Tag Archives: Grace

Another Chance

Posted on by

0

One of the readings that I’ve been going through the past few days has been Joel.

Joel is one of the Old Testament prophets.  They would bring a message of repentance to the people.  The would come forth and say, you have not been living as the Lord wants.

You have forgotten His way.

You have broken His law.

And because of your sin – judgement is coming.

When we read through the prophets, we can become keenly aware of our sin and the consequences  of our sin for ourselves, and for those that we love.

But in Joel, and every prophet, we see a moment like this in the text.  The Lord has condemned the people and condemned their sin.

And today, we read this:

12 Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

Yes, our sin has consequences.  Yes, it brings great harm to us, and to others.  Yes it separates us from God.

And yes, today, God is willing to forgive.

God is willing to give us another chance.

If we will return to God, He will give us forgiveness.  If we will return to God, He will give us a fresh start.

With God, today, we find that this is a new day.

Each new day, God wants us to have another chance.

Each new day, God gives us the chance to start over.

Even today. Today is a new day.  May we return to God.  May we find that God gives us another chance. And may we find the life He offers.

One Simple Phrase

Posted on by

2

Today, I was reading Psalm 25, and one simple phrase jumped out it me. One simple phrase grabbed men and would not let me go.

It’s a phrase I’ve heard over and over, it’s a phrase I’ve said a million times.

It’s a phrase that I know so well, but today, for whatever reason, it was as if I’d heard it for the first time.

Today, slow down, stop and listen to this one phrase from Psalm 25:

10 For your Name’s sake, O LORD, *
forgive my sin, for it is great.

Forgive my sin.  As a pastor, I’ve said many, many, many times that folks sins are forgiven.

Not that I, or any other person, have the power to forgive anyone’s sin. That’s God’s domain and God’s business.

But, what I have had the chance and opportunity to do is to remind folks and let folks know that God has forgiven them their sin.

Today, you are forgiven. Today, if you desire forgiveness, it is there.

Today, if you ask for forgiveness, it is given.

Today, you don’t have to hold onto the mistakes of your past.

God doesn’t. God has forgiven you.  He has let it go.  He has forgiven you.

Let me say it again.  Listen, as if you’ve never heard this. And realize it’s true.

Today, this day, you are forgiven.  You are forgiven.

You can leave the past behind.  God has.  You can too.

If forgives you, you are allowed to forgive yourself.

Today, and each day, live like the forgiven child of God that you are!

Grace for us, Judgement for them

Posted on by

0

One of the things that we see in the book of Jonah, that Jonah didn’t like, was that he knew God was a merciful and forgiving God.

He knew that God would forgive those that turned from their sin and turned to God.

He knew that was God’s character and God’s desire.

Which, sounds like a good thing. Until Jonah through about it.  We read in chapter 3:

O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

He knew God would forgive the people of Nineveh.  He knew that.  But here was the problem in that.

Jonah really, really, really, really, really, didn’t like those people.

They were his enemies. They were the enemies of his people. They had harmed Israel time after time.

Jonah didn’t like them. He didn’t want God to save them.  He didn’t want God to forgive them. He didn’t want them saved.

He wanted God to judge them.

He didn’t want God to show them mercy.

He wanted God to show them judgment.

Who, in our lives, do we not want God to forgive?  Who do we want God to judge?

Sometimes in our lives, we want Grace for us and Judgement for them.

We want God to forgive us our sins, but judge them (whoever they are) for their sins.

Grace for us, Judgement for them.

That’s what Jonah wanted. That’s what he wanted God to do.

Is that what we want as well?

God is a God of grace.  He gives us grace, after grace, after grace.

We want that for ourselves. We don’t want judgment for ourselves.

Just like God shows us grace, He will show it to others.  May we understand that.  And, may we show grace to others, just as God has.

And may we see to love, forgive, and give grace.  In the same manner it has been shown us.

Amazing Love

Posted on by

0

One of my favorite works by Charles Wesley is “And Can it Be?”  It has that awesome chorus “Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

We know God loves us. We’ve heard that from the time we were children. We’ve song the songs, read the verses.

We know God loves us.

But, I think we can forget, or maybe not really know, the depth of God’s love for us.

Listen to what happens in Luke’s Gospel today:

43 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her…. 47 When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’

She was sick, she had been bleeding for years. This made her unclean, according the Law.

Because of her illness, she couldn’t go to the Temple (church). She couldn’t go to the Market (Wal-Mart). She couldn’t even go to her family. For, simply touching someone that is unclean would make you unclean.

She was separated from all that she loved. She was cut off from everyone and everything.

Desperate, she sees Jesus walking in a crowd and she. . . . . touches him.

Probably the first touch she’d received in many, many years.

And in touching Jesus, she could have made Him unclean.  Not could have, would have.

He could have responded in anger.  The text said she was trembling. Why?

She knew what she had done. She knew the risk she had taken.  It wasn’t even a risk, it was a certainty.  In touching Him, she had risked everything.

She didn’t know what His reaction would be, or the crowd.

How did He respond?  Amazing Love – you are healed.  You are whole.  You are loved.

He responded to in amazing love.  In spite of her condition which had left her cut off for years.  In spite of her doing something, by the Law, she shouldn’t have, in touching Him.  In spite of these.

He healed her.  He loved her.  He made her whole.

Today, no matter who we are.  Jesus loves us.  He wants to make us whole today.

He wants to restore us.  He wants to love us.

Amazing Love, how can it be? That’s the love of Jesus Christ for you.

Today, may we each realize how much we are loved.

Bragging on Asbury

Posted on by

0

I talk a lot about how thankful I am to be serving Asbury Church.

I talk a lot about how proud I am of the church, how excited I am to be serving this church, and about how much God is doing.

I speak vaguely on Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites.  I don’t go into much talk about numbers and things like that, for several reasons.

One is because numbers are not the end all and be all of a church.  A church is more than worship attendance or offerings or any of these things.

These things paint a picture of the overall health of a church, but don’t tell the entire story. So, while these numbers matter, they don’t describe everything.

That said, I want to brag on the people of Asbury Church.

I was appointed pastor of this church in June, 2010.  I don’t know the actual numbers, these are just an approximation. But, we were worshiping close to 180 each Sunday. Roughly 120 adults and 60 children.  Like I said, not 100% positive of those numbers, but that is close.

As of right now, we are worshiping close to 400 on Sunday.  Roughly 280 adults and 120 kids.

We have literally seen our worship attendance double.

We have gone from approximately 5 Small Group Connections to 11 with over 70 additional people plugged into our small group ministry.

We’ve seen our Wednesday night Family Meal grow from roughly 50 in over 120.

We’ve seen our finances stabilize and grow to being the healthiest they’ve been in years.

We literally have every chair we own in the sanctuary so that people will have places to sit. We are having to park on the grass because we are out of parking spots on Sunday.

We are seeing more and more people join the church or express and interest in joining the church.

But, most of all, there is a spirit of life in this place. There is spirit of joy and hope and of grace. There is the expectation that God is doing great things and God is going to do great things here.

There is an excitement about what God is doing. There is a desire to be a part of what God is doing and to invite others to be a part of what God is doing.

I’ve never seen folks so on fire to invite their friends and neighbors to church.

And it’s awesome!

And, it’s all about God.  As I’ve told folks, I’ve been in ministry for several years. And I’ve never seen happen what’s happening here.  God deserves all the praise and all the glory. Those of us that serve, we are trying to be useful do what He wants.

But, He deserves ALL the praise for what is happening at Asbury Church.

It’s about Him.  And His grace.  And His life.

I couldn’t be more excited to serve and lead this awesome part fo the Body of Christ. And I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in the coming weeks, months, and years!

Greater things are yet to come!

Why Should We Be Nice?

Posted on by

0

Why should we forgive?

Why should we be graceful?

Why should we be nice?

After all, there are some mean folks out there. There are some folks that don’t deserve our love and forgiveness. There are some folks out there that we shouldn’t have to be nice to.

Why should we be nice?

Today, in Luke 7, I feel like we get an answer to that:

47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’

To whom much has been forgiven, that person should show great love.

We don’t love because other people deserve to be loved. We don’t forgive because other people deserve to be forgiven.  We aren’t nice because people deserve that we should be nice.

We do these things because we have been forgiven.

We forgive because we have been forgiven. We love because we have been forgiven. We are nice, because we have been forgiven.

When we understand just have much we have been forgiven, we can’t help but love others. We can’t help but forgive others. We can’t help but show grace.

Even if they don’t deserve it. Because we don’t deserve God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness.

We haven’t earned it. We aren’t always nice people. And God gives it anyway.

So we should give to others.

To those who have been forgiven much, much love has been shown.

Why should we be nice?

Because God has shown us amazing love. And we should show that love to all that we meet.

Whether they “deserve” it or not. Because we have never “deserved” anything God has given us.

He freely gives. So should we.

Restoration

Posted on by

1

One of things we see in the prophets in judgement.

God stands before the people and says – you have worshiped idols.  You have done wrong. You have departed from my ways.

It is because of that, you have been punished. And it is because of that punishment is coming.

Your idolatry has caused terrible judgement to come.

We see that a lot in the prophets.

And it always gets me.

As I told my Small Group Connection here at Asbury Church last night, I understand how sinful I am, I understand the things that I do wrong, I understand how much I miss the mark.

And that keeps me from being too judgmental of others. I know right from wrong and I still choose wrong. So, how can I want grace for me and judgement for you?

That is why I love reading the prophets.  The notion of deserved judgement is there.  But, so is something else. We read this today in Micah 2:

12 “Someday, O Israel, I will gather you;
I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again
be filled with noisy crowds!

God is a God of Hope. God is a God of restoration. God is a God of forgiveness and grace.

Do we deserve the grace, mercy, and hope He gives?  No.

Do we deserve the forgiveness He offers?  No.

Do we deserve any of this?  No.

The only thing we’ve earned is judgement.

Yet, time after time after time, He gives grace. He gives love.  He gives forgiveness.  He gives hope.

Today, hear the words of Micah. God longs to gather you up. God longs to love you.  God longs to restore you.

No matter what the past was.  No matter what has happened.  No matter what you’ve done.

You.  Are.  Loved.  Today.

No matter what.

God is a God of restoration.  God is a God of Hope.

God is a God of love.

Let Him restore you today.  Let Him bring you life today. Let Him bring you back home today.

You are His.  He won’t let go.  He loves you.  No matter what.

Equality

Posted on by

0

There was a phrase from seminary that’s always stuck with me.

It was something that Dr. Barry Bryant, my professor of United Methodist Studies shared with us in one my classes.  I don’t remember the class, and I don’t remember what brought the statement about.

He was talking about John Wesley. And he said Wesley believed that everyone was equal.  But, their equality was not based on their “worth” but on their sin.

The logic flowed like this.  Everyone is equally sinful. Everyone is equally in need of a savior. Christ died for everyone’s sin.  So, we are called to love everyone the same.

Because God did.

We are all the same, because we all need a savior. We are all the same because we are all equally in need. Each of us. There are no “better thans” in God’s family. We are all equal, for we are all equal in sin and in our need for salvation.

We need to remember that, so that we never become like the Pharisees:

30The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ 31Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’

They thought they were better than the tax collectors. They thought they were better than those sinners. They though they were not as needy as they were.

They didn’t see their sin. So, they needed see their need. They didn’t see they were just as needy for a savior as those they regarded as sinners.

Today, let’s not forgot our need for Christ. Let’s forgot our need for a savior. Let’s not forget that we are each in need of forgiveness and salvation.

You are.  I am.  We each are.

Even those folks that we think that we are better than. We are not better than. There are no better thans in God’s kingdom. We are all equal in sin.  We are all equal in our need for salvation.

And God loves each of us.  May we love each other just the same.

Out to Get Me?

Posted on by

0

I’ve told my folks before that when I was a kid, my image of God was that He was a really angry old man up in heaven ready to get me when I messed up.

He had a long white beard, He had long white hair. And He was mad.

I tell folks in my mind, God looked like a really angry Col. Sanders. And He was angry at me.

He knew how many mistakes I’d made, how much I’d done wrong, all way’s I’d messed up and He was going to get me.

He had His lightening bolt in His hand, ready to strike me.

That’s one of the reasons I’ve always liked this passage today in John:

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.

In Jesus day, if something was wrong in your life, people through that it was because God was punishing you for something.  If you were blind, then it simply must because you had done something wrong or your family had done something wrong.

The could be no other answer.

That’s what the people thought.  So, they asked Jesus, who sinned?

And Jesus said – no one. No one sinned to make this happen.  It just happened, but God is going to use it for His glory.  God was not out to get this man born blind.  But, God was going to use his blindness for God’s glory.

Today, God is not out to get you.  He’s not out to trick you. He’s not out to destroy you.  He’s not waiting for you to mess up so He can punish you.

He’s not an angry Col. Sanders.

He loves you.  He’s pulling for you.  He’s on your side.  He wants to know you.   He loves you.

He is not out to get you.  He’s not.

He will used whatever is going on in your life for His glory.

He loves you.

Never forget.

Satisfied

Posted on by

1

Holly accuses me of never being able to leave well enough alone.  She’s probably right.  I have something within that is always pushing to try new things or think of new ways to connect with folks.

I just know there is always something new and exciting that God has for us.  I know that there are better days ahead, better things to come.

And I’ve always wanted to do my part, to be faithful, to try to figure out what God is calling me and my churches too.

But, Holly says I’m just wired to not be able to leave well enough alone!

I was thinking about this today as I read from John’s Gospel where the feeding of the 5000 takes place.  In this passage there is a verse that really stood out to me this morning:

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

The 5000 came, Jesus took the fish and loaves of a child, blessed them, and passed them out, and the people ate just enough to where they weren’t hungry.

That’s not what the text says.  It says they were satisfied.

They had all they need. They were happy. They were content. They were satisfied.

They were satisfied in what Jesus provided in this text.

Today, are you?  Are you satisfied with life?  Are you satisfied with what the world is giving you?  Are you satisfied with what you are seeking?  Are you satisfied with choices you are making, the direction you are heading?

Are you satisfied?

That was Jesus’ desire for the people today.  Not just that they have the bare minimum to eat. That they be satisfied.  He wanted them to know that contentment in life.  That contentment that comes only from Him.

If we are living in His life, His love, His grace, His power, then may just have lunch of fish and bread, and we will be satisfied.

But, if we are not in Him, not living in Him, living in His grace and mercy, then we could have the finest steak supper.

And we will not be satisfied.

So, today, are you satisfied?

How is your life in Him?