Your Road to the Manger

Christmas Eve is TODAY...can you believe it? There is so much that still needs to be done for so many of us before we can declare ourselves "ready," but what does it mean to truly be "ready" for Christmas?

The road that led Mary and Joseph to the place where Jesus would be delivered was full of challenge, anxiety, and danger, but the love of GOD kept them on the path so the world could know the Lord of HOPE, JOY, PEACE, and LOVE.

The proverbial roads that we each are taking to Christmas this year are as varied and diverse as we are. Through the ups and downs, victories and defeats, triumphs and trials of this year (and of life for that matter), our many roads will converge at the humble manger...a feeding trough that cradled Jesus, the Bread of Life.

If your road has been full of strangers and dangers this year, know that love is waiting for you at the manger. If your road has been full of darkness, know that the Light of the World still shines, piercing the darkness that cannot understand it. At the manger — as the beautiful hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," states — "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight."

I pray that you persevere on your individual road to the manger to find the Living Lord...Immanuel...GOD with us waiting for you there. Jesus was sent to be our hope, to be our joy, to be our peace, to be our love, and to be our light. Come and allow His creating and re-creating hand to dispel the darkness, the lovelessness, peacelessness, joylessness, and hopelessness so you will find the life GOD has in store for you!

If you are tired and weary, joyful and jubilant, lost and lonely, or just seemingly on cruise control, may your road lead you to the manger where you will find Jesus, the point in which life and eternity converge.

GOD Bless, Merry Christmas, and I hope to see you Christmas Eve,

Pastor Mark

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

(1 John 4:9, NLT)

Merry Christmas!

Confession: last night I was overwhelmed. There was so much on my to-do and honey-do lists, that in a moment of anxiety, I actually felt as though the coming of Christmas depended on ME. It wasn't until my quiet time this morning that I was reminded Christmas already came! In Galatians 4:4-5, Paul wrote, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Christmas requires us to acknowledge that in Jesus, God came...Immanuel...God with us (Matthew 1:23).

If you awoke this morning feeling overwhelmed about all that has to be done today, thinking as though the coming of Christmas depends on you, take a moment, pause, and reflect over the FACT that in Jesus, God came. This will help you realign priorities and place the emphasis where it belongs as opposed to the trappings and ancillary things that help us enjoy the celebration of the season.

As I type this little note, I have the same hymn running through my mind that has been there all month, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." Check out the first verse:
"Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart."

May Christ's eternal presence release you from the fears and sins that might occur in your mind on this day. May Christ's eternal presence bring you the peace that only God can bring (John 14:27). In the middle of all the preparations for the fun and festivities, may we remember that God does so love the world, and for that reason, God sent His one and only Son (John 3:16). May that be central today, Christmas Day, and everyday!

In Jesus, God came. May we celebrate that and remember that the Lord is the focus, not us. And may we look forward with great anticipation to the celebration that points us to the time when Jesus will come again.

Merry Christmas!

Do You Know the Password?

The house where I grew up in Austell had some very special spots. One of my favorites was the cellar my grandfather dug out when he owned the house. The cellar was originally a crawlspace, but he painstakingly excavated it by hand to give him some extra storage, a place to do some work, and almost quite literally, a man-cave. When he and my nana moved to Cartersville, we moved into that house and my Papa’s man-cave became a magical lair for my brother and me. In there we would have epic battles with our GI Joes, imagine we were in our own bunker, and do other things that little boys would do in a grungy utilitarian retreat.

This space wasn’t just special for my brother and me, it served as a sort of clubhouse for the handful of kids on our small dead-end street. In classic “Little Rascals” fashion, we had a secret password to grant entrance through the doors, descending into our hideout. And though we were “He-Men” in our own eyes, there certainly was no woman hating in our club (the name of the club in the Little Rascals was the He-Man Woman Haters). Our passwords ranged from the intricate to the absurd, served no purpose whatsoever, but for a bunch of kids, it added to the mystique.

Passwords are interesting things, aren’t they? These days, with all of the different websites, apps, and other accounts we use in this digital age, we have passwords for everything! In fact, now there are password protected apps to keep track of your passwords! Need entrance to a special or protected place? Use the password.

Did you know that the Bible teaches us that there is an actual password into the most special of all places, the presence of GOD? Check out Psalm 100:4, “Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’ Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.” How about that?!? The password into GOD’s holy presence is rooted in thanksgiving!

This week, as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, many people will pause and reflect upon the things for which they are thankful. This is something we will do around our dinner table, and I hope you will, too. The concept of giving thanks is a very biblical one, and a concept that when practiced regularly – and not just on the 4^th Thursday of November – can radically change the trajectory of your life!

When was the last time you paused to give thanks to GOD for all you have in life? When was the last time you paused to give thanks to GOD for all you need not worry about in life? Check out Philippians 4:6-7 in the New International Version: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As you pause to celebrate this Thanksgiving, remember that it is a simple Thank You that is the password into GOD’s presence. May your heart and mind be guarded in Christ Jesus. May all the worries and anxieties melt away as you enjoy time with friends and family. And in the midst of so much uncertainty in the world, may the peace of GOD manifest in your life and on your home. 

Let the River Flow

This past weekend, Cokes Chapel joined with other United Methodist Churches in our community, to make a difference in the name of Jesus through River of Life: Coweta. The impetus for this event came as a result of our FOCUS Youth’s faithful participation in River of Life: Macon for the past several years. The goal was to help the River branch out into our community and begin providing opportunities for the youth in our church and community to come together in worship, fellowship, and service to experience the synergistic power of the Holy Spirit that occurs when followers of Jesus gather to make a difference. After watching the event unfold this past week, I can emphatically say the goal was achieved!

In John 7:38, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” This verse is something that many got to witness as our youth joined in with others to passionately serve and worship the Lord. The Holy Spirit descended into our church in a mighty way, filled the hearts of the participants, which they then carried out in service to impact others. This is precisely how the flow of the Spirit works in our lives…it sweeps us up and then moves us in ways only God can orchestrate to accomplish God’s task for us to share the Good News. Just think of it – youth and adults, giving of their weekend, working and serving in the record cold temperatures, to share the love of God and experiencing God’s love in a new and profound way.

In worship on Sunday, we were blessed to hear the record of service from this River of Life. I want to share it with you again in this format so you can see and celebrate with us how the flow of God swept us up as a church, joining together with others in the community, to serve, share, and shine for God. Consider what was accomplished:

   

·        17 months of prep work

·        288 hours of planning

·        72 hour prayer vigil

·        Included 4 states

·        427 work hours

·        63 facility hours

·        92 kitchen hours

·        52 lbs meat

·        180 pancakes

·        112 gallons of beverages

·        20 lbs of fruit

·        12 actually consumed

·        1 lb actually juggled

·        40 students

·        72 adults

·        6 worksites

·        50 people served yesterday

·        Over 300 served this week

·        Infinite number of lives changed!

I hope you will join with me to celebrate what God accomplished through our youth and leadership. And as we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas, remember these impacts and let the river flow from us to share with others the goodness and love of God!

A Place for ALL GOD's Children

This coming Sunday we will begin our new ministry emphasis, A Place for All GOD’s Children. This is something I have been thinking and praying over since Easter weekend. I awoke early on Holy Saturday and spent time in prayer about the meaning of Easter and Christ’s sacrifice for us. This came on the heels of a dynamic Lenten and Holy Week celebration where I experienced the love of GOD in my life in a new and very meaningful way. As I read my daily devotion, the scripture lesson stopped me in my tracks: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” (1 John 5:1-2)

In the context of Easter weekend, the thought of being born again really impacted me as I thought about the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus – to love the children of GOD. Isn’t this the role and purpose of the church? We are called to love GOD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) and obey Jesus’ commandment, which is to love one another (John 15:12). As we think about the role of the church universal, and the task of Cokes Chapel in particular, we are called to be A Place for All GOD’s Children.

There is no doubt that Cokes Chapel has this love as part of our overall ministry; between the Childcare Center, the recent addition of our new Children’s Minister, Kim Reindl, and our upcoming plunge into River of Life, our church truly has a heart for children. Our church has also historically been heavily involved in caring for All GOD’s Children across the community and the globe. As we embark on this new ministry emphasis, I want our church to seriously consider how we are actually loving and caring for All GOD’s Children.

The mission of Cokes Chapel, as adopted by the Leadership Conference in 2013, is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. As I think about how we are called to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, it simply can be said we are to do so here, there, and everywhere. This is a simplified way of understanding Jesus’ mandate to be His witnesses in Judea (the local area), Samaria (the larger region), and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Allow me to explain:

•        Here: As we seek to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples HERE, we have some pretty significant opportunities with our current mission field: the Childcare Center and our growing children’s ministries. But being A Place for All GOD’s Children isn’t just about people under the age of 18, because we are all GOD’s children and called to share that good news with everyone!
•        There: As we seek to be A Place for ALL GOD’s Children, making disciples THERE, we have many needs and opportunities to serve in our region. We already do significant support for One Roof, Luthersville Food Ministry, Community Welcome House, A Better Way Ministry, Meals on Wheels, service in local nursing homes, the Trinity Table Soup Kitchen, and GOD’s Breadbasket in Hogansville (among others), and this is great! As we continue to be in ministry in our region, how else can we seek to shine the light and love of GOD?
•         Everywhere: As we seek to be A Place for ALL GOD’s Children, making disciples EVERYWHERE, we are called to embrace and expand our involvement in the global reach of the gospel and our participation of ministries in the United Methodist Church. Cokes Chapel is committed to paying 100% of our apportionments, which helps facilitate ministry throughout the world. We take collections for the United Methodist Committee On Relief – or UMCOR – during times of crisis or disaster. We support the Stotler missionary family through the Mission Society. We have also taken on individual projects, like Stop Hunger Now and Miracles for Mozambique, that are aimed at helping spread hope and the love of GOD across the world.

 Being A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere, means that we have some work to do, and this is very exciting! Steps are already being taken to help embrace and engage this ministry focus for our church – things like hiring a children’s director, assessing our current ministry with the church survey, and looking ahead at new ministry opportunities ahead of us – but we need your help! We need your prayers, your presence in worship and church activities, your talents given you by GOD, and your financial gifts which help make it all possible. This campaign will call us to reflect over our stewardship, or our use of the resources given us by GOD, and commit to be difference makers in our church, community, and across the world.

The United Methodist Church has a slogan that I want to share with you, since this will be a definite part of our mission to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere: Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. As we embark on this new ministry emphasis, may our hearts be open to the cause of the gospel around us; may our minds be open to the possibilities GOD has in store for us; and may our doors be open to receive the people GOD will send our way to love and welcome into GOD’s holy family.

GOD Bless and I hope to see you Sunday as we kick off our new series with the first message, Logos. The Bible lesson is from John 1:1-5, 9-14. 

Here, There, & Everywhere!

We had an amazing weekend at Cokes Chapel! On Saturday, the FOCUS Youth participated in the Wesley Walk for Others around Stone Mountain to raise money and awareness for One Roof. On Sunday, we had two powerful Commitment Sunday worship celebrations, along with the delicious Boy Scouts BBQ fundraiser, and a festive Trunk-Or-Treat for the families in our church, Childcare Center, and community. And following Trunk-Or-Treat, the FOCUS Youth had a great time visiting with the local firefighters, delivering them dinner and goodies. From sunrise on Saturday to sunset on Sunday, our church was fully engaged in mission and ministry and it was awesome!

In my message this past Sunday, I taught on Jesus’ instructions from Acts 1:8 where he told his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This is where we get our Here, There, and Everywhere missions emphasis. Putting this verse in context, the disciples would have heard that they were to share the Good News of salvation in their hometowns, in the broader region, and across the world – here, there, and everywhere!

There is another message embedded in this passage, though, and that is in Jesus’ mention of Samaria. Samaria was looked down upon – and the Samaritans were literally hated – by those who were of Jewish descent, because they “diluted” the purity of the bloodlines by intermarrying with the Assyrians. So imagine how Jesus’ instructions to go into Samaria and witness to the Samaritans must have struck his followers. And this was not the first time Jesus mentioned a Samaritan…remember the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.29-37 where the villain was the hero? Jesus tells this story in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

This is important: as Jesus was giving instructing the disciples about being his witnesses, he wasn’t just giving geographical parameters, but relational ones! Jesus wasn’t just saying to be his witnesses here, there, and everywhere, but also with the people in those locations. So to take those words and give them a relational framework, Jesus was saying to witness to people we know and love, people we do not like or care for, and people we likely will never meet. Changes things, doesn’t it?

We are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as we love self. And who is my neighbor? Everyone. Thinking back to the parable of the Good Samaritan, one’s neighbor isn’t defined by a geographical location, but by the fact that we are All GOD’s Children! And 1 John 5.1-3 teaches us that we prove our love for God by how we love God’s children.

Jesus wants us to be committed to the task of the Great Commission – to go into the world to make disciples – with the Great Commandment – to love one another. So as we think about heeding the call of Jesus, we have to take account of our commitment level. Are you willing to tell others about who Jesus is and what he has done for you? Are you willing to get involved with others by entering into the difficulties of life? Are you willing to add value to the world by being a contributor and not just a consumer? Are you willing to share the love of Jesus with people you know and don’t know, like and don’t like? Your answers to these questions – which were the themes of the four messages in this October worship series – will reveal a lot.

At Cokes Chapel, we are called to be a place for all GOD’s children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere! That is our vision and mission. Commit it to memory. Integrate it into your language. Think of ways to share what God has done in your life with others and commit to share it. This will change your life. This will change our church. This will change the world.

Are you ready? Let’s get started. There’s work to be done Here, There, and Everywhere!

Commitment Sunday*

Hello Church Family,

I hope you are having a fantastic week! This past Sunday was tremendous with our Birthday Brunch and I want to extend a special thanks to everyone who helped make it possible. We also had two very powerful worship celebrations as we considered what it means to live a life of value. Value is not about how much we can get out of something for as little investment as possible; rather, value is about how much we can contribute to the world. God has created us each and every one of us to be unique, and when we do not give our all – our time, talents, money, energy, focus, etc. – then the world around us suffers. A spirit of consumption drains the body, but a spirit of contribution makes it stronger!

Throughout this month of October, we have been exploring our new ministry emphasis, Cokes Chapel: A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere! We have discussed how Jesus is the very Word of God, sent to tell us about the heart and love of God. We have talked about how God is present with us when we go through trials and tribulations, and as a result, sends us out into the world to meet people where they are to show them the way of God. And then we discussed how we prove our love for God by the way we love all God’s children.

Our October message series culminates this week in our message, Here, There, and Everywhere as we explore Jesus’ commandment to be his witnesses throughout the world in Acts 1:8. This Sunday – our 2014 Commitment Sunday – will be quite a day, and I hope you are making plans to be a part of it. Here are some things you can expect:

1. Bringing our Estimate of Giving Cards as an act of worship: during the celebration of Holy Communion, you will be given the opportunity to bring your family’s estimate of giving card, which was mailed to you last week. You will be asked to bring and leave these at the altar as an act of worship, sharing your financial resources with the Lord to help support the ministry of our local church and abroad.
2. Bringing our Stewardship Campaign Gifts: we are still collecting gifts toward our goal of $3,000 to be a blessing for ministry needs in our community and across the world. We have termed this our Here, There, and Everywhere project, and your gifts (over and beyond your regular tithes and offerings) will be used to support three different projects. Our Here project is for our children and youth ministries to the church and community; our There project is to support the new Step By Step Ministries being launched in Hogansville by Pastor David Adamson; and our Everywhere project is to aid our sister church in Mozambique, Liberdade UMC, with the refugee crisis they are engaged in serving due to illness, famine, and violence.
3. Committing, or Re-Committing Your Life to Jesus: during Holy Communion, as you bring your estimate of giving card, you will have the opportunity to commit or re-commit your life to the Lord. You may receive the sacrament of baptism, or if you have been baptized previously, you may reaffirm your baptismal vows as a holistic commitment to give your all for Jesus!
4. Membership Emphasis: if you have been worshipping with us as a guest, and have decided that you want to unite with the Cokes Chapel Church, we are opening the doors of the church so you may unite with the family and be a part of our ongoing ministry efforts to make disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere!

As you can see, this Sunday is going to be a celebrative time of worship, generosity, and ministry, and I know it’s one you will not want to miss! Of course, life happens, and if you are unable to make it to worship this Sunday, you will have ample opportunity to bring your estimate of giving card, commit or recommit your life to Jesus, receive or reaffirm your baptism, and/or unite with the church. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

In addition to these powerful acts of worship on Sunday, we also have two other opportunities to show our desire to be A Place for All GOD’s Children! Please do not forget that we have the BBQ fundraiser (serving until 1:30pm; tix are $8) to help purchase new equipment for our thriving Scouting ministries, and the annual Trunk-or-Treat for the children in our Childcare Center, congregation, and community (3-5pm in the field adjacent to the Childcare Center entrance).

Sunday is going to be a landmark day in the life of our church as we seek to experience the love of God and share that with all GOD’s Children here, there, and everywhere! From the sacred moments in worship to the festive fun at our annual Trunk-Or-Treat, this is not something you want to miss!

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*This blog was initially published on Oct.22

Logos

This past Sunday we kicked off our new ministry emphasis – Cokes Chapel: A Place for All GOD’s Children. The inspiration comes from 1 John 5:1-2, which challenges us to show how much we love GOD in the ways we love GOD’s children. I read from John 1 in my Sunday message as the gospel proclaims Jesus as the Word of GOD, present at the beginning of creation and active in the re-creation of all of humanity (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we believe in Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Savior of our life, we are given the right to become children of GOD! 

Looking at the word, Word, in the Greek as used in John 1, it is translated, logos. The use of logos in this verse is actually an action word which means, “to tell”. This teaches that Jesus came to tell us about the heart and mind of GOD that wants everyone to know of GOD’s love and desire to be in a saving relationship with all GOD’s children. As part of that message, I also explained how the logos we use (in this case I’m referring to images and artwork) helps us tell our story as United Methodists at Cokes Chapel.

First of all, we use the United Mehodist Church’s cross and flame. This logo was adopted shortly after the merger of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968 to form The United Methodist Church. It helps us relate to GOD through Christ in the cross and by the power of the Holy Spirit, represented by the flame. The flame is a reminder of Pentecost when witnesses were unified by the Holy Spirit and saw “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:3). The two tongues of the single flame are also to be understood to represent the union of the two denominations, forming one movement on a mission to share the love of GOD in Jesus Christ.

We also the logo specific to Cokes Chapel that was designed and voted into use by the leadership team in 2010. It is symbolic on several levels: for starters, the overall image is a cross to show that the cross of Christ is at the center of who we are and our purpose as a church. Each cross is made up of an ichthys, or the ancient fish symbol of Christianity, showing that we believe in following Jesus’ call to fish for people. Each individual fish has a different color to represent a specific aspect of the church working together for the overall purpose of making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere. The red is symbolic of the traditional service and the foundation of the merger as Cokes Chapel opened its doors to welcome new friends. The blue is symbolic of the contemporary service and the Lighthouse to shine GOD’s light; the green is symbolic of the church’s ministry to children and youth (since this is where our fertile growth will come); and the yellow is symbolic of our primary ministry to the community with the Childcare Center.

On Sunday, we unveiled the artwork for our All GOD’s Children ministry campaign. This artwork introduces the image of multi-colored children surrounding the world, while incorporating the UMC cross and flame and the Cokes Chapel logo. This image is to remind us of our call and commitment to Jesus’ Great Commission (to go into the world to make disciples) and Jesus’ Great Commandment (to love one another) as we strive to make Cokes Chapel A Place for All GOD’s Children.

My hope and prayer as we move through our All GOD’s Children emphasis is we will be able to commit to heart and memory the vision and mission of our church. The vision is to be A Place for All GOD’s Children and our mission is to make disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere. Used together, we see that Cokes Chapel is a place for all GOD’s children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere! We will be referencing this a lot in the coming weeks, so please, incorporate this into your prayer and thought patterns, so if you run into someone in the neighborhood, at a store or a restaurant, or anywhere, you can tell them the vision and mission of Cokes Chapel United Methodist Church.

GOD Bless!

Labor Day

Labor Day is not one of those holidays I know a whole lot about. The Department of Labor has this to say about Labor Day, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” In other words, it was created to honor those who make this country work: you and I.

There is no doubt that without those who “work” America would certainly be in quite a state. Imagine a world where, even if for one day, no one worked. There would be no hospitals, police, or firefighters. There would be no supermarkets or restaurants (even if Waffle House is open 24/7, 365!). Let’s face it, from entertainers to life savers, if there was a day where no one worked, society as we know it would practically stand still.

It is nice to take a day, prop our feet up, and maybe even enjoy a long weekend in honor of our labor, but is there something we are overlooking? Without the One who had to work to get us here, there would be no prosperity and well-being at all. Sure, our society turns because people dedicate their lives to the plan and purpose they were created to fulfill, but that had to begin somewhere and with someone: God.

God, in His amazing love, set things in motion for the world and all in it to succeed. God began by creating the world and calling it “Good.” God then established a plan for us all to know just how much we are loved. Finally, God has made it possible for us to rise above the mundane trivialities of life into a meaningful and eternal relationship with Him. This was no short order, mind you and the Lord had to give all He had, even His very Son, so we would not perish on our own.

Whether we realize it or not, everything we have—even life itself—is a result of God’s work. Psalms 139.14 says, “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” (emphasis mine) God wants you to recognize that whatever is good about you is because of God’s great work. Every talent you have, every gift and every grace, comes from God. Every potential you have to do good and make a difference in this world is thanks to God. And God wants you to share your life, love, and labor to touch a heart and change a life in the name of Jesus.

All too often we confuse being good with doing good. God wants both out of us. God wants us to share our lives with the rest of the world so others will know in their souls just how great God’s works are! But you must remember, all you have—inside and out—comes first from the Almighty.

So this Labor Day, as we take a break from our work, let us remember God’s good work first. It is God’s good work that enables us to be the people we are. It is God’s good work that helps us become the people we can become. It is also God’s good work that can help our country grow strong and prosper. You see it isn’t all about what we do or how dedicated we are; no, it has more to do with the One’s name in which we work and dedicate our lives to reach out further and declare the goodness of God. After all, where would we be without Him?

Stopping Temptation

This past Sunday I taught about temptation. I had a little fun talking about how tempted I get by junk food; Cadberry Cream Eggs, Oreos, and Reece's peanut butter cups are some of my favorites. As I shared during worship, when I know those items are in our pantry, I will eat everything else in there trying to avoid that which I crave. Ironically, after practically eating everything else in the pantry, I'll go ahead and indulge my cravings, figuring what do I have to lose. 

I heard a lot of comments from people following the services about how you know exactly what I mean. It seems once the temptation monster creeps in, our common sense receptors get shut off, and even though we know better, we cannot control ourselves. It baffles my mind and bothers Tiffany when I get that particular look in my eye, because when I do, I cannot be stopped. 

You might be thinking to yourself, "Pastor, there's a big difference between a cookie and what it is I struggle with." You might very well be right, but there is something scary about that loss of control where no matter what you want to do, you cannot help yourself. And this is biblical, too; check out what Paul wrote in Romans 7:14-16, "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good." Can you feel the tension? I know it is palpable for me. 

To help us deal with these temptations, I introduced a concept called, "stoppers". Stoppers are behaviors that are completely incompatible with your temptation and can be a great way to "renew your mind" when faced with temptation. For me, when I find myself craving junk food, I will brush my teeth and gargle with mouthwash; nothing quite ruins the thought of the flavor of an Oreo as Listerine! If that doesn't work, I might go and do twenty-five jumping jacks or so. If that still doesn't work, then I'll take a walk, knowing that if I'm a couple miles away from my pantry, it's harder to give into my cravings. I do have to be careful, though, because I've been known to justify a little binge here and there, thinking I earned it with my exercise. That's stinkin' thinkin' and only undermines what I'm trying to accomplish in the first place. 

In addition to physical stoppers, spiritual stoppers are important, too. Use the power of Jesus to cast out temptations. Pray to God for deliverance. Read your Bible. Sing your favorite hymn or worship song. Do something to call upon the power of Jesus in your to fight off the temptation that is plaguing. 

These physical and spiritual stoppers can be a powerful tool in your arsenal, especially when it comes to renewing your mind. When you obsess over a temptation, it bores itself deeper and deeper into your consciousness. The more you think about trying to avoid the Oreo, the more you think about the Oreo to a point where the temptation can be too much. And I know it might not be an Oreo where you struggle; maybe it's another food, drink, pill, website, person, or some other thing that tempts you. The evil one knows what it is and wants to use these items to accuse you and have you feel as though you don't deserve the love and grace of God. 

I want to leave you with a great verse from Philippians 3:21 that talks about how the power of Jesus "will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." God wants to take the trash of our lives and shape it into the treasure of heaven. Think about that. With all the ways the evil one tries to take your temptations and try to discredit your witness or claim to. God's glory, it is the lovingly powerful hand of Jesus that transforms even the lowliest parts of our lives into the glory of heaven. 

So if to find yourself struggling with a temptation right now, put a 'stop' to it! Change the way you think. Engage in behavior that prevents you from doing what you'd otherwise want to do. And call upon the power of Jesus that seeks to transform your life. The evil one wants you to think your temptations disqualify you from God's salvation, but the beauty of it is that it's Jesus who makes the change possible. Call upon Jesus...place your faith in Him...know He is with you always, even to the end of the age!

5 Ideas to Help Beat Back the Blues

I had already planned on writing about beating back the blues this week before news broke of actor, Robin Williams’, suicide. It is such a sad story and something we need to deal with on a serious note.

Did you know that for every two homicides in the US that there are three suicides? Shocking. As I shared with Ethan who could not avoid the sad news, the suicide of a friend was a major factor for me accepting my call to ministry. I also shared with Ethan that no matter how bad things seem, there is always a way out – try talking to a friend, an adult, a ministry leader, or even call or visit the suicide hotline (1-800-273-8255 | www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org). I offer these same words to you. Major depression has an 80% recovery rate with proper treatment, but 2/3 of people who suffer never receive help. If you’re battling the blues, or a full-on depression, don’t let this be you…please!

We all have blah days. I remember reading in one of my counseling text books that the average person has 5-7 “blue” days per month. I hate to say it, but I have been in one of those phases recently. There are several contributing factors: the end of the summer and school resuming; a bit of a stall in our adoption process as we move from one phase to another; the veritable dog days of summer; insane political wrangling; and just the ordinary stressors of modern life in this day and age.

Every now and then I stumble upon a great article about things I find helpful. Typically I file these away for use at a future time, but this past Sunday I got a list of five things from one of the health blogs I read on a regular basis about battling the blues. I found this very helpful, so I modified the list and added Bible verses to fit better for this forum and to share with you.

                                                  

1. Pray: Prayer has a beautiful way of taking our mind off of what is bothering us so we can place it where it belongs – God! If you find yourself struggling, take your focus off of your problem and focus on the goodness of God. The time has come to quit talking to God about how big your problem is and talk to your problem about how big your God is!

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4.6-7)

2. Get some sun: Deficiency in Vitamin D can lead to depression – make sure to get some sun every day during prime hours to get your Vitamin D. And you get the fun benefits of being outside, as well.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! (1 Corinthians 3.1)

3. Exercise: This one is pretty straightforward – exercise has been shown to boost serotonin levels in the brain, and almost always leaves me feeling great. If you're not a member of a gym, just going for a walk, or doing a simple bodyweight workout, can help. I personally do something almost daily I like to call, “Temple Time.” I go out for a walk, run, or lift weights while I listen to awesome music and focus on my devotions from the morning. Since the Apostle Paul teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6.16-19), exercising the mind, body, and soul is critical to overall health.

Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. (1 Timothy 4.8)

4. Hang out with people that inspire and motivate you.

One of the biggest things that helps me beat back the blues is hanging with a few very good friends and actually talking about what was going on and how I was feeling. Being around people that inspire you can really give you that extra kick in the keister to get out of your funk. The alternative to this, if the people around you don’t particularly inspire you is to watch a great movie or read a biography of someone who does inspire you.

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. (Proverbs 17.17)

5. Smile: Try smiling whenever you’re feeling down. It's almost impossible to feel down or sad when you're smiling. Something biochemical happens when you smile, and it almost forces you to be happy. Try it out right now, you'll see what I mean. 

                                                                                              

God met me more than halfway, He freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. (Psalms 34.4-5)

I hope you find this list helpful if you have been dealing with some of the dog-days-of-summer blues. If you have been dealing with some difficulties of late, or for a long time, don’t suffer alone. As I wrote about last week, we help fulfill the law of Christ (to love!) when we help others carry their burdens (Galatians 6.2). If I can help, or point you in the direction of someone who can, please, let me know!

Carry On!

Tiffany, Ethan, and I had a great vacation, though we truly missed being with our church family. It’s good to get away, but it’s always great to get back home. Regardless of how nice it is to get back, there are always things that await you. This time for me, it was a dead battery.

I needed to get to the church office to begin catching up from a week away,but when I tried to crank the car, nothing happened… the battery was dead. Like really dead. No lights, no bells, no nothing! Luckily Tiffany was still home, so I was able to use our jumper cables, but before I could do that, I had to clean out the side of the garage we use for storage just so I could get the van close enough to the car.

It was already a paltry 80-plus-degree morning, so I was working up quite the lather. And I’m sure I was pretty noisy, too, because the neighbors were springing from their homes to check out the clatter coming from my garage. After getting everything situated just right, I pulled the van in and hooked up the jumper cables. Nothing. I waited a few seconds, but still nothing. Now I was getting concerned.

I made a few phone calls to let my appointments know I was going to be a little late, all the while trying to get any sign of life out of my car. Nothing. Finally, after giving up and deciding I would go get another battery and call in reinforcements to help me install it, the tale-tell ding of the bell and the interior lights flickered in the car. I turned the key, and walla, it was alive! With great relief I got the garage put back together and made my way to work.

While I was driving, a friend – AKA: my battery replacement reinforcement – showed up in my neighborhood to help me out, even after I called him to say it wasn’t necessary. Here I was, dripping with sweat and stress, and my friend just wanted to make sure that I was carrying on okay. Not the battery. Not my schedule. Just me. That meant a lot!

One of the hallmarks of the Christian faith is care and concern for others. Let’s face it, we all struggle and carry baggage. Our individual luggage might not match someone else’s, but that doesn’t make the luggage any less difficult to deal with. In my counseling ministry, one of the greatest lessons I’ve had to learn and be able to impart to others is not to compare or compete our struggles with others. True and authentic spiritual relationships are able to enter into the difficulties of others without the need to compare or compete for who has it rougher. I didn’t say it was easy, but it’s important.

To my friend who gave of his Monday morning at the spur of the moment to drop what he was doing to come check on me, thank you. I appreciate you helping me carry my luggage this week and helping me know that bearing it together is always easier than going it alone. And for the battery, thank you for reminding me that even though I just enjoyed a nice vacation, there are times when it’s necessary to pause and reflect that inconveniences are not crises. And for the rest of us, may we think this week about how we all have the opportunity and privilege to help a brother or sister in the faith deal with their dilemma, regardless of how big or small they might appear. This is precisely what God does for us in Jesus, and precisely what Jesus calls us to do for others.

I want to leave you with this beautiful call and challenge from scripture: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) May we all carry on accordingly this week.

The ABCs of Sharing Christ's Message

This past Sunday, I delivered a message based on Matthew 10.26-39 where I taught about being the messenger of the Good News Jesus needs you to be. In context, this passage occurs when Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples to take His message of love, hope, and reconciliation public. It might seem a bit ironic, but that message is met with a somewhat unusual metaphor: Jesus as soldier. Jesus himself said he came not to bring peace, but a sword. This gives the image of a military commander preparing his troops for battle, raising his saber, and then yelling, CHARGE!

We are involved in a civil war of sorts. Jesus’ words indicate that we are at war on two fronts: internally and externally. The internal front is the one we have to fight within ourselves against the path of least resistance. Jesus said we have to take up our cross and lose our life so we can find the true meaning of life in Him. This internal struggle — where we feel inclined to serve self instead of Savior — draws us to the wrong side of the battlefield, leaving us a prisoner of war.

The external struggle in our ongoing civil war is the one we must fight against the outside influences that can distract us from living for God. Jesus specifically pointed out relationships that can cause us problems, but there are others, too: vocations, lifestyles, etc. As Jesus stands there with His saber, He wants to use His surgeon-like precision to help us cut away the things in life that keep us away from Him…we just need to go to Him for His help.

Since we are engaged in an ongoing two-front civil war, Jesus wants to enlist us for one of the most important roles in any combat situation: battlefield messenger. The messenger had the complete confidence of the commander to convey His message, which was critical to the success of the campaign.

Jesus Himself was sent on a campaign to win the soul of humanity for heaven, but there is an enemy trying to secure territory for another domain. Christ continues to be engaged in an ongoing campaign to secure humanity from the clutches of evil and despair. Jesus is commissioning His followers to be messengers that will carry His eternally important message of love, hope, and reconciliation. Since we have such an important task, we must learn the ABCs of sharing Christ’s message; be:

• Alert: we need to take the time to hear Christ’s message accurately and incorporate it into our lives so we can share it accordingly
• Bold: we need to be courageous in sharing Jesus’ message, not allowing fear to deter us from explaining the hope we have in the Lord
• Committed: we need to be dedicated to the task of sharing God’s message and not allowing the inevitable ups and downs of life to distract us from the importance of the message.

As Jesus prepared His disciples to engage the world with His message, He reminded them that He had spent time with them, teaching and showing them the heart of God. He was now empowering them to continue that work under His tutelage, because the time was coming when they would be dispatched on their own. This reminds me of a powerful Chinese proverb that explains this brilliantly: Tell me, I will forget; show me I will remember; involve me, I will understand.

This is precisely what Jesus does for us still today. He is speaking to us about the love and grace of God, showing us the signs and wonders of a life lived in God, and involving us in the ministry of reconciliation as He wins souls for heaven. Will you accept your role in sharing this with others? Will you leave behind old and worn out patterns of living? Will you join the winning team? Remember the ABCs of sharing Christ’s message and they will truly help you be alert, bold, and committed to the task of introducing others to the heart of God as shown in Jesus Christ!

The Source of Freedom

Happy Independence Day! I hope you are looking forward to a safe time celebrating freedom with friends and family. For those who are working - and especially those who are working to protect and preserve the freedom we celebrate - THANK YOU!!!

When you think about freedom, and being free from or for something, what comes to mind? We probably have some agreement on the meaning of freedom in general terms, but when it gets down to it, many of us likely view freedom through a very personalized lens. There is nothing wrong with that by any means, but there are definite problems when one’s personal view of liberty does not sync up with another’s. What to do, what to do?

During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln made a brilliant statement about liberty during an address in Baltimore: “The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.” (April 18, 1864) Lincoln was on to something. While our nation was in a great struggle about what it means to be free, different people felt differently about what freedom actually meant. No doubt that our context is different today, but we still live in the struggle.

I went back to the Declaration of Independence and was particularly struck by a tension I felt while reading it. It states clearly that we are created by GOD with certain unalienable Rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Then, the Declaration of Independence mentions that governments are instituted to secure these Rights. Interesting, isn’t it? We acknowledge that GOD creates us equally, and then we turn to government – a vastly imperfect human institution – to secure these Rights. The implication here is that we remain in a state of tension between what we might consider freedom from our personal point of view and what another might consider freedom from his/her point of view, and how these views relate to the view of the masses. Should we abandon the pursuit of freedom? Absolutely not, but we also have to acknowledge the tension that, as President Lincoln said, we do not all mean the same thing when we discuss freedom.

Since our government cannot secure freedom for every single person in the way he/she would like or hope, we have to turn our attention to another source…THE Source. It is critically important to note that even the Declaration of Independence cites GOD as the true source of freedom. In John 8:21-32, as Jesus was teaching about how GOD sent Him to help people believe, the Lord said: “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  Jesus later said in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If we are looking for God, the source of freedom, then Jesus – the living embodiment of truth – is the Way!

I hope that despite how we feel about things going on in the world we may celebrate our corporate and personal freedom this Independence Day. I also hope that for those who are struggling to fully understand or experience freedom, that we might look to the source of freedom that we truly desire. For as the scripture says, “In Jesus, and through faith in him, we may approach GOD with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3.12)

Have a safe and happy 4^th of July, and as we celebrate our national freedom, may we be reminded that the source of freedom isn’t in a piece of paper (as excellent as the Declaration of Independence is) or a government, but in GOD and the One who shows us the way, Jesus Christ!