Sunday, June 29th; The God-man...

In the midst of Christ’s creative genius (as God) he certainly took a strange step in his efforts to recapture the hearts and souls of humanity – he became one of those that he created (a man). To try and get a handle on this seemingly odd set of events take a look at…

John 1:1-14 (the before and after mystery)

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Read it a few times and ask yourself the following:

1. Who is “the word’ referred to in the first few verses?
2. What was “the word” up to?
3. Did “the word” have a beginning?
4. What does it mean what it says “the word became flesh”?
5. What is Christ’s glory?

It’s true; God’s mission is to seek out and restore/rescue humanity. This was his mission then and it’s his mission today. Jesus took the first step when led with compassion and became one of us.

While on earth Jesus repeatedly expressed compassion on those in the margins (the poor, lonely, rejected, homeless, imprisoned, widowed, orphaned, greedy, and assorted misfits); this compassion ran so deep that he took their place on the cross, and then asked them to take his place on earth.

It’s true for us too.

To love and serve means that we, like Jesus, address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people regardless of where they live, what they believe, their economic status, country of origin, or religious background; those living in the margins.

The compassion of God is meant to be shared and expressed in the way we live. No speeches, no lectures, no sermons, no handouts, no memorization, no formal training, no theological expertise, no judgments, no condemnation, no expectations, no religion; just love.

Just live as Jesus wants us to live.

This is the cool part; along the way, curiosity is peaked. People want to know why you are doing what you do giving you a chance to share the compassion message, and hopefully others will join us in our desire to help those who need to experience a living hope. His name is Jesus…

Compassion Rules! Live your Life...

www.compassionrules.com

Sunday, June 8th 2008 Holy, yet empowering…

It’s humbling if you stop to think about it; Jesus in all of his glory, in the fullness of his deity, in the heavens that he left to become one us for a time being is actually praying for us. Even as you read this He is interceding on our behalf before the living God – God the Father. Unbelievable; his love and concern for us never stops.

Do you ever feel alone? Lonely as if no one is around who really cares about you? I feel this way occasionally, I think it’s only human. It’s hard to accept; Jesus’ love is so deep that he stands in the gap for us everyday. Even when we think we don’t need the help. Again, it’s a bit overwhelming if you think about it.

While this realization may be new to you it’s really just an extension of who Jesus was while he was here on earth. We see this in one of his prayers. A small part of this prayer is below. As Jesus was preparing to go back to God because his mission was about to end, he interceded on behalf of those he loved…

John 17:13-21 (New International Version)

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

While this prayer has many facets that are worthy of discussion, I want to focus on the part where he mentions that we are “not of the word” and yet “we are in the world.” Seems a little odd, but like Jesus was in the world we too are in the world. Yet, at the same time we are not to be part of the world.

What do think about when you read this? What comes to mind? How can we be in and not of the world around us? Is it an issue of separation (non-engagement) as some would have us believe? Is it that we set ourselves in a position of judgment and therefore condemn those who may not live like us? What does it mean?

Maybe it’s just me, but I think the idea of being “in and not of” has been misunderstood for the past few decades. To me it suggests that we live differently while on this earth so others can see the love of Jesus in our actions. It means that we live by a different set of standards that point to Christ as the one who cares about those who are hurting and suffering. It means that we engage the world by making the sound moral choices that affect real change, but “morality” actually goes much deeper than you may think (e.g., when you think of “immorality” what come to mind?).

Unlike the dominant conservative evangelical church has behaved for the past few decades, making sound moral choices transcends sexual issues and means that we can also choose:

• Generosity over greed (personal or corporate)…
• Moderation over indulgence (mine or yours)…
• Reestablishing our priorities for the sake of family (workaholics in the church or anywhere else)…
• A life that is more about serving others and less about serving self (it’s not about you)…
• Down-shifting over consumerism (living on less so more can be shared)…
• Caring for our planet by accepting an eco-friendly way of life…
• Engaging the issues of social justice rather than avoiding them (making things right instead of turning a blind eye on the poor, the orphaned, the hungry, homeless and thirsty)…

Talk about this stuff with your friends and start making the hard choices – choices that will let others know how much Jesus really cares about them.

Hey, I’m gone for a few weeks (with a team in Guatemala), so think on these things and let Jesus work on your heart. I’ll update the blog when I get back.

Remember, you not doing this alone; Jesus is praying for you right now and he will guide you around every corner.

Peace out…

PS – if this blog is useful to you please let me know via email – rgelaude@connexionscc.com

Sunday, June 1st, 2008 All powerful, yet ever so trusting…

I remember on many occasions when my dad, who was gentleman farmer and skilled in many areas, would ask me to do something for him. This is not uncommon with young boys who had a dad who loved projects, but what I found interesting was that while he was more than able to get the job done much quicker and with more skill, he still wanted me to do it.

He trusted me to do the best I could do, and if I needed help all I needed to do was ask. As I reflect back I see this as an example of how God desires to do the same. In all of his power, his holiness and his perfection he still asks us for help. He trusts us to share his message of hope, peace and reconciliation.

It’s a mystery to me…

Don’t believe me? Read and think through the following:

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (New International Version)

18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 (The Message)

16-20 Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.


Here are a few questions to ponder:

What are the best ways we can share the hope that we have?
What are the often practiced and least effective ways people share Christ?
What is an ambassador? How does this role play out in life?
Why do you think that God asks us to join him in his plan to extend true hope to the world?
What it is that God is looking for in a person?


Personal note:

For the longest time I’ve noticed that the fabric of a person character is revealed not in the words of their speeches (or sermons), nor in the promises they make, but in their actions and deeds. It’s one thing to say you’re a follower of Jesus and wear the façade of Christianity; it’s wholly another to live as he lived. In large part our devotion to Christ is measured by our willingness to just follow him wherever it takes us.

It’s funny really. I’ve been part of “church” for about 20 years, and I’ve just recently come to this conclusion: we have not been placed on this blue marble planet to serve an institution called the Church, but to serve our King and those he loves so dearly. We are to do so at any and all costs.

But then, maybe it’s just me…

Peace…

Sunday, May 25th and the Great Exchange...

Ever so often I reflect back on life and how it came to be that God would find it in his heart to invite someone “like me” into his adventure. Those feelings of “worthlessness” are real and they revisit the soul if I let them. In the continuum of God’s holiness/perfection and the reality of my own failures (sin) is a cavernous gap that seems impossible to navigate. So like so many, there I sat with empty feelings of hopelessness only to fill those voids with the pursuit of career and what it brings to the table. Not a bad thing really, but nothing less than a spiritual diversion that buries those original feelings and thoughts.

When money, success and recognition show their face it’s a great feeling, but what remains is an itch that has yet to be scratched. You know that place in the middle of the back that you can’t reach on your own. It never goes away. It was so with me and God. He never went away…

How does He deal with my sin? How does this perfect God handle my imperfect life? Does he simply forgive and forget? If so, why then do I still remember? If not, how do these seemingly polar opposites get reconciled?

Then one day, for reasons I can’t remember, I read the following:


Revelation 5 - The Lamb Opens the Scroll (New Living Translation)

1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.
4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. 7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God.
And they will reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

John 1:29 (New Living Translation)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (New Living Translation)

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.


Here are a few more questions to ponder:

How do these verses answer the questions posed earlier?
What’s the difference between feeling unworthy and feelings of worthlessness?
How does this affect the healing process?


Personal note:

I’m okay. Because of what Christ did for me I can move on and live for him. My reflections today are ones of gratitude, and those feelings of worthlessness are gone; carried away by the Lamb of God. New chapters are being written and the healing is ongoing. That itch is gone, but the journey continues…

Peace and Hope…

Sunday, May 18th The Majesty of God…

Ask yourself; over the years what have I been taught about God that has lead me to view Him as something less than he is? Or, what experiences have I had that have done the same?

We all come to the table with a view of God. Fortunately or unfortunately, this “view” is framed, shaped and molded by our surroundings, experiences, parents, teachers, pastors, spiritual leaders and our culture. Whether we like it or not, this “view” in more ways than we care to admit determines how we see the world, how we treat others and how we live our lives everyday. Our view of God is the “filter” or “lens” through which we “do life”…

I was thinking; for one reason or another we allow almost anything and everything other than God to shape our view of him. Weird, maybe it’s just me…

This week we want to look at the Majesty of God; the idea that he is so magnificent and majestic his is beyond our comprehension, and yet in the midst of this majesty he longs to whisper into our ear; whispers of encouragement, hope, support and direction. How cool is that?

So, take some time this week to read the following and then ponder through a few questions listed below. If you can, set aside any “caricatures” of God that you have in your head. Have fun, let God speak to you, open your mind and heart to what he has to say…

Psalm 139:1-18 (New International Version)

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

Psalm 86:1-13 (New International Version)

1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Here are a few more questions to ponder:

How do you see that distance and closeness of God working in your life?
What parts/attributes of God seem unimaginable to you?
What parts/attributes have of God you experienced personally?

Will you sit with Him this week and allow him to whisper into your ear?


Personal note:

For the longest time I viewed God has this cosmic judge who really enjoyed sending people into a fiery hell, and that one of his biggest pleasures was to make sure that I never had any fun; if I simply obeyed the rules then I was a good boy. I’m not sure where this came from, but this was my view of God. So, after high school, which was a struggle, I took the path of least resistance – it was party time.

But then at the age of 35, I discovered the real God; the real Jesus who loves a party, but this party was different. It’s was an adventurous party of abandoning self and following Him to the ends of the earth. It’s almost reckless, but at the same time it’s calming.

You see, the majesty of God reveals his trandsendence (above all things) and at the same time it reveals his immanence (ever so close) as well. How cool is that...

Sunday, May 11th Child-like faith…

Oh how we manage to make life complicated at times. Wouldn’t you agree? Last week (May 4th) Aric talked about how “religion” usually seems to run interference with our relationship with the living God, and more often than not, those self-inflicted rules and regulations just make matter worse. The end result is a complicated life of staying between the lines and simply following the rules so we can “please” God (or at least the ones who created the rules).

On May 11th we talked about how Jesus simply asks us to come to him “like a child” and in doing so we find hope, peace and a way of life that leads to freedom. So, ask yourself;

 How have I complicated my relationship with God?
 What could I remove from my life that would strengthen my walk with Him?

Take a look at Micah 6:6-8 and read it a few times; at least until you could recount the story from memory (I’ve included two different translations)…

Micah 6:6-8 (New International Version)
6 With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8 (The Message)
6-7How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
8But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Here are a few more questions to ponder:

 What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
 What questions of God do I ask that get in the way of deepening my walk with him?
 Would an answer to the question really make a difference? If so what difference?
 Why is it so hard for us to trust God with the details of life?
 What are some barriers to faith with which I have wrestled?


Personal note:

One of my wrestling matches is making hard decisions when fearing a not so exciting outcome (e.g., a relational loss). I’ve recently learned that making, or not making, a decision based on fear is usually grounded in mistrust – not trusting God for the outcome. Leaning on Him, as a child trusts a parent, is the better way to live…

First Blog

I'm really excited about my first blog and my hope is that it will stimulate some discussion about the topics at hand, so let's begin...

Sunday, Arpil 27th and we talked about making counter-cultural choices. If you read Luke 10:25-37 (below) you'll read about a guy who was afraid to do so.

• What was the nature of his question in verses 25 and then in 29?
• What was his real fear?
• Which of the three people described in the story Jesus told lived counter-culturally? Why?
• Why was it odd that Jesus chose a "samaritan" to offer compassion?
• Which of the "three" would descibe you? Really?
• What fear holds us back from "doing likewise"?

Btw, for me it's usually the fear of not getting a response that "I" would like to get...

Luke 10:25-37...

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." 25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."