And then he died

There are some things in life you can never forget.  We lived in Ohio about 20 years ago.  Each pastor had a day when they had to do the hospital visitation.  I went to visit the man on the card.  I would have forgotten this long ago, but he died while I was there in the room.  I had already read the Bible and prayed with him.  And then he dies.  He was already asleep and looked mostly dead.  

I am not qualified to pronounce someone dead.  But I can tell when someone is not breathing.  Some can check for a pulse.  I never can find a pulse.  If they are not breathing, they are dead.  

The Bible says that a body is dead without breath.  This illustrates something about faith.  When faith is dead there are no good works.  If someone claims to have faith and there are no good works then that faith is dead, useless and worth nothing.  Genuine faith will produce good works.

Claiming you have faith does not mean you have faith.  James 2:1  That is too easy.  And we can think we have something when we really do not.  You can know and show you have faith by your actions.  Good works are the sign that shows your faith.  Like a body has breath.  James 2:26

The Purpose is People

The greatest love is giving so much that it cost you your life.  You lay down you life for another person.  You are willing to stop living for your self.  No longer selfish.  My budget and my calendar will be full of time with others that I want to help.  Not that I need to put them on my calendar.  I will see them as important every where I go.  Where ever you go, care about people.    

The score of the game is not as important of those I am with.  My way in the meeting is not as important as my care and patience with the person I am talking to.  My food at the restaurant is not as important as the person who brings it.  

Stop and see the people.  

In the church we must have this kind of a team.  To know that we are working together.  We are on the same side.  My favorite times are the time with people who are taking up the cross of Christ.  They are looking to be used by God.  They are making time to care about others.  

Jesus laid his life down for us.  He died for us.  

He told us that to follow him would cost us our lives.  If I live for myself then lose my life.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  Mark 8:35

Since my life is no longer mine.  It belongs to God. I can let him lead me.  

The joy that comes from this is surprising.  When we love each other the way that God loves us we are filled with joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow.  John 15:11

The purpose is the people.  All the stuff will go.  People last forever.  

How can I get around to the things that matter the most?

Back in the 90's I worked at a church where the people voted on the pastors every year.  You could vote for them to stay.  Or you could vote that you wanted them to leave.  So what do you think this did to the pastors?  I know for me it encouraged the purpose of a pastor.  To keep everyone happy.  Right?  I think we all dreaded the vote.  Not sure it helped us at all.  Likely it did more damage to the hearts of the congregation.  Imagine thinking the pastors job was to keep you happy.  I think that church has grown past that.  I don't know of any churches that do that anymore.

Maybe pastors should work harder to do the things that pastors are told to do in the Bible?  Here are 3 things that would help us stay on track.

1.  I need to know what I am called to do.  I have taken on the call to follow Christ.  He is the leader of my life.  I trust him with every area of my life.  I will live my life to be pleasing to God.
       
          Have I put my trust in Christ?
          Am I a follower of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior?

2.  Put every thing on the table.  Things that do not fit need to go.  I must be intentional.  If I am not intentional then I will become busy with good things rather than the best things.  I will not keep doing the same things that do not work.  We will not keep doing things that get us no where.

          Is our budget spent on the things that accomplish the mission of the church?
          Does everything on the calendar fit the mission?

Things cannot be there because we just feel like putting it there.  What needs to go and what needs to stay.

          Has my church gone all in on this?
          Does the budget and calendar reflect this?
          Concerts, Socials, Softball team?  Why do this?


3.  Stop doing things that just fill my time.  No doubt we can stay busy.  But, we need to be busy about things that matter.

          Are we meeting needs in the community?
          Are we helping people grow in how they know and follow Christ?
          Are we training people to help others in how they know and follow Christ?

My life is worth nothing unless I use it to finish the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus- Acts 20:24

I look forward to spending time with others who want to live on the mission of Christ.

remember how that hurt

A friend of mine lost his job this week.  

I was very surprised.

How much my own feelings came back to my memory.  As he described how hard he had worked and how unappreciated that felt.  Somewhere between anger and hurt.  Friends so you thought.  Trust and teamwork.  But now a realization that your were not in the family.  The meetings that went on without you as those over you made decisions.  Knowing that their plan has gone on for a while.  Now their revelation comes with a timeline to remove your influence from the company.  Say goodbye and move your stuff out.  It might be better if you do not come around here.  Ouch.  

I wondered why God let these memories come back so strong.  I know what this feels like.

After a day or so I am walking through how I was able to work through this and move on.  God does not keep us from feelings of hurt and pain.  

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  II Corinthians 1:3-4

Glad I can understand how this feels.  

4 Verses and Jesus asks 9 questions

Those who were close to Jesus.  They walked with him.  They saw what he did.  Twice Jesus asked, Don't you understand yet?  

It seems 2 people can see the same thing, yet 1 person gets it and the other has no clue.

We all are taking a ride on a huge spinning ball of dirt as it travels around a huger ball of fire.  As if it just happened?  As if there is nothing that caused this?  Could all this have been caused by nothing with no purpose.  

If it all just happened by chance, then there is no reason.  Then I can do what ever I want.  But, is there is a creator, with a purpose?  Just maybe we can look for clues and find out who he is.  Maybe we can find truth and how we can be part of a reason that we are made.  

These questions are in the Bible in the book of Mark 8:17-21.  There are plenty of obvious clues.  They did see what Jesus did.  They did remember what he did.  But would they understand who Jesus was?  Would they understand?  

It just makes sense.  This truth is available to everyone.  God shows himself to his creation.  Will I understand?  

Has anyone been unkind to you?

Did you know God gets angry?

This man was getting older and wanted to adjust his finances toward retirement.  He decided to ask any who borrowed from him to pay back all debt.  One man had borrowed over a million dollars.  He told him he had to pay up.  Since the man was not able, he began the process of taking everything he owned. The borrower pleaded and begged for mercy, saying he would repay every dollar.  

The older man had pity and told him he would drop the suit and forgave his entire debt.  Nothing had to be repaid.  The man in debt was now completely free.

The man now free from debt went that day to collect a debt of a few thousand dollars.  Even though the man begged for more time he still took him to court and began pressing charges to get his money.

The older man soon heard about his evil behavior.  He went and found him told him he had changed his mind. 

"Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" Matthew 18:33

God is the older man.  Those who trust God are the ones who are free from a debt of all the wrong things that have been done against God.  The man with the smaller debt would be those who have done minor things against us.  

Hard to believe that I could be angry with any who have done wrong things against me.  Those who are forgiven must be forgivers.  Once we realize how much God has forgiven us, we must forgive others.  

God is angry with any who cannot forgive as they have been forgiven.  Such a freedom is found as we live realizing we have been forgiven so much.  Millions.  

Does everything work together for good?

I heard that last week.  Just keep trying and things will get better.  Just do good and it will come back to you.  All things work together for good is even a quote from the Bible.  Just missing a bit.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  Romans 8:28

The verses before this talk about not even knowing what to pray.  How the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer in the presence of God.  The Holy Spirit prays that we would be in harmony with God's own will.  God will help me live in harmony with his will for my life.  I want that.  

God is sovereign.  He rules over everything.  He knows what is going on around me.  He has a plan that is unstoppable.  

My part is to choose to love and trust him.  If I ignore God and live to please myself, it does not work.  In an imperfect way I will pursue God and live my life to please him.  Looking to see God show up and bring glory to himself in my life.  It is not about me.  All about him.  

All for Jesus,