Getting Off to a Good Start

I've been enjoying our New Year's teaching series: Getting Off to a Good Start. Two Sundays ago we discussed the importance of Leaving Last Year's Baggage Behind. If we want to have an effective 2009, we cannot allow unforgiveness from 2008 to drag us down. Today, our teaching was Jesus' Job Description. In some ways the Jubilee language of Luke 4:18,19 can only be applied to Jesus. He was the only one who could provide the Jubilee release described by Isaiah. But while this is Jesus' job description, we have to remember that we are Christ's body. We are called to co-mission with him in releasing the poor from their poverty, the prisoners from their chains, the blind from their darkness, the oppressed from their worries and the shamed from their condemnation.

Hang with us over the next three weeks as we explore the story of Gideon in Advancing When Fear Says "Run Away!", Jonathan's encounter with the Philistines in The Law of Momentum, and the parable of the talents in Taking a R.I.S.K. It's going to be a good year!

Advent Preview

Here I am sitting at my desk on the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. Our Pre-School was not in session today, so it was a quiet day in more ways than one.

I'm trying to get over a pretty decent case of bronchitis. I was able to preach Sunday, but only mouthed the words to the worship songs. That's difficult for me to do; I mean I really wanted to sing... but I also wanted to preach, and Sunday was one of those days I had to choose which one I wanted to do more.

Sunday begins Advent 2008. I love this time of year. This year's Advent Theme at Aloha Church of God is Christmas Grace.

Here's the plan:

1st Sunday of Advent - November 30 - Christmas Grace Means God Keeps His Promises
2nd Sunday of Advent - December 7 - Christmas Grace Means God Is On Our Side
3rd Sunday of Advent - December 14 - Christmas Grace Means God Makes Room for Us
4th Sunday of Advent - December 21 - Christmas Grace Means God Won't Forget Us
Christmas Eve - Christmas Grace Means God Isn't Afraid of a Mess

If you need some grace this Christmas, why not join us? There's plenty to go around.

Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel!

Paul wrote that, as the church, we are a letter from Christ . . . written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. (2 Corinthians 3:3 -- NLT) The church and the kingdom are not the same thing. The church is a window to the kingdom. In other words, people look through the window of the church to see what the kingdom is like.

We could take the metaphor many other directions. The church is a witness bearing testimony regarding the kingdom. The church is a headline that entices people to read the whole story about the kingdom. The church is the URL that links people to the kingdom.

This Sunday, we're going to examine the church as the coming attractions of God's kingdom. After seeing us, will people want to tune in for more? Join us this Sunday: Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel!

Halloween Masks

Tomorrow is Halloween, when many of us will be putting on masks for trick-or-treating or a costume party or just for the fun of it. When we're all done, we'll take off our masks, and people will see us for who we really are... won't they?

Just because Halloween ends doesn't mean people take off their masks. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Life Together: He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, [in spite of their] corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may [be the loneliest people of all]. The final breakthrough to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everyone must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. [1]

Did Jesus die on the cross so we could wear masks even when it's not Halloween? Join us Sunday as we explore the possibilities.

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[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 110. I've taken the liberty to re-word a phrase or two to make this more understandable while, I believe, remaining true to Bonhoeffer's original thought.

All that Glitters Is Not Gold

I thank God for the opportunities I have had to teach and/or lead worship over the past few months. I taught a segment of The Church of God in Michigan's ISL (Institute for Servant Leadership) on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. I was blessed to speak at City Church in Connellsville for a Saturday night and Sunday morning service. I taught and led worship at Beaver Valley Church of God, led worship at Whitehall Camp & Conference Center, and will be speaking this weekend at Robertsdale Church of God. A couple weeks from now I'm supposed to preach at Grove City, but that depends on the outcome of this weekend.

Yes, we had some weeks off and enjoyed worshiping with our sister Church of God congregations around the area, but my favorite weekends were sharing in one way or another, teaching or leading worship.

Hey, Robertsdale friends; you can get a jump on Sunday by reading 2 Chronicles 12:1-11. And for our Sunday afternoon Bible Study, read Matthew 5:17-48. That way we've covered both an Old Testament and a New Testament passage.

Looking forward to this weekend. I'm praying for you!

Happy New Year!

Advent. Only a few more weeks until Christmas as the year winds down. Not for the church. The First Sunday of Advent is the first Sunday of the Christian Calendar, so Happy New Year!

Advent is about preparing for Christ's coming... coming to Bethlehem in the Incarnation, coming into one's heart in conversion, and coming in the Parousia--the second coming or second Advent. This is a time to get ready to receive Christ.

Christmas can be disappointing for kids. If it weren't, every family would have a pony! Sometimes our expectations don't match up with reality. I remember a disappointing Christmas as a kid in the 60s. There was a great toy on the market that allowed a kid to make his own mini action figures. It involved a mold, plastic pellets, and the main part: a device that melted the plastic pellets into molten plastic allowing it to be injected into the mold. After it cooled, you had your action figure.

I wanted it so bad.

Flash forward to Christmas morning. I opened my present. It was a refill kit of the little plastic pellets. The toy was such a hot seller that my parents couldn't find one, so on Christmas morning I got the refill kit--and a promise. As soon as it's back in stock, we'll get it for you. Now 40-some years later, I don't know why, but let's just say I'm still waiting.

Peter had expectations. Because of his Jewish upbringing he expected the Messiah to be the Son of David establishing a kingdom that would never end. In so doing, Peter expected this conquering hero to free Israel from Roman oppression. On a retreat to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, Who do you say that I am? Sometimes our expectations can obscure the realities standing right in front of us, but Peter had already begun a journey of discovery that would last a lifetime, as he re-evaluated his expectations of the Messiah in light of his one-on-one Christ revelation. Peter's answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

What are you expecting for Christmas?

What are you expecting from Jesus?

(I owe some of the ideas in this post to Janet Lilly Wanner of Women of the Church of God. Thanks, Janet.)

Condemnation or Comfort - Sunday Preview

This Sunday we're continuing our foray into Matthew's gospel with a look at chapter 4 -- the temptation narrative. Each of us knows temptation. We cling to the Hebrews passage: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Those words, written for our comfort, have often been twisted to beat us down. Jesus was tempted and he didn't cave in. You have no excuse for your failure. You're pathetic!

And yet we have the words of Paul: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... (Romans 8:1)

When we read the New Testament, we cannot lift one verse out and isolate it from the rest. We must interpret individual verses, keeping them in context with the rest of the book.

Our high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses; he doesn't condemn us. He is our advocate, not our accuser. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Because Christ has been tempted: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

The Gospel According to Matthew

This Sunday we're beginning a teaching series in Matthew's Gospel. We're going to save chapters 1 and 2 for Advent (that's only six weeks from this Sunday!), and begin with chapter 3. This is fitting, because chapter 3 deals with John the Baptizer and Jesus' baptism, and we're having a baptism celebration of our own. I'm still not sure how many are being baptized, but we've got 6 confirmed. Add these to the 12 who followed Christ in baptism last spring and we can rejoice in God's goodness to us.

Our Sunday teaching is titled The Identity of Christ. Granted, not the most imaginative sermon title I've ever heard, but it fits. The first three chapters of Matthew serve to answer the question, Who is Jesus? In aswering this question, we can also examine its companion, Who are we supposed to be?

Bless your brothers and sisters in Christ by being here for our baptism service this Sunday morning. This is an excellent tme to invite friends and relatives as we celebrate God's gift of new life and community. See you Sunday!

Judy Deans in Concert

Tomorrow is going to be a blast at Connellsville Church of God. Judy Deans will be sharing in concert at 10:45. Judy has a beautiful singing voice and a beautiful spirit to go with it. We are very fortunate to welcome her.

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Come prepared to give generously for the love offering we will receive to support Judy's ministry.

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That brings up a story.

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Many years ago when Janelle and I were traveling and sharing concerts across the country, we did a Sunday morning service in a little Virginia country church. Our financial arrangements were a love offering plus $50 to defray our expenses--call it gas money. Before church the pastor handed me an envelope with $50 in it. I presumed the love offering would be received later in the service. There was an opening song, and then the church's regular tithes and offerings were collected. Then, a little later, as it was the first Sunday in November, a "meat offering" (a love offering to help cover the cost of the turkey for the church's upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner) was received. Soon it was time for us to sing. When we finished, the pastor dismissed the service... no love offering.

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Keep in mind. We were traveling, and a long way from home. We did have another concert, but mind you ONLY one, on this leg of our journey. I spoke with the person who set up the date to make sure he understood the arrangements included a love offering, and he assured me he had explained it in detail to the pastor.

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Come Tuesday morning I felt it would be appropriate to call the host pastor to see what exactly was going on. When he answered the phone I explained my dilemma, and asked if he understood the arrangements. His response (use your best Virginia drawl): Well, Brother Tim, we had to take up an offering to help pay for our Thanksgiving turkey; I didn't think it was fair to my people to take up two love offerings and, frankly, I THOUGHT THE TURKEY WAS MORE IMPORTANT.

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Now, picture the phone still in my hand, and my chin on the floor. What could I say? All righty then; God bless and have a good day. But to this day, when walking through the grocery store, I always feel a little resentment toward those Butterball turkeys in the freezer aisle. :)

You Look Mahvelous

Do you remember Billy Crystal's schtick as Fernando Lamas on Saturday Night Live back in the 80s? If not, watch here for a reminder... But remember to come back!

Why Billy Crystal? His trademark as Lamas was, You look mahvelous! Among his other narcissistic Latin one-liners was, It's better to look good than to feel good.

Sunday we're going to examine what the Biblical writers had to say about looking good. I know you'll be here, Dahling, and I know you'll look mahvelous.

An Egyptian Flower

Amisi was the daughter of a peasant. Her name meant flower in her native Egytian language. She was a beautiful girl with a beautiful name. Her family never had much, but they got by... that is, until the drought. Amisi's father borrowed against a harvest that never came, and when payment came due, the only thing of value he had was his daughter. Lots of daughters were sold as servants that year. Amisi was lucky to be sold to a decent family, wealthy foreigners. They were older and had no children. They had lots of servants, but her duties were to attend to the wife. She spent most of her time cooking, cleaning, and going to the marketplace. There were times she even got to see her parents there on shopping days.

Then came the news she never expected. Her master had decided it was time to go home... his home, somewhere far to the north. Long after she walked out of town she could still hear her mother wailing somewhere behind her. She walked and walked dazed at the prospect of never seeing her parents again.

They settled near a place called Hebron. Amisi missed her home immensely, but life went on. It seemed like her master and mistress spent a lot of time fighting. Her mistress was angry that her husband's god had never seen fit to give her a child. Then something happened she never considered. Her mistress came into her tent and instructed her: Tonight you will present yourself to my husband. If God will not give me a child, then you will.

That night was a blur of confusion and emotions. She did her best to forget, until a few weeks later when she knew she was pregnant. This brought a whole new flood of feelings she had never before experienced. As her belly began to swell, she was embarrassed until her embarassment gradually gave way to pride. She saw how her mistress's husband looked at her. She started thinking that since she was pregnant by him, perhaps he would make her his wife. Instead of being a servant, she fantasized about having her own servants. And besides, her mistress was old. Surely her master could see that Amisi would make him a much better wife and give him many children...

Join us for this week's Sunday celebration to hear the rest of this story of broken dreams, broken relationships, rejection... and hope.

This Sunday - Why You Need Jesus

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis writes of a natural law which guides our behavior. He contrasts this natural law with scientific laws such as gravity. Gravity is verifiable by observation. It does not describe how things should behave, but how they do behave. No matter how determined I may be, I cannot jump off a cliff and decide to fall up. On the other hand, Lewis's natural law does not describe how persons do act, but how they should act. [1] In fact, scientific observation could only determine there is no such natural law guiding humanity's behavior, because we break the law so consistently. [2] However, the fact that we acknowledge such a law is evidenced in the excuses we make for breaking it. When our behavior is congruent with the natural law, we pat ourselves on the back thinking we are very fine human beings, indeed, but when our behavior violates this law it is because we had a bad day, or we were extra tired. [3]

Romans 3:20 reads: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (NIV) In another place Paul writes: I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. (Galatians 2:21 NIV) Too often we read the Romans passage and acknowledge that it is the law that identifies sin, as in, That's a sin; that's not. That's not what Paul is saying. His point is that the law reveals our sinfulness in that we know right from wrong, but cannot do what we know we should do. To bring this point home, Lewis writes: No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. [4]

That's why we need Jesus. Read this. We'll unpack this some more Sunday morning. Hope to see you then.

[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity rev. ed. (San Francisco: Harper, 1980), 17.

[2] Ibid., 24.

[3] Ibid., 8.

[4] Ibid., 142.

This Weekend

1973's biggest selling single was Tony Orlando and Dawn's Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ol' Oak Tree. Reportedly based on a true story, it chronicled a husband's release from prison. He wrote to his wife telling her of his return, and ackowledging that he had no reason to expect her to wait on him. He simply asked that, if she wanted him to come home, she tie a yellow ribbon around the oak tree in the city square. When the bus drove into town, sure enough, there was that ribbon right where he hoped.

On Father's day we talked about how the lost son believed he would never again be a son; he saw himself as beyond redemption--disposable. The Father saw him differently. By calling for the family ring, the robe, the sandals and the celebration, the father illustrated the same truth about his son that God the Father had spoken about his Son at Christ's baptism: This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.

This Sunday we take up the other half of the story--the older brother. We'll talk about having a heart for the lost. Anyone can say they have a heart for the lost, but what does that really mean? We'll also talk about our church's vision for the future, and about regrouping--about how messy and inconvenient evangelism can be--and about how lost we would be if someone else hadn't been willing to take that risk on our behalf.

When prodigals show up at our churches, will they find yellow ribbons or Keep Out signs?