06-28-15 That’s a big wall!

Scripture:  Joshua 6:1-5

That’s a big wall!  OR

Getting to the beginning of the next best thing!

High School graduation – Graduation is the completion of – Commencement is the beginning of what’s next.

A wedding – The completion of the single life – Commencement of marriage and family.

Moving to a new location – Commencement of a new house, new job, friends, church

A new job or great promotion – commencement of new skills and relationships

Coming into a large sum of money – getting rid of debt and having the ability to be more generous.

Winning the championship – commencing to the next level (amateur to pro perhaps)

Christianity – leaving the old world behind and commencing on the most unique journey possible.

How do you get to that new beginning?  Sometimes it is just there – you didn’t have to do anything. But most new beginnings are sought after and worked for.  Without new beginnings life would become boring and routine.  Why did God create seasons? Though I would love summer 12 months a year – it would be boring – we would never see the new beginnings of spring.  Why do we celebrate on New Year’s Eve? Because there is the hope of a new year being better than the last. New beginnings are exciting and offer hope!  Our Oikos’s – Our community – Our neighbors, Our friends, Our co-workers NEED are in desperate need of HOPE!  New beginnings provide that hope.  New beginnings allow us to leave the old behind and commence something new!

Spiritual Commencement

Why did Moses lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt? 1) to escape their captors 2) to enter the land God promised them 3) to commence on a new and better relationship with God!

Why did God send His son Jesus into the world only to suffer a horrific murder on a cross? 1) so you could escape your captor [SIN]. 2) so you could enter heaven/eternal promised land 3) to commence on a new and better relationship with God!

Everyone one has a relationship with God. You have a bad relationship or a good relationship. You believe in God through Jesus or you don’t.  That determines your relationship with God.

          How do you get to that new better relationship?  It is a journey and it begins with the first step.  The problem? It is both the smallest and largest step you will ever take.  Let’s consider the story of Joshua who picked up the work where Moses left off.  Joshua graduated wandering school and was ready to commence entering the promised land.  The people who had been born during the past 40 years and had heard the stories of slavery in Egypt and all the things God had done to get them to this place were also ready to commence on a new better relationship with God in the land they had heard so much about.

Joshua, who we see as the great hero who had vision to move forward must have had some reservations because 3 times (twice by God and once by the people) he is told to be strong and courageous. (Josh 1:6, 9, 18)  To get to a new beginning requires effort.

1)    Joshua sends out 2 spies (remember he was once sent out as a spy and was only 1 of the 2 out of 12 who came back to say the promised land is ours if we will take) The two spies crossed the Jordon River and walked plainly into the city to check it out and went to the most logical place – the house of a prostitute. Who else would know more about the men of the city than her? We will hear more about her story next week. Suffice it to say that she gave them the information they needed and even helped them escape when the military found out they were in the city.

2)    They moved the people to the Jordon across form Jericho and camped 3 days to prepare to enter the promised land.  Joshua 3:5  Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."

3)    Josh 3:6-8 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.'"

Very important to note that God went before them. Yet, the priest were told to take the ark (the presence of God) and go stand in the river.  Josh 3:11-17  See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord-the Lord of all the earth — set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." 14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

          Imagine the actual moment the priest are standing at the edge of the flood waters of the Jordon. Who put their toe in first and what was their reaction. If they had not taken that single simple small step, the entire people would not have entered the promised land.  It is the small challenging steps that are often the most important.

06-14-15 Choosing a gate to enter makes our Journey Unique!

Scripture:    Matthew7:13-14

          13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Taking a journey down a dirt road to a country estate and arriving at your destination seeing this glorious stone mansion in the distance but quite visible. There are two gates side by side.  One is a wide double gate with freshly mowed grass which makes a straight line to the estate. The other gate is half the size of a normal single gate and must be opened. Beyond it is a pathway that quickly disappears into the thicket. You have been instructed that going through either gate is permissible to pass through. The choice is up to you. Which one is your natural choice? 

Well, it depends.

Do you want to get there quickly?  You choose the wide gate.

Do you have plenty of time and it doesn’t matter when you get there? Choose the narrow gate.

Do you like things easy if you have a choice? The wide gate is for you.

Do you like a challenge? The narrow gate and winding path.

Do you like sameness and routine? The wide gate.

Do you like adventure and variety? The narrow gate.

Do you just want to get to your destination? The wide gate.

Do you love the journey along the way? The narrow gate is your best choice.

So you see, without stating why we have this choice, we have already divided the entire world in two. Some, for various reasons would choose the wide open apparently quicker and easier and known way to go.  Others would choose the narrow passage, slower more difficult unknown way to go.

Before choosing, let’s state why we even have a choice. We are humans created in the likeness and image of God. Not created as God, but with a likeness too. Anyone who knew my father, without ever seeing us together or knowing my last name – knew I was his child – because, physically, I was created in his image. When I was heavier I’d catch my image in a mirror and say, what are you doing here, I thought you died?  I am not my father, but was created in his image.

I am not God, but was created in his image – in my soul – that part of me that can house things eternal that other living creatures don’t have.  But I chose to have plastic surgery (SIN) and change my image. When I met Jesus and gave my life to him, God restored my image to look more like Him once again.

The only way to have that image restored is by going through the narrow gate.  The way to assure that image will NOT be restored is to journey through the wide gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.

A man who was on his way to the airport to catch a plane. He came to an intersection where his wife had told him he needed to turn left to get to the airport. It was a narrow little road and he was on a board road that also would let I see some of nature’s beauty. He decided to take the more scenic route. There is a way that seems right to man the Bible says. The time was getting away and little voice kept saying turn around and take the narrow road. He reasoned "I feel like an idiot." Pride and stubbornness kept him going on the scenic road. He got to the airport and raced to the where he was to board the plane only to hear, "The gate has been shut. The doors are locked. The plane is leaving. You have been left behind." He was too late because he made the wrong choice. The plane would not be coming back for him.

Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25   There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

You have to make a choice.  Most people make no choice but to follow the crowd – the way most people are going – that too is a choice.  Neglect to decide is your choice.

          If you choose the narrow road, does it mean that everything else in life disappears? No.

Think of it this way; it’s wonderful to fall in love. But have you noticed how narrow we become? The young man who was the life of the party and was always around isn’t seen as often. All the girls he flirted with are still there and have an eye for him but he no longer notices them in the same way.  He has chosen one over all others. He now gives her his time, and attention, interest, and money.  The things given up for her love no longer seem so important – they are still there and they still exist, but to show her his love he has chosen to follow a unique narrow path for the two of them instead of the wide path that allowed for all of his friends and girlfriends to travel together. This is not a perfect analogy. But you get the idea – for love to know fulfillment a choice must be made and life has narrowed – it now has focus – meaning, importance that was not there before. You have chosen to live for the glory of someone other than yourself. The old WIDE way was easy but led to destruction. The new NARROW way is more difficult but leads to life.

John 10:1-10

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."  Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Have you made the wrong choice till now? Are you ready to make the right choice? If you aren’t dead you can still make the right choice.  VIDEO – 2^nd chance

06-07-15 Caution: Speed Bumps Ahead

Scripture: Romans 8:35-39

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul uses rhetorical language. He asks questions and wants the reader to answer each one – instead of saying “no one shall separate us.” Instead he says “who?” Satan, unbelieving family, drugs, illness, money…?

He employs a list of what was referred to as ‘virtues/vices, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation…” 

Why does God not take away all of our afflictions? Even Paul dealt with this question.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Interview Melissa about her faith and living with MS 

When we talk about speed bumps and look at any prayer list, we tend to think about physical bumps in our road. Some are temporary, some are long term and some are permanent.  Scripture speaks to how we are to view our bodies in relation to speed bumps.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Ken Medema, Nick Vujicic. 

Maureen Pratt said, “When placed alongside health challenges, faith becomes a sturdy support for us when we are most alone. Praying during that long test in the hospital, reading scripture while waiting in the doctor’s office, listening to an uplifting song just after a terrible diagnosis – these and other things are an outpouring from our personal faith and also things we share with our fellow brothers and sisters of faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Again reminding us that what happens now is temporary.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

        He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil — this is the gift of God.

Dorothy Hirai – “Not that bad” – living in light of eternity.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble (what troubles do you have?) Hardship (what hardships do you have?) persecution (what persecutions do you have?) famine (what is a famine in your life – what do you have to go without?) nakedness (what nakedness do you have?) danger (what danger do you have?) sword (what sword is raised against you?)? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Can you confidently say verse 38 & 9 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.