Tag: advice

Act Like It

Act Like It

Colossians 3:1 in the Message paraphrase says, roughly, if you are serious about this new life in Christ, act like it! In Ephesians 4:1 in the NLT is says, “I, (Paul) beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” Paul the author of both of these letters has a central theme, Jesus is to be taken seriously and our lives should reflect our desire to please Him.

We are called to lead with a “quiet strength”. As defined it is perseverance, tenacity, get up, dust yourself off and keep going, kind of attitude. Its a leading by example. Colossians 3:12-17 gives legs to this idea and breaks down putting on Christ, with these as bench marks; Compassion, Kindness, Humility, quiet strength and discipline. It goes on to mention forgiveness, quick and complete forgiveness, as quickly and completely as you have been forgiven.

These areas are not suggestions, if we are serious about living out our faith, living for Jesus, we need to act like it. We need to begin to allow Jesus to work in and through us to develop these characteristics within us. If we as the church are unable to live these out how can we expect a fallen world to do it? We are the Mantle bearers, the standard bearers, of Christ. We are the ambassador’s of Christ, the building of the church should be the consulate, the “safe place” the lost and the hurting, the broken and confused, come to in their hour of need…but if they see us out in the world and we are no different why would they seek refuge from us?

…lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called BY God. And if you are to be serious about this new life in Christ, ACT LIKE IT.

You are Loved,
cj

One Constant

One Constant

Theresa May is the new Prime Minister of Great Britain as of course Donald Trump is the new President of the United States. These democratically elected officials work with their respective governing bodies to enact law, provide for the common wealth, and protect its citizens. Their power is limited, and ability to do anything is based on their ability to build consensus. They make speeches and share thoughts in order to do just that, although they only need a simple majority to get  most things done. Which means there might be nearly 50% of people left feeling less than represented. This is government and this is how it works, eventually one side or the other assumes power and shifts happen in the populous. Like it or not, people, broken, fallen, hurting people make decisions, cast votes, and change over time.

There is one constant, only one. There is One Eternal King, only one. There is one eternal government, only one. There is one way into this Kingdom, only one, Jesus.  One does not just enter the Kingdom, the Word is clear on that. Regardless of mans feelings or opinion the Sovereignty of God stands supreme. The path into the Kingdom is narrow and few find it. So in light of this, let us seek out how one is to live in this Kingdom. If indeed you have chosen to become a follower of Jesus then what must one do?

Well lets look at Colossians 3:12-17

12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

It is about us conforming to the ways of the King not the other way around. He sets the laws, makes the judgments and declares the punishments. He is the Sovereign King. And if we desire to live within the Kingdom, if we desire to live this new life in Christ Jesus we better get to it…we better start putting on Christ and getting rid of those old garments. We in and of ourselves are not able on our own, therefore Jesus knowing this made a way for us through the cross. His Spirit now in us abiding with us is our change agent. He is the One doing the work in us to make us more and more like Christ. We however, forgetting what is behind us, we must press on towards Christ Jesus our Lord.

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.”

You are Loved,
cj

Inauguration Day

Inauguration Day
Hello, Greetings from afar yet truly just down the street from where you are, grace and peace to you. It is my hearts desire to express to you my prayers for you. That you would be bold in your faith and that you would walk humbly with Jesus as He calls you onward and upward; challenging you to walk as He walked.

i spent the day watching the Inauguration of the 45 President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump and in a video conference call about summer camps. Watching the Inauguration  reminded me as the media did the play by play of the days events that although we submit to the government our hope is not in it but in Christ alone. Whether you voted for Trump or not remember that. Looking at the world we really do have a great system of checks and balances and in four years we will go through this again, if the Lord tarries.

However, the power in the Heavenly realm will never change. Jesus is King now and forever. Although, i believe He does look upon our world governments His concern is for the church. It was displayed in His last arrival into Jerusalem when He went to the Temple and not to the governors house. (Matthew 21)

9 Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”

11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

My favorite part of this passage is the end, “Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in…” The Church has work to do regardless of who sits in earthly authority We must be busy making room for the less fortunate, the weak, the blind, the crippled, the hopeless and the lost. May we be about the work of the KING!
you are loved,

cj

Infinitely More!

Infinitely More!

The bills piled on the desk in two stacks, need paid, and pay later. The money wasn’t flowing in like it once did and the realization that they were living above their means was becoming more and more apparent; but how to break the cycle wasn’t coming to mind.  Jim and Amanda, had been married for eight years, both once had great paying jobs but when the economy turned down so did their employers. Amanda was laid off first and could only fined part time work in a cafe. Although she loved her job it barely kept food on their table. Jim was a bit more lucky in his employment.

Simon’s, was a local appliance store, Jim sold refrigerators. Although, the business had downsized its employee’s Jim had been spared thus far but sales were down and therefore so was his commission. He brought home enough to pay the mortgage so at least they had a home but the decision was do they keep the heat and electricity or keep the car, the only car they had between the two. Jim mostly drove the car to and from work, Amanda took the bus. The discussion went back and forth, there were times Jim worked a later shift and the buses stopped running at 7. He could walk home but that was 7 miles. He could ask a co worker but there were times he closed the store and would lock up alone. It seemed everything they could think of had its down side and things were only looking worse. Recently, Jim found out that Simon’s would be letting another sales associate go at the end of the month if sales didn’t significantly improve.

Rick lived across the street and had been pretty much unfazed by the down turn in the economy as he was the leading marquee name at the Law Offices of Brown & Marquez. Rick would see Jim and Amanda work in the yard, walking their dog ‘Digger’ and they always seemed friendly and welcoming. He saw them one other place each week and that was church. Faithfully every Sunday, Jim and Amanda sat just in front of Rick. Rick was struck by their joy in worship, even though he knew some of their struggle. Not because Jim and Amanda complained but through conversations of life.

Amanda mentioned one morning when she was out with “Digger” that she had been laid off by the advertising agency where she had worked. However, she was so thankful that Cups was hiring and that they hired her.  He had just had a conversation the night before with Jim’s boss, Mr. Simon’s. Mr. Simon’s shared of the difficult decisions he was faced with when Rick was in buying a new washer and dryer.

On this particular Sunday the Pastor presented a message out of Ephesians on the Church and the provision of God. He read from Chapter 3:14-21:

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

That was when it became clear to Rick that God was going to provide for Jim and Amanda. Jesus, speaking directly to Rick’s heart through His Word. Rick heard Jesus say, “‘Rick, today you will invite Jim and Amanda out to dinner. You will share with them how God has been working in you mightily and how I have directed you in ‘love’ to help them financially.’ Rick,” the Lord continued, “Pay off their car releasing them from that burden allowing them to put their money to better use supplying their needs. Also, offer Amanda the receptionist position you are about to post.”

That day Jesus did more than Jim and Amanda could ever ask or think and Jim felt the mighty hand of God at work in him.

What is the Lord calling you to do? Or how is He calling you to trust Him?

You are loved,

cj

Life Lessons on Vacation

Life Lessons on Vacation

Yesterday we visited, Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, in Homer AK. Let me back up a bit and catch some of you up to speed. The family and i are in Alaska, although we lived here for 8 years from 2005-2013, today we are tourists.  i personally lived in Homer, for 4 of those years and had visited the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, countless times. i admittedly got burned out and it became a joke, “hey, you guys want to go to the Visitor Center?” to which everyone would respond, loudly and emphatically, “NO!”…yet, it amazes me that i still see or hear something new whenever i do go. Whats even more amazing is that as i walk around now, even though i haven’t been here in at least 4 years, that i can remember, i still remember a ton of information. As we walked and listened, i was able to give information about different stuff that had just been sitting in my memory waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

These are the thoughts i have about that from a Biblical standpoint. First, we understand the Word of God to be living (Hebrews 4:12). Which means that as we read it over and over, even the same passage everyday for a week for instance, there is always something new to be learned and understood. The passage in Hebrews is mainly talking about the power of the Word to see through us, change us, renew us, but its natural conclusion is its ability to instruct us. For further examples see Psalm 32:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16 and here 1 Corinthians 2:10-12.

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

Second, the more we read and understand the more i begin to understand how God through His living Word can speak through me at the right time. If we are soaked in the Word, we begin to emulate and soon the Word just oozes out of us. Some would say that emulate is to powerful a word as within the definition it says, “ones aspiring to become equal or greater than” and they would point out the devil and his fall from grace. Point taken, however, i am not attempting to emulate God in Heaven so much as His Son Jesus on earth. There is a difference even though they are One, simply looking at Jesus own words in John 14:12.

May we be challenged to seek His Word faithfully, may we not get bored of reading the same passage over again, but may it spring to life new every time we read it.

You are Loved,

cj

God’s Power Through Your Prayer

God’s Power Through Your Prayer

i recently challenged the teens of my youth ministry to pray this prayer for others and themselves. The challenge to seek God, who has unlimited resources, to empower us from within through His Spirit. To make our hearts His home as we invite Him in…to grow in God’s love and understanding how awesome He is. The prayer is found in Ephesians 3:14-19…i have included it here:

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everyone in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His hove is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

A simple reminder to continue to pray this prayer…pray it for your family, pray it for me, pray it for yourself…as i pray it for you. Let us wait expectantly for God to move in our lives. It ends with verses 20 and 21

“Now all glory to God, who is able through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen!”

You are loved,

cj

You are Loved

You are Loved

“Tired from his journey, Jesus, sat at the well, it was noon.” A glimpse into the humanity of Jesus. He was tired and sat to rest at a well in the middle of the day. A part of the day when the well should have been void of people, and it was until, a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. This was completely out of the ordinary…sure i imagine there were times and circumstances where water was drawn in the heat of the day but it was most definitely the exception and not the rule.

How do we know that this wasn’t just one of those exceptions? Well, (pun intended, heres another) we can draw from the conversation (you can pause here and read the whole of the story in John 4 here). i want us to think on this encounter for a moment. This divine encounter where Jesus, meets a woman, no one wanted to associate with (in public) and ‘loves’ her.

We are in advent week two popularly known as the week of LOVE, the advent of love coming to dwell among us. That’s not all, love came to hang out with those no one else wanted to. To meet us right where we are…no change necessary to come to Him where He waits for us. His desire, for us to know Him.

“If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.” Knowing Him and asking Him and receiving from Him…living water, life everlasting. Love so freely offered to a woman trapped in a life of sin. Love.

You are loved,

cj

Bizarro Universe

Bizarro Universe

Sitting in a chair thirty thousand feet (30,000ft) in the air being served food (gingerbread cookies) and beverage (coffee black) is by far one of the most amazing advances in human technology. Some others, the phone that is in your hand or tablet or iPad that you are reading this from…another technically advanced achievement of mankind (humankind for my socially liberal or progressive friends).  That device and the information it contains, the things that it can do, once filled an entire room and even then only did 1/1000 of what your phone can do now (it takes and sends pictures and videos, not even kidding).

i recently purchased a bluetooth headset for my phone for this trip i am currently on (Alaska bound for a visit with my boys and some hockey). i turned it on, hit connect and that was it…no programing, no software downloads, no app required, just turned it on. Soon after i was listening to the music stored on my phone from another music source that basically has every song you can think of…which means i had endless possibility of music choice. While listening to my music a call came through, i was alerted by a beep, i clicked a button and talked through my wireless bluetooth headset that look like regular earbuds (my phone was in my pocket). The call concluded, my music resumed, i grabbed my phone from my pocket, clicked over to my news app and began reading a news story (related to the most recent election) from my phone that was still streaming music to my wireless bluetooth headset.  Did i mention i am writing this from 30,000ft thats thirty thousand feet in the air!

Shortly after takeoff i looked out my window, i have a window seat, and by the way, was given a free upgrade on this leg of my journey. It might have something to due with the fact that i wore my Skywest jacket…but neither i nor they mentioned it. However, this happens to be a flight operated by Skywest for Delta. Anyway, i looked out my window a bit ago and caught the glimpse of another plane flying in the opposite direction of the one i am traveling on. i couldn’t help but wonder about the passengers on that plane, where was it going and was there someone like me on that plane headed in the other direction? Like maybe my doppelgänger, you know my alternate universe twin, like bizarro superman or for my Seinfeld friends bizarro Jerry? Those people along with my possible doppelgänger traveling to who knows where for who knows what except them of course; i am left to wonder as they are for us on this plane, i wonder if anyone on that plane even saw us? Perhaps, bizarro cj.

This brings me to this question, have you ever wondered if you are the best version of yourself? We all have special quirks that make us who we are so i am not suggesting in anyway that our individuality is bad…but are we the best version of ourselves? Can we improve on aspects of our life to make us better humans? There is a line in a movie, As Good as it Gets, where the main character says to the leading lady, “You make me want to be a better man.” Of course she is flattered by his comment. That’s a movie however, the idea is still there; are their things, people, ideas, that make you want to be a better person? And if so what does that “better” version of you look like…more profoundly, how do we get to that “better” version of ourselves? In the bizarro world the character is the opposite of the other, so if one is good the other is bad. For example, Bizarro Superman is a villain because of course Superman is a hero. Which version of you, are you?

Unlike the bizarro universe, we are not stuck being any version of ourselves that we don’t want to be. In fact because of Jesus we are able, through His transforming power, to become better people. Paul writes to the Ephesians in Chapter 2 the following:

“4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.”

There is the answer to the new life. Jesus in us because of God’s great mercy and love. Paul writes to the Corinthians in his second letter the following:

5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

New life. We no longer need to settle for who we once were because we are bing made new in Christ. We need only to allow Him to do what He wishes in us to make us more and more into His image. That we might carry the light into dark places in our world. We can even enter the bizarro universe and shed light there too!

you are loved,

cj

Don’t Complicate Things

Don’t Complicate Things
In speaking to the teens on Tuesday Night we have been in Colossians 2 and this will be our 3rd week on the following passage. Colossians 2:6-7 i want us this time to look at in the message.

6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

i like this rendering because it is straightforward. He doesn’t mince any words, getting right to the heart of the matter. i don’t feel i need to add much to this accept that he isn’t saying we shouldn’t continue to learn and grow…but what he is saying is that we need to take the knowledge that we do have and begin to live it out in our daily lives. We know what it means to love someone…we don’t need much study on that Luke 6:31-34

Jesus said, “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.”

Let’s not make it more complicated than we need to.

Die and Live

Die and Live

Colossians 2:6-9 CEB

“So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received Him. Be rooted and built up in Him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught. See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to the human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body.”

We are to die and live in Christ. The letter to the Colossians is a great educator to this fact.  Even as much as we are all individuals and our lives are starkly different from each other; our circumstances and history, our influences and struggles, these all differ…it is still true that in the eyes of Christ we are the same. In that He loves us, died for us and calls us to live in Him.

Therefore, although we are different we are all on the same journey and have the ability to speak life into each others lives.  We are the same even with all of our differences. Lets us all have the mind of Christ. Rooted and built up in Him.

You are loved,

cj