Is there a real connection?

I read an interesting article today.  In this article there was a quote from someone who described themselves as an atheist, but she had explored faith at one point and particularly Christianity.  One of the main reasons she gave for rejecting Christianity was this:

"The connection between Jesus and a persons life was not clear."

I want to hear from you, whether you are a Christian, an atheist or of some other belief.
My question is simply this:

From your understanding of Jesus--What do you think the connection between Jesus and a persons everyday life is?  How would that be manifested in a persons life?

If you'd like to go a little further and make if more personal, I'd love to hear of your own experience and observations.

If you call yourself a Christian--When you honestly think about this question, is your faith in Jesus more of a religious addition to your life or is Jesus changing your everyday experience?  What are the struggles you experience in this; what are the real life changes you are experiencing?

If you are not a Christian-- If it was evident that a belief in Jesus really changed a persons everyday life, would your view of the Christian faith change at all? (I'm not saying you'd necessarily convert ;) )   Have you seen examples of this (good or bad...)?

Leave a comment for all to see...or if that is not your thing send me a personal message.  I'd love to hear your thoughts around this.

Leave a bit behind

Lev 19:9 --"do not reap to the very edges of the field..."

Verses like this too often get dismissed as simply not relevant for us who live in 2013.  However as I have been thinking a lot the last little while about the Rhythms of work and rest this verse is becoming more and more relevant to me.

The heart behind this command by God is that He wants to make sure that the poor and needy of the land are taken care of.  So he tells the people--leave some things behind; don't take everything for yourself.

In a world that tells us to "get all you can for yourself" this is a life-altering idea.  It is telling us that God desires that we NOT get all that we can for ourselves so that others are taken care of and He is glorified!

The question is--what does it look like to leave a bit behind today?  That's a question each must answer for themselves....but here is an example:

 What might it look like for a business owner to "leave a bit behind"?

Would it mean working a few less hours a week in order to give back to the community by volunteering?
Or maybe it would mean taking a bit less profit for himself by making it a rule that his business gives away a percentage of all the profit they take in?
Sound crazy?  Maybe it is, but imagine how awesome it would be if Christian businesses started setting such an example!

So my question for you is how can YOU leave a bit behind?

There IS Healing ... There IS Justice

Many tears have been shed over the last 24 hours for the Bosma family by 1000's of people--many who don't even know them personally.  The pain is deep and real; though for many of us our pain is only a minuscule fraction of the pain that those closest to Tim must be feeling.

In the midst of these tears I know many of you, like me, have also had a deep longing for justice -- perhaps struggling with the fact that this all seems so unjust at the moment.

Last post I asked you to pray -- even if you didn't feel like it.  I ask you to continue.  As you do I also want us to remember that there IS HEALING, and there IS JUSTICE.  We do not hope and pray in vain.

As you pray let me leave you with some portions of from Revelation 21 & 22 which I have been finding helpful as I have been praying...Use these Scriptures to reflect and pray:

21:3-5 -- "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: 'Look! God's dwelling is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people and God Himself will be with them...He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.'  Then the One seated on the throne said, 'Look!  I am making everything new.'  He also said, 'Write, because these words are faithful and true!'"

--Read this over for yourself a few times and then pray!

• Today we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us -- yet we still live in a world tortured by sin and evil.  But we have a promise:  God will make His dwelling with His people!  
• Know as you pray that Tim is in the dwelling of his Heavenly Father!  Pray that this fact would be a comfort to his wife and family!
• Notice God will personally wipe our tears from our eyes!  Today we weep, there is pain, and grief over a tragic loss.  But one day -- none of these will exist!  God Himself will make sure of it--He promises that His words are "faithful and true"!
• Thank God for His mercy and love!  Pray for a Divine foretaste of this comfort to come to the Bosma family even today!

21:7-8 -- "he who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son!  But for the cowardly and unbelieveing and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire..."

• There are two promises here -- GRACE & JUSTICE
• Pray knowing that Tim has inherited eternal life in Jesus Christ!  Praise God!  
• Pray knowing that God is just.  
• Again I will ask you to pray a difficult prayer -- pray that even those who ended Tim's life would come to know the GRACE of God -- for without it their is no hope!

In Revelation 22 it speaks of the River of Life flowing from the Throne of God and the Lamb -- this river feeds the Tree of Life that produces fruit and leaves for the healing of nations!  (Rev 22:1-2)

• Again this complete healing will only come when Jesus returns to make all things new -- there are wounds that will leave deep scars for the rest of our earthly lives --yet even so there is healing and comfort today, with the promise that healing will be complete when all is made new. 
• Pray that healing would come to the Bosma family.  Pray that though wounds will surely remain--they can move forward in the hope and assurance that Tim is in the presence of His Heavenly Father and one day they will join him there.

Thanks for joining me in praying for this family!  I also know many of you are reaching out in other ways as well -- Please feel free to link any of those initiatives that you are aware of so that we all can reach out and care for the Bosma family in whatever way that we can.  

(I have put some info on donating to the family in the comment section)

No easy answers to tragedy like this...

Like many of you, my heart is heavy, and my head is swirling with thoughts of sorrow, anger and many other things upon hearing the news of Tim Bosma's death --- I cannot even imagine the pain of his family!

Here are some thoughts that I hope will help us all work through some of these thoughts and feelings...

Upon hearing the news that Tim Bosma has been found dead a friend of mine posted the following on her facebook status:  (I have left explicit wording for it conveys the raw emotion)

"why the fuck would I want to live in a world where people feel justified killing a guy for his truck."

I gotta be honest that my heart resonates with her sentiment.  My heart breaks for the Bosma family, and in my gut a rage bubbles--longing to lash out and condemn.  But a still small voice within whispers --"Lord have mercy"

The words of Jesus ring as clear as bells in my mind -- "pray for those who persecute..."  (Matthew 5:44)
And the words of Paul in Romans 12 --"bless and do not curse...weep with those who weep...never pay back evil for evil...never take your own revenge...leave room for the wrath of God."

Everything in my flesh wants to do the opposite of the words of Jesus and Paul.  And if this world was all that I lived for then I think I would go with the desires of my flesh in this case.  But there is hidden truth in the status of my friends facebook post -- We are not meant for THIS world.

We are not meant for a world where the life of a young husband and father is robbed of him by others.
We are not meant for a world where "stuff" somehow has become of more worth to some than human life.
We are not meant for a world ruled by sin, sickness, tragedy and death.

But here is the thing---WE ARE IN THIS WORLD.  So what do we do?
Throw up our hands and give up?
 Rage and lash out repaying evil with evil?
 Or is there redemption to be had?  Is there peace?  Is there healing?  Can we be people of redemption and healing even in the face of such senseless violence and evil?

Here is the thing to remember -- Jesus came INTO THIS WORLD for the very purpose of redeeming it.  He did not abandon this world to its sin and decay.  He did not simply judge and repay all the evil we deserved.  Instead He came here to rescue us from the sin that has taken hold of all of us.  He did this not with the power of a warrior or an avenger -- He did it with the love and mercy of a sacrificial lover--He gave up Himself to bring life and healing to our messed up, broken and sinful world.  We need His love to guide our response to things such as this...

In the face of such events "pat answers" don't do us much good.  We need to wrestle, we need to be honest, we need to cope with all the feelings and thoughts that are swirling in our heads and hearts.  But as you wrestle I encourage you to pray; even if you don't feel at all like praying.
 There are a few things in particular to pray for:

--Pray for the Bosma family
--Pray for Jesus to give you peace through His Spirit
--Pray for mercy for the killers ---yes I mean this---and yes I know this is hard--Let the Holy Spirit soften your heart--as you pray trust that God is just and He will deal with the sin of this world better than we ever can.

Father in Heaven wrap your arms of love around Tim Bosma's little girl today!
Holy Spirit comfort and sustain Tim's dear wife and family!
Jesus give us hearts that break like yours -- I confess this does not come naturally -- Have mercy on this world.  Even on those who carried out this act -- Lord have mercy, may they know the grace and redemption that only you can give.
Lord as we all wrestle with living in a world that has gone so off the rails in so many ways-- show us Your way -- may those who follow Jesus show this world your Grace and Truth.  Bring healing in Jesus Name.  Amen.

Working for God no matter what your job

Have you ever had a thought similar to this:

"I'd love to 'work for God' BUT my job/career just keeps me too busy!"  (I have -- and you might think that's weird coming from a pastor--but it's true!)

This is a struggle (and a valid one) that I think many Christians have.  But I have good news--No matter what you might do as a job--whether you're a garbage man, a CEO, a pastor, a factory worker, a burger flipper, a community volunteer, a mom, etc etc you CAN and SHOULD be working for God everyday!

John 6:28-29 
"They asked Jesus--'what must we do to be doing the work of God?'  
Jesus answered them--'this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.'"

Notice that Jesus doesn't call for a career change -- he calls for a heart change.  When Jesus says "believe" we need to understand that to believe in Jesus as the one "whom God sent" WILL have life transforming consequences to who we are, and to who runs our life.  To believe in Jesus is to admit your life is not your own but His -- it's to hand over the reins of your life to Jesus.

9 chapters later Jesus speaks of the importance of ABIDING in Him.  This really is at the root of it all.

If we believe and abide in Jesus as Lord of our lives--he will come and sanctify, transform and use every aspect of our lives that we give Him access to in order to "do the work of God"!

Anyone -- including me who is a pastor -- can work and live our lives in such a way that has little eternal impact if we simply try to live and work on our own strength and keep our belief in Jesus for our "private times".

BUT...

God wants to use the burger flipper, the mom, the CEO, the manager, the salesman, the volunteer...and even the pastor to "do the work of God" --But that is only possible if we truly BELIEVE and ABIDE in Jesus!  Everything must flow from Him being our source daily!

Questions -- I'd love to hear from you!
  
Do you view your job/career as a place to "do the work of God"?  Why or why not?   
Share a story of how God has used you in the places he has put you to do "His work".

Glimpses. Where do you see Jesus?

While I've reflected more on the glimpses that we see of both good and evil in world, I began to wonder where you've seen glimpses of good lately?

I've noticed that Jesus is very active in our world when we look and listen carefully!  He is continually giving us glimpses of the good and the peace that only He can bring.  Often it's in the simplest of things:

I've seen the heart of Jesus through friends of mine who are not only taking note of others less fortunate than themselves, but are going out of their way to bless and build relationships with those who need love and friendship.

I've seen Jesus through a man who works harder and longer hours than most--and yet in the midst of that Jesus is using him to bless and disciple others whom he works with!

I've seen Jesus through answered prayers!  Healing those the doctors said were all but goners!

Daily I see Jesus shared over a lunch or a cup of coffee as I see a variety of people loving others and carrying each others burdens in relationships of trust and love.

Don't miss the Glimpses of Jesus!

Share with us some of the ways that YOU are seeing Jesus at work in our world today!

Boston Bombing and a Walk through the Woods

Today I hiked through the woods holding my wife's hand, with our beautiful baby on my back and I thought to myself, "what an amazing world we live in!"

Today I watched the news of yet another horrific act of human violence and I thought to myself, "what an utterly broken world we live in!"

One day...two drastically different impressions of the world.  One day...two examples of the reality of two drastically different powers at work in our world.

Neither should surprise us; but both should cause the human heart to long for what is good and true!

Jesus said He came to bring life and life to the full--to restore the broken, heal the sick and wounded--and one day He says He is returning to make all things New.  Walking through the forest today was like a glimpse of that which is good and right--this is what Jesus desires all of us to know through Him.

But we cannot ignore the glimpses we have on days like today that cause so many to say "something is terribly wrong with humanity!"  Something really is terribly wrong with this world and with us.  And no matter how hard we try to fix it...no matter how much we long for justice and peace--it remains elusively out of our grasp.  Sin has gotten a hold of the human heart and it is wreaking havoc in our world--sometimes the glimpses are so clear that we can't ignore; but sin is always there--all one has to do is look honestly at their own heart.

Perhaps it's time we acknowledge that the problem is beyond the ability of mankind to solve.  Perhaps it's time that we look to the One who took our sin upon himself, and paid its price for us so that we may be free!

Humanity does not need to be in bondage to Sin any longer--there is a way to be free--the way is Jesus!