? People might also say, “OK, I’m going to be honest with you.” Why?

People say these things, while attempting to communicate, because the ‘hearer’ often does not what honesty. They say they do. They are hurt and disappointed when honesty is lacking BUT they get angry when the truth is communicated.

If people want to experience healthy communication both aspects have to be present. There has to be a commitment on the ‘sender’ to communicate honesty and there has to be a commitment on the ‘receiver’ to receive honesty. When two people or more have that kind of dynamic working, communication happens!

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. (Ephesians 4:25 NLT)

Be honest! Receive honesty!

Vacation - God's Idea

Summer is often vacation time for people. Families plan trips, taking time away from their normal routines and work schedules. Vacations are a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with family, make memories and to consider life.

Vacation as a term was first used in the late 14th century. It is from a French word that means, ‘to be empty, free, or at leisure’. The word might be relatively new but the idea of down time or leisure is not a new idea.

God specifically told the Jewish people, early on, that they were to have a Sabbath.

This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow. (Exodus 16:23 NLT)

Sabbath, taking time away, being free or at leisure, was so important to God that there were penalties prescribed by God for people who did not obey. The penalties were not minor either. They were severe. It was God’s way of shoe-horning the people into having down time. People by nature work and worry and endlessly pursue ‘self-provision.’ This leads to working endlessly.

Jesus said:
I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. … Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27 NLT)

Not only were the people of God instructed, with consequences for disobedience, to take a day a week off, they were also to take a week a year off to celebrate and give thanks. Their land was to be given a ‘Sabbath year of rest’ every seven years. No farming of the land was permitted every seventh year.

God didn’t instruct people to take days off and weeks off for His good or for the good of others. (The Sabbath year for the land is good for creations.) He instructs people to take days off and weeks off because it is good for people. It is good for them physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and relationally. It may not be financially a great idea, but what did Jesus say about that?

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Riddle of Epicurus

Acts 17 introduces an interesting group of people to our teaching series, The Jesus Story… Continued! The group is called the ‘Epicurean philosophers.’ Most Americans, though heavily influenced by his thought, have never heard the title Epicurean Philosophers. Much of how life is lived by 21st century Americans carries amazing similarities to the teachings of Epicurus.

Epicurus lived 300 years before the time of Jesus. He was a philosopher, teacher and a prolific writer, though most of his writings were destroyed. He established a learning center where his philosophy was passed down. At the end of his life he willed this school to one of his students and set-up an endowment to continue educating and training others in his philosophy.

Over the last 15 years people have wrestled with and written about what is referred to as ‘The Riddle of Epicurus.’ The Riddle of Epicurus is older than the writings of Jesus. The Riddle of Epicurus is one of the oldest statements about the issue of the ‘problem of evil.’ Googling ‘The Riddle of Epicurus’ results in over 650,000 websites. The Riddle has been written about in books, magazines, blogs, and textbooks positively, negatively and ponderously. The Riddle is used more and more as part of an argument for the rejection of the God of Christianity and the Bible. It has received significant press over the last few years by published authors and arm-chair bloggers. The Riddle can be found in various different forms by different bloggers and writers.

The Riddle of Epicurus goes like this:
Is god willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. (All Powerful)
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. (Not Loving)
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him god?

Because this riddle was unable to be solved by Epicurus, his students or teachers he concluded that if there is a god or gods, they are not involved in life on this planet.

Do these arguments sound vaguely familiar? Have you heard some form of this idea before?

More and more people process life this way: If there is something I can’t see, I don’t understand or a question I can’t answer, then it must not be real.

This is the ultimate statement of man claiming there is no god because he himself is not god who would be able to see everything, understand everything and can answer everything.

The truth of life has been stated another way. “There are two things I know: There is a God and you are not Him!”

There is a God and I’m not him!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Happy Father’s Day!

When I pray for fathers, families and children in the church and community, I regularly pray the last verse from the book of Malachi. Malachi was the last prophet to speak in the years before Jesus came to earth. A prophet is someone who speaks on God’s behalf. The words of Malachi were the last words that the children of Israel would hear for 400 years. So the last words of the last prophet are significant. The last words of the last prophet mean something today!

His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:6 NLT)

Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. That is God’s desire for Father’s Day. Father’s Day is not just about honoring fathers. Father’s Day is about fathers being reminded of the call to serve and lead their children and families. Father’s Day is about emphasizing to children how important fathers are.

NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon describes being a father like this: “I had no idea of the real true purpose of everything I do until I became a father.” Driven by Ambition

Former Mariners star Alex Rodriguez said it this way: “Dad left us when I was 9. What did I know back then? I thought he was coming back. I thought he had gone to the store or something. But he never came back… It still hurts.” Would Rodriguez have made different choices than some of the poor ones he’s made if Dad had never left?

The importance of Dads is found in the words of the poem, “The Little Chap Who Follows Me.” Google it!

A careful man I ought to be; A little fellow follows me; I do not dare to go astray; For fear he'll go the self-same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes; Whatever he sees me do he tries~ Like me, he says, he's going to be; The little chap who follows me.

Happy Father’s Day!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Get a hold of yourself!

A few weeks ago I commented about how character has been taking a bashing of late. Every day the news gets more bizarre as the stories of well known people’s behavior is unraveled for the world to see.

The one area of character that is taking the hardest bashing is self-control. It is apparent that there is a serious lack of self-control throughout the corners of the globe. Self-control is an interesting idea. The word that is used in the original language actually means ‘to grip or to take hold of.’ The idea is ‘to grip self or take hold of self.’ We use a phrase with those words. We say to someone who is out of control: Get a hold of yourself!

Does ‘self’ control what you do or do you control ‘self’? Self-control is about controlling self. When we don’t control self – we are rightly accused of being ‘selfish.’ Selfishness is when ‘me’ is in control. Everything is me, me, me!

Self-control is when self is being controlled. Jesus said that His followers needed to ‘die daily.’ Die to what? Die to self. Die to me. The only thing that will put an end to selfishness or me-ishness is death. Dead people can’t demand that their wants get met.

Philosopher, writer and teacher Aristotle once said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.”

Fortunately ‘self-control’ is not something I have to create or pull out of a hat. Self-control is a character strength and trait that the Holy Spirit wants to create in every life. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia saying: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, … and self-control.

The Holy Spirit wants to, is waiting to, and will, when given access, create the fruit of self-control in a person’s life.

Your assignment – Pray every day: Holy Spirit create the fruit of self-control in my life. Amen

Friday, June 3, 2011

Accountability - Place or Replace

Over the last 10 years of church history ‘accountability’ has become a regular part of the vocabulary of people’s lives. People talk about being ‘in an accountability group’ or ‘having an accountability partner.’ You might overhear others talk about ‘being held accountable.’ Regularly, here at South Whidbey Assembly, when helping someone break a habit or some life controlling practice, we will utilize the strength of accountability.

Accountability is an interesting practice. I might recruit someone to ‘hold me accountable’ for how I am doing in my spiritual disciplines of praying, reading, fasting, meditating, giving and so on. It is a great thought that someone would ‘hold me accountable.’ The problem is that someone else can only hold me accountable when two conditions are in operation. Condition number one is that I give full permission to and cooperate with the one holding me accountable. Condition number two is that I am brutally honest when I don’t do what I am seeking the accountability for. Both conditions are totally controlled by me! When accountability fails to work – this is most often the point of the breakdown.

One of the understandings that I have recently come to is that accountability has a place but it is not meant to replace. Let me explain.

The place for accountability is to help me, support me and coach me while CHARACTER is being formed in my life. Accountability is meant to be the supports holding up a particular wall while adjacent character walls and character structures are put into place.

Accountability is not meant to replace character creation, growth or development. When accountability hinders character creation, the person is weakened and not strengthened. When accountability becomes a replacement rather than having a simple place, the person fails to move forward as is intended.

Ultimately, the character of Jesus in us is what is to guide our choices, habits and practices - not accountability.

The bottom line question has to always be: Is the character of Jesus being formed in me?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Convenient or Inconvenient Love

Most of us have people in our relationship world that are pretty easy to love. We enjoy spending time with them and they enjoy our company. We are rewarded emotionally when we serving them. We often think like them and have similar values. It doesn’t take much to love them. There is very little emotional displacement in our lives. If every connection in our relationship world were this kind of connection life would be less stressful. Convenient would describe these relationships.

On the other hand, we all have people in our relationship world that are more difficult to love. Spending time in these relationships is draining. Serving them takes an emotional toll on us. They make think different than us. They may have different values. Loving in these connects displaces huge amounts of emotion. The love needed in these relationships could be described as inconvenient.

Jesus talked about convenient and inconvenient love.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:46-48 (NIV)

Jesus’ idea of being perfect is not what most of us think. Being perfect is often thought of as ‘moral’ perfection. Living an upright life is important. Living an upright life is desirable. Being perfect though is about loving when it is inconvenient to love. Jesus said that loving only when it is convenient ultimately has no reward.

Truly loving happens when we allow the emotional displacement and allow our lives to be inconvenienced for the benefit and welfare of others. Truly loving is when time is displaced, money is displaced, and emotions are displaced.

Love is really only love, not when it is convenient, but when it is inconvenient.

Friday, May 20, 2011

What Kind of Shadow does Your Character Cast?

If you follow the news even a little bit you are aware that this week has given us a semester’s worth of lessons on what it looks like to be lacking in CHARACTER.

• The head of the International Monetary Fund, and the man likely to have become the next President of France, was arrested for inappropriate actions towards a hotel worker.

• Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed a child that was born to a domestic worker over a decade ago. His marriage is over.

• For $200 a British woman lied about having injected her 8 year old daughter with Botox. The story made international news.

• 2004 Olympic Gold Medal cyclist, Tyler Hamilton, returned his Gold Medal, having admitted that he had been using performance enhancing drugs.

It is easy to pick out character deficiencies in others – but what about in my own life? Seeing, or not seeing, character deficiencies in my own life is like looking at my own hairdo in the mirror. At best I only partially know what my hairdo looks like. I only see a portion of my hairdo unless I use two or three mirrors – I can’t see it all. The front of my hair can be pristine while the back of my head looks like it was hit by a storm.

‘Character’ is very similar. The temptation is to look as good as we can to people. From the front the character looks good. From the side things don’t look so good. From the back the response is “Wow!” “I didn’t see that coming!”

The US Air Force defines character a, "Qualities of moral excellence which compel a person to do the right things despite pressure or temptations to the contrary."

Character is described as a ‘complex mix of attributes that make-up and determine a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions.’

President Abraham Lincoln said character is the tree and reputation is the shadow.

What does your character really look like? What kind of shadow does your character cast?

Jesus, develop the righteous character produced by Jesus Christ! (Philippians 1:11)

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Lions are Hunting

I have been in a number of conversations over the last few weeks where the discussion has been about the craziness of the world we are living in.

The pressures that people are feeling right now from the world situation, the national situation and the economic situation are significant and are taking their toll on people.

I wish that was all that was happening though! It is not.
•Parents are struggling with the pressures their children are under.
•Married couples are struggling to keep their relationships together and growing.
•Pornography is damaging men and women, married and single, young and old.
•Singles are struggling with loneliness and the pressures of a promiscuous culture.

Everything that is happening reminds me of a verse written by the Apostle Peter:
Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow. (1 Peter 5:8 NIrV)

It is interesting that Peter uses a lion as a picture of the attacker. Lions are great hunters. There are some interesting facts that make the picture of a lion especially apropos to the struggles of life.

Lions are not the fastest of animals. They are actually slower than most of the prey they eat. They are sneaky though. They will sneak up on a ‘wildebeest’ and then pounce in a final burst of speed. They are also experts at waiting until the prey needs something like water or shade and then hunting them in their moment of need. They also rely on the forgetfulness of the prey. It is not unusual for a herd of ‘gazelle’ to be chased and one to be caught and eaten while the rest of the herd goes back to business as usual. Within a short time the whole episode starts again as if the herd of ‘gazelle’ were taken by surprise. Lions also hunt in a group. The prey gets distracted by one lion, only to be caught by another.

Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Don’t be snuck up on. Be ready when you have a need. Don’t forget how the enemy works – he’s relying on a person’s forgetfulness! Be on your guard when the lion is trying to get you in one area another lion might strike!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Don’t Wait – Start the Change Today!

Just recently I heard someone say that people change for three reasons:
1. When they hurt enough that they have to change something.
2. When they learn enough that they want to change something.
3. When they receive enough that they are able to change something.

Why? Why does it have to be that way?

It is unfortunate that we humans find it so hard to break out of habits and patterns that keep us stuck where we are. It would be best if, when we hurt a little, we would change. It would be best if, when we learn a little, we would change. It would be best if, when we receive a little, we would change. Unfortunately that is not the way it is.

We are slow to change and often require lots of hurt before even attempting to change. John Maxwell says it this way: “People change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing.” Couldn’t we change a little quicker?

My encouragement to you would be to start today. Don’t wait for more pain. Don’t wait for more learning. Don’t wait until you think that you have enough to be able to change. Start the change now.

Pray for change. Pray some more for change. Pray for you to change. Pray for wisdom to change. Pray for the strength to change. Pray for the courage to change. Make a plan.

Don’t wait for more pain. Don’t wait for more learning. Don’t wait for more tools. Start today!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Resurrection is more than a story... Part 3 of 3

What was the resurrected Jesus like? Jesus’ resurrection body had “flesh and bones.” He was not a ghost. The disciples were able to recognize Him and to touch Him. He spoke with them.

But could they all have been having a group hallucination? No, because the disciples were not the only ones who saw and touched Jesus. Paul makes a long list of people who claimed to have seen the risen Christ personally, and notes that “most of them are still living” (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Moreover, there has to be some explanation for how the cowardly group of disciples was transformed into a group of leaders. Many of them went on to live sacrificial lives, and were killed for teaching that Jesus had been resurrected.

Jesus had risen, just as He told them He would. After a criminal does his time in jail and fully satisfies the sentence, the law no longer has a claim on the criminal, he walks out of jail free.

Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty for our sins. The sentence upon him was an infinite sentence because of the infinite nature of man’s sin. He must have satisfied the sentence fully because on Easter Sunday He walked out of prison free. The resurrection was God’s way of stamping PAID IN FULL right across history so that nobody could miss it. The sentence was fulfilled. The penalty was paid. ------- Adapted from: King's Cross by Timothy Keller © 2011.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Resurrection is more than a story... Part 2 of 3

The resurrection was inconceivable for the first disciples. It was as impossible for them to believe, as it is for many of us today. Granted, their reasons would have been different from ours. The Greeks did not believe in resurrection. In the Greek worldview, the afterlife was liberation of the soul from the body. According to the Greek worldview the resurrection would never be part of life after death.

As for the Jews, some of them believed in a future general resurrection when the entire world would be renewed, but they had no concept of an individual rising from the dead. The people of Jesus’ day were not predisposed to believe in resurrection any more than we are.

Celsus, a Greek philosopher who lived in the second century A.D., was highly antagonistic to Christianity and wrote a number of works listing arguments against it. One of the arguments he believed most telling went like this: Christianity can’t be true, because the written accounts of the resurrection are based on the testimony of women—and we all know women are hysterical. Many of Celsus’ readers agreed; for them, the fact that the witnesses were women was a major problem. In ancient societies women were marginalized, and the testimony of women was never given legal credence.

Do you see what that means? If Mark and the Christians were making up these stories to get their movement off the ground, they would never have written women into the story as the first eyewitnesses to Jesus’ empty tomb. The only possible reason for the presence of women in these accounts is that they really were present and reported what they saw. The stone has been rolled away, the tomb is empty and an angel declares that Jesus is risen. ----- Adapted from: King's Cross by Timothy Keller © 2011. To be continued next week.

The Resurrection is more than a story...Part 1 of 3

In the decades before and after Jesus’ life and death, there were dozens of ‘messianic’ movements in Israel. In almost every case the ‘messianic leader’ was killed, in many cases by execution, and after the leader’s death each of these movements invariably collapsed. Everybody went home, and that was it. Of the dozens of move-ments, only one did not collapse after the death of the leader. Not only did the movement not collapse, it exploded—in the course of about 300 years it had spread through the entire Roman Empire.

Of all the messianic movements, what made the Christian faith different? What happened to cause explosive growth in Christianity after its founder’s death?

Jesus died in mid-afternoon and the Sabbath began at sunset. The Jewish law permitted no work on the Sabbath, which meant they could not bury the body of Jesus that night or the next day. So Joseph of Arimathea visits Pilate, hoping to be able to bury the body before the Sabbath begins. Joseph, though a Pharisee, shows enormous courage and independence of thought by asking for Jesus’ body. Mark reports:
“Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.” (Mark 15:44–47)

The way Mark reports the burial is significant: He is “certifying” that Jesus was really dead. Joseph of Arimathea is named here as an identified witness who actually had Jesus’ body wrapped up and sealed it in a tomb. A Roman centurion (who would be an expert) bore witness of Jesus’ death to Pilate (who would be the legal authority on the matter). Finally, two women are cited as eyewitnesses to the burial. So multiple experts and witnesses prove He was really dead. ----- Adapted from: King's Cross by Timothy Keller © 2011. To be continued next week.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Easter is Two Weeks Away!

I hope that you have been praying and inviting people to join you for our Easter Gatherings. We will have two gatherings at 8:30 and 10:30. Plan to bring family, friends and co-workers with you. There are invitations available in the foyers for you to use. Take as many as you need, as many as you can use! The people in your circle are open at Easter to attending an Easter Celebration so …. Invite them!

Easter is unlike any other event in the year because Easter is the celebration of the One who is unlike any other!

Easter is the culmination of 1000’s of years of God’s toil to arrange for the homecoming of the human race. God was working, around the clock and around the calendar, to return people into a loving relationship with Him.

He sent prophets, kings, leaders and teachers to guide people towards a faith relationship with Him. His hard work accomplished very little. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ - Immanuel – God with us – to live on this earth. Jesus lived a sinless life – the only one to ever do so. Jesus, the only one to have lived an innocent life died a criminal’s death on the cross. Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave and three days later He rose from the dead. Death could not keep Him down. He appeared to the women, the disciples and then to a group of 500 people at one time.

The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity different then every other philosophy or religion. Jesus is the only teacher, the only prophet, the only miracle worker, the only Rabbi … who ever rose from the dead! Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, Confucianism, Mormonism … you name it – the leader, the prophet, the founder, the seer, the teacher, the Rabbis – they are all dead.

In all of history, Jesus alone, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is alive today. His resurrection is unlike any other event in history. He is alive! He is alive forever more!

These facts make Easter the greatest day in the calendar. There is no other day that compares.

Pray for those who will be here and invite others to join you!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

He is at work!

God is at work changing lives. At times His work is very obvious. There are other times when His work is not so obvious. There are seasons when the life changing work of God is easily seen. There are other seasons when that life changing work seems so hard to see. It can be so hard to see the work of God that people begin to believe that His work is not happening.

The Apostle Paul wrote about the life changing work of God to the believers in the city of Philippi. He was trying to encourage them. He wrote:

I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) He was trying to encourage people, who were going through a season where the work of God wasn’t so apparent.

It is interesting that Paul writes these words of encouragement, to the followers in Philippi, while he is in chains for being a follower of Jesus. (Philippians 1:7, 13-14, 17) Paul is in chains – chains – did you catch that? CHAINS. Paul is under lock and key. Even while locked up - Paul writes about God, who began a good work, continuing to work in discouraging circumstances.

Paul is attempting to do is encourage discouraged believers. The words have a similar tune to the words of David in Psalm 23.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NLT)

Are you going through a rough patch? A rough patch relationally? A rough patch financially? A rough patch in your health? A rough patch at work? Be encouraged! God is at work!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Playing Dress-Up

Playing ‘Dress-up’

An activity that is common to almost every person growing up is pretending to be someone. Children ‘dress-up’ to be movie stars, athletes, musicians, doctors, nurses, policeman, firemen, soldiers, teachers, husband or wife. It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t ‘pretended’ to be someone that they admire.

The proliferation of the internet has taken pretending and has lifted ‘dress-up’ to a whole new level. People are now able to be almost anyone they want to be in a ‘virtual’ life. The news regularly reports on people who spend more time living out their ‘virtual’ life than they do their real life. In the virtual world I can be younger/older, taller/shorter, lighter/heavier, and richer or have more achievements. I can have the personality that I wish I really had. I can remove the ‘warts’ that are so apparent to people in the ‘real’ world. Whatever I would like to be – I can be – in the virtual world.

Down through the centuries - ‘Dress-up’ has been the activity of not only children but of adults too. Adults regularly ‘dress-up’ to impress people. ‘Dress-up’ happens literally. ‘Dress-up’ happens figuratively.

Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. (Proverbs 13:7 NLT)

People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.
(Proverbs 26:24-25 NLT)

One of the clear teachings from Jesus and from the first days of the life of the church is that God really hates ‘Dress-up.’ He never approves of people pretending to be something of someone other than who they really are.

Jesus said it this way: On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' (Matthew 7:22-23 NLT)

These are strong words to people who ‘Dress-up’ – people who ‘Dress-up’ as miracle workers no less!

Get Real!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Living a Lifestyle the Draws

I read a quote recently that I’ve been mulling over. I want to believe that what the author of the quote has observed and stated about the church is not true. I just don’t want to think that things are really like he says. I want to think that there are external forces totally responsible for people rejecting Jesus and the church.

The teaching of evolution has to be the number one reason why people reject Jesus and don’t want to be involved with the church. The constant bombardment of media and information has to be the number one reason for peoples’ response. The options that people have today – from 750 TV channels, internet, shopping, endless sports and entertainment – that has to be the reason that people stay away from God. Could it be that it is something else?

"The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny Him by their lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning

Could this be true? Could it be that the way I live or fail to live could stand in the way of people responding to Jesus and participating in a family of faith? Could it be that if I were to take how I live as seriously as Jesus told me to, it would have a far greater impact on those who have not crossed the line of faith?

Could it be that Jesus declared: “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT) because how His followers live does impact those who have yet come to faith?

When Jesus declared --- “… if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:19-20 NLT) --- was He actually talking not about what has often been referred to by the church as ‘legalism’ but instead He was talking about living a ‘lifestyle’ that has great appeal to those who have not come to faith?

Am I living a lifestyle that draws people toward faith or a lifestyle that gives people an excuse to not believe?

What about you?

Friday, March 11, 2011

Easter is around the corner!

Easter is fast approaching. Easter is April 24th this year. Easter is one of the times of the year that people are most open to attending a worship service.

Pray
I want to encourage you to begin praying regularly for people in your circle of life. Pray for family members, neighbors, co-workers, friends, fellow commuters and those that you attend school with.

Pray that they will have a desire to know God and have a relationship with Him.
Pray that they will sense their need of forgiveness, peace, hope and new life.
Pray that they will accept an invitation to join you at a worship service on Easter.
Pray that their hearts will be open to the message of Jesus and the resurrection.

Invest
Look for ways that Jesus would have you invest in the lives of those that you are praying for. How should you love them? How can you serve them? In what ways can you invest into their life and further your friendship with them?

Once you’ve prayed and once you’ve invested – the next thing to do is invite.

Invite
In the next month determine who you are going to invite to join you and invite them. We will provide invitations the 2nd weekend in April. Use as many invitations as you need. Give them to people. Invite them. Plan to meet them here.

I have already been inviting people to join us. I have been telling them that I will remind them in a few weeks and that I really hope that they will attend. I invited a man who I talked with at breakfast today. I’m going to remind him as we get closer to Easter.

Pray. Invest in relationship. Invite.

I’m anticipating a wonderful day celebrating!

Matt

Friday, March 4, 2011

The Jesus Story ... Continued! - Repent

When John the Baptist was traveling the countryside he had one message that he continually spoke. He sounded like ‘a broken record.’ Whether he was talking to the common Jewish person, the religious leaders or King Herod he said the same thing over and over and over again: ‘Repent.’ ‘Turn from living a self-centered life.’

The start of Jesus’ ministry is described this way: From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, … The message has always been: Repent. Turn from living a self-centered life.

Josephus, the first-century Roman historian, wrote that there were times in Israel when Jewish rebellion against the Roman government became catastrophically intense. One of the consequences of this insurgence was that the Romans would crucify more than 500 Israelites a day. He wrote that there were so many crucifixions, that there was no more room for crosses along the roads around Jerusalem and that they ran out of crosses to crucify people on.

There is a passage in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy that declared that anyone who dies hanging on a tree is cursed. The Jewish people always took down the bodies before nightfall.

In order to deepen the punishment on the Jews for their revolt the Romans would leave bodies up on crosses for days, weeks and even months. The rotting bodies hung there in front of everyone as the birds picked at their flesh. The message sent to the people of Israel was very clear. This is one of the reasons why people were so anxious for someone to set them free from Roman tyranny.

Scholars say that when Jesus said: Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38 NIV) or, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 NIV), he probably did so while he and his entourage traveled on one of the roads into Jerusalem. Jesus looked up at one of those hanging on the cross and spoke these stinging words.

Everybody who was traveling with Jesus knew what he meant: "Be ready to die."

He was using a life event, in all of the sounds, sights and smells to illustrate the same old message: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!

The message has never changed. Every part of life that could be described as ugly, broken, wrong, unjust and damaging is the result of self-centered living.

The message is: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Jesus Story ... Continued! -- Community.

As we look into the book of Acts powerful community relationships is one of the aspects that is clearly portrayed. There was a camaraderie and a commitment to one another that is often not seen today in the American church. The Scriptures say that the people were ‘devoted to meeting together.’ Devoted is not necessarily a term that is used today to describe people’s commitment to one another. The reality that people walk out on marriage, walk out on children and walk out on financial commitments might indicate a devotion problem in our culture.

One of the fallouts of people ‘walking out’ is that it causes everyone to be cautious in their relationships. Those that remain tend to pull back. The question is asked: Why should I be ‘devoted’ if others are just going to walk out when they feel like it? People become hesitant to extend themselves to others. People become undecided and don’t try to really get to know each other.

The ‘individuality’ of the American church shouldn’t surprise anyone should it? We are a country that prides itself on individuality. The American motto is not: “All for one and one for all.” We pride ourselves on the ‘self-made man.’ Pity the person who is successful because of someone else’s fortune. “He had it handed to him on a silver platter” is a slam on a person’s character.

The community of faith that Jesus flows through isn’t like that. The book of Psalms says: How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalms 133:1 NLT)

Commitment, devotion and love is the life that is portrayed in the book of Acts. ‘A life of harmony.’ The Life God desires can’t be lived any other way.

Albert Schweitzer wrote: "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." Rekindling the inner spirit is part of life lived together.

Jesus said that the world would know that we are His followers because of our love for one another.

Our daily prayer should be: Jesus, create this kind of faith community in us!

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Jesus Story ... Continued!

As we begin the 6 month study of the New Testament book of Acts, I want to call your attention to a verse from the Gospel of John that describes the substrata of what occurs throughout the first 30 years of church history and is, I believe the way that God intends for the church to live today. The verse is John 3 just before the most famous verse of all, John 3:16.

Here is the verse:
The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NLT)

You can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going …

The Book of Acts is an historical recording of what happened when the wind blew – the wind of the Holy Spirit. People didn’t know where the wind was coming from and they didn’t know where the wind was going.

Sometimes they were blown by the wind to new places and sometimes they set their faces against the wind and pushed forward. Listening, following, working with and, at times, standing against the wind required a continuous engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. There was no ‘been there, done that’ attitude. They were living with their hearing aids turned up to full volume; the gain was turned all the way up on what was happening. They couldn’t sit back – putting the transmission in neutral and coast their way through life. Things were happening in such a way that it required serious engagement with Jesus.

But -- that was then and this is now. We can turn the hearing aids down; we can push the ‘gain’ down to a one; we can put the transmission in to neutral – we can just coast. NOT.

The life of faith is meant to be – The Jesus Story … Continued!
We are only living a life of faith when we are in serious engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. I contend that anything less than that either borders on living a secular Christian life or is a full blown secular Christian life.

Is – The Jesus Story … Continued in your life?

Friday, February 11, 2011

Self-Feeder

The Jesus Story … Continued!

Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning. It will take us about 6 months to go through the book of Acts. However, since there are so many lessons in this book we will only be able to look at certain ones during our Sunday mornings! It would take years to cover the variety of subjects that the Bible teaches in Acts. There are really only two subjects not covered in the 28 chapter book: Marriage and Parenting. Those two subjects are probably on the agenda for late 2011.

One of the primary areas that I believe God wants to bring growth in each person is in the area of ‘feeding.’ The book of Hebrews talks about milk, meat and feeding.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14 NIV)

God wants to make each one of us into ‘self-feeders.’ He wants to teach each one of us to feed ourselves spiritually… that each of us would learn to dig, catch, gather, sort, prepare and eat the kinds of spiritual food that will nourish us long-term.

Those of us who teach on Sundays work very hard to prepare a fresh hearty meal that includes a variety of nutrition. Sunday is important, but Sunday is not enough. Sunday is more like a restaurant. Sunday morning is not meant to be the only place that each of us eat. Going out to dinner at a nice restaurant is great! Eating at a restaurant can be convenient and a pleasure to the palate. Restaurant food is often rich, fattening, prepared by a ‘trained’ chief – it is good and often mouth watering but it is missing a lot. Eating at a restaurant is not how a healthy spiritual life is lived.

There is a great deal to be learned by planning, shopping, preparing, chopping, cooking, serving and then eating. If eating is the only thing that happens in the way of spiritual nutrition then it is not a well rounded spiritual life.

When the only food someone gets is from a restaurant, the food is likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring.’ When the restaurant is a ‘supplement,’ then it is less likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring’ but instead it becomes an anticipated outing. (People go away thinking – I’m going to try that at home!)

Jesus, Teach us to be ‘self-feeders!’ Amen

Monday, February 7, 2011

Vision Breakfast - February 13

Vision Breakfast

Next Sunday, February 13th at 10:00 will be our annual Vision Breakfast. There will not be an early service at 8:30 but Breakfast at 10:00.

We’ll eat together, worship, hear some stories from the church family, hear a little about Vision and take Communion together.

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE HERE – THIS IS NOT A MORNING TO SKIP OUT.

The Jesus Story … Continued!

Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning.

It will take us about 6 months to get through the book of Acts. I would like to challenge you to read through the book of Acts a number of times over the 6 months. Read it in different translations. Read it slow. Read it from cover to cover over a weekend. I encourage you to read the chapter that we will cover each weekend before you come on that Sunday.

The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ What I hope becomes very clear to each of us is that Jesus is still, daily, writing His story in our lives. He is writing His story on the good days. He is writing His story on the tough days.

The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ in the first days and years of the church. The book of Acts is about people trying to figure out how to let Jesus work in their lives and through their lives – in a totally brand new reality. We’ll look at some great things that happened in the book and we’ll look at some very troubling things.

If you are unable to make one of the weeks in the study of Acts I hope that you will catch it on line.

Remember – BREAKFAST NEXT WEEK – FEBRUARY 13TH – 10:00 AM.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gratitude

What if there was one quality that would change almost everything about your life for the good – would you try to get it? What if there was one thought process that lifted how you lived life to a new height – What would you pay for it? What would you do to get it?

What if there was one attitude that changed or improved you emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually would you seek to have that attitude created and increased in your life?

Does it seem too good to be true? Could there really be a quality, a thought or an attitude that could change a person’s whole life? That sounds too good to be true – doesn’t it? Maybe . . . After all doesn’t common sense say – If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!

There actually is a quality that can have an almost immeasurable change on life. That quality is gratitude. Gratitude may not change the circumstances that are being played out in a person’s life but gratitude will change everything that surrounds those circumstances.

In the century before Jesus entered human history there was significant debate among the philosophers and thinkers of the day about vices (sin and evil) and virtues (goodness and rightness). One of the most brilliant thinkers and writers of that day was Marcus Tullius Cicero - often referred to as simply ‘Cicero.’ Cicero was a Roman Lawyer, Writer, Scholar, Orator and Statesman. One of the observations and quotes, regarding vices and virtues, that he is well known for is: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

The human body cannot function correctly without the correct amount and make-up of spinal fluid. Spinal fluid is what keeps the brain suspended, protects the brain and spinal components from injury in normal life, and it helps to maintain chemical stability in the body. Gratitude is in a sense the spinal fluid running through the spiritual cord of people. If the gratitude is there then people can be healthy spiritually, emotionally, mentally and psychically.

The great GK Chesterton wrote about having gratitude is every area of life: You say grace before meals. All right! But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

How’s your gratitude? Do you need an infusion of gratitude? Ask God to ‘grow gratitude’ in your heart – it will change almost everything in your life!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Seek Week - Share Your Story ...

Today, January 23rd, starts “Seek Week” here at South Whidbey Assembly of God. I want to encourage each of you to take time out this week to spend time with God. We have provided a simple “Seek Week” guide/handout for you. You can use the guide/handout if you want to, or recycle it. It is not meant to be ‘The Guide’ but a tool to help you if you want it.

A number of us have been praying that Seek Week will be a time of blessing in your journey with Jesus. I personally have been praying for those of you that may be in a difficult season or a time where it seems like God has been silent or distant. I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to use this week to speak to you and bring about some new growth in your life.

When someone is going through a season marked by what seems to be silence and distance on God’s part, a common reaction is to avoid seeking God so that they are not reminded of God’s silence or distance and avoiding disappointment that has characterized recent history.

God’s Word promises that when we “draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.” If you are someone who has been avoiding seeking God because your recent experience has been silence and distance, I want to encourage you to ‘by faith’ to spend time this week seeking Him.

We are expecting some great things to happen in people’s lives this week – if something happens that you would be comfortable sharing, would you share it with us? You could write it in a note and mail it or put it in the offering bag next Sunday. You could send the story to us via email. You could check the church’s Facebook page and share your story there.

We want to be able to share what God is doing with the church family.

Seek Week is not just for adults but for the whole family. It is for children, teens and adults. Could you encourage your children by reading and praying with them? Could you encourage your teen to spend some extra time ‘seeking?’ I want to encourage you to be creative as you seek Jesus.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Spectator or Participant?

There are two major ways that involvement in sports takes place. One way is to actually participate in the sport. Someone, involved practices for the sport and then actually ‘put on the gear’ and participate. They go out and get sweaty and dirty and sore. They are fully engaged in the game.

The other way is as a ‘spectator.’ Instead of actually practicing, gearing up, and getting sweaty, dirty and sore they watch from the sidelines while others play the sport. In every arena of sports down through history there have always been more spectators than there have been participants.

It seems to me that in the modern American church both of these types of involvement happen. It never has been the plan of God that there would be two types of people in the church – participants and spectators - but both types exist.

There are those who are actually living their faith. They practice the spiritual exercises and disciplines and are regularly ‘putting on the gear’ and going out and get sweaty, dirty and sore. Their faith is alive, growing and healthy. They pray, give, study, read, meditate, serve, love, worship and so on.

There are others who aren’t really living out their faith but instead they watch others who are participating in the life of faith. Sure they show up. Sure they cheer. Sure they know the plays, know the rules, know the players and what the game is supposed to look like but they don’t actually ‘gear up’ and participate.

The interesting thing about sports is it is a whole lot easier to be an ‘arm chair quarterback’ when living a spectator life then it is when living a participant life. Participants understand enough about what it takes to play the game, understand that there are countless obstacles and have had bad days and even bad seasons that all temper them and keeps their ‘arm chair quarterbacking’ to a minimum.

Here’s the simple question: Are you a participant or a spectator?

Friday, January 7, 2011

REST

Over the next four weeks we are going to look at the subject of REST. R – Rest. E – Exercises S – Sabbath. T – Thanksgiving. We live in a hurried, out of control world and it is almost impossible to avoid getting on the treadmill with everyone else.

You have probably said and heard others say things like: Where did the time go? Time keeps going faster and faster. There aren't enough hours in the week to get everything done. A New York Times article said: “Somewhere between trigonometry and colonoscopy, someone must have hit the fast-forward button.”

Do these ideas ring true for you? Have you said some of these things? Have you thought some of these things?

As the treadmill speeds up, we all try to control more and more things in our life. There is danger in living like that. One danger is we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can really control things. Another danger is the stress that is created when what we are trying to control slips out of our control.

Writer and teacher John Ortberg has written about the human propensity to strive to control life. He wrote: “As a general rule, the harder you work to control things, the more you lose control.”

What if REST is part of the answer to create a whole different way of living? What if REST is part of getting off the treadmill and traveling through life another way?

I hope that you ‘tune-in’ for these weeks of teaching on REST.