Glory Ahead

This past week many of our Washington Free Methodist Church family spent time at Wabash Park Camp at our annual Family Camp. Several days were spent in relaxation, recreation, and revival. Many of the children, teens, and adults participated in activities. Families, friends, and churches gathered for a time of food and fellowship. Several hundred shared in Bible studies and worship services.

Yet, it was often the little instances - the in-between occurrences - that caught my eye and stirred my heart. Sunday night I witnessed the teens leading the way to the altar in the midst of powerful worship. Monday evening, as I walked into the Pavilion prior to the evening service, I watched dozens of teens walking up and down rows of chairs, touching and praying over each seat and for the individual that would fill that seat. Tuesday afternoon I saw two small boys - friends - one teaching the other to ride a bike. Tuesday evening I watched the teens passionately worship in the front rows of the pavilion as the small children collected the offering. And Wednesday I walked upon a group of teens spontaneously sharing their testimonies with a group of children in the middle of a softball field. God was truly moving this past week.

And, as I considered each of these occurrences, one thought flooded my mind throughout the week. God has a great work to do - in our lives, in the lives of our children and teens, and in the life of our church. Perhaps this thought came from our Superintendent John Lanes' Tuesday morning teaching when he said "we are looking for folks who have not given up". 

I have made no secret of the fact that one of my top priority right now is to see our youth and children's ministries grow and flourish. You see, I have not given up. I pray that you have not given up either. And I pray that you will join me in this journey of reaching the next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Further, I pray that we will allow the next generation to lead us as God equips and calls them to. 

We cannot give up. God has a great work to do in us and through us. You see, the "glory days" of the Washington Free Methodist Church are not behind us. As we witness and serve as The Church we know that God has glorious - miraculous - days ahead. 

Another comment from Superintendent Lane struck me this past week. "When we talk about the 'glory days' our children and our teens feel like they are showing up to Thanksgiving dinner late and everyone else has already eaten. Perhaps they're thinking; 'What about us? What is still left?'." 

We cannot give up. God has glorious days ahead!

Haggai 2:3-7; ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.

We cannot give up. God has glorious days ahead!

Show Me Your Glory

I continue to come back to one question; Do you want to see the glory of The Lord? If we could see - even a glimpse of - the glory of God, it would transform us. And the things that seems to matter so much now would fade into the background.  






I caught a glimpse of Your splendor
In the corner of my eye
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen
And it was like a flash of lightning
Reflected off the sky
And I know I'll never be the same
Show me Your glory
Send down Your presence
I want to see Your face
Show me Your glory
Majesty shines about You
I can't go on without You, Lord
When I climb down the mountain
And get back to my life
I won't settle for ordinary things
I'm gonna follow You forever
And for all of my days
I won't rest 'til I see You again
Show me Your glory
Show me Your glory 
I can't live without You

Boldly Seeking The Glory of The Lord

What does the glory of The Lord look like?

We find that Moses could fully handle seeing the glory of The Lord.

Exodus 33:12-23; Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”  The Lord 

replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

How badly do you want to see the glory of The Lord?

We find that Moses was bold; “Now show me your glory.”

How bold will you be in seeking the glory of The Lord?

What does the glory of The Lord look like?

A question came to me several weeks back - a question I have since passed to many in our churc; "What does the glory of The Lord look like?" A better way to state this question might be; "What would the glory of The Lord look like in your life and in the church?"

Take note of what the glory of The Lord looked like to the Israelites and notice what Moses' response was as He saw the glory of The Lord. 

Exodus 24:15-18; When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

So, what does the glory of The Lord look like? And, how would you respond if you saw the glory of The Lord?

The Shepherd's Final Response

In the four weeks od advent leading up to Christmas day our church family took part in a teaching series; “And There Were Shepherds”

·         We have looked at the message of the birth of Jesus Christ according to Luke 2.

·         We looked at the response to this message by the shepherds.

·         And we looked at the response that this message requires of each us

Luke 2:8-20 says:

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

We asked questions within the church family:

·         “What will the glory of The Lord bring to you this Christmas?”

·         “How will we (as a church) continue to go and to see this Christmas?”

·         “How will we come to Christ this Christmas?”

·         “How will we act (with love) toward others this Christmas?”

We see the final three responses that the shepherds took;

·         The shepherds returned

o   They returned to their normal environment

§  We too must return to our normal environments

·         Where hearts begin to harden to the thoughts of generosity

·         Where hearts grow cold to the message of Christ

·         Where it’s not as easy to drop Jesus name into everyday conversation

o   They returned to their normal tasks

§  We too must return to our normal tasks

·         Where the drive to achieve and outdo can drive our time and our energy

·         Where the stress and anxiety can overwhelm

·         The shepherds glorified

o   To glorify is to give honor – to impart glory on something – to declare it excellent – to clothe it with splendor.

o   They glorified what they were once unaware of.

·         The shepherds praised

o   To praise is to make promise or vow to something – to  admire – to worship – to devote yourself to.

o   They praised what they were once terrified of.

See, this is what we do – or all called to do;

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once unaware of

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once terrified of

·         Glorify and praise a God that is deserving of all our praise and glory

Worship, as defined by Colossians 3:17, is doing “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas season, let us glorify Him

·         When we return to our normal environments and our normal tasks, let us praise Him

o   Let us do everything we do “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”.

Comforts of Christmas

I write this from my bed this evening, Christmas Eve. at 10:00. We are setting a record this year, this is the earliest we have ever gotten to bed since having kids.

I gave my wife a luxury pillow today and she climbed into bed to enjoy the plush comfort of it's embrace.

The furnace just kicked on, completely quiet except for the sound of the rushing warm air from the vents next to our bed. That reminds me of a couple more luxuries; the quiet safety of our home and the warmth that we enjoy within it.

All these thoughts of our comforts and luxuries bring to mind luxuries that were missing the first Christmas night in Bethlehem.

I think of Mary and Joseph sleeping in a barn on the cold, damp straw, both of them probably hungry and tired from their long journey, Mary still writhing from the pains of childbirth, and both with thousands of questions and uncertainties on their minds.

I think of the shepherds leaving their fields in the middle of the night, leading their flocks throughout the town of Bethlehem, and embarking on a search to find The One they have heard to be the Savior of the world.

And I think of Jesus, The One giving up the most. Giving up the comforts of heaven to be born here in earth. Giving up the luxuries of glory to begin a life of humanity, all so that He could be killed.

So, while we enjoy our comforts and luxuries this Christmas Eve. Let us give thanks for those that did without on the first Christmas and let us give thanks to The One that gave up His glory, His honor, and His life for us.

Praise be to Jesus Christ this Christmas

The Shepherds Were Terrified

Luke 2: 8-11 says;
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

The shepherds were
- Together, as a community
- Living, in their normal environment
- Working, doing their normal task

This is what we are called to this Christmas season, to live and work together. God does not call us to abandon others, to abandon our lives, or to abandon our tasks - He calls us to live life together for Him.

An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds with a message of comfort, good news, and great joy. Then, the glory of the Lord shone around them. And their reaction was terror!

The glory of the Lord came to the shepherds (and to us). "Today...a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ, The Lord."

WHAT WILL THE GLORY OF THE LORD BRING TO YOU THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?
o To some it brings fear (vs. 9)
o To some it brings comfort (vs. 10)
o To some it brings good news (vs. 10)
o To some it brings great joy (vs. 10)
o To some it brings a Savior (vs. 11)

Do What Jesus Did

Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

If you have faith in Jesus Christ you must do what Jesus did.

To do what Jesus did you must know what Jesus did.

If you want to know what Jesus did and do what Jesus did, you are following the path that Jesus led.

If you follow the path that Jesus led, you are following Him to God the Father and meeting Him there.

Jesus said: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." John 16:13

That is, He will do whatever you ask in accordance with His will.

But, you must remain in Him and you must follow His will and His way.

Jesus said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:7

Because, God the Father desires to be glorified through His disciples.

Jesus said: "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:8

 Do what Jesus s desires and He will do what you desire in Him and through Him!

Coackroaches and Light

The other night I was walking out the door toward the garage steps and flipped the light on just before walking out. As I flipped on the light my attention was immediately drawn to hundreds of large black/brown cockroaches as they scurried up and down, back and forth to find a hiding spot from the light. I have known for some time that we had a number of cockroaches in the garage and a few in the basement but never did I imagine that there were so many.

As I thought about these cockroaches and the way they scurried when the light hit them, I began to think about light as it is described in the Bible, what is light, who is light, what does light do, what does it reveal, who is drawn to the light and who is repelled by the light.

WHAT IS LIGHT

Psalm 119:105 says: "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

God’s word is both a lamp and a light, it discovers things, within us, concerning God and ourselves that otherwise we could not have known.

Ephesians 5:14 reminds us that "It is light that makes everything visible."

1 John 1:5 tells us that "God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all."

He is all that illuminates truth, and perfection. He does not represent truth and perfection, He is truth and perfection. We are the ones that represent His truth and His perfection.

Hebrews 1:3 further states: "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word."

Then John 1:4-5 says of Jesus: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it."

And in John 8:12 Jesus is quoted: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."
Colossians 1:13 reminds us that: "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and has brought us into the Kingdom."

John 3:19 states that: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."

EVIL HATES THE LIGHT

John 3:20: "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

TRUTH CRAVES THE LIGHT

John 3:21: "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

BELIEVERS ARE LIGHT

1 John 1:7: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin."

Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."

Mark 4:21: "Do you bring a lamp in and put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead don’t you put it on its stand?"

Philippians 2:15 tell believers: "You shine like stars in the universe."

BELIEVERS MISSION

Hebrews 1:3 speaks of Jesus Christ, God's Holy Son: "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being"

BUT, as God’s children, aren’t we called to be “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being”.