Second Coming

Once again we find ourselves beyond Easter, the ascension and Pentecost. What's next? Jesus is coming again. This is the final event in God's redemptive story. It is the last chapter in the mighty mystery of God's redeeming love. It is the last revelation of Almighty God to the world. It will be a revelation unlike the incarnation, crucifixion, or Pentecost. The Gospel writer declares this same Jesus who you saw go into heaven will come again. The glory of that moment we can't comprehend. It will be a rude interruption to all the plans of mankind. The politicians of this world will have nothing to say as they are called to account before Christ. The mighty will call for the rocks to hide them from the wrath of God. Those who have lived in rebellion, sin, carnal selfishness, hedonistic pleasure and mockery of God and His holiness, will proclaim Jesus is Lord. They will do this from bended knee. Not because they want to, they will have to. Their littleness, will be overwhelmed by His greatness. Their emptiness will be exposed by His glory. It will be part of their eternal torment to admit their sinfulness and realize that Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. His coming has nothing to do with Iraq, or Syria, or Russia, or anything else that the pundits attempt to make it. It has everything to do with God's sovereign purpose and plan. It has everything to do with His determination that now is the time. The preachers with their charts and graphs, with their books on signs and times, are empty voices. The Lord's own message is to live ready. Watch, pray, for you don't know when. A life of readiness, a life of expectation. A life of hope and holiness. A life looking forward to the new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness. May the body of Christ in America begin to live up to the promise of His coming. May we be about he Master's business-loving God with all and our neighbor as self. The Gospel writer asks the question, 'when Christ comes will he find faith on earth?"

Call To Worship

Jesus' encounter with the lady at the well in John 4 has much to challenge us .Her hunger and thirst were deep and the emptiness of life's repeated failures brought great pain and frustration to her person. How simply and generously Jesus responded to her and enabled her to find the living water. In the course of the conversation, the topic of worship was addressed. She talked about places and the Lord talked about the heart. Worship is about the heart. The Father is seeking worshipers. He is seeking the individual whose heart is set on Him. We have made a mess out of worship in the American church. Worship wars, music styles, lights, sound, smoke-the presentation reflects our addiction to Hollywood and the need to 'feel' something. The result is the American church scene has often become inspirational, therapeutic, entertaining, man centered and presentation driven. It has become a show. It is culturally inspired and no longer driven by our awe of a holy God and humility concerning His amazing grace toward us. We are in bondage to our cultural climate and missing the transformation of heart and life that come from true worship. When we encounter the true and living God in all his holiness and purity, whether you feel anything or not, there should be a transformation taking place through that encounter. When we gather for corporate worship, it's not for a show, but to remember and celebrate Almighty God. We gather because of who God is, not because of who is preaching, singing, or what songs we sing, or the children's ministry. We gather because of Christ. The Father is seeking those who desire Him. Every day is a battle over our worship. Satan works to draw our attention, affection, and adoration away from Christ. As Hebrews states, 'let us fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith."

The Right To Become

John 1:12 declares the heartbeat of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mankind, dead in trespasses and sins, with a heart deceitfully wicked is invited to become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. This is a position of immense privilege, power, provision. This is made possible through the perfect sacrifice and provision of Jesus Christ, and through His life giving presence. The Holy Spirit brings the life of God to the repentant heart and we become what no human agency or effort could accomplish. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that the answer to the wickedness of the human heart is education, discipline or any other human attempt. This dark problem requires a Divine solution. Ours is to receive this gift, to throw ourselves at the feet of Christ and cry out for mercy and deliverance, healing and salvation. The good news is, Christ is able. We can be born from above, and become a child of the true and living God. We then begin to live with purpose-to love others. We live with confidence that grace is provided for each step of the journey. Let us abandon the empty self efforts, lay aside our selfish excuses and embrace this privilege of becoming a child of God. John tells this story as he moves through the Gospel narrative. Peter, Phillip were common people in that culture, but they were invited into the family of God. Nicodemus was the upper class, educated and influential but he too needed to be born again and was given the invitation. The woman at the well represented the 'least' of these-marred and scarred with the failures of life. Wearing the negative labels of her culture, yet the Master offered her living water. She too was given the right to become a child of God. Just as I am without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me, O Lamb of God I come.

HE IS HERE

What more do we want? What does our deepest desire really reflect? Have we overlooked the most awesome reality of everyday living? How easy we take this awesome truth for granted-like we take a breath of air for granted. He is here, now, the living Christ is within the heart of the believer and about him/her at all times and in all places. He has overcome this pain filled world and grants us peace, joy, hope, life for the journey of life. Because of His presence, here and now, the Christian has a distinct advantage over those who choose not to believe. Christ, the Good Shepherd, leads us each step of the way. He gives strength for the journey and enables us to discern and discover the eternal significance of each day. Let's practice the presence of the living Christ. The early church moved forward with a holy boldness that reflected their knowledge of His presence. They were confident and courageous in the middle of a hostile and difficult environment. His presence didn't make life easy for them, it brought purpose to their every day living. Christ lives and wants to live out his holy life through us. He wants to live His love through us, show His compassion and mercy through us and enable us to be light and salt. This is all possible because HE IS HERE! Let not your heart be troubled, I have overcome this world, I am with you to the end of the journey, my grace is sufficient for you-REJOICE! Christ lives. Let's believe it and live like it. For His glory. HE IS HERE!

He Lives

In John 11, Mary and Martha both make the typical human statement when something beyond our control takes place and we wish God had intervened to change the picture. "Lord if you had been here..." Later in the chapter those who were mockers of Christ used the same type of statement...He did this, why didn't He do that?! If we could only get God to behave like we wanted, when we wanted, with the outcomes we wanted. The resurrection of Jesus Christ does not nullify our desire for God to act like we want, but nullifies the need for it. God has acted on behalf of mankind in the most powerful and explicit manner. He sent the Son, gave the Son up to be crucified and brought Him out of the grave and back to His right hand. Let us not fear, doubt, complain or refuse to be grateful. Let us learn to live knowing that Jesus is with us now! Even when our Lazarus dies, even when the tribulations of this world seem overwhelming (Jn.16:33), Jesus Christ is here. If you had been here...is to be replaced with, "HE IS HERE-ALWAYS...even unto the end." Being with us does not negate the painfull realities of everyday life. His presence, practiced and embraced with a grateful and humble heart, brings peace and joy to the journey. Trouble? Yes! His Presence? Yes! Hallelujah-Christ lives!

The Lamb

John the Baptist broke 400 years of God's prophetic silence with the declaration, 'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)." Wow! Really?! The Lamb of God. The lamb was a familiar image to the Jewish mind and the sacrificial system. A lamb was one of the choice animals for sacrifice. Every day in the temple a morning and evening sacrifice was made, usually utilizing a lamb. Those lambs were a reminder of sin, incapable of cleansing the human heart from sin. This Lamb, deals radically with the sin of the world. Rebellion, unbelief, carnal selfishness are no match for the blood of this Lamb. John baptised with water, but the Lamb baptizes with the Holy Spirit. One baptism reminding man of his sinfulness, the new baptism transforming the human heart. This Spirit baptism is possible because the Lamb was slain. Christ became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. The promise of Ezekial 36, the promise of the new covenant involved a new heart! Our heart can be purified from the world's sin!. We can love God with all our heart! Our will can be in harmony with the Father's. We can know an intimacy, a fellowship, a closeness, as a branch abiding in the Vine. The world's sin put the Lamb on the cross. The Father's work through the Son's life and death, put the Lamb on the throne of the universe. Let's 'look' to the Lamb. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith with the expectation and faith that He is able to do something about the 'world's sin' in each of us...today is the day of salvation! As we begin this passion week, open your heart to the Spirit's baptism. The cleansing power of the blood of the Lamb is mankinds only hope.

Jesus The True Vine

The branch that abides in the Vine is submitting to the Vine, cooperating with the Vine, alive only because of the Vine. It is the Vine's life in us, empowering, sanctifying, healing, cleansing, liberating and enlarging. The branch has nothing in itself, there is no power, no life to do anything. As Jesus said, it is good for nothing except to be burned. Kingdom living, abiding in the Vine, is purpose filled living. The great needs of the human heart are fully met when we abide in the True Vine. When we discover that 'apart from Jesus we can do nothing' we find the doorway to liberty and fulfillment. Our dependence upon the Vine becomes our freedom and fruitfulness. Destitution becomes the doorway to blessing. There is great blessing in abiding in the Vine. The shalom of God becomes the environment within us. We live to bear fruit and bring glory to His name. The focus and attention is upon the Vine. We abandon our self righteous efforts and any attempt to bear fruit on our own. In John 15 Jesus defines multiple blessings that are a result of His life in us. Focus on the Vine and give attention to abiding in Him. Practice His presence!