Deep End

On Wednesday July 15, 2009 we will begin our new Wednesday evening worship experience we’ve called “Deep End.” It will be a time of dedication to the Lord where we worship, praise, teach, intercede and ask God to take us DEEPER in our relationship with His Son, Jesus. It will be a time of intimacy, reverence and celebration all rolled into one. I couldn’t be more excited about this adventure! More than once in the Scriptures we are admonished by the Lord to go deeper in our faith. One such example is found in Luke 5:4 when Jesus tells Peter: ““Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Here He instructs Peter to go deeper, and when you’ve launched out into the deep end you’ll be much more productive in what you’re trying to accomplish. Now that alone is enough to make us celebrate, but let’s back up a bit and look at this a little closer. In Luke 5 we read about some guys who had been on a fishing trip they would have liked to forgot about. There were no great stories about the big one that got away because the ALL had gotten away! They were just spinning their wheels – toiling, striving and churning away at life’s responsibilities, and with each effort they were coming up empty handed. There’s no doubt they were extremely discouraged. But then Jesus comes along and takes this terrible fishing trip and turns it into a remarkable and miraculous fishing trip and it all started with a command to ‘launch out into the deep.’  I believe there is a relevant, timely Word for the Church in this passage. Jesus is calling all of us to go deeper with Him. Have you thought about these men in the story? Jesus didn’t necessarily ask them to stop doing what they were doing or even change their occupation or method of operation – rather, He simply told them that the secret to a full net and productive activity is to go deeper.  Let’s put ourselves in this story and see what God would have us see. First of all, consider the boat – V3, “Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land.” Up until this point, Peter’s boat had been a place of discouragement, toiling and frustration.  It was a vehicle used to squeeze out a modest living. It wasn’t used for pleasure or relaxation or satisfaction, rather it was used for work.  But, when Jesus climbed on board, that boat became a place of intimacy and fellowship.  It was a place where all who were on board could be close to the Savior. This is a beautiful picture of what God intended His Church to look like. Sure there are things that need to be accomplished and it can get tiring at times, but when His House is occupied by those who desire to intimately know Jesus, this building becomes a place of power and a place of fellowship with the Lord and His people!

But not only did this boat become a place of fellowship with Jesus, it became a place where people received teaching (another picture of the Church!). Jesus turned that rickety boat into a pulpit and those on board and those on the banks could hear Jesus’ instruction and revelation as He declared the words of His Father. But also like church, this little boat was a place of aggravation – remember, Peter and his boys had fished all night and accomplished nothing. They had worked hard, did everything they knew to do and still felt like failures (does this sound like church yet?). In fact, in V2 we find them out of the boat and on the shore washing and mending their nets. When the work they set out to do (catch fish) had failed, they started doing something else with the hopes that it would lead to the success they so desired (catching fish!). So what changed all of this? A trip to the “Deep End.”

Be sure to join us Wednesdays at 7PM starting July 15th as we encounter God, lift up His Son and experience the presence and power of His Spirit as we purposefully and passionately wade out into the “Deep End.”

Judas

Judas. Even the name conjures up images and pre-determined opinions about this most notorious of the disciples that followed Jesus. He seen everything the other guys saw, heard the same teachings, yet he still died without a relationship with the Lord. We started this adventure looking at who he was, what his name meant and where he was from. We discovered that he suffered from being an outcast. We also discovered that in every list that names the disciples in the Scriptures, Judas is always named last and we know that this was not by accident. Rank was very important to these guys and it was illustrated time and time again. The placement of his name in the list speaks volumes about the gulf that separated Judas from Jesus and His followers. But let’s go further.

A casual study of the life of Judas reveals that he enjoyed the same benefits that were afforded to the other disciples. First, we know he was genuinely called by Jesus: Mark 3:13; 19, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve….and Judas Iscariot.” Judas was clearly ‘chosen’ by God to be with Jesus. But that begs the question, “Why?” For the answer we have to go dig up some Old Testament prophecy: Psalm 41:9, “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” Psalm 55:12-14, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.” Jesus makes it clear that when He chose Judas, He knew who he was and what he would do: John 6:70, “Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”" Everything Judas did, was part of the eternal plan of redemption planned, ordained and executed by God before the world began. Consider Acts 2:23, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

Now before you scratch your head and feel like you just got set back in your faith, please know that I can’t fully wrap my mind around this either. I’ve said from the beginning that this is a mystery to me. But I believe this is a beautiful picture of God’s divine sovereignty. Just as sure that I am of the fact that Jesus Christ was foreordained by the Father to suffer for sin, there is also no doubt in my mind that Judas was foreordained to be responsible for betraying our Savior. Now if that doesn’t mess you up quite enough, think about this: While Judas was born to fulfill the ancient prophecies related to the betrayal of Christ, he was not forced to do anything against his will. He was chosen by God to be the one to betray Christ; but Judas betrayed Jesus because he wanted to – he exercised his own free-will. Therefore, while Judas was chosen by God for the role he fulfilled in betraying Christ he fulfilled that role willingly. “Preacher, how can you say that for sure?” Because the Word of God doesn’t contradict Itself. 2Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” So this tells me that ALL have a chance to be saved – the Judas’, the Pharoahs, the Jeff Burkes and yes, even YOU. Could Judas have been saved? Absolutely! Remember, he had every opportunity to do that. The proof of this fact is found in the parables of the unjust servant, the man without a wedding garment, and the ten virgins – they were all designed to speak to Judas and turn him from his sin. That being said, let me ask you – do you know Jesus? I mean, really KNOW Him? Or are you just part of a group that hangs out with Jesus and meets once a week to talk about Jesus and sing about Jesus? Today, you can ask Him into your heart, receive His forgiveness for your sins and enter into a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Apathy Is The Enemy

There is an illness that has invaded our communities, our families, and our nation. It has swept across this country from coast to coast, with reckless abandon, which is ironic in of itself, considering the definition of this sickness. Unfortunately, it has found it’s way into The Church. Or perhaps it started there to begin with. Do you know yet what I speak of? It’s the contagious, deadly epidemic known as Apathy.

I’ve long said that, “Apathy is the enemy.” Unfortunately, I’ve watched it reach what I believe are epidemic proportions, over the years. Fact is, no one is immune from it, and will be faced with contracting it at some point in their life.

“What is Apathy?”, you ask. Simply put, Apathy is having a lack of interest or concern, an absence of passion. Does any part of this description resemble a part of your life? If so, I pray you act on it now before it consumes you, rendering you useless to the Kingdom and turning you into a fully UN-committed Christ follower.

You see, Apathy doesn’t play fair, and uses our strengths against us. Here is how it typically plays out. Apathy takes inventory of ones accomplishments, accolades and abundance and tells them that they’ve arrived to a level of esteemed spirituality, and injects them with the venom of over-confidence (pride). Unfortunately, the pride causes blindness…spiritual blindness. The infected lose the ability to see others and their need, their hurt, their loneliness and pain. The eyes of the heart become so impaired, that they only see themselves. This quickly leads to a mindset void of concern and compassion, and a lost sense of urgency for anything spiritual, much less physical. The thought of experiencing and living Revival loses it’s luster, and becomes a chore. Worship becomes a formality and an obligation. Reverence turns into arrogance and relationships become a revolving door. And at its final phase, atrophy,…the wasting away and deterioration from lack of use or involvement.

The remedy? Involvement, service, compassion, selflessness, humility. Love. The opposite of Apathy is Fervency. Symptoms include enthusiasm, passion, and a desire to see others as Christ sees them, through the eyes of a renewed heart. This too, is highly contagious. It’s a desire to see individuals become fully committed Christ followers, and live lives that bring revival and reverence to our King. Fervor is passionately pursuing a life of holiness with purpose. With fervor, comes favor. Healing. Freedom.

Be vigilant and diligent to war off any apathetic infectious disease that may be leaked your way. For your fervency and zeal to be The Church, will ultimately protect The Church.

I Tim. 6:11 MSG – “But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.”

Pastor Marty Thieman
mo@lwwconline.com

Help Me Remember

One of the consequences of being a flawed human being is forgetfulness. No matter what our age, all of us have times when our memories fail us. How many times have you met someone you haven’t seen for a long time – someone you know very well, but your mind freezes up and suddenly you can’t remember their name? Husbands – have you ever ended up in the doghouse because you forgot an important date? Wives – how many times have you caused your husband frustration because you forgot your purse at church 5 miles later down the road? Students – have you ever forgotten a homework assignment or forgotten the answer to a test question in spite of the fact that you knew the material? The truth is that at some point, we ALL struggle with forgetfulness. One of the places that our flawed memories can cause the most damage is in our Christian walk. Perhaps this is why God spends so much time encouraging His people to “Remember” in His Word. Over and over again, in the Old Testament God says to the people: “Remember! Remember that you were a slave in Egypt. Remember all the way that I have led you! Remember your Creator in the days of your youth! Remember and obey My commandments! Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy!”

This being Memorial Day weekend, I thought it appropriate to remind us that God encourages us to “Remember.” I’m not suggesting we keep reminding ourselves of how rotten we were or the sin we’ve committed in our past – we’ve been forgiven and set free from those, but we do need to remind ourselves of some things that help us stay connected and committed to Jesus. One thing that helps us remember is what you might call a memory tool – things that help remind you of things. For example: I carry things in my pocket that remind me of commitments I’ve made to my wife and family. In Numbers 15, God gave the people of Israel a memory tool. God made a covenant – an agreement – with them. On His side of the covenant, God promised continued protection. On their side they were to obey God’s commands. God knew their weakness when it came to memory so He ordered Moses to have the people make themselves a memory-jogging tool – you’ll find it in Numbers 15:37-41. In this text God told them to put tassels on their robes and to tie a chord around each one to help them remember their part of the covenant in much the same way that you and I would tie a string around our finger to help us remember something important. When God in the flesh – Jesus – was about to leave His first set of disciples, He knew that they too would soon forget His offer of grace and His call to discipleship so He also gave them a memory tool as well. I’m referring to the Lord’s Supper. And like the tassels on the robes of the Hebrews, the bread and the cup are to remind us of some vital truths that we need to be careful to remember.

This weekend while you’re celebrating our American heroes – the courageous men and women who have given their life for our freedom, I encourage you to also spend time thinking about, remembering and celebrating the greatest of all heroes, our Lord and Savior, Jesus who gave His life so we could be free. We’ll use the picture of the Lord’s Supper as our memory tool. At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus taught His followers to remember His sacrifice (1Corinthians 11:23-25). But we’re also taught in that passage to not forget He’s coming again so we must prepare for His future return (1Corinthians 11:26). We are surrounded by visible reminders of His miraculous saving power and redemption. Perhaps as Christ Followers we may need to simply say, “Help me see it, God. Help me remember.”

pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

Praying For The Wind

I’m interested in weather. No…I’m intrigued by it. Few things in nature captivate me like the mysteries that surround our atmosphere and weather here on planet earth. I love it when it rains, storms excite me and strong winds cause me to stop and stare at the moving clouds, trees and blades of grass. I just love weather patterns and how totally unpredictable it all really is. Because of my love of weather, I find Psalm 135:5-7 an interesting passage of Scripture: “For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, that has He done in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and all deeps – Who causes the vapors to arise from the ends of the earth, Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings the wind out of His storehouses.” Among the spiritual truths in our text, the Psalmist declares that he confidently knows: 1) the Lord is great; 2) God is above all gods; and 3) He does what He pleases in heaven, earth, and the deep places. But this third truth gets a little elaboration from the writer. He says that God raises the vapors, creates the lightning and draws wind out of His storehouses. This last phrase caught my attention. Some translations use the word ‘treasuries’ instead of ’storehouses,’ and that’s closer to the original meaning of the word. Think about that for a second: There are treasuries that the Lord has that hold nothing but the wind. And when He needs the wind to do His bidding and requires it to alter conditions to conform to His will, He just goes to His ‘wind treasury’ where the wind is stored and He makes a withdrawal and let’s it blow! But what does God use the wind for?

1) To blow out adversity! In Exodus 10, God sent a windstorm to remove the plague of locusts that had infested Egypt after Pharaoh had promised to let the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship if the locusts were sent away. Of course, Pharaoh didn’t keep His end of the bargain. In Exodus 10:13, the LORD used an east wind to bring locusts into Egypt. Along with the breaking of dawn came a destructive horde of plant-devouring insects. The Bible says these locusts were: very severe (V14) and covered the entire ground (V15). And even though Pharaoh falsely repented, the Lord sent a strong west wind to blow the locusts into the Red Sea (V19).
 The wind came as a result of Moses’ prayer and it blew out adversity! God also uses the wind:

2) To bring showers of blessings! In 1Kings 18, God sent the wind to carry the rain that would end a 3 1/2 year drought that was terrorizing the people in Elijah’s day. After his victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah prayed for the sending of the rain and God sent it by means of wind that He pulled from His treasury. Dryness creates needs, but God waters faith that grows in the toughest drought. Elijah heard, with ears of faith, the “sound” of abundant rain and he knew that showers of blessings were coming. God also uses wind:

3) To bring correction! In Jonah 1, Jonah had chosen to disobey God by going in the opposite direction from where the Lord had sent him. Rather than go preach judgment to the despicable Ninevites and risk their deliverance, Jonah preferred to allow them to go into destruction without warning. To avoid his calling, he jumped on a ship and tried to get away from God. But, God sent a storm, with wind from His treasury, to correct His servant and get a much-needed witness to Nineveh.

Moses’ wind was valuable because it removed adversity. Elijah’s wind was valuable because it brought showers of blessing. Jonah’s wind was valuable because it produced the correction needed to make a change in direction. As I sit and listen to the wind start to pick up outside and as I watch the curtains begin to flap uncontrollably at my open windows, I wonder…why did God go into His treasury of wind and send this blustery, blowing wind this time? Is it for me? Is it for you? What does the wind of His Spirit need to blow into or out of your life? Are you praying for the WIND?

pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

Mom

If I were to ask you to name the most powerful person in all the world, who would it be? Would you say the President, foreign kings or perhaps Superman? Would you name our financial leaders on Wall Street that manage and determine our nation’s interest rates and commerce with the snap of a finger? Who you say is the most powerful and influential person in all of the world? I suggest to you today that the correct answer is one word – MOM. President Theodore Roosevelt once said: “When all is said, it is the mother, who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation – it is she who is of greater use to the community, and occupies, if she would only realize it, a more honorable as well as a more important position than any man in it. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, or businessman, or artist, or scientist.” Roosevelt was right, mothers are indeed the the most powerful people in the world for they are the ones who were given the assignment by God to mold us in our most “moldable” years. Unfortunately, this isn’t recognized by many in our world today. In fact, I heard a couple of women talking in a grocery store this week and during their conversation they were making comments that would have believe they were almost embarrassed and apologetic that they were mothers! And having the privilege of being a Youth Pastor many years ago, I’ve overheard more than one conversation between kids that had nothing but terrible things to say about their mean, over-protective mom that made them dress appropriately, come home at a decent hour and respect those in authority.

All throughout the Bible we read about moms that made a difference in the lives of their children. But let’s go back to the beginning – let’s consider Eve: she was the mother of all living things (in fact her name means ‘living’) and the first woman to give birth to a child. Do you think she was scared? What do you think went through her head as her belly started to grow and she found herself throwing up every morning? She had no one to ask questions to and no one to give her advice. Was she scared? did she realize how important her role would be in the lives of her kids? Eve had three sons mentioned in Scripture: Cain, Abel and Seth. Genesis 5:4 tells us that her and Adam had many sons and daughters, but only three are mentioned. And disappointment and tragedy did not escape this first mother’s life – the most well-known was of course when Cain murdered Abel. Eve is not only the first mother, but also the first mom to lose a child in death. Actually, we could say she lost two sons because the other left and wandered the lands. But, did you also know that it was through the line of Seth that people began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:25-26). I kind of think she had no idea what she was in for. She could not have imagined the joy, heartache, tears, laughter, pain and pleasure that came along with motherhood. But the fact is, mother’s have a remarkable ability to change the world through their children. Mom, don’t ever forget your value, importance or role you play in all of our lives. Please forgive the rest of us when we take you for granted and fail to let you know what you mean to us.

Today I’m thinking about my mom who is now in heaven praising the Lord and probably telling Jesus stuff about me I wish she would keep quiet. I miss her more than words can say and it hurts today like it did the day she went Home, but I know this pain is only temporary because one day – one glorious day – I’ll get to see her again. I love you mom. You were a great mom. Happy Mother’s Day!

pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

Spring Cleaning

Most people don’t want their house to look like a used-toy warehouse,or like a garage sale exploded, but when it comes down to getting rid of the clutter, they just can’t let go. Why is it that we cling to items of no apparent value?  There are three reasons why most people hang on to things: Grief, thrift and denial. Check out this story. It might sound familiar to some of you.

Megan’s story…

Twenty-three years ago, when I was sixteen years old, my mom passed away. She was forty-six. Reality set in very quickly when my Grandma told my brother and me that we could take anything we wanted from the house. One of the first places I wandered into that day was my mom’s bedroom. There sat her purse, a reminder that “you can’t take it with you when you go.” Seeing my mom’s purse that day could not have been a bigger eye-opener for me. Although, I could’ve “taken” anything I wanted from my mom’s house to my dad’s house—to me it was just “stuff.” The memories were in a few precious things that I eventually kept—such as our pictures, my mom’s recipes, our Christmas ornaments, some of her piano music, (she was a piano teacher), and some of her jewelry.

I don’t miss any of the other stuff, because after all, I have those few special treasures that I will always cherish—those that give me the greatest memory. Why do I tell you this story? Because I had the opportunity to hang on to so many things that I did not “need” that would just take up space and that I would probably never use.

This story deals with holding on to things because of grief. I guess it shows that sometimes what one person sees as junk can be a real treasure to you. While we are busy with our spring cleaning, lets be sure we take out the trash, but save room for your memories. Everything doesn’t have to have a new coat of paint or be the latest and greatest. Some things can just be! Be thorough with your cleaning, but not so much so that the good gets tossed out with the bad. Somethings have more use than utility, and that’s OK.

Pastor Kenny
kenny@lwwconline.com