BLeach

For your Christmas critical thinking pleasure...

Our church is located in a highly populated Jewish area.  One of the Rabbis I've spent time with emailed me these two articles in which two scholars debate the birth place of Jesus.  One of them argues for Bethlehem, the other for Nazareth.

It's interesting reading.  Additionally, I think it's helpful to read authors with differing points of view, particularly historians and scholars.  It helps keep our critical thinking skills sharp.

To me, the geography of Jesus early life is one of the most convincing proofs of His unique identity.  The Old Testament prophets predicted that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, spend time as a refugee in Egypt, and grow up in Nazareth.  It's breathtaking to observe how first century politics played into the fulfillment of these promises.

So faith-building to see how God used seemingly out of control events to orchestrate his plan.

What happens in a community when the church stops offering people Jesus?  Burger King figured out the answer.

Connecting our City to Christ.  That sums up the mission of our church.  We are founded by Jesus, for Jesus, in order to give Jesus to the people of Metro Detroit.  We don't operate from a missional menu.  Churches without Jesus are like BK's without the Whopper.

Pointless.

Today I came across a riveting thought that originated with Peter Kuzmic (a brilliant missionary from Eastern Europe).  He describes the mission of the church with a beautiful picture.

The missional role of the church is to wash the face of Jesus.

Just as a few Roman soldiers spit in Jesus face during his crucifixion, His features continue to be muddied today from a variety of sources.  University professors, philosophy textbooks, and even self-righteous religious types make His face almost indistinguishable to many of our neighbors. 

Enter the church.  We humbly wash our Savior's face.  We bring His true features to light.  And we make Him visible again to those who have never seen and others who have never wanted to see.

What Did Jesus Do?

--Christopher Wright (Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament)

My title at our church is Lead Pastor.  That might be misleading.  I'm actually an under-shepherd.  I'm an apprentice.  I'm a steward and a disciple.

Spiritual leaders aren't large and in charge.  Quite the opposite.  Our leadership isn't guaranteed by people under us.  It's secured by the One over us.

The leadership of Jesus has real priority implications for spiritual leaders.  We learn before we teach.  We repent before we counsel.  We listen before we talk.  We pray before we plan.  Jesus sets our pace.

We can't lead anyone further than we have personally journeyed?  Have you found that to be true?  Then who's leading you?

Gotta run...

So I can kneel.

Last night I met one of my young heroes at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Jerome is the real deal.  I met him last June at a church planting school in Florida.  The passion I caught from him in three days remained with me for six months. 

Jerome's got a great hip-hop ministry called soundsgood entertainment.  Highly recommend them for ministry.  They saw about one thousand students surrender to Jesus in 2006.

I had to laugh out loud when Jerome explained JPM's to me.  JPM is a phrase that record labels use to evaluate signing potential artists.  It stands for Jesus Per Minute.  Apparently record labels, including several "Christian" ones, have a quota on how many times an artist can use the name Jesus in one song. 

I've got a new term.  JPS.  Jesus per sermon.  Or how about JPBE.  Jesus per blog entry.  Go ahead.  Start counting.  Hopefully I'm off the charts:)

Jesus is my King.

Jesus is my Hero.

Jesus is my Motivation.

Jesus is the object of my devotion.

Jesus is calling Jerome to move to Detroit.

Okay, so that last one might have been wishful thinking:) 

Might have been...

Just finished writing my teaching for tomorrow.  This thing is living in me.  I can't wait to get it out:)

Tomorrow's teaching is part 2 of our December series Wonder: Re-Imagining Christ this Christmas.  We're studying my favorite topic. 

Jesus.

Some of the words that Webster associates with wonder are astonishment, awe, surprise, curiosity, and adoration.  Here's the catch.  It's tough to be astonished by someone you think you have figured out.  It's even tougher to rub your chin curiously because of someone you think you have figured out.  But even angels, who have been with Christ for thousands of years, still scratch their heads when they consider His incarnation.

Are you still curious about Christ?

If you missed part 1 last week (Why Angels Wonder) you can either subscribe to our podcast, view a written version, or download the audio. 

Here's to hoping Jesus will capture your imagination this Christmas:)

I was reading through Luke 8 this morning and verse 53 caught my eye.  The daughter of a synagogue ruler named Jairus was sick.  So Jairus came to Jesus for help.  But on their way to the house the little girl died. 

So Jesus made a prediction.  If Jairus believed the little girl would get well. 

People were already mourning when Jesus and Jairus arrived at the house.  Jesus told them to stop crying and alluded to the girl's recovery a second time.  That's verse 52.  Here's verse 53:

And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

Did you catch that?  Jairus came to Jesus for help, and then when Jesus told him his girl would get better, he laughed.  He didn't jump.  He didn't start writing a thank you note.  He laughed at Jesus.  I don't think it was an "I can't wait to see Jesus do this" kind of laugh.  He didn't laugh out of anticipation.  He laughed out of disbelief.

When God told Abraham that he was going to have a son, Abraham laughed.  He was 100 years old; past his prime:)  Sarah overheard the conversation, and she laughed too.  Sarah was 90 years old; past her prime.  Genesis 18.11 puts it tactfully.  The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 

How do you think God felt when they laughed?  He came to this ancient couple with some news he couldn't wait to share.  What did he get in return?  "Hah, that's a good one God!"

What about Jesus and Jairus?  Jairus' laughter was even more pronounced because it was heard against the backdrop of previous weeping.  Everyone in the house had been crying because of loss, and then in one moment they were laughing in disbelief.  I know God made a promise in the Old Testament to turn our weeping into laughing but something tells me this isn't what he had in mind.

Don't forget, the promise of these miracles was not funny because it was irrelevant.  Abraham needed a son.  Jairus needed his girl to be raised.  But faith typically takes a backseat to experience.  100 year old men don't have sons.  Dead girls don't sit up in bed.  And the suggestion that they will is just kind of...well...funny:)

I've tried to picture Jesus' facial expression when Jairus started laughing.  I don't think he scowled.  I don't even think he frowned.  My gut tells me he smiled.  Maybe he even laughed with them, thinking... 

If you thought that was funny, wait until you see this:)

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising...and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed?  Where are the nine?" (Luke 17.15-17)

Jesus healed ten lepers.  One came back to thank him.  I'd like to think of myself as the one.  But I've also spent plenty of time with the nine; finding it easier to ask for mercy than appreciate it.

Not today.

Maybe watching the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean makes this easier.  Or perhaps I'm typing with the advantage of a national holiday named for gratitude.  In any case, I want to seize this opportunity to say something to Jesus.

What you have done for me is unspeakable.

The skin on my hands has always been healthy, but my spirit was deteriorating.  That didn't sit well with you, so you stood up.  You stood up from a throne.  You stood up from heaven's throne.  And you made a long trip, from heaven to earth to a cross.  I know you bled for more than just me, but my heart says you would have done it even if I was the only one.

So today I choose to be the one.

The one to come back and bow at your feet.

I've read about kings.  They're good at giving orders; good at being served.  No wonder men think of becoming kings.  But what King thinks of trading his throne for a manger; his royal robes for carpenter's clothes?

So Jesus, today I've left the nine to come back.  I'm back to say thanks.

And I make you this promise.  In a few days, when I'm looking at snow instead of waves, and back to eating Cheerios instead of Turkey, I'll come back to this place of worship again.

The mystery in a nutshell is this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple.  That is the substance of our Message.  We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message.  We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity.  To be mature is to be basic.  Christ!  No more, no less.  That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me (Colossians 1.27-29).

Yep:)