Is Your Heart Settled?

Aren’t there a million things that can bring us down or get us off track each day?  Pressures at work, family issues, personal disappointments…  We are burdened by the challenges we face and the pain our loved ones endure.  Then there are the lies we believe:  I’m not worthy, I’m beyond return, I should have done better, and what did she just say about me? You can fill in the blank here.   And the mental tape player is on “auto repeat”, endlessly… 

Wise counsel and a shoulder to lean on are good for the soul, but may I point us to a greater treasure? Settling our hearts in His presence.    

The Apostle John was a bit of a hot head, but mellowed out as he grew older.  As a seasoned elder, he addressed the recipients of his letter as dear children.  His deep pastoral concern for people led him to pass along this counsel: 

This then…is how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

So many things that trip us up are matters of the heart:  anger, jealously, bitterness, anxiety, fear, worry, guilt, etc.  They often stem from false teaching and lies which get locked into our thinking; inevitably they settle into our hearts only to cause rot and decay. 

John’s counsel is simple yet profound:  settle your heart in God’s presence.  Stop running from your problems and take them to the One who upholds the cosmos by the word of His power.  Stop holding secrets and bring them to the Light.  Lay your fears and worries at His feet.  Take the lies you’ve bought in to and sit a while with Him whose wisdom sketched the splendor of creation.  Take your battered ego and self image and gaze on Him who is forever worshiped and adored by the angels and saints.  Your excuses will evaporate as you commune with Jesus; He suffered so you could know freedom.  Your guilt and loathe will melt away as His boundless love washes over you and cleanses your soul.  Why all this?  God is greater than our hearts!  He knows your past and He sees your future.  He is no stranger to your struggles.  How many times a day does our heart condemn us?  Too many!  Remember:  there is therefore now no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus!  You are free, you are forgiven; you are accepted and unconditionally loved by the Creator and sustainer of your very life.

Today, in the midst of all your busyness, will you quiet your soul before Him and be still?  Will you lay your burdens down?  It is the Christian’s great treasure to have his God speak peace to him and restore her soul.  His presence is pure; there isn’t even a trace of sin or heartache there.  So we fix our eyes on not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

Don’t settle for second best.  May your heart be settled in His great presence today. 

Pastor Colin  

Easter: What's the Big Deal?

In just a few days Facebook will be lit up with Easter greetings.  Which can beg the question, what’s the big deal about Easter, anyway?  You can be sure that there is a whole lot more to this occasion than the Easter Bunny and egg hunts.  This is all about how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered for sinners and defeated death.  There could not be anything more relevant than this.

God’s Word informs us that there is a great divide between us and God.  We are capable of doing some pretty amazing and commendable things.  Equally true is the reality that we are also capable of doing the worst things.  This tendency of ours to choose our own way, to focus on ourselves, to act selfishly…is termed sin.  Sin separates us from our Creator, who is surpassing in His moral perfection.  Our greatest potential and life overflowing is only found in truly knowing Him personally.   

All we, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.

Racial tensions are now in the headlines in the USA.  This concept of sin is behind every expression of hate and selfishness.  And, we can trade out racism for every form of wrongdoing and the concept remains.  Sin causes heartache and alienates us from God.  It is precisely for this reason that One suffered in our place, enduring God’s righteous judgment on our own sin (also called iniquity), so our relationship could be restored.

But the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.

The Messiah, Jesus Christ, suffered and died because sin HAS to be punished.  We affirm God’s loving and gracious nature.  However, if justice is not meted out, He is no longer HOLY. 

Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission (forgiveness) of sin.

Jesus Christ shed His blood and spread His arms out on the cruel Roman cross, not because of His own guilt, but because of ours.  It was the greatest expression of love ever witnessed.  Immanuel, “God with us”, suffered in our place so we could experience new life and be reconciled to the One who gives us breath.  He did not suffer for His own wrongdoing for He had none; He suffered for our sin. 

He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Are you a sinner?  Are you a transgressor of God’s holiness?  I have no problem conceding that I have sinned and I trust you don’t either.  Divine love is compelling:  the sinless Son of God lay down his life for sinners.  Yet, the story doesn’t end there. 

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.

This is exactly the focus of Easter. Jesus did not die and stay in the tomb.  A dead Savior would be a powerless Savior.  Death has no jurisdiction over Him!  He rose again because the Author of life has dominion over everything; He is victorious over sin, hell, death the grave.  Because He lives, we know our future is secure in Him, come what may in this life. 

One last note.  The italicized text above is all found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).  The narrative in the Bible is God’s unfolding drama of redemption as He graciously reconciles sinners to Himself.  This is why, when Jesus celebrated His final Passover meal, He made the stunning declaration:

[The bread] is my body, which is for you…this cup is the new covenant in my blood…

The celebration of Jesus’ resurrection is not a new invention of Christianity, but fully anticipated in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Truly, He was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead:  Jesus Christ our Lord. 

May God bless you richly as you consider the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Sincerely,

Pastor Colin

Abortion: Why we object and why it matters

Without question, abortion is an emotionally charged subject and intensely personal:  babies turn our lives upside down!  Arguments are often cast in negative terms:  hands off my body, baby killer, it’s my choice, trust a woman’s judgment, etc.  Sound logic is lost when we are busy dodging – and throwing - verbal daggers.  What follows is a basic outline of Christian principles which govern my convictions on abortion.  I do not write with a pocket full of stones to throw in judgment at my opposition; I have no pretension that I am in any way better than anyone else.  Below are five keystone concepts which frame my unyielding conviction regarding the sanctity of unborn human life. 

First, people are created in the image of God.  The Bible begins with this simple declaration, forever burying the notion that we are the product of random chance or are anything less than the highlight of God’s creation.  This is why we attribute dignity and respect to every single human life.  With no distinction to age, ethnicity, or talent, people are the image bearers of Almighty God.    

Life begins at conception.  Yes this is a Biblical teaching, but look at how sonograms have given us a view into the womb!  Life does not begin at birth, nor is there a point in time when a fetus mysteriously becomes a person.  I am not aware of any scientifically sound alternative to this position.  If life does not begin at conception, exactly when does it begin?  To be sure, late term abortions in particular end the life of an otherwise viable unborn child.     

The unborn are defenseless and without voice.  Civilized nations provide the best possible prenatal care for mom and baby.  Why?  So both mom and developing baby can progress as healthily as possible through the pregnancy, culminating in a safe delivery.  When an unborn child wreathes in pain when the lethal needle is injected, has anyone given her a choice in the matter?  Why are we not considering the rights of unborn women when their beating heart is halted?  I support the pro-life cause because unborn children are unable to defend themselves or plead their own case.  And I’m pretty sure that given a choice, they wouldn’t choose abortion. 

Choices have consequences.  The Bible puts it this way:  you “reap what you sow”.  You cannot have it both ways:  sexual activity often results in pregnancy; if you don’t want the latter, abstain from the former.  God’s laws may seem outdated to some, but He holds the owner’s manual and sex outside marriage was never in the game plan.  Can we really kill our young to spare the lifestyle we embrace?  All the data I’ve seen shows that the majority of abortions are not linked in any real way to the health of the mother or baby. 

 God is sovereign.  This truth brings unbelievable peace and comfort when we can’t make sense of our circumstances.  Surprise and pregnancy often go hand in hand.  We were done at four…we had a momentarily lapse in judgment…we were just having fun…do you know how much it costs to raise a baby (by the way, I have a good handle on that!)?  God is on His throne and not stepping down anytime soon.  Knowing that He is in control, and full of grace and compassion, helps put any situation into proper perspective so one can choose to do the right thing.    

 Clearly my intent here is not to address every question regarding abortion; I realize that many do not view their own case as cut and dry.  I have learned as a pastor that life is often messy and pat answers do more harm than good.  My simple challenge though, is to consider abortion through a different set of lenses.  Does your support of abortion have more to do with you, or are you looking honestly and objectively at the big picture?  I assure you that God is bigger than any challenge you face and His grace is sufficient in your weakness.  His grace is sufficient when you find out your baby is handicapped, and it abounds even in the case of rape (though I hate even writing about such a subject).  I trust these simple guidelines will help you navigate through an issue that regrettably has become filled with false assumptions formed in a culture that often exalts ME and MY needs rather than seeking to do the right thing.    

My uncle recently lost his precious wife to brain cancer.  He often comments that life does not make sense without Jesus.  While I would argue that even an atheist should logically be pro-life, if you lose the perspective of God in the big picture, you cannot see abortion for what it truly is.  If you support abortion and have had a “Christian” finger pointed your way to shame you, I am very sorry to hear that.  That is a terrible and inaccurate representation of God’s grace, which lifts our gaze from our failures to One who suffered and died in our place.  The Christian message is that we are freed to worship and serve Him through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from our personal performance. Love trumps all. 

 Thank you for taking the time to consider the above points, which are submitted humbly. 

Sincerely,

Pastor Colin 

Hold Steady - We're Not Done Yet

Did you every help your dad with a project? If you were younger then probably one of the jobs given to you was to "hold this". You know that job. I know I do. At some point during the project I would also hear, "Stop moving around. Hold still. I need that." or something to that effect. I've said it to my boy. My dad said it to me. I'm sure it goes right up the line all the way back to Adam. 

The book of James is our "hold steady" book. It is the theme I see running throughout and the topic James starts and ends with. Remain steadfast. Hold steady. We're not done yet. Every topic he touches on is either about how to remains steadfast, what to be steadfast in, or what will be (or is) a threat to holding steadfast. James is about standing strong in our faith no matter the circumstances, trials, and temptations.

"And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord."

"You also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

"Behold, we consider those [prophets] blessed who remained steadfast."

Those are just the verses that explicitly use the word steadfast or patient. The idea of steadfast faith, lived out no matter what, is present in almost every sentence.

So what are you faltering on today? Are you on the verge of quitting? Have you quit already? Pick it back up, start again, and press on. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Trust that promise, lean in to the struggle, and stand firm. Hear the words from our great Father, "Hold steady kiddo...we're not done yet."

Mike

Parent / Faith Intersect Conference with Steve Wright - Q&A

Q&A Session