Bridge Fixing - Short Accounts

Bridges are great examples of something that is desperately needed to get from one side of something to another. There are all types of course, and some are more for convenience of travel, than connecting people, but all in all, they are important, to say the least. Some we cross over and never look back, and some become part of our lives forever. Bridges are part of life; they connect us, and keep us moving.

We are all travelers through life, and bridges help connect us in ways that would not  be possible otherwise. The greatest bridge ever built, crosses into eternity, and was built by Jesus on the cross. Amazing, but God gave His son and a piece of wood to heal all of humanity’s brokenness, through the breaking of Him, on the cross. That is hard for me. as a dad, to imagine, but God did it. That is why He is God and not someone like me, and we now have access to a Holy and perfect God, through Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross. 

Most relationships happen because two lives are bridged together by something. Unfortunately, we sometimes let a situation or circumstance push us apart, and either we put a divide between us so wide, that no new bridge could help, or we simply burn the one that connected us in the first place. This is all too familiar for some of us. Funny thing is, the cause and effect is rooted in the same thing: pride.

Pride says: “I am right, and you are wrong.” Whatever the reason, anger is the by-product, and anger justifies many a bridge-burning episode. Why burn it? I have counseled many people through reconciliations, and more often than not, the why is forgotten pretty quickly, and usually upon review, apologized for, when people recognize what they had put over the value of their relationship.

If anger is the justification, then time is the fuel for the fire. There is only one way to keep bridges from being destroyed this way – short accounts. Instead of waiting for someone to make the first move, we, as followers of Christ, need to be first-movers, regardless of perceived cause. Why? Because the Bible tells us to…

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)
²⁶ "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

Anger doesn’t fix anything, and as a matter of fact. seems more like a place where the devil can do his best work. We need to remember the completed work of Christ, and instead of looking for reasons to support decisions that hurt others, look for ways to keep and maintain relationships, especially inside the church. Because how can we expect to build bridges to a lost community, when we can’t keep the ones we have with each other?

I helped fix a bridge today, and the funny thing is, it was me that felt fixed…is there some bridge fixin’ you need to get to?

…just prayin’

In His Grip, 

Pastor Pat

On Trial

Struggle much? If you are a human, then you have struggles, because there is only one way to completely avoid struggles in our lives - and it happens when we stop living. I just learned today that someone I knew, and a very active community leader committed suicide...absolute shocking tragedy. As people, how do we get to a place of total hopelessness?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 NIV.

Struggles are a part of life, and we all will experience them whether we want to or not. What matters is not what they are, but how we face them. We can face them as obstacles or opportunities; stumbling blocks or stepping stones = perspective matters. One perspective can lead us to despair and maybe hopelessness, causing us to react, while another perspective can look at them as trials or tests, where we can then respond instead of react. Responding allows the words of this passage become more than words on a page, but a prescription for life's struggles.

This perspective offers us a view so we can see how and what God desires for us, over what Satan does. Satan wants us to sin...to react sinfully to trials and testing. in essence. to prove we have little to no faith, while God wants us to endure things and circumstances, not to sin, and to therefore prove our faith.

Trials and tests are coming, that is just the way it is in the world. But, believe it or not. they are all from God, and our part is all about how we respond or react to them.

First, we can respond faithfully, and this is what God desires most from us. A faith response is proof of the faith believers claim to have - it is the only evidence of, and for, what we say we believe. It is where we put our money where our mouth is, if you will. When we respond this way, it proves our faith, and it gives God the glory.

Second, we can react sinfully, and this is how Satan wants us to react. Where we let emotion and outside factors influence and control our reactions. This is where self-motivation takes the lead, and we want to get any glory.

We are not condemned for reacting, or punished either - what we are is left to suffer the consequences of our choice to react, and we are left wanting, wondering if we could have reacted differently. What we really miss when we react, is the potential blessing that awaits those who avoided the sin reaction, and responded faithfully.

James closes the passage with an interesting phrase, he says:

"...not lacking anything." The greek word used here means "perfect", and James is telling us that by following the prescription and responding faithfully, we will someday be made perfect and claim the ultimate prize of eternal life.

So today...choose to respond with joy to any and all of life's struggles, and see where you find yourself, or better. where He meets you...its where hopeless becomes hopeful.

...just prayin'

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat

Three Ships

What does fellowship mean, or worship, or discipleship these days? These words are thrown around in church circles, like candy from a piñata these days, and they seem to mean whatever the user wants them to mean. Most of the time, the words seem to be used to characterize a normal everyday thing like hanging out over coffee, listening to a Christian song, or quality time spent with a friend. I propose that all of these things are good, but that adding these churchy words to the event, doesn’t change the nature of the event.

Hanging out, listening to music, and quality time with a friend, all are just that, and in themselves, really great things. We seem to be adding the churchy titles to make something else of them…why? I believe it is because there is a God given desire to fellowship, worship, and to disciple others. The problem is, we want to define what each means to us personally, and that is where we seem to go off track. All of these things can produce fellowship, worship, and discipleship, but just because we call them by these names, does not mean that it is happening.

First, biblical fellowship is not just like-interested folks hanging out together. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, which translates partnership, participation, and infers contribution. Old Testament fellowship was with God, and required certain sacrifices be physically made for it to happen. Today, because of the completed work of Christ, when we gather in His name for His glory, fellowship is the by-product. Fellowshipper: Are you participating in groups and with others in the name of Jesus first, and for His glory?

Second, worship should be our response to who God is, and what He has done for us – and can be expressed a multitude of ways. It is not just about music or style of music, but all about how we relate to our Creator. Worshipper: How and when are you worshiping God throughout each day?

Discipleship is the act of making a disciple. The Greek word used for disciple in Scripture is mathetes, which translates to learner (a pupil). Are we disciples? Do mature Christians consider themselves pupils? Or, is the sign of maturity when one becomes the teacher?

Jesus told us to go and make disciples (Matt 28:19), not teachers, or just believers. Maturity is all about your position as a learner, and not defined by how much you learn. As a disciple (learner), we need to help others build their desire to learn (become a disciple). We should not think or teach that the Christian walk is merely destination-based (walk right and get to heaven someday), but that it is a journey. After all, it’s in the journey where we find the evidence of the trip, not just in where we say we are going. Disciple: who are you discipling?

My suggestion is to consider these three “ships” as things we need to focus doing for Jesus, instead of terms to describe things we already do. Then when people see us doing them, what they will see will not look like everything else – it will look like Jesus.

…just prayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat

Amazing Faith

I think I can speak for most of us when I say, we all would want to live amazing lives. Consider that statement, and your mind can, and will, go all over the place as you seek to define “amazing”.

When it comes to life, almost everything we do, is performance based or driven. Think about it: school, sports, dating, careers, etc. We compete for lots of things in life…but why? I am an identical twin, raised in comparison to a genetic equal…it seemed we were made to compete against each other. This got me thinking, and recently I have been really looking at this desire, or need, we all seem to have, to compete: this desire to be amazing.

I have always wanted to have an amazing life, and to be an amazing person, an amazing pastor. But as I focused on the word amazing, it came to me that amazing is in the hand or eyes of the viewer, not the doer. Amazing is what we experience and choose to define as amazing, and what is amazing to one person may not be amazing to another. So I started thinking: whom am I looking to amaze? Silence…

Did you know that twice in Scripture, Jesus was amazed? Holy smokes!!! So if I am gonna choose to amaze someone then, I want to amaze Jesus…is this even possible? Look at these two verses (bold and italics are added by me for emphasis):

Luke 7:9 (NIV)
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Mark 6:6 (NIV)
And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

Let’s break these verses down: Jesus was amazed once by someone’s great faith, and once by someone’s lack of faith. That’s not some complicated, deep, theological concept that is impossible to attain, is it? So now what?

I think I am going to stop trying to amaze others, and focus on amazing Jesus…then the only thing I need to focus on is my faith. Why not join me, it just might be the most amazing thing you will ever do.

…just prayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat

Prove It!

Most everyone has heard of a patent, or at least seen the term, patent (Pat.) pending, on the back of something. This is a legal vehicle by which we can protect a product from being duplicated by someone else. There are hundreds of thousands of patents, applied for and granted, each year. But, did you know that a patent is not really a patent, until it is upheld in court? That is correct, until one can “prove” that the patent has been infringed on, it is just a piece of paper – and often a very expensive one at that.

Our faith is the same way, and unless you “prove” it, how does anyone (including yourself), know that you have it? Most people do claim to have some faith, and we all too often, compare actions with levels or quantity of a person’s faith, as to their ability to do something. Jesus told us that quantity does not matter, and that as long as you have some, (even a tiny mustard seed size piece-Matt. 17:20), you have enough.

Proving one’s faith happens everyday and in a multitude of ways. God provides us opportunities to show we are faithful all the time. Problem is, Satan wants us to be tempted to sin at the same moment. I am not just talking about right and wrong choices, but the “feel” good ones. Sin is not just a black or white choice; sin is often a feeling choice – what is going to feel better. This is a pride thing, about what we believe is best for us – like God doesn’t know, and the bow that wraps the box that sin comes in, is pleasure – what feels best.

On the other hand, God cannot tempt us to sin. God does not challenge us to make mistakes. He provides opportunities to “prove” our faith. God wants us to respond faithfully, and when we do, is not for God…it is for US. We benefit by first realizing we have the faith to do the right thing, regardless of how it might feel, and secondly, to prove to others watching, we have it as well.

Every trial, temptation, problem, or crisis is another opportunity to show off our faith. I guess it really comes down to how you feel about it: you will either respond how you do because of your feelings, or in spite of them.

…just prayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat