There are people who have unintentionally hurt you... and they need to be forgiven. Forgive them now. Those who have deliberately hurt you need to be forgiven too, even if they might burt you again. Forgive them so that your own spirit will be free... and do it soon.
Let today be the day when you begin to forgive. Let today be the day when you discover the joy of letting go. Forgive those who forgot your Birthday and broke the confidence you invested in them. Forgive those who never really listen to the important things you have to share with them. Forgive those who never seem to notice the tears that well up in your eyes. Forgive those who don't laugh at your jokes and who make jokes at your expense. Forgive those who have misled and deceived you. Forgive those who have taken advantage of you and who have betrayed you. Forgive them today and experience the joy of being "lighter" that you were.
In fact, make a point to forgive. Take an inventory of those who have wronged and hurt you. Make a list of the people who make it difficult for you to be your best self. Identify those who have caused you your greatest pain and forgive them... so that you can experience your greatest joy.
Forgive, forgive and forgive again. Forgive seven times. Forgive 70 times 7. Forgive as a way of life. Forgive until you, yourself, feel foolish about it... and then forgive some more. Forgive those who secretly work, or even cry out, for your crucifixion. Forgive those who mock you and threaten you. Forgive those who stone you... and you will be very, very close to your God! Amen.
PK IN SWEDEN
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Thursday, August 11, 2016
ARE YOU CHAINED AND POSSESSED?
For some time now, I've been interested in the Bible's great questions. I celebrate them, I am challenged by them, sometimes and I struggle with them. Questions like, "Am I my brother's keeper," "What must I do to inherit eternal life," "Why do you seek the living among the dead," "Who do you say that I am," and "Jesus, what do you have to do with me," which is the subject of our passage today.
"Jesus, what do you want with me? What are you doing here?" These are the questions that our pride, fear, and demons ask... and I'd like to focus on them today... by referring to Jesus' encounter with the Gerasene demoniac . They had just gotten out of their boat, when a naked and troubled man rushed up to them. He was "out of his mind," "beside himself," "possessed," to the point where he was no longer fit to live in community. He wasn't fit to hold a job, sit around the family table, or act in a civil manner toward others. He wasn't welcome at church, or at town hall meetings, or anywhere else because he had lost control of himself. His family and neighbors couldn't control him, so they chained him to the tombs in a graveyard, but even then, he broke free and ran wild among the hills, crying out in disturbing and frightening ways. No power on earth could break the grip that something evil had on him! He needed to meet Jesus of Nazareth, and that's exactly what Mark 5:1-20 is all about. I'm sure you know it. When Jesus met the man possessed, the demons within him cried out, "Jesus, Son of God, what have you to do with us?" They took His power very seriously, and it turned out that they were right to take it seriously... because he drove them into a sizable herd of swine, who then rushed into the lake and drowned... which left 1) a serene man who was now in his right mind, fully clothed, and demon-free, 2) a legion of demons who were no more, and 3) an angry group of pig owners who had lost their money. Indeed, they were so angry that they told Jesus to get out. If allowing Jesus to have his way meant that they would lose their pigs, he had to go... which he did because He doesn't stay where he is not welcome... and the man who was freed asked if he could follow Jesus... because he knew that he was indebted to his Savior. Jesus could have said, "Yes." He often called men to follow him, but instead, he told the man to go home- and experience the joy of being in community, while he told others what God had done for him."
Good for Jesus. Good for the demoniac. Shame of the town folk who put their property first. We could talk about the Greek involved in this passage, or explain where the Gadarenes lived...BUT the better question is: what is God saying to us? Are we in the hands of a demon? Are we out of our minds? Beside ourselves? Have we made a deal with the devil? Are we in over our head? Are we chained to money, addiction, sin, guilt? Is Jesus inviting us to let him drive our demons out? Can we hear Jesus calling us to come and worship him so that he can set us free? Is there a voice within you that keeps crying, "Jesus, O Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me?" I'd like to be free... but not at any cost- not if it means changing my values...or losing my pigs! I'd like a helping hand, Lord, but I don't need to be saved, and I certainly don't want a Master. Martin Luther was fond of saying, "I'm a beggar- that's for sure." and we know that the demoniac was a beggar too. But what about us? Do we see that we're beggars too?
Friends, the real Jesus IS DISRUPTIVE because that's what salvation requires! So, the question is not what the swine owners thought- but what we think. Would we welcome a Jesus who drove our income into the river as he saved just one among us? Are we concerned because Jesus is challenging us to give up our sins... or because he isn't? Is your Jesus small or huge? Does he somehow agree with everything you believe, say, and do... or does he challenge you to ask WWHD! The real Jesus can be very disruptive because he insists on reshaping us. As a dashboard figure, Jesus is delightfully harmless and non-invasive, and I love the picture of a laughing Jesus but our God is not small and we cannot reframe Jesus as an easy-going buddy who understands that we put ourselves first. It's tempting to believe that Jesus is just a good-hearted poet... but this is NOT the real Jesus! This is NOT the Jesus of the Bible! This is NOT the Jesus who hung on Calvary's cross. The real Jesus intrudes in our lives, expects us to forgive more and sin less, stalks us with his presence, and fills our hearts with a nagging sense of right and wrong.
Mainline Christians have a hard time seeing themselves chained to tombstones, or being "possessed by demons." I know that, but I also know that people ARE chained, possessed, and in the hands of forces they cannot control. I know that people look for love in all the wrong places and that many have given their hearts to the lesser gods of this world. I know that many people worship themselves in a loud voice because it's easier than worshiping God. I know that many good people won't raise their hand and say, "Here I am," because they're afraid it will cost them too much. I know that the hell we know may be more comforting than a heaven we can't imagine... but listen- this Jesus who challenges and even torments us... is the Lord of lords... and he can set you free in an instant!
Friends, the real Jesus is a liberator- so come out from behind your desks, your hymnals, your excuses, your gated communities, and your comfort zones. Deep within you, some voice will surely holler out, "Jesus of Nazareth, what do you want with me?" Part of you may feel that way, but the heart of you longs to be free- so take a leap of faith... and discover what He really wants to do with you! It may be nothing more than going back home; it may involve greater service or greater giving; it may involve joining, singing, teaching, tending property, or simply showing up; it may involve telling others how he set you free. He may send you to a distant mission field, or to seminary. I don't know... but I do know that you will receive a full and purposeful life in Christ... and that you will never be chained to anything else again! Amen.
"Jesus, what do you want with me? What are you doing here?" These are the questions that our pride, fear, and demons ask... and I'd like to focus on them today... by referring to Jesus' encounter with the Gerasene demoniac . They had just gotten out of their boat, when a naked and troubled man rushed up to them. He was "out of his mind," "beside himself," "possessed," to the point where he was no longer fit to live in community. He wasn't fit to hold a job, sit around the family table, or act in a civil manner toward others. He wasn't welcome at church, or at town hall meetings, or anywhere else because he had lost control of himself. His family and neighbors couldn't control him, so they chained him to the tombs in a graveyard, but even then, he broke free and ran wild among the hills, crying out in disturbing and frightening ways. No power on earth could break the grip that something evil had on him! He needed to meet Jesus of Nazareth, and that's exactly what Mark 5:1-20 is all about. I'm sure you know it. When Jesus met the man possessed, the demons within him cried out, "Jesus, Son of God, what have you to do with us?" They took His power very seriously, and it turned out that they were right to take it seriously... because he drove them into a sizable herd of swine, who then rushed into the lake and drowned... which left 1) a serene man who was now in his right mind, fully clothed, and demon-free, 2) a legion of demons who were no more, and 3) an angry group of pig owners who had lost their money. Indeed, they were so angry that they told Jesus to get out. If allowing Jesus to have his way meant that they would lose their pigs, he had to go... which he did because He doesn't stay where he is not welcome... and the man who was freed asked if he could follow Jesus... because he knew that he was indebted to his Savior. Jesus could have said, "Yes." He often called men to follow him, but instead, he told the man to go home- and experience the joy of being in community, while he told others what God had done for him."
Good for Jesus. Good for the demoniac. Shame of the town folk who put their property first. We could talk about the Greek involved in this passage, or explain where the Gadarenes lived...BUT the better question is: what is God saying to us? Are we in the hands of a demon? Are we out of our minds? Beside ourselves? Have we made a deal with the devil? Are we in over our head? Are we chained to money, addiction, sin, guilt? Is Jesus inviting us to let him drive our demons out? Can we hear Jesus calling us to come and worship him so that he can set us free? Is there a voice within you that keeps crying, "Jesus, O Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me?" I'd like to be free... but not at any cost- not if it means changing my values...or losing my pigs! I'd like a helping hand, Lord, but I don't need to be saved, and I certainly don't want a Master. Martin Luther was fond of saying, "I'm a beggar- that's for sure." and we know that the demoniac was a beggar too. But what about us? Do we see that we're beggars too?
Friends, the real Jesus IS DISRUPTIVE because that's what salvation requires! So, the question is not what the swine owners thought- but what we think. Would we welcome a Jesus who drove our income into the river as he saved just one among us? Are we concerned because Jesus is challenging us to give up our sins... or because he isn't? Is your Jesus small or huge? Does he somehow agree with everything you believe, say, and do... or does he challenge you to ask WWHD! The real Jesus can be very disruptive because he insists on reshaping us. As a dashboard figure, Jesus is delightfully harmless and non-invasive, and I love the picture of a laughing Jesus but our God is not small and we cannot reframe Jesus as an easy-going buddy who understands that we put ourselves first. It's tempting to believe that Jesus is just a good-hearted poet... but this is NOT the real Jesus! This is NOT the Jesus of the Bible! This is NOT the Jesus who hung on Calvary's cross. The real Jesus intrudes in our lives, expects us to forgive more and sin less, stalks us with his presence, and fills our hearts with a nagging sense of right and wrong.
Mainline Christians have a hard time seeing themselves chained to tombstones, or being "possessed by demons." I know that, but I also know that people ARE chained, possessed, and in the hands of forces they cannot control. I know that people look for love in all the wrong places and that many have given their hearts to the lesser gods of this world. I know that many people worship themselves in a loud voice because it's easier than worshiping God. I know that many good people won't raise their hand and say, "Here I am," because they're afraid it will cost them too much. I know that the hell we know may be more comforting than a heaven we can't imagine... but listen- this Jesus who challenges and even torments us... is the Lord of lords... and he can set you free in an instant!
Friends, the real Jesus is a liberator- so come out from behind your desks, your hymnals, your excuses, your gated communities, and your comfort zones. Deep within you, some voice will surely holler out, "Jesus of Nazareth, what do you want with me?" Part of you may feel that way, but the heart of you longs to be free- so take a leap of faith... and discover what He really wants to do with you! It may be nothing more than going back home; it may involve greater service or greater giving; it may involve joining, singing, teaching, tending property, or simply showing up; it may involve telling others how he set you free. He may send you to a distant mission field, or to seminary. I don't know... but I do know that you will receive a full and purposeful life in Christ... and that you will never be chained to anything else again! Amen.
Monday, August 8, 2016
10 THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS MUST DO
In the 5th chapter of Matthew, Jesus called his disciples aside... and begin to teach them about God's kingdom. Life is different in the kingdom of God, he said. Values are different. Attitudes are different, and things are measured in different ways. In the kingdom, he said, those who are last actually win and those who turn the other cheek are honored. In the kingdom of God, he said, those who mourn will be blessed and those who seek God will be blessed.
He went on to announce other blessings in what is now known as the "beatitudes," but his sermon on the mount went on for three full chapters! It was a long sermon, and in addition to that, Jesus talked about "kingdom living" throughout his ministry... because we are called to live as his people right here on earth. There are many ways in which the kingdom of God differs from the broken world we know,,, but based on his sermon and other things he said, it seems to me that these are some of the things that we are called to do as his community on earth:
1.
We must walk humbly with God... because people who are "full of themselves" or "drunk on their own wine" will not see the kingdom of God;
2.
We must see that we cannot see because there are none as blind as those who cannot see that they are blind. Without God's grace, we are destined to see the world through eyes of self and sin. Without Christ, our vision of who we and our neighbors are... is dim and distorted;
3.
We must mourn for a broken world. We must take time to pray for our broken world... and for the strength to repair our little corner of it. The world is filled with people who are troubled, lost, and empty and with those who are oppressed and abused; and for the strength to do what we can to repair and heal our little corner of it. Everyday, people die in needless ways... and the wounded-ness that comes from all of this sin and death... cries for someone to hear, care, and get involved;
4.
We must seek our God-given vocation. In the theological world, we call it a "calling," but you don't have to be a minister to have a calling. On the contrary, God has equipped each one of us with talents and spiritual gifts... and he has also given us the opportunity to use them for his kingdom here on earth. It may take courage, it may take patience, it may even take preparatory action... but God has a unique work for each one of us;
5.
We must choose faith. We must take a leap of faith because we cannot reason our way to God Reason is not the enemy of faith. God has blessed us with great knowledge and with the ability to solve many problems, but we are not God and we cannot reach God with our own efforts. Indeed, faith goes on where reason falters... and we must choose to believe in things that we cannot explain. After all, the greatest things in life are inexplicable and unmeasurable;
6.
We must be radically inclusive and reach out with utter abandon because there is NO male or female, no young or old, no black or white, no rich or poor, no abled or disabled, no straight or gay ... in Christ. Judgmental and disqualifying barriers are inherently unfaithful;
7.
We must be the salt of the earth and the light of the world because we are the body of Christ on earth. It is our job-our purpose- to give life in all the ways that the world needs life. It is our job to preserve the world... and to flavor it with joy and hope. In Christ, we are the light of the world because there is no other real light!
8.
We must love our neighbors as ourselves... and make forgiving a way of life. As Christians, we must forgive again and again and again... We must forgive until people make fun of us and we feel a little silly about it ourselves ... because God's forgiveness knows no bounds. We must throw our judgments and our scorecards away and immerse ourselves in God's grace alone;
9.
We must trust God and live in the moment alone, letting others carry the burdens of the past and the worries of tomorrow, if they must. We dance with today because today is all that we ever have ... and therefore, we seek God today, we make a decision for Christ today, and we begin to live like a Christian TODAY;
10
Stay the course, Jesus noted. Don't give up. Keep on asking. Keep on praying. Keep on working... to see Christ in others and to "be Christ" to all, especially to the least among us.
Everyone who hears my words and acts on them WILL receive the kingdom of heaven! THIS IS WHAT HE PROCLAIMED. LET THOSE WHO HAVE EARS... HEAR. AMEN.
He went on to announce other blessings in what is now known as the "beatitudes," but his sermon on the mount went on for three full chapters! It was a long sermon, and in addition to that, Jesus talked about "kingdom living" throughout his ministry... because we are called to live as his people right here on earth. There are many ways in which the kingdom of God differs from the broken world we know,,, but based on his sermon and other things he said, it seems to me that these are some of the things that we are called to do as his community on earth:
1.
We must walk humbly with God... because people who are "full of themselves" or "drunk on their own wine" will not see the kingdom of God;
2.
We must see that we cannot see because there are none as blind as those who cannot see that they are blind. Without God's grace, we are destined to see the world through eyes of self and sin. Without Christ, our vision of who we and our neighbors are... is dim and distorted;
3.
We must mourn for a broken world. We must take time to pray for our broken world... and for the strength to repair our little corner of it. The world is filled with people who are troubled, lost, and empty and with those who are oppressed and abused; and for the strength to do what we can to repair and heal our little corner of it. Everyday, people die in needless ways... and the wounded-ness that comes from all of this sin and death... cries for someone to hear, care, and get involved;
4.
We must seek our God-given vocation. In the theological world, we call it a "calling," but you don't have to be a minister to have a calling. On the contrary, God has equipped each one of us with talents and spiritual gifts... and he has also given us the opportunity to use them for his kingdom here on earth. It may take courage, it may take patience, it may even take preparatory action... but God has a unique work for each one of us;
5.
We must choose faith. We must take a leap of faith because we cannot reason our way to God Reason is not the enemy of faith. God has blessed us with great knowledge and with the ability to solve many problems, but we are not God and we cannot reach God with our own efforts. Indeed, faith goes on where reason falters... and we must choose to believe in things that we cannot explain. After all, the greatest things in life are inexplicable and unmeasurable;
6.
We must be radically inclusive and reach out with utter abandon because there is NO male or female, no young or old, no black or white, no rich or poor, no abled or disabled, no straight or gay ... in Christ. Judgmental and disqualifying barriers are inherently unfaithful;
7.
We must be the salt of the earth and the light of the world because we are the body of Christ on earth. It is our job-our purpose- to give life in all the ways that the world needs life. It is our job to preserve the world... and to flavor it with joy and hope. In Christ, we are the light of the world because there is no other real light!
8.
We must love our neighbors as ourselves... and make forgiving a way of life. As Christians, we must forgive again and again and again... We must forgive until people make fun of us and we feel a little silly about it ourselves ... because God's forgiveness knows no bounds. We must throw our judgments and our scorecards away and immerse ourselves in God's grace alone;
9.
We must trust God and live in the moment alone, letting others carry the burdens of the past and the worries of tomorrow, if they must. We dance with today because today is all that we ever have ... and therefore, we seek God today, we make a decision for Christ today, and we begin to live like a Christian TODAY;
10
Stay the course, Jesus noted. Don't give up. Keep on asking. Keep on praying. Keep on working... to see Christ in others and to "be Christ" to all, especially to the least among us.
Everyone who hears my words and acts on them WILL receive the kingdom of heaven! THIS IS WHAT HE PROCLAIMED. LET THOSE WHO HAVE EARS... HEAR. AMEN.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)