Don’t Worry About It

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Today on this third day of Holy Week, we see Jesus do some teaching. On Palm Sunday, He entered Jerusalem. On Monday, He cleansed the Temple. Today, He teaches. You can read the totality of His teaching in Matthew 23:29-24:51.

But this teaching isn’t so much about morality, what you should or not do. Listen to some of this teaching:

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[c] but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

These aren’t exactly “happy” verses. They are tough. They are worrisome. They are even scary. We see Jesus say that a time of judgement will come. And that can be scary. That can unsettling. That can be bad.

But that’s not what this is about. Yes, we see themes of judgement here. Yes, we see that God will come and make all things right. But we also see this. It’s going to be alright. Every time in scripture we that notion of the judgement of God and the End of the Age, we see this. Those that believe, those that are part of the covenant community, those that are part of the people of God, you know what?

We are going to be ok. We are. We are going to be ok. Yes, this world is passing away. It is. This world is not permanent. It is fading. But you know what isn’t? God.

See our hope is not in this world. Yes, I love, love, love this world. Life is great. Life is amazing. Things are awesome. But this world is fading. And there will come a day, there will be a place where there is no more pain, suffering, and death.

There is no more sickness. Or loss. Or hurt. Or tears. They are gone and vanquished forever.

And we will always be with the Lord.

So today, perspective. That thing that you are worried about, that is taking your joy, don’t worry about it. Seriously. Don’t worry. God has everything under control. Our life is found not the stuff of this world, but in Him.

So, today trust. Don’t worry. It’s going to be ok. God has it. Today, you can trust. No matter what.

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Cleansing the Temple and Being Welcome

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Yesterday started the week that in the church we call Holy Week. This week starts with Palm Sunday, when Jesus enters Jerusalem and for one of the few times in His life, receives the praise that He is due. It starts off on such a high note. Even in many of our churches, we see children entering in with palms, singing and praising. But

But as the week passes we see things begin to lead to the cross, as was God’s plan all along. Several things happen on this Monday of Holy Week, but I wanted us to read one of the things that you are probably most familiar with. The cleansing of the temple. Listen to what it says in Matthew 21: 12-13:

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

People in Jesus day (and before, and since) had grown to use the temple not just for a place of prayer, but as a place for gain and for profit. Folks were selling the animals used for the sacrifices (with a markup, you know) because of that people were feeling further and further from God.

So, Jesus drove out those that were keeping folks away from being able to worship and pray.

Because He knew that nothing must stand between people and God. Nothing. Not their sin. Not their failings. And not other people.

So, this Holy Week, what should this verse mean to you? Well, that’s between you and the Holy Spirit. But, perhaps, it may mean this. Who is that person that you know that has never felt welcome or invited in church? Who is that person that you know that has always struggled to connect with God? Who is that person that just needs to know that God loves them?

Maybe this week you should pray for them, and invite them to join you this Sunday for Easter. And when we invite them to join us for worship on Easter, that’s not the end of our job, but it’s just the beginning. Because then, we need to do all within our power to make sure that they feel welcome. That they feel a part. That they feel home.

There are folks all around us, every day, that Jesus died to save. As believers, as the church, it’s our job, it’s our calling, to love them, to seek them, and be there. In this Holy Week, love. Pray. Invite. And make folks feel welcome.

And let’s see what God does with that.

Fresh Starts

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

One of the beautiful things about our walk with God is that every day is a fresh start. Every day we get to start again. Every day we get to put the past behind us, and walk anew in God’s grace.

Every day. Today, it’s a brand stinking new day. Today you can leave behind the baggage and mistakes of yesterday and the past. Today, you can be forgiven.

You know how I know? Listen to what it says today in 1 John 1: 8-9:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John tells us a couple of huge things here. First, he reminds us if we say that we have no sin, we are wrong. We all have sin. Every one of us. We all make mistakes, we all fall down, we all blow it in some way.

You do, I do, we all do. It’s just part of the human condition. No one is perfect.

So, we all bring something to the table that we need to be forgiven of by God. And then we hear the Good News. If we confess those sins, we are forgiven. If we share with God those mistakes, those falls, those things from the past, if we give them to Him, He in exchange, gives us the grace and the forgiveness that souls desire.

And that our souls need.

Today, through Jesus, you can be forgiven. You can come to know His grace, His mercy, His power, His forgiveness. It can be a new day today. It can be a fresh start today.

Seriously. It can be. Today can be that day for each of us.

Today, may we know that forgiveness and grace.

Why?

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

First, it’s good to be back doing these reflections. I took a couple of weeks off from them; I was in Nicaragua for a week with our youth on a mission trip, and then last week I was at St. Simons Island in Georgia for the Order of the FLAME Conference. Took good, busy, and kingdom minded weeks. But it’s good to get back into my routines!

One of the questions that we ask, or are tempted to ask, in life a lot is why? Why did this happen? Why did this happen to me? Why did this happen to them? Why is this happening? Why is one of the questions in our lives that pops up all the time.

And that’s ok. We want to know. We want to understand. It’s a question and a concept that every one of us, everyone, deals with and works with. Especially when something bad or tragic happens. We want to be able to make sense of the chaos and confusion and brokenness. We want it to make sense.

We want to know why?

And we aren’t the only ones. Look today at want happens in John 9: 1-3:

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The disciples saw a man with tragedy in his life. He was born blind. And they wanted to make sense of it. They wanted to understand. So, the only way (in their mind) this made sense was for him to have do something to cause this, or his parents to have done something to have caused this. Someone did something to make this happen (in their mind). That’s the only way that this made sense.

So, they ask, whose fault is it? Why did this happen?

And notice what Jesus said. He said this man didn’t do anything neither did his parents. God is fixing to do something.

I love how Jesus reframed this question. He said – this thing, it will be for God’s glory. God is going to use it. God is going to bring something good out of it. God is going to make a difference through this. Something will happen that is amazing and beautiful because of this.

Because that’s what God does. He makes beauty out of the mess. He brings grace out of the pain. He brings resurrection out of death. He brings life.

So today, there may no be an answer to the why. But there is a point to the problem. God will bring something good out of the why. Because that’s what He does.

52 Weeks (Week 9)

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

This week as we continue memorizing the last verses of Romans 8, we take a look at Romans 8: 31-32. As we have mentioned, these last verses of chapter 8 in Romans are so encouraging, some hopeful, just so good. Listen to what we see here in 31-32:

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

We see here this reminder. If God is for us, then who can be against us? If God is on our side, pulling for us, calling us, leading us, pushing up, then what in the world do we have to fear?

Nothing.

If God is for us, then who can be against us?

No one.

This is how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He didn’t even spare His son so that we can know life and know life eternal. So how much more will He be with us and for us in all things? All things.

Today, no matter who you face, no matter what trials come your way. No matter what is happening, hear this.

No really. Listen. Listen to this. Know this to be true. Because it is. It is really and truly true.

God is for you. God is on your side. He is. He really is. No matter what happens today, God is for you. No matter what happens today, God is on your side.

Trust that today.

God is for you. Don’t lose hope!

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Monthly Archives: March 2015