How's Your Hearing?

Jesus is famous for His parables - The Parable of the Sower, the Mustard Seed, the Weeds, etc. A parable is a story with a spiritual or moral point. At a certain point in His ministry Jesus spoke only in parables. His disciples, not known at the time for deep thinking, scratched their heads and had to come to Jesus for an explanation.

At one point they asked: (Matt 13:10-14) "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not,  even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because  seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."

Why would Jesus purposefully hide the truth? Didn't He come to save the world? Why would He keep that news away from people then?

Well, here's one answer. Jesus was not interested in groupies, He wants disciples. The people got fed and healed and thought Jesus was a great genie. But Jesus is Lord. If you think you can just come to Jesus when you need something then you miss the entire purpose of His coming: to give dead people new life.

So you really have to think when you hear a parable. You have to dig deep and do what the disciples did - ask questions, get answers, and respond.

So how is your hearing? When you hear the words of Jesus are you only thinking in terms of what you get or in terms of what He is offering to do in your life?

Pastor Tom

When God Causes Pain

Most of us don't like to think about pain - painful relationships, sickness, accidents, and situations that bring discomfort.

We like to think that bad things only happen to bad people and that when bad things come our way we must have done something to deserve it.

How about I add to that the fact that sometimes it is actually God who brings pain into our lives - and not always because we've done anything to deserve it?

The difference is that when God allows trials, it is for a redemptive purpose. He is trying to bring about good ultimately.

So I ran across this verse in Lamentations that really intrigued me:

Lamentations 3:31-33 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. ESV

Like a good parent, God knows that sometimes pain is better than pleasure to remind us of things, challenge us in things, and spur us on to depend on the Lord more than we are.

End by considering another verse you may not have known came from Lamentations - which is probably one of the most depressing books of the Bible - written by Jeremiah as he surveyed Jerusalem, ravaged by invading armies. Yet this verse is so encouraging!

Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." ESV

So let's hope in the new mercies of the Lord each day. Though he causes pain, he also brings healing!

Pastor Tom

Deceitfully Yours

A friend of mine recently went to the doctor for some tests. He said he felt fine but the doctor wanted him to take a look inside his heart. After it was all over he told me that 90% of one of his arteries was closed and another was completely blocked. He said "I was on deck for a major heart attack." Fortunately the doctors were able to fix it without a bypass or open heart surgery. It reminded me of a verse the prophet Jeremiah wrote:

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ESV

My friend thought his heart was okay, but it had deceived him. In reality he was indeed desperately sick.

Jeremiah wasn't talking about the physical heart, of course, but our souls - that part of us that is our personality, our needs, wants, and desires - what makes us unique. The prophet says that our own souls deceive us. The heart (pardon the pun) of deception is that you don't know something is wrong. We go along our merry way thinking we are okay with ourselves and our universe.

What we don't realize is that we have been infected with the sin bacteria - given to us at conception - the result of one sinful act long ago in the Garden of Eden. That bacteria spreads and leads us to do other things that are outside of God's character. It separates us from a relationship we desperately need and makes it so that even if we think we are doing the right thing, most often we are not!

So Jeremiah goes on to say:

10 "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds." ESV

My encouragement to us today is to go to the doctor, The Doctor, and ask for a checkup. The good news is that when this Doctor finds problems in the heart because of our ways, His procedure involves not just unclogging arteries but giving us a brand new heart and a new life.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. ESV

That "heart of flesh" comes from Someone who was not born with the sin bacteria - Jesus Christ. In relying and trusting on Him, the saying of Paul comes true:

2 Cor 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ESV

The doctor will see you now.

Pastor Tom

My Holy Spirit GPS

I was using one of those new GPS units the other day to guide me to my niece’s wedding rehearsal. The thing is supposed to pick up signals from outer space and turn them into turn by turn directions from one place to another. As we approached Portland on I-205 the voice kept insisting that I get off onto 82^nd Avenue. I ignored it, of course, knowing that 205 was a much better route. Every time we would pass an exit the voice kept telling me to get off. It got pretty annoying. Pretty soon I wanted to just chuck the little voice out the window! Finally I figured out how to mute her and I continued on my merry way.

It wasn’t until I was well passed the possible turn off that I realized what was happening. As the cars slowed to a complete halt on the freeway I understood that the annoying little GPS voice was trying to route me around stopped traffic. Had I listened, understood, and acted upon her advice, I would have arrived on time and less stressed.

A few days later the Lord brought this little incident to my mind and reminded me of His Holy Spirit. Isaiah 30:21 says: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." God promised that for the person who trusts and relies on Jesus, His Spirit, His Mind, His Voice actually lives in us. It can work through our conscience, through His Word in our memory, even through our intuition—that “still small voice” trying to get us to avoid the downfalls of sin and temptation.

At each intersection He tries to point us in the right direction. The question is, are we listening, understanding, and obeying?

New Bible Hits the Streets

I know it has been forever since I posted to this blog, and I hope to get back to regular posts soon. But I wanted to share a recent contribution I wrote for a couple of blogs on the new Holy Bible Mosaic. The post is a kind of "behind the scenes" of why I wrote the meditation on worship.

You can find the Holy Bible Mosaic on Amazon.com. Anyway, here's the post:

An email crossed my computer way back in February of 2008. The email was from the editor of a unique project and the invitation it contained was exciting – the opportunity to contribute a meditation to a new and unusual Bible project.

As an author I am always interested in new opportunities to use my craft. As a pastor I am always excited to help promote the teaching, understanding, and application of God’s Word. When I took a look at the subjects, the choice for me became obvious right away – worship.

My wife and I started leading worship at a then small Calvary Chapel in Santa Barbara California back in 1978. We met in the YMCA and were so poor that even to mike my guitar I had to jury rig a holder to my vocal microphone stand! That didn’t stop us from falling in love with worship. We’ve spent the last thirty-plus years learning about and helping people come into the presence of God. Having the chance to put some of those thoughts down in a permanent form was a wonderful blessing. I accepted the invitation right away. Then came the hard part: how to present worship in a meaningful way in just a few hundred words!

The guidelines for my worship meditation read: “Through worship, we find a way of reflecting back to God His glory. Worshipful environments are places where God's people can express their adoration to Him through various mediums.”

The words “worshipful environments” stuck out at me. What are some of the places and situations in the Bible where worship was the focus?

I first thought of Joshua. In Exodus 33:11 there is a great statement about Moses’ young assistant: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.” The “tent” was the tabernacle in the wilderness – God’s presence among His people, the children of Israel. While Moses conversed with God, Joshua stood by – he wasn’t the main focus there, God was. But when Moses left to speak God’s word to the people, Joshua stayed behind, perhaps to linger in the afterglow of God’s presence. There was something that held Joshua. He didn’t just visit God’s presence, or even just spend time with God. Joshua refused to leave God’s tent at all!

I thought of our headlong flight in and out of the presence of God on Sunday’s. We rush into church just in time for the music to start. We’re hassled and hurried and try to close our eyes and focus on the Lord but our minds are moving so fast that before we know it the music is over and the sermon has begun. Instead, what would it be like if we never left God’s presence? I’m not talking about walking around singing praise or with eyes closed. But I am talking about living a life where God is right beside you all the time – where you live in his presence. You may not be in conversation constantly but you remain in proximity to the almighty.

Next I thought about one of my favorite Bible people: Jehoshaphat. In 2 Chronicles 20 Jehoshaphat had come from a place of major error and God’s discipline. He may have thought that his positive response would save him from difficulty, but in reality it merely prepared him for the battle to come. Old enemies approached and threatened to destroy his nation. Jehoshaphat reacted with fear, and then faced God. He sounded the alarm and invited everyone to join him in seeking the Lord. The answer came from an unusual source with a very unusual method of fighting. Jahaziel came along to give God’s answer to their plea. The man was descended from Asaph, David’s worship leader, and he told Jehoshaphat that they need not fight in the battle to come. Instead of taking up spears, they were to take up songs of praise. In this wonderful miracle the singers sang and the enemies dropped like flies.

How many times do we fret and worry and panic when trouble hits? If we would only come before God with honesty, then sing before Him with all of our hearts. What victories would we see? More importantly, we could be still before Him, casting our cares to Him, running into His strong tower, being enfolded in his wings. What peace we would see in the midst of the storm?

Finally, though, my mind went to another section of Scripture – one not used often to teach on worship. At the time I was teaching through the gospel of John and remembered Mary. In John 12, as Jesus’ crucifixion approached, he joined His good friends Martha and Mary for one last meal before the trial. While others may have enjoyed the time, oblivious to what was to shortly transpire, Mary did something shocking – she took a jar of very expensive ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. It says “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

There was something so all consuming about what Mary did. Yes, she anointed Jesus for burial. But thinking about all that Mary did, I could sense that something much more beautiful was taking place. I imagined her feeling the jar in her hands – a year’s wages in one flask. I could hear the sound of her breaking the jar open, I could feel the ointment on her hands as she approached the Lord. What expression was on the Lord’s face as she came near, then bent down on her knees? Then the soothing cool ointment applied to the warm flesh of a Savior – whose feet would soon feel the sharp pain of a Roman nail. The smell of the nard filling not only her nostrils, but the entire house!

It got me to thinking about the all consuming nature of worship. Jesus was to die for her –t o take the blame for her sins, and ours. Worship, I realized, isn’t just about living in God’s presence, it isn’t just about focusing on God as we see Him move on our behalf and give us peace. Worship is the expression of a whole life given wholly over to the One – the Lamb of God, who will always bear the scars of our sin, but whose hands are always held out to us in love.

That’s when I knew this would be my text. It wasn’t the most obvious choice, but an unusual passage fit this unusual project.

I hope you enjoy reading my meditation on worship. You can find it in the 10th week of Pentecost. I pray it spurs you to study, meditate, and worship – like you’ve never done before!

Pastor Tom

Things Are Terrible - Isn't that Awesome!

We usually measure the quality of our life through the inverse proportion of difficulties. In other words, when we are not facing problems then we are doing well. Now, I'm not one to welcome difficulties into my life because they are, by definition, difficult. But God has this way to turning everything we think is one way in this age upside down.

One place he does that is through the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:

10 "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, I am strong."

The word "content" means "to think well of, approve, take pleasure in, be willing."

Why should I think well of something that brings me pain? The key is at the beginning of the verse and at the end. "For the sake of Christ" - Jesus was content to suffer for our sins and told us that we would also suffer, but that we could take heart because He killed death and overcame our greatest enemy. We should be willing to suffer for Him because He suffered for us.

Secondly, at the end of the verse it says "when I am weak, I am strong." How is that possible? When we are weak then we must reach out to God for strength, and trusting and relying on Him more is better because it opens up channels for us to become more like Him.

Jesus "endured the cross, despising the shame," why? "For the joy set before Him." (Hebrews 12:2). The joy set before you is the peace and healing and eternal abundant life of Jesus flowing in and through you. You can, like Jesus, "despise" (which means "to think against") the shame and weakness while looking forward to what He is doing.

Things are terrible - isn't that awesome? God is at work and His work is good.

Pastor Tom

It Doesn't Matter Where You Are, Only Who You Are

A lot of times we think that in order to do God's will, we must ask "where do you want me to be" and then go there. Though, of course, we always want to be where God wants us, I am starting to thing the "where" isn't as important after all.

I've been really interested in the life of Paul lately. I guess it partly stems from teaching through the book of Acts and seeing Paul struggle and realize that even the struggle was God's plan to spread the gospel.

So then along comes this little section in 2 Corinthians 2:12 - 14 "When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."

Paul had an opportunity "in the Lord" to minister but didn't feel right about it so he left. What he then rejoices in is that, no matter where he is, he is a representative of Jesus Christ.

Even if things don't work right or feel right where you are and you do or go somewhere else, it doesn't mean you've failed. What matters is that you "smell" like Jesus wherever you go and whatever you do.

Sometimes I think God just wants to spread the fragrance around.

Pastor Tom

Who Is It For?

I've been reading 1 Corinthians lately. For those of you who study the Scriptures, you know that the Corinthian church was probably one of Paul's most difficult ministries. They lived in a very "cool" city and were highly influenced by the culture around them. This included the influence of idol worship.

Paul had a lot of correcting to do in regards to their behavior and we should keep that in mind when reading it. One section where I think we get confused is chapters 12-14. On the surface it appears to be about spiritual gifts. I remember as a young Christian really looking intently at this section and wondering what my spiritual gifts were and wanting to have really important ones.

In reality I don't think Paul set out to write a treatise or "how to" manual on spiritual gifts. He was correcting am incorrect perception about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts.

Just one verse really popped out at me today, 1 Corinthians 12:7 "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

Paul goes on to talk about all the gifts and how they should operate and it struck me that 1) our mission on this earth is not to see who has the most important gift but to see the gospel of Jesus spread as far as possible. 2) The more we can build up our brothers and sisters, encourage them in this work, and encourage others to seek the Lord the more we fulfill that verse.

So instead of seeking gifts as some supernatural goose bumps kind of experience, we should look for God to empower us each and every day so that in all and every way we can assist in the work of bringing his love and the power of his salvation to those around us.

The gifts aren't for us at all, it turns out, and that's okay.

Pastor Tom

Finding God's Pefect Will

I've heard a lot of Christians express a desire to find God's "perfect" will in a situation. They use Romans 12:2 as their text: "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

They say that there is one way that God has designed for us to act or one decision that is "perfect" with all others being less then perfect. It describes following God like going down a railroad track. If you don't hear God right and get off the track even a little bit, you are no longer following God's perfect will.

I would like to challenge that, based on the exact verse most people quote.

Look at the beginning of that verse. It says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

First of all, I think we put God in a box if we think he has only one agenda and if we don't get on the same page then we are missing that agenda and God is displeased with us. A pastor once said "if God can't use our mistakes he wouldn't have anything to work with."

Even the Apostle Paul wasn't perfect. He tried to go places and God told him "no." He tried again and God told him "no" again.

God is bigger than your inability to hear him right the first time.

The real key to understanding this verse is to focus on the first part first, that is that we are in the process of being renovated. "Don't think like the world anymore," Paul says, "but be transformed." We need a thinking transplant. And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit does.

The more you enjoy your relationship with God, read and study his word, pray, fellowship, and walk with him through trials - learning to trust him more than yourself - the more you will start thinking like him and that's when you start being able to "test" and "approve" of what God would do in your shoes.

Pastor Tom

Fear and Comfort

Fear and comfort seem very different, don't they? If you are fearful you are not comfortable, and if you are comfortable you are not feeling fear.

I was struck by a verse from the book of Acts today that actually combines the two. You find it in Acts 9:31, after Saul of Tarsus had returned to Jerusalem following his conversion to Jesus Christ.

31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."

How can both fear and comfort exist at the same time? The "fear of the Lord" is a concept introduced in several places in Scripture. We like to say it means "awe" or "respect." In reality the Greek word does mean "fear." It's the same word where we get our word "phobia."

So we are to be afraid of God, and that's how the church will grow? Well, sort of. We should fear God because of how good and pure He is. He is so much better than we could ever imagine, and our world is so much blacker than we would like to admit. We should fear the holiness of God breaking out amongst an impure world because I guarantee you, the world would lose.

The good news is that through Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of us, coming alongside to help (that's what comfort means). The Spirit is busy transforming us into the very character of the Holy God we fear from the inside out.

We can have the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit as we grow into His image.

Pastor Tom

What Is Eternal Life?

Sounds like a simple question, doesn't it - what is eternal life? Well, it's life that's eternal, right? Yes, but what is the "life" that lasts forever?

Jesus gave us a glimpse of what that life means in John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Eternal life then is having a relationship with the only true God through Jesus. It's not just never dieing, it's not just freedom from disease, it's not sitting on the clouds playing harps and being bored.

As we know on earth, the things that really matter to us are not the things we acquire, the positions we attain, or the accomplishments we have done - it is the people, the relationships that matter most.

It's the same way in the eternal. It won't matter how many crowns you get or if your mansion is closer to Saint Peter than your buddy's. What matters is knowing God.

Look at it another way, what is eternal death? Eternal death then is not knowing God - being as far away from Jesus as you can possibly get. If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get.

It might sound okay until you realize that God holds everything that is good, all peace, all joy, all intimacy, all satisfaction.

All God wants is for us to realize our need of Him, and then come through His Son to have that eternal relationship, that eternal life.

Pastor Tom

Which Future Do you Want?

In John 11, word comes to Jesus that his good friend Lazarus is sick. If you know the story, Jesus waited and didn't go right away. Not until Lazarus had been dead for a few days did He arrive.

When the Lord arrived at Bethany He asked to be taken to Lazarus' tomb where we find the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept."

Seeing Jesus cry, those around had two reactions. One group noted how much He loved Lazarus. The other said "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" (John 11:37)

The answer to that question was yes. Jesus could have come and simply healed Lazarus. For that matter, He could simply have said the word and the disease would have left. He chose to wait for death to perform the greater miracle.

So for us, sometimes when we face difficulty, trial, turmoil, depression, tragedy - when we pray, what do we expect of God? Do we expect Him to get us out of the jam we are in, and if He doesn't are we disappointed like the people at Lazarus' tomb?

My encouragement to us today is not to despair if the worst happens and God doesn't stop it. Don't be mad at God or think He doesn't love you. Perhaps He waits in order to perform the greater miracle - using your life, as broken as it is, as a testimony so that others will love Him the more and come out of their own tomb into the abundant life that comes with knowing Jesus.

Pastor Tom

Judgement

Judgment is a harsh word, one we like to avoid. Paul has a lot to say about God's judgment in Romans 2. At our church we are going through Romans right now and you can check out that teaching here.

Judgment is basically God making a decision about us. That decision is based on evidence. The evidence is what we have said and done in our lives. God is the only one who can make a right decision because he isn't tainted by the fallen world around us and our own nature, which makes us see everything in a slanted way.

But in reality, there is only one decision that God makes and one decision you make. That decision determines the outcome of judgment. We read about it in John 3:

3:16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

God doesn't want anyone to miss eternal life. In the end, the decision you make as to whether to accept God's free gift is the most important decision you will ever make. It's not about how good you are, it's about whether you know Jesus, God's Son.

No huge insights today, just the simple truth of the gospel, a truth that couldn't be more important!

Pastor Tom

The Two Confused Guys

There's a wonderful story in Luke 24 about two guys who have left Jerusalem and were headed to Emmaus. Three days after the crucifixion they are talking about nothing else. Then this stranger joins them on the road and asks them what all the fuss is about.

They explain about Jesus being crucified and buried, then some unsubstantiated reports that he was alive. Jesus then says to them: "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"

And Jesus began what was probably the most wonderful Bible study ever - explaining from Moses and the prophets everything concerning the Messiah.

I just wanted to point out two things from this event. The first is that the guys where genuinely interested in the things of the Rescuer, but were confused how it all fit together. If you are wondering what all the fuss about Jesus is, but confused what it all means and having problems separating out fact from fiction, you are not alone. In fact, I think most people start out their journey trying to understand Jesus a bit confused. That's a ploy of the enemy to keep us from knowing the real truth.

The second thing is what Jesus did, he took them on a journey through the Scriptures and explained it to them. It really does take the Holy Spirit revealing the awesome truth about Jesus to our hearts as we seek to understand Him through the Bible.

My encouragement to us today is that if you feel confused by the Bible, ask the Lord Himself to explain it to you. Don't worry if you don't understand it all, the most important thing is that from Moses through the prophets and on to the book of the Revelation - it's all about Jesus. Just knowing that sets you on the right path every time!

Pastor Tom

A Tale of Two Rich Men

You've probably read the two stories in Luke 18 of the rich ruler, and in Luke 19 of Zacchaeus, the "wee little man" who climbed up in a sycamore tree.

I never really saw the connection between these two stories until today.

Both men were rich, and neither had salvation. But some key differences can help us understand why one went away from his encounter with Jesus lost, and the other saved.

The rich ruler came to Jesus wanting to know how to get eternal life. He felt like he was a very righteous man, observing the law carefully since his youth. Jesus told him that he needed to sell all he had, give to the poor, and then follow Him. The man went away disappointed because he was very rich.

Zacchaeus was considered a very bad man who stole from the poor. But Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus and got as close as he could. Jesus then came to him and basically invited himself over to his house.

The response was incredible. Zacchaeus declared that he was going to do what the ruler would not, sell of his possessions and give to the poor, and make right any wrongs he had done. Jesus then said that "salvation has come to this house ... for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (19:9)

The difference between the two involves the approach and what held them. The ruler wanted something from Jesus, but was not willing to give what Jesus wanted, his heart. Zacchaeus just wanted Jesus and was willing to give anything to get Him.

In the end, it's not about what we have (or has us) but who we have (or has us).

Pastor Tom

What About You?

One of the most common questions people have is "what about the natives in Africa? If they haven't heard the gospel then how can God judge them fairly?"

That's a legitimate question but there is actually a more important question to ask first, what about you? Have you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Jesus made an interesting observation to this point in Luke 13. Some folks were asking Jesus about an event they had heard of where Pontius Pilate had mixed the blood of some Galileans with their pagan sacrifices.

Jesus said, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

We worry about the others that have not heard and it keeps us from realizing our peril. The human condition is terminal, and not just physically, but spiritually. We are in need of a rescuer and the only one that has arisen that actually proved he was up to the job was Jesus.

Worry about yourself first, then worry about the Africans (like we do).

Pastor Tom