Kingdom Citizens

  I love to watch " The Chosen ." The series does a remarkable job of portraying the emotions and nuances behind the passages that we (sometimes flatly) read in Scripture. Season 1, episode 5 of the series portrays the Wedding at Cana found in John chapter 2 . Some of the noteworthy moments of that episode: Two people are scrambling to figure out what to do when they quickly realize they will soon run out of wine. I have to admit, I laughed out loud when one of the men says to the servants: "Pour them a glass and tell them you will come back to refill it later. But guess what? YOU WON'T!"  "Another option", he says, "is to serve extra date cakes, to make the guests thirst for water. It may come down to having to dilute the wine, which will be quite noticeable, and whispers will quickly spread." " It's all gone, not a drop left. " This is the cry of Mary, mother of Jesus, as she pleads for Jesus to fix it. Have you been there? Ha...

  Yesterday we had our “Vision Sunday” where we celebrate all the good that has happened over the past year and anticipate and dream about what is to come.   Part of our celebration was this little community garden that we felt prompted to begin, not having a clue what will come from it. The past year has been filled with countless hours of planning, dreaming and working. And now, we wait to see what God will do.  As we celebrated the beginning of our community garden yesterday, I was reminded that just like this garden endeavor, ministry is one small, faithful step after another. Hours of praying, planning, dreaming, crying, praying and dreaming some more, all while trusting in what you can’t yet see.  Along the way there are lessons learned. There are victories to celebrate. There are difficulties to work through.  And as you take each step, you trust in what you cannot see. You celebrate what God is doing, even if the activity isn’t always measurable. Reminds...

I keep saying I am going to be more consistent on here! Maybe this year will be the year! 😉 Weekly sermon prep takes up so much brain power that typically there is nothing left, but I would love to use this space more often as a creative outlet.  On a gorgeous fall day of October 2022, I scheduled a spiritual retreat for a class assignment. To tell you the timing was divine is a massive understatement.  For a reason I do not yet fully understand, from about Fall of 2021 - early Fall 2022, I just dealt with a lot of mental and emotional struggles. I am still unpacking all of that and asking the Lord to give me discernment, but it was just a rough time mental-health-wise.  If nothing else, it put me in a place of desperation, where I was utterly seeking God's guidance and comfort. That alone made the difficult journey worth it, just to feel completely seen and comforted by God during this assigned spiritual retreat.  The much-needed, sacred time with God was a gift an...

  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 I was talking with a friend recently and she was sharing with me the burden of trying to love and parent her adult child, who typically resists and pushes away such love. One morning, while visiting New York,  the family was sitting outside ordering brunch. My friend ordered a salmon bagel, and if you've ever visited New York, you wouldn't be surprised that the menu revealed that this bagel would cost $17. Delighted in finding something to be aggravated about, my friend's child said, "You're going to pay $17 for a bagel, really? That's ridiculous. I'm not ordering anything, I'm not hungry." Once the food arrived, all but one enjoyed their delicious (albeit overpriced) NY brunch. My friend had eaten half of her salmon bagel and when she couldn't eat anymore, she slid the other half across the table. Being rejected once again, my...

  "Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed are those who trust in him!" Psalm 34:8   One way to interpret "taste" is to take notice. Take a moment and take notice of how good God is.  Go ahead, pause what you are doing and just sit for a moment. The work can wait. The reply can wait. The next scroll can wait. That thing, whatever it may be, can wait.  It can wait so that the goodness of God can be noticed. Noticed and then received. Received and then used to bless. Used to comfort you in the middle of whatever it is you are doing.  You are seen by God. You are loved by God. You are saved by God. You are welcomed by God. You are made whole by God. You are heard by God. You are blessed by God. You are healed by God. You are chosen by God. You are noticed by God.  Notice Him and His goodness for a moment. Sit and dwell in that goodness...for just a moment longer. Receive. Trust in Him. Take refuge in Him. Taste and see that He is good.

  Dear Church, I'm not going to flood your Facebook page with my opinions, because I don't consider them to be worth all that much (and you probably don't either ). I will, however, share the truth of God's Word and I will go ahead and share biblical interpretation from a commentators understanding (who happens to have a Ph.D. in NT studies -- that's certainly worth something) I was preparing for tomorrow night's Bible study and these words made me pause. Church, these are words spoken to us, as John was speaking to the Church in his day, reminding them of the words of Jesus. Here is Rick Williamson's interpretation of this passage and I think it's certainly worth considering: "Jesus called DIVERSE followers and expected them to walk IN HARMONY. Matthew was a tax collector, an agent of Rome. Simon the Zealot, whose RADICAL POLITICAL LEANINGS attached to his name, resented anyone associated with Rome. What fellowship challenges did those two have? Si...

  Dr. Willard H. Taylor said, "No matter how spiritually stable, worshipful, and prayerful God's people might be, they are never immune from attack by the wicked spiritual forces." Paul, stating this in Ephesians 6, urges his readers to be prepared for these attacks. We might not be able to keep them from coming, but Jesus can keep them from prevailing. You see, He's already won. Jesus not only knows the tactics the enemy uses, but He's defeated them all through His death and resurrection. And guess what else? He's prepared and equipped His people to fight this spiritual battle. He's ready to help the moment we call His name. Read Ephesians 6. Call upon His name. Resist the enemy and he will flee from you. Surround yourself with believers who fight alongside you. If you've never discussed what this spiritual battle looks like, or what the armor of God looks like for us today, reach out to another believer and do just that. We are stronger together,...

We were never meant to look like the world, but always to reflect the image of God. That fateful moment in the garden, we conformed. Man and woman conformed to the image they had in mind for themselves. They believed the lie that it would look better than the image God had in mind. You and I are to look nothing like the world around us, but be a stark contrast. When they see us, they should see a loving Jesus that has freed us from the grips of sin and His Holy Spirit that enables us to love the broken world around us like no other. That’s what the world should see. Not us. Not our bickering or harsh words. Not our running away because we don’t have all the answers. Not our desire for more. Not our tearing down of God’s precious creation. Not our pushing people to the margins because there’s no space for them. Not our settling so we can fit in. And it’s no coincidence to me that Paul uses strong language such as “urge.” He knows the challenge. He knows the...

Home renovations always amaze me. There's just nothing like a good "before" and "after" picture after a huge renovation. Doesn't it make you want to renovate your own home when you see such inspiring transformations? When I see an amazing "before" and "after" picture I immediately start thinking, "How can I do this in my home?" In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul talks about a new creation that has come when we are made new in Christ. He talks about how we no longer look at others or Christ from a worldly point of view, but now we see through new eyes. The scales have fallen and we see the world through the lens of love, the lens of goodness, the lens of Christ! Basically, it's the most amazing "Before" and "After" there ever was! When we are made new in Christ, we should no longer look like we once did. In the same way, we should no longer view the world in the way it was once viewed. Can you imagine th...

Joshua 4:14-24 You might read this passage and wonder, "Where I have I read this before?" or, "Didn't I read this already?" I love that what God did for Moses, He did again for Joshua. God can part the waters in our lives not once, but as many times as He needs to. We serve a God who moves mountains for us -- and He can do it again. We serve a God that can part the waters for us -- and He can do it again. My favorite verse in this passage is the second part of verse 18: "No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before." Isn't that just like God? This verse reminds me not to be too quick to call "coincidence." We don't serve a God of coincidence -- we serve a God of intentionality. There is intention behind all that He does. When those waters came crashing back down, at flood stage, that was a reminder to the people as if God was saying: ...

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5 Here in this passage, Paul reminds us of the Heavenly perspective. We must first remember that Paul is writing this in response to the suffering and affliction he endured. While many of us won’t find ourselves relating to that kind of suffering and affliction, we can find ourselves relating to Paul’s words on a different level.  We often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. I find this to be true in ministry from time to time. Paul talks about not fixing our eyes on the things that are seen — but those that are unseen. Sometimes what we see in front of us is discouraging. Many times, it's what we don't see that is even more discouraging. But Paul is talking about not fixating on what we see (or don't see) but what is unseen -- the eternal fruit.  What is it that you are waiting to see? Talk to the Lord about it. He will guide our hearts and minds to where they need to be to see the heavenly perspective. Remember, He left H...

Luke 13:18-21 While this passage is short and sweet, it serves as a powerful illustration and reminder for us. Jesus' ministry was the beginning of something new. This was a new beginning of God's Kingdom. The rebuilding of God's Kingdom didn't come in the way most expected it to -- full of power and wealth and overthrowing the current power. It began with Jesus' humility and service. And that was only the beginning.  Like the tiny mustard seed or the spoonful of yeast, God's kingdom would continue to grow. Millions would be added to the story and participate in the narrative. This would be difficult to imagine if you were in Jesus' time, only hearing about these things, not yet seeing them. And even though we only get a small glimpse, we see how the Church and the Kingdom have grown since it began.  What a beautiful sight it will be to see this come to fruition in Heaven! The next time you feel alone or feel as though you can't possibly see ...

Psalm 39  This is one of those chapters in the book of Psalms that sort of makes us scratch our heads and then turn the page to one of the more chipper chapters. However, this was a glimpse into David's heart and at times, David's reality. And if we are being honest, perhaps there have been times in life where we can relate to these words and David's context. Have you ever found yourself frustrated with God or at God and tried to keep it to yourself? (As if He doesn't already know what we are thinking/feeling?) Try as we might, it's only a matter of time before we burst. We can only take so much and hurt, anger and frustration builds up until we can't hold it in any longer. It appears that's what happened with David here. Perhaps today, you find yourself in the wilderness and you find yourself feeling hurt, angry or frustrated. Perhaps you want to talk to God about it, but you aren't sure how. Open up to Him. As we have established, He knows what i...

Romans 2:1-11 One could argue that it is fairly easy to get worked up in "righteous anger" when talking about the sins of others. It honestly takes a good deal of restraint to refuse to participate in judging others, whether that is out loud, with someone else, or in our own minds. We can judge someone, without even speaking to them, in about two seconds or we could go as long as two hours having a conversation about the sins and shortcomings of others. Either way you look at it, it is easy to judge others and we could spend a lot of time talking about that. What stands out to me most in this passage is how equally easy it is to miss God's plan and God's guidance for our lives when we are so concerned with the lives of others around us. Imagine what it would be like to get to heaven and have our Lord show us the time we spent judging others while we continued to miss opportunities to look to Him for own growth and guidance. The fact of the matter is, we ALL fall...

Psalm 63:1-8 Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this Psalm is the simple fact that David had written it while he was in the wilderness of Judah. You see, sometimes we retire to the wilderness on purpose, like we are during this season, to spend more time with God and less time with our own distractions. Other times we find oursleves in the wilderness of our lives, wandering, searching, aching, longing, seeking. Like David describes, we find our souls parched in a weary land where there is no water. I was just talking to someone yesterday about an awful incident that happened to one of their family members. A deaf man, while minding his own business trying to find a parking spot, had apparently taken the spot that someone else wanted, and was verbally threatened, had his car beat, and his tires slashed. This took place where he works, and his fellow employee was not fired and there were no consequences for what he had done. The family member of this person was venting about the ...

Luke 13:22-30 There could be many ways this question was posed. One of those being a man who looks at how evil the world is, how bad the world is, then looking at Jesus and asking, "Will only a few be saved, in such a fallen world?" Again, there could be many angles here and you never know how the mystery person might have wanted to trap Jesus. Instead of directly answering the question, Jesus sort of shifts the conversation. I think that Jesus answered his question in a way by saying, "Work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail." What does this say to us? After all, Jesus' response is literally, "Strive ye" meaning that He isn't speaking to him only who asked the question, but to all. We can deduce that we won't get into heaven by accident. Furthermore, we can see that Jesus teaches in His response that many will expect to enter, but will be sadly mistaken. "We ate and drank wit...

Psalm 105:1-6 The first part of this passage is a much-needed reminder that not only do we have so much to praise God for, but we also have so much to thank Him for. He has done such great things for us and we shouldn't pass up opportunities to thank Him. Too often when we pray, we are talking to God about things we need, things we want, things that need to be better, etc. It's very easy to do -- and we know that He wants us to come to Him with these things. However, let us not forget that He is worthy of our praise and our thanksgiving. Take a moment to write down some things you are thankful for that God has done for you. Do this often so that you get in the habit of coming to Him with a thankful heart. The second part of this passage is a great reminder, too, that our God is a safe place. The author invites us to search for the Lord and His strength -- through Him we are strong. The author reminds us to remember the miracles and wonders God has performed, the many things...

Philippians 3:17-20  Here we see Paul's emotional plea to the Philippian people. In verse 18 he speaks of those whose actions show that they are enemies of the cross. What does that mean, exactly? One scholar describes these people as "advocates of easy religiosity and 'cheap grace'." These are people that denied the way of the cross for they did not die to self. Dying to ourselves and our fleshly desires can be incredibly difficult. It's much easier to think about this life on earth rather than lean into the Kingdom. However, Paul quickly points out that this is in fact destructive thinking and living. Paul shifts gears in verse 20, which happens to be the theme verse for this blog: "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior."  Living as Kingdom citizens means leaning into a disciplined, set-apart life. One that does not look to satisfy earthly desires which ofte...

Philippians 3:7-11 This is such a powerful passage for so many reasons. I love how you can feel the redemptive work of Christ in Paul's writings. There is a "divine obsession", if you will.  There is a beautiful longing that Paul has to be found in Christ--so much more than he longs to be found in anything else. He wants to know Christ and be found in Christ so much that he wants to know and experience the power of His sufferings, death and resurrection. Paul considers all things gained at one time a loss compared to knowing Christ. Nothing could compare to the newfound life he has in Jesus. I read a scholar compare this to a man of the sea throwing everything overboard in a storm to save his life –– in the same way Paul discarded every trace of his personal merits, or anything he thought to be great before he knew Jesus. I wonder if we are aware of the possible transformation that can take place in our lives if this was our desire as well. If we are being brutaly h...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Have you ever had a hollow chocolate Easter bunny? Maybe as a kid, you slowly opened the shiny foil of the bunny-shaped treat, and slowly bit off a corner of the ear, only to find that the taste faded oh so quickly? It's then that you realized, it's hollow! You might even feel a little bit cheated! That, in short, is what this passage is saying. We can easily read this passage and walk away feeling somewhat sad, especially if we just leave it at that. After all, the words of this passage imply that life is empty, futile, and as hollow as a chocolate bunny. If we look at life from this viewpoint, it is very easy to say, "Yea, life is pretty meaningless! You're here for a short amount of time, and then you're gone. Let's just enjoy ourselves and have a good ole time while we can!" In fact, this is where (so I've read) the phrase "Eat, drink and be merry" comes from. It's easy to walk away with that attitude. Until th...