Bullets. Blackmail. Bodies. Betrayal. Bombs. Boats. Beaches. Babies. Ben.
What do they all have in common?
If you said, "They all begin with the letter 'B'," you are right. But, that is not the answer I was really looking for. Here's a better answer: They are all a part the television show, "LOST."
Yes, I must admit it, I am a fan. Why? I don't really know. I don't think any other show in the history of television has been more exasperating to watch. The title of the show could not be more perfect, because the more I watch it, the more and more "lost" I become.
And I'm not the only one.
Regis Philbin is convinced the show is actually a long dream sequence of one of the characters. Jimmy Kimmel tries to coax insights from cast members every time one of them appears on his show.
Even actress Evangeline Lilly, who plays the role of "Kate," admits she has a hard time returning to reality once taping is over. She just can't shake the feeling that the threats she faces on the show also threaten her in real life.
For those of you who are not fans, let me briefly fill you in --
"LOST" is a story about the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves marooned on an exotic island. Just when they think things might work out for them, as they await rescue, problems begin on the island.
One major problem is that the island is already inhabited by people who see the survivors as a threat. Also, the island itself, the former site of far-flung scientific experiments, often defies the laws of time and space, and may not be a "real" island at all (or, maybe it is). Since I'm lost, I don't really know.
Anyway, these survivors (mostly good guys, like Kate) are "lost" on the island and are trying to get back home. Meanwhile, the "others" (the people who were already living on the island) are, for the most part, trying to either stop them or kill them.
Great TV, right?
Right. Except, I'm lost. I'm lost because the story is convoluted most of the time. One plot tangent goes off in one direction all on its own for awhile; then the main plot-line returns; then another tangent takes off in a totally different direction...and, all the while, as viewers, we are left trying to piece it all together into a coherent whole.
Complicating everything is the use of flashbacks and flash-forwards. Sometimes the story is in the present...then, it quickly shifts to the past...or, just as quickly, to the future. There is never any explanation. It is up to us to figure out whether the scene we are watching is in the past, the present, or the future.
The theory is, I suppose, if you watch enough, you will eventually figure it all out from start to finish.
I'm beginning to have my doubts, though. My wife gave up on the show a long time ago and wonders why I'm still watching it.
I don't know. Maybe I am just an optimist. Someday, it will all make sense. I hope. Maybe I also like it because, in a way, the show is a metaphor for real life in the real world.
We are all living on this weird, little island called "Earth" that we don't completely understand. This Earth-island is filled with good guys and bad guys. Some of the good guys want to help us stay alive and find our way home. The bad guys don't.
The plot-line of our lives often goes off in unusual and unexpected tangents. We'll be heading down the highway of life in one direction thinking we have it all together. Then, without warning, something happens that changes everything. Maybe it is a doctor's diagnosis, a drunk driver, or a dropout daughter that stops us in our tracks and reminds us how difficult life can be.
Like the characters on the TV show, we also have a past that has impacted our present. And the way we live in the present, and the decisions we make now, will determine where we spend our future.
And, right now, many of us are lost...looking for the way home.
During one episode of the TV show, six survivors ended up in the middle of the ocean; the island had disappeared; and things looked grim. But, just when all seemed "lost," they were miraculously rescued and made it home, thanks to a life boat which saved their lives.
Sometimes, in my life, I feel like I need a life boat. My plane has crashed and burned and things are looking grim.
The good news is that God has already sent one...a life boat that saved me, and will save you too.
That life boat is Jesus. When you get onto His life boat, you are rescued immediately. Through Jesus, you will not be lost...you will make it home. And when you get there, everything will make sense.
Remember the Bible story about Zacchaeus, the tax collector? He decided to step onto God's life boat, and when he did, Jesus gave him this assurance...
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10 NIV)
You can wonder around this Earth-island we live on today, trying to find your own way home, but you will just end up more and more lost. Or, you can step out in faith onto God's life boat, Jesus, and be rescued.
And being saved is so much better than being lost!
Pastor Greg
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Starting Over
January is the month of starting over.
It is the month of New Year's resolutions...promises to start over.
Think about the kinds of resolutions you normally make at the beginning of January each year...here are some of the classics:
-- "I am going to eat better."
-- "I am going to exercise more."
-- "I am going to stop smoking."
-- "I am going to watch TV less."
-- "I am going to save more money."
What do they all have in common? They all require a change in your life...and they all express your desire to start over.
The problem is, most of us eventually fail when it comes to our New Year's resolutions.
Most of the time, those old habits creep back into our lives...sometimes quickly...sometimes bit-by-bit...until we reach the point where, basically, nothing has changed.
Old habits die hard.
Why? Because, if we are honest, we must admit that our hearts are not in it.
Our "heads" tell us that we WANT to change, that we WANT to start over...and we convince ourselves it is true. "THIS time it will be different. THIS time I really mean it."
But, the truth is, it is your "head" talking. Not your heart.
The same thing happens when it comes to your relationship with God.
Something happens in your life and you decide that you need to get closer to Him. Usually, the plan goes something like this...
1. I will pray more.
2. I will read my Bible more.
3. I will go to church more.
4. I will give more money to the church.
5. I will be a better person.
In other words, the plan is to "butter up" the Lord so He will be so impressed with you that He can't help but send showers of blessings your way.
But, in the end, the plan is no more useful than your annual January plan to start over, because these promises to God are no more than New Year's resolutions in disguise.
They are made with your head and not with your heart.
What if Jesus had made resolutions rather than promises? What if He had said in His head something like this: "Yes, I will go to the cross, beaten and bloodied. And, once there, I will let the Roman guards drive spikes into my hands and feet. I will wear a crown of thorns. I will take on all of the sins of all mankind. And, I will suffer and die because that is the only way you can get to heaven."
If this had been only a New Year's resolution, do you think Jesus would have gone through with the plan? Or, would He have changed His mind at some point, like when He was on the Mount of Transfiguration...or as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday...or in the Upper Room...or even in the Garden of Gesthemene?
He had plenty of opportunities to turn around a go the other way.
What if He had decided to just forget the whole plan and go back to the glories of heaven where He could share eternity in the presence of angels and on streets of gold?
Who could have blamed Him?
The good news is that Jesus did not make His promise with His head, He made it with His heart. In His heart, He said, "I love you so much that nothing will stop me from dying for you. And living for you...so you can eventually live with Me."
If you really want to get closer to God during the new year, then it is not your head that needs to change. It is not your head that needs to start over. It is your heart.
Give God your heart first, and your life will follow.
Then, you will find yourself doing all of those good things for God, not because you want to butter Him up, but because you are so close to Him already that they are simply reflections of your relationship with Him.
Paul said something similar in Romans, as translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message:
"As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right ANYTHING for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is REAL LIFE, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master." (Romans 6:20-23)
This year, resolve to give up the good intentions of your head and instead, give up your heart...to God. That is the only way to start over with Him in a way that will make a difference not just now, but forever.
May you find a new life with the Lord during this new year,
Happy New Year!
Pastor Greg
It is the month of New Year's resolutions...promises to start over.
Think about the kinds of resolutions you normally make at the beginning of January each year...here are some of the classics:
-- "I am going to eat better."
-- "I am going to exercise more."
-- "I am going to stop smoking."
-- "I am going to watch TV less."
-- "I am going to save more money."
What do they all have in common? They all require a change in your life...and they all express your desire to start over.
The problem is, most of us eventually fail when it comes to our New Year's resolutions.
Most of the time, those old habits creep back into our lives...sometimes quickly...sometimes bit-by-bit...until we reach the point where, basically, nothing has changed.
Old habits die hard.
Why? Because, if we are honest, we must admit that our hearts are not in it.
Our "heads" tell us that we WANT to change, that we WANT to start over...and we convince ourselves it is true. "THIS time it will be different. THIS time I really mean it."
But, the truth is, it is your "head" talking. Not your heart.
The same thing happens when it comes to your relationship with God.
Something happens in your life and you decide that you need to get closer to Him. Usually, the plan goes something like this...
1. I will pray more.
2. I will read my Bible more.
3. I will go to church more.
4. I will give more money to the church.
5. I will be a better person.
In other words, the plan is to "butter up" the Lord so He will be so impressed with you that He can't help but send showers of blessings your way.
But, in the end, the plan is no more useful than your annual January plan to start over, because these promises to God are no more than New Year's resolutions in disguise.
They are made with your head and not with your heart.
What if Jesus had made resolutions rather than promises? What if He had said in His head something like this: "Yes, I will go to the cross, beaten and bloodied. And, once there, I will let the Roman guards drive spikes into my hands and feet. I will wear a crown of thorns. I will take on all of the sins of all mankind. And, I will suffer and die because that is the only way you can get to heaven."
If this had been only a New Year's resolution, do you think Jesus would have gone through with the plan? Or, would He have changed His mind at some point, like when He was on the Mount of Transfiguration...or as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday...or in the Upper Room...or even in the Garden of Gesthemene?
He had plenty of opportunities to turn around a go the other way.
What if He had decided to just forget the whole plan and go back to the glories of heaven where He could share eternity in the presence of angels and on streets of gold?
Who could have blamed Him?
The good news is that Jesus did not make His promise with His head, He made it with His heart. In His heart, He said, "I love you so much that nothing will stop me from dying for you. And living for you...so you can eventually live with Me."
If you really want to get closer to God during the new year, then it is not your head that needs to change. It is not your head that needs to start over. It is your heart.
Give God your heart first, and your life will follow.
Then, you will find yourself doing all of those good things for God, not because you want to butter Him up, but because you are so close to Him already that they are simply reflections of your relationship with Him.
Paul said something similar in Romans, as translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message:
"As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right ANYTHING for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is REAL LIFE, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master." (Romans 6:20-23)
This year, resolve to give up the good intentions of your head and instead, give up your heart...to God. That is the only way to start over with Him in a way that will make a difference not just now, but forever.
May you find a new life with the Lord during this new year,
Happy New Year!
Pastor Greg
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Christmas Babies
I was a Christmas Eve baby.
I turn another year older, every year, on December 24.
If I had a dime for every time someone commented about my Christmas Eve birth date while looking at my driver's license, I could go ahead and retire right now.
It is a unique thing. Most people are not born on Christmas Eve. I am part of a small circle of people when it comes to the date of my birth. And, in a way, that is one of the fun things about having a birthday that starts with the numbers 12/24.
On the other hand, after awhile, it isn't so much fun when the day which is supposed to be all about you is, instead, all about something else entirely...every single year.
Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas Eve.
I would love Christmas Eve even if it wasn't my birthday. Christmas Eve should always be a special day. It should always be a meaningful day. Many of my most wonderful childhood memories revolve around Christmas Eve.
I just wish that my own special and meaningful day was a little farther removed from it, that's all. I think, if I had the choice, I would like my birthday to be in June instead.
Why?
Well, let's just say, it is hard to compete.
When I grew up, our Christmas Eve celebration was HUGE. Everyone on my Dad's side of the family gathered at Aunt Margaret's house, and after a delicious dinner, we would start opening presents...and opening presents...and opening presents...one-by-one...everyone taking their own individual turn. By the time it was over, the house looked like it had been hit by a bomb.
Then, everyone (and I mean everyone) would drive over to our house, where we would start all over again...opening more presents.
After that, everyone (yes, everyone) would drive to my grandparent's house, where we would all open still more presents.
Sometime after midnight, Mom, Dad, and my sister and I would wind our way back home, with a trunk full of toys and dreams of what Santa Claus would put under our tree the next morning.
I wish everyone could have the kind of Christmas Eve experiences I had as a child.
There was just one little thing that always sort of nagged at me during all of the eating, and driving, and gift opening, and laughing, and talking, and celebrating...
...in the midst of all of that Christmas Eve frenzy, what happened to my birthday? Basically, it just got lost.
Not that it was forgotten. My family never forgot my birthday. It was more like it just got blown away in the swirl of Christmas, like a new-fallen snowflake that lands for just a moment on your window pane before a blast of winter wind sweeps it away.
My birthday would land for just a moment on Christmas Eve, before getting blasted by the hustle and bustle of Christmas.
As I look around today, I think Jesus knows exactly how I felt back then.
Because His birthday is getting lost in the craziness of Christmas too.
It goes something like this...
...you start shopping early to get the best bargains; get the outdoor lights up before the weather turns bad; buy the cards and the stamps, write the cards and address the envelopes and don't forget to put them in the mail; get the tree, put it up, decorate it and decorate the inside of the house too, wrap the gifts and get them in the mail, go see the Nutcracker or "A Christmas Carol" or at least a Christmas movie and besuretobuythegroceriesandmakethecookiesandbakethe piesandgoseeSantaandhisreindeerandtakeadrivetolookatlightsandcleancleancleanthehousefor
companyandtrytogettochurchandcookamealthatwon'tsoonbeforgottenandopenthepresentsand
thencleanitallupandputitallawayforanotheryear!
That is a lot of competition for Jesus.
The day which is supposed to be all about Him has become, instead, all about something else entirely...every single year.
He even gets lost at the stores right now. Go out and try to find an outdoor Nativity display in a major chain store this year. We have been looking for one and cannot find it at any of the "big" stores.
According to a clerk at K-mart, they just "didn't get any in this year."
Interesting. You can buy plenty of snowmen, and reindeer, and carolers by the dozen. No problem finding trees, or candy canes, or even stars.
But, try to get your hands on a Nativity scene. You know, the one with the baby Jesus who was born on the day after Christmas Eve. You will probably find, as we have, that they just "didn't get any in this year."
Actually, I think we should move Jesus' birthday to sometime in June. Keep Christmas Eve on December 24 and Christmas Day on December 25 with all of the same fantastic frenzy surrounding them.
But, let's commemorate the day when God came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem in June, when He won't get lost and blown away by the arctic blast that has become Christmas.
Maybe then, people will pay more attention to this message that was meant to change the world by changing human hearts...
...I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)
The amazing thing is that the baby of Bethlehem grew up to become the Christ on the cross.
Don't let Him get lost and swept away in your Christmas this year.
May love and joy be yours at Christmas and always,
Pastor Greg
I turn another year older, every year, on December 24.
If I had a dime for every time someone commented about my Christmas Eve birth date while looking at my driver's license, I could go ahead and retire right now.
It is a unique thing. Most people are not born on Christmas Eve. I am part of a small circle of people when it comes to the date of my birth. And, in a way, that is one of the fun things about having a birthday that starts with the numbers 12/24.
On the other hand, after awhile, it isn't so much fun when the day which is supposed to be all about you is, instead, all about something else entirely...every single year.
Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas Eve.
I would love Christmas Eve even if it wasn't my birthday. Christmas Eve should always be a special day. It should always be a meaningful day. Many of my most wonderful childhood memories revolve around Christmas Eve.
I just wish that my own special and meaningful day was a little farther removed from it, that's all. I think, if I had the choice, I would like my birthday to be in June instead.
Why?
Well, let's just say, it is hard to compete.
When I grew up, our Christmas Eve celebration was HUGE. Everyone on my Dad's side of the family gathered at Aunt Margaret's house, and after a delicious dinner, we would start opening presents...and opening presents...and opening presents...one-by-one...everyone taking their own individual turn. By the time it was over, the house looked like it had been hit by a bomb.
Then, everyone (and I mean everyone) would drive over to our house, where we would start all over again...opening more presents.
After that, everyone (yes, everyone) would drive to my grandparent's house, where we would all open still more presents.
Sometime after midnight, Mom, Dad, and my sister and I would wind our way back home, with a trunk full of toys and dreams of what Santa Claus would put under our tree the next morning.
I wish everyone could have the kind of Christmas Eve experiences I had as a child.
There was just one little thing that always sort of nagged at me during all of the eating, and driving, and gift opening, and laughing, and talking, and celebrating...
...in the midst of all of that Christmas Eve frenzy, what happened to my birthday? Basically, it just got lost.
Not that it was forgotten. My family never forgot my birthday. It was more like it just got blown away in the swirl of Christmas, like a new-fallen snowflake that lands for just a moment on your window pane before a blast of winter wind sweeps it away.
My birthday would land for just a moment on Christmas Eve, before getting blasted by the hustle and bustle of Christmas.
As I look around today, I think Jesus knows exactly how I felt back then.
Because His birthday is getting lost in the craziness of Christmas too.
It goes something like this...
...you start shopping early to get the best bargains; get the outdoor lights up before the weather turns bad; buy the cards and the stamps, write the cards and address the envelopes and don't forget to put them in the mail; get the tree, put it up, decorate it and decorate the inside of the house too, wrap the gifts and get them in the mail, go see the Nutcracker or "A Christmas Carol" or at least a Christmas movie and besuretobuythegroceriesandmakethecookiesandbakethe piesandgoseeSantaandhisreindeerandtakeadrivetolookatlightsandcleancleancleanthehousefor
companyandtrytogettochurchandcookamealthatwon'tsoonbeforgottenandopenthepresentsand
thencleanitallupandputitallawayforanotheryear!
That is a lot of competition for Jesus.
The day which is supposed to be all about Him has become, instead, all about something else entirely...every single year.
He even gets lost at the stores right now. Go out and try to find an outdoor Nativity display in a major chain store this year. We have been looking for one and cannot find it at any of the "big" stores.
According to a clerk at K-mart, they just "didn't get any in this year."
Interesting. You can buy plenty of snowmen, and reindeer, and carolers by the dozen. No problem finding trees, or candy canes, or even stars.
But, try to get your hands on a Nativity scene. You know, the one with the baby Jesus who was born on the day after Christmas Eve. You will probably find, as we have, that they just "didn't get any in this year."
Actually, I think we should move Jesus' birthday to sometime in June. Keep Christmas Eve on December 24 and Christmas Day on December 25 with all of the same fantastic frenzy surrounding them.
But, let's commemorate the day when God came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem in June, when He won't get lost and blown away by the arctic blast that has become Christmas.
Maybe then, people will pay more attention to this message that was meant to change the world by changing human hearts...
...I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)
The amazing thing is that the baby of Bethlehem grew up to become the Christ on the cross.
Don't let Him get lost and swept away in your Christmas this year.
May love and joy be yours at Christmas and always,
Pastor Greg
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Do You Know Where YOUR Brake Pedal Is?
On my 16th birthday, my grandfather gave me his car.
It was a 1968 Renault (we pronounced it "Ren-ault" in West Virginia...with a hard "t" sound at the end...unlike the rest of the world which said it with a silent "t"... "Ren-oh").
When I first learned to drive that car, I remember how important it was to use BOTH of those little pedals on the floor. There was the "gas" pedal, which made the car go faster.
And there was the "brake" pedal, which made the car go slower.
To pass my driver's exam, I had to show my ride-along state trooper that I knew how, and when, to use them both.
It was an important lesson.
That is how I learned to drive...and today, even after all of these years, I still use both pedals!
But I don't think that is how people are learning to drive today.
It seems that today's drivers are learning how to use only ONE of those pedals on the floor...the GAS pedal!
No one knows how to use the brake anymore. Does anyone even know where it is?
Hardly a day goes by when I don't shake my head in disbelief because EVERYONE around me is driving SO FAST! They love to getthisclosetomybackbumperandpushmetogofasterandfaster andfastereventhoughIamalreadygoingfiveortenmilesperhouroverthespeedlimit!
They go way too fast and get way too close...and there is no margin for error on anyone's part.
This seems to be especially true of Metro bus drivers, little women in big SUV's, and big men in big pickups.
A case in point -- a driver actually passed me the other day on Clough Pike by using the center turn lane (at about 6:00 pm, in the middle of rush hour)! I mean, how much faster could she go once she got in front of me on such a busy road at that time of day?
It is unsafe and unwise. To operate a vehicle safely, you must use BOTH the gas pedal and the brake pedal! Someone needs to start teaching this lesson again to our 16-year-old would-be drivers out there before it is too late (if it is not too late already)!
They need to learn that it is not about how fast you can go. It is not about how fast you can get to your final destination.
It IS about getting there safely and in one piece
In a lot of ways, the way people drive today is like the way they live their lives.
Go...go...go...go!
"I'm going to get there as fast as I can." "I'm going to see how fast I can go."
"Everyone needs to clear out of my way because here I come and my life is more important than yours!"
They know where the gas pedal is and they keep it pressed all the way to the floor all the time.
The problem is, they don't know where the BREAK pedal is...or how to use it. They don't know how to slowwwwww dowwwwwwwn.
They certainly don't know how to stop.
As a result, they never "find the time" to slow down and read the Bible. They don't slow down enough to have a serious and thoughtful prayer life. They don't slow down enough to get really involved in church.
They don't slow down enough to get the know the God who made them...who loves them...and who died for them.
They don't slow down enough to hear Him speak to them.
This is nothing new, of course. Jesus encountered the same "go...go..go...go" mindset back in His day. Remember the story of Mary and Martha?
"As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said.
But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it's the main course, and won't be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42, The Message)
It is unsafe and unwise to live life with the gas pedal to the floor all of the time. To live life safely, you must know how to use BOTH the gas pedal and the BREAK pedal.
Give yourself a BREAK today. Slow down. And listen for the voice of Jesus.
Pastor Greg
It was a 1968 Renault (we pronounced it "Ren-ault" in West Virginia...with a hard "t" sound at the end...unlike the rest of the world which said it with a silent "t"... "Ren-oh").
When I first learned to drive that car, I remember how important it was to use BOTH of those little pedals on the floor. There was the "gas" pedal, which made the car go faster.
And there was the "brake" pedal, which made the car go slower.
To pass my driver's exam, I had to show my ride-along state trooper that I knew how, and when, to use them both.
It was an important lesson.
That is how I learned to drive...and today, even after all of these years, I still use both pedals!
But I don't think that is how people are learning to drive today.
It seems that today's drivers are learning how to use only ONE of those pedals on the floor...the GAS pedal!
No one knows how to use the brake anymore. Does anyone even know where it is?
Hardly a day goes by when I don't shake my head in disbelief because EVERYONE around me is driving SO FAST! They love to getthisclosetomybackbumperandpushmetogofasterandfaster andfastereventhoughIamalreadygoingfiveortenmilesperhouroverthespeedlimit!
They go way too fast and get way too close...and there is no margin for error on anyone's part.
This seems to be especially true of Metro bus drivers, little women in big SUV's, and big men in big pickups.
A case in point -- a driver actually passed me the other day on Clough Pike by using the center turn lane (at about 6:00 pm, in the middle of rush hour)! I mean, how much faster could she go once she got in front of me on such a busy road at that time of day?
It is unsafe and unwise. To operate a vehicle safely, you must use BOTH the gas pedal and the brake pedal! Someone needs to start teaching this lesson again to our 16-year-old would-be drivers out there before it is too late (if it is not too late already)!
They need to learn that it is not about how fast you can go. It is not about how fast you can get to your final destination.
It IS about getting there safely and in one piece
In a lot of ways, the way people drive today is like the way they live their lives.
Go...go...go...go!
"I'm going to get there as fast as I can." "I'm going to see how fast I can go."
"Everyone needs to clear out of my way because here I come and my life is more important than yours!"
They know where the gas pedal is and they keep it pressed all the way to the floor all the time.
The problem is, they don't know where the BREAK pedal is...or how to use it. They don't know how to slowwwwww dowwwwwwwn.
They certainly don't know how to stop.
As a result, they never "find the time" to slow down and read the Bible. They don't slow down enough to have a serious and thoughtful prayer life. They don't slow down enough to get really involved in church.
They don't slow down enough to get the know the God who made them...who loves them...and who died for them.
They don't slow down enough to hear Him speak to them.
This is nothing new, of course. Jesus encountered the same "go...go..go...go" mindset back in His day. Remember the story of Mary and Martha?
"As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said.
But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it's the main course, and won't be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42, The Message)
It is unsafe and unwise to live life with the gas pedal to the floor all of the time. To live life safely, you must know how to use BOTH the gas pedal and the BREAK pedal.
Give yourself a BREAK today. Slow down. And listen for the voice of Jesus.
Pastor Greg
Sunday, November 1, 2009
After The Cross
We call it the "Emmaus Road."
Back then, it probably did not have an "official" name at all. It was just the road that ran from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. It was seven miles of nothing special.
That is, until two of Jesus' followers walked along that road together on the first Easter Sunday. Thanks to them, and to the gospel of Luke, the Emmaus Road has become a parable of encouragement today.
"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing Him." (Luke 24: 13-16)
What was "everything that had happened?"
Jesus had been crucified.
He was dead.
And buried.
There were lots of witnesses.
Now, some of His disciples were making wild claims, saying that Jesus had come back to life, that He had been resurrected.
The tomb was empty, they said.
He was gone!
When the first reports of His resurrection had come from a handful of women who had gone to the tomb early that morning, everyone dismissed it. After all, it was nothing more than the testimony of women who were obviously overcome with grief!
But later, Peter had also gone to the tomb and found it empty. Left behind were the linen strips that had been so carefully applied to Jesus' forehead, covering the wounds of the awful crown of thorns. But His body, put in that same spot by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, was nowhere to be found.
So, as they walked along it that afternoon, a better name for the road might have been "Confusion Road." Or "Pain Avenue." Or "Loss Lane." Or "Anxiety Alley."
Jesus had died? They had expected Him to be the Jewish Messiah who would deliver them from the rule of Rome and establish a new kingdom right then and there that would never end.
But He died instead.
Jesus had risen? They knew the Old Testament stories of people who had gone to heaven without dying first. Enoch was "taken away" by God, and Elijah rode to heaven on a chariot of fire. There was even the testimony of the young boy who was brought back to life through the prayers of Elijah.
But rising from the dead without at least the prayer of a prophet? It had never been done before.
What were they to think? What were they to do? How could it end like this? Or, had it ended at all?
Step by step they walked, the seven miles between Jerusalem and Emmaus seeming like seventy because of their heavy hearts. Suddenly, someone they did not recognize joined them. As He came alongside, He turned and asked, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
Astonished to hear that He was unaware of all that had happened, they poured out their story through broken hearts, wounded spirits and confused minds.
Jesus listened quietly. Then, He gave them a Bible lesson.
By the time they reached Emmaus, Jesus had revealed the Old Testament prophecies which explained everything.
How they loved His teaching! They invited Him to dinner, still not knowing who He really was. As the three of them sat down together, Jesus took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to them. Instantly, they saw Him for who He was! Then, miraculously, He disappeared from their presence.
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. (Luke 24:33-35)
The confusion was gone. The pain was past. The anxiety was history.
Instead, all they felt was pure joy. The joy of an empty grave. The joy of resurrection. The joy of truth.
And something else, I think...the joy of knowing that, as they looked back on it, even as they walked along that Emmaus road in their darkest moments, Jesus was walking with them, even though they did not know it.
After all, Easter isn't Easter without Jesus!
What is the name of the road are you walking down today?
Is it your own Emmaus Road of doubt and despair?
Does it seem like you have been walking down that road forever?
Be patient. Keep going.
Jesus will get you off the Emmaus Road when He is finished teaching you the lesson He wants you to learn. Until then, remember He is there, walking with you every step of the way, even when you don't know it.
The joy of resurrection and new life is coming your way! I promise.
Pastor Greg
Back then, it probably did not have an "official" name at all. It was just the road that ran from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. It was seven miles of nothing special.
That is, until two of Jesus' followers walked along that road together on the first Easter Sunday. Thanks to them, and to the gospel of Luke, the Emmaus Road has become a parable of encouragement today.
"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing Him." (Luke 24: 13-16)
What was "everything that had happened?"
Jesus had been crucified.
He was dead.
And buried.
There were lots of witnesses.
Now, some of His disciples were making wild claims, saying that Jesus had come back to life, that He had been resurrected.
The tomb was empty, they said.
He was gone!
When the first reports of His resurrection had come from a handful of women who had gone to the tomb early that morning, everyone dismissed it. After all, it was nothing more than the testimony of women who were obviously overcome with grief!
But later, Peter had also gone to the tomb and found it empty. Left behind were the linen strips that had been so carefully applied to Jesus' forehead, covering the wounds of the awful crown of thorns. But His body, put in that same spot by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, was nowhere to be found.
So, as they walked along it that afternoon, a better name for the road might have been "Confusion Road." Or "Pain Avenue." Or "Loss Lane." Or "Anxiety Alley."
Jesus had died? They had expected Him to be the Jewish Messiah who would deliver them from the rule of Rome and establish a new kingdom right then and there that would never end.
But He died instead.
Jesus had risen? They knew the Old Testament stories of people who had gone to heaven without dying first. Enoch was "taken away" by God, and Elijah rode to heaven on a chariot of fire. There was even the testimony of the young boy who was brought back to life through the prayers of Elijah.
But rising from the dead without at least the prayer of a prophet? It had never been done before.
What were they to think? What were they to do? How could it end like this? Or, had it ended at all?
Step by step they walked, the seven miles between Jerusalem and Emmaus seeming like seventy because of their heavy hearts. Suddenly, someone they did not recognize joined them. As He came alongside, He turned and asked, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
Astonished to hear that He was unaware of all that had happened, they poured out their story through broken hearts, wounded spirits and confused minds.
Jesus listened quietly. Then, He gave them a Bible lesson.
By the time they reached Emmaus, Jesus had revealed the Old Testament prophecies which explained everything.
How they loved His teaching! They invited Him to dinner, still not knowing who He really was. As the three of them sat down together, Jesus took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to them. Instantly, they saw Him for who He was! Then, miraculously, He disappeared from their presence.
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. (Luke 24:33-35)
The confusion was gone. The pain was past. The anxiety was history.
Instead, all they felt was pure joy. The joy of an empty grave. The joy of resurrection. The joy of truth.
And something else, I think...the joy of knowing that, as they looked back on it, even as they walked along that Emmaus road in their darkest moments, Jesus was walking with them, even though they did not know it.
After all, Easter isn't Easter without Jesus!
What is the name of the road are you walking down today?
Is it your own Emmaus Road of doubt and despair?
Does it seem like you have been walking down that road forever?
Be patient. Keep going.
Jesus will get you off the Emmaus Road when He is finished teaching you the lesson He wants you to learn. Until then, remember He is there, walking with you every step of the way, even when you don't know it.
The joy of resurrection and new life is coming your way! I promise.
Pastor Greg
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Don't Be Fooled
Take it from me, driving through Chicago can be dangerous to your health.
I am not talking about the road construction that will never end, or even the plague of a traffic jam that ALWAYS clogs up the Dan Ryan Expressway (I believe if the Egyptians had driven cars instead of chariots, then one of God's plagues during the time of Moses would have been a traffic jam of Chicago proportion!).
Actually, when I saw someone in a car ahead of me stick a gun out of his rolled-down window, aimed at the car beside him in the next lane, I would gladly have faced road construction or a traffic jam instead (or even a plague!).
This is a true story.
It happened during a recent trip to Chicago. At first, I did not want to believe what I thought I saw. A gun. Held by a hand that was sticking out of one car window and pointed at another car window. And it was all happening only a very short distance ahead of me.
What was happening? Was it road rage? Gang violence? Would I be an eyewitness to a murder? Would I testify in court? And how safe was I, after all?
These and a hundred other thoughts all raced through my mind in a matter of seconds.
Before I could arrive at any answers, the car being threatened suddenly pulled over to the shoulder and stopped. Immediately, the guy with the gun stopped his car in the middle of the interstate, not bothering with the shoulder...and everyone behind him stopped too, including me.
At that point, I could hear a siren, but I could not tell where it was coming from. Someone must have called 911. I looked in my rearview mirror. No sign of a police car. No flashing lights anywhere.
As I glanced back at the scene in front of me, a man was getting out of the car in the center lane and was running towards the other car on the shoulder, gun in hand. At this, the car on the shoulder took off, 60-miles an hour, backwards.
The man with the gun ran to his car and hopped in. He made a u-turn in the middle of the three-lane freeway and started driving the wrong way, and headed straight towards me.
The thought crossed my mind then that maybe I would get shot. Or, maybe my rental car would get rammed by either the "good guy" who was driving way too fast to be going backwards...or by the "bad guy" with the gun chasing him.
But as the "bad guy" got closer, I saw something that made me feel much better.
His car was not a normal "bad guy" car. I could see flashing red and blue lights tucked away behind the grill on the front of his car and, as he passed me, I heard the sound of the siren pass too.
It was an unmarked police car. The guy with the gun was not a "bad guy" after all. He was an undercover policeman. He was really a "good guy."
The problem was that I could not tell the "good guy" from the "bad guy" by looking at them. What I saw with my own two eyes deceived me.
As I thought about it later, I was reminded of Samuel in the Old Testament. He had the same problem. His eyes had deceived him when he judged by outer appearances only.
God had called Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse. As soon as Samuel laid eyes on Eliab, he was sure that this was God's man. There must have been something very royal about Eliab's physical appearance.
God, however, had other ideas. Here is the passage from 1 Samuel 16...
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"
Have you ever made that same mistake yourself?
It is easy to do. It is sort of hard-wired into our human nature.
Sometimes, I wonder if some people see Walnut Hills Baptist Church like that.
They look at our outward appearance and they are not impressed. Ours is an old building. We have no parking lot to call our own. No air conditioning. We have a small congregation. We are classified as an "urban" church rather than as a "suburban" church.
But I would like to think that God would say to them, "Do not look at the outward appearance, but look at their heart."
Because, at heart, we are a wonderful fellowship of believers. We love the Lord and we love each other. We treat each other as brothers and sisters regardless of race or age. When we come to church on Sunday, we hear a remarkable choir, lots of prayer, and a "Word from God's Word."
Some might call it "old-fashioned." Some might call it "traditional." I call it "beautiful."
I also call it ministry.
It is easy to do ministry where ministry is easy.
As a member of this church, you choose to do ministry in a more difficult place...all the while giving and receiving so many blessings in the process.
Just like Jesus did. And Paul. And Peter. And John. And so many others who looked not only at what was on the outside, but at what was on the inside.
Pastor Greg
I am not talking about the road construction that will never end, or even the plague of a traffic jam that ALWAYS clogs up the Dan Ryan Expressway (I believe if the Egyptians had driven cars instead of chariots, then one of God's plagues during the time of Moses would have been a traffic jam of Chicago proportion!).
Actually, when I saw someone in a car ahead of me stick a gun out of his rolled-down window, aimed at the car beside him in the next lane, I would gladly have faced road construction or a traffic jam instead (or even a plague!).
This is a true story.
It happened during a recent trip to Chicago. At first, I did not want to believe what I thought I saw. A gun. Held by a hand that was sticking out of one car window and pointed at another car window. And it was all happening only a very short distance ahead of me.
What was happening? Was it road rage? Gang violence? Would I be an eyewitness to a murder? Would I testify in court? And how safe was I, after all?
These and a hundred other thoughts all raced through my mind in a matter of seconds.
Before I could arrive at any answers, the car being threatened suddenly pulled over to the shoulder and stopped. Immediately, the guy with the gun stopped his car in the middle of the interstate, not bothering with the shoulder...and everyone behind him stopped too, including me.
At that point, I could hear a siren, but I could not tell where it was coming from. Someone must have called 911. I looked in my rearview mirror. No sign of a police car. No flashing lights anywhere.
As I glanced back at the scene in front of me, a man was getting out of the car in the center lane and was running towards the other car on the shoulder, gun in hand. At this, the car on the shoulder took off, 60-miles an hour, backwards.
The man with the gun ran to his car and hopped in. He made a u-turn in the middle of the three-lane freeway and started driving the wrong way, and headed straight towards me.
The thought crossed my mind then that maybe I would get shot. Or, maybe my rental car would get rammed by either the "good guy" who was driving way too fast to be going backwards...or by the "bad guy" with the gun chasing him.
But as the "bad guy" got closer, I saw something that made me feel much better.
His car was not a normal "bad guy" car. I could see flashing red and blue lights tucked away behind the grill on the front of his car and, as he passed me, I heard the sound of the siren pass too.
It was an unmarked police car. The guy with the gun was not a "bad guy" after all. He was an undercover policeman. He was really a "good guy."
The problem was that I could not tell the "good guy" from the "bad guy" by looking at them. What I saw with my own two eyes deceived me.
As I thought about it later, I was reminded of Samuel in the Old Testament. He had the same problem. His eyes had deceived him when he judged by outer appearances only.
God had called Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse. As soon as Samuel laid eyes on Eliab, he was sure that this was God's man. There must have been something very royal about Eliab's physical appearance.
God, however, had other ideas. Here is the passage from 1 Samuel 16...
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"
Have you ever made that same mistake yourself?
It is easy to do. It is sort of hard-wired into our human nature.
Sometimes, I wonder if some people see Walnut Hills Baptist Church like that.
They look at our outward appearance and they are not impressed. Ours is an old building. We have no parking lot to call our own. No air conditioning. We have a small congregation. We are classified as an "urban" church rather than as a "suburban" church.
But I would like to think that God would say to them, "Do not look at the outward appearance, but look at their heart."
Because, at heart, we are a wonderful fellowship of believers. We love the Lord and we love each other. We treat each other as brothers and sisters regardless of race or age. When we come to church on Sunday, we hear a remarkable choir, lots of prayer, and a "Word from God's Word."
Some might call it "old-fashioned." Some might call it "traditional." I call it "beautiful."
I also call it ministry.
It is easy to do ministry where ministry is easy.
As a member of this church, you choose to do ministry in a more difficult place...all the while giving and receiving so many blessings in the process.
Just like Jesus did. And Paul. And Peter. And John. And so many others who looked not only at what was on the outside, but at what was on the inside.
Pastor Greg
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Going Home
It was a cold and stormy night.
A Wednesday night, to be exact...the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in 1980.
It was my first BIG HOLIDAY away from home after graduating from college and I had BIG PLANS. Secret plans.
I would drive all the way to West Virginia from Indianapolis after I finished working at the Indiana Pacers game that night. I had rented a car because I didn't trust my 1976 Vega station wagon to make the trip without breaking down.
I would drive all night, overnight, so I could be home for Thanksgiving.
No one knew I was coming. It would be a surprise for everyone, especially for my Mom.
You see, I had never missed a Thanksgiving with her. Not once. In all of my 22 years, Mom and I had always been together for Thanksgiving.
At first, I had told myself how silly it was to make the trip at all. I was, after all, a grown man. I had a fulltime job. It was just Thanksgiving. What difference would it make if I didn't get home that year? So what if I wouldn't see my Mom, just this once.
There would be other holidays. There would be other Thanksgivings.
It was too far to drive so late at night anyway. I would be too tired. It might even be dangerous...only crazy people, or drunk people (or crazy, drunk people) were out on the roads at that time of night, on the night before Thanksgiving.
I would be fine staying at my apartment, by myself.
But, the more I thought about it, the more homesick I got. Not that my Mom was a great cook, exactly. I mean, she could cook a good meal, don't get me wrong. But, for my Mom, cooking was more of a "hit and miss" proposition.
There were times when the Thanksgiving turkey just melted in your mouth. But there were other times when the bottoms of the rolls were burned, or the mashed potatoes were a little stiff, or the pumpkin pie was still a bit frozen because she hadn't take the box out of the freezer early enough to thaw. You never knew, from one year to the next, which food would hit the table.
Of course, it didn't matter. I wasn't going home for the food. I was going home to be with my family. I was going home to be with my Mom.
So, sometime around midnight on that Wednesday night in 1980, I headed home. It really was a cold and stormy night.
I was fine for an hour or two. But eventually, there was no way I could keep my eyes open. I had to pull over and take a nap.
I slept as well possible while sitting up behind the steering wheel. That is, until the car got too cold. Freezing, I started the car, turned on the heat and let it run until the air warmed up again. Then, I turned off the engine and fell back to sleep.
That pattern repeated itself more than once that night. Drive. Stop. Sleep. Freeze. Run the car. Sleep. Repeat.
Finally, sometime around the middle of the morning on Thanksgiving day, I pulled into the driveway at Mom's house.
She was in the kitchen when I got there.
She saw me drive up. It was then that the most unusual thing happened. Something that I had not expected.
For some reason, she did not seem surprised to see me. She was happy that I made it home, of course, but she did not seem surprised at all.
It was almost as if she had expected me to be there.
As I look back on it now, I think I know why. This was my home. This was my family. This was where I belonged. This was the only place in the whole world where I could find a special kind of love...the love of my Mom. Unconditional love.
The kind of love that says, "I love you just because you are my child."
I think Mom knew that I could not stay away, because that kind of love is too precious to miss.
Someday, there is going to be a great Thanksgiving meal in the presence of Jesus. Actually, in the Bible, it is called a "wedding supper," but it is basically the same thing.
"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear'...Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 19:6-9)
Do you want to be invited? You have been already. You were invited the very day that Jesus died on the cross for you.
If you want to be there, you do not have to drive for hours and hours on a cold and stormy night. All you have to do is accept Jesus as your personal Savior.
What waits for you is a wonderful time of precious, unconditional love, because you have "come home" through faith in Jesus Christ. What waits for you is a love from God that says, "I love you just because you are my child."
Where else would you rather be?
Pastor Greg
A Wednesday night, to be exact...the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in 1980.
It was my first BIG HOLIDAY away from home after graduating from college and I had BIG PLANS. Secret plans.
I would drive all the way to West Virginia from Indianapolis after I finished working at the Indiana Pacers game that night. I had rented a car because I didn't trust my 1976 Vega station wagon to make the trip without breaking down.
I would drive all night, overnight, so I could be home for Thanksgiving.
No one knew I was coming. It would be a surprise for everyone, especially for my Mom.
You see, I had never missed a Thanksgiving with her. Not once. In all of my 22 years, Mom and I had always been together for Thanksgiving.
At first, I had told myself how silly it was to make the trip at all. I was, after all, a grown man. I had a fulltime job. It was just Thanksgiving. What difference would it make if I didn't get home that year? So what if I wouldn't see my Mom, just this once.
There would be other holidays. There would be other Thanksgivings.
It was too far to drive so late at night anyway. I would be too tired. It might even be dangerous...only crazy people, or drunk people (or crazy, drunk people) were out on the roads at that time of night, on the night before Thanksgiving.
I would be fine staying at my apartment, by myself.
But, the more I thought about it, the more homesick I got. Not that my Mom was a great cook, exactly. I mean, she could cook a good meal, don't get me wrong. But, for my Mom, cooking was more of a "hit and miss" proposition.
There were times when the Thanksgiving turkey just melted in your mouth. But there were other times when the bottoms of the rolls were burned, or the mashed potatoes were a little stiff, or the pumpkin pie was still a bit frozen because she hadn't take the box out of the freezer early enough to thaw. You never knew, from one year to the next, which food would hit the table.
Of course, it didn't matter. I wasn't going home for the food. I was going home to be with my family. I was going home to be with my Mom.
So, sometime around midnight on that Wednesday night in 1980, I headed home. It really was a cold and stormy night.
I was fine for an hour or two. But eventually, there was no way I could keep my eyes open. I had to pull over and take a nap.
I slept as well possible while sitting up behind the steering wheel. That is, until the car got too cold. Freezing, I started the car, turned on the heat and let it run until the air warmed up again. Then, I turned off the engine and fell back to sleep.
That pattern repeated itself more than once that night. Drive. Stop. Sleep. Freeze. Run the car. Sleep. Repeat.
Finally, sometime around the middle of the morning on Thanksgiving day, I pulled into the driveway at Mom's house.
She was in the kitchen when I got there.
She saw me drive up. It was then that the most unusual thing happened. Something that I had not expected.
For some reason, she did not seem surprised to see me. She was happy that I made it home, of course, but she did not seem surprised at all.
It was almost as if she had expected me to be there.
As I look back on it now, I think I know why. This was my home. This was my family. This was where I belonged. This was the only place in the whole world where I could find a special kind of love...the love of my Mom. Unconditional love.
The kind of love that says, "I love you just because you are my child."
I think Mom knew that I could not stay away, because that kind of love is too precious to miss.
Someday, there is going to be a great Thanksgiving meal in the presence of Jesus. Actually, in the Bible, it is called a "wedding supper," but it is basically the same thing.
"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear'...Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 19:6-9)
Do you want to be invited? You have been already. You were invited the very day that Jesus died on the cross for you.
If you want to be there, you do not have to drive for hours and hours on a cold and stormy night. All you have to do is accept Jesus as your personal Savior.
What waits for you is a wonderful time of precious, unconditional love, because you have "come home" through faith in Jesus Christ. What waits for you is a love from God that says, "I love you just because you are my child."
Where else would you rather be?
Pastor Greg
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