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500 posts, some crazy, some serious, about Christ and You!
English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devotional Thought of the Day:
13 If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. 14 Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. 2 Corinthians 5:13-14 (MSG)
27 God’s plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. Colossians 1:27 (TEV)
This is my 500th post. That’s kind of bizzarre.
Thinking about it is odd, especially when I look at the stats and realize people from all over the world have come here, read a blog or two. Some have even followed the blog.
I’ve thought about stopping writing a number of times, or just putting sermons up – which is how I started blogging. The writing, spiritual journaling is something that happens, so why so share it? I pray that its blessed some of you other there.
Some have been a little crazy, or self revealing, and the thoughts not well put together. Others are more serious, nearly prophetic in calling us to realize what we do in our lives, and how it relates to God and those Jesus died for along with you and I.
Many have quoted a pretty crazy and serious pastor named Martin Luther, who didn’t like Christians being identified with his name.
Even more have quoted a Catholic priest/evangelist/pastor named St Josemaria Escriva.
Both of these guys had a heart for Christ’s work, for His love and mercy being revealed to others. A heart I long to develop in myself, in my congregation, in the pastors I long to work alongside. Not a mindset that is mission, but a heart that sees people who are struggling with life and with great love comes alongside them and helps them know Christ is with you!
For both those who trust in Christ, and those who do not yet understand why He is worthy of investing your life in, need to know that. That I hope and pray is the outcome of this blog… that this sinner, justified by the love of God, has writtent words to edify and challenge you. That it has done what those verses up there have said. That you know Him, and know of the glory you will share Him, because He loves you.
That’s why this blog is here… and I would love to have some feedback, if it’s blessed you, if it’s helped you see Christ’s love. If its helped you know Him, if its made you think about your relationship with Him, that He’s drawn you into. So if it has been a help in life – please leave me a note below. It will encourage me to write the next 500..
Thanks and God Bless!
Dt
Related articles
- Having a Crisis of Faith? Come Join us! (justifiedandsinner.com)
- Encountering others on Holy Ground. (justifiedandsinner.com)
- The Heart of Theology & the Heart of Ministry is the Heart of Christ (justifiedandsinner.com)
Persecution, Martyrdom, the Love of Christ…. and a hard lesson in prayer
Crucifix (Photo credit: LeChinchi)
11 They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word to which they bore witness, because even in the face of death they did not cling to life. Revelation 12:11 (NJB)
43 ‘You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. 44 But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; Matthew 5:43-44 (NJB)
23 Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die?” asks the Sovereign LORD. “No, I would rather see them repent and live. Ezekiel 18:23 (TEV)
The news again has horrible stories of terrorism in the headlines. The situation in the Kenyan mall, and the two churches in Pakistan that were hit by suicide bombers.
This time, the targets weren’t just political – but they were specifically religious. They were after my brothers and sisters in Christ. And there are new entries to the list of martyrs that extends through the centuries, and is growing day by day.
I want to be mad, I want to think about how to get revenge, whether its the President or some other official pushing a button and the merciless terrorists being zapped like vermin.
Yet I hear the words of my sermon yesterday, the quote from St Paul to a young pastor echoing in my mind, “I urge you – pray for ALL men, ask God to help them, intercede for them, and give thanks for them….”
Uhm God, is there an exception clause for this? Can we strike out terrorists of body, and those who terrorize the soul?
My mind cries out that I can’t love them, that it is illogical and stupid and asking for more pain to forgive them.
Gosh I dislike that passage in Matthew 5.
This week I preach on that passage from Revelation 12, and iti s in my mind as well – how much do we cling to life? Why do we do anything and everything to avoid death? We don’t like to talk about it, we spend billions on hiding it and our aging (growing toward it) in our culture… and we hate anyone or anything that threatens it. The Blood of Christ? Sure – we know and talk of that, our testimony about the Logos – the Word of God – Jesus? yes definitely!
But… death? Especially the death caused because of our witness to Christ? You see that is what a martyr is – one who testifies in view of death. And will embrace it because of that truth.
That is where I find the grace to even thik about praying for terrrorists, to hear the words, “pray for all people” and to know it includes those who encourage suicide bombers, shooters and others who are so full of sin and hatred that this is the answer they look for in life.
And then I remember those words from Ezekiel, those words that point to Jesus on the cross so clearly… for there we saw the truth of it.
God wouldn’t take pleasure in the deaths of terrorists, or those who indoctrinate or teach them. Not for a second. Anymore than He takes pleasure in any death, for at one time, we were all enemies.. and still Jesus died… we’ve sinneds, murfering people in our hearts, just as surely as others have done it physically.
And He loves us and pursues us and calls us… and prayerfully we hear and realize He forgives us and marks us as His.
This is perhaps the hardest and most blessed truth…. God loves and died for the terrorists as much as He did for the martyrs…..and weeps over the deaths of all.
Now… in this day – you have had some who’ve irritated you, you’ve had those people and those moments were you were just pissed off, you may have been betrayed, even brutally so…
So read those verses again – think through them… and ask God to touch those who’ve done you wrong…even as you rejoice in His bringing you back to Him.
And when its hard…to do this… cry Lord Have Mercy!
Only Requirement to Come to our Church. Do you, or have you ever taken a breath…
28 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
“I was once asked by a young man with a myriad of tattoos if he could watch a pre-school graduation service (in our sanctuary) from the front doors of my church. SHocked I asked him why he wouldn’t just come in and grab a seat up front. (he was early) I was shocked to hear him say he didn’t think he would be allowed in with all the tattoos and his past.
So let me be clear – if you have a past – you are more than welcome here.
If you have a present… you are welcome here…
If you don’t know about your future… you are welcome here.
This congregation has seen God at work in all types of people, through all types of trauma, as we are gathered together by God.
So come on this morning to Concordia Lutheran Church in Cerritos, come in, grab a seat… and know that God is with you….” (facebook post 9/1/2013)
43 likes to the above simple invitation to church that I posted on FB ….I am a feeling little overwhelmed.
I know quite a few pastors, priests and ministers here in socal, and around the US and the world. There are more like me in this than not…one of the challenges for pastors and priests is waiting to see Christ’s heart develop in our people. We want our people to see every other human being as those who Christ. We want to see the prostitute, the tax collector, the politician, the gossip, the music star who acts like a harlot, and yeah… the worse sinners of all.. us,… all gathered around the altar, all rejoicing in what Christ has done in our lives, and in bringing us together…
The challenge is to see all people in need of Christ’s grace, in need of His love, in need of healing of that which is broken inside us. That is as true for the first time visitor with a dark past, as it is for the elder whose been in leadership for longer than we can remember. I think, sometimes it takes longer for people to change who have been around a while… or perhaps the change isn’t as noticeable. Or perhaps because we expect others to be more mature in Christ…we are less tolerant? Not sure…. just sure all need Jesus, just sure we all need to know how patient Jesus is with each of us. And if we are ministering on His behalf… how patient we need to be with each other.
The thing is, it is not what a pastor/priests/deacon/minister says that causes the transformation in any of us. It’s not something we can plan or put on a schedule. It is the Holy Spirit, working through word and sacrament. It is the grace that is poured out, the faith and trust we are given that grows as we learn of His promises, the love that has to be empowered within us… and can only be empowered, when at our weakest, we find Him, loving us, feeding us, repairing what we have managed to break within us, or what the world has crushed…. and again, we all need that.
If you breath*, you are welcome at the church I pastor. We welcome everyone here… including pastors…
Like I said – it doesn’t matter where you have been, or where you are, even now. Simply put… all of us are damaged by life, by our decisions, by the crap we have to deal with…. and here is a place where we see God dealing with it, lifting our burdens and placing them on Christ…. that we can live… that we can “learned the unforced rhythms of grace”…that we can walk with God… not just here..but throughout our lives.
Godspeed!
* Note: If you recently stopped breathing – your still welcome here one more time. We’ll tell people about God’s love and faithfulness to you, feed them, comfort them, help them know God’s peace…….let them know Jesus is there for them as well.
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- The Perfect Church? (justifiedandsinner.com)
We must bear our cross….an powerful observation….
English: Charente Christian Cross (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
23 And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. 24 For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! Luke 9:23-25 (TEV)
“Whenever you see a poor, wooden cross, alone, uncared-for, worthless … and without a corpus, don’t forget that that cross is your cross—the everyday hidden cross, unattractive and unconsoling—the cross that is waiting for the corpus it lacks: and that corpus must be you.” (1)
I thought about not writing this blog, but then my friend MikeR brought to mind a old Amy Grant song “fat baby”…. and another friend – a missionary couple who will go to a very challenging place, at great sacrifice quoted a passage that is similar, and earlier today another missionary, a young lady in another torn country, asked for prayer because of the situation there….
And I thought…why are we so unwilling here, to make sacrifices of our own lives.
For instance, why are we so unwlling to avoid our favorite sins, and why do we feed our favorite worries and anxieties, rather than take Christ up on His promise to cleanse us all it all? When we commit sins, why are we so…. challenged to confess them? We know He will be faithful to confess them… right?
Why are we so unwilling to give up what we have… even things we don’t need…. to others.. to help them? Why do we dislike it when the rich get richer (than us) but then the government takes from all to help those who have none?
Or why are we so unwilling to risk embarrassment and share God’s love with people, or invite them to church where they can hear it, with us able to watch God work a miracle in their lives? Or sacrifice something financially to underwrite a missionary?
I like St. Josemaria’s thoughts here – about a cross that is not a crucifix. Would we look at plain crosses, not just reminded us of Christ’s cross – but as reminders that we need to take up that cross as well? That we need to remember we have died with Christ, we have died. As Paul says….
19 So far as the Law is concerned, however, I am dead—killed by the Law itself—in order that I might live for God. I have been put to death with Christ on his cross, 20 so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. Galatians 2:19-20 (TEV)
This is challenging to many of us this day, who are so focused on Christ’s work in justifying us. We forget that our being united with Christ’s death, and with His resurrection, and that we have the hope of sharing in His glory – because He lives in us…
And that changes everything.
So let us see crosses – and remember that Christ has asked us to take up the cross – with Him… and serve those who need to know Jesus died for them. Whatever that takes, whatever the cost….
Lord Have mercy on us..
Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 539-541). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Related articles
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- It’s not Fair! (or right, or legal or just or moral ) Uhm, who made us judge? (justifiedandsinner.com)
The Heart of God…
Devotional THought of the Day:
“The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself declared with an oath regarding it, “As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;”4 adding, moreover, this gracious declaration, “Repent, O house of Israel, of your iniquity.5 Say to the children of My people, Though your sins reach from earth to heaven, and though they be redder6 than scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth, yet if ye turn to Me with your whole heart, and say, Father! I will listen to you, as to a holy7 people.” And in another place He speaks thus: “Wash you, and become clean; put away the wickedness of your souls from before mine eyes; cease from your evil ways, and learn to do well; seek out judgment, deliver the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and see that justice is done to the widow; and come, and let us reason together. He declares, Though your sins be like crimson, I will make them white as snow; though they be like scarlet, I will whiten them like wool. And if ye be willing and obey Me, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse, and will not hearken unto Me, the sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken these things.”8 Desiring, therefore, that all His beloved should be partakers of repentance, He has, by His almighty will, established [these declarations][i]“
Here he talks of repentance, but like many of us, he misses the heart of the matter, literally the heard of God.
In these precious passages, yet there is a call, even a cry for repentance, but a cry that isn’t just a prophetic warning to avoid wrath. Look at each in their context, look at the words that God uses, this is a passionate Father’s cry to come home, to return to the family, to receive the love that was meant to be yours!
If you are a believer, if you hope, your confidence is in God, then it is a cry that you have heard, that cry needs to be heard around you, you need to repeat it to them – not just a warning that people are headed to hell (which should cause our stomachs to be wrenched and our eyes to tear) but that God so desires them NOT to go..
Instead – to know the love of God, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the peace that comes to us who have been united to and in, Jesus Christ.
Lord have mercy!
4 Ezek. 33:11.
5 Ezek. 18:30.
6 Comp. Isa. 1:18.
7 These words are not found in Scripture, though they are quoted again by Clem. Alex. (Pædag., i. 10) as from Ezekiel.
8 Isa. 1:16–20.
[i] Clement of Rome. (1885). The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I: The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (A. Roberts, J. Donaldson & A. C. Coxe, Ed.) (7). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
Defending the Faith? Do we have to?
Discussion thought of the day!
In the Princess Bride, there is a class line by the classic swordsman Montoya. His boss keeps on using this word, “inconcievable”. Finally, fed up with hearing it over and over, used about things proved very possible, he confronts the man saying, ” I do no think you know what this word means!” (or something to that effect- it’s been a long week!)
Perhaps part of it has to do with the rich history of the crusades, and our understanding of the church militant, and how many of our seminaries look like ancient castles and fortresses! But the church militant’s opposition isn’t those who challenge its beliefs – they are our objective, the people we need to liberate. Paul tells us so clearly that we are not at war with them, but with satanic forces, the powers and principalities that hold those people in hostage, and blind them to the grace of God.
That’s where the swordsman’s quote come’s into play. The word is apologetics – and most of the apologetics books and training I have seen recently treat the one hearing our faith as the opposition, or at least as the prosecuting attorney. They talk of defending our faith – as if the battle is too defend a treasure.
But apologia – the word used in 1 Peter 3:15 isn’t about defending the faith – it is about giving the logos – the reasoning, the logic which leaves us not defeated, not broken, not without hope, but with great hope. Hear is one of my favorite translations of the passage:
“3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
It is that “be ready to explain it ( Our hope that we have in Christ) that is apologia. It brings us back to the cross, and the fact that we only have hope because He endured it (see Heb 12:2) and rose again, and is returning for us. That’s not defensive, its not competitive, it is simple revealing the truth as it was revealed to us.
We don’t need to defend our faith – we don’t need to go into a philosophical and doctrinal war. God is big enough to defend himself – and His word does that as it opens their heart – and calls them to life They really don’t need us to be at war with them – instead they need to know the hope and love that is found as GOd gifts us with them.. Invite them on the journey, explain why you have found healing and joy, even in the midst of the deep dark valleys that cause anxiety and fear. and shame…yet which we turn over to the Lord who already defeated them… and walks with us, keeping us safe – our hearts, and minds… for we live in Him, and He in us..
God’s peace!
