Throughout history Jesus has used circumstances and troublesome seasons to strengthen disciples and expand the church. The early months and years of the church were filled with turmoil, suffering and martyrdom. During the first few centuries of the church’s existence, the world endured a multitude of pandemics.
Throughout the centuries one hardship after another hit the world, but the church continued to grow and prosper. Through plagues, famines, fires, earthquakes, wars and persecution the church continued to grow. Decade after decade more and more people found hope in the life, death, burial, resurrection, teaching and example of Jesus.
During WWII and the Korean conflict, the church continued to grow. Many of the largest churches in the world are in Korea, and Korean churches rank among the top missionary sending churches in the world. The revolutions and persecutions throughout the 20th century of Chinese believers didn’t weaken the church - the church in China grew in strength and number.
The Apostle Peter wrote to mid-first century followers of Jesus: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.” 1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)
The church will come out of the current pandemic, and financial crisis strengthened. Jesus declared: “I will build my church and the Gates of Hell will not stop me!” (Matt’s paraphrase)
Let Jesus strengthen you as your trust and faith are tested.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Allowing People into our Circle of Conversation
Businesses, yoga studios, athletic trainers, physical therapist, schools, churches and organizations have flooded the web with Zoom meetings and activities. Zoom, an online video conferencing tool has been overwhelmed by usage over the last 90 days. Like any other popular web program, hackers have had fun with the security holes in Zoom.
Zoom has developed new patches and fixes to stay ahead of the hackers. I was scheduled to take part in a Zoom meeting led by a pastor in Renton and before I joined the meeting someone had joined the meeting and flashed pornography on the screen. Such is the world of the internet.
One safeguard now in place is that the moderator of the Zoom meeting must allow a person to enter the meeting and join the conversation. In the middle of the night last week I started thinking about the parallels in real world relationships and conversations.
Each of us respond as the moderator of meetings and conversations. As the moderator we either allow a person to enter meetings and conversations or we prohibit them. Our response signals to the other person whether they are welcome or not. Sometimes it is a look, a phrase, a vibe that we give off that signals to the other that it is OK to enter or not OK.
Jesus “allowed” people into his circle, conversations, meals, and life whom others had rejected and prohibited from relationship.
Luke recalled one of those moments in his account of Jesus’ life. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”
Jesus let people into his "Zoom Meetings" that others forbade. He welcomed undesirables to eat with him at "Zoom Dinners". And, that is the hospitality that Jesus wants to reproduce in our lives.
Zoom has developed new patches and fixes to stay ahead of the hackers. I was scheduled to take part in a Zoom meeting led by a pastor in Renton and before I joined the meeting someone had joined the meeting and flashed pornography on the screen. Such is the world of the internet.
One safeguard now in place is that the moderator of the Zoom meeting must allow a person to enter the meeting and join the conversation. In the middle of the night last week I started thinking about the parallels in real world relationships and conversations.
Each of us respond as the moderator of meetings and conversations. As the moderator we either allow a person to enter meetings and conversations or we prohibit them. Our response signals to the other person whether they are welcome or not. Sometimes it is a look, a phrase, a vibe that we give off that signals to the other that it is OK to enter or not OK.
Jesus “allowed” people into his circle, conversations, meals, and life whom others had rejected and prohibited from relationship.
Luke recalled one of those moments in his account of Jesus’ life. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”
Jesus let people into his "Zoom Meetings" that others forbade. He welcomed undesirables to eat with him at "Zoom Dinners". And, that is the hospitality that Jesus wants to reproduce in our lives.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Happy Easter
For centuries Christians around the world have celebrated Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, preparing for the ceremony on Easter Sunday. What about Saturday? Why is Saturday not recognized? Why have believers been silent about Saturday? Poor lowly Saturday gets no recognition during Easter week.
Maundy Thursday – Maundy is from an Anglo-French term for command. On Thursday of Easter week Jesus gave his followers a “new command” to “Love one another as He loves.”
Good Friday – “Good” because on that day Jesus suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of all mankind.
Easter Sunday – The day that Jesus rose from the dead and permanently changed all human history.
Saturday – This was a bad day for the followers of Jesus. He was gone. Their Rabbi, physician, and promised Messiah was laying in a tomb. Jesus was lifeless, and they were hopeless. This was a bad day for the Romans. The troublemaker Jesus was in the tomb, but they feared someone would remove the body, so they positioned guards at the tomb.
Was anything going on that day? Of course, something was transpiring. God was going on. God never cease acting. Even in the minutes and days when it sounds like God is silent and "still,” He is not. He is constantly acting.
God proclaims in the Psalms:
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
On what appeared to be a quiet Saturday, “I am God.” On Easter Sunday, “I am God.”
In your circumstances yesterday, today and tomorrow, “I am God.”
Your hope is found in Jesus, the Son of God, who lived, died and rose for you!
Happy Easter!
Maundy Thursday – Maundy is from an Anglo-French term for command. On Thursday of Easter week Jesus gave his followers a “new command” to “Love one another as He loves.”
Good Friday – “Good” because on that day Jesus suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of all mankind.
Easter Sunday – The day that Jesus rose from the dead and permanently changed all human history.
Saturday – This was a bad day for the followers of Jesus. He was gone. Their Rabbi, physician, and promised Messiah was laying in a tomb. Jesus was lifeless, and they were hopeless. This was a bad day for the Romans. The troublemaker Jesus was in the tomb, but they feared someone would remove the body, so they positioned guards at the tomb.
Was anything going on that day? Of course, something was transpiring. God was going on. God never cease acting. Even in the minutes and days when it sounds like God is silent and "still,” He is not. He is constantly acting.
God proclaims in the Psalms:
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
On what appeared to be a quiet Saturday, “I am God.” On Easter Sunday, “I am God.”
In your circumstances yesterday, today and tomorrow, “I am God.”
Your hope is found in Jesus, the Son of God, who lived, died and rose for you!
Happy Easter!
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Find Peace
I have been thinking about a statement by Corrie ten Boom, a Nazi concentration camp survivor, that is pertinent to what we are currently going through. I hope that her statement will encourage you and give you a needed nudge in the direction of Jesus.
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.” Corrie ten Boom
The 24-hour, minute-to-minute, news cycle makes it hard to not look at the world. Just going to the grocery store and seeing everyone waiting in lines to get into the store, wearing masks, and avoiding each other is enough to cause distress.
“Sheltering in”, not interacting with people you work with, play with or share life with can lead to depression and loneliness. Especially for those who live alone!
Twenty-seven hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote of peace that comes from focusing on Jesus. He wrote: “You, LORD, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NCV)
Push away the view of what is happening in the world, push away the view from the inside, look to the Lord, depend on him, put your trust in Him and peace, “true peace” will be yours.
Jesus, teach us to depend on you and trust you! AMEN
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.” Corrie ten Boom
The 24-hour, minute-to-minute, news cycle makes it hard to not look at the world. Just going to the grocery store and seeing everyone waiting in lines to get into the store, wearing masks, and avoiding each other is enough to cause distress.
“Sheltering in”, not interacting with people you work with, play with or share life with can lead to depression and loneliness. Especially for those who live alone!
Twenty-seven hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote of peace that comes from focusing on Jesus. He wrote: “You, LORD, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NCV)
Push away the view of what is happening in the world, push away the view from the inside, look to the Lord, depend on him, put your trust in Him and peace, “true peace” will be yours.
Jesus, teach us to depend on you and trust you! AMEN
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