bad news/unshakeable faith

I got word yesterday that Mackenzie Lee's dad has been diagnosed with cancer. Mac is a student from Cedar Crest who drives the white van with the flames on the sides. Her family is all up in Maine. Her parents were here at Solid Rock just last week...dad smiling and happy to be visiting his daughter. From what Mac has told me and from the few times I've met them, they are strong in their faith.......

Mac used the word "aggressive" is describing the cancer....just 8 days ago he seemed fine. I guess you never know what's around the corner. Can't be easy sitting in college classes when you're dad has cancer 4 states away....

The whole thing brings Jesus' words about house construction front and center.

MT 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

What you build in good times, you lean on in hard times. If what you built is strong, it will support you when the storm comes. If what you built is weak, well.....

My marriage, my kids, my friends, my Jesus. Now is the time to work on these. Yeah, times might be tough, but budget problems are nothing. If cancer is like the storm describes by Jesus above, than financial problems are like fog--they make moving forward a hassle, but if you're careful, you can make it.

What is neat, and is something I'm glad to share is that Mac's moms email was filled with faith. She knows she is not alone. She shared how God was preparing her for this news as she did her devotions the days before the doctors appointment. She was led to mediate on James 1:2ff for three days in a row.

It's apparent that her house is built upon the rock. The Lee's have passed this faith down to her daughter, and this faith will sustain them throughout this storm.

Let's keep Mac's parents (Dick & April) in prayer. Let's huddle around Mac and walk with her on her journey.

grace & blessings

pjim

"Jesus is a Friend of Mine" by Sonseed

I'm not sure how to take this video. Is this a goof? Or...gulp...are they serious? There are just too many things that made me goof as I watched this. Please do not show it to anyone outside the walls of the church.

"In between" times

After I do this, if I don't go downstairs and respond to like 6 emails (which I should do), I'm gonna either read the book of Jonah or read an article on the book of Jonah. Jonah is such an interesting book, and I'm not even thinking about the stupid fish, which takes the focus away from the important matters in the book. I remember having a conversation which a group of Free Methodist pastors and asking the question: "can a good Free Methodist not believe in a literal interpretation of the book of Jonah?" But I digress.....

Jonah will be the last prophet we consider in the prophets sermon series. The end of a sermon series is always a depressing time for me. You get into the subject matter, build up momentum and then "poof", it's over, and you're like "what am I gonna do now?" For two months I was focused and on-task. I felt the "yes!" of God. I knew what He was calling me to do and I was doing it. Now I'm getting back to square one and awaiting my new assignment.

It's an "in-between time" for me.

I do trust that God has good things around the corner, and that the next crop of sermons will be just as meaningful, but these times are still hard because you just don't know what God has up His sleeve.

And it's hard not to know.

grace & blessings

pjim

ps. I'm pretty sure the next series will come out of the gospels.

They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard

I want to make a few comments on yesterdays festivities at Solid Rock Church.

1. I thought it was funny.

2. Derrick was appropriately disciplined for his actions, though he will be allowed another opportunity to work the computer during the service.

3. Part of me rejoices that he felt...umm...comfortable enough to even consider pulling off a stunt like that. It says something about the DNA of Solid Rock. Some churches are too stiff, coming across as hyper-religious. Others are too scripted, coming across as Hollywood productions. Both create an atmosphere that equates performance with acceptance.

But Solid Rock is different. There are many churches I know where I would be absolutely floored to hear of something like this happening. But, looking back, I'm not floored that it happened to us. It actually kinda fits. While I'm not exactly asking for future messages to be displayed during my sermon, I do find something attractive about a church where this kind of thing is not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Mischievous 10 year olds pulling pranks on their fathers is part of life. It's real. It served as a reminder to us on Sunday that we don't take a vacation from real-life when we walk into the doors of a church. That's a good thing.

That being said, just ask Derrick, I'm not eager to see it happen anytime soon.

grace & blessings
pjim

a personal rant on marketing to Christians

So I'm going through the latest CBD catalog and I see that they came out with the "Christian" version of the movie High School Musical. I also saw the Christian version of guitar hero, the Christian version of Barbie, and the Christian version of American Girl dolls. I could probably keep going but my reactionary son took the catalog and threw it in the fire.

This stuff kind of weirds me out. Who makes these decisons? "Hey, rubiks cube is popular, why don't we put a cross on it and market it to Christians. We'll call it the Jesus Cube. The Jesus Cube--many possibilities but only one true answer.

I don't know why it bothers me so, but there is just something not right about it. Something that would really bother the Old Testament prophets. My daughter has the "Christian" version of an American Girl doll, which looks exactly like her evil-secular-worldy counterpart, except that this one carries a bible. Yipee! They even have the christian version of Harlequin romance novels.

I kinda think that Jehovah has something different in mind when He gave us the command to "be holy".

Personally, I think that whoever creates these products has tapped into a deeper truth about our little subculture called the American Evangelical Church--that we want everything the "world" has, but are to proud or self-righteous to admit it. So we give the product a slight tinker, throw a bible verse on it, and they're selling it at Hackman's.

This is the Israelites all over again. When Joshua led them into the promised land,their biggest temptation was to fit-in with the world around them. Not totally abandon their way of life (the Lord, etc.), but adapt it to fit-in with their neighbors. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, to live with one foot in two worlds.

We are the people of Israel.

I love the game monopoly. I hope they come out with a christian version soon so I can play without feeling guilty. Oh, wait, they already have one--Bibleopoly. I love playing rummy. I was so relieved when they finally made cards featuring people like Moses and David. They use cards with pictures of kings in queens in....gulp....bars.

Jesus endorses more products these days than Tiger Woods. I wonder how He feels about it? Do you think he is pleased with the "Jesus Saves" piggy bank which sanctifies saving money like no other bank and can be yours for the low price of $10.99?

Someone call me when they come out with the christian version of of the big mac.

grace & blessings,
pjim

God and matchmaking

Do you think God plays matchmaker? That He has "that special person" He created "just for you"? I guess if you are married, the point is kind of moot. But it's a big question for single folks. Is there one person walking around this earth that God intends for them to marry, and they just haven't bumped into them yet? And if they marry "the wrong person", it won't work out?

It's a common notion, and I was asked a little while back what I thought about it. Without serious thought, I said that I didn't believe it was true.

With just a little serious thought, I still think it is true.

Hosea's story seems to support this. If you remember from Sunday, God told him to go and marry an "adulterous" woman (some translations say "prostitute"). But that is where the directions end. God doesn't tell him WHO to marry, just WHAT to marry (what as in the type of person). While Hosea 1 doesn't provide a lot of details, the context seems to argue against God making a direct match between Hosea and his adulterous wife, Gomer. She just happened to be who Hosea choose.

I looked at a number of places where marriage, or married people, are mentioned and found nothing to support the notion that one man was the God-ordained "one" for a particular woman.

The exception is Issac and Rebekah in Genesis 24:14. Yes, Isaac's servant does indeed pray, "let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac", but I'm not entirely comfortable laying a theology of relationships on that one verse. (well there's also Adam and Eve, but when you are the only man and there is only one woman....).

The bible is clear that love is a decision, a conscious choice a person makes. Therefore, I believe that any man can marry any woman and it can work*, and God will help it work...if they base their love not on fireworks, but commitment. I've seen marriages where it was the case of two similar people madly in love, and I've seen marriages that epitomize the slogan "opposites attract". If both husband and wife agree on the centrality of Jesus and the foundation of love being a decision, than their marriage can be considered "God's will".


This opens the door to some much deeper issues about freedom and the perfect will of God. I've got no desire to go there right now.

grace & blessings...
pjim


*one must not overlook the mandate against being unequally yolked. As with Hosea, God gives us the what but not the who.

Divine Guidance

Great mens b'fast this morning. Thanks to Kevin and Steve for putting it together. We discussed Amos 7, which is always cool.

I've been reading a book by E. Stanley Jones called A Song of Ascents. Jones was an influential Methodist missionary back in the 1940's-50's. He was close to Gandhi and generally considered a spiritual giant to Evangelical Christians.

At one point he goes off on divine guidance; how God leads us. He calls the chapter "An Adventure in Failure". I found his words helpful, you might too.

Jones says that God leads us in five ways:

1. Through the life, character, and teaching of Jesus Christ.
"we must be Christlike.....suspect and reject any supposed guidance that doesn't fit in with
the character and teachings of Jesus. A very good first choice.

2. Through the counsel of good people.
"the way is often clear, but not final. We cannot take the judgment of others as final."

3. Through opening providence.
I (me, pjim) would call this "open doors"

4. Through "heightened moral intelligence"
He points out Gods call to love Him with all our minds. He also points to Jesus saying "can
you not judge for yourselves that which is right?" I (me, pjim) wonder if sometimes we ask
God to guide us about something and He replies to the tune of, "you can figure that one out
yourself."

5. Through the inner voice.
Same thing as the Holy Spirit, only less spiritual sounding. He talks about distinguishing
between the voice of God and our own subconscious voice/desires. "The inner voice of
the subconscious argues with you, tries to convince you; but the inner voice of God does not
argue, does not try to convince you. It just speaks and is self-authenticating. It has the feel
of the voice of God within it. "The sheep follow him: for they know his voice."

Regarding the inner voice he says that he does not use the inner voice largely or exclusively as his method of guidance. He says that if you rely on the inner voice too much, you are likely to "manufacture that voice from the subconscious and call it the voice of God." "So I put up my question marks when someone persistently and continuously says, "God said to me...". It is too slick, too glib." After these comments, he goes on to tell a few stories about times when he thought he was hearing the voice of God, but it turned out to be his own desires, pretending to be God.

.......

Interesting.



grace & blessings

pjim

On my wall

They say you can tell a lot about someone by looking at what's on the wall above their desk. Here goes:

12 o'clock: announcements schedule (Kevin is on this week)

1 o'clock: list of effective pitch counts for starters and relievers in my simulated historical baseball game, from pitchers rated "excellent" down to "poor". (starting a team on Monday with the likes of Walter Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Mike Schmidt, and Gene Tenace)

4 o'clock: pastor appreciation poster Emily made for me a few years ago

6 o'clock: The eight principles of Celebrate Recovery

8 o'clock: Breakdown of John 10--Jesus' words about the good shepherd (it is a leadership thingy)

v. 2 The shepherd enters through the gate
Leaders must ascend appropriately

v. 3 The shepherd speaks first
Leaders must intentionally reach out

v. 3 The shepherd calls his sheep by name
Leaders must know who they are leading

v. 4 The shepherd gathers his flock
Leaders must unify

v. 4 The shepherd walks ahead of his sheep
Leaders must lead

v. 4-5 The Shepherd is familiar to the sheep
Leaders must not be strangers

v. 11 The Shepherd is willing to sacrifice for his sheep
Leaders must serve


9 o'clock: breakdown of the Lord's Prayer

10 o'clock: picture Tori drew of baseball player with the score: Red Sox 1000 Yankees 40

11 o' clock: AWANA Schedule (regular night tonight)



So there you go.

grace & blessings
pjim

The Esrom Journey

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers,
even though they are strangers to you.
3 John 5

I'm filling out forms for Esrom and Deborah to help them get a job in the Bethlehem School District. Background checks for the FBI, stuff like that. I'm still not sure if Esrom is his first name or last. I put it as last on the form. I think that's right.

In only a little under a year in America, they are doing quite well. Esrom has been working regularly at the South Mall, Enock has been working at the Fairgrounds, and Celestin (from the other family) has been working at Liberty Recycling. Not once have I heard a bad report about anything work related. (The Bethlehem School District jobs would provide the opportunity to move into a full-time with benefits position).

The whole crew is now the Solid Rock church cleaning team, Zawadi and Louange are attending AWANA on Thursday nights, Esrom preached a few months ago and will be a guest at our leadership team meeting this Sunday...they have effectively become part of the Solid Rock family (we need to get them up to sing again!).

It hasn't been an easy road, but they've never been without a smile. They still carry wounds from the bitterness they've left behind. They are still adjusting to a completly new world. They still don't have a whole heck of a lot. But with all that said, I still find myself envious of them at times, because their love for Jesus is so uncomplicated.

I know, I know...be careful of what you ask for because you just might get it. But herein lies the tension in which I find myself. I'm addicted to my life and the comforts thereof. Some people say "I could give it all up easily." I don't know if I could. Yet at the same time I really do believe that the way of the Master does not involve half the stuff I think I need to be happy. I really do believe that.

Now... please go away so I can listen to my high-definiton worship CD and eat cereal in my warm house. And of course, write some emails or take calls from any of the 4 phone numbers that ring in this house.


grace & blessings
pjim


PS. Please remember to pray for Enoch. He has been having real problems with his ears and his hearing has gotten very bad. Almost deaf bad. Last I heard he was going to have tubes put in his ears but the medics were not even sure that would help.

2 Chronicles 18--having the guts to tell it like it is

Here I am blogging during the Superbowl. Well, somebody has to carry the spiritual weight around here! Kurt Warner will remember that interception forever. That was the game right there. If that was the Patriots, the defender would have let himself get tackled because they win like real men.

Enough of that. I want to get back to 2 Chronicles 18 and the prophet Micaiah.

We left off talking about how King Ahab hated Micaiah because he never prophesied anyting good about him.

So one of the kings messengers fetches Micaiah and on their way to the castle the messenger offers some advice to the prophet in v. 12. "The other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word speak with theirs, and speak favorably."

Pressure. Peer pressure. Just go with the flow. Say what works and go home in one piece. I would be so tempted to take the advice.

But Micaiah (after some persuading from Ahab) tells him what the Lord has told him. Not only will Ahab's army lose, but Ahab will die in the process. I can picture the messenger cringing as Micaiah was talking. "Dude, what are you doing??!! What do you got a death wish or something?"

For his effort Micaiah gets a slap in the face (v. 23) and is thrown in jail. All in a days work.

What if Micaiah just went along with everyone? God would have surely forgiven him and he would have slept in his own bed that night. But Micaiah would have none of it.

I am so impre.ssed with the guts these prophets had. Even if they went kicking and screaming (which Jeremiah did), they STILL went against the grain in a way that produced much suffering. I haven't encountered too many people like that in my life.

I feel torn right now. Part of me is asking/hoping that God never calls me to something like this. I want absolutley nothing to do with it. Part of me is pulled towards it because, in my warped mind, I believe there is unique joy in this kind of suffering. (I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death... Philippians 3:10). And another part of me feels like God has been calling me to something like this for a long time and is waiting patiently for me to stop running.

This sermon series has given me the opportunity to walk alongside some men who loved God with wreckless abandon. Guys whose feet were firmly planted in the Kingdom of God. While it's not exactly finished, I do praise God for what He has been teaching ME through it. The author of Hebrews totally nails the prophets:

Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Hebrews 11:36-38

the world was not worthy of them--agreed.

I have this gnawing feeling that I'm only scratching the surface....

grace & blessings and congrats to Steeler fans

pjim