A Strong Foundation

We are gearing-up for our next building drive, A Strong Foundation, realizing that in order to expand our facilities and build our sanctuary we need to pay down our debt so that we’ll be in good financial shape when we do build. We need to take care of our own personal foundations as well, so that we can be equipped for the journey to which God has called us.

Our foundation is what makes us who we are. Our egos and our souls make up this foundation, influenced by our heritage, faith, environment and actions. To have a strong foundation, God has to have a central place. If God comes into your life for just an hour on Sunday that is a sign that your foundation is not as strong as it might be. The strong foundation that Jesus wants us to build is our spirit; Jesus wants us to strengthen the light within us. By doing this, we grow in faith, love and devotion. We become the light of Christ for the world. Build your foundation by spending time alone with God, reading and contemplating God’s Word, in prayer and meditation, and perseverance. The spirit grows on it’s own time.

God of Light, look upon me with favor, and help me to realize and grow the light that is within me.  Amen.

First Things First

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers not to worry so much about the everyday concerns of life, but to “seek first the kingdom of God.” Well, where is it, and how do we find it?  The kingdom of God is within you and you find it by looking for it.

Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) and in verse 38, he goes on to say that “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” God’s kingdom is in you.  Jesus says “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. (Matt 7:7)   

What Jesus is telling us is that we should raise our own God consciousness or our awareness of God’s presence within ourselves by going inward and looking for it and praying for it to be revealed. The difficulty we have doing that is that our egos block anything that tries to dominate them. Prayer, meditation, and contemplation of God’s Word are the tools we need to use if we are to experience God’s presence within and find the kingdom of God.

Gracious God, help me to experience you presence within so that I know that you are in me and I am in you.  Amen.  

I Have Seen the Lord!

The resurrection of Jesus is the seminal event of his ministry.  The physical body of Jesus died on the cross on that terrible Friday but his spirit survived. He was seen in his glorified body by his followers on that following Sunday morning.   Christ took the punishment we deserve so that we might claim the salvation given to us through his sacrifice. For us, this means that this life we live is not all that there is.  Our spirit, united with Christ, will live on after we have completed our span of years.  That is the great hope we have as followers of Jesus.

As believers, we should be doing everything in our power to carefully follow the teachings of Jesus, so that our spirits can develop and grow.  In John 6: 63-64, Jesus says that “it is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless.   The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.”   Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly.  [John 10:10].  It is there for us to grasp.  Read the words of Jesus; contemplate them in the quiet of your heart.  Let them bring you to fullness of faith and a life of unimaginable joy so that you, like Mary, might proclaim, “I have seen the Lord!”

Holy Jesus, grant us the wisdom and the tenacity to focus ourselves upon you and the marvelous gift of eternal life that you offer.  Amen

In Our Right Mind

As always, Jesus is God’s example of how we ought to live our lives.  In this Sunday’s reading, Philippians 2:5–11, Paul exhorts us to have the same mind in us that was in Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, “emptied” himself, taking the form of a slave and humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.  How can we have the same mind that was in Jesus?  How can we “empty” ourselves so that we can draw closer to God?   It is through the workings of the Holy Spirit through prayer and meditation on God’s Word that we can do this.  We can empty ourselves of our vain desires and the anxieties that are part of our daily routine and reach out to God and embrace the great peace and light that comes from God. 

It’s so easy for us to lose our way because we are of two minds. One mind is set on the spiritual side of life; the other is set on the carnal side. This has been our state since the beginning of time with the story of Adam and Eve and the first bite of the forbidden fruit.  The “Good versus Evil” battle rages with in us, and we seem hopelessly caught in the middle.  If we focus our mind and actions solely on what we need and desire, we lose sight of God. It’s as simple as that.  Jesus emptied himself so that he could accomplish what he had come to do…go through the pain and agony of the events of Good Friday to bring salvation to the world.  We can empty ourselves so that we can become useful tools in God’s great handiwork.

Gracious God, Help me to empty myself of all that takes me away from you, and draw me close to your heart. Amen.

I Want to See Jesus

Songwriter, worship leader Paul Baloche has written a classic contemporary praise song called “Open the Eyes of My Heart.”  Paul prays that God will open the eyes of his heart because, he says, “I want to see you.” The prayer is that Jesus would make himself known in a very real way; that we might get a glimpse of his glory. What a wonderful prayer. We believe, but we have not seen. We want to see Jesus.

I was talking with my friend Julie Lynn one day and we were talking about faith, and she told me that Jesus was as real to her as the coffee table that sat between us.  She has a faith that is solid and sure. But what is faith? Hebrews chapter 11 is all about the meaning of faith. Hebrews 11:1: says that "… faith is assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen." and in verse six goes on to say, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." [NRSV] 

You can see Jesus at work though the saints that surround your life. Those who are always giving, always concerned, always willing to help are witnesses to the face of love which is Jesus. We can see God though the grandeur of nature, where one can find perfection and peace. We can be still, and through the stillness know that God is there, and with our very breath we can inspire the beauty of the holiness that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We can believe, and through our faith we can touch the face of God. 

Lord God, increase my faith in you, my love for you, and my devotion to your work. Amen.

Transforming Moment

In the season of Lent, we take our own walk toward Calvary’s hill. And as we walk, we can reflect upon where we have been and what effect we’ve had upon the lives we have touched along the way.  We can celebrate the successes and lament the failures. We can bask in the triumphs and we can stumble in the shames. But whatever our portion has been, we can be sure of one thing: God loves us. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus into this world so that, in believing in Him, we are saved and are called to a life with God in eternity. (John 3:16) 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus said. [John 14:1] The Christhood of Jesus is the pivotal, and transformational center of our faith, and by pattering our behavior on the way Jesus lived his life, we can live lives that are pleasing to God. While we make this journey we will stumble, sometimes we’ll fall down. But when we do, the grace of God will pick us back up and set us once again on the journey; the transforming love and light of Christ showing us the way.

My House

Jesus, in a final act of frustration over the Jewish rabbinical leadership, goes into the temple and creates havoc by throwing out the merchants and overturning the tables of the money changers.  The leadership had lost sight of the true meaning of worship and of what God requires as a right sacrifice, and Jesus meant to teach them a lesson.  This cleansing of the temple is symbolic of what Jesus wants to do in our lives. Jesus wants to enter our lives and get rid of anything that draws us away from a true relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you...and that you are not your own.”

Are there habits in your life that are not life-affirming? Things that are not God-centered can pull us away from the light of God’s love. God wants to clear all the road-blocks that stop us from having a close relationship with Him. Do you know what those obstacles are? Search your heart and you’ll know. A guilty conscience is one sure sign that something is wrong. Secrets are another sign. Draw close to God and God will draw close to you, and the Holy Spirit can work changes in you that can turn your heart around and lead you in a truer direction. That is a proper sacrifice. Psalm 51:17 says “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Gracious God, help me to allow the Holy Spirit into my heart to clear away the things that keep me from being in a closer relationship with you. Amen.