First Love

First Love

Like toes in the water on the first day of spring or the satisfying swallow of fresh made ice cream, this is how beginnings feel.

Have you followed Christ for long?

When you learned of His love and grace did His glory thrill your heart?

Even being blessed with the experience of serving such a powerful and merciful God, after a while, we can become apathetic. That leaning forward at a full tilt run can become the dragging feet of a slumped shouldered march. In Revelations 2, God talks to the church in Ephesus.

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

You notice God didn’t say they weren’t working hard enough? He didn’t tell them that they weren’t faithful, or that they allowed wickedness to flourish around them? No, He told them to get back to that passion and fire that once filled their hearts. Maybe this doesn’t mean to do more, but do less. Reconnect with your God by being with Him in a conscious way. Not warming a pew, not repeating words to Him, not memorizing random strings of words that have no meaning for you.  We have the privilege of being more than going through robotic motions.

It also doesn’t mean being involved with every event, Bible study, and potluck dinner that the church offers. It means to follow, listen, and love God with a wide awake, fired-up heart and soul.

Renew, refresh, and jump back into your first love! 

Esther

Esther

          This is one of my favorite stories. An orphaned girl named Hadassah was adopted by her cousin (some say uncle) Mordecai. He raised her in the Jewish faith. But the King, looking for a wife, picked her to be his queen.

          In the palace she had every comfort and the latest beauty treatments.  Her uncle, strong minded and faithful to God, refused to bow to a man named Hamond. Hamond was angry and devised a plot to have the king make an order that all the Jews would be killed including, of course, Mordecai.

Esther had not let anyone know of her heritage. Her servants told her that Mordecai had put on a sack cloth and was tearing his clothes in great mourning. Esther sent a servant to see what was wrong and to bring him new clothes.

          Mordecai refused the clothes and let Esther know about the plot. She was afraid to go to the king if he had not summoned her. It could mean her death.

          But here is where it gets good. She decides to pray and fast for three days. Then she allowed the results to be in God’s hands. She said after the time of prayer she would go to the king, and if she dies, she dies.

          I love this kind of trust and courage. Wow! I need this. To be able to trust that God has put you right where you need to be, even if you can’t be certain of a perfect outcome for you own self.  To still step out into the unknown and do what is right.

          The king listens to Esther, and Hamond is punished. Mordecai even gets to be Hamond’s replacement.

          How great is that?

Ezra and Nehimiah

                                                   Ezra and Nehemiah

          Two Sundays ago the sermon at our church was on Ezra and Nehemiah. During this time period the Israelite kings and the people were not honoring their God. But here is an example of a time when God allowed tragedy to happen. The people refused to listen to the prophets and God let Babylon invade and take His people captive.

          Now the Israelites wanted to cry out to God in worship. They needed Him, but the kings in Babylon would not let them worship. God ordained that Persia would capture Babylon along with Israel.

           The Cyrus king of Persia was more benevolent to the Jewish people. He gave them permission to rebuild their temple.  After the temple was built the people came back to worship and remembered what it was like to be able to worship their God.

Ezra 3:11-12

 “With praise and thanksgiving they worshiped the Lord:                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ‘He is good: his love toward Israel endures forever’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, sho had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they say the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
              Nehemiah, cup bearer to King Artaxerxes was allowed to go to Judah and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. God ordained this cup bearer to be in the right place at the right time to help His people.  

Daniel

Daniel

          Evan’s sermon on Daniel brought out so many new thoughts that I couldn’t get it all in the picture. Daniel, his friends Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego practiced self-control, because they knew God was in control. They refused food the King offered because God wanted everyone to know it was God that kept them strong. The three friends refused to bow to anyone but the one true God, because they trusted that God was in charge. Even if they died, they would not bow to an idol.

          When Daniel realized praying to his God would mean a trip to the loin's den he did not give in to fear. He knew God was in control of his life, and death. I know there are some that say the phrase “God is in control” is a cliché Christians shouldn't banter around. Well, honestly, when I go through the hardest of trials I want to know there’s a reason. That God does work it out for the good. That He is in control. Adonai, the God who is in control.

          Evan, also, included a great quote from Eugene Peterson. He tells us it is not all a simple flip of a believing switch.  Is it hard to trust? Yes! It takes practice, sweat, tears, and struggle, but walking in God’s control grows our own self control over fear, anger, doubt, and procrastination. (That last one is my worst.)

Here is the quote from Eugene Peterson. “There is far more to the Christian life than getting it right. There is living it right. Learning the truth of God, the gospel, the Scriptures involves understanding words, concepts, history. But living it means working and praying ourselves through a world of deception, of doubt and suffering, a world of rejections and betrayal and idolatry.” 

Prophets

Prophets

          Our lessons from The Story have moved into the time of the prophets, Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah. Greg’s sermon spoke to what a prophet is. Not someone who only prophesies the future, although he may. He is appointed by God to call the people to repentance, obedience, and hope.

          Jesus was said to be a prophet when he preached in his hometown. He told the people what they should be doing. We can, and should, be this kind of prophet today.

          We don’t need to give out lists of what we’re against, but we need to let people know what we stand for. We need to stand up for justice, mercy, and to offer hope to people for this life and for eternal life through Jesus Christ. 

The Split

The split

          Pastor Greg Ralston’s sermon covered the times when the Jewish nation was split in two. Solomon had not kept his word to Jehovah and allowed the worship of other gods. The next king in line decided to continue to overburden his people with taxes. So the people rebelled and most of the country split off. Before this happened God told His prophets this was about to happen. God split the nation into ten tribes and these became Israel.  The tribes of Benjamin and Judah became Judah.

          Greg told about the history of the event. Then he went into how we have splits in our churches and denominations. Some split over very petty things, some over things that cannot be ignored.

          But the point is that somehow the work of God keeps moving forward in a way that most cannot explain. God has a plan even when everything seems to be falling in around us. Barnabas and Paul split up and God turned it into good. Churches split and God still uses the people. Friends split, but God does not abandon them.

          In other words, in spite of what humans do, God doesn't give up.

King David

King David

          Shepherd, giant killer, soldier, king, man after God’s own heart, adulterer and murderer, this is David. Pastor Evan and Pastor Greg told the story of David’s sin.  I retold the story in the King’s crown.

          David loved God but lost his way, like any of us. But he sinned in a very kingly way, a real whopper. Taking another man’s wife and when he couldn’t cover it up he put the man in harm’s way and the man died. Nathan, the prophet, confronted David in a searing way that cut into David’s heart, and he repented. Though David prayed with tears and grief the baby born of the infidelity died.

But after David married Bethsheba they had another baby. This child became the famous and wise, King Solomon.   Read the story for yourself in 2 Samuel 11-12.