Curious

Now that Thanksgiving is past and we've moved into the Christmas Season, I thought I'd throw out a few questions I wrote down a few weeks ago after reading Luke 1.

1) Mary went to visit Elizabeth in a town located in the "hill country of Judea."  How far away was that?  

2) Mary was just a teenage girl.  How safe was this trip?  

3) Did anyone (Joseph or a parent) go with her?
4) Did "Mary's greeting" to Elizabeth include an announcement that she (Mary) was pregnant
** Remember, Elizabeth had an immediate reaction (in her stomach) to Mary's arrival.
** She stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months.  
5) Did Elizabeth "mentor" Mary during that time?
** Mary wrote what we now call, The Magnificat.  
6) When, during this 3 month period, did she write it?
7) Was it spontaneous or was it something she worked on for weeks?
** Mary's response to the angel is pretty incredible if you think about it.  
** Remember, God's people had not heard from Him (i.e. the prophets) for 400 years.  
** Then, a teenage girl is the recipient of His message!
8) How would you respond (either as a teen or a parent of a teen)?
** Mary had to be incredibly grounded spiritually, because she was going to return home     three or four months pregnant and the rumors were going to be flying -- big time!
9) What was her home life like?  
** (I'm just guessing her parents did a pretty good job.)
10) Did Joseph know Mary was pregnant before she went to see Elizabeth or did he find out when she returned home?
** It's not real clear from reading the Matthew/Luke accounts.
11) How did Mary's parents handle this whole situation?
12) How would you handle it, if you were Mary's parents?
13) Did Mary stay with Elizabeth until John (the Baptist) was born?
14) "He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” (Luke 1:63 NLT).  Was this the first iPad?  

Other questions?
Answers?

BORING

I read an article while eating breakfast the other morning about "boring testimonies".  What a great reminder!  Some of us, like myself, who were raised in Christian homes and have been Christians most of our lives view our testimonies as "boring".  We don't have a Damascus Road experience and we haven't come from a lifestyle of wickedness, debauchery and decadence.  Thus our testimonies are boring.

It is the individual who has a radical swing from one end of the spiritual spectrum to the other that we so often hear from when a testimony is given.  I guess in one sense, those are good.  It gives hope to those who are listening that might be searching.  And it also gives hope to those who are praying for a family member or friend who hasn't made a decision yet – and don't seem very close.

Yet, what I was reminded of is that ALL testimonies are spectacular.  None are boring. Why?  Because Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all sinners.  I’m no less a sinner than anyone else (and dare I say neither are you).  The Apostle Paul referred to himself as being the “worst of sinners” (in 1 Tim. 1:15) and King David, the ‘man after God’s own heart’ wrote a whole psalm (Psalm 51) confessing a particular sin in his life.  A Christian's credibility does not come from the absence of sin, but how we respond to it.  If we have a soft view of sin in our lives, we then have a cheap view of grace.

Sometimes, those of us who have been Christians for many years fall into the trap – subconsciously – that we’re pretty good people.  That God should be happy to have us on His team.  We haven’t come from “that end” of the spiritual spectrum.  Of course we would never verbalize that. Certainly not in those words.  But is it in the back of our minds?  That is oh-so-scary.  God really is not a fan of pride and that is something we have to continually root out of our lives.  Pride makes a specific list of things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17)

It's easy, without realizing it,  to become like the prodigal son's older brother -- thinking we deserve something (God's grace) because of our good behavior.  It doesn't work like that.

God only accepts one kind of person -- perfect.  And since none of us are that person, we're all condemned -- unless we admit His sacrifice covers our imperfection (including pride, selfishness and all the other sins that are so easy to hide).

So, I don't know about you.  But I am going to celebrate and rejoice in my spectacularly boring testimony...that Jesus saved a sinner  -- even a boring one like me.

Going Doing and Me

     Busy, busy, busy, don’t we always have to be doing something?  We are always trying to accomplish something, a project, a task or just trying to look busy.  You can’t get ahead unless you accomplish your goals.  How often do we hear that or even say it?  If I wanted to pick three words that describe our culture, they would be the three in my title.  Doesn’t it seem like we always have to go someplace to do something that will benefit us.  We are going to work, going to play, going to the store, taking our kids to a play date.  When did the words play date become part of our vocabulary?  Whatever happened to just relaxing, or even just playing?  Nope, we have to be doing something constructive even if we have no time.  With all of this I must benefit from all the activity, after all am I not the center of the universe?  Doesn’t life revolve around me?  Didn’t God create all of this because he loves me?  Does that mean I don’t have to care for my neighbor?  After all isn’t my neighbor supposed to care for me?  Does this sound familiar?  Isn’t this the way our lives are lived?

     If I had my way, I would just as soon sit in a comfortable chair with a good book, or maybe a movie to watch, but what does God say?  In Psalms 46:10 He said “Be still and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Who is the important one?  Will I be exalted or will God?  Am I willing to be still and listen to God?  When He commands I have to go, but I have to make sure I am going where he says, doing His Will, not mine. 

      So the question I have to ask is, in this busy life who am I serving?  Who does my world revolve around?  Have I studied His Word, have I listen to Him?  Who is actually first in my life?   The minute I start living my life for me I am not serving God.  Jesus was sent to restore our relationship with God, and only making God first will we keep that relationship.  We are not equals in this relationship, God is first.

     As Christians we need to reach out to this fallen world.  But before we start all the going and doing we need to be still.  If God is our first priority we need to listen to Him.  We need to spend time in His word and in fellowship with other believers.  Then we need to follow the command given to us in Matthew 28:18-20.  These verses tell us to reach out and spread the gospel, not stay in our comfortable church.   What I am saying is not easy, I would much rather stay at home with that good book and satisfy my wants, but that is not what Jesus is telling me to do.  Be still and know that I am God, listen to his voice and do His will.

     So, yes I have to be going, but for His purpose, not mine.  I have to be doing but to serve Him, not me.  Finally, I definitely am not first, I am last.

ECHO

The other night, before I turned off the lights, I was reading a new book I picked up (The Air I Breath, by Louie Giglio).  It's an inspirational book and meant to challenge the reader to see "worship as a way of life". 

Well, to be honest, I was just reading the words, but not really comprehending or thinking about what I was reading.  My emotions were still pretty wired after a high school volleyball game earlier that evening.  But then I came across a sentence that said:

GOD DOESN'T LET US WORSHIP HIM FOR FREE.

I kept reading, but those words kept echoing in my mind, heart and spirit.  Finally, after hearing those words echo as I kept reading, I stopped and turned back to that page and read it again.

God.      Doesn't.      Let.       Us.       Worship.       Him.       For.      Free.   

I thought God liked my worship.  I thought when I offered him my praise on Sunday mornings, He was pleased.  Then I looked at the next sentence that said;

Our worship cost Him the life of His only Son.

Wow.  In order for me to praise and worship God the way I do, the Son of God had to

take my penalty.  So even when I praise and worship God, it originates from God, not me. Praising and worshipping God isn't just something I do.  It's something I GET to do.  And I GET to do it because of the cross.

This weekend, our church will celebrate communion. 

As we sing;

as we take the bread;

as we take the cup;

let's also celebrate His great gift of salvation and remember...

GOD DOESN'T LET US WORSHIP HIM FOR FREE.

Thank You, Todd Johnson

Thank You, Todd Johnson

     I am writing this for a couple of reasons, first so much of what I see on the internet is negative.  It is so easy to start writing something because we feel hurt or feel wronged or we just want to lash out.  A couple of weeks ago I read something and I thought I was being slighted.  I started to write an angry note when God whispered in my ear, “are you sure of your facts?”  I wasn’t so I had to stop, delete and write a very different note. Thank you Lord, I would have been wrong and then have to eat a lot of crow and maybe damage relationships.  It is a lot easier to be negative instead of positive, but the world is a better place if we are positive and civil to each other.  Didn’t Jesus give us some instructions about that?

     The second reason I am writing this is because I genuinely admire, respect, and like Todd.  He has been a great example to me and has helped my walk with Jesus.  When I became an Elder at CrossPoint Todd was president of the board.  Under his leadership a prayerful and cohesive board was maintained.  I was used to church boards that were more concerned with the business of the church, not the spiritual welfare of the church.  I do not like meetings, but I look forward to the Elder meetings.

     Because of Todd, I started reading blogs and I found myself subscribing to some.  This is also something I never expected to do and something else I never expected to do is contribute to a blog.  In a past blog Todd recommended a book Renegade by Vince Antonucci, naturally I had to make a couple of flip remarks but I bought and read the book.  I completely agree with Todd’s review, it is a book well worth reading.  I had read an earlier book by the same author I Became a Christian and all I got was this Lousy T-Shirt, also a very good book and I believe it is in the church library.

    I am currently teaching a Sunday school class, I am still not quite sure how that happened, it is a class filled with a bunch of wonderful supportive people and I feel privilege to be the teacher.  As I was preparing my lesson Todd sent me You Tube video by John Piper that was perfect for the lesson.  Thank you Todd, I asked Todd if we could put it on a DVD, he offered to go to church in the evening and see if he could play it from his i-pad and since it worked he offered to play it for the class on Sunday. Thank you again Todd.

     When I see or think of Todd I see a disciple of Jesus, a real servant leader.  When I see both Todd and Ellen in church I am so thankful that they are my brother and sister in Jesus.  Ellen has also done so much for the family of CrossPoint.  Thank you both from the bottom of my heart; it is my pleasure to be in your company.

What Do You Expect?

Earlier this summer, on a Sunday morning, I was reading portions from the Bible reading plan I use.  One section was from Deuteronomy 13, which is about avoiding false gods.  Another reading was Psalm 100, which points our praise to Him.

There wasn't any specific word or phrase that struck me, but between the two readings I became convicted.  I was convicted about going to church and expecting something else.  It was subtle.  But it was about going to church for something besides God.

Let me explain. Ellen and I were going to our son's church that Sunday because he was asked to share his faith story on that particular day.  While we are excited to hear about the way God is moving in our children's lives and hearts, I was convicted that I was anticipating going to church to hear from my son - and not from God.  Anyone else guilty of this?  How often have we come to church with wrong expectations.  Do you go to see someone or hear something rather than to meet and worship God?  We need to come to hear what God is saying to us.  After all, it is HIS house.

Perhaps I was also convicted because this past spring I had been teaching the middle school kids from the Old Testament.  Repeatedly, God's children would chase after other idols.  Repent.  Come back.  Then repeat the whole sequence again.  (Sounds like a shampoo ad.)  The Bible pulls no punches in making it clear that God is a jealous God and He will not accept anything or anyone to come before Him.  It happens repeatedly in the OT.  If we're honest, it probably happens repeatedly in our lives today too.

So as we went that morning and as the pastor spoke, I noticed – carved into the wood around the pipe organ – three words: “Soli Deo Gloria”  In Latin it means  "Glory to God alone" (my highlight).  I think, being a slow learner, God was just reinforcing what He taught me earlier that morning.  It was a great reminder of what – Who – I should focus on and where my expectation should be.

I have a song on my iPod called “Jealous God”.  The words go like this (click here to listen to listen to it and then scroll down to the correct song):

Verse 1:
            
You gave us life through your command
To serve only you, the maker of man
You are a strong consuming fire
Jealous for us, with Holy desire
Chorus
With all our soul we worship you
With all our strength, we will pursue
Only You deserve every part of us
We give you our hearts, and lay down our dreams
We long for you and not earthly thing
You Oh God require every part of us
You are a jealous God
Verse 2
We are the bride you've set apart
Called to be one with our Father's heart
Too many times we've gone astray
But as one we sing, here on this day
Bridge
Nothing deserves my attention more than You
Nothing deserves my affection more than You
You are the truth in a world full of lies
Only for You will my heart have eyes
Nothing deserves all of me, more than You      

You've probably seen the credit card commercial with Alex Baldwin in which he asks; "What's in your wallet?"  Let's put a twist on that and say; "What's in (the center of) your worship?"