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Hurt So Good

29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Philippians 1:29

The American Pop Philosopher, John Cougar Mellencamp sang, “Sometimes love don’t feel like it should. You make it, hurt so good”. Somehow, I don’t think John was talking about Jesus – but he was right. Jesus can make our suffering and pain hurt so good. Suffering can actually breed strength. Sounds ironic, doesn’t it?

The world doesn’t comprehend such thinking. In the eyes of the world, suffering often means weakness, or at least bad luck. But, the New Testament turns the wisdom of the world upside down. The Philippian people were suffering for their new found faith in Jesus Christ. Indeed St. Paul was writing from prison, and for nothing more than being a Christian. Suffering seems to be the common denominator uniting all followers of Jesus through the ages.

Why is it we are called to suffer? Because Jesus suffered, and the servant is not greater than his master. Paul speaks of our suffering as something we are “granted”, as if it’s a privilege similar to the gift of faith. Sadly, many do not see suffering as a gift from God. In fact, we often pray to avoid suffering and pain.

While we shouldn’t go looking for suffering, it’s imperative that we not try to avoid it when it comes. Suffering, when properly understood is redemptive. We can take comfort in knowing that in all suffering we have the resurrection power of Jesus to sustain us. God will not allow a burden of suffering, for which He also does not give the strength to endure.

The strength to endure suffering in any form, is the strength of Christ at work in us; it is the redeeming power of the cross, and the triumphant power of the resurrection. Could there be a greater compliment? Our Father has trusted us with the character to live as over-comers, even as did Jesus. So remember, if you are currently suffering, you’re not alone. All who suffer unite at the Cross of Christ, for it has been granted to us, even as our faith.

And remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

 

Prayer

God of all mercy, help me not to avoid the suffering I am called to endure in this life. But, rather help me to unite my suffering with your cross that others may come to see you, and I may come to know you better. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: http://myat40.wikia.com/wiki/John_Cougar:Hurts_So_Good

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The Life You’re Meant to Live

“21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

I think if St. Paul had heard Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry”, he would have included those lyrics in the Book of Philippians. Can’t you just heart it… “Don’t worry, be happy”! I often meet Christian people who are so caught up in their cares and problems they don’t really enjoy life. I must confess…I’ve been there too. When that happens, we need to be reminded of Paul’s words – “To live is Christ”.

As followers of Jesus, we need to follow Him in all our being, not just in belief. Our faith should make all the difference in how we approach this life. Paul is saying that to live in this world is to live as Christ would live in it. That doesn’t mean we never have cares and concerns, Jesus had many. Remember His agony in the garden? And, how about all those long nights spent in prayer instead of sleeping? It means we don’t let our cares steal our joy.

“To live is Christ” means we live with an eternal optimism that no matter what happens to us in this world, we will make it through. The power of the resurrection is the power of His Spirit within us to overcome all obstacles. And, even if we die trying, guess what… “to die is gain”!

Sometimes we fail to live with the assurance that death isn’t the end of life, it’s the beginning. Only in death will we fully realize the power of the resurrection, when God raises up even our physical bodies from the grave to life eternal. When we leave this world behind, we also leave time behind. It will seem as if in the twinkling of an eye we’ll all be together again in the resurrection on the last day, until then remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, restore to me the joy of my salvation. Help me to see you and your victory in all I face in this world, until at last I am victorious with you in Heaven. Amen. Alleluia!

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When the Ugly Becomes Beautiful

“12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,”

Do you live with regret for things in your past? Most people do, but a sad way to live. Certainly no one’s past is perfect, and their will always be things of a sinful nature we wish we hadn’t done. But, what about the testimony of the gospel to make something beautiful out of something ugly?

We serve a God who has promised to make all things in our lives work for good, somehow, someway (Rom. 8:28). It may be hard to see how some of your past can actually lead to something good, especially the deep, hurtful things. But, think about it with me for a moment. You wouldn’t be who you are today if not for those things

I know someone reading this can say “But what about that horrible violent thing that happened to me?” Of course, you wish that hadn’t happened…but it did. And, God wants to use ALL of your past to make you who He wants you to be. The testimony of who you are in Christ today is so much stronger because of what you’ve been through. God has redeemed your life from the pit.

St. Paul was writing the Philippians from Jail. Jail is certainly embarrassing. Today if one our church leaders was put in jail, we’d probably wonder what they did wrong. Well, like your past, it’s not always about what you did wrong. Sometimes bad things happen to innocent people, like Paul…perhaps like you.

Paul was confident the gospel message he preached was going to be even stronger because of his chains. We too can know that God wants to use our entire life’s testimony as a powerful witness to His resurrection power. Go ahead. Hold your head high no matter what you’ve done in the past. Our God is in the business of making something beautiful out of something ugly. Remember, you’re a child of the King, He loves you, and so do I.

And remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Father of all mercy, thank you for saving my life from the pit. Thank you for making me your beautiful child. Help me to be a witness to your resurrecting, and remaking power in this lost and broken world. Amen. Alleluia!

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The Secret of Fruitfulness

“10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ,to the glory and praise of God.”

Perfection, for us humans, can only be found within the context of Jesus’ resurrection. Quite often, we don’t even try to live a perfect life because it seems futile. We are reminded over and over each day that we are fallible. But, the life of Christ calls us to be sincere in our efforts for righteousness.

It seems we too often forget that all our “fruits of righteousness” are “by Jesus Christ,”. Without the resurrection power of Jesus at work in our hearts we have nothing with which to truly praise God. He raised us up in His power to live righteous and holy lives; that’s the message of new life in Christ that comes to us at Easter. Should we not then try to live holy?

The power of the resurrection was actualized in the life of the first believers on the day of Pentecost. The risen Christ had ascended but He had not left them alone, and neither does He leave us alone. We have the Holy Spirit who brings resurrection power to our lives; He is the secret power of our fruitfulness.

I find great hope in St. Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians to “approve the things that are excellent,” and to “live without offense”. If you aren’t seeing any fruitfulness in your life, perhaps you haven’t discovered the right source of power – the secret of His fruitfulness. As you begin a new day, won’t you consider how you should be living. Put your trust in Jesus to bring His fruits to bear in your life.

Remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Lord of life, you call all people to be holy. Show me the fruit of your resurrection blooming in my life, that I may approve all things that are excellent to the glory of your Name. Amen. Alleluia!

image credit: http://www.revelatrium.com/all-fruitfulness-flows-from-intimacy-theres-no-other-place-to-get-it/

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What’s Love Got To Do With It?

 “9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,”

Grammy Award winner, Tina Turner asked a question we all need to consider when we think about living in the power of the resurrection. Her 1984 hit single asked, “What’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a sweet old fashioned notion?” Sadly, Tina was asking her questions with a broken heart and broken hearts rarely tell the truth; they simply tell us how we feel in the moment. But, God has a word for us today about love.

Love is the essence of God, and it’s more than just a “second hand emotion”. God shares his love with us, and through his resurrection power we participate in it. The more we learn about God, the closer we grow to Him. The closer we grow to Him, the more we love Him. And, the more we love Him, the more we love his world and everything in it.

St. Paul prayed for the Philippians’ love to “abound still more and more”. He knew if they could grow in love, they would become more Christ like. Living out the love of Christ is what wins the lost and overcomes evil. We all need love – the love of God as well as one another.

Broken hearts hurt. Human love will let us down, but God’s love knows no bounds. Does your heart hurt? If so, let God’s love heal it; it’s not a second hand emotion, it’s THE greatest emotion of all. As you journey through this Easter season, let the love of God well in you richly until it overflows like a river out of bounds. Like a flood, the waters of God’s love will fill every place and cannot be held back.

Remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Loving Heavenly Father, I want to know the depth of your love. Heal me through your love such that it may overflow through me to others. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-star-cinema/photos/2014/05/weekend-movie-marathon-may-31.html

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You Can Do It!

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

How confident are you in your Christian faith? I meet people all the time who believe in Jesus, but live as though they’re not really sure about all His promises. You know, promises like He’ll never leaving us, always hearing our prayers, and the big one – “I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13) If you can resonate with those doubts, today’s devotion is just for you.

If we are ever going to live the victorious Christian life in the power God, we must be confident people; not over confident in ourselves, that would be arrogant. But, confident in the work Christ began in us when He regenerated us by His Holy Spirit. St. Paul knew the Philippians needed that confidence, and so do we.

God doesn’t do anything half-way. When we experienced Gods’ saving grace, at whatever point in life that happened, we entered into “new life” in Christ. In our “new life”, we were made into a, “new creation”. The old self is gone. The old self didn’t have the power to be confident in Christ, but the new one does; it does so because it comes in the resurrection power of Christ. The power that raised Christ physically, raises us spiritually.

Today, if you are “in Christ”, you can be confident that through all things you will face, you will have victory in Jesus. There will never be a day when God is not at work in you. Remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Gracious Father, thank you for saving me, and for giving me your resurrection power to face all things. Help me to be confident in your power at work in me. Amen. Alleluia!

image credit: http://humansareweird.com/2012/12/27/are-you-lacking-in-self-confidence/

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It’s More Than A Potluck Dinner

It’s More Than a Potluck Dinner

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

Some mistakenly think that God has given us new life in Christ just so that we can avoid eternal damnation in Hell, and live forever in Heaven. The mistake isn’t in believing those who are in Christ will escape Hell and inherit Heaven, (It’s true) but rather it’s in thinking this is the primary reason for salvation. The primary reason for our salvation is to restore our “fellowship” with God our Creator. And, to be restored to fellowship with God is to be restored to fellowship with the entire body of Christ; indeed, even all of humanity.

St. Paul points out the importance of this “fellowship”. The Greek word rendered here as “fellowship” is “koinonia”, which means far more than simply hanging out together or having a potluck dinner. The Greek meaning speaks to real communion, a sharing or participating in one another; with our God, and with each other. Such communion is only possible by the power of the resurrection.

The power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that gives eternal life to our mortal bodies, and binds us together as the body of Christ. So, the fellowship we share is rightly said to be in “the gospel”, not just in our own human connecting. In Christ, we have a real solidarity with humanity, regardless our sex, race, or creed. His resurrection power is what breaks down our walls and brings reconciliation.

To be in Christ is to be raised from the dead, for He has trampled down all death, by His own death. He has given us the power of His resurrection, but it remains for each us to awake to that power, and daily live in it. So, the next time you’re feeling powerless, remember the resurrection power which is at work within you.

Christ is Risen!

+Pastor Brad

Father, open my eyes that I may see and know the power of your resurrection that is at work in me, in my communion with You, and all humanity. Amen. Alleluia!

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Raised from the Ashes: Easter Sunday

Raised from the Ashes: Easter Sunday

 

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;”

Zephaniah 3:17

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20

empty tomb Christ is risen

What is the one thing in your life you wish you could do, but don’t know how you will ever be able? Think about it for a minute. Nothing is impossible with God; Easter Sunday proved that statement. The resurrection of Jesus should not have happened, but it did. He was dead, completely dead. Satan had won, or so it appeared.

But, there was always one thing Satan hadn’t counted on. God, by virtue of who He is, cannot die…completely. All Satan could do was kill the flesh of Jesus, His incarnate person. But, because Jesus is also God, He had the power to raise himself from the dead (John 10:18). And, when we believe in Christ and die to ourselves, we too are raised in that victory.

On Easter Sunday, we not only celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we celebrate the victory we have in Jesus; victory over temptation and sin, and yes, even victory over death. If we live for Christ, then we will die with Him, and if we die with Him, we will live forever with Him.

So what is it that you wish you could do in this life, but don’t think you can? Jesus is your victory over all obstacles. If what you desire is what God desires for you…He will do it. You need only live surrendered to His will, seeking His will for your life, and believe.

Jesus’ cross and resurrection was not only the greatest act of love, it was a gift, a gift of victory and power. St. Paul reminds us that we can know Jesus in the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10). But, you must not forget that you will often come to know that resurrection power through fellowship in His sufferings. Things won’t always be good. Things won’t always work out the way you want or think they should.

However, if you live completely surrendered to His will, you will always have victory. Jesus is your warrior. He never stops fighting for you. He rejoices over you, and renews you in His love. Today, celebrate the greatest gift, the gift of eternal life won by His victory over the grave. His victory has raised you from the ashes!

Grace & Peace for a Holy Week,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Good Friday

“14 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me.”

Psalm 40:14

Read Psalm 40

Holy Week By Pastor Brad msc-1

The Goodness of Death

Is there anything more certain than death? It feels so certain because it comes to all people with no respect of person; young and old, rich and poor…no one escapes. Yet, such certainty is unfounded. 1983 years ago today (as best calendars can determine), death met its match. On that Good Friday, the hope of the world hung dying on a Roman Cross, and after six hours it appeared death had won. After hours of agony and untold torture, Jesus gave up his life, and surrendered to death.

However, we know the rest of the story. Death for Jesus was not final – but it was real. We have now come to the last two days of our 40-day journey through Lent. And while we know the rest of the story of Jesus, we must not rush to the cross too soon. Today is a day to consider death; a subject we admittedly try to avoid, but we must not.

Can Death Be Meant for Good?

Good Friday is a time for each of us to consider our own death, for it will come, and quite often far too soon. Today is a day we especially hear the line of the Lord’s Prayer, “…and deliver us from evil.” When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and death entered our world, Satan meant it for evil, but God has turned it for our good. If you’ve recently lost a loved one to death (I recently lost my father to death), you may not hear my words about it today as meant for good; yet, that is what God has done.

It is good that God allows death, for it is in death that we are born to real life. To live in this world, as we know it now, would be reality and eternal death. His mercy comes to us by putting an end to our sufferings in this world, as those who through faith in Jesus Christ enter an eternal life, never to die again, never to be sick again, never to experience pain and suffering again. But, none of this would be true were it not for the death of Jesus on that Good Friday so long ago.

On that good day, for those who will believe, death changed from an eternal state, to a process of transformation. We see that process now, from only one side of the window. St. Paul says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Knowing that death is God’s plan to deliver us from evil, we can pray with the Psalmist, “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me.” In order to be raised, we must first fall…but do not fear, God is faithful to raise us from the ashes.

 

Grace & Peace for a Holy Week,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Holy Week – Thursday

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

Read John 1:1-13

Holy Week By Pastor Brad msc-1

A Night of Shadows

(From my Tenebrae Service Homily)

As we gather tonight in the shadows, we hear the words of scripture and we let our hearts and minds meditate on what it might have been like for Jesus and his disciples that Maundy Thursday night so, long ago. Everything they believed in and had spent three years learning to build, seemed destroyed in a matter of moments.

Of course we know it was not destroyed. Rather, it was changing…changing from an earthly, regional ministry of proclaiming the gospel, (which itself had to give way to death, in order to be raised up) into a life transforming ministry that would sweep the world for all of time to come. That change was only three days away, but must have seemed like forever as they scattered into the shadows in fear.

But, that night, the night on which Jesus was betrayed and arrested, there was only shadows…shadows of betrayal, agony, accusation, and death.

Tonight as we remember, let us contemplate the shadows that may be looming over our own lives. Perhaps some of you tonight have been living in the shadows. The shadows may be many; pain, disappointment, fear, broken relationships, perhaps even the shadow of death. Tonight, let us remember that no shadow can exist for long in the light of Christ’s presence.

It only seems as if the shadows have overcome us, but in John 1 we are reminded that, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomea it.” (John 1:4-5)

John goes on to speak about our fellowship with this great light in his first epistle. He says it is the message he heard from Jesus himself, and he is now declaring it to those who read his letter, and he declares it to us tonight.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John: 5-7)

We Must Choose to See the Light

John tells us we have a choice tonight. We can choose to walk in the darkness that inevitably falls upon us in this fallen world…or, we can choose to see a light that pierces the darkness. By faith we can claim the light of Christ and know that that light will shine in ever increasing measure in our lives as it dispels all darkness, until one day, one day we find ourselves in the light of his everlasting glory for all eternity. But, until that day comes, the choice is ours.

Tonight let us choose Light, even though we shall leave this room in a little while in darkness. And, just as the darkness didn’t last forever in the lives of the disciples, so too it will not last forever in our lives. We must choose to look for the light. I assure you…it is there. It is here.

There is however, one shadow in which we must forever stand. We stand in it because it’s shadow covers the known world, it’s inescapable. It’s the shadow of the Cross of Jesus Christ. God has shone his glorious uncreated light down upon the cross that all would see it and have hope.

It is in that shadow, the shadow of Calvary we come tonight in this service to bring all our others shadows, all our darkness and despair, all our sin and shame, and we sacrifice them to His Cross.

And, it is in that shadow that the blood of Calvary still flows, and the tide of that flow will raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Week,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6