Thursday, April 30, 2009

Translating the Faith!

A continuing challenge for me is communication. Just try to communicate with a 17 year old and a 1½ year old in the same conversation...or with a church full of people of all ages, outlooks, and temperaments! It is an art, the act of communicating. A major part of our communicating involves translation. Bishop Robert Schnase of Missouri (author of “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”) has written an article that helps us understand that we translate our faith to others too. While much longer than my blogs, is worthy of your time, so instead of reprinting it, you can read it at http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=5220.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Here He Goes Again!

You will recall a week or so ago my displeasure with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and a statement she made portraying certain groups of citizens as possible terrorists. I understand she has fired whoever wrote the speech she read…she ought to be fired for not reading it before she was in front of a camera. Now I have another beef with DHS/ICE. You may recall my son-in-law, Eulalio, voluntarily left the States and returned to Mexico last January. A few days ago I was issued a notice that I must bring him to St. Louis for deportation or lose the bond that was posted. Let me first say I cannot imagine the paperwork shuffle involved with the federal government…it’s bad enough being part of the UMC! But, when I called a representative of DHS/ICE saying that I had a copy of their form signed by the Mexican Consulate stating that/when he had returned, she politely replied, “I am sorry, the hearing to revoke bond will go forward until we receive our copy from the Mexican Consulate.” I do not know how I got a copy before they did…I really don’t care, but I’ve got to tell you that it seemed to me as if they were more concerned with keeping the bond money than resolving the issue. After a lengthy conversation, she finally agreed to let me mail her a copy of the form and she would look into the matter. We have a tremendous problem with illegal immigration here in the USA, and I do not have the answer, but adding frustration to the process will only defeat us.

Monday, April 27, 2009

What's This World Coming To?

When I was a young boy, I can remember hearing my Grandpa Thomas say (with a couple of added explicatives...as I recall he was good at adding explicatives!), “I don’t know what this world is coming to.” Then, as I grew older I recall my father saying, “I don’t know what this world is coming to.” Recently I caught myself mumbling, “I don’t know what this world is coming to.” Well, with all the troubles our world faces, there are good things out there we need to hear about. Audrey Gulley, daughter of John & Nancy Gulley, decided for her sixth birthday that instead of asking for presents for herself, she wanted food items to help feed people who could not afford to buy food for themselves. I understand she told her family and friends what she wanted for her birthday and then her church family joined the cause. She then donated all the food she collected to the Sesser-Valier Area Lifeline. What’s this world coming to? Thanks to families like the Gulley’s, who work hard at instilling values in their children like caring for others, it’s getting better each day…and some day we just might realize the Kingdom here on earth. If you see Audrey, let her know that many of us around Sesser & Valier are very proud of her.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Parable of the Runner and his Team

I spent the day yesterday with Jill and Hannah as we enrolled Hannah in college at UIS. While I am as proud as a father can be that she was accepted and has enrolled in the honors program there, one of the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind was that the cost. For what her education will cost us, I could buy four new Fatboy’s in the next three years! That is very nearly obscene. But then I received an email and it brought me back to earth. Click on the link below and see if you can keep from crying as you watch “The Parable of the Runner and His Team.” There is a tremendous lesson here for each of us...as individuals and as a church!


Ben Coleman Runs from Joe Miller on Vimeo.

Monday, April 20, 2009

You're Kidding...Right?

I’ve got to tell you that I am upset with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for her remarks that defined many of us as right-wing extremists and probable homeland terrorists. Several news sources say in her report, right-wing extremism was defined as hate-motivated groups and movements, such as hatred of certain religions, racial or ethnic groups. I can live with that, but the report also included in those hate-groups some veterans, people who support gun ownership, or those who have pro-life views. With all of the political turmoil the various leaders of the United States face in our fallen world today, to have this level a leader make such a statement is totally irresponsible and the administration should seek her immediate removal and replacement. I am not sure if she wrote this definition or if someone else wrote it, but we need to find out who is responsible. I will also concede that there are some organizations inside the US that need to be watched closely (Skinheads, the Arian Nation, etc), but to make that blanket statement about the citizens of this great nation, and about our veterans, is nothing less than prejudice rearing it’s ugly head. Almost as disturbing to me is that seven individuals who heard my prayer request on Sunday asked me what I was talking about.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Conference on the Holy Spirit

I snuck back to my hotel room during our lunch break to post this blog about the Conference on the Holy Spirit. This year the conference is not particularly well attended, but a blessing none the less. Eighty year old Rev. Ophilis (Phil) McCoy shared with us this morning. He is a retired minister from our conference who now has a tremendous prison ministry in north-central Illinois. He is also the ’08 clergy recipient of the Denman award for evangelism. Last night and again this morning we heard from Rev. Jaquiline Leveron, a Cuban native who migrated with her family to the United States at the age of nine. She currently serves Good Shepherd UMC in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jaquiline has shared her understanding of prayer, fasting, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers with us. I look forward to hearing more from her this evening at a healing service and again tomorrow morning at worship. What’s the highlight of the event so far? The Spirit showed up of course! But in teachings, Jaquiline offered new insight to the ramifications of our inability to forgive others…her larger text was Matthew, 18:21-35, but specifically see vs. 34-35. I pray you are having a blessed day; I hope to see you on Sunday.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Forgiven & Forgotten!

I visited recently with a person who was struggling with the remembrance of sins from years past. Their struggle was not that they could not remember those sins, no, they could not forget them! They told me that they had been convicted, confessed, repented, and moved on years ago…but suddenly the memory of their sin returned…torturing them with many questions. “Did I truly repent? Has God forgiven me? Did I do enough?” There are two things you can take to the bank, and a third thing that is more valuable than the first two together. One is that the devil doesn’t want you to forget your sins…ever; the second is that you never forget them; and the third is that God has forgotten them. The real question is not any of those raised above, but the real question is, “Are we going to believe God, the devil, or ourselves?” God has said that our sins are past, cleansed, gone! “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us” (Psalm 103:12). Once we have been convicted of our sins, confessed those sins, and repented of them, regardless of what they were or when they occurred, Jesus has paid the price for them. They are now history and it becomes an issue of trust. Can you trust God? Absolutely! Now, we are to move forward in faith, knowing our sins are forgiven and forgotten.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

God's Tea Party!

Today is tax day. If you did not realize that, you either are not required to file taxes, or you’ve already filed. If you did not need a reminder, then chances are you are also aware that this is Tea Party Day…even folks at the Sesser Post Office were talking about it this morning! “Tea” stands for “Taxed Enough Already,” and it has become a quite popular grassroots movement. I believe it is an off-shoot of AFA (the American Family Association) and has been around for a few years now, but it seems to have taken hold of America this year, perhaps because of the new administration…perhaps because of an increasingly out of touch Congress. Either way it is reported there will be 2048 Tea Parties held today, with several in our area. More demonstration than action, unlike the original Boston Tea Party, this movement has become the voice of an increasing segment of America who wants all of their elected officials to be accountable to their constituents: a practice necessary for our form of government to be successful. If you understand the theory, it also applies to our spiritual lives. Should we be allowed to parade around claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ with no accountability? Should you be able to attend church on Sunday with no other thought of God during the week? Should we put our own comfort and success before our relationship with the Lord Jesus? I am not sure what a Spiritual Tea Party would look like, but it seems to me some accountability is necessary for our relationship with Christ to be successful too.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Soaking Spirit of God!

We have just celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord, but rather than rest in this day, we look forward; forward to Pentecost. I stated Sunday that Easter is the holy day on which our faith stands, and I believe that, but I also know that Pentecost is the holy day that equips believers for the journey we are on. The Holy Spirit is the earthly presence of the glorified Lord. The Spirit is not a magic power, but instead gives the believer faith in the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and the power to live a life of faith. Separate from man’s own spirit, which is weak and sinful, the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit. Free from sin, this all-powerful Spirit permeates our spirit, to the extent we allow, and the result is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We now live, walk, work and play in God’s power; not in our own power. We don’t control the Spirit…it controls us. There is no area of our lives untouched once the Spirit has come upon us. You’ve heard it said that we are filled with the Spirit…I think a better, more accurate way to state it is “we are saturated, or soaked, with the Spirit.” Like being continually drenched by water there is nothing we touch that the Spirit does not touch. As we live, walk, work and play, we are so saturated with the Spirit that it drips off of us…everywhere.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Happy Easter!

This is a portion of a devotion written by Rueben P. Job concerning Easter Sunday…I thought you might also need to hear it.
“At this very moment when I write and at the very moment when you read these words, you and I are in the presence of the living Christ. To remember this truth is to be shaped constantly by the presence of God in Christ in our lives. We often forget this central truth of the Christian faith, and when we do, we are easily overcome by the troubles of the world.
The risen Christ is with us and therefore we need not fear the events of this day or any day that lies in our future. We know that each day will be lived in companionship with the One who is able to rescue, redeem, save, keep and companion us through every experience of this life and the next.
This realization does not take away the pain or uncertainty that life holds. But it does give us strength, wisdom, guidance, and most of all, a Companion to travel through each of these experiences with us. Easter Sunday and every Sunday are gentle yet dramatic reminders that we are not alone or on our own. As followers of Jesus Christ, we walk with God in Christ, and that makes the journey rich in meaning, joy, and peace no matter where it leads. Jesus Christ is alive and reads with you now words that are intended to turn your eyes, heart, and life more fully toward God.”
Amen!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Good Friday

As we observe and even celebrate this Good Friday, there is a reading I would like to share with you from The Cup of Our Life, by Joyce Rupp. “When Jesus was in his excruciating moment in the Garden of Gethsemane he needed his disciples to be with him while he prayed. He longed for the comfort of their presence and was pained by their inability to provide this for him. Jesus didn’t need Peter to slice off an ear of his enemy. He just needed Peter and the others to be there with him as he faced his enemies (Luke 22:39-46).”
My prayer is that Jesus might find us there with him today and everyday; that he would never be pained by our inability to focus on him. Yet I pray that realizing that many of us are more focused on our own desires than on his, many of us are easily distracted from his presence by the noise of our world, and that many of us would rather seek the company of others than his divine presence. May God help us as we look toward the empty tomb...to realize the real cost paid by our Savior. May God help us to surrender unconditionally to the longings of our Savior’s heart.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Even White Preachers Gotta Shout!

You’ll have to excuse me a moment…I must vent! I cannot help but want to scream ‘cause someone told me this morning that these Christian rock bands were leading people to hell. AGGGG!! I pray that I never become so engrossed with what I prefer that I want to refuse others what they like. Music traditionally has been a force of division within the church, which causes me to wonder why we cannot keep our focus on the Savior…but back to the subject at hand. I say if any type of music points people to Jesus, then praise God! I’ll confess, I am not a fan of Lawrence Welk or Mitch Miller, but if they sing about Jesus, then praise God (Are those two still alive?). Folks who like Big Band music need to hear about Jesus too! I dislike most Country Music, but if a Country artist sings about Jesus, then praise God! Bar-hopping, truck-driving, women-chasing cowboys need to hear about Jesus too! And kids, with all the peer pressure and stress they have to deal with these days, they need to hear about Jesus…and if Ozzy Osborn sang about Jesus, I would praise God for him. I’ll go one step further; I think we should take songs that are popular and use them for the glory of God…that’s what Charles Wesley did. He took the bar tunes of the day and wrote hymns to sing to the tunes…Praise God! We might even think of taking songs that are less than wholesome and giving them a makeover for the glory of God. Here’s an old, but good example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTYr3JuueF4. Praise God!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Caution: Holy Spirit at Work!

It seems to me the greatest obstacle facing the believer today is not uncertainty in our world, the devil, or the many problems with organized religion. The greatest obstacle we face is our becoming helpless and more dependent upon God. We are taught almost from birth (at least in the western world) to strive for self-sufficiency. We are taught to take care of ourselves (even arrogantly calling ourselves #1); to not ask for help (or directions!); to do everything for ourself. That mindset is directly opposed to the mindset of our Savior and Lord. He came to "serve others, not to be served" (Matthew 20:28), to "seek the lost" rather than focus on himself (Luke 19:10), and with John the Baptizer as our example, we are told that we "must decrease and He must increase" (John 3:30). No wonder so many struggle with this religion thing! How do we accomplish this transformation from our human nature to the mind of Christ? For most of us it is not enough to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), and all too often we stop there reading the text, but vs. 2 says, “…but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…” We must surrender and allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit…daily! We cannot do it for ourselves; it is not a one-time event. The Holy Spirit is the force that is continually at work in the believer who is truly in relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Did YOU Vote?

Well, it’s Election Day again. (Do you remember Green Acres? This is about the time when the fife and drum core begin playing in the background) And once again, I have grown tired of the rhetoric and mudslinging that inevitably takes place the days, weeks, and months leading up to this day (and this year it seems to have been amped up here in Sesser). I’ll be honest, I am afraid our election process has failed us. I am not sure any amount of praising or cursing a candidate will move someone to vote. It seems to me there’s a percentage of people who will engage in the process, believing voting is a God-given right and responsibility, while others will not be moved for any reason. Much like church or many other civic organizations: the few who connect do all the work. A sign of the times? Definitely. Might it be corrected? Hopefully, but I do not have the answers. What I do know is that complacency and apathy are tools of the devil that will destroy us if we allow it. That is the operative statement here…“if we allow it.” We have the choice to engage in the process, every process whether civic, educational, or religious, equipping those processes to work for our benefit and for the glory of God…or we can sit and complain.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Lord, Help Us!

With a dose of reality the past few days, I have come to realize once again the fallen world we live in. With senseless killings in both Binghamton and Pittsburg Pennsylvania; a distraught father killing himself and his five children in Washington State; North Korea launches a long range rocket although warned not to by several countries; and now I hear that there has been a deadly earthquake in central Italy. I am not sure we can attribute all of these tragedies to satan, but it is clear to me that he is extremely active in our world today. If not in the news stories I’ve just mentioned, he is active in how people deal with these stories. Rather than turning to God or praying that satan is bound, many will turn to MLB’s opening day games or to the NCAA tournament to distract them from the evils in our world. Others will focus on an up-week for the stock market or the President’s accomplishments during the first 100 days of his administration to find a sense of security. These might make us feel good for a time, but the high won’t last (especially if your team loses!). So where do we start? Perhaps we need to pray that our hardened hearts would turn to God.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

How Big is Your God?

With an election drawing near, I have become so sick and tired of the mud slinging and name calling in our community. If only we would give as much attention to the presence and power of God as we give to self and to Satan. But then, that’s the problem isn’t it…we cater to self and before we know it, Satan is involved. We must learn the value and discipline of denying self…yeah, I said the d-word: deny. Jesus called us to pick up our cross and follow Him…not wander where we will, dragging along those things that satisfy our personal longings. Smith Wigglesworth (yeah, I know your getting tired of hearing of him, but there is much more to come) summed up well the end result of living a spiritual life or a worldly life: “If you have a great God, you will have a little Devil; and if you have a big Devil, you will have a little god.” Some of the things I’ve heard concerning this coming election cause me to wonder if some people even know there is a God. But that should be better a week from now, so let me ask you, how big is your God?

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

What's Your Expectation?

As I continue to read some of the works of Smith Wigglesworth he has struck another nerve. In “Only Believe” he writes, “The Holy Spirit wants to get you ready to stretch yourself out to God and to believe that “He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). You do not need to use vain repetitions when you pray (see Matthew 6:7). Simply ask and believe. Do more believing and less begging.”
How I agree! I must confess to you that I find it annoying when my children beg and whine for something. If I tell them I will do something, I will do it when I feel the time is right and their begging will not move that determined time one moment. Do you suppose God is the same? The case is made that we are created in the image of God so we surely have some of God’s characteristics (let’s not confuse that statement and give God some of our characteristics). So, what if God finds begging and whining annoying…what do your prayers sound like to the Almighty? Is your faith evident at the end of your prayer time? James tells us, “But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (1:6-8).