Perspectives Day 4 Featuring Dennis Strissel (Colonel) “Opinion8ed”

Opinion–8-ed

(A series of eight installments)

Number Three – Be Careful Little Feet

By the time you read this opinion column we should be well within the season of Lent and our journey following Christ to the cross, his sacrifice, death and resurrection. For many, following the Lenten season is a wonderful and memorable faith tradition.

I must confess that I was already a responsible adult before becoming aware of this church tradition. The Army I grew up in shied away from symbols of “churchiness”. We were nonconformists, though we had our symbols and a form of liturgy, we just didn’t call it that.

I recall seeing a cartoon one day in some religious magazine with a little boy declaring to his rather religious mother, that for Lent he was willing to make the extreme sacrifice of giving up baths. I thought that fairly creative and used it as my own for many years when asked the question about my own “giving-up” during Lent.

Following that train of thought brought me to the intimate, if not embarrassing dialogue when Jesus wanted to wash Peter’s feet. Do you remember it? Let me refresh your memory…

John 13:6-11

6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

NKJV

When I read that I get a little twinge of guilt because I think I understand Peter’s intent and desire. I suspect I might have reacted in a similar manner… perhaps you may identify with Peter too. Peter serves as an example to his fellow and future disciples regarding our daily walk with Jesus.

The strength of translation is the translator’s ability to express the thought and context of the speaker and their words. What we miss in the translation is the correction Jesus gives to Peter through his choice of words. We are fortunate to live in an age when we do not need to be an expert in translation of languages because the experts have already captured the meaning and our software aids us in detecting nuance of terms used. It is in this exchange that we find such an example. Jesus is using the word ‎pous– ‎pou/$ that literally and figuratively mean a foot; that is, a walking around and kicking implement on the end of your leg. When Jesus answers Peter’s request he uses another word, ‎nipto – ni/ptw that means to cleanse hands, feet, and face as one might do before entering the temple for worship. That’s why we hear Jesus telling Peter that he doesn’t need an entire bath. Jesus draws this distinction for a purpose…and what would that be? I’m so glad you asked…

Do you remember this little Sunday school chorus? “Be careful little feet where you go, be careful little feet where you go. There’s a Father up above, looking down in tender love, so be careful little feet where you go.” While the chorus is very elementary, its essence was the message Jesus was attempting to communicate in this exchange.

Jesus was very concerned about the walking around, the living around, and talking around of his followers. He wanted a close and intimate relationship with his followers in the first century as much as he wants a close and intimate relationship with his followers in the twenty-first century. The first step of that intimacy is keeping our feet clean…figuratively. The world in which we live invites the believer to frame the word of God through the eyes and opinions of the current societal trends and norms. The believer whose feet are washed daily frames the world, its opinions, trends and norms through the truth of God’s word. The bathing or washing came through his shed blood, making us clean. The walk, or keeping our feet clean, is symbolism of holy living. Perhaps a different translation of the same verse might be helpful to your understanding:

John 13:10

10 Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. THE MESSAGE

And why is it so important to keep our feet clean? It’s related to keeping an intimate relationship with Jesus;”Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8 – NIV). End of story! If our feet are not clean that means our communion with God is nonexistent.

There is an inherent risk in offering a list of do’s or three easy steps to a kingdom relationship, when we know that it is not about what one does as much as it is about what one is; but you might be asking now, how do I nurture that intimate (keeping my feet clean) relationship with him? Here’s a good starting point.

1) A daily acknowledgement that God is God and you are not. I would call that a surrendered life. It is amazing how many get off on the wrong step every day asking God to follow them rather than following God.

2) A daily setting apart a quiet time where you can hear God speaking to you through his word. You simply cannot sustain a long term relationship without consistent communication. In this case, let God do the talking.

3) A daily diet of healthy and nutritious input. The believer should be just as concerned about those things that go into the mind as they are about those things that go into the mouth. If we are surrounded by a spiritually unhealthy atmosphere, the chances are good for that to make of feet unclean, infecting and affecting our relationship with our Savior.

I am certain you could come up with your own list, so why not give it a try. In the meantime, note the way the “clean feet” or (holy living) experience is contrasted with in a figurative manner by Eugene Peterson; “Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks;holy living builds soaring cathedrals” (Prov 14:11 – THE MESSAGE). Is your daily living providing the key to your cathedral?

Blessings

Dennis L R Strissel

Reference

March 27, 2014 3

Perspectives – Day 3 Featuring Stephen Court “The Salvo Way: In Defence of The Salvation Army System”

The Salvo Way: In Defence of The Salvation Army System

by Major Stephen Court

It’s not trendy. And for those who grew up with it or are quite familiar with it, the Army system, with its unique vocabulary and peculiar traditions, might even been regarded as defunct.

Corps Sergeant-Majors? Recruiting Sergeants? Quarter Masters? I mean, come on!

But our discipleship and leader training system, from junior soldiers through corps cadets, into senior soldier training and local officership and corps council, complete with orders and regulations, followed by options in candidateship and officer training, works.

Part of the problem is that we’ve forgotten what we are. As Major Harold Hill explains, in “Four Anchors From The Stern” (http://www.armybarmy.com/JAC/article2-64.html):

The Army’s own history, the history and doctrine of the church, the pattern of sociology, the Word of Scripture, all testify against any great need to be “a church”. Our own history provides us with a clear precedent for retaining our identity without resorting to denominationalism; the history and doctrine of the church provide an ecclesiological and theological base, the sociology of religious movements provides a rationale, and Scripture provides a mandate.

We are not a social agency only. We are not a church. We are not a denomination. We are an order.

And we have orders and regulations, not suggestions and recommendations.

‘Obedience to properly constituted authority is the foundation of all moral excellence’ (Catherine Booth). That is fine in regard to ethics. But Florence Booth takes it further when she testifies:

Looking back over 44 years of officership, it seems to me impossible to speak too highly of the value and importance of Salvation Army discipline… I realised very clearly that if all leaders had a truer idea, a stricter ideal, of obedience to rules and regulations, a much greater advance would be made throughout the Army world. (cited in A Field For Exploits, 2012)

This isn’t popular today. But the issue is not that obedience to Orders and Regulations has been tried and found wanting but found ‘irrelevant’ and ‘obsolete’ (and maybe a little too ‘hard’?) and not tried.

Our desperation for success has sometimes led us far astray from Salvationism. You can possibly see for yourself corps in your division more or less imitating the Baptists, Pentecostals, and Anglicans and others (including poor substitutions of ‘church’ for ‘corps’, ‘service’ for ‘meeting’, ‘pastor’ for ‘officer’, ‘offering’ for ‘collection’, ‘committee’ for ‘council’, ‘member’ for ‘soldier’, etc.). The problem is that most of these methods and terms don’t work very well when clothed in Salvationism.

We are not free to make things up on the fly. We’re part of an Army. We’re actually obligated to apply the Army system. If you aren’t applying it, you are compromising The Salvation Army and limiting the pace of advance of the salvation war.

Applying non-salvo methods and programmes with non-salvo doctrines and non-salvo theology in attempts to mimic their success while we play the role pastor and church is doomed to failure.

Strategically, it is mistaken. The significant majority of Canadians have voted with their feet that ‘church’ is irrelevant. Why would we pretend to be a church?

Biblically, it is near-sighted. There are all kinds of biblical metaphors for the people of God – body, temple, vineyard, building, flock, etc. But the Army of God is not a metaphor – it is not compared to something it is not. We are engaged in actual spiritual warfare. Biblically we are on solid ground.

So, to present as a ‘church’ is neither accurate nor effective.

What goes for church goes for its leaders. In NIV ‘pastor’ turns up once – Ephesians 4:11, though the Greek word ‘poimen’ appears 18 times in the New Testament, 17 times being translated ‘shepherd’. ‘Pastor’ is a biblically rare synonym for the much more popular ‘shepherd’, which it makes much more strategic and biblical sense to use instead of the term ‘pastor’, packed as it is with negative connotative accretions today.

…Oh wait, except that shepherd relates to flock – a metaphor, in contrast with Army, in a very real spiritual war against the forces of evil.

So, let’s agree that ‘pastor’, being unbiblical and unpopular, is another term we should avoid.

Let’s stop pretending. Let’s embrace The Salvation Army. Let’s embrace Salvationism, its leadership system and structure (for more detail on this, see http://www.armybarmy.com/JAC/article11-75.html).

We’re not embracing these things out of tradition or loyalty or some desperate insane stubbornness (or stubborn insanity). It’s just that our crucified and resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has lavished His love on us, transforming us from dreary, hopeless ne’er-do-wells slouching to heaven into mighty warriors who live to fight and fight with love,and has commissioned us to this wonder-working, world-winning mission through this divine marvel called, “The Salvation Army… the extremity of an extraordinary imagination made history. The wildest dream of the wildest dreamer materialized” (Evangeline Booth, The World’s Greatest Romance).

—-

Twitter.com/StephenCourt

March 26, 2014 0

“Perspectives” Day 2 Featuring Larry Thorson (Major)

“The Importance of Marriage”

by Larry Thorson

The Importance of Marriage

What is your most valuable possession? I believe that those who are Christian would first respond that it is their gift of salvation and would agree with Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:26 questioning the profit of gaining everything this world has to give, only to lose their own soul. There is no question about that being a losing strategy.

Let me suggest to you, especially those who are married, the second most valuable possession, second only to your salvation, is your spouse. Some of you may be uncomfortable with the notion that I consider your spouse a possession, but I am not saying that he or she is a thing. They are only a possession in the sense of exclusiveness. It is similar to the Song of Solomon saying, “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (3:16; 6:3; 7:10). Certainly in the marriage relationship, we individually possess that other person in a way that is exclusive to all other relationships. Though jealousy can be an awful sin when its reasons are unfounded, it also can be a “God given” warning sign that something is wrong in that exclusive relationship of marriage.

The Scriptures give us wisdom and invite us to care for that most sacred of relationships. Here I share a few of my favorite portions. The first is Proverbs 5:15-19. I won’t take the space to quote this rather long portion, but there is merit to looking it up yourself in your favorite translation and letting the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. Concentrate on the various metaphors which are used here. Scripture is using the language of poetry to tell us to be faithful in our marriage. I particularly like the reminder of God’s watchfulness in verse 21, it reminds me of that old Sunday school chorus:

Be careful little eyes what you see…

Be careful little hands what you do…

Be careful little feet where you go,

Because the Father up above is looking down in love.

The second portion is found Ecclesiastes 9:9, just the first few words: “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life….” Each life is full of joy and sorrows (a theme of the book) and here we are commanded to “live joyfully” in marriage. Perhaps a joyless marriage should be a warning to any married couple.

The third portion is Malachi 2:14-16 (again, read it for yourselves). What does it say about the “wife of your youth” (vv. 14 & 15, cf. Prov. 5:18)? How is she to be treated? Review Malachi 2:10-12, “Judah has profaned the Lord’s holy institution which He loves….” One of Malachi’s themes is that of covenant breaking of any kind. I wonder what God thinks of our marriage situation in our changing social view of marriage today (no fault divorce, open marriages, multiple spouses, gay marriage, etc.)?

From where did marriage begin? In Genesis 2:18-25, we can clearly see that marriage was a gift from God to his human creation. Verse 24 states: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Perhaps you’ve preached from this verse and had these three words as your main points: the exclusiveness of marriage means that we must (1) “leave”; (2) “cleave” and (3) “weave” with that other person like we do with no other person in this world. It is also clearly referring to the marriage union of two separate genders. It is difficult to overlook this conclusion because we find that Jesus supports it in the Gospels (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9).

In Ephesians we also find the Apostle Paul telling us thick-headed husbands to, “love your wife” three times (5:25, 28, and 33) and yet many preachers beat the drum on the “submission” theme in verse 22. If we back up one verse, we find that “submission” is a two way street: “submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord” (v. 21). And again in verse 31, we find Paul supporting the words from Genesis and Jesus regarding the importance of marriage.

From this I would conclude that marriage was God’s idea, it is to be an exclusive relationship, and it is to be jealously protected by both the husband and wife. If you are married, I pray for your marriage, but also I encourage all officers (married and single) to pray for the marriages of those people for whom you are responsible as a corps officer. And “therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:6).

March 25, 2014 0

“Perspectives” Day 1 – Featuring Rhegan Stansbury “

One stone at a time

by Rhegan Stansbury

Have you ever climbed or at least seen a mountain? Growing up in a Midwest state with wide open spaces and few hills, mountains have always been an amazing sight to me. As a teenager I got the opportunity to climb a small mountain in Colorado. A challenge, but doable, and the sight at the top was breathtaking.

In Matthew 21:21 Jesus says a pretty memorable thing about mountains. “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done.”

When you have a mountain frame of reference in your mind and you read the words of Jesus in Matthew, it is easy to say either “yeah right!” or “I must not have very much faith” -both of which are negative, unhelpful responses.

Jesus uses this reference in a few places in the New Testament. In Mark 11:23 & Matthew 17:20 the sentiment is the same as the verse we just read. Jesus is responding to the disciples after they are amazed at a miracle that Jesus had just performed. Casting out a demon, and causing a fig tree to wither. Jesus seems to be quite upset at the lack of faith of the disciples. He goes as far as to say “If you had the faith of a mustard seed, you could cause a mountain to be cast into the sea.” A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds- similar in size to a grain of sand. This does not seem like much faith required to move an entire mountain!

If we pay attention to the way Jesus spoke and taught, and apply it here, we can begin to see that the mountain Jesus spoke of was a metaphor for a seemingly impossible task. The disciples did not see how it was possible for them to cast out the demon from the boy or to cause a tree to wither by the command of a hungry Rabbi.

Sometimes we come upon an incident in our own life, a seemingly impossible task, and perhaps we remember this verse. We think to ourselves, if I just have enough faith, God will make this happen. So we take a deep breath, try to muster up all the faith we can, and for all intents and purposes doesn’t seem like a lot but certainly feels like more than a mustard seed and we wait. And maybe, just maybe, that mountain is moved in a great miracle where God has shown himself and we have a story for the ages. It happens. God still does miracles in our lives. I have a story of my own. But if we are honest, sometimes, we end up feeling inadequate, lacking enough faith to move on.

Part of the problem is we are trying in our own efforts to muster up enough faith to believe God can do it. When what we really need to do is let go. Real faith isn’t gathered up and lifted up to God—–real faith is letting go of all that we have to let God do His work. When we get ourselves out of the way, God can do miracles.

In a book I’m reading the author shared a story of some people she met in Haiti. As soon as I read the story I knew where she was going with it. And it gave me a new perspective on Jesus’ words about moving mountains. Here it is::::::

(Jesus Feminist, Sarah Bessey, ch 9)

Sometimes in our life, we have mountains that won’t move in one fell swoop. Not because we don’t have enough faith, and not because it isn’t possible for God to make it happen. But sometimes there are mountains that need to be moved stone by stone. In acts of continued faithfulness, we move those stones.

It takes just as much faith to continue on in a Christ honoring life, as it does to pray with all our might for one mighty thing to happen.

David was anointed king as a young boy and yet he spent years hiding in caves until the time was right.

Joseph was sold by his brothers, harassed, imprisoned and yet becomes great in Egypt when the time was right.

Moses knew he was to deliver his people but he spent 40 yrs in desert as a shepherd, a far cry from a prince, until the time was right.

Abraham was promised children as numerous as the skies and yet he waited over 10 yrs until the time was right to see that promise fulfilled.

These men of faith did not see their mountains moved in an instant, but stone by stone in faithfulness they followed God.

What are your mountains? When has God moved a mountain instantly in your life and when have you felt like stone by stone in faithfulness that mountains was moving?

March 24, 2014 1

“Reflecting Jesus” (available on itunes – podcast/brainerdcorps)

Sermon Podcast – Check it out!

John 4:7-26 (NIV)
⁷When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
⁸(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
¹¹“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
¹³Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
¹⁶He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
¹⁷“I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.
¹⁸The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
¹⁹“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.
²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
²¹Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
²⁵The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
²⁶Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

“Reflecting Jesus” (available on itunes – podcast/brainerdcorps)

March 23, 2014 0

At the Well…

He seated himself beside the well
sun beating down, heat of the day
swelling and shimmering in the heat
a mirage swiveled and swirled in the distance
she came, reputation and all
she walked the dusty path alone
she bore the scorn and shame
every day like this.

He saw her pensively waiting there,
waiting for Him to move on
waiting for Him to step aside
so that cool water, crisp and clean
could be drawn and taken home…
Yet He doesn’t falter
He looks at her, as if He knows her shame.
Yet, undeterred He remains
no look of disgust
of retribution
of Anger
He looks at her,
asks for a drink
then offers her something more
something lasting
Identities are shared,
His sends her running back into town
with news beyond her reputation
beyond her guilt and fear of the town’s gossip…
Messiah – with Eternal Water
drink deeply, receive and share
it is for the whosoever…
after all.

March 23, 2014 1

From Lord Byron

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow’d to that tender light	5
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o’er her face,	10
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek and o’er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,	15
But tell of days in goodness spent,—
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.

March 22, 2014 0

Let Go of the Baggage – “Things that hold you back.”

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

When we as a family prepare to go on a vacation there are usually two types of people in our family. Type One – the under-packer who just wants to be out the door and in the van in fifteen minutes or less and worry about what we didn’t bring with us later. Type Two – The over-packer who wants to bring everything from our home along with us on the trip and takes twice as long to get ready to leave. Also this type two person (who will not be named but I’m married to her) has to clean the house as if we were receiving an inspection from a military grade house inspector with white gloves and all.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m the type one person who at times sits impatiently in the van honking the horn as the type-two person (again unnamed but I’m married to her) finishes cleaning the house until it shines and is sparkling clean.

Truth be told, I am glad that my wife takes great care in our preparations and in the long run, as much as I hate to admit it, She is right.

There’s another kind of baggage in life though

Sin can weigh us down.

Make no mistake about it, the old life (before Christ) leads to death. When we come to Jesus and we accept His gift of salvation we are made into new creations by His blood. The old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)…but at times we still feel as if we have to keep lugging that baggage around with us. It weighs us down, causes us difficulty and trouble and yet we still habitually burden ourselves with this unnecessary baggage.

What is this baggage?

1) It is the remnants of the old creation –

When Christ saved us, He did so completely yet we find it very difficult to let go of old habits and old sinful ways of living. The Holy Spirit prompts us to unclinch our white knuckled fists which are tightly holding onto these things that we needn’t any more to grasp. In times of trial and stress, these old remnants also rear their ugly heads to cause us strife and further temptation as well. When we lose our focus on the forward prize of Holiness, which is the image of Christ alive in us, we face the old self again. When this happens a flood of the old tendencies pours in and once again we find ourselves taking two or three steps backwards in our progress of Holiness. This baggage has been there all along festering and molding in a cold dark corner of our hearts and we’ve been reluctant, even rebellious in our lack of spiritual attempts to deal with it, so, instead we ignore it. The Holy Spirit knows that this baggage does not belong in our new creation. He is spurring us, even painfully at times, to let go of it. Why do we still clutch it ever so tightly? What good can ever come from its hold on us? This baggage stands blatantly in our path of real, tangible Spiritual growth and yet we allow it to stunt us.

Prayer – Dear Lord, allow me to see this baggage in my life today. Show me that which still blocks my steps to full surrender. Reveal to me the places that I have yet to let go of. I do not want these burdens of the old creation to hinder my forward progress of reflecting You. -Amen.

2) The Baggage can also be our guilt, shame and self-worth.

The old life also has a way of convincing us that we are not good enough to be like Christ. It will try and convince us that we will never be good enough or smart enough to receive such a reward from God. This has nothing to do with pride, in fact just the opposite. When Christ redeems us, the wretched sinner, He does so completely. When we commit our hearts to Him, He washes us clean. This doesn’t mean that we won’t face temptation again or that we can not fall, but it does mean that His blood sacrifice can and will cover up our sinful old creations and wash them away. Our part, within this free will, however, is that we must confront our old harmful choices that we have made. This is the consequences of sin, we have to face it. Sometimes in facing it we find ourselves so wrecked by it that we begin to doubt if Christ could truly love us because we have done so much wrong. This remnant of the old baggage clings to us and tries to convince us of the lie that we are not worth His time and that, perhaps, we were never salvageable through His gift of salvation. Don’t buy the life. This isn’t about pride, but it’s about truth. You matter to God! He loves YOU! He wants to remind you that you are His precious child and that you are a son or daughter of the Most High! Don’t cling to this old baggage, which is a lie. Let go of it, and embrace this truth of His saving grace – You are His and He would do it all over again if you had been the only human alive! When you let go of this old baggage and recognize how much it has weighed you down you will begin to see how free you will feel.

Let go, and find this burden lifted from you!

Prayer – Dear Lord, remind me again of how much you love me. Remind me when I struggle with my identity in You that I am worthy because of Your love. Help to me see myself as You see me, and as I do help me to let go of my grip on this baggage of self-worth. Thank you for your love and for your hand upon my life, lift me up out of this pit of self-degradation and give me a passion to serve and love you with ever fiber of my being. -Amen.

Get On With It!

Letting go of the baggage that hinder us is only the first step, now we have to press on. Jesus is our living example, and this world still needs His example lived out in Holy Christ-following people. Shine so that others might see Him. Live as the Holy Spirit leads you to live. Get up and get on with this new creation…oh and leave your baggage behind!

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible

And He can do what no other power can do.

March 20, 2014 1

Either Put Up or Shut Up! I’m All in or nothing at all!

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

The Jewish leaders struggled over 613 individual moral statutes or commands by which they were to live and conduct themselves. Sometimes they debated among themselves as to which of these moral statutes were vital and which of them were less vital. They didn’t want to make the mistake of placing some statues above more important one and vice-versa. Yet this struggle brought itself right before Jesus. One of the teachers ventured to ask Him this question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28).

Jesus laid it all out for those who would hear Him; “The most important one,” Jesus answered, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Now, dear fellow Christ-follower, it is either time for us to put up or shut up. I don’t mean to be crass here or offend you, but I cannot stress how vital it is for us to love the Lord with every fiber of our being. Jesus placed this as the #1 priority in the lives of those asking and still today it ought to be #1 in our lives as well.

Let me illustrate:

Our homes are powered by electricity (well most of them are anyway). If we were to bring in a brand new television to watch we first must take it out of the box and connect it to a power source. Without the power source all of our favorite shows and possibilities are impossible. We need to plug that television into the power in order for anything to happen, without it nothing works and nothing ever will.

Without first loving God with our EVERYTHING nothing else will work. Without first loving God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength we are powerless. It is either all or nothing. God doesn’t want a partial kind of love. He isn’t some on again off again God, either get on board with Him and love Him completely or don’t at all.

Secondly, don’t try and fake out God…He’s not buying the act. Others might see how good we look dressed up for Church and how we act in front of other Christians but if this isn’t consisted behind the scenes God knows. This is a tough pill to swallow. I’m not here to say that I have this all figured out either, because I too struggle at times with a divided heart. Not intentionally mind you, but at times I catch myself and find that I have to once again realign my relationship and priorities with God.

How is your heart today? Do you find that at times you have a divided heart when it comes to your relationship with the Lord? Perhaps it’s time for a heart realignment so that you can once again get plugged back into the true sources of power and life.

Scriptures readings:

Isaiah 29:13, Psalm 86:11, Mark 12:28-34

March 19, 2014 1

Easter Tomb Project & Lesson

You have all probably seen this project already on Pintrest, and I’m in no way claiming that it’s mine…because it’s not, but I would like to incorporate a teachable lesson to accompany it. Please find the elements of this project accompanied by scripture passages below free for you to use if you so choose to do so. This teachable craft can be used for youth programs, women’s ministries, senior adult ministry or even at home with your family.

Elements & Scripture Discussion:

1. The Potting Saucer –

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth – Genesis 1:1

the saucer for this Easter craft represents (at least to me) the world in which we live. God created it and we live in a location and placed that was formed by His hands. We are blessed to live in such a world and should take care of this world as best we can. Genesis 2:5 – “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” God still wants us to take care of this world that He has entrusted us with.

2. The Potting Soil –

The potting soil represents you, me and all of creation.

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

God created this world for us and He desires to have fellowship with us. He longs for us to love Him in return and so in this Easter story we recognize that we too play a part in the crucifixion and the resurrection. Jesus came to die for us because we really and truly matter to Him. He created us and this Easter story is about our salvation through Christ Jesus.

3. The Gardening Rocks

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” -Romans 3:23

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” -Romans 5:12

The gardening rocks represent sin in this world. It weighs us down and keeps us bound in our slavery to it. We cannot save ourselves from its weight, nor can we do enough good works to receive eternal life. We need help. We are all fallen, each one of us and because of this Jesus came to set us free and to remove the weight of sin from our lives.

4. The Three Crosses

With younger children you might want to tie these for the kids before hand.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” -Philippians 2:8

The Cross of Jesus is suffering and death. But it was suffering and death for a purpose. Jesus died so that the sins of every person on earth could be forgiven and also that we could be restored in our fellowship with God. Without the cross and Jesus’ suffering we are still hopelessly lost. We must look to the cross and Christ on the cross for our source of salvation.

The bindings of the cross pieces represent (to me) the lashings that Jesus received prior to his crucifixion. It should also represent for us the truth that we (sinful man) put Him there. We bound Him to that cross, but He willingly went in place of us.

A.W. Tozer: “The old cross is a symbol of death. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again in newness of life. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It always stands at the far side of the cross.“

5. The Tomb and the Large Rock

“…an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!” -Bill Gaither

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb” Luke 24:2

Both the tomb and the large stone (it could be white to represent life or another color) represent Christ’s resurrection. I’m sure it’s obvious to us all, but it also represents the fact that sin & death could not hold the Son of God! We can find peace, assurance and hope in this empty tomb!

“At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.” John 19:41

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” “3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.” John 20:1-10

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14

6) The Grass seed or sprouts (Plant the grass seed before you place the rocks)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” -John 10:10

The grass seed will grow during the Easter season which will serve to remind us of the eternal life/ new life that Christ brings to us.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

Each of these verses talks about the new life that only Jesus Christ offers to us. New life is a free gift to us all if we accept it and believe in Christ and His love for us.

As we watch this “new life” grow during the season of Easter, may it continue to serve as a remind of God’s love for us and of our deep desire to grow in our faith. We shouldn’t stop learning about this relationship. We have also been given the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us and instruct us in this new life! “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 The Holy Spirit will show us areas of our lives that we need to still surrender to God and He will continue to work within us, helping us along the way.

This new life isn’t only about getting into heaven, it is also about living that eternal life right here on earth so that others might see Christ through us. When we embrace this new life, we become Christ’s representatives (Light) into the world (which is still lost in darkness). Be God’s light to others as you bloom and grow!

***Disclaimer: Again I didn’t invent this craft, I simply adapted it and provided a simple yet effective method for teaching this amazing story of love that God has for all of us! I am sure you can tweak this and make it your own in order to fit the demographic you wish to do this teaching craft with. This lesson play is free to use as you see fit! To God be the Glory!****

March 19, 2014 0

Perspectives Day 4 Featuring Dennis Strissel (Colonel) “Opinion8ed”

Perspectives – Day 3 Featuring Stephen Court “The Salvo Way: In Defence of The Salvation Army System”

“Perspectives” Day 2 Featuring Larry Thorson (Major)

“Perspectives” Day 1 – Featuring Rhegan Stansbury “

“Reflecting Jesus” (available on itunes – podcast/brainerdcorps)

At the Well…

From Lord Byron

Let Go of the Baggage – “Things that hold you back.”

Either Put Up or Shut Up! I’m All in or nothing at all!

Easter Tomb Project & Lesson

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